"I don't understand, I don't understand..." Na'vi repeated while pacing back and forth.
Syri, the youngest of her family, sat with her legs folded to watch Na'Vi in concern. Her older sister Dimyri was arguing with their mother about the events that had recently occurred, and Na'Vi was walking in a fit of disbelief after recent revelations of what become of her partner.
The four Nekomata picked tonight to make their move, initiating a rescue attempt after surveying and spying on Nityri's captors for several days.
Now, they had retreated into the forest in the middle of the night after failing that rescue.
It was a clear and easy process that had been prepared the day before: with Na'Vi volunteering to breech their house and distract the humans while Syri and her older sister Dimyri moved in to rescue Nityri. But Syri never expected her sister Nityri to retreat back toward her captors, and Na'Vi was unprepared for a cat fight.
Dimyri looked uneasy beside her mother, looking to her in hope that her response would bring her comfort. "Mother, why did we run away? Why didn't we take Nityri with us?"
Na'Vi gritted her teeth before spinning around in an outburst. "Didn't you see Nityri, they did something to her! She was protecting them, the way she looked at us... like we were strangers to her. Not a clue in sight regarding us, she must be under their control!"
Dimyri looked determined, reacting by raising her paw in the air. "Then we can help her, just as we did before! I didn't come all the way over just to lose my sister ag-"
"Girls!"
Both cat girls snapped shut, standing still with shivering tails and heads full of uncertainty. Their mother breathed in deep as she digesting the events of tonight, her mind still fogged with lingering questions and doubt.
"I cannot lie to my babies, I've no clue what's going on. There's more to this than we anticipated, starting with that man... you all saw him, yes? What did he look like to you?"
"Like a hyu-mane!" Chirped the youngest one, Syri, with a bright smile that showed her teeth and fangs.
Mother facepalmed as the other sister pushed her sibling aside before scolding at her. "You dummy, she means what was off about him! And I know what."
"Thank you Dimyri."
"He looks cute, and hoo-mans never look cute!" She responded with a look of confidence, her sister nodding in return.
Their mother sighed, shaking her head while both Syri and Dimyri bickered and argued. Stepping lightly among the grass, she felt the cool night breeze drape across her fur. Looking past the shivering trees she spotted Na'Vi as she slipped away in silence, perched in a field surrounded by grass tall enough to hide her body when she sat. The feeling of melancholia surrounded the poor cat, and it looked to be catching soon.
Her motherly instincts kicked in, waving her paw as she moved forward. "Girls, with me."
"Yes mother!" Both answered, quick to follow their mom towards the field before sitting alongside their sorrowful catgirl.
Sitting comfortably around their friend, the girls had no clue how to approach her or how to ease her pain. It was their mother who started the conversation first.
"Something wounds you deeply. Speak to us, let us help ease your suffering."
Na'Vi closed her eyes, plucking another strand of grass away. The frustration and anger had subsided as did her strength.
"She doesn't remember me anymore, Emyri. When our eyes met, I was rewarded with blank nothingness. She held no affection, no recognition, no sense of memory, no joyful expression. I tried to hug her and she pushed me away. She... she doesn't know who I am..."
"There there-"
"No! Can you not see? Her memory of you and I, of all of us are absent. We mean nothing to her now, they-they hurt her, they changed her, they stole her from us, from me! And now... now I am lost, and alone, and forgotten... and she doesn't think to weep for me or for us."
"We remember you, Na'vi." Syri spoke softly, sitting by her side.
"That's right, we made it this far we cannot let her go, not when we are so close!" Added Dimiryi, sitting next to her younger sister. "And we will help her remember, right?"
She glanced over at her sister who nodded in return.
"That's right! All is not lost, we can still help her, we can save her! If we can just find her alone and away from that hyu-"
"That won't be simple." All eyes looked up as Emyri climbed a high tree branch on all fours, her claws embedded firmly into the bark before settling into a comfortable laying position. "Because you are young, I do not think either of you noticed the human she is with. He shares more in common than you perceive. Her eyes, her scent, and I would assume he has her mark as well."
Syri gasped. "Her mark? No, that would mean she chose him as her-"
Dimyri pushed her arm with a crossed expression on her face, motioning with a tint of her head toward Na'Vi. Syri but her tongue and hung her head, feeling guilty for her words.
Their mother Emyri nodded, her two white tails waving beneath her as she looked on into the dark blue night sky above. "That's right, he bares my daughters mark. That is no ordinary human, that is her claim, her territory, her mate."
Na'Vi's eyes grew wide before lowering her head in defeat.
Syri stay quiet while Dimiryi hugged Na'Vi tightly.
"I'm sorry Na'Vi. Know that nothing is certain yet, we've yet to learn what has happened to our Nityri while under his care. He-"
"She chose him then." Spoke Na'Vi, "You can't be forced a mate after all. That's not how it works, is it? She chose him over me. Probably because she didn't remember me, our past, that stupid night. I would want to forget that night, too."
Emyri dropped down with a soft landing, blowing away the few leaves that followed her. "I warned you about this, did I not? I never kept secret my feelings regarding your love for her, but it was clear to me she loved you back. You had my permission, with it came my advice. What did I say then, do you remember it? Girls?"
Syri nodded, clearing her throat. "Love each other as deeply as you love yourselves, but know that nature will heed its call in the end."
"Yes, and nature has chosen. You loved her, but I warned you that a relationship has its challenges regardless if it be with another monster girl or not. Besides, there was more that happened that night. It's not fair to place the blame on yourself Na'Vi, you know this."
"It's my fault," sighed Na'Vi with tears rolling down her face. "That fight, that night. If I remained in control none of this-"
"None of it matters, we know where she is now that we found her. She just has not found us yet. We've dealt with worse before, have we not? Every mother does all she can in her life to protect her children, and protect them I shall. The wolf she is with has our scent, they will be expecting us now. We need her alone, and we need her unafraid. Her mate is a stranger to us, but not to her. If she chose him, it is only fair we give him a chance as well."
"I need her alone."
"Na'Vi, please-"
"Please, Emyri. If-If I could just speak to her alone, no interruptions, I can make her understand. I can help her remember, I promise."
Emyri sighed, looking back and forth between her daughters. "I imagine you two are in agreement with her?"
They stayed silent.
"Very well, when daylight returns we shall plan our next move."
"Um, Mother?"
Emyri turned to acknowledge her youngest daughter as she shyly pressed her paws together and rocked her body back and forth.
"Um, would it be okay if I could talk to the other woman too?"
Her sister snorted and covered her mouth, stifling a chuckle much to Syri's dismay. She angrily stomped her leg and bared her fangs, only for Dimyri to laugh even harder.
"Knock it off Dimyri, you can be s-so insensitive sometimes!"
Dimyri frowned back. "You speak nothing but lies! If you don't want to be teased, at least try to hide what is obvious!"
"You're such a hard head!" Syri growled.
"Yea, that makes you an air head!" Dimyri snarled back.
Emyri rubbed her temples and closed her eyes, whispering words of comfort to herself while her daughters hissed and snapped insults in a pattern of back and forth, resulting in the pair wrestling with each other. She stepped in and calmly parted the two apart, leaving them frozen until they immediately composed themselves and stood up straight with their heads bowed and their arms behind their backs.
"S-Sorry mother, it won't happen again." Dimyri politely stated.
"She started it." Syri mumbled back.
"Enough! You would think after what's happened, you would both learn to behave. These are dire times, our lives are at stake here. Now compose yourselves." Emyri hissed, facing her oldest. "You. As the oldest, you need to lead the example amongst your sisters and your clutter. If you are to be Head Mother, you need to control your feelings and your urge to ridicule. Learning to lead means more than acknowledging one's faults, it mean's guiding them on their path."
She spun around, glaring at Syri. "And you! You are not twelve anymore, sweetie. You will always be my baby, but today and tomorrow I need you to be smart. Think before you act, that includes knowing when is the right time to say something, or to stay quiet."
Emyri then turned her attention on Na'Vi, softening her voice with her. "Na'Vi, I understand what you are going through but I worry how you will react. You've left no secret about how you feel toward humans after your mother's absence. But when I took you in, I swore to always protect you and love you like one of my own."
When Na'Vi look at her, Emyri raised her paw to continue. "I have also made my thoughts about your pairing clear since I first learned of it, but I held my tongue and believed in the best for you both. I know what it is like to love someone regardless of what others say... I also know what the consequences may come of it. Though it may seem as though Nityri has no memory of us, she recognized me still. That gives me hope, perhaps she's not under the influence of some magical device, but I can only guess."
She rubbed her chin, pondering about what tomorrow may bring.
"Our presence is no longer a secret to them, tomorrow we will approach them as if we were friends. They might be hostile after our rough encounter, but I believe some communication will lighten their spirits and persuade them to accept our forgiveness."
"And then?" Dimyri asked.
"Then, we explain ourselves and ask for their help. If he is the man she chose as her mate, then I will trust him by trusting her. She is still my daughter, memory or not."
"But you said never to trust humans?" Syri reminded her, looking hopeful in her eyes. "Does that mean some humans are worth trusting?"
Emyri sighed, leaning against the bark of a tree and nodding her head. "I hope so. We've not much choice, I haven't the heart to pull her away from her mate."
She turned to her daughters as a gentle smile began to form. "Though it would be nice to meet this man of hers."
Dimyri and Syri giggled together, with Na'Vi turning away with a frown.
"Na'Vi, I wish things could have been different too. Can I trust you not to harm them?"
She stood up, rubbed her eyes and slowly nodded back.
Emyri wrapped her arms around her, kissing her head and patting her back. "Whatever happens, we protect each other. You are all my daughters, and we might be all we have left. In the morning, we go and see her once more, my dearest departed daughter."
"And our sister!" Nodded the other two as they joined in a family group hug.
Na'Vi closed her eyes, leaning her head against Emyri's chest while they all hugged under the light of the three moons.
Sylver Sorry for the late publish! I had the chapter ready for 3 hours, i was so sure I hit the publish button at around 8 my time. I guess I hit the save draft button by mistake. Well, apologies for the wait!
"I don't understand, I don't understand..." Na'vi repeated while pacing back and forth.
Syri, the youngest of her family, sat with her legs folded to watch Na'Vi in concern. Her older sister Dimyri was arguing with their mother about the events that had recently occurred, and Na'Vi was walking in a fit of disbelief after recent revelations of what become of her partner.
The four Nekomata picked tonight to make their move, initiating a rescue attempt after surveying and spying on Nityri's captors for several days.
Now, they had retreated into the forest in the middle of the night after failing that rescue.
It was a clear and easy process that had been prepared the day before: with Na'Vi volunteering to breech their house and distract the humans while Syri and her older sister Dimyri moved in to rescue Nityri. But Syri never expected her sister Nityri to retreat back toward her captors, and Na'Vi was unprepared for a cat fight.
Dimyri looked uneasy beside her mother, looking to her in hope that her response would bring her comfort. "Mother, why did we run away? Why didn't we take Nityri with us?"
Na'Vi gritted her teeth before spinning around in an outburst. "Didn't you see Nityri, they did something to her! She was protecting them, the way she looked at us... like we were strangers to her. Not a clue in sight regarding us, she must be under their control!"
Dimyri looked determined, reacting by raising her paw in the air. "Then we can help her, just as we did before! I didn't come all the way over just to lose my sister ag-"
"Girls!"
Both cat girls snapped shut, standing still with shivering tails and heads full of uncertainty. Their mother breathed in deep as she digesting the events of tonight, her mind still fogged with lingering questions and doubt.
"I cannot lie to my babies, I've no clue what's going on. There's more to this than we anticipated, starting with that man... you all saw him, yes? What did he look like to you?"
"Like a hyu-mane!" Chirped the youngest one, Syri, with a bright smile that showed her teeth and fangs.
Mother facepalmed as the other sister pushed her sibling aside before scolding at her. "You dummy, she means what was off about him! And I know what."
"Thank you Dimyri."
"He looks cute, and hoo-mans never look cute!" She responded with a look of confidence, her sister nodding in return.
Their mother sighed, shaking her head while both Syri and Dimyri bickered and argued. Stepping lightly among the grass, she felt the cool night breeze drape across her fur. Looking past the shivering trees she spotted Na'Vi as she slipped away in silence, perched in a field surrounded by grass tall enough to hide her body when she sat. The feeling of melancholia surrounded the poor cat, and it looked to be catching soon.
Her motherly instincts kicked in, waving her paw as she moved forward. "Girls, with me."
"Yes mother!" Both answered, quick to follow their mom towards the field before sitting alongside their sorrowful catgirl.
Sitting comfortably around their friend, the girls had no clue how to approach her or how to ease her pain. It was their mother who started the conversation first.
"Something wounds you deeply. Speak to us, let us help ease your suffering."
Na'Vi closed her eyes, plucking another strand of grass away. The frustration and anger had subsided as did her strength.
"She doesn't remember me anymore, Emyri. When our eyes met, I was rewarded with blank nothingness. She held no affection, no recognition, no sense of memory, no joyful expression. I tried to hug her and she pushed me away. She... she doesn't know who I am..."
"There there-"
"No! Can you not see? Her memory of you and I, of all of us are absent. We mean nothing to her now, they-they hurt her, they changed her, they stole her from us, from me! And now... now I am lost, and alone, and forgotten... and she doesn't think to weep for me or for us."
"We remember you, Na'vi." Syri spoke softly, sitting by her side.
"That's right, we made it this far we cannot let her go, not when we are so close!" Added Dimiryi, sitting next to her younger sister. "And we will help her remember, right?"
She glanced over at her sister who nodded in return.
"That's right! All is not lost, we can still help her, we can save her! If we can just find her alone and away from that hyu-"
"That won't be simple." All eyes looked up as Emyri climbed a high tree branch on all fours, her claws embedded firmly into the bark before settling into a comfortable laying position. "Because you are young, I do not think either of you noticed the human she is with. He shares more in common than you perceive. Her eyes, her scent, and I would assume he has her mark as well."
Syri gasped. "Her mark? No, that would mean she chose him as her-"
Dimyri pushed her arm with a crossed expression on her face, motioning with a tint of her head toward Na'Vi. Syri but her tongue and hung her head, feeling guilty for her words.
Their mother Emyri nodded, her two white tails waving beneath her as she looked on into the dark blue night sky above. "That's right, he bares my daughters mark. That is no ordinary human, that is her claim, her territory, her mate."
Na'Vi's eyes grew wide before lowering her head in defeat.
Syri stay quiet while Dimiryi hugged Na'Vi tightly.
"I'm sorry Na'Vi. Know that nothing is certain yet, we've yet to learn what has happened to our Nityri while under his care. He-"
"She chose him then." Spoke Na'Vi, "You can't be forced a mate after all. That's not how it works, is it? She chose him over me. Probably because she didn't remember me, our past, that stupid night. I would want to forget that night, too."
Emyri dropped down with a soft landing, blowing away the few leaves that followed her. "I warned you about this, did I not? I never kept secret my feelings regarding your love for her, but it was clear to me she loved you back. You had my permission, with it came my advice. What did I say then, do you remember it? Girls?"
Syri nodded, clearing her throat. "Love each other as deeply as you love yourselves, but know that nature will heed its call in the end."
"Yes, and nature has chosen. You loved her, but I warned you that a relationship has its challenges regardless if it be with another monster girl or not. Besides, there was more that happened that night. It's not fair to place the blame on yourself Na'Vi, you know this."
"It's my fault," sighed Na'Vi with tears rolling down her face. "That fight, that night. If I remained in control none of this-"
"None of it matters, we know where she is now that we found her. She just has not found us yet. We've dealt with worse before, have we not? Every mother does all she can in her life to protect her children, and protect them I shall. The wolf she is with has our scent, they will be expecting us now. We need her alone, and we need her unafraid. Her mate is a stranger to us, but not to her. If she chose him, it is only fair we give him a chance as well."
"I need her alone."
"Na'Vi, please-"
"Please, Emyri. If-If I could just speak to her alone, no interruptions, I can make her understand. I can help her remember, I promise."
Emyri sighed, looking back and forth between her daughters. "I imagine you two are in agreement with her?"
They stayed silent.
"Very well, when daylight returns we shall plan our next move."
"Um, Mother?"
Emyri turned to acknowledge her youngest daughter as she shyly pressed her paws together and rocked her body back and forth.
"Um, would it be okay if I could talk to the other woman too?"
Her sister snorted and covered her mouth, stifling a chuckle much to Syri's dismay. She angrily stomped her leg and bared her fangs, only for Dimyri to laugh even harder.
"Knock it off Dimyri, you can be s-so insensitive sometimes!"
Dimyri frowned back. "You speak nothing but lies! If you don't want to be teased, at least try to hide what is obvious!"
"You're such a hard head!" Syri growled.
"Yea, that makes you an air head!" Dimyri snarled back.
Emyri rubbed her temples and closed her eyes, whispering words of comfort to herself while her daughters hissed and snapped insults in a pattern of back and forth, resulting in the pair wrestling with each other. She stepped in and calmly parted the two apart, leaving them frozen until they immediately composed themselves and stood up straight with their heads bowed and their arms behind their backs.
"S-Sorry mother, it won't happen again." Dimyri politely stated.
"She started it." Syri mumbled back.
"Enough! You would think after what's happened, you would both learn to behave. These are dire times, our lives are at stake here. Now compose yourselves." Emyri hissed, facing her oldest. "You. As the oldest, you need to lead the example amongst your sisters and your clutter. If you are to be Head Mother, you need to control your feelings and your urge to ridicule. Learning to lead means more than acknowledging one's faults, it mean's guiding them on their path."
She spun around, glaring at Syri. "And you! You are not twelve anymore, sweetie. You will always be my baby, but today and tomorrow I need you to be smart. Think before you act, that includes knowing when is the right time to say something, or to stay quiet."
Emyri then turned her attention on Na'Vi, softening her voice with her. "Na'Vi, I understand what you are going through but I worry how you will react. You've left no secret about how you feel toward humans after your mother's absence. But when I took you in, I swore to always protect you and love you like one of my own."
When Na'Vi look at her, Emyri raised her paw to continue. "I have also made my thoughts about your pairing clear since I first learned of it, but I held my tongue and believed in the best for you both. I know what it is like to love someone regardless of what others say... I also know what the consequences may come of it. Though it may seem as though Nityri has no memory of us, she recognized me still. That gives me hope, perhaps she's not under the influence of some magical device, but I can only guess."
She rubbed her chin, pondering about what tomorrow may bring.
"Our presence is no longer a secret to them, tomorrow we will approach them as if we were friends. They might be hostile after our rough encounter, but I believe some communication will lighten their spirits and persuade them to accept our forgiveness."
"And then?" Dimyri asked.
"Then, we explain ourselves and ask for their help. If he is the man she chose as her mate, then I will trust him by trusting her. She is still my daughter, memory or not."
"But you said never to trust humans?" Syri reminded her, looking hopeful in her eyes. "Does that mean some humans are worth trusting?"
Emyri sighed, leaning against the bark of a tree and nodding her head. "I hope so. We've not much choice, I haven't the heart to pull her away from her mate."
She turned to her daughters as a gentle smile began to form. "Though it would be nice to meet this man of hers."
Dimyri and Syri giggled together, with Na'Vi turning away with a frown.
"Na'Vi, I wish things could have been different too. Can I trust you not to harm them?"
She stood up, rubbed her eyes and slowly nodded back.
Emyri wrapped her arms around her, kissing her head and patting her back. "Whatever happens, we protect each other. You are all my daughters, and we might be all we have left. In the morning, we go and see her once more, my dearest departed daughter."
"And our sister!" Nodded the other two as they joined in a family group hug.
Na'Vi closed her eyes, leaning her head against Emyri's chest while they all hugged under the light of the three moons.
Sylver Sorry for the late publish! I had the chapter ready for 3 hours, i was so sure I hit the publish button at around 8 my time. I guess I hit the save draft button by mistake. Well, apologies for the wait!
