The snow fell gently in thick, cotton-like flakes, blanketing the mountain trail under the soft glow of the full moon. The world was hushed, silent except for the rhythmic crunch of pawsteps on fresh powder. Athena, the elegant husky, moved with grace and precision, her black, grey, and white coat gleaming like silver under the moonlight. Her sharp blue and chestnut eyes scanned the path ahead, ever watchful and discerning, even on what seemed like an ordinary New Year’s Eve walk.  
Trailing behind her, with far less elegance and far more chaos, was Obito, the clumsy, oversized malamute puppy. His black, tan, and grey fur bristled with excitement as he bounded through snowdrifts, sending white powder flying everywhere. His paws, far too big for his five-month-old body, sank deep into the snow with every step. “Wump,” went Obito as he tripped again, his massive toe beans sticking straight up as he sprawled on his back like a furry snow angel.  
Athena stopped, sighed, and turned to watch him with a mix of amusement and fond exasperation. “Obito,” her calm, intelligent gaze seemed to say, “can you please walk straight for once?”  
Obito rolled to his feet, shaking snow from his face and flopping his oversized paws forward to catch up. “I’m coming, Athena! I swear I am!” he barked, his voice full of puppy determination.  
The trail wound through towering pines dusted in snow, their branches heavy with the weight of winter. The moon bathed everything in a shimmering silver light, giving the landscape an ethereal glow. It was a quiet, beautiful night, until Obito, ever the chaos magnet, spotted something glimmering in a snowbank off the trail.  
“LOOK!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the stillness. He barreled toward the spot, his paws thundering through the snow.  
“Obito, wait!” Athena called sharply, but it was no use. With a loud “whumph,” the puppy belly-flopped into a deep drift. Snow exploded into the air like a small avalanche, and for a moment, Obito disappeared entirely.  
Athena trotted over, more out of curiosity than concern. She found him half-buried, nose pressed to something shiny that peeked through the snow. Slowly, Athena leaned in, her keen eyes narrowing at the discovery, a golden clock.
It was unlike anything she’d ever seen. Its surface was smooth and polished, glimmering with intricate carvings of stars, moons, and swirling patterns. Its hands ticked faintly, though it seemed broken, frozen just before midnight.  
“Pretty, huh?” Obito said proudly, lifting his paw and planting it firmly on the clock’s face as if he’d made the find of the century.  
“Obito, don’t—” Athena began, but before she could finish, the clock flashed.
A brilliant golden light exploded outward, blinding both dogs. The world trembled. The snow seemed to swirl and twist around them, faster and faster, until it became a glowing vortex of white and gold. Athena crouched, bracing herself, while Obito let out a startled “Woooah!” as he tumbled backward into the spinning light.  
Then stillness.  
When Athena opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was the change in the air. The wind felt sharper, colder. The snow under her paws was firm, like it had already been trampled. The mountain trail was no longer silent, instead distant laughter and faint fireworks crackled through the air. Obito groaned beside her, sitting up and shaking snow from his ears.  
“What just happened?” he mumbled. His big brown eyes blinked open, and suddenly his face lit up with wonder. “Whoa… Athena! Look!”  
Athena turned, and her chestnut and blue eyes widened. Down the mountain, nestled in the valley, a familiar cabin glowed with warm lights. Fireworks burst faintly on the horizon, it was New Year’s Eve, just like before. But something felt… wrong.  
She glanced at Obito, who was staring in awe at everything around him. Then she noticed it. The snow was fresh, untouched. There were no puppy pawprints, no Obito sized craters anywhere.  
“Obito…” Athena said carefully. “This is last year.”  
“Last year?” Obito tilted his head, his floppy ears flopping further.  
Athena sighed, frustration gnawing at her. “The clock must have sent us back in time.”  
“Wait!” Obito gasped, leaping to his feet and bounding to a nearby frozen puddle. He looked down and barked in delight. “Athena, look at this handsome puppy in the ice! Oh wait… that’s me!” He began pawing at the reflection, spinning in circles on the ice until he slipped, sliding downhill like a furry sled.  
Athena groaned but followed. Her mind raced with questions: Why had the clock sent them here? How were they supposed to get back?  
They arrived at the edge of the cabin’s clearing, where Athena spotted a familiar figure, herself. Past-Athena lay curled neatly by the porch steps, her posture graceful as ever.  
Obito stopped short, blinking. “Why are there two of you?”  
Athena’s stern gaze silenced him. “Don’t draw attention to yourself. If we disrupt the past too much, we might never get back.”  
“Got it,” Obito said, though he immediately tripped over his paws and knocked over a snow-covered lantern with a *clang*.  
Athena turned sharply, and for a split second, both Athenas, past and present, locked eyes. Past-Athena’s ears perked, but before she could investigate, a faint golden light flickered from the woods.  
“The clock,” Athena murmured. “There’s something we need to fix.”  
The two dogs ventured back toward the trees, where Obito—still marveling at everything, got tangled in branches, chased shadows, and sent snow falling from treetops with his massive paws. Athena, with her calm determination, followed the golden glow to a spot deeper in the forest.  
Finally, they found it: a second clock, frozen and cracked. Obito sniffed it eagerly, his breath puffing in the cold air. “What do we do with it?”  
Athena studied the carvings. “It’s like a puzzle. We need to reset it somehow.”  
Obito pawed at the clock, causing its mechanisms to shake and shift. “Like this?”  
“Obito, stop—”  
But, in true Obito fashion, his massive paw accidentally knocked a small golden lever into place. The clock ticked once, a tiny click echoing through the woods. Athena stared in disbelief as the frozen gears began to move.  
“How… how did you do that?” she asked.  
Obito grinned sheepishly. “I dunno. My paws are magic, I guess.”  
The forest around them began to shimmer with golden light. The snow swirled again, faster and faster, pulling the two dogs into another vortex. Obito yelped as he somersaulted through the glow, while Athena leapt gracefully.  
When they landed, the night was silent once more. Athena looked around and sighed in relief, it was their time. The cabin’s lights were still on, and fireworks burst on the horizon. Midnight was only moments away.  
Obito flopped beside her, panting, his oversized paws sprawled out comically. “We did it, didn’t we?”  
Athena, with an affectionate glance, lay beside him. “We did.”  
As the first fireworks erupted, lighting up the sky in vibrant blues, reds, and golds, Athena and Obito sat side by side. Obito’s massive paw flopped over Athena’s as he leaned against her, eyes wide with awe.  
“Happy New Year, Athena,” he murmured softly.  
Athena smiled, her mismatched eyes reflecting the fireworks. “Happy New Year, Obito.”  
For a moment, the world was perfect, two companions watching the sky, knowing they were exactly where they belonged.

🐾🐾🐾