Thunder Kittens

By Robin Gurl

Chapter 5

(Uhhh hi. Long time no write? Thanks for all who follow this story. )

"Everyone step back, he's coming. Make sure he doesn't see you."

Wily Kat only kept his head down as he left school. Kittens without a home were made fun of and lately it had only gotten worse. Not only was he a kitten without his real parents but he didn't really belong to a clan either.

He and Kit were mixes. Wild Cat and Tigers. He'd never really had a problem with it until Tygra got them into the school and other kittens started to tease him about it.

"Yeah, not only is he a mix but his adopted parents are breaking the rules."

"My mother says they aren't fit to be parents, mixing clans like that."

"My father says that's what happens with the nobles, they think the rules don't apply to them anymore."

"I heard they weren't allowed to have their own kittens which is why they were forced to adopt."

The whisperings kept going on around him and he quickened his pace to meet his sister out front. His cheeks burned from all the attention as he kept his eyes on the ground.

He didn't understand what was so wrong about Tygra and Cheetara being together. The two adult cats loved each other and they were fine parents to he and Kit.

"Willllyyy Kaaaaat!"

He startled to see his twin sister waving her hand in his face. "Uh, hi Kit."

"What's wrong with you? You're all spaced out today." She tilted her head and looked behind him to see the other kittens making faces at them. She picked up a rock and threw it at them just to scare them away. "OH SHOVE IT!"

"Kit, that wasn't nice! We'll get in trouble."

"All I did was scare them away." She picked up her bag putting it over her shoulder as they started to walk back to their home. "What were they saying?"

"Just the usual…" He sighed joining her.

"I don't get it, it's not our fault our mother disappeared.." Kit started.

"Nor that our father did bad things." Kat finished.

"Well at least Tygra and Cheetara adopted us!" Kit then exclaimed. "I can't wait to show Tygra what my new assignment is for class! And Cheetara is making dinner tonight and he's coming over it's going to fun!"

"Yeah…fun.." Kat replied unable to lift his gaze.

Wily Kit pulled out her key to get into the housing unit, as she was unlocking the big door she heard voices behind her that got quieter as her and Kat approached.

"I can't believe they are allowed to live here."

"I heard they actually mate…"

"Are the kittens even safe there?"

Kat turned to look at them and both of the female cats hushed their voices. He then looked back to Kit helping her open the door. It was heavy and took the both of them, the adults did nothing to help. He could feel their stares burning into his back.

"They are strays after all, I wonder why nobles would take in two strays."

"Their father murdered some cats on the other end of Thundera…"

"Are my children even safe? What if they are like him?"

Wily Kit's ears twitched as she gripped one of her hands into fists trying to ignore what was being said. She reached behind herself and grabbed Kat's arm pulling him through the hallway and up the stairs.

"K-Kit stop! I can walk!"

"You heard them didn't you?" Kit exclaimed angrily wiping tears from her eyes. "They think we're good for nothings…"

Wily Kat blinked feeling the same anger well up inside of him. However, he didn't show how he felt. "…they feel the same way about Tygra and Cheetara." He sighed and took the house key from her unlocked the door to their living unit. He pulled her in by her hand and shut the door.

"Cheetara, if I may a word please?" Jaga asked as he walked to catch up with her. "You are on your way home to check on the kittens?"

The cheetah turned and nodded, "Yes, they got out of school about 45 minutes ago."

"How are they doing?"

"Alright, I guess. They are both passing classes and are up to par with the kids in their classes. They seem to enjoy it with Tygra and I, nothing much to complain about."

"And you and Tygra are doing well?"

Cheetara stopped and turned to face him, "Why all of these questions?"

The elder cat sighed giving her a knowing look. "I may be old but I am not blind nor am I deaf. The old ways of Thundera don't work in with your life choices and while I am ok with this, I know there are those that are not."

"There are the normal "hushed" gossiping when he and I are together but I've gotten used to it, so has he." She shrugged. "We've both learned to ignore it."

"Have you explained to the kittens what is going on?"

"No, I haven't needed to. They don't hear any of the remarks and insults."

"Hmm, I've been hearing some rumors about the building you live in. If anything happens that makes you feel uncomfortable at all, let me know immediately."

"I know what you're going to say and I'm going to decline it again. Tygra and I want to live a normal life away from the nobles. Living in the housing unit is one way we can do this. Tygra got a job of his own merit and I am starting my own job soon."

Jaga crossed his arms raising his eyes as a few on lookers telling them to walk away. "While I am glad to hear this, please don't forget that you are welcome here at any time. I can not protect you outside of these walls nor can you protect the kittens from other cats with different beliefs."

"Thank you, Jaga. I know this place is open to us if we need it. But right now we're just happy being normal."

Wily Kat pushed the door open again to go check the mail to see if anything was there in the box. He walked outside past the same group of female cats that watched his every move. He turned and smiled as best he could, "Just out to get the mail! I hope you are having a good day!"

They all backed away from him, the smaller kittens being pushed behind their mothers. An older lady glared at him as he opened the box and pulled out it's contents.

"You're not welcome here. You and your "adopted parents" should leave." Her voice was dripping with contempt.

Wily Kat locked the box back and turned around, "Just because we're adopted? It wasn't our fault all of this happened to us!"

"Adoption isn't a sin or a break of the law. Mating from two different clans is illegal, sinful and a crime punishable by death. If you have seen them doing any thing of that nature then you are a witness to their law breaking and could be used as a witness."

He blinked looking up at her, his heart beating fast. "Why? Is it because you're jealous?"

"Jealous?" She scoffed. "Boy, I have been around longer than you have. I have my mate, my rightful mate. I have kids that I know aren't mixed that are pure and will carry on our clans name. You and your adopted parents will only carry shame with you."

"Stop, Mrs Kingston don't scare the boy."

"No, he needs to know the truth. He's old enough. Clans do not mix. A Tiger and Cheetah being in love is bad and it's against the law."

Kat backed up a bit before bumping into something. "If I recall correctly that law was abolished 30 some odd years ago and replaced with a new one that said anyone of any clan could mate." He looked up and saw it was Tygra.

"You would know loop holes, wouldn't you?"

"Loop holes, no. The law, yes." He patted Kat's head before wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Now if you will excuse me, we have to be getting inside."

"You can keep trying to fit in all you want, young man. But know this, we will never accept you here. You aren't wanted and we will find a way to evict you. What you and that Cheetah are doing together will catch up to you sooner or later. Mark my words."

Tygra just waved at her keeping a smile on his face that looked as fake as it could get. He opened the door and ushered Wily Kat in. "Just ignore them, Kat."

They walked up the stairs in silence meeting Cheetara as she came up the other direction. The tiger opened the door letting them both in, then closed it behind them.

Wily Kit walked out of the kitchen not as excited as she usually was to see her adopted parents. Wily Kat had the same look on his face as well.

"What is all of this? Why all of the sad faces?" Cheetara looked to Tygra then the kittens.

He hugged her and gave her a quick kiss before sighing. "Wily Kat had the lovely experience of meeting Mrs Kingston. The elderly cat two floors down?"

"Oh yes the landlady. Is everything ok?"

Wily Kat bit his lip trying not to cry. He wasn't a baby anymore and he didn't cry over just anything. But something was hurting inside and he didn't understand it, he just knew it didn't feel right. "..t-they don't want us here."

"Yeah, nobody does." Kit joined in not hiding her tears.

Cheetara looked to her mate, they both exchanged the same glances. "What do you mean by that? Of course they do."

"No they don't! Everyone at school is talking too! Are you and Tygra breaking the law by being together? I don't want you to get caught and killed because we see it!" Kat exclaimed.

"They think we don't hear them but we do! What is going on?" Kit joined in.

"Well… it's complicated kittens." Cheetara started leading them to the two couches. She sat down on one of them, the kittens sat in front of her. Tygra joined her holding her hand. "Before you were born and even before we were born, it was illegal to mix clans."

"You mean like you and Tygra?"

"Yes, it was seen as a bad thing because the kitten that was born wasn't pure and didn't have a clan. They were mixed. It was a different world back then and people thought you had to be pure to be in a clan. So Tygra's parents were both Tigers and mine were both Cheetahs. As we got older, more and more cats started to fall in love from different clans."

"Clans started to mingle more and it became easier," Tygra took over. "I had never seen a Lion or a Cheetah until I was a teenager."

"But how? They are everywhere."

"But not back then. We all stayed on our own land. We had schools, doctors and shops only for tigers and only for cheetahs. Same for Lions and Panthers, everyone had to stay in their own clans."

"That sounds boring."

"That's what a lot of our generation thought too. So there started to be mingling and as we met other clans, some of us started to find mates as well." Cheetara nodded.

"At first it was against the law and if you were caught you were put into jail and sometimes stoned. So we had to sneak around and be careful. But right when Cheetara and I were in trade school, the law was abolished and it became open to mate with any clan."

"If it's ok then why is everyone still upset." Kit asked.

"Well, with the nobles it's a bit different. The nobles are seen as pure and are told to not mingle. Cheetara and I are both "breaking" clan rules by being together."

"W-Was your punishment adopting us?" Kat asked nervously.

Both the adults glanced at one another then laughed, "No Kat, adopting you was not a punishment. Jaga asked us if we'd be up to helping you out for a bit and we both fell in love with you two and decided that was that."

"What was your punishment?"

"…well technically we're not allowed to sit on the council anymore." Tygra started wording himself carefully so the kittens would understand. "But I think that's about it." He looked to Cheetara who nodded back.

"So is it because you're a noble?"

"That yes and it's also that everyone doesn't believe clans should mix. Just because it's not against the law doesn't mean people don't think it's wrong." Cheetara explained squeezing Tygra's hand. "But I don't want you two to worry about us, ok? We're fine. We don't let those words bother us."

"….how do you make them stop hurting?" Wily Kat asked hanging his head. "I keep getting told at school I can't do anything because I'm mixed."

"W-What?" Cheetara asked in shock. She looked to Tygra fearfully before getting up and sitting beside Wily Kat hugging him. "Who is calling you mixed?"

"J-Just about everyone. In gym I'm chosen last for everything. No one eats lunch with me.. even the teachers whisper about me."

"S-Same here," Kit admitted. "I will fail this new project if I don't find a partner but no one will join up with me. I was told being with a mixed cat was bad luck and could get them bad grades."

Tygra walked over to Kit kneeling down holding her hands. "Kittens, why didn't you tell us?"

"B-Because I like learning."

"We can find you another place to learn, Kat."

"I want to find another place to live…" Kit whispered. "I don't like it here…"

"Ok first off, just because you are mixed doesn't mean you are bad luck or will get anyone bad grades. If anything it makes you smarter! You are both part Wild Cat and part Tiger." Tygra explained. "Which means you have my brains and your dad's good looks." He tried to joke.

"We don't want to be like our father! He hurt people! We aren't like him!" Kat exclaimed. "We're good cats!"

"Of course you are. Wily Kat, you and Kit get to choose what kind of life you lead. Just because your father was a bad person doesn't mean you will turn out like him. You aren't your father. Neither of you are."

"And as for living … let Cheetara and I talk it over tonight, ok? Until then, can you two handle school and living here?"

The twins nodded. The adults smiled and ruffled the twins hair before standing up and walking into the kitchen. They silently started to get things out for dinner before Tygra spoke softly, "We've got to do something… it's not fair on them."

"I may have an idea."