Butterscotch

Born to a wealthy wizard's spoiled duchess of a feline, Butterscotch started life off as a normal kitten. His tawny and white fur giving no indication of what lay beneath. With kittens being born blind there was also no signs of the creature that had been born.

It wasn't until the kittens' eyes started to open that the wizard knew something was amiss with the runt of the litter. His golden yellow eyes always appeared glazed over--even after they should have fully opened. The kitten never seemed to be able to keep up with his siblings and more often than not he ran into things. It was almost as if the kitten had been born blind. But the wizard allowed the kitten to remain as their mother was extremely protective of her small family.

One night that would all change for the poor kitten. His darker nature would come forth, even if he held no control.

A rat would find its way into the kitchen, scurrying its way up onto the counter as the broom it had used would clatter to the floor. This would alert the young tawny and white kitten and arouse him from his slumber. His tawny, fluffy neck fur would shift to reveal crimson hues. His head splitting--though no pain was caused to him--as massive jaws and a long crimson hued tongue would show itself.

The kitten would give chase, finding joy in being able to see the world around him for the first time truly! His instincts would kick in, giving him the needed bust to attack the rat that caused his master grief. His chase would begin on the counter, across the cauldron, and end at the wizard's door. The kitten crashing the whole way before finally capturing the rat.

The disturbance would awaken the wizard, bringing him from his bed chambers to find the sight before him. The once docile kitten now appearing as if a monster. The wizard screamed and began to chase the kitten, who had just tried to deliver his present to his master. The kitten would be confused but his only choice being to run. He knew he would be safe with his mother and turned tail to dash back to her side. But the safe harbor he sought would not come.

His mother had awoken to the cries of her master and saw the beast that scurried for dear life back towards her. Every hair upon her body bristled as she screeched. A warning for the creature to come no closer to her small family. The kitten would stop, dead, in his tracks. His own mother turning her back on him. The stomping of the wizard's feet coming closer would force the kitten to turn and run towards the door, in the hopes of escaping. He would not make it out the door of his own accord.

The wizard would snatch him up by the scruff of his neck, tossing him harshly out the door he had tried to make it to. The kitten would laid upon his side, slamming into the stone steps that led up to the wizard's cottage. Crimson hues would stare back at his mother and former master as the wizard screamed, "Out you beast! You filthy mimic!"

The door would be slammed. The closing of one chapter upon the kitten's life.

For many months the kitten roamed the streets of the nearby town. He learned quickly to only hunt at night as far fewer people wandered then. His once happy nature being replaced with hate and anger. He wasn't a bad kitten, a beast, a monster as he had so been often called. He just wanted a place to call home, and maybe someone to give him attention as his master, and mother, once had. It didn't seem like such a hard thing to ask for--but for the small kitten it seemed as if that would never happen.

The clapping of thunder one night would give him pause in his failed hunting of the evening. It had been several days since he'd managed to catch anything and the clapping of the thunder was equally matched by the rumbling of his hollow stomach. The first few droplets of rain hitting him on his head was enough for him to seek shelter. The shelter he found was that of a covered stoop of a nearby tiny cottage.

He curled upon himself to try and stay warm as the wind picked up. About the time he was getting ready to close his eyes, trying his best to ignore the hunger pains of his stomach, the door to the tiny cottage opened. The warmth of the house flooding over him but he instantly jumped to his feet, ready to run at a moment's notice.

"You poor thing! Come, inside! We'll find you something to eat," came the soft, gentle voice of the cottage owner.

Her beak pressed together firmly as the kitten stood still. He refused to move, no one had showed him this level of kindness since he was seen as a "normal" kitten. He refused to move for he felt as if his feet were firmly rooted upon the ground in which he stood. The masked owl gave a soft chuckle before turning back towards the warm fire in which she was cooking dinner. The door remained open and it was enough of an invite, plus the loud clap of thunder, that drove the kitten into the house.

The masked owl turned, finding the young kitten standing within her kitchen. She smiled warmly before placing a small bowl of soup upon the floor. She made no moves as the kitten crept, painfully slow, towards the bowl he'd heard her sit down. He hadn't eaten in several days, and his stomach roared at the chance of food, but he knew he would not be able to eat it without revealing himself.

The owl stood back up then before moving around the small table and towards the door. He heard the door shut and dread filled him. He had no where to run if she wanted him gone. She'd trapped him in her home.

The masked owl went back to her business of fishing herself a bowl from the pot upon the fire. He'd either eat or not, she could do no more for the small creature. The kitten heard the owl sit at the table and begin her meal, but he remained where he had stalled. It was hard not to give in to eating but he couldn't stand to hear another scream or be called a beast, monster, or mimic again. So he waited.

The waiting was the hardest part, the owl seemed to have such an intense routine of going to bed. Though in hindsight, that was probably more due to how hungry he truly was. It took everything the tiny kitten had to not just give into the bowl that laid just a few feet from where he'd curled up on the kitchen floor.

Once the owl was in bed and safely snoring, the kitten stood and revealed his true nature once more. Hungry jaws devoured the soup in no time, though cold it tasted like the best meal he'd ever eaten. He was so busy devouring the first meal he'd had in days that he never noticed the masked owl getting up. His warning would come too late when the fire would flare back to life, showering him in a warm light.

Crimson hues would stare up at the masked owl, fear masking all other emotions as the hairs on the kitten's back would start to stand up. The owl would only called in a soft voice, "Such a precious little mimic you are. I thought you might be hiding something from me, and I was right. But no matter, you are safe here."

He would settle slightly just enough to finish his meal before he would find the owl sitting on the floor on the other side of the bowl. The kitten would tilt his head in a confused manner. No one had bothered to get this close in so long, it confused him. Let alone the fact that she had called him a mimic but had sounded sweet about it.

"You're gonna need a name. Hmm...let's call you Butterscotch. You kinda look like a fuzzy butterscotch with your pelt."

The kitten tilted his head the other way. He understood her as he had understood others of her kind. It was in that mimic nature of his that allowed him such but it had never been easy until now. He settled himself, making his way over to the owl's lap before brushing his head against her leg. That was all she would get that night.

He would dash off into the house, searching for a safe place to hide. He might have had a name now but that still didn't stop the disbelief that swelled within his heart. He was still scared he'd awaken in the morning to find it all a dream. He'd still be in that alleyway, attempting to kill rats as big as himself in order to survive. If it was a dream he didn't want to wake up from it.

The next morning he would hear the soft chiming of a bell. It would arouse him from his slumber with his ears flickering. His crimson hues would blink several times, appearing within the tawny scruff of his neck. It made moving easier when he just allowed his mimic nature to show, instead of trying to fit in. The chiming would lead him back into the kitchen where he would find the masked owl sitting at the kitchen table. A small box laid in front of her as the chiming was coming from the item she pulled from the box.

Butterscotch, having found he rather liked the name, would come over and brush his head against her leg. A smile would greet him before having the item lowered to him. It was a soft pink collar with a golden bell upon it. He lifted his paw and swatted at the bell, the chiming coming once more. A purr escaped his throat.

Had he really found a home? Had he finally found what he'd been seeking for all these months?

"Let's try it on, shall we?"

He wasted no time in allowing her to place the collar upon him, finding that the owl had taken extra measures to ensure the collar didn't cover up where his eyes rested upon his neck. It brought pure bless to the once hate filled kitten.

"There we go," she clapped her hands together with joy as Butterscotch shifted this way and that, giving rise to the chime, chime, chiming of his new bell. That purr only grew before he couldn't help himself and leapt into the owl's lap. His head crushing against her feathery neck as a way of saying "thank you."

She chuckled softly, "You're welcome Little One, you're safe here. I promise. This is your home as long as you wish."

She paused before adding, "I'm Noviae."

Butterscotch paused pushing, and rubbing, up against her neck long enough to stare into her eyes. He'd understood and let a soft chirp escape him. It was his way of saying "hello" before he was once more rubbing and pressing his head against Noviae's neck.

He was finally home. He'd done it! He'd found him a home and someone to give him attention that he had so often pined for. Maybe he could learn to be a normal kitten but the way Noviae acted, she didn't care that he was a mimic. He was her mimic afterall and everyone else could be damned if they couldn't accept him.