Slightly rushed, I know. I find myself not really caring. The next chapter is turning out better anyway. :P


"What're you staring at?" the other Eevee asked. "Just because my fur's different from yours is no reason to gawk."

Kasu snapped her jaw shut.

"I - uh - sorry, it's just..." She remembered belatedly that her fur was dyed; the other Eevee didn't know about their common trait.

"I know, it's odd, but it's far more classy than a normal brown. Not that there's anything wrong with your fur at all, but silver is so much more beautiful, don't you think?" The other Eevee struck a sort of pose, showing off her shimmering pelt. As she did, Kasu noted the band of blue leather around her neck.

"You live with a human?" She shied from the term "belong to".

"Of course." The other Eevee flipped her tail. "She calls me Zhara. It's so pretty, isn't it? My human loves me - she was supposed to get an ordinary brown Eevee - no offense - from her brother, but when I was born he brought me to her instead, and she just adores me."

Kasu blinked.

"She doesn't think you're... well, weird?"

"Of course not. She thinks my fur is so much prettier than any other Eevee's - the other Eevees think I look strange, but some of them wish they had my pretty fur. Do you?" she asked suddenly.

"Not particularly. Silver fur... doesn't really work well in the forest," Kasu said truthfully.

"You come from the forest!" Zhara seemed overly shocked to Kasu.

"Of course. Didn't you?"

"Me? Never! I was born in a human home, and I like it!" She looked at Kasu speculatively. "I didn't know there were Eevees out in the forest."

"Yes - there's a whole pack. But I don't think they'd like you much." Kasu immediately regretted the words as Zhara's eyes flashed.

"Oh really?" Her voice dripped menace.

"That's not what I meant," Kasu hastily amended. "I mean, since they have to defend against bigger and meaner 'mons and against humans, they wouldn't want a silver Eevee - because it would stand out, you know? I heard..." She paused a moment. "I heard there was a silver Eevee in their pack once. She left because... well, because the pack didn't like having her around, because she was a liability, you know?"

"Oh, really?" Zhara now sounded curious. "Well, I guess that makes sense, but it's still a little mean, don't you think?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it is," Kasu said, trying to hide her own sadness.

"So, what's your name?" Zhara asked, curiosity overwhelming her.

"Huh? Oh - it's Kasu."

"Kah-sue? How odd," Zhara mused.

"No odder than Zhara," Kasu returned.

Zhara grinned at that.

"Hey, why don't you come back to the house with me?" she offered. She sniffed. "You smell like you could use a bath."

I'm going to give Firefang a whack for this later. Only she would pick smelly berry dye. "I'd love to," she said aloud, "but I'm trying to find my friend -"

"Who's your friend?" Zhara interrupted.

"Her name's Firefang - she's a Persian -"

"A Persian?" Zhara shrugged one shoulder. "She'll be going to sleep now anyway. Tell you what. Come back to my house, get a bath, and play with me for a while - I get so lonely for talk, my human's nice, but she absolutely can't understand 'mon language - and I'll help you find your friend when the sun goes down."

Kasu weighed her options. On the one hand, she could refuse, and continue her so far futile search for Firefang or the forest. On the other, she could accept, and pass the daylight hours in relative safety.

And maybe satisfy some of her curiosity about these humans as well...

"Okay. But I really need a nap - I've been up all night." She didn't mention why.

"No problem - my human goes for tutoring every day about midday, so we can nap then until she returns." Zhara had already started going back up the alley. She looked over her shoulder at Kasu. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah!" Kasu dogtrotted after the other Eevee.


Zhara's home was unlike all the other homes Kasu had seen.

It was large, situated in about the middle of town, and beautiful. Kasu learned immediately that Zhara's human was a young girl called Melissa - a bit spoiled, but bighearted and very much attached to Zhara. Melissa was immediately enchanted with Kasu. Like Zhara, though, she felt the apparently brown Eevee needed a bath before she set foot in the house. So the first room Kasu ever saw in a human home was the bathroom.

The concept of a "bath" for an Eevee was like that of a cat. Therefore, Kasu was completely unprepared for what happened.

"What is she doing!" she yowled at Zhara.

"Bathing you."

"This is a bath!" Kasu spluttered as she was rinsed with the attached showerhead. "Eugh!" Dirt - and dye - rippled off her fur in waves, carried away by spraying water. And the truth was revealed.

"No way! You're silver too!" Zhara put her paws on the edge of the tub, staring at the bedraggled Kasu.

"Don't remind me," the disgruntled Eevee snarled.

Zhara said nothing more as Kasu was dried off, but sat watching with a speculative look in her eyes.

"I'm impressed - you didn't claw her," she said when the now-clean Eevee was placed on the tile floor.

"I figured that wouldn't be a good idea," Kasu replied. "I want to see the inside of a human home, and I didn't want to be kicked out on my tail for acting up."

"Good idea," Zhara smirked. "You look so much better with your silver fur."

"Oh, don't start," Kasu grumbled. "I hate my fur. I had to leave the pack because of this fur. I hate it!"

Zhara gave her a sympathetic look, but when she spoke again it wasn't about fur color.


Kasu found herself having the time of her life.

She had always loved Mahk and Cheggah beyond all others, but she had never hung out with females her own age in the pack. Now, not only did she have that, she had someone who was more like her than she knew - it was strange, she felt, to have met another with her extremely rare fur color, and not only that, but the other was perfectly fine with her coloration.

It made her think - something no one else had so far done.

She saw the inner workings of a human household, too - the kitchens, where interesting smells distracted both her nose and her mind; the den, where Kasu nearly ended her career with a falling encyclopedia set she'd been unconsciously pushing; and, most of all, Melissa's bright rooms, where the two Eevees and the young girl invented whole worlds of play that involved a lot of giggling (on all sides).

The promised nap did wonders for her mood as well. She woke late in the afternoon, refreshed, and spent much of the remaining daylight playing with her new friends. But, as the sun set, her worries began to reassert themselves.

"I really should go," she told Zhara regretfully. "I mean, this has been really fun - but..."

"I know, I know, you've got that quest of yours." Zhara stretched, catlike. "Wait until Melissa goes to sleep, then I can help you find your friends. I know one place where you can find a Meowth or two nearby."

"I thought no one could find the Meowths except other Meowths."

Zhara winked.

She was as good as her word. After seeing Melissa to sleep, the silver Eevee joined her forest counterpart on the wall.

"That way," she muttered, indicating with her nose their direction.

Kasu followed her obediently. Zhara moved unerringly in her chosen path, her steps quick and light.

They reached the courtyard of a tall building, complete with fountain. Here, Zhara stopped.

"There's usually a Meowth or two around here at some point," she said quietly. "Humans make wishes by that fountain and throw coins in it for luck. Some of the braver Meowths come here to scrounge up some change - not many, because they don't like getting wet, but some."

"They like change?"

"They like anything round and shiny," Zhara explained. "I've known Meowths that had a human's fortune hidden in their den."

"Wow."

"I'd better go before I'm missed," the other Eevee said after a few minutes of waiting.

"Oh... hey, Zhara? Thanks for everything." Kasu flicked her tail. "I've never had a fun day like that before - really I haven't."

"You need more girl friends, then," Zhara smiled. She patted Kasu's shoulder. "Good luck with that quest of yours - and if you ever come back around here, come see me."

"I will," Kasu promised.

"Well, shucks, I'd love to stay longer and gossip, but there's your Meowth and I'm going to be missed soon." Zhara pointed at a slinking shadow along the courtyard wall. "Later - and don't get eaten by a mountain 'mon, I'd be so upset."

"I'll try not to," Kasu said, but the other Eevee was already gone, turning a nearby corner so fast she was barely a silver blur on the gray stone. Kasu started a little, surprised at the speed of her departure, but then shook it off and waited for the shadow to come in the open.

She'd never seen a Meowth before. Meowth were strictly urban 'mons, and didn't come to live in the forest until after they evolved. She took a moment to observe the small cream-colored feline - not as graceful as Firefang, but still moving with a fluidity she knew she could never match. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the shadows toward the Meowth.

The rumors were true - you couldn't sneak up on a Meowth. The little cat spun in surprise at her approach.

"Hey, what're you doing here? Whaddaya want?" The fur on his back was standing up. "Didn't anybody ever tell you Eevees shouldn't go out at night?"

"Probably, but obviously I didn't listen. I'm looking for a friend."

"No friend, no friend here!" he snapped, fishing frantically in the fountain's shallow water. "I'm busy, kid. Go away."

"Her name's Firefang - she's a Persian."

"Talk to me not - Firefang? You're Firefang's little Eevee friend?" The Meowth's manner had changed. He peered at her in surprise. "She said you'd be brown - and you'd smell bad."

"I had a bath - it washed out the dye." She prudently decided not to tell the whole story. Fortunately, the cat seemed to accept it.

"Musta been some bath," the Meowth muttered. "My sympathy."

"Oh, it wasn't all bad," Kasu said flippantly. "Do you know where she is?"

"Huh? Oh, Firefang? Yeah, I do. Help me get some of these coins out and I'll take you to her."

"All right." Kasu leapt up to the fountain.

"Just do what I do - dip your paw in and grab 'em." The cat demonstrated, shaking his paw vigorously when he got it out. "Ergh - water."

"If you don't like water that much, why do you go for the coins?"

"I like coins," he muttered, sounding almost embarrassed. "Besides, if I get enough of them, that pretty girl Meowth might talk to me," he added, puffing out his narrow chest ever so slightly. "She won't talk to any Meowth who hasn't amassed a good-sized hoard."

"I see," Kasu murmured, amused. "Well, how about I help you like this?"

And without warning, she jumped into the little pool.

"Hey!" the Meowth yelped as he was splashed with water. "Watch it! What're you doing?"

"Getting your coins." She had already scraped a good number of them off the bottom of the pool and set them on the ledge. As she had thought, it was much easier to do than grabbing for them from the ledge. "It's not that deep, and I like water."

"I don't see how you can," the Meowth replied, sounding more awed than annoyed. "I don't like it - it's all... wet."

"That's the idea, silly," Kasu grinned. "I used to swim in the river back home. It was good exercise."

"Weird," the Meowth muttered, but he was grinning too.


It didn't take long to amass most of the pool coins on the ledge. The Meowth (who introduced himself as Duskpaw) scooped them into a bag he'd brought just for that purpose.

"Better leave some on the bottom of the pool," he advised. "The humans who own this place will get mad if they don't get some coins too, and then I won't be able to come here anymore."

"All right." Kasu leapt out of the pool and shook herself off vigorously, spraying Duskpaw with water droplets.

"Hey, watch it!"

"Sorry," she apologized. "I forgot."

Duskpaw shook his head.

"Well, come on," he said, seizing the bag and rearing up on his hind legs. He slung the bag over one shoulder.

"You can walk like that?" Kasu asked in amazement.

"For short distances," he replied. "We're not going far. Come on!"

Kasu followed him, listening to his grumbling with amusement. He was true to his word - the alleyway he finally stopped in wasn't very far from the fountain at all. He dropped his bag and kicked at one of the trashcans.

"Stupid thing never wants to move - ah, here we go."

All Kasu saw was blank brick wall.

"It's down here at the bottom - got it."

With the ease of long practice, he pulled three loose bricks out of the wall, revealing a small opening.

"In you go, missy, that's the hideout."

Kasu stared at the dark hole dubiously.

"That?"

"It's an abandoned human building," he explained. "We Meowths use it as a base of operations. If Firefang isn't here now, she will be soon."

"If you say so." Kasu wriggled through the hole, emerging in a dark, dusty room. There were a few furry shadows along the wall, but none of them were Persian-sized, and her heart sank.

"Duskpaw, she's not here," she muttered as the young Meowth slid through to stand next to her.

"She will be. Now help me put these bricks back. One of the sentries will put the can back, but we have to put the bricks back."

"Sentries?" Kasu asked as she moved to help.

"Yeah. They watch for humans and dog 'mons. They spotted us well before we ever got to the alley."

"And what about the ones in here?" Kasu whispered, glancing around.

"They're all okay. They know Firefang - if any of 'em give you trouble just drop her name and they'll back off. But stick with me and you shouldn't have a bit of trouble."

"Okay. By the way... thanks."

"No problem." He hefted the bag, grinning. "You helped me. Wanna see my hoard? It's upstairs where none of the others like to go."

"Sure," Kasu said quickly, eager to be out of this room with all the searching eyes.

She followed him up a flight of creaky stairs. They climbed up to the highest story, Duskpaw talking all the while.

"See, this used to be a human hotel, but since the town never grew much bigger, they couldn't keep it. No one was coming to stay in it. So they boarded it up. Now we live here - most of us - and we go wherever we want. But I'm the only one who uses this last room," he explained as they came to a closed door, "because I'm the only one who knows how to work the knob."

"The others can't turn a knob?"

"It's locked from the inside. I'm the only one who knows how to unlock it." He rummaged under the faded, tattered rug and produced a long metal wire. "Watch." He leapt up and latched on to the knob. With practiced ease he picked the lock and the door swung open. "See?"

"Wow, that's cool!" Kasu enthused.

"Isn't it?" Duskpaw bragged, jumping down from the knob. "I even have a window."

The room was dusty, but in the corner, a mound of gleaming human coins was piled high. Duskpaw poured the contents of his bag on the pile, grinning.

"It's getting bigger," he said happily.

"Maybe that girl will talk to you," Kasu smiled. She padded over to the grimy window and leapt up to the windowsill. There was a small place where the glass had been cleaned - a space about the right size for a Meowth's head - and here Kasu planted herself, peering out the window. It was a good view of the alleyway and of the surrounding rooftops.

It was a few seconds before she realized what she was seeing.

"Hey - it's Firefang - and Tenebrae and Archimedes!" She was slightly alarmed at that.

"Huh?" Duskpaw leapt up beside her. "No way!"

"C'mon, let's go down and meet them!" Kasu chirped, leaping from the windowsill and darting toward the door, her Meowth friend right behind her.


I'll update this thing again in two weeks. Peace.