Chapter 3: The Demonic Black Cat
"They say all actions have consequences. And some are way worse than others." Now let us see one of those stories.
A long time ago, the sun was rising over an orphanage, the start of a new day. But, the quiet tranquility was interrupted with the sounds of crying. The caretaker at the orphanage rushed outside to investigate.
But what he found was a basket at the front gate. He looks inside and finds a baby girl wrapped in a black blanket inside. She was the one crying, so he picked up her basket. "No note." He said to himself, looking around to see if he could find who left her there. But found nothing.
He looks down at the baby. "Well, I guess we could make room for another." He replied as he took her inside. At this time, she calmed down and started to baby talk. "Why do people keep abandoning kids like this?" He thought to himself. He then finds a little name bracelet on her arm. Part of the tag appeared to have burned off. The last name had three letters visible, with a fourth letter partly visible but still readable. "Hmm, Blake Bell." He read to himself. "Don't worry, Blake. I know you will find a loving family."
-x-
15 years later.
Blake is inside a barn and lays on a pile of hay. She's tired, exhausted, and couldn't move anymore. The pain from wounds covering her body made everything numb. She just laid there for a while. Then the sound of the barn door opening causes Blake's heart to almost stop.
At the door was a little girl carrying a lamp. She appeared to be looking for something. Blake squinted when the light shined in her direction. She already knows what happens next: the girl screams and runs to get help, and - maybe she will be dragged outside and shot and stabbed with spears and pitchforks by an angry mob until she no longer moves.
That would be the end for Blake Bell, the "demon cat beast".
It's a grim ending for sure, but one that Blake was partly hoping for so that she wouldn't have to endure any more pain.
The little girl held her hand higher. Blake squinted when she shined her lamp in her face. She closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable.
"Alice, where are you? It's Dinner time." An older woman called from outside the barn.
"Ok." The girl replied. "I'm coming."
Blake looked at the girl, Alice, in total disbelief. She's not scared of her? And she didn't even call for help or anything!"
Alice, seeming to understand her unspoken thoughts, raised her finger to her lips, telling Blake not to say anything.
"Come on, Alice. It's raining. You don't want to catch a cold."
"Ok."
Alice walked back to the entrance and closed the door. Before it closes completely, Blake mustered the last of her strength to whisper, "Thank you."
She wondered if Alice had heard that or not.
With the last of her strength gone, Blake drifts off to sleep, reminiscing about how she got her.
-x-
She reminisces about happier times. A time when she was human. When she had no cat ears or a tail, could see in the dark, jump higher or further than regular people, sprout claws or fangs when she was agitated or felt threatened, or worst of all, turned into a monstrous cat creature when certain circumstances arose.
The only thing Blake could agree with that was the same about her was her fondness for tuna. Well, almost the same, since now she likes it raw even more than cooked.
She goes deeper into her subconscious. Then, there it was: a black cat.
-x-
Three years ago,
Growing up in an orphanage wasn't the greatest or wasn't the worst. It didn't have enough funds to send them to school nor buy them decent toys leaving the orphans to create their fun. Sometimes Blake and her friends would play pranks on the townsfolk. The older kids were usually the ones who put them up for it. Even though their ideas of fun were rather mean or dangerous. Like a game they play that is right of passage, "catch an animal and throw it under a bucket with a lit firecracker." Whoever gets the largest animal would 'win' the respect of the older kids.
One day, the older kids decided to do the passage. And everyone started searching for the largest animal.
Blake walked through town looking under every nook and cranny, but to no luck.
"Any luck, Blake?" A voice asked from behind her.
She turned around to see Adam Taurus, one of her friends from the orphanage. They met when the orphanage took him in after his parents disappeared on a trip. The two of them have been inseparable ever since. Blake's even been able to recognize him by his ginger hair alone.
"No," Blake answered. "How about you?"
"The biggest animal I could find was this." Adam proceeded to hold out a box inside of which was a rat. "But everyone usually brings mice, rats, squirrels, or if their lucky birds, frogs, or rabbits."
"You're probably right." She agrees and stands up, looking up at the sky. "It's getting late. We should probably head back before we get in trouble."
"Oh, come on." Adam protested. "You can't just go back empty-handed."
Blake shuttered at Adam's warning.
(The older kids always make the passage mandatory, saying it's tradition and has been for years. They also say that tradition dictates if anyone fails to get an animal for the game. That person will face a horrible punishment. And there's even a secret journal in one of the older kids sleeping quarters detailing every known one of those punishments. Sometimes they even read this for them.
She remembers hearing about one girl who had all her hair and eyebrows shaved off.
Another had glue laced in his shoes and had to spend three days trying to get his feet free.
Another got locked in a closet for a whole day.
Worse of all, one boy was sleeping in his bed and had a firecracker go off under him. He had to go to the hospital to treat the burns on his back.
Since then, whenever they hold the passage. Everyone made sure not to come back without an animal. Some kids even don't come back until late at night.)
Blake then felt Adam's hand touch her shoulder.
"I don't like this dumb game as much you." He explains. "But if one can find the biggest animal. That person won't have to play anymore."
Blake continues to listen.
That's the thing she knows about Adam. He has always driven himself to better the lives of those who get bossed around and mistreated. He could never stand that. As a master at motivating people, he would push himself and others to achieve his goals.
Blake is no exception, as her eyes started to glow with determination. "Alright then, I vow to find the biggest animal."
"That's the spirit!" Adam exclaimed.
-x-
In a secluded part of the woods, the orphans sit on stumps. Gathered around a bucket, holding the animals they've caught. The older kids got up and stood in front of them. "Alright, every lineup." one of them ordered.
Everyone did as told, and they started to look at their animals. The kid next to Adam nudged his elbow. "Where's Blake?" He whispered.
"She's still looking for a big one," Adam replied.
"Ok, looks like everyone's ready to begin." One of them states, making everyone quiet down.
They take the rat out of the first kid's hand and place it under the bucket. As it squeals and scratches, frantically trying to get out. But it couldn't when they lifted the bucket a bit, through the firecracker, and put a big stone overtop.
"Take cover!"
A blast goes off in the bucket, and smoke seeps from the gap.
"Now that was loud!" One of them explained it excitingly.
"Let's do it again!" Another replied.
They repeat the game over and until no one has any more critters. At that moment, the older kids realized Blake was missing.
"Well looks like Blake missed out. And she didn't bring an animal." She said out loud.
The other kids look at each other scared.
"You know what that means." Another said with a sinister smirk.
"Hey, she's coming and has the biggest animal ever with her," Adam spoke up, defending Blake's absences. "Just you wait."
"Hey, you know the-,"
Before she finished her sentence, one of the younger kids pointed to the distance. "Look."
Everyone turns in the direction he pointed. They see Blake walking towards them, proudly holding a black cat.
"Nice catch, Blake!" Adam muttered to himself.
The other kids crowd around her, complementing and asking about her catch. Then, the older kids broke it up. To get a better look at the cat she brought.
"Impressive. I think we have a winner." The lead orphan says, examining Blake's catch.
"Now, there was only one more thing to do." She says, pointing at the bucket.
Blake then goes to place the cat under the bucket. It meows sadly under the bucket. They needed to get the firecracker in before the cat sneaks out.
"Alright, here we go."
One of them pulled a firecracker from a bag.
"Wait …," Blake said. "Isn't that a bit too big?"
"Nah. We only use this for the bigger animal."
"But-,"
They lift the bucket again and throw the firecracker in, and put a big stone overtop, all before she could finish her sentence.
Everyone proceeds to take cover once again.
"Fire in the hole!"
A blast much larger than the last one goes off.
Blake could only stare in horror. Thin smoke below from gaps in the bucket, followed by a dark liquid seeping through the same gap as the smoke.
The older kids then told her to retrieve the bucket. When she finally mustered the courage to reach the bucket and push it open with a branch. The sight of its contents nearly makes her lose her lunch.
Just then, an old lady appeared out of nowhere and saw what remained left of the black cat.
"Mr. Shadow!" She screams at the top of her lungs. "That's my Mr. Shadow, you little bastards!"
"Scatter!" One of the orphans screamed.
With that, everyone started running in every direction, away from the old lady. Blake tried to run but got pushed around by the others. Then, in the blink of an eye, the mysterious old lady appeared behind her without anyone realizing it.
She grabs Blake by the hair and starts dragging her off. All Blake could do was beg and plead with the furious old lady.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't know he was your cat!" She pleads with tears streaming down her face.
"You should never harm any animals whether they have owners or not!" She shouts.
"Hey!" Another voice shouts.
The lady turns to see a ginger-haired boy running towards him with a big stick.
"Let her go!" Adam demanded.
But before he even could react, a strange blast sent Adam falling backward.
"I'll show you little brats what you get for killing my cat!"
"Please! I said I'm sorry!" Blake continued to beg.
At that moment, Blake could feel her mind going dark as her vision went black.
Blake had fainted from shock.
-x-
Blake soon felt a warm light on her face and tried to get her eyes open. She soon realized that she was no longer lying on a pile of hay in a barn. Wherever she was, she was lying on the softest thing she felt in years.
At first, Blake thought she was dead. Perhaps she succumbs to her injuries in her sleep. But she managed to open her eyes so that theory's out the window.
Blake lifts her head a little bit, but not too much. She takes note that she was now lying on a bed in someone's bedroom.
The room was brightly lit and had a dresser on the right side. On the left was a big window looking out to the outside. Two maple-colored doors were on the farthest corners of the room. One was right to the window, with the other one cracked open a bit. Blake could make out it was a bathroom.
Using her stored strength, she sits up and takes in her new surroundings. Blake raised her arm to the light and saw that most of her arm had been bandaged by someone while she slept.
That wasn't the only thing she noticed. Other injuries she had, were bandaged up, as well. She also realized that she was wearing a different outfit than before, a plain white shirt and black sweatpants.
"Someone must have changed my clothes in my sleep." Blake thought to herself, pondering about her situation. The door to the hallway then cracks open a bit. Causing her ears to twitch, she tries to turn to see. But her wounds made her stop halfway.
Blake recognized the figure at the door was Alice, the little girl from last night. The same one who lied about seeing her in the barn. Blake could tell Alice had just woken up. Even though her light green eyes were opened wide, they looked tired, while her lightish brown hair was a total mess. She's dressed in a long sleeve shirt with a floral design, with a matching bottom. She and Blake just stared at each other for what felt like hours.
After a while, she sprinted down the hallway screaming at the top of her lungs. "Mommy! Mommy! She's up! She's up!"
-x-
Later, Blake watches as an older woman enters the room. She had shoulder-length red hair that's tied in a bun and was wearing a robe, indicating she also just woke up. Even though this woman had brown eyes, Blake could tell this woman was Alice's mother. After all, she recognized her voice from last night.
She then sat down at the farthest corner of the bed. "It's good that you're awake!" She sighed.
"You're lucky that my daughter found you." She explains. "If you didn't get those injuries treated, you might not have survived the night!"
"And ... I brought this," Alice added, popping out from behind her mother, pulling out two bread slices and an apple. "I thought … you might be hungry."
Blake was sure if she should take food. Even though she was starving, her suspicion of this mother and daughter was too great. Nobody has ever offered her food because of her appearance. It left her no choice but to steal to survive. Blake has stolen everything she has on her person.
Whether it be her favorite book, cash, even her clothes, if Blake has it in her possession, Blake most likely 'borrowed' or stolen it. And if caught in the act, they would savagely beat her or have someone beat her until they thought she was dead, thinking she was a blight, a demon, a monster. Blake even lost count of how many near-death situations she's experienced.
After ten seconds, Blake finally took the bread.
"Can I ask you something?" Alice asked.
Blake nodded.
"How did you get those cat ears?"
Alice's mother turned to her daughter. With a serious look on her face.
"Alice." She says in a concerning tone. "It's rude to ask something like that out of the blue. She might not want to talk about it."
Alice hangs her head down. "Sorry, mama."
"No, it's alright," Blake replied. "She was just curious."
"I made a big mistake in the past, and because of that, I'm like this now."
"I was wondering if you were a witch."
Blake raised an eyebrow.
"Cause witches have potions that can make people cats," Alice explained. "And maybe you might have spilled a potion like that on yourself and got cat ears."
Even though Alice's theory was wrong and a little rude, the two older women couldn't help but smile at the young girl's innocence.
"No, I got a witch's cat killed," Blake admitted, a look of somberness returned to her face. "The witch then cursed me."
The mother and daughter just sat on the bed, trying to process what Blake said.
"Oh my …'' Alice's mother managed to say while holding her hand to her mouth, still processing. As for Alice, it was a whole other story.
"Why would you do that?! Hurting animals is cruel! Only really, bad people do that!" She barked.
"You're right." Finishing her bread, Blake took the apple. "I regret it, to this day."
"Have you tried talking to a magic specialist? Maybe there's a way to cure you?" The mother asked while calming down her daughter.
"I'll try," Blake replied, forcing a bitter smile on her face.
That was the first thing she did after her first transformation. Instead of helping her, they chased her away, sent huntsmen after her, and beat her horribly. Thinking she was a witch's servant trying to rain darkness down upon them all.
"Miss?" Alice asked. "Are you all right?"
Blake snapped back to reality. "I'm fine." She replies, assuring the girl of her well-being.
"Anyways, can I ask you something?"
Alice nodded.
"Why did you help me?" Bake asked, looking down at her hands. "People don't help me because they're afraid of what I can do. But you were the first person to help me in a long time."
"Because you're hurt," Alice answered. "When I saw you in the barn. I didn't think you were dangerous. You just looked sad and tired. At first, I didn't know if I should tell my mom. But then I remembered my Papa always said that helping those in need is better than leaving them in darkness."
Blake smiled gratefully at the young girl's answer. She turns to her mother. "You have a good girl there."
"It's nothing, just part of her nature." She replies, petting Alice's head making her daughter blush.
"I think once I'm back on my feet, I should get going," Blake said, looking down. "You know it's dangerous to harbor a beast."
Alice looked sad after hearing Blake's intentions.
Then she felt a hand touch her shoulder. She looks back to see her mother with a worried expiration on her face. "Sorry, sweety. But unfortunately, she's right. That is how things are for a beast." Her mother explained.
"But that doesn't make it right." She cried out.
"You're right about that. But maybe, as long as there are people like you, it doesn't have to be." Blake chimed in.
Alice smiles a bit as her eyes widen.
"Wait!" she exclaimed, grabbing the other's attention.
"I just realized I never got your name."
Alice turned to see Blake, staring at the floor with her cat ears low to her head.
"D-do you have a name?" She asked hesitantly.
"Blake," she replies.
"Blake," Alice repeated. "That name sounds strong."
"Thanks."
"You know I could stay for a little while if you like," Blake responded with a small smile.
Alice's eyes lit up like stars.
-x-
After a while, Blake learned more about Alice and her family. Like how her mother, Sarah, grew fruits and veggies for the farmer's market in the nearby village. And her father, Alvin, was a traveling huntsman. As for Alice, she wasn't sure what she wanted to do. But for now, she's happy spending time with her Momma and Papa (when he's home from his trips.), and now Blake.
But knowing that Blake will be leaving soon, Alice decides to help her get back on her feet. (Secretly, she's planning to show and take Blake to all her favorite places so they could meet up and see each other again someday.)
-x-
Blake walks through the woods as part of an exercise Alice set up to help her regain the strength in her legs. Alice was not too far behind, skipping around the trees, humming a tune to herself.
"You know this part of the forest has the prettiest flower bush in the world," Alice declared.
"And how much farther is that?" Blake asked, wondering how much deeper in the woods this bush is.
"Not far," Alice replied.
As the pair trekked forward, Blake's cat ears started fluttering. Something was on the move nearby.
She raised her arm in front of Alice, signaling her to stop. "Hey, what's going-." Blake immediately turned, putting a finger to her mouth before Alice finished her sentence.
Blake moved to the brush taking Alice with her. As she suspected, a man came out of the forest. He was with another man and a woman. The first man appears to be informing his two friends
something. As they got closer, Blake's heart sank at the subject of their conversation.
"You sure it came by here?" One of them asked.
"Yes, those farmers positively identified the stalker from those composites." The frontman replied.
"Even if it's just a Grimm, we still get paid either way." The woman added.
Blake and Alice continued to listen quietly.
"Don't worry. We'll make sure this 'Demon cat' is caught and made to pay for its crimes."
With that, Blake grabbed Alice's hand and started moving away from the hunters.
"Wait, what's going on?" Alice asked, confused about what exactly just happened. "Why are we running?"
But she didn't reply and just kept running.
-x-
After running a while, Blake finally stopped running to catch her breath. Alice took this time to demand an answer from the cat-like girl.
Blake stood there silently for a bit, then explained.
"Remember when you said only bad people hurt animals?" She asked the young girl.
Alice shakes her head.
"There's your answer," Blake explained, then she looked around to make sure no one was watching them. "We need to get you back to your mother."
The two proceed to backtrack to Alice's house. Alice wonders to herself about the 'crimes,' Blake or the 'Demon Cat' as they called her did.
-x-
After a while, they arrive back at Alice's house. Alice was about to run to the front door. But, Blake holds her back. Before she could explain the sounds of people talking did for her. They moved to the sound of the commotion.
"Look, I told you already. I haven't seen anyone pass by here."
Blake immediately recognized Sarah's voice.
"Now, if you're done questioning me." She replied. "I have to get back to my garden." She says, turning back and walking to her garden.
When out of nowhere, one of his lackeys comes walking from behind the barn.
"Hey, come check this out." He says, gesturing his collages to come over.
They all walk over to him. He comes around holding something in his hand and raises it, revealing it's a handbag.
Not just any bag, one reported stolen by the "Demon Cat."
Sarah could look with wide eyes at the discovery. She then felt the hunter's hand touch her shoulder.
"Nobody passes by here." He says sarcastically with the most smug-looking smile on his face.
"I-I don't know how that got there." She managed to say, taking a few steps backward. Bumping into something behind her, she turned to see the female hunter.
"Where do you think you're going?" She asks sinisterly.
"She's right." The other hunter added. "You got some explaining to do."
"Do you know what happened to people who harbor criminals?" The lead hunter asked, holding her arms to keep her from running. "Explicitly if they're a beast as infamous as the Demon Cat."
"Let go of me!" She protested to the hunter.
Meanwhile, watching all this. Blake froze in fear, unable to move, and didn't notice until it was too late. Alice was running toward the hunters, attempting to help her mother.
"Leave my momma alone!" Alice shouted, catching the hunter's attention.
"Alice!" Sarah shouted to deter her daughter. "Say back."
But she didn't listen and kept running. When Alice got close enough, one of the hunters put his hand on Alice's head, pushing her back. She starts throwing punches trying to get free.
"Did you think you could get the jump on a trained hunter, kid?" He asked.
But Alice didn't reply and kept swinging and trying to get past him.
The lead hunter, impressed by Alice's courage, decided that they were wasting time.
"Alright, you had your fun." He ordered his teammate. "Now, let's get back on track."
Hearing his leader's command, the hunter soon grabs Alice and holds her in place.
"Now, I'm gonna ask you again." the lead hunter said, walking up to Alice's mother, looking her in the eye. "Where is the Demon Cat?"
-x-
Blake continues to watch in horror as all this unfolds.
"T-Their protecting me?" She said to herself, shocked that they were still not giving her up when others would have after one threat. "Even though it was dangerous."
"I-I tried to leave. But-" looks down at her trembling hands. "They insisted on helping me."
"It's all my fault!" Blake thought, closing her hands into fists. "They're being hurt because of me." A single tear falls to the ground.
Blake couldn't take it anymore and started to make a run for it. Running back into the woods, Blake pushed herself to get as far away as possible.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" She repeated to herself, over and over as tears streamed down her face.
After running for a while, Blake soon felt herself out of stamina, so she slumped over by a tree. She curled up by the tree to take a breather.
There she completely broke down, lamenting everything in her life. "W-Why!?" Blake shouted, scolding herself. "Why did they have to save me!?"
"Because you were hurt." A faint voice replied.
As she continued sobbing, something caught Blake's when she looked up slightly. A bush was growing in a clearing a few meters ahead. It had several flowers growing from it. Each of the flowers had four blue petals with golden tips. They were the most beautiful thing Blake had ever seen. "This must be the flower bush that Alice wanted to show me." She thought to herself.
"Alice."
Blake's eyes widen as soon as memories of Alice fill her mind.
-x-
"When I saw you in the barn. I didn't think you were dangerous. You just looked sad and tired. At first, I didn't know if I should tell my mom. But then I remembered my Papa always said that helping those in need is better than leaving them in darkness."
Blake smiled gratefully at the young girl's answer. She turns to her mother. "You have a good girl there."
-x-
Little tears stream from her eyes. "S-She is," Blake stated, tilting her head down.
Blake stands up, looking back towards the way she came, and starts making her way back, moving slower on two than faster as her movement becomes more and more cat-like as she starts running on all fours, fingernails begin to sharpen into claws. And her teeth turn into sharp fangs with two prominently sticking out of each side of her mouth.
At that moment, Blake knew what to do.
-x-
"So after all that, you're still not talking?" The lead hunter asked, looking down at the bruised and battered mother at his feet. "And for what, the demon cat's safety?"
"I-It's not like you hunters are any better." She mustered.
"Excuse me!" The female hunter shouted in anger.
Before she raised a hand, her leader raised his hand, making her stand down.
"Yeah, I'll admit it. I'm not the most honorable hunter out there. You have to do many things to get by." He explains. "But, even I would never stoop to the levels that a beast like the Demon Cat would go."
"Stoop to what, Stealing?!" Alice shouted with venom in her voice. "You're hurting my momma!"
"It's alright, Alice." Her mother said to try and calm her down.
"Haa." The other hunter snickered from behind Alice. "You people are gullible."
Alice and her mother looked at the hunter, confused by his remark.
"Do you seriously think the Demon Cat is just a petty thief? If that's the case, we'll leave her to the police or some huntsman." He explains.
"What are you talking about?"
He was about to open his mouth again when something jumped out from the bushes. The hunter turns to see but only gets knocked to the ground.
Everyone turns to see a raven-haired girl with cat-like features crawling on all fours circling the hunters.
"Look who finally decided to show up." The female hunter said, smiling at the chance for some action.
"B-Blake?" Alice asked, coming to her mother's side, shocked and scared by Blake's ferocious appearance.
Blake looked like she's about ready to maul the hunters.
"L-Let them go!" She growls at the hunters.
"If you come with us like a good little kitty. Then maybe we will." The hunter requested, moving next to his teammate.
"Don't do it, Blake!" Alice shouts toward Blake. "You know what will happen to you!"
"I know." She replied. "And I don't plan to."
"So be it." The hunter said, accepting her challenge.
-x-
The hunter pulls out his weapon (a big double-bladed ax) and charges at Blake. He swung at her when he was close enough. But, instead of Blake, he struck a shadow in the shape of her. Blake reappeared from behind him, swinging her claws at his face. He blocks just in time with his ax. Several sparks came off the ax when it collided with her razor-sharp claws.
The hunter then used the ax to push Blake to the ground and swing it down. Blake rolls to the right, narrowly avoiding the ax.
"Get him, Blake!" Alice shouts.
Witch, in turn, annoys the female hunter, who decides to get in on the action to make up for her colleague's inability to take down one beast. She pulls out a pair of steel fans and charges at Blake.
Blake stood up and turned to see the female hunter ready to take her out. She jumps to the side and lands on the ground on all fours.
"Not good." Blake thought to herself, looking at the two armed beast hunters in front of her that back at Alice sitting by her mother. "I need to get them out of here."
"What's the matter? Too much to handle?" The female hunter says, taunting Blake.
Blake growled and was about to pound the hunters when the sound of a single gunshot rattled everyone's eardrums. (Especially Blake, who has four.)
The three turned to see that the lead hunter with his right arm raised to the air holding a piston smoking emanating from the barrel. In his other, he had Sarah in an armlock as she struggled.
"That's enough! As much as I would like to get in the fight and go a few more rounds. We have a schedule to keep." He announced.
"Don't we?" Gesturing at his teammates.
The two in question shrugged and shook their heads in agreement.
"Good, now this is your last warning, beast. Surrender or else this girl will live her life without her mommy." The hunter threatened, pointing his gun at Sarah's head. "So what will it be? Us or her?"
Blake growled and stood still so that the other two hunters could place arm braces on her arms and drag her to their leader.
"Now that's a good kitty." the female hunter complemented, with a smug smile on her face.
The two of them place Blake on her knees at their leader's feet. He puts his hand on Blake's chin and makes her look him in the eyes.
"No more running, Beast." He said with a smile at Blake's angry expression, then looked side to side at his companions. "We got what we came for, so let's move."
He lets Sarah go, causing her to fall to her knees as Alice tries to help her up. She then looks back at the hunters who dragged a chained-up Blake in tow.
The lead hunter notices Alice's glare and looks back. "Don't feel bad, kid. Thanks to your family's natural generosity, a dangerous beast is no longer on the prowl."
"Dangerous?!" Alice snapped back. "Blake never tried to hurt momma and me!"
The hunter tilts his head at her.
"Tell that to Talus village."
"What?" Alice said, confused.
Blake's amber eyes widened in horror. "N-No … P-Please." She said, trembling at the memories of her first transformation.
-x-
A man outside of the Talus Orphanage is sweeping the front entrance. When finished, he moved to the side to admire his handy work. "Not too shabby." He said to himself.
Suddenly the sound of a dozen kids running towards him filled the quiet afternoon village serenity and knocked him to the ground. They didn't even acknowledge the man as they ran by, clearly scared out of their minds. He looks up to see that one of the older kids in the back was moving an unconscious ginger-haired boy to the nurse's office.
"What was that about?" He thought to himself.
Suddenly, a woman's ear-piercing scream from the other side of the village goes off like a siren. Then a bunch of villagers ran towards the shrieks.
The cleaner jumped to his feet and ran to the gate. "What's going on?" He asked a guy next to him.
"Some kind of monster came out of the woods and attacked everything in its path." He explains. "We need to get it away from town."
The man with this new information ran back to the orphanage to help evacuate, while the other man and some other armed villagers were trying to repel the creature.
"It's over there!"
"Keep it still!"
"Where is the huntsman!?"
They were shouting at each other to keep track of it. And using pitchforks, torches, and other sharp instruments in an attempt to drive it off. Soon, they force the creature into the opening and give the villagers a good look at it.
The creature resembles a large predatory cat like a panther with razor-sharp claws adorning its paws, its entire body covered in jet-black fur with a deep dark purplish tint in some places, with a large mane on its head going down its back. Two large canines come out of its upper jaw and with a pair of large amber eyes with slit-shaped pupils that pierces through your body down to your very soul. And the cherry on top was a monstrous roar.
"RRR-RRROOOAAARRR!"
With that, the beast charged at the villagers. Despite their best efforts, they didn't stand a chance. It relentlessly clawed, mauled, and thrashed every one of them. It's a miracle there were only a few casualties. After that, it managed to get into town.
The creature tore its way through every wagon, fence, and building (With, were mostly made of wood). At first, it seemed that the beast's warpath was in random order. But with a better look, there is a consistent path, which one man recognized all too well.
-x-
The man that cleaned the Talus orphanage is now racing back to it. When he arrived at the front gate, the left door was off its hinges and lying on the ground, looking like a metal scrap sculpture. The door on the right was on the other side, with chunks of the wall still attached to the hinges.
He panicked and tried to call out to anyone inside. But to only get a roar and some screams as a reply. With that, he runs inside to the source of the chaos. He soon finds that creature cornering some of the older orphans, growling and hissing at them.
The orphans were cowering and crying behind one they pushed in front of them. Briefly having a look of betrayal, then turning to the monstrous beast in front of her.
"I- I'm sorry!" She pleads in between sobbing for mercy. "Please! Have mercy!"
She looked up to the beast as if it could understand her. But its body language said otherwise. It rose on its hind legs with its claws out, raising its forearm, ready to rip her and her fellow orphans to pieces as they continued to ball tears.
The orphans prepared for their final moments. Something from out of nowhere jumped onto the back of the beast, making it fall back trying to get it off.
In their struggle, they knocked over a lantern and caused a fire in the room.
"RUN!" He shouts towards the cowering orphans.
With nothing else to lose, the orphans bolted out of the room for their lives.
Once the orphans were out of danger, he jumped off the beast back to escape himself. Running towards the doorway as the fire turned into a blazing inferno, the beast pounced on him and pinned him to the ground.
It seemed to be all over for the caretaker. Until a burned support beam broke off the ceiling and fell on the beast's head, it collapsed to the ground and roared in pain. The caretaker took the opportunity to get away as it writhed on the floor.
Unfortunately, another chunk of the roof fell on him, pinning his leg under some rubble.
"Oh, come on!" He shouts, struggling to get his foot out of the rubble.
He turned to see the beast rising back on its feet. It looked dazed and confused about its surroundings. Then turning to look at him, seeing his foot was stuck, and ran toward him.
The man closed his eyes, bracing for impact as it raised its forearm in the air. When he opens his eyes, he's shocked to see it struck the debris his foot was stuck under and broke him free.
He was about to run when the creature rushed him, knocked him over, allowing him to grab onto its back as it ran towards the exit. "What the?" Looking back, the caretaker realized that the beast had saved him as the building was collapsing. But, he didn't have time to wonder why it did this.
He didn't realize that the answer will, truly terrify him to his core.
-x-
Finally, they managed to get out of the orphanage as it collapsed from the inferno. The caretaker falls off the beast's back and lays flat on the ground, tired and out of breath, looking up at the burning rubble that was once the orphanage. The beast then moved its head to his face, seemingly trying to see if he was alright. All this while, the fire from the rubble started spreading to other buildings.
The beast seemed like a completely different creature, a sharp contrast to the savage monster who mauled its way through a mob of villagers defending their village and about ready to butcher several young orphans. But now, it was looking around like a lost puppy (or kitten in its case).
That's when he noticed the creature's amber eyes. They looked scared and afraid while he saw tears beginning to brew. Strangely, the more he looked at it, this beast looked weirdly familiar to him.
"Wait?" He thought to himself. "No… I-It can't be." His eyes widened, horrified by his theory.
Before he could confirm his theory, a gunshot rings out. The caretaker and the beast turn to see a man with a gun, followed by a mob of furious villagers shouting about killing the beast and getting vengeance.
"THERE IT IS!"
"GET IT! KILL IT!"
"DON'T LET IT ESCAPE!"
Seeing this mob fast approaching, the beast had no choice but to run for her life.
"W-Wait! Come back!" The man weakly shouted, raising his arm towards the fleeing beast.
"B-Blake!" he muttered before finally passing out.
-x-
The lead hunter finished his story. Alice and Sarah froze in horror, unable to say a word after hearing all that. Blake dropped her head in shame as tears fell to the ground.
"Of course, they would make me sound like a monstrous killer and not mention the orphanage worker I saved." She thought to herself.
Alice stood up in front of the hunters and the chained-up Blake. "Y- you're lying!" she stammered.
"He ain't lying, kid." the female hunter said, defending her boss.
Alice, still in complete denial, turns to Blake for confirmation.
"Blake, tell me they're lying." She asked. But, Blake kept her head down and didn't say a word.
"They're lying, right?" she asked again, as her eyes started to water as she fell to her knees.
"Please, tell me it's not true," Alice begs at this point.
Blake remained silent as the young girl wept while the hunters watched.
"Now that's just sad." the male hunter remarked with the others agreeing as they walked away with Blake.
Blake turns back to the sobbing Alice. "I'm sorry, Alice." She sighs, only to get immediately whacked in the back of the head.
"Who said you can talk?" The female hunter angrily interrupted.
"That's enough." the lead hunter ordered.
Blake hissed in pain from that hit, then continued. "Even if I explain myself, who would believe the words of a beast?"
The female hunter angrily raised her hand again. "Didn't you hear me?"
"Hey, are you deaf? He said that's enough!" The other hunter chimed in, siding with their leader, also from frustration with his teammate. Only to have the lead hunter put his hand on his shoulder, making him step back.
She raised her steel fan again to hit Blake again. Blake closed her eyes, ready to take another hit. (After all, it's just a tickle compared to other beatings she'd endured.)
But only to hear a very familiar voice. "I would."
"Huh?" The female hunter turned to only have a little girl jump on her and refuse to let go of her.
"LET GO OFF ME, YOU BRAT!" The hunter screams, trying to shake her off. "LET BLAKE GO!" Alice shouts back.
Alice soon lost her grip on the hunter and fell off. She tried to get up, only to have the female hunter stand in front of her with a furious look on her face.
"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" She roars, before raising her fan in the air and striking the defenseless little girl across her head, much to Blake and Sarah's horror.
"ALICE!" Sarah shrieks, limping to her unconscious daughter. Once she reached her, Sarah cradled Alice in her arms as a small trickle of blood dripped from her forehead.
She needed to learn." The lead hunter explains to the other hunter, sitting idol to the scene.
"Alright, but we should probably get go-ACK!" The male hunter shrieked in pain mid-sentence, causing everyone to turn in his direction. The hunter was on the ground, with Blake sinking her teeth into his forearm. All while his boss was trying to get her off.
But, she didn't budge even as her teeth sharpened and blood dripped from his arm. The hunter could only watch in pain as the pseudo-cat girl transforms into her beast form.
-x-
Blake's already sharp claws grew in size, becoming mini sickle blades. Hair grew over her body, cat ears and tail became more prominent. As her transformation is underway, the restraints the hunters put on her and the outfit that Sarah gave her had ripped apart, leaving it in tatters. Her face elongates, resembling a panther with two long saber fangs extending from the roof of her mouth.
The male hunter gritted his teeth in pain as the saber fangs pierce into the front of his forearm. Blake lifted the hunter in the air by his arm and violently shook him like a ragdoll. Then throws him across the field towards the female hunter.
Said hunter in question is watching the entire ordeal from a distance, both in awe of seeing a beast transformation in person and the chance to fight a fully-changed beast. While also snickering at her teammate's misfortune. Well until, she realized that the demon cat hurled her teammate straight at her.
"OH SH-!" She says narrowly, jumping to avoid her falling comrade. But to only get pounced on by the black beast. She uses her metal fans to keep Blake from biting down, then rolls to the left of the large cat creature and attempts to mount her.
She grabs onto the beast's fur while it runs around, trying to shake her off.
"Finally! An actual beast fight!" The female hunter gleefully remarks, splays out her fan. And make some deep lacerations on Blake, making her hiss in pain. Then a bullet shoots out, narrowly hitting Blake in the head. She looks over to see the lead hunter firing his pistol at her, with the other hunter hastily limping in his direction.
Blake stood on her hind leg and roared at the lead hunter. Claws ready to tear into these hunters. But first, she needs to take care of this hunter on her back. She reaches back to grab her, rolling around for good measure.
The female hunter finally loses her grip on Blake's back and falls off as both land on their feet. Blake took this moment to sick the female hunter next to her. The female hunter tried to dodge a third time. But, Blake was not wasting any more time and quickly spun in the air mid-pounce, catching her off guard. She swiped the hunter off her feet with her tail and slammed her body down with her paws.
The female hunter released a cry of pain from Blake's attack. Blake then picked up the downed hunter in her clawed paws and launched her at her boss. She would have hit him until he opened fire on his teammate!
He fired three shots into the female hunter. One bullet hit her in the shoulder, the next shot ricocheted off her belt, and the final bullet hit the side of her in the thigh.
The female hunter is spinning the air and flies over her boss. He reloads his pistol and fires at Blake. Blake charged at the hunter, ignoring that he was shooting at her. He also runs at her, gun drawn.
Blake thought his bullets would do much while she was in her beast form. But then the projectile exploded into a mini torrent of flame. Which only meant one thing.
Dust Bullets!
She leaps to her left to dodge the flame. The lead hunter fires another dust shot, this time an ice bullet. It freezes the ground Blake jumps onto, making her slip and fall. The hunter takes the opportunity to pull out a knife from his belt and tries to stab her.
He almost did until she jabs her claws into the ice-covered ground to perform another tail swipe on the hunter and knocks him backward.
At that moment, something snapped inside of Blake. So she went full berserker-mode on the one in front of her.
She bites down on his side, embedding her saber fangs deep in his body. He screamed out in agony as Blake raised his body in the air and thrashed him left from right, slamming him on the ground when he got the chance, then pinning him down. Her claws grab onto his leg and arm, holding him in place.
The hunter looked into her eyes. But, there was no trace of that 'girl' that the kid and her mother said they saw in her, only the thing he saw through the human disguise they fell for, that is as dangerous as a Grimm.
A deadly, ferocious monster that follows its instincts for survival. Tricking people into helping them, saying they are just like them. But to only steal and destroy everything they own and slaughter and devour them and everyone they love to sate its desire to plunge all those around it in darkness and despair.
And now, one of these beasts has him pinned with no intention of letting him live.
Blake grabbed him by the face, ready to rip him apart when a small voice mustered all its strength and screamed.
"STOPPPP!"
The scream ringed in Blake's sensitive feline ears, making her let go of the hunter. She turned to see Alice struggling to stand with a small stream of blood going down the side of her face. Her mother was behind her, trying to hold her back. Blake could see Sarah was in full protective mother mode and scared about Alice's safety.
That sight snapped Blake back to her senses. Her eyes lost their bloodlust and now darted around the field, taking in the full gravity of her actions. She backed away, shaking and hyperventilating until she bumped into a tree. Blake then broke into tears, covering her face with her paws as she curled up into a ball.
Despite her psyche at that moment being a jumbled mess, she could see the hunter pulling themselves up and fleeing but continued to sob uncontrollably. Until she felt a small hand graze her muzzle and saw Alice almost in tears herself, with a worried expression on her face with Sarah right behind her daughter. Even now, she still couldn't understand why they're still helping her after everything.
"W-why?!" Blake tried to say.
Alice sighed and explained herself.
"Y-you came back-k," Alice said somberly before nearly falling over.
Blake's eyes widened in surprise as Sarah continued for her daughter after catching her.
"What Alice is trying to say is that you're nothing like the propaganda depictions of the beast people normally preach to everyone."
They may not have understood what Blake is saying. But they felt that this is what's to know.
"They say the beast would use and betray anyone for its survival. In contrast, you came for us, risking your freedom and well-being. That shows you were never a heartless monster."
It was truly unbelievable what Blake is experiencing right now, almost like she was in a dream. She had never received, heard, or given any form of praise or encouragement since becoming a beast. She almost felt proud of herself and her accomplishments today, the first time in a while.
But those warm feelings of positivity soon faded as cold, dark memories of her actions before all this made Blake hang her head down in shame. Realizing that this good deed is a single drop in the jet, black ocean of darkness created from years of crimes she committed for her survival.
Sarah notices her expression and tilts Blake's head up to look her in the eye.
"I may not know who or what to believe about your past. But I truly believe Talus wasn't your fault and shouldn't let that hold you back or control your life. You can't change what happened or people's opinions about it. But staying attached to the past would only bring you down. My husband Alvin said he learned that after a beast just like you saved his life during a Grimm attack and then told Alice."
She then looks down at her resting daughter stroking her hair. "I guess she took that to heart. We both did."
Blake never really thought of it like that and from Sarah's description, Alvin is a good man and a kind father who is truly blessed to have them for a family. She smiled at the hope that others out there grew up with this family's mindset.
But now, Blake felt it was time to leave as much as she doesn't want to it's for the best so that other hunters don't target these kind folks because of her. She gets up, taking Sarah by surprise as she watches Blake move on fours towards the bag of her belongings the hunters took out of the barn.
She picked it up with her mouth and pulled it over her head, so it went around her neck. Something in the field catches her eye. She moves to the object, realizing it is the lead hunter's pistol.
"He must've dropped it during the fight." Blake thought to herself. She picks it up in her mouth and shoves it in her bag. "Do more good to me than him."
With that, she takes one last look behind her and sees Sarah wipe a tear from her eye and wave goodbye. She gets ready to go when all of a sudden.
"WAIT!"
She looks back to see Alice has gotten back up and has some tears going down her face.
"W-Will I ever see you again, Blake?" She asked.
Blake stood there for a moment and then smiled and nodded her head at her. Alice smiled back with happy tears as Sarah hugged her. They both then waved at Blake as she sprinted into the woods.
"Someday Alice, Someday."
For the first time in years, Blake felt good.