Guardian quest (Multi- fandom AU)

Chapter 1 (Imp & May's POV)

Imp, May, and Aleyda belong to Petpyves

Winter Mist belongs to me

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Water. Water everywhere. Imp frantically struck out with his paws, desperately searching for the surface of the ocean, his lungs screaming for air. But no matter how hard he tried to swim, his waterlogged pelt seemed to drag him deeper into the dark waters. Imp opened his mouth to try calling for help, choking as water gushed in. Darkness began to gather at the edge of Imp's vision, expanding, filling his senses, closing in on him-

"Imp! Hey, Imp, wake up!"

Imp jolted awake, gasping, his sides heaving as he gasped for breath. Trembling, he gradually became aware of his surroundings, he didn't seem to be in the Rift, but in a large yard behind a house, "You okay Imp?" May was sitting close to him, pale golden eyes glittering with concern, "May? Wha- what happened?" Imp asked, confusion rippling through him as he looked up at the tabby she- cat. "You're asking me? Because I have no clue. One moment this yard was reaperless and the next- well, no more reaperless yard." Despite her teasing words, May's voice was taut with worry, and even fear, and she refused to meet Imp's gaze, "Anyway, are you okay?" Imp heaved himself to his paws, tail flicking uneasily as he gazed at his friend, "I'm fine, but what about you? You seem- well, scared," the reaper hesitated briefly, "Why?" May looked away, her thick tail sweeping the grass behind her as she curled her claws deep into the ground. Her voice was tight when she replied. "Look around Imp, can't you see what's wrong?" Imp briefly scanned the yard before opening his mouth to reply, when it hit him. Something felt off, the yard, apart from a lone bird chirping in a tree was eerily silent, and apart from him and May, empty. Imp blinked, turning, he saw May padding toward her house, head bowed and tail trailing on the ground. "What- where is everyone?" Imp bounded after the tabby queen, reaching her right as she pushed through the cat door, but when Imp followed her in she was gone. Imp knew where she was, and bounding up the stairs, padded toward her family's room and stopped at the doorway, looking around, he quickly spotted May curled up on her owner's bed, back to him. "May?" Imp mewed softly, hesitantly padding over to the bed and springing up close to the she- cat. The reaper opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, only to close it again as May curled tighter and let out a muffled sob, shaking. Imp was utterly bewildered, where was May's family? Why weren't they here? And why did May seem so scared? The tomcat shook his head, this was obviously no time for questions. Padding to May's side, Imp sat down and saw tears rolling down her cheeks, she was clearly grieving and frightened for her family, as fear scent clung strongly to her fur. Imp stared at May, and he pressed his pelt against her as her whole body suddenly convulsed in a spasm of grief, her yowls rising into the air, "They're gone!! They're all gone!!" Imp pressed harder against the she- cat, tail wrapped tightly over her back, alarm flaring through him, "May! May, calm down! Calm down- it's- it's okay. It's okay... shh... you're not alone..." Imp soothed as May buried her face in his pelt, cries muffled. Imp felt his throat tighten slightly as he comforted his friend, it wasn't like May to seem so frightened, and in truth, it scared him as well. 

A short while later, Imp pushed his way through the cat door and into May's yard, trotting into the center of the yard Imp raised his nose to the air and took a deep sniff. He knew the individual scent of each member of May's family by heart now, and he hoped that he'd be able to find something, anything, that would give him some kind of clue as to where they went. The tom lashed his tail in frustration when the faint breeze gave him nothing, growling furiously when his search of the yard proved just as useless. Suddenly, Imp whipped his head up, eyes wide as an idea crept into his head, "That might work..." he muttered to himself, "I have to try." The red pelted reaper raised a paw, a violet and white energy swirling around it, and a large portal opened up in front of him. Glancing quickly back at the house where May slept Imp felt a fierce determination rising in him, then he turned, and pelted into the portal.

"May, hey, you awake?" May groggily opened her eyes to focus on Imp, looming above her, "I am now..." she replied, jaws stretching in a massive yawn. Imp smiled, and May, jumping down from her owner's bed, noticed an extra gleam in his amber eyes, "Alright, what is it this time?" May asked, gazing curiously at the reaper, "Oh, nothing much," Imp responded lightly, May stared at him, then sighed, feeling completely defeated as she dropped her gaze to the floor, "Okay," she murmured. After a short hesitation May was faintly aware of Imp coming to stand by her side, the tip of his tail resting on her shoulders, "Look, May, I know you miss your family, I know you want them back. But that's why I'm back here, because I want to help you find them, they're my family too. I intend to do something and find them, but I can't do that without your help." May looked up at the red- pelted tomcat when she felt him nudge her, his eyes were gleaming with mischief and he cocked his head, a crooked grin on his face. May smiled faintly, then let out a soft chuckle, "Alright. You win, I'm coming," she stood up and bounded over to a chair, picking up a golden pocket watch with a long chain. Pulling the chain over her head, she turned and padded back to Imp, whose eyes gleamed with pleasure when he saw the pocket watch. "There's one last thing we need," he meowed, bounding to a chair, Imp pulled off a large blanket and dropped it in front of May, "Heather and Sai used to sleep here right?" "Yes," May replied, blinking in confusion. Imp nodded and picked the blanket back up, flicking his ears for May to follow him, he bounded out of the room, down the stairs, and out into the yard. May skidded to a stop beside him, and instantly noticed two other reapers sitting under the tree. May narrowed her eyes, of the two she only recognized Aleyda, a female bobcat who'd come with Imp to visit May and her family a few times, but the other reaper, a canine with a white pelt was unknown to May. Imp put down the blanket and called the reapers over, "I hope you don't mind that I brought some others to join us," he mewed as they joined him and May. May glanced at him, shaking her head, she didn't mind, in fact she was glad they wouldn't be alone. Tail flicking, May exchanged a warm greeting with Aleyda, and introduced herself to the new reaper, a large she- wolf with a snow white pelt and piercing blue eyes, who murmured that her name was Winter Mist and was quiet. Imp quickly explained why he'd really brought the Aleyda and Winter Mist along, saying that Mist was one of the best trackers in the Rift and that Aleyda was an excellent hunter. Mist, the wolf, nodded curtly and asked if there was anything with a fresh scent of May's family. May blinked, pointing with her tail to the blanket on the grass, watching as Mist took a deep sniff of the blanket then began walking around the yard, her nose to the ground. May and the two remaining reapers sat side by side, watching the wolf. After what seemed days, Mist stiffened, her nose in the air her ears flicking up, and began moving toward the fence, letting out a single, sharp bark. "Whaddaya know, she's already got it," Imp rose to his paws and trotted toward the white reaper, Aleyda and May at his heels. The three felines came to a stop beside the she- wolf when she stopped at the fence and looked up, her face expressionless. Aleyda, looking slightly confused, murmured something to Winter Mist in Soulish, and was given a curt response. Suddenly, the canine turned and trotted swiftly back in the direction of May's house, leaving May, Aleyda and Imp staring after her, "Uh... where's she going?" May asked Aleyda, bewildered. Aleyda shrugged, she too looked as if she were trying to figure out what her companion was doing. Suddenly Winter Mist streaked past, so close that May jumped back to avoid being knocked over and watched as Mist jumped and seemed to sail over the fence. Imp shook his head, chuckling, "Show off," he purred, then he, Aleyda and May trotted back through the open fence gate and to the forest where Mist sat waiting. "Mist, you show- off," Aleyda's voice rumbled in her throat, and there was a friendly gleam in her dark green eyes, nonetheless the wolf turned wordlessly and padded into the trees, Imp and Aleyda exchanged a knowing look before padding after her. May, about to follow them, looked back at her home, yet, the pang of regret she expected to feel never came; this was the right choice. Taking a deep breath, May padded into the forest, a bright flame of determination and certainty burning deep inside of her as she bounded to her friends' side, and looked ahead, into the future.