Coricopat shifted slightly, groaning as the pain of his injuries hit him. He opened his eyes slowly, and shuddered, recognizing the dark alley he lay in. He'd only ever been there once before, when he was still a kitten, but he instantly recognized the gloomy place as Macavity's lair. He glanced around, a sinking feeling growing in his stomach as he realised that there was no escape. Three of Macavity's henchcats guarded the entrance to the alley, and all around him were walls of buildings, blocking any route away from there. Reaching up, he gently touched his shoulder, wincing as a burning sensation seared through it. His injuries were definitely worse than he'd first expected, so there was nothing to be done now, except wait to find out what Macavity wanted with him. Coricopat sighed, gazing up into the night sky. He just hoped Tantomile was okay...
Tantomile sighed, tears rolling down her cheeks as she lay basking in the moonlight. Her brother had been taken, and she hadn't been able to do anything about it. She still heard his shouts in her head, as he had fought Macavity, protecting her. She remembered hearing screaming, and recognizing the voice as her own, as the others struggled to drag her away from where her twin had been just moments before. She sighed, closing her eyes as she listened to Munkustrap and the others talking amongst themselves, and planning their next move against the Hidden Paw. That at least gave her some comfort, since she knew that the others were aware of the fact that Tantomile's psychic powers were only truly powerful when she was with Coricopat, and the tribe wouldn't easily lose such an effective weapon. Tantomile froze, hearing limping footsteps come closer to her. Still keeping her eyes closed, she flattened her ears back against her skull, warning the intruder to keep away.
"I'm sorry for what happened," a voice said quietly, and Tantomile opened her eyes, smiling sadly as she sat up.
"It wasn't your fault," she said, and Plato frowned, shaking his head.
"I should've tried harder, but I just wasn't strong enough. I'm so sorry.." he mumbled sadly, sitting down next to her. Tantomile shook her head, and nuzzled Plato's cheek softly.
"I guess we're both weaklings then," she said, and Plato laughed quietly, before getting to his feet.
"Munkustrap told me to come get you," he explained, holding out a paw to help her up. She didn't take it, and he let it drop back to his side, before continuing. "He said you might be able to help us find Coricopat -" Tantomile held up a paw, silencing him.
"I can't go," she said quietly, her voice almost a whisper as her tears began to fall again. "I'd hold everyone else up. I – I just can't go, okay? I'm useless without Coricopat, trust me." Plato opened his mouth to speak, then stopped, and crouched down slowly. He sat in front of Tantomile, looking into her eyes for a while, and when she failed to meet his gaze he got to his feet again, jogging off.
Munkustrap turned around from his conversation with Mungojerrie, to see Plato jogging towards him, a confused look on the younger tom's face. Mungojerrie stepped back, as Plato walked up to the silver tabby, whispering something in his ear. Munkustrap's eyes widened, and he nodded, before walking quickly over to where Tantomile sat.
Tantomile groaned, hearing the familiar footsteps behind her. She flattened her ears again, and this time her claws extended slightly, showing Munkustrap that she was in no mood to be bothered. The silver tabby crouched down in front of her, frowning.
"Come here," he ordered gently, and watched as Tantomile slowly made her way towards him on all fours, feeling the ground in front of her gently before each step. Eventually she stopped in front of him, and he waved a hand in front of her face, his breath leaving him momentarily as her eyes stayed strangely unfocused, as if his hand had never been there.
"Look at me," he said quietly, and his beliefs were confirmed as Tantomile's gaze fell to the left of him. Munkustrap sighed, and reached forward, one paw under Tantomile's chin as he gently guided her until she was facing him. Tantomile's ears flattened slightly in embarrassment, and she sat back.
"I guess I couldn't hide it forever," she said quietly. Munkustrap frowned again, deep in thought.
"How did you manage beforehand?" He asked, then stopped, already knowing the answer. "Coricopat..." Tantomile nodded slowly.
"You already know about our psychic connection," she explained, and Munkstrap nodded, crouching down next to her. Tantomile smiled and continued. "Well, he used to tell me where to go, how to move, everything. That's why we always moved in sync with each other. Coricopat served as my eyes. Without him..." she trailed off, choking back tears, then began again. "Without him, I truly am blind." As memories of Coricopat flooded her mind, Tantomile broke down in tears, and Plato moved quickly over to her, holding her tightly in his arms. Munkustrap watched as Tantomile moved closer to Plato, sobbing into his chest, then spoke up.
"I know it won't be as effective," he began, as the two broke apart slightly to listen, "but Plato could serve as your eyes for now, Tantomile. We need Coricopat back, and you have the best chance of finding him. The two of you are to go and find him, and bring him back here." Tantomile opened her mouth to protest, but Munkustrap cut her off quickly.
"Neither of you are weak, so you've got no reason to not go. Mungojerrie and myself will go with you." Plato helped Tantomile to her feet, then looked over at Munkustrap, who was already on his way to Mungojerrie. Smiling, he led Tantomile forward, then stopped as he felt a tug at his arm, and glanced over to see Tantomile recovering from nearly tripping over. She glared in his direction, and he smiled sheepishly.
"Like Munkustrap said, not as effective as Coricopat," he explained, then winced as Tantomile swatted his ear.
"At least my aim's not too bad," she laughed, and carried on walking with him, trying to keep calm as she thought of Coricopat. We're coming for you, she said in her head, but knew that they were too far apart for him to hear her. Still, she kept her mind open, hoping for some kind of message from him, anything that would tell her that he was okay...
Leave me alone! Coricopat nearly screamed in his mind, cradling his forehead in his paws. The voice seemed to cut through him like a thousand knives, threatening to destroy his sanity.
Give in to me...help me take her from them... Coricopat shook his head violently, then rushed forward, ramming it against a wall.
Leave my sister out of this! he wailed, as blood trickled down from the open gash on his forehead, running into his eyes. Leave her, Macavity. She deserves better than this.
Give her to me, or I'll kill her myself. At least if I have her, she'll be kept alive, and the two of you will be united.
It's your life or hers, Coricopat...
Coricopat froze, then dropped to his knees, unable to block Macavity's sinister voice from his head any longer.
Fine. I'll...I'll do it. Promise not to hurt Tantomile, and I'll bring her to you. Macavity's laugh rang inside his head, sending a chill throughout his body.
It's a deal.
Tantomile sighed, tears rolling down her cheeks as she lay basking in the moonlight. Her brother had been taken, and she hadn't been able to do anything about it. She still heard his shouts in her head, as he had fought Macavity, protecting her. She remembered hearing screaming, and recognizing the voice as her own, as the others struggled to drag her away from where her twin had been just moments before. She sighed, closing her eyes as she listened to Munkustrap and the others talking amongst themselves, and planning their next move against the Hidden Paw. That at least gave her some comfort, since she knew that the others were aware of the fact that Tantomile's psychic powers were only truly powerful when she was with Coricopat, and the tribe wouldn't easily lose such an effective weapon. Tantomile froze, hearing limping footsteps come closer to her. Still keeping her eyes closed, she flattened her ears back against her skull, warning the intruder to keep away.
"I'm sorry for what happened," a voice said quietly, and Tantomile opened her eyes, smiling sadly as she sat up.
"It wasn't your fault," she said, and Plato frowned, shaking his head.
"I should've tried harder, but I just wasn't strong enough. I'm so sorry.." he mumbled sadly, sitting down next to her. Tantomile shook her head, and nuzzled Plato's cheek softly.
"I guess we're both weaklings then," she said, and Plato laughed quietly, before getting to his feet.
"Munkustrap told me to come get you," he explained, holding out a paw to help her up. She didn't take it, and he let it drop back to his side, before continuing. "He said you might be able to help us find Coricopat -" Tantomile held up a paw, silencing him.
"I can't go," she said quietly, her voice almost a whisper as her tears began to fall again. "I'd hold everyone else up. I – I just can't go, okay? I'm useless without Coricopat, trust me." Plato opened his mouth to speak, then stopped, and crouched down slowly. He sat in front of Tantomile, looking into her eyes for a while, and when she failed to meet his gaze he got to his feet again, jogging off.
Munkustrap turned around from his conversation with Mungojerrie, to see Plato jogging towards him, a confused look on the younger tom's face. Mungojerrie stepped back, as Plato walked up to the silver tabby, whispering something in his ear. Munkustrap's eyes widened, and he nodded, before walking quickly over to where Tantomile sat.
Tantomile groaned, hearing the familiar footsteps behind her. She flattened her ears again, and this time her claws extended slightly, showing Munkustrap that she was in no mood to be bothered. The silver tabby crouched down in front of her, frowning.
"Come here," he ordered gently, and watched as Tantomile slowly made her way towards him on all fours, feeling the ground in front of her gently before each step. Eventually she stopped in front of him, and he waved a hand in front of her face, his breath leaving him momentarily as her eyes stayed strangely unfocused, as if his hand had never been there.
"Look at me," he said quietly, and his beliefs were confirmed as Tantomile's gaze fell to the left of him. Munkustrap sighed, and reached forward, one paw under Tantomile's chin as he gently guided her until she was facing him. Tantomile's ears flattened slightly in embarrassment, and she sat back.
"I guess I couldn't hide it forever," she said quietly. Munkustrap frowned again, deep in thought.
"How did you manage beforehand?" He asked, then stopped, already knowing the answer. "Coricopat..." Tantomile nodded slowly.
"You already know about our psychic connection," she explained, and Munkstrap nodded, crouching down next to her. Tantomile smiled and continued. "Well, he used to tell me where to go, how to move, everything. That's why we always moved in sync with each other. Coricopat served as my eyes. Without him..." she trailed off, choking back tears, then began again. "Without him, I truly am blind." As memories of Coricopat flooded her mind, Tantomile broke down in tears, and Plato moved quickly over to her, holding her tightly in his arms. Munkustrap watched as Tantomile moved closer to Plato, sobbing into his chest, then spoke up.
"I know it won't be as effective," he began, as the two broke apart slightly to listen, "but Plato could serve as your eyes for now, Tantomile. We need Coricopat back, and you have the best chance of finding him. The two of you are to go and find him, and bring him back here." Tantomile opened her mouth to protest, but Munkustrap cut her off quickly.
"Neither of you are weak, so you've got no reason to not go. Mungojerrie and myself will go with you." Plato helped Tantomile to her feet, then looked over at Munkustrap, who was already on his way to Mungojerrie. Smiling, he led Tantomile forward, then stopped as he felt a tug at his arm, and glanced over to see Tantomile recovering from nearly tripping over. She glared in his direction, and he smiled sheepishly.
"Like Munkustrap said, not as effective as Coricopat," he explained, then winced as Tantomile swatted his ear.
"At least my aim's not too bad," she laughed, and carried on walking with him, trying to keep calm as she thought of Coricopat. We're coming for you, she said in her head, but knew that they were too far apart for him to hear her. Still, she kept her mind open, hoping for some kind of message from him, anything that would tell her that he was okay...
Leave me alone! Coricopat nearly screamed in his mind, cradling his forehead in his paws. The voice seemed to cut through him like a thousand knives, threatening to destroy his sanity.
Give in to me...help me take her from them... Coricopat shook his head violently, then rushed forward, ramming it against a wall.
Leave my sister out of this! he wailed, as blood trickled down from the open gash on his forehead, running into his eyes. Leave her, Macavity. She deserves better than this.
Give her to me, or I'll kill her myself. At least if I have her, she'll be kept alive, and the two of you will be united.
It's your life or hers, Coricopat...
Coricopat froze, then dropped to his knees, unable to block Macavity's sinister voice from his head any longer.
Fine. I'll...I'll do it. Promise not to hurt Tantomile, and I'll bring her to you. Macavity's laugh rang inside his head, sending a chill throughout his body.
It's a deal.