ℱ𝒾𝓇𝓈𝓉 𝒮𝓉𝑒𝓅𝓈
The sound of the sea rushes in, and out. Slowly pushing forward and inward. Water splashes at the shore, but suddenly dissipates quickly in the soft sand. A setting sun blazes in the distance, it's burning glow brushing edges of soft puffy clouds, and humming veraciously against the cliffs of the shore. Just rest gently against the soggy edge of this paradise. Slowly, gently, softly. Breath into the abyss as the slow cave of slumber pulls you to the other side. This crossing to the other side of this world is a peaceful one, no need to worry about what has been left on the other side. All is settled nicely as others wait for you to join them. This isn't any end of any sort.
Death? No, this isn't death, this... this is-
❀ ░░▒▒▓▓██ ✿ ██▓▓▒▒░░ ❀
As her eyes slowly open the sound of the waves seemed to fade. The darkness that had enveloped the land was now a hard earthy platform with sounds of emptiness all around. It had been a week since she had been brought into this land and sights and smells didn't seem to go well, nothing was familiar, nor could the little girl find her way in this field of silence. A large paw padded gently around them, then the feeling of a tongue. She was being loved on, and cleaned by her mother. Calmness filled her, and she slowly inched her way towards the soft warmth of kinship. It will be this way for a long time, just the two of them lying in the calmness of the solace fields. There wasn't even the sound of birds it was so... strange.
The grass. She- no I'm not sure that's appropriate anymore. They were pawing the grass with pure curiosity. Yes there was grass taller then the child's head and of such unknown variety. The colors of vibrant violet, mixed with bashful reds and scarlet orange. The waters weren't the glistening blue we are so used to, but this is their world. The world they were brought into. From the purple grass to orange skies, and luminescent trees in the distance. It was perfect for them, a world that perhaps they could finally fit into. Of coarse then again, were they from anywhere else? No that couldn't be. This is the first place they have been, that's why it felt so unfamiliar, because nothing was familiar to them at all.
Mother Constellation picked the two of them up by the scruff of their neck, and off they went down a long path. Curiously it changed colors as they went, and, into a deep valley. An oddly shaped one to be honest as it almost seemed like an inverted cone from the angle of the three. Well two, one had fallen asleep on the venture, and was quite amiss to the beauty of the new surroundings, but lets not dwell on to much of the little details.
The child was put down in the pit at the center, and as such many felines approached with deep wonder in there eyes. Keeping at a distance, all the members of the clan were kept at bay by the leader who had just set the little one down. She was stepping with strong confidence, circling the area like a shark at it's kill. Her attention was pulled away from the kitten, and seemed to be attended to the crowd that was slowly growing. Such a huge mass of felines pulled together to see the spectacle. What was so special about this little kitten sitting daintily in a dirt hole. They weren't anything to gawk at. Who did these fools think they were?
A loud booming echo came from the molly who pulled the kit to the valley. Her voice was dominating, loud, and gave great command to all those around. If they weren't listening before, they were now. "Here thee and come with great attendance. The one before you was born in our territory, abandoned, and left alone to suffer."
As the kit gazed at all those who stared deep into them, they realized all were fully grown, and no younger felines seemed to be around. Youko had a strange feeling as she woke to this, and Aster fidgeted with discomfort. Could the younger ones just not be here at the moment, or were they the only child to be there?
"I found this young girl as the parents left her, and decided I'd claim her as my own. She will be my own kin, and be treated as such. Her name shall be Starlight." The leader continued. "You will treat her with utmost respect and honor as the princess of Crater's Abyss."
SHE. SHE. Who did this fool think they were? How dare they mistake them for a single soul a small being. THEY were a power way above them and shouldn't be treated like the vermin. They were not going to accept being thrown and carried around like- They were way to small to do anything about the matter really. Even with the struggle of their small limbs, and obvious protest to the matter, Constellation swiftly picked them up gently, putting them lightly on there back and allowing others in the clan to have closer looks one at a time. It was hamulating to the two of them, but they had no choice, there one tiny body had no control.
❀ ░░▒▒▓▓██ ✿ ██▓▓▒▒░░ ❀
❀ ░░▒▒▓▓██ ✿ ██▓▓▒▒░░ ❀𝒜𝓂𝒷𝒾𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃 They slowly stepped on the edge of the stone staring down the entrance to the camp. From inside the safe invisible walls there was much unexplored for them. They could find endless adventure with just a few steps outward, and the smell of the breeze was pulling at their heartstrings. No one was visible for what seemed like miles, it was an abandoned outpost to the two of them, and Aster and Youko just wanted to bolt forward and not look back. They knew full well how the ruler of the clan would feel about this escape. Even if they planned to return it was clear that their would be endless punishment for their misbehavior. A small step forward, nothing big, pulled them towards the border. Just one tiny one, nothing large. It caused the heart they shared to beat loudly. So loudly it seemed that the birds flew fast and far from them.
Watching the birds swish through the air, bouncing frivolously through the light gusts of the ravine. They were playing in the sky like it was all a game, even though they could have been killed in the previous moment on the ground. The wings flapping got smaller, and smaller till they were simply just dots to nothingness in the sky. It was peaceful, and cleansed the mind for even the slightest moment. They would turn around and return home.
"WHAT do you think your doing here brat." A dark glare pulled their gaze towards a much bigger cat. Youko's tail immediately curved into her body, and she immediately became as small as she could, hiding behind Aster as soon as she was able.
Of coarse Aster was instantly angry at this fool who dared to scare the two of them. Especially their poor sibling who couldn't handle such kinds of confrontation. Yowling a mighty hiss, Aster puffed up their body without hesitation, a deep glare formed while doing so. The opposing cat, clearly Hyperion, glared back without any sense of retort to the body language or hiss.
Instead, the older Tom embodied a warrior pose, and spoke with command. "You will return home at once and never return. You better hope I don't report this incident to your mother."
"I'm old enough to explore any part of the territory you old fart. I won't do anything you say. Just for that I'm sitting right at the edge." So Aster did so, plopping her rump right at the border, and close enough to bring a disgusting face to the guardians face. They knew this hater would most certainly bring this info straight to their mother as soon as they were free to do so. He loved to cause them trouble.
Unfortunately their strength was not even close to that of the adult. They were only half the size, and not close to fully grown. "Let me GO!" They flailed as Hyperion grabbed them by the scruff and pulled them away from the spot in a rough and forceful manner. "My mother will hear about this. You will be demoted, and punished for harming the princess!" They yowled, and fought with all they had, but to no avail.
A demotion wouldn't ever be on the table for Hyperion. It simply wasn't a possibility for them to leave that seat empty. Sure there were tons of cats in the clan, but the position that was given to this feline was of utmost importance, and only he had the talent for the job. None the less, they carried on to yowl endlessly until the two bodies would find themselves among the entry to the leader's den. With this Aster froze.
Before them was the eminence of the collection of felines. The grace of everything and the voice of ruling. She towered over them like a mighty waterfall that would never cease to erode the tiny pebble that fumbled against the tide. Aster shivered in deep fear, while Hyperion took the opposite stance, and showed great pride in his work. Unlike the two of them showing great emotion, the leader simple glanced over with not a look at all really. This seemed to happen more often then not, and unfortunately didn't warrant any attention. None the less it seemed the teenager was in trouble once again.
"Back to your post." Constellation wavered a paw at her warrior, and the cat grumbled, but followed suit.
The young kitten stammered and yowled. Complaining about every little detail in great exaggeration, but with great uninterest Constellation just shoved the young one out of her den. With this it gave the so called trouble maker nothing to do. So with that a new determination to show that they were worth everyone's time and breath they came up with a plan.
They didn't want to be leader, and the guards were simply to much for them to deal with at there current size. Youko had great anxiety, and fighting that made a lot of problems in the day to day without Aster's help, but Youko was the voice of reason in the two of there minds. It felt like they were always trying to pursue something they couldn't quite find, as if something is expected of them, but they aren't sure what to do about it. This was one of those moments of fighting to find themselves in all this mess, when the leader didn't know what they were going through at all.
Where was their ambition? A thought crossed Youko's mind, and Aster heard it loud and clear.
I like making stories.
Was that all though? No, that wasn't all, they loved to tell stories. Big false lies, twist what people say and turn it into something much more entertaining. What was it to be turned from a princess to a jester though? Was entertainment the path they were to take just to pull strings of control away from their obsessive mother. The answer was right in front of them, but it wasn't clear enough, and for now, they decided to bug other cats until dinner rolled around.
Youko was overwhelmed and found herself screaming into the wind. Alone with anxiety.
❀ ░░▒▒▓▓██ ✿ ██▓▓▒▒░░ ❀
❀ ░░▒▒▓▓██ ✿ ██▓▓▒▒░░ ❀𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒫𝑜𝓇𝓉𝒶𝓁 Moons have passed. The scarlet sky filled the air with grace as a full grown feline approached endearingly. The princess was an adult now. Long fluffy fur, scarlet eyes, and a determination like no other. Except what path did they choose? The two of them were finally outside of the border, but this wasn't the first time of coarse. The sun hitting their cheeks, and a bright plume of flowers surrounded them. It was serene.
Aster in the lead, was doing a proper patrol of the land and area in accordance with Constellation's wishes, while Youko sat back idly allowing Aster to do as they pleased. It was a pleasant afternoon. No stress or disaster really caught them in any discord. The tail that they were born with was prominent. It's appearance was always catching the eyes of other cats. Their beauty had fully bloomed into such magnificence, many became jealous, upset, or in the rare cases of those who didn't despise the two of them, infatuation. Youko mostly ignored this, as she had no interest in any suitor, romance, or anything of the sort at the moment, while Aster would tease, and prod at these souls endlessly just to cause pure trouble.
Other then the best friend that they grew up with, it was hard for the feline to find anyone to get along with. Sure many of the elder cat's were respectful, mind Hyperion, but for the most part they were only following their title properly. They were princess, they were destined to receive the power from the gods. They were destined to become the leader of the realm.
Aster sneered as they passed by a rock. The two of them didn't want to be apart of this shenanigan. They were much happier doing the daily chores of cleaning, cooking, and patrolling as most warriors of this land were required to. Though they could do much without the leadership, politics, and history lessons that came with the title. It was still hard to come up with what they honestly wanted in life. With everyone expecting so much of them, it was better to just be left alone.
The anxiety was building up again. It wasn't like any noise was pulling on them, or was there anything around to cause them distress. It was really the fact that Aster had twisted themselves into the thoughts that were so undesirable. They were good at that, an ability was gifted to them to put anyone into agitation including onto them, and Youko. It wasn't on purpose but the energy within welled up, and the air around them grew thin with the use of magic.
Something distracted them however. A black cat. Solid. Aster twisted her head towards the fluttering noise of bushes seeing the feline hop around the distant rocky landscape. This was reason enough to follow. An unfamiliar cat wasn't allowed on the premises, and Aster was ready to sharpen their claws. The two of them leaped into action bolting a crossed the large landscape with little effort. With no time at all they would catch up to the intruder and get them to never return.
Unfortunately there was no sign of her. Wait a minute wasn't she just here? There was no mistaking it, as there definitely was a solid black cat. It's gaze met up with theirs for a brief moment during the chase. It was molly that they had run into time and time again as a kitten when attempting to escape the camp. The problem was she was never seen during meal times or hunt gatherings. She had to be a feral enemy right? Maybe that's why she wasn't caught by them, is that they haven't been caught by anyone.
Aster, and Youko recognized the place. It was a small corner of the world they visited often, even when little and wasn't allowed to be here. It was one of the few places they managed to get away from Hyperion and his goons for hours on end. They pulled themselves to the end of the cliff. A scary dare in the past, but a friendly welcoming now. It wasn't the edge of a cliff at all, but rather an illusion of water drifting so clearly that it was difficult to see until you were right up on it. It's beauty had captured them when they were little, but now it was just a warm sight to behold.
No face this time. It appeared their friend wasn't there to great them today. Not like the old days where the blonde feline was at the pool almost every day. Youko insisted that they stare into the dreamy waters a bit longer. hold the amber gaze they had on it a little longer just to make sure no one was on the other side. In the clear pool you would see a reflection of yourself. Rather, it seemed to show a bright blue sky filled with puffy white clouds on a day like this. Above however in this particular area of Crater's Abyss the sky was a violet shade despite it being mid-day. It was the dragons that often did this. Playing games and changing things to mess with the eyes of the more mortal beings.
After a moment of gazing at their favorite spot, the two of them turned away, swishing the large tail over the illusion as if to say goodbye only to find out where they were wasn't exactly the spot they had come from. Did they accidently walk the planes like they used to as a child. Fumbling about in other worlds without meaning to and creating mayhem. No, they had better control over their powers these days. Though the starry atmosphere did tell them they were not in the same hill as before. Somebody had pulled Aster and Youko into a private realm. The gods were ready to give them the gift of leadership.
The long beautiful tail pulled inward with disturbance. Neither of them wanted to own anything, or be responsible for the cats in the land. Even if a god themselves came down to bestow the ability to walk realms and be seen, they would decline. No way would the two of them ever be caught up in their mother's world. Crouched low to the ground, ears pinned they quickly scanned the void with deep anticipation.
"Hello again." A soft voice cooed. it was elegant and calming. "On your toes as always. I'm sorry to cause you so much distress every time." No one was around in the darkness however, the chimera could sense the presence of another surrounding them.
After a few moments of silence, a figure faded into view. They were mostly white, and humanoid. They were gorgeous beyond compare. Her icy blue eyes gave Aster, and Youko a feeling of warmth, and realization that harm would never come to them washed over. Aster relaxed the body. Aster remembered this creature, and how kind she was to them. Teaching them everything they wanted to know, telling them how to seek the path they desired. She was like a guardian angel.
Youko realized something that Aster did not. That black cat had led them here on purpose. Where the angel and that cat connected? She wasn't entirely certain, but was hold tight to the desire to know. She would share these thoughts later, but for now enveloped herself in the close friend she knew since childhood.
The divine being settled into a more familiar form. A white cat with patches of soft blues that brought out her eyes so well. She spoke again, careful not to disturb the piece with sharp or uncomfortable notes. Each word she picked seemed so careful and planned. "I am glad I was able to bind you all those days back. The body is treating you well?"
"Of coarse!" Aster smiled greatly, unable to contain her joy.
"Do you remember yet?" Confusion settled on the chimera's face, and this caused the angel to turn away a little. "Sorry I shouldn't have mentioned."
"No, it's okay. I just... don't understand what I have forgotten. If you could..." Aster trailed off, unable to ask 'tell me?'.
The white feline shook her head. "I shouldn't."
Both of them got desperately curious, and the friend of theirs seemed to ponder in silence for a long time.
"Aster. You are a god."
