//------------------------------//
// Sloth, The Cat 
// Story: Memories Of The Flask 
// by WindigogoGadget 
//------------------------------//

That was what she called him.

Sloth. The lazy cat.

Well, it was more of a rude observation by the bug lady, Chrysalis, but that was neither here nor there. His purpose, or his origin, was sloth. He was naturally lazy, ergo he was Sloth the lazy cat.

He would have liked to nap around the hive, the hive was nice and dark and made it easy to sleep, but apparently being separated from Alyosha made him all efficient with a brain idea that he couldn't understand so Chrysalis had more or less just dropped him in some fields near a rock formation and just said "Good luck".

Why was he a he again? Well, he was too lazy to change to something else. Assigned lazy male by shapeshifter queen at creation. Why was he a cat? Well, he didn't like to draw too much attention and cats were always comfortable, so it seemed like a no-brainer. He was a small thing, pitch black fur, green eyes that were stolen from the bug queen, and a voice that he copied off of Alyosha except slightly pitched down.

He also had a set of twin tails. See, he wasn't able to get his balance right on just one, so he decided managing two would be easier, but somewhere along the line they started leaking out these brilliant white flames that were chockful of abyssal energy, and he couldn't figure out how to stop bleeding the stuff everywhere so the flames had stuck around for what was maybe...

Well, he didn't know too much. He just knew that the locals would pet him every now and then, leave a dish of water, wine, or whatever and food that wasn't hay, and that sometimes they'd ask him for his fire or a blessing and they thought he was good luck-

There were a lot of things that the locals did. Figuring it out was a pain. But the pain was sometimes enjoyable with pets.

A long time ago there was a pony who saw his flames, he'd gotten separated from his caravan of settlers who had all the main supplies and he needed some shelter. I couldn't give him any, obviously, I was just a cat who was sleeping on a nice tall rock. So the pony took the flames from my tail and used them to light a great fire to keep him warm, eventually, the flames died out so he asked if he could stay near me. I let him.

Turns out that since he got lost and didn't die he and his caravan quit while they were ahead and used the plains as prime dirt to build on. I lost the peace and quiet that day for a bit of time, but once they were done settling, well everything just went quiet and peaceful again. That and apparently the area near me was some type of sacred ground, no predators would come near, and no pesky bunnies would come to steal the crops either. The birds didn't mind me, oddly enough.

Not a fan of all the apple trees, but they make good shade at least.

I yawned and stretched my legs. It was a while since I'd walked around the town. I stepped out of the little cubby a kid made for me a long time ago. I still stayed out in the open, but someone had taken a wood box and put clay shingles and tarred them black, and made them all pretty. It felt like a little temple. Felt a little wasted on me.

There were more apple trees than ever apparently. There was a foal that was petting me, I didn't mind, another excuse to be lazy. But not too lazy, I didn't want to fall asleep for a week again. I'd like to spend some time awake. My dreams don't come when I sleep. I think the original had trouble with having dreams too. I wonder how they're doing these days?

All I feel these days is sad. But at least I can eat. I think I might be the only one that can. And I wasn't even made with much effort. Just low quality chaff that couldn't even make it's own body efficiently. The world feels colder.

I stopped next to a wood wall. More ponies walking by. One waves at me. I wave a tail back. Maybe there'll be a visitor. A visitor I know.

...I'm going back to sleep. They'll wake me up when they need... me...





I jolted awake. 

It was a little misty. No. Rainy? Wet. Much wet, in the air, not heavy wet, light wet, like light fog, like when the sky doesn't cry sadly. 
Forget the wet, there was a friend nearby. Dark friend. Shadow friend. Overwhelming pressure. Definitely another shadow. Older model? New model? I couldn't tell.

I stared at the source of gravity, took steps on little cat feet towards it. Towards Her. The only Her worth respecting more than the Queen. 

Luna. Dark Princess. Mane of a thousand stars. She's a friend. Ingrained in my black blood is the memory of her friendship with the original. In all of us. This was so exciting! So tiring! A friend had come visit! What was she doing out here? Was she busy? She's looking at me. I ran towards her. Didn't see her horn light up. I jumped around her, rubbed the fluff near a leg and tried to speak. Barely could.
"Friend!" I meowed. First word i've spoken in forever.

"Play! Come play!" I bounced off of here and ran a short distance. I was tired again. But I wanted to play. Then I could ask about where she'd been for so long. The original had gotten sad without anyone. Maybe she'd tell me. Maybe id fall asleep while she talked, and I'd dream about the bits i heard.

Dreaming can wait. Play-time now. "Come play!" Tag. Remembered tag. Lots of fillies perked up. Pony-kids. They chased after me too, played tag with their own friends too. Lots of fun. Some brown colt tagged me, then we all ran from him. I jumped up a fence and straight into someone else who got tagged. Had no idea. But then it was my turn again to chase. 

Luna was a little quiet. I remember lots of noise from her, from old memories. But I could see a little bit of smile on her face. She ran from me for a little while, then I tagged her, pawed at her nose and bounced away lighter than a feather. She made funny faces. Cross-eyed looks were always funny.

I hopped up fences and down carts. I lost the pony kids, but I gave them a great big smile while I led Luna around the corner of a building. Bakery I think. Smelled like tasty bread. I like smells. I like noise. I love playing!

Then, Luna tagged me. So I chased her around the block. Followed her through some mossy bits of ground, spongy moss was the closest thing I had to a fluffy pillow. The town was so big to me, she was leading me through places I'd never seen before, always too tired, too lazy to see. Then the led me to small boulder outside of town. Far away. I could feel the mild burning of lamp-light fade away, what few lamps that weren't lit by my flames anyways.

I tagged her, and rolled onto my side with a smile. I was so tired and happy. Then she tagged me right on the head. I was too slow to move.

The chase was fun, Luna seems tired... Sad. Frowning. The same face of a friend that has to go. The fun must be over then. That's okay. I'm here. I rub against a leg, wanting to cheer her up. Things may not have turned out as fun as they could be, but that's okay. She raised a hoof and started to pet me, so I purred. Purring was nice. I learned to purr from a mother all of us knew a long time ago. We miss her every day.

...Her hoof is kind of heavy. Pressing down a little. Watery eyes. But I don't care. I'm here, to spend time with a friend.
Heavier. Heavier. Too heavy. Then...

Crush. The skull of the child's ghost crumpled under her cloven weight. 'For the good of all of us.' She thought.

The undreaming beasts head lay broken and splattered amongst the grass, black ichor sprayed everywhere. On remnants of its face, was a smile, still staring peacefully at her. She hated looking at it, but she stared at it anyways. Luna saw how the long black tails of the shade were slowly and gently burned away by white flames, like candlewicks. The flames ate away at the body leaving neither smoke nor soot, and were warm in an indescribable way, evoking feelings of peace that drowned out the remorse that wanted to devour her.

Not even the blood remained. The twin flames converged into one white wisp of flame, floating but a hoof off the ground. The spirit of the shade still remained, it seemed. It seemed that this duty was not so simple as she wanted it to be.

She prepared a spell, examining the flame with her magic she found only contentment. Innocent. Aware. Uncaring that she had destroyed its vessel. In fact it seemed like it wanted to play more. Her spell would put an end to all of it. For the safety of all life, she pointed her horn directly at the giggling flame...

And choked.

"Little wanderer." Her voice cracked, her eyes aglow with ghosts of tears. Her spell dispelled, she pointed to the town she had lead him so far away from. 

"Hie thee home."