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Where could she be? Lily thought to herself, her mind only growing more restless by the moment. Nola was potentially the only cat who could offer insight into Vira's power without putting herself directly at risk, and she was off on an expedition no where to be found. That was until Lily came across the most peaceful place on the territory. A large series of rocks, rested perfectly between the spots in the heavily leafed trees. Sun hit each of the stones, heating it to optimal temperatures for sun bathing and afternoon naps. Nola laid atop one of these stones, her nose touching the water gently. She sensed Lily approaching, and slowly sat up, her ear twitching.
"Hello, Lily. Here to get away from it all too? It is a beautiful spot." Nola said with a smile, but Lily shook her head. She hated to interrupt Nola's tranquility, but she had to.
"I was actually looking for you. I know the condition of the clan is truly worrying right now, and... has undoubtedly taken a toll on you." Lily said with a grim, almost reluctant expression. Not many cats of the clan knew about Nola's ability to shoulder the physical and emotional pain of those around her. She could do it for multiple cats at a time, and with stress at an all time high, she was doing it thanklessly for days on end.
"Why, of course. I was born to burden the emotions of others, it is a task I pride myself on. But, yes, even I cannot deny how much it has taken out of me." Nola gazed at her reflection in the water, noting the bags beneath her eyes and the undeniable presence of water within her eyes. "We must press on, though. What is it you're after?"
"I need to make trinkets to protect the clan from Vira with. And, to do that, I need to know what we're against. You're the only one I can think of who could..." Lily trailed off for a moment, realizing how crazy it sounded. But deep down, she knew that Nola already knew the next few words that were going to escape her maw.
"You want me to burden what Hope is experiencing. You are always such a brilliant problem solver, it's your social skills that need work." Nola remarked, which immediately flustered Lily.
"W-well... I'm sorry to ask this of you... B-but."
"Stop. I've known since this fiasco began that I would be asked to provide some insight. I'm honored to do it for the cat who took over after Envy and Onyx." Nola rose to her paws. "I understand that Hope is frozen in ice. That may inhibit my abilities, but I will still try for those I call family. Let's get a move on."
"You are... surprisingly eager." Lily remarked, her face visibly growing red. "I wish more cats were calm like you."
"I'm far from it, my magic friend. I've just learned to mask it." Nola stepped away from the river, bowing her head. "After you."
Lily, with a sharp breath inward, closed her eyes. She remembered the day she had escorted Swan and Moon to the mountains, and soon, a blue portal appeared before them. Nola, as if it were normal, leaped into the portal, with Lily's figure following. The portal soon closed with a soft woosh sound, as if no cats had been by the river in the first place.
-----
On the other side, Nola had expected to be struck repeatedly by the ice daggers known as snow. However, when she emerged, there was no snow around her. The mountain's cold breath still kissed her fur harshly, but otherwise, she was unscathed. She gazed about the scenery for a moment, her pink and blue eyes glimmering.
Around Hope's frozen pool was a dome, which flickered a gentle blue; the sign of Lily's magic. The dome was supported by several metal bars, dug several inches deep and planted into the snow firmly. Lily had imbued them with her magic, to ensure they would be active even when she wasn't there.
"This is... extravagant?" Nola mumbled quietly, but Lily shook her head.
"Not really. It's just some metal poles and my magic. It's to keep the snow out. I'm sure you've felt how cold it is. We can't risk it being any warmer in here, otherwise the ice thaws, and..." Lily trailed off, but Nola could mentally finish the rest.
"Of course. Alright, what do you need me to do?" Nola slowly approached the frozen pool of water before her, cautiously glancing into it.
She saw Hope. She was left unchanged, her pelt still neatly groomed, as it had been prior to her being frozen. Her purple eyes were closed, a serene presence about her. It was like she was napping; completely unaware and unbothered by what her clanmates were putting themselves through to try and save her.
"She looks surprisingly peaceful, no?" Lily asked, and Nola nodded.
"I think that's just the ice though. Now... Do you want me to take just her mental burden? What are you trying to make a ward against?" Nola inquired, taking a seat on her haunches. The cold snow sunk into her fur, but that was the last thing on her mind.
"W-well, I want to make a ward to prevent Vira from entering our minds as she has with Gala and Hope. But I'm not sure how strong I need to make it, or if the mind is even the right place to start." Lily explained, her whiskers twitching each word she uttered. She was truly horrified of what she may be putting Nola through, but Nola didn't seem to care.
"I think I'll need to feel everything then, to give you an accurate description." Nola explained, taking a deep breath before slowly exhaling it. "Unfortunately, I'm going to need to stop shouldering the burden of our other clanmates for now."
Nola's eyes shut, and soon, her fur began to bristle as she began to sever her ties from each of the clanmates she had protecting emotionally. Each connection she severed was a large weight off her shoulders, and Lily noticed that Nola's posture, her expression, and even the way her ears were positioned changed substantially. When Nola opened her eyes, she looked rejuvenated.
"Ahh. That's better. I hope my time with the others has given them enough time to register what is going on, and that everything will be alright." Deep down, Nola felt terrible for letting her clan mate's reclaim their pain; but she had no other choice. She had never been pushed this hard; for all she knew, what Hope was feeling alone could be enough to kill her.
"Whenever you're ready, then..." Lily warily stepped back, her gaze never leaving Nola. She had no clue what awaited Nola; for all she knew, nothing would happen given Hope's state.
Nola rose to her paws, and slowly made her way forward, taking one final look at Hope. Nola placed her paw against the ice, positioned just above Hope's face.
"Let me take your pain away."
Lily's eyes were locked forward, and she watched as a white chain slowly wrapped around Nola's paw, and extended through the ice, presumably wrapping around Hope. She couldn't see for certain from where she was standing.
No other cats of the clan could see Nola's chains; that's how she took on the pain of others without them ever knowing of her deeds. However, a cat well versed in magic, such as Lily, could see them perfectly. Lily watched in baited breath, fearing for what would happen with every passing second.
"I... don't feel anything." Nola said, her voice laced with confusion and concern. "Is she... dead?"
"No, no way!" Lily ran forward, her body trembling as she gazed down at Hope. "S-Surely it's just because she's in the ice!"
Then, a burst of deep blue and purple energy soared out of the pool, sending Lily to the ground. Nola, however, stood upright, her gaze locked on the pool.
"She's aliv-" Nola's collected speech was cut off, drawing Lily's gaze back to her.
"Nola?"
She was met by bitter silence. Nola was still her own cat when she burdened the pain of others; the fact she wasn't responding to Lily was already concerning.
"NOLA?!" Lily frantically repeated, quickly standing back up. "NOLA! ANSWER ME!"
Silence. Then... a horrifying sound. A scream unrivaled. At first, Lily thought it was the sound of magic, perhaps Vira's even. But when her gaze met Nola's body again, she saw that Nola's maw was parted; the screaming was coming directly from Nola.
Lily tried to get closer to Nola; she hoped she could sever the connection with her own magic, but a blue barrier swung up beside Nola. Lily struck it, and was sent flying back, her body only stopped by the dome she herself had molded. She quickly scrambled to her paws, and locked her gaze forward. She was terrified, but if Nola was potentially going to die, she couldn't waste any time. She had to soak in all the knowledge she could; and so, with one breath, she came to one, unfortunate conclusion.
There was nothing she could do. She had to wait; wait for Nola to come back... or wait for her to die.
-----
Lily had the easy part, watching from the side lines. However, the same could not be said for Nola.
Every part of her body ached. Her head was especially throbbing, as though her temples were being pressed against with the might of a thousand stones. However, the physical pain she was experiencing was nothing compared to the voices repeatedly yowling in her mind.
Y̶O̴U̵R̴ ̷M̶O̸T̶H̷E̶R̶S̸ ̷C̸A̸N̴'̵T̴ ̷S̴A̴V̸E̴ ̷Y̵O̸U̴.̵
̵I̸ ̷W̷A̷S̵ ̶R̵I̷G̴H̷T̴ ̶A̴L̷L̴ A̷L̴O̵N̸G̴.̶
̸Y̸O̵U̴ ̶A̴L̸L̴ ̸A̶R̶E̶ ̸W̷E̴A̵K̸,̶ ̴F̵O̷O̵L̸I̸S̸H̶.̶
̴N̷O̸T̸ ̵W̴O̸R̷T̴H̸ ̶P̸R̷O̴T̶E̵C̴T̶I̵N̶G̴.̷
̵W̴H̶Y̵ ̴D̴I̴D̵ ̷S̶H̴E̸ ̴L̷E̵A̴V̷E̶ ̵M̵E̴?̵
̷A̸N̵D̵ ̷G̸O̷ ̶T̴O̸ ̸M̸A̴K̷E̷ ̶A̴L̵L̸ ̸O̸F̷ ̵Y̴O̴U̷ ̵S̵O̸ ̷H̷A̴P̶P̸Y̷?̷
̸G̸A̶L̵A̷ ̸W̶A̷S̴ ̵F̸I̸R̶S̴T̸.̷ ̶Y̶O̴U̶ ̴A̴R̷E̶ ̵N̸E̵X̴T̴.̶
̶N̴O̷N̸A̵ ̷W̴I̷L̵L̵ ̴P̷A̴Y̶.̸
̶T̵H̶E̶ ̷H̶E̵A̸R̵T̵ ̶W̵I̵L̵L̷ ̴P̶A̶Y̴.̶
̶A̵N̸D̵ ̶I̸ ̶W̴I̶L̶L̵ ̷B̷E̸ ̵C̶O̸N̴T̴E̵N̵T̴.̷
With each phrase that echoed in Nola's mind, her pain only intensified. She had never been able to hear what her clanmates were thinking, only what they were feeling. The fact that Vira's voice reached into Nola's mind showed her just how strong Vira's rage and grasp on Hope were. As Nola began to gain her footing, she took in several breaths, looking about the scenery. Her vision was barely a pinpoint, and she was trying desperately to focus on Lily as Vira's voice continued to yowl in her mind.
Perhaps, if Lily could distract her, she could break herself free from Hope's pain.
-----
Lily had noticed Nola looking about helplessly, but noticed something eerie - Nola's eyes had shifted to a dark blue, a stark contrast to the soft pinks and blues they normally were. Lily knew that her time was running out, and that she needed to act quickly.
"Nola! Focus on me! Don't let that witch win!" Lily yelled, keeping herself close to the ground as she inched closer. Nola seemed to react, her eyes blinking rapidly.
"Help." She whimpered; a sign that Nola was slowly regaining control. With a deep breath and an ambitious leap, Lily swung forward, her claws wrapping around the chain that connected Hope and Nola, severing it in half. Nola stumbled backwards, gasping and trembling.
Lily immediately ran to her side, her tail draped across Nola's back. "Breathe. Don't think about it."
Nola quickly regained her composure, and her eyes soon returned to normal. She shook her head wildly, her paw brushing against the ground.
"Hope... Hope is in big trouble." Nola stammered. "I've never lost control like that before."
"C-can you explain it to me?" Lily urged, making sure to stay gentle.
"I... felt like I was being squeezed. And I heard Vira's voice, or at least, that's what I think it was."
"Did it say anything?"
"Quite a bit..." Nola's paw rose up, rubbing her eyes as she took in another gasp. The encounter had clearly been exhausting.
"Whenever you're ready to talk."
"Y-yeah. I felt like I was being squeezed, but also... watched. Like a big eye was piercing into my soul." Nola shuttered. "It... it still hurts."
"Is that... normal? Sorry to ask, but I still don't quite understand your abilities." Lily had to proceed carefully; she didn't want Nola to fully shut down out of shock.
"No, and honestly, the fact that I could hear Vira's words is even more concerning. I can't normally hear what cats are thinking, I can only feel what they're feeling. Sadness, anger... Never anything this specific. I think Vira has a pretty brutal grasp on Hope, to the point that maybe... maybe they are becoming one. Because I also felt immense anguish. Not in the sense of physical pain, but moons of pain and stress built up. And frankly, Hope is... too young and inexperienced to have that much pent up emotion."
"Even if we factor in that both of her mothers were almost killed?" Lily inquired, and Nola sorrowfully nodded.
"Yes. This pain is far too rooted to be fresh. I... can tell you what I heard now. Vira was telling Hope that her mothers can't save her. She sounds more angry at Nona than anything; although that doesn't stop her from wanting the entire Heart of Decay destroyed. But... there is one bit of good news." Nola remarked, her voice holding a wary optimism.
"Go on..." Lily had taken a seat on her haunches, her gaze locked on the ground as she processed everything.
"She said that Gala was first, and that Hope was next. That means she has no idea that Gala survived, and no idea that Nona is extremely vulnerable right now." Lily's eyes glimmered at this revelation from Nola.
"That's actually immensely helpful." Lily said with a smile. "Is there anything else?"
"No. She just said she wouldn't be content until Hope and the rest of us were dead."
"How cold." Lily shuttered at the thought, her ears pinning back. "In any case, this means that Gala died, and Vira immediately moved onto Hope. She wasn't around to see Nona's sacrifice. Which means if she's occupying one already, she can't hurt anyone else."
"Which means...?" Nola's ear flicked; she didn't quite understand what was going through Lily's head. Her magic was just empathy intensified; Lily's was on a whole different level.
"It means she's not a threat to us until she leaves Hope, or Hope dies. That is great to know, but that means our time is running out. Even if she's the daughter of the Goddesses, I don't think she can stay frozen forever. And even if she could, the amount of pain you displayed just now... She has days at most." Lily sighed at the thought. "Okay. Thank you, Nola. We need to get back home."
"Is there anything else I can do, Lily?"
"Besides being prepared for a potentially devastating fight when Vira does emerge, no." Lily grimaced as the two mollies began their descent, heading back towards the portal to bring them home.
[The patrol notices the fox on their way down the mountain, and try to avoid it!]
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Nola | She/Her | HP 100% | HUP 0% | Sick: N
━ writer's reply preference
default
━ random cat or myo preference?
random cat! random cat!
Notes:
n/a
━ level 11
experience: 646/1400
━ inventory items used
x1 bug given to cora; she is full now.
x3 herbs of choice to cora; she is full hp now.
━ active / monthly tasks:task 2 completed: winter cat [lily, colors are cold]
task 3 completed: swap for sd, here
━ inventory
bugs | 1 FP | x4
scraps | 1 FP | x4
mouse | 2 FP | x1
small fish | 2 FP | x6
frog | 3 FP | x8
minnow | 3 FP | x4
falcon | 5 FP | x2
herbs
burdock root | x1
coltsfoot| x2
catchweed | x1
sweet sedge | x1
borage leaves | x1
ragwort leaves | x2
foxglove seeds | x1
holly berries | x1
willow bark | x1
borage leaf | x1
alder bark | x1
wild garlic | x1
mallow leaf | x1
bindweed | x1
bright-eye | x2
fennel | x1
deadly nightshade | x1
tansy | x2
lamb's ear | x1
chickweed | x1
lungwort | x1
chamomile | x1
poppy seeds | x1
dandelion | x1
tormentil | x1
rush | x1
cobwebs | x1
borage leaves | x1
comfrey root | x1
deathberries | x1
herb of choice | x13
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