My Shining Star

Add-on 51. 2 : From then and now

A/N: Chapter contents may change. Not edited.

3rd POV

When Sebastian was lost in thought, he didn't hear Maxine calling out to him or notice Sage still clinging to his leg. 

In such days like this, memories of his past flooded his mind. Born in the harsh desert, a place where the hot, steamy sand and blazing sun made life difficult. Many kids didn't survive the heat, and orcs wore simple, revealing clothing to cope. His homeland was made from harden sand and dried leaves to shelter away from the sun.

It was odd for jaguars to be living in the desert out of all places. But it was not just jaguars but a mix of different types of orcs living there.

Sebastian remembers that the place he lived was a place of refuge and merchants. All different types of orcs from those who ran away to live a new life to those who are criminals in hiding.

Sebastian had left this unforgiving land after coming of age, moving to the forest where he found the environment more to his liking. His family perished in a sandstorm that destroyed their village after he had left.

For him, he wasn't sad at all from the news of hearing his family perish. His childhood as a cub was nothing but survival. There was no love at all. With the place he lived in, survival was the first priority for his kind. Most days he worked all day long, enough for a bit of food or money.

During his travels, he met a young Maxine. The times they spent she was like a sister. He was happy but that happiness was temporary when the illness came. Having had a long dreadful journey to find a cure. It was only that one day she had woken up where he had seen her change into someone new. He found her new personality charming and as he spent time with her again he didn't know he slowly fell in love with her soon having Maxine as a wife. Which Sebastian was happy of, now that he had finally found someone to not only settle down with but found the one who he wanted and loved all along.

These thoughts made him smile, but Sage, his cub, growled at him in confusion. Sage's fur puffed up, making him look like a cotton ball as he ran to his mom Maxine, glancing back at his father with his head poking out.

His father is smiling?! Sage thought that smile was sinister as he had never seen that big proud smile before. Not in this situation where his father had smiled staring at a blank wall. It was truly weird!

Maxine noticed the confusion and asked, "What are you thinking about, Sebby?"

Sebastian approached her and the cubs, kissing her on the cheek. "Just happy that I met you. Without you, I wouldn't have the life I have now."

Maxine felt his forehead, concerned. "Are you alright, Sebby? Is it the dust or the heat today?"

Sebastian shook his head. "No, Bunny, I'm not sick. I'm just happy to have a big family. Even our three gremlins we made together."

Sage, peeking from behind Maxine's leg, meowed, "Gremlins!? Momma, what are gremlins?" Though he didn't know the word, he felt it was directed at him and was offended. Sean, lying under the wooden chair, tilted his head in confusion, while Sam, curled up on top of the chair, slept soundly.

Maxine giggled at Sebastian's words. "Alright, why don't we finish the remaining boxes? Then we can go out for snacks at the market with the cubs, Ray, and Rowen."

Sebastian nodded, and Sage wiggled in excitement at the mention of snacks, his favorite thing.

Sebastian snapped back to the present, seeing his family bustling around. He bent down to pick up Sage, who nuzzled against him finally being a good boy after hearing his favorite words.

"Let's get this done, little troublemaker," he said, ruffling Sage's fur.

Together, they continued sorting through the boxes, with Sebastian's heart full of gratitude for the life he had found.