Username: cyberdragon725
Cat Name: Bear Who Walks Among Snow (Bear)
Gender: Male
Age: 28 Moons
Clan: The Tribe of Frosted PinesRank: Warrior/Cave Guard
Song: Sloom- Of Men And MonstersWhy?:Snowbear's history is an interesting one and this song does an incredible job of representing it. I'll explain each verse as well as the importance of each chorus.
You see, it all begins in a dream. In this dream, Bear stands alone in the darkness. He can see nothing and he can feel nothing, just the empty darkness which seems to gradually eat at him. He feels a sense of fear yet a feeling of wonder as water seems to flow in from somewhere soaking his paws. At first, he stays calm as his twolegs often would place him in water or leave him outside it the rain. This was not something strange to him. What he wasn't expecting was the sudden chill the water gained. It was as if the water was turning to ice below his feet even though he could still feel the gentle currents lapping at the long fur of his underbelly. The smooth surface he stood upon seemed to morph as the dream materialized further. Feeling gentle sand grain slipping out from under him, he felt his fear strengthen. Scrambling to find purchase on the shorelines, he yowled out with shock as the currents strengthened and dragged him down below the surface. Salt filled his mouth as his head fell below the surface and he struggled to him himself back towards the shimmering surface. However, he found his strength fading fast as the cold temperatures seemed to sap any hope to live as well as any energy he might have had to survive. Black begins to fill his vision as he feels his chest longing for air. Suddenly, green eyes fill the last of his vision and just before he passes out he recognizes the sensation of teeth gripping his scruff and gentle paws working to push him out of the water.
[Verse 1]
The sea said goodbye to the shore so the sun wouldn't notice
The seaweed that wrapped its arms around youSymbolism; So the sun wouldn't notice refers to him being pulled out to sea without the knowledge of the tribe leader, Light that Shines at Day. 'Daystar', as she is otherwise known, is referred to as the sun because she is the known to be the light that guides others from the dark, just as the sun lights up the night. When it mentions the seaweed wrapping its arms around you, it is referring to how she, who's green and yellowish eyes appear as seaweed in his fading vision, pull him from the dark depths as the ocean struggles to keep it's hold on him.
He wakes up with a start, the sense of fear still lingering in his being. Feeling nervous and a bit unsettled, he licks the stiffened fur of his chest as he tries to calm his erratic heart. A sudden sound from behind him causes him to screech out in surprise and leap away, turning swiftly to face the intruder with a hiss. Dog, his littermate, laughs heartily from behind him. "Calm down, fluffy buns. I didn't mean to scare you." She grinned up at him as he grumbles at her with a pout on his face. "Dog, that wasn't very nice." He tried to scold his sibling but just as she's never been able to take him seriously, she giggles lightly at him, batting him playfully in the face. "Don't be such a scaredy cat, bro. Calm down." He swatted her ear playfully in scorn and she batted his paw away with a laugh. Smirking at his sister, Bear stepped over to the window and leaped to the frame, bright eyes looking towards the forest. "I'm not scared, Dog. A true warrior is never scared." Puffing his chest out, he ignored the way her face changed. "Oh yeah. The same way a true warrior always stays loyal to his clan and his family. Seems father must have forgotten that one." Anger filled bear as he spun to meet Dog's equally furious eyes. Fur bristling, he lept from his perch with a snarl, the forest he was gazing into temporarily abandoned at defending the honor of his role model. " Our father was a warrior through and through. And one of these days, I'm going to go to the forest just like him." She narrowed her eyes at him with frustration but gave a huff of surrender as she lowered her head. "Whatever you say, bear. Seems his looks aren't the only thing you inherited from that mongrel." His tail lashed as she stood and turned, leaving him with nothing but those words. Closing his eyes with anger, he felt his heart fill with longing. A longing for the untamed forests and wilds which would one day be his to explore.
The carpet on my cheek feels like a forest
And I run through the tall trees with your hand chasing me
Symbolism; The carpet on his cheek refers to his life as a kittypet however by comparing to a forest, he expresses how he longs to live in the wilds. Running to the tall trees he would finally be free and by the hand chasing him, he's referring to how he wants to leave his sister's anger and hatred behind and leave her running after him as he follows his dream of becoming a warrior.
Days went on and the two kits continued to grow. Under their mother's care, the two blossomed into fine young cats. They began to mature and gain a better understanding of the world. Dog continued to grasp on to her sense of pessimism, with her sharp tongue and quick wit she quickly became the more standoffish of the two. Meanwhile Bear was the gentle giant of the two. His calming persona paired with his cheerful optimism made him a joy to be around for most. One thing that continued to separate the two was easily their opinions of their father's stories. You see, their father was a warrior within a distant clan, one who was taken from his clan by twolegs. He was placed in his home where he first met his mate, their mother. Her love was the only thing that kept him in their twoleg den and he stayed only for her and his unborn kits. When two kits were born, he named them after the most ferocious creatures he had personally met in hopes that they too would carry the strength and perseverance of their namesakes. In his desire to inspire his kits to seek more than their kittypet origins, as they grew up he would tell them of his clan and all the different aspects of it. From the code, to the cats themselves, and even a few of the herbs you could use in a tight spot, he filled the minds of his children with the ability to see what's behind the door without having to face the world themselves. Bear would always look upon those stories with awe, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. He looked up to his father and every time he would play with Dog, he would tell his sister about how one day he would be a warrior too, living far away in a forest clan. Dog, however, wasn't as fond of her father's stories. She was content with her simple life and the life of a warrior filled her with fear. It was all so confusing and dangerous. She didn't want a life like that.
[Verse 2]
The books that I keep by my bed are full of your stories
That I drew up from a little dream of mine, a little nightmare of yours
Symbolism; The books that I keep by my bed refer to his memories, preferably those of his father. His fondest memories of his father were always those which told mention of the clan of cats living far away within the forests. He longed for this kind of life, wanting to live out the stories given by his father. While this may be his dream, his sister does not share this dream. She fears the life of a warrior and would much rather prefer to live safely with her twolegs than follow him into a life of risk.
At the time, none of us knew just what was happening. All he could see was that something had his mother on edge. She looked at their humans with caution and a fearful sense of understanding. The twolegs themselves were acting strange too. They never would stop to place their paws on our heads, instead passing by us as if we didn't exist. They began to move the things in their nest too. They'd put them into these large square things which smelled vaguely similar to the place my mother made her nest. At first he assumed they were simply bringing us new bedding, but then he realized there were far too many to be just for their little family. Unease filled his gut and he feared what would happen next. He was right to feel that fear. The day finally came. All the square things had been moved and the nest was left feeling empty. He woke up beside dog, feeling a chill around himself. His sister slept on soundly as he took in the seemingly abandoned place which he called home. A sudden yowl resounded from outside, the call is instantly recognized by the young cat. "Mother..." he gasped, racing towards the entrance and out the cat door leading to the outside area. Looking with desperation, he used a large trash can to boost himself up so he could jump over the fence. Landing harshly onto the concrete, he groaned as he stood. Making his way around the nest, his eyes widened as he looked at the twolegs. They had packed all the square boxes into a small monster and all the twolegs were sitting inside the monster as it suddenly roared to life. Backing up, he felt hesitation fill him. This hesitation was instantly pushed away when, just as the monster began to run onto the thunderpath, another yowl could be heard. His eyes widened as he took in the sight of his mother, locked in one of those things she told him was called a cage. She was fighting the bars but could do nothing as the monster sped away, stealing her from her kits and her life. Bear stood there in shock before a sullen sigh from behind him shook him from his stupor. Turning, he met his sister's broken eyes. "What do we do now, Dog?" he asked in a quiet voice. "Same as we did last time, big guy." She shook herself as she stood and began to move in a seemingly random direction. "We move on. Just like we did with that foxheart you call our father." A familiar anger rose within him at the insult of their father, but he quickly pushed it down. This was no time for petty sibling squabbles. From now on, the two of them had to stick together. After all, they only had each other.
To be us to take this plunge, to forgive and forget
And be the better man, to be a better man, to be a better man
Symbolism;The two had to take initiative. Without their mother, they had to move on and face the world on their own. The two have to forget the life the left behind, forgiving each other for their faults. To be a better man is a strong reference to Bear's growth as he previously would not hesitate to protect his father's honor, however now that he'd grown older and they were on their own he's had to grow up and sacrifice his own beliefs to keep his sisters company.
[Chorus]
So love me mother, and love me father, and love my sister as well
Bear longs to go back to the way things were before. He felt they had been the perfect family. Just him, his parents, and his sister. Though now he knows that this will never come to be, it's a dream that he can't help but wish for, especially now that it's him and his sister facing the world alone.
They followed the thunderpath for what seemed like moons, watching nervously as the twoleg nests seemed to get larger and larger. The path became brighter as twolegs lit up the way with bright lights shining from above. Dog and Bear stayed close to each other as they continued, caution in their steps. Sounds seemed to increase even though the moon was high in the sky by the time they finally collapsed from exhaustion. Taking shelter in a narrow way between two nests, the siblings did their best to share warmth as they experienced their first night as rogues. When morning finally came, Bear felt exhaustion in the very center of his bones. Longing to stay curled up and move as little as possible, he buried his fur into his sister's pelt, flicking his ears at a crashing sound. He was nearly asleep again when a growling sound woke him. Leaping to his paws, Bear was quick to locate the eyes of the beast, a mighty dog with sharp teeth and a drooling maw which seemed far too close for comfort. Taking a step to the side, Bear stepped between the beast and his sister, raising his fur until he seemed to nearly triple in size. The dog was unfazed, barking loudly as it lept towards the two. Lashing out at it, Bear did his best to protect himself and his sister. Scratching the dog's nose, it let out a loud yelp before turning tail and fleeing from the two. "Seem's h-he wasn't as t-tough as he thought he was." He faced his sister as she spoke, taking in her shaking form with concern before seeming to collapse on his own two paws. Relief filled them as the trouble had passed and as the sun rose behind them and the twolegs lights began to darken, they rested in the presence of the other. They had made it through their first trial alone and for them, simply being together was enough.
[Verse 3]
The cat's silhouette as big as a monster in this concrete jungle
With street lights hanging their hats
Symbolism; The cat's silhouette refers to, even though Bear is not the kind to want to harm another animal, he does so in order to protect his sibling. A simile is used to compare him to the city that the two have found themselves in.
About three moons had passed since they moved into their new home. They stayed in the place they found that first night, learning how to hunt and scavenge for food and water. They felt confident in their ability to survive outside of their soft kittypet past, but sometimes confidence can lead to recklessness as the sense of caution falls away. Dog began to become bolder, traveling further and taking more risks than what is necessary. Bear tries his best to warn her of this dangerous behavior but just as she did when they were kits, she ignores him. She feels comfortable with the concrete and she loves the independence of this new life. One day, she took that independence too far. She woke up before her brother, eating and leaving some prey there for when he woke up. She always was the better hunter after all. By the time Bear woke, she was long gone and her sent had gone stale. Fear filled him, the same sense of fear he felt when his mother was taken. Abandoning the prey, he quickly sought out her scent, tracking her as she traveled deeper into twoleg place. His fear only rose as he smelled more cats in the distance eventually meeting with her scent and leaving drops of blood on the concrete. As their smell became fresher, Bear tried to brace himself but there was no way he could brace himself for what he saw. Cats laughing, mocking the still form in the middle. Dog's fur was stained red from her wounds and he strained his eyes to see some glimpse of movement from her. She was completely still. These cats had killed her. "-Ey, boss. Looks like -e got 'nother one." The call rang through the clearing as Bear met the eyes of a scraggly tom. Seeing the others obvious lust for blood and the joyous chants of those around him, Bear felt horrified. Turning his tail, he fled the clearing and abandoned his sister's form. "Ya better run, ya mangy kitte-pet. This is ma turf. An don'chu come back, ya here." Barely registering the sounds as he fled, Bear felt his heart shatter. His sister had died to protect the home the two had built together, he just knew it. She would've been too stubborn to ignore the mocking of their enemies and ultimately it cost her life. 'And here I am fleeing with my tail hung low' Bear thought. Mortified at his cowardice, he lashed out at some bins nearby. Is this what a clan was truly like? So low and cruel as to attack a cat, no, a kit to take the scrap of land that they chose to live in. His dreams were shattered. All those years he had fought to protect the honor of a clan but it turned out Dog had been right. They really were nothing but a bunch of murderous rogues and now his ignorance had killed his only sibling. He was alone.
So make all your last demands for I will forsake you
And I'll meet your eyes for the very first time, for the very last
Symbolism; He could feel the dread before he found out what had happened to his sister, therefore by leaving the prey for him, Dog was making her last wish known. She wanted him to live on. In fear of the rogue clan, Bear unknowingly does just that but in fleeing the rogues he abandoned his sister's body. She will never get the burial she deserves. Now, Bear sees these rogues as if they were all clans. he adopts the hatred and fear of them that Dog once had. He only wishes that he could apologize to her for all the times he said otherwise.
[Chorus]
[So love me mother, and love me father, and love my sister as well
So love me mother, and love me father, and love my brother as well] x2
The two now forever divided will never get to be a family again. Bears hopes and dreams have been shattered and everything he wanted in life has left him alone and desolate. In this chorus, he's asking his parents, wherever they are, to forgive his sister for all the mistakes she's made. He knows that, despite Dog's hatred towards their father, he would've been proud of how honorably she fought for her small family. Meanwhile, Dog continues to watch over bear. While she was not a clan cat, she finds herself walking among starclan. There she finds their father and discovers that the reason he did not return was that he had died. In her death, Dog forgives him and vows to watch over Bear from starclan. Time does not stop to mourn and Bear learns this the hard way. He finds himself unable to return to their small home and fleeing from the twoleg place altogether. He hates that place. Dog had loved it so much. She loved how it always seemed to be active with twolegs and lights always moving. He savored the silence of the forest as he left that life behind. Snow coated sections of the ground as he took in the sharp scent of pine. His head hung with sorrow and exhaustion as he stumbled through the undergrowth. Seeing a clearing in the trees ahead he pushed his way through until he stood before the sandy shores of a river. The water seemed calm and slow but Bear couldn't help but feel as if he'd seen this all before. No matter. He knew he had to get across. Stepping into the shallows, his fur rose at the chill of the water. It felt both horrible and wonderful as it numbed the pain he felt in his worn muscles. He began to walk deeper, panicking slightly as the water rose up to his underbelly. Suddenly the river seemed to deepen. Letting out a fearful yowl, the currents pulled him into their icy grip. Struggling, he only then recalled the dream he had as a young kit. When green eyes filled his vision and everything faded to black, the last thing he remembered asking himself is if this was a memory or reality.
When he woke up, it was to a gentle smile and a warm nest. Groaning slightly as he cleared his vision, he took in the she-cat. Silver and gray fur patterned her back as she groomed herself calmly. Her green and yellow eyes twinkle when she met his gaze. "Are you alright?" She asked him, tilting her head with concern. He gave her a smile of gratitude. "I'm feeling much better. Thank you." She seemed to narrow her eyes as she took a slight frown on her face. Bear was surprised by the sudden change of mood. "I didn't ask how you were feeling. I asked if you were alright." Taken aback by her skills of perception, he lowered his head and closed his eyes. "I-I don't know. but... I think I will be. In time." She nodded in acceptance of his answer and smiled again. "That's good. We all need to move on eventually, but all things take time." Bear could remember Dog saying something similar once. Smiling wider at the memory, he gave her a nod. It may be true that things will take a little bit of time, but meeting this strange she-cat who shared many traits of his sister, Bear felt he was finally taking a step in the right direction.
[Outro]
I met a man today and he smiled back at me
Now there are thoughts like these that keep me on my feet, that keep me on my feet
