Author's Note

This was another chapter I wanted to include but didn't because it explored the aftermath of what can sometimes happen to a family when a sibling is missing or as readers already found out stolen.

Rogue puts on her Purrsian army cadet uniform and looks herself over, the sight of it turns her stomach, she detests it partially because the uniform is ugly the way the collar went all the way up to her chin it felt too constricting, she starts to put her hair up in a ponytail as her father walks in.

"Ah there she is", her father walks in and puts his hands on her shoulders, Rogue lets it show on her face she wasn't impressed.

"You're not happy about your first day?", Gabriel asks

"I don't understand why I have to do this", Rogue says as she tries to loosen her collar.

"Rogue darling, we have already talked about this. Tao knows everyone that works for me and the whole idea is for you to get close to the princess",

"I don't like the idea of making friends with anyone, let alone a princess",

"Well you're going to have to learn, this is the perfect opportunity, especially since her mother won't be here to protect her", he smiles and kisses Rogue on the forehead, "My beautiful girl is the one thing none of them will be prepared for".

Rogue stood in a defensive stance, her face and clothes covered in mud, she shifts her weight as one of the other agitated cadets launches at her, armed with two wooden batons, she nimbly side steps grabs their wrist and twists it taking one of the batons and hitting them hard in the stomach with it, the attacker groans as they fall face first into the mud.

Commander Troy clapped as Rogue shook her arms trying to get the sticky mud out of her fur, "Very Good Rogue",

Rogue gave her best fake smile, "Thank you sir".

Troy turned his attention to the rest of the cadets watching on, "I hope you were all taking notes, because that was the most effective way to disarm your opponent".

Rogue went back to stand in line with the others, she could feel their judgmental eyes on her. They looked down on her because she wasn't one of them, yet she was the best student in the class, it made her smile. These uppity cadets didn't have a clue about brawling.

Her thoughts are broken by the shuffling of feet standing at attention, Rogue looked over to see General Tao descending the stairs that connected the castle to the training yard, behind him was a muscular girl about the same age as the others, Rogue narrowed her eyes at her.

The precious little Purrsian princess.

Was little the right word? Rogue hadn't counted on her looking so strong, her father hadn't warned her about that.

"Brother!", he said as Tao approached, "To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?",

Tao smiled and slapped him on the shoulder, "I've come to make sure you're teaching skills are up to par, especially since I need to make an late enrolment...Kywa", he motions for her to step forward, Rogue notices that the other cadets are exchanging the same judgmental glances.

How Interesting, it seems the Princess doesn't have friends amongst these people either.

She stands awkwardly in front of her father and scans the crowd, she eventually looks at Rogue and gives her a crooked smile, Rogue smiles back taking note of her different coloured eyes.

How pretty. It is a shame I'll have to cut those out later.

Rogue wakes up with a start as the bunk moves, she looks around the room, everyone else is sound asleep, she rolls her eyes and sticks her head underneath her bed. She watches as Kywa is packing a small bag,

"What are you doing?",she whispered.

Kywa looks at her and Rogue notices she'd been crying, she says nothing to Rogue and goes back to packing her bag.

She looks outside into the pitch black night, "Do you have any idea what time it is?!",

"Yes, time for me to go",

This is serious

Rogue jumps down out from the top bunk and grabs Kywa's hand, "Why? What is going on?".

"I don't want to be here!", she said loudly as she snatched Rogue's hand away.

The sound of Kywa's voice woke up a neighbouring bunk, they opened one eye to see what was going on but Kywa looked at them and hissed, the bed occupant shrugged their shoulders and turned around in the bed.

"It's too tough here for you so you're running back home to mummy?", Rogue said mockingly.

Kywa threw her bag out the small window and jumped on the ledge, "Why would I when she was the one that sent me here".

Rogue stood stunned as Kywa leaped down and out into the dense forest.

Kywa had only been enrolled for a few weeks and even though it was Rogue's task to get close to her for her father's sake she couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She knew what feeling unwanted felt like, her mother had done the same.

Rogue looked out the window and sighed.

Why am I doing this

She climbed up to the window ledge and spotted Kywa running through the forest, Rogue jumped into the nearest treetop and followed her.

Kywa was moving quickly through the forest and just when Rogue thought she'd lost sight of her she noticed a bonfire near a small stream.

Kywa was talking to herself and folding paper into what looked to be a tiny box, Rogue got as close as she could without being spotted so she could hear.

"It was my birthday yesterday which means it's been 10 years already since…", Kywa couldn't finish her sentence, Rogue saw her tears glistening from the light of the bonfire, she slowly and quietly climbed down.

"Since what?", She said cautiously.

Kywa looked at her startled, "Did you follow me?"

Rogue sat down beside her, "You gave me no choice, you didn't even say goodbye..so answer my question".

Kywa goes back to folding the paper, "since I lost my baby sister",

The princess has secrets

"Oh...I didn't realise you had a sister",

Kywa gives a pained giggle, "No one does, my parents don't talk about her anymore", she finishes making the box and takes out another piece of paper and starts folding again. Rogue picks it up and inspects it,

"So why boxes?"

Kywa frowns and snatches it out of her hand and puts it on the other side of her, "Why do you care?",

"I don't, I'm just curious that a princess that has everything is deciding to run away",

"Has everything…are you kidding me?! My parents barely speak to each other! My own mother sent me away because I didn't want follow in her footsteps of being a stupid Magical Cat!",

Kywa was now angrily crying, it caught Rogue off guard. This wasn't right, everything she'd read, everything her father had taught her about this family made it seem like they lorded themselves over everyone else but right now all she could see was a girl who needed a friend. Her father's mission was going to have to wait.

She scooted a little closer and put her arm around Kywa's shoulder, "Well let me help",

Kywa looked at her and wiped her eyes, "Really?",

Rogue gave her a soft, sincere smile, "Really".

As the conversation continued through the night and the bonfire slowly died down, the two girls sat in silence, their tails now intertwined.