I walked calmly toward the portal to the Graveyard. I had told my mate, Nyou, that there was going to be a trial tonight but she of course wanted me to stay. She never really liked the idea that I was part of the Soul Jury, the Death Cats who decide whether your soul can go straight to its destined place or if it must become a Demon or Ghost first. This trial wasn't my fault, Muju, the Soul Judger and my neighbour's mate, had told me that date had been changed due to a miscalculation only a day before its date. I reached the little ditch that the portal was placed and hopped in, coming out in the Graveyard. I took my spike and glanced around the other members of the Court. Muju sat on her Judge Throne and the Jury sat on their spikes whispering and looking at something in front of Muju. I looked over there. knowing that the soul of the deceased being trialled sat there. I choked back a sob of pity, the soul was a young female kit. She sat sobbing and looking around at us all with terror. Many feared their trial, but all had to face it. Suddenly everyone's head flicked up to Muju. This was normal, it only meant that the trial was about to begin. Muju stood, "state your name, kit." The kit flinched and looked up at her. "M-my name's Hedoufaren..." Hedoufaren's voice trailed off, she obviously was unsure whether she should call her 'ma'am' or anything like that. "Well Hedoufaren, you know why you are here, so first we shall tell you how you died," Muju said, "you were bitten by a python and died from it's poison." The kit gasped, she had obviously not known. "Before we go on, we must view your life and then I shall decide your place of belonging." Muju said. Hedoufaren suddenly dipped her head and a golden mist swirled from her open mouth. Pictures flashed in the mist which floated upward. Within a couple of minutes it faded away and Hedoufaren gasped and jerked her head up. Within a couple of minutes, we had seen a replay of her entire life. Muju looked down at her with a slight smile which seemed to calm Hedoufaren slightly. "You have lead a good life, it is unfortunate that it had to end so soon," Muju said, "you are very worthy of the heavens, and no where else." the kit looked very relieved, but that faded quickly and she started staring around at the Jury, she knew what came next. "Before you may go to the heavens, of course, you must face the Soul Jury, and from the replay of your life, they will decide whether you may leave this world." Muju told her. The Jury looked around at each other and whispered in the ancient language. Slugendosui, who sat on a spike beside me, turned to look at me. "Eht erutuf fo siht tik si etihw, reh lous sgnoleb ot eht mlear fo eht gnivil on erom..." she said in the slow, hissing words of the ancient language. her message had meant 'The future of this kit is white, her soul belongs to the realm of the living no more'. I could hear the rest hissing similar words. When we see a soul's life we also see a fraction of it's future, her future was a white glow, meaning that she was not to become a Ghost. "Sey, ew lla was ti..." I hissed to her, which meant 'Yes, we all saw it'. "Ti si dediced...!" a cat hissed, meaning 'It is decided'. "Eht rewsna si on..." the cat nearest Muju hissed to her, meaning 'The answer is no'. "It has been decided, your soul may go to the heavens." Muju told Hedoufaren, who had been staring at the Jury hissing in an unfamiliar language. The kit vanished in a beautiful flash of gold. I walked home that night and brought a bunny home. Makia saw me coming and started bouncing and fluttering his wings in excitement. Makia, my son, still couldn't fly properly, but he learnt quickly. "Mama, dad's home!" he cried to Nyou, who had wandered over and lied on her side with a moan. I felt a stab of panic. Was it happening? Nyou had been expecting another kit and it was due any day. I landed and put down the prey. "Nyou? Are you okay?" I asked her. "I-I'm okay..." she said and looked up at me with a smile. We sat and ate the prey I had brought home and we were getting ready to sleep when Nyou let out a cry and pawed at her overlarge belly. "Soon..." she whispered. Around midnight it happened and by morning Nyou lay curled purring at the small black and red fluff-ball. Mya, we had named our new daughter. Makia had been so happy at first, but of course later on he grew jealous because Mya needed more attention. He had always been slightly edgy, complaining because we wouldn't let him explore beyond GreatFalls. But Mya seemed to add to it, and one day I came home from another trial to find Mya sleeping and Nyou sobbing. "What's wrong?" I asked worriedly. "H-he's gone! Our kit, our son, Makia ran away! He said we w-were holding him back, and he flew away, I-I could have caught him! If only I had wings too..." she sobbed. I searched every inch of GreatFalls that night but Makia was nowhere to be found. The next day was a sad and quiet one, Nyou started crying once in a while. Months later, Mya was old enough to learn to hunt so Nyou took her hunting. I would have taken her but it was better that Mya learnt by someone else who didn't have wings. They hunted for hours, and suddenly I heard an ear-splitting screech of pain form Nyou. I rushed to her in time to see a foaming-mouthed cat pull his fangs out of Nyou's shoulder. I swooped down and broke the cat's neck in one swipe. I knew I would enjoy when I got to be at that cat's trial... Nyou collapsed and I lifted her and a terrified Mya onto my back and we flew home where I took care of Nyou the best I could. I even had to miss that cat's trial. After a couple of days I knew that I needed help. I took her and Mya to Frolinio, our neighbour, and he did all he could. I even volunteered to let him take my energy to give to Nyou. But after a week, the extra energy had no affect, and one day I was woken by Mya's scream. I rushed to her and found her sobbing in horror by Nyou's body. Nyou wasn't breathing and I knew she never would again... I let out a wail and collapsed sobbing on the ground. Frolinio and Muju rushed in and stood in shock and dismay. We buried Nyou's body that night and headed home. I blamed myself for everything that happened to Nyou. I stopped eating and talking, wishing I would just die but I knew that was impossible. Mya grew worried but I didn't care about anything anymore. I stopped going to trials even. One day I was wandering the mountains when I saw a large Energy Cat. She was staring and me with a smirk and I had the feeling she had seen everything, including Nyou's death. "Who are you and what is your business? You do not live here." I growled to her. "Ohh but I do..." she purred with a deadly sweet voice. "Liar!" I snarled. She laughed, "I live here with my kit, but only in the summer when it is too hot for us to live in the Savannah. I saw what happened to your mate. Pity, I was good friends with her when we were young." her eyes flashed as though she had said something funny. "Oh?" I said, becoming a bit more interested. "Yes, Muju too, I hear she's gotten quite the job. Soul Judger!..." she said sounding impressed. "Yes, that's quite a hard position to get. I'm merely a Jury member." I said. "Oh-ohh! You are a member of the Soul Court? My! Just getting into the Court is nearly impossible," she said, "But you know, Nyou's death isn't your fault. There was nothing you could do about it..." my fur pricked and my ears swivelled, giving her my full attention. A deadly grin flickered onto her face but disappeared so fast I thought I imagined it. "Who's fault could it be then?" I asked. "That Energy Cat, Frolinio's, of course! He is a Healer, he should be able to save anything, if there's anyone I'd take my anger for Nyou's death out on, it would be him." she said with a slight growl. "What would you do?" I asked. The deadly grin flickered onto her face again, but this time it stayed. "I'd kill him," she said, "But since you're a Death Cat, you could do it just by opening your eyes..." with a jolt I realized that I had my eyes closed, she thought I could kill just be opening my eyes like other Death Cats. "But, I couldn't do that!" I said. "And why not?!" she demanded, sounding annoyed. I opened my eyes and she squealed. But she quickly got over the fright when she realized she wasn't dead yet. "You're blind." she said, frustrated. "Yes, so I can't kill." I told her. "No matter, you can just kidnap him." she said as though it was as easy as hunting mice. "What would I do with him after that if I can't kill him?" I said, getting annoyed. "I can take care of that." she said, "You just need to kidnap him and knock him unconscious, then I'll come and take care of the rest." She turned and left before I could reply. I headed home and thought about what she had said. The next night, Frolinio flew over and told me how sorry he was. I knew that was my chance. I lashed out and my powerful paw knocked him out. Mya gasped but I ignored her. Sure enough, the Energy Cat flew into view. She swooped down and tapped me and Frolinio. There was a sickening rush downward and next thing I knew, I was standing on the island in the exact same spot, but Mya was gone. "I teleported us to another dimension." the Energy Cat told me. "Now what?" I asked. "Now," she said, "we take him to Ice and bury him in snow where he can freeze to death alone. And if you were wondering, my name is Daref." The name sounded familiar, I was sure that Nyou had talked about her, I just didn't know if she had said good or bad about her. Daref tapped me and Frolinio again and we were in Ice. We buried him in the snow and suddenly she turned on me. "HOW COME I NEVER GOT TO BE HAPPY???" she yelled, "NYOU GOT A GOOD MATE AND KITS AND SO DID MUJU, BUT MY MATE ABUSED ME! I NEVER GOT TO BE HAPPY IT'S NOT FAIR!". "What-?" I started but she cut me off, "I WAS THE ONE WHO CREATED THE POISON THAT WAS IN THE CAT THAT BIT NYOU. I KILLED NYOU SO THAT SHE COULDN'T BE HAPPY EVER AGAIN, AND I TRICKED YOU INTO BRINGING FROLINIO HERE TO DIE SO MUJU WILL NEVER BE HAPPY. BUT NOW YOU KNOW, SO YOU MUST DIE TOO!". I actually laughed at that. "I can't die!" I said. "Ah-hah-hah-hah-hah!!!" she cackled, "But you can't change dimension! You will be stuck here forever... But you cannot stay with Frolinio, you might wake him and he might take you back, I can't allow that. So, good bye Feduna!" I didn't know how she knew my name but I followed my instincts and swiped at her. She screamed and fell to the ground, her back broken. But when I brought me paw down to snap her neck she stuck her paw up and I was teleported to another dimension. I looked around and found myself in the Playground. "NO!!!" I shrieked, "YOU FILTHY LYING CAT! YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE CAUSED ME!!!" My legs trembled with rage and I realized how tired I was from the dimension and map changing. I fought to stay up but my exhaustion took over and I collapsed. I whispered to the wind, "I will kill you Daref, you will pay..." then my world turned black...
Picture of Feduna
