On Aug 20, 1995 by their pet's strange calendar, Pixie went into labor. After an easy delivery of three hours, she gave birth to a dark Maine Coon queen, two black queens, and the only tom of that litter who looked exactly like his father Bard. The kittens were named Katrina, Mystery, Tessa, and Davyn.

*****

Time had no meaning for the kittens. Poppa told stories; he sang songs. The kittens played tag, hit the ball, hide and seek. Momma would try to get me to settle down, but I didn't want to go to sleep! Neither did Katrina, as we both begged to stay up longer. Poppa told her to go eat, and then he told us of his rescuing Momma when they were younger. Tessa and Davyn would stay awake to listen too, I saw them! But I never heard how Momma and Poppa got together, for I got really sleepy and fell asleep.

*****

"But Momma!! I don't wanna go sleep now!"

"You never want to go to sleep Mystery." Pixie sighed with aggravation. "Bard? Tell them another story, will you? I'm going to eat something." Momma walked off.

With a grin, I turned to Poppa. "Yes! Tell us 'nother story!" Wiggling over to get close to Poppa, I pushed Tessa out of the way. Poppa told of a famous ancestor of ours, someone named Minstrel. Davyn was really liking the story, for he kept pushing me away to get closer to Poppa. I didn't mind for I just would push back. After the story, Davyn begged to be called Minstrel. I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore, so I fell asleep.

The next day my brother was called Minstrel, so I guess he got his wish.

*****

Ducking down in the crevice under the sink, I flicked my tail nervously. Katrina was searching for the rest of us to tag, and she was almost on me! I thought for sure I would have to run any moment, but then it was as if she couldn't see me, and walked on. I came out just a bit, to look around the corner to see where she had gone to, and Tessa was there looking at me kinda odd. "Wha' are you doin'? I can barely see you!"

"I dunno" I flicked my tail again.

"Hey! I can see you now! Show me!" Tessa danced around me.

"All I did was this -" Flicking my tail once again, I suddenly felt different. It was strange feeling at first, but Tessa was really excited and I got distracted when she suddenly .. "Hey! I can't see ya!" Which wasn't all the way exactly true, cause I could see a barely faint outline of her but it was as if my eyes were having problems. I rubbed them just to be sure, and she was back.

"We can hide really good!" Tessa ran off to find another hiding place, for Katrina was calling out that she had tagged Minstrel.

Deciding to do a trick to Momma, I flicked my tail again and crept up close to her in the bathroom. I crouched down really low so she couldn't see me. Mom had just finished taking a drink of water and she turned around, "Why, that's a shadow cat!"

Giggling, I flicked my tail again. "It's only me Momma!" I cried, jumping at her. "Didya see what I did?"

"I certainly did! Or rather, I didn't see you very well. You were hiding very well." Momma crouched down for me to climb on her and licked me when I fell off. It was a favorite game of mine to climb up. I always fell down though, but she would lick me and I would feel better.

Minstrel came around the corner after hearing me. "I found you!"

I looked from Minstrel up to Momma. "Can I change my name too? I want to be a shadow cat!" Momma looked down at me and smiled a strange smile.

"You can be Shadowcat if you want."

"Yeah!" Minstrel reached out and tagged me then, and ran off.

"I'll get you!" I called, and raced after him, feeling really excited. After all, I was a special shadow cat now!

*****

I poked my head around the corner of the house, where Poppa was talking with Minstrel. Swiveling my ears, I overheard him tell Minstrel that he could turn invisible, and suddenly Poppa wasn't there anymore. Blinking rapidly, I ran over to see what had happened to Poppa, but he showed up again. He was grinning at Minstrel, but I didn't like it. Looking over at Minstrel to say something, I couldn't find him either! Jumping back with my fur sticking straight up, I yowled. Poppa groomed me a bit, telling Minstrel that he was proud of him, before Minstrel was suddenly there on top of both of us! I batted at Minstrel before running around Poppa. He only disappeared again, and pounced me! I don't think I like him doing that.

*****

We were allowed to roam throughout the house, except for one room which the human thought was dangerous for us. Momma explained what that meant, but I wanted to see what was in there so badly! We could roam in the yard too, but not go out too far, for there were neighborhood pollicles and they were mean. Tessa would listen and obey, but I didn't want to. I wanted to find out what was in that room! I wanted to go where I wanted! I came up with this sneaky plan and hid waiting to run into the room when the door opened. I hid in the open crack of the closet, and flicked my tail to hide really well. I must've hid too well, cause the human closed the door! Now I was stuck. I yowled and yowled, and finally I was let out. Minstrel and Katrina teased me about my plan, but it would have worked if I hadn't gotten locked up! Poppa told me that it was good thinking on my part, and told me to try to think everything through. He gave Momma a look at this, but I was just happy that Poppa liked my thinking.

*****

"Let's go hunt a big rat!" Minstrel jumped up and started out of the yard.

"But where would we find a big rat?" Tessa wasn't sure of this, and hung back.

"There are plenty big rats in that dark building down the street!" I said excitedly, jumping up to go with Minstrel.

"I don't think we should." Tessa hung back, looking around.

"Fine. You stay here and not be a cat then. We'll go hunt rats ourselves!" I just ran to catch up with Minstrel, and we had a really good time. Together we managed to hunt down a rat in some old weeds and killed it. It took both of us to drag it home, for we wanted to show it off to Poppa! He was always telling us if we did good in hunting and such, and I loved the praise.

I was right. Poppa did praise us both. Momma had been worried sick. Or so she said, but I didn't think she was all that sick.

*****

Katrina and I would hide and watch the pollicles. Sometimes they could sniff her out and we would both run for home, feeling scared and excited at the same time. I don't know why they couldn't sniff me out, but then I was the really important Shadowcat, and no one could find me!

One day Katrina was being grounded and had to stay in the Yard. Poppa didn't catch me with the pollicles, so I wasn't grounded and Katrina was nice enough not to say anything to him, so I went in search of Tessa to come with me to the pollicles. I knew Minstrel would tell Poppa, and I didn't want to get in trouble!

"Aw.. come on Tessa. You aren't much of a cat! You can hide as well as I can. We'll just watch them." I begged and pleaded, and finally Tessa agreed to come with me. We set off, and hid under the bush like I told her, but this time, I wanted to do more than just hide. It wasn't hardly any fun anymore just watching the mean pollicle.

"I have an idea. Just yell once at him, and see what he does." I whispered to Tessa. Her eyes were wide with fear as she shook her head no. "Oh, come on .. he can't get us! We are the super cats!" I nudged her. "Just one yell, and we can take off then." Tessa shook her head again, shaking in fear now. I took a breath, going to get my nerve up to yell then, when she screamed and took off running! I flattened my ears down for just a second, before jumping up to take off running myself. That pollicle HAD to have heard her - "You didn't have to yell in my ear!" I called to her, as we raced to the Yard. I stopped around the side of the house, but Tessa ran inside. The pollicle ran right on by our house! He never even saw us! Ha!

I found Tessa shaking under the bed later, after she had told Minstrel about teasing the pollicle. She didn't say it was me who put her up to it, so I didn't get into trouble. I think she wanted to be known as more of a cat, and this definitely qualified. Katrina looked at her more in pride. I was glad of that, and kept my mouth shut as well. Momma was mad. Poppa kinda got upset with her too, but I never heard what he told her.

Poppa would take one of us aside and talk a bit about stuff. They were good hints what he told us, for then we could do better on our games, or hunt better. Poppa was always watching us like that. We could scout good too, although my ideas and plans kept getting in the way. Minstrel started calling them "hare-brained schemes" but I didn't know what that meant for a long time. It meant that someone would get into trouble. I just couldn't help myself. I really tried to do good planning. I really did!

*****

I went back to the pollicle several times. After that first time, Tessa tried to join me a few more times, but I could tell her heart really wasn't in it. Katrina joined me when she was finished her grounding. She was upset that we had started teasing the pollicle without her. I think she teased him too, but I never caught her at it. Her plans always worked, and no one got hurt or in trouble! I thought about it as I walked back up to my customary place to hide. I wanted to be as good as she was. The others were home playing hide and seek, and I pretended to hide only to sneak out. I wanted excitement!

The pollicle was there. I yelled at him "Hey snot-nose!" and took off running back to the house. He always had something dripping from his nose, and it was rather gross. He wasn't clean like us at all! He must've understood my insult, for he took off after me! This was great! But something was different, for it was really like he was going to hurt me this time, and not just chase me. Running scared, I almost didn't make it back to the house. Running under the back porch to hide, I found Minstrel hiding there.

"Shhh... Don't give it away!" He hissed at me, upset that I'd found his hiding place. Just then Katrina came trotting around the corner, looking for him. But the pollicle had come running into our yard, and he saw Katrina! She couldn't run or hide - he jumped on her and dug his teeth into her hind leg. She started screaming. I couldn't move. It was horrible. There was blood everywhere - he had pulled Katrina's leg away from her body and I could see her skin tear open. Her screams echo ... Momma and Poppa showed up suddenly and attacked the pollicle. Poppa would save Katrina! He would! He would! In shock I watched them, and the pollicle was run off. Momma went immediately to Katrina, but she couldn't heal her. Katrina was too far gone. I barely was able to crawl out when Poppa blocked my view. Minstrel had crawled out as well, but Poppa took both of us inside away from Momma and Katrina.

"Katrina is dead, isn't she?" I asked quietly, hearing her screaming again in my mind and starting to shake rather badly. I vowed then that I would never run home again if I was being chased by danger. I couldn't stand it if someone else I loved died. And it was my fault for leading him home.

*****

After that the pollicle seemed to come around the house more often. Momma weaned the rest of us, and Tessa was adopted by a human pet. Poppa seemed thankful that Tessa was out of danger. I was going to miss her dreadfully, but felt that it was better for her to be out of danger from around here. I would know that somehow she would still live, unlike Katrina. No one spoke her name. I cried a lot, and Momma would groom me to make me feel better, but nothing would be the same again.

*****

The pollicles attacked again. I wasn't outside during this attack, but Minstrel came running into the house scared.

"There are more of them now! Poppa said to hide!" We both ran for the bed and crawled under it. After a long time, Poppa came back to the bedroom covered in blood.

"I knew you could beat them Poppa!" I told him confidently as I crawled out.

"Where's Momma?" Minstrel asked as he crawled out as well. Poppa never answered. He took us instead to a closet and closed it with the three of us inside. He groomed his coat. But he never answered.

"Where's Momma?" Minstrel would ask over and over that night. I crawled up next to Minstrel and shook. Poppa wasn't acting right. Everything was wrong. I felt sad, and torn inside out, and mad. I wish Minstrel would just shut up! I started crying.

The human took us out of the closet the next day. We never saw Momma again.

*****

Poppa was never the same. He tried to train us. I didn't get much out of the training, but Minstrel threw his whole heart into it. I was missing Momma so badly. Poppa and I just seemed to be sad together. I think Minstrel was sad too, but he hid it. After some time, a human came by.

"Look your best Shadowcat." Poppa told me. "You need a human pet of your own, and this one will take care of you."

"I don't want to leave .." I started, but Poppa groomed me anyway.

"You should leave, Shadowcat. Get away from here and start your own life. One away from all this sorrow."

I did as Poppa told me. I purred and rubbed the human's leg. My black fur matched the black pants of his leg, so while I was wondering how else to show him I was interested, I was picked up.

"This one is such a cute kitten! And all black!" Just then he noticed my little white at my throat. "Well, almost all black." He held me and cuddled me, and suddenly I felt better and safer.

"She's just the spitting image of her mother."

"A baby, isn't she? May I keep her?" I purred loudly and rubbed my head on his hand, to show my acceptance of him.

Poppa's human laughed. "I think she's going to keep you Dean."

"I'll call her Baby then."

We left together. I watched my brother and Poppa as I was carried out, not knowing if I would ever see them again.