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“ I’ve come to say goodbye.”
He was supposed to be retrieving his box of toys at that moment. He'd been so excited to see him again. But there was no playtime to be had. His toys lost their vibrancy soon as the box clattered into the ground.
Why now?
Why was he telling him this now? Weren't they supposed to be best friends forever?
“...Wh-Where are you going..?” His voice was pure like gold, innocent as white.
It hurt to hear the sound of heartbreak actively.
“Just uh.. on a little trip?” He sounded confused. He looked tired, his smile was strained and permanent. He couldn't look him in the eyes and averted his gaze to the room's structure.
He'd miss this so much. He'd miss him so much.
What he didn't expect was to be frantically hugged. It was like a lifeline. He flinched in surprise and felt the overwhelming pressure of guilt and despair.
“Oh Catnap I'll miss you!” His little friend whimpered into his chest. DogDay was always so affectionate, so kind when they were young.
He had a moment, tears welled up rapidly in his eyes, he couldn't cry now. He deserved this feeling.
“Hah- yeah um..I'll miss you to sweetheart.”
There was a croak in his voice as he forced himself to hug the younger memory of his best friend.
That face he didn't deserve to see looked up at him from their embrace.
“Will I ever see you again?” Despair had its hands hanging at his neck.
“Sure! Sure you will, sunlight.” He was always good at fabrication.
“You know goodbye isn't forever.” He pet the puppy tenderly. A kind pup, as he took his hand with renowned affection and gave him a smile he didn't deserve.
“Then, Goodbye Catnap.”
His sweet Sunlight gazed at him with such honesty and trust. the little pup's mouth moved to say words that would destroy Catnaps very being.
“I love you..” His soul shattered that day, a sun shaped hole left in his heart with nothing to fill it.
☹︎☹︎☽☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎𑁍☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎
It's been years.
Ten to be exact.
He's been searching for years.
He had hope.
He had resilience.
He was stubborn.
He was failing.
He was crying.
And he…he was dying.
He longed for the feeling of comfort in a new reality of hurt. His room was a disaster full of thumbtacks and red string. Cracks and scratches adored his walls and floor. No photos hung besides that of sightings and locations.
A map hung loosely on the wall, scribbled and lined with red.
He searched everywhere, he really did.
But it's impossible to find someone who deliberately doesn't want to be found.
At least not found by the sunlight ever again.
It's been years.
Ten years to be clear.
He'd gained friends. Lost friends.
Found hope. Lost hope.
He stood proud. Then burned down.
The Sun is always burning hot, it’s light nothing but a tool to bring others comfort. Yet the center is molten, sweltering heat of fire and confusion.
That's why each step He took it seemed as if the nature around him burned to singes.
Smoke filled his lungs to the point every exhale was a nightmarish black, like a smokestack on a truck.
His tears were thick and dark like tar, they burned his cheeks and polluted the ground as He hobbled to the one place of comfort.
A trail of black smoke and sludge followed the footsteps over singed vegetation just until it reached a vast field. It was full of flowers and plush grass. He could make out the tall Sunflowers and aromatic Lavender..a scent he hadn't smelled in years.
In the field did the sun lay and stare up at the sky. The beautiful shades of purple, dark blue, blacks and speckles of white. But the greatest feat, the most gorgeous of them all was the Moon. It wasn't full, a crescent moon. It shone beautifully on him.
Maybe it was the fact his vision was fading.
Or maybe the fact he heard his Sun medallion shatter and light reflected off the shards.
Maybe it was the fact his heart slowed. Or perhaps it was his mind playing a cruel joke on him.
But he swore in those final moments basking in the moon's light in which he loved.
Did he see that comforting purple reach for him and caress him one last time.
☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎
‘ I Love You..’
Words he thought he'd never hear again did he hear often now. He never thought he'd find anyone that would care for him as gently as he was fragile.
But fate may have finally taken pity on the poor feline. And did he find a small group of people like himself that he could become one of.
They understood his turmoil. They cared for his being. They laughed with him. They cherished him like he does to them. They love him.
Catnap never thought he'd find that happiness again, but fate's pity proved him wrong.
And he would gladly let fate pity him as much as they could if it meant finding these people again.
They were special. All of them.
The Long Legs family.
Boxy and Bunzo.
The whole family of Delights.
Huggy Wuggy and his sister Kissy Missy.
His old friend Picky Piggy
And Kicken
And even Bobby.
He loved them to death and would do anything for them. But they could only help in shrinking the longing in his heart. The longing being that Sun shape.
He missed him. It's been so long.
He wants to know if he's happy.
Has he moved on? Are his new friends nice? Where does he live now? Has he found a partner?
That one stung harshly in his heart. He's been having these thoughts as of recently. Coupled with a pinching every now and again.
“Are you okay, Nap?” Bobby asked as she took his hand. Nap simply sighed and nodded.
Today was a special day.
Those thoughts Catnap had were going to be answered.
Who knew Catnap would be a God’s favorite kitty to where the God, Proto, would grant him a wish.
His friends and family accompanied him to the sacred place, Bobby being his biggest supporter.
The three of them, Picky, Bobby, and Kicken promised him when they found him, not to tell DogDay. Catnap knew it was cowardly but he couldn't face the canine just yet.
He knew from Bobby that DogDay had been searching for him. It brought an oily form of butterflies in his stomach, he felt sick from knowing he took small bits of joy in playing cat and mouse with his old best friend. He hated it, but he loved it. Loves his best friend.
But today was special, as Bobby greeted the Prototype along with the rest of his found family and himself. He was nervous but made his wish.
It wasn't a big wish.
It wasn't about money.
It wasn't about immortality.
It wasn't about beauty or tyranny.
It was simple.
“How is my Sunlight?”
His family knew who he was referring to. His God knew who he was referring to. He knew who he wanted.
His family, especially his old friends reassured him that DogDay would forgive his cowardice, his guilty betrayal. That's how DogDay was, as long as Catnap explained, it would all be okay.
DogDay was okay. He knew he was.
He was resilient, and Catnap loved him.
They could be happy together once Catnap returned.
It was silent, yet as Catnap scanned the room nothing but happy faces were all he saw.
Bobby was excited, she was all about a happy reunion. Kicken and Picky gave him knowing looks and confident smiles.
The delights cooed at him and whispered their reassurances.
The Siblings hugged at the mere thought of Catnap being reunited.
Boxy and Bunzo cheered quietly.
And the Long Legs family nodded in approval.
With all confidence did Catnap turn around again to face his God. A bright smile on his face and tears welling in his eyes.
This was going to be it. The happiest moment of his life.
The Prototype was quiet. Then extending its arm and hand to rest before the group.
Flashes of warm oranges, molten gold, bright yellows and rosy reds covered its hand.
After those ethereal colors condensed, in the Prototypes hand was a Sun medallion, bright and shining just like the Sun connected to a simple white collar.
“ 𝕋ℍ𝕀𝕊 𝕀𝕊 𝕐𝕆𝕌ℝ 𝕊𝕌ℕ𝕃𝕀𝔾ℍ𝕋’𝕊 𝕊𝕆𝕌𝕃…”
Catnap had never seen something so beautiful. He wanted to touch it. To hold it and cuddle it. To cherish it forever and praise it.
Everyone was right, DogDay was as bright as ever.
In a small hidden part of Catnap did it hurt to know DogDay was thriving without him, but he snuffed it out.
“We told you so! DogDay wouldn't give up on you!” Bobby sounded thrilled, as did the others.
“You bein’ gone real’ knocked some sense into that dog” Kicken laughed and Picky simply nodded, she seemed transfixed on the medallion. Her expression seemed sad.
The others agreed with the two and the Prototype spoke again.
“ 𝕊𝕆 𝕁𝕆𝕐𝕌𝕊…”
. . . . Why did his God use that tone?
Everyone including Catnap silenced as they turned their attention back to the God. The Medallion was shaking, having small solar flares almost as black sludge dripped from the center, seemingly behind the bright yellow core.
It shook, and trembled. Quaked and wailed in agony. Smoke arose and the sludge doubled.
Cracks and splinters took over the center of the medallion until it finally…..
“ 𝕊ℍ𝔸𝕋𝕋𝔼ℝ𝔼𝔻.”
……
“𝕐𝕆𝕌ℝ 𝕊𝕌ℕ𝕃𝕀𝔾ℍ𝕋 𝔻𝕀𝔼𝔻 𝕆𝕌𝕋 𝕋ℍℝ𝔼𝔼 𝕐𝔼𝔸ℝ𝕊 𝔸𝔾𝕆..”
What?
What?
He's..dead?
“That- That can't be right! I-I me and Picky just left critter valley only two years ago and he seemed okay! How could he be dead?!”
Kicken yowled to the God. Bobby has been stuck frozen in shock and Picky covered her mouth in grief.
Three years..?
He's been dead for three years?
All noise was drowned out as it suddenly felt like Catnap was dragged underwater. He couldn't hear, he couldn't feel.
What was happening? He can't be dead. No, he can't!
Why was this happening? What had he done?
WHAT HAD HE DONE!?
He saw faces crowding him in concern. Trying to get him up from where he supposedly collapsed. Was he screaming? He heard it.
There was red on the floor. Was it from his arms? They seemed to be leaking where his claws ripped into himself.
Hot wet tears cascaded down his face, dampening his purple fur.
All was chaos until the Prototype spoke.
Suddenly it was clear again.
“ℂ𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝔻𝕆𝕎ℕ, 𝕀𝕋 𝕀𝕊 𝕌ℕ𝔹𝔼ℂ𝕆𝕄𝕀ℕ𝔾 𝕋𝕆 𝕋ℍℝ𝕆𝕎 𝔸 𝕋𝔸ℕ𝕋ℝ𝕌𝕄 𝕆𝕍𝔼ℝ 𝔸 ℙ𝔸𝕊𝕊𝕀ℕ𝔾…”
Catnap wanted to spit curses and throw dirt at the God. How dare it say such a thing?
After it just announced the most tragic event in Catnaps life about the most important person to him!
“ℍ𝕌𝕊ℍ ℕ𝕆𝕎 𝕄𝕆ℝ𝕋𝔸𝕃…𝕀 𝕎𝕀𝕃𝕃 𝕊ℍ𝕆𝕎 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝔼𝕍𝔼ℝ𝕐𝕋ℍ𝕀ℕ𝔾.”
Color erupted everywhere and engulfed everyone. One second they were at the sacred ground and suddenly they were in a field.
“Where are we?!” Mommy had demanded, her and Daddy were extended to cover the majority of the group.
“.....home.” Softer than heard ever before came Picky’s voice. She was shaking like a leaf when Bobby grabbed her hoof.
“This is…This is the field we all used to play in when we were younger.”
And then they heard it, a snapped branch and quiet heaving.
He was so thin.
His fur was short, too short for him.
His colors, his wondrous oranges, yellows reds and blues were so dull, so dead.
His periwinkle eyes were gray and sunken in.
His long furry ears were littered in scars, same with his arms and legs.
He looked horrible.
“That's…not right! He didn't look like that! He didn't…he shouldn't be that bad already..”
Bobby sobbed out. This got Catnap’s attention in all his grief and mourning.
“What..? “ He hissed out and stared wide eyed at his bear friend.
“ I-I wanted to tell you..but-!”
“𝔹𝕌𝕋 𝕎𝕆𝕌𝕃𝔻 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝕎𝔸ℕ𝕋 𝕋𝕆 𝕃𝔼𝔸𝕍𝔼? “ The Prototype finished for Bobby.
“𝕎𝕆𝕌𝕃𝔻 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝕋ℍℝ𝕆𝕎 𝔸𝕎𝔸𝕐 𝕐𝔼𝔸ℝ𝕊 𝕆𝔽 ℍ𝔼𝔸𝕃𝕀ℕ𝔾 𝔸ℕ𝔻 𝔽𝔸𝕄𝕀𝕃𝕐 𝔽𝕆ℝ ℍ𝕀𝕄? 𝕎𝕆𝕌𝕃𝔻 𝕐𝕆𝕌 ℝ𝕌ℕ 𝔸𝔾𝔸𝕀ℕ 𝔸𝕊 𝕊𝕆𝕆ℕ 𝔸𝕊 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝔾𝕆𝕋 𝕊𝕋ℝ𝔼𝕊𝕊𝔼𝔻?”
No..
No..!
“𝕐𝕆𝕌ℝ 𝔽𝔸𝕄𝕀𝕃𝕐 𝔻𝕀𝔻ℕ’𝕋 𝕎𝔸ℕ𝕋 𝕋ℍ𝔸𝕋 𝔻𝕆𝔾 𝕋𝕆 𝕋𝔸𝕂𝔼 𝔸𝕎𝔸𝕐 𝕐𝕆𝕌ℝ 𝕁𝕆𝕐. 𝕋𝕆 ℍ𝕆𝔸ℝ𝔻 𝕀𝕋… ℍ𝕆𝕎 𝔽𝔸ℂ𝕀ℕ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾..”
“Bobby…what is it talking about..?” Catnap sobbed, he looked atrocious.
It was silent as DogDay wandered closer slowly. Now everyone could see the black smoke huffing from his mouth and nose. His ever flowing tears akin to that of tar, and his footsteps in which left singed grass behind him.
His Medallion was eclipsed.
Choked words left Bobby, “He..He had a terminal illness…B-Bubba found out five years ago..! DogDay told him not to talk about it but I overheard.” She declared and fell into hiccuping wails.
“H-He didn't have much time..! Bubba told him not to look for you anymore since it was killing him faster a-and he listened for a while but he just Kept. Getting. Worse-! His house was a wreck and he was becoming aggressive! We had to keep him locked inside- I didn't want you near him-!”
“I didn't want you to get hurt again!”
Catnap lunged at the Bear, his face a mess of tears and mucus.
“WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!” It took both Huggy and Boxy to pull Catnap off of Bobby. He yowled and hissed and screamed in anger, in agony, in despair.
“I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I-”
“𝕊𝕀𝕃𝔼ℕℂ𝔼!”
And there was silence.
The a thump, their heads snapped to the noise.
DogDay lay just in front of them. His back to the ground and face up to the starry night sky.
He looked so small and thin.
His eyes were hollow.
And his cries were so quiet, he was never that quiet.
Catnap rushed to his side and tried to hold him, tried to hug him, talk to him but nothing worked.
“HELP HIM! PLEASE H-HELP..! Help..anyone..”
Catnap pleaded with all his might. He could only watch as his Sunlight took his final breath and drifted away from him. Scattered around the pair were the very medallion shards that made up his pup's soul.
“𝕋ℍ𝔼ℝ𝔼 𝕀𝕊 ℕ𝕆𝕋ℍ𝕀ℕ𝔾 𝕐𝕆𝕌 ℂ𝕆𝕌𝕃𝔻 ℍ𝔸𝕍𝔼 𝔻𝕆ℕ𝔼…𝕋ℍ𝕀𝕊 𝕀𝕊 𝕊𝕀𝕄ℙ𝕃𝕐 𝔸 𝕄𝔼𝕄𝕆ℝ𝕐 𝕆𝔽 𝕋ℍℝ𝔼𝔼 𝕐𝔼𝔸ℝ𝕊 𝔸𝔾𝕆..”
‘ I Love You..’
☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☾☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎☹︎
He traced his way back to the starting point again. He wandered around slowly, memories poured from his heart up to his head with every bit of scenery.
He remembered playing on that tree. Being up high was always a guilty pleasure of his.
Skipping rocks on the small pond. Bubba was surprisingly good at it, his always went the furthest out of all of them.
Playing tag at Picky’s barn. Hoppy was always the fastest runner, she was always the last person to get caught and the worst seeker to have for her speed.
Mixing random things at Bubba’s house in the guise of a science experiment. Picky would just end up baking something in the end. She said it was a “ Tasty experiment”.
There was also the art corner, it was meant to be a house but due to the area's faulty layout it was abandoned. Crafty used to go there and paint whatever they wanted. It was like their own little museum, just most of it was by Crafty. Their work was astonishing.
He took a small detour to the skate park. Kicken spent his time here religiously. He can remember all the times they'd all sit together and watch Kicken do a new trick on his skateboard. He really was the coolest of them all.
He left the park and with each step He felt like he got heavier and heavier.
He traced his way back to the starting point once more. He followed the path with steps larger than the ones on the ground.
He was always told he'd be small forever. Look at him now…taller than he ever was.
He hadn't a thought in his head yet it felt like it was swarming. He unconsciously held himself as he walked along with another pair of footsteps.
How ironic, the shortest distance from his home was the field…he wanted to laugh but only tears came up.
Tracing the markings, he came to a small clearing. The perfect spot to watch the sunrise over the horizon.
The wind was blowing a soft and cold breeze, the air had an icy edge.
The plush grass was lightly covered in morning dew and the mourning doves sang their songs.
The Sun spilled over the horizon without abandon and basked the sky in beautiful bright yellows and golden light. The deep orange pushed the dark night away to present a new morning to the lively and present.
The light touched his fur like a warm kiss.
A greeting.
He basked in the warmth and opened his weeping eyes. His gaze turned to the patch he sat next to lovingly.
As he observed the small area that was now lit up from the new bright sun, he noted quietly..
In a field that consisted of Sunflowers, Morning Glories, Daisies and Lavender…
Did Poppies grow.
☾𑁍♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥