mind over matter | 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐜

chapter 4

A sense of comfort followed with knowledge, and now that Zinniapool knew more about herself, more about the differences which set her apart form the mundane, she felt that that she could finally be at ease. For the first time, she wasn't in the dark about who she was, and for the first time, she could almost understand, even if not the full extent. She would get to learn, and she never thought she'd be able to.

The medicine cat was roaming the northern edge of Fishcape, accompanied by her sister Elysianlily as the two picked berries to bring home. It was a pastime she and her sister often would do, bringing the berries home to create a paint-like substance that they would use to color rocks.

"Do you think these red berries look good with the purple? Seems like a strange combination to me, but I was thinking of making some kind of fiery sky-type thing where the world is on fire, or something." Elysianlily murmured, her amber eyes softly grazing over the berries in question as she seemed to go over the question in her own mind.

"Your creativity never fails to impress me. I think the colors will blend well, and you could add these blueberries as the base, maybe? I always thought their colors most accurately represented the sky at the beginning of sundown, if you're going for the world-on-fire idea. The falling sun can add onto the idea, with the fading sun symbolizing the fading world." Zinniapool spoke, rambling absentmindedly as she nudged a few of the cerulean berries in a curved leaf.

"My creativity? You've just put me to shame with your idea!" The medicine cat's sister exclaimed, the two laughing gently.

"Just two great minds putting together the best ideas." Zinniapool chimed in, her tail lightly tapping the brindled she-cat's shoulder. "Maybe we can convince Laurelfrost to join us one day."

"Yeah, over our dead body. He would never." Elysianlily retorted, and she wasn't necessarily wrong. Zinniapool's brother was... distant, for lack of better words. He was always timid and shy, struggling to make friends with the other kits in the nursery while she and Ely always had been more extroverted. She always tried to involve him, but he never wanted any part in it. Sometimes, however, the two sisters would be able to get their brother to spend time with them when no one else was present. Although it would never last long as the two she-cats would end up annoying him. To be fair, they were quite annoying, and she would admit that.

"Maybe he's officially over our tendacies of decorating his fur with flowers." Zinniapool spoke, her whiskers twitching slightly as her sister chuckled.

"But he looked so cute!"

"I don't think he agreed with us."

"No one ever does, unfortunately." Elysianlily murmured, gathering all the berries she needed as she started to follow the setting sun back home, motioning for the tabby to follow with her tail.

The two began the journey home in a comfortable silence, their jaws full of berries as they followed the setting sun. Lightstar would let them outline the dens with the colored rocks, adding a sense of their own to the camp and everyone always loved it. With the leftover rocks, Zinniapool would always make little presents for her parents and brother, Lilacpetal and Sparrowpurr as well as Eveningleaf. Acts of service had always been her way of expressing love. Perhaps she'd make one for each of the travelers for helping her?

As they followed the path home, her feeling of comfort was slowly fading away in small flickers of panic, the darkening sky adding to her confusion. She was so content before, why was she suddenly getting alarmed? The medicine began looking around skeptically, watching as her shadow danced on the towering trees, however when she looked behind her, she jumped back, startled as she felt a pit form in her stomach.

Before her, just a whisker-length away, was herself in entirety, however it seemed to be a shell version of herself. Her replica didn't seem to have any type of emotion within cold amber eyes and she stood still, almost as if this mirror version of herself was stuck in time.