Work Text:
(Third Person POV)
Tomorrow was the day. Berry would finally receive her kitten that she’d been waiting 9 months for. To celebrate the arrival of a new kitten, especially the one of the hero of the village, everyone had gathered at the local tavern to have a drink and dance.
Berry and many others had been told about the fabulous parties that the hero bloodline had whenever a new kitten was born. It used to be that only royal cats and cats of high standard could attend this celebration. Despite this, monarchies had long since been abandoned, and Berry was a hero of the people, meaning everyone was invited no matter their status or wealth.
Because of their gratitude for all that Berry had done for their town, everybody pitched in to buy or build a gift for the newborn. Nice plush toys, lots of food, the local woodworker even built her an entire crib.
Once all the gifts had been opened and recognized, Berry leaped up onto the bar and took a swig of her drink before clinking a spoon to her mug, garnering everybody’s attention.
“Hello, everyone! Enjoying the party?”
The crowd cheered in response.
“Good! Great! I just want to, again, thank you all for coming, and for all the beautiful gifts you’ve given to me and my upcoming baby. Before we continue the night, I’d like to acknowledge a few things.
Firstly, a lot of you have been speculating what the kitten will be born as, and through information passed along to me, it has been revealed the kitten I’m expecting will be a boy, as well as a calico.”
Claps and cheers erupted across the bar, some cats going as far as to stomp their paws against the ground.
“Alright, alright. Another piece of news, which may be less exciting. Come 18 years in the future, once the boy is old enough to protect you all, I shall be stepping down from my position as protector of the village, so that he may step into my armor.”
Silence hushed over the room.
“I’m aware not all of you are excited to exchange heroes so soon, however, I am growing older and soon enough I will not be able to protect you. Do not be frightened, as I give you my solemn oath to train him fiercely. He will be as strong, loyal, and kind as he can be.”
Smiling, she raised her mug.
“For now, we celebrate! A toast to now, to the past, and for the bright future this child will bring! Hurrah!”
With renowned faith, the village cats all unanimously responded with a hurrah and toast, clinking glasses with their friends and continuing the party.
Berry hopped off the bar and landed back in her seat, sitting next to her friend, Forge, the local blacksmith.
“Stepping down? Very bold of you, Berry Pie.”
“I’m aware, but one day the boy will wield my axe with honor as he defends the village from witches, dragons, and anything else that could bring us harm. He’ll be perfect. I can just feel it.”
“I trust you on that, but I wouldn’t get wasted the night before you get your baby.”
“I’m not! This is my last one, promise.” She smirked, taking another swig.
“Yeah, right!” Forge chugged her mug empty, slamming it down on the counter. “WE’LL TAKE TWO MORE ROUNDS OVER HERE!”
Berry rolled her eyes. “..fine. One more.”
…
Both cats stumbled out after another hour or two, laughing with their arms around each other. Since both of them were pretty drunk, a few village cats helped Berry move her gifts into her home before heading home themselves. After saying goodbye to Forge, Berry stumbled into her home and then flopped into bed. Yawning, she started to knead her pillow and try to collect her thoughts.
While she was thinking, the Book of Greed crossed her mind. The curse. It was such a heavy burden that her own parents had passed down to her. The secret of the curse had stayed in the family for ages. One of the children of the hero family would soon be cursed and destined to obtain the book. Berry prayed and hoped it wouldn’t be her son, but ever since she’d become the hero of the village, she had several nightmares. The witch that caused the whole curse years and years ago haunted them. They would fight. Sometimes she’d win, other times she’d lose, and that terrified her out of her mind. Some nights she’d wake up in a cold sweat from the sheer fear.
Tonight, her heart beat faster than it ever had. Images of the witch flashed in her mind as she squeezed her eyes closed in hopes of flushing them out. Her drunken mind wasn’t helping her at all. She twisted and turned in bed, squeezing the covers and panting from visions.
The moon was already high in the sky when she did finally close her eyes and rest. Those fears wouldn’t fade overnight, though.
…
A knock and loud caw woke her up the next morning. Clearly hungover, Berry carefully stepped out of bed and walked over to the door, opening it. Her mind immediately woke up, seeing the basket on her doorstep with a little white bow. Gently, she lifted the basket up and took it inside, closing and locking the door behind her. Slowly, she knelt down in front of it and unwrapped the blankets, revealing a tiny, sleeping calico.
Her heart melted at the sight of him, delicately lifting him up. His little ears were a handsome tan color, he had a little spot on his back, along with a brown tail. As soon as he took his first breath, he sneezed and woke up, his ear twitching as he laid his eyes upon his mother.
His tail started to sway as he let out the smallest meow she’d ever heard. Berry almost broke down right there. He was beautiful. His colors matched his mother’s. She cradled him and held him close.
“You’re perfect, just perfect..”
She was so preoccupied with how adorable the kitten was, she forgot to think of a name for the poor thing. Right now, though, she was way too hungover to think of a good one. Despite being tired and hungover, though, a name crossed her mind. It wasn’t too much of a real name, but it seemed to call out to her.
For now, she pushed it to the side and decided to wait for her mind to clear up to name her baby.
Her focus immediately shifted once she heard a few more meows and a small stomach growl. He was hungry.
Getting herself together, Berry walked over to her freezer and grabbed a small bag of milk as well as a piece of a biscuit. The kitten accepted both, pretty much eating them within minutes. Berry doubted that anybody would be doing anything today, as last night was draining enough with all the drinking involved. Today would just be her and her kitten. No need to go out.
A little off balance, but focused, Berry began to walk into the room which houses the crib and the various gifts everyone had brought her. The floor was soft and littered with plushies. She slowly crouched to the ground and sat down. It’d be a while before he could crawl, let alone walk on fours, but he could at least get a feel for his new home.
Grabbing a plushie, Berry dragged it over and let him sniff it. Almost immediately after, he clamped down onto it with his mouth, gaining the slight force to drag it a few centimeters.
“Woah! Easy..” Berry gently pulled him away. With the loss of his previous prey, he instead chose to bite Berry’s paw. It didn’t hurt, but she was still surprised.
“Yeesh, you’re quite the hunter, aren’t you?” She pet his head, which caused him to stop biting. The smallest rumble she’d ever heard erupted from him.
Smiling, Berry laid down on the soft nursery floor and carefully laid him down on her chest. The kitten immediately settled down, continuing to purr. She was so exhausted, yet happy.
Berry knew that she really shouldn’t pass out right now. She had just received her kitten for heaven's sake. At the same time, though, this hangover was really getting to her.
‘Just an hour.. I’ll be alright..’
…
As soon as Berry opened her eyes again, she felt something tugging on her fur. Small mews sounded as he continued to tug.
Sitting up, Berry rubbed her eyes and grabbed her baby. “Ugh.. sorry honey..” She weakly choked out. She heard another stomach grumble. Berry stood up again to go get more food.
Exiting the room, she looked out the window. The sun was high in the sky.
‘Is it the afternoon already? Wait, how often should kittens be fed again..?’
Immediately concerned, Berry speed walked to the freezer and got more to eat.
-the next day-
Yesterday was certainly a doozy. Taking care of a kitten was much more of a handful then Berry was expecting it to be. She had fallen asleep on the nursery floor again while her kitten lay peacefully in the crib, surrounded by pillows and soft plushies.
As soon as she woke up, the first thing that crossed Berry’s mind was that she probably needed to buy more food from the market. Yawning, Berry got up and left her kitten to sleep, clearing her head and going for the front door.
The town was busy as always, cats trading and laughing together. Approaching the market, Berry spotted the stand she needed and walked over.
“Ah, Berry! Good morning!” The shop owner smiled.
“Morning.. two bags of biscuits and one large bag of milk, please..” Berry dug through her pockets for money.
The store owner walked back and grabbed her items. As soon as Berry was about to pay, they pushed her paw back to her.
“Keep it. This is on the house. I know you’re tired. Kittens aren’t what you thought, huh?”
“No.. not at all. Thank you so much.”
“Pfft! Tell me about it. My kitten is certainly a big boy. My husband feeds him a LOT.”
“How much does a kitten need to be fed?”
“I’d say.. every 2 hours?”
“Got it. Thanks.”
“Good luck!”
Smiling lightly, Berry turns around and begins to head home before hearing a familiar voice.
“Ayy! Berry Pie!” A paw clapped her in the back as Forge caught up to her.
“Oh.. hey..”
“You seem tired.”
“Ugh.. yeah. The hangover and.. the kitten. I spent all day with him..”
“I should’ve guessed. Can I come over? I really want to see him..”
Berry considered this. The fears in the back of her mind screamed at her, but this was her best friend. It’d probably be fine.
“Yeah, yeah. You can.”
“Yes!” Forge excitedly walked beside her, initiating a conversation. The two talked as they approached and entered Berry’s house.
“So, I told him last night that you were having a kitten and he was shocked! I swear, if he’d came to the party last night, he’d be all over you like “...you never told me you had a kitten!”” Forge chuckled as they walked into the house and through the nursery door.
“Well, I did. He arrived just yesterday. Oh, he’s just the littlest bundle of joy..” Berry walked in right after.
“Well! Let me see! Come on!”
“Damn, be patient! He’s right over here.”
The two made their way over to the crib. Gently, Berry lifted the kitten wrapped in blankets up for the persian to see.
“Oh my goodness, Berry, he’s just so adorable!”
The persian reached a paw out to it. A tiny hiss came from him.
“Careful, Forge, he’s a little sassy.”
“I thought he was a “bundle of joy?”” She snickered.
“Hey. He’s a kitten. He’ll learn and grow to be just like his mom.” The turtle shell held the kitten closer. The kitten’s paws reached up to his mom’s face, clearly preferring her over the stranger.
“I’m sure he will.. So? What’s his name?”
“Ah, I sound like a bad mother for saying this but.. I don’t have one.”
“Berry!”
“I know! I know! It’s just hard to decide. I’m thinking of something less traditional.”
“Oh?”
“I’m thinking.. Catto Boi?”
“Berry.. that’s a dumb name.”
“Ok. Who’s child is this again? A lot of other village cats are doing something similar.”
“So it’s a trend.”
“Yeah.”
“..whatever. Not my kid.”
“He’ll be fine.”
“Catto Boi it is, then.”
Berry held him close again. “It’s been a little stressful.. I haven’t even considered how I can protect the village. Or my patrols. I mean, yeah, I’ll be able to leave him alone once he’s old enough. Right now, though? I don’t know..”
“I can babysit him.”
“Are you sure? You normally go out with me.”
“Oh, I’ll be fine. My brother can go with you.”
Berry sighed. “Alright. Thank you.”
“It’s nothing. Can I try to hold the little angel?”
“Sure, he might bite you though. Just yesterday, fresh out of the basket, he was already attacking a toy.”
Forge laughed as she held her paws out. “Just like his mama. Fierce.”
“Shut up.” Berry placed Catto into her arms. He hissed again, and sniffed Forge.
“He’ll get used to you.” Berry grabbed Forge’s open paw, pressing it against her own and then letting the kitten smell again. He seemed to calm down a little, but still wasn’t entirely happy.
“Hi there, buddy!” She gently pet him. “I’m your new auntie..” Her eyes filled with the same admiration that Berry had experienced. Eventually, Catto gave up and began to purr, warming up to her.
-one month later-
It was nearing night time as the sun started to set over the horizon. That meant it was almost time for Berry’s nightly patrol.
In just a month, Catto had begun to crawl, even going as far as to stand on all fours before promptly falling over. He hadn’t formed any words yet, but no one had expected that.
As Berry donned her armor and grabbed her axe, she heard a knock at the door and went to go open it.
Forge was on the other side, as expected.
“Ready?”
“Mhm. Take good care of him while I’m gone.”
“Of course.”
Forge stepped in as Berry stepped out, axe balanced on her shoulder. Forge’s brother was sick today, so Berry was to go out alone. Her main route was a full circle around the village in the dark woods to make sure no threats were present.
As she started to walk, the silence and sounds of nature seemed way louder than before. Keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity, she kept her steps as quiet as she could.
A rustle came from a nearby bush. Berry immediately drew her axe, eyes darting around.
“Looking for someone?” A deep voice talked behind her. Knowing that voice, Berry immediately whipped around and pointed her axe at them.
“Hello, Berry.” A large, black, tiger striped cat returned her glare calmly. Staff in hand, she quickly readjusted her hat before pushing the axe away.
This was the witch that she had so often fought. The two of them were mortal enemies after a conflict they had in the village years ago. The whole village despised this witch, and for good reason.
“Lilith.. what the hell do you want?!”
“To talk.”
“Like hell you do. You’re probably gonna curse me or attack me.”
“How bold. It is the contrary. I do just want to talk.”
“Bullshit.” Berry, not taking any chances, swung her axe at her. Lilith quickly evaded her attack.
“Hmph. And you call me dangerous. I’m being serious, Berry-“ Lilith wasn’t able to finish her sentence before Berry swung again.
Sighing, Lilith stomped her staff on the ground. “It’s about your ch-“
“LEAVE HIM OUT OF THIS.” She lunged at her again. Lilith hadn’t a choice but to strike back, hitting Berry in the chest with the butt of her staff.
Berry fell back, quickly landing on her feet. She rebounded, leaping off a tree. Lilith shot small energy beams at her. Berry hit each with her axe, trudging forward. Eventually, she got close and landed a good strike.
Regaining her strength, Lilith got back up and casted a quick spell at Berry, which she dodged.
Because of the commotion, the village started to wake up, murmurs started to arise.
“Berry. Please.”
“Shut the fuck up, witch. You have no place here, especially not near my child.”
Hearing the approaching voices, Lilith sighed before vanishing in a puff of smoke. If she stayed around, the villagers would’ve killed her.
Berry took a moment to rest as a few cats arrived. They questioned what had happened, and Berry told them about the exchange, and that she was fine. Patrol should likely end there tonight. The cats helped guide Berry back to the village. She didn’t tell them about the fact that Lilith might have been targeting Catto. She was terrified just thinking about it.
Arriving home, Berry came through the front door. Forge was still awake, sitting by the fire with a sleeping Catto in her arms.
“Forge..”
“Shh! He’s asleep!” She whispered back to Berry, showing her the sleeping kitten.
“..put him in his room, please. I.. need to talk to you.”
The smile faded off of Forge’s face as she followed suit. Berry took Forge’s place by the fire as she placed him in his crib. Walking out of the nursery, she sat next to her.
“Did something happen?”
“I got attacked by Lilith.”
“Ugh, her again? Really? Is she here to curse our crops again or..?”
“She’s after my baby.”
The room went silent.
“..but why? He’s only a month old!”
“I.. I don’t know why. I don’t know. But.. I have to be here. I can’t keep going out. Forge..”
“I’ll do your patrols.”
“Thank you. I’m so sorry to have to do this to you.”
“No, I understand. Whatever intentions she has.. it probably isn’t good.”
“Right.”
“Go get some rest, Berry. I’ll take care of Catto for the rest of the night.”
Nodding.. Berry stood up, yawned, and went to her own room. It’s been a little bit since she’d slept in her bed. Normally, she’d be sleeping on the nursery floor in case Catto woke up and needed something. Right now, though, she needed this.
Getting under the covers, she turned until she was comfortable and drifted off quite fast.
…
“What an adorable little angel..”
A voice. Was she dreaming again?
In a dark void, Berry stood with her kitten in her arms. The poor, delicate thing was asleep, but stirring.
Berry recognized the voice immediately.
“You.. “
Green smoke covered the ground. No matter how much she backed away, it caught up to her. She pressed Catto up against her chest, causing him to wake up and meow.
“His little voice is so.. so sweet.. oh, Berry.. he’s so beautiful. And.. a male calico! Those cats are very.. VERY rare.. now aren’t they?”
“Get away.” Berry stood her ground despite her trembling.
Smoke started to gather, forming the large lynx that she’d seen before in her dreams.
“Oh, come on.. just let me see him..”
It reached out a large paw and grabbed Berry to hold her still, using the other to pry the child away from her chest.
“NO!” Berry screamed, tears rolling down her face as she resisted.
The lynx came closer, glaring at the child. Catto meowed and hissed as one of the large claws scratched his cheek.
“Hello there.. little one..”
Unhappily, Catto hissed louder, biting and hitting with one of his paws (he would’ve scratched them, but his claws weren’t quite developed yet.)
“Ooh.. what a temper.. he’ll be perfect.”
“You won’t have him! I will live! He’ll grow up healthy and strong! YOU WON’T TOUCH HIM!”
“..looks like he has a mouth like his mother.” They giggled.
“You posed the exact same threats to my mother and father. You won’t get any farther, I’ll be sure of it! We’ll both live!”
“I wouldn’t be so sure~..”
Her heart raced. “FUCK YOU!”
“See you soon..”
…
Berry screamed as she woke up. “CATTO!”
Leaping out of bed, Berry rushed to the nursery, slamming the door open and leaping over Forge, who was sleeping on the floor. The kitten was awake and also crying. Berry picked him up and held him close.
“It’s ok.. it’s ok… Mama’s here..”
“..ugh.. Berry? The fuck?” Forge blinked and woke up, staring at her friend. “Are you ok?”
Berry turned around, heart still thumping as her body was still shaking. “Yeah.. I’m good…”
Forge got up. “You’re obviously not. What happened?”
“I.. nightmares.. I was..” Her mind was still processing. Catto had fallen back asleep in her arms. “The baby.. I..”
“Chill, Berry. Relax. It’s a nightmare.” She placed a paw on her shoulder to ground her. “It’s not real.”
“..right. I’m sorry.”
“No, you’re ok. You should probably eat something, calm down a little. I’ll handle Catto.”
“I’m sorry I.. I don’t feel comfortable with him being out of sight right now..”
“Oh, ok. Then let’s go find something to eat together, alright?”
“..alright.”
The rest of the day was normal.. but Berry couldn’t quite flush those images out of her mind.
-three months later-
Catto was 4 months old now, and boy, was he quite the hunter. With his kitten teeth and claws developing, he loved tackling his toys and playing with his mom. He also loved following her around on all fours. While he was wobbly, he was quickly getting the hang of it. The village adored him, even if he was hesitant to meet anyone other than his mom and Forge. Berry always encouraged him and fostered his strong personality, even if it got him into trouble sometimes. Ever since Forge started to do her patrols, Berry spent all her time at home, keeping a very close eye on Catto.
Winter had begun to roll around by now. Light snow began to fall and coat the ground. The village usually struggled a little bit during these times with their crops being unable to survive out in the cold. Everyone made sure to stock up their supplies to survive the coming months.
At this time of night, Berry was wrapped up in a blanket by the fire, holding her son and humming a soft lullaby to him. Catto yawned and finally closed his eyes. Berry couldn’t help but smile. Seeing this fierce soul grow up would certainly be a journey.
For a good while, Berry was raised as tough as she could be. Her father trained her to fight while her mother taught her her morals and how to care for herself. To many, it sounded like a good deal, but Berry wasn’t so strong as a kitten herself. She, out of her few siblings, was the runt. Ironically, she was the only one to survive out of the 3. Being weak was difficult, but as time passed, she grew stronger. She’d jumped through so many hurdles to get where she was today. Lots of fights, training, and even losing an eye at some point.
She swore, from this moment onwards, nothing like that would happen to Catto. She’d raise him tough, but not to the point where he’d feel too pressured to be a hero. Berry wanted him to be kind hearted, bold, yet still careful. She wanted to see him grow into the cat she had tried so hard to be, wielding her axe with honor and defending all that was right.
For now, though, they both relaxed by the fire.
After at least half an hour, Berry decided that she should probably put Catto in his bed. Careful as to not wake him up, Berry stood up slowly and crept into his room, placing him upon his pile of plushies and giving him the blanket she’d wrapped around herself.
Sighing, Berry curled up on the ground next to the crib and yawned, drifting off.
…
THUD!
A loud noise woke Berry up in the middle of the night. Sitting up, she blinked and looked around the dark room, and for her heart to stop when she saw a purple glow near the crib.
Someone had moved her away from it. The large figure loomed over her child, just recovering from picking up her staff.
Lilith.
Immediate drawing her claws, Berry slowly crept up before pouncing.
“I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO FUCK OFF!” Berry yelled, pushing her towards the door.
Catto was starting to twist uncomfortably. Berry quickly wrapped him in his blanket and held him as she chased Lilith out.
“Berry, I-“
“NO! Shut up! GET OUT!”
Carrying her baby, Berry quickly picked up her axe and continued to chase Lilith.
Outside in the cold and rain, Lilith was able to stabilize herself, she prepared for Berry’s next attack. Berry quickly stormed out, swinging her axe with one paw. Lilith quickly dodged as Berry continued to advance, strangely choosing not to attack back.
“Berry?!” A cat out in the night, coincidentally Forge, noticed the commotion before quickly noticing Lilith. As soon as she did, she ran to Berry’s side and drew her own daggers.
“Back off, witch.”
“This conflict does not involve you.”
“If it involves Catto and Berry, it does.”
“Forge.. I have to hold onto Catto. I can barely fight like this..” Berry whispered.
“I’ve gotcha.” Forge nodded, running forward and swinging her daggers. Lilith raised her staff and caught her midair, flinging her at Berry’s feet.
“You’re not.. laying.. your paws on him!” Forge recovered and ran back in a different pattern, catching Lilith by surprise. Letting go of her daggers, Forge grabbed onto the staff and began to tug, trying to pry it out of her paws.
“You don’t understand! That’s not my intention!”
“Then WHY?!” Berry started to approach, lifting her axe while Lilith was compromised. “WHY do you want my child?! What could YOU POSSIBLY WANT?!”
Just as Berry was about to deliver a devastating blow, Lilith pushed Forge off.
“THE CURSE, BERRY!”
Berry paused in her tracks.
“It’s the curse..”
Forge got back up, recollected her daggers and stood by Berry.
“What? What are you talking about? Did you curse someone?!” Forge accused her.
“..what curse?” Berry’s voice lowered.
“You know what I’m talking about. Your parents told you about it.”
Slowly, Berry lowered her axe. Forge watched in confusion.
“..how the hell do you know..?”
“I’m a witch. I’ve done my research. I had to.”
Berry held her child closer. “..what.. why?”
“I know information on it. It concerns you and your child. You just have to come with me.”
Berry started to shake.
“Berry Pie.. I don’t know what she’s talking about but don’t-“
“Forge.. watch the house while I’m gone.”
“WHAT?! Are you CRAZY?! She wants to KILL YOU! She wants your kid! And suddenly you TRUST HER?! What-“
“Forge.” Berry said more firmly. “Watch the house.”
Picking up her staff, Lilith waited for her to follow. Berry took a moment to collect herself before they both walked off into the forest.
…
Eventually, the two arrived at a cave entrance, which led into a larger space, presumably Lilith’s home. The place was littered with stones, potions, herbs and more. The lanterns weren’t lit, so it was mostly dark at the moment.
“..what are you gonna tell me?” Berry cautiously asked, not taking more than a few steps inside.
Lilith sighed. “Berry.. your child is the curse inheriter.”
Her heart nearly stopped.
“Somehow, before his first birthday, you are going to die.”
“..how do you know this..?”
“I recently learned to look into the future.” Lilith explained, levitating a book to her. “Months ago, I curiously looked into the future.. and all I saw was green. In the center? A male calico cat wielding the book.”
“But.. that could be anybody.”
“Berry, calico boys are rare. A 1 in 3000 chance. If I were to take a guess, I would say it’s yours. Not to mention.. the tan ears and brown tail make me even more sure.”
Berry looked down at the baby in her arms, tears welling in her eye. It couldn’t end like this. He couldn’t be the one, he just couldn’t. Blinking a few times, she couldn’t help but begin to cry, slowly sinking to the floor.
Lilith felt her sorrows, walking over and leaning down beside her.
“Why.. why are you telling me this..? You’re a witch..” Berry lifted her face up a little to look her in the eyes.
“Trust me when I say no witch wants to associate with Kunshu. They were a maniac. And.. what sort of mother would I be if I didn’t look out for other moms?”
Berry quickly processed it. “You.. have a kitten?”
She nodded. “I do.. but I won’t be around long.
“Why not?”
“..I have a deadly illness. I’m not going to live much longer. I must find a place for my child before I pass away.”
Berry, wiping her tears, couldn’t help but feel pity. “Is there any hope for us..?”
“I’m not sure. I didn’t look any more into the future, because I was afraid of what I’d see.”
“Can you look farther?”
“I could, bu-“
“Please. Please look. I have to know.”
Looking down at the kitten in her paws, who had somehow slept through the ordeal, Lilith hesitantly sat back and opened the books she’d pulled off the shelf.
“I’m just warning you. There’s no telling what I’ll see.”
“Just do it..”
Closing her eyes, the pages began to glow a light purple. Lilith grunted a little, face full of focus.
“I’m seeing.. mostly the same.”
“Can you push further?” Berry kept her eyes locked on her.
Lilith nodded, scrunching her face more.
…
Behind her eyes, Lilith was pushing her way through the fog.. until she finally did reach someone new. It was blurry because of Kunshu’s influence.. but a new cat came into view.
“Hm. Funny. That pitfall should’ve kept you in one place.” A voice spoke. This one was familiar. She heard it in her first visions.
“Well it didn’t.” A new voice, deep and feminine.
It seemed to be coming from the new cat. A black cat with a pink cloak.. wielding the Sword of Truth.
“Honestly, you should’ve given up when I sent that dragon after you. You understand my reasons, so I can’t fathom why you’d even continue to challenge me.”
“Sorry, Catto, but I have a promise to keep.” The black cat pointed her sword right at him.
…
Lilith began to struggle more, clutching her head in pain. Green smoke started to leech from her closed eyes.
“Lilith? Lilith?!”
“GAH!” She forced herself awake, breathing heavily.
“Are you ok? What did you see?”
Lilith took a second to collect herself. “..there’s hope.”
“..really?”
“Yes.. there was somebody new. A black cat. She was holding the sword. She was confronting your son.”
“Did you see how it ends?”
“I don’t think I could go further. It seems like the future is still undetermined. But.. there’s hope.”
“..what now..?”
“We must wait. There’s.. nothing more we can do..”
Lilith began to cough uncontrollably, leaning herself away from Berry and her baby.
“We’re.. just supposed to sit and wait?”
“We cannot change this outcome, Berry. If I saw it.. then it will happen. Just continue to love your child and live. Make sure he’s strong and healthy. Raise him well. Despite our differences, I know your heart is good.”
Berry held her baby closer, simply nodding and rising to her feet.
“..thank you.”
“Please go. Your village is probably worried about you.”
Berry took one last glance at Lilith before she turned and walked out the door.
…
Many nights after that exchange, Lilith worked tirelessly on a cure to her illness, knowing her time was running short. She thought she’d got it right this time.. no. She knew she had. The ingredients were rare and scarce in this part of the island. Lilith wouldn’t survive the journey to obtain more, nor would she live long enough for someone to bring them to her.
She looked at the small glass vial the cure was stored in. Just one more ingredient would do it. Grabbing the last of the rare herb, Lilith chopped it up into small pieces and dropped them into the vial. They dissolved into the mixture, the liquid turning a heavenly yellow.
“Here we are..”
Suddenly, her attention turned to the sound of a few tiny coughs. Vial in hand, she ran into the room where it came from. One thing she didn’t mention was that her child had also inherited the sickness as well.
She picked up her kitten, still wrapped in blankets.. “Oh.. sweetheart. It’s gonna be ok.”
It started to cry, clearly not enjoying the coughing. Holding them close, Lilith looked between the cure, herself, and her child.
There was only enough for one, but the choice was easy.
Leaning the kitten back, she gently fed it to them. After it was all down, the kitten meowed very loudly.
“I know, it’s not tasty at all, but it’s gonna keep you healthy.”
Time was running out. She needed to find someone to accept her child.
Gathering the basket they’d arrived in, Lilith securely tucked them inside with raggedy blankets. She didn’t bother to bring anything more, rather than a small paper to write the kitten’s name on.
Racing out her front door, she knew her direction. There was another village not far if you followed the river, and that’s what she did.
Houses began to fade into view after days of running and walking. Her internal systems were beginning to fail, and her baby was obviously hungry.
‘Just.. a little.. further..’
A few more steps, and finally, she reached a doorstep, placing her kitten on it.
The kitten whined and cried more, but Lilith simply began to pet them.
“I know.. I know.. Mama will.. will find you.. somehow.. ok?”
She uncovered the blankets a little to get one last look at her child.
They were quite large for a baby, given grey fur with white highlights and a fluffy short tail. In the few months they’d been alive, they’d started to develop a few dark gray stripes.
A tiger striped cat, just like their mother.
With one last kiss on the forehead, Lilith wrapped him back up and knocked on the door, running behind the house and out into a field.
Somewhere empty where she died in a field of lilacs.