Dart sat alone on one of the picnic tables outside, looking around. Leaves were starting to fall from the trees, turning to orange and red colours. Dart smiled, she had always liked autumn. The colours reminded her of a sunset, the reds and yellows mixing together to form a blend of extraordinary shades. They never failed to make her feel calm. For just a moment, Dart was able to forget all the worries she had about her sister and simply enjoy life. The tension in her gut loosened, and she closed her eyes.
Dart's ears twitched at the harsh sound of a leaf crunching. She sighed and opened her eyes, letting the blissful moment pass. A sandy tom was padding towards her, and Dart recognized him as Luke. Luke smiled at her, and Dart smiled back, despite her irritation at his sudden arrival. Luke hopped up onto the picnic table, his claws scratching the redwood. He settled down beside Dart, looking into her amber eyes with his blue ones.
"So.." He said, after a pause that made Dart uncomfortable. "How are you adjusting?" Dart opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by a yowl from above.
"AH!" Dart jumped back as a brown she-cat tumbled from a tree above her, screaming and scattering leaves. Luke's eyes widened.
"Puck?" He meowed. Puck smiled shyly, in a heap on the ground.
"Hi." She said, looking away. An annoyed look crossed Luke's face, but was wiped away quickly.
"What are you doing here?" He said, keeping an air of forced calm. Puck stood hastily.
"I was just napping! I swear! I wasn't doing anything weird, like watching you..." Puck trailed off, looking at Dart with suppressed guilt. Luke rolled his eyes.
"Okay. Maybe you should go inside." He said, letting a note of annoyance creep into his voice. Puck didn't seem to get the hint, and leapt up onto the table beside Dart.
"Can I sit with you for a bit?" She asked, gazing at Dart with hopeful eyes. Dart smiled reluctantly.
"Yeah, okay." She said. Puck grinned, her golden eyes shining. Luke made a sound of protest, but was interrupted by a new voice cutting in.
"Oh, gosh. Puck, what did you do?" Dart turned to see Petal walking towards the group, frowning. Puck let out a nervous laugh. Petal grinned and hopped up beside Puck, giving her a gentle shove. Luke sighed. Dart smiled. Petal glanced over at her, and put on a look of exaggerated concern.
"What did Puck say? Are you afraid?" She said. Dart laughed.
"No, no! She's done nothing." Dart gave Puck a forgiving smile. Puck smiled back. Petal glared.
"Huh. I was sure Puck would do something weird." Puck turned around.
"Hey!" She shoved Petal, who laughed.
"Come on, you've been doing strange stuff ever since you were born. I would know." Dart frowned.
"Why? Have you been friends that long?" She asked. Petal rolled her eyes.
"No, silly. We're sisters." She meowed. Dart felt the blood rush to her cheeks, she felt like a complete idiot.
"Oh. That makes sense." She replied. Puck smiled.
"Don't worry, most people don't think we are. We look very different, if you can't tell." Puck glanced at her sister, and Dart realized they didn't just look different. They looked like total opposites. Petal was slender and graceful, while Puck was stocky and clumsy. Petal was grey with green eyes, while Puck was brown with yellow ones. They smiled at each other, and any doubt Dart had about their shared blood vanished. They looked at each other the way sisters should. It reminded Dart of the looks she would share with Twist, and she felt a sudden sadness. Her smile faded, and she looked away. The sisters seemed to notice, as their smiles were replaced with looks of concern.
"You okay?" Asked Puck. Dart shifted on her paws.
"Yeah." She paused. "How long do the humans take to fix wounds?" She asked. A look of realization dawned on Petal's face.
"Oh. You miss your friend, don't you?" She said. Dart narrowed her eyes.
"Maybe. It's none of your business." She responded curtly. Petal frowned.
"Well, it usually takes about two days." She said, her expression growing cold. Dart figured she had been rude, and started to feel guilty. Petal jumped off the table and left, cementing Dart's worry. Puck nudged her.
"Don't mind her. She can be kind of sensitive." Dart nodded slowly.
"Okay, thanks." Dart forced a smile. Puck smiled back.
"I think I'll go after her." She gave Dart an apologetic look, then left, chasing after her sister. Dart sighed, and turned to her left.
"Hey Luke.." she broke off, realizing that Luke was no longer there.
He must have left when we were talking. Dart frowned.
Maybe I bored him. She looked at her paws. She stayed like that for a while, letting the crisp fall air ruffle her pelt.
After a long moment, Dart took in a deep breath and sat up.
I should rest. She thought, looking at the sky. It had turned a deep red colour, the sun was almost set. Dart crouched down to leap off the table, but was interrupted by a yowl.
"DART!" Mitten slid into view, her paws scattering leaves everywhere. She breathed heavily, Dart assumed she had been running.
"Dart..." she paused to take a deep breath, and Dart frowned.
"What?" She asked, tail swishing behind her.
"Your friend... she's back."

...

Dart ran faster than she had ever ran before. Mitten was ahead of her, leading her to what she had so desperately wanted. What she had needed. Her sister. Twist's name echoed in Dart's mind, all other thoughts absent. The world blurred, Dart's focus slipping as anticipation shuddered through her body. She ran faster. Mitten yowled back at Dart,
"Almost there!" Dart said nothing in response, but the words made her even more eager. She picked up her pace, muscles screaming. Mitten turned a corner, and Dart skidded to a stop. In front of her, crouching on the grass, was a cat so familiar she could recall every hair on her pelt. In front of her was Twist.