Late night inspired stargazing.

   Closing time at the Emporium. Field day had commenced as all the cats had their chores to complete. Francine, of course being to important, would oversee the other three in the proper cleaning of the entire place. "A cleaner business means more customers. That means more money." Speedy, who was on his hands and knee scrubbing the floor, found his thoughts drifting to his bank account and that any extra profit they made because of cleaner floors probably wouldn't make any difference. Guido, tasked with cleaning the windows, tables, and chairs, was merely busy jamming to his iCat headphones, singing along to some Glee songs. Polly, lastly, was on kitchen duty; getting the ovens, containers, and storage all squared away for the coming business day.

   Once the tasks were complete, the felines retired to their respectable rooms for the night, ready to get some much needed shuteye. Time oozed on by... A restless Speedy was tossing and turning in his bed, unable to get comfortable or even sleep much. He sat up and rubbed his head. After a quick bathroom break, he headed outside into the cool night air. Making use of the service stairs on the side of the Emporium, he stepped onto the roof. The brilliant night sky shone with it's glory and mysteries, the infinite of distance, space, and time glaring down on the solitary cat. He walked out to the edge of the Emporium Canon and took a seat, letting his feet dangle over the edge. He leaned back and looked out over the cityscape. The Palace was lit up as always, the street lights outlining the veins of the city, the tepid wind blowing in from the ocean to the west... He relaxed and let his mind wander. The day to day things washing away; not having to worry about combat, the stresses of business ownership, training, personal relationships with his colleagues and friends. Right now, in this perfectly dark moment, none of that mattered. It was just him and the infinite staring back.

   The white feline recounted his life up this point. The things he's seen, the adventures, both terrifying and exhilarating, he's experienced. How would his life be different should he made one little choice in the past that was seemingly insignificant. What could have been? Why am I here? These questions flew through his mind, no answers arrived, but that didn't mean he couldn't understand what his mind was trying to comprehend. He was old enough to know how things worked, that day to day issues and circumstances and the control he had over the denizens around him. Sure, being a leader was great, but there was the downside as well. Any errors or lax in judgment meant the ones he cared about the most could be hurt, captured, or killed. The weight of that was always present in his mind. This was just one of those moments where he needed to sort out his inner demons, try and sort and organize his thought process and basically recharge and get ready for whatever was going to happen next.

   Speedy laid back now, staring up at the stars, shining silently back, eons of knowledge in their time, no way to express it. The formations and constellations each with it's own design and charm. The dull light filling Speedy's eyes, the sounds of the silent city making his ears twitch, the scent of nothingness about him made him feel.. better. No stimuli, no distractions, just the bare, honest truth of the mind and it's non-stop chattering. He slowly made sense of that inner voice, forging it to answers, willing his spirit and mind into a state of near perfect relaxation. Nirvana? No, not quite, but damn well close enough, that realization of one's life and the actions they have done, and not done, making what he was today. And he liked that. He liked that very much. The pure meaning of existence was this right here; knowing what to do, how to do it, and being successful at it. Speedy finally had the clarity his mind needed.

   He woke up on top of the canon with the sunlight in his eyes. The dawn having chased away the stars that helped him the night before, though he still had the answers. He sat up and smiled to himself; feeling the best he ever had...

   The End.

~Burke