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The crowd gasped in shock, then broke into laughter a heartbeat later.
“Weird!”
“You clever cat, Luna!”
“It suits him perfectly!”
The kit stood rock still, frozen in horror. “N-no! Sleek, don’t let them name me this! I’m not weird!”
The cats turned to look at their leader. But Sleek sighed and shook her head. “I warned you, kit. I warned you about the risk. I told you, whatever the cats agree on, it will be your name. You are now called Weird.” She turned and stalked into her den, the guards taking place, and the cats parted and disappeared, leaving Weird left alone on the rock, shivering.
His eyes fell on Luna, grooming her paws and being crowded by cats congratulating her. He growled in hatred, fighting every cell in his body to not leap at her and claw her eyes out. He struggled to resist, about to do it, when something got her first.
“You will pay for what you’ve done!” Uraza suddenly flew out of the Kit Den and lunged at Luna’s side, crashing into her and pinning her down. Luna looked momentarily terrified, frozen in shock.
“U-Uraza! What’s wrong?” she stammered.
“I will kill you! Now my kit carries that name with him for life! You foul, loathsome, evil-”
Luna thrust her hind paws forward into Uraza’s belly, throwing her off. She got to her paws, snarling.
“Your kit’s weird anyway. Don’t try to hide the truth, Uraza! Every cat knows Rapier and Weird are . . .” She paused as if trying to find the right word.
“Unnatural.”
They circled each other for a moment, and then Luna leaped. Uraza dodged and caught her underbelly with sharp brown claws. Luna screeched in pain, then dropped to the ground. Blood pooled from her belly, and Uraza stood over her, a paw on her throat. “You need to pay for what you did to my kit,” she whispered. Luna’s eyes rolled in the back of her head, and her mouth opened and closed with upcoming blood spilling out of her underbelly.
Weird watched, horrified and satisfied at the same time. But before anyone could do anything more, Sleek burst from her den, baring her teeth. “What is going on out here?” she yowled.
Uraza paused, glancing at Sleek.
“Explain. Now.” Sleek padded forward, and then caught Luna’s blood-soaked body. 311Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfvMSQUlgP
“Uraza?” Sleek spoke in a calm, dangerous voice. “Why . . . just . . . why?”
Uraza took a deep breath. “I had to avenge my kit, Sleek,” she said, raising her head.
Sleek turned abruptly and looked up the rock directly at him. Weird twisted around to bound off the rock, but suddenly Sleek was right there. “You’re not going anywhere, kit. You cannot leave this rock. I will make a new rule to the tradition. The kit is not to leave the rock until the next morning.” Her paw flew out and pinned Weird by the side of his neck. “Or do you disagree with my decisions?” she sneered.
Weird, terrified and outraged, nodded frantically, feeling claws at his throat. “Y-yes, Sleek,” he stammered shakily.
“No! This can’t happen, Sleek!” Sleek turned back to Weird’s mother.
“As for you, Uraza, do you have any last words before I sentence you to exile?”
For a moment not even the birds sang. The world seemed to pause in its spinning, the whistling air stopping in its momentum.
“Sleek, I-”
“I said, do you have any last words? I never said begging would help,” Sleek growled, Weird still pinned under her paws. Uraza hesitated, then said, “Can I just come up there and say goodbye to my kit?” she asked, her voice trembling in a mixture of emotions.
“No, you may not. You do not have the right anymore. Goodbye, Uraza. Sleek Guards, take her out of my forest.” The guards stepped forward and nudged Uraza forward, toward the entrance.
“No!”
Weird struggled, but Sleek held him down. Another cat firmly gripped Rapier as he tried to step forward as well. As she reached the entrance, their mother cast a last glance toward them.
“Remember, you two will always be my kits. You are special. Don’t let them take your spirits. I love you, my kits.”
Then the guards finally gave her another push and she vanished into the woods.
Weird felt as if the whole world had just turned on him. What did he do wrong? He didn’t see how he deserved this. It was supposed to be a fun tradition.
Sleek finally released him and he made for the Kit Den, but she grasped his scruff and flung him back to the rock. “Actually, I changed my mind. This is not tradition. It’s punishment for your mother's actions. Guards, make sure he doesn’t leave this rock tonight.” Then she went to her den.
Sleek Guards took place on all sides of the rock, surrounding it and the kit that was on it. Weird gazed at the Sleek Entrance, wondering what his mother was going through. Rapier was led back to the Kit Den, casting a sorrowful glance at Weird.
It’s ok, my brother. I’ll be alright. He curled into a ball, shivering by not just the cold, but the sense of danger that came with it. Sleek was an evil cat. He needed to stop her, and find Uraza.
Weird closed his eyes, vowing to the sky. I will find you, Mother. The journey begins. You’re going to be happy with my progress. He sighed and finally fell asleep.
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What? Where am I?
He looked around, but only saw swirls of misty clouds all over. And then, suddenly, he was standing on soft grass. Sunshine shone in the blue sky, and birds sang in the lush green trees. He turned around, and a cat stood in front of him.
“Ah! Who are you? What do you want?”
The cat looked exactly like him, but stars sparkled in its pelt.
Not-Weird stepped forward. “Hello, Weird. I thought it would be a good time to introduce myself,” it said.
“What do you mean? Who are you? Why do you look like me . . .?” Weird looked at him, confused.
Not-Weird laughed. “Of course, you don’t know. It’s ok. Let me explain everything. I am your Spirit Guard, Weird. And I’m here to work with you to help you find your mother and defeat the evil that will come with it.”
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Weird bolted awake, gasping for air. It was dead night, cats sound asleep in their nests. His spirit had explained to him that Spirit-Guards were rare, and there was evil at every turn of the journey. His spirit was in his mind now, and it could talk to him.
You have a journey to make, but you must wait for now. I’ll get you out of here soon. Weird cocked his ears but didn’t argue with the spirit. He was just eager to get out of this camp, but how? Sleek herself was watching him. Guards were surrounding him. How could a voice get him out?
His spirit seemed to read his thoughts. When the time is right, I need your permission to take over your mind, it whispered.
What? Weird gaped silently, not taking his mind off the voice. Take over my mind? I . . . how do I know you won’t do something bad with it? He asked with his mind to the voice.
Don’t worry. Nothing bad will happen. I’m here to help you, I promise. Weird’s Spirit replied.
Do you even have a name? Or are you just . . . Weird’s Spirit? Weird wondered.
You can call me Mist, it purred. Go back to sleep now. I won’t appear again for a little bit. And let me tell you something, Weird. You will not have that name for much longer. You will get a new one. That is another promise to you. Goodbye now. I’ll be back, I promise. Then Mist stopped speaking and was gone.
But I can’t go back to sleep . . . it’s impossible now . . . But the voice didn’t come back to reassure him. I need you, though! Weird thought. It still didn’t reply.
It will be back. It will be back.
Weird sighed and closed his eyes to go back to sleep.
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