As morning came, Orto felt like he couldn't get any sleep. The memory of seeing Orchid dead fresh in his mind. So many nights of grieving, countless days of watching life pass by. He felt lonely without her.

"Hey." Kia padded over, a piece of chicken in her jaws. Orto blinked at her. "Hey." He meowed.

"Where's your friend?" Meowed the brown tabby she-cat. The tom shrugged. "Probably chatting with Morty again." He responded.

"Want some food?" She asked. The gray tabby tom nodded as she gave him some chicken for him to eat. "Thanks." He rumbled.

"Didn't sleep too good?" She mewed and the tom rested his head on his paws in silence. It looked obvious that he hadn't rested at all. It had almost been a week since the fake trials.

"No." He meowed. Kia frowned and gave him the rest. "Here. You eat up, I'll go look for some more food." She meowed and left the tom alone to eat.

Turning a corner, she padded along the solid path. She looked around and saw some kittypets talking to one another, strays eating, or basking in the sunshine. A scent made her nostrils flare and she continued down the path until she saw a she-cat with food between her teeth.

"Give us the meat Carla, and you won't be hurt." Pearl growled. The orange she-cat bared her teeth. "You have food of your own! Don't you know there are cats starving in this city who need food?" She spat.

"We do. We just don't care." That was Mackey. Of course that mangey cat had to follow Pearl around to strike terror into anycat they came across.

"You monsters! You don't even deserve to be called cats!" Carla growled and Pearl dangerously stepped towards her. "Say that again." She hissed.

Kia raced in just as Mackey was charging forward, his rosy eyes bright with disturbing excitement. She tackled the white cat to the ground and scratched his eye. Carla was fast, knocking Pearl off her four paws and bouncing off of her, snatching her food and looking at Kia.

"You little pest!" Pearl screeched, twisting to regain her footing, but Kia held her down. "Go, I'll hold them off!" She yowled and Carla raced off.

"Pathetic she-cat," Mackey growled as his good eye focused on her in rose-colored fury. "You and those toms will never save this city no matter how hard you try."

Kia lashed her tail and flexed her claws. "Shere-Khan will never have these cats afraid of him again when me and my friends stop him." She hissed and turned to try and find the she-cat names Carla. It didn't take long since she appeared from a dark hiding spot.

"Thanks for stopping Mackey and Pearl. They tried stealing this food, but I wasn't going to let that happen." Carla meowed. Kia gave a fond smile. "You were brave fighting Mackey, usually any cat that ever fought him got a scar. My name's Kia."

"I know, you and those two toms Orto and Rufus are talked about. You are giving cats a lot of hope." She mewed.

The tabby she-cat felt a feeling of satisfaction well up inside her. They were doing it. Slowly but surely the city would be safe.

"Hey, would like to eat that with me and my friend?" Kia offered politely. Carla nodded and followed behind her in the direction of Orto.

The pair made their way to Orto and Rufus and Morty, who had now joined them. Rufus looked up from his food. "Hey Kia, who's she?"

Kia looked at the she-cat beside her. "This is Carla, I offered her to come join us with more food to eat." She replied and couldn't help but be amused as Morty swiped his tongue around his lips hungrily.

"I am starving!" He meowed, a look of delight of his black and white patched face. Orto chuckled. "You're always hungry." He teased and the cats all gathered around to eat and talk with one another.

"So Carla, do you have any Twolegs?" Morty asked as he tried to make conversation with their new guest.

"My mother was a kittypet, but I decided to wander the city by myself for a while, I still visit her and my two sisters who stay with their Twolegs." She explained.

Kia smiled at her. Ripping a piece of meat with her teeth, she laughed while Orto began to tell a funny story about an altercation he had with a scrawny cat who thought he could challenge him and shortly lost.

Sorry this is short and lame. I haven't updated this story in ages and I felt bad so I decided to post something in the hopes of making up for it
~BW345