&here's the little details

[.::Shinentai ;; Dual Void::.]

"Is each of us a creature free
Or trapped at birth by destiny?
Pity those who believe the latter;
Without freedom, nothing matters."

The little details, you ask?

Did he ever mention that he never looked forward to these training sessions? The monstrous tom muttered under his breath as he finally located the point he wanted to use, ethereal silver-green eyes flicking back at the kits following him. Heartless’ kits, the survivors at least, that had been born to the feral she-cat while she was under Mother’s reign. Hm. Thinking to himself, the tom shook his head and continued on – only pausing when he finally reached the edge of the frozen pond. Close by, he could scent the reek of Boneclan felines – this was close to their territory, after all.

Then again, he was doing this session so close deliberately. While Heartless was now his Mother’s, these little kits had yet to be crushed under her paw into servitude. Their minds were still so clear, unclouded…and personally, if the cold Shinentai had a choice in the matter eventually he would like to make sure that they stayed that way. He would never deliberately disobey that malicious she-cat, oh no, but…in his own twisted pay, perhaps he even though the Boneclanners would come to take away these kits. That would be their rightful home, after all, and these kits…these kits were certainly something else.

Even for being only three months old, he and Heartless had combined both their combat knowledge to teach them everything they might need to know to even chance the coming dark days for the valley. Hm. Tilting his head, that particular ridge of fur that stuck out like a mane flicking, Shinentai eyed the kits. “Today will be easy; be grateful.” His sharp gaze looked over the three kits, as the massive tom frowned and continued, “You all need practice on your stalking and quick strike capabilities. Hopeless.” Stopping, eyeing the bumbling tom, he could only think that the little fool had been left alive for this purpose, but perhaps he too would one day claw forward as a skilled warrior. Who knew? “You will do the same as last time, and be the hunted. Chimera, Graffiti, both of you make sure to be as silent as you are capable and take out your brother. Draw as minimum amount of blood as possible – but do feel free to draw blood.” Another sweep of his gaze, looking between the three kits, “All of you, yes, even you Hopeless. Fight back. Make sure you keep within shouting range; if trouble rises I shall come.”

“Now, go!”

Flicking his tail, Shinentai laid down on the cold shore of that embittered extension of water, waiting for the kits to heed his words and go. If Hopeless had any intelligence, he would move quickly – while his sisters gave him the time.

Meh.

It was always the little details. They just weren’t so little anymore.

[Goldenblaze]

<sub>Another day, another ordinary day. The little details, that was what Shinentai and Heartless focused on nowadays. They knew all the moves, the strategies. All except for this hopeless kit. It seemed to be like sand; it filled his head and drained out. He was so focused on running away, so focused on pleasing the two experienced cats, he forgot to actually follow through with the original lesson.

He plod through the drying grass, looking at his paws with his tail down. He knew in his heart that he was skilled; he had his mothers talent and quickness [which honestly helped], and even some knowledge for tactfullness. But, oh how he was picked on. That was him; Hopeless. They would never believe him.

Hopeless wondered with subtle curiosity why they had travelled so far into unknown territory, and he shuffled his paws nervously as he walked; he could smell just over that line of grass. He bumped lightly into Shinentai's flanks as he stopped, for he trailed after him nervously, his paws flighty and jumpy. He jerked backwards as he did so, and gave him a wide berth to sit in front of him. He frowned; so, he was to be the target.

Again. It had been a while since their last session, but his cuts still stung. There was a long one across the bridge of his nose that one of his sisters had given him with a claw. At the mention of 'target practice', his paws readied themselves on the pads uneasily, and he kneaded his claws into the ground. Fight back? He would probably just embarass himself; flail at his nearest sister if they came too close, and just be overtaken. Hopefully he could outrun them until they tired, but Hopeless doubted it. He was still sore and stung.

Now, go.

Hopeless was off like a rocket into the grass, stumbling blindly to put as much distance as he could from his sisters and himself. His breaths came in ragged, frantic pants, and he almost whimpered lightly as he ran. He couldn't take his sisters on; it was instilled deeply in his mind already.

He.
was.
Worthless.

A hopeless case.

Hopeless and worthless.</sub>

[Chimera]

Where were they going now? Having deftly learned that complaining out loud got her knocked soundly between the ears, enough to hurt but since she was already mad [so the brothers said, but they said lots of things she didn’t care about] it never did actually cause any damage. At least she had learned to keep her mouth shut, for however short of time it may have to be, until the hunt was on and she could run and chase and do as her mind so desired.

So Chimera followed Shinentai to wherever the large tom was headed, tagging along with her siblings, perhaps thinking hungry thoughts towards her brother – would they eat him if he slipped up and got killed somehow? – but nonetheless quiet. Urm. Sorta quiet. On occasion, the feisty she-cat would hum off-key under her breath, fall behind her siblings and play pounce unsuspecting target bugs before realizing she had fallen behind and having to rush to catch up.

And..

Well, she liked that sort of training session. Grinning at her sister, Graffiti, the little calico Siamese practically danced, unable to contained the overbearing wealth of killing energy the bubbled from unknown depths. She loved to fight. Loved it loved it loved it. And never once had that little cat ever questioned where such violent, terrible urges had come from – or even so much as contemplated the right or wrong aspect of the matter. They were killers in training, murderers-to-be with itchy trigger fingers and spring-loaded by hellfire. That was life. That was enough to settle the firecracker of a kit, a focal point in what she knew to be her life. But what was outside of it? Did she want to know of what lay away from the violence?

…nah.

At Shinentai’s final words, Hopeless was off like a rocket – using all that speed he had gotten from much-needed practice and whatever had been inherited from Heartless. He needed it. Chimera blinked a few times, blue eyes wide almost as if partially stunned, before grinning wolfishly at the exhasperated looking Shinentai and hollering at the top of her lungs, running right on after Hopeless, “You better run boy, I’m comin’ for you!”

So much for being quiet. Or actually stalking.

That just wasn’t Chimera’s thing; like the raging inferno she crashed forward through her life, incinerating everything she madly, gleefully, laid her paws on.

That was all they were, moths to a beautiful flame, a tool to spread the light. They were fuel for others’ fire, pulled in and infected by a vision they might be lucky enough to spread.

It gave them purpose.

It brought them out of the darkness and assured them that they existed.

It would kill them, in the end, but that was a small price to pay for following greatness. For really existing.

[Goldenblaze]

<sub>As Chimera suddenly caterwauled into the quiet air, he gave a panicked gasp and spurred on. He was fast, and being so jumpy and nervous all the time gave him that advantage of fleeing before their very eyes. One moment he was there; the next he was gone.

He leapt over a small rock, skimming his back paws on it and he tumbled to the ground as the dust flared around him as he hit the floor with a thud. But the oncoming pawsteps were closer than he'd wished, and he pulled himself to his feet and pressed forward. As he tripped, he hadn't noticed the scent-marker that lined the border. Shinentai's rule had long-since faded from his mind.

Now, his only objective was to get away as fast as possible. He glanced over his shoulder, but that was all he needed before he ran headlong into a thick and immovable something. His momentum kept going, despite the fact his head remained quite still, and his paws were swept from underneath him. The acrobatics were really quite nice as his paws flailed from under his barricade, and he hit the ground once more upon his back. Graceful, really.

He lay winded, and he gasped for breath, looking frantically around from where he lay looking up. Only to realize something was looking down at him. As his vision cleared and fell into place, he realized he was looking at a scowling, one-eared tom. He gave a squeak of terror, almost squishing into himself as he lay too dazed to get back on his paws and run away once more. His vision swam again, and he let out a pitiful mew.

The vision wasn't lost on this tom as he stood with an irritated hiss at the kitten who lay at his feet, running from... something.
Goldenblaze had left the camp shortly before. He needed time to think, time to collect his thoughts and wits after months. He still looked haggard, giving him an intimidating and fierce look, but he looked healthier than he had since before the war. He looked back over his shoulder, much to Hopeless's relief. Goldenblaze may have been a BoneClan warrior, but he was no murderer as many cats were. He was fierce and tough, like a tank, and that's what kept him as a working warrior.

Something was pursuing this poor tom-kit, and he stalked back the way Hopeless had came, sniffing out his pursuer. Or pursuers. If they were enemies, the bodies would go nicely as a good 'keep-out' warning for intruders. He would deal with the frantic kit later.</sub>

[Chimera]

Ahah!

“Hopeless, Hopeless, Hopeless…where arrrre you~” Chimera chanted in a sing-song voice, blue eyes glittering with mirth as she looked under bush and behind rocks for the little fool. He could run, but eventually his energy would give out on him and her more dogged pace would win out and she would catch up to him and wreck total chaos. Of course, Graffiti deserved a shot too, and she glanced over her shoulder to see if her sister was going to catch up at any point in time even as she padded forward.

Not that she ever had listened to Shinentai anyway, but this time she hadn’t meant to disobey. The young she-cat crossed right on over the boundary without paying a lick of attention, suddenly finding Hopeless’ haphazard trail were he had ran through and focusing her mind on that.

Yay! Violence to come!

As Chimera crept around a low-laying bush, she suddenly spotted her brother lying sprawled at the paws of some large, butt-ugly, ratty looking tom. Homgno! Hopeless was her target...well, and Graffiti’s too. But that wasn’t the point! It was a good thing she was to the side a bit though; the tom left her brother and stalked off a bit in the way he had been running from, looking around. For what? Her? What had that bigmouthed scaredy-cat blathered about to him?! Flicking her tail in irritation, Chimera suddenly decided to take matters fully into her paws – moving as silently as she had been taught [although very rarely used] to move parallel to the golden tom-cat – even moving just a bit ahead of him to shimmy skillfully up a small tree. When he came just past her…

…all hell broke loose with the name of Chimera attached to it!

“Banzaiiiiiiiiii!” The kit roared and leaped from the branch she had been clinging to, aiming to land the large tom’s back. Her true target? The one remaining ear still attached to his skull.

[Goldenblaze]

<sub>His muscles, having since softened from unuse, tensed under his coat. His white had turned brown gray, and the fur along his spine ruffled into a fluffed up ridge. Still, he was losing his useless fat and his muscles were thickening him into a solid and useful cat once more.

He wasn't truly butt-ugly though, even if his ear made him look rather lopsided. His fluffy tail arched over his back as he padded forward cautiously, eyes darting. By the time he had seen Chimera, it was too late. The flick of grass as she launched up the tree, and he hadn't even thought to look up until a heartbeat before 'bonzai'.

She looked as if she had aimed for his shaggy back, so he sidestepped, but she landed squarely on his head. Now, he guarded his remaining ear jealously. While his other sprouted rather like a red tuft of grass from his skull, his other was well refined and still made him feel not all the way to looking like Sharpfang.
If you got that ugly, you should receive an award.

He let out a terrified yell; terrified for the safety of his poor body part. He flailed, bucking and rearing up until finally he shook her off into the grass with a fling, and she was spent speeding through the air like a furry football.

Goldenblaze lost his footing and tumbled backwards, landing on his back to look up dazed at a small tan and orange kitten, staring at him as if he were the new brand of mouse. Hopeless had gotten to his feet, but stayed rooted to the spot in wonder at this new tussle. And it wasn't even with him!
The tom, unbenownst to Hopeless, was his father. But Goldenblaze was fully aware of who he was, and who this fireball of a she-cat was as well. When she had mentioned Hopeless, it had brought back memories of Heartless's words. This was his son...

And that most unfortunatly was his daughter. He leapt into the brush to stand above her, growling. What are you doing on BoneClan territory, Chimera? You could get caught! He said, tail fluffed. He stepped back, looking away distantly. Heartless said she would bring you near; I didn't think she would bring you past the boundaries He muttered to himself, looking off to the side. Hopefully it had not won the notice of other cats.</sub>

59a8d9

[Graffiti]

Dainty little paws took dainty little steps as she followed quietly after her siblings and mentor. She watched her movements with large, curious blue eyes. The muscles below the skin flowed so smoothly... It made their fur ripple as if containing an ocean. Her eyes drifted to Shinentai. A powerful ocean. Giving her head a small tilt, but still managing to retain her balance as she walked, she continued to observe them. The way the sunlight hit their fur and made it glow so stunningly was a wondrous sight... Why did no one else seem to appreciate this?

The world was so beautiful...

Then they stopped.

Her eyes, shining like crystals, took in the scenery. Grass. She peered at the small, thin blades of green that shot up from the earth. They were varied in shades, ranging from all different colors of green. The wind made it sway, only the slightest bit. A peaceful effect. There also appeared to be a frozen pond. Staring in wonder, she was mesmerized by the shimmering surface. Crystal? Ice? Either one, it was still beautiful.

Their mentor spoke, and Graffiti's large ears perked up before turning and watching him politely. She liked his voice, it had interesting tone.
... Apparently they were to hunt her brother again? She glanced at the tormented ball of fur. A pity. She liked her brother. Perhaps he'd forgive her for what would soon be following. At the word, Hopeless shot off, and his sudden, quick movements reminded her briefly of a shooting star. Would he disappear just like the twinkling light that fell through the midnight sky?

Her sister, Chimera, charged after the fleeing tom, and Graffiti just blinked slowly. Weren't they suppose to be stalking? And hunting? And pouncing? She cast a glance at her mentor, before slinking off after them, trying her very best to be stealthy- which was quite well. The grass barely made a sound as she prowled through it, following her siblings silently.

She happened upon the scene just as her sister leaped down from the tree on the stranger, and Graffiti immediately stood up from her crouch. Who was this? Was he suppose to be here? He looked rather rugged... Worn down. It seemed like a bit of a cruel joke, his appearance, like some painter wished to add a character into their masterpiece as an inside joke. But however, the tom's appearance made him unique. It added personality to him, told a story. Quite like a map, she decided. This tom was like a map. A map to his own life. Oh, the stories he could tell! She wondered if he was proud of his scars.

But Chimera was attacking him. And failing. Taking a small step, then another, and another, Graffiti approached. Should she join in? She wasn't suppose to be attacking this tom, she was suppose to be hunting Hopeless-- Which she noted was quite nearby. A few tail lengths, actually. Just out of pouncing distance. Hm... The little she-cat decided to stay where she was, for the time being.

[Chimera]

Psssk. Butt-ugly tom was butt-ugly. No matter what his reasoning might be, she didn’t care; she had already come to her own conclusion about his appearance. Had a twoleg monster crashed over him or something? Ewww, how could he even live missing an EAR like that?

In all honesty, Chimera had been aiming for the tom’s back, and had expected to land on said mass of flesh and fur as she had so planned. Alas, that wasn’t to be, instead the tom sidestepped and she landed, claws out, right on the tom’s head. Ahaha! That worked more to her advantage, really, she snapped forward and tried to capture his ear between her teeth. The terrified yell the tom suddenly emitted was almost like music to her ears and the wild kit laughed, only to immediately find herself airborne.

…only to land some feet away in the grass, knocking the breath clear from her body. Chimera panted, looking over to the side as their sister finally caught up and decided to join them – although she didn’t join quickly into the attack like Chimera had. The calico she-kit scowled and lashed her tail, finally dragging her now-sore body up and back onto her paws, and clearly sized up the hulking beast of a tom. Hm. What sort of odds would it be for her to take him?

Completely confident in herself, and quite over confident too, the kit thought that she quite liked those odds. “C’mon Graffiti, let’s get ‘em! I’ll even share with you when we take him out too!”

That would be about when the tom said the magic words, stopping the now stalking forward kit in her tracks. She blinked, glanced toward Graffiti and then peered around the tom at Hopeless, before looking directly at the tom again. “How’d you know my name?” Suspicious played a curious game across the kit’s face as she eyed the tom before continuing, “How’d you know Mom’s name too? Shinentai brought us out here anyway, Mom’s out doin’ something for her boss kitty. Probably killing someone right now. And eating them.” Chimera licked her lips with a dreamy look. “Lucky her.”

“And Boneclan? Seriously, that was all you guys could think of? Hah! I’ve heard better farts comin’ outta Duel Void’s butt then that!” She…wasn’t a very nice little kit, now was she?

Then, “Homg are you a mind-reader? Get outta my head!”

Chimera hissed as loudly as she could, stalking stiff-legged around the tom and watching his movements as she tried to get over to Hopeless. “Hey stupid, c’mon, we’re not done with training yet!”

[Goldenblaze]

<sub>What was it with him and his misfortune to have devil children. First Barbwire and now... Ugh, Chimera. He scowled. He thought he had gotten past ever having to deal with a snide comment again. It was like a family curse, or something. As if he wasn't allowed to have sweet, normal children.

At the mention of Grafitti, he turned his head to look at his third daughter, staring at him in wonder. He gave a self-conscience flick of his paw across his ear, and to find... Blood? You... You.. ATE my other ear! He said frantically, running his pawpads over his ear. In all reality, he had gotten lucky; it was only a v-shaped nick near the outside, but a small line of blood still lined the rim and stuck in sticky spikes near the left side of his face.

But she continued, raving on about... Something about farts and BoneClan? Goldenblaze stared at her in a mixture between wonder and bewilderment, jaws slightly slacked.

And what in blazes was a mind-reader? It occurred to him that they may not have known they were meeting their father on this day. Afterall, Heartless had probably almost all forgotten him when she had returned home. He scowled. Had she even wanted him to tell them? Or was it just for his benefit? If they continued to stare at him like that, he was about to tell them where they got their good looks from. But Hopeless jumped as Chimera spoke to him, and he huddled to the ground, looking lost and forlorn. He gave Goldenblaze a pleading look, as if asking for help. Goldenblaze sighed, still running his pawpad like a mantra over his bloody ear.

Why do you pick on your brother so much? He inquired to his sisters. Why weren't they teaching these kits equally? He had honestly hoped Hopeless would make it somewhere, but if they continued to downgrade him, he would be Heartless's next meal.

Duck down when she pounces on you; aim for her chest. If you can knock her off balance, you can gain the upper paw He told him patiently, curling his fluffy tail over his ground-bound paw. Hopeless stared at him in bewilderment, still crouched down in terror. And you, Grafitti, help your brother out some. He appears to be a little.. Uh... lacking. He said, turning to glance at Grafitti, where she remained quietly observing. Finally a normal daughter; even if she seemed to stare at everything as if it were made of meat.</sub>

[Graffiti]

At her sister's word to join in, the little she-cat smiled, flashing her pearly whites at the tomcat. She took a step, then another, but then froze on the spot. He spoke of their mother? And he knew of his sister's name? Soft blue hues darkened as her eyes narrowed, suspicious running through her like a chilly breeze. But they were in Boneclan territory now? She sniffed, murmuring a small curse to herself under her breath as the scent marker regiestered in her mind. She'd been too busy trying to perfect her stalking to pay much attention to the smell, but it had been a bit faint... Though, were they even suppose to go this far? She supposed it was Hopeless who had caused them to come all the way out here, since he was the one they were following.

Shooting her brother a bit of a look which instantly softened as she remembered he was, in fact, her sibling. And she loved him... A shame he was always the target, though. Mm, atleast he was learning how to run fast. She wished she could run as fast as him, as fast as a bird diving through the air. She supposed, then, everything would become a blur around her, and she didn't want that. If everything was a blur, then she couldn't appreciate the world at all.

Her gaze returned to the tom as he spoke her name. Help her brother? She wasn't suppose to. Blinking slowly, she tilted her head, a soft, feathery voice flowing out of her muzzle. "I cannot. We are hunting him, you see. Practice makes perfect." With a casual glance at her sister, Graffiti began to approach Hopeless, creeping slowly along as she stalked him, but she spoke again to the tom, keeping aware of his existance.

"If you don't mind, you're interferring with our training."

[Chimera]

“Oh, I wish I had. How’s about you hold still and lemmie finish it off?” For emphasis, Chimera grinned at the odd tom and licked her lips, eyeing his one remaining ear. It really didn’t matter what part of him it was, actually, feline flesh was always so divine….but he did seem to have some sort of tiff about his ear and all. She might as well ride on that train and see how it all rolled out. Her tail had a peculiar flick, flick, flick to it, unable to keep it still as she slowly stalked towards Hopeless.

Then, “Why?” Chimera stared at the tom like he was stupid. Maybe he was, who knew? She certainly didn’t, but it wasn’t like that question had a real answer. It was plain common sense. “The strong must destroy the weak. Hopeless is weak; he never gets anything right, always bungles things up. Me and Graffiti, we’re strong. ‘sides, Shinentai told us to hunt him down today and all, so there! And why are you talking to us like that anyway, tom? It’s not like you’re our father or anything that you get to do that!” The smart-mouthed calico Siamese practically glared at the tom for even acting like he had that right; only their mother was allowed such words. And when Heartless said something, at least Chimera [to all appearances] was quick enough to obey.

Glancing over at Graffiti with a fond, smug smile [she may not always understand her sister, but Chimera did like her well] upon hearing her words, the inferno of a feline gave the ragged, golden tom a teasing look, “You hear that one-ear? Get outta the way.”

The prospect of being in Boneclan territory was thrilling in and of itself too – maybe they should go explore a bit after tormenting Hopeless for a bit and before returning to Shinentai? Must be something pretty awesome around for this tom to sound sooooo thrilled about them crossing into these lands. Chimera laughed out loud at that idea, looking amused, before circling around the opposing side as her sister and moving in close to Hopeless, claws unsheathed.

[Goldenblaze]

<sub>Goldenblaze listened patiently to the two she-cats. Clearly, they were a handful. No wonder Heartless required the assistance of this alleged Shinentai. Hmph. Goldenblaze glanced at Hopeless, who looked even more desperately at Goldenblaze, and he began to edge away slowly, panic in his eyes.

But Goldenblaze had risen to his paws, more gracefully than thought a cat that looked so rugged and tattered. And that, Chimera He said casually, raising a brow and flicking an ear Is where you are wrong. Perhaps Heartless hadn't forewarned them that they would meet their father out here, or that they even HAD a father. But Goldenblaze was at his line's end. What was it with his Daughters being cheeky little bitches and his sons being weak and all dying?

Still, Goldenblaze couldn't deny what he truly wanted most; to take his children with him back to BoneClan. And he wanted Heartless there, sparring with Spiderlilly, or hunting in the thick grass, or.. Goldenblaze shook the memories from his head. But Hopeless was staring at him in sheer bewilderment. Tha' can' be, 'cause we dun have a Dad. Mom never told us, and yer just some Tom. Prove it He said, surprised by his own venomosity.

Goldenblaze turned his bright gold eyes to glance at him carelessly. How /would/ he prove to these kits he was there father? They certainly wouldn't believe him for his looks, and the fact he came from a seperate Clan. How much did they even know of their mothers history?

Your mother is Heartless, of course. Tan, brown points? She was a part of BoneClan, once upon a time. One of the greatest warriors we had, and our very own cannibal.
She met me in TreeClan many moons ago, got in a fight, and, well... She took my ear. I chased after her in an effort to get my ear back.

Well, one thing led to another and.... Well, she left BoneClan some time ago. I'd seen her a few days ago, she told me about my children. Chimera, Grafitti, and of course Hopeless. You had 3 brothers, did you not? He had been a bit reluctant to tell them so much. For one, it brought back so many memories, and for another he didn't know how much this 'master' knew. He didn't want to give too much information in case she found out, and Heartless was hurt in the process. Or his kits.

He cared little for himself, of course.

But he wanted them to understand, he wanted them to realize, he wanted it so bad. But from the outside, he was emotionless, his face passive as he studied each of his remaining kits.</sub>

[Chimera]

Frankly?

Chimera stared at the tom. Just stared. It took a few seconds to process what he had said, as well as Hopeless’ counter, through her raging mind. How…could he know all that? He knew their names too, it was just so odd. Moving back from her prowling stalk towards her hapless brother, the calico Siamese kit considered what was said. “So?” She started, quick to be the first to challenge the tom’s knowledge, as blue eyes glanced back to Graffiti. What was her sister thinking on all this? Hopeless couldn’t believe it, could he? She openly stared then at their brother, almost as if challenging him to suddenly believe that the tom was something more then what he was, before checking out the scarred beast once again. “So what if you know that? Mom has a rep, anyone who really putta ear to the ground can find all that out. We don’t have a dad. We don’t need one.”

“Besides, even if you were, your not mucha father anyway. You coulda saved Grimlocke if you were around, but noooo. He’s gone now.” Sudden hate blazed in the wild she-kit’s eyes at that thought. Being angry at Heartless for not being there when their last brother who died had suddenly gone missing was like being angry at a brick wall, with much worse consequences since a normal brick wall couldn’t eat you. Heartless could only be immortal in her daughter’s eyes. She couldn’t be angry at Shinentai – while the monstrous tom wasn’t overly fond of the kits he had always been very good to them, mentoring them in the best way he possibly could.

But now, here was a creature she could hate, could claw and fight. One that would bleed, that could die.

Chimera. Was. Pissed. Her ears flattened tightly against her skull and her tail lashed in outright anger as she rose to her paws and strode slowly, yet confidently, towards the ratty tom that DARED to call himself their father. “You’re nothing more then some stupid tom who wanna be something more then he is!” She spat, looking all the world like a mini-version of her mother [except, well, calico and with a striking black face marking] as she glared upward at the tom.

[Goldenblaze]

<sub>Goldenblaze studied her with narrowed eyes, contemplating. But at her words, he flinched, as if she had physically hit him. As if she had taken his final ear, his tail, a leg. Oh, how her words seemed to pour salt into his heart and let it flourish through his veins. But he had seen worse, heard worse, than that. Goldenblaze was well trained. He turned a blazing gold eye on his daughter, inclining his head slightly to look her in the eye.

Perhaps he had made a mistake. It hadn't occured to him they wouldn't need a father, they wouldn't need him in their lives. Perhaps he could return them to that Shinentai fellow; he could be their father all the f**k he wanted, and Goldenblaze would continue on with his life, searching for Heartless's cure. To hell with the spawnmaggots, right?
It wasn't so simple. Why was it so hard to have a normal family? A mate to love and adore, and kits he could spoil and teach the ways of life. His sons were dead, Soulless was gone, Barbwire was just a bitch, and here were 3 kits who thought him scum? Thought themselves better than him? Because he hadn't known in time he was a father over again, it was his fault his two other sons had died and his other had disappeared? And the last remaining one was a hopeless cause?

He bared his teeth, his muscles tensing, warming up as if thrilled to be in use again. Ragged as he looked, he certainly wasn't old; his muscles, his frame, was thick and compact. He had battled Bane, he had battled and won the heart of a cannibal. He fought in the war and killed a leader. He'd watched the death of so many he knew, he was becoming bitter against it. Goldenblaze was back.

You speak as if it is my fault Grimlocke disappeared, as if I could have stopped him? The reasons Heartless's pregnancy was kept a secret was beyond me. You call me nothing, disbelieve me when the facts have been layed out in front of you He growled coldly, advancing a step. But a reminder to you, dearest daughter of mine, that if I were nothing so would you. Think of that before you think you own this world, princess.

You want a fight? Do it, I dare you. You won't get far, though, I assure you. Perhaps they had Heartless's newfound 'talent'; perhaps they had become more skilled than BoneClan had ever dreamed to be. But with that in mind, there was no doubt in Goldenblaze's mind that these were his children. They still had the limitations of having him for a father. Heartless was quick and lithe, but Goldenblaze was built like a tank. He had no fear of death, which often made his actions reckless and sometimes dangerous.

But could he face his own kin in a fight, no matter what they had said to him to rile him? He took a step back, contemplating, thinking enough to pain him physically. He kept his muscles tense, should any of the three attack, but he would not initiate.

He couldn't.

It was like looking Heartless in the face.</sub>

[Graffiti]

Slowly, Graffiti stopped her approach, easing out of the hunter's low crawling prowl, but remained tense. This tom... He knew things he shouldn't. Unless he was a spy? But that couldn't be. She'd never noticed anything remotely related to him, and surely mother and Shinentai would have taken care of any spies-- rather ruthlessly at that.

But his story about their mother interested her. It all made... Some sort of sense. And adding to the fact he knew things not many people knew, well.

She turned, eyeing the tom. Was he... Their father? She took in his appearance again. Her siblings bore vague simluarites to this tom... Just barely, but they were there. But before deciding anything, she listened, tail swishing silently in the air. Her sister obviously didn't believe any of this.

.... It seems a fight might brake out.

Narrowing her pretty eyes, she moved closer to Chimera, but tried to be between her and the tom. "Dearst Chimera, please calm down." She murmured quietly to her sister, soft voice remaining serene. "Perhaps we can take our 'father' to mother, and see what she thinks. If he is lying," She tilted her head, blinking at the tom politely, then looking at her sister, "he will exist no longer, I believe. Maybe mother will share, too."

Now glancing back at their so called 'father'-- which she believed faintly that he might be just that--, she smiled, small fangs gleaming. "Please, sir, don't provoke my sister. I apologise, but whether or not you are who you say you are, I would attack with her."

[Chimera]

Chimera fed off the fool tom’s words, her savage grin growing wider and wickeder. His words bounced off of her, so to speak, gliding over her surface like they were nothing. Like how he was nothing, as she wanted to believe. “Might not.” The she-kit finally laughed, tail flicking from side to side a few times, “Might not at all, but yanno what? Your ear’s mine, pretty boy; and if we fight you ain’t gonna be leaving here with it!” Okay, maybe it had gone against him to have shown her that he was certainly peculiar concerning his one remaining ear.

Graffiti moved then, before the calico Siamese could break the tension with a quick slash of sharp claws, shattering the she-kits harsh stare. She, instead, blinked those blue eyes, giving her sister a quizzical look for a moment. “What’s the fun in that?” Calming down meant that she had to be, well, calm. She didn’t like being calm. She liked to ride the wave of aggression, even if the end was painful and even bitter.

However, her sister was ever the sense of reason in the trio of kits, and Chimera sighed and seemed to deflate – anger melting from her expression. Instead, she looked rather bored, “Should be fun, Mom’ll rip him to shreds. But how we gonna ‘xplain him to Shinentai? If Mom’s out and about doin’ her thing and all, I dunno if he’ll take any of us anywhere near her. Yanno, orders and all?” A rather good point, Chimera wasn’t all firey natured aggression after all – her brain could function like her siblings too. Blue hues blinked as she considered their options…it didn’t really look good.

“Think Mom would lemmie have that ear, Graffi?”

Okay so. She had a bit of a one-track mind, especially when hungry. Sue her.

[Goldenblaze]

Goldenblaze turned a gold eye upon Grafitti, and he gave a light, appraising smile. Perhaps it was time to rethink that all his kits were lost causes. She appeared to be sensible and clear-thinking, moreso than her one-tracked-mind sister and panicky brother. His ears rotated slightly as he quirked his head to the side, watching her with a calm curiosity as they sized eachother up, looking for similarities in eachother and their kin.

Satisfied that they wouldn't attack him, he took a seat, making sure to keep his tattered ear to her to alert him if she had a change of heart. It seemed her sister had quelled her fire for the time being, but Goldenblaze didn't let his muscles relax for a moment. He was frowning slightly, almost musingly. He knew, from what Heartless had told him, that she wouldn't remember him outside the old camp. He couldn't lose his life before her; one because he knew she was powerful, moreso than him. Secondly that he wouldn't lift a claw against her. If she attacked, he would close his eyes and let her.

Nor would I ask anything else of itHe told Chimera softly, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. He was thinking at the same time, trying to devise a plan around this. It would go against your ideals of your protection for your siblings, and... He had trailed off to stare at Chimera with an odd expression. His...

ear.

My ear...? He said in a small voice [small only out of a lost confusion]. His ear flicked back against his skull as if to hide it from their view, but also in odd wonder.
What WAS it about his ear that fascinated everybody? Was it just because he had one? He shook his head, doubting heartily that she would get his good ear.

He guarded it jealously, afterall. [/center][/sub]

[Graffiti]

<sub>The petite kitten knew her sister didn't like being calm, or anything of that matter. But this issue called for it-- it wouldn't be very good if they murdered their own father, now would it? Mother might not like that. And of course, they were suppose to be hunting Hopeless, anyway.

Explain the tom to Shinentai? Good question. Her tail swished slowly in the air as she thought it over.

"Perhaps," she mused, "we could take him prisoner? Maybe Shinentai will be proud of us. We could say he was a gift for mother, maybe? Or want to know if she'll let us eat him." She smiled softly, and glanced at Goldenblaze, giving him a small wink. "You never know what he's been in to."

Apparently a ten second rule wouldn't apply here.

As her sister requested the ear, the calico answered with a loving purr. "Of course! Mother loves you, does she not?"

After a quick stretch, sticking her rump in the air and reaching her paws out, Graffiti tilted her head, shifting her gaze from Hopeless, to the tom.

"After you, sister?"</sub>

OoC: Gahh. Sorry it took so long, and sorry it's so bad D;

[/sub][/center][/color]

[.::Shinentai ;; Dual Void::.]

"Is each of us a creature free
Or trapped at birth by destiny?
Pity those who believe the latter;
Without freedom, nothing matters."

Shinentai knew that the kits wouldn’t listen to him. In the long run, when Hopeless took off he went straight as an arrow into the unknown, paying attention only to his pursuers and not to his surroundings. Rather…it was a bit of a pity – he could tell the young tom and tell the young tom yet nothing seemed to sink in. His sisters, on the other paw, were porous and absorbed all information that he, or any of the others, taught them. Even so, they were still young and, the tom knew immediately as he followed their scents from the frozen pool, they too had crossed into Boneclan.

The monster hesitated only briefly at the borders before plunging into the territory, following the three youngster’s scents. He had met Bane before, and while the tom was respectable enough he, nor any of his clan’s fighters, inspired no fear in Shinentai.

Still, he had not expected to find what he in fact found.

Hopeless, hidden behind a large golden tom. Chimera, looking as if she was ready to completely tear the tom to shreds [also, eye the tom’s one remained ears eerily intensely]. Graffiti, always the patient and calm one, keeping an rapidly coming battle from firing off – although from the looks of Chimera, that wouldn’t last long. The tom wasn’t helping matters by the things he was stating, the little Siamese had a temper and a half, and her rages were vicious…albeit, they could fade quickly enough.

“Enough.” Came the low rolling rumble as the monstrous tom padded slowly from the side, muscles rolling easily beneath sleep, shining silver pelt. His ethereal green eyes lifted, landing on the tom.

He knew who this cat was, even though they had never met before.

Silence reigned for a moment. Another. Another. Finally, he flicked the tip of his tail, the only movement he had given since speaking and moving forward aside from breathing, and looked between the four other cats. “You are Goldenblaze.” It was no question, not at all, but the simple statement of a mere fact. Shinentai shook his head once, a sharp movement, before speaking again, “Do as you wish with the kit; they’re in your paws now. But if you take them into camp, do not be surprised if they are not welcomed as you may wish for them to be.”

He ignored Chimera’s incredulous gasp and loud protests, turned, and vanished into the underbrush. A ghost, there one moment and vanished the next – untrackable and impossible to catch up with when he had gone into his element.

The tom knew what he was doing. Oh yes. Goldenblaze would inevitably take the kits into camp [he would likely not have the first clue on how to track down his errant mate or even Shinentai himself]. In doing so not only would alert Boneclan to the kits’ existence…that also a once-key member of their clan still lived.

And Heartless would not stand aside and allow her kits to be taken away so easily, oh no. It would be like unleashing a pack of dogs into the clan’s camp, he may have to sneak in just to see the show.

A bone in Mother’s plans. Brilliant.

[Chimera]

“He…he just ditched us!” Chimera yowled, having raced over to the point where he had slipped away as silently as he had entered, knowing from experienced when the tom didn’t want to be found [especially by pesky kits begging for a hunting lesson] he wouldn’t be. In pure frustration she paced back and forth right there, “Shinentai left us here with him.”

How could they get back? Chimera glared spitefully at Goldenblaze and trotted over to her sister, “Graffiti, can’ya track the way back home?” She always thought the other calico was better at tracking, when she wasn’t dazed by the beauty around her. Hopeless made the best of targets, and she was the hit and run fighter…excluding the run part. Go figure.

“Hopeless!” Chimera, mind racing, tried to take charge of things, whirling away from her sister to face her brother, who was still behind the tom. “Get over here. We’re not gonna listen to that ugly brute, we’re gonna go home!”