dawn: choose your story

1 : beginning of the end

Beneath the halo of a million blossoms, a tiny feline basked in the sunlight. Soaking in the sun's rays, the kit reminisced on the adventures and memories of her mother. With silky fur the colour of cinnamon and cream, complimented by stunning green orbs that could thaw even the coldest of hearts, it was no surprise the queen earned herself quite the reputation amongst both toms and she-cats alike.

In fact, some admirers were so dedicated that they would trek for days on end, just to catch a glimpse of the rumoured beauty. That was until the day she vanished, leaving only a tawny kitten behind as a memento: Dawn.

It would be a lie to say that the kitten had not inherited her mother's good looks, though she had developed a very different personality. At first glance they would have appeared the same, but from that point forward, there was little the two shared in common. Dawn assumed that remaining part came from her father, although she had never met the tom and so knew no better.

Dawn was nestled up on the peak of the forest, overlooking the entirety of the vast and never-ending forest. Her mother had loved this place. She recalled rolling around in the soft teeming ground, snuggling into her mother's side as she listened intently to her tales and adventures. There were no elders in their group, and so her mother also took it upon herself to teach her kit the ancient history of the dreamy woodland.

Her favourite was by far the story about the ancient sakura. According to myth, if a petal from it lands on your nose, you will be granted a singular wish. But there's a catch - you can only ever redeem one singular wish in a lifetime, and it can only happen at a claw-moon. Dawn didn't necessarily believe it, but she still found it mesmerising and would willingly take the chance if the time comes.

A light breeze swept through the foliage, gently lifting a delicate trail of blossoms as they fluttered from the trees. The pale petals gracefully danced with the sunlight, lighting the sky like a million lanterns. The scenary was mystical - from the bubblegum pink cherry trees to the bright, cloudless skies, every aspect of the scenery reflected elegance and beauty. The soft green hill overlooking the forest was buzzing with wildlife, lush vegetation trailing down and pooling in a crystal clear river that wound its way through an equally embellished valley.

Yet despite the imcomparable beauty of such a place, Dawn couldn't help but heave a sorrowful sigh. It was awfully lonely, and she dearly longed to be reunited with her mother, even if it meant to leave her paradise behind. The kitten twitched her tail in thought -- could mother be lost? where did she go? But alas, there was no answer. It was for this reason that the small she-cat concluded that she ought to take matters into her own hands for once. Or paws, as the case goes.

Yes, instead of moping around and mourning it would be better to pull herself together and start searching. Her thoughts were cut short by the sound of a loud growl. Thankfully it was just her stomach. Dawn muttered a few curses as she heaved herself to her paws and wandered down to the river. The water flowed slowly, but she still prepared for the worst as a small cat like her could easily be washed away if she lost her footing.

Eyes latching on to a single flicker of silver, the cat estimated the time to strike. And then with one slick movement and a swipe of her paws, the fish was on the ground. Dawn mewed happily, proud of her small achievement and glad that the tiresome training sessions payed off in the end. Gently holding onto the fish, Dawn padded back the way she came and trotted into her den, shaking off some petals from her fluffy brown pelt on the way.

Although the blossoms were beautiful, they had proven to be deadly. It hadn't always been just the kit and her mother, but the group had gradually narrowed down until 5 moons in when Dawn found herself on her own. About a quarter moon had passed since her mother's disappearance, but the she-cat wasn't really counting.