Cats of the School for Good and Evil | Rise of SGE Fanfiction

Part 2

Rhian hadn't seen nor heard from Rafal since the night of the Circus of Talents. He'd written to his brother several times over the span of two months, but his letters had gone unanswered. Shortly after Good had been victorious, once again, the Theater of Tales had moved to the glass castle, along with the Storian. But what was a victory didn't feel like one.

Although he'd won, Rhian still had trouble sleeping every night—until he finally gave in and indulged a deep, dark wish that had been gnawing relentlessly at him from the shadows of his subconscious.

In the privacy of his office, he turned himself into a cat.

Rhian climbed the bookshelves, a fresh sense of adventure rushing through him. He leaped across furniture, squeezed his head into an empty vase, and even dared a playful swat at a currently dormant Storian. He found a great freedom in being a cat, a joy that he hadn't felt since he'd been named School Master.

"What are you doing?"

Rhian almost fell off a bookshelf at the sound of Rafal's voice. The white cat was looking up at him with a judgmental stare.

"I—uh, I'm... cleaning?" Rhian said, hoping the excuse wasn't too unbelievable.

"With what?" Rafal asked, brow raised.

"My... tail?" Rhian said. "It's, uh, fluffy enough to be a feather duster."

"You have magic, you fool."

Rhian reddened under his fur.

"Anyway," Rafal said, "I've come to tell you that we'll be sharing a new office."

"A new office?"

Rafal turned around and sauntered toward one of the tall windows. "Come see."

Rhian climbed down the bookshelf and followed his brother. He leaped onto a side table and peered out the window. A tower—the Evil castle's fourth tower—was sitting in the lake between the schools.

"That's our new office?" Rhian said.

"It's been redone inside to look like neither of our castles," Rafal said. "Now, I need you to transport the Storian while it's still asleep."

Rhian looked at him. "What?"

"It's only fair, is it not?" Rafal said. "The Pen's home should be one that is neither Good nor Evil, unless you only care about winning and not about the balance."

Rhian winced inside at the sting of Rafal's words. He wanted to defend his reason for keeping the Storian here—because he'd won—but he would just be proving his brother right.

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Rafal had dismissed Rhian having turned himself into a cat that day, figuring his brother just wasn't the sharpest. Then Rhian became a cat every night at bedtime. He claimed that being a cat helped him sleep better. And then he became a cat every time he returned from the Good castle.

And it grated on Rafal's last nerve.

Hissing, Rafal attempted to attack his brother, but Rhian dodged him in time.

"You're mocking me, aren't you?" Rafal spat. "You think my punishment is so amusing that you have to imitate it!"

"No!" Rhian said, leaping clumsily onto the table to dodge his Evil twin again, accidentally knocking over a glass and shattering it in the process. "That's not true at all!"

Rafal rounded the table and leaped onto the other end. He pierced Rhian with a death glare, his ears flattened and back raised.

"Then why do you insist on being a cat?" Rafal demanded. "Answer me!"