Well, that sucked. Apparently, you say you’ll help God’s angel and they throw you out on your ear. Oh, don’t get me wrong it’s all fun and games till you give them the word. That word was “Alright.” Of course, it was “no,” but when you get told a kid is involved and that he needs your help, it changes things a little. I’m a sucker for kids and helping them. Let not mention the fact that when an angel says it’s for the greater good, it rings truer than some Latter-day Saint knocking on your door.
I just thought, you know, since I was helping them, they would give me some guidance or let me choose a body. Something other than what I got. Blasted in the face with golden light that made my head hurt. Then, before I was recovered from the sucker punch of light, that stupid zute suit idiot angel kicking me out of… something. And when I say kick, I mean it. It felt like he kicked me in the butt and then I was falling. The last thing I heard on the way down was “you’ll know him when you see him.”
No kiss. No hug. Not even salted peanuts.
It was all dark then, and with a huge amount of pressure all around me. Then, the pressure was gone, and I was cold… what is that? A wet blanket? Its rough, and kind of hurts. WAIT.
It was a tongue licking me.
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! I was just born?!?! Oh, this is gross. Cut cut cut.
~~
Understand this, you and I, will never talk about the first 6 months of my life here on Renmin… EVER!
~~
I came to as a 6-month-old black tiger cub. LOOK OUT LADIES! I’m adorable. Well, I assume I am. I basically have my brother to judge by. He was cute, therefore, so am I. I am also a boy. Yes, I had to check, I wouldn’t put it past Bruce to mess that up.
My “first day” here. I learned a lot about my family. Surprisingly, they talked. Not complete language like regular, but more like scents, impressions, and very few images. (Note- having an image pressing on your mind is like déjà vu, just stronger) Don’t get me wrong, they could use words but very few that I caught.
The communication was weird. I didn’t know how I knew how to do it, I just could. I would reach out and in the direction I wanted to talk. I could feel my mother or brother. The first time I did, my mother about flipped until she realized it was me. It’s weird, I felt like she was almost scared of me at times.
I only had the one brother. I had a feeling he wasn’t like me. You know, reincarnated. It could have been the lack of motor skills, or the vacant expression on his stupid face every time I tried to get him to do something. The thing that really drilled it home for me though, was that almost every time I closed my eyes or even turned my back to the little twirp, he would pounce on me.
Biting, clawing, the whole nine. It didn’t matter that every time I got out from under him, I pounded the snot out of the brat until he ran away. As soon as my back was turned, he would do it again. Ugh. I will say this though, if it wasn’t for him, I might not have sharpened my senses and learned that, somehow, I could sense trees and living things in like a bubble around me.
It was weird, like a focusing lens. I was able to only see things around our little hole under a tree at first. As time passed, my focus seemed to just get sharper and get more range with each day. After a week practicing with this, I could almost use it while walking around. The slightest bump though, and I would lose it.
Our tree was huge, almost rivaling some red woods. It was about ten feet around. The roots seemed to grow around our little hole because none were growing straight down, or even looked like they had been broken off. It was dry and comfortable. Minus the smell. Brother hadn’t been potty trained for very long.
It had been a day or two into spring, and my mother had brought us out of the den. The area around the tree was about the same as any forest. Green needles on the ground and birds very high in the trees making sounds. The smell was different from what I was used to. There was a crispness to the air and like a smell of ozone mixed with fresh pine sap. It was a pleasing smell.
Closing my eyes, I was testing the limits of my communication. I kept sending the twirp images of the area and trees as I got further away. I knew he would receive them because he would look around for a bit until he confirmed what it was I was seeing. I had tried sending the same thing over and over as I got further away but, like siblings do, he started ignoring me. The little monster.
I had a sneaking suspicion though, so I sent an image of a bug, and sure enough he responded by running over to see it.Little punk isn’t going to help me willingly. It wasn’t hard to trick him into helping me though with him being an actual newborn. Oh, look an ant. Oh, look a rock with moss. Oh, look pinecone that looks like your big fat HEAD.
Seems to be about 20 meters right now but if I go farther… Judging by the way mother is looking at me, if I go, she will drag me back like the first day she caught me walking around in those gross smelling mushrooms. Figuring that was enough practice in that particular area, I went to the tree we resided under and started focusing.
I locked on to everything around me trying to take it all in. Once I had about three quarters of what I usually could handle, I looked up the tree. Surprisingly enough, I would have figured it would be hard to use claws. It wasn’t. it was like using your fingers, but only if you could use them all together at the same time. I reached out and started climbing. Focusing and holding onto everything in my mind, it flickered in and out as I made my way to the nearest branch.
Wait, what’s behind me. Craning my neck around, I could just make out who it was. Seriously? Ugh. Brother was following me up. He must have gotten tired of the pinecone, saw me climbing, and wanted to join in. Doubling my pace, I got to the branch before brother reached a quarter of thw way up.
Looking back at him I spoke. *DANGER BROTHER DANGER*
Instantly Brother stopped and started lightly mewing. Mother’s ears and head shot up looking at brother then me. *Mother, brother will fall*
Seeing this, she studied him for a moment, and he stopped mewing. She made no effort to get up or stop him, but was staring intently at him. After a moment she stopped then looked to me and spoke.
*Brother learn. * Then she laid her head back down.
I watched and, as I did, I noticed he was climbing much better now. Ah so that’s how it is. Mother had communicated with him and coached him on how to climb better.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Getting down for me was a little harder. I had noticed my claws were burning a little, and after they felt a little better I started back down. The burning came back with a vengeance. When I started it hurt a little, but by the time I got half way down, I knew I had gone too far. This was going to hurt. Letting go just before I thought I was going to be declawed the hard way, I leapt toward the only soft landing close by. *sorry mother* I slammed in to my mother’s side. I just want to take a moment to honor mothers and all they put up with from their children. My second mother was no exception. My brief warning reached her and I was just receiving confusion back when I hit her. A hard thud, grunt, then I was receiving overwhelming anger and frustration.
I might sing a different tune if I had hit the ground, but landing on my mother felt just as bad as hitting the ground. My head was spinning a little. I had little time to recover after standing before a giant paw connected with my body sending me skidding on the ground for about a foot. Mother’s voice overwhelmed anything I had been thinking or feeling then.
*DON’T REPEAT*
Yeah, like I did that crap for fun. I felt like I’d just got hit by a truck. Getting up, I tested everything. My claws still hurting something fierce, but all in all, I was okay.
I hadn’t paid brother much attention, but I noticed him making his way down. I doubted he made it to the top. I think I remember seeing him as I was coming down. After I passed him, it was all a little fuzzy. I think I had brain damage thanks to my own stupidity; I wasn’t entirely sure.
The next day I continued my exercises, to my surprise my claws were feeling better, so I only climbed half way up the tree and down. Brother on the other hand climbed all the way to where I had been. He was happy for all of five seconds, then he looked down. Immediately he was the perfect picture of a cat stuck in a tree, but I was sure there were no firemen around.
As funny as I found this, our mother was not as amused as I was. I assume she tried everything to get him down but, in the end, it was all for naught. He stayed on that branch looking down for quite a while.
Finally, mother decided to take action. She stood back watching him and looked at the surrounding trees. I notice her pulling back a little, but she was aiming the wrong way. What is she doing? All of a sudden, she shot toward a tree and launched up high about halfway up. To my surprise, she used her claws to latch on and then after a brief hold, launched off that to my brother’s tree right next to him. Pulling herself up, she grabbed him in her mouth, and slowly rescinded her claws, sliding down.
*Masterfully done mother*
After setting brother in the hole, she looked at me and sent me confusion.
Doing my best anime eye sparkle impression, I sent with as much enthusiasm as I could muster. I was hoping to impress on her my amazement at that stunt. *Teach me*
*Too small* but I caught a bit of pride in the message, like she was proud of this. Knowing she finally understood I liked what she had done, I left it at that.
One thing I noticed was, we weren’t growing like regular. My brother and I. I thought for six months old would be bigger, but we were still small. Like really small. From what I could tell, we were growing about maybe one fourth of the regular speed we should have. I had to remind myself mentally that this might actually be normal.
I also tried the LitRPG thing. I figured, why not try. Thinking “status.” I can now tell you why not to try.
A screen, that I hadn’t really expected to show up, did show up and I wasn’t enthusiastic about what I saw.
Status: You’re a moron.
Race: Black Tiger
Str: you’re a kitten. So, little.
Def: Your mother. So, a lot.
Mag: Not telling.
You were informed before you left this was real and not some overdone LitRPG game world.
After I read all that the screen dissipated and another appeared.
REWARD FOR: Being the idiot who doesn’t listen.
X1 slap.
Note: From now on this reward will be given freely without the screen. If you ever feel like you’re in a dream just repeat your actions. Please stop being stupid.
Just as I finished reading the message and was thinking about what it meant, a force that felt eerily similar to my mother’s hit slammed into me. It sent me skidding for about a foot along the ground. My head stung a little. I knew from then on, I should probably listen better when higher powers talk next time.
It was on about the seventh day, early in the morning, that the male tiger I assumed to be my father showed up. Cut me a break at not knowing my own dad, this was like the third time I had seen him and, contrary to belief, I couldn’t really tell stripes apart all that well. It was the mental touch that made tigers distinct to me.
To say this guy was big was an understatement. He looked like a tiger that was on steroids. I know, since I’m a black tiger now, and the fact I had talked to an angel should have clued me into this sooner but, I think it was at this moment It really started to sink in that I was no longer in Kansas.
The tiger took two steps in and looked at my mother. *Take one. Danger.* Mother reached down and took brother. Then without hesitation she bolted. Guess I’m not the favorite. Wonder if it was because of the tree incident?
The other tiger looked at me and then started walking out into the open. I wasn’t sure if that was a signal to follow or not. Hmm, stay here with incoming trouble that even the biggest predator I’ve ever seen calls dangerous, or follow the best body guard I’ll probably ever have. What is a tiger cub to do?
I got about seven steps outside the hole before I felt it. This thing felt off. With my sense I had felt plants, bugs, and animals. This thing felt opposite of everything. It was huge and moving fast. It wasn’t heading at us though; it was heading east.
I watched the other tiger move. Despite his girth, he moved easily through the trees. If it hadn’t been for my ability, I wouldn’t have a hope of keeping up or knowing where I was going. Tiger daddy seemed to know exactly what I did. He always stayed about 30 yards away and was quieter than I would have thought possible. The eerie thing that got me was, even though this other thing may not have been bigger, it was longer, and it also was just as quiet as my tiger daddy.
We had followed this thing for quite a way. Then I spotted something up ahead and the bad thing was moving straight for it. This thing was smaller by far and wasn’t moving much. My senses had grown a little and I knew we would be on it in seconds. The Tiger leapt up into the trees in a twisting motion, got to a large branch just above him, and launched down straight at the other large creature.
*CRACK*
Leaping up as high as I could I caught onto a lower branch and leaped again to another getting high enough to see. I saw it. It was dark and if it wasn’t for its head I would have called it a snake. It was a Chinese dragon.
The fight was brutal. Tiger dad had sunk his teeth in multiple spots. Just as the dragon was doing to him. It cut him deeply on his underside and bit a few other places. Tiger daddy grabbed just below its throat and that seemed to be what the thing was waiting for. It grabbed on to the tigers face with its tiny muscular front legs.. It bent and rolled slamming its body into Tiger dads legs on one side. It was just good enough and big enough to pull it off. It made Tiger dad roll and lose balance. Taking advantage it rolled also. It went with and around him as they crashed through a thicket.
They stopped next to a fallen tree. The dragon started sinching down every time he breathed out. No… what can I do to help him? Just as I thought this, something moved out of the shadows of the fallen tree to stand behind an upright tree. A boy? WHY THE FUCK IS A KID HERE ALON?!? I was frozen in pure shock, all thoughts of tiger daddy where gone.
The boy peeked out to see what was happening and froze just like I had done. Unlike me though, his face went pale then it lost all expression. As he drew a small knife, he started running and rammed it into the Dragon.
~~~
I watched as the boy ran away saying he’ll be back. I may not know much about this world, but I do know this; That kid was born under a lucky star at the top of a stupid tree, and hit every branch on the way down. I ran out from the hiding spot I had chosen.
I walked in front of this amazing tiger. I was proud to be this thing’s blood relation. He had saved that kid just as much as that kid saved him.
*Young cub.* His inner voice sounded weaker than before, and I knew the kid wasn’t going to make it in time. *Protect human child.* There was a sense of urgency in it that I didn’t understand.
*I will, but what can I do for you?*
*Part of life* he groaned a little. *Leaving life*
*I know, but it doesn’t make this any easier*
*Come closer*
I did. I got right to his nose and then I felt something. A soft glow, like a pale blue flame, passed from him to me. I felt like something had changed or unlocked inside me like I was chained before, and now I was free. *What it this?*
Nothing. He was already gone before I could get the answer.
I felt loss like this in my previous life. When my Aunt Naomi died. It hurts, and you just miss them. Wanting to talk with them. This wasn’t as strong because I hadn’t really known him, but I would miss him all the same.
I walked forward and touched his forehead with mine. *I may not have known you long, but I wish you the best on your journey. Thank you for all you did for me, and for all you’ve done. May God greet you as one of his own.*
I climbed a nearby tree and waited. Other people might miss signs like this, but I try not to. If any child on this planet needed help, it would be the kid returning here.