“I know, I know.” Skylor shushed him and put his head back in her lap. “Stay still.” Arms trembling, she held her hands out over the open wound and focused. Once more she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The others sat still and watched. Nya covered her mouth with her hands in an attempt to swallow down any whimper that might come from her. She didn’t want to seem weak. She wanted to be strong. Nya didn’t want to look at the wound. She kept her eyes averted. Matilda and Misako sat still and watched. In seconds that felt like hours, Skylor fought a silent battle with the toxins in Kai’s body. A somber silence fell upon the cavern. A triumphant cry brought Nya’s attention back to Skylor; between her hands hovered a small orb of some liquid colored a sickly green. The last drops were floating from the mess. Skylor spoke breathlessly. “What do I do with this?” “Chuck it away, over there.” Matilda turned and looked at Nya. “Poison problem’s being taken care of. Now for healing his wounds. Go find one of our kitty friends and get them to help you find my belt. I’ve still got some healing potion left.” “Is he going to live?” “If you’re fast.”
* * *
All the world seemed to toss and turn in a hot, hazy fog. When Kai felt anything it was pain; it lashed up and down his torso like a knife while the blood in his veins seemed to burn hotter than his own fire. His hands continued to throb, stiff black pieces of flesh they were now. When he was aware of anything it was the demons who came out of his nightmares, the ones he’d been stuck in for so long. They took the forms of giant, smoky black hounds and attacked him. He could feel every tooth, every claw on his body. The hazy nightmares went on for… how long? Hours, days? No, years… yes, he spent years in these visions, these never-ending horrors and stabs of agony. He spent every day fighting for breath, though his lungs throbbed in protest every time he gasped. He could hear his own heart in his ears; its once-steady pulse was slowing… slowing… becoming quiet, growing sleepy and content… But I don’t want to go, a conscious thought drifted lazily. I just got here… Something sweet-tasting and cool poured into his mouth. He thrashed and coughed, but a hand grabbed his jaw firmly and forced the liquid down his throat. He wanted to tell them he couldn’t drink it. He could barely breathe without choking, much less drink something… Yet when he did finally drink, his muscles seemed to relax. He could hear his heart perking up, getting stronger. He gulped for air again and this time his lungs didn’t hurt. The liquid kept coming, so he kept swallowing it. It left a half-sour, half-sweet taste in his mouth, reminding him of something else he’d had… What was it? Kimbachi… kimbachi juice… he thought feebly. Am I still in Pawreles…?
Eventually he was aware of the sensation of fingers running through his hair. Someone had removed his belt and chestplate. Voices clamored anxiously over his head, all female. At last he forced his eyes to open, though they felt as heavy as bricks. He thought he saw blue-tinged stars hovering over him. Then a face appeared over his head. He stared up at it. Mom…? Am I dead? “Kai!” the face cried, and he realized it was Nya. Tears were running down her face. “You’re back! You’re OK!” For several moments Kai couldn’t speak—he was afraid if he did, he would start coughing again. Yet at last he forced himself to rasp, “Nya… are you OK?” “Am I OK?!” She threw back her head and barked a half-laugh. “How can you ask that when—?” “Just looking out for my baby sister.” Her laughter made him grin, if feebly. He looked around and recognized Misako kneeling to his left. “Hey, Mrs. G. Am I gonna live?” Misako’s expression was one of mingled amusement and concern. “I should say so. The danger has passed.” She looked past him and nodded. “Thank you, Matilda.” He looked up to see who she was talking to—instead he looked up to see Skylor’s face. The recognition made him physically jolt in surprise, which in turn led to him to realize he had his head in her lap. He felt his face heat up. They stared at each other for several long moments, neither daring to speak. For once, their usual barrier of witty banter and teasing flirtations was gone. That night, that awful night of their banishment, returned to Kai in a wave that threatened to overwhelm him. Yet here Skylor was: alive. Safe. With him. Finally he breathed out, “Hi.” Her lips quivered, but she stared at him with something like a faint half-smile. “Where in the heck have you been?” He grinned wryly. “Wouldn’t you like to know.” She laughed, but it sounded more like a strangled sob. Suddenly both she and Nya were hugging him tightly; Skylor behind him hugging around his shoulders and pressing her cheek against his, while Nya hugged him around his torso. Both girls laughed and cried aloud with relief and joy. Even Misako joined in with soft laughter of her own. Finding himself half-buried in the girls’ embrace, Kai chuckled, “Man, I must be in heaven.” “If that was all heaven to you,” a new voice interjected. “I’d hate to see what the other place is like.” He started to get up, but the voice snapped, “Ah-ah-ah, don’t you dare! The potion’s only started working. You’ll make yourself sick if you move.” He looked to see a soot-covered, ragged-looking middle-aged lady sitting nearby. “Who’s—?” “Matilda’s right, lay back down.” Skylor urged his head back into her lap, and he felt her hands stroke his hair. He blushed and couldn’t help but let his smile grow. “Lie down right here? I can definitely do that.” Skylor swatted him playfully, only to look guilty when he winced and groaned. “Sorry.”
“Kai, your hands…!” Nya stared at his hands almost balefully. A quick look told him they were still burned and charred, though the pain had numbed now. “What happened?” Lightheaded, he fell back with a sigh. “Too much.” The faces of both friends and foes in Pawreles flickered before his eyes like faint pictures. He pushed them away, so that he could drink in the moment of being here… in Ninjago. After a moment he murmured, “I’m home.” Nya heaved a long, slow sigh. It sounded as if she were releasing a heavy burden. “You’re home.” His eyelids felt heavy again. Somehow his body didn’t hurt very much anymore. “I was gone for so long. What happened?” Closing his eyes, he felt exhaustion overwhelm him into a wave of sleep. In his last moment of consciousness he thought he could feel Skylor’s lips press against his forehead. “Too much.”
Chapter 111: “Sister Only; a Broken, Scattered Heart”
Cole didn’t know how long he knelt there in the dark, hugging Liana and hearing his own voice ring off the walls like a mourning ghost’s. When his eyes finally ran dry he felt nothing—he was numb. Reality didn’t feel real anymore. The chill of stone slowly seeped into his limbs until it hurt. It dawned on him that he was still alive. There was a world in turmoil outside this black hole and he was needed. He didn’t want to get up. He wanted to stay with Liana, to keep her safe. But he got up. He trudged to the landslide, feebly kicking aside rocks and soil. He set Liana down gently on a flat rock before attempting to move the massive boulders out of the way. As he shoved and kicked rocks twice his size out of the way, he realized dimly that most of his wounds from the fight and fall had been healed. He stopped in his tracks and pondered on that for a minute, before realizing it had to have been Liana’s work. Even when she was dying, she was trying to help me. The thought made him want to collapse again like a small child. His legs trembled. He bit his lip hard to keep from crying. Why, why, why… Inhaling sharply with a shudder, he swung and punched one of the biggest boulders. It flew across the cavern and he heard it smash to pieces against the wall. He stood there on the landslide trembling from head to toe, breathing heavily. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t save you. I’m so, so sorry…” A single thought stopped his grieving like a sting of fire: Blood Star did this. The hole he could feel in his heart seemed to rip apart further; his sister, who’d already taken Eagle Talon, took Liana. Liana was dead because of her. It was Blood Star’s fault. It was all Blood Star’s fault. Rage, slow and hot, built up itself up within Cole. He could feel it in his pulse and hear it in his ears, his heart pumping harder and faster. Adrenaline surged and pushed against the heavy grief. “Blood Star,” he growled. With an unintelligible roar he used his powers to chuck boulders aside, this way and that. They fell crashing on either side of him as he worked his way up the landslide. The walls echoed angrily with the sound of shattering stone and Cole’s wrathful shouts. More soil and rocks tumbled at the disturbance, but he shoved them away, too. The pile shifted and groaned in protest, but he didn’t care. He had to get up there. He had to find Blood Star and he had to finish what she started. He didn’t know how much he climbed until he shoved a boulder aside and heard the sound echo strangely. He stepped up again only to find there were no more rocks to climb. Empty space yawned before him. Holding his arms out he stepped forward again and onto flat ground, kicking aside small rocks.
He found himself back in the tunnel. He remained there a moment to catch his breath before turning and skirting down the landslide. He couldn’t leave Liana in there, cold and helpless in that black pit. She didn’t deserve that. Like a lurching shadow, Cole carried Liana’s body up the landslide and into the tunnel. On he went, trudging slowly through the inky world. Occasionally he’d scrape his shoulder on a wall or bump his head on the ceiling, but he hardly felt them. The only things he felt were raw grief and reawakened rage. Rage was the thing that kept him going. For what felt like a long time he only held Liana close and walked. The sound of his footsteps sounded unearthly against the black walls and floor; they made the silence feel loud. Step by step he made his way down the corridor. He did not know where he was going. He only knew what had to be done. Here, Blood Star… His thoughts grew dark and he wished he could send them to his sister. Come out, come out, wherever you are… At this notion, an idea spawned and tentatively he reached out with his mind. He pushed his consciousness down the winding tunnel, feeling new spaces devoid of living souls. He pushed the consciousness past empty caves and caverns, searching for a beating heart. Finally I’m putting my mind-bending to use, he thought gloomily. But am I too late? Has she—? A warm sensation like a feather’s tickle brushed against his scalp. Hesitating, he pushed his consciousness further and imagined it as a magic string stretching into the many corridors ahead of him. At last he felt it: another soul’s consciousness. It felt hot and alive. It almost stung, how the feeling writhed and thrashed like an angry animal. He thought he could catch words here and there like flickering shadows. It felt familiar in a haunting way. Gotcha. Gritting his teeth, Cole strode forward and turned into a smaller tunnel. On he went, putting one step in front of the other. Liana’s body weighed down in his arms but he wouldn’t let go. He dared not leave her in these cursed tunnels. The tunnel slanted down and the air grew colder the further he walked. A couple times he nearly slipped, stumbling over small puddles of water dripping down the walls. As he regained his balance, something caught his eye. Through the darkness, a blue light glowed faintly from a distance. Wondering if he was seeing things or had something in his eye, he blinked hard and looked again. I’m not seeing things. There’s light coming from down there. With a shiver he continued on, taking care to walk quietly. The tunnel continued slanting downwards. The further he went the more he could see; first the damp walls glistening on either side of him, then the individual pebbles scattered about the floor. When his sight adjusted to the gentle glow, he risked a look at his precious cargo.
He almost wished he hadn’t. Liana’s arms and legs dangled limply from his grasp. Her head lay nestled against his chest while her hair trailed over his upper arm. The expression on her bruised face was no longer twisted with pain, but rather she wore a peaceful expression. She could have been only sleeping if it weren’t for her lifeless eyes staring into open space. Stopping, he crouched down and slowly laid her on the ground, sheltered by a boulder. He reached over her head and gently slid her eyelids closed. It didn’t seem right to leave them staring at nothing. At least she was no longer in pain. No one will ever hurt you again. Cole looked down the corridor again, took a deep breath, and quickened his pace. The glow grew brighter, though it never hurt his eyes; it left many shadows dancing around him. At last he turned a corner and entered a large cavern. Mouth falling open, he stopped and gaped at the massive body of the Great Moonstone sitting in the middle of the cave. The unearthly blue glow seemed to come from both the stone’s surface and a strange hazy cloud hovering at the ceiling. Small stars like twinkling snowflakes floated down from this cloud. They vanished as soon as they touched Cole and he couldn’t feel them. It gave him the impression of walking into a dream while awake. The echo of his footsteps sounded muffled, as if he were walking through snow. Noises like faint whispers bounced off the walls, though he could not make out what any of the voices were saying—if they were even there at all. Was he only hearing things? Had he hit his head? He scanned his surroundings warily. At the east side of the cave, two humanoid shapes lying together on the ground caught his eye. Heart lurching, he eased toward them and peered through the Moonstone’s light. His dread became horror and grief; Lloyd and Little Leaf lay there, limbs sprawled out awkwardly, and... Cole was nearly sick just looking at them and he turned away. His vision swam and his head spun. Both of them… both of them gone, all gone… He gritted his teeth. How many more of us will go before this is all over? A pebble clattered. Spinning around, he scanned the cavern. To the west side, behind the Moonstone, a dark shape lurched in the shadows. A familiar female voice was mumbling incoherently. Heart racing, Cole fingered the sai knives dangling from his belt. Mouth dry, pulse pounding, he stepped lightly and made his way toward the Moonstone. Blood Star’s voice mumbled behind it. Slowly, carefully, he made his way around the glowing structure and peered into the back of the cave. Then he stopped and held his breath. There she was; back to him, kneeling on the cold ground. Her shoulders quivered and he wondered if she was shaking. He could hear her now, saying in a strange, halted voice, “So many… so many. I did it. I did it all. I am invincible. I am powerful. I am forever.”
Gulping, Cole took another few steps closer, sliding his back against the Moonstone’s surface as he tried to see her face. He was within ten feet of her. How hasn’t she sensed me yet? She was staring at her human hands with a glazed expression on her face. Something dark red coated her fingers and was smeared across her mouth. He stared at the stains with disgust, knowing it was not her own. Her long raven hair fell across her face and down her back—it looked tangled and matted now, not as graceful as usual. Her robes of dark hues of green and blue pooled around her as if she were kneeling in liquid cloth. There was something distinctly unnerving about the way she sat so still despite her quivering chest, staring blankly at her hands. This eery effect was emphasized by her rambling. “I did it… I did it all… see, I did it, I have saved us all… are you proud of me now?” Her voice rose. “Say something! You gave me nine lives! Won’t you speak to your daughter? I am your savior!” A sob interrupted her monologue, and she covered her mouth with both stained hands. “Mama… please, speak to me. Are you not proud? I did it for you. So no one would ever be hurt like we were again.” She clenched her eyes shut. “I’m sorry…” Cole could not believe what he was seeing. Almost involuntarily his hands released the handles of the knives. “—But Eagle Talon was a necessary sacrifice,” Blood Star’s voice went cold again. “As was Little Leaf. If they had lived they would have been the tribe’s demise. I did what I had to.” Fresh rage surged through Cole. “‘Necessary sacrifice’! Was Liana a ‘necessary sacrifice’, too?!” Blood Star sat up with a gasp and stared at him. Tears were glistening in her eyes. Vision going red, Cole roared and threw himself at his sister; he barreled her over and jabbed his knee into her stomach, knocking the breath out of her. She fell on her back with a strangled cry. Almost on instinct he took one of the knives from his belt and plunged it into her chest. There was a single, horrible moment in which the brother and sister stared into each other’s eyes. Shock, pain, grief and rage seemed to swirl together in Blood Star’s expression. Then her eyes glazed over. Without a word her head fell back among her hair. Cole crouched there for several seconds, shaking from head to toe. Knee to her stomach, head hovering over hers, he stared down at Blood Star’s white face. Not a breath escaped her red lips. The cold reality of what he did started sinking in. Did I…? I did it. It was over so fast… He did not move. Something did not feel right. That had been too easy. Wait. His heart skipped a beat. Her nine— Blood Star’s chest heaved beneath him. Her eyes flashed open and he saw they were glowing a bright, ghostly blue. Gasping and snarling, his sister turned her head and sneered up at him. “Beetle-brain.”
A cold hand snatched Cole by the throat, and he choked. With inhuman strength Blood Star threw him single-handed across the cavern. He hit the ground and rolled to a stop with a groan. No longer did Blood Star weep. She stood with her head held up loftily with that familiar, mocking smile on her face. What distorted her face was the blinding glow coming from her eyes. A crescent moon shape appeared on her forehead, shining as brightly as her eyes did. “I do hope you had a backup plan. I guarantee it shall be much harder to do that again.” Cole stared at her and felt horror drain him. That strength… she threw me like it was nothing! Does every death make her stronger?! “Come now, I’m tired.” She reached into the folds of her robes and withdrew a pair of glassy clearstone daggers. “Be pathetic for just another second and it shan’t hurt for long.” With that she charged him, daggers aimed for his chest. Leaping up, Cole spun around and kicked one of her arms away just as she lunged. As she was thrown off-balance, he reached and snatched her other wrist. Stuck in his grasp, she swung her right arm around to slash at his face; he grabbed that wrist too and held her in place. She stood against him and glared into his eyes. “You’re a psychopath!” Cole roared. Anger replaced his fear and fueled his disgust. He could feel it pounding in his head and he shouted to the point of hurting his throat. “You push anyone out of your way, even your own family, just to get what you want! You’re tearing apart other families, both cat and humans—heck, even wolves! You stole puppies just to make them mad!” He spat in her face. “You’re crazy!” “What else is new?” She grinned and his blood ran cold; the blue glow illuminated her face like a phantom’s. “I don’t care. It was worth it. It was all worth it.” The dagger that was dangling from her hand over his head dropped; the thin knife flashed by Cole’s face as it fell and he felt a hot slice of pain. With a yelp he flinched back. Blood Star tore herself free. Cackling, she lunged at him with her remaining dagger. The dagger flashed by his face but struck nothing; he jumped back. Hands curled into fists, breathing hard, he made a upward jerking motion with one fist. The ground erupted. A bulge of stone popped out before him and struck Blood Star square in the chest. She voiced a strangled oomph! and went flying across the cave. She fell on her hands and knees and gasped for breath. Cole did not stop. Concentrating, he shaped the bulge into a pillar. Then, with quick horizontal movements of his arms from his chest out, he divided the pillar into slabs and sent those slabs shooting across the cave. Like enormous round missiles they fell upon Blood Star and crashed into the wall behind her, sending rubble flying. She dodged out of the way with a shriek before summoning a glowing green shield around herself. She sneered, “Elemental powers? Two can play at that game.”
With that she thrust her arms out. Two massive boulders were yanked from the walls and hovered to her sides. With a grunt she tossed one at Cole. He ran to dodge the falling boulder and just barely Spinjitzu’d out of the way to evade the second one. More boulders, though smaller, kept being thrown at him. Spinning as fast as he could, Cole dodged and flung these missiles away with his Spinjitzu. His vortex danced around the cavern like a tiny glowing tornado, flinging rubble and dust up in the air. “You can’t spin forever!” Blood Star laughed over the sound of crashing stone. “You’re right!” he released the vortex and let it evaporate. “Just like how you can’t learn how to use an elemental power properly in a week!” Her eyes flashed. She thrust her hands out and more boulders, like a stone army, surged toward him. This time Cole stood his ground and held his hands out as if to catch them all. They stopped in mid-air and shuddered. Growling, Blood Star pushed harder. Cole could feel her energy shoving angrily against the boulders. He stood his ground and felt his own energy wrap around the boulders like an embrace, warm and familiar. Their eyes met across the cave. “Sure, you absorbed my power,” Cole grunted dryly. “But does that make you a master?” With that, he gave an extra shove and the boulders flew toward Blood Star. She threw herself on the ground as stone smashed into the wall and sent rubble flying. Cole stepped back from the rising dust cloud. “Sorry, sis,” he said, dropping sarcastic emphasis, “but you’ll have to practice a little longer to catch up with me.” “Maybe when it comes to throwing rocks,” came the retort. “But can you best me in the battle of the mind?” Green eyes glinted dangerously from the curtain of dust. Cole’s stomach dropped. Close your mind. Don’t look into her eyes. Think about Liana, remember her face, remember when she laughs, remember that night in the field, remember— Too late. His head seemed to burst open and his vision swam in a haze of hazy colors. The cave, Blood Star, the Moonstone and everything else vanished from sight. Cole found himself falling through a whirlpool of both dark and light colors, swirling in a way that gave him a headache. Voices that sounded both strange and familiar bounced around in his head. Memories. She’s finding a scar-picture. His pulse picked up. I’ve got to get out of here. I’ve got to wake up. Wake up—! He was in a house. He was walking down a familiar hallway. His father walked beside him, unusually quiet. Cole was a child, and there was a somber atmosphere about the household that chilled him to the bones. His father stopped at a doorway. He looked down and forced a wane smile, placing a hand on young Cole’s shoulder. It felt heavy and cold.
Cole looked into the room. It was soft and warm with sunlight, comforting, even. The soothing colors contrasted strangely with the figure sitting in the bed across the room. Her face was white and she looked small—too small, too weak. She wore a pale shift while her dark hair was up in a bun. Feebly she coughed—as she had been doing much too often. She looked up and saw him, and a weak smile lit up her face. “Hi, honey.” His heart leapt. His mother was smiling. That was good. Still… He ran and leapt into her arms. She caught and hugged him, just as she used to—except this time he could feel her arms trembling. She seemed to waver under his weight, as if all her previous strength had leaked away. His heart sank back down again. “I don’t want you to be sick anymore, Mom.” “I know,” she murmured softly. “But…” she sighed, “we don’t always get what we want, do we?” Cole wanted to ask why she said that—what it meant. Yet all he could do was cling to her, staying in her embrace. Perhaps if he merely sat there and didn’t move, she wouldn’t let go of him. Yes, yes—if he did not let go of her, then she could not leave him… He remembered she’d released him to ask about the fight he’d gotten into at school that day. That’s what should have happened—but it didn’t. Time seemed to freeze. His mother stopped moving. She didn’t speak. “Mom?” Tentatively Cole pulled away. His mother was still sitting there, wearing that expression of weariness and concern… but she’d stopped moving. She looked as if she’d been frozen in place. “Dad?” Voice shaking, he looked back at the doorway—and his blood froze. His father was gone. In his place stood Blood Star, leaning casually against the doorway. She wore a kimono of mottled black, green, and midnight blue, as if she were merely another human villager stopping by. However, the feline slant of her pupils—and the knowing smirk on her face—betrayed her. “Impressive.” She walked up until she was standing over young Cole. He was so small, his half-sister towered over him. “Impressive, what with how you’ve buried that memory so deeply within yourself.” Young Cole couldn’t move—it felt as if his present self and child self were fused together in a confusing jumble. He knew who this was, what was going on, and he fought to escape it. The child, however, was scared and bewildered. He could only stand there and tremble as Blood Star knelt before him, meeting him face-to-face. She cupped his face with one cold hand. In a sing-song voice she chanted, “I’ve got a secret!” In a flash of light the bedroom and his mother vanished. The light blinded him and he covered with face with a cry. Then he was kneeling on stone, gritting his teeth as he tried to suppress his sobs. Every part of his body trembled from shock within himself. He felt hot and cold at the same time. Tears threatened to overflow.
“Want to know my secret?” Blood Star’s voice sounded mocking as she stood over him. He thought he could detect a smile in her tone. “Want to know how your mother really died?” Cole caught his breath. “Raven Frost told me.” She was walking leisurely around him in a circle. “Long ago—perhaps not long before that memory, he found your mother. She was the one who’d stolen pieces of the Great Moonstone in the first place, you know. So Raven Frost sought her out and demanded them back. “She refused. They fought, and unfortunately, Raven Frost was wounded to the point of being unable to defeat the Daughter of Earth. Somehow she’d grown stronger since the Red Battle. She was about to end him. “But he found a way. He used the last of his strength to curse her.” Anger made Cole tighten his fists and glare into the ground. “It was a curse of sickness. She won the duel, but he escaped, and she was doomed to a slow, painful demise—the demise of which you had the pleasure of witnessing.” His breathing quickened. The sound of something hard brushing against nails reached his ears; she was brandishing a dagger over his head. A chill ran down his spine when he felt its icy tip gently prick his scalp. “I suppose that’s something else we share in common. Lost mothers.” She hissed, “At least mine had more strength and valor than yours ever did.” Cole’s heart stopped. “Don’t—!” He leapt to his feet and knocked the dagger out of her hand. “Ever—!” In one spinning motion he kicked out and tripped Blood Star. She toppled with a startled yowl. “Speak of my mother—!” He rolled on the ground and locked his sister in a choke hold, wrapping one arm around her neck and pulling back with the other. “Again!” he roared as she thrashed and gurgled. Feebly Blood Star rasped, “What about—?” “What about what?!” he snapped back. She shuddered in his grip. He could feel her body shifting. He braced himself for her to burst into black fur and to attack him with claws and teeth. Except her hair turned pale blond, her face bore scars running down her eyes and her expression turned pleading. “Cole…!” Liana’s voice murmured in his ear. “Please— you’re hurting me…” Mingled grief and revulsion had him shoving her away. He scrabbled back and stared at her—Liana coughing and gasping, hair falling in waves around her face as she turned to him with a forlorn expression. “Cole…” Then her expression turned mocking. Sneering, Liana stood and flipped her hair carelessly. “Ohh, please, don’t hurt me! I love you so much! Let’s run away together and have a family!” She threw back her head and cackled madly. Cole’s vision went red. With a roar he summoned a Spinjitzu vortex. He spun into Liana-Star, but she danced away with another cackle and shifted back into her own body. “Catch me if you can!” Letting the vortex vanish, he landed and raced after her. “You sick, sick animal!”
Blood Star whipped around and flung something at him. Something shiny glinted in mid-air. Gasping, Cole summoned a shield of stone out of the ground. It burst out in front of him and he heard something sink into it. A quick look told him she’d flung a dagger at him. He looked up to see her brandishing another; she stood several yards away, grinning wickedly. “Poor, poor little brother. Lost a loved one again? I know the feeling. It is not fun, is it, when someone takes away something very precious?” Cole heaved for breath. He stood there for a moment to study her; the dagger in her hand, the glowing crescent shape on her head, her glowing eyes… She has magic on her side. She can give herself forcefields and she’s already crazy-strong with her new powers. He thought frantically and felt tempted to give into despair. I can’t do this. I can’t beat her. She’s already got me going half-crazy. She’s winning this mind-game, and I don’t have anything on her. No memories, no— He caught his breath. No. Wait. A hint tugged at his brain; his and Eagle Talon’s imprisonment in the bandit’s palace, and what Twig Foot had done to them. He remembered seeing pieces of Talon and Blood Star’s childhood. Could I…? His mouth felt dry and he swallowed hard. Sweat dripped down his face. Might as well try. I just need a moment. One moment of weakness. He looked across the cavern again. “Tsk. You look so tired.” Blood Star’s eyes flashed with a smile. “You look like you could use a nice, long nap.” “Maybe.” Cole held his head up and raised his voice snidely. “Or maybe we could give you some therapy you’ve been needing for a long time… Tiny Paw.” The smug look on his sister’s face melted. “That— that’s my kit-name… How do you—?” His heart pounded like an alarm bell in his ears. Cole stared into his sister’s eyes, concentrated, sent out his energy— —and felt his mind latch onto hers. The world went dark. He could feel her consciousness thrashing against his, panicking. He seized the chance to press further, searching for that feeling—the feeling of prying open someone’s box of memories, just as he’d practiced… Then, something felt different. The darkness remained but the air felt warm. Cole felt his body curled up in something soft. He could hear a heartbeat from where he rested his head and purring vibrated against him. A voice murmured over his head, “Sleep well, my daughter. I love you.” Silver Mist. Their mother, Cole realized with triumph. I did it. Blood Star’s voice screeched angrily in his ears, as if she were standing right beside him. How dare you! Get out of my head! Make me. He pushed his energy out again, forcing more memories to flow. He could feel his latch, feeble as it was, constantly slipping and he worked frantically to readjust it. If he lost concentration for just one second she would be free and toss him out of her head.
Light, though gray and dim, appeared and showed that they’d moved on to daytime in the caves. A chubby brown tabby kitten was purring and wrestling with Blood Star—Tiny Paw at the time. With a jolt Cole realized it was young Eagle Talon. He was seeing him from Tiny Paw’s eyes as the siblings played. They appeared to be only a few weeks old. Or only a few months—hang on, how does age work for werecats? Cole got distracted. Whoa whoa, how old are you in cat years? Or do you age like people—? A stinging sensation swept across his scalp. Immediately Cole shoved back, pushing his sister out of his brain. Whoa there, sweetheart, he thought snidely. Where do you think you’re going? You can’t keep me like this! How dare you look into my memories! Blood Star yowled in his head. Release me! You can dish it out but you can’t take it, can you? With that Cole pressed harder and sought after memories where he could feel dramatic levels of emotion. It felt like walking around blindfolded and following the rising sensation of a hill to get to the top. “Half-breed, half-breed! Eagle Feather and Tiny Paw are half-breeds!” Young Blood Star stood with her brother in one of the caves. A white kitten—Soft Cloud—was taunting them and getting the other kittens to laugh at them. Her pelt was prickling with mingled anger and shame. She looked to see her brother lowering his head and staring at the ground, unable to meet anyone’s eyes. Outraged, Tiny Paw threw herself at Soft Cloud and did what she imagined warriors would do against a horrible enemy; scratched his face, making sure to find the parts that would hurt the most. She felt satisfied to hear him cry in pain beneath her. Serves him right for making fun of us! Soft Cloud cried and the mother cats came running with indignant meows. Tiny Paw felt her mother yank her away and it hurt. Usually her mother was gentle. “She hurt me, Mama,” Soft Cloud wailed. “Tiny Paw used her claws on me! I didn’t even do anything to her!” Angry, she snapped back, “Soft Cloud said Eagle Feather and I were half human! He said our father was a stinky human who ate cats! They called us half-breeds!” “Tiny Paw, that is no excuse for you to hurt Soft Cloud.” Silver Mist’s voice was sharp. Tiny Paw flinched from the coldness of it. I thought she would be proud of me! “I’m sure he was only teasing. Apologize at once.” Now hurt, Tiny Paw glared at her mother in silence. Why are you on his side? I was being a good warrior! Silver Mist flattened her ears. “Apologize.” “Sorry.” Silver Mist continued glaring down at her daughter. Her face vanished and the faint images of other cats—mostly kittens—flickered together and against each other in weird colors, as if Cole were watching an old movie on bad film. Voices rose and mingled together in different tones and words; some were loud and taunting, others were quiet and icy.
“Soft Cloud says you an’ Eagle Feather are half-breeds.” “No, you can’t play with us!” “Control your temper! You’ll get nowhere acting like a spoiled brat.” “Silver Mist never talks about that time when— oh, hush, that kit’s listening.” “Sorry, Tiny Paw… guess we just forgot about you.” “Go wandering off and you shall end up as your mother did, the foolish thing…” “We don’t want you here.” A softer voice interrupted. A new picture flickered that showed Silver Mist sitting by Tiny Paw. They were in a dark cave where a small stream trickled. Silver Mist was looking down at her daughter with kind eyes. “Do not listen to them. They do not know who you are.” “But they’re always so mean to me! And Eagle Feather!” the tiny kitten wailed. “What do I do to make them stop?” Silver Mist leaned over her like a protective shield. “Push back. Tell them they’re wrong. Never give up, and eventually you will earn their respect.” She nuzzled Tiny Paw gently. “As a student you shall not only learn how to fight and hunt, but how to command and lead. Bakeneko and nekomata are the most cunning and powerful creatures in the land. Be proud of what you are and build upon your abilities to become the best. I know you can do it, little one.” Your abilities… Silver Mist vanished. In the next scene Tiny Paw was playing with a ball of moss by herself. The toy bounced out of her paws and went to the other side of the cave. She ran after it purring—then stopped in her tracks. A narrow-faced kitten with a black and white-patched pelt stood at the entrance. One paw was draped over the moss ball while his whiskers twitched in a sneer. “Hey there, two-leg,” he drawled. Irritation made Tiny Paw’s pelt prickle. “That’s mine. Give it back.” “Make me, two-leg.” Purring, the tom stepped over the ball and swiped a small paw at her. She leapt at him with a small growl and tried to grab the ball. He kicked it away and ran after it, lashing his tails to and fro. It looked like two kittens playing normally, but there was a sort of suppressed tension in the air that made Tiny Paw feel small and trapped. “Nya-ha, can’t catch me, two-leg!” Even the innocent-sounding tease made Tiny Paw want to rake her claws across his face. She stopped and glared at him. “Why do you keep calling me ‘two-leg’? I have four legs, Little Ears. You’re dumb.” Young Tall Ears replied, “Because you’re half-human and that’s how many legs you’ll have when you transform and eat us up. That’s what I heard my father saying.” Tiny Paw rolled her eyes. “That’s beetle-brained.” She started for the moss ball, but he jumped in front of her in a crouch. “It’s true! Being half-human makes you more violent but also weaker than a normal cat!” He bared his teeth. “I bet I could beat you in a second!” “Leave me alone. Your father is weird and you’re mean.” She turned for the exit tunnel.
Little Ears barreled into her and they fell wrestling on the ground. She felt tiny claws scratch her head and shoulders. She struggled under his paws. “Stop it! You’re being dumb! And hurting me!” “Fight back, then!” He crowed, “You’re so wimpy!” Bewilderment and anger made Tiny Paw’s fur feel hot. She thrashed, but Little Ears was bigger and stronger than she was and pushed her down on her back. He scratched her belly and she cried out. “Wimpy half-breed! My father says you should have never been born!” Little Ears purred mockingly. Heat surged from Tiny Paw’s heart to her head to her limbs. A flash of green fire burst from her paws and shot into Little Ears’s face. He yowled and stumbled off of her. His wails echoed hauntingly off the walls. Shocked, Tiny Paw could only watch the other kitten swipe at his face frantically. Almost as soon as they’d appeared the green flames vanished. However, fresh burns now stood out against Little Ears’s muzzle. They looked painful. “Mama!” Wailing, he barreled out of the cave. “Mama, Tiny Paw hurt me!” “No, stop, don’t tell on me!” She started after him, feeling sick to her stomach. “Please don’t tell—!” “Get away from me, you monster!” The kitten fled down the tunnel. Tiny Paw was left alone. She crouched down and shivered. Leftover hurt mingled with that horrible, sick feeling of knowing she was in trouble. Little Ears’s cries lingered in her ears, and the silence of the dark cave made them feel louder. She felt small, helpless, and wretched. I didn’t mean to hurt him, she thought pitifully. I don’t even know what I did! Where did that light come from? Did I hurt Little Ears badly? She longed for her mother’s comforting presence, until she realized Silver Mist would probably be very angry with her. The longing for comfort turned into fresh terror. She will hate me! Mama will hate me for this! I don’t even know what I did wrong…! The sound of paw steps padding toward her made her freeze. She couldn’t help but whimper when a cat slowed and entered the cave. “Little Ears says you hurt him,” a male voice murmured. Tiny Paw stared at the thin tom standing before her. “Sky Pelt,” she squeaked. She had never met any of the sorcerers. Silver Mist had always told her to stay out of their way and to not bother them. They had dark, strange powers and mysterious duties that separated them from the rest of the tribe. She would fall silent with the other kittens whenever one of them came near. Now she had one of these sorcerers staring down at her like a hawk stares at a rabbit. However, this sorcerer’s voice was light and gentle. “Care to tell me what happened, little one?”
