Dirt sprinkled down onto the red foxes face. Bits of grain and dust filled the air and pebbles sprinkled down in a sensation that reminded him of long days at the windy beaches from home. It was silent. Nothing but the ringing sound in his long pointed ears. He stared into the beautiful blue sky and smiled. So peaceful. It felt like a wonderful dream and he wondered if he was asleep. Sound slowly started returning to his ears. "Contact right!" The fox perked his ears up, the dazed smile leaving his face. "Get up Loop!" Ah, his nickname. Loop sat up feeling dizzy and trying to take in the scene that fell before him. Before he could even quite comprehend what he had witnessed a man grabbed him and dragged him from the middle of the street to a wall that ran parallel to the road. "Loop pick up your rifle, are you with me here?" The fox looked at the Grey mouse and recognized the face. Lance Corpral Heritage stared at him hopping for a command. "Cpl we need to get into cover." SNAP! A bullet ricochet bounced over head. Loop snapped back to the world grasping his rifle that lay across his lap still slung to his shoulders. "Lets go Snappy, get inside the house!" They ran through the nearest coartyard to an entrance of a mud house with a metal door, bullets snapping and pinging off of the wall behind them. Time slowed down as Loop made his way closer to the door with Lance Corporal Heritage right behind him. His mind realed as thought of what lay behind the door haunted his mind. A man with a gun just waiting on the other side aiming at the door, waiting for it to open would fill Loops body full of bullets ripping through flesh, muscle, and bone. He has seen it too many times. "Not this time," Loop thought to himself. His tail lashed out as his leg came up to smash into the door. Time slowed even more as his adrenaline spiked. Splinterd wood sprinkled into the foxes fur and metal bent around his foot. A stairway with a figure at the top stood in front of Loops face. The figure must have had the drop on Loop and Snappy and Loop knew it. Loop gritted his teeth and threw himself down on his knees with all of his might aiming his M-4 at the siloetted figure at the top of the stairs. He pulled the trigger and a man crumpled down to his knees holding his chest, a good clean shot. Snappy was behind Loop and he aimed at another small figure that closed in from the right. He almost pulled the trigger before he realized what he saw. Loops jaw dropped and his rifle left his hands hanging from its sling before him. The small figure looked up at the now dead man and her arms dropped lifelessly to her sides. Tears streamed down her furry cheeks, her eyes squinted and her lips quivered. She looked up at her father once more then turned her gaze to Loop. Her hands began to ball into fists. She ran to Loop and started pounding on his flack vest with her small fragile paws. Loop began to cry as the little hyena continued to hit him with as much power as she could muster from her 8 year old muscles. Loop looked back at the unarmed man and back down to the devistated girl. Tears streaming from his face he did the only thing he could think of. He grabbed the little girl and held her tight in his arms. She stopped fighting it and the only thing she could think to do was hug him back. The two sat in each others embrace crying and rocking back and forth, Loop running his hands through her jet black hair, holding her gaze from deaths work. He held her closer not wanting to ever let go. Snappy grabbed Loop by the back of his vest and dragged him away from the little girl. Loop glanced back just before leaving the house and saw the girl weaping and speaking in a strange toungue to herself. She dropped to her knees and stared up the stairs. Her mind now losing all sence of reality. She pondered, losing her tears, and her face became dazed, dazed and lost and dizzy just as Loop had been before. After Loop was dragged clear of the house he stood up gripping his rifle once more finding a familiar face from his squad in the house across the street. He ran for the house they were taking cover in. He ran as fast and hard as he could, embracing the pain, he would never let it go. There was always going to be room for new pain.