The Shadows - A Cat Story ✔

Chapter 13

[Author's note: If you notice any errors in my writing, find something confusing, or have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know! Thanks for reading!]

Moon opened her eyes. She could still remember the look on Blade's face when she asked him if the dancing orange flames were fire. He looked slightly terrified. She tried to remember what it was he told her not to do to it, but she couldn't. Bitter herbs still flavored her tongue. They didn't even help her pain. Her head hurt, and so did her back.

"Good morning, Moon," Stone meowed.

"Can I see Zinna yet? And Sun?" The white kitten asked.

"Of course. She must surely be awake, for Ash held a meeting recently." The dark grey she-cat licked the kitten's head.

A dark brown cat entered the den, a small black kitten at her heels. "Moon! I've missed you!" Moon's mother purred.

"Moon! Guess what!" Moon's brother, Sun, jumped up happily.

"Where is Sky?" The white kitten ignored her brother and her mother's greeting.

"Sky is upset. He thinks you won't want to see him because he was mean to you. He doesn't want to disturb you." Zinnia explained to her kitten.

"I want him here." The green-eyed she-cat demanded. Zinnia nodded to Sun to go get him.

Sun left the den, moments later returning. Sky followed a ways behind.

"Sky!" Moon purred as her other brother entered.

"I am sorry I told you you couldn't be a Shadow," Sky murmured.

"Well," Moon sighed. "It is the truth. The Shadows don't change for stand-outs."

"Don't you ever call yourself- or anyone- that again!" Zinnia swatted her daughter's ear.

"Ash changed the rules. You will be a Shadow!" Sun screeched happily, but Sky still hung his head in shame.

"Really?" Moon started to get up, but pain erupted through her back and her head. "My back!"

Stone jumped and started looking through her herbs. Zinnia panicked and pulled her white kitten close to her and started licking her head.

"My head," Moon winced as her other tongue rippled across her fur.

"There are bumps on her head!" Zinnia looked at Stone, horrified.

"Yes, and they only seem to get bigger. I don't know what this is, and I'm afraid I have nothing to cure her," Stone muttered.

"You're going to let her die?!" Zinnia leaped at the healer, pinning her down. "You deserve to die!" Zinnia held her jaws at her throat, but Moon bit her mother's tail helplessly.

"She is expecting kits!" Moon croaked.

Zinnia released her grip and backed off. She grabbed Moon in her jaws, and nodded for her other kittens to follow her out.

"Put me down, Zinnia!" The white kitten squirmed. "You were going to kill her! Put me down!"

Zinnia set the kitten down. "I am sorry."

"That doesn't cut it!" Moon growled at her mother, pulled herself up, and headed back for the healer's den. Her mother was just as bad as Night.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Stone murmured as Moon crawled in the den.

"Don't be sorry! I'm not going to die! My mother overreacted," The kitten curled up in the nest that had been made for her.

The air went quiet. Her back and head still hurt, but she was getting used to it. She fell into a nightmare-filled sleep.