Who: Puss de Carabas and Carabosse
When: sometime after this thread
Where: the outskirts of Camlann
What: Puss knows something has happened to Carabosse. He comes to remedy the situation


Puss had heard the dying cries of Carabosse and done all in his power to return to her side with all haste, all speed. He padded to her side on paws that wouldn't serve him in this purpose. "Forgive me," he said softly, lapping up her blood from the open wound in her chest and closing his eyes as he changed form. He had to become his ancient self, a creature terrifying to behold by mortal standards. He breathed over her, called forth his most sacred magic.

Please Mother of Life, restore my friend to the living.

Why my little one, came the sweet and much missed call of his old mother, the mother of all the ancient shape shifters, does this faerie mean so much to you? She stepped forth from the ether, so bright in her glory that her true form was difficult to ascertain.

Puss De Carabas, who had been Puss for so long he no longer considered his old name or that his mother had called him little one so affectionately, drew himself up to answer her. She is my most trusted friend, even if she should treat me more as a servant at times. She has never used my secret against me; she learned of it herself using the old ways. She is truly worthy of your gifts, he replied earnestly in the old language that seemed a touch rusty to him, but did not fail him in this most urgent of times.

The Mother of Life was quiet for a long time, considering Puss' request. Time mattered not to one such as herself, one gifted with creation. I will restore her my little one, she replied cautiously. However, she will not be as she was.

The very grateful Puss did not question, nor did he care to understand this stipulation. So long as he could have his friend back he wasn't concerned with the details.

The Mother of Life leaned down over Carabosse's long cold body and breathed softly over her face. The skin seemed to color and the dead faerie's chest swelled with breath. She sat up coughing as the Mother of Life disappeared and Puss sat in his native form before her.

"Oh Puss," she said, tears springing to her eyes in a surprising way. What was this new emotion? What was this sensation? Something had changed since Carabosse had died and been resurrected. "What have you done?" she whispered, torn between gratitude and the sudden fear that gripped her. She felt different, strange, distinctly off.

Puss reached out tentatively, a clawed hand that grazed the tears on her cheek. "I didn't know what she meant," he said softly, as if that explained everything to her. But of course, Puss knew what was wrong with Carabosse. She had been resurrected not as herself, but as a mortal. Oberon had killed the faerie. The Mother of Life had brought back the witch.

Cara took a steadying breath and tried not to panic. "I'm not…" she whispered. Denial was on the tip of her tongue, though she was still uncertain of what it was that she was denying.

"You are no longer of the faerie court," Puss replied, his tone grave and consoling.

She let the shock register, felt the immediate grief of being brought back with a large part of herself missing. "Why did you?" she asked, a half finished thought as emotion overwhelmed her once more. She felt magic surge within her and was thankful at least that those arts were not lost to her.

He wasn't sure how to answer. Because you're my best friend. Because I love you. Because being without you in this world would suck. He just smiled sadly as he gazed over his distraught friend. "Had I known it would cause you this much pain I might have just buried you under your favorite roses."

She was placated by this sentiment somehow, a little laugh escaping among her tears and worry. She shook her head. "Do you want your old face back?" she asked, offering a pristine arm as if to say, bite, drink, change.

He shook his large head, the mane of hair flying about with static. "No," he said simply. "If it's ok with you, I'd like to be the real me for a little while. Just you and me."

She looked at him considering. "Well then, at least one of us can be the real one." She smiled ruefully and wiped away her tears, coming to a strange armistice with her new emotions and new form. It would have to do for now and maybe they could figure out some way around it. At least she knew her trust in Puss De Carabas was well placed and well deserved.

Tags: puss, carabosse