Mark of the Moon (MAGIC CAT ACADEMY STORY)

Heart

Dusk squirmed helplessly on the floor, blood gushing out of her throat. The laughing of the ghost approaching her grew louder, and soon, her heart was beating faster than ever. She heard another paw-step, gasped for air with all her effort, and bellowed as loud as she could. Please help me! A creature jumped out of its hiding and blocked the ghost's blows as if commanded. Dusk could only see its snow-white paws, but all she cared is the debt she'd have to pay to this mysterious cat. She heard the ghost gag as it faced the other cat.

"Heart... I thought you faded away?" He mewed in a tone suggesting he already knew she wasn't gone. "It's not out of the blue that Ivy lied for you."

"Of course, I'd be here. I have the same bloodlust as you, but at least I know feeding off of the suffering of others is inhumane. Now I'll ask you once; do you think I'd just let go that easily?" Heart snarled, her voice sharpening on the word once. The other ghost was speechless. "I am the same as you." At this point, the ghost Heart challenged had unsheathed its claws and was flying at Heart. Heart straightforwardly batted him away and swiped Dusk's wand away. Heart dragged the baton back to Dusk and tried to lift Dusk with her paws. "Get up. You can't defend yourself lying down." Dusk struggled to her feet feebly and grasped her wand. "Draw the shape of a heart in the air! Now!" Dusk carelessly moved her paws but remembered that she depended on whatever Heart taught her. Dusk swiftly drew a heart in the air. Magic winds rustled on her bloodstained muzzle, blowing her fur over her wounds. When the wind stopped, the wounds had disappeared, and Dusk felt no more pain. Dusk puffed out her chest. "Fight!" Heart reminded her. Dusk drew an upside-down triangle and was rewarded with endless energy. She took to the air and latched onto the attacking ghost's back. He thrashed around.

"Get off me, you wretched kitty." He growled, trying to throw Dusk off. But Dusk hooked her claws into his pelt and climbed over until she could place her claw tips on his belly. "Wait! No!" Dusk ignored his pleading and sunk her claws deeper until she fell to the ground with a thump. Her tail stuck up, and now she could get a better look at Heart. She was a ghost with a patchy brown marking on her chest in the shape of a heart. But she still had a mean face, but she wasn't smiling. Dusk bowed her head.

"You saved my life! I-"

"It was destiny for me to save you. Destiny guides us; if we turn, we suffer the consequences." Heart meowed, keeping a straight face. Dusk grinned. But how does she know spells? Was she a student here? Why did she leave the other ghosts? Dusk's furry head was buzzing with questions. Heart didn't flinch but stood up and trotted closer to Dusk till they were nose-to-nose. "Not all ghosts leave wounds, and you will have to have the speed to trounce them." She whispered. Dusk nodded, drawing back until she bumped into the bookshelves. Heart turned and called out, "Come out, Copper! This apprentice wants to learn how to kill ghosts." Copper, identical to the first ghost, emerged from the shadows.

"What did you say?" He snapped. Heart kneeled to whisper in Dusk's ear.

"Copper is strong. He joined us not long ago. His claws are sharp, and he will rip you to shreds like Oak tried to do. Fire can burn away even the most powerful enemies, but water can destroy them." Heart murmured. Dusk pointed her wand at Copper, who sneered back. Dusk strikes her wand in a perfect line, releasing a blazing creek of flames into the air. Copper flattened himself to the ground, believing he could dodge it, but as it flew over him, his ghostly coat floated into the fire, leaving nothing behind when the blaze stopped. Heart gave an approving glance at Dusk when she faced her. "I hear Thunder. That old bag of bones is too senile to battle." Dusk could hear slow and cautious paws and frowned as she saw a faint specter stubble out of the shadows. Thunder crept forward, not even unsheathing his claws. Dusk remembered what Heart had said about the effects of magic and drew a line downward, sending out a rainstorm onto the elder. Thunder let lifted his paws to fight away the rain, but she had evaporated immediately as it unleashed beneath her. "Be faster, and that's all you'll need." Heart whispered.

"But what about the other spells?" But Heart was already gone.