Hi, I'm trying to update as fast as possible because soon I won't be able to update for a little while, but that's actually not too close I just want to get this done soon. Had this brainstorm in Science (don't worry, I didn't miss out any work, I'd already done more than Miss said.) and I just had to get started! Plus I got my R.E thing done so I'm on a high again. Seriously, I started this within half an hour of posting Chap 14 :)
Taz: MusicRocks doesn't own me, scoobs5601 does and I'm originally from Inside A Red Notebook!
Me: True dat. Now, onto the chapter!
Early the next morning, Tina woke up and saw Mikayla lurking around outside the cave again. She started mewling and batting at her parents to warn them, despite Mikayla's signals to shut up. Shira woke up first, saw Mikayla, and had to resist the urge to attack. Gently, Shira nuzzled Tina, calming her down, before setting all seven cubs against a sleeping Diego.
"Just stay here, sweetie. I'll deal with Mikayla," she whispered into Tina's little black ear. The small cub nodded, and snuggled into her father's fur. Shira kissed her on the head, kissed Diego on the cheek, and nuzzled the other cubs before leaving the cave.
Mikayla blushed, but tried to act as if nothing ever happened. "Shira," she muttered as a greeting. Shira rolled her eyes.
"Mikayla," she replied, wasting no time in cutting to the chase "Why were you hanging around like a stalker outside our cave?"
"I wasn't," she tried to deny, but it was pointless "Okay fine, I was, so what?"
Shira growled. "So, you were invading our personal space, creepily watching us sleep, and freaking out my kids! That's out of order, Mikayla!"
"Hush up, you'll wake someone!" hissed Mikayla. Shira growled again.
"I don't care, at least you'll get caught as the obsessed wacko you are!"
Mikayla rolled her eyes. "Listen to yourself, you sound like a teenager! Grow up already!"
"Oh, you're telling me to grow up?! Have you seen yourself lately?!"
"And what's that supposed to mean?" snapped Mikayla. This time Shira rolled her eyes.
"It means you're childish, I thought that was fairly clear."
Mikayla hissed. "Look here, Sea-Cat. He's going to be mine, ya got that?!"
"Sea-Cat? Was that supposed to be an inuslt?" Shira was almost laughing "I'm a sabre-toothed cat and I grew up at sea, why would I be offended by that?"
Instead of retaliating, Mikayla growled and spat in Shira's face. Her eyes narrowing, Shira tried to lunge at Mikayla, but the normally-stealthy sabre lost her footing over the debris of the fire from last night and fell forward. Mikayla laughed.
"You weak, pathetic Kitty-Cat!" she chuckled. Shira growled.
"Don't. Call me that."
"Kitty-Cat, Kitty-Cat, Kitty-Cat!" chanted Mikayla, like a young cub would. Remembering her own cubs, Shira knew that she couldn't kill Mikayla, as Tina was most likely awake and watching, and if there was a death the other cubs would wake up, and then Diego would wake up and... she shook the thought away. He probably wouldn't believe she'd been stalking them, or doing anything wrong at all, so Shira would get the blame for striking first.
To stop herself from letting her violent nature get out of control, Shira ran out of the clearing, terribly unwanted tears stinging her eyes. Mikayla smirked in triumph, counting the fact that Shira fled as a victory.
"Point Mikayla," she whispered under her breath.
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" came a voice from behind.
"What the-" Mikayla turned around, to see a small, slender possum with a dark fringe that fell over one eye glaring at her "Oh, it's just you."
"Yeah, just me. The fatal and tragically over-looked flaw in your plan," Taz smirked "I'm. Telling. Diego."
Mikayla walked forward, a menacing glint in her eyes and a scowl on her face. "What was that?"
Taz gulped, suddenly realising for the first time just how big Mikayla's teeth were. "I'm. Running. For my life."
Screaming, Taz ran out into the forest too, attempting to follow Shira, but she didn't know where the sabre was. Mikayla smirked again.
"And the score is: Mikayla two, Shira and her dumb 'friends', zero. Just how I like it."
Meanwhile, somewhere in the forest, a silver sabre ran through the trees, dodging the odd bush or log, occasionally becoming unbalanced, but never falling. She had tears down her cheeks, and a lot of worries and regrets in her head. She regretted leaving so unexpectedly, without even waking Diego, or anyone else for that matter, and she worried that Diego would have a freak attack if he woke up and she was gone. Of course, the cubs were there, so at least he'd know that she wasn't just a dream, that everything he remembered from yesterday really happened.
"Oh Shira, you're so dumb..." she sighed to herself, thinking she was alone.
"I'd argue, but for once you're right," came an all to familiar voice.
"No," she breathed, turning around "No, no, no!"
A figure that Shira had grown far too used to emerged from the trees, the wound on his back unbandaged, leaving it vunerable. Shira took note of this as the monster advanced on her. She expected one of those long villain-hero conversations that resulted in a battle, but instead he leapt forward without a word, stabbing a fish-bone sword into her leg and quickly drawing blood. She winced in pain, but didn't dare cry out in case she was taunted.
He pinned her to the ground, pressing her face into the dirt. Knowing she couldn't breathe right, he stood on the back of her head, forcing her face even further into the earth. She tried to ask something, but he couldn't hear through all the dirt, not that he cared, it was a comfort to know his enemy couldn't protest.
"Oh poor, poor little Kitty," he whispered into her ear "You should've known not to mess with the Master of the Seas."
Diego awoke with a start, wondering if he'd dreamed up Shira and his cubs. Needless to say, he was relieved to see the seven fluffballs lying beside him, but he wondered where Shira could be. If the cubs were real, then surely Shira had to be too... right? Only one way to find out...
"Sid!" hollered Diego, growing embarressed when he noticed his cubs had awakened. One squirming little figure amongst the others caught Diego's eye as he waited for the smelly sloth. Tina, the smallest of the litter, who was identical to her mother, even down to her eyes, which were the same azure blue. Diego plucked the child up and licked her gently, comforted that if this cub looked so much like Shira, his beatiful Kitty must've returned.
"Hey Diego!" called Sid, running into the cave, before stopping at the entrance and covering his eyes "Oops, can I come in? You guys aren't... you know."
Diego rolled his eyes. "She's not even in here, Sid. Just me and the cubs."
"Oh, okay..." the sloth entered the cave "So, where is she?"
"I was going to ask you that," admitted Diego "You did see her yesterday, right? You remember the campfire and everything?"
"Well, I don't remember anything after the lullaby... I think I dozed off... but I definitely saw her. I remember, I saw you her when she jumped out of the bushes to grab the falling cub. Y'know, you never introduced your kids to the rest of the herd," Sid pointed out. Diego sighed.
"I know, I'll introduce you all to them when Shira gets back. She's probably just off hunting or something."
They couldn't of been more wrong...
Gutt laughed cruelly as he raked his claws down Shira's side, grinning evilly as he saw her blood stain the grass. He'd already re-opened the long-forgotten wound down her back, and he'd had to re-create some of the cuts and bruises he had given to her the night she allowed the herd to steal his ship. She was in immense pain, but she still tried to fight back, which always resulted in more painful scratches from Gutt's long claws.
"Surrender?" he asked in a sickly-sweet voice. He'd asked her that many times, and she'd always said no, but then she gave up. Shira nodded weakly, before closing her eyes and laying her head down on her paws.
He smirked. "Good. Now Kitty-" she flinched at the use of her wretched nickname "-I want you to listen closely. You are not to tell anybody about this. That miserable excuse of a herd cannot find out I was here."
"H-how could they not find out? I-I'm beaten down and bleeding!" she panted. Gutt gripped her neck.
"Because you are going to tell them that you were attacked by some bears. Right?" he hissed, tightening his grip. Shira couldn't speak properly, because of his hold on her neck, but she did her best.
"Y-yes, Gutt."
"Say it like a pirate," he said, with a warning tone in his voice.
"Aye Aye, Captain," she choked out. He smiled.
"There's a good Kitty," he released her, and patted her head "Now, off you go."
"G-go where?" stammered Shira. She was in no state to move! Where could she go?
Gutt shrugged. "I don't care, but I'm leaving. Have a safe journey, if you can survive the first few steps!"
Shira watched as Gutt swung off into the trees, cackling darkly. She attempted to stand, but struggled. After several attempts, she managed to shakily stand, but she had to wait while she regained her breath before she could even try to move. Painfully, she padded through the trees, before collapsing in the bushes.
"Oh, Diego..." she moaned "Please, please find me!"
Dang it! Such a short chapter! So sorry, but I can't put anymore in for plot reasons. :(
Thanks for reading, please review! XD