I sat in the entrance to the tunnels, looking out to the busy streets of this glorious city. Cars zoomed pass, honking in irritation. Each honk sets my silver fur on end, and to think I was used to this by now. A group of young humans were strolling by on the white stripped part of the road, when a silver car cut in front of them, nearly hitting the startled humans. They jumped back and yelled angrily. I watched them as they scurried over to the other side of the road, occasionally glaring back over their straightened shoulders at tire marks of the silver car that left in a hurry.
Even in the life of humans life can be cruel. I should know that more than anybody. Horrifying memories flash back to remind me of my days as a kitten.
"Rose they are beautiful" Her mother Jade praised. By her belly were 3 kittens. One ginger tom, 2 she cats, one brown and the other silver. Rose stared at her kits with a frown. They were indeed the most adorable kittens she ever laid her eyes on, yet seeing her newborns reminded her of her dead mate Red. It was still a raw wound to touch. She was excited to become a mother until he was fatally hit by a car.

Ever since she had been depressed and didn't even want their kits anymore. All of a sudden she felt imprisoned. I need to get rid of them.
She thought. With just one thought after the other she create a plan, she'll drop them off at the pet store then make up a story to fool her mother who was ignoring the negative waves that rolled off her exhausted body.
"Lets name them. " She suggested. Rose looked up at her, seeing the excitement in her eyes.

It has very good story then. She hated conspiring especially when she was hurting her mother. But I just gave birth to kits, Its time I get what I want.
Jade started with her grandson. "How about Leo? He looks like a lion with that fluffy chest fur." Rose just nodded for the time being.
Jade moved on to the girls, starting with the brown one. " She's a Cocoa don't you agree? Now your turn Rose." She turned to the silver kitten who was fumbling to find her milk. When she couldn't she let out a piercing thin wail, cutting the beautiful silence, deafining her mother's ears.

"What do I do?" Cried the helpless mother. Jade nudged her grandaughter closer to her mother's milk, eventually she stopped and began sucking.
Rose sighed. "I thought I would go deaf." She muttered. Jade nudged gently with affection. "Don't worry, between us your kits will be fine.

If that what you think.

Fully recovered from her daughter's scream Rose thought of a name.
"Shard, her name is Shard" She decided.

...

Four months old Shard was playing with her littermates under the supervision of their watchful aunt Birch. They lived in an old house with an old lady who was busy sleeping upstairs. They were playing tag in the play room with Shard being it.

Shard got a hold of her sister's long slender tail and pinned in under foot. Cocoa let out surprised yelp and landed on her chin. Shard pranced around victorious . "You're it Cocoa!"
"Oh yeah? I'm gonna get you Shard!"
The silver kitten shrieked as she sprinted away from her pursuing sister. In the corner watching with fearful eyes was Leo. The ginger tom kept his distance, not willing to get caught. He never did like playing games that might result in him getting hurt. He rather eat more fish treats that the old lady gave them at lunch. It was almost mid day and he would like to get a head start on the treats before anyone else. He slide into a crouch and pulled his tubby body forward towards the door.

"Hey were are you going Leo? " He heard Shard call out.
Busted.
In seconds his sisters were on his tail. He ran around the spacious room, being careful not to trip on any toys that littered the carpet.

He looked over his shoulder noticing Cocoa dropping behind and Shard no where to be seen.
His heart soared. I'm going to win for once!

He went around the couch only to find Shard waiting for him. He skied to a stop but that didn't stop him from crashing into her.
He landed on her belly, having Shard to let out a painful groan. "Jeez Leo what on earth are you eating? You're crushing me!" She weezed. Leo clambered off only to be knocked down by Cocoa. He landed on his chin, his amber eyes rolling in dizziness.

The girls laughed at his facial expression and helped him to his feet. Birch approached them, purring with laughter.
"Are you kits okay?" They nodded.
"Then you don't mind if I do this? " With no warning the black and white she cat pounced at them. They shrieked in horror, sealing their eyes shut, waiting to be flattened to bits. When they realized nothing was happening they all took a peak at their aunt who lay on her stomach nose twitching in amusement.
The kittens looked at her then eachother. As one they leaped at Birch laughing.

This is what family is. Shard thought happily.
"What's going on here? Kits get off of your aunt." Ordered a voice. The kits looked up to see their mother. Rose approached them frowning. Shard never did remember her mother actually smiling for real.

Their grandmother Jade explained that she is just tired and that being a mother is hard work. But that didn't explain where she goes every day. Birch she goes hunting for treats since the kits are starting to like fresh food, but at the amount of time she disappear for she should be dragging a bag of mice, instead only 3 squirrels where seen.

"Mama guess what me and Shard won tag!" Cocoa exclaimed, her tail quivering with excitement. Rose looked at us in a blank expression.
"Uh kits maybe it's time you guys eat. "Birch offered. The kits cheered and taking one squirrel to share they went off.
"I can't do this." Rose admitted. "They say the instinct comes in once they are born but alas they are four months old and I hardly feel anything difdent. " Birch brushed her tail with her sister's . "Relax Rose, don't force it let it grow apart of you. You can start by staying home and let me take care of hunting while you play with them for awhile. "

But you don't get it , I don't want to be attached to them!
But if I could take them out and proceed with my plan.
Rose plastered a fake smile on her face. "Okay I'll do it." Birch purred and gave her a lick before walking off to join the kits.

Much later, after Birch went home. Rose proceeded with her plan. She gathered her kits and lead them outside for the first time. The sun was setting off in the distance, when Share stepped out, flooded by Cocoa then Leo. "Wow!" Cocoa squealed. Rose lead her kits through the nearby park. For Rose it was really quick for an adult cat but for kittens it took forever. Every once in awhile she had to regain their attention from distracting sights.

At last they came to the park edge, where the busy road lay in front of them. The kits peeked from behind their mother at the flashing cars, shivering at the sound as they zoomed passed. "I wanna go home." Leo decided. Rose looked back at them. "I know, but I have a surprise for you, ad it is on the other side. All we have to do is cross it."

"Are we going to like the surprise?" Shard asked her mother. Rose gave her a little smile. "You'll love it so much that you don't want to go home." She chuckled. The kits stared at her. "Right, now lets go, stay close to me." Rose ordered. They waited until the pestridan sign was up then crossed it. Shard wrinkled her nose in disgust at the road's smell and the texture under her soft pads. At last they crossed it with ease.

"Follow me. " She ordered. The family of cats stepped inside a building , cats and dogs scents flooded their noses. Shard noticed a bunch of cats being groomed by humans. Others were in cages, called out them.

"Go when you can!"

"Run for your lives!"

All your nine lives depend on it!"

"Mama what are they saying?" Leo asked her, feeling nervous all of a sudden. Rose glared at the caged cats. "Just ignore them, they are just sick." Rose explain to him quickly. Shard however didn't believe her. She wouldn't let us be caged, she's our mother. She thought.

Rose shepherd her kits into a back room full of yarn and other toys. But what the key didn't see was this room was a giant trap. Hanging up in the air was a cage that would fall and impression them once the trip wire was cut. The kits lit up immediately. "Is this the surprise?" Leo asked. Excitement replaced the nervousness he felt earlier. "Don't just stand there come on lets play!" Cocoa squealed. Rose sat back as she watched them play with the room of toys. Just watching them made her heart melt. Suddenly Rose didn't want to do this anymore. What am I doing? She noticed in horror as Leo tripped on the wire. Before she could even leap at them the cage fell , trapping her innocent kits. They rushed to the edges wailing. "Mama help us!"

"Mama get us out of here!"

"I wanna go home!"

Rose came up to the cage and tried to lift up the lock but it was an impossible task for a cat. "Kits I'm so sorry! I never mean for this to happen! "Rose cried. "Just hold on I get some help! " Rose sprinted from the room, tripping over the piece of wood that was keeping the door open. It blamed shut , trapping her kits inside. Realizing what she had done Rose began scratching it, praying wit would ope. "Kits kits can you hear me?"

"Mama! let us out!" She heard them cry.

"Hold on kits mama is coming." She yowled.

Unfortunately all her yowling caught the attention of the store clerk. He picked up Rose who started thrashing about, hissing and clawing at him. But he grabbed her by the scruff and put her in a cage. Not being aware of the meowing kits in distress behind the closed door. I

Inside the cage, the kits realized their mother wasn't coming. Cocoa and Leo began to cry. Shard glared at them. "Stop crying you two! Crying doesn't solve the fact that we are still trapped in a cage in a locked room! We need to get out of here."

"And how do suppose we do that? You saw mama, she couldn't even lift the lock, why should kittens be able to do it?" Leo argued. Shard looked around and a idea came to mind. "How did we get trapped in here?"

"It fell on us." Cocoa answered. "Exactly. We are not fully trapped. All we have to do is push this side and we'll be free." Shard figured. "At the count of three we push."

"One."

"Two."

"Three!"

The kittens slammed their tiny bodies against the cage's side until it tilted an landed on it's side. Now there was an entrance above their heads. Using each other's backs they climbed out and helped the last one out. Once free, they took a breather. "Now what genius? We are still trapped in a room ." Leo pointed out. Shard looked around the room. There was a window but it was very high up and was not open.
"We could yell some more." Cocoa suggested. Shard shook her head.
"My throat is sore, I say we wait. The room smells like people come in her regularly so they should let us out when that time comes. " Shard suggested with a yawn. The three kits doze off only to be woken up four hours later by the dropping of books. In front of them. Was a girl she gasped and crouched down to their level. They leaped into her arms and she took them out into the main room.
"Now this is more like it!" Meowed Leo.
"Do any of you see mama?" Cocoa started. Shard and Leo shook their tiny heads. Then the girl changed direction and was making her way to one of the open cages.
"Oh no not another cage!" Leo complained.
"Jump!" Shard ordered. Without hesitation the three kits jumped down from the arms of a surprised girl. She bent down and tried to chase them with outreached hands.
"Run!" Leo yelled. Shard could feel her lungs burn as she ran on her short stumpy little legs of hers. She looked back to see two other humans, boys in particular were joining the chase. "Split up! " She heard her sister yell.
"Meet me by the entrance if you don't get caught!" Leo called out.
Shard dove behind one of the shelves that sold dog food. Wrinkling her pink nose at the smell she took a peek. Unfortunately she witnessed the golden kitten skied into a wall and to get captured by the tall human boy. He noticed her and send her a look to stay put.
Then his amber eyes flashed a warning.
She smell her before she could turn around. The original girl who found them found her and had her trapped. Before Shard could even tell her legs to move, the girl grabbed the kitten.
Goodbye freedom.
Then she heared a yowl.
"Get away from my sister!" Shard heard Cocoa growl.
The dark brown kitten was on the girl's back and started clawing her exposed arms and colar bone.
The girl let out a screech and dropped Shard.
"Run Shard, try to go home!" She heard her sister say. She looked back at her. "But what about you? I'm not going home without freeing you both!"
Another human approached Shard.
"Go! We'll be fine!" Cocoa reassured her.
Shard darted away and escaped her pursuers. She managed to reach the entrance and step out before it closed shut and was hit with cold water.

Thunder claps overhead, lightning strikes as the whole city is bathed with recycled rain water.
The moon is hidden behind dark clouds of despair, not providing any hope to guide a shivering wet kitten back home. The howling wind slants and hits Shard in the face. Her vision is blurred and relies on her other senses to keep her from getting run over by a car if she ever steps on the road by mistake.
Her memory is fogged from all that running and lack of oxygen and seems to forget the way back home.
Wasn't there a park?
No, first you got to cross the road, no wait I'm mixing it all up!
Sighing Shard went over to a sheltered part of a building and tried drying her self, licking her drenched silver fur the wrong way to return the heat back to her cold, shivering body.
Out in the cold and rain, Shard couldn't help but shed a tear.
Now I am all alone.
One by one, tears spilled from her green eyes, dull with defeat.
Seizing her small frame by storm. Her shoulders shook and her legs turing into water. She curled up crying.
She so full into her emotions that she jumped when she felt a nudge to her head. Her surprised green eyes stared into icy blue ones, glowing with empathy.
"I don't need your sympathy!" She found her self snap. The blue eyed cat simply blinked . Connecting the raw scars he had over his right eye.
" Maybe so, but you do need shelter. " He argued. Then paused. "Unless you want to stay out in the rain. It's up to you. " He offered. Shard shook her head. "Why should I trust you? You're nothing but a kind stranger."
The cat sniffed his pink nose as if he were offended. "Why, I'm your mother's brother, of course. A frown appeared on Shard's forehead.
" Mama never mentioned you. "
The cat shrugged. "Old Rose and I never did get along. But I do know you Shard, and your littermates Leo and Cocoa." Shard's ears perked.
Well then shall we go? I don't know how much water my fur can handle."
He frowned at the spraying of rain against his brilliant white pelt.
"Wait! What about Cocoa and Leo? We need to rescue them!" The kitten reminded her newfound uncle. He sighed. "We can't save them. They were already packed along with the other newfound cats for adoption and would be in the truck that will transport them to other stores outside of the city. " Shard felt her heart sunk.
" But what about mama, is she transported already?" She meowed with such hope in her eyes.
"In sorry Shard it's too late to do anything. Besides she got what she deserved. "
"What do you mean?" She demanded.
" Well your mother never did want you, she planned that she would abandon you and leave you three there claiming that you ran away when she lives her life kitten-free."
"You're lying. " Shard growled.
"Am I? Have you ever wonder why your mother never smiles and where she goes each day? She's unhappy, she doesn't want you, she never did. I tried talking to her about it but she blow me off so I was powerless to stop her. I am sorry but it's true ." Shard felt her mouth quiver.

" Come, dry those tears, we are going home. " Shard didn't even bother fight as her uncle picked her from the scruff and carried her off into the tunnels.
Using his long whiskers he found his regular sleeping place and placed her in the basket.
"I didn't even asked your name. " Shard said, slurred, drifting off .
Her uncle gave a sly smile. "You can call me uncle Frost if you like. Sweet dreams my little niece."
Frost went back out to find it had stopped raining and the dark clouds had driftedaway to reveal a bright full moon.
He sat in his favorite spot, in the shadows. On the steps to the surface and waited.
Luckily he didn't have to wait that long before the red ginger cat approached him. Hatred was evidently seen in her green eyes.
"I want them back Frost. " She growled.
Frost ears flicked. Slightly surprised.
"It seems you have a change of heart about your kits." He pointed out the obvious. Rose's tail leashed. "Where did you take them? Answer me!" She demanded. " They need their mother Milky! Now tell me where are they!"
Frost frowned at the mention of his old nickname.
"Really? They need someone who will abandon them and trust her hateful brother to create a trap to imprison them and sold them off to be adopted by strangers who might not treat them well? That type of cat they need now?
Her furious cold eyes cracked along with her voice. "You know I make stupid mistakes, Milky. " Rose admitted softly.
"Yes you do, unfortunately they are not so easily forgiven." He hinted.
Rose eyes widden in horror.
"What did you do?" She whispered, in fear of what he was going to say.
" Your kits? They are far away from you as possible. Like you wanted."
He grinned. Rose's jaw dropped. A wail escaped.
"They were crying, crying for that mother who loved them, cared for them and would rescue them only to find that she was not there because she never was." He taunted. More tears spilled down Rose face.
"Its all your fault."

He let the words linger in the cool air before breaking the sentence.

"Now if you don't mind I need my sleep, I hope you're satisfied." He turned to leave only to pause and look back at his sister with a smirk.
"Oh and say hello to Red for me, I don't think we never got a chance to chat." Then the white tom sprinted into the darkness, leaving a mother stunned. Frost looked back at the entrance.
She deserved every word.
He returned to his niece who was still asleep, shivering. Frost sighed and climbed into the basket and pulled her close to his warm body. After awhile the little kitten stopped shivering and snuggled closer to him.
Too bad I couldn't rescue Leo and Cocoa. They were probably good kits and could of helped me with my plans. But I needed only one. Maybe I'll track them down, maybe.
Frost closed his eyes fell asleep.
Shard will just have to do.

.....

I blinked, forcing the bitter memories at the back of my mind.

Life is filled with them.

Another memory emerges but instead of my childhood it was about Patches.
The toirshell tom cat that Frost used to kill his father.

I always knew my uncle was vicious and always on the look out to kill anyone who had wronged him in the past. And I supported him by default because I owe him my life from rescuing me from the streets. But there was something about Patches That striked me that I can't seem to identify.

Was it the way he looked at me with those two warm eyes? Or the way he calls me princes? But now he is gone. Can't seem to live with the fact that that he helped in assassinating his own father.

Ever since she felt lonely. She never did hangout with her uncle's cats, but she never did make outside friends either.

He called me a friend and I betrayed him.
"Enjoying the sights Shard?" Shard looked over her shoulder at the cat responsible for Patches disappearance.

"Why do you have to kill cats uncle?" I asked him. Frost studied my crestfallen face.
" You know why, they need to be punished. "

"You don't even care about who it might hurt?" He shrugged. "Why should I? " I glanced at my paws.
"Not even me?" I added softly.
I heard a sigh escape from my uncle as he sat closer to me. I didn't move.

"This is about Patches isn't it? " I looked at him, my eyes burning .
"Well yeah, who else wouldn't be about?" I snapped at him. He frowned at my sharp remark. I stared at my twitching tail, wrapped around my paws. Not willing to apologize.

" He was my only friend until you scared him off. "
"You consider him as a friend? The son of my enemy? " He spat.
" And I thought you were on my side. I don't need to kick out my own neice do I?" I could feel his hot threat on the back of my neck as he circles me.
My eyes widden in fear. "No! I mean, you're my uncle who saved me. I would be dead without you." I say quickly. Frost stoped in front of me. His blue eyes blazing, burning into mine.

"And never forget that Shard. Your mother never did love you, and your father was never around. Your brother and sister are far away from here, I am the only one who cares for you. But if you prove to be a problem, you might as well leave. I don't deal with cats who are untrustworthy, I kill them.
Understood?"

I gulped, keeping my eyes steady I stood up, facing him.
"Yes uncle." I growled through gritted teeth.

Frost relaxed and left me, mentioning that he will be starting the fighting session soon.

I forced my tensed shoulders to relax.
" He woudn't kill me, would he?" I wonder.
I really don't know.

................................................................
Authors Note:

I'm back!
In case you haven't noticed. :)

Waiting for Thursday had been brutal . I was so impatient I thought I might go crazy . It looks like I really like writing then!

So,

Watcha think?
I wanted to do something different, for storywriting purposes and the fact that I was starting to grow a little bit dry with Nutmeg's POV. I mean the kittens are not born yet but I didn't want it to be right away. Besides I planed Shard to be one of the main characters but surly I tell you this was not the way I thought it would turn out. I'm just letting the keyboard tell the story while my brain takes its time to reboot after being turn to mush from 4 exams in a a row.

And before you guys ask, I am not going to be writing Patches POV for awhile. But I will, eventually .
Right now the povs i will be focusing on are
Nutmeg
Jay,
Violet,
Shard,

And a little bit of Frost and Pepper .

Trust me. You guys are gonna love what I have in store.

Until then,

That's all,

Keep reading,

And keep an eye out for the next chapter .
And my new little book "connection " inspired by beththebeaut
Tag life.
Filled with Q&As Jokes, riddles and more.

Love you guys !

Chiao!