Not Your Ordinary Family {Sanders Sides cat AU}

Chapter Four~ Flames Destroy Everything

Over the past few sunrises the barn cats adapted to their new member. Janus fed Virgil two times a day and was the one who spend the most amount of time with him. Patton would often check up on them or bring Janus mice to eat while Roman would pop in every now and again but quickly leave since his hyperactive self found the kit boring to be around. Surprisingly the cat who spent the second most amount of time with Virgil wasn't Logan (though he did spend a lot of time with Virgil), but Remus. The young tom would often offer to snuggle with the kit on the rare occasions Janus got up to hunt or take a walk. When asked why Remus admitted that him and Roman had been arguing a lot more and he needed breaks from his brother, finding them in the new kit. That and the fact that Virgil is very warm and very soft when he snuggles with you.

They had Virgil for almost seven sunrises by then, the kit just about ready to open his eyes and ears so he could start walking.

It was evening time with the sun sinking below the horizon line to let the moon light the world. Janus was trotting around the territory after Remus and Patton insisted he take time for himself. The air was warm and dry from little rain fall and the grass below his paws was almost completely parched of all hydration. Even the river that ran through the nearby forest was drying up from the heat spell.

He had finished up with his walk and headed back to the barn, eager to cuddle with his kit for the night. That's when he smelt it; the smell of smoke. Janus stopped for a second when he got a whiff, opening his jaw to get a better smell and find where it was coming from. When the scent trail led him in the direction of the barn he started to sprint, terrified that the barn, his home, was on fire.

Janus eyes widened as he reached the barn, his stomach doing a cartwheel at what he saw. The barn's roof was engulfed in flames, the old, dry wood completely collapsing in on itself as the fire pushed forwards, eager to consume its meal. Janus sprinted the the barn, terrified that the others were still trapped in the raging barn fire. To his relief he saw them all huddled together out side the barn, Remus and Roman pressed against each other while Logan was hiding underneath Patton in the grey tom's thick fur. Janus ran over to them before horrible realization dawned on him.

"Remus where's Virgil?!" he demanded.

Remus froze and his eyes were blown wide with horror. Janus felt his legs start to tremble and he jerked his head back at the barn, the inferno completely covering the roof and hayloft, sending black smoke and cinders puffing into the sky. Virgil, his kit, his son, was still in the barn and who knows how much longer it'd still be standing.

Without any thought Janus bolted to the hole in the barn's side, slipping in to find his kit. Inside he was almost knocked off his paws by the intensity of heat from the fire. His pelt was immediately drenched in sweat as the calico cat swerved around fallen wooden beams and roof pieces still smoldering. He leaped over scorched hay piles and around the flaming parts of the barn, smoke billowing from every inch of the barn making it nearly impossible to see or breath. The crackling of the fire and loud crashes of objects was filling the air. Janus coughed harshly before a loud, shrill yowl shot through the barn. Janus jerked his head up and began running in the direction of the noise, leaping over rubble and through flames.

Janus found Virgil laying in ashes that covered on the wooden floor, trying feebly to stand on his paws, but kept falling over from coughing. Janus grabbed Virgil by his scruff and leaped out of the way just in time to miss part of the wall from collapsing in top of them. Unfortunately it did manage to catch Janus on the left side of his face, throwing tiny burning embers onto it and singeing bits of fur. The tom hissed in pain as one of the embers landed over his eye, burning the areas just around the bone. Janus shook his head to rid himself of the tiny flames before charging back over to the hole, skitter and leaping around the collapsing building.

Janus burst out of the barn and charged to the other cats, still blinking the smoke out of his eyes and shaking the ashes off of his pelt. Once he arrived he placed Virgil on the grass, the kit now completely black because the ashes and cinders covered his white paws and spots on his muzzle. Virgil was coughing and shaking violently, his small chest heaving as he labored to get the toxic smoke out of his lungs.

"I..is everyone okay?" Janus asked.

"Yes, we're all here and fine, but Janus, you're burned!" Patton said, looking over the fresh scorch marks on the side of his face.

"Yeah, but I'm fine," the tom assured his friend.

Suddenly piercing sounds and blaring lights broke though the night. All the cats looked over in shock to see several huge monsters with bright lights and loud noises come charging down the thunder path. The monsters then turned off the main thunder path and started running towards the barn.

The cats ran out of their way as the monsters came to a stop and humans wearing bright yellow pelts came pouring out of the monsters, all grabbing vines and pointing them at the raging fire where water shot out of them and doused the flames.

Janus watched in fascination before he notice several humans coming towards them. He froze in place, his fur spiking up as he stood over the frail Virgil. The other cats crowded around him for protection. The humans came up and knelt in front of them, all wearing white pelts and murmuring things to one another. One came closer and scooped Janus up in their arms, others coming to do the same for the other cats. Janus squeaked in surprise, but was too tired and in pain to do anything about it. He still had Virgil in his jaws, picking him up just before he was scooped up by the human. The tom and his family were taken to one of the monsters and placed inside on some very soft materials. Janus would've been fine, but Virgil was suddenly taken from him by the humans and he was outraged. Thankfully the kit was returned shortly after and Janus soon fell asleep with Virgil nestled next to him inside a monster.