His earliest memory was a pair of hands, small, but warm, picking him up from the stone ground. A human she-kit murmured softly to him as she wrapped him up in something and cuddled him close to her chest. His only resistance was a half-hearted pawing, to cold and too hungry to do much else.
"Where's your mama?" she asked in her strange human tongue.
He could only mew pitifully in reply.
She then took him somewhere - her home, he learned soon after - with it's strange smells and sounds, but it was warm, so he did not protest.
Then he heard another human kit, male this time, ask, "Sakura… what is that?"
"I couldn't leave him," the female replied and he could hear the tears in her voice, "Look at him! He's so small! He'd die if I didn't do something."
A sigh. "Does Mother know? Or Ryoma?"
"No… What if they won't let me keep him? Please help me, big brother."
'Big brother' mutters something under his breath, before coming closer. "He hasn't even opened his eyes yet."
He felt the female - Sakura, shake a little. 'Big brother' sighed.
"Stay here. I'll see if I can get some milk for him."
Sakura made a little squeal of joy. "Thank you, Takumi! Thank you!"
The humans they called Mother and Ryoma find out shortly after. Contrary to what Sakura feared, they do, indeed, allow her and Takumi to keep him.
Sakura named him Kumo, because he was "gray and white, like the sky on a cloudy day."
He was still blind, but he was warm and his belly was full of milk. Kumo began to purr.
Life was wonderful. His home was in a beautiful place called Hoshido. He never had to worry about the cold or going hungry. He had a warm, soft bed in both Sakura and Takumi's dens, but he could sleep anywhere he liked. The white stone chair the humans called a throne was especially comfortable on a warm summer day. Mother found him taking a nap there one day and laughed, lightly telling the man called Yukimura that Ryoma 'had a competitor.'
He came and went as he pleased. When there was a door in his way, he just needed to find the nearest human - or made a lot of noise - and they'll let him through. He made friends with the other cats who lived there, chased birds (but not the big ones with long golden feathers), and explored the place he called home.
He learned which humans to avoid (the red-furred one with one eye), which would pet him when prompted (the green-furred one), and which always had a blue rat for him to catch (the purple-furred one).
Life was wonderful. Kumo hoped that would never change.
One day, there was a newcomer in their home, a strange white-furred, red-eyed human.
Sakura liked him. Takumi doesn't. Kumo just thought he smelled funny.
Still… funny-smelling or not, it seemed like everything was about Corrin these days. Ryoma would pat his head. Hinoka would spend all her free time with him. Even Sakura seemed eager to speak to him. Kumo didn't really understand why he was such a big deal. Corrin didn't seem different from any other human he's seen so far.
Only Takumi seemed to keep his distance, but Corrin had an effect on him too. He heard Takumi and Mother talking one day. Kumo didn't really pay attention at first, but then Takumi started shouting.
"I'm not just a replacement for him!"
Alarmed, Kumo scrambled out of sight. He watched Takumi stormed out of the room, even as Mother called after him to come back.
When Takumi was angry, it was often because he was sad about something. Kumo knew he didn't like other humans knowing about how he felt, but he was fine letting Kumo know.
He followed Takumi outside, running to catch up and dart in front of him.
Takumi looked down at him, breathing heavily. In a quiet voice, he said, "They all like him more than me, don't they?"
Kumo rubbed his head against Takumi's leg. I like you even if they all like him.
Takumi wasn't always nice to people, but Kumo knew that deep down, he was very kind.
As he was lifted up and a face was buried in his fur, Kumo thought about trying to teach his humans to speak cat again. That way, Takumi would know how he felt for sure.
Everyone went to town this morning with the strange-smelling newcomer and the blue-furred lady with the pretty voice. When they came back, Kumo new something awful had happened.
Where did Mother go?
Sakura cried, but Takumi was… Takumi was so angry. Sadness and anger. Kumo didn't know what to do. He's never seen Takumi like this before.
"It's all his fault… If only he never came back…"
This was not the sort of wound he could see and so he could not lick it until it was better. Kumo leaped onto his human's lap and started to purr, hoping Takumi would feel better.
One by one, the humans all leave. Some return only to leave again soon after. Kumo was used to this, so he payed these absences no mind.
They'll be back soon.
He caught fish from the pond with the other cats until they are chased away. He went to the kitchen where the old cook left a bowl of cream. He practiced his hunting and explored.
When they still don't come back, Kumo began to wander through the town more and more.
In town and at home, he listened to the remaining humans whisper.
Something was happening in Hoshido. Something called war.
The other cats have left a long time ago, taken away by their humans or fled on their own. They offered for Kumo to come with them, but he wanted to wait.
Takumi still hasn't come back. Neither has Sakura.
So he stayed and wait.
Ryoma and Hinoka do eventually. They directed the evacuation of the servants, women and children and organized groups of soldiers. They also talked about Sakura and Takumi when they thought Kumo couldn't hear.
"...and we've heard nothing since?"
"I'm afraid so."
"But surely Yukimura would have-"
"It's not Yukimura, Hinoka. It seems we've underestimated Sakura ourselves. I never thought she would actually stay and fight."
"And Takumi?"
"I… I don't know. The Great Wall has fallen, that much we know, but Takumi… You and I both know our little brother, Hinoka, and how strangely he's been acting lately."
"He's always been a little temperous, but never like this," she whispered, "If only I had realized something was wrong…"
"It's not your fault."
"It is! He's my little brother and I never noticed something was wrong!"
Kumo peered around the corner and saw Ryoma reaching forward to hug his sister.
"A-And now…" He's never seen Hinoka cry before.
"It's not the end yet," Ryoma said, "If they're captured or… or dead, we'd know. They'd want us to know."
Hinoka pushed herself out of Ryoma's arms. "They're Nohrians, Ryoma," she spat, "How do we know they wouldn't just kill our little siblings and think twice about it? Don't you remember what happened at Izumo?"
Kumo couldn't bear to listen anymore.
Hinoka did not come back.
Kumo could not see what was happening, but he could smell the blood on armor and weapons and the fear that covered every room, every corridor of his once warm and happy home.
Finding Ryoma was difficult, but Kumo did not stop until he did. He was alone, resting his head against a wall. Kumo wasted no time padding up to him, mewing and pawing at his legs to get his attention.
Where is everyone? he wanted to know, Where is Takumi? Sakura? Hinoka? What is happening?
Ryoma was big and strong, but when he picks Kumo up for the first time ever, he was gentle, so gentle.
Where are they? Why is everyone leaving?
"I'm sorry," Ryoma whispered. Kumo could feel his regret, his uncertainty and his fear. "I… I've failed them, didn't I? I've always…. I never wanted to fail my family again. I'm sorry, Father…"
When are they coming back? They are coming back… right?
"I can't believe you're still here. I admire your loyalty. If you were human, you'd make a fine samurai."
Ryoma put him back down and gave him a nudge on his side, "Go. Leave. Find a place to hide until… Until… They would want you to survive, I'm sure." Then he stood up and began to walk.
No!
Kumo tried to follow. He was no match for Ryoma's long, human legs, but he didn't stop, not until a door slid closed between them. He sat on his haunches and clawed at the paper screens, mewing desperately. Why is everyone leaving?
He let out a wail, as loud as he could, and waited and waited for someone to open the door for him like they always would.
Please don't leave me.
In the end, Sakura and Hinoka came back. They don't eat. They don't sleep. Sakura could rarely muster more than one or two strokes of his fur when he nudges her hand.
Home didn;t feel like home anymore. There was sadness everywhere. Anger too, but only when there are Nohrians here with them.
Finally, Kumo could see what a 'Nohrian' was for himself. They don't look all that different to his own humans, really, but he decided that he doesn't like them. They made the humans he loved so sad and angry…
For the most part, they ignore him. Only one bent down and held out a hand when he saw him, making noises with his tongue as Ryoma once did. Kumo sniffed his fingers once and hissed.
Go away. You're not welcome here.
The small female Nohrian, golden-furred like her brother, laughed. "We finally found a cat that doesn't like Xander!"
The Nohrian called Xander rose and sighed. "Just leave him be, Elise. Some cats need a while to get used to having unfamiliar people around."
Kumo didn't want to 'get used' to Xander. He wanted Ryoma back. He wanted Takumi.
He pointedly turned his back to them and walked away, down the familiar path to Takumi's room where he could curl up on a pile of his neatly-folded clothes and pretend he'll come home one day.
His ear twitched when he heard the door sliding open and closed. He smelled Sakura before he heard her soft footfalls in the room.
"Oh, Kumo," she whispered, stroking his fur over and over and over, "I miss him too."