One With Nature
Sabin got up early that morning, and hurried out to the small brook that babbled just a ways down the country road. He arrived with the first rays of sunlight reaching over the area, and bathed in their peacefulness. Despite the cold air of the rural summer morning, Sabin leapt into the brook, as was his daily habit at this time. It was icy, and it gave the young tom the thrill of his life. After splashing a bit more in the feeble current of the brook and letting the sun dry and warm him, he bounded back to the house, feeling refreshed.
The odor of dead fish baited him into the kitchen for breakfast. Warm milk and fish, straight from Yoshi's kitchen, there was nothing like it for miles around. Sabin took his seat next to Vargas, bowing to Master Duncan before doing so. Yoshi bustled in with the meal, and kissed Master Duncan on the cheek. After making her way around to kiss Vargas' forehead, she took the place at the other side of Sabin. Rheamose, Duncan's daughter, followed behind her, and took the last place between her father and older brother. She took a great liking to Sabin, and Sabin knew it. She was often very silent during meals.
As they ate, Yoshi inquired Sabin of his whereabouts that morning. "Down at the brook again, eh?" she said with a grin. Sabin nodded. "It's wonderful there, Yoshi, you should see it," he told the Master's mate. Vargas grunted but continued eating his meal, thinking Sabin's morning journeys to the brook were a waste of time. Duncan paid his son no mind. "Catch the sunrise this time, Sabin?" he asked his student, even though he knew the answer. Sabin nodded vigorously.
Things went like this nearly every morning. Then, Sabin asked politely, "May I have some more, Yoshi?" Yoshi replied, "Certainly, Sabin. My toms need their strength!" With that cheerful smile of hers, she returned to the kitchen, and brought a second helping for Vargas and Duncan, too. The meal went on, with much conversation from the two young toms. Teasingly after some time, Duncan put in, "Where's the rest of mine?" as he went out to the kitchen for his third mountain of fish. Sabin watched him in amazement. Before he'd met Duncan, he didn't think it was felineley possible to devour all of that food, and he was still having trouble watching him do it, despite his long life with the Master and his family. Yoshi said cheerfully, "If you keep this up, Duncan, Dear Duncan, you're going to eat me out of house and home!" They all enjoyed a laugh at that one.
~-~
After they'd digested the meal and finished conversation, Duncan called Vargas and Sabin to him. "We're going outdoors to train. Come." The toms stretched their muscles. Sabin and Vargas bowed to Duncan, and then Vargas raced Duncan, the latter coming out victorious. He didn't look tired or challenged in the least bit. Sabin raced his Master next, and the student won this time. Vargas turned his head and wore a nasty expression of jealousy, but Duncan didn't seem to notice. "Very good, Sabin. You've learned well," he said with pride. He turned to his son, and told him, "We'll work on your speed, all right Vargas?" The students stayed silent, and they moved on, Sabin seemingly doing better than Vargas throughout the whole session. The three came in after working through the whole afternoon, tired and hungry.
~-~
Yoshi looked uneasy, as did Rheamose. "What is it, Dear?" asked Duncan of his mate. "I...I...wish to speak to Sabin..." she said shakily. Father and son both left, not without strange looks to each other and Sabin. Sabin was terribly confused. He bowed to Yoshi, and asked, "Why do you want to see me, Yoshi? What is it?" Rheamose slipped Sabin a piece of gold paper with elegant black writing on it. Yoshi explained. "It came today by way of messenger....from the coast..." Sabin felt so small when he heard the gray queen say 'coast'. Something burst inside of him, and his eyes looked red and fierce instead of their gentle silver. Yoshi looked down at her white daughter, whose eyes were blue and fearful as they looked back up at her.
Sabin gingerly unfolded the letter, and, after reading it, he cried out, "I'll never return to you, Macavity!" He bolted off to his mat. After finding paper and a bottle of ink, he started to write.
Macavity,
You vile scum! You may have brainwashed my brother into slavery. You may have made advances towards my mother against my will, and my father may have volunteered his services and family to you, but I am not one of them. No matter what you think, you cannot touch me again. I ran, and I ran, and I ran. I am still running. I'm not getting tired, Macavity. I will never get tired! As long as good conquers evil, I will never stop running, for I run on the wings of the wind, and I tread on the rays of the sun, the clouds guiding my course. You will never experience the joy of slicing a blade across my neck, and watching my head tumble to the floor. You will never have the thrill of flogging me to death. You will never see me falter under a burden from you. I will never bend to do your will! I will never let your name come from my lips without hating myself for it! I WILL NEVER BE YOUR FAITHFUL SERVANT! THAT IS A PROMISE!
Your Worst Nightmare
Sabin ran down the road to Hermes, a small cat who acted as messenger for the inhabitants of the hills. "Bring this to Macavity's Lair, and make sure no one sees it!" he said sharply to his small friend. Bewildered, Hermes took the letter and ran off with a burst of speed toward the coast.
~-~
Back at home, Rheamose was crying hysterically into her brother's fur. Vargas was hard, and his hatred and jealousy of Sabin soared out now. "What do you see in that loathsome creature?" Rheamose looked up in fury, and gouged his face. "I...I love him!" she stammered, and ran off. Vargas leapt after her, calling her to come back, but it was all in vein. She was much lighter and faster than him. He returned, defeated.
Duncan was getting worried. The sun was setting, and neither his daughter nor Sabin had returned. He paced the steps, lines and wrinkles in his face. With age came wisdom and experience, but there was always something new to encounter. He wasn?t worried about Sabin surviving. He didn't have to be, the two year-old was one with nature. It was his Rheamose that he was worried about. She had the ability to survive, and she too, was at peace with nature, but did she know how to find that peace and exercise it to live?
~-~
Sabin came to the brook to find Rheamose there, crying for him. He slowly came near to her from behind and slipped his paws around her. She looked up at him, and started to sob into his fur. He kissed the top of her head, and wiped the tears away that caught in her whiskers. Sabin let her cry all she wanted to, and he found a tear lingering in his own eye. He whispered softly in her ear words of peace and calm. He rocked her back and forth.
Rheamose grasped his chin gently, and turned his head. She reached up to place her lips on his, their eyes closed. Sabin pulled away, slightly afraid. Rheamose whispered to him sweetly, sensing his hesitation, "Don't be afraid...it's only Love..." Sabin leaned in slowly, and kissed her cheek. Rheamose declared, her voice unsteady, yet sure, "I love you with all of my heart, soul, and body." Sabin looked into her deep blue eyes, and got lost in their ocean of sincerity. Not being able to resist her any longer, his lips found hers, and he kissed her tenderly.
~-~
Yoshi was distraught. She was tense, and her fur was matted and dirty. She sat cradling Vargas, who was upset that he'd failed in fetching Rheamose. "You tried, Vargas, you tried. There was no more you could do," Yoshi whispered to him, trying to supply comfort. Vargas answered coldly, "If it wasn?t for Sabin, none of this would have happened. He is what upset her!" Yoshi became outraged. "Never have I heard you say something so untrue and vulgar!"
Duncan kept to his pacing, pretending not to hear his life-mate and his son bickering. He felt insecure, as this was tearing the rest of his family apart.
~-~
Back at the brook, a thunderous crash set Sabin back on his guard, and he barked to Rheamose, "Get away from here!" He knew who it was, and so did Rheamose. "NO! I won't leave you!" "NOW!" he roared. Rheamose stayed put, and got in a protective stance in front of Sabin. "Clear out of here, I beg of you!" Sabin pleaded as Macavity bounded onto the scene, laughing gutturally, and before Sabin could thrust Rheamose out of the way, Macavity was upon her, and she was dead within seconds.
Sabin, in a rage more fierce than the worst evil could produce, leapt onto Macavity's back, battling him ferociously. "YOU KILLED HER!" he bellowed. "YOU'VE KILLED MY RHEAMOSE!!!" Macavity turned on Sabin, and pinned him. "I'VE GOT YOU NOW, MY FAITHFUL SERVANT!" "NEVER!" was Sabin's reply as he thrust Macavity off of him and sent him into the brook. Macavity landed on a rock, and fell unconscious. Sabin splashed in after him, and raised his body to kill Macavity. He was just about to strike when he faltered, and stepped back.
Sabin could not bring himself to kill his life-long enemy. He could not take another's life in cold bloodshed. Sabin realized that he would be stooping just as low as Macavity, and that murdering him would not avenge Rheamose's death. Nothing could bring her back to his own arms. Sabin ran. Good conquers evil, he never got tired of running, and he ran on the wings of the wind, and trod on the rays of the sun, the clouds guiding his course to home. He cried all the way home, and threw himself on his mat when he reached it.
Yoshi and Vargas, hearing him, ran out to him. Yoshi embraced him tightly, but Sabin acted as if she wasn't there. Vargas shouted at him. "Where's Rheamose?!" Sabin muttered through gritted teeth, "She's dead." Vargas tore his mother away from Sabin, and the students went into a raging battle.
Yoshi ran to Duncan, who, after hearing what happened from Yoshi, yelled, "VARGAS! LEAVE HIM!" It was no use. Duncan pulled Vargas over, but Vargas was struggling away. Duncan thought, You leave me no choice, as he launched an attack on Vargas. Sabin and Yoshi watched as they molded into a giant brown ball of sound, terror, violence, and danger. There was soon a pool of blood, and Vargas emerged as the victor, not seeming to care that he'd just killed his own father.
"Run, Yoshi, PLEASE!" urged Sabin. Yoshi, terrified of her son and of Sabin, fled for her life. Vargas snarled at Sabin as they bowed to each other. He growled as they circled about, each waiting for the other to make the first move, "You were always his favorite, Sabin. The Master always liked you. You were to be his successor!" Sabin's face went pale with horror. Vargas pounced upon him, and a blur of black and brown formed from what once were the two toms. Sabin had no other option but to kill Vargas, otherwise he would have to die instead. Sabin needed to make sure that Yoshi was safe, she had no one else left, as she now feared her own son. As Vargas lay dying, Sabin explained to him, "That isn't true! He was going to make YOU Master, Vargas! You were his son! He loved you! But you allowed yourself to become a creature of evil, Vargas, you let hate and jealousy block out nature-," Vargas' eyes rolled back in his head. Sabin finished the sentence, talking to himself. "-And now....now, it is too late," he whispered.
Sabin went to find Yoshi. He found her when he checked in Hermes' home on the smallest and farthest hill. Sabin took Hermes aside. "Hermes, please, take care of her for me?" Hermes nodded solemnly, knowing, as was his way. Sabin kissed Yoshi's cheek, and took a deep breath. He explained to them, "I must leave. Macavity will hunt me, and he will never give up. I promise, I shall return someday. Goodbye, my friends." Without another word, Sabin set off with the sunset, One With Nature.
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