Private Hidden Cats

Flutterpip was both hurt and angry. She did not like all these new emotions popping up in her since she has become real.

When Naisis got home, she was grumpy, so when Flutterpip tried to cheer her up, she exploded. When Naisis saw what she had done, she turned and fled in tears.

Regrettably, Flutterpip took it badly. Packing what little she had, she ran away from home sobbing. When she finally dried her tears, she realizes she had nowhere to go. She has never ran away before and did not know how. Plopping down on a bench out near the big field she just sat there pondering what to do next. She was about to go home when someone spoke to her.

Looking up she saw a girl dressed in black. Her eyes were different, but with all the new people she has met here, she did not think it was strange.

She was not her normal vivacious self when she answered, "Hello. I'm Flutterpip,' she paused the blurted out, "I'm running away!"

Her eyes widened as she covered her mouth wondering why she did that. To make things worst, her stomach growled reminding her she has not eaten in a while. With a small flair of her horn, a small pile of caramel popcorn popped into existence.

About to take a piece she remembered another was here. Looking at the popcorn then up to Shiro an embarrassing lopsided smile crossed her face, "um - would you like some?"

Now she has done it. Now they might tell and get her in trouble. She did not like getting into trouble. She was not sure she wanted to run away but did not think she had a choice.

Looking up to Shiro with a frightened look, she pleaded, "please do not tell anybody." Looking down, she continued quietly, "my mom does not like me anymore, and I can not go home. I am not allowed to travel in Reality - um -Narrow Reality - alone."

Seeing Shiro accept a piece of popcorn, Flutterpip brightened up a little, "if you like, I can make other types of popcorn."

When Shiro greeted her, she smiled. She talked funny, but it was a nice kind of funny. Then Shiro gave her a difficult question: how old she was. Math was her most challenging subject. In her world, the only measure of time was a moon; here, they had days, months, years, hours, minutes, and seconds. Why so many she could not fathom. Scrunching up her face, she tried to figure out how old she was. Finally decided just to give Shiro her ages in moons (since that is all she understood).

"I was created as a dream over three hundred and one moons ago but only been real for about one moon."

If Shiro had been watching, she would have noticed that another piece of popcorn would appear a few seconds after one was taken. Flutterpip had finished off the one she was eating and picked up another.

Flutterpip nods vigorously, "I know it can be frightening," pausing and smiling, "it can be nice too. In London almost a mile from one of the gates to the Subliminal, there was a pub and pizzeria where those like us hang out." While musing, the memory of that cat popped up. The smile on her face turned into a frown, "That is where I met that cat!" The last two words she spat out with contempt and fear. She shuddered a little before pushing that thought out of her mind. Well, that cat was not here, thankfully.

Flutterpip grinned, "Oh yes! Only three I know of has that happen to them. To be real is cool and hard. I have to go to school," she wrinkled her nose at the word - school.

That all changed when Shiro mentioned fun, "Oh! Do you know some fun stuff to do? I could use some fun about now."

Flutter pip looked up to Shiro, a bit surprised, "he ate me! Do you know what it is like to be eaten by a cat?" she trembled at the thought.

She smiled a bit when Shiro asked her about being real. She got that a lot here as most did not know about imaginary people.

"At first, I was a figment of my mom's imagination. Mom was a night unicorn, so her fantasies become real - kind of. After some time, Avax Set decided I should have a life of my own, so he gave me some of his blood," she gave a disgusted face, "he said it gave me a sliver of his soul, still - yech!"

With delight, she fluttered her wings and clapped her hands when Shiro mentioned games, "Ooo I like games! And snacks since I can make all the snacks for myself."

Her elation was soon replaced by a confused look, "what are video games?"

At the mention of blood, Flutterpip wrinkled her muzzle and shrugged, "maybe, but still - yech! I wish they could have done it some other way."

She giggled at Shiro's idea of what a night unicorn was, "sort of. They are real, but can only use their magic at night. Sunlight turns them into magicless horses as it does to me. Except it turns me into - well - me, just without magic."

Tv? "Oh! Do you mean that picture window? Yes!" with a clap of pleasure, "Ooo, that sounds fun! Just let me tell mom."

Digging around her pack she pulled out a smartwatch (the smallest thing they could find for her since most smartphones were almost as big as her) she texted her mom, 'going to shy-rows', then put it away.

"Ok, ready - oops!" with a tiny flair of her horn the popcorn all vanished, "ok, now I'm ready."