Chickadee

Chickadee was born to Songbird with the help of a surrogate.

She had a happy family growing up, with her two moms Songbird and Bug, and her sister Owl, always treating her well. Owl was an excitable kitten and often wanted to play with Chickadee. Chickadee would roll with it, happy that her sister wanted to play with her. It was already easy to see how relaxed Chickadee was.

From a young age, Chickadee struggled with how she perceived herself. It was hard to explain, so she’d subtly ask her mothers if they didn’t always feel like girls. They were often confused due to Chickadee dancing around the real question. Chickadee, after some time of questioning themself, announced to their family that they felt female, male, and everything in between, just at different times. They were very happy to be met with support.

As Chickadee grew older, they started exploring the small territory Songbird and Bug kept. Owl was especially fond of adventures so she’d often take Chickadee out with her. Together, the two would practice hunting and fighting. Songbird and Bug could see that their children would want to go and experience the world for themselves soon. So they’d try to pass on any useful survival information to Chickadee and Owl before they left.

Owl left the nest before Chickadee did. Leaving felt like the biggest decision of Chickadee’s life, and while he thought it was going to be worth it, he would give himself plenty of time to think about it. He was glad that Songbird and Bug encouraged him, otherwise, he would’ve been too hesitant to make a decision on what he’d do with his life. Some time passed and Chickadee said goodbye to his moms. He felt bad seeing his moms cry, but he didn’t want to be stuck to them for the rest of his life. He wanted to know what life had in store for him.

Chickadee wandered for a while, doing well for herself. Hunting went smoothly since she was always going to new locations, and she was able to avoid most fights. Sightseeing was fun, but they missed the feeling of having a home. Chickadee found that, as quiet and relaxed as they were, they loved having somebody by their side. But they didn’t regret their decision in leaving their mothers’ place. They wanted their own home, and they’d be patient in finding it.

Chickadee went over the border of someone’s territory without realizing it. They were confronted by a cat named Stoat, who was surprisingly nice to the intruder. Stoat explained how she lived with two other cats in the territory, and what they were all like. Chickadee was already intrigued, so when Stoat offered for them to check out the camp, they easily followed along. There they met Pebble and Matcha.

Pebble was the responsible leader of their little group, and Matcha was sweet and hardworking. Chickadee decided to stick around out of curiosity but came to like being with Pebble, Matcha, and Stoat. So she joined. Chickadee practiced hunting and fighting techniques with Pebble and Stoat, as Pebble had ordered them to do. She didn’t need any more training, but it was a lot of fun bonding with the two. Plus it reminded her of her time with Owl.

Soon after Chickadee joined, a group of cats began stealing prey from Pebble’s territory. Pebble tried to treat them with kindness but the cats responded aggressively. Chickadee wondered what was the matter with them, why bite the cat trying to help you? While Chickadee preferred peaceful solutions, they didn’t blame Pebble for making plans to fight back. Being nice to them just wasn’t working.

Chickadee, Matcha, and Stoat had to patrol the borders more while Pebble focused on hunting for the group. This was because he wanted the three to catch the cats stealing prey and report back to him. When they did, Stoat got Pebble’s help, and the small group overpowered the prey-stealers by having the advantage of knowing their surroundings. More skirmishes ensued with Pebble’s group winning every time. Eventually, the outsiders left them alone.

Chickadee was glad they didn’t have to fight anymore. Pebble granted them a break so their wounds would heal, while he went back to work. Chickadee didn’t understand how he could go back to his duties when he had a bunch of scratches. They didn’t want to fight him on it though, instead, they’d just help patch him back up whenever needed. Chickadee enjoyed the time of relaxation until their wounds healed and they continued hunting and patrolling.

Matcha, Stoat, and Chickadee were better now, so they talked Pebble into resting while they carried on with their duties. He reluctantly agreed to take a break but it didn’t last long. Matcha was bitten by a snake, and Stoat and Chickadee hurriedly carried them back to camp. Stoat and Chickadee watched in horror as Pebble desperately tried to heal Matcha. They ended up dying, and Chickadee knew there was probably nothing Pebble could’ve done to prevent it. Chickadee tried to comfort Pebble but he didn’t let his emotions show, only going back to making plans for the group.

Pebble brought in a new addition to the team, a molly named Pinecone. Chickadee made sure she had all that she needed, a fresh nest and all. While Pinecone was very friendly to everyone, Chickadee could tell she particularly got along with Pebble. It was good seeing him happily spending time with someone after Matcha’s death. Stoat and Chickadee helped Pinecone practice techniques while she got the hang of their schedule.

Pebble stopped talking to Pinecone, too caught up in his duties. Chickadee and Stoat would occasionally keep her company until she disappeared one day. Pebble ordered Chickadee and Stoat to check around the territory while he looked around the borders. There were no recent traces of her at that point though. The group continued the search to no avail. Pebble, Chickadee, and Stoat had to go back to their regular duties after not being able to find Pinecone. Pebble asked Chickadee and Stoat if they’d want to move territories due to the predators that lurked there. Stoat confidently said yes, while Chickadee nodded along. He did like their current territory, but it was a good idea to find a safer spot. Plus, Pebble and Stoat were his friends, so he’d never leave them behind.

The three left behind their territory, hoping to come across a place that was even better. They’d set up shelter each night, then travel and hunt during the day. It made Chickadee think back to when he was a lone wanderer. Travelling was a lot more fun with Stoat and Pebble, for sure. Their journeying went fast with Pebble leading.

Pebble noticed a huge storm cloud rolling in and set up shelter early. They waited out the storm and when the sky was clear, Pebble told them it’d be safe to keep walking. They were surprised to see everything flooded. The group wandered for a while before coming across another group of cats, led by a cat named Tinder. The travelers had lost their camp to the flood and that paired with other unfortunate circumstances left them looking for a good territory to claim as their own.

While Pebble gathered information about the group through Tinder, Chickadee talked with some of the travelers. They clicked with a molly named Wisteria, she had many interesting things to say. Chickadee and Stoat were pulled aside by Pebble so he could ask them if they’d want to travel with the group for safety reasons. Stoat and Chickadee agreed to join the travelers, eager to keep talking with the others. Pebble brought it up to Tinder and they were happy to accept the three cats into their group.

The three were shocked learning Pinecone was traveling with the group. Chickadee was glad to be reunited with her, as were Stoat and Pebble. Chickadee left Pinecone alone with Pebble so the close friends could finally have another nice conversation. They’d never seen Pebble so excited to see someone. After being reunited with Pinecone, the travelers stopped at a forest, thinking it had potential.

Tinder went into the forest first so they could check to see if it was safe. They returned shortly after with the news that it had all the resources they needed. It’d just come down to personal preference, if some cats didn’t want to call it their home they were free to keep looking. Chickadee loved the territory but they wondered if they’d be allowed to stay or if they were still considered an outsider. Either way, Chickadee would go wherever their friends went.

When Pebble almost left with Chickadee and Stoat, Tinder made it known that they were free to stay if they wanted to. Pebble seemed fine with the idea of staying, which was great to Chickadee. With Tinder in charge, it meant he wouldn’t have to work so much. Even putting that aside, Chickadee was enjoying the company of the travelers, as well as the forest itself. The three were all in agreement to stay in this new group together.

Tinder gave a name to the group, the Fire Colony. Some cats decided living there wouldn’t be for them after everything became more official, Pinecone included. Chickadee was sad to see her go again but at least they could give a proper goodbye this time. Pinecone probably just didn’t want to stay in one place, which Chickadee understood. But as for themself, they were happy to settle into the Fire Colony with Stoat and Pebble, and to make more friends there.

Life in the Fire Colony was peaceful. Many cats wanted to build on it to make it something better, but Chickadee was content. The Fire Colony was already great. When Wisteria would share her ambitions of becoming important to the colony, Chickadee couldn’t relate to it. But they were still eager to support her, believing she’d make for a perfect successor to the leader.

Wisteria and Chickadee grew closer. Chickadee loved learning more about their friend, she was fascinating. Perhaps a little troubled, and Chickadee tried to help wherever they could. They hoped to make her happy with every outing they had. And it seemed like they were doing a good job of that.

Chickadee noticed one day that Wisteria was deeply upset. When they were able to talk alone, Wisteria told them that she was expecting an outsider’s kittens. They knew it must’ve hurt for Wisteria to have something so unexpected come up when she had so many ambitions. So Chickadee showed their eagerness to help, and Wisteria was beyond relieved to have someone there to help her. Thinking about it, Chickadee actually couldn’t wait to see Wisteria’s kittens. The two didn’t know anything about parenting but as long as they gave it their all and were kind, everything would work out okay.

While Wisteria didn’t talk about her problems much, Chickadee could tell she was stressed about what the future held. Even more so when she told her brother the news. Chickadee continued to support her and would often reassure her on how great it’d be. Wisteria wasn’t completely convinced but she was becoming more hopeful. Chickadee was basically a second parent to the kittens, and they weren’t even born yet.

Chickadee watched over Wisteria as she gave birth to her litter. Seeing the kittens, Chickadee felt such a strong sense of love for them. They made sure Wisteria and the kittens were doing well before telling the other residents how it went. Wasp seemed the most excited, as Chickadee expected. They were pleased to let him know they’d keep him updated.

They loved seeing Wisteria so happy with the kittens. The two discussed what their kitten’s names would be, and when Wisteria said she wanted to name them after flowers, Chickadee knew she was feeling closer to them than she’d expected. They decided to name them Petunia, Rose, Camellia, and Daffodil. Fitting for such beautiful kittens. A few days after the kittens’ births, Chickadee would go out and collect resources to make sure Wisteria was comfortable. They always felt so excited about coming back home now.