Startouched

Awakened

"Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken." ~Frank Herbert, writer

"Purefia. Purefia! PUREFIAAAAA!!!" The shrill cry of Verity's high-pitched voice roused Purefia form her deep sleep. She felt absolutely horrid, as if she was about to vomit. Just breathing was a painful task.

"Hmm?" she rasped quietly. She kept her weary eyes closed.

"I'M GLOWING!!!" Verity squealed. With this, Purefia whipped her head up. The dark leafy den was illuminated by a dancing yellow light emanating from her sister's fur. Verity's eyes sparkled with delight.

"Whoa, you are,"  Purefia meowed flatly. She didn't have the energy  to show more emotion, and her crusted eyes slowly drooped. She felt like she was about to die. Where would she go? Was there an afterlife? Well, I'm about to find out, she thought bitterly. She reached out her arm, wanting Verity's touch in her last moments.

Verity noticed this, and a frown spread across her face. Brow furrowed, she tentatively extended her arm and lightly placed her paw on top of Purefia's. The moment the two paws met, a shower of sparks erupted from Purefia. She let out a squeal and started convulsing upon the ground, a look of terror plastered upon her delicate face. Suddenly, a chilling turquoise fluorescent light enveloped her matted fur.

The crust around her eyes dissolved, and her knotted fur became sleek and shiny. Purefia cautiously rose to her feet, and discovered that her strength had suddenly returned. "I don't feel sick anymore!" she exclaimed.

Verity started bouncing up and down jubilantly, excited that her sister was still among the living, but her expression suddenly turned sour. "What will mom and dad say?" she hissed, quivering slightly.

 If mom and dad come back, Purefia thought, noting their absence. "Maybe we can hide it if we concentrate enough," she proposed. Purefia's expression spread into that of intense concentration, after a while, the twisting glow wrapped around her diminished to nothing.

 "Wow," Verity breathed. Her golden luster  also eventually slipped away.

Purefia suddenly started wobbling, and collapsed onto her belly. She felt very tired, and fell into a deep sleep instantaneously. Verity soon followed.

The next morning, Skyalen, tired and disheveled, dragged herself through the morning mist to her den, afraid of what she'd find inside. "Hello? Purefia? Verity?" she called out, fear gripping her heart. After hearing no answer, she poked her head in, only to find her two daughters, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

"You're alright!" she cried, shocked. Electrifying joy shot through her as she saw her kits alive and well.

"Yep! We slept and now we feel alright!" Verity meowed, bouncing up and down like a complete idiot. Purefia sighed at her hyperactive sister.

Skyalen sighed a sigh of relief. "That's great! I knew that you kits were special!" she exclaimed.

Purefia turned her back, and peered down at her paw, which was sparkling with blue energy. "But we have a lot to learn, about the world, and ourselves..." she trailed off. Skyalen gave her a strange look, but payed no heed to her strange words. She would never understand...

                                                                                ~~○~~

6 moons later...

The sky was a deep sapphire blue, and the sun, a great shining topaz, illuminated the land. From the bush that was Purefia and Verity's den, an orange-gold blur raced out of it, screaming "wheeee" as it went. As you've most likely guessed, it was Verity. It was time for the two sisters to leave the den.

Purefia padded out of the den, and Skyalen followed suite. "Make sure you take care of your sister, Purefia," she meowed with a saddened look.

"I promise Skyalen, I'll look after her," Purefia replied calmly.

Purefia heard shuffling behind her, and saw her father's tired eyes peering into hers. "Remember, she's not the brightest star in the sky. She needs you," he meowed quietly.

"I kn-" "And take care of yourself! we don't want you getting hurt," Purefia tried to answer, but her father had cut her off.

"Clawrex..." Purefia growled

"Sorry," Clawrex grinned.

Away from the den, Verity was beginning to grow impatient. She was standing next to the Great Ravine, and was ready to get going on her life. "COME ON PUREFIA! LET'S GO!!!" she yelled.

Purefia shot an apologetic glance at her parents, and stalked off. "Bye," she called, before she padded off with her sister along the ravine.

"Goodbye! Stay safe!" Clawrex called out, lacking much emotion in his voice.

"Goodbyyeeee!" sobbed Skyalen, her voice the polar opposite of Clawrex's.

After about ten minutes of walking, the two siblings had left the forest of their birth, and were now padding along a pine needle-ridden path. Their old home was close to the edge of the woods, so they left it quite quickly. The dead needles were soft underfoot, and towering pines blocked out the sun. The scent of fresh pine trees was thick in the air, and a light breeze flew through the trees.

Purefia was very nervous. Her first time out without her parents, what would happen? Suddenly, a faint noise that sounded like a scream rippled through the air.

"Verity... did you hear that?" Purefia whispered, stopping dead in her tracks.

Verity glanced around with an annoyed look. "It's probably just... your head," she sighed dismissively.

"I suppose..." Purefia was not completely convinced, but she wanted to believe in what Verity had said instead of her own fears. She hoped that her sister was right, and that the noise wasn't the terrified screams of her parents.