[FieldsofIris]

A large Wood Tali bolted through the crowds of people, barely acknowledging their presence. Ricardo was focused, which was very unlike him. He didn't even stop to chase look at the butterfly kite a child was flying in the grassy area a little ways off of the sidewalk!

No, because today, Ricky determined on completing what he had set out to do.

The large creature burst through the edge of the crowd, yipping with excitement as he tore down the sandy expanse of the ground in front of him. Other people startled as Ricardo darted by them, kicking up clouds of sand as he went. He would have stopped and made sure they were alright, but he was so close to reaching his goal!

And, with a final leap, he landed right where he wanted... In the cool, refreshing expanse of the ocean. A few moments later, the creature's head popped up at the top of a cresting wave, which he surfed on back to the hot sand, landing with a huff of laughter. Regaining his footing, he leaped in again, wagging his tail as he enjoyed his favorite place to relax.

That's right... the beach. Ricky's "mission" was to enjoy his day off of work.

[FieldsofIris]

After spending an hour or two in the waves, Ricky crawled towards an open spot in the warm, black sand and collapsed with a wet plop, panting happily. He closed his eyes and soaked in the sunlight, allowing it to slowly dry his fur and warm him up.

Soon enough, he began fidgeting with excess energy, and set off trotting along the wet sand down at the edge of the ocean. He swung his head back and forth from the sand to the ocean, taking in all of the people and creatures enjoying the nice, sunny day. Suddenly, he turned his face back towards the sand as if anticipating the ball that collided with the side of his face.

Ricky leaped to the side in surprise as the ball bounced back towards the group of children it came from.

[FieldsofIris]

A little boy ran up to where the ball had landed. He wrapped his little arms around it and lifted it, giving Ricky a large, gap-toothed grin. The little boy plodded over to where Ricky stood near the waves.

He reached a tiny hand out to pet the Tali's neck, fascinated. Ricky licked the tiny fingers and wagged his tail happily, making the boy laugh. "Wanna play?" The little boy looked up at him imploringly.

Ricky wagged his tail and yipped in agreement. He nudged the boy with his muzzle before bouncing around happily. The little boy giggled and began toddling over to where a few other children were waiting, Ricky following close behind.

[FieldsofIris]

The other children looked at the little boy in awe as he lead Ricky up to meet them. Ricky's chest puffed up with pride as the little ones came up to him, stroking his fur softly and whispering in excited murmurs. He leaned down and nosed at each of the children, causing them to giggle and shriek with delight.

After a minute or so of this, Ricky began to hop around, excited to begin playing. The children seemed to understand, and they reorganized themselves back into their circle. The little boy with the ball tossed it up into the air, and one of the other children stepped forward and jumped, using her arms to send the ball back up into the air. Another little girl did the same, and the process continued.

Ricky's turn was not too long after, and he yipped in excitement, jumping up and bumping the ball with his nose. The children laughed in delight, amused with Ricky's antics.

[FieldsofIris]

Soon, the sun was high in the sky, and Ricky's stomach was grumbling. He was torn between finding food or staying to play, but the children's parents must have been thinking the same thing. The children turned their heads as a group of adults called out to them, waving them over.

Every child but the little boy immediately ran over, waving over their shoulders at Ricky. Ricky looked down at the remaining boy, who looked up at him in return. He clutched the ball to him securely with one arm, then reached his other around Ricky's neck, hugging him tightly.

Surprised, it took the Tali a moment to understand what was happening. Ricky brought one wing around to brush it over the boy's head and pressed their cheeks together affectionately. After a moment, the boy released him and looked up at him.

"Bye-bye!" Giving Ricky one last toothy grin, he turned and began toddling to where his parents were waiting.

[FieldsofIris]

Ricky stayed where he was for a moment, making sure the boy reached his parents safely. The boy's parents stood, and looked to where their son seemed to be pointing. After searching for a moment, they saw Ricky and waved to him in thanks. The Tali wagged his tail in response, then set off down the beach once more.

Where could he find something to eat? Food was his main priority, now, as his stomach grumbled loudly. Suddenly, the breeze changed directions, carrying a sweet smelling aroma across Ricky's nose. He perked up, sniffing around and immediately beginning to run towards the smell, tongue lolling out of his open jaws.

[FieldsofIris]

His nose lead him to a hot dog stand towards the back end of the beach. What luck, Ricky loves hot dogs! His tail was wagging with excitement as he sped towards the stand.

"Woah!" The large man running the stand caught the large Tali as Ricky jumped up into his arms. "Hello, there!" Ricky licked his cheek and yipped happily. The man gave a good-natured laugh and set the Tali down once more. "I'm assuming you want a treat!"

Ricky spun in a circle while yipping excitedly, causing the man to grin widely. "Of course, of course!" The man swiftly assembled two hot dogs and knelt down. "Here you go. You enjoy, now!" Ricky gave one last thankful lick to the man's face before taking both 'dogs into his jaws. The man gave him a pat on the head and stood once more to greet approaching customers. Taking this as his cue, Ricky turned and trotted off to find a spot to settle in and enjoy his meal.

[FieldsofIris]

After a short while, Ricky spotted an umbrella creating a shady and unoccupied spot. He huffed triumphantly and began to trot faster towards the area. After reaching it, he gently plopped down and released his bounty.

Taking time to catch his breath before chowing down, he scanned the area. It seemed to be early in the afternoon, and everyone was taking a break for lunch or relaxation. Nodding, he turned back to his hot dogs and began to munch on them hungrily.

He quickly devoured the first hot dog, his hunger besting his desire to savor his treat. He took his time with the second one, though. Ricky thumped his tail with satisfaction, and unhurriedly chewed on the hot dog. After finishing it, he rolled onto his side and sighed, letting the warmth sink in and help him relax.

[FieldsofIris]

Ricky felt himself beginning to drift off, the warmth and food making him drowsy. But, before he could become too comfortable, a slight tickle began in his nose. He twitched, causing the tickle to disappear, and he settled once more. But the tickling sensation soon returned, but this time appeared further up Ricky's muzzle.

Opening his eyes to see the disturbance, he froze. Upon his muzzle sat a large, beautiful butterfly. Its wings were colored at least a hundred different shades of blue, and Ricky wanted nothing more than to chase the beautiful creature.

As soon as he thought about chasing it, the butterfly flitted up and away, leaving Ricky with almost no choice but to follow suit.

[FieldsofIris]

Ricky scrambled up onto his feet and leaped after the butterfly. It flitted a bit higher into the sky, and Ricky jumped, trying to keep it at eye-level. The butterfly passed the group of children from earlier, Ricky following closely behind. The children laughed in delight as Ricky fluttered his wings in an attempt to stay airborne longer.

He barely paid them any mind as he raced past, focused only on keeping up with the butterfly. The winged insect led Ricky all the way back up the beach, and into the shaded woodsy area beyond the sand.

[FieldsofIris]

Awhile after entering the treeline, Ricky lost sight of the butterfly. He slid to a stop and looked around, panting in exertion. As he looked up at the sky, he noticed the sunlight beginning to fade. He immediately turned and ran back towards the entrance of the forest. He needed the sunlight if he was going to find his way back out!

After breaking through the treeline and facing the beach once more, Ricky watched the sun slowly sink towards the horizon. Had it already been a whole day? He sat and curled his tail around his paws, content to watch the pretty colors in the sky.

Even though it felt like his day of fun was short, he still treasured the experiences he had and the happiness he had felt. With one last glance at the sunset, he stood and stretched. Time to return home. With that last objective, he turned and began trotting back to where Dahlia would be waiting for him.