𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 - Stars #1900 - Do Not Post!

[coffee.berry]

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🦋 Acorn On Forest Floor is a confused young cat. His biggest wish is to find his lost sister, who dissapeared out of the blue on his Ceremony Day. In this story, Acorn will go on a small adventure to find his sister, and in the end a big discovery will be found...

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FONT

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Playlist
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Moodboards

[coffee.berry]

I heard, that you - settled down, and you, found a girl, and you're - married now. I heard, that your dreams came true...

Newleaf, 58 Seasons After Tribe Creation

"Acorn!" Crescent, Acorn's sister (who's full name was Pearl Crescent Flies Overhead), called out to her brother. "Guess what I just heard!" Acorn was sitting in the To-be Den, shifting his paws playfully. He heard his sister calling, and got up instantly, rushing outside.
"What is it?" he smiled. Crescent rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on! You know you want to tell me." Acorn laughed.

"You could've come sooner," Crescent giggled. "You're as sleepy as a dormouse!" Acorn groaned at being called a dormouse. "Okay, okay, I'll tell you!" Crescent exclaimed. "I just heard Summer say she's giving you your own Ceremony Day tomorrow!!" "Oh my squirrels!" Acorn's mouth dropped open. "Are you serious?! This is great!"


Newleaf, 58 Seasons and One Sunrise After Tribe Creation

It was the day. Acorn's Ceremony Day. The day he'd become a prey-hunter, cave-guard or his completely own role. He was overly excited about it ever since the day before. Now, he was waiting for his sister to come back from her solo patrol.

Suddenly, there was a sound of soft pawsteps padding behind him. "Crescent?" Acorn asked. "Is that you?" He heard a sigh from behind him. "Acorn.. your sister hasn't come back yet." Summer, the Healer, was the one who came. "We've been looking for her since the sun was rising."

"No.. That's not.. How..?" Acorn stuttered, trying not to start sobbing in front of his Healer. "She can't be-?" Summer didn't answer his question imediately. "She might be." Summer nodded gravely.

...Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead...

[coffee.berry]

The scars of your love, remind me of - us, they keep me - thinking that we almost had it all...

Leafbare, 64 Seasons After Tribe Creation

There it was. The mighty beast. The squirrel.

Acorn was a few branches higher than his prey; the squirrel. Ever since his sister dissapeared, he hated the squirrel more than anything. It was his and his sister's favourite animal.

He waited a few moments, and then he pounced onto it.

"Leave me alone!" a muffled squeaky voice exclaimed. Acorn looked at the squirrel in his paws. "Why?" he asked. "Tell me three true things you're thinking." Acorn had heard an old myth about a wolf asking a sheep the exact same thing. He wanted to test this little creature.

"O-okay. First of all: I have never done anything to you, so I wish you'd go away." the squirrel squeaked. Acorn nodded. "Second of all: I find it unfair that you predators kill us squirrels, mice, rabbits and more animals, so I wish that someone would hunt you." the squirrel breathed. Acorn nodded again. "And third of all: We're animals like you, too. We're far-cousins. So I wish you wouldn't kill your family." the squirrel fainted.

Acorn felt bad for the squirrel, even though it was his worst enemy. He picked the squirrel up in his mouth, and set off to the magical waterfall, where anything can happen.

...But you played it, to the beat...

[coffee.berry]

All of these words whispered in my ear..

Leafbare, 65 Seasons After Tribe Creation

"So, what's your name?" Acorn asked the squirrel. "You must have one."

It had been a rough night for both of them. Acorn had to chase away a fox who was trying to eat the squirrel, the squirrel had to go do it's bussiness, and then Acorn had to get berries and nuts for breakfast.

Now they were eating the breakfast.

"My name?" the squirrel was confused. "I.. I don't really remember. If you want, you can call me Pepper until I remember." Acorn nodded, and looked at his new friend. Pepper. She really was a nice squirrel. The marking on her head looked kind of like his sister's.

"So, what's yours?" Pepper asked Acorn. "Oh! My name is Acorn On Forest Floor. You can call me Acorn." Acorn laughed at his name. He'd never really thought that "On Forest Floor" was necessary for a name.

"Acorn is a nice name! Hey, wanna hear a secret?" Pepper giggled to herself. "Sure." Acorn smiled. "I eat acorns!" she whispered, and then the laughter just flew right out of her.

Acorn laughed, too. He felt like he and Pepper were meant to find eachother. A friend.

...Just 'cause I said it, don't mean that I meant it, just 'cause you heard it..

[coffee.berry]

You're gonna know my name...

Leafbare, 65 Seasons and 7 hours After Tribe Creation

"What do you want to do now?" Pepper asked Acorn, who was laying upside-down on a big rock.

"I don't know, anything that makes me less bored." Acorn said, getting up and stretching. Pepper rolled her eyes. "Wait! I got it. Do you like the ocean?" Pepper asked. "Sure, I don't dislike it. It's just.. cold." Acorn answered honestly. "But, it is pretty warm now, so it's worth it to go have a swim!"

Acorn took Pepper to a little lake, where there was a puddle that was like a tiny bathtub for Pepper. "This looks good!" Acorn said, eyes gleaming. Pepper smiled and hopped into her "pool".

It took quite a few moments until Acorn had the courage to dip his one paw in and take it out again. "Scaredy cat!" Pepper teased. Acorn rolled his eyes.

“I am not!” Acorn said sternly. “Are too!” Pepper teased. “Am not.” Acorn tried to look serious. “Are. Too.” Pepper laughed. Acorn couldn’t help it, he started laughing, too!

“Well, then come swim with me!” Pepper jumped happily into the water and started splashing drops of it onto Acorn. Acorn groaned. “Oh, fine!” He gave a merry leap into the water, dunking his furry face underneath.

He fixed up from the water, a disgusted look on his face.

Pepper laughed, and swam away from Acorn. Acorn’s expression became a smile and they started playing chase.

...I do whatever I want to..

[coffee.berry]

Please have mercy on me..

Leafbare, 65 Seasons and 29 hours After Tribe Creation

Was it.. morning again?
A light glow was flowing above Acorn. He could just feel it.
The warmth of the light on his fur, like a precious, single ray had finally found.

He slowly opened his eyes, careful not to be blinded.
And.. what was that he saw? Pepper was standing in front of him, eyes glowing.

"Acorn..?" Pepper asked. Acorn didn't understand; why did Pepper sound like his sister?
It was as if he could feel his heart getting ripped in two pieces. His sister. He couldn't bare to hear her voice.

"C-Crescent?" Acorn croaked softly, tears blurring his eyes. "W-what..? H-how.."
Pepper smiled.

"I cannot explain this well," Pepper said in Crescent's voice. "But, a Mage put a spell on me so I would become.. a squirrel. He took my memory, but I can only recover if you find the glowing crystal by answering two cats' riddles. I'm only allowed to visit you in dreams. Goodbye, Acorn. I promise I'm alright."

Pepper touched Acorn with one paw, and Acorn came to a completely different place.

...You keep tearing me apart - Would you please have, mercy, mercy, on my heart..?

[coffee.berry]

Hello, hello, hello, can I hear an echo?...

Leafbare, 65 Seasons and 30 hours After Tribe Creation

Acorn was in another world, different from his own. Where was Crescent?
No, where was Pepper.

He took in all the little details of this strange world.

Lush, green grass stretches on for miles. The cold morning dew tickles your paws and you breathe the clear mountain air.
This large expanse of greenery appears to go on forever.
Something red rushes towards you and you stumble away, however it's just another squirrel. You chuckle, but this time when you look up there are two cats just ahead of you.
They appear to be conversing. Hesitantly, you push your paws forward and start padding towards them.
However, as you draw nearer you realise they are merely sitting beside each other.
The paler one has an assortment of skulls and bones tied on a cord around his neck, and a skull across his face. He glances towards you and you're shocked to realise he has no eyes either.
Beside the second cat, two birds rest. This bright cat watches you cautiously.
"I see you made it."
"Made it where?" You query, glancing around yet again, having absolutely no idea where you are.
The cat grins. "We often find your ones wandering, searching for answers." The blind cat nods along to his words.
"Always seeking something, whether they know it or not."
Uncertain, you hesitate.
The cat turns his penetrating green eyes back to you, as he questions you.
"Except you always already know the answer."

"What? What do you mean?!" Acorn asked, frantic. "Was that really Crescent, or Pepper playing a trick on me? I need answers!"

"Little one, we are the two cats you need to pass to find the Crystal," the paler one chuckled. "Since we mustn't have a moment to lose, let me read you the first riddle."

An ancient papyrus roll appeared right over the paler one's nose.
They started reading..

I can't be seen, nor felt.
I can't be heard and definitely not smelt.
I lie behind stars and underneath hills.
Empty holes, I always fill.
I come first and follow after,
I end a life and I kill laughter.
Riddle me this - what am I?

Acorn made a picture in his mind. The riddle sounded familiar.
It was something he and Crescent were both afraid of, once.
Darkness.


"The answer is.. d-darkness?" Acorn stammered, unsure if he had answered correctly or falsely.
"Correct!" the paler one's face lit up with a huge grin.

"My turn." the bright one smiled cheekily at Acorn. "I hope you will find this easier than old skull-hoarder's riddle!"

If you don’t keep me, I’ll break.
What am I?

That was certainly confusing! Lots of things break if you don't keep them. Like eggs, for an example.
But no. It was more important than that.
It was..

"A promise," Acorn said, sure that that was correct. "You break a promise if you don't keep it."

The bright one stepped aside from where they were sitting.

A crystal the size of Acorn's eye was right there, turning every colour someone could imagine.
The cats nodded at Acorn, and he walked over to the crystal, gently picking it up.

"What do I do to get Crescent back?" Acorn asked.

"You have to be awake," the bright one said. "And then you have to feed the squirrel the Crystal. Do not worry, the Crystal is edible! Your sister will become herself again, and she may transform to a squirrel whenever she says 'I want to be a squirrel'. I know it sounds unbelievable, but trust me. It's true!"

The paler one nodded, and, as Pepper had done before, the paler one and the bright one touched Acorn with their paws.

"Good luck, little one!" they chorused.

...Hello, hello, hello, walking through a meadow, full of sunflowers, picking off the petals...

[coffee.berry]

It's a fairytale, I can't explain...

Leafbare, 65 Seasons and 32 hours After Tribe Creation

He felt as if he'd just fell down.
Opening his eyes, he saw two smaller ones staring at him.

"Acorn? Are you okay?" Pepper asked.

"Yeah. I just have to tell you something crazy!" Acorn said. He started explaining what had happened, and Pepper listened.

"Are you serious?! I'm your lost sister?!" Pepper nearly fainted.

"Uhh... I guess..." Acorn said, hiding his face in his long, bushy tail.

Acorn had no idea if Pepper believed him or not, and inside he was panicking that his best friend would think he was crazy, and leave.

"This is really strange..!" Pepper said slowly. "But if it's true, I'll do whatever it takes to become me again."

"It is true! Trust me!" Acorn burst out. Pepper gave a half-smile. "What do I need to do?"

"Well, you have to eat the crystal." Acorn laughed. Pepper looked shocked. Acorn continued:

"Then, if you want to transform to a squirrel, just say 'I want to become a squirrel'. Think of becoming a cat when you want to transform again!"

Pepper nodded, and obediently took the crystal and ate it.

Pepper's eyes started glowing, just like in the dream. They glowed brighter and brighter, until you couldn't see Pepper anymore.
When the glow started fading, Acorn recognised Pepper's new shape; a cat.

The cat looked like Crescent and Pepper. Like two forms together; Crescent now had a massive, furry tail instead of a short one, and she had more fur on her ears. Crescent hadn't even opened her eyes yet.

"Crescent..?" Acorn asked, going a bit closer to the cat that had once been a squirrel.

Crescent's eyes slowly opened. As she saw Acorn, her eyes filled up with happy tears, and soon the fur under her eyes was soaked.

"Acorn!" Crescent jumped up and ran over to her brother, hugging him with one paw. "You.. saved me!"

"Of course I did," Acorn laughed. "I always told you I was the courageous one. Kidding, kidding!"

Acorn and Crescent walked home together, telling eachother everything.

Crescent told Acorn all about what she did when she was a squirrel. She said that she could only remember Acorn and herself when she was asleep, and that when she woke up, she couldn't remember what she saw in her dreams. She connected her dream with Acorn's to make him get the crystal.

Acorn told Crescent his whole adventure, and what was happening lately in the Tribe.

When the two cats finally got home, Summer almost broke down when she saw Crescent. She got the whole Tribe together that night, to have a Tribe Reunion.

Acorn started talking about his adventure, and Crescent showed off her new powers.

When Acorn and Crescent went into the den, Crescent claimed the moss-bed behind Acorn's.

The two cats drifted off to dreamland, grateful to have eachother back again.

~The End~

...You're the only one, that my, heart keeps coming, back to, it's always been you, it's always been you...

[coffee.berry]

Greenleaf, 77 Seasons and 12 hours After Tribe Creation
(Basically 3 Years Later)

"River, look at our kit.. she's so beautiful! Just like you." Acorn licked his mate, Clear Water Flows In River, on the nose. River had just finished cleaning Acorn's greatest treasure; his and River's newborn kit.

"She's also extremely fluffy, like you!" River smiled. "I think it's time to let Crescent see her niece."

Acorn nodded. "Crescent! Come on in!"

Crescent ran inside faster than lightning. She had been waiting hours to see her niece, and she was finally going to see her now.

"Oh, my!" Crescent gasped. "She's so adorable! She is probably the sweetest thing I have ever seen."

"Not probably; definitely!" River laughed.

The kit mewed and kicked it's legs playfully.

The three cats giggled as it yawned.

"This kit will be loved more than anything else in the world!" Acorn smiled.

~THE END OF THE STORY~

Hi! I hope you liked reading this - I loved writing this whole thing and I definitely enjoyed coming up with ideas! I did my best to make the coding look good as well. I'm still new at writing "realistically" and "emotionally" so it was a bit hard! But other than that I really, really loved writing the story <3

If I win, I will probably use Acorn in a lot of quests/explore posts and breed him with River. I might even make Crescent as a cat when I get the correct edits and MYO <3

Thank you for taking the time to read this story, it has been awesome doing this!
-Vai