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“Blite, do you accept this power?” The Great Tiger asked, his tone serious.
“I do,” Blite said.
“Then with my abilities, I grant you the gift of invincibility. You cannot be destroyed or defeated, as you desire. Use your gift well,” the Great Tiger said, touching Blite's nose with his own with an unreadable expression on his starry face. Blite bristled as there was almost certainly an invisible kind of force getting sucked inside him, a strange feeling of strength seeping into his body. The Great Tiger stepped back a moment later.
Blite panted as the force faded, but still lingered slightly inside him, giving him strength. If I'm truly invincible, this is better than I thought! This makes me the most powerful tiger who has ever lived! But he had no more time to think. He was swept into darkness as the Great Tiger disappeared.
He awoke, yawning. Then his dream came to mind, and he leaped to his paws, unnatural strength overwhelming him. He felt stronger, undefeatable. He prodded Chara on the shoulder, nudging her awake.
“It’s pink-sky, Chara, and there's something I must tell you that just happened,” he said urgently.
Chara looked at him with sleep-filled eyes and slowly got up. “What is it, Blite?” she asked.
“I’m invincible,” he growled, getting straight to the point.
Chara blinked. “W-what do you mean?” she asked after a moment.
“I had a dream. The Great Tiger himself gave me the power of invincibility. Now I am truly powerful, and now that I can’t be defeated, no one can tell me what to do, and no one will be able to bully or fight me and win!” he exclaimed.
Chara jumped to her paws, laughing. “Oh, my! That's extraordinary!" She purred, rubbing up against his shoulder.
“Yes, yes, it is! Now, let’s get some morning-kill,” Blite said, cracking a small smile.
Blite and Chara stalked through the new forest, eyes, ears, and nose open for any morning-kill. He sniffed at trees, bushes, the air, but could not find anything. “Chara, do you scent any prey?” Blite asked, sniffing at the air.
“Not that I know of,” she replied, sniffing the bark of a tree.
“Hmm,” Blite muttered. They kept searching, until Chara finally said, “Blite, is that a horn-head I smell?”
Blite sniffed the air. Then he caught it. “Yes! That’s a horn-head!” His stomach growled.
They crept toward the smell, eyes open for the horn-head. After sniffing the air more and trailing the scent, they finally found the big horned creature. Its brown fur almost camouflaged itself in the middle of the forest, and its horns lowered as it crouched down to take a bite of some kind of leaves. “I will never understand plant-eaters,” Blite murmured.
Blite and Chara quietly stalked the horn-head, getting as close as possible. It was all silent, and then Chara accidentally crunched a leaf under her paws.
The horn-head looked up, something that looked like an alarm in its eyes, and looked around for any danger. It moved a couple of paces forward, then, as if it decided nothing was waiting to ambush it, it kept grazing on the leaves.
“Ok, we are close enough,” Blite whispered, and Chara nodded.
Pounce!
He leaped and grasped onto the horn-head's haunches. Chara closed in as well, aiming for the throat. She and Blite hung on, while the horn-head, eyes wide with shock, kicked and flailed.
Blite let go of the haunches and helped Chara with the neck. He found a spot to bite and locked his jaws around it. The horn-head still kicked feebly, but it was getting weaker.
Finally, after Blite sank his teeth in even deeper, the horn-head went limp in his jaws. He let go and looked up at Chara, licking his lips.
“Good work, Chara! Now let’s—”
Ow! Something rammed into him and knocked him to the ground. “Wha-?” He snarled and fought to look up at what was attacking him. Then, he caught a glimpse of orange-and-black fur. Chara? Is that you? He thought, shocked. Then he caught the face of his attacker. That isn’t Chara! Where is Chara?
He fought with his new attacker, writhing beneath him. You can’t get me! I’m invincible!
He suddenly felt the attacker slash his shoulder, and he winced against the pain. I may not be able to be defeated, but I guess I can still feel pain. He found a free paw after a moment and slashed at his attacker’s belly. The enemy growled and raked his cheek. Where is Chara? he thought.
He finally found a hold for his hind paws to reach the opponent’s belly, and he took his chance. He thrust his hindlegs forward deep into the stomach. The attacker yowled in pain, but Blite pushed him off, growling. He leaped at the newcomer and managed to pin him down quickly.
He looked around for Chara, and there she was, staring in shock at the two tigers. “Who are you, newcomer, and why did you choose to attack me? I'll have you know that I'm invincible," Blite snarled, his silver eyes gleaming with fury.
The tiger sneered back. “That is my kill! I saw it first!” he said, twisting in Blite’s grasp.
“Oh, yes? I thought we were the ones who worked together to kill the horn-head, but I never saw you join in.” Blite retorted, his paws pressing the tiger deeper against the ground.
The attacker avoided his eyes for a moment, then back to him. “You just said... you were invincible. What do you mean by that?” he asked suddenly.
Blite lashed his tail. “I am Blite, and I the Great Tiger gave me the gift of invincibility. I am now the most powerful tiger of all. So, if you want to live, you better not pull my tail again. Tell me your name, then,” Blite added.
After hesitating, the tiger said, “I am Calzar. And—I’m sorry for attacking you, um—” Blite stared at him, waiting. "—Blite. If you're invincible... I'd like to be your friend... if you'd let me."
Blite sneered. “Oh, really now? You try to attack me, you say that horn-head is yours, and now you want to be my friend?! Do you think I’m so stupid?” he challenged.
Calzar sighed. “I’m sorry, Blite, I really am. Forgive me. But—how can I know you’re not lying? How should I know you are invincible? It seemed like it hurt when I clawed you,” he said with a slight air of smugness that Blite disliked.
Blite snarled. “I will warn you against questioning me, Calzar,” he warned. He released his grip on the new tiger, and Calzar stumbled to his paws. Blite, after a moment of hesitating, finally told Calzar what happened.
“It was just a normal day in the Streak of mine that I no longer live in, and I was just play-fighting with my tiger brothers,” Blite said, Calzar listening with interest. “Then they started being mean to me, as they usually are. They wouldn’t let me join their fighting round. They said I was stupid for being black-and-white. I will get my revenge. And I know I will because I also know that The Great Tiger is on my side. Why else would he give me the power of invincibility?”
Blite read Calzar’s shocked expression as he muttered, “You got your invincibility from the Great Tiger? How in the history of him did you make him do that?”
Blite replied, “I have no idea. He came to me in a dream last night, and he gave me this power. He said himself that I was invincible, and he wouldn't lie. If he did, he would never be worthy enough to be what he is. But I don’t care if I lie someday. I will make the Streak pay and make their lives miserable for what they’ve done to me. They banished me from my home, and just because I’m black and white.” Blite could not stop the mad tears streaming down his face, his fury erupting by simply talking about it.
“And I already know how to get my revenge. Chara, Calzar, I am going to kill Flora."
ns 15.158.61.8da2
