Chapter Six: Not as Stupid as They Look

~Amaya's POV~A Few Days Later~

Saturday…

I opened my eyes not hearing anything but the radio by my bed singing a nice lullaby. And two sets of different breathing along with thirteen fuzzy bodies purring away. I sighed not bothering to get up. I never really had mornings like these once I'd become a Guardian, and I tended to milk it for what it was worth. My eyes drifted from one sleeping child's face to the other before I looked over the cats.

My eyes made sure to catalog them before I looked up at the ceiling. A week ago, I hadn't exactly been so sure about those cats, hell I still wasn't, but they hadn't done anything to further give me pause.

~Flashback~

Are you sure your cats aren't cursed… pretending to be cats?'' That same phrase rung in my mind like some demented monkey was replaying it just to drive me crazy all this week. Which, admittedly, it was.

But the one thing that I really couldn't believe about this was the fact that I hadn't checked myself. I mean sure they had been able to get inside the house's protective boundaries since they'd had my aunt's permission but at the same time they hadn't been allowed in until they were already in. How could I have been so stupid? Granted, the cats hadn't done anything to make me feel suspicious of them except for their curiosity but then again cats were always curious.

'You're rationalizing.' A tiny voice in my head said. 'You only rationalize when you want something to be true.'

'I know that already. Don't remind me.' I snapped wondering why the little voice sounded like Analia.

'But why not? You knew something was off about those cats since you first saw their color. What cat comes in pink?'

'I get it all right. I could've endangered Keira and Memphis.'

'Don't forget the fact that the portal in your closet was active after how many years of dormancy?' I growled feeling my skin prickle.

'I doubt a witch or wizard could've activated that thing unless they were in human form. And if they had turned human the shields in my closet would've fried them on the spot. Why am I even talking to you?'

'How should I know?' The voice sniggered. I sighed going into the driveway. Sometimes I questioned my sanity only for this to happen. That said something about me huh?

When the car was off and the other packages I'd picked up at the post office were in my arms I balanced the kittens and their box on top using magic. (Who said magic was only for emergencies?) The door opening was a plus since my arms were full. Though once I'd put the various boxes on the table the first box I opened was the kittens.

They had been meowing frantically for the past few minutes and now I saw why. My nose scrunched up as the smell of vomit hit my nose.

"Really?" I asked rhetorically picking up the sickly Chucky. "Uh-uh, where do you think you're going?" I asked catching Kit as he tried to make a mad dash for it. "You all stink and worse yet, your smelly. I don't tolerate dirty brats so be quiet and let me get this over with." I ordered glaring at all of them. I put Chucky on the sink before carrying the box over making sure Sparkle didn't commit suicide like he looked close to doing.

I turned on the warm water and waited until I was sure it was at a perfect temperature before I grabbed the kitty shampoo Sera had given me. I poured a tiny drop onto Chucky before I stuck him into the bath.

He meowed when the one drop instantly exploded into a shower of bubbles. I smiled before making sure to massage the soap into his fur wondering if whatever had made him orange would wash off.

No such luck as, once I'd turned him into a glorified puffball, he was still orange with the black dots.

"Well at least now I know you're a natural ginger." I muttered before making sure he stayed put with a saucer of milk and some tuna. I looked back at the box once I was sure Chucky was taken care of. I wrinkled my nose before grabbing Sleepy who looked like he'd slipped in the small pile of vomit. "I should be getting paid for this."

Once all the cats were puffballs I happily turned the box of vomit into ash. (Of course, I did that outside, no sense in ruining the floors).

"Alright you fluffs, get off the counter." I ordered taking them down. Some, like Dark Knight, Beauty, and Scarecrow jumped once they saw me put Pinky and Rose on the floor. The boys liked not being babied much. I looked at the clock.

3:34. Eh the kids wouldn't be getting out of school until 5, so I had time to take a nap. I yawned before making sure the kitchen was clean before I felt the familiar feeling of fire burn through me.

My joints all popped and cracked as my anatomy shifted. My hair felt like it cloaked my body as my clothes melted off my body and fur replaced my skin. I fell forward onto heavy black paws that clacked due to my claws. I arched my back as my tail finally sprung free. The total transformation only took a few seconds but to me it always felt so nice and soothing. Like I was getting a massage.

I yawned feeling my big jaws open as a growl reverberated in my chest. I shook my body before sitting down to lick my paws and get that damn itch that had started when my whiskers were growing.

"Meow?" I looked down at the kittens who were staring at me like they were either very scared or very shocked.

"What? Never seen a girl do that before?" I rumbled getting up and trotting out of the kitchen. My more finely tuned senses started to sense the cats following me and to their scents that were wafting through the house. My inner cat decided that they were barely worth the effort in dominating but couldn't stand the fact that their scents were so foreign. When I passed through the living room I couldn't help rubbing myself against the furniture, spreading my scent.

When I reached the stairs I went up to the second floor knowing that the kittens were still following like I was the Pied Piper. Which was a very scary thought.

I made sure to go into the kid's room and spread my scent before I went to my room and did the same thing before I looked at my closet that had been violated this morning. Well time to test what Sera had been saying. The cats stopped in the doorway when I hissed at them.

"I don't care if you're smaller than me, nor do I care if the brats love you. If you go in here again I will rip you to shreds." I snarled.

"Meee!" Kit was the first to nod. I nodded before trotting towards them. They moved aside but I didn't really acknowledge them. I was wondering how I couldn't understand them in my cat form. I'd always been able to understand cats of any kind when I was in Feline form. Same with my wolf form, canines were always heard.

I guess I should give it a test here.

I went back downstairs and straight to my usual spot, on the Persian rug right in the sun's direct rays. I plopped over without warning and started to roll around to get comfortable.

Once I was though I stopped moving and started purring as my eyes closed. To anyone else I looked like I was sleeping. Which, I kind of was, since cats can multi-task, even in sleep.

"Meow!" The sounds of the cats all talking at once made my ears flick, but I ignored them. Still no dice on the hearing them part. Yet they understood me without me trying to translate to another dialect. Which was odd.

"Oow~" I huffed and rolled over to open one eye. It looked to me like the kittens had decided to try and annoy me before the brats got a chance to. Beauty and Sparkle were fighting with each other, well more like arguing. Kit and Darknado were racing around from the stairs to the kitchen and back again with Dark Knight and Oreo watching them. Brittany and Sleepy were meowing to each other looking at the painting Keira had done of the backyard. Rose and Pinky were watching the boys and meowing to each other. If I didn't know any better I'd say those two were complaining about them.

I flicked my eyes to the side to see Cutie and Scarecrow looking at me. Those two were acting more like cats then their friends. Most cats were curious when I smelled the same in cat form as in human form. That was when they usually wanted to jump on me like excited puppies.

I spent the rest of the hour wondering just what was up with these cats. They didn't really seem to find me in panther form strange, though Oreo did start to bat my nose until I picked him up by the scruff of his neck and put him in the sink. Kit even started to play with my tail while Scarecrow and Cutie kept examining me. It was plain weird. Not to mention annoying when I found that I really couldn't understand them.

All I heard was meowing!

~End Flashback~

But since then, the cats had seemed to take more precaution about annoying me. Well, most of them did anyway.

"Maya…" I felt a poke on my side. I wrinkled my nose and grumbled. "Maya…"

"I'm sleeping'." I grumbled keeping my eyes closed. It usually worked.

"It's time to get up." Memphis cried. I slit one eye open to look at the clock.

"Brat, it's six in the morning! Go back to sleep."

"But we don't want to!" Keira whined. I rolled over and wrapped my arms around her before pulling her closer. "Maya!"

"What? I'm trying to sleep baby." I mumbled. Memphis started moving around on the bed. Oh sh*t.

"WAKE UP!" I felt the push and didn't think much of it until I felt the edge of the bed. I glared.

"Don't you dare brat." I warned. Keira started wiggling as Memphis grinned and continued to push me. I let Keira go right when I fell off the bed. I yelped when the blankets chose that moment to wrap around me and cushion my fall. It didn't stop my arm from banging into the hardwood floor though. I growled as the kids laughed. "That's it!" I kicked my way out of the blankets before I managed to stand up.

I glared at Keira and Memphis before shifting. The familiar burn was there but instead of turning into a panther this time, I shifted into a wolf. Keira and Memphis screamed before taking off into the hallway. I howled before launching myself after them. The cats, bless them, were more aware enough to get the hell out of the way as I clattered into the hall.

I howled again once I was on top of the stairs before I ran down into the living room. And so began the Chase. (It's a game we'd invented when Memphis had pushed me off the bed. But that time I'd turned into a tiger.)

I jumped over the couch in time to slide and catch Memphis. I shifted back into a human before I struggled with him.

"You brat! You're going to pay for that!" I yelled. Memphis shrieked when I finally locked his legs and arms. I grinned wickedly before my fingers descended. "Time for your punishment, boy!" I growled as Memphis laughed and shrieked as I tickled him to death.

"Keira~ Help… Meeee~!" Memphis managed to yell.

"AHHH!" Keira yelled before coming at me. I flipped to grab her and bind her too before I spoke.

"Two on one? That's just not fair!" Keira and Memphis screamed and yelled calling for mercy as I tickled them mercilessly. "Do you give up?" I asked a few minutes later. Keira wiggled out of my grasp and struck a pose.

"NEVER!" I grinned before shifting again. They screamed before taking off again. I raced after them as a wolf again.

I'm fairly sure the cats thought we were insane. Well, I know they thought we were insane, especially after Keira offered up Sparkle and Brittany. I merely held them for a few seconds before darting after Memphis.

Our game only ended when the doorbell rang, and after I'd caught Memphis and Keira again for the third time. I laughed as Keira and Memphis were too weak from laughing to get up again.

"Serves you right brats." I snickered as Keira stuck out her tongue.

The door swung open before I could even unlock the door. Not that I was really surprised since I recognized the magic signatures on the other side.

"AMAYA!"

"NOOO!" I screamed quickly back-tracking when I caught sight of the devil, AKA, Ariel Cloud. She grinned seeing me trying to get away. Of course, she did what was natural (well she did the first thing that came to mind, always did) she tackled me.

"We could hear you torturing the brats from our house, so we came to see if we could join." Analia said. Keira and Memphis squeaked.

"Hell no, you know- get off Ariel- that those brats are mine!" I clicked my tongue as Ariel didn't even budge. I looked at Analia imploringly. "Help me please?"

"What do I get in return?" Analia asked surveying the destruction area.

"My undying gratitude and loyalty!" I offered.

"Meh, I already have that." Analia snorted plopping down on the loveseat. I huffed before leaning back. I was prepared to just let Ariel get it all out of her system when my eyes caught sight of Beauty, Sparkle, and Brittany. I grinned evilly.

Beauty was the only one not fast enough to run away. I made sure to hold his paws firmly before looking down at the twenty-year-old witch still glued to my mid-section.

"Ariel, look! Look at the fuzzy kitty!" Ariel's head snapped up before her eyes dilated. Which was very… disconcerting.

"Kitty~!" She moaned before rocketing off me. When I looked up she was on the couch playing with Beauty who was glaring at me.

"You're mean." Analia smirked from the loveseat. I sighed getting up.

"I know, but at least she's occupied. That's all I care about right now." I looked over at Keira and Memphis who were playing with Kit and Darknado already. "Hey brat's, what do you want for breakfast?"

"Pancakes!"

"Eggs and bacon!"

"Both!" Analia called. I rolled my eyes as I walked into the kitchen. Of course, I didn't have to wait long before Analia came in looking serious and extremely dangerous.

"So, what are you doing with cats? And why didn't we know?"

"Keira and Memphis." I said as a way of explanation. I didn't have long to wait to see the suspicion.

"They brought them home?" Analia asked narrowing her eyes. "From where?"

"Don't worry about it. They got in through the shields around the house without permission. Even after they got permission they haven't done anything that makes me suspicious." I murmured seriously.

"And you're the expert for 'suspicious nature' are you?" Analia asked bending quickly to grab Cutie.

"Just because I'm retired doesn't mean I've gone soft." I muttered narrowing my eyes at her treatment of Cutie. What I was very protective. Cutie started growling at the treatment he was being given.

"We should check right now to see if they're okay."

"Analia I had them checked at the hospital. If anything was wrong with them, sabotage-wise, then the Healers would've said something."

"You know I don't really trust Healers."

"I think Sera would've been a good judge of character." I protested before snagging Cutie from Analia's suspicious gaze. "Will you stop staring at my Cutie like that? Your ugly face might scar him."

"F*ck you!" Analia hissed before straightening. "I'm a lady."

"Uh huh." Analia stuck out her tongue. I kissed Cutie on the head to get back at her before putting him on the floor.

"Hey Maya, I know we've been friends forever but your hostess skills suck." Ariel called. I snorted before calling back.

"You've got two arms and legs; you go get something."

"But I might get lost!"

"She's right you know; she'll end up in the garage or bathroom." Analia said distantly.

"Kids, breakfast is ready! And feed your cats, Cutie's staring at me." I yelled, ignoring Analia. If Ariel could find a needle in a haystack then she could find the damn kitchen. (She has done that.)

"FOOD!" Keira and Memphis ran in. I raised an eyebrow making Keira backtrack to feed her cats first. Memphis followed her lead like a good brother.

"Yay, food!" Ariel came in giggling as Beauty meowed. It surprised me that that one cat was begging. He seemed like a loner. Well, no, Scarecrow was the loner there, but Beauty was a close second. I opened the fridge and grabbed some juice. (There was no way in hell I was giving Ariel any soda for breakfast no matter how much she said it was okay.)

Keira and Memphis finished feeding the cats under my watchful gaze.

"So, when you going grocery shopping?" Ariel asked after clearing her airway. It creeped me out that she could detach her jaw like that. And yes, she was the… saner one of us three.

What?" I asked distractedly.

"It's that time of the week." Analia reminded. Right, every week I had to go grocery shopping. The kids tended to eat four times a day, and sometimes five. And their mother insisted that her kids eat healthy foods. Analia and Ariel were the only two I trusted to watch over my brats while I was grocery shopping. (I wasn't crazy enough to take the kids with me. We'd never leave the store.)

"Right. I remember... But I hate shopping." I whined. "There's too many humans." Analia chuckled.

"You're going to have to get over your aversion to humans some time sis. Might as well start now." Analia pointed out.

"Why is it that out of you and Ariel I end up with more problems?" I asked looking up at the ceiling as if it could give me the answers.

"Just lucky I guess." Analia grinned.

"B*tch." I muttered.

"You mean witch! And damn proud of it!" Analia beamed like an idiot.

"You're an idiot." I sighed.

"Yeah but you love me still."

"Only because you give out great Christmas presents." I said cheerfully. She smacked my head lightly.

"For that you can take Ariel with you." I eyed her before looking to Keira and Memphis' too innocent faces.

"I don't know if I can trust you with them. You've never been alone with them."

"If you can't trust me who can you trust?" I blinked before shrugging. She had a point.

"Be good children. Don't go running amok!" I ordered sternly.

"We won't!" Keira called. Memphis got up and ran to stand in front of me before showing me his adorable face.

"Can I go with you?" I knelt.

"Not this time sweetie. Maybe next time"

"But I never get to go with you!" Memphis cried stomping his foot.

"You went last time. Remember the man you didn't like?" I asked referring to the last guy who'd tried to hit on me in public with my brats. Memphis had sent a giant snake after him that kept calling 'loser!'. I had trained my brats well. (Mwahahaha.)

"He deserved it for trying to take you away!" Memphis said stubbornly. I smiled slightly.

"And I thank you for that. What would I do without my big strong man?" Behind him I could see Analia about to lose her composure. I glared before smirking. "But Ana needs you here to watch over her and Keira. I'll be fine Memphis. I have Ariel."

"Don't worry kid, I'll make sure no guy takes her away." Ariel said firmly. Memphis still didn't look convinced.

"I'll bring you back some Gatorade and Dorito's okay?"

"Okay." I held out my arms. He readily hugged me.

"Be good all right? I'm just going to the store. I'll be back in an hour." He nodded. I put him down before waving. "Be a good girl Keira! I'll bring you some hot wings!"

"And Gatorade!"

"Got it!" I called, closing the door.

"You know, you'd make a good mother." Ariel commented. I smacked her head. "Ow!"

"Stop talking nonsense. Let's go. The faster we get there, the faster we can get back."

GM NASAI: I have some more witch types for you all:

Umbra- Latin for shadow. And believe it or not these witches are like Nara's only instead of being able to manipulate shadows they can actually create shadows and use them as portals.

Darkling- Even witches have evil witches. But to become a Darkling a witch has to lose all sense of right and wrong and also sacrifice the one thing she loves most. Either that or kill an innocent.

Crone- There are only five Crones for almost every continent. They are the Witch Elders who help guide the younger generations.

Lupi- The children born of werewolves and witches. It happens sometimes. Believe me if you've seen those sexy beasts you'd understand.

Lamin- The children born of vampires and witches. Yeah basically witches tend to have sex and children with almost all types of humanoid creatures.

That's true about witches cross-breeding but the interesting part is that those who've cross-bred have children who are stronger than either parent. The talents end up transferring to their children and grandchildren down the line.