Drabble/Ficlet Challenge [Any Fandom or Original]

WORDS: 595

The tiny yellow cat peered around the statue piece she hid behind, studying the flock of seagulls that served as her current assignment. Behind her, her two blue companions were waiting for her to make her move, while their pale lavender mentor lazily slurped at the fur underneath her tail near the base of the cliff nearby.

Amethyst spotted her staring and paused her path to wave her on. Peridot sighed and resumed watching the seagulls, waiting for a moment when they were suitable distracted. Three feathers. All she needed to do was collect three feathers from the live birds and show them to the purple quartz to complete today’s lesson. It shouldn’t be difficult – not now that she had perfected the feline form.

A few of the birds were fighting over some bready thing. That was probably the best chance she was going to get. Peridot crept forward, keeping her body low to the ground like Amethyst showed her. She was supposed to use cover where she could find it, but plain flat sand stretched across the distance between her and the seagulls. She’d have to rely on the fact that her fur matched the sand better than Lapis’ or Blue’s.

That was probably why they were following her – using her for cover. Well, that was fine. She certainly wasn’t going to complain about being acknowledged as the best gem for this job! She just had to keep going closer…closer…almost there…

And now! She let out a mighty yowl as she pounced, forelimbs and jaw outstretched. Surely the seagulls would be terrified of her and flee the area, leaving a whole mess of feathers behind for everyone to collect! This was so easy!

“Ack! Ow ow ow! No, you clods, you’re doing it wrong!”

The seagulls weren’t scared off. She’d landed on empty sand, and then her entire body erupted in pain as several beaks pecked at her ribs and tail. Both Lapis and Blue were at her side in an instant, biting and clawing at the birds that attacked her until the pecking stopped. Peridot collapsed on the sand, letting out a moan of pain as the chaos went on around her, the seagulls eventually getting fed up with her companions’ attacks and flying off.

“That was hilarious.” Amethyst padded toward them, nudging Peridot in the shoulder with her nose. “You okay, P-pod?”

“Fine…” Peridot moaned out. “That was just a total disaster…”

“Nah, I think you’re good.” Amethyst walked around her, nudging several shed feathers into a pile. “This is at least ten between the three of you, so we can call it a win.”

Peridot climbed to her feet and shook the sand out of her pelt, looking around. Both of the others were still shapeshifted. Lapis was sitting nearby, staring at the birds as they flew over the ocean. Blue had found a round pebble and was batting it around the sand. Except for her and Amethyst, the lesson seemed to be entirely forgotten.

“So…does this mean I win?” she questioned.

Amethyst gave her a lazy grin. “Sure. Good job, Peri.” She walked off, probably to eat some trash or something. That was a very Amethyst thing to do, after all.

As for Peridot…she won! She hurried up the hill and the steps to the house, intent on letting everyone know this absolutely important fact!

It wouldn’t be until night fell and Blue and Lapis returned to the house in their default forms that she realized she was stuck as a cat, but that was a story for another time.