Tales of Raiverin: Mayflower

Chapter 5

Ant walked just a few inches behind Leon, the sun had begun to fall over the mountains that seemed to surround the area endlessly. The two had been fairly silent throughout their stroll, Ant repeatedly trying to strike up a conversation, but Leon refused to speak to the kitten.
The young cat put his head down, no longer focusing on the path before him. He thought about what Leon was like, how he had saved him from the river... after he had pushed him in.
He didn't know if he could trust him, it didn't feel right anymore... but he didn't want to be alone either. He begged Leon to stay because he knew he would end up alone again if he left, although he knew deep down that he disliked Leon. Ant opened his mouth to speak again but bumped his head into Leon's leg. He looked up to see the feline standing perfectly still, his eyes fixed forward as if something was beyond the horizon. His head turned slightly, seeing Leon standing still and staring straight ahead.

Ant moved to face him, confused as to what he was doing. "Hey... Leon? You okay?" He asked, waving his paw in front of his face. The older cat didn't respond, ignoring Ant's presence entirely. It was as though he was already a corpse, his eyes were faded and his face bare.

Ant gently pushed him, the cat was colder than the wind, and yet he still did not react. Ant began to breathe shakily, afraid of what was going on, he backed up and pushed against him further. Leon tumbled onto his side yet remained still and unresponsive. Ant kept his gaze locked on him, just waiting for the moment that Leon would return.

As time passed, rain began to fall from the sky, drenching the cats. Ant shivered as he sat beside Leon, it felt like an eternity.

Eventually, Leon gasped and shot up, frantically looking around before Ant put his paws on his shoulders.

"Hey! What happened to you?!" He shrieked.
Leon stared into his eyes, blinking slowly.
"I saw something."
"W-What did you see?!"

Leon smiled and chuckled softly to himself, shaking his head and closing his eyes. "I forgot."

"W-Wha-?!"

"Calm down, it wasn't anything bad. Oh, it's raining? Sheesh... we should probably get away from it." He spoke softly, lifting Ant by the scruff and starting to trot toward a drier area.

"H-How could you forget so quickly?! Liar..!" Ant squirmed, trying to kick at Leon's jaw. When the two arrived at a dry patch, Leon set the kit down.

"Relax. I didn't forget, but it's not something you need to hear, okay?"

"Okay..."

Leon smiled and gently patted his head, nodding slowly. "Good. We should rest until the rain stops, I don't want either of us getting sick. You should sleep, young ones like you need a lot of rest."

"I don't think that's true... but, okay," Ant whispered, slowly putting his head between his paws.

"This might seem silly... but Cricket usually tells me a story to help me sleep... Do you know any?"

"Huh?" Leon froze as the kit asked his question, turning his head and meeting the young one's gaze. His eyes sparkled like his sister's did... but he didn't care about that anymore. Why should he?
"I-I mean... I guess I do, but none of them are appropriate for you to hear, sorry."

"Can you make one up?"

"...I can try, so don't blame me if it sucks, alright?" Leon stared up at the sky, sighing deeply before closing his eyes and beginning to tell a story... it wasn't exactly made up, but it wasn't true either.

"What I'm going to tell you is the story of a lost soul, turned into a guardian angel... There once was a cat, not unlike you, who was such a ray of sunshine. She always believed in equal treatment for all, and she wanted to make everyone happy. One day, she ran away from home, and nobody truly knew why. She never returned to her home, leaving her little brother alone to fend for himself. As time passed, she became a wandering spirit, and she wanted to help her brother through life. As she watched over him, she realized how weak he was... but she knew that he wanted to prove himself, and she will wait until he does."

Ant raised his paw, interrupting the story. "Sorry, but I'm confused, what's her name?"

Leon froze again, his heart beginning to beat faster, he stared into Ant's eyes again and began to think.
"No, no, NO. I'm done with her, I don't need her! Why does he have to look like her?! ...I have to prove this to her... I can be strong, I have to do this."

"Lana. Her name was Lana." "Oh! Like, Aunt Lana!"There it was, the breaking point. Leon shut down, slowly reaching to Ant's shoulders, his claws scratching at his back. He gazed blankly into the kitten's eyes, breathing heavily. "What... what did you just say?"Ant yelped briefly, starting to shiver and squirming in Leon's grasp. He felt trapped like he had done something wrong."I-I... I had an Aunt, h-her name was Lana...""Was?""S-She passed away a few years ago..."Leon giggled to himself, grinning madly before crouching down to meet Ant's eyes, "Oh yeah? How did that happen?" He demanded to know, biting his tongue to prevent an attack.Ant's eyes were filled with fear and anxiety, shakily gasping as the Ragamuffin glared at him with his cold, dead eyes. His mouth was dry, he didn't know what to do, he wanted to call for help... but he knew nobody would come. "She got... caught in a bear trap and... nobody came to help her...""Why did that happen?""I-I think she was running home... her brother had just drowned in a lake...""Brother?""Yeah, h-his name was Liam..."Leon slowly let go of Ant, sitting back up and smiling at him... a smile that read deep malice, he was planning something now."I want to finish the story if you don't mind.""W-What..?""Lana isn't gone, no, she was reborn as a small kitten without any memory of who she is... just like you."Ant slowly backed away, shaking with fear. The kitten shrieked and quickly turned around, sprinting away from Leon, it felt like he blinked and the older cat was right in front of him. His fur was far more rough and unkempt, his sad eyes had been replaced with small, manic pupils. His pelt was lighter, a light mask-like marking around his eyes. The kitten screamed, falling onto his back while Leon simply looked down on him."I told you, I don't want you getting sick. Don't leave my side, I'll protect you... but, if you disobey me like you have now, there will be punishment. It's only fair, right?"Ant stared up at him, trembling with horror. "I do need to make sure that you won't go, so, here's a taste of it."Leon grinned, slashing his claws across the kitten's blue eye, leaving three markings across his face. "Don't be sad, that one was ugly anyway."Ant began to sob, holding his paw over his eye, it didn't even hurt... or maybe it did. He couldn't feel anything but terror either way.