Tiny's Last Chance

Chapter 3

Shadow woke to feeling of something pawing at his shoulder. He mumbled and tucked his muzzle under his paws. But the object pawed a bit harder the next time. Shadow lifted his head sleepily and saw Swirl standing in front of him.

"What do you want?" he complained, forcing himself to sit up.

"I think there is a fox outside!" Swirl mewed urgently. Shadow stood up quickly.

"We need to tell mama! She will do something about it-"

"No!" Swirl stopped him from saying anymore.

"If we don't do something about it, mama will! And we want to prove that we are brave!" Swirl mewed, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Okay, alright. Lets go see." Shadow padded after her as she left the nest. He had to keep his claws in farther than he normally would to keep them from clicking on the ground and making noise.

He peered outside and saw the fox immediately. It was carrying a large rabbit, but it wasn't that big.

"Come on!" Shadow was now almost as excited as his sister. He leaped up onto the window that was still open, and jumped outside, followed by Swirl. As soon as their paws hit the deck, the fox spun around to glare in their direction. Shadow gulped but stood his ground. The fox drew it's lips back in a snarl and it dropped the rabbit. It growled and charged at Shadow and Swirl. Shadow glared back at the fox and reared up on the wall behind him, then gave a large leap to land squarely on the fox's back. 

"Try to mess with kittens, huh?" Shadow spat, digging his tiny claws into the fox's shoulders. It yelped and without warning, leaped up. Unable to hold his grip, Shadow stumbled off and landed on the ground with a thud. He shook his head and his vision cleared just in time to see Swirl charge at the fox, but instead of leaping up she slid under it and clawed at it's front paws. The fox snarled and tried to fight back, but it's little opponent's size made it hard for it to try to catch. Ready to join the fight again, Shadow got up and clamped his jaws down on the base of the fox's tail.

"I'm right here you mouse-brain!" Shadow hissed insults at the fox, making it angrier. It whipped around and bit down on Shadow's back leg. Shadow gave a yowl of pain and tried to get away, but the fox had already planted it's jaws into the base of his leg and wouldn't let go. Swirl now watched in horror, and raced inside. Wait! Don't leave me! Shadow silently pleaded, but the reappeared moments later with Mint and his siblings at her side. Mint hissed something at her kits, and Shadow guessed she was telling them to stay there. She then gave a yowl and flung herself at the fox. Shadow fell to the ground as the fox let go, surprised and angry that the bigger cat had got in the way.

"Go to your siblings, NOW!" Mint ordered Shadow, still swiping at the fox angrilly. Shadow heaved himself up and managed to limp up to the window. Suger's face was expressionless, but the other kits where horrified. Shadow looked back and saw what had spooked them. The fox had Mint pinned down and was clawing angrilly at her. As if on silent command, the rest of the kits bundled out of the house and raced towards the fox. The fox looked up, surprised, and let go. It backed up, clearly thinking twice about taking on Mint and her kits. It growled, grabbed it's rabbit, and raced over the fence into the other yard. Shadow was releived that nobody was badly hurt. His back leg was hurting painfully, and Swirl had a large scratch from her shoulder to her back, but he was sure it wasn't as painful as it looked. Mint suddenly turned around and glared at Shadow.

"What did you think you where doing?!" She hissed, padding up to him.

"I thought that... that if I made the fox leave... that the others wouldn't... pick on me anymore about my size..." he mewed quietly, looking at his paws.

"Your size doesn't matter" Mint's eyes where filled with anger. Shadow had enough and looked up at her, glaring.

"It does if I want to hunt right! It does if I want to ever be able to fight! My size is everything! You can treat me like I'm big and strong all you want. But that can't ever happen! You must have your brain in your tail to not realize that I will never grow the normal size of a normal cat! I am useless! Sugar was right." Shadow became tired.

"I can't defend myself. I can't hunt properly." Shadow continued.

"Shadow! Is that any way to talk to your mother?!" Mint growled.

"It is if you can't see it without help!" Shadow retorted. The other kits where sitting nearby, clearly surprised and spooked. Sugar though was looking a bit more worried, probably thinking about the rude things she had said to Shadow.

"You know what?" Shadow hissed, getting up but ignoring the burning pain in his leg.

"Yesterday, when all the kits lept on top of me, I could have died. Yet you seemed to brush it off as if it where nothing. I don't know if anyone else noticed, but I did. You know what else? I should have died! I wish I had suffocated! If all I'm going to get around here is insults and special treatment, I don't want a part of it!" Shadow sneered. Shadow saw hurt flash in Mint's eyes but it was replaced with anger.

"So you would rather be a wild cat? With no help at all? With nobody by your side?" Mint challanged.

"Actually, yes!" Shadow meowed.

"I have had it with you! Kits, inside now! Shadow, you sleep out here tonight. Tomorrow, you are going to explain just what happened today. Get some grass to cover that wound. Have a good night, and I hope you learn your lesson." Mint finished and stalked into the den. Swirl gave Shadow a worried glance before following the other kits as they ran after Mint.

"I can't believe this." Shadow paced on the deck. He didn't care that his wound was pouring blood fast.

"I don't have to take this. They obviously don't care." Shadow muttered to himself. He got up. He glared at the den that his family lived in.

"When I'm not here in the morning, Mint will regret she ever left me outside. She will learn her lesson." Shadow turned towards the forest.

"I am leaving, Mint. And I'm not coming back. Ever. Not for you, not for anyone." Shadow didn't care that his blood was leaving a trail as he left. He padded outside the yard and towards the next fence. He layed down. He was aware of blood seeping from his leg into his fur as it lightly spilled now, but he didn't care. He thought of Swirl, then pushed it away. She didn't even care now. He thought. Angry, Tired, and annoyed, he somehow managed to slip into sleep.