See Ya!

Everything was ready for the ritual. The ritual of war preparation. Well, for the preparation of winning the war. The last several times, they had gotten away with no roots in the stew. But now, I needed it. War was upon us, and we needed to protect each other!  

One sister had not given me the root of the flower! I needed the root of the flower. It had nine roots. She only gave me everything but. The flower petals, the nectar, the leaves and the stem. But not the nine roots.                                

Who will protect us against betrayal? Who will defend us against backstabbers and whisperers? Those nine roots—three for Marcela, three for Ruby and three for me—tie us together. We are sisters and we belong together. Like a triangle is made up of three sides, a rectangle its four sides and a circle no sides, we three sisters are tied by friendship, protection, allegiance and faith. We trust each other, never wavering under anything. Or we’d be cut off.  

I politely asked Marcella (while restraining every muscle not to yell and threaten). But she wants to do other things: fly around on her broomstick, make up potions and spells and talk to her midnight-black cat, Sophie! If Sophie were so wise, she’d actually do something about Marcella’s disobedience. We need to make the potion for when we go to war with the wizards and goblins and ghosts. We should prepare to fight for each other!     

I went to Ruby about Marcella’s disobedience. She just strokes her midnight-black cat. This cat “talks” back with purrs and meows.           

“Don’t you care?” I interrupted Ruby. She just sits there, her knobby, wrinkled, bony hand going up and down the cat’s back and head. I huffed away. No one wants to figure it out. I, balling my fists, wanted to scream to the starry night air. I must have the roots! We will win if we are together. That’s why I need the roots—it’ll only make us stronger as we are sisters even more with it.   

The more power, the more the ability to win. I returned, threatening to steal Ruby’s cat and strip her hide from her body and her flesh cooked in the pot of stew I have made even without the roots. However, none of them answer me! Fine. I grabbed her midnight-black cat by the scruff of her neck and held her out so her claws didn’t scare my face, arms and hands. A minute later, she was held over the boiling pot of stew, with its leeks, carrots, dandelions, daisies, bubbling broth, onions, broccoli, mushrooms, garlic, salt, pepper and soy sauce floating around the mixture. The bubbling goo popped and murmured with hissing ignorance as the cat’s widened eyes begged mercifully. She hummed low, and then closed her eyes. I called to my sister to watch, but she didn’t answer. Just when the cat’s feet were centimeters away from the boiling, bubbling stew, she hissed low and menacingly. I flung her away, she landing neatly with a loud meow on the floor in front of the cauldron. “Stupid Ruby!” I grabbed the pot’s nearby wooden spoon, stirring hurriedly and then furiously.

“Marbella.”

Faster and faster the cauldron pot’s contents went. I felt a maddening grin stretch on my face.

“Marbella!”

The stew circled around and around, its heat melting my face.

“MARBELLA!”

I jerked up, freeing my hand from the spoon. Ruby stood there with half-closed eyes, her cat in her arms. I pursed my lips, and wished I had never threatened this animal. It didn’t deserve mistreatment. I needed to apologize.

“I’m sorry.” I reached out towards the cat, but Ruby pulled away.

“You stupid girl! We’ll never win the war now. You’ve betrayed us with your cruelty.” She walked away, the cat glowering at me. I stood there, brooding. I only meant to get your attention. I thought menacingly.

Then I had an idea. I’ll take the cat to Marcella—Ruby will follow, and I’ll force her to talk Marcella into giving me those roots! I dashed around the cauldron and grabbed the cat right out of Ruby’s hands. Hissing frantically and spitting what sounded like insults at me, she tried scrambling out of my tight grip. However, I had clutched her so she couldn’t really do much but jerk her arms around. Soon, she stopped and only hissed low and threateningly. I told her we were going to Marcella and getting those roots for us all. I looked back. Ruby better get over here!

“Doesn’t she want us to win?” I asked the cat.

She ignored me. I laughed, continuing forward. “Well, maybe, you can talk to Sophie.”

“I do. She doesn’t care. She’s always snapping at me, ordering me around!”

I stopped dead in my run. “What was that?” I held the cat by its armpits. “You talk?”

“I always have.” A sly grinned appeared.

“What’s your name?” I wasn’t playing around. She slapped a paw over her mouth, giggling.

I shook my head and carried her like a child as I dashed around some piles of logs, ran through a low stream and jumped clean over a tiny stone bridge. Finally seeing Marcella up ahead struggling with our well’s water bucket, I took some deep breaths and then began.

“Marcella…I need those roots. You need to give them to me. Now!”  

“What’s cooking?” She let go of the bucket’s rope, the bucket falling into the well.

“The stew.” I showed her Ruby’s cat. “She talks.”

Marcella looked at the cat, and crinkled her face. “No. Only Sophie talks.” She laughed. “That’s why they call her Sophie. She’s so wise!”

“But watch.” I told this cat to say something. She pulled a whimsical look, and then shook her head. I stared, frustrated, at the cat. Then I threatened to cook her. She jabbered on like she hadn’t had a decent word in edge-wise. I nodded. “If this cat can talk, then you can tell me where those roots are!”

“I don’t!” She threw her hands up. “Honest.”    

“You want us to lose? Lose our bond? Lose our power to win?”

“What does it matter? The goblins and warlocks and all those other magical people out there fighting that war aren’t going to fight us. We can escape. We don’t have to fight.”

I stared at her, wide-eyed. Then I asked incredulously, “What—do you want us to die? Just get zapped or something with a spell? What do you think those roots are for?”

“We’re not to waste them on the war.”        

I pursed my lips and took myself and the cat back to the cauldron, noticing Ruby did not follow me.

Whatever.   

I told the cat to get Sophie. After I set her down, she ran away, returning with Sophie. The other cat looked up at and sat before me as I told her to just get the freaking roots.  

“Marcella doesn’t want to spoil them. They could be essential to our connection as friends and allies.”

Sophie was wise, but I never contemplated her words. But, I protested, we were using them to fight together! What better way to get to the root of the issue—winning for each other—than with the roots of all of us? Right? I emphasized this aspect to Sophie. 

She sighed. “I won’t fight with you.” Then she walked away. I sat there, hoping she wouldn’t spread the word I was talking to a cat. Though knowledgeable, Sophie slandered and gossiped to every alley cat and barn cat she befriended. She would disappear into the forests and streets beyond, lurking behind trash cans and in alleyways to tell everyone her mistress’s sister’s secrets. Only Ruby’s cat would return with Sophie’s deeds, having tracked her down until she found her feigning innocence.     

I returned to Marcella. Again, she turned me down, saying we were just sisters—isn’t that enough? Disagreeing, I stirred the cauldron, fully aware of my surroundings. Soon, my sisters were holding bowls out for me to dump the delicious meal into each of them. Each of their cats sat patiently, meowing for fish and water.

I fed them, too, and then joined my sisters as we ate the stew. It was piping hot, but once Ruby and Marcella enjoyed it heartily, I wore a proud smile, knowing my cooking would drown the slander Sophie had spread around town with the punisher of the title of amazing cook. I called Sophie over to me.     

“Sophie, go around with the word of my delectable soup!”

“Okay!” She did, and wore a happy grin upon returning.

“Lie to me again, and you will be boiled in the cauldron. You are wise. You shouldn’t be adding slander and gossip to your vocabulary, right?”

Sophie widened her eyes and lowered her ears, scrunching up into a small frame of blackness. I told her she better tell her little gossip circle to revere my cooking. She dashed off, and quick as a wink, she returned with a bright smile on her face. “No more ugly words from me!”

“Hope you’re not lying again!”

Sophie shook her head vehemently and motioned for me to follow her into the thicket behind this place where the cauldron bubbled and murmured. I walked a long way, looking back. Ruby’s cat followed. I sighed, wishing she would be the leader for once.

Where were we going? Trees and roads and buildings soon still lay beside us. Sophie ordered Ruby’s cat to hurry up. “Become a cat!” She told me, and snapped at Ruby’s cat to get up here! I did, and trotted up to and beside Sophie.

“Where are we going? We’ve been trotting for miles. And don’t be so mean to Ruby’s cat!”

She laughed. “Just follow me.”

We trotted and trotted, Sophie never growing tired it seemed. “Sophie.” I panted, slowing down and finally stopping. “We’re miles away from home.”

“We are!” Sophie shoved back a branch, and I, looking all around, gasped. It was a huge forest! No, I looked again, it was Sophie’s little hideout. I hopped over the log under Sophie’s outstretched arm, and sat in the space over which branches stretched and were weaved. They were also very thin and had hairs coming out from their ends. I blinked and turned away, not wanting to offend Sophie’s well-done home. 

“Where’d you find such a secret place?” Sophie told us once the other cat came in here that it’d been here for a while. No one knew, and no one would ever know.

“Maybe we can branch out from where we are and invite new cats—”

Sophie, her eyes wide, dashed up to me, and slammed a paw over my mouth. “No one must ever know about this secret hideout! We must never tell anyone of this place. It is the place where I go to gather my thoughts and bring forth wisdom to those who need it most.”

“But you also gossip and slander.”

Sophie nodded. “Yes. But I want to just be wise.”

I pursed my lips. “Hm. Maybe Marcella should listen.” I turned to Ruby’s cat. Could she know? I asked her, but she nervously lowered herself to the ground. Suddenly, an earthquake erupted. “Run!” Sophie blurted the obvious, and I made all of us disappear magically, reappearing on water. We found we could run on water, and did so.

“Marcella! Ruby!”

They were nowhere to be found. I shapeshifted into a unicorn, promising to carry them far away. But Marcella and Ruby were nowhere to be seen in the churning whirlpool. “No!” I looked up at the sky, and saw two flying unicorns. My sisters!  

I flew straight up. Ruby and Marcella would listen to me after hearing that their cats were possibly drowning below. I pumped my wings, and then heard a roar below. A huge tsunami wave headed towards Sophie and Ruby’s cat! I dove after seeing she was busy dodging a spell, chancing it all. Swooping so that I made an invisible U in the air, I gathered Sophie and Ruby’s cat into the air. They landed onto my back. Crying out in pain due to those razor sharp claws of hers, I told the cats to loosely hold on as I beat my wings towards the two other flying horses. Catching up with them, I noticed they weren’t Marcella or Ruby. They said they were escaping.

“Where are Marcella and Ruby—two other unicorns?” 

“Don’t know!” They flew off, dodging more spells.

Suddenly, Sophie screamed, “Watch out!” Spells soared right for me, but I dodged them. I searched for Ruby and Marcella but couldn’t find them. Then I remembered Sophie’s hideout. Could they be there? I wondered aloud.

“No—not my secret hideout!”

“Are you crazy? We’re in a war, Sophie!”

I flew towards Sophie’s hideout, she threatening to skin me alive if I ever revealed it to anyone besides her friends. Feeling her claws dig into my back, I reverted back to the coastland, declaring I’ll find my sisters somewhere. Maybe they decided to fight the wizards themselves. Maybe they died—

“Dodge! And Cat, speak up!” Sophie snapped at Ruby’s cat. “Don’t just lay there.”

“Don’t be so mean, Sophie. She is who she is.” Internally, I agreed with Sophie: Ruby’s cat needed to not be so scared of everything. But, simultaneously, I felt bad for Ruby’s cat.

Sophie let out another loud howl as a spell split the sky above us. I hovered, lowered, turned and dodged all spells and rocks, but the rocks nearly hit Ruby’s cat, I noticed with horror. I zoomed towards a small cave on the coastland. “Here. We can rest here.” After both cats jumped off my back, I turned back into a black cat. I could tell by their skittish behavior heights terrified them. Ruby’s cat threatened to boil me in our cauldron if I ever fly her again.

“I’m sorry!”

Sophie sighed indifferently. I ignored her and looked down, tears forming in my eyes.

“Where are they? They’re my sisters! What if… Those roots symbolized our bond. If we don’t have them, we’re doomed—” I stopped. “No. If we don’t have each other, we’re doomed. Separated forever. Roots or no roots, we’re sisters. Now that we’re not together, we’ll suffer forever.”

“Doomed to what?” Ruby’s cat cut in, surprising Sophie.

“Doomed to suffer forever.” I droned.

“Well, how are we going to get them now? More importantly, how are you going to get them from Marcella?” Ruby’s cat wouldn’t allow Sophie a word in edge-wise. “Do the roots matter? Marcella’s lost her sisters. Roots or no roots, they’re rooted together in love. They’re family. Do real roots compare to the roots of love and family?”

“No.” Sophie gritted her teeth. I said Ruby’s cat was right. Sophie turned away—she was frustrated she wasn’t the smart one here. Well, she wasn’t always wise!

I looked at her. “Look, I’m just trying to reunite with my sisters.”

“Marcella disobeyed.” She sat up straight. “She shouldn’t be part of your sisterhood anymore!”

I looked at her. She was right—in a way. But Marcella was my sister, regardless. My flesh-and-blood relative. So was Ruby. Both of them meant more to me than Sophie and Ruby’s cat combined. Ruby’s cat and Sophie had each other. I had no one anymore.

Ruby’s cat put a paw on my shoulder, but I moved away, burying my face in my arms and paws. When I shapeshifted back into a witch, the cats looked at me.

“Stay a cat.” Ruby’s cat advised, glaring at Sophie. “No offense, but you’re better off a cat. At least, with me.” Sophie glowered back. I wondered why. I also wished I could do something. Something told me to stay here a cat.

I wasn’t a cat. I was a human. Besides, I’d never bond like I did with Ruby and Marcella. Why did Marcella disobey me? I risked my life, going out to search for them. I soon found them, but they fought side-by-side, ignoring me. I begged them to include me. What was this rejection? I returned to Sophie and Ruby’s cat. I told them of my rejection. Ruby’s cat despaired, but Sophie told me we three were a family. We could hide away in her den. I felt we really did belong together—a weird connection.    

I nodded at Sophie. She smiled. Then I really looked at her. The smile grew bigger. And then Sophie slammed a paw over her mouth. I widened my eyes and lunged for her. I would’ve strangled her if Ruby’s cat didn’t distract me by joining in the glee. 

“You took my roots? And used them to build your hideout?!”

After their laughing party, Sophie told me she built it for secrets told. “I used it to slander and gossip with my alley cat and barn cat friends. But,” she sighed, “I’m not so wise. I’m mean to you and you.” She looked at Ruby’s cat and me sadly. “We’re your family, not your sisters. That’s what the roots are for—to connect us all together.” Sophie looked down. “Who was I to lie about you to my friends when I too was in the wrong place at the wrong time? I fought with you, Cat. I’m sorry!” 

“I forgive you, Sophie.” I nodded. “Do you forgive me for my hatred towards you for doing so?”

“Yes.” 

We dubbed Ruby’s cat ‘Majestic,’ and soon all went home—after the war ceased—to Sophie’s den.

All three of us cats. Lead by Majestic herself.

I’ll never know why my sisters have moved on without me. But Sophie and Majestic are the family I never had. The nine roots are the ties we have to each other. Marcella and Ruby always had each other.   

No wonder only they had cats, and not me.