Tiger Bloom

by Tundara

Part Three: Among the Blue Petals

Tiger Bloom

Part Three

That afternoon I dreamt, and I remembered.

The first thing I noticed as the haze of the dream fell into the more solid shapes of memories was the crowd of brightly coloured creatures watching me from the far side of an empty moat. Their side was raised a few feet higher than mine so that they looked down on me, guarded by an iron fence. Behind me was a tall stone wall that curved around to meet the ends of ramps leading down into the moat.

I was a prisoner.

Just as I was finishing my observation of my surroundings a shrill shriek followed by a collective gasp from the far side of the moat ripped through my ears. The dream was filled briefly with a short little tearing sound of fabric being ripped. My head snapping towards the sounds, I saw a large ebony creature looking down into the moat. But of more interest was that all the other creatures were looking into the moat and not at me. On a prong at the top fence danced a scrap of pink in the gentle afternoon breeze.

A second shrill scream filled the memory, this time coming from the bottom of the moat. Blinking in surprise I realised that someone was in the moat; my moat. From the depths of the memory I felt an alien thought surface, one that wondered if large ebony creature had given me a treat. Smiling a curved smile, I stood eliciting a collective gasp and fearful murmur from the growing crowd of creatures. To my left I saw another orange and black shape also begin to move.

Czarina.

The name came clear into my mind in the dream along with another word.

Sister.

Side by side the two of us made our way to the edge of the moat. The spindly creatures went silent at our approach. The large ebony one had started to climb the fence, but was being held back by three others.

“Brother, this is new,” Czarina's tail flicked with excitement as she reached the edge of the moat and looked down on a sobbing pink and milky brown girl.

“I don’t like new. Caretakers only ones that enter territory. They wait until we sleep in den,” I responded with my ears flat.

I could feel the uncertainty and fear towards the caretakers bubbling through my more primal self. I wish I could have asked Czarina about the caretakers; who or what were they? What were these creatures? Why did they keep us as prisoners? Questions I couldn’t voice as Czarina and I descended into the moat.

Above us the collectively held breath of the creatures broke into a torrent of jeers and shouting. An aluminum can connected with my shoulder bouncing harmlessly next to my massive paws. Looking up at the wall of colour above me, I felt a wave of anger directed at my tormentors. Ears back I let a roar rumble towards the top of the moat. A few of the creatures flinched, but most continued to wave their arms and shout.

They are trying to drive my sister and me away from the girl, I realised. She wasn’t supposed to be here. The large ebony male was trying to scale the fence again, his mouth was practically frothing as he yelled and screamed. The others could no longer hold him back and as a second collective gasp escaped the crowd he tumbled down into my moat.

Now I could feel the deep thrum of thoughts that were incensed, and strangely excited.

This was new, and while it was true I didn’t like new, this had become a good kind of new. This was interesting. My territory was being invaded and I could actually defend it. My muscles burned in anticipation and my smile grew wider as I growled at the large ebony creature.

“The Caretakers aren’t going to be happy,” Czarina growled from her belly as she began to circle around the two intruders.

“Caretakers aren't here,” I snarled in response drawing out a questioning look from my sister.

“What of Caretaker Selena? She will be angry,” teased Czarina as she stood on the opposite side of the creatures.

Caretaker Selena; the name conjured a wave of images of a lithe pale skinned female creature smiling at me. Something about her made me a little weak in the knees. Maybe it was the way she’d reach through the chain links that formed my cage and bed in the cave behind my territory to scratch me behind the ears. Or it could be how she'd hold me in her lap when I was a cub while she read. She was the only caretaker that wasn’t afraid of me and one of the few caretakers I remember as an individual, all the others being an amalgam of grey and silence.

But not Selena. She had even sat in my little cage when I was ill and too weak to pose a threat. Her firm nimble fingers kneading the sore tender spots in my neck and shoulders, she sang to me all evening as my body fought the disease. When not off doing whatever it was caretakers did she spent much of her time with my sister and me. Czarina politely ignored my infatuation with Selena.

As the wave of deeper memories passed, I saw that the male had picked up the girl. I presume she was his offspring. What a fool for letting her fall into my territory. He was trying to shield her with his thick arms while looking for a way past my sister and me. Claws clicked on the hard white surface of the moat as my smile widened.

“Kill gets rock for one moon?” Czarina asked licking her chops.

“ I already own rock,” I snarled even as I shifted my back legs to get ready to pounce.

Huffing derisively Czarina said, “I could take rock any time I want.”

“No, I am stronger,” I stated judging the short distance between me and my target.

As Czarina began another verbal jab I leapt with a roar.

“Hey! Not fair!” she yelled as I impacted on the male.

Wrapping my paws around his broad back I smothered the girl’s screams in the fur of my chest. He was large and muscular among the creatures, but still only half my own size and weight. Coupled with trying to shield his offspring there was no contest in this fight, if it could be called one. Mouth wide my head darted down as the crowd above let out a torrent of noise. Through my teeth I felt the rapid pulse of the male. Still smiling I bit down.

It was then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of pink tied in a bow holding back rich brown hair.

Roaring I erupted out of the dream and back into the forest my eyes flying open wide.

“Mr. Cat, Mr. Cat, are yah alright?” came the frightened voice of Apple Bloom.

Momentarily confused by the change from dream to reality I looked around for the ebony male or crowd expecting to still be in the moat. Instead all I saw were the little fingers of golden light filtering through the branches high above and the little filly with the torn pink ribbon, a torn pink ribbon with a couple splotches of grey on its surface. Sniffing I detected the distinct metallic aroma of blood. Someone had been bleeding. Shifting my weight I realised it had been me.

"I'm alright, Apple Bloom," I grunted wiping away the remnants of sleep from my eyes. "I was just having a bad dream, or memory.

Apple Bloom looked up at me with her large golden eyes, head tilted to one side. Kicking a hoof at a couple stones she asked, "Uh, are those growls yah talking?"

I looked at her for a long moment after her words registered.

She couldn't understand me.

Which made sense. She was far more vocal and I can't form words in the same method. I thought back on her body language when she had been talking earlier. After considering the past conversations I gave my head a nod.

"Oh," she said, her ears laying flat. "But yah can understand me, right?"

Again I nodded.

"Well, that's good, ah guess," she said, then her ears suddenly perked up an excited light coming to her eyes. "Hey, that means ah can talk with animals, like Fluttershy! Maybe talking with animals is my special talent!"

Lifting up a hind leg she peered at her flank. After several seconds her shoulders slumped.

"Aw, phoey. Ah'm never going to get my Cutie Mark."

"What's a 'Cutie Mark'?" I asked in my peculiar combination of growls, facial expressions, and tail twitches.

Canting her head at my indecipherable question, Apple Bloom asked, "Yah're asking about Cutie Marks, ah suppose, right?"

Once more, I nodded. At least I could give her an affirmative. It was something.

A half-hour later I was so glad I had asked about 'Cutie Marks' as Apple Bloom finished describing every insane plan conceivable she and her two friends had tried. I was amazed by her descriptions of such things as 'zip-lining' or 'gliding'. The image of Apple Bloom suspended beneath a piece of yellow and red cloth, descending like an eagle, made me laugh.

Laughing, I found, hurt.

Looking down at my chest I saw Apple Bloom had created and placed a compress of leaves against the long cut I’d received from the dragon’s tail. The green of the compress had become mostly grey as I bled. This was bad, very bad, I realised. We had to keep moving if we wanted to avoid the wolves, and probably an irate dragon as well now.

“Don’t yah worry none, Mr. Cat, Ah took care of yah while yah slept,” the Apple Bloom said proudly. “Ah found some Healwort moss,” the filly continued, puffing out her chest and pointing a hoof at the compress. “Zecora showed me how to collect and apply it. Yah should be good as new in a day or two.”

She had such a happy honest smile that I couldn’t bring myself to shatter her victory. We couldn’t wait there while I healed. We needed to put some more distance between us and the dragon's cave, and those wolves showed an unhealthy determination to track us. I had little doubt that if any of them survived the dragon they’d re-group and begin the hunt anew. It’s what I would do if the positions were reversed.

Slowly I rose to my weary paws letting the soiled compress fall to the forest floor. At once Apple Bloom was in front of me glaring with those bright golden eyes.

“Oh no yah don’t!” she admonished and I felt my ears flick back in embarrassment. “Yah ain’t in no condition to be running about.”

I could have protested, but she wouldn't have understood anything I said. Checking the wound I saw to my surprise that it was closed with a healthy looking scab. I’d not want to do anything too strenuous in case it re-opened but I was sure that I’d be able to keep a decent pace without too much to worry about. Smiling at this development, I was fully expecting to have to find a better hiding place while the wound closed enough to allow travel.

Motioning with a paw for Apple Bloom to follow, I headed off.

“Ah don’t think this is a good idea, Mr. Cat,” she sighed walking along beside me. “Yah really should rest a bit longer and let the Healwort do its work.”

I shook my head, and even though I knew it would be meaningless to her, I said, "We can't stay that close to the cave. The dragon will be able to smell my blood. I'm surprised it hasn't found us already."

"Ah hope that was yah saying yah think Ponyville is this way."

Apple Bloom's remark didn't register as over and over the memories replayed themselves in my head. I wondered what had happened to the girl with the pink ribbon in her hair. The memory of biting was clear in my mind. But what had happened afterwards? Had I gone after the girl after mauling her father? The similarities between the girl and the filly didn’t escape my notice.

That gave me a moment of pause. What precisely was I doing? Was I trying to get Apple Bloom home? Sate my own curiosity? Why hadn't I eaten Apple Bloom yet, and would I when I fully understood the mystery of my past. I had two clues, my reaction to the bow in her mane, and the still lingering image of the bow in the dream. But it wasn't enough. I hadn't felt anything killing the rabbit and mice the previous night. There was no reason attacking one of those things that kept me trapped would affect me any differently. Food is food, and prey to be hunted.

Was it some latent guilt that compelled me to save the filly and protect her? Was I even capable of feeling guilty? I believe I am, but how am I to know? It’s not like I can say ‘Yes, I feel guilt!’ if I have no conception of what the emotion truly feels like.

After pondering matters for several minutes I couldn't come to any clear decisions. For the time being I'd continue onwards, and maybe the Fates would help sort it out.

Now that I was awake and back on my paws I was becoming aware of my old friend, hunger. A few rodents and a rabbit really wasn’t enough with all the running and trudging I was doing. As I began to make my way east I hoped that Apple Bloom had been smart and found herself something to eat. At least unlike me it was relatively easy for her.

At some point Apple Bloom had scampered back onto my shoulders. She really enjoyed the view the added height provided, humming slightly off-key as she rested her head on top of mine.

I was so lost in my thoughts I failed to keep track of where I was going. One paw moved in front of the other in an automatic motion as I wandered through the forest. Apple Bloom had fallen asleep resting on my back lulled into peaceful slumber by the rhythmic motion of my shoulders. She had even started to snore. It was so cute my heart almost collapsed in on itself.

Half-way through a patch of lovely blue flowers that clung like a dense carpet to the forest floor beneath the shading arms of trees the wolves caught up to us. They were learning, no longer howling when they caught our scent. Apple Bloom snapped awake as growling began to filter through the trees as the pack closed in for the kill. With my wound I wasn’t keen on running or fighting and for once found myself at a loss as what action to take.

The wolves were pounding down the path towards us. I had only moments to decide what to do but my brain was stuck helplessly spinning in circles. Then the wolves stopped dead in their tracks at the edge of the patch of flowers. Giving the flowers a wide berth they started to pace back and forth snarling and growling at the filly and me. To say I was dumbfounded would be an understatement. The wolves had us dead to rights, and yet they had stopped.

Then Apple Bloom looked down and shrieked.

“Poison Joke! Yah’re standing in Poison Joke!” she yelped trying to climb higher on my back to escape the flowers.

Now I was really confused. Why were the wolves and the filly so scared of some silly flowers? Oh, how I wish I had known then what I know now. I’d have been climbing the nearest tree in blind panic if I had understood just why the denizens of the forest avoid that devilish little flower. Instead I just turned and started to trot away from the wolves at a slightly quicker pace, but not enough to endanger re-opening the wound.

Seeing me get away the smallest, and I presume youngest, of the wolves let out a snarl and gave chase through the flowers. It made it only a few steps before it stopped dead in its tracks. Giving out a yelp the Wood Wolf fell to the forest floor. I stopped to watch in curious bemusement. The other wolves stood at the edge of the flowers watching their pack member.

My mouth dropped open a moment later as the young wolf raised itself back up out of the flowers. Branches sprouted from its side even as its four legs grew longer reaching towards the hidden sky. Leaves and orange blossoms bloomed along the new branches. In the space of a few moments the wolf had become a true tree, only the slight remnant of its face showing in the bark to indicate that it had ever been anything else.

Now I was afraid of the flowers.

Wolves made of wood and dragons are one thing, but flowers that can turn you into a tree? That is just terrifying! Finally understanding Apple Bloom's fear I was running, wound or no wound. The flowers seemed to stretch on forever away from the wolves. It was a trick of the panic reaching into the deepest part of my brain, but it felt like forever before I emerged from the far side flowers.

In the distance the wolves were howling as they mourned the loss of two pack members in one day. Me, I was busy making sure my fur wasn’t turning into bark or sprouting leaves and flowers. The filly jumped off my back scratching at her own limbs and shuddering at the idea of being in a patch of the blue flower. We both eventually calmed down. Nothing seemed to be out of place. I wasn’t turning into a tree and neither was she.

I actually let myself believe that I’d be fine.

It’d just be a little while before that evil little flower would play its ‘joke’ on me.

Comments

[Max]

I wonder what will happen to mr. kitten.. if those were poison joke flowers, doesnt that mean they are close to ponyville?

[La Barata]

Excellent chapter as usual. I really think it adds a lot to the story, her not understanding him.

[Tundara]

976607

Could be close, could be on the other side of the forest. No telling how many patches of Poison Joke there are in the Everfree.

977622

I think so as well. Yes/no answers is about as far as they'll be able to communicate. It prevents things from being too static, but keeps that wall between them.

[mrmayortheiv]

That... was cool. I would never have even considered poison joke doing that. The memories he is getting back are cool too, I find myself wondering what has changed him so much, being in Equestria? Being (possibly) put down as a result of what happened? I guess I'll find out.

[BellChime]

OK, now it's clear it's not that, but it was a good guess, right?