✦〚 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘸 !! 〛dnp!!

[coffee.berry]

image creds!! || font creds!!

[coffee.berry]

✦ 1 ✦

"Hello." a voice says. I open my eyes ever so slightly, and groan. "Not you again. Why are you following me in my dreams?" I
ask, staring at the two cats that haunt me whenever I try to sleep - Bones and Chase. We'd first met five dreams ago, where I
tried to catch a bird in the dream meadow. Chase had stopped me, telling me it wasn't right. Bones appeared a few minutes
later, startling me so much I nearly woke up. They both turned out to be quite kind-hearted fellows, but I never fully trusted
them. You don't trust cats who follow you in dreams.

"Because we can help you. Help you find what you're looking for." Bones explained. I tried not to cry out loud. "Oh, for
Twinkleclan's sake," I whisper. "You tell me that every day. But I'm not looking for anything!" That was a lie. I was looking
for an ancient spellbook that could help me get my left front leg back. But this.. this was a dream. How in the world could I
find a spellbook in a dream?

I was born without my left front leg. I guess Twinkleclan knew I wouldn't be such a good warrior. Because I didn't want to be
a dream healer apprentice (sorry, Mosslily and Saltwater), Silverstar decided that I should become a librarian apprentice so
I could be able to experience adventures, but through books. Rapscallion has been a great mentor to me so far, but, being
me, I wanted some real adventures. I could find the spellbook.

I got ready to flee from Peaceclan, but that night I had the dream of Bones and Chase and the bird I tried to kill. This had
stopped my plans. The dream cats knew what I was seeking. And when they showed up every time I fell asleep, I decided to
try and get some information out of them.

"Oh, come on. We know you're after the spellbook." Chase finally said, grinning.

[coffee.berry]

✦ 2 ✦

I gasped in shock - they knew. "Alright, yes. I am after the spellbook. You said you could help me.. does that offer
still stand?" I questioned, tilting my head. "And how exactly would a spellbook end up in a dream?" Chase grinned
at Bones. Chase's birds flew up into the sky, coming down to resume their positions a heartbeat later.

"Ah, yes. That is the question." Chase closed his eyes to think. "Well, I don't know exactly how it would end up in a
dream, but I do know that a cat of great power has sent it there. As for your first question, yes, the offer still stands,
but I'll leave it to Bones to explain how we can help." he gestured to Bones with his tail.

Bones cleared his throat. I shivered as I looked at him and his.. skull. "I know where the spellbook is. But it will be a hard
object to get to.. for it is in a dream, like you said. You have to travel through the clouds of Dreamland until you see a
crowd of purple dots in front of you. Then, you have to jump on them.. and I don't know what happens next."

[coffee.berry]

✦ 3 ✦

The very next day, I woke up in the small camp I had set up when I stopped to rest from my
"find an adventure of your own" plan. Strangely, I did not dream of Bones and Chase that
night, so I decided to go to sleep again.

This time, Bones and Chase weren't there, but I was in the same dream. The bird I almost
killed was with me. "Looks like it's just you and me.. Jax." I grinned. Jax turned away from
me, sitting grumpily on my shoulder. "You're still sour after that incident?"

I looked up. Maybe there would be something to help me get onto the clouds.. I looked at
the bird perched on my shoulder. "Jax, buddy, pal, amigo.. would you be up for getting me
into the clouds? Please? I'll never ask you to do what I want again."

Jax looked at me smugly, and before I knew it, he grew to become even larger than me. I
leaped onto his back, and Jax flew up into the clouds, where I stepped daintily onto their
fluffy surface. "Thanks, Jax!"

We walked through the clouds for what seemed like several centuries, until tiny purple
dots appeared in front of my three feet. I smiled, and Jax became small. He perched on
my shoulder again, and I carefully hopped onto the dots.

I fell through the clouds like a fish swimming through water. All of a sudden, a white, cloud
like portal appeared and sucked me (and Jax) into another dimension.

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✦ 4 ✦

I fell to the ground with a soft thud. Jax screeched in alarm, but I soothed him.
Now, where was that spellbook.. my eyes scanned the area, looking for a hiding
place, when Jax ruffled his feathers. I looked over my shoulder, and saw a tower.

..but I have fear of heights. No, I thought to myself. This is a dream. Nothing can
happen to you if you fall from there, you'll just wake up.. without Jax. I had to
keep Jax safe.

I ran over to the tower (it took me an hour, because of me only having three legs)
and saw the steps. Each was so tall, I'd never be able to jump onto them. Unless
this was an illusion? I checked if the steps were shorter than they looked, but no
such luck. Jax screeched and became large.

I grinned. I'd forgotten all about my friend's powers. I climbed onto his back and
he hopped from one step to another. I guess he couldn't fly in a tower, but that
was the least of our worries. Right now, we needed the spellbook.

Jax hopped onto the final step, where a lizard greeted us.
"Hello, there."

[coffee.berry]

✦ 5 ✦

I gasped. The lizard rolled it's eyes. "Yes, I can talk, you dimwits. This is a dream, so I can
do whatever I want. Except for your bird friend, there. He's cursed never to speak." Jax's
expression turned sad, and he started chirping in protest.

"Oh, my dear!" the lizard grinned, licking it's eyeballs (gross). "I meant you can't speak
human, like your lovely friend Azyrei over here." I groaned. How did this lizard know
everything about us?

"I'm the oldest creature in dreams, dear!" the lizard sneered. "Moriarty is my name. You
may not have heard of me, but I guard the Spellbook. I will not let you get it until you
make the proper sacrifice."

I thought for a moment. What could I sacrifice, except for Jax? I'd already been born without
a leg, so I couldn't give a second one. Then, a thought hit me. I would sacrifice one of the
fangs on the back of my mouth. A new one would grow anyways, and.. this was a dream.

I pulled my paw up to my mouth, struggling to stand on my two back legs, and clawed my
fang out. It hurt, but it was what had to be done. "Here," I gasped. "My fang."

"Hmm.." Moriarty thought for a moment, before taking the fang from the ground. "Pass."
He burst into a cloud of smoke, and the tower door opened.

I stepped through, and there was a very small table with a tiny book on it. The spellbook!
I opened it, and searched for a spell so that Jax would stay with me if my escape plan
worked. Ah, there it was! A solidifying spell.

"Ancient magic, work your talent
Make my friend Jax balanced
So that his form will solidify
And take him back to the world when I fly,,

Jax held on tight to my fur, and I went outside, jumping off the rails of the tower. We fell
to the ground, but before we could touch it, I woke up in the real world, the spellbook in
my mouth and Jax still on my shoulder.

Mist circled me and Jax, the voices of Bones and Chase whispering well done.