Work Text:
The forest that Specktail found herself in was barely recognizable. Its once-lush trees and foliage had been reduced to a few sparse, dead remnants that dotted the landscape. Specktail herself was in poor shape, her fur dirty and unkempt, and her ribs visibly protruding. She lay on the ground, curled up around a dead treestump, her claws carving random symbols in the dirt as she tried to distract herself from the gnawing hunger in her stomach.
Looking around, she couldn't help but feel a sense of despair. The forest that had been her home for so long was now a barren wasteland, devoid of life and color. What little foliage remained was dead and a sickly tan color that seemed to suck the life out of everything around it. She glanced over to the spots where her fellow elders were buried, feeling a pang of sorrow and loss, but also a sense of detachment. Hunger had a way of numbing the emotions.
Suddenly, she heard a roar from a monster that jolted her out of her thoughts. Heavy footsteps of the beast echoed in the distance, and she scrambled to her feet, crawling behind a dead bush to hide. As she peered out, she saw two Twolegs emerging from the large machine. One was a round figure with ginger fur, while the other was balding and thin. They spoke in a loud, abrasive language that grated on her ears, and she narrowed her eyes.
They pointed towards the bush closest to her. She felt her hackles raise in fear, knowing that she may not be able to outrun them. The thinner twoleg walked towards her, and she found herself rooted to the spot. She could feel her heart racing as they peered behind the bush and called out to their friend.
After a moment, the twoleg offered her something that smelled like meat. It was long and thin, and the scent was tempting. She warily sniffed it, unsure of what to make of it. The twoleg shook it again, and she noticed that it made a rustling sound.
After a moment of hesitation, she snatched it from the twoleg's hand. It was a risk, but she was willing to accept any food at this point. She took a bite of the meat, and it tasted surprisingly good. She felt a sense of relief wash over her, grateful for the small act of kindness from the twolegs. As the twolegs approached, the feline recoiled and hissed at the rounder one who tried to stroke her back. The startled twoleg recoiled and shouted in surprise. The thinner one then grabbed her, but she fought back with all her might.The feline struggled against the grip of the twolegs, but eventually grew tired and could no longer resist. She was then loaded into a monstrous machine that terrified her. As the steady and smooth thunderpath beneath her gave way to occasional pebbles, her fear only grew.
Soon, she found herself surrounded by blinding lights and being inspected by a twoleg in a blue outfit. Despite her ferocious hissing, scratching, and biting, she was eventually laid on a cold stone. They injected something into her, and she soon felt loopy and tired, unable to resist the effects of the drug.
As she lay there, feeling strange, she listened to the twolegs chatter. One of them seemed nervous and sad, and she couldn't help but wonder why. She let out a sigh and slowly shut her eyes, drifting off into an uneasy sleep.
When she finally opened her eyes again, she found herself surrounded by lush, green grass that swayed in the wind. The sun was setting, casting a warm orange glow over the landscape. She took a step forward and called out, "Hello?"
The wind suddenly chilled her fur, and she watched in wonder as the stars began to fall from the sky, morphing into cats as they purred their welcomes. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
She purred.
Wait.
Where was Snowkit?
“Snowkit?” she calls out, looking around. The cats looked nervous. “Speckletail? Snowkit isn’t here.”
“Why?”
Silence.
Deafening silence. "Where is my kit?"
"He's not here."