My friend Dewfrost's dog has sadly passed away.
She was one of the most beautiful dogs on the whole planet, and she loved all whom she met, and the people who met her, loved her, too.
This is my little ode to Ziva, and since Dewfrost and I both love Warriors so much, I've given it a tiny little twist. I hope you like it, Dewy <3
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Ziva opened her eyes. They had been closed for a while, and when she had last opened them, she hated what she saw. Ziva knew where she was. At least, she knew what she was. The exact location remained unknown.
The lanky brown dog sniffed tentatively. Forest scents greeted her, inviting. The smells of night, the smells of food, of forest honey and of sweetgrass.
And Ziva liked her surroundings. She was lying on some grass that stained her thin pelt with water. It did not penetrate, though, did not seep through her skin and soak her. It was a pleasant feel, like running in a sunshower, droplets of rain everywhere. Ziva was briefly stabbed with a memory. But it disappeared as soon as it appeared. Moonlight danced down upon her, lighting her loving eyes and whispering to her, Come, fallen warrior. Come. Ziva only realised she was standing when the droplets of night dew seemed smaller. She only realised she was moving when the patches of moonlight shifted like a leopard's skin. She walked carefully, skirting mushrooms and padding on soft cushions of clover. The whisper became more clear.
Come and you will find peace.
It was then that Ziva realised that she was not at peace. There seemed to be an earthbound lassoo around her heart, tugging at her everytime she strayed farther from her original place. But...didn't she have to go? As much as she wished she could run back, out of this forest and back into the house in the grove of olives, she knew that if she ran back, and kept running, she would never find her way back. She needed to let go, like picking flowers off a rose. As Ziva walked, she thought about the petals she was picking.
The first petal: Her Home.
Her home had been a wide expanse of fertile land, a house nestled in olives.
Why had she wandered too far, to the Thunderpath that frightened her so?
The second petal: Her Life.
Her life had been fruitful, days of running, days of eating, days of snoozing in the sunbeams on her owner's bed. Her life had been short, wavering over being a year old. But it was a life that had been worth living.
The third petal: Her Friends.
Ziva had co-existed with a tubby, ginger tabby by the title of Hugo. The two had not been obvious friends, firstly because they were opposing species and secondly because their natures were so different. But though Ziva was bouncy and loyal, and Hugo was grumpy and posh, the two often played together, sat together - and slept together.
The fourth petal: Her Family.
This petal was the most painful to pluck, like nettle in her heart. How could she say goodbye so easily to the people who loved and cared for her? Why had she had to be so curious, to not even have the courtesy to say goodbye to the family that she adored with all her being? Ziva silently sent a prayer to her family. They were not in this forest, did not dwell in the sky. They were mortal, it was not their time. Though she loved her family more than she could possibly explain, and understood that she had left them in their world, there was one particular human she couldn't let go. Not yet anyway.
The 12 year old girl who had loved her unconditionally, tolerated Ziva waking her up in the night, slept with Ziva cradled in her arms, and stood up for her no matter how dirty she had gotten the floors, no matter how many times she barked and scratched at the windows outside.
Would Ziva ever be able to let her go?
Ziva's paws stopped her. The forest path she had been following had abruptly ended, and in its place, a moonlit clearing stood. Four cats sat in the middle.
Cats? Ziva thought. I didn't expect this. Maybe it's because I've been such a bad dog.
One of the cats, a very young, beautiful silver tabby she-cat with dazzling green eyes trotted forward. Stars fizzed from her paws.
"Greetings, Ziva." she said, her voice high like a kit's.
Ziva was astonished that the starry cat was speaking her language, though nonetheless, she shakily replied.
"Yes, greetings."
"I understand you must be quite confused," she laughed, a sound like a small, chirping brook.
"My name is Brightspirit, and this is Feathertail, Smokepaw, and Sweetpaw." From the middle of the clearing stepped a silver she-cat with a plumy tail, a small grey tom with both happiness and sorrow in his eyes, and a gentle white and tortoiseshell she-cat.
"Greetings," Ziva said, unbelievably confused, as the cat whose name was Brightspirit had said.
The cats all looked on with knowingness in their eyes, waiting for Ziva to talk.
"Honestly, I expected a kennel in the sky. Wh...why am I here, specifically?" Ziva said, tearing up slightly. It all just seemed unfair.
"Ziva," Feathertail said softly. "There are few dogs, and not even all cats who end up here. You have done nothing wrong, in fact, quite the opposite." Before the wiry brown dog could reply, the small black tom padded forward.
"This is StarClan, Ziva. In your life, you have been loyal, loving and caring. I know, it's hard to deal with dying but, it is a part of life." For a moment, Smokepaw seemed uncertain of his words. But he regained confidence and licked Ziva across the shoulder. Ziva had never seen such kindness from a cat. Then, the tortoiseshell spoke.
"Do not worry, young one," Ziva was even furtherly surprised to hear the not even-year-old cat call her young one. But she spoke with such a knowledge, Ziva was nearly hypnotised.
"You are not the only dog here. In fact, I'd like you to meet some people." She gestured with the slightest flick of her tail to a patch of bushes, which shook violently. Out padded two dogs.
One of them was a friendly-looking black labrador. The other was no more than a pup! It was small, with fur that looked like sheep fleece. The large dog spoke, with a voice that sounded like a car on a Thunderpath.
"Ziva," he greeted the brown dog. "On Earth, my given name was Zeus. Here though, my name is Brighteyes. This is-"
"Teddy!" The tiny pup piped. "But I am known better as Bouncepaw. I miss my family every day..." Bouncepaw said wearily, like he had lived for much longer than it appeared.
"But I find hope in watching over them each passing day, watching them grow, even though I should still be growing with them."
Brighteyes stayed close to Ziva, giving silent comfort.
The tabby cat spoke again.
"Here you can still be with your family, even if they can't be with you. Will you join us, Ziva?"
Ziva felt the nettle in her heart finally being released, and the final petal blowing in the breeze. A great sadness choked her eyes.
"I will." She managed to murmur, feeling tears starting to tumble down her cheeks.
"Then from this day forward," the beautiful tabby said, her voice strong as the stars that twinkled above. "I name you Sweetheart."
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R.I.P Ziva, the sweetest heart I've had the fortune to meet. The best of luck in your new life in the stars <3
