Fall

to undefeated

Fall

*"Is someone out there?"*

*Nightwhisker and I both freeze as the voice rings out into the silence. It must be the night guard. I inhale sharply, wondering what's going to happen.*

*If the guard comes and finds us, Nightwhisker's actions will be revealed.*

*But he'd also kill the guard.*

*If nothing happens, the guard will not die, but my life will continue to be in danger.*

*"Quiet, now, my little sapling," Nightwhisker breathes into my ear. His voice is so quiet, his breath so warm, that I want to squirm away from his touch. But I can't. So I don't.*

*And we wait.*

The cavern falls silent.

I take half a second to wonder why Dreidel would say that when a shocked laugh breaks the silence.

"Seriously?" Some cat near the front of the crowd snorts. "So Rhade and them weren't just spouting off nonsense?"

"Griff, shut up!" some other cat hisses, and the bold speaker falls silent. Dreidel's claw-sharp glare sweeps over the watching cats, daring anyone else to step out of line.

Finally, she relaxes and reverts to her usual, unemotional self. "The first contender is Aaryi, the undefeated champion. Who will be the challenger?"

Perhaps it's because of the announcement that the champions would have to fight, but no one says a word. No one even *moves*.

Finally, the cat who had spoken up earlier - Griff? - sighs and steps forward. "If I have to go out, I may as well go out fighting a champion." He sends me a cocky grin, and I feel myself get a little closer to the brink of despair.

Griff is a medium-sized cat, but muscles ripple under his brownish ginger tabby coat, and his green eyes are sharp with intelligence. He may have been foolishly bold in speaking out, but... I'd say he's going to be pretty unpredictable here on the battlefield.

In Kaeben's place, Dreidel gives us the command to start and sits back, licking at her front paw and peering at us from a narrowed eye.

I turn my attention back to my opponent. "I can't decide if you're foolish or brave," I tell him, dropping into a well-practiced, familiar crouch.

"I can't decide if you're trying to save yourself or just a murderer," he retorts cheekily, but somehow it doesn't sound mean. His gaze is bright and excited, but I can detect a slight flicker of fear in there, too.

I mean, really... nobody *wants* to die.

"Well? Are we gonna wait all day? I've got places to be, cats to meet." He scoffs; we all know that's not true. We're not going *anywhere*. But I tense anyways in response to his challenge, and then I leap forward, aiming for his throat. I'd like to make this as quick and painless as possible for him.

But he dodges quickly; apparently his muscular build doesn't hinder his speed at all. Within heartbeats he's back, his paws buffeting my ears and head, reopening some old wounds and probably inflicting some new ones, too. I can feel the warm blood dripping down my cheeks as I use my front paws to shove him away, and despite my better judgment, I feel so...

"Come on!" he calls, chuckling as he struggles to keep his balance. Cats in the circle around us step back quickly, as though afraid we'll step on them - and with our strength here, we just might. He readies himself for another attack and rushes at my face.

...*alive*.

The wind from his attack stirs the stagnant air in here, and I can't help but grin as I jump sideways to dodge his attack, turn quickly on my paws, and launch myself into his side. We tumble over each other, clearing a path in the middle of the watching cats who were too interested to move away before. We struggle and grapple; his paws push at my shoulders, and I get a few extra strikes on his muzzle before his legs - which are just a little bit longer than mine - force me to stop, flailing in midair.

We roll together, not even bothering to direct our fight back into the fighting circle. Somehow I end up on top for a moment, but my legs just aren't long enough to reach to the ground and pin him there, so he quickly flips us over, planting his paws on the ground around my body. He's panting hard as he stares down at me, saliva running out of the sides of his mouth. I understand how he feels. We're on fire together.

"Well, this is... pleasant," he murmurs, shifting his weight from one side to the other, back and forth, back and forth. "I wish we could just pause here."

"I know," I whisper, trying to ignore the way his eyes flicker over my body, taking in my own muscles, my sleek fur, and my eyes, which must be as equally charged with adrenaline as his are. "But we can't."

Right on cue, Dreidel shouts at us from somewhere far away. "Keep fighting, before I go over there and kill you both!" The crowd of cats rumbles nervously, pushing even farther away from us. Some cats are probably getting run over or squished in between the others as they all move independently, but I can't even think about them right now. I'm just... drowning in this forest of emotion right in front of me.

"Shall we go?" Griff's mouth twists into a sort of half smile. I smile back at him, feeling the way he's shifting his weight, and then -

Right when he shifts onto his right side, I roll forcefully to the left, pushing off of him to gain momentum. He stumbles and falls sideways, crashing into a younger black cat, who squeaks and scrambles out of the way. I take a few running leaps back over to him, jumping on top of him and digging my claws into his skin, *hating* that I have to do this. But I do have to.

I have to survive.

He doesn't even seem surprised as his blood gushes out between my claws. "It's been fun," he says softly, and cats still standing nearby lean in to hear what he's saying. "I won't miss this place, but I'll miss the fights."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." I try to look brave, to stay calm, but my voice shakes a little bit as he trembles beneath me. "I'm so sorry," I whisper.

"Nah, it's fine. Let me go out quickly, okay?" All of the tension goes out of his limbs, and he just seems to relax into the ground, like he's giving me permission to steal his life. "Goodbye, Champ."

"Goodbye." I close my eyes. I refuse to cry. Not yet.

Then I brace myself and slash my claws across his throat. He twitches and bleeds, and his eyes flicker as he sits on the precipice between life and death. But then he's gone, his eyes closing halfway, his head falling to the side, his whole body sagging - not relaxing - sagging, limp, lifeless, *gone*.

A sob escapes my throat, and tears run down my cheeks. *I can't breathe.*

I start to fall.

Someone catches me.

My legs tremble, and I stand unsteadily, wavering, until I start to fall sideways as my legs just... buckle out from under me. But someone rushes to my side, pushing their furry body in between me and the ground, letting out a little *oof* as they bear my full weight on top of them. They squirm out from under me, letting me rest gently against the stone-cold ground.

"Don't you just go dyin' on me, ya hear?"

I try to look through the tears welling up in my eyes. "Kayn?" I ask hoarsely, as the image of her thin white shape comes into focus.

"You're not allowed to die until I kill you. Got that?" She snorts and walks away. Somewhere in the distance, Dreidel dismisses most of the gathered cats, calling a few unlucky souls to stay back and help clean up the blood from our fight.

Because it wasn't just *my* fight. It was *ours*.

I close my eyes and lay my head against the ground, lying there for what feels like quite some time, just trying to breathe, steady breaths in and out, punctuated by the occasional hiccup. Finally, when it seems like I have myself back under control, I slowly open my eyes, as the pattering of little paws and the tapping of claws against the stone approaches me.

I force my eyes to open fully and look up at the little cat who's coming closer to me. She's *tiny* - she can't be a newborn kit, given how long we've been here, but she may well be the youngest cat I've ever seen down here. The thought almost breaks my heart - but it simply *shatters* when she speaks.

"What did you do to my big brother?" she asks, her voice small and shrill and terrified. "Where did he go?"

"Who?" I ask, fearing the answer despite already knowing who she's talking about. I just can't think about this. I just can't -

"Big brother Griffi!" she mews, her face twisting into a tragedy. "He helped me when I was alone - when no one wanted to help me - when they didn't care -" She lets out a tiny cry of distress and starts to cry.

"No, no, please," I beg, rolling onto my paws and forcing myself to stand steady. "No, don't cry. Please. I'm so sorry..."

She just cries and cries, her high-pitched kitten voice echoing everywhere and drawing the stares of all the cats who stayed nearby. I can feel their judgment even from a distance, as they lean in to whisper to each other, all the while casting sideways glances at me and the little kit.

An unfortunately familiar reddish-brown cat comes up behind the kit, pulling her in close and gently nuzzling the area between her ears. "Shhh, my little Bee. Don't be mad at her. She didn't mean it. You'll be alright." But between her comforting words, Rhade glares up at me, her fierce amber gaze conveying one message and one message only: *You had better fix this.*

I shake my head helplessly, trying to take deep breaths, to keep my breathing steady. I don't know what to do. I just don't know.

*What have I done...?*

I awaken, every bone in my body aching.

My eyes try to focus, but it's dark. I try to press up against the sides of my shallow nest to help get my bearings, but I can't feel anything except the cold, hard ground. It's then that I realize that I never left the main cavern last night.

The small fissures in the distant ceiling aren't glowing with any light. It must be late at night, then, when most cats are tucked safely away in their respective caves. I wonder why nobody woke me up to help me stumble into mine.

Images of blood rush into my head, and I suddenly choke.

I can't stop coughing. I roll onto my stomach, hacking and making all sorts of pathetic noises as I struggle to regain my composure.

A voice startles me. "What, you're finally awake?"

I scramble to my paws, my eyes searching rapidly for the source of the voice. "Who's there?" I demand.

A shadow brings itself into my field of view; my eyes have adjusted to the dark enough that I can just make out the light brown fur of the cat before me. Bright green eyes glimmer even in the darkness.

"Name's Oburi," he grunts.

"The one who challenged Kayn," I reply immediately. "I remember you. I'm-"

"Aaryi. I know." His hackles raise, his fur beginning to stand on end. "You're not gonna fight me here and now, are you?"

I furrow my brow, confused. "Of course not," I assure him. "I only kill in proper fights."

He barks out a laugh. "Sure you do. That's not what I've heard." He stalks closer to me, and I take a step backwards involuntarily. "Why'd you threaten to kill Rhade, then, huh?"

"What, you're in on it, too?" I scoff. "How she swayed so many reasonable cats over to her side, I'll never understand."

"Rhade *knows*," Oburi hisses, slinking up so that his face is obscured by my own shadow. "She understands why we're here. You are weak. You know *nothing*. And when we finally escape from here, *if* you're still alive, I'll gladly force you to the back of the line, so Kaeben and Dreidel can kill you first." He begins to stalk away from me, his tail lashing with fury.

"Wait," I call after him. "Escape? Line? What are you talking about?"

He whirls about, the screech on the stone indicating that he's unsheathed his claws. "We'll force our way out through those so-called Underlives' tunnel," he hisses. "It's the only way out of here - Rhade has seen it in a prophetic dream. We're almost ready, too. Just a little bit longer, and then we'll finally be free."

"You're crazy," I protest. "There's no way they'll let you get past them - they live in that tunnel!"

"They're not in there all the time." A sneer spreads itself across his face. "Skell's challenge to Aiga was no coincidence, *Aaryi*." He spits my name like a piece of bad meat. "While you and he are fighting to the death, we'll rally our forces and make our way to the exit. With any luck he'll kill you in the fight; if not, he or I will sacrifice you to our tormentors."

My eyes grow wide as I realize the full implications of the plot Oburi is laying out for me. "No way," I breathe, horrified. "There's no way - you can't -!"

"Just watch us!" Oburi tosses his head defiantly and walks away from me.

I don't call after him. I don't have the energy. I sink to the ground, my mind swimming with confusion and pain from sleeping on the bare rock, and allow sleep to overtake me once more.

I wake up to the sound of claws tapping.

Every bone in my body screams with protest as I force myself to stand. A night on hard, flat rock isn't good for anybody.

The tapping sounds are coming from a group of cats nearby. At first I think they're fighting, but the longer I watch, the more I realize that that's not the case.

The cats - ten or so - are all moving together, their moves perfectly synchronized with each other. They jump and roll and twist, producing those sounds every time they land. It's almost mesmerizing to watch, and I'm not sure how long I sit there with wide eyes before they finish, letting out a yell in a unified voice.

"See how much I've accomplished," a voice hisses in my ear.

I whirl around, startled and itching for a fight. An unfortunately familiar reddish pelt blurs at the edge of my vision as Rhade jumps away from me. She regains her balance and glares at me, her amber eyes blazing with a combination of fury and desperation.

"We are a group. A *family*. When we escape from here, we will support each other." Her expression shifts into a dark smirk. "What do *you* have, *champ*?"

I hiss and crouch low, feeling the fur on my back prickling and standing on end. "I have my claws," I spit. "And my fighting experience. If it comes down to a fight with the Underlives, I'll stand a better chance of surviving than *you* will."

"Nonsense!" Rhade crows, also dropping into a practiced fighting stance - though hers is more lopsided than mine, less steady, more vulnerable. "We have brilliant fighters on our side. Skell and Oburi are only two of the warriors prepared to fight for our cause!"

"And what about Kayn?" I taunt, my tail lashing with anger and anticipation. "She's the best fighter here - what would happen if she decided to fight against you?"

"That wouldn't happen," Rhade declares confidently. "She'll come around. Everyone here knows the pain we've suffered, but no one knows it better than her!"

Our veins blaze with adrenaline at the thought of getting to attack each other. I can feel time slowing down as I observe Rhade's every move, the way she crouches low in preparation for attack, the way she leans too far to one side and stares intently at my front paws. I can predict exactly where she's going to strike.

I ready myself. *I can do this. Here we go...!*

But then my vision is filled with white.

There's a new character here, pushing between Rhade and me. Kayn tosses me a warning look over her shoulder before stalking closer to Rhade.

"Of course I know the pain we've suffered here," Kayn purrs, tilting her head and looking up at Rhade as a submissive cat might.

"So you agree with me?" Rhade's eyes light up, delighted. "Then, won't you join us when we-"

"No." Kayn's voice is filled with the barely concealed venom that she's so well-known for. "Because nothing we've gone through down here is as bad as the things we experienced *before*."

"What are you talking about?" Rhade frowns. For the first time, I notice that her pelt reminds me of fire and blood. "We were never anywhere else but here. Nobody has memories of another place. We established that a long time ago."

"Oh, nobody within *your* little group would know, I'm suuure." Kayn's tail lashes, and she begins circling Rhade. "But that doesn't mean that *nobody* remembers." Her bright violet eyes are now concealing even more secrets than I ever realized. She stretches up onto the tips of her paws to whisper into Rhade's ear. "I remember *everything.*"

Rhade inhales sharply, lunging forward and bowling Kayn over. She plants her paws firmly on the champion's shoulders, pinning her to the ground. "Tell me," Rhade demands. "Tell me what I was doing before I came here!"

Kayn stretches her head upwards, and Rhade obligingly dips hers, so that Kayn can whisper into her ear. I can't hear what Kayn says, but when the white monster finally lets her head rest on the ground again, Rhade looks very, very afraid.

"You're a liar," Rhade hisses. "I don't have time to deal with her right now." She cuffs Kayn's face with her paw, then turns and walks off with a deep scowl.

Kayn casually rolls back onto her paws, picking dust and rocks out of her fur. She doesn't say anything for a while.

"Do you really remember... what happened before we came here?" I ask hesitantly. Kayn abruptly pauses in her grooming, then swivels her head to search my gaze.

Finally she turns back to her pelt with a shrug. "Nope. Of course I don't. It was a bluff, something to scare her."

"What did you tell her, then, that made her so upset?" I press.

"Nothing in particular."

With that clear dismissal, Kayn also turns and walks away, leaving me alone once more.

Breakfast passes in a blur.

I'm sure I ate something. I'm sure I talked to somebody. But I can't remember, and I don't really care.

There are no fights today. Cats had gathered in the main cavern, nervously shuffling around, but Kaeben and Dreidel never show up. So everybody left, going to do various things, such as speculating about the champions' fight that Dreidel mentioned, or play-fighting with their friends, or catching up on sleep. In my case, I just stay in my dark little cave, keeping my thoughts and my claws to myself.

Krilla comes to check on me a few times, showing concern despite the way I've treated her and Rhade. I just can't understand her. There's no point in trying to be friends with a cat like me.

At some point, late in the morning, I can hear somebody approaching my isolated cave. I groan and roll a bit so I can stare at the entrance, expecting it to be Krilla. Sure enough, a cat with fur that familiar shade of brown walks in.

"What do you want this time?" I call blearily, before noticing something very important.

Krilla's eyes are green.

This cat's eyes are glowing amber.

I narrow my own eyes, scanning my memory. "Who are you?" I hiss, slowly standing and letting my fur rise so I look more threatening.

The cat doesn't answer. He just walks closer and closer to me, avoiding the other shallow dips where other cats might have stayed if they hadn't been so afraid of me. The whole time, he doesn't make a sound.

I'm scared.

I back up, my ears flattening against my will. "Who are you!" I call again. "Answer me!"

He comes closer, his muscular frame easily dwarfing mine. "Skell," he finally replies, his voice dull and devoid of emotion, just like it was *before*.

"Why are you here?" I whisper, his low voice sending shivers down my spine. "Did Rhade... did Rhade ask you to kill me?"

I feel the cold stone wall behind me, and I curse under my breath as he presses ever closer. He leans down towards my ear.

"Yes," he breathes.

My mind shuts down. Here and now, in this dark cave, I am alone with a quiet and deadly serious killer. The vague and flickering thoughts in the back of my head wonder if I'll make it out of here alive.

I force myself to ignore those thoughts.

He keeps speaking, so quietly that I almost have to lean closer to hear him, despite my better judgment. "Rhade wants you dead. She asked me to lead the way."

But the next thing he says takes my breath away.

"But I'm not going to do that."

In the next moment, the world explodes.

A group of cats suddenly bursts into my cave, yowling and scraping the ground with their claws. My legs almost buckle out from under me as the blur of whirling fur and fangs approaches me. *I have no experience in group combat.*

But the brown assassin tom in front of me casts a daring grin over his shoulder at me. My eyes go wide, and he lunges forward, unafraid of the impending onslaught of fury.

"What are you doing?" Rhade, at the front of the charge, howls as Skell meets her claws-first

"The right thing," he declares, wrestling her to the ground.

The other assaulters are unfamiliar to me, but they all seem to have darker pelts that make them difficult to keep track of in the darkness. All except Rhade, whose red pelt practically radiates her own personal fire. I've never been so glad for the way bloodthirsty eyes glow in the dark before - it's the only way I can distinguish individual cats.

At first I try to use the same moves I'd call upon in a one-on-one fight, but as their claws stick into me and begin to tear me apart, it becomes apparent that that strategy isn't going to work.

So I change the way I'm thinking about this fight and open my eyes wide to their movements.

There's a rhythm to them, similar to the way Rhade's cats were moving earlier. The six or so cats surrounding me seem to be attacking in pairs. It just looks like chaos if I don't watch closely, but the longer I struggle, the more I can see the predictability in their patterns.

Steeling myself against my many painful but trivial wounds, I swiftly lash out against the two cats right in front of me, catching them right between the eyes right as they lurch forward. They stare at me, shocked, and the consistency of their group attacks finally begins to break apart.

-tbc-

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