The Pool of Destiny

 th e p oo l o f d es ti n y

 pilot of   fire rainbow  /season one

"Renee, seriously. How can you not be excited?" Cynthia pokes me with her tail, as if trying to see if I'm real or not. "We're sixteen moons old. We're travelling to the Pool of Destiny tonight! How can you be so calm?" Cynthia's dark blue eyes narrow as we have a staring contest, on the spot. That's how it is between Cynthia and I - I can be somewhat childish around her, not like others.

"Cynthia, you know what it's like for me." I smile as Cynthia blinks, and I win. "I don't like Ignis very much. Nothing here interests me much, I guess." Cynthia nods her head, and I sigh quietly with relief. Cynthia isn't asking any questions today. Good.

The thing about me is that I tend to be way too independent. I tend to keep to myself quite a lot, and I don't open up to many people. And to those I do, I tend to ruin my friendship with them, eventually. Cynthia is probably the closest thing I have to a best friend - actually, a friend in general. Making friends should be a new priority.

"Renee, why do you dislike Ignis so much?" Cynthia asks quietly. We're now walking into the woods, away from camp. "There's nothing wrong with it."

I ignore her question. There really is nothing wrong with how Ignis is - the rules in general are pretty good, for the cats who live on the Destiny side. For us, it's pretty much this: You work with your family, you learn vital skills, you learn everything with Ignis's best interests at heart, and you stay away from the Poor side. That's all there is to it.

"I don't really know, Cynthia." I shake my head. "There's just something that I don't like about our home, I guess." Cynthia waves her tail, and I can tell that she doesn't believe me. But she doesn't ask again, which makes me a little calmer.

"What side are you going to choose?" I ask her, even though I already know the answer. She's going to pick the Destiny side - most cats don't usually switch sides; well, the cats from Destiny, at least.

"Destiny." She says, her blue eyes shining. "What are you going to pick, Renee? Let me guess -" she cuts me off as I'm about to answer. "Poor side, right? I'll still be your friend if you switch, Renee." She says affectionately, and I can't help but feel a twinge of happiness.

"You were pretty close," I say, and her smile grows even wider. "But I really don't know what to choose. I can't exactly judge my choice from what I have - because obviously, I have no idea what my destiny is."

I watch a leaf falling down gracefully from a tree, and how it doesn't even have to think - it's falling, and it has no other choice. It doesn't need to have problems consume it. After all, it's just a stupid leaf.

"But you know that leaving Ignis isn't an option." Cynthia says quietly. "This is your home."

"Yeah, I know." I say, sharper than I intend. I give Cynthia an apologetic smile. "Of course I'll choose - it's not like there's any other choice. Everything is thrust upon us." I look at the ground, and the multicolored leaves underneath my paws. Crushed, like my dreams of getting out of here.

"Well, it doesn't matter." Cynthia says. "But we'll still be friends, right?" She adds in a whisper. I look up at her pure white fur, and deep blue gaze. "We shouldn't - we can't lose our friendship, Renee. Please." She says, and I nod.

"Friends forever, right?" I feign a cheerful tone, trying to ease up the mood of the conversation. "Cynthia, we should probably go back now." I say, watching the sun start to set. "It's almost time for the call. Then the journey, and then the Pool of Destiny."

"I'm ready for anything." Cynthia says firmly, voicing out my thoughts. She starts running back to our side of Ignis, and after a few seconds, I follow her.

~

"Please get into the line as I call out your name." The sixteen moon-olds are gathered around Flare's Rock, and a dark gray she-cat is standing on top of it, with 4 cats behind her. The leaders.

The thing about them, is that you only learn their name if they tell it to you. The poor cats do not know the names of the Destiny leaders, and only some cats of the Destiny know their names. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to find out their names; it's considered an honor.

"Cynthia! Carter! Kyle!" The dark she-cat calls out, and cats materialize out of the crowd to take their places. I wave goodbye to Cynthia before waiting for my name to be called. "Beatrix! Renee! Diann!" I walk up to see two dark gray she-cats - probably Diann and Beatrix.

I walk in between them, and while the she-cat with light blue eyes smiles, the one with green eyes doesn't.

"Who are you?" She asks, somewhat dully. The she-cat with the blue eyes shoots her a scolding look.

"Oh, stop it Diann! Hi there." She turns to me, smiling. "I'm Beatrix, that's my litter mate, Diann." She points to the dark gray she-cat behind me. "What's your name?"

I'm about to remain silent when I remember my goal: make some new friends. "Renee." And then, needing to say something, I speak again. "What are you going to pick?"

Beatrix shrugs. "Well how am I supposed to pick if I don't know anything about it?" I smile - a real, genuine one. Maybe making a friend won't be so hard after all.

~

Beatrix walks out of the cave, and the moonlight makes her fur glow. "Good luck she whispers, as she walks back." One of the leaders - a fluffy gray she-cat - nods at me, and I walk inside the cave.

It's dark as I walk through the winding tunnel, but soon, an eerie light starts to come from the distance. I find myself in a small room. A pool of water lies in the middle, and while there shouldn't have been any light, the pool seems to shimmer.

I walk up to the pool, cautious. I look at my reflection first. I look the same - a ginger she-cat with blue eyes. This is me. Renee. Sighing, I lap up some of the water, and curl up next to the pool.

Closing my eyes, I will myself to figure out how I'm going to find out my destiny. Beatrix wished me luck - do I really need it? What will happen? The darkness overwhelms as I hope that this isn't as hard as it seems.

~

''I find myself in a clearing. The grass under my paws is soft and a bright green color. Trees surround the quite large circle of land, and it's silent. An eerie sort of silent, though. The warning for a coming storm.''

''"Hello?" I call out, looking around. There's no one there. Where is he? Where is my Future Self? "Hello?" I call out again, and she's there.''

''Ginger fur, blue eyes. She's the spitting image of me. It's Renee - my Future Self.''

''"You're Renee?" I ask curiously. She nods silently. "So what's my destiny?" I ask, acting almost like a kit. I chide myself - I'm not supposed to act like this.''

''"Things are not what they seem." She stares into my gaze, and I feel as if she can see into the depths of me - like she truly knows who I am. But I guess she does, because she's my Future Self.''

"Ye-"

"You will be part of something larger than your own small problems."

"Which is..."

"The past will tie into your future. The leaders -"

"Fire and Rainbow? Or Blizzard and Flare?"

''"Fire and Rainbow." She waves her tail, a bit exasperated.''

"Okay, so-"

''"Renee, seriously. Shut up." I bite my tongue to keep myself quiet.''

"Your destiny is more complicated than that of others. The beginning of Ignis will meet with the present, and together, you will face the enemy."

"Which is..."

''"Maybe I won't tell you, because you won't be quiet." She says, and I roll my eyes.''

"Okay, whatever. I'll find out soon enough. But who else will be there?"

''"Diann." My hopes plummet.''

''"What about Beatrix?" I ask.''

''"She'll be there, too." Renee nods her head, and I sigh. Beatrix seems a lot nicer than her sister Diann.''

"I-"

"There's a secret, Renee. A secret."

''"Okay." I almost laugh at my casual tone, even though the situation is anything but casual.''

''"Choose." She says.''

''"What?" I say, fear rushing through me.''

''"You heard me right." Renee nods. "You must choose."''

"But I don't even know my destiny?"

"What have I been telling you all this time?"

"Side information!"

"It doesn't matter, Renee. Choose."

"What about my actual destiny?"

"You will find out after you choose."

"But -"

"Choosing is the only way, Renee. You must."

"How am I supposed to choose without knowing my destiny?"

"You must choose before I reveal it to you."

''"No. I won't." I lash my tail angrily, and the dream dissolves.''

~

I open my eyes, and the first thing I hear is my Future Self's voice.

Choose to know your destiny.

But to choose, you must know.

I get up and walk out of the cave. Whatever game my Future Self is playing - I guarantee that I will beat it. I will understand everything. And then I will leave Ignis.

~

Back to Fire Rainbow