A/N
Wow, this took a lot longer to write then I thought it would... and it ended up being longer too... looks like instead of being just 2 parts there will be 3 (maybe 4) parts to the Prologue... BTW info on OC applications at the end of the page! XD
Shadowfur1017: YAY! thanks for being the first person to fav and follow this story! I'm glad somebody liked the idea behind the story XD
SpecialGuest: Oh, thats too bad, I figured it'd be easier to discuss the ideas and stuff for your OC in pms rather than over reviews (if ya still want to you can post your cat in a review). I think you might be picturing something different from me with the anklets... I wasn't sure what to call them anyways... maybe "leg bands" or "leg guards"...yeah I'm gonna go with leg guards. And this is a fantasy world set in some far off future, so even though in real life cats can't wear gold and silver, here they can (evolution and whatnot). Anyway, thanks for reviewing! XD
End Notes
Flamewing's going down into town today, and mother said we can go too, including me! I'm so excited; this'll be my first time outside the castle walls! I waited by the entrance, hopping from paw to paw. My black fur is neatly groomed and this morning, father gave us all these little silver bells to put on our collars.
I dab at the bell on my purple silk collar; the soft jingling sound is so pretty, I like it a lot! The bells on my brother's collars make a lot of noise when they move, so they don't really like them that much. But they're just mousebrained; it's easy to move in a way so that the bell doesn't make any noise.
Peachkit only liked it because it was pretty, like jewellery. She's always been obsessed with her appearance…
Ah, finally! Mother and Flamewing have arrived, "Alright kits, come along. And don't get separated!" Mother meows worriedly as we trot eagerly out the gates.
I bound ahead and stop at the hilltop overlooking the town. It's so big! There are so many strange new scents! And just look at all the cats! There must be hundreds of them! I want to hurry up and race down but I hear mother calling after me. Whiskers twitching impatiently, I pace back and forth waiting for them to catch up.
When they finally caught up mother shot me a warning look telling me no to run off again. I wouldn't be so impatient if she had let me go out with the others before! Besides, what's the harm in exploring? We'd be safe in town; this is father's land after all. But when we did arrive in town, I could see why she didn't want me to run off…
This place is even bigger than I thought! There're so many more dens and cats than I had first thought! I was overwhelmed by all the strange scents and sounds as we walked down the main path through the town. My ears swivelled around madly and my eyes darted everywhere, just trying to get a better look at everything!
Two huge, broad shouldered toms pulling a wagon filled with all kinds of tools and armour passed by us. It made me shiver as I realised that Ashkit may be as big and bulky as they were one day… he does have the same kind of body shape as them… Blazekit'll probably look just like father, and Peachkit will be like mother…
Will I ever be big like that? I pause to look at my reflection in a nearby puddle; a small, scrawny black tom stares back at me. I wrinkle my nose in disgust… Why must I be so small? How does a cat go about getting big anyways? Giving my pelt a shake I turn back to mother and the rest.
Or at least, where I thought they should be, but they were gone!
Quickly, I darted around trying to spot them in the crowd. It suddenly seemed as though every cat in town had decided to come out of their homes! I kept getting pushed and nudged aside; I was nearly squashed by a wagon too! Luckily I darted away in time, ending up on a smaller path between dens.
The path was almost empty so I decided to follow it. My silver bell jingled as I padded swiftly along but I didn't care… actually, it might help mother find me if she can hear the bell! I try to make it ring more as I run.
The path I came out onto was narrower than the main path and had fewer cats on it. I sniffed the air hoping to catch the scents of my family, but there were just so many strange smells here! I couldn't tell what was what! I didn't know how to find mother again, or how to get back home from here.
Angrily, I gave myself a shake; I'm not some helpless little kit! I'm a warrior; a Krieger! Picking a random direction I padded along with a new found confidence. I froze mid step when something small and brown landed with a 'thud' right in front of me.
I blinked at the strange mouse shaped thing and prodded it a little… oh, it's just an old toy; a mouse skin stuffed with moss or something. I had one at home too, except mine was fresher and wasn't nearly as dirty as this one. "Hey!" I jumped at the sound of a young she-cat's voice. "Pass it!"
I glance blankly at the mouse toy and then at the she-cat; a dark cream coloured kit with brown and orange splotches and a red bandana around her neck. She was part a group of kits, their fur wasn't as sleek or shiny as mine and they were all pretty scrawny. "Oi," a brown tom yelled with a funny voice, "pass it o'er 'ere!"
Oh, they just want the mouse toy back… I scoop it up and fling it over in a single swift movement. The she-cat catches in her teeth while it's in the air and then throws it over to the other kits. I stood and watched them pouncing and rolling over it for a bit. I tilt my head to the side in confusion.
What they're doing…? Blazekit, Peachkit and Ashkit have never played this game before… and I usually just practice my pouncing with my mouse toy, never tossing it around like this.
The she-cat with the splotched fur abandons the game and pads right up to me. "Hullo! My name's Patch!" That's an odd name, being just 'Patch' and not 'Patchkit'? Oh well. "That was a cool move before!" She meows brightly.
"Ah… uh, thanks… I'm Coalkit…" I mumble embarrassed and shuffle my paws. I've never been praised like this before; I don't know how to react…
"Wanna play with us?" She chirped excitedly bouncing on her toes.
I blink and glance around shyly, "Who, me?" I've never been asked to play before!
She giggled and meowed playfully, "Of course you, silly furball!"
"Uh, oh, um… but I-I… I don't r-really know h-how to play…" I wish I could just talk and not stutter so embarrassingly!
"Aw, ain't nuthin' to it!" She just circles around behind me and nudges me towards the game. "It's easy; just a little old game of toss the mouse!"
Suddenly I find myself standing awkwardly among a bunch of earth coloured kits of all different ages. The mouse gets tossed by my feet and I'm nearly bowled over by a grey tom with dark speckles. But I react just in time and snatch up the mouse in my jaws tossing in to Patch.
"Yeah, that's the way Coalkit!" She cried as she pounced on it. My paws tingled with excitement and happiness. They're letting me play with them!
This is fun! I pounce on the light brown tabby she-cat holding the mouse, only to be grabbed by the speckled grey tom. We roll around in a mock play fight, laughing the whole time! This is the most fun I've had in ages! I wish I could stay and play here all day, every day! We end up rolling straight into the others, making one big cat pile up.
We laugh and untangle ourselves, some cat's foot knocking my bell and making it ring. I sit down and try to smooth down my ruffled fur. "That's a pretty thing…" A small white and ginger she-cat blinks owlishly at my bell.
"It's called a bell," I dap at it with my paw so it jingles. "Father gave it to me."
"A bell…" She echoes and reaches up to touch it. I lean down to let her play with it.
But suddenly an adult's paw slams on the ground between us, the shadow of the bigger cat above me. The kit squeals in fright and runs to her friends, all of which are backing away looking scared. I immediately recognise mother's scent and the silver leg guards on the foreleg in front of me.
I creep out from under her and she turns to glare at me hissing angrily. "Where have you been? I've been so worried! And just what are you doing with these…these… commoners!?" The spat out the last bit with disgust and shot Patch and her friends a hateful look making them cringe in fear.
"I-I got lost a-and… w-we… we were just p-playing!" I knew she'd be upset that I got separated from her but not like this! What's wrong with me playing with them?
Mother let out a shriek of outrage, "Playing!? Playing!? You are a Noble; cat of the Royal Bloodline! We do NOT associate with low class filth like them!" She spun around and hissed at Patch and the others, most of the fled but some just sat there cowering.
I lay flattened on the ground with my paws over my ears, trying to make myself as small as possible. I've never seen mother so angry before! She looks so fierce and wild with her fur standing up and fangs bared. She isn't going to hurt them, is she? She can't! The Deputierte would never hurt innocent kits! She wouldn't… would she…?
Mother looms over Patch with her paw raised ready to strike, her claws unsheathed! Without thinking, I dive forward pushing Patch to the ground with me on top of her blocking mothers blow. I hissed in pain at the hard blow to my shoulder, but the pain wasn't nearly as much as I thought it would be.
Slowly, I open my eyes to find Flamewing standing next to mother who looked so shocked at what she'd done. He gives me a reassuring smile and nudges mother aside, talking to her in a low voice. Slowly I rise to my paws and turn my head to inspect the wound. There's no blood, or even a cut from what I can see. Mother must have sheathed her claws…
With a relieved sigh I turn back to Patch, only to find her staring in shock… and maybe fear? Why is she afraid of me? Is it because of the strange way mother was acting? I open my mouth to tell her that mother isn't usually like that but she suddenly turns tail and flees with the rest of her friends.
I could feel my heart sinking as I see her shoot a hateful look at me… they won't ever let me play with them again will they…? Why? For StarClan's sake, why can't I have any friends!? Why must I be hated by everyone!? It's not fair! I crouch down and tuck my nose into my paws, trying to hide my tears…
Out of the corner of Flamewing's eye he saw Coalkit's fur sparking strangely. But he didn't have time to dwell on it as he had to deal with Natasha's very strange behaviour. He couldn't help but think that something dark was at work here in the Feuer District, no, perhaps in all of the Katzen Kingdom…
After Flamewing had calmed mother down she started fussing over me, apologising over and over again as we headed back home. I'm so glad she's back to normal, but I can't help but think about Patch and those other kits. Blazekit had teased me about playing with "dirty fleabags", Peachkit and Ashkit too.
Patch and her friends didn't have any fleas though, nor were they all that dirty! Mother said that I shouldn't play with those kinds of cats ever… I just don't get it; why can't I play with them?
I didn't feel like eating much at dinner, so I left early and went out into the garden to think. It was getting dark but the stars of Silver Pelt shone brightly. I stared up at them for ages, just thinking over all that had happened today. It had been one of the best and one of the worst days of my life…
I jumped when I suddenly felt the presence of another cat beside me, only to find it was Flamewing. He stared down at me with a funny look in his eyes, "Why so down, little one? Still upset at your mother's scolding?" He questioned casually.
I shook my head, she was just very worried and I was the one that jumped in the way of her strike. I looked down at my paws and shuffled them a little, "Umm, Flamewing…?" He lay down beside me nodded for me to continue. "Why can't I play with the kits in the town?"
He closed his eyes in thought, the silence made me squirm uncomfortably. "That is a difficult question. Truthfully, there is no real reason that stops you from playing with kits from low class families, however…"
He paused and looked up at the darkening sky, as if he wasn't sure how to continue. I settled myself down and waited patiently for him to begin again.
"You see, the Nobility rarely interact with those of lower class; even less so if you are of the Royal Bloodline. Its frowned upon for a Noble born cat, like you, to be friends with low born cats." I tilted my head to the side in confusion and he smiled at me. "Low born cats have no social standing, so when their kits become Lehrling they have very few options for their future."
"Why?"
"Though we are all blessed and loved by the Geist, not all cats are born equal. Noble born cats are given a more powerful Blessing, and tend to be stronger, faster and more intelligent than low born cats."
I shake my head in frustration, "I don't understand why though…"
"Well, for instance, your father and I were not noble born cats nor are we of Royal blood. But we weren't low class either; we were of middle class since we came from a family of Ritters. He and I had to work really hard and pass many test to prove ourselves before he became a Krieger and I a Geistlicher." He smiled fondly, as if remembering something good.
"Your father was a very proud and noble hearted cat; he earned his place as Herrscher through his many triumphs in battle. The mighty Führer himself appointed him! Now, your mother, on the other paw, is of the Royal Bloodline; a very distance relative of the Führer. Her family has a history of triumphant deeds and are very wealthy thus she was able to gain a Krieger as her mentor from the beginning of her time as a Lehrling."
He paused to glance at me; I nodded to show I was following his explanation.
"Basically, a low born cat must earn his place, while a cat of higher class already has and simply must continue to bring their family honour." He finished with a satisfied nod.
I sort of understand now… Patch and her family didn't have the same privileges that I had… they weren't blessed with elemental powers from the Geist and they were weaker than the Nobility… But I still didn't like it… Aren't I weak and small too?
"But, if we're all loved by the Geist… then why does she seem to love seem cats more than others? Wouldn't it be better if we were all the same?" If I was big and strong like Blazekit then my siblings would like me…. and if Patch was given the same powers and strengths of a Noble born cat then we could play together!
Flamewing closed his eyes thoughtfully again, "Another difficult question. I can't say I can give you the answer you seek, but I'll try my best."
We sat out under the stars for ages; he explained it to me carefully, as if he chose each word thoughtfully before he spoke. He told me that we are not born with equal strengths because then no cat would want to work hard for anything. Our Kingdom could not become strong if no cat wanted to work hard to thrive in and protect it.
He said we are each born with our own strengths and weaknesses and we mus make use of what we have. So, since the Nobility are blessed with powerful Gifts they protect and lead the Katzen Kingdom. And since low born cats are blessed with other Gifts and talents, they serve and work for the Nobility so they may continue their duties.
Though this does sort of make sense to me, it feels wrong… Patch was so kind, doesn't she deserve the same rights that I have? Flamewing said I was very kind-hearted and honourable, but such thoughts would be lost on many other cats. What is so honourable about it if no cat will listen then!?
Flamewing chuckled as he rose to his paws, "Such a curious mind, it is a good trait to have. Perhaps one day, you can make a world where cats are treated more fairly. But that day is not today, have patience little one your time will come."
Yes, it will… One day I'll be so powerful that I'll be as loved and respected as the Führer himself! Then everyone will listen to me, and I can make a world where weak and small cats, like Patch and I, will be treated with the same respect as big and strong cat like Blazekit and Father. Just wait and see!
The plot thickens! I'll try to finish the prologue bit up in the next chapter... don't want this bit to drag on too much (pls tell me if it is) I'm terrible at explaining things so Flamewing's explanations ended up kinda long winded and I had to cut them short...
Fun Fact: basically there are 3 classes of Cats, The Nobility, mid class, and low class. The Nobility have names like "Natasha", mid class have the typical Warriors style names suffixes (ie: kit then paw etc) and low class cats have no suffix.
OC APPLICATION INFO!
I'd prefer it to be in a pm (and if ya have a pic to go with it that'd be great, but you don't have to) just to make it easier if I have any questions about your OC, but if you can't then posting it in a review is okay. Please use this kind of format when submitting:
Name:
Gender:
Age:
Rank:
District (they can be from the Capital too):
Appearance:
Personality:
History (any background info about her/him will do):
And anything else you feel like adding, but I do need a fairly detailed description of their personality or I may end up writing them OoC... You can give them accessories too (but try not to go overboard, bear in mind they're still cats not humans...). Baring in mind that there are only a few high ranks available... There are 2 main characters in this story (one being Coalkit), the other main will appear after the prologue ends.
Reviews are always loved!
-love NyanNyan-suru
