Black Cat, White Cat C4 out!

"The white cats are of the highest rank, followed by the gray, ginger and brown. This is the law of the Alleycats. We black cats are and will always be at the very bottom. We live to serve. We will be rewarded for our service, though rarely, but we lowly cats will never get anything better than this. No matter how many times we try, the others will still outrank us. This place that so many generations of us have stayed in will always be the only thing that is ours. This is the law of the Alleycats.

The moon was at its full that night, its glare casting elongated shadows down the sidewalk. The streets were empty; no one would venture alone down the alleys of Elm Streets at night. But this wasn't any normal night for two particular cats.

A tom was padding across the rooftop, his black fur ruffling in the gentle breeze. With little effort, he leaped off and landed on the ground gingerly. Shaking the dust off his coat, he glanced at his surroundings. Everything was the same. The street signs, shops and smell. Nothing changed for the ten years of his life. Ten years ago… when he was just a small black kitten, where he could have changed the law, where he could have done something to help. But he didn't even try. Not once, even when he could. He dug his claws into the ground at the thought of it, igniting a sense of self-hatred.

I'm a coward, he thought. A coward who wouldn't even try.

The wind whipped through the night air and he suddenly paused in his pawsteps. His instincts told him that something was not right. A look of terror crossed his face when he glanced up from his paws. He had unknowingly walked all the way to the end of Elm Street, and before him stood a massive iron gate. His mother had described it so many times to him but he had never seen the gate before. This was the very end of the black cats' territory. His mind dared him to set foot across, to have a taste of freedom but his body refused to move. He trembled slightly and took a few steps back, uncertainty in his eyes.

There you go. Given a second chance and you can't do it.

"Straying out of your designated territory would be considered an attempt to escape and a sign of disobedience." This was the second law.

He feared the punishment. Everybody did. Those who broke the law were sent away and they never came back. The wind howled and slam into him, sending him staggering backwards into the darkness.

"Why can't I be brave?" He mewed aloud, bitter in his voice.

"Bravery is not something you're born with."

The wind whispered into his ear and he froze, his eyes widened in alarm.

"But there is another cat that has courage in his heart, much more than you will ever have."

"What are you? Who is this speaking?"

"I am merely a presence; I go where the wind goes. You may call me Gaia."

"But…"

"Wait. Listen. Someone's coming."

The black tom kept silent, his eyes riveted onto the silhouette of a kit bounding across the streets past him. He looked young, probably just a few months old. His eyes glazed for a moment before realization dawned upon him.

"The cat with courage, is it him?"

There was no reply. Gaia had gone with the wind.

The black kitten slowed down to a stop as he neared the gates, panting to catch his breath. His fur fluffed out from his exhilarating run, which he stopped to give a smooth lick. Without a moment of hesitation, the kit pelted through the open gates and beyond until he was seen no more.

The tom stared at the retreating figure, disbelief in his eyes.

"Gaia did you see that? The kit just ran through the gates. Ran through the gates."

"I heard."

It was Gaia's voice, no doubt of it, but what startled him was the silver she-cat standing a few tail-lengths apart. Her pelt shone in a different way from others; not solid but shimmering faintly. Her golden eyes were full of mystery as she padded up towards him.

"You look surprised," She commented, looking amused. "Did I frighten you?"

He wanted to lie and say that he wasn't but her presence gave him a bit more confidence and he nodded. "Your fur… there's stars in them. Why?"

"I'm from a place in the stars," Gaia sighed, tilting her head to look at the night sky. Softly she mewed," It would be better if you didn't know more."

She began to pad away but soon broke into a run, her coat glowing. With a single leap, she soared into the night sky, fading away into nothingness. His eyes followed her until she vanished and there was a sinking feeling in his heart. The wind brushed past him, whispering one last message into his ear.

The kit will bring us hope.

His curiosity grew at the new sights and smells as he went further away from Elm Street. The road was deserted and everywhere was just a confusing maze of roads and paths. His paws were sore from walking and he unknowingly waded into a pool of black substance. He grunted with effort as he tried to tug his leg out of it. After a long time, he could still feel himself sinking deeper and deeper until the black stuff coated his belly fur.

This is it. Dying in this pool of black stuff.

It wasn’t long before he heard a yowl in the distance. He could feel teeth at his scuff, pulling him out of the black pool. It hurt him but he was too tired to care. He was glad when he finally felt the ground beneath his paws.

"What were you thinking, kit? Walking into a pool of petroleum?" A feminine voice growled and he turned to face a she-cat. Her fur wasn't black like his but bright like sunset. Pale stripes scored her back and there was a long claw mark along her jawline. He snapped out of his thoughts when the strange cat prodded him with a sharp claw.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Hey kit, I'm talking to you."

Realizing that he had been staring at her for a long time, he managed to find his voice. "Your fur..." he began slowly," What colour is it?"

"Whaa? What kind of question is that?” The she-cat's fierce gaze was replaced by an incredulous look. She ran her tongue over a forepaw. “It's ginger." Lowering her voice, she added," You're in the ginger cat's territory, kit. I could kill you in one blow." She bared her teeth to prove her point.

Uh oh. I guess I didn’t manage to charm her.

Instead of fleeing away from her, met her hard stare coolly and retorted," I'm not afraid of you."
There was a strained silence for a few moments before she let out a shriek of laughter, looking amused. "You sure are brave, little one. No one has ever said that to me before. Well, since we’ve
met, we should get acquainted. I'm Blaze, a Phoenix Sister. What's your name?"

"Shadow."

"Well Shadow I guess I should bring you to meet the others and let them decide what to do with you. Is that fine with you?”

“I guess.”

...

Blaze managed to navigate through the streets until they were right in the heart of city. The entrance to the ginger cat's territory was an open drain pipe. Shadow could hear the sounds of rushing water inside and his belly churned at the thought of swimming. Noticing his discomfort, Blaze gently mewed." Don't worry, just go in, I'll be right behind you."

I have to do this, he thought. No fear, no mercy. That was what his father taught him when he was young.

Taking a deep breath, he leaped into the drain pipe. The cold metal felt smooth beneath his paws as he slid down into the darkness. It didn't take long before he plunged into the cold water. He frantically waved his paws, gasping for air. There was another splash; Blaze had too fallen into the water. Once more, he felt her teeth at his scruff, dragging him quickly across the water. He closed his eyes as she led him, feeling water rush past his ears. Relief flooded through him when they emerged. The drain water was actually linked towards a river and he gratefully clambered onto the riverbank.

“Are you okay?” Blaze shook the water out of her ginger fur and padded over towards him.

“I guess.”

“Well come with me then. We don’t have all day.”

Shadow scrambled to his paws and followed her. There were trees everywhere and sunlight shone upon his black fur. It was a much different feeling then where he came from. Elm Street was always cold and uninviting but there was more sunlight here. He closed his eyes for a moment, allowing the sun’s glare on his coat.

And he welcomed it.

Warmth flooded through him and he blinked his eyes open. Blaze was watching him from a distance, beckoning him with her tail. He stretched lazily and sprinted over, pressing his face into her fur. He could feel her tense beneath his touch, but she made no move to avoid him.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” He mewed sincerely, pulling his pelt away from hers.

Blaze said nothing but pushed her way through the bramble bushes with Shadow at her tail. “We’re here,” She mewed, her voice flat. All of a sudden, the something in front of them moved, which made Shadow’s heart nearly stop. A wiry ginger tom stood before them, his eyes narrowed. He blended with the trees so well that I didn’t spot him, the black kit thought silently, eyeing the tom in admiration and fear. Surprisingly, the tom didn’t say anything but dipped his head respectfully at Blaze and let them both pass through the trees.

“I didn’t even notice him at first,” Shadow exclaimed. “It was like he just appeared out of nowhere!”
“We ginger cats have the best guards,” The she-cat replied. Her amber eyes flashed and something dark flickered across.

“Oh look who’s here,” She hissed, her voice dripping with venom.

“Who have we got here, Blaze? A little black kitty? You are so in deep trouble.”

“Who have we got here, Blaze? A little black kitty? You are so in deep trouble.”

A brawny ginger tom loomed over both of them, his green eyes taunting. Shadow felt his breath quickened and his fur bristle at the insult. It took him sheer willpower to not spring at the ginger tom. Blaze observed his anger and snapped,” Leave him alone, Blitz. He’s none of your business.”

“Don’t forget what I’m in charge of,” Blitz sneered, the ends of his lips curled upwards. With that, he padded away with his tail held high. Shadow glared at him, not bothering to hide his hatred for the ginger tom. A light touch on his shoulder brought him back to his senses. Blaze gazed at him sympathetically and mewed,” Getting on the bad side of Blitz is never a good sign.”

“He insulted me,” The black kit snarled. “He called me a little black kitty. Why are black cats so disregarded among others? The colour of our fur does not change who we are inside. I’ll show him, I’ll show him what I can do!”

Part of what he said was what he had been longing to shout out to the world, to tell them what he. He wanted a change in his life. He wanted a change in the lives of all black cats. He wanted a change in the law of the Alleycats, for them to lead a better life.

“Perhaps you will succeed, perhaps you will fail. Life has so many challenges but you cannot always overcome all of them. Shadow, look around and tell me what you see.”

The black kit lifted his head. The camp of the ginger cats was in a large clearing in a forest, with plenty of rivers running nearby. All around were a flurry of ginger, cats of all shapes and sizes, young and old. Almost every now and then, cats would enter from the trees, drop fishes into a well-dug hole in the ground and disappear back to where they came from. Some of them were in the centre of the camp, grooming each other and exchanging words. Nobody paid much attention to the both of them.

“Ginger cats everywhere,” He mewed in a small voice. “I’m the only one with black fur.”

…

He could feel eyes on his back as they padded across the clearing. Blaze stopped by the entrance of a den and signaled him to enter. A large fiery ginger tom sat inside, his tail curled over his white paws neatly. His eyes lit up with genuine interest when Shadow entered.

“So this is the formidable black kit who escaped from the borders of his own territory. Your name is Shadow, am I right? Was the situation that bad?” There was no malice in his voice when he spoke. Shadow shifted uncomfortably, doubtful of his intentions. Was this the leader Blaze mentioned?

“If you’re wondering who I am, I am Thunder, the leader of the ginger cats.”

Shadow remembered the tom back in the woods and copied his gesture, dipping his head in respect to Thunder. A purr rumbled in the ginger tom’s throat,” I see you’ve learned the ways of the camp. You’re indeed a quick learner and inquisitive. I heard from Blaze that you impressed her. Looks like you’ve earned the respect of a Phoenix Sister.”

“What’s a Phoenix Sister?” Shadow asked. “I have heard her mention it but she never told me in detail.”

“The Phoenix Sisters are highly regarded here. It takes intensive training to become one and many fail to meet the requirements. They are the best fighters among the ginger cats.” There was a hint of pride in his voice as he spoke. “But now there are only three of these legendary cats left. To be a Phoenix Sister, you have to pay a high price for it. Losses and sacrifices are part of their lives.” There was a faraway look in Thunder’s eyes.

“Since you’re here, you could settle down in our camp. You have a great journey ahead and I will try and prepare you for it. I will announce your arrival to the others tomorrow.” Glancing at the darkening sky, he continued,” It will be sunset soon so get a good rest. I will get Blaze to bring you to your den.”

Astounded by Thunder’s sudden arrangement, Shadow gratefully dipped his head. Before he exited the den, he mewed softly,” Why are you doing this for me?”

Thunder raised his gaze to meet his. “You are our only hope to change the ways of the Alleycats. The tyrant who did all this, I want you to make him pay for his cruelty for this life we have been leading for so many years. Too many lives gone because of him. Only you can do this, Shadow. You are the light to our future.”

“But why me? Why can’t you do it?”

The ginger tom turned away with a sigh. It dawned upon Shadow that all of this was killing the life out of Thunder slowly. A leader watching his followers falls one by one under the mercy of the white cats. He could understand his sorrows. Thunder had lost too many great cats for him to bear.

“I can’t bring myself to kill my own father.”

…

“How can Thunder be related to the leader of the white cats? That’s impossible. He was so nice and kind to me, allowing me to stay in his camp. He doesn’t even seem evil,” Shadow muttered under his breath.

“To be kin of someone evil does not necessarily make you evil.”

A strong gale of wind rushed past him and through the trees, scattering fallen leaves everywhere. Shadow pricked his ears in confusion. What was that? I guess I must have been dreaming, he thought.

The black kit pushed the thought away as he scanned the clearing in search of Blaze. The ginger she-cat was waiting for him nearby and he ran over excitedly. “I’m going to join you all!” He gushed, wanting to tell her about everything that happened. She gave him a slight smile and ushered him towards a secluded den at the far end of the camp.

“You’ll sleep here alright?” Blaze mewed, smoothing out the dry moss in the nest. “It will be better for you to stay unnoticed until you are officially one of us.”

Shadow nodded, obediently lying in his new nest. Blaze was about to leave when she paused by the den’s opening.

“Goodnight, Shadow.”

“Goodnight, Blaze.”

The moment she left, he curled into a tight ball, forcing his eyes closed as he listened to the wind moan outside. After what seemed like eternity, a wave of forest smells overcame him and he drifted off to sleep.

"Father, I'm going to leave this place!"

The black tom glanced up from his meal, tell-tale signs of mouse on his whiskers. At first he looked puzzled but then understanding spread across his face. His answer was brief like always; he was never good at talking.

"Why?"

Now it was the black kit's turn to be confused. "Why?" he echoed, surprise in his voice. "I want to explore the world and tell everyone about it!" He gushed enthusiastically, his eyes twinkling brightly. Frowning, he added with a questioning tone, "Why would you want to stay here?"

The other tom shrugged. He never really questioned himself about that. If he was born here, so be it. He never asked why, just accepted his own life. He lived to serve.

"There's food here. Everything I need." In every sentence, he paused, ears flattened as he struggled to find his next words. "I'm happy enough."

It's wrong. This is wrong. We're the black cats. We don't live to serve anyone. We deserve better!

…

Shadow jolted out of his sleep, his eyes wild and his fur bristling. Realizing that he was no longer dreaming but safe in his nest, he forced his fur flat. He got to his paws and stretched lazily, the tension in his muscles easing. He let out a yawn, revealing his sharp teeth.

“Had a good rest I hoped?” A voice mewed. “You need all the energy you have today.”

“What are we going to do today, Blaze?” He asked without glancing at the ginger she-cat.

“We aren’t going to do anything today. You will be apprenticed and assigned a mentor.” She corrected him briskly. Shadow widened his eyes, about to open his mouth but Blaze quickly cut in, “I can’t be your mentor because I have my own apprentice.” She made no comment when she eyed his ruffled coat but merely growled,” Hurry up. We haven’t got all day.”

Ignoring the furious look in Shadow’s eyes, she padded out of the den and into the main clearing. Grumbling under his breath, the black kit followed her, his eyes narrowed into slits. All of the ginger cats had already gathered by a large boulder outside Thunder’s den and were murmuring to each other in hushed tones.

“Ginger cats!” The ginger leader yowled, stepping out of his den. Immediately, the camp fell silent, their eyes trained upon him curiously. Once he got everyone’s attention, he continued, “Today, we have a special outsider who is here to join us.”

“Where is this outsider? Show yourself!” The cats called out.

Shadow took a few pawsteps back, feeling terror rush through his blood.

“Look, he’s there!” A much too familiar voice yowled above the rest. “A little black kitty coming to join us!” Shadow whipped his head around only to find himself staring into a pair of narrowed green eyes. At once, every pair of eyes fell upon him and he felt his pelt prickled uncomfortably. He clenched his jaws, his claws already unsheathed.

Blitz. How wonderful.

The previous indignant mutterings that erupted among the cats, followed by a deafening crescendo of caterwauling.

“First an outsider but one that is a black kit?”

“This is outrageous. What was Thunder thinking?”

Thunder raised his tail for silence and it took quite some time for the rest of the cats to settle back down. Blitz leapt onto the boulder, shouldering Thunder out of his way. Shadow longed to wipe off the arrogant smile on his face. The ginger leader made no move to stop him as he sneered,” Black cats don’t belong here. We are the ginger cats and this is our home. Why let outsiders come in and steal our glory?”

The cats roared their approval.

Blitz padded towards Shadow, well aware that he had the support of his audience. Lowering his voice so that only the black kit could hear, he smirked. “You’re not welcomed here, kitty. I know your intentions and I won’t let you steal our glory. Black cats will always be the lowest of the lowest.”

Black cats will always be the lowest of the lowest. Blitz’s words rang in his ears and Shadow stood there, dazed by the turn of events. He slowly felt the anger coming back, his heart burning with an undying hatred for the ginger tom. I’m going to make him pay. I’m going to make him scream. I’m going to-

He never finished his string of curses in his mind when he let out a battle-cry and sprang onto Blitz, hooking his claws into his thick fur. The ginger tom stumbled, caught by surprise. He recovered in a heartbeat and twisted his neck to bite the black kit. An ugly snarl escaped from his throat as his attempts failed to reach him. Shadow sank his fangs into Blitz’s shoulder, satisfied when he tasted blood. All of a sudden, Blitz gave a mighty heave and flung him three tail-lengths away. Shadow let out a snarl of surprise and got up quickly.

“Both of you stop,” Thunder mewed, stepping between both of them. “I think we have seen enough. Shadow, you have impressed me with your courage and willpower and you are now a member of the ginger cats.”

“Shadow! Shadow!” The rest of the cats yowled.

“You have reached six months of age and qualify as an apprentice,” Thunder continued after the yowling died down. He surveyed the sea of ginger cats thoughtfully until his gaze rested on a small tawny she-cat with dark spots. He looked at Shadow, then back at her and mewed,” Flare, you have not had your first apprentice yet. I hope you will pass on your intelligence and speed to Shadow.”

Flare twitched her ears in surprised but nevertheless, padded over towards Shadow. The black kit braced himself for a rejection but there were no discontent in her mysterious blue eyes as she touched noses with him. Thunder yowled that the ceremony was over and the cats all went back to their lives, leaving Flare and Shadow behind.

“Hello young one,” She mewed gently and filled with warmth. “Why do you look so scared of me?”

“I was afraid that you would reject me,” Shadow replied in a small voice.

“I am willing to train any apprentice, regardless of who they are. You are one of us now and you deserve a place.”