It was shaping up to be a beautiful morning. The wet leaves sparkled under the sun, and birdcalls echoed from above... They were lucky to be out of his reach.

Then Wing-Wing's voice disspelled the illusion of peace. "I don't get why you're going."

"Yeah... Don't tell me you're trying to impress Sagwa," Lik-Lik sniped.

"No. But if she and I had worked out, it would be my nephew out there. The real question is why you two are tagging along!" he chuckled.

"Yeah, like I really wanted to hang out with all those kids," Wing-Wing snickered.

"Yeah," Lik-Lik echoed, "And you and her didn't work out."

"So?"

"So answer the question!"

Jet-Jet plodded along, ignoring when they fell into step beside him. "Someone loses a kitten, you look. It's the right thing to do."

Lik-Lik scrutinized him as they walked. "Ever since you took off with those palace cats, you've changed."

"Like you're not one of us anymore. I worry about you," Wing-Wing said.

Jet-Jet looked at him. "Worry about the kid."


Yeh-Yeh meandered through a field alone. He remembered he was looking for Fan, but he couldn't recall the boy's face. Or where he lived. Cursed old age. Had he just gone through the village? Was he in immediate danger? The sobering thought made him look around, and listen closely; and he thought he heard music on the wind. So, he walked into the breeze and eventually came to a row of bushes. Coming through and turning his head, he finally noticed the circus caravan. Among it were six unfamiliar cats of mature age, and one little kitten who stood out like a broken thumb.

Yeh-Yeh turned to face his nephew, breaking into a trot as the glaring began to head towards the caravan. His legs burned. His joints ached. His heart hammered painfully in his chest. And still he ran, as quickly as he was able; watching Fan climb over the ledge. And disappear inside.

Yeh-Yeh pushed himself harder. He needed to get there. He needed to save his...his... Whatever Fan was to him.

The humans were walking around the caravan, joining another pair of people at the front. They lifted up the poles and began pulling the caravan away. And with a moan of despair, Yeh-Yeh's legs crumpled beneath him as pain wracked his aged body. He lay there, breathing hard and peering past a disconcerting blurriness in his dry eyes.

Suddenly a black cat sped by him, paws mercilessly pounding the street. Yeh-Yeh slowly gathered himself, staring in fascination as Wu-Ming blew up to the caravan and sailed inside. His willpower renewed, Yeh-Yeh trotted after the departing caravan.

Not even his failing ears could miss the pained yowl that came from the vehicle. Then a human bent down, and stood up to throw Wu-Ming out of the caravan. He landed hard on his side, skidding on the road. When his body finally stopped, the momentum set him in a rolling motion. He finally stopped facing Yeh-Yeh, and lay stricken on the road. His face was twisted in pain, which was the only way Yeh-Yeh knew he had survived. Yeh-Yeh came slowly closer, and was able to hear the groan of agony.

Then his eyes came to rest upon Yeh-Yeh's approaching paws. He stood up rather stiffly, paying no mind to the blood showing clear through the hair loss. Incapable of speech, he stammered nonsensically.

"You tried," Yeh-Yeh said simply. "And for that I thank you."

"I failed," he growled over his ragged breathing.

"So did I," Yeh-Yeh sighed.

"What do we...tell the family?"

"What would that accomplish? Let's just keep this fiasco to ourselves. It may not be right, but it's better than breaking their hearts."

Wu-Ming relented, unable to believe that he had failed. He and Yeh-Yeh began to limp slowly and painfully back towards the alley.