The world in not what most think it is. It is not one thing, with only one reality, rather, it is one thing made up of hundreds of labyrinths, layered together to form the ‘World’. Each layer is an alternate plain, each with its own reality. The most commonly know plane is that of the humans, were they are the Supreme Being upon their Earth. On that plane there are also thousands of sub planes, each depicting an alternate reality of that plane. On other planes other beings rule their Earth. On some planes a lowly animal on the human plane, such as a rabbit, would be the supreme race. And yet on other planes, separated from the human plane by many others live beings that we only manage to glimpse in our dreams such as dragons and griffins. It is a complex grid of things that our minds are designed not to understand, thus, not many know about it, and those who do live a short life. That is why in my reality; on my plane we are taught only the simplest basics.

~

On my plane, cats are in charge.

I stared into the deep violet eyes, which stared back at me from a smooth sheet of crystal. A glossy black pelt, with a bluish sheen like a raven’s wing rested on the slight form of the small Euro-chaus watching me. I sighed.

Apocalypse. I had to be named when my mother was in the depth of her depression. I retired from the crystal and made my way outside, hoping to catch the sunset. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a gray flash as something slunk through the bushes. Now it was behind me. My body longed to crouch down to be prepared for the attack, but I fought the urge and managed to appear relaxed.

Behind me the thing hissed softly. It moved with all the noise of a feather floating down from the heavens. I continued walking, ignoring the obvious. I stopped at the edge of the cliff.

In front of me stretched a wasteland, bare of life, black, cold, unforgiving. Yet far in the distance, descending behind the jagged ridge of the mountains was the sun. It looked like a misplaced flame, out of place over this dismal, barren land. My land.

There was a triumphant yowl as my pursuer leapt at me. I did not turn to meet him, but crouched down, watching his shadows as he sailed over me, landing with his front paws scrabbling on the rock and the back dangling uselessly.

Now I turned, regarding him curiously.  He was a cat with a very powerful build which was concealed by layers of warm gray fur. “You’re from the other family?” I meowed curiously. He glared at me, his shoulder blades jutting outward as he tried to haul himself onto the cliff.

I frowned “Fine then, don’t answer.” Hey, I’m still a kitten; I’m aloud to ask questions of the cats that try to kill me.

Suddenly the gray tom froze. He had found a ledge on which to place his back paws, and didn’t want to give the kit a second chance of escape. With a powerful kick he leapt onto the cliff, then with a second bound was on top of me, pinning me down with his claws.

I hissed in surprise, not fully realizing what was happening. My hiss was mirrored by another, deeper, more menacing. My father leapt at the gray tom, knocking him of me. The two cats rolled for a few feet before stopping with the gray cat on top of my father. I crawled into the bushes, exposing myself just far enough to see what was happening.

My father, Conceal, raked a claw down the neck of his opponent, in the same motion rolling away from him. The gray tom hissed, backing away and shaking the blood from his eyes. Conceal didn’t give him time to recover. He leapt at the tom, burying his teeth in his neck. The other cat cried out, his paws flailing blindly.

Conceal let go of the unfortunate tom and took a step back. “Now I will peacefully ask you to leave my home.” He hissed coldly, casually licking the blood from his claws.

The gray tom looked up. One of his eyes was closed, blood seeping from the closed lid. But the other burned with icy blue hate. “There are only two of you left. I will not return, but my family will be the one to eliminate yours.” He hissed, standing up. Without awaiting a reply he turned and limped off into the lifeless trees.

I crept out of the bush and to my father’s side. He was a handsome cat, tall and white of pelt, with striking green eyes and regal poise. I looked up; hoping to see that triumphant, carefree smile that made me feel like everything was alright. But this time it wasn’t alright, and Conceal did not smile.

So, instead I decided to ask him a question. “Why are all these cats coming to attack us?” I asked quietly, afraid to completely break the silence.

Conceal looked down at me with troubled, weary eyes. “You are, perhaps, to young be burdened by this knowledge, but I see I have little choice.”  He sat down, and I did the same. “My grandfather- your great-grandfather- was the Chao Imperial,” My eyes widened. My great-grandfather, in charge of half the plane! “But his reign brought near total destruction of our world.”

My excitement flickered out like a weak candle-flame. “Since then our family has been hated. Most have already forgiven, believing our sin has been bred out. But some, like the Terais Family, have not forgiven, they care not of the fact that we aren’t our ancestors, or that we are not born evil, they persecute us with this past crime, and will perhaps for years to come.

“Their goal was to eliminate our family, and they have nearly succeeded, you and I being the last of our bloodline. I fear my time will be short-lived, and once I am gone….” He trailed of and I thought I saw the glint of a tear in his eye.

My ears fell back out of fear for what he did not say.

“And then you will be the only one remaining. It will be easy to dispose of a kitten- that is why you must die before they get to you.”

I leapt up, taking a step back “You mean I have to kill myself?!” I yowled in alarm.

Conceal nodded, his face adorned with a smile. “That is they have to believe you dead. Then you will leave our land and be able to live your life.” His voice carried both a sadness and hope.

I smiled back, sitting back down next to him. “Yes, then we can both leave and never have to worry for our lives again!” I purred.

“Yes, we won’t have to worry.”

Not noticing the pause preceding those words I leaned against my father. He purred: a thick, warm sound which could be compared to honey. Behind us the sun descended farther below the mountains, speared by their jagged peaks, its red rays scattering across the sky as if its shed blood.

Muddy water lapped against my side. I desperately wanted to change position, not only was I stiff but it also felt as if the pebbles beneath me were trying to chew into my skin.  But I knew that if I moved I could die. I heard the pebbles shift as the three cats emerged from the bushes.

Two of the cats were just kittens, both with smoky grey fur and blue eyes. But in front of them walked a brown tabby. Her green eyes danced with triumph, and her teeth were bared in a smile.

“You see my darlings,” She hissed, laughing “Good things come to those that persist.”

The Two kittens looked gloomily at me. “But I wanted to fight.” One of them mumbled.

“Yeah, I wanted to tear her eyes out.”

It took all my self control not to shudder.

The tabby turned to the kits “Well, after we take her back and show everyone that she’s dead, you will have a new play toy.”

“Yay!”

“Thanks mom!”

The tabby closed her mouth around the cuff of my neck. I leapt to my feet, scrabbling away from her. Conceal had told me that they would leave me alone after they saw that I was dead!

“What is this?!” The tabby hissed, crouching down, her fur bristling.

I stood there, staring at her, wide eyed and shaking.

The tabby shook her head, the smile returning “No matter.” She turned to her kits “Darlings, it seems that your wish has come true.” With that she leapt at me.

I screeched in pain and fear as she sunk her teeth into the side of my face, her claws gouging my back.

“Mom! Mom! I want a turn!”

“No, me first!”
“No me!”

With a furious yowl Conceal once again leapt to my rescue. He bowled the tabby over, and

prepared to give her a bite in the neck, but she swiped a claw against his face, blinding him. Conceal hissed, backing away. But she leapt at him, all twenty of her claws working viciously, tearing of bits of pelt and flesh. Conceal screeched in pain, his paws flailing blindly. This reminded me of today’s earlier battle, only with the roles reversed.

The tabby’s jaws closed on the muzzle of my father as she set her front paws in the center of his neck. He writhed madly, fighting her steel-like hold. Then, she began pushing her paws into his neck, as she pulled her head back, her teeth still clenched around Conceal’s muzzle. He raked his claws along her sides. A slight grimace was the only sign that she had felt it.

There was a gruesome crack, and Conceal went limp. The tabby opened her jaws and his head hit the ground. She stood over his body for a moment, panting. Then her hateful green gaze turned to me.

“And then there was only one.”

My claws slid out of my sheaths and I crouched down, my adrenaline racing. I pushed of the ground, my back legs propelling me forward. The tabby leapt at me, her kits rushing at me from the sides. I stopped, and the barreled into each other, stumbling drunkenly away. I raced past them, forcing myself to go faster. My head was filled with the pounding of my heart and rushing of my blood. A terrible pain engulfed my body, first beginning in my paws, then spreading with my blood throughout my chest and neck and head. Everything I saw was in a red haze and swam in and out of my view.

I could almost make out the tabby’s furious promise of my death, but I kept running, all of my senses focused on that one act. Eventually I collapsed, and after that everything was just a mix of pain, fear and hatred.