// stars tryout! 3613/3614

[dimi.]

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Return to #3613 // Return to #3614

A tale of two cats, who when facing the paws of magic, find themselves and their homes a little... different.

All writing and coding in this form is by Dimi.
All art in this form is by SushiFoxx.
Word count is 3,919

Please note the story may be a tad confusing to follow given the answer to the prompt. The final post should summarize it well enough if it was hard to follow :)

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[dimi.]

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The soft rushing of water filled Lily's ears. The sky was a hue of orange and purple, the aromas of early morning dew filling her nostrils with relaxation and anticipation for the comings of the day. Her gaze would shift from the river when she heard a soft voice from behind her. It was of her mentor, Mira. An amber rosette molly with an intimidating gaze and air about her, yet a demeanor and tone not reflecting it.

"Enjoying the morning dew, Lily?" Mira would remark, sitting down beside her. "It is good to relax in the mornings when a tough day is ahead of you." She added reassuringly. Lily's ear flicked towards Mira in curiosity, warranting a soft laugh from Mira. "You caught on. I think you're about ready for a mission all of your own."

"Really?" Lily asked excitedly, fully shifting her gaze to Mira. "I think I'm ready. What do you need from me?"

"The medics have reported a loner on our borders. Originally, Envy was just going to let it slide, but now they're stealing herbs from us in the dozens. It has actually left a few of our wounded without aid." Mira elaborated, Lily's pink eyes drooping in worry. She was always empathetic, able to feel the emotions of others -- and the clan being depraved of resources was certainly serious. One that caused her to feel worry radiating off Mira, but the molly would press on.

"We want you to search the borders. Find this cat, and see if you can reach a diplomatic solution with them. Convince them to either join the clan, take less, or leave our borders. Impose that further defiance will result in physical action from us rogues. In the event they do not like this solution, evade. You are a scavenger, responsible for preserving and obtaining this clans resources. But your kind tongue is needed in a situation such as this one." Mira expressed, curiously looking over Lily for her reaction.

"You're trusting me with something like this for my first solo mission?" Lily remarked after Mira was done, her eyes glinting in anticipation. The molly was known for taking more under her wing than she could handle, a trait that Mira found both good and bad. Her confidence in the moment gets things done, but her doubt afterwards is something Mira is always trying to refine.

"Yes, I am. I think you are ready for something more serious. Consider this one of your final tests before becoming a fully fledge scavenger." Mira said with a soft smile. "I have faith in you. The stars are watching over you. Eat something, gather your strength, and leave once you are ready. Return if you do not have a trail by sunset." Mira then turned away, leaving Lily to contemplate her mission in silence, a small smile creeping across her lips once Mira was out of sight.

Shortly afterwards, Lily would find herself at the entrance of the camp. She took in a soft breath before moving forward, making her way towards the borders of the territory.

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[dimi.]

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Clink, clink, clink. The symphony of glass bottles striking one another. An anxious gray cat was shuffling through them, trying to find the perfect bottle for her concoction. Her work station, staged upon a large rock, was covered with a variety of herbs and mystical objects, things that other cats had never seen utilized before. Her blue eyes were locked in place, focused on her craft. Her paws would grow wet as she mushed the variety of herbs together, forming a liquid in a stone bowl. Her attention was interrupted when she heard soft thumps behind her, indicating someone was approaching. Quickly, she placed the glass bottle between her and the bowl, whirling around and sitting on her haunches before a cat rounded the corner.

It was Everbound -- her mentor. A molly with a stunning purple and orange pelt, with fur as soft as a cloud, and flowers clasped around one of her ears. Her gaze met Althea's in a curious way, her head shifting to the side. "What are you doing in here, Althea?" She inquired curiously, her nose twitching as the aromas of the room hit her. "Practicing your potion craft?"

"Yeah.. I didn't think you'd be awake yet, so I thought there was no harm." Althea replied, the tips of her ears turning pink as she averted her gaze. Everbound laughed slightly, moving past Althea to look at the mess of herbs and paste on the table.

"Any particular goal, or just seeing what it makes?" Everbound inquired, Althea gazing upwards in surprise. She thought she'd be reprimanded for wasting the kingdom's supplies in such ways, but Everbound seemed more curious than anything.

"Just seeing what it makes. I was hoping for a potion that could help someone get out of combat easier. Maybe something to improve a cat's speed, or.. something..." Althea explained, trailing off awkwardly as she awaited Everbound's response.

Her mentor's blue eyes shined, something of admiration. "It's good to experiment and learn things by trying them! You say something for speed or evasion? Interesting, that could definitely be helpful." Everbound would pace the work station, her eyes gazing over the supplies that she had, peering for a hint to give her eager trainee. "Try something from a source that flies. Those things are typically fast."

Althea grew surprised -- she was expecting to be condemned, but Everbound actually fed into her curiosity -- something that made her thrilled, quickly throwing a smile across her maw. "Thank you, Everbound! I'll let you know what I find." Everbound, with a reassuring tail flick, turned and exited the den to tend to her other duties. Once Althea was alone again, she softly exhaled.

Although Everbound had been understanding, it brought a lot of pressure upon her to make this a successful concoction, and she was going to do it. She rose to her paws and returned to the work station, gazing over the liquid in front of her. She then shifted her attention to the supplies, thinking to herself.

Something that flies.... Her eyes suddenly glowed in realization as she went towards one of the shelves, clasping her lips around a small jar. Inside of it rest a pool of golden glitter, emanating a soft angelic light -- it was pixie dust. She placed the pixie dust upon the table, opening the jar. She then gently tapped it against the side of the stone bowl, the smallest amount flying in. She quickly closed and placed the pixie dust to the side, wary of its unknown effects.

She then transferred the liquid of the stone bowl into a glass potion bottle, closing it with a makeshift cork before her paws clasped around the bottom of the glass bottle, moving it in a circular motion to mix the concoction fully. Soon, the liquid would burst into a variety of beautiful purples, with golden flecks scattered throughout. Althea was fascinated by the mixture, slowly placing it on the table. She then opened the bottle, analyzing it. She wasn't sure how to go about this, and in a fit of curiosity, placed the bottle at her lips and drank some of the liquid.

At first, nothing happened. Then, her reality felt warped. Her body traveling throughout an unknown distance.

And then, her vision would go totally black.

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[dimi.]

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Silence enveloped the forest, only the soft thumps of paw striking dirt echoing throughout. Lily had begun her trek through the forest, the atmosphere of the mission in solitude feeling... odd. She was used to having an advisor, someone she could turn to in times of confusion or turmoil, but out her, she only had one to rely on - herself. In the isolation of the forest, anticipation radiated off of Lily. To be trusted with a mission of such magnitude was an honor, and by Mira of all the cats; one of the most intimidating felines in the clan in her eyes.

Lily had made her way to the eastern border of the clan, a place still shrouded by tall trees. Along this border was a variety of herbs the medics collected, particularly cobwebs, bindweed, and borage. If a cat were going to steal herbs, this would be one of the most ripe sources across the entire territory. As she walked the border, her nose twitched with each inhale, trying to pick up on any foreign scents. She then gazed forward, her pink eyes locking onto a patch of bindweed flowers. However, the middle of it looked torn, as though only a couple of the flowers had been torn from the bundle. The molly moved forward, placing her nose against the gap where the missing flowers had been. She deeply inhaled, and soon, an unfamiliar scent hit her nose.

It was a scent of an unfamiliar cat. Exactly as Mira had told her. Her eyes widened -- the scent was fresh, and Lily had a lead. She shifted her gaze towards the border ahead of her, quickly pacing it in hopes of finding anything else to set her on the right path. Soon, she saw several petals on the ground in front of her, almost creating a path for her to follow. With a deep inhale, she quickly darted forward, keeping her paw steps as light as possible to maintain the element of surprise.

She would emerge from the tree line into a portion of the forest that was open, and before her stood the loner. He was a fully black tom, with long, tangled fur, and just from the thin nature of his body, could tell that he was struggling. Lily's guard slowly lowered, but the tom's did not.

"Why are you following me?!" He spat. Lily stared at him in silence, then gazed around him, noticing a pile of bindweed and other herbs behind the tom, which he kept stepping in front of to hide each time the molly tried to look.

"I know you've been taking our herbs. There is no use in hiding it." Lily began, her ears pinned back slightly. The tom looked on edge, as though he could pounce and attack at any moment.

"But I need them, in case I get hurt out here..." The tom went on, Lily's gaze beginning to soften. However, her thoughts went back to Mira -- and the options she gave.

"I understand you are in a world of anguish, but we have duties we must uphold." Lily remarked, the tom gazing back at her in fear. "I am going to give you a couple of options. My clan is understanding, and know these are not the most ideal circumstances for you. If we can avoid it, we'd like to reach a peaceful resolution."

"You mean... you don't want to fight?" The tom inquired in surprise. Lily nodded, before turning towards the herbs.

"Not if we don't have to. Now, you can join our clan, become a scavenger, and never have to worry about rest or untended injuries again... or..." Lily paused, the tips of her ears turning pink. There was other options, though Lily could only remember one of them. "Or... my clan will have to deal with you physically." The tom's once softened gaze turned to one of malice, Lily immediately noticing the change.

"I will never return to clan life!" The tom spat, a sudden fit of rage bursting from him. Lily gasped, quickly moving herself backwards as the tom charged at her in a fit of rage. As she moved back, she lost her footing, stumbling onto her back. She damned herself for being clumsy, gazing upwards at the tom in horror. It was in this moment that Lily suddenly felt pulled backwards, the edges of her vision blurring. She saw a variety of scenery, as though she was flying backwards, her pupils dilatating in fear and shock.

What was happening?

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[dimi.]

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Just as quickly as the black absorbing her vision had come, it had gone, with Althea regaining her vision. She opened her eyes, gazing around in confusion. She wasn't where she was before. Instead, she lay on the ground of the forest in a helpless position. Her gaze shifted into fear as she saw a large black tom leering over her.

"W-what do you want?!" Althea yelped, the black tom stumbling backwards. His green eyes met Althea, his once angered gaze turning into one of confusion and disbelief.

"What do you mean what do I want.. I... you changed!" He gasped out. "What are you?!" The tom began to back away. "I'll leave your stupid clan and your herbs alone! Weirdo!" He spat before whirling around, darting into the trees behind him. Within seconds, the tom was far away, and out of the Heart of Decay for good. Once the tom ran away, Althea sat on her haunches, gazing at the ground in confusion.

"This... isn't the kingdom." She whispered to herself, her blue eyes shifting around the surroundings anxiously. "Where am I?" She gazed around, all she was able to see a band of trees expanding for miles in each direction. She gazed at the ground for a moment, her eyes meeting her paws. They were covered in the pixie dust she had used for the concoction, and singed, seemingly from the bottle exploding as she lost consciousness.

"He said he'd leave my clan alone..." She thought aloud. "Did I... teleport somewhere? Swap places with someone?" Althea huffed in frustration, her attention quickly shifting to the forest beside her. She heard faint, rushing water, from a nearby river. She made her way towards the river, and walked alongside it. Surely, if she followed it, she would end up in the right place, the clan she had teleported to. Maybe they would have answers.





After walking in silence for a while, Althea gazed upwards, her eyes meeting a stunning cliffside. It overlooked the river, and atop it she could see an assembly of cats. Before she could approach, she heard a voice call out from before her.

"Lily!" A torbie with fascinating purple and green eyes called out. Althea gazed around for a moment, before realizing Mira was looking directly at her.

"Wait. You're... not Lily." Mira remarked as she looked the molly over. "Who are you?"

Think. You need answers. Althea felt her tail lash awkwardly, a soft sigh escaping her as she quickly crafted a lie. "No, it is me, Lily. Let me explain... I found that cat that was... stealing the herbs." She improvised, hoping her awkward pauses didn't seem suspicious. She had hoped she heard the tom that ran from her correctly.

"You found him that quickly? He must've just stolen something then! Excellent work. But, that doesn't explain the sudden shift of color in your pelt." Mira added on, warily looking over the molly. "Elaborate. What was this tom capable of?"

"He had... abilities I had never seen before. Like, magic, I think it's called." Althea remarked, playing coy to the properties of magic and creatures from her homeland. "He yelled something at me, like a chant. I don't think he meant for it to change my pelt color, though. He ran off once he saw it had changed. Think he thought I did it myself?" Althea continued on, her face growing warm. She wasn't sure how long she could maintain the ruse.

"Very well then. It's not like your pelt looks bad. I actually kinda like the grey." Mira said with a reassuring smile. "I'll have our prophets look into it, see if they can find any other signs from this peculiar tom. You say he ran off? Did he say anything else before doing so?"

"He said that he would leave the clan and the herbs alone." Althea confirmed, a long sigh of relief coming from Mira.

"Excellent work today, dear. Time for you to relax. We will figure out your fur eventually, but if it is permanent, so be it." Mira then turned away from Althea and returned to her other duties. Althea drew out a long exhale, dropping onto her haunches immediately. She would sit in silence, studying the camp. How was she going to get back home?

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[dimi.]

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After what felt like ages of soaring through the environments unknown, Lily would emerge on the other side within an unknown area, taking in a desperate gasp for air. She was dazed, in a state of shock. Her body felt as though it hadn't touched the ground in ages, and her limbs felt odd, like they were asleep. Lily would shake her head in an attempt to clear her mind and gather her thoughts before looking around her surroundings.

She was in what appeared to be a den, with a messy work station before her. A medic's den, perhaps, the feline theorized. She then looked down at the stone table before her, noticing her paws were clasped around a glass bottle. The bottle had burst at the top, glass shattering and spreading all over the den. The glass was a sparkly material, something that Lily had never seen before in her clan life. However, she did know it was a mess, and if she was in an environment of unknown, she would rather make a good impression for anyone she met. She would quickly clean up the glass on the floor, placing it all in a few leaves scattered throughout the den and shoving it under the table.

With a soft exhale, she began to examine her surroundings. If she was to get home, she needed to know what she was dealing with. She began to pace the room, her soft pink gaze analyzing every inch of it. Something she noticed immediately was that there were resources she had never seen before. Orange feathers radiating heat, vials of golden glowing dust, among other unknown substances. She felt as if she had been transferred to a completely new world.





Did that thing cause this? She thought to herself, referring to the glass bottle that had been between her paws. What kinds of things are these? They don't look real. Her paw suddenly begun to sting, and she looked at it, noticing a large slash upon it. It seemed like the glass had cut her while she was cleaning up. As she realized this and began to gaze around, she heard a cat approaching. She quickly turned around to face the work station, trying to avoid the cats gaze.

"Althea, is everything okay in here? I heard a racket." A molly's voice cooed around the corner, gradually growing louder. Soon, Everbound would emerge from the corner, a soft gasp escaping her mouth. She noticed the broken bottle in front of Lily, along with the glass frantically stored beneath the table. A couple small pools of blood on the ground also caught her attention. But then, she noticed the colors of Lily's fur. She had gone from a mysterious gray to a stunning apricot, with pink accents that radiated sweetness.

"Oh my gosh, Althea!" Everbound gasped, quickly running to her Lily's side. "Are you okay? What the heck happened? Let's get this wound tended to." Everbound would quickly dart into a corner of the room, picking up a roll of cobweb and another concoction. "This is gonna sting, but it'll make sure your wound doesn't get infected." The yellow paste soon met the paw of Lily, a soft groan escaping her as she wound was quickly wrapped with cobwebs, and tightly secured. "I'll get you a potion as well to make that heal faster. But while I'm making it, I need you to answer some questions."

"Thanks... Sorry, whatever I made just.. made me really dazed. My memory is foggy. What is your name?" Lily inquired, trying to hide the fact that she had no clue where she was. This warranted a concerned gaze from Everbound. "It's just me, Everbound. I'm guessing whatever item you put in there may of backfired severely, seeing as you're a different color now as well." Everbound said as she looked Lily up and down.

"I... am?" Lily replied, lifting her paw up to gaze at her pelt.

"Oh, you're gonna have to tell me what you ended up putting in there. You are out of it, Althea." Everbound said with a reluctant sigh. "I should've been more helpful with telling you what to put in." Everbound said as she leered over her work station, slowly mixing a potion of healing properties. "Here, drink this, this will make the pain stop." Lily eagerly obeyed, clasping her lips to the bottle before inhaling the mixture. She felt a slight tingling in her paw's cut, then the pain subsided.

"That's amazing. Thank you, Everbound." Lily said with a soft smile. "I uhm.. I think it was this that I put in here." Lily awkwardly pawed at a glass vial of pixie dust on the table, the one that the actual Althea had left behind.

"Pixie dust, a sometimes unpredictable ingredient. I understand where the mix up happened. Though I don't understand the pelt color change. I will have to look into that and figure out a reverse. I hope you like the new colors in the mean time." Everbound said with a small smile.

"I'll make it work." Althea said with a small laugh. "Maybe you can teach me how to make this correctly?"

"Where's the fun in that? Experimentation is the way to learn. Don't let this discourage you." Everbound cooed reassuringly.

What Everbound didn't know, though, was that Althea was elsewhere -- the one who stood before her was a new cat, who would genuinely learn the witch art from scratch.

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[dimi.]

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And that is the tale of how two cats, who did not know of the others' existence, switched places and assumed one another's identities. For the first several moons, both of the mollies were lost, pondering how they were going to get home, but over time, the two grew to realize their talents, and passions, laid within the new homes they had found.

Althea, the gray and white molly who tended to keep to herself, would take on the identity of Lily, and become a scavenger for the Heart of Decay. Over several moons, she would learn and perfect the arts of her craft, becoming an excellent herb gatherer and one of the best fish catchers in the clan. Many have grown to turn to her for tips within the scavenger arts, and she has since left behind the craftmanship of potion creation and healing. However, Lily does continue to ponder how Everbound is doing, and wonders if Everbound ever caught on.

Lily, the apricot she-cat who is somewhat clumsy but otherwise kind-hearted, took on the identity of Althea, a witch-in-training for the Fallen Rose Kingdom. For the first few moons, Althea struggled with her craft, something that caused Everbound to grow more worried about the seemingly long-term effects the potions had on her mentally. Because of this, Everbound continues to train Althea in everyway she can, continuing to encourage her to experiment and try to grow more confident in her own abilities.

It is an intriguing tale, and yet, the two mollies know nothing of the other. Mira, of the Heart of Decay, has grown suspicious of Lily over the last couple of moons, wondering if maybe something did happen, and they are dealing with a different cat. However, she has no definitive proof.

But all secrets will come to light. They always do.

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