Ocellaris

by: Everyone

He shook out the water from his fur, whiskers taking off with the wind. He enjoyed the chill for a moment before taking a massive breath and dunking his back into the salty lake. He kicked his legs to propel himself downward, deeper into the slightly murky water. He accidentally scared a small school of fish, but they quickly recovered to come and swim by his side. He loved the water more than anything else. Maybe other people didn't understand that, but it didn't matter. Nothing ever really mattered when it came to his passion.

He felt a satisfying burn in his lungs and pushed back to the water's surface. The chill was getting worse; Night was falling. He needed to get back to his den.

The sun reflected off his modified scales. He was born a tiger, though that wasn't what he was. His parents would hunt and he'd fish. His siblings would climb or prowl while he dove and swam. He was happier in the water than anywhere else.

He remembered the day perfectly. The air was warm and crisp, and even slightly salty. Minute by minute, he scraped his ancestry from his appearance and molded himself into something different. White stripes, like a fish he drew inspiration from he saw swimming one day.

He remembered his parent's faces, shocked at first and then softened into disbelief. They didn't scold him, or tell him he was unnatural or impure. Instead, they embraced him even if they didn't understand his decision. That's the day he realized that nobody would love him as much as they did.

His mindless legs had brought him home at this point. He didn't really remember anything about the trip back, except that he was left feeling nostalgic and slightly lonely. When his mother presented him with a meal and his father a hug, the feeling faded. Even in the bare expanse of the ocean, he was never truly alone.