Light Guardian

Prologue

A dark gray tom sat in front of the welcoming den. His amber eyes alert, looking out for any potential threats as he guarded his mate. Her cries of pain from inside of the den made him flinch, but his eagerness to protect his family kept his paws rooted to the ground. He couldn't let anyone hurt his family, not in their most vulnerable state.

    He stood poised, waiting for his sister to come out and tell him that his family has grown. Anticipation crawled up his body, hairs standing on end. He has waited for this day, and now it has finally come.

    A final cry was heard from within the den, and moments later a pure gray she-cat appeared from the den. Her fur was fluffed up, and worry was stained in her warm brown eyes. As the tom noticed his sister, he instantly rushed past her, to the side of his sleeping mate. His eyes softened as they rested upon his kittens. Their mother's tail curled protectively around them.

    Observing the appearance of the balls of life, he noted they were both girls. His daughters. Adoration filled his heart to the brim and he couldn't help but grin. The first took her mother's patterns and fur, but her father's color. She was a perfect mix of the two, and his heart warmed at the thought of whose eyes she obtained. Then his gaze shifted to his second daughter. At first, he adored her grayish brown colors and how she took his fur, but then he noticed it. His fur rose with shock at the strange markings that were stained onto her pelt. Ancient and mysterious. Never before had he seen any cat with markings such as hers. Fear gripped him as he recalled his mate boasting about how her daughters would be perfect.

    Perfect is a strange word, at least, in the case of his mate. To Willow, perfect was normal. Anything that stuck out, anything at all, is a blemish to perfection. Anything that is not normal, to Willow, is a disgrace. And this daughter... his poor daughter would fall victim to her crazed perception of perfection. The tom shook with sadness, at the thought of what Willow would do to his wonderful daughter. He didn't care that she was not gray like them, he didn't care that she had odd markings. He didn't care that she did not fall under what Willow considered perfect. All he cared about was that she was alive. But sadly, Willow wouldn't see it the same way.

    A defeated sigh came from him as he curled around his family. If he knew his mate as well as he prides himself on, this may be the first and the final time he could ever curl around his whole family. He hasn't felt this happy since four white seasons ago.

***

    A shrill cry caused the tom to startle awake. He immediately let his claws slip out, and a fierce growl thundered from his throat. His head whipped wildly around. When nothing seemed to be a threat around them, he turned his attention to Willow. Horror struck him as he noticed her staring at her daughters in disbelief. Her claws unsheathed and glinting in the faint light of the sun.

    "What is this?" Willow shrieked. Her eyes shone with fury, as she began to rant. "This is ugly, a disgrace to our family." As she droned on and on in hate about the daughter he loved, the tom grew tired of her nonsense.

    "Enough," he scowled at his mate, "She is our daughter, Willow! She is just a kitten! This isn't right, you should know this!" As soon as Willow turned to him with a harsh glare, he knew he was in trouble.

    "I know a lot of things, Dusk." Venom laced her words as she hissed at the tom, "And I know that this is no daughter of mine. She is tainted by abnormality, corrupted from perfection. The group will look down upon her, and if they don't, I will demand it." She turned her voice sickly sweet, "You do know how much the group respects me, especially since my father is considered the leader. Or have you forgotten?"

    Dusk felt sick to his stomach, hating how weak willed he is. Straining, he responded, "Of course I do." His shoulders slumped in defeat, and a pit of anger ignited in his heart.

    He watched in dismay as she smiled in victory. Her attention turned back to their kittens, and she went onto naming them, without him, "My perfect little daughter will be called Dove, after a bird that bathes in beauty. The... other, will be called Varian. Something that is abnormal, just like the disgrace that she is."

    The tom sighed in relief. At least she didn't refuse to give her a name. However, he knew worse was to come. And he was too weak to fight for his newborn daughter. He was truly a coward.