Mark of the Moon (MAGIC CAT ACADEMY STORY)

Hero

Dusk's eyes snapped open when she heard an enormous yowl. Her quick breaths sped into a panicked rhythm. Then, a surprised growl made Dusk peer up—a ghost with cerulean stars lining its pelt pounced on Mimas. Mimas shrieked and tried to tangle the other ghoul in his tail. The cat caught his long tail and sunk his teeth into it. Mimas whipped his tail from side to side, trying to throw him off. Dusk was impressed that the tom didn't let go. The cat dragged Mimas down, and he squirmed. He hurled Mimas at the table and then glared furiously at Wisteria. Before Wisteria could escape, he unsheathed his claws and dug them into a beaker. It was about to shatter, but he threw it at Wisteria. 

"Ah! That got in my eyes!" Wisteria cried, fleeing. The tom grinned. Dusk jumped up and hurried over to the ghost.

"Thank you! You saved me!" He gazed at Dusk, emotion buried within. Is that frustration? He turned and ran away before Dusk could ask any more. Dusk realized how much weariness rested on her shoulders. She wanted to curl up behind one of the tables and chase mice in her dreams. Grabbing her wand, Dusk mimicked the motions she'd do for spells, not ready to move on yet.

"You look like a snob." The voice snapped once Dusk grinned. Dusk looked around for the cat. A ghostly cat padded out of the shadows, brown fur curving on her chest. It was Heart.

"Heart!" Dusk cheered, racing over to greet her friend. Heart puffed out her chest confidently. Heart stared at the window as moonlight sparkled on the surface of the glass. Through the blurry glass, Dusk saw flecks of rain falling from the sky, and in the distance, she spotted buildings. Miss clung to the glass, making Dusk wince. Heart stomped up to the window and pushed her paw against the glass. It shuddered and stiffened briefly before shattering into little sharp dots that caught the moon's glare. Dusk opened her jaws to question Heart when the field of broken glass tumbled off the windowsill and ran across the floor, stopping at her paws. The pointy corner of a shard pierced her foot, and Dusk yelped in a spin when it hurt more than her getting a thorn in her paw. A scarlet fluid formed at the edges of the cut, flowing down her foot. Dusk lifted her paw to her face and stuck her tongue out, about to lick the pain away when Heart growled.

"Do not lick your paw. You will cut your tongue." Heart snarled. She lashed her tail once and bent down. "Let me show you what would happen." Dusk watched in horror as Heart plucked a shiny piece of glass off the ground and placed it on her tongue. She drew back her jaw and snapped it shut. Dusk felt a feeling of dread creep through her as the glass splintered and ripped a scarf along Heart's tongue. Blood trickled out of her mouth.

"Are you ok?" Dusk whispered, shock overwhelming her so much that she had to be quieter. Heart spat out smaller shards and rubbed her paw along her tongue. It stopped bleeding. "Wait, can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

"This ghost saved me from being shredded by Wisteria and Mimas. Do you know him?"

"All ghosts look the same. It could've been anyone; most ghosts are less confident they'll beat you. So they turn against Reggie and feel they'll win." Heart snarled. "Now come on, these ghosts won't fade away themselves." Heart balanced on the windowsill. Dusk's eyes stretched wide.

"Wait—you want me to jump out the window?" Dusk mewed, feeling smaller than ever. Heart replied with a nod and shot out the window like a flying squirrel. Dusk heard a thump of paws on cement. Dusk picked her way through the glass, flying up onto the windowsill. She peeped out. The moon reflected onto her black fur and over the academy walls. The fog was clouded beneath Dusk. Dusk took a deep breath and braced herself. She took off with one mighty leap and vanished into the fog.