(The little chapter number thing is currently under progress c:)
"Jacent? Jacent? Jacent, respond, please!"
I sleepily blinked open my eyes, my ears twitching. "Ma...Ma-makasia?"
"No," I lifted my head a bit to see a white-pelted Kaytalie hovering over me. Tears ran down her cheeks, leaving streaks of her blue pelt in their wake. Her pelt flashed, inverting itself so her tears were white while her pelt was blue, and I closed my ears tight. My head started to pound and I covered my eyes under my paws. She gave a sniff, and then continued, "I...I need you to walk back to the den. Do, do you think you can do that?"
I uncovered my eyes, looking at her for a moment. I tried to read her expression, but she didn't look confused. I sat up and wiped the blood off my cheek. When I looked at my paw, it was smeared purple, but when I looked back up at her, it was as if she couldn't see the weird color. "Yeah, I'll take care of that when we get back."
I let my eyes fall to the ground as I stood up. "Um...ok." She said, turning and leading the way.
I kept my eyes locked on the ground as I followed her. I didn't want anything to happen again. I didn't want to see her pelt changing colors again. I didn't want to fall into a mist that makes my ears bleed. I didn't want anything. But the world suddenly shifted to the side out from under me. I lost my balance, and almost fell over again.
When I looked up, Kaytalie had disappeared. A green hue touched everything, and all the wolves had disappeared. The world appeared sideways, and I had to tilt awkwardly to stand up straight. The paths seem to rock beneath me, and I had to lock my eyes on a tree in the distance that seemed to not be tilting to keep from falling with the path. I couldn't stop moving; when it tried I would start to loose my balance backwards. It was like a seesaw in an earthquake being pushed off center constantly or a sheet of glass on a rolling boulder.
My lungs felt as if they were starting to give out. I had to stop to keep from passing out again, or maybe dying for all I knew. But as soon as I did, I tumbled forward. As the world continued to tilt backwards on itself, I fell with it, unable to catch myself on anything. When I flipped over, I saw fog. It was the only thing not green, but it was like a wall waiting for me. And as soon as I hit it and the glass shattered in my ears, the world blacked out.
Just as I had expected, and had hoped against, I opened my eyes to something else. I was outside the tunnel again, in the trees just off to the side. Sitting outside the tunnel, I recognized myself again. I wasn't the young little pup I was in the cave. I was old enough to already start training for the pack's army. This was back when I had to guard the entrance and make sure no pups slipped out. Of course I was never good at it...
A little grey pup slipped out from the tunnel, and my heart and stomach lurched when I saw her pink markings, nose, and eyes. I didn't remember meeting her as a pup. I remembered meeting this pup, but I hadn't remembered it had been my Makasia. But it took everything in me to keep from screaming; I didn't know how these flashbacks worked.
"Hi," She said, smiling at me.
I jerked my head, jumping a bit. "What are you doing out here?"
She giggled then replied, "You're 'brave' aren't you?"
I narrowed my eyes and repeated, "What are you doing out here? You're supposed to be in the cave."
I could hear ice crackling in my ears, but neither Makasia nor the younger me could hear it. I closed my eyes and tried to listen to Makasia instead of the ice. "It was boring. Plus Traniconda didn't seem to care I was there."
"Well," I replied. "No matter what Traniconda said, exploring isn't what your supposed to do now."
Makasia tilted her head, disappointment and confusion in her eyes. I felt the same way. Why did I respond so weirdly? She said nothing about Traniconda telling her to explore or something. "I was kinda looking for someone to actually talk to me."
"It's ok, your mother will be back soon. But she won't find you if your not back with Traniconda and the others." I told her.
"But that's not what I said!" Makasia exclaimed.
I nodded my head back towards the tunnel. "Just slip back in and I won't say anything, right?"
"...ok." She turned and walked back in reluctantly, her head and tail hanging low.
"Ok." I repeated, suddenly sounding awkward.
Makasia turned to look back at me. "Ok." She repeated again. She seemed to be searching me for a sign that I could understand her now.
I gave a small smile to her. "Ok."
She only looked more confused, but returned the smile before disappearing into the tunnel. I looked away from the tunnel after she had gone, looking in front of me again.
I looked around, until my eyes fell on a large brown and silver wolf approaching the younger me. Her pawsteps thundered in my ears, and suddenly I lost my footing completely and my head slammed into a tree, blacking out the world as I saw the wolf standing over me and her strong voice, "Hey!"
"Jacent? Jacent? Jacent, respond, please!"
I sleepily blinked open my eyes, my ears twitching. "Ma...Ma-makasia?"
"No," I lifted my head a bit to see a white-pelted Kaytalie hovering over me. Tears ran down her cheeks, leaving streaks of her blue pelt in their wake. Her pelt flashed, inverting itself so her tears were white while her pelt was blue, and I closed my ears tight. My head started to pound and I covered my eyes under my paws. She gave a sniff, and then continued, "I...I need you to walk back to the den. Do, do you think you can do that?"
I uncovered my eyes, looking at her for a moment. I tried to read her expression, but she didn't look confused. I sat up and wiped the blood off my cheek. When I looked at my paw, it was smeared purple, but when I looked back up at her, it was as if she couldn't see the weird color. "Yeah, I'll take care of that when we get back."
I let my eyes fall to the ground as I stood up. "Um...ok." She said, turning and leading the way.
I kept my eyes locked on the ground as I followed her. I didn't want anything to happen again. I didn't want to see her pelt changing colors again. I didn't want to fall into a mist that makes my ears bleed. I didn't want anything. But the world suddenly shifted to the side out from under me. I lost my balance, and almost fell over again.
When I looked up, Kaytalie had disappeared. A green hue touched everything, and all the wolves had disappeared. The world appeared sideways, and I had to tilt awkwardly to stand up straight. The paths seem to rock beneath me, and I had to lock my eyes on a tree in the distance that seemed to not be tilting to keep from falling with the path. I couldn't stop moving; when it tried I would start to loose my balance backwards. It was like a seesaw in an earthquake being pushed off center constantly or a sheet of glass on a rolling boulder.
My lungs felt as if they were starting to give out. I had to stop to keep from passing out again, or maybe dying for all I knew. But as soon as I did, I tumbled forward. As the world continued to tilt backwards on itself, I fell with it, unable to catch myself on anything. When I flipped over, I saw fog. It was the only thing not green, but it was like a wall waiting for me. And as soon as I hit it and the glass shattered in my ears, the world blacked out.
Just as I had expected, and had hoped against, I opened my eyes to something else. I was outside the tunnel again, in the trees just off to the side. Sitting outside the tunnel, I recognized myself again. I wasn't the young little pup I was in the cave. I was old enough to already start training for the pack's army. This was back when I had to guard the entrance and make sure no pups slipped out. Of course I was never good at it...
A little grey pup slipped out from the tunnel, and my heart and stomach lurched when I saw her pink markings, nose, and eyes. I didn't remember meeting her as a pup. I remembered meeting this pup, but I hadn't remembered it had been my Makasia. But it took everything in me to keep from screaming; I didn't know how these flashbacks worked.
"Hi," She said, smiling at me.
I jerked my head, jumping a bit. "What are you doing out here?"
She giggled then replied, "You're 'brave' aren't you?"
I narrowed my eyes and repeated, "What are you doing out here? You're supposed to be in the cave."
I could hear ice crackling in my ears, but neither Makasia nor the younger me could hear it. I closed my eyes and tried to listen to Makasia instead of the ice. "It was boring. Plus Traniconda didn't seem to care I was there."
"Well," I replied. "No matter what Traniconda said, exploring isn't what your supposed to do now."
Makasia tilted her head, disappointment and confusion in her eyes. I felt the same way. Why did I respond so weirdly? She said nothing about Traniconda telling her to explore or something. "I was kinda looking for someone to actually talk to me."
"It's ok, your mother will be back soon. But she won't find you if your not back with Traniconda and the others." I told her.
"But that's not what I said!" Makasia exclaimed.
I nodded my head back towards the tunnel. "Just slip back in and I won't say anything, right?"
"...ok." She turned and walked back in reluctantly, her head and tail hanging low.
"Ok." I repeated, suddenly sounding awkward.
Makasia turned to look back at me. "Ok." She repeated again. She seemed to be searching me for a sign that I could understand her now.
I gave a small smile to her. "Ok."
She only looked more confused, but returned the smile before disappearing into the tunnel. I looked away from the tunnel after she had gone, looking in front of me again.
I looked around, until my eyes fell on a large brown and silver wolf approaching the younger me. Her pawsteps thundered in my ears, and suddenly I lost my footing completely and my head slammed into a tree, blacking out the world as I saw the wolf standing over me and her strong voice, "Hey!"
