AN: Part 3! Grand finale!

48. Just Try

If there had been a snake coiled around his stomach when he'd gone to see Cobalt, now that he was on his way to meet Castion, there was an entire nest of them churning and rolling in his gut. Cobalt had a sharp tongue and a mean streak, but he was easy enough to escape; Bottle and Lily lived right on the edge of his territory, after all. Castion, though, was different. It seemed there wasn't a place in the city that hadn't been touched by him in some way, and if he wanted you dead, you'd die, simple as that.

That was why Blaze seemed like such a marvel to him as he headed towards the Sun King's theatre. Blaze would have almost been Castion's enemy; he was the son of a rival boss, after all, and it had been his destiny to face off against the golden boss someday.

Until he had disappeared, seemingly without a trace.

The ginger kittypet was still swirling in his mind as he neared the entrance to the theatre, a hole in the wall shadowed by two guards that watched Bottle with dull eyes. This time there was no window to duck in; he had to face them, but he'd come prepared. It had taken him hours, but he had finally managed to catch a mouse, an offering to get him in the door. From there, he'd be on his own.

The guards didn't stop him, but he lifted his chin to show them the mouse just in case. The lobby was dull, and smelled faintly musty, but he didn't waste any time in it, trotting down one of the long, black corridors instead. They all led to the same place, the main auditorium, and the din within threatened to overwhelm him as he entered it. Cats milled about everywhere, hanging off of each seat, flanking the walls, lounging even on the large stage in front of the curtain.

"You!" shouted a nearby tom, sending icewater rushing into his stomach. The tabby tom strode towards him, and Bottle imagined he would know what the ginger tom was here for with only a glance.

"You haven't been here before, have you?" the pale tom growled. "You're not a hunter. Just paying tribute?"

Bottle gave an anxious bob of his head, trying not to betray the tremor running through his legs, and the tom's eyes narrowed.

"That way, on the right side of the stairs," he said, nodding in the appropriate direction. "Just leave it there. Castion appreciates your contributions. Go on, then."

The tabby tom turned around as someone meowed his name, and Bottle eagerly slipped away, running down the aisle towards the stage. He dropped the mouse on the pile – it looked pitifully small compared to the other catches, but his heart still clenched as he let it go, thinking of his mother's lean face – and took a step back, wondering what to do next. He realized he had no idea where Castion actually was inside the immense theatre. Behind the curtain, perhaps? He eyed it with unease, but took a deep breath, knowing he had to at least check it out. He didn't have any other options.

He was padding up the short stairs onto the stage, when someone growled a warning behind him.

"You don't want to go up there." He turned to find a white tom frowning up at him. "That's where the commanders sleep. They'll eat you alive." His chin rose. "I'm going to be one someday."

Bottle believed him; the white tom's yellow eyes glowed with determination and ambition so intense that made him shiver.

"Okay," he said quietly, creeping back down the stairs. "Um…do you know where Castion is, then?"

Surprise passed over the white tom's face. "Castion? What's he want with a runt like you?"

Bottle's ears flattened. "I just…I just need to talk to him. It's important."

The white tom seemed dubious, but shrugged. "The guards will filter you out, not me. He's up there." He tilted his head upwards, towards a balcony that Bottle hadn't noticed. "That's his box. Be careful, though. Unless you've got something important to say, he'll rip your head off."

Bottle's eyes widened at the thought, and the white tom seemed amused by his fear, his muzzle curling into a smirk that was decidedly Castion-esque. "Good luck."

The ginger tom mumbled a thank-you, before scurrying towards the box. There were no stairs leading up to it, but he discovered there was a dark corridor off to the side that presumably led up to it. He darted down the black hall, fear mounting with every step. By the time he saw the two guards sitting outside the curtain that shielded Castion's chambers from view, his heart was already in his throat.

He moved towards the guards slowly, almost slinking, his tail down low. A tremor ran through him with every step, and the guards certainly noticed, their muzzles twisting with derision.

"What do you want, pipsqueak?" one grunted, curling his lip to expose one rotten fang.

Bottle swallowed. "I-I need to talk to C-Castion."

The other laughed. "Look at 'im quiver! Kit's scared half to death."

"Should be," the first snorted. "Master Castion don't have time for you, kitto. Get out of 'ere before we skin ye."

Bottle shrank back, but his mother rose in the back of his mind again. He had to get some sort of help for her, had to. They'd starve, otherwise. There was no way he could hunt for the both of them, and she couldn't hunt anymore. He had to try.

"P-please," he said, trying to fight back the stammering. "I need to talk to him. Now. It's important."

The rotten-fanged guard snorted. "Important 'e says," he grunted, before rising to his paws, the threat obvious. "Git."

Bottle glanced between the two of them, as the second rose as well, his heart hammering in his chest. Then, throwing caution to the wind, he darted right between them.

This had obviously never happened to either guard before; their reaction was a second too late. They reached out for him, but their paws met nothing but air as he flew through the curtain, skidding to a stop as he met the city boss's sharp green eyes.

Castion paused mid-chew, staring at the young tom standing before him with bemusement, before flicking his gaze up towards the guards. Bottle only had time to open his mouth before they were on him, pinning him to the ground. Their paws pressed down on his spine and ribs with incredible force, and his nose was ground into the floor before he managed to turn it to the side. He found Castion's eyes looking down at him with something caught between confusion and amusement.

"We told you," one of the guards snarled in Bottle's ear, his breath thick and hot on the ginger tom's fur. A whimper escaped Bottle despite his best efforts, and he found himself struggling to breathe underneath their girth.

Castion swallowed, and very carefully set his meal aside on the curtain. He studied Bottle for a moment, before looking back to his guards, his expression carefully neutral.

"What are you doing?" he asked, voice level, and Bottle realized he was not being addressed; rather, the Sun King's gaze remained locked on the two guards.

"Sorry, sir," one growled. "He got through us. We—"

"I don't think that's what I asked. What are you doing, right now? Crushing every bone in this fellow's body? Come now. This is hardly becoming. Let him up."

Bottle went rigid with surprise, and it seemed the guards couldn't believe him either; it took them a moment to pull back. The young tom bounced up immediately, sucking in an eager breath.

"See? Not much more than a kit. Hardly befitting that sort of treatment…although I do suppose if any kits come to assassinate me, you'll have that handled." Amusement flickered over his face. "Go on, you two. We'll just have a little chat, I think." Bottle shrank back as the boss's attention turned to him. "Well? It must have been terribly important, for you to risk something like that."

Bottle looked over his shoulder, making sure the guards were retreating – sure enough, they were ducking back under the curtain, although one glowered back at him before disappearing – before taking in another deep breath, trying to steady his frantic heart. "Y-yes, sir. It is."

Castion tilted his head to the side, and Bottle realized he had the golden tom's – the Sun King's! – full attention.

He thought he might pass out.

"M-my mother is k-kinda sick," he said, stumbling over his words. "It's hard for her to hunt now, and I-I'm…I'm no good at it. I don't want her to go hungry, b-but I can't help, and Cobalt said he wouldn't…well, Ma never did anything for him, so he wouldn't help. A-and we live on the 'partments, r-right on the border, so I thought maybe…." His eyes sank down to his paws as his courage deserted him.

To his surprise, he heard a low purr of amusement. "Touching, to see a young thing like you brave the run over here for your mother. Don't you think it's touching, Pea?"

His head snapped up with surprise, and for the first time he realized there was a she-cat in the seat next to the city's king. She was tiny, and seemed to fade into the cushion itself, despite her golden pelt; her eyes were cast downwards and everything about her was pulled into herself, rather than extending outwards, as if she was trying to disappear from reality entirely.

Her eyes flicked up once – bright, startling green for one so invisible – and she gave Bottle the smallest of smiles before looking away again. "Yes. Touching." Her voice was whisper-soft, almost inaudible; he had to strain to hear it.

She'd sound like Ma, if she was a bit louder, he thought distantly, but Castion was speaking again.

"Such bravery should not go unrewarded, I think," he purred, "although, I must say, barging in here was not wise. You see—oh, what was your name? I didn't catch it."

He swallowed. "B-Bottle, sir."

Castion nodded and continued on, "You see, Bottle, I am a very busy cat. Quite a bit depends on making sure I have the privacy I need to carry out my duties – meetings, and the like. I can't let just anyone in here. You understand." The threat running underneath his words was unmistakable, and the young tom blanched, nodding as quickly as he was able.

"I understand, sir. I wouldn't have done it, it's just so important…."

"Of course. Everyone cares for their mother." His voice was smooth. "As I said, your bravery should be rewarded…but I can't just give food out to anyone who asks, now can I? We'd be out of prey quite rapidly, I think. I can offer you hunting lessons, and I think I will, but you need a more immediate fix, don't you? So, tell me, Bottle, what do you have to offer?"

His mind went blank at that, and he could only stare for a few moments, grasping at straws. What could he offer? He didn't know how to hunt, didn't know how to fight, didn't know anything that would be useful—

No. That wasn't quite true. He knew about Blaze. He knew where the ginger kittypet was lurking. He knew Brand had helped bring Castion's son now – something that was still gnawing at him, if the darkness behind his green eyes was any sign – and he knew that Blaze had been connected to Honey all along. He knew they had a son.

He had nothing else to offer, did he? Only those facts, those hints. But they would be enough, he was certain of it. They would be more than enough; it was information Castion's spies hadn't been able to bring to him, information that he couldn't get from anyone else but Bottle and Lily.

But if he told them, they would go after Blaze. They would hunt him down and drag him into some dark, frightening place, and he would never come back.

He couldn't do that, not after Blaze had been kind to him, not after he had given him advice and caught him prey and had told him about Copper. Not after Blaze had trusted him.

"I-I don't have anything," he mumbled, hating the tremor in his voice that threatened to give him away. "I'm sorry. There's nothing."

"Now, Bottle, that's just too bad." Castion's voice was still silky. "Are you sure? There's nothing at all you can think of?"

Bottle shook his head, not daring to speak again, and Castion smiled, although it did not reach his eyes. "Unfortunate. As I said, I can't just give out food without a thought. Everyone would be lined up then, don't you think? If you do want some prey for your dear mother, you might want to come back with something worthwhile."

Bottle's heart sank. He couldn't do it, couldn't go home to his mother's expentant face without anything. Helplessly, he looked to the tiny she-cat, and was surprised to find her watching him again. Her eyes softened as they met his.

"He's so young," she whispered. "Look at his eyes. Aren't they like Tobias's? If it was him standing right there, wouldn't you—"

Castion growled just as her voice broke. "That's enough." He sat up, and Bottle had to tilt his head back just to look at the boss's face. The boss's jaw clenched as he stared down at the ginger tom, but Bottle did his best to meet his eyes, trying to use whatever advantages he might have. Then, to his surprise, the Sun King nodded.

"You're right, my dear. He's young. Plenty of time for him to prove useful yet. Very well, Bottle. You may take two – only two, understand? – pieces of prey from the fresh-kill pile. One for you, one for your mother. And then tomorrow I want you to report to Cobalt, and tell him you are to be trained as a hunter. If you do well, you can become a permanent addition to his group, and then if you prove yourself there, you might be able to live here, in the theatre. Does that suit you?"

His eyes widened as he stared up at the golden tom, hardly able to believe his luck. Immediately he was on his paws, an ecstatic grin on his face. "Yes, sir! Absolutely! Thank you so much!" He looked to the small she-cat. "Thank you, Miss Pea."

"You'll call her Lady Portia," Castion said, a slight growl in his voice, but Bottle barely noticed, feeling his body hum with triumph. He'd done it! He'd done it for the both of them, for his mother and himself. Everything would be easier now.

In his delight, he dared to take a chance. "Might I ask one more thing, sir? Do you know where a cat named Copper might be?" If there was anyone in the city who would know him, it would be Castion, and there was nothing he wanted more than to make Blaze proud, to make him smile.

The golden tom took on a thoughtful expression. "Copper, Copper…the name seems familiar, but I can't quite place…." Then, abruptly, his eyes darkened. "Copper…wasn't that the name of the spy's….How do you know it?"

Bottle realized his mistake too late; Castion might not know about Brand's interference, but apparently someone had mentioned Honey to him before.

"I-I just heard it somewhere," he blurted, backing away. "F-from a friend."

Castion's tail flicked. "And what might this friend's name be?" he growled. "I would be very interested to learn how he knows Copper's name, when so few do."

"I can't remember," Bottle lied, but the falsehoods rang out in his ears as sharply as Castion's.

The boss's muzzle twisted dangerously for a moment, and he rose up, as if to move forward. Then, just as suddenly as it had come, the anger faded, slipping away like rain on the street, and he smiled again. "That's quite alright, Bottle. You can go, and don't forget your prey on the way out. Good luck."

He was surprised the tom relented, but decided not to waste the chance to escape, stuttering out another thank-you before he bolted, streaking down the corridor and into the auditorium. He blindly grabbed his two pieces of prey before fleeing, leaving the theatre far, far behind.

He didn't go home. He should have – he would think over it later and realize how stupid he had been not to – but he wasn't thinking then, only listening to his heart pound in his ears and seeing Castion's dangerous smile flickering in his mind.

His paws led him to Blaze's house, as if he'd known it all his life. He stopped by the fence, dropping his prey as if it was trash, and tried to yowl the tom's name. He was too short of breath, however, and could only wheeze for a few minutes before he finally managed to let out a shout.

It took several more before he heard a door slam. The grass behind the fence rustled, and the fence shook as a ginger streak flew up to perch on the top.

Blaze peered down at Bottle with curiosity, mixed with concern. "Hello, Bottle. What's the matter? What happened?"

It came tumbling out of him then, what little Lily had told him about Honey and Copper. Blaze's eyes widened further and further until they nearly popped out of his head, and when Bottle finished, it was all he could do not to collapse with exhaustion.

"She's…she's dead?" Blaze whispered. "No. No, it can't be. That's not right. Honey would never leave her Twolegs, not with Copper…not with him so young and fragile, and her…she didn't know the streets, how could she even survive a few days…why would she come looking for me? Why wouldn't she just…."

He stared past Bottle, barely seeing him. "I never thought…I thought she was always out there somewhere. I thought she'd just…just wait, or maybe find someone else that would make her happy…she deserved better than me, always did. She was so little, how could she….? Why would she even try?"

"My ma says she did it to make things better…for Copper and everyone else."

"Who is your mother? How could anyone possibly know all of…?"

"Her name's Lily," Bottle said, and when no recognition flared up in Blaze's face, he hesitantly, added, "sometimes she calls herself Ismene, though, when she gets lost."

"Oh," Blaze said, and then, "Oh." Worlds were contained in that one syllable, and Bottle could glimpse none of them. The ginger tom stared down at him with brilliant eyes that widened again as he put pieces together that Bottle couldn't see. "So you're…? Oh, by the gods."

Bottle opened his mouth to ask, but Blaze was already drawing back, shaking his head. His shoulders were slumped, and he suddenly seemed far older than any plump kittypet had the right to be. "She tried to tell me, tried to get me to back off, and now…Honey's dead and it's all my fault." He closed his eyes, grief etched into his face. "I was trying to protect her. I thought if I just disappeared, she would….But she was too stubborn, too brave, and I was too stupid to even consider that she might not stay hidden..."

"You're Blaze, aren't you? The almost-boss who disappeared?" Bottle asked, voice soft, and the kittypet flinched as though he'd been struck.

"Haven't heard that name in moons," Blaze rasped, his voice constricting. "Thought I could leave it behind, but I guess my dad was right. You can't run from destiny. You know, then? Of course you do. Ismene would have told you plenty…I should have guessed when you first mentioned her stories. She loved telling stories, even when we were too fidgety to listen…." He let out a ragged breath. "Yeah. I'm Blaze. The first kit, the only son, the one destined for great things, the one that could never measure up to the fate his parents had planned. The one that Ismene cared for the most, tried to warn. The one that didn't listen to her. The one that was snatched up by Twolegs one day, and sent far away – to another city entirely, he thought, but after awhile he caught on to the fact that it was the same one, just on a different side than he'd known. The one that decided maybe being a kittypet wouldn't be so bad after all, if it meant you didn't have any responsibilities or worries or cares, if it meant that the two cats you loved more than anything would be safe because no one could trace them back to you. The one who was wrong all along, apparently. I can't believe she's…."

He made a muffled sound of pain, almost a whimper, and Bottle's ears flattened as he watched the kittypet splinter before his eyes.

"If I'd known, if I'd known I would have come back, I swear," he said to someone who wasn't there, looking well above Bottle's head. "I wouldn't have left you if I thought there was even a chance you'd risk your neck trying to find me. You should have stayed where it was safe, should have kept Copper—oh, Copper. He might even be dead. I'll probably never see him again, never get to explain…."

Bottle took the opportunity to dive in. "But you can! You can try and find him right now! He's got to be out there somewhere, don't you think? Alive? Maybe even looking for you! You need to go and find him. You have to. Just try, won't you?" His eyes glowed with excitement. "There have to be cats that would still like you. My ma, for one. There gotta be others. And you can gather them all together and let them be your followers and become a real boss again, just like you were supposed to be! And with that many cats helping you, you'll find Copper for sure, and you can explain everything you want to him. And…and Ma and I can join up with you and we'll never have to talk to Castion or Cobalt or anyone else scary ever again, and things will be great forever. Don't you think?"

Blaze only stared down at him, uncomprehending. "What are you talking about? Do you think anyone would want to follow me? I've been in hiding all this time. I don't know anything about the streets anymore – everything's different, all twisted up. I'm fat and slow and useless and…I don't want to be a leader. I never have." His ears flattened. "My father tried to push that on me over and over, but it wasn't me. This is me, a fat, slobbering kittypet with nothing to show for his whole life…with a dead mate and a son that probably followed." His shoulders slumped. "There's nothing to try for. It's over, it's been over for moons. I just didn't know it then."

"Copper has to be alive," Bottle meowed, feeling anxiety prickle his pelt; he had to convince Blaze, had to show him this was the right path to take. Everything would fall into place, everything would turn out perfectly, he just needed to try. "Castion sounded angry when I mentioned him, and he wouldn't have been if Copper was already dead. I bet he wants to find him—"

"Castion?" Blaze interrupted. "You mentioned Copper to Castion?"

"Yeah…I know I shouldn't have, but it just popped out, and he was angry at first but then he calmed down so—"

For the first time, Blaze saw the prey Bottle had brought. "You got those from him, didn't you? You ran all the way here after….You idiot."

Bottle flinched, eyes clouding with hurt, but Blaze barely noticed. "You think he calmed down just like that? You think he decided he didn't care after all? He sent someone after you, you dolt! He knew you'd charge right back to whoever told you about Copper in the first place…oh, gods, there's probably been someone watching this entire time." His eyes scanned the street, and Bottle tried to do the same, but there was nothing out of the ordinary, nothing out of place.

This didn't calm Blaze. If anything, it made him more anxious; his tail bristled, lashing from side to side as his claws gripped the wooden fence.

"They'll know everything now." Fear laced his voice, cutting into Bottle like razors. "They'll know where I am, they'll know who I am, and it's only a matter of time before they come and finish things once and for all…they might be reporting to him right now, oh gods…."

Bottle could see it slipping away right before his eyes, that perfect ending he had dreamed up, and he clutched at it helplessly. "Please, Blaze, you don't understand—"

"You don't understand!" Blaze hissed with surprising venom. "You've lived cooped up with Ismene your entire life. You have no idea who you really are, no idea what the world is really like, no idea of anything, and you dare to tell me I don't understand? You came into my life out of the blue, you just dragged me through the deaths of my mate and son, you've exposed me to the one tom that hates me most, and you think I don't understand? I understand more than you ever will. There is no trying here. There's nothing to try for. The game was over moons ago. Castion's already won. The only thing I can do now is try to live through the night, because if he has it his way, I'll be dead before dawn.

"I can't stay here. I've got to get out—and you have to go too, Bottle. Stay away from Castion, do you hear me? Stay away from him and keep your mother safe. Don't tell anyone her real name, not a soul. This is so much bigger than you could even dream, and you don't even…." He faltered for a moment, his green eyes softened. "Gods, you look like Copper. And now I know why."

Bottle was perplexed, but he shoved his confusion aside, trying to push past his rising panic. Everything had gone wrong, everything had gone awry. He'd never intended to put anyone in danger, never thought Blaze could raise his voice so, never imagined he might be capable of so thoroughly breaking the kittypet with only one meeting. He opened his mouth to try and say something, anything that would change Blaze's mind, but it was already too late. Just as the kittypet said, the game was already over.

"Take your prey and go home," Blaze said finally. "Keep yourself safe, and stay out of their politics. Don't let them pull you in, Bottle, because if they do, you'll never get out. And say…and tell…." His voice broke again. "Tell Ismene I'm sorry, for everything. Tell her she was right all along, and if I could do it over again…." He shook his head. "Tell her I'll be okay. Goodbye, Bottle. Good luck."

With that, he disappeared back into his garden, and Bottle heard the rustling in the undergrowth as the hefty tom padded away. He waited, half-hoping he would come back, but when he did not, the black tide of panic rose up in him again, and he fled.

. . .

The next day, Blaze was not there.

Bottle went back to the garden, stomach uncomfortably full with Castion's prey, and waited in the same spot. He yowled a few times, but the kittypet did not appear, and finally he was forced to admit defeat, slinking back home.

He came back, day after day, but there was never any sign of the ginger kittypet, no sign at all. It was as though he had simply disappeared, swallowed up by the city, and Bottle began to face the fact that he was probably dead.

And then, one day, there were other cats lurking near the fences, cats he didn't recognize. He drifted closer to them, hugging the side of the house so he would not be seen, and listened as intently as I could.

"—Pictures all over the neighborhood," one cat growled. "Put up by his Twolegs. He's gone, for real, and ain't comin' back."

"Castion's going to be pissed when he has to call off the stake-out," another sighed. "But we'll find him. How hard can locating one fat tabby be?"

The others laughed at that, and Bottle slunk away, his heart a little lighter knowing that Blaze was still safe, at least for the moment.

Every night when he curled up into his mother's fur, he half-expected Castion's army to suddenly burst through their door and drag him away. He imagined the golden tom's smirk, his devilish grin as Lily shouted, trying to protect him. But Castion never came, even when Bottle reported to Cobalt for hunting lessons, although he would prove to be a terrible hunter. The Sun King had other issues to face, bosses to crush and rebels to break to his will. He had no time for a little tom that barely understood anything, who didn't even know how to play the game he was trapped in. And Bottle began to relax, by degrees, began to accept that he would never see Blaze again, wherever he had gone, and that Castion's politics could not be escaped, no matter how hard he might try. In the end, all he could do was endure like everyone else, give every day his best shot and pray nothing else in his world crumbled to pieces.

AN: So, uh, not as uplifting an end as the last miniseries, with Kestrelpaw & co. Ah well.

I think we'll see Blaze again, some time after 50. That'll be awhile, though, since 50 won't be written until Chilled is done (adamant about this!), so don't forget about him. xD