Introduction
He is the darkness with the night, the gaze that sends chills up your spine, the shadow stalking you in the woods, the fear within us all. He is never seen, never scented, never heard, or heard of. Until now; now his story will be known for this is the tale of a legend and the rise of something even greater.
In the Shadows
Well after that marvelous introduction, I guess you all are expecting me to narrate my story (especially since that no good authoress ran off as soon as her "work" was done). But don't get your hopes up; she did me more justice than I deserve. Most of what I've done was not due to my own strength or power. However, you could take that as the moral of my legend: to work together with and help those you care about-or more importantly, to make some friends in the first place. That's really where all of this started, when I met her, but you'll probably need a little background, eh? Fine.
My life pretty much sucked from the very start. I don't remember a father, brothers, or sisters, but I'm sure they were there at some point. Even my mother is a faint blue blur so I guess I should thank her for this appearance of mine.
I am a smoky tomcat with fur of a very dark blue-gray, but you wouldn't know that unless you met me and as you can tell from the authoress' intro, no one had. I was a legend even then, no cat sure if I was even real. If anyone was lucky enough-or really unlucky enough-to run into me, the most they saw were my green cat eyes if they didn't tick me off.
Now, I wasn't exactly a great cat. In fact, you couldn't even call me good. Shortly after, I lost touch with my family and ended up with a new cat. How I would give anything to be able to go back and make it so I stayed with her. But I can't and I didn't, all because they found me. So I fell in with a bad crowd. A really bad crowd. Trust me, you don't want to hear about that; just know that I eventually got away from them-scarred, scorned, and thirsting for revenge. That, however, would take time.
I was a phantom. The only name I've ever known. So if you didn't listen to me the first time and got your hopes up…Well, I warned you, mouse-brain. Though, for whatever reason you're still interested in hearing my tale, then, by all means, read on…
He Lurks
The sun reaches its peak and it is still far from twilight, nonetheless night. It is way too early for me to be out if there is still light. Obviously because the dark and the light should never mix.
I stick to the bases of the surrounding trees, depending on the long shadows to hide me. They do as my battle-worn midnight fur, a shade that is nearly black, almost disappears in them. My tread is a silent predator's stalk and even the birds in the branches above me don't sense me here. I am a master at masking my presence by this point; I have to be. Not only to keep the rest of the world at a safe distance where they belong, but to keep under the radar. I am a wanted man, er, tom.
My journey comes to a stop. Ahead of me is a bright and beautiful clearing. Light floods every corner, eliminating shadows and causing the dew-dusted blades of grass to glitter. They wave with the wind; the ground's enchanting dance with the sky itself creates a display of absolute serenity. A serenity that my presence, like a skulking malevolent, disrupts. I am a creature of the night and I do not belong here.
So why I am even up during the day if I proclaimed myself nocturnal?
Simple. I can't sleep.
On the inside, I curse my recent insomnia. Dreams, or really memories, plague my mind when my eyes turned to rest. In my imagination, I see her, the she-cat who had been more of a mother than my actual one. Of course, whenever I think of her, I think of why I left her and the demons that lured me into their world of death and pain.
My claws extend themselves and I happily ring them through the soft forest soil beneath my paws. My whiskers quiver and my tail lashes as the familiar dark emotions ravage my soul. Hate, fury, disgust, and a longing for retribution are among them. It is safe to say I am a haunted soul who has been wronged by the world around me. Then again, you think, I could just be trying to vie for your sympathy, playing your heart strings, hm? Whatever; what you believe is of no importance to me.
My revenge is the only thing I live for and if you can't appreciate my resolve towards my goal, then buzz off. You wouldn't be the first victim of my misguided wrath. That is why I stay to the world of the shadows; I am too scarred, morphed by evil, to live in the world of you beings of light.
I…am Phantom.
Back at my current situation, the clearing still blocks my path. My emerald gaze is trained ahead, but I growl at the fiery orb in the sky as if it purposely interfered with my journey. Like I said, I haven't been sleeping well, so it is safe to say I am a bit out of whack. I bunch my muscles and rush across the patch of sunlight as quickly as possible. From a bird's eye view, I was a black blur, whose existence even they questioned.
I quickly return to my darkness, panting from the sudden run. Maybe I should work out more. Immediately shoving that thought, I look forward towards my path. Even though I'm not really sure where the Dark Forest I am, I know there is still a long way to go.
My journey continues without anymore run-ins with trouble. Around the time when the sun was halfway to the ground, I take a moment to deal with my hunger. I go after the birds I mentioned earlier and take down two cardinals. Feathers aren't the most appealing dressings to me, but I don't have a particular discomfort with them. I eagerly gulf down the morsels and dispose of the evidence.
A lone, stubborn feather sticks between my toes and try to flick off the irritating thing. I remain focused on the nuisance, but never completely let my guard down.
I'm not so foolish.
Good thing too, because in my distraction, a twig snaps somewhere behind me. I subtly falter, but continue with my ruse of ignorance. Obviously, whoever is brave enough or dumb enough to try to sneak up on me has no clue of my reputation.
All of a sudden, my stalkers (ha, the irony) give up on their secrecy and launch themselves-yeah, there's more than one-at my seemingly defenseless self, but I dodge them at the last minute and swivel to face them.
It is four against one: terrible odds for anyone, but someone who's been brutally trained like me. I size up the competition. One-a foul-looking she-cat with nasty mottled fur-is rather scrawny and two others-a tabby-and-white tom and a rather large, ginger she-cat-are average. The leader (I surmised) is the only adequate opponent amongst the horde. He is fit and it is apparent he has some sort of training from his sturdy battle stance. A pink scar rips through his left yellow eye and his rough, brown-splattered white fur hides chiseled muscles from view.
The ginger she-cat speaks first, in an anxious, manic voice, "C'mon, let's get him already, Scar!"
Scar? I bet that's the leader one. Oh wow, how original. Insert eye roll.
"Patience, Ginger," Ok, seriously? Who named these bozos? *looks pointedly at authoress* "It is only fair we tell this poor fool why we're going to destroy him."
This is supposed to scare me…but it doesn't. No, really I'm quaking in fear.
"Ginger" (I can't even consider that a real name) growls angrily, but obeys nonetheless. Scar steps towards me. "You're on my territory," he growls.
"Really now? I don't smell your scent on it."
The other tom hissed, "Your ugly nose broken or something'?!"
Oh, did I say that out loud?
"Ugly?" the last one murmurs. Mr. Awesome-Comeback glares at her, but she simply shrugs it off. Eh, maybe she's okay. At least, she has GREAT taste in toms.
Scar narrows his eyes. "You'll pay for that." Oh, so cheesy. Then, before I can add any more sarcastic commentary, the battle begins again. Scar steps back and lets his lackeys do all the work like any cliché evil boss.
Like I deduced about her, Ginger is the type of fighter (or cat in general) who acts before she thinks; she sends an unsheaved claw at my face-a dung-brained move-and I easily bite down on it and twist her leg around. She yowls in pain and I release her off to the side.
Mr. Awesome-Comeback is right behind her and we simultaneously stand on our hind legs, causing our front ones to clash into contact. We struggle in air, me gaining nips here and there, while he vainly thrashes about to try to injure me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch the two she-cats slinking up. I suddenly break away from him and am able to score a good, long scratch along his soft, exposed belly while he is off-balance. Then I dash out of there just as the she-cats strike, resulting in them crashing into each other.
Scar eyes his fallen servants with disdain while they pick themselves up. He whirls on their enemy. "This isn't over-!"
And like my namesake, I am gone.
Watching Your Every Move
Well, that was annoying. I have managed to put a good distance between myself and Scar's group. It wouldn't have been a good idea to drag out that fight, for even I have to admit it was a battle I'd definitely lose.
Foxdung! If I can't even beat those losers, then how can I even dream of going up against them. Thinking about my dream, my sole reason for living, I have to admit I might be biting off more than I can chew. If was going to fight them, then I would be battling way more than three or four cats at a time. I would be one cat fighting dozens. Yet even knowing just how impossible my goal is, I still held onto it and continue to strive closer. After all,
I have nothing else to live for.
"Ugh." My stomach is cramping up in knots. She had always told me not to do any strenuous activity right after a meal and being the rambunctious kitten I used to be, I naturally didn't pay her sensible words any heed. This isn't the first time I have let this happen to me and it probably won't be the last if my stupid insomnia doesn't let me get some dung sleep!
"Ugh."'
Wow, "ugh", is that your only brilliant word of the day?
Oh no. I've finally done it. I've started talking to myself.
Normally, I can manage keeping my head void of any thoughts. Thoughts lead to distractions and as I've just shown, distractions can lead to trouble.
Caught up in my own thoughts and still queasy in the belly region, I pause my trip once more. It seems like that blasted sun hasn't moved a mouse-length, but I am too proud (frightened) to believe such a thing.
My gaze lifts up to the darned thing and I squint at its nauseating brightness. I am a creature of the night; I am Phantom; I do not belong within the light. My heart is too dark, my head too sick, to interact with those beings of light and I am perfectly content with that. Revenge is my only reason for living, war my only skill. I have no friends, no mate, no kits, no home, no name, and no life. Only a driving passion to wreak havoc on those who have performed injustice on me. So…
Why, then, do I continue to gaze upon that revolting mass of warmth and light?
He's On The Prowl
Eventually, I got over my ailment and once more set off on my long quest. Now, the sun's rear kisses the distance in twilight and comfort begins to wash over me as I know that the time of darkness is very near.
I have traversed from one wood to another, but luckily was able to remain within the confines of the trees' shadows after that one awful moment of exposure. Sadly, now the forestry was beginning to thin around me for the first time that day. I had hoped it was just a sign of another merge with yet another forest, but less and less trees rise around me as I trek onward. Facing the edge of a cliff, I think I finally have to admit that my luck (if I could even dare call it that) has finally hit rock bottom.
The cliff barely deserves the title as I can easily spring down to leveled ground without breaking a sweat, but my dilemma lies beyond that point. Stretching out across the land before me, were square twoleg dens all clustered together. I know from my "dark days" that such an occurrence was called a "neighborhood" in the twolegs' strange tongue. I have the experience to be able to figure out my way through the mazelike camps or I can just be lazy and go around it-I can see the ends of it on either side so it isn't that big in the first place.
I am deciding on which course of action to take when a commotion starts in the stretch of grass between the cliff and the twoleg neighborhood. I groan inwardly at the source of the disturbance. Not them again. No, not them them, just them them-you know what? You know what I mean and I don't care if you don't!
Making trouble for other cats like they seem to normally do is none other than Scar's gang. I crouch down as to not be spotted and get involved in yet another duel with the dolts. From my higher viewpoint, I can make out the forms of the four members of the group stalking across the grass, trying to look tough and intimidating. I squint to try to see what they're after this time and glower upon spotting their newest victim.
Now, this is a breaking point in my legend so pay extra special attention.
She has fur that appears soft and silky by the way it blew so effortlessly in the gentle gust. The longer parts that hang off her slim, feminine figure were white like lily petals, but her head, face, back, and tail are the same shade of brown as a cleaned fawn and marred by tabby stripes as placidly curved as blades of grass. Her legs, paws, and muzzle are white as well bringing out the flecks of honey and liquid sunshine in her amber eyes that shine like that filthy sun. Her ears are a little round, a little small, and her paws were a dainty dancer's. Feathery whiskers that go on for fox-lengths flow out of heart-shaped face. All in all,
She is beautiful.
Not that I notice.
However, for all her beauty and grace, her muscles are tense and her sunny orbs darkened by fear. She is a shaking mess on her lovely paws. Wow, I am getting really caught up in this!
I slink down the slope of the cliff to the right towards the she-cat, expertly approaching the scene without notice. I couldn't hear from my previous position so I am inching closer to get an idea of the situation.
Not that I am going to help her or something so out of my character like that. I am a renowned beast, feared by all who hear of me. I am no hero come to save the damsel in distress.
Scar and his cronies, and the unknown she-cat are too far in for me to creep any closer so my only option is to take to the trees. This is another thing the she-cat taught me. Wherever she had come from, they were experts in the art of scaling trees and she had deemed me a perfect match for the ability due to my naturally strong legs and the way my claws were.
The climb is easy and I am soon moving across the farthest reaching branch of my chosen tree. Her pretty form is nearly right below me and I am just high enough to be able to hear everything they say and to stay out of the gang's peripheral vision.
"What do you want?!" the she-cat spat at the brutes. Her ferocity surprises us all and I can just make out a familiar gleam of determination in her eyes. Familiar because I have seen it reflected in my own gaze.
"Watch yourself, kitten," Mr. Awesome-Comeback purred suggestively at her.
Scar hisses, "Shut up, Tabby, she's mine!" …I'm going to stick with Mr. Awesome-Comeback.
"I'm no one's," the she-cat continues to act defiant. I snicker softly. I am liking her more and more.
"Oh really?" Scar stalks closer to her and corners her up against my tree. I could jump down and do some serious damage easily.
But I don't; this isn't my fight.
"I could make your life so much easier if you joined me, not that you have a choice or anything."
I wonder if he realizes he's not at all terrifying. I've SEEN terrifying and he's no closer to it than that butterfly over there.
Instead of spitting another retort at her attacker, the she-cat abruptly lashes out, claw unsheaved, and strikes down on Scar's namesake eye right over his old wound. Scar reels back in surprise and the assault releases whatever was holding Ginger and Ratty (that's what I'll call her) and they pounce on the unprepared she-cat.
The mass of three she-cats writhes about, but it is clear that the pretty one is losing, badly. I would not be surprised if I found out after this that this was her first fight. She visibly is unaware of any techniques and shows no signs of instruction at all.
Ginger and Ratty would have easily beaten her into submission while the toms watch, but a random golden puffball entered the scene. I nearly fall out off my branch when I realize the puffball was a tiny kitten. It is a tom-kit with a golden tabby pelt and fire-colored amber eyes.
So she's a mother, I think, That explains her tenacity; she's got a kitten to protect.
The kitten swats at the enemy she-cats in a hopeless attempt to rescue his mother. "Stay away from my mama!"
Scar, Mr. Awesome-Comeback, Ginger, and Ratty blink at each other before collapsing into a fit of mrrowing. The kitten doesn't find it so funny; he fluffs up his fur and bounces forward.
"Fight me instead, you mousies!"
They keep on laughing, but I am not so amused. With the unhappy conclusion to this encounter clear, I no longer hold any interest in the matter. Sure it's sad, but life's just tough that way and this would serve as a good lesson to the kitten if he survived.
I am about to sneak away when another memory relapse overtakes me. I was going to try to shake it off, but this memory struck home.
Ready To Kill
"Kit," the black she-cat calls, "Have you learned nothing from my stories?"
I was young and rowdy then, older than a kit, but not yet grown. She called me apprentice aged. Not too long ago, I had gotten into a scuffle with an alley cat who had talked smack about me. I was easily victorious, but I didn't come out of it unscathed.
"The ones about those clan-thingies?" I ask. "What about them?"
"What about them?!" she hisses. She was always a good mother-figure to me, but her heritage was a sensitive topic and still meant the world to her. "Have I not told you countless times of the Warrior Code, you insolent brat?!"
I spit, "So what; I'm not a clan cat and definitely not a warrior. Who gives a flying squirrel…" I leave off grumbling, wary of her fury.
But she doesn't get mad. No, instead, she sighed as if grown weary from similar arguments with me. I feel her tail curl around me and curl me closer to her, snug as could be in out little forest dwelling.
"Kit," even she did not name me, "Though clan cats have to follow the Code, there is a reason behind it. The Code holds good lessons that if all cats lived by, then we would live in a peaceful world with no fighting and no sadness."
"That is the kind of future I want for you."
But He Won't
No fighting and no sadness, huh? I chuckle bitterly to myself. A little too late for that.
"It's never too late."
I flinch, thinking the statement was posed towards me, but when I look at the source of my answer, I see it is the mother and she is whispering to her kitten-I was never meant to hear.
But I did.
"We can surrender and sneak away when they aren't looking."
"No!" her kitten yells. "I refuse to give up!" Got to admire the little thing. "I will fight."
"As will I."
Who said that? As my paws land on the ground in front of the kitten, I realize it was me. Dung, I've gone and gotten myself involved in something troublesome.
All the cats stand shocked by my sudden appearance, but Scar quickly comes out of his stupor.
"You," he spits, "this isn't any of your business!"
I nudge the tom-kit back to his mother and he stumbles into her protective grasp as she continues to gawk at me. "I just made it my business."
Scar growls frustrated like a little she-kit throwing a fit, but then he barks for them all to attack. I am quickly battle ready and charge at them head on, swiftly batting the small Ratty out of the way.
I then turn my attention to Mr. Awesome-Comeback and Scar himself. The two toms try to overtake me with poor tag teaming and I am able to keep pace with the mess. Mr. Awesome-Comeback uppercuts my chin, trying to get me to expose my vulnerable underside, but I have been taught to dodge it instead by bringing my head back at a steep downward slant. This also allows me to dodge Scar's oncoming paw, as well.
Skipping back, I turn around in time to meet a leaping Ginger. I jump faster than her and have my claw dug into her weak spot before she lands. I have to let myself soften her fall to kick her back into a counterattacking Ratty. Ginger is out and it seems Ratty doesn't want to bother with the effort of getting her heavier acquaintance off.
That just leaves the toms. I can only afford a one gulp breather before I have to charge back into the heat of combat. My skills greatly outmatch theirs, giving me the confidence to go at it outnumbered.
I set my sights on the leader, figuring if he goes down, then his lackey would be too unnerved to continue the fight. Setting my trajectory between the two of them, I land on my front paws and spin my hind to kick/claw Mr. Awesome-Comeback in the face. He's off his paws, but Scar tackles me before I can rebalance myself.
He has one-upped me and we end up rolling around across the field until I'm finally on top. Winded, he gets in a deep scratch up my right shoulder. I bite my lip to hold back a hiss of pain and set to work on my own attack. We go blow for blow for a good while until he's had enough and pushes me off with his hind legs.
I land hard on my back and get to my paws too slowly. A weight impacts with my side and I feel a searing pain appear across my chest. I can't hold back a yowl at that and I find myself underneath Mr. Awesome-Comeback, but I've still got plenty of fight left in me.
"Enough," Scar coughs. Ginger and Ratty had gotten back up and limped to his side. Mr. Awesome-Comeback gets distracted and I land a blow on his face that will give him a scar to match his boss. He hisses and quite willingly retreats from the fight. As fast as they can manage, they vanish into the foliage.
Waiting until their fresh scent is gone, I finally collapse on the grass. I am exhausted and wounded badly. I've got several ticks, but I'm concerned with the wound on my chest still bleeding steadily. It's far to close to my heart for comfort.
Panic really starts to set in with the edges of my vision turn fuzzy, then darken, and spread to my whole sight. My breathing mellows against my will and I can finally feel the sleep I need coming on. At least I can tell you
The last thing I saw was that pretty she-cat.
Because Of her
I really shouldn't be starting another story, but I just want SOMETHING on Warriors. I'll probably be writing this until I've finished New Frontier and then this will be updated even less than it probably will be now. And don't worry, Phantom's not dead…yet. MUAWHAHAHAHAHA
R&R