Written by Quickflicker, illustrated by Gee
Sunlight streamed in through a large bay window, the golden beams warming the two cats as they lay together, Draft on her back and Donut on her side, basking happily.
A floating dust mote drifted through a sliver of light and settled on Draft’s nose. The purple cat’s eyes snapped open, glowing white in the sunlight, and she sneezed a few times, sending the flake of dust spiraling back into the air. “Bless you,” Donut said primly from her side, eyes still closed, and Draft sniffled in reply as she rolled over, curling her tail around her mate’s and letting them intertwine lazily. “I was thinking about going to visit Jonny and Patrick this afternoon,” Donut said around a dainty yawn, before beginning to lick her white paw, “their pups are almost fully grown and I want to see them one more time before they go out on their own…” Draft regarded her with large, luminous eyes seriously. “You really love those kids… I know we haven’t talked about it too much, but do you wish we had some? Of our own, I mean?” Donut moved to face her mate, a wistful expression taking over her features. “Oh Draft, I’ve thought about it, sure. But we can’t have kittens. Not our own, at least. And that’s okay, maybe we could adopt some day...” Draft watched Donut’s face as she fell silent, and knew what she was seeing – longing. She could recognize it because she felt it too. She knew Donut wanted her own kittens, kittens that were part of them both, something she believed to be impossible. But Draft knew differently. It was time, she considered, for her best trick yet. That evening, Donut returned home from her visit with her friends and their puppies. It had been great to see them all together as a happy family, and the visit had left Donut feeling even more ready for kittens of her own. She knew it was time she and Draft had a serious discussion about starting a family, but she was at a loss on how to begin the discussion.
She got inside, but the house was dark and silent. Had Draft gone out? Just as she was getting ready to check upstairs, she heard the crackling, whistling sound that, being mates with Draft, she knew all too well – fireworks – and coming from the back yard! “Augh! She knows those aren’t allowed after she lit my tail on fire! What is she doing?!” Donut raged, and she rushed outside just as the fountain firework finished and went out with a few last colorful, crackling bursts, leaving the smoky, sulfuric scent lingering in the air in a large cloud of smoke. Looking around, Donut saw a piece of paper on the patio table, the white of it glowing in the fading light of the sunset dipping just below the horizon. She padded daintily across the wood deck to read it. “Donut – Have a seat ;) <3 Draft” Shrugging, she hopped up into the nearest chair, and- THHHHHBBBBTTTTTT! “AUUUUGHH!” Donut shrieked, hopping up to see the deflated whoopee cushion she had just sat on. “DRAFT!” she roared, and as if she’d been summoned by some dark ritual, the prankster cat came ambling up nonchalantly from around the side of the house. “Hiiiii!” she sang sweetly, and Donut glared. “What were you thinking?! You know we agreed, no more pranks in the house!” “Weeeelll, technically we aren't in the house, but you’re right… just one more?” Draft wheedled, holding up a single small pink firecracker. “What? Why? No!” Donut sputtered, “the last time you played with those, you almost burned your whiskers off!” “Nah, the last time I played with a firecracker you ended up full of kitty litter,” Draft teased with a playful wink, bumping her shoulder against her mate, “But come on, trust me…” she begged, and Donut gave an exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes. “Fine… get it out of your system…” she groaned, voice flat and resigned. |
Draft dug through the various random things stored in the hall closet, an expression of concentration on her face. As she pawed through boxes, she tossed a few things over her shoulder – a whoopee cushion, some packages of firecrackers, and some fountain fireworks.
Pranks and tricks had been banned in the house after the incident of the firecrackers in the litter box, but this was, Draft reasoned, an extenuating circumstance. And besides, the litter box prank had been amazing. The doorbell rang, startling Draft a bit and causing her tail to fluff up. After standing still for a moment, ears perked and whiskers twitching, she pranced to open the door. Standing on the front steps was a tall, slender woman in flowing blue robes, a hood hiding her face in shadow. A few tendrils of pure white hair peaked out, fluttering in the light breeze. “Draft the Pumpkin Cat, you have summoned me.” The woman spoke grandly, and Draft stepped aside to let the visitor inside with a demure bow of her head. “Thank you for coming,” the cat said, gesturing with a paw for the woman to have a seat on the nearby living room sofa, “my friends Toby and Acrobat said you may be able to help my mate and I with a problem we’re having.” The woman nodded as she sat down and folded her hands in her lap. She left her hood up. “Yes,” the woman spoke, voice echoing slightly in an almost otherworldly fashion, “I do believe I can give you what you seek. I merely need a little bit of you both…” She reached out and deftly plucked a bit of fur from Draft’s neck, seeming not to hear the cat’s squeal of surprise. “And your mate’s sample…?” Draft jumped up. “Oh, right! Umm…” she looked around for a moment, then bounded across the room to Donut’s favorite striped arm chair. She rubbed her paw back and forth across the cushion rapidly, tongue peaking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration, then lifted away a large ball of her mate’s fur. ‘Boy, we need to vacuum more often…’ she thought to herself as she handed it to the woman, who made what might have been a slight gagging sound. “....Right...” the robed woman said, and stood, robes fluttering around her despite the lack of any breeze in the house, “I will go to the place we discussed earlier and await you there.” And in a puff of sweet smelling, pink sparkling smoke, she disappeared. |
With an excited squeal, Draft lit the firecracker and tossed it into the yard. It bounced a few times in the soft grass, then flickered for a moment before exploding with a muted pop and a puff of sparkling pink smoke. A sweet scent wafted across the yard, and the air took on an almost iridescent glow.
When the smoke cleared, there stood the mysterious woman in the blue robes.
“Donut, Draft… step forward…” she said grandly, voice ringing around the two cats who stood, transfixed.
“What? I don’t understand…?” Donut said, voice subdued, feeling awed and a little undsure.
Draft gave her a reassuring smile, and guided her forward, looking into her mate's eyes with a gentle tenderness.
Once they stood before the mysterious woman, she spoke again.
“Donut, Draft… I am a Love Mystic. I am here because of a great need within you both. A need that I have the power to fulfill.”
She held out her hands. In each palm rested the fur she’d taken. She put her hands together and a pale pink glow began to form around them, growing brighter and more intense with each passing moment.
Before her on the ground a simple wooden box appeared from thin air with a soft popping sound, pink smoke wafting off of it like steam, and the Love Mystic put her glowing clasped hands inside for a moment, then withdrew them, empty. The glow had transferred to the contents of the box, and then lights and colors began flashing from within, and a strange humming sound that filled the cats' chests with a warmth and tenderness that left them both with teary eyes.
And then, it all stopped.
The Love Mystic gestured to the box and took a measured step away, clasping her hands behind her back.
Donut and Draft looked at each other apprehensively, before cautiously approaching the box. Together they peered inside, and were stunned to see...
When the smoke cleared, there stood the mysterious woman in the blue robes.
“Donut, Draft… step forward…” she said grandly, voice ringing around the two cats who stood, transfixed.
“What? I don’t understand…?” Donut said, voice subdued, feeling awed and a little undsure.
Draft gave her a reassuring smile, and guided her forward, looking into her mate's eyes with a gentle tenderness.
Once they stood before the mysterious woman, she spoke again.
“Donut, Draft… I am a Love Mystic. I am here because of a great need within you both. A need that I have the power to fulfill.”
She held out her hands. In each palm rested the fur she’d taken. She put her hands together and a pale pink glow began to form around them, growing brighter and more intense with each passing moment.
Before her on the ground a simple wooden box appeared from thin air with a soft popping sound, pink smoke wafting off of it like steam, and the Love Mystic put her glowing clasped hands inside for a moment, then withdrew them, empty. The glow had transferred to the contents of the box, and then lights and colors began flashing from within, and a strange humming sound that filled the cats' chests with a warmth and tenderness that left them both with teary eyes.
And then, it all stopped.
The Love Mystic gestured to the box and took a measured step away, clasping her hands behind her back.
Donut and Draft looked at each other apprehensively, before cautiously approaching the box. Together they peered inside, and were stunned to see...
Kittens!
“Through the pure and true love the both of you share, these kittens have been brought into existence,” the Love Mystic began, voice taking on an ethereal, otherworldly quality, “they are a part of you both, your true children. May the love you feel for one other and for your kittens grow – raise them well, for they are touched by true love and will do great things.”
And then she disappeared in a puff of pink, sparkling smoke, leaving the new parents reeling.
Donut and Draft stared down into the box, then looked up at each other, matching expressions of wonder and tenderness on their faces. Draft beamed.
“Best prank ever!”
“Through the pure and true love the both of you share, these kittens have been brought into existence,” the Love Mystic began, voice taking on an ethereal, otherworldly quality, “they are a part of you both, your true children. May the love you feel for one other and for your kittens grow – raise them well, for they are touched by true love and will do great things.”
And then she disappeared in a puff of pink, sparkling smoke, leaving the new parents reeling.
Donut and Draft stared down into the box, then looked up at each other, matching expressions of wonder and tenderness on their faces. Draft beamed.
“Best prank ever!”