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Cinnamon on the River by GameFreak38

    Cloud had always enjoyed walking along the river, no matter what the weather was like.  There was just little that could beat the peace of the experience.
    It was a cold December morning in the city.  The winds were nonexistent, leaving the citizens to only bear with the air temperature.  The ground was covered in a rare accumulation of snow.  The snow kept everyone inside, but not Cloud.  No, he was still walking along the snow-covered sidewalk, humming to himself as he was listening to the music that was playing in his headphones.  The lack of people around him just further intensified the aura of peaceful serenity that encompassed the river.
    Even then, the canine was careful to watch his footing at times when he felt that the snow piled on a bit higher in certain areas.  He did not want to take a plunge in the freezing waters.
    He had walked a decent distance before stopping for a moment to pull out his mp3 player to change the playlist to another one of his favorite bands.  Once the music started playing again, he resumed onward.
    Even with everything covered in snow, Cloud still marveled at the sights that the riverwalk provided.  He just loved to take in these sights, admiring every detail in the surrounding architecture and the few plants that were still full of life.  It was a shame that the ducks were not around though; long gone for the season.
    He was about to proceed under another overpass before something made him stop.  He slid his earphones to his neck, allowing him to listen to the surrounding area.  Not a sound was being made.
    What was grabbing his attention was something that was entering his nose.  It was a strong, pronounced scent, but it was pleasant to his senses.  He remained still, basking in the smell.  Whatever it was, it was beginning to make him feel hungry.  His stomach growled underneath his jacket, demanding some sort of satisfaction.  A hand went up to it, feeling the growl.  He shook his head, but kept a smile on his face.  He sniffed the air again for the source of this smell and soon began to follow the trail that his nose was trying to trace.
    Cloud went up one of the many staircases that allowed easy access to and from the riverwalk.  After ascending the steps, he sniffed the air once more, getting a more focused idea on the location.  He was close to the source.
    He proceeded down the empty street, checking the area to get an idea of where he was.  The highway overpass wasn't too far, running parallel to this road.
    It only took him a minute from there to find the source.  A number of parked cars sat in a relatively small parking lot of a small business.  It was a cafe.  Cloud heard of this place before, but he never actually entered it.  The idea of what the smell was immediately came to him.  He remembered seeing on television that this place was a huge tourist attraction for one particular item.
    Cloud then checked his wallet, making sure he had some money on him.  Once he was sure that he had enough, he approached the door.  Through the windows of the establishment, he could see a bunch of people just chatting about, having a good time.  The noise of their chatter entered his ears as he proceeded inside.  A friendly waitress was standing near the entrance, waiting for him.  She greeted him with a smile.
    "Welcome!  Table for one I assume?"
    Cloud nodded.  "Yes."
    The girl took a menu and some silverware from a nearby stand and returned her attention to Cloud.  "Follow me!"  She then led him to a small table on the other side of the dining area.  She sat the items down as the dog took his seat.  "Is there anything I can get you?"
    "Milk, please," he replied.
    "Coming up!"
    She walked away, leaving Cloud to browse the menu for what he was searching for.  He only had to flip a couple of pages to located what his stomach craved.  The cafe was famous for chicken friend steaks, but what made it even more famous was their cinnamon rolls.  These three pound behemoths were a popular delight, especially because it was a very affordable item.  His stomach rumbled again in approval.
    Moments later and the waitress returned with a large glass of fresh milk.  Cloud immediately grabbed it and took a drink.  The cold liquid ran down his throat making him shudder slightly before sitting the glass down.
    "What will you be having today?" the waitress asked as she pulled out a small notepad.
    Cloud gazed at the menu one last time before turning to the young lady.  "I would like your signature cinnamon roll please."
    The waitress jotted down the order on her pad.  "That will be all I assume?"
    "Yes."
    "Okay.  One fresh cinnamon roll, coming up!"  She took the menu from Cloud before leaving to take care of the order.
    He remained in his seat, looking out through the window.  He watched as another car pulled itself into the parking lot.  The clang of a large plate being placed on a table made him turn his head to see what it was.  His eyes instantly widened.  There it was, the cinnamon roll in all its fresh-baked glory.  He could see some steam rise from it as the father of a family started cutting it into pieces.  He just stared at it, wanting to enjoy a piece now.  He didn't even realizing that his mouth was just hanging open, allowing some drool to fall onto the table.  It had formed a little puddle before he snapped himself out of the trance.  He blushed lightly in embarrassment before wiping it off with a napkin.
    Some time passed by before the waitress finally returned with his cinnamon roll.  Once again, he couldn't help but widen his eyes at the sight of it.  The waitress laughed a little bit.
    "Don't worry, everyone does that when they first see it."
    Cloud nodded and paid for the roll, thanking the waitress.  He also requested a to-go box, not expecting to eat this whole thing in one setting.  The young lady happily obliged by handing him a styrofoam box that she brought with her.  Cloud nodded before the waitress left to allow him to enjoy this treat.
    He took a fork and knife and cut out the first piece of the sweet roll.  His nose was overwhelmed with the smell, loving it as it made contact with his senses.  After he removed the piece and sat it on a small plate, he took hold of it.  One bite later and he was closing his eyes, sighing to himself as he enjoyed the flavors dancing in his mouth.  It wasn't long before he devoured the piece and began to cut another one.
    He was on his fourth piece when a light thud interrupted him.  He turned to see what was making the noise.  It was a blue Yoshi, pressing itself against the glass.  Cloud heard of these creatures.  They loved the tropical locales of the world and seeing one here in such a cold environment was quite a surprise, even if this one was wearing a heavy coat that was darker than its blue scales.  The white fins protruding from its back was something he did not expect to see.  Cloud noticed the Yoshi's eyes staring at his cinnamon roll.  A hungry look was apparent.  A small bit of drool ran out from his mouth, sliding down the glass.  All Cloud could do was give an awkward smile before he returned to his roll.  The dog tried to take another bite, but he knew that the Yoshi was still staring at him.  It was just too awkward for him to continue eating.  He returned his attention to the Yoshi and gave him a puzzled gaze.  Nothing was said.  Finally, Cloud had enough and placed the rest of his roll in the box to leave.  He gave the Yoshi an awkward wave of his hand before leaving his table to exit the cafe.  As he left, he occasionally looked over his shoulder to see the Yoshi still pressing against the glass.
    "Come again sweetie!"  the waitress announced, breaking his current train of thought.
    "Thank you," he replied before exiting.
    He checked his surroundings first before starting back the way he came.  The Yoshi wasn't following him by the looks of it.
    He descended the stairs and decided to return to his music.  With one hand, he slid his earphones back on and resumed the music that he had been playing.  The rhythm made him immediately think of music commonly used in chases that were on movies.  The thought sent a chill up his spine.  The dog immediately turned around and his eyes widened at the sight of the blue Yoshi walking behind him.  His expression really hadn't changed.  It was almost as if he was a zombie.  Cloud turned back to the box in his hands and started to pick up speed.  Whoever this Yoshi was certainly wanted his roll.  Why doesn't he just go buy himself one?
    Cloud still had to be careful has he tried to escape, even as he went into a near-jog.  The slightest mistake could mean the end for him and his roll.
    The Yoshi was falling behind, but not as much as Cloud was hoping for.  He never truly left its sight, even as he moved through the twists and turns of the river, trying to use the natural environment to conceal his movements.
    After going under another overpass, Cloud used the chance to climb a set of stairs on the other side and ascended the street.  He waited a moment, hoping that the Yoshi would continue on without noticing.  Cloud knelt down on the ground, his back against a nearby building, which barely gave him a view of the river underneath.  In moments, the Yoshi appeared again, still on the trail.  It continued onward, failing to notice him.  The dog couldn't help but release a light sigh of relief as he watched the Yoshi continue ahead and eventually leave his sight.  Even then, he waited a few more minutes to make sure before he returned to the river and continued on at a cautious pace.  He kept his headphones off his ears, wanting to use his sensitive hearing to keep track of the Yoshi if it was still around.  Nothing but the silence of a quiet city greeted him.
    Thankfully, he only had to go under one more street before he would be on the home stretch of this journey.  He wanted nothing more than to just be back inside and enjoy the remainder of his treat.
    The overpass was ahead, maybe a hundred feet away.  Something made him stop.  His ears perked up, hearing the wind move.  Cloud took a stance, ready to bolt if necessary.
    The Yoshi appeared from above the overpass.  The fins had been replaced with great, white wings.  Cloud was surprised by this sight.  It had to be the work of magic.  The creature charged towards him, lowering its altitude as it approached.  Cloud pushed forward, hoping that he could lower himself enough to avoid being grabbed and use the opportunity to get under the street.
    Just as they were about to make contact, Cloud made a desperate slide, hoping to miss the Yoshi's reach.  It wasn't enough; the Yoshi grasped him with unexpected strength began to ascend.  Cloud fought and squirmed, trying to break free as the Yoshi attempted to grab his box.  The dog's grip tightened before he managed to shake loose.
    He struggled to get into a decent landing position, his eyes clenched shut the whole time.  He fell about ten feet before crashing into a large mound of snow.  It was enough to soften the impact, but Cloud still groaned as his back ached in pain.
    He couldn't allow this to stop him.  Cloud climbed out of the snow and rushed under the bridge.  He panted heavily as he leaned against the wall for a moment, needing to catch his breath before he makes the final dash.
    "You okay?" a voice spoke.
    Cloud rose his head.  "Who...are you?"
    A black fox wearing an arctic field jacket appeared from around a corner of the wall.  A look of concern was on his face.  "I saw that thing.  Didn't think you would manage to break free honestly."
    Cloud nodded, unsure of what to say.  This guy might be legitimately concerned for him, but he didn't want to take the chance at this point.  He summoned the rest of his strength and began to run past the fox.
    He was the grabbed from the back of his hoodie and pulled back.  "I just want to help."
    The fox made a grab for the box, but Cloud moved it away.  The two then began a tussle for the box, fighting for the prize inside.
    Cloud was losing quickly though.  This fox was certainly skilled at this sort of thing.  He wasn't going to give up his cinnamon roll.
    As they tussled, the Yoshi appeared from the sky again, swooping in at high speed.  Its arms stretched out, ready to steal it from the two.
    The fox then made a sudden move that shielded the box from it.  It was too close to change course now, resulting in the creature crashing into both of them.  They all fell to the ground, the box breaking free and falling into the river.
    Cloud saw this and tried to reach for this, only to grab the freezing water in his hands.  It didn't matter.  The cold temperature of the water would have already ruined the roll, even if he was able to reach it.  He just sulked, leaning his head over the river, saddened by losing his treat.
    The Yoshi and fox stood up underneath and saw the box in the river, then Cloud looking at it.  The two then shared a silent communication with each other.  They both proceeded to grab Cloud by the arms and helped him back up.

-

    "Just can't have enough of them, can you?" The waitress playfully asked as she sat down a cinnamon roll on the table.  "Enjoy!"
    Cloud smiled in appreciation as he started cutting into the roll.  He made three precise cuts, creating three equal pieces.  He spread them out onto individual plates and slid them across the table.  His smile widened as the Yoshi and fox took their pieces and began to eat.
    In the end, these two only wanted to enjoy a piece of the roll as well.  Despite what they had did, Cloud's nature allowed himself to forgive them for their bizarre actions.  At least they were nice to buy a new one for him.
    He took a bite of his piece and savored the sweet flavor.  He hummed in satisfaction.
    As the three talked and laughed about the situation, snow began to fall outside once more.  It didn't matter what happened earlier now.  Cloud believed that the three could be good friends in the end.  All it took to start it was just the aroma of cinnamon on the river.

Cinnamon on the River

GameFreak38

Finally, I posted something new here!

This is a story I wrote for CloudyPaws54 during a Secret Santa I hosted on dA this year.

I love how described the environment, but I am still not sure what to think about the ending.

Also, Chaoshi and Midnight are obviously out of character in this story. Had to be done as I tried to make this as fun as possible for the gift.

Still, it is certainly something different from my usual stuff, so that really isn't a bad thing.

Enjoy!

Cloud belongs to CloudyPaws54

Chaoshi and Midnight belong to me.

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