The King's Remorse

No Telling

I dig my claws into the ground, jumping forwards and accelerating in a split second. The ground beneath me becomes a blur as a boom snaps through the air, causing all eyes to shoot my way a few moments later. I've missed that familiar sound.

I crash into Phoenix, and we tumble to the ground. My claws dig into his sides as I struggle to wrap my jaws around his throat. One of Phoenix's forepaws bats at the side of my face, and he shoves my stomach to throw me off. I jump again to avoid tripping and falling to the ground. There's yet another boom this time, but it's significantly quieter.

"Apologise!" I scream. I dig my claws into the ground as I begin to accelerate. Just before I break the speed of sound, though, Phoenix gets to his paws slowly as he shakes his head and begins to laugh. I lean back as I skid to a halt. Dirt piles up around my paws, dirt rising towards the sky in clouds.

"What a-a-are you l-laughing at?" I growl.

"Nothing, nothing."

"What is i-it? Tell me!" I advance a step towards him, fluffing up my fur in what I hope is an intimidating stance.

"I wanted to see what your ability was." Phoenix rolls his eyes, sitting down.

"Then w-what were you l-laugh-laughing at?" I hiss.

"I didn't realize how personally you'd take it."

"What?" I snarl.

"I said, I didn't realize how personally you'd take it." Phoenix raises his voice.

"I-I heard you t-the f-first time. I just d-don't see how you c-could ins-insult my mom!"

"Yeah. Brook's not your mom. Hope you knew that," Phoenix states.

"C-course I knew that. S-she's a u-unicorn, a-an-an-and I'm a cheetah. But why w-were you i-insulting her?" I curl my lip.

"I wasn't!" Phoenix exclaims with a snort. Little orange flames start to flicker across his black pelt.

"Y-yeah, you were!" How could he not've been? He literally said 'I'd be shocked if she could even land one blow'!

"I wasn't insulting her; I just wanted to see what your ability is since it's awfully obvious you have one, so I said things that would hit home. I swear I wasn't insulting Brook."

"B-but you st-still said the words," I murmur. He still insulted Brook, though.

"No! I didn't! Ok?" Phoenix digs his claws into the ground as he leaps to his feet. The flames explode, reaching tall towards the sky.

"But y-you did! You s-said the words th-that insulted Brook. Y-you in-insulted her!" How isn't he getting this?

"Phoenix!" Ky comes running over. The other three in the group must've figured something out since Brook is no longer trying to skewer them on her horn.

"What?" Phoenix snarls, turning around. His eyes glow with fire.

"What's going on? You two are clearly bickering over something."

"We're not bickering," the black cat grumbles.

"Phoenix was insulting Brook, but he says he wasn't." I shoot daggers at the back of Phoenix's head with my eyes.

"What a way to make a good first impression, Phoenix," Ky says sarcastically.

"I wasn't! I wanted to see what Clap's ability was since it's so obvious she has one! I wasn't insulting Brook! Ok?" Phoenix growls.

"Did you, or did you not, say mean things about Brook?" Ky asks.

"No," Phoenix says at the same time as I say yes.