Kia looked at some kits who were innocently playing with a Twoleg toy. It almost made Kia think of herself and her brother. They'd had a lot of freedom back then and not just because their environment was safer—few kits had been allowed to roam as much as they normally would recently. It seemed as if the news of Shere-Khan's ventures put she-cat's with kits on edge.

"Hey Kia." Meowed a voice and she saw her father. She gave the tom an affectionate nuzzle. "Hello father." She mewed.

"I visited your mother." He murmured. The she-cat's eyes widened. "How is she?" She asked.

"Leda is alright. She misses you and that brother of yours. I didn't tell her how much he's changed. I don't want to break her heart." Pear meowed.

Kia went stiff for a moment. "She was always worried about us as kits. Especially with happened to her last litter."

Pear shifted on his paws, watching the kits play. "A lot of things seem to change as a cat like me grows old I suppose. Leda wanted me tell you that she loves you."

Kia blinked at him. "I would love to visit her, but my duty is to the city first. Maybe when all of this is over with I can see her again." She meowed.

Pear nodded. "Shere-Khan wants a word with me this evening." He told her. The tom straightened up and stretched his limbs.

"What about?" She blurted out, trying to keep her cool. The light brown cat swiped his tongue around his muzzle. "I will have to see. He said we should discuss it privately. Don't worry, I will be sure to inform you of anything of importance."

The brown tabby she-cat blinked in astonishment. "How did you," she began, but her father gave her a teasing look. "There's nothing a father doesn't know about his kits. You have a duty, I want to help." He replied.

"But what if you get hurt? I don't want you to disappear if this goes wrong. Does mother even know?" She asked, a multitude of thoughts in her head.

Pear didn't reply for a heartbeat. "You watch yourself. I love you Kia. I'll be alright, no need to worry for my safety." He mewed.

"I love you too, just please be careful." She nuzzled her father's pelt. The tom licked the top of her head.

"Don't want to be laate!" Pearl chimed in, much to Kia's already peaked annoyance.

Pear scowled and followed the she-cat. Kia watched her father leave.

"I swear she is more fake than Shere-Khan. I don't know how he can stand her." Spoke another familiar female voice. It was Carla.

Kia gave an amused purr. "I'd have to agree with that." She mewed, a small on her maw as she saw the orange she-cat coming her way.

"So, who was that?" Carla asked. Kia nodded her head. "My father and some deranged she-cat." The brown tabby responded.

The orange cat before her simply nodded her head. "All the toms know her, I'm not shocked. No wonder she doesn't have kits." She joked. Kia gave an amused purr and Karla did the same.

"So friend, tell me about yourself." The orange she-cat asked. Kia briefly licked her chest fur. "I'm not as interesting as you would think." She mewed, avoiding the subject.

Carla'a blue eyes brightened. "Oh come on, now you've peaked my interest!" She joked, playfully prodding at her shoulder with a paw.

"My mother was a kittypet while my father was a loner. I was born in a Twoleg nest with my brother. My father always says my mother used to be a stray but she never talked about it. I learned to fight from my father when he took my outside, by the time I was full grown I was hunting and fending for myself when my brother parted ways with us then I was left alone." Kia responded.

Carla nodded slowly. "I can't imagine what that must have felt like." She mewed, nuzzling her, letting her chin rest on her shoulder. Kia suddenly breathed in her sweet-scented coat and just sat there.

"Come on, let's see if there's any food." She offered and the pair walked off to find some good food to feast on together.