Chapter 6:

Metal Beasts rolled down the many twisting Black Paths on their round paws, the entire vehicle bouncing and jolting as it rolled across errors in the road. Francis gazed intently out of the gate that confined him to his carrying basket. Excitement welled in the curly cat's fur as he watched Metal Beasts and dens alike roll past. As the surroundings closed in and the paths became crowded with Nofurs and Metal Beasts, Francis' anticipation grew.

Almost there! Francis shifted slightly, and felt his back brush against someone else in the cage. Turing his head, Francis spotted Yao, his kithood friend, curled in a ball towards the back, peacefully snoozing in the light rays streaming through the crate holes. Francis tucked his tail closer to his body, trying not to disturb his friend's nap. But he was so excited! They were only taken to Pet Pamper once a week, and this had been a long one indeed. With all the house renovations going on, his naps had been disturbed, the polished floor had sent him skidding into the wall several times, he'd fallen into an open hole in the garden when the female Nofur was trying to plant new flowers, and by the end of the week, his fabulous curls were covered in dirt and stuck out of his pelt willy-nilly. His paws ached and there was all kinds of tension in his shoulders. All he could think about for most of the week were the variety of massages, wraps, soakings, and grooming that he was due for.

Just the thought of getting his claws sharpened and back rubbed caused Francis to shiver with anticipation.

Why did it have to be so far away? The female Nofur could get practically anything, so why not his very own Pet Pamper? Francis fidgeted again, excitement quaking his paws. Yao shifted next to him and picked up his head.

"Francis." His friend scolded humorously. "You're bouncing."

"Ahem. Right, right." Francis sat up and licked his chest fur to calm himself. He was a pure bred. And any cat worth his papers kept calm, cool, and suave; the definition of eloquence. And yet, there was kit like giddiness bubbling just under the surface. This was going to be a great day.

After what felt like eons of just lazily gazing out the Metal Beast's side, the flashy pink Beast pulled up outside of a frilly, fancy looking den with bright colors and large clear sides. Both Francis and Yao were awake and pushing their noses against the mesh that kept them inside. Yao had forgotten his own advice about controlling emotion, and was pawing desperately at the latch.

"Ugh! Come ON, stupid Nofur! We have to get in!" The calico tom growled impatiently as Francis looked upon the den before them with a longing expression.

There was commotion from the other side of the Beast, and then the side in front of them swung open without a sound. Francis wondered again how Metal Beasts could stand to have their sides constantly ripped open without so much as a sound, but such thoughts were soon forgotten as his Nofur picked up the carrying box and started towards the lavish pink door. Francis and Yao squirmed in anticipation as the Nofur stepped into the green interior and approached the desk in front. The carrying box was placed on the top, and both cats strained to get a look at the parlor.

The inside was covered with a variety of plush looking things for sitting and lying down on. A variety of animals, mostly cats and dogs, were seated around the room being pampered. There were poodles getting their fur fluffed and colored, cats getting claws trimmed and glossed, bull dogs relaxing on their stomachs as Nofurs cleaned their jowls, and a variety of other overly wasteful activities to spoil the animals with as they were cleaned.

"Oh, my!" Yao stated with breathless wonder. "What should we do first?" Francis blocked out the rest of Yao's rambling as the calico listed off the many wondrous services they could be provided with. Only one thing was on his mind; the biggest, plushest sitting spot with several desks covered in bottles and tools that sat near the front corner.

The paw polish station! Francis squealed with excitement in his head. The paw polishing was such an extensive and time consuming service, that they had only one cushion in which to do it; and even then, it was reserved only for those who could pay for it, Francis' Nofur being one of them. That polishing was the only thing that would lift the golden tom's spirits, and he would do anything to get it. As he steeled himself with determination, the gate opened, and Yao leapt excitedly out, stretching out his stiff muscles for the first time that day. The Nofurs were talking rapidly to each other in their squeaky voices, Francis' was pointing to several things on the salon's menu.

I have to act now! Stalking towards his Nofur, Francis put his years of perfecting charm to work. Mewing softly, he got the Nofur's attention. Next, he walked closer, rubbing and purring against her paw. The Nofur cooed and lifted the appendage to stroke the curly fur down his side. Francis purred louder in pleasure, before backing away, meowing louder than before.

Come on, pay attention! He swept his tail towards the seat, inching his body closer towards the thing as he did so. Follow the tail… follow the tail…

But to his dismay, the Nofur exchanged a final word towards the female behind the desk, and walked towards the door.

NO! Francis stood and shrieked. It was a loud yowl that caught the attention of most all the pets in the place, and almost startled the fur off of Yao. Francis leapt off the desk, wound his way between the Nofur's legs, and padded up to the seat. He started purring and rubbing the side of his face against the corner, gazing towards the female with huge, watery eyes. She cooed again, and went back to the desk. She pointed with one red, sharp claw to something else on the list, and the female behind nodded in confirmation.

Yes! With a satisfied purr, Francis leapt up to join Yao again on the desk as the Nofur left the parlor. Yao was still looking at him with wide, unsure eyes.

"What?" Francis said indignantly. Yao chuckled slightly.

"When you want something, you reeeeeeeeally want something." His friend said with a slight tremor in his voice. Francis huffed.

"Why shouldn't I? Any cat worth his papers gets what he wants." His friend chuckled again.

"You keep saying that. 'Any cat worth his papers.'"

"Yeah?"

"You don't even have papers." Francis went wide eyed, shifting his gaze in embarrassment.

"I- I have understood papers. My Nofur knows! Besides, papers are the most important thing in the world! Whether you have them with you or not, a pure breed is the best breed." With a huff, Francis turned and walked into the grooming area. Yao rolled his eyes and followed.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah…" Francis sighed contently as his paws dipped into the warm water. The mineral mask on his face felt smooth and cool across his fur, and pleasure welled inside his pelt as the Nofur beside him scrapped crud off his claws. It felt so good to be clean.

"Oh, Yao…" He sighed. "I'll never get dirty again as long as I live! I'll stay here forever if I have to! I'm in heaven!"

"Y-y-y-y-y-yeah." Came a staccato reply next to him. Yao was busy with his full body massage, the Nofur already at the stage where he rapidly pats down the cat's back with his hands. The movement jostled Yao, but at the same time fully released all tension in his muscles. This is how to live.

The day continued on the same, with Francis and Yao being groomed, scrapped, soaked, and cleaned as the sun ticked on in the sky. At last, the light faded from view behind the dens, and light pooled from within, flooding the streets as Metal Beasts continued to race by.

Honestly, don't those ghastly things ever take a rest? Francis lazily contemplated as one of the Nofurs picked the cat up and cradled him in his arms. The server was drifting towards the back where the sleeping cubbies were. Each time Yao and Francis came, the lady Nofur dropped them off for the night, preferring to travel the long way there only once a day instead of twice. Not that Francis minded. The cubbies were cushiony and warm, perfect to sleep in and sometimes even better than his own.

He sighed in contentment as he eased into the nest. He heard Yao sigh in similar pleaser from the cubby next to him. Yes, this indeed, was how to live.

The night was damp and cool, but inside was pleasantly warm and comfy as the pets within slept soundly. As silent as a creeping cat, a rustle shifted through the trees. A wave of motion rippling from the outskirts that got bigger and bigger as it ran closer. The huge dens wavered, then jumped. The entire metal structures shooting into the air as the ground rose of its own accord underneath. They buckled and shattered, metal splintering easy as weak wood. Metal Beasts cried in alarm, wires snapped and spreading sparks across the ground. Pavement cracked, sink holes fell in the middle of the street and Nofurs screamed in terror as their world plunged into ruin around them.

A large metal den beside the salon tipped and fell upon the roof, crushing the smaller building beneath its weight. Pets cried and wailed as cages fell from their secure locations, dust and grime clouded the air and blinded sight completely. Francis gasped in shock, a scream caught in his throat. He fell to the ground in a tumble of legs and fur; the only thing visible to him were vague outlines of running figures and falling rubble. Something struck the back of his head, and the last thing his eyes took in were a set of limber legs running towards him before darkness graced his mind.

Francis woke to the sensation of rain upon his nose. His features twitched in response, and the tom groaned as he struggled to open his eyes.

"Wh… what…?" he struggled to speak. Francis heard a gasp next to him; a multy-colored pelt shoved its way into his face.

"Francis!" Yao screamed in relief as his friend rose to a sitting position. The golden tom shook his head, ears ringing loudly due to the force of the crash.

"You're alive!" The calico tom brushed his cheek against the side of Francis' face. Francis grumbled slightly in response, still a bit shaken from… wait, what was it that happened?

Francis looked passed his friend's shoulder at the wreckage around them. The night was still cold and dark; a thin layer of yellow dust waved and danced in the air across the wreckage. Most of the dens had fallen to the ground, the rest leaning over as if they were grieving for their fallen companions. Francis felt shock and terror race through his pelt, Leaving his limbs stricken and unable to move. He stumbled over his words.

"Yao… what… what happened?" The tom stared wide eyed around him. Yao looked equally scared.

"I-I don't know." His friend's voice rose in panic. "There was a growl, and- and shaking, and stuff was falling, animals were running, I managed to squeeze out from between the rocks, and when I saw you on the ground, I… I thought you were dead. I'm so glad you're not." The tom's voice broke with emotion as he buried his mussel in his friend's shoulder again.

"I'm glad I'm alive as well." Francis trailed off. "What now?" Yao looked around unsurely.

"Let's see what's going on in the Paths."

"Yeah… Sounds good." The cats got unsteadily to their paws and clambered over the rocks towards the Black Path.

Francis and Yao padded carefully down the Black Path, stepping over a field of broken elements and materials that stretched on for tail lengths ahead. Fires raged in the distance and dogs barked furiously, no doubt looking for food. Each noise caused the toms to flinch. They had never been left on their own like this before, and danger lurked in every shadow. They walked on the tips of their toes with hackles on end as they tried to get their bearings. Yao sniffed as his eyes watered with sadness.

"I want to go home." The calico moaned.

"And we'll get there," Francis quipped with an edge to his voice. "As soon as we figure out which way goes where."

"How long will that take?" His friend wined. "Do you even know how to get back?"

"Of course!" Francis snapped. Truth was, he had no idea. But Yao was barely holding it together, and adding more uncertainty on top of it would surely cause the tom to go into hysterics.

"We just have to find-" Francis was cut off by the sound of rubble clinking from the top of a ruined den down to the path. It stopped ominously in front of them with a plunk, rolling to their paws.

A shout emanated from the top of the pile, and Francis and Yao leapt back, crouching down with claws out and ears back. Standing confidently at the peak were a group of rouge cats, with disheveled fur that hung off of malnourished frames. Dirt coated their pelts and stained their fangs yellow, their eyes were narrowed into slits, eyeing the toms like fresh kill.

The group stalked down the side of the den, gracing like living shadows towards them. Black claws glinted in the star light, and fangs were visible from their hissing mouths. Evil yellow eyes beamed like small suns in the dark. The rouges hissed in laughter.

"Well, well, well. Lookie here. A couple of house cats roaming our turf." The tom in the lead mocked. The others laughed behind him as they finally came to a stop in front of Francis and Yao. The two were now crouching with their belly fur skimming the ground, both shaking visibly out of fear.

"A-are we on your turf?" Francis asked nervously. "We hadn't noticed. If you'll just step aside we'll be on our w-"

"SHUT UP!" the lead tom snapped his jaws in Francis' face.

Francis yelped as he reared back. From this angle, the golden tom noticed an 'x' shaped scar across the rouge's shoulder. In fact, they all had this similar marking on their bodies in some matter. But Francis' view was blocked as the ragged cat shoved his mussel into his face.

"You fat faces strut around thinking you own the place all the time, waving those tails high in the air, stuffing your faces while the rest of us struggle on the streets like real cats do." The cat stepped closer, forcing Francis to franticly scrape backwards from him. "You have no right to be called cats! No right to have any of our food! No right to even be here!" he stopped, spitting the last words into Francis' face. "Well look now. Nature has spoken, it's uprooted the disease that is these Nofurs, and has chosen us as the rightful prowlers of this territory. The denning place is ours!" he hissed viciously.

Francis' was staring wide-eyed at him, unable to do anything besides crouch and shake. Yao wailed nervously as a few of the other cats circled him, separating the toms from each other.

"Now, we get to teach you a lesson you won't soon forget!" The tom raised a paw and lunged, swiping at Francis' face.

Acting on instinct, the golden tom ducked aside, allowing the rouge to sail overhead, landing with a frustrating yowl behind him. Francis leapt forward, pushing through the group of rogues who were momentarily distracted to nose Yao to his paws. The lead rouge howled in rage, ordering the cats after them as the toms raced down the Black Path, fluffed tails streaming out behind them.

Paws pounded down the street, Francis and Yao panted for breath, the rouges were behind them and gaining fast. Francis and Yao had never had to run like this before in their lives, their soft pads ached and bled against the hard surface and their muscles screamed in pain as they forced themselves to keep stretching their legs before them. Fear was their fuel, safety the destination as Francis scanned the road side for escape routes.

The lead rouge kept caterwauling behind them, urging his cats onward as rage boiled in his belly at being humiliated by a house pet. The cats kept up a steady hunting pace, the gap closing until the fleeing cat's tails were at their paws. One of the cats in the lead, a rather large tom, chuckled as he swiped a paw at Yao's swishing tail. The tom ahead yelped and tried to gain speed, but he was just too tired. The cats were still laughing, continuing to lash and snap at their tails.

They're playing with us. Francis growled to himself. They were no more than toys to these alley cats, puny mice they were content to toss back and forth before finally having the decency to end. Yao looked on the verge of crying, gazing desperately at Francis.

No! We will not be their prey! Francis turned with a snap, barreling into Yao, who let out a shriek, and changed directions, galloping right towards a wooden fence that was still surprisingly intact. Racing ahead of his friend, Francis kept going head long, urging Yao not to flinch and dash to the side. Stealing his nerve, Yao followed Francis as they used a plush bag of rubbish for leverage to launch over the fence and land safely on the other side.

Yao and Francis panted heavily as they listened to the yowls of the outraged cats outside. Despite being tough fighters, none were up to try and pull the same seemingly bone headed move they did. Francis had taken a huge leap of faith with that bag, but what had he left to loose. If he didn't try, the only other option awaited in their violently sharp claws.

Francis exchanged a look with Yao, and both cats found themselves mewing with laughter in spite of the situation. Their entire bodies shuddered with relief as the finally got the chance to settle. Suddenly, the paw steps started again, running farther down the road in the direction they had been heading before.

Are they running away? Francis looked down the narrow alley they were sitting in, and his eyes widened in despair. The path ran down continuously behind the fallen dens, and at the end, an opening leading to the street on the other side.

Oh, no.

"Yao!" Francis shrieked, startling his friend. "We have to go! There's a way in!"

Yao fluffed in fear again, and the toms turned and ran down the alley in the opposite direction.

The toms were breathing heavily from within their tight hiding space. Francis and Yao had found an almost invisible cleft between the fences that bordered the path and a few metal rubbish bins. The pressed closer to each other for comfort as they listed to the commotion outside. Shadows raced past as the rouges looked for the house pets that got away. The leader yowled in frustration at his cats' incompetence. Eventually, they got tired and padded away, trailing back to the street most likely to look for other cats to scare.

Francis and Yao sighed in relief as they crawled from their hiding spot. The cats collapsed to the ground, terror finally flooding out of their paws and seeped into the ground. Francis had never felt so glad to feel his heart still beating in his fur in his life.

"I am never taking our Nofur den for granted AGAIN!"

"Here… here." Yao breathed tiredly. "So. How are we going to get home?"

Francis looked around. Just to the right, another alley lined with wood fences stretched off into the distance. The scent of trees and grass met the curly tom's nose. Could that be the way outside?

Good enough for now. Francis groaned as he stood.

"Come, Yao." He beckoned with his tail. "Lady Nofur must be missing us something fierce by now." He tried to sound hopeful, but some flat tone entered his voice as he spoke. Yao shook his head in understanding, and they began their treck down the strait path, tails dragging the ground.

Fanfic factoid: Male calicos are extremely rare and valuable, which makes Yao an obvious choice to be owned by a rich lady. Francis just seemed too fabulous to have grown up on the street or anyone else's home. Speaking of breeds, I believe I described Alfred and Matthew to be ragamuffins. Don't know what they look like? Look it up. Very cute. Next chapter, we come full circle again.