Beyond the Tests: Marina and Storm

Beyond the Tests: Marina and Storm

## **Leap**

I gasped, panting heavily. I didn’t know how I had done it — how I had kept up with my older sister. But I had. Somehow, my deep focus on my sister’s snow-tipped tail had done it.

“Stormy,” I called softly, “are you alright? Could we get a sip of water?”

“Do you need water?” my sister mewed in reply. “Mari, I see a little creek. Is that okay?”

I smiled. My sister always knew just what to do. “Yeah.”

We padded over to the small spring of bubbling water. I eagerly slurped up the clear liquid, smiling at the cold on her tongue.

After a few laps, I mewed, “I’m good now.”

“I needed that too,” Stormy panted. “Let’s go.”

“Wait.” I stopped her. “Stormy, do you want to run through the night?”

She cocked her head, her vibrant blue eyes flickering every other heartbeat to show her deep thought. Finally, she asked, “How do you feel?”

“I feel . . . good. I mean, yeah, I’m a bit tired, but if we could gain . . . I’m up to it. You know how we’ve always been alright runners,” I replied confidently.

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, then. We’ll run through the night until one of us feels too tired. Afterwards, we can take turns sleeping and watching. Sound good?” Stormy asked.

“Awesome,” I replied.

———

“Marina!” Stormy barked rather loudly. “Look!”

I rushed over to my sister, only to be greeted with a gaping gap between us and the continued land. I couldn’t see how far down the gap went.

“Could we . . . leap?” I asked hesitantly.

“I couldn’t let you do that!” I could hear the panic in my sister’s voice. “How else could we . . . let’s see. . .”

I sighed, and began to use my most blunt voice. “Look. There’s clearly no other way. We’re both good runners, tree climbers, and swimmers . . . why not give leaping a try? Plus, every other cat’s going to have to get across it. They’re just not here because I’m pretty sure they’re all sleeping. Why not just get it over with?”

“Fine,” she relented, knowing that it really was the only way, “But *don’t* fall!”

I laughed. “I don’t plan on it!”

“We’ll jump when I say go,” Stormy mewed. “Three . . . two . . . one . . . *go!”*

I tensed my muscles and sprang forward in a bounding leap.

## **Spirits**

Marina was floating.

She realized it, even though her eyelids hooded her eyes. A light feeling had overcome her, and she felt like a soft bird’s feather.

What was happening? The last thing she remembered was seeing an absolutely huge wave of water — the one that she, of all cats, had created — slosh into the three buckets, before the fuzzy figures of Stormy and Quintessa appeared as she faded into a soft black. . .

But somehow, she was here. She could feel it in her bones; she didn’t need her eyes. She knew where she was. She’d never been here before, but all the same, she knew.

This was the heavenly world her mother and father had sought after — and received. She had only seen them in dreams after that.

Slowly, she flipped around so that she was standing in midair. Very gently, she landed. Her eyes fluttered open.

It was picturesque, to put it frankly. It was magical, to put it dreamily. It was a place that her parents would have wanted, and you would know if you knew them.

Soft green hills rolled into one another, fading into the distance, their outlines slightly blurred. Low-hanging clouds wafted in front of them, the only things breaking the beautiful blue sky.

The sky was the color of her sister’s eyes. It was the type of blue that you could get lost in for hours and then still feel like you had merely scratched the surface of the wonders in that one shade of blue.

A large mirror of silver water was the center of the masterpiece, though. It twinkled, glimmered, sparkled, and danced in front of her eyes, the silver liquid almost . . . teasing her.

And then there was the grass. Soft to the touch, cool on her paws, and a beautiful, brilliant fresh green. She smiled as the scents of herbs wafted into her nose, the scents coming from all around her. Oh, yes, definitely a parent trademark — at least, for her parents.

There was more — the trees, the tunnels, the jeweled flowers, the prey, the little hidden areas, perfect for sunbathing, and the caves scattered throughout this little land. She could go on, she definitely could, for hours and hours, gushing about the natural wonders.

And she would have, most definitely, had it not been for a silver pelt, a warm touch, and two almost-forgotten scents.

Marina could have cried with joy. Instead, she called to them. “Mom! Dad!”

“My little Rina,” her dad gushed happily, nuzzling her face.

“Mari,” her mom laughed happily, pressing her pelt against Marina’s.

“You haven’t visited me in ages! I can’t believe that I’ve finally seen your home.” Marina purred.

“We couldn’t visit. Harnor forbids visits without good reason during the Tests. The only way for you to see us is if you summon yourself to us. You just did,” her mother explained.

“The Tests have been. . .” Marina shuddered, thinking about all of the terrible things.

Her father rested his tail on her shoulder. “We know.”

“You need to stay strong, you hear us?” her mom whispered. “Don’t break for anything and anyone but your sister. It is the only way.”

“To what?”

“To staying,” her dad cut in quietly.

“W-we only did it to see you again. We wanted to live together again. . .” Marina mewed sadly.

“I know, honey, I know. And your dad and I will do everything we can to help you — which isn’t very much, but hopefully enough,” her mom replied.

“How do I summon myself to you?” Marina asked.

“It can only happen when you need us. Need, not want. It can only happen if your mind is clear. And it can only happen if Harnor lets you pass,” her mother replied once again.

“That’s . . . not very helpful,” Marina joked cheerfully.

“Hey, Rina,” her dad mewed, his face serious as he faced her. “Hope will be your biggest helper. Never lose it. We will be together. And let your sister know that too.”

“Yeah . . . I will, Daddy,” Marina purred, using her most affectionate name for her father.

“We gotta go now. You gotta return soon. Remember that we love ya,” her dad mewed.

“We will come if you need us,” her mom assured.

“I love you two.” Marina whispered sadly.

“And that was some awesome wave,” her dad purred. “You keep exploring those powers you got from me, alright? Maybe if you come again I can show you a thing or two to keep you from passing out.”

“Alright, Dad. I will.”

“Bye, Mari. Tell Storm that we love her,” her mom whispered.

“I will.”

“And . . . remember . . . hope!” came the faded news of her parents as she slowly faded into a blinding whiteness.

The contrast of the peaceful black that had come when she arrived in her parents’ world.

*Mom . . . Dad . . . please help us. Stormy and I. We can’t finish this without you,* she thought.

Words engulfed her mind, faint yet audible as the whiteness overtook her.

*We will. Stay strong, Marina . . . we* will *be together.*

*There’s love connecting you, your sister, and the two of us, and never forget that, because that’s a rope that won’t be broken.*

*We love you two so much. . .*

As feeling began to return, as the cool of an icy paw began to bring her back to the normal world, she engraved that in her mind.

*Love.*

Marina’s eyes opened to a bright light and two faces — one white, a little familiar, and one that she loved.

Her sister’s.

“H-hey,” she croaked.

## **Without a Trace**

*I lost,*

*I gave,*

*I mourned,*

*I cried.*

*There’s pain in knowing*

*that you tried.*

*A loss,*

*a fail,*

*a tear as you cry.*

*My parents left with no goodbye.*

## **Daughter**

**Sylver Lily**

*“So many things to tell them,*

 *but there are rules to obey.*

 *Harnor tries to not let us help them,*

 *but still I’ll have my say.*

 *A stronger calling lies within me. . .*

 *for me, this is not a place to play.*

 *He may find this amusing,*

 *but there’ll be a price to pay.*

I can’t do this anymore, Orion.

There’s more than rules here for me . . . for us.

You know that we can’t let them fail.

You know what it means to fail.

*Inside me lies a greater pull,*

 *a tug that pulls at my heart.*

 *If playing by the rules means*

 *standing at the side of the playground,*

 *I cannot play that part.*

You have to understand.”

———

**Orion**

“I know. But Sylver Lily. . .

*You know that I’ve always taken risks. . .*

 *a leap is better than a step.*

 *But how can we override Harnor?*

 *After all, we’re still like his pets.*

 *How can we possibly do this?*

 *Break all the rules that he set.”*

———

**Sylver Lily**

*“There must be a way. . .”*

———

**Orion**

*“How can there be a way. . .?”*

———

**Sylver Lily and Orion**

*“To break the rules, we have to obey.”*

———

**Sylver Lily**

“How can you not even try? They are our *daughters*! We need to at least take a chance!”

———

**Orion**

“I love them so much, but it’s Harnor’s rules.

They’re like playthings to him . . . he won’t deliberately harm them. . .

*I know that you want to help them,*

 *but remember the rules we must obey.*

 *Harnor won’t let us help them,*

 *if we go against him, we’ll have to pay.*

 *I love them both to pieces,*

 *I know this isn’t a game.*

 *But please listen to me,*

 *and hear what I have to say.*

 *Love . . . is a strong tug. . .*

 *But listen to your brain right now, not your heart.*

 *If you play by the rules, you can*

 *have a safer part.*

Let’s play it safe for now.

No real danger has come to them yet.”

———

**Sylver Lily**

“But what will happen when it does? We should plan first.

*So many things to tell them.”*

———

**Orion**

*“I know that you want to help them. . .”*

———

**Sylver Lily**

*“But there are rules to obey.”*

———

**Orion**

*“But remember the rules we must obey. . .”*

———

**Sylver Lily**

*“Harnor tries to not let us help them.”*

———

**Orion**

*“Harnor won’t let us help them. . .”*

———

**Sylver Lily**

*“But still, I’ll have my say.”*

———

**Orion**

*“If we go against him, we’ll have to pay. . .”*

———

**Sylver Lily**

*“A stronger calling lies within me. . .”*

———

**Orion**

*“I love them both to pieces. . .”*

———

**Sylver Lily**

*“For me, this is not a place to play.”*

———

**Orion**

*“I know this isn’t a game. . .”*

———

**Sylver Lily**

*“He may find this amusing—”*

———

**Orion**

*“But please listen to me. . .”*

———

**Sylver Lily**

*“—but there’ll be a price to pay.”*

———

**Orion**

*“And hear what I have to say.”*

———

**Sylver Lily**

“What? What is more important than the two most important things — Storm and Marina?

*Inside me lies a greater pull.”*

———

**Orion**

*“Love . . . is a strong tug. . .”*

———

**Sylver Lily**

*“A tug that pulls at my heart.”*

———

**Orion**

*“But listen to your brain right now, not your heart. . .”*

———

**Sylver Lily**

*“If playing by the rules means*

*standing at the side of the playground—”*

———

**Orion**

*“If you play by the rules, you can. . .”*

———

**Sylver Lily**

*“—I cannot play that part.”*

———

**Orion**

*“Have a safer part.”*

———

**Slyver Lily**

“Why would I want a safe part if I could have a part that saves our *daughters’* lives?”

———

**Orion**

“Because it’s Harnor, that’s why! You’ve seen what he can do . . . what he does. . .”

———

**Slyver Lily**

“And he could do that to them — to Storm and Marina! From what I’m hearing, you’re the one who doesn’t remember enough.

Don’t you care?”

———

**Orion**

*“How can we possibly do this?”*

———

**Sylver Lily**

*“I know that we can do this. . .”*

———

**Orion**

*“Break all the rules that he set?”*

———

**Sylver Lily**

*“Break all the rules that he set.*

Orion, we can do this. Together.

Maybe just once or twice.

*Not too much.”*

———

**Orion**

*“That’s too much. . .”*

———

**Sylver Lily**

*“When will it not be too much?”*

———

**Sylver Lily and Orion**

*“I know that you want to help them. . .*

 *in your very own way. . .*

 *but won’t you open your eyes and see,*

 *what I am trying to say?*

 *We both love them to pieces,*

 *that much, at least, is true. . .*

 *but Harnor tells us so much that we have to do. . .*

 *look at how that’s driven a wedge between me and you. . .*

*If you want to help our daughters,*

 *just look at me,*

 *open your mind and your heart. . .*

 *and then I hope you will see.”*