And so begins the start of a series of stories in Ynyslas, an island where skydiving and parachuting is a massive part of the island's culture. And what better way to start than with a certain fennec fox's very self-indulgent skydive!

Special thanks to Digolgrin who helped contribute ideas to world-building for this and beyond, and also helping with editing and cleaning things up. I always appreciate the help!

Hope you all enjoy this new story!

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“First Flight” by Lunar Kuto.
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The morning sun rose over the horizon of Ynyslas as a brand-new new day dawned for the island’s many residents. One of those residents, a Fennec fox which wore a brown flight jacket with a variety of patches stitched onto its surface, a pair of denim jeans, and a shiny pink biker’s helmet which had the wearers large cream and white ears poking out from above, and tufts of red hair poking out from beneath the protective gear drove a glossy white and pink scooter towards a commercial runway in the rural valleys of the island.

The fox eventually parked the scooter on a gravelly carpark which overlooked an expansive array of flower covered fields and farms which were divided by a series of intertwining roads and paths, some of which trailed towards a recently built airport that always seemed to never stop running.

The fox took off the helmet, shaking their messy red hair as they got off the scooter with a stretch. “And here we are!” The fox said as they groaned from their stretches while observing another commercial airliner take off from the distant airport. They then turned their attention to the comparatively smaller airstrip on the hill which was occupied by several small businesses that relied on the runway for their operations such as transporting goods to and from the island, or flight clubs for those that want to fly or tour around the island.

The closest building to the fennec fox was an old, but well-kept skydiving club that belonged to the Sea Breeze Skydiving Club, a group that was founded at the dawn of when parachuting started becoming popular on the island, and of which the scooter riding fox worked at, taking on a variety of roles that included being a tandem master, a camera jumper, and a course instructor to name a few of the numerous jobs that they had at the club.

The fox grinned to themselves as they approached the old building. However, an incoming delivery truck branded with signage for a local freight company halted the fox’s progress. The large vehicle parked close to the skydiving club’s entrance, followed by a tabby cat and a tortoiseshell cat that wore matching dull blue courier uniforms hastily exiting the truck’s cab and making a bee line to the club’s entrance as the tortoiseshell cat eagerly knocked on the closed door to see if anyone was inside.

The curious fox was about to greet the couriers when a grey squirrel that wore a pair of glasses, a sky-blue polo shirt underneath a black cardigan, and a pair of black jeans opened the door to greet the felines. The group talked for a moment while the squirrel signed some paperwork before the couriers retreated to the truck’s trailer. The skydiving fox then curiously watched as they heard a commotion from inside the truck, followed by the cats trolleying in two wooden crates inside the club’s reception while the squirrel waited outside for the felines to finish their delivery.

Finding an opportunity to approach the Squirrel without interfering with the couriers, the fennec fox quickly dashed towards their co-worker, smiling softly as they greeted the squirrel. “Hey Jan! What’s with the boxes?” The fox asked while quickly glancing inside, watching the felines unload the trolleys inside the club’s reception.

“Oh! We got some new goods from a sponsor! I should have mentioned it yesterday. But I forgot with how busy we’ve been this week. Sorry about that Mabel.” Jan explained with a nervous chuckle.

Mabel giggled softly as she patted the squirrel’s back. “That’s alright Jan. So, you said that we got a new sponsor? Who is it?” Mabel quizzically asked, eager to hear what the squirrel had to say. However, just as Jan was about to reply, he was quickly interrupted by the two couriers who were in the middle of navigating the now empty trolleys out of the reception.

“Sorry for the delay. The packages that we have delivered have been placed in the reception. We assume that you two can take care of things from here?” The tabby cat announced as they greeted the two members of staff.

Jan happily nodded. “Yeah, that’s great. Thank you so much once again!” Jan replied with a reassuring grin. Mabel glanced at Jan, then back to the cats as she nodded in agreement with the squirrel.

Satisfied with their answers, the cats smiled as they bid farewell to Jan and Mabel, the couriers returned to the truck and begun to awkwardly navigate out of the car park to drive off for their next destination while Mabel’s curiosity got the better of her as she entered the club.

Mabel hopped into the now deserted reception, the fox saw that the room was in the middle of being set up for the day with its furniture in various stages of being cleaned up, and an array of cleaning supplies sprawled over the main reception desk. The fox glanced to her right as she saw the two crates resting on the tiled floors which had been dirtied by the movement of the club’s delivery.

“Well, now that that’s out of the way, I think it’s time to check out what we have!” The squirrel said as they stepped into the reception. Mabel watched as Jan quickly approached the front desk and crouched behind it as if the squirrel was searching for something.

“So, as I was saying, who's sponsoring us?” Mabel curiously asked as she glanced at the mysterious crates, brushing her hand against the wooden surface as she wondered about its contents while listening to the clattering and shuffling sounds from behind the desk.

“Well, I was offered some new parachutes to help promote an upcoming movie. It’s just a little tie-in event, but you know me, I just couldn’t resist the opportunity to get some new gear!” Jan merrily replied with a chuckle as he made his way towards the crates with a crowbar in his hands.

Mabel’s attention trailed down to the crowbar that the squirrel wielded as she wondered where he had been hiding it. But she quickly shook her head as the fox dismissed the thought and focused on what was going on. “Really? That’s cool!” Mabel cheerfully replied. “So, what are we waiting for? Let’s look at what’s inside! I can’t wait to see what cool stuff we have now!” Mabel eagerly exclaimed as she rapidly patted the crate she was touching, her tail wagging excitedly as her already overwhelming desire to find out intensified.

“Okay, okay! Just give me a moment here.” Jan hastily replied as he sharply wedged the crowbar into the lid that Mabel patted. The squirrel groaned and briefly struggled as he gradually prized the box’s lid open. After some attempts at opening the crate, Jan yelped and stumbled backwards, landing on his rear with a grunt as the lid suddenly popped off the crate and landed on the tiled floor with a loud clatter. Mabel flinched as the freed lid loudly rattled against the tiled surface before finally settling on the reception’s floor. Jan let out a soft grumble over his tumble while the fox decided to take the initiative to check out the box’s contents.

Mabel was immediately greeted by a cardboard cut-out of a cartoony grey tabby cat wearing a purple witch’s hat and a cute purple and lavender dress that matched their hat. The feline on the cut-out smiled happily as they waved at those that saw it as if they were trying to grab the viewers’ attention. “Oh my gosh!” Mabel shouted excitedly as she let out a loud gasp, the fox quickly pulled out the cut-out to show Jan what she had seen. “It’s Magical Rhian!” Mabel cheered blissfully in her excitement. “This show was my favourite cartoon when I was a kid!” The fox briefly hesitated before deciding to continue. “Well, it’s also something I still enjoy nowadays too, I guess some things never change, right?” Mabel said with a laugh as she explained her excitement over the revelation.

Jan laughed over the fox’s reaction as he got back on his feet and brushed the dust off his clothes. “That’s right! It seems like the show’s producers wanted us to help promote the upcoming Magical Rhian movie, so they commissioned some special marketing materials for us to use!” He said as the squirrel decided to look inside the box as well. “I heard that some other clubs and venues have gotten similar goods, so I guess we’ll be seeing a lot of her in the upcoming months!” Jan commented as he let out a chuckle.

“That’s awesome!” Mabel playfully giggled as the fox gently placed the cut-out aside. “Well, you said that we had new parachutes, do you know if they’re somewhere inside here? The only thing that I see is just marketing materials.” Mabel eagerly asked as she found herself unable to contain her excitement.

“Just give me a moment, this box is packed with so much stuff, I guess they really wanted to go all out with the marketing for this!” Jan hastily replied as he continued rummaging through the crate. Mabel watched as Jan pulled out bundle after bundle of marketing material, from cut-outs to banners, posters, and inflatables, all advertising the cartoon witch. Eventually, the squirrel let out a happy gasp as he pulled out a dark grey and purple trimmed parachute rig with an embroidery of Magical Rhian’s face playfully winking on the middle of its container. “Ta-da! Here it is!” Jan announced as he revealed the rig to the fox.

Mabel let out an excited gasp as she rushed over to Jan to take a closer look. “That’s so cute!” Mabel cried out as she admired the new rig. “I love it!” she excitedly added, giggling over the rig’s design.

The squirrel chuckled as he flipped the rig around to admire its design. “Yeah, it’s certainly a cute rig. I was told that we could keep these after the event is done, so I bet they'll be lovely additions to our inventory!” Jan replied as he returned his attention to Mabel, stifling a chuckle as he noted Mabel’s contagious joy over the news.

Mabel nodded in agreement. However, a tag on the chest straps grabbed the fox’s attention. The fox gently lifted the tag as she read what it had to say. Jan watched as Mabel flinched with an alarmed gasp, and locked eyes with the squirrel. “It says that the main parachutes are in the other crate, there’s nothing except the reserves in these rigs!” Mabel exclaimed as she showed the tag to Jan.

Jan blinked as he quietly opened the main parachute’s container, revealing that it was indeed empty. “Oh! I guess they left it for us to pack these rigs. That’s a shame, I would have liked to have seen the main parachutes right now.” The squirrel bemoaned as he turned his attention to the unopened crate. “Oh well! I guess it'll give me something to do today.” Jan said with a faint smile as he placed the rig back in the crate it came from.

Mabel jokingly let out a disappointed moan over the suspense of seeing the canopy, before giggling faintly. “Well, I guess it does give us something to look forward to, right?” Mabel asked as she smiled at the squirrel.

“That’s true!” Jan replied as she glanced at the opened parachute rig. “Well, I’ll make sure to update you when we have one that’s ready to use!” The squirrel said as he made the promise to the fennec fox, who nodded in agreement.

“Sounds like a plan. I look forward to seeing it, and maybe jumping with it soon!” Mabel replied as she tried to hint that she was wanting to call first dibs on riding the parachutes. “Speaking of jumping, I guess I should get started for the day. See you soon buddy!” She said as she waved goodbye to the squirrel before dashing off to the staff changing rooms to prepare for the first customers of the day.
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A few hours had passed by since the skydiving club started yet another busy day. Mabel giggled to herself as she returned to the base wearing a purple and white jumpsuit, a bubble-gum pink helmet, and carrying a large multicoloured bundle of crumpled and hastily collected nylon and parachute cord which was slung against her shoulder. Accompanying the fennec fox was a rather content looking red panda who wore a black and red jumpsuit with a tandem harness secured over their outfit, and a glossy red helmet over their head.

“So, Emile, how was your first jump?” Mabel curiously asked her tandem student as she paused outside of the base’s reception, eagerly awaiting the student jumper’s answer with a smile on the fox’s face.

“Well, I’ll admit that I was really nervous at first, it was my first time jumping out of a plane and all. But I guess I shouldn’t have worried so much. This was the coolest thing I’ve ever done! You bet that I’m totally doing this again some time!” They eagerly replied while giving two thumbs up in approval.

Mabel chuckled over her customer’s feedback. “That’s good to hear!” The fennec fox jubilantly cheered, knowing that she had another happy customer. “It would be so cool to have you come back some time, I’d happily go on a tandem jump with you again!” Mabel added with a content sigh as she opened the reception’s doors. “But for now, this is the end of our little adventure. If you could return to the changing room and hand over your gear to one of our members of staff, then you are free to go! But you’re always welcome to spectate the other jumpers though.” Mabel politely instructed as she gestured for the red panda to enter the reception.

Inside the reception was a casually dressed light brown and white lop-eared rabbit who sat behind the reception’s counter who was in the middle of greeting guests and working on administrative tasks for the club. The rabbit glanced up as they noticed the skydivers and happily waved at the pair before turning their attention to Mabel, beckoning the fox over to speak to her. “Hey Mabel, I had a chat with Jan while you were in the sky, he said that he wanted to speak with you about something.” The Rabbit said as she passed on the message while Emile quietly made their way to the changing room.

Mabel’s ears perked up over the rabbit’s message “Oh! Really now?” She asked, the fox quickly grinned to herself as she guessed that it was about what had happened earlier in the day. “That’s great! I’ll go see him right away. Thanks for letting me know Mimi!” Mabel cheerfully replied as she hastily left the used tandem parachute in Mimi’s care before starting her search for the squirrel.

The fox prowled through the club’s corridors, eventually making her way to a door with signage reading “Jan’s office”. Mabel approached the door to his workplace, her large ears picking up the faint mumblings from the squirrel as if he was reading something. “Hey Jan, are you in there? Mimi said that you wanted to talk to me about something?” Mabel called out as she knocked on the door.

Mabel’s ears twitched as she heard a voice from beyond the door. “Oh! Hey Mabel! Come on in!” Jan said as he called out to the fox. Mabel let out a happy gasp and quietly nodded to herself as she opened the door and stepped in.

The fox glanced around as she entered the squirrel’s office. Jan’s room was notably larger than the other offices in the buildings as it was recently merged with one of the adjacent rooms and converted into a workshop for the squirrel to perform maintenance checks and small repairs on parachutes and gear. On top of the largest table rested a pile of dark grey and purple parachutes of varying sizes but were otherwise identical to the one that Mabel had seen earlier, and a stack of lavender and purple jumpsuits that were neatly placed next to the brand-new rigs.

Close to the table was Jan who sat behind their office desk as they jumped between having their lunch and skimming through the instructions for a remote-controlled drone that rested on top of its packaging while the squirrel worked on getting it set up. The squirrel quietly waved at the fox while he tried to hastily swallow the food in his mouth before pointing to the parachutes on display.

“Oh! Is this it?” Mabel eagerly asked as she rushed over to the brand-new rigs, the fox gasped in delight as she recognised the Rhian decorations on them. “I didn’t think we were getting so many of them!” Mabel exclaimed as she picked up one of the rigs to take a better look.

“That’s right! They’re all set up, and ready to fly at any time!” Jan happily announced after swallowing his food while grinning as he watched Mabel cheer and jump for joy over the news.

“Yay! This is going to be so awesome! Can’t wait to use one of these!” Mabel gushed while playfully dancing on the spot and cuddling the parachute as the fox’s contagious enthusiasm made the squirrel laugh.

“I’m glad to hear.” Jan replied as he leaned back on the chair that he sat on. “Well, that’s actually why I called you here.” Jan said as he watched Mabel fall silent, the fox eagerly glanced at the squirrel as she waited for him to continue. “So, I was looking at the legal stuff, and I was informed that we could start using these parachutes as soon as possible! I did think about waiting until tomorrow to roll them out. But I think it would be nice if we had some material for our social media channels to help promote this little tie-in beforehand.” Jan explained as he leaned over the table, smiling warmly at Mabel. “You seem so excited to fly with one, so how do you feel about staying behind after work for one more jump?” He asked, eagerly waiting Mabel’s response.

Mabel hastily glanced between the parachutes and Jan as she heard her boss’ proposal. A huge grin crept on the fox’s face as she eagerly nodded. “Of course! I’m always happy to stick around for another jump!” Mabel eagerly replied as she cheered jubilantly.

Jan leaned back on his chair once again as he smiled contently over Mabel’s answer. “That’s great! I’ll let Mimi know that you’re jumping tonight.” Jan replied as he grabbed his phone. “I would have loved to have done this for the next jump. But we have been so busy with the peak season, I think it would be a better idea to announce that we have them as opposed to surprising our customers and all!” The squirrel commented with a faint chuckle as he started typing a message on the device.

“That’s true. But hey! I’m certainly never gonna complain about sticking behind for an extra jump!” Mabel replied as she enthusiastically grinned. “So, is Mimi coming along for the jump? Not that there’s anything wrong with that and all!” Mabel curiously asked.

Jan perked as he heard Mabel’s question. “Oh! Right, Mimi agreed to stay behind for the jump if it were happening. But she’ll be testing out the camera drone we bought the other day as opposed to jumping with you.” The squirrel replied as he pointed to the club’s new toy. “We figured that it could be a good opportunity to test it while we’re doing this!” He said as he sent the message to the lop-eared rabbit.

“I see. Well, that does sound like a plan, I’ll make sure to help Mimi get some cool shots!” Mabel happily replied. The fox shivered in anticipation as she giggled excitedly “I’m so excited to do this! Thank you so much for the opportunity, Jan!” Mabel exclaimed as she jumped on the spot. The fennec fox then let out a content sigh as she tried calming herself down over the upcoming jump. “Well, I guess I should get ready for the next customer. I’ll see you later!” Mabel added with a wink as she let the squirrel return to his lunch with a playful skip and a dance in her step.
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Some time had passed since the last customer had left the club, and Mabel’s eagerly awaited moment had finally come. The giddy skydiver found herself resting against the walls of the club’s trustworthy plane by herself while the group’s pilot took the fox for one more flight.

The lone skydiver wore one of the lavender and purple jumpsuits, which had an embroidered design of Magical Rhian smiling merrily on the suit’s shoulders, a glossy purple helmet that she had picked out to compliment her gear, her personalised digital altimeter which the fox had secured onto her left wrist, and finally, the grey and purple trimmed parachute that she had been eagerly wanting to fly with throughout the entire day. Mabel hummed to herself while swaying her head from side to side as she idly danced to her melody.

The lynx that was flying the plane glanced over their shoulder, taking note of the peaceful scene to end the jumps for the day. The pilot spotted Mabel who was occupied with her song as he chuckled to himself. “Is everything okay over there?” He politely asked.

Mabel’s ears twitched as she heard the pilot's voice. She stopped humming as she turned her attention to the pilot. “Everything’s fine here, Leon!” Mabel merrily replied as she gave an affirmative thumbs up to the pilot.

“I see. Well, as long as everything’s okay back there.” Leon contently replied. “You’ve been looking more cheerful than usual since the meeting with Jan. I guess you’ve been really excited for this, right?” He asked with a smile as he found the moment to have a heart to heart with one of his co-workers.

Mabel happily nodded as she leaned back against the cabin’s wall. “Of course! I get to be the first one to see this parachute in action. How could I not be excited?” Mabel eagerly replied while doing another equipment check before the big moment.

“Well, as long as you enjoy what you’re doing, that’s what matters the most here at Sea Breeze Skydiving Club!” Leon proudly remarked before letting out a chuckle. “Oh! Speaking of skydiving.” Leon quickly added as he pushed a button. Mabel’s ears perked up as she heard a loud buzz, followed by the plane’s jump lights turning red, a sign for the fox to get ready. “We’ve reached our designated jump altitude, and we’re on our way to the drop zone. I’d start thinking about getting ready if I were you.” Leon commented as he prioritised his focus on flying the plane once again.

Mabel let out a happy gasp as she eagerly got up. The fox wrapped up her equipment check before inching her way towards the plane’s shutter doors, The skydiver grabbed onto the handle at the bottom of the shutters and pulled the door upwards. A sudden burst of warm air rushed against her short muzzle as the welcoming skies over Ynyslas greeted the fox once again. Mabel grinned to herself as she approached the edge of the opened door, patiently waiting for the signal to go while she resumed humming to herself once more to pass the time.

After what felt like eons to the eager skydiver, the fox heard another loud buzz as the lights switched from red to green, the sign that it was time for Mabel to jump once more. “Have fun!” Leon called out as he cheered the fox on, Mabel glanced back and nodded before returning her attention to the island beneath her feet. Without a moment’s hesitation, the fox cried out jubilantly as she enthusiastically threw herself out of the plane, and into the evening sky.

The lonely skydiver laughed wildly as she performed a forward roll after bailing from the plane, making sure to take a moment to admire the small aircraft as she found herself past the point of no return. The fox playfully waved goodbye to the plane before proceeding to spin, roll, and dance for an imaginary audience as the fox self-indulgently showed off in the skies above her home. The fox continued her lonely performance for a few more seconds until she concluded her dance with a backwards flip as she finally entered her routine freefall position to prepare herself for what was to come.

Mabel let out a satisfied chuckle as she felt the almost deafening roar of the warm rushing winds that danced against her body. “Ha-ha! This is so wonderful! I could never get tired of this!” The fox cheered as she happily grinned to herself while watching the island that she called home getting closer and closer with each second. The fox glanced at her altimeter, noticing that she was seconds away from the point where she would normally consider opening her parachute.

The fox grinned widely as she started to pump herself up. “Well, I’d like to freefall a little longer. But I think that it’s time to see the true star of this jump!” Mabel exclaimed with a confident smile as she watched over the approaching island. The fox reached behind her back, pawing around the parachute pack until she felt the rig’s pilot chute. Mabel quickly grabbed onto it and pulled it out of the parachute’s container, immediately letting go of it as she waited for the big moment.

Seconds later, the fox felt a sharp upwards tug as her main parachute was freed from her rig. Mabel instinctively grabbed onto the canopy’s risers to keep herself steady and catch the moment when a large dark purple parachute blossomed loudly above her, the canopy’s successful deployment almost immediately slowing her freefall down into a gentle drift in the warm evening sky.

Mabel let out an awestruck gasp as she admired the huge ram-air parachute above her, which was decorated with a dotted pattern that served as a background for a giant image of her favourite witch posing cutely while grinning down at the fennec fox who piloted the giant nylon canopy. “Hey Rhian!” Mabel jubilantly called out as she greeted the parachute while grinning and laughing over the design. “This canopy's so cute, it was totally worth the wait!” She cheered with a childish giggle while kicking her legs back and forth as she continued to admire the feline witch.

The fox let out a happy sigh while she gazed towards the evening sun. “Lovely views of the evening sky, pleasant warm breezes, flying with a parachute themed after my favourite witch. This is perfect!” The fox contently remarked as she relaxed, “I’m so glad that we could have this moment, Rhian.” Mabel quietly remarked as she admired the parachute on her self-indulgent and nostalgic flight home.

A few minutes had passed as Mabel snapped back to reality from a session of nostalgic daydreaming. “Oh! I almost forgot that I should be flying and soaring around the sky instead of taking a trip down memory lane!” Mabel said to herself with a faint chuckle. “Well, I think we should still have plenty of time to have some fun with this.”

The fox glanced down to gauge how much time she had left. However, the skydiver let out an alarmed yelp as she noticed that she was already two thirds of the way through her flight.

“Ah! How long was I daydreaming?!” Mabel frantically exclaimed as she scrambled for the canopy’s toggles to take control of the large rectangular canopy. “I’m so sorry that I wasted so much of your maiden flight. But let’s try to make the most of what time we have, okay Rhian?” Mabel sheepishly said to the parachute with a nervous laugh. “Well, A cute parachute is good and all. But I think it’s time to see how good it is at flying!” Mabel said as she playfully challenged the grinning feline on the parachute to impress her on the fox's last flight of the day.

Mabel spent what was left of her parachute ride putting on a show for any spectators who may have spotted the cartoony parachute that circled and soared around the skies above the island. The skydiver eventually calmed down her flight as the fox decided to start thinking about landing at the rendezvous point that Mabel and Jan had agreed on. “Well, you’re certainly fun to fly with! You've got my approval for that too!” The fox remarked as she playfully winked at the grinning feline above her while kicking her legs excitedly. “I must admit, it's starting to get really tempting to ask Jan if I can keep one of these parachutes for myself when this promotion is over. It would be a lovely addition to my Magical Rhian merchandise!” she added with a sincere laugh.

The airborne fox looked down to assess her surroundings, she quickly spotted a large and well used white mat with a target printed on it that rested in a field that the Sea Breeze Skydiving Club used as a landing zone for their jumps. “And there’s our goal!” Mabel said to herself as she started to set a course to land on the printed target. Mabel’s ears twitched as a buzzing sound that grew louder and louder grabbed her attention as she got closer to the field. The skydiver quickly glanced around as she spotted the club’s camera drone buzzing around the parachute while keeping a safe distance from the fox, Mabel grinned to herself as she watched the club’s new toy record her flight. “Hey Mimi!” Mabel whooped in delight as she enthusiastically waved at the drone before taking a moment to show off the parachute for the camera before beginning her descent onto the field.

The fox then swooped down onto the field as she made her final approach to the target; her paws teasingly hovering over the PVC mat as she prepared to touch down. However, Mabel glanced up at the parachute one more time as an idea came to mind. “And now it’s time for the final test!” Mabel said with a playful smirk as she tucked her legs in and sharply pulled down on her toggles. At that moment, the large parachute’s forward momentum halted as the large canopy stalled above her. The fennec fox quickly drifted down to the ground with a soft grunt, followed by the large rectangular parachute deflating and collapsing over the small skydiver who let out a delighted squeal as the nylon canopy blanketed the small fox.

Mabel flopped backwards with a content sigh as the fox basked in her excitement, while the softness of the cartoony parachute’s embrace marked the end of another exciting jump. A huge smile grew on her face before the fennec fox cheered and cried out in sheer bliss. “That ride was perfect!” Mabel jubilantly exclaimed as she played with the deflated parachute while letting out another childish giggle. “I can’t wait to fly with you again, Rhian!” She exclaimed while happily kicking her feet as she watched the parachute ripple and move over her.

However, the fox’s celebrations abruptly ended as she heard the familiar buzz of the drone which flew overhead, alongside the sounds of Mimi and Jan who chatted between themselves as they approached the deflated canopy. Mabel let out a soft sigh as she sat up. “Well, I guess it’s time to end this jump.” Mabel reluctantly said as she got on her hands and knees. “Thanks for the fun flight, Rhian. I promise that we’ll fly again soon, okay?” Mabel said as she glanced at Rhian’s smiling face before proceeding to crawl out of the nylon that surrounded her. The fennec fox wiggled and navigated her way through the parachute until she popped her head out of the huge nylon blanket, Mabel took off her helmet and shook her hair before glancing up to see both Mimi and Jan who loomed over her.

“So, how was the ride?” Mimi asked as she let the drone hover just above the mat that they stood on to get some last-minute photos of Mabel underneath the parachute.

Mabel paused for effect before giving a thumbs up at the pair while grinning widely. “It was wonderful! I’m so happy that I had this jump!” Mabel exclaimed as she smiled and waved for the camera that remained focused on her. “This parachute totally gets my seal of approval!!” She said with a chuckle.

Jan smiled as he gazed at the deflated canopy. “It certainly did look cool up there. I think our customers will have some fun with it too!” Jan said as he glanced at Mimi. “Mimi said she got some good photos of it in action. I can’t wait to see them!”

Mimi nodded as she retrieved the drone. “It certainly did look like Mabel was having fun with it.” Mimi commented as she skimmed through the photos that were transferred to her phone. “I’ll admit that Magical Rhian isn’t really my thing. But it looked tempting enough for me to want to use it some time. Maybe I’ll tag along for the next jump!” She added with a chuckle.

Mabel gasped happily. “That sounds like a plan! Maybe we can book a free slot some time and have some fun together!” Mabel cheered while grinning at the rabbit.

Mimi smiled softly at Mabel’s offer, eagerly nodding in approval over the fox’s proposal. “Yeah! That sounds like a good idea!” Mimi happily replied as she took her friend’s offer.

“Well, I can let you two know when there’s a free slot to take a flight together if you want?” Jan chimed in as the girls glanced at each other before cheering in agreement. Jan let out a soft chuckle over their approval before turning his attention to the sunset which had started to sink beneath the island’s horizon. “But I think that will have to wait for another day. Shall we head back to base and call it a day?”

“That sounds good to me.” Mabel replied as she crawled out of the parachute. The fox stood up and stretched as she glanced back at her canopy. “This was a perfect end to a fun day, and I can’t wait to do it all over again tomorrow!” The fox happily cheered while Mimi and Jan chuckled over Mabel’s enthusiasm.
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“And that’s where the story ends!” a casually dressed Mabel said as she concluded her story while leaning against the counter of a small party shop that was decorated with a wide array of party banners, and balloons that were displayed throughout the store. On the other side of the counter stood a tuxedo cat that wore a bubble-gum pink polo shirt with “Happy Ribbons” embroidered onto its front, and a pair of black trousers. The cat smiled as they listened to Mabel’s story while working on a generously sized balloon bouquet for the fox.

“Well, it sounds like you had a really fun time! I did see the photos which Mimi took during that jump; that parachute did look really cute!” The cat said as he finished tying the ribbon to a large foil balloon shaped to resemble Magical Rhian’s happy face. The cat grabbed a pair of scissors to free the balloon from the spool of ribbon that they were using as they continued speaking. “I might just have to come over to the club some time to check it out!” The cat said as they grinned at the fennec fox.

“That would be awesome, you’re always welcome at the club, Travis!” Mabel replied with a giggle. The fox quickly gasped as an idea came to mind. “Hey! If you wanted to, there were tandem parachutes with that design on them. We could book you in to fly with one if you wanted to jump with me some time!” She excitedly asked as her tail swayed from side to side.

Travis flinched at Mabel’s offer, a rapid montage of thoughts of the cat clinging onto Mabel while screaming and crying as they fall crossed his mind as he let out an audible gulp over the thought. The feline hastily returned to the balloon bouquet to distract himself from the thoughts as he shuddered. “I appreciate the offer. But I think I’ll stick with cheering on from the ground.” Travis hastily replied as he turned down Mabel’s offer with a faint chuckle while tethering the last balloon to its already crowded weight.

“Oh! Well, that’s okay, there’s no need to do something if you don’t want to.” Mabel softly replied as she smiled reassuringly at the shopkeeper.

Travis smiled back as he nodded. “I know. But I appreciate the offer. Thank you, Mabel.” The shopkeeper then gazed up at the balloons with a smile as he checked the goods. “And there we go!” Travis said contently as he turned his attention to Mabel. “Okay, ready to pay?” He asked as he shifted a card machine towards the fennec fox who was gazing in awe at the bundle of balloons floating above them.

“Oh! Of course!” Mabel cheerfully replied as she pulled her wallet out from her bag. On opening the wallet, Mabel spotted an old photo that was tucked away in a windowed pocket. The photo depicted a young fennec fox that resembled the skydiver who happily waved at the camera in what appeared to be a live show with a mascot costume designed in the likeness of Magical Rhian, who was similarly waving in an exaggerated fashion with the young fox.

“Hm? Did you forget your card at home? I could hold onto the balloons for you if you want to get it.” Travis curiously asked as he noticed Mabel focusing on something.

Mabel perked as she shook her head with a soft chuckle. “Oh! No, I have it, sorry about that!” Mabel hastily replied while she removed her card from the wallet and paid for the goods. “Here you go!” She happily said while she admired her purchase once more.

A soft chime brought a smile to Travis’ face as he printed out a receipt, offering it to his customer alongside Mabel’s bouquet. “And here you go. Hope to see you soon buddy!” Travis said merrily as he watched Mabel accept her bouquet with a delighted giggle.

“Thanks Travis! You’re the best!” Mabel replied as she playfully winked at the cat who cheerfully smiled at the compliment. Mabel giggled to herself as she noticed the feline smiling warmly over her comment. “Well, I’ll see you soon!” the fox exclaimed, waving her goodbyes to the feline while happily skipping and twirling out of the shop with her goods bumping and dancing around with her.

The doorbell rung as the door behind Mabel closed. The fox was greeted with the warm and faintly salty breeze of Nimbus Lane which brushed against her fur as she found herself back in one of the many streets of Sea Breeze Bay. She sighed contently before retrieving her wallet once more and opening it up as she returned her attention to the photo once again.

Mabel smiled softly as she glanced up at the colourful balloon bouquet above her which was almost entirely themed after the magical cat that she had jumped with earlier in the week. The fox suddenly recalled a comment that she made to Jan on the morning of her self-indulgent jump, as she let out a chuckle. “I Guess some things never do change, huh?” Mabel remarked with a giggle as she made her way back home with a playful skip in her step.

The End.