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Late afternoon sunbeams captured the indomitable lusciousness of the glorious green all over the forest, illuminating every little detail from every line creased into the base of a leaf or markings carved into the trunk of a tree. It all kept still, except for the odd rustle through the trees from a tiny breeze now and again.
The leaves forming a barrier between the sky and ground seemed thinner as the strips of light leaked through them, and made their shade seem more of a passionate green than one shaded from the uncountable amount huddled together. Some beams managed to reach the soil, every beetle and butterfly tracing the petals of the flowers visible.
Plant life acted like a mystical rainbow, from vibrant crimson poppies to bright yellow dandelions and soft indigo bluebells, pink tulips and fluffy grey dandelions that had progressed more in growth than the others. It was untouchable, and also rather quiet, pardon the birds chittering gently in the thick branches high above.
(Y/n) strolled down the pathway engraved through the grass, much to Mother Nature's annoyance as it invaded her ability to keep every strand vivid and healthy. She spun on her heels whenever something caught her (e/c) eye to keep her view, her head feeling stuck upwards to observe the peaceful daily routine of the trees welcoming every little breeze and flash of sunlight.
It was a route she had taken to reach home from school and vice versa only recently, the alternative journey taking just a few minutes longer but holding much more natural delights. Before, she would ponder the streets of Station Square, avoiding the vehicle fumes and suspicious people while she made out the maze of streets until she reached home.
This option was much more relaxing, no cars speeding past or people not having the social etiquette to excuse her when consuming the whole pavement. Just the gentle touch of nothing but nature, the only sound being the whistle of birds or the rustling of leaves, but other than that, silence.
It helped her clear her mind of the day before, without the hustle and bustle of the city infecting it instead and applying nothing but stress. She could take time to think things over, something the life in Station Square never seemed to provide. (Y/n) took a deep breath and closed her eyes for only a second, happily skipping down the path.
She was sure she knew where the pathway would lead, not exactly paying much attention to the route she took. She couldn't help it, the mesmerising nature of the heat of springtime keeping her inconveniently distracted. She couldn't take her eyes off of the crocuses, the light purple contrasting the deep orange inside, or the pure white primroses having the same effect.
(Y/n) crouched to where the soil met the concrete, smiling with such joyous luminosity towards the little blossoms embracing the midst of spring and absorbing her interest like the beams of sun. She played with some petals, her fingers melting into the silky touch to them as honey and bumblebees bounced from plant to plant.
It felt like a dream, but as her wrist fell into view from her position to give the ruffled daffodil just one more caress, she spotted the time. Her watch screamed with a time that dared to climb over the brink that separated afternoon and evening, and a small gasp broke from (Y/n)'s warmed chest and shattered her illusionary experience.
She raised herself from the fields of flowers buried under the thin trunks and fallen twigs, dusting herself off with a sigh of disheartenment that her daily visit had to be abruptly ended. She picked up the pace and applied a more serious aura to her steps, trekking the pathway in the direction she thought to be correct to lead her back into Station Square and the road of her home.
(Y/n) didn't notice an unrecognisable bend approaching, simply taking it with both eyes glued to the blue skies only just visible through the blanket of angelic vegetation. She didn't realise she had passed the diversion attached to the path that would guide her to the right place, stopping with a perplexed expression once a gate interrupted her flow.
She glanced up, the forest appearing to continue for a few more steps before fading into a field. The gate connected to a small fence that stretched for the rest of the path, exclusive to that direction. It didn't seem locked, or unable to push open in any way, and out of nothing but curiosity (Y/n) wandered through. It might be possible to return to Station Square via a route divorced from her habitual.
She followed the trail of stone like a crumb of a river's banking floating over the water, weaving around trees that began to interrupt the straight road. A bundle of bushes bordered the open field that laid ahead, and the trees with each leaf dyed in such a magical green hung above. Shadows sprinkled over the hedgerow, only a slim line breaking the plant life apart and revealing the park behind.
(Y/n) slowly stepped over the oceans of twigs snapped from the trees and crumpled leaves with a paler emerald shade as if the passionate hue bled out from its creased injuries. She peeked above the bushes, not able to prevent her lips from breaking away from forming her inquisitive frown and into a small gasp.
It felt like she had gazed into an oil painting, everything seeming so untouched and strangely abandoned by human activity. The only signs of life that traced the landscape were birds hopping through the grass and bees buzzing around the flowers, with butterflies amidst the shrubs and more birds indenting the pure blue of the sky.
Most of the park land was consumed by a large lake, the water as clear as the facet of a diamond. Blue reflected into the sagar from the sky above, glistening from the sunlight quickly approaching dusk with every ripple reflecting from it like it had been dusted with silver glitter. Vegetation that overhung the edge of the lake bounced across its surface as if the plants gazed happily into a mirror.
It was perfect, and with a hasty glance to her watch, (Y/n) thought it to be just fine that she were to take a short break among the field's natural glory. With the pathway ending at the hedges, she stumbled through them without any awareness of another option to travel, some thorns scratching her legs but proving no more evident damage.
She took a deep breath once her toes met the edge of the lake, inches away from touching the immaculate waters. She absorbed the peace of the park, taking in more shorter breaths that felt chilled from the cold maybe from the waters, varied with a sense of warmth from the springtime weather alluring in the crisp air.
(Y/n) gazed into the mystic body of delicate water, admiring each wrinkle to the glowing surface with a beaming smile of amazement she could see across her own face from the lake playing the role of a recently polished mirror. But within minutes, her reflection became harder to see, the water rupturing more regularly.
(Y/n) innocently raised an eyebrow, looking side to side perhaps for a source for interruption. That's when she saw something land further into the lake, pressing little waves into a specific spot of the pristine pond and sending them to the very edge that broke from a prefect circle a few times. With a squint, she identified it as the bait of a fishing rod.
She wasn't sure where the rest of the rod lead to, the bait floating in the water and awaiting an aquatic creature to snap it up. It held a thin string that could highlight the direction to the handle of the rod, indicating someone else's presence. (Y/n) craved to know who else could be behind her right at this moment, the mystery playing with her stomach just a little.
(Y/n)'s (e/c) eyes stalked the string only just visible against the waters glistening more white than blue from the increase in ripples, but a sound raised her shoulders with a wave of her own aglow in superstition before she could locate the source.
"Hello."
(Y/n) shivered, turning instantly. The voice was a strange mixture of soft and deep, and could be compared with the smoothness of the wind hazing above the lake. It didn't take long to determine who had spoken the little word glowing with polite intentions, the owner of the voice physically appearing the opposite.
A large cat, very large, and plumped against the grass. The shape of his body could have been likened to a boulder, but the texture ruffled in the breeze appeared soft and fuzzy. His fur held multiple shades, with a purple across most of his body and darker indigo stripes up and down. A patch of creamy white decorated his rather obese stomach, with the same shade touching his muzzle.
(Y/n) stepped back a little, but kept the second pair of eyes deep in her skull active to ensure she didn't trip into the waters. She was quite startled, being a human girl encountering a huge feline with the same characteristics - sitting up, speaking, even fishing by the looks of it, the rod in his grip enclosed with beige gloves. The base of his sandals holding his paws balanced in front of him, and his eyes glowing gold awaited a response.
"Oh, uh, hello."
"Sure is a nice day."
(Y/n) nodded anxiously in agreement, the cat's beady yellow orbs breaking the chain and glancing back to the lake. He rolled the bait of the rod back, skidding it over the surface without the lips of any fish clutching it. He seemed to put all his strength into pulling the rod back, but it lasted longer than he anticipated.
The cat tumbled backwards like a rogue desert weed, crushing some already damaged leaves the bled into the fields from under the hedges that snipped the two apart. (Y/n) gasped, a small "ouch" overlapping his tail being squashed under his body. He wiggled his stumpy legs in an attempt to reclaim balance, but with some strain to his neck to bring his head topped with long, pointed ears up, he noticed (Y/n)'s gesture of assistance.
She gave him her hand, nervous for her kindness to inevitably be accepted. The violet feline gave a deep and goofy chuckle, and (Y/n) felt the bones of her fingers would be shattered if he were to grip it any harder. He closed his eyes in that happy cartoon manner that enlivened his whole face with joy, but reopened them to begin an introduction to his newly found human companion.
"My name's Big the Cat, because I'm big, and a cat."
(Y/n) channelled all her strength and hauled up the cat who politely established himself as Big, his radiating smile and sweet voice seeming infectious, but at the same time a cure for her tangled stomach. Although he may have looked heavy, he was lighter than expected.
"Um, I'm (Y/n)." She shyly replied, Big nodding once she raised him back up to his comfortable seated stance.
"Nice to meet you, (Y/n). Thank you for helping me up."
She felt her smile melt naturally into her face, his charming and kind mannerism seeming like mental therapy that could exterminate any foul feelings in anyone's mind. He seemed like a really sweet guy, and once she admitted it was satisfying to be greeted with his residence to an already delightful park and an establishment of being welcome, he chuckled once more and returned to his fishing.
Big tossed the bait back into the lake, humming happily with patience that sounded like it could never burn out. He watched the little waves breaking the still surface of the waters, wiggling his feet in tune, so content like no problems existed in the whole of the world. (Y/n) instantly admired that about him, but her thoughts disintegrated once his gentle voice met the sunny air again.
"So what have you been up to today, (Y/n)?"
"Oh, uh, I've just been at school." (Y/n) replied, twiddling the tips of her thumbs together.
"Hmm. School? What's that?"
(Y/n) smiled a little wider and held back a giggle of jealousy that Big had never heard of school, seeing him as lucky, but once she felt the electric stare between the two of them fire up in genuine curiosity, she cleared her throat to scrape together a decent description.
"School is like... somewhere children go to learn." (Y/n) tried to explain, anxiously rubbing the back of her head in the soft midst of her (h/c) hair as Big kept his stare glued to her - not even blinking.
He nodded. "Wow! That sounds fun!"
(Y/n) wanted to scoff at what she could tell to be his inaccurate assumption, but her throat seemed to close itself before any sound could escape. She couldn't joke on that level around someone who just seemed so pleased all the time, and never saw the bad in anything! His opinions all seemed positive, even on things he had never tried before: no anticipation, just eagerness!
"But not as much fun as fishing!" Big chuckled, rolling the string of the rod back in.
That's when he realised it felt heavier than usual, and it ruptured the stillness of the waters more, too. Something flapped at the tip as he managed to drag it forward, his face lighting up even more once he saw the silver scales shine in the lowering sun.
"Hey, I caught one!" He shouted with glee, standing up to avoid rolling backwards again and successfully catch the fish once it bounced up from the muddy rim of the lake.
"Good job, Big." (Y/n) shyly congratulated him, steadying herself from the earthquake that rumbled across the field from his sandals crushing the ground.
Big weaved the string off of the aquatic creature, still flopping across the palms of his enormous hands. He slid the bait from its mouth and dumped his rod in awe, his jaw frozen open and his beady yellow eyes so wide they could pop. He spun on his heels and was ready to run around the lake from the right.
"I've gotta show Froggy! See you soon, (Y/n)!" He shouted, raising a huge foot to slam into the ground and carry his whole fuzzy body at the fastest pace he could manage, until (Y/n) stopped him in his tracks.
"Wait! Do you know the quickest way back to Station Square from here?" She quickly asked, the yellow fade of the sky haunting her, and Big's eyes that could be compared with the sharpness and luminance of a warm white lightbulb leapt to lock with her (e/c) orbs once again.
"Sure! Go around the lake that way and there's a little gate that should take you to a path that goes to the city!" Big explained, rather slowly, but with kindhearted finger gestures and that soothing soft touch to his voice like always.
"Okay. Thank you, Big." (Y/n) stammered a little, the large feline still possessing a goofy grin. "Enjoy your fish."
"'Daw! Don't be silly, (Y/n)! I'm not gonna eat him! I'm gonna put him back in the lake with all his friends! Then maybe I can catch him again!" Big explained with a deep chuckle once more, his astonishing overflow of friendliness playing with (Y/n)'s heart.
"Of course. That's very sweet of you. I guess I'll see you around?"
Big nodded, still clutching the fish. "Yup! Bye (Y/n)!" He called, finally managing to dart around the lake and find this... Froggy.
Every footstep rumbled across the ground, like something snaked underneath and was ready to burst out of the grass; giving your brain that horrible feeling like it thinks something will happen and it doesn't, leaving you on edge. Either way, (Y/n) smiled as Big became a purple blob in the distance, certainly warm from his gentle aura, and took to the route he had suggested.
Hoping she could stumble across the park another time to maybe see him again...
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Author's Note - I've been wanting to do a story for Big for so long, and I finally managed to conjure up a decent plot! He's always the character you don't really want on your Team Sonic Racing team, but I purposefully played as him the other day and some of the things he says- 🥺😂 So I guess that may have been my recent inspiration, because guys, he's not so bad!!
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