This is the story that was written in a bunch of my Random Thought Journals. It's in the Sweet Shoppe realm and deals with cats and dogs and the joys and hardships they endure.

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Cats vs Dogs

Catriona Isles is a cluster of islands that collectively create the country affectionately referred to by others as, the Cat Kingdom. It's inhabited entirely by cats and is quite peaceful. Food, water and plant life are plentiful.

Journey south on the map of Okanu and you find Oslan, the Dusty Bowl Country. In contrast, where Catriona is a cat kingdom, Oslan is a canine oasis. Largely a desert country, scattered oases are where these canines live. Dog breeds (like those on earth), jackals, fennec foxes, coyotes and the like make their homes in these desert paradises. But, because the country is so barren and fertile lands are scarce, the inhabitants have used the arid regions for factories and refineries. Oslan is by far the most technologically advanced of the 4 current continents (Catriona, Adohi, Panthros and Oslan). They are the ones that build the ships, trains and cars that other countries use. They also recycle their metals and plastics. The factories, like the cars, are solar powered, so there's no pollution. Still, despite being environmentally sound, they still cannot get their land to sustain any crops, thus making it difficult to have produce and maintain livestock. That's where the other countries come in. As the denizens of Oslan have no need of money they instead barter goods, clothing, lumber and any other necessities that they cannot produce on their own. It is a fair and equitable trading system for all involved.

...yet, when it comes to the cat kingdom and the dog country, there is an ancient hatred that they have long since put asunder, but every so often, the feral instinct will show itself in children that have not been socialized and suddenly find themselves in the company of their old enemy...

***

The Kingdom of Calico served as a hub for traders from other lands to deliver their goods to be relayed to the rest of the islands of Catriona. Being the largest of the islands, Calico is more than capable of storing goods for other kingdoms instead of the traders being forced to island hop to deliver them on their own. This cuts their travel time substantially and the traders of Oslan are grateful for the hospitality.

Artemis, the Crowned Prince of Calico and his wife, Princess Avalon, have received the canine traders often. As such, they have become great friends with some of them including the captain of the trade ships, Captain Scotty and his wife, Abigail.

The pair traveled to Calico on a routine trade trip and brought along their youngest son, Nick. It would be his first time visiting the cat kingdom and he was quite excited to see a land that wasn't covered in sand. A land where people had shops that sold food and sweet treats unlike the meat distribution center in his city that only dispensed meat. This was going to be quite the adventure.

After what seemed like an eternity, the ship finally reached the shores of Calico and docked in the harbor. Catrionan workers and staff greeted the ship's crew and assisted in the unloading of the cargo. Also in attendance was the royal family. It had been months since the prince and princess had the pleasure of enjoying their friends' company and they were looking forward to seeing them once again.

Captain Scotty stepped off the plank that served as a makeshift bridge between the ship and the dock. He reached out his hand to his wife who graciously accepted his aid as their eager son hopped passed her and onto the landing.

The boy's eyes were wide with amazement. There was so much greenery. Trees, flowers, grass, vines, everywhere he looked there was refreshing viridian views for him to behold. A seagull squawked, causing the boy to give a start. A bird? He had only really seen them as meat. This was his first time seeing one with feathers, let alone flying freely in the sky.

“Nicky, what do you think?” Abigail asked, smiling down at her pup.

“There are so many smells!” he sang, bouncing up and down. “Everything is moving. Everything is green! There's so much grass! Everything is—“

“Easy son, easy.” Scotty chuckled, scooping his excited child up in his arms. The boy giggled, gleefully. “It is a lot to see.” Scotty continued. “There are a lot of scents and sounds, so it's easy to get overwhelmed. So, try to take it in little by little.”

“Okay.” the pup replied, still smiling from ear to ear. “Can we go swimming in the ocean?”

Being black labradors, water was a special fondness for the breed. On Osland, the family lived about a half day's trek from the nearest beach. Living so far inland, getting to visit the beach was a real treat.

“Yes, son, we can visit the beach.” Scotty replied. “But first, we need to say hello to the prince and princess.”

“What's a prince?” the boy asked.

“A prince is like the son of a pack leader. When they become older, they will no longer be a prince. When the time is right, they will become an emperor, which is like the actual pack leader. They will then lead everyone in this entire country.”

“The prince and princess are also our good friends.” Abigail added. “We have known them for a long time. We knew them even before you were born. The first time we met was just before Avalon gave birth to their sons.”

“They have puppies, too?”

Scotty chuckled. “No, son, that would be impossible. Artemis and Avalon aren't dogs, like us. They are cats.”

“Cat? What's that?”

“Why, everyone here that's not a dog.” he said, gesturing to the ship crew and the cats that were helping them with the cargo.

Nick looked where his father gestured and made a quizzical face. “Daddy, are they puppies?” he asked, drawing amused giggles from his parents. But, it wasn't an unreasonable assumption to make.

The cats on the island were considerably smaller than most of the dogs from Oslan. Labradors, being a large canine breed, were particularly taller than their feline hosts. Fennec foxes, being a diminutive species by comparison, shared a height more similar to the felines. ...minus the ears, of course. But, the fennec foxes were almost exclusively the exception on this voyage. Almost all of the other crewmen subscribed to the large canine class and thus towered over the cats that greeted and assisted them at the dock.

“No, son, this is how they are.” Scotty said. “This is how they grow. They are like your friend Marco and his family back at home. This is as big as they get.”

“All of them?” the pup asked.

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“...wow.” the boy breathed.

Scotty and Abigail giggled at their son's astonishment. If they had come here at his young age, they supposed that they would be amazed as well.

“Ah, there they are.” Scotty said waving cheerfully at the prince and princess that waited patiently just ahead of them.

---

“Palm, dear, stop fidgeting.” Avalon chided, as she pulled her black-haired kitten closer to her. “You must stand still and poised like your brothers are. See?” she said, looking over at her other two children, the princes Alder and Arjuna. Just as she described, the two elder siblings, older even if only by just a few minutes, stood calm, still and regal before their father. Palm sighed.

“Mama, why is it taking so long?” Palm asked, impatiently. “The boat is here, so where are they?”

“Because, Scotty is the ship's captain, so he must make sure everything is in order before he disembarks.” she answered.

“A captain of a ship is like an emperor of a kingdom, right, Father?” Arjuna, the golden-eyed middle brother, asked.

“In a manner of speaking, yes.” Artemis, the boy's father and the next Emperor of Calico, answered. “He is the one that commands the ship and its crew. They look to him for direction as they travel the seas.”

“So, then he's just like Grandfather? And like you when Grandfather steps down?” the boy asked.

“That's right. And then, it will be Alder's time to lead when it is my time to step down.”

The boy smiled and nodded, then looked to his elder brother, the final prince of the trio, Alder. The young emperor-to-be stood straight and noble, his gaze forward and focused. “Alder?” Arjuna called, cautiously.

The red haired kitten turned to face his brother. “Yes?” he asked, blandly.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, I am fine. Thank you.” With that, he returned his attention to looking ahead and standing, quietly.

Though the kitten said he was fine, the truth was, he was anything but. For months, Alder had been burdened with an intense study regime designed to prepare him for his future role as emperor. From sun up to sun down, the child had known nothing but studying history, etiquette, diction and endurance. His days of spending time with his brothers, playing with them, laughing with them and enjoying his company were gone. Instead, the entirety of his day was devoted to becoming an emperor...at the expense of sacrificing his childhood.

Avalon looked over at her son. When once he was vibrant and lively, now he was stoic and lifeless. His eyes that used to sparkle with their viridian hue, were dim and void of any emotion. There was nothing. It was as though her son had died and had been replaced with a robotic copy of him. She hated it. She hated the almost tortuous training her child had to endure. She hated seeing him without even a trace of joy within his soul. She hated not being able to spend time with him and she knew that his brothers felt the same. She hated that his childhood was being stolen from him and he was forced into being an adult, well before his time. And she hated that there was nothing she could do to put an end to it. She was his mother. Her job was to love, cherish and protect her kittens. No other role would be greater than this and yet she was bound and prohibited from fulfilling those obligations of motherhood.

She glanced over at her husband, the one responsible for her child's abuse and had to suppress the urge to growl at him. She loved her husband and always would, but right now, he was her least favorite person in the world. He had the power to end this, but he would not. He insisted that the burden of ruling and the protocols that accompanied it were things that he needed to learn early on. She disagreed and was quite vocal on her displeasure about it all. But, he would not relent and she was seething with anger at the man she loved, but in that moment, also despised.

She returned her gaze to the ship and at the friends that were approaching her and her family. With practiced ease, she forced a smile upon her face and readied herself to receive their guests. “Abigail, Captain Scott.” she greeted, cheerfully. “It has been so long. You both are truly a sight for sore eyes.”

“Avalon.” Abigail sang. “You look as beautiful as ever.” The lady dog reached out her hands to touch her friends hand with fondness. The cat's hands were so small compared to hers. They nestled daintily in her palms and she found it to be an incredibly adorable trait of the denizens of the cat kingdom.

“Oh, your kittens have grown so much.” Abigail said. “Has it truly been that long since we visited?” She knelt down to look at the children on height that was closer to their level. ...or, as best as she could. “My, what handsome young boys you all are.”

Palm practically beamed with delight and said, "thank you" with cheer. Arjuna smiled, shyly and gave his thanks, softly. Alder bowed slightly and said his thanks with extreme formality. His rigidity was so apparent that it caught Abigail off guard.

“Alder, darling are you alright?” she asked.

“Yes, I am well.” he replied, robotically. “Thank you for your concern. It is greatly appreciated.”

Abigail blinked her surprise. “My, you are so serious. What happened to the cheerful, energetic little boy that I saw last time I visited?”

Avalon was burning with anger. The awful change in her first born was so obvious that even people that only saw him a few times a year noticed it. She balled up her right fist, the one furthest from the sight of the others and desperately tried to will her anger away.

Artemis could feel the unseen fiery fury his wife burned with as she stood beside him. It was scalding. And he knew that every degree of her anger was directed at him. It had been ages since she had shared his bed. For countless nights, she had joined the kittens in their room and slept with them. The children were overjoyed to have her with them at night, sleeping right beside them as they dreamed. ...except Alder.

With regard to the boy, it wasn't that he was overjoyed, it was more that he was relieved. Avalon had told him on the first night that she joined them, that she did not want him to maintain his strained composure around her. She told him that whenever he was in her arms, she wanted him to think of nothing except the love that she and his brothers held for him. He did not have to be on his toes here. He could relax and rest without fear of being punished in some way.

On the first night that she came to them and shared those words with her first born, his tiny face crumpled with anguish and he cried freely in the safety of his mother's arms. She held him tight and sang to him softly until he fell asleep, soundly. Arjuna and Palm had crawled into her embrace and hugged their brother along with her. It had been a tumultuous night.

Avalon had told Artemis of this on the very next day, but he would not relent and insisted that this training was necessary. Though he did not say it, it also upset him to see their son so reserved and emotionless. He had never gone through the training himself, as Ajua, his twin sister, was the one that was to inherit the throne. Had she lived, she would have become empress and her first born would have been the next ruler after her. But, she was gone now and Artemis suddenly had the responsibility thrust upon him. He would become emperor and his first born would be his successor. He didn't have the benefit of having learned everything that his sister had learned. He would have to figure things out without having the training that had been afforded to her. But, for his son, he wanted to make sure that he had the most advantages possible to prepare him for the role that he would assume in the future. He wanted to make sure his child had every tool available to help him on that journey, every tool that he never had the opportunity to benefit from.

“Artemis.” Scotty called, pulling the prince from his thoughts.

“Scotty.” Artemis replied, pleasantly. “How have you been? I hope your voyage was enjoyable.”

“It was as well as can be expected.” the retriever replied. “We only ran into one small storm that formed as we sailed. But, it wasn't anything that we couldn't handle.”

“Thank the Great Spirit that you and your crew are safe.” Artemis said.

“Indeed. I have a wonderful crew. They can handle anything the sea might throw at us.” he said, smiling proudly. “Oh! And speaking of crewmen,” he said, looking behind him at the young puppy hiding behind his leg, “this is my son, Nicky.”

Artemis smiled and leaned over to see the boy. “Well hello, there.” he greeted.

The boy waved back, shyly, then returned to hiding his father's leg. Scotty laughed. “I'm sorry, old friend.” he said to the prince. “He is not usually this shy, but this is his first time visiting here. He was going on and on about the beauty of your kingdom. I think his senses may be just a little overwhelmed. This beautiful land of yours is Sri different from our sandy country.”

“Scott,” Artemis started, “I wish you would consider moving here. We have no desert and food is plentiful, here. You wouldn't have to travel back and forth on these trading voyages.”

Scotty smiled and shook his head. “But, that's exactly why we must stay. We are the ones that travel the seas between your country and mine. We provide a means of survival for all of our people on Oslan. We all rely on these exchanges. Without them, life would be rather difficult, if not impossible for us. To have a sizable family, you need resources and we are able to gather them by traveling sea. But beyond that, Oslan is home and there isn't any other place that feels quite like it.”

Artemis smiled and nodded his head. “I can understand that. Home is where your heart is.”

“Exactly. Still I do appreciate the offer. It is very generous of you and It is tempting, but for now, we will just enjoy coming here to vacation.”

“Then we will just enjoy the visits you gift us with and treasure them all the more for the rarity they carry.”

Scotty laughed merrily. “Waxing poetic, eh?”

“Hey, now!” Artemis replied, laughing just as merrily.

“What are you two laughing about?” Abigail asked, as she returned to her feet, standing at her husband's side.

“Oh? Were we laughing?” Scotty teased.

“You overgrown pup!” Abigail exclaimed, as she wrapped her arms around her mate, tickling him wherever he was unable to block. The sea dog laughed heartily under his wife's pleasurable admonishment.

Nick stepped back as his parents played and scurried to his mother's side. He looked up at them, their laughter easing his tensions ever so slightly. He looked over at the prince and princess of the kingdom and observed their expressions, thoughtfully. Then, the boy's eyes lowered down to the kittens that stood before their parents in a neat little row. Though they were of a similar age, the puppy was noticeably taller and sturdier than his feline counterparts. They really were curious creatures. They looked like him, but not. They smelled like him, but they didn't. Truly very curious.

But, as the boy continued to look at the small kittens, something began to click in his young, still-developing mind. A compulsory feeling that he had never felt before. An emotion that was born of an archaic hatred, a bitter rivalry that stemmed from a past where his ancestors walked on four feet and ate the bleeding flesh of their prey. The pup's heart began to race and his senses flared to a roaring fever pitch. A red haze began to cloud his sight and an ominous sensation began to waft into the air.

_________________________________________________________________

The beating of his own heart thumped loudly in his floppy ears. Nick could feel the blood surging through his veins as dormant, primitive instincts began to awaken within him. He had never felt this agitation before. He had nothing to compare it to and no way to stop himself from feeling it. …though, he wasn’t sure that he didn’t want to feel it. It wasn’t a bad feeling. On the contrary, it was exciting. It was thrilling, it was intoxicating and little did he know, but it was also dangerous for without even realizing it, the pup began to stalk his unknowing prey.

As the adults continued to laugh and jest amongst themselves, the kittens looked up at the towering adults with mixed regard. Palm had returned to fidgeting, rocking back and forth on his heels in front of his mother. Arjuna stood between both of his parents standing still and observant. Meanwhile, Alder watched the adults for hardly a moment before returning his gaze forward and standing rigidly still.

Then, something, a feeling of eerie chill crept into his spine. A heightened sense of apprehension of an imminent danger. His training had conditioned him to reject irrational feelings, but this was something he could not ignore. An instinct, a life-preserving instinct was speaking to his young mind and to ignore it would be foolish. Though just a child of four years, even he could tell that much. But, what was this feeling telling him? Where was the threat?

He knew what was directly ahead of him, his eyes had been fixed there for nearly the entire time he and his family waited for the cargo ship. There was nothing of distress directly ahead. Without turning his head, maintaining the appearance of looking forward, he glanced to the left. On the hill he could see his home, the Palace of Calico and a few staff members bustling this way and that as they helped the crewmen. But beyond those impressive sights and people, there was nothing extraordinary to behold. Slowly, he turned his gaze to his right and froze. The small dog that the captain had identified as his son was looking at him with nothing short of menace in his eyes. Alder held his gaze with unflinching resolve. Without question, this is the danger his senses warned him about. He could feel the hair on his back bristle and each of his senses engage with the others, giving him a heightened sense of awareness. It was the pup, for sure, but why? What was he about?

As Alder continued to stare at the canine, a frightening realization hit him. Although he was looking at the dog, Nick was not looking at him. He was looking in his direction, but not at him, exactly. He studied the pup’s line of sight more carefully and traced it to…

“Palm.” he thought to himself. It was his youngest brother. The threat was directed at his own precious brother. But, in the moment he realized that it, it was too late. Nick was making his move, he was advancing. There was no time left. Without a thought to his own wellbeing, Alder leapt into action.

Just as the red-haired kitten leapt forward, so too did the dark-coated pup lunge ahead. Between the two, Alder was faster and reached Palm a mere breath before Nick. He grabbed his brother by his tunic and threw him to the side, effectively stepping into the place where he his younger sibling had just stood. Nick, being inexperienced at hunting, had already set his target, but instead of being a person, it was a position. When the position of the intended prey switched between the brothers, it made little difference to the boy as he followed through on his attack and jumped on top of the young prince.

Alder hit the ground, hard, the weight of the heavier child atop him. Nick snapped at the kitten and Alder had barely enough time to raise his arm before his face to protect himself. Undeterred, Nick sank his young teeth into the kitten’s arm and bit, tenaciously. The kitten made no sound as his flesh was harshly impaled and offered no effort to fight back as he lay flat on his back, shielding himself as best he could.

“ALDER!” both Arjuna and Palm shouted before the pair rushed to their brother’s aid. They tackled the young pup and attacked with claws and needle sharp fangs, desperate to free their sibling from the jaws of his attacker.

The parents quickly stepped in to attempt to separate the boys. Avalon grabbed Alder and kept him from being mauled farther from the little retriever. Artemis worked to pry his son’s claws from the canine’s coat and skin while Scotty and Abigail grabbed their child and ordered him to release the little prince.

“NICK! LET HIM GO!” Scotty shouted. If his son heard him, he made no move to show that he had. “NICHOLAS, WAKE UP!” he barked.

Instantly the boy released his vice-like grip on Alder’s sorely abused arm and Abigail and Scotty were finally able to pull him away. Blood dripped from his jaws and a look of sheer confusion was etched across his young face. His eyes were wide with terror as his mind scrambled to figure out what had just happened. For some reason, he could not remember. There was no memory of what had transpired just seconds earlier. What he did know was that his body was aching. He looked down at his arms and the deep lacerations that tore through his skin and fur and struggled to understand how the injuries had come to be there. His heart was racing and he was out of breath. It was as though he had been running, but he was where he was before his lapse in memory. He couldn’t have been running. But, the most horrifying thing by far, was the sharp taste of blood, fresh blood, on his lips. His body began to tremble ferociously. Terrified and desperate, he looked up at his parents that were kneeling before him.

“M-…Mama?” he whimpered, fearfully. “Mama?” he sobbed.

“Oh, thank goodness.” Abigial breathed, hugging her child, warmly. “It’s alright, now. …it’s alright.”

Scotty also breathed a sigh of relief. His son had been released from an ancient evil that arose from deep within his young psyche. “Avalon, Artemis…” he said, his voice soft and woeful, “I’m so sorry. I…I don’t know what to say. …I’m so sorry. Alder…is he…?”

Avalon had been cradling her eldest child in her arms as a sense of normalcy began to return to the gathered. She had already signaled to someone to fetch the doctor. Her child would unquestionably need one. His arm was ragged, torn and bruised, but thankfully still in one piece. “He’ll be alright.” she said, gently smoothing the fiery red hair away from her little one’s face. “That was very brave of you, love. I’m so proud of you, protecting your little brother like that.”

His large green eyes looked up at her with an unreadable expression, but he said nothing. He simply held his injured arm closely against his body.

“I’m glad of that.” Abigail said, quietly. “Still, we are so sorry, Alder. Please forgive us.” She turned her attention to Artemis and the other two princes. Palm was tucked under his father’s arm while Arjuna stood beside him, anxiously holding onto his hand. “Boys, are you alright?” Abigail asked.

Palm said nothing as he glared angrily at his attacker and would-be assassin. Likewise, Arjuna also said nothing, though he didn’t glare quite as harshly as his younger brother did.

“They are unharmed.” Artemis supplied. “Anxious, but not hurt.”

She nodded, miserably. Of all people to have this to befall them, for it to be against their dear friends was more than heartbreaking. “We really are very sorry, boys.”

Artemis sighed. “It’s alright, Abby. The boys are all going to be alright and that’s the most important thing. There’s no need for apology. No one is to blame.”

“YES THERE IS!” Palm shouted in protest. “HE DID THIS!” he exclaimed, pointing an angry finger at Nick as he huddled in fright and disbelief against his mother.

“Palm, that’s enough.” Artemis said, calmly.

“YOU SAW IT, TOO!” he challenged.

“PALM!” Artemis said, addressing his son more sternly.

“But, it is his fault, Father!” Arjuna agreed. “He attacked Alder and Alder wasn’t even fighting.”

“WHY DIDN’T YOU FIGHT BACK, ALDER?!” Palm wanted to know.

Wordlessly, Alder turned to face his brother. His expression was more readable, now and it was clearly one of fatigue. He sighed, quietly. “I am the Crowned Prince of Calico.” he said, emotionlessly. “Even if I want to, I am not allowed to fight. I can’t defend you, but I can take your place. This was all I could do to protect you. I’m sorry, Palm.” he said, his tone remarkably defeated.

A small gasp left the youngest prince as he realized the sacrifice that was made for him. Had his brother not acted as he did, it would have been his arm locked in the jaws of a maniac. Quickly, the kitten squirmed and wriggled out of his father’s hold and rushed over to the eldest sibling throwing his arms around his neck, hugging him, gratefully. Arjuna hurried to join his brothers and hugged Alder as gently as he could, but no less tenderly.

“You see, my babies,” Avalon began, “you and I will never be able to understand the tremendous weight that your elder brother must bear as our kingdom’s future leader. We cannot understand it and we will never be burdened with it, so instead, we must support him through it. More than anything else, he needs us to believe in him and to do whatever we can to hold him up and help him through the difficult journey ahead. If we can do nothing more, then we must at least do this. Understand?”

The two kittens nodded, eagerly, then hugged their sibling all the more. Avalon smiled proudly at her children. Their love and devotion to one another was a thing of beauty and it gave her great joy to see her children exemplify the purest emotion that one would ever feel... Love.

“Also, little ones, you must understand one other thing.” Avalon continued. “When your father said that no one was at fault, as hard as it may be to understand, he is right.”

“Huh?” Arjuna and Palm gasped.

“Mother, what do you mean?” Arjuna asked.

“I don’t understand either, Mother.” Palm added. “Why is it no one’s fault?”

“Because,” Avalon began, “the reason why Nick attacked Alder is because he was possessed by an ancient instinct buried deep in the recesses of his mind. He had no control over it. It took over him completely. That is why he was so confused when Scotty was finally able to pull him out of it.”

“Pull him out of it? Arjuna asked.

“Yes. He—“ she started to say, when a doctor finally came hurrying over to where she and Alder sat and dropped down beside them. “Thank you, Dr. Ming.” Avalon said, quietly, as she held Alder out for the doctor to examine. With haste, the physician withdrew her instruments and began to assess the condition of her patient’s arm. Avalon watched and comforted her child as best she could while the healer worked.

Arjuna and Palm looked on for a moment until the doctor’s examination required her to position herself between the pair of kittens and the sight of their injured brother. The two tried to reclaim their now obstructed view of their brother’s treatment, but were ushered out of the way by their father.

“Boys, let Ming work on your brother.” Artemis said, kneeling on the ground and bringing the two closer to him. “While she tends to him, I will finish telling you about the ancient instinct your mother was telling you of.

“Long ago,” Artemis continued, “when our ancestors still walked on four legs, dogs and cats were bitter rivals. No one knows exactly why, but that was the way of things. Our ancestors despised one another even unto the death. Dogs pursued cats and killed them if the cats weren’t clever or quick enough to evade their teeth. Though we have evolved from such barbarity, deep within us, there are still seeds of that foolish insufferable hatred.”

“Seeds, Father?” Arjuna asked.

The boy’s father nodded. “Yes. From the moment we are born, we have certain instincts that exist within us. Some help to keep us from harm, some help us to find our way and some are simply relics of a past long forgotten. For dogs, their instinct is to pursue and attack, while a cat’s instinct is to flee or fight back. Those instinctual relics are the seeds that I spoke of. They dwell inside us at birth, but whether or not they take root and grow or shrivel up and die depends on their exposure.”

“What does that mean?” Palm asked.

“It means that pups need to be socialized with kittens in order for those seeds of instinct to be unable to take root. In order to erode the instincts of aggression and trepidation, pups and kittens need to be introduced to one another at a young age. Usually, socializing goes well, but every so often, a pup’s instinct to attack becomes triggered instead of being dissolved. When that happens, the pup will become aggressive and attack while the kitten will either run or fight. That’s what happened today.”

“That’s what happened?” Arjuna asked. “The bad seeds grew inside of him and made him do bad things?”

Artemis nodded. “Yes, that is one way of thinking about it. Nick wasn’t acting of his own accord. He was taken over by his subconscious instincts. It wasn’t his fault.”

Arjuna and Palm listened to their father’s explanation with wide-eyed wonder. Being possessed sounded like a terrifying experience. Instead of being angry with the young retriever, Arjuna and Palm actually pitied him, if only just a little bit. But for Palm, something still did not make sense.

“Father,” the black-haired child began, “Arjuna and I fought back, but, if kittens are either supposed to run or fight, why didn’t Alder do either?”

Artemis didn’t have to see her to know that Avalon was glaring burning hot daggers of anger and frustration at him. He could very nearly feel her green eyes slashing at his soul. He sighed and chose his words carefully. “Your brother has been receiving diligent training that requires him to carry himself with a particular level of decorum. Part of that etiquette is to diffuse a troublesome situation rather than to engage or worsen it.”

“In other words,” Avalon interjected, “for the sake of the kingdom, your brother’s survival instincts have been ripped out of him.” she practically growled.

“RIPPED OUT?!” Arjuna and Palm exclaimed.

“Figuratively speaking.” Artemis clarified, looking menacingly at his wife, making her gaze even sharper and more lethal. This was staring contest he was not going to win.

“Father, how can we put them back? His instincts, can we give them back?” Arjuna asked, worriedly.

“Can we fix him?” Palm asked. “If he doesn’t have his instincts, then he’s broken.” he reasoned.

If she weren’t cradling her child in her arms, Avalon would have completely snapped. Princess or not, this was her child, her child that even her youngest son could see, was not well. He was broken, no other word could more accurately describe his condition. In that moment, her royal title didn’t mean anything to her. Her greatest title was that of, mother and she was being forced to put it aside in favor of a shinier, more lavish label of Princess of Calico. It was unbearable. She wanted to scream, or cry, or punch something…something, anything to release the frustration and anger she felt because of this helpless situation. Instead, she took several deep, steadying breaths to try and calm her raging fury and blinding irritation. But even with those measures of diffusing tension, tears began to build in the graceful cat’s eyes.

Alder had been looking up at his mother from the safety of her embrace ever since the doctor arrived. The play of emotions he saw showcased across her face was a tapestry of feelings. Worry, relief, anger, frustration and now…grief. He couldn’t stand to see his beloved mother in this way, especially when he was the cause of her despair. He glanced over at Nick who was whimpering pitifully in his mother’s arms. It was true, the pup was a victim to a ghost of the past. This was not his fault. The boy should not feel such guilt over something that was beyond his control.

In no time at all, Ming had cleaned up and stitched up Alder’s arm and bandaged it well. “Thank you Dr. Ming, your aid is greatly received and appreciated.” Alder said, his extreme formality still decorating his words. The doctor nodded and smiled, but inside, like Avalon, she was disturbed by the child’s tenacious adherence to etiquette. She missed the boy who would come running to her when his knees would get scratched and scraped from playing a little too roughly with his siblings. The little boy who would look on, curiously, when she treated his brothers for their nicks and scratches, too. The little boy who smiled, cheerfully and whose eyes sparkled, radiantly. Where was that child? she wondered. Was it truly necessary to force him through such rigorous training at the expense of his little soul?

She dared to glance at her princess and could feel the hostility she desperately tried to restrain. It was no secret that Avalon was not at all happy with, what she felt like, was abuse to her first born. Having no children of her own, Ming could only wonder what heartache the once regular civilian girl must have felt for her little one. Wordlessly, she extended her hand and touched the woman’s arm, startling her from some silent maternal reverie. Ming rubbed her arm, gently and smiled at Avalon with all the warmth, love and support she could possibly muster.

Avalon felt a bit, just a bit of the negativity being released from her spirit. She knew that she was not the only one in the palace that thought it a tragedy to see the little red-headed prince in such a piteous state. Quietly, she placed her hand atop the doctor’s in a show of thanks, not just for the restoration of her son, but for the silent support the physician was offering her, now.

“He should be fine.” Ming said, affixing a sling around Alder’s neck before carefully tucking his injured arm inside. “There were no broken bones that I could detect, but I may be incorrect and there may still be breaks and fractures that I missed. I’ll need to take him to the hospital to have an x-ray done on his arm to be sure.”

“I see.” Avalon said, her voice strained and somehow tired. “Thank you, Dr. Ming. Alder let’s—“

“Just a moment, Mother.” Alder interrupted, regaining his feet and standing beside his mother as she got to her feet. He hurried over to where Nick was still sobbing and gently placed his good hand on the pup’s back.

Nick gave a start, then turned to see who or what had touched him. His eyes grew wide as he looked upon the worried face of the oldest prince that was staring at him. At was his blood he tasted on his tongue, he realized. The scent of the blood on the kitten’s wrist and that of the blood which still painted patches of the pup’s muzzle were identical. He was the kitten that he had attacked. And yet, the green eyes he saw looking back at him were not eyes that burned with anger. Somehow, the eyes he saw were filled with concern and compassion…for him.

“Are you alright?” Alder asked. “Arjuna and Palm are both very strong, so I imagine that you must be at least a little bit hurt. Are you?”

“Ah…” Nick was able to say. Words failed him. He knew not what to say to the person who, just moments earlier, he had tried to rip to shreds. What in the world could he say? Tears fell from the young canine’s eyes as he struggled to speak.

Alder looked at the larger boy, examining him thoroughly. “It appears that you are injured as well. Come. You should be attended at the hospital as well. If something is badly damaged, they can repair it there.”

Once again, Nick opened his mouth to speak, but this time, no sound of any sort escaped him. He wanted to say many things. He had so many things that he wanted to tell the little prince. He was sorry. He was so sorry for everything that had happened and especially for the terrible role that he played in it. If only he could find the words to convey his apology, but no words found him.

Alder regarded the child for a moment more, then, realizing that the thoughts of his canine counterpart were not going to be distributed from his mouth, leaned over and up and gently pressed his brow to the other boy’s. Nick gave a start, but was otherwise frozen in place. Alder held his affectionate touch against the retriever until he could hear the pup’s sniffling no longer, and the dog became calmer. Then, he pulled back and offered Nick a warm, bright smile, reminiscent of the way he used to smile before his training had begun.

“Do you feel better, now?” Alder asked, his concern genuine.

Nick nodded his head, lightly.

“I’m glad of that.” Alder said, his smile growing just a bit fuller than it had been before. “Then, we should be going.

“I know that retrievers like water and there isn’t much of it on Oslan. After we see the doctor, would you like to visit the beach? Or, if you like fresh water over salted, we can take you to the waterfall spring. The water there is cool and sweet, so I think you will like it.”

At the mention of water, Nick’s eyes grew wide and joy began to find him, once again. He nodded his little dark head and the faintest begins of a smile touched his face.

“Okay.” Alder said, his smile never leaving his face. “Then let’s go.” he added, reaching out to grab the pup’s hand, pulling him from the shelter of his mother’s embrace. “I’ll show you the way to the carriage. You can sit beside me, if you’d like.”

Nick nodded his head. “Thank you.” he finally managed to say. “Umm…I’m…I’m very so—“ the retriever started to say, but stopped as Alder briskly shook his little red head.

“You needn’t apologize.” the kitten said. “You were as much a victim as I was. Father and Mother said that this isn’t your fault. If that is so, then you need not carry any blame, right?”

The sting of tears pricked at the dog’s eyes as he nodded, thankfully, to the little prince. “…thank you.” he whispered.

Alder gave his hand a squeeze and started leading the boy in the direction they needed to go. “Arjuna! Palm! Come.” he called, beckoning for his younger siblings to attend his side. Quietly and apprehensively, the two kittens obeyed their brother’s summon and went to join him as he led the puppy. Palm walked right beside Alder on the side where his injured arm was cradled in the sling and latched onto the back of his sibling’s tunic, all the while glaring ominously at Nick. Arjuna stood beside him, a little more amiable than his younger brother, but still tense and wary. Neither of the two wanted to be near their innocent attacker.

“Did you know,” Alder said, casually, “that Arjuna likes water, too. He’s a very good swimmer.”

“Really?” Nick asked, somewhat surprised.

“Yes.” Alder answered. “Oh! Arjuna is my brother that’s farthest to the edge.” he pointed out, looking in the direction of his sibling.

“It’s really neat that you know how to swim.” Nick said, praising the young prince.

“Thank you.” Arjuna replied, politely. “Do you swim as well?”

Nick shook his head. “No. There isn’t a lot of water where I’m from and the beach is too far away to visit.”

“Oh…” Arjuna replied, piteously. “Well, if you’d like, I can show you how to swim.”

“Really?! Thank you.”

Arjuna smiled and nodded his little blue head, feeling proud that he would be able to help someone who seemed to like being immersed in water as much as he did. “I’m happy to help.” he practically sang.

The group of kittens and one puppy continued on their way, chatting and giggling as they went. Well, all except Palm. The youngest prince maintained a vigilant guard, still very distrustful of the water-loving dog. Yet even so, as long as he was beside Alder, he would remain calm and peaceable. Just being near the eldest prince was a great comfort to him and helped to ease any stress or tension that he may have been experiencing. He always was.

“He will make an outstanding emperor, one day.” Abigail said to the other adults, her eyes misty with emotion as she watched their children walking away together.

“Mmm.” Scotty agreed, wrapping an arm around his wife. “It’s amazing that he is so young yet was still able to diffuse this ugly situation, effortlessly.”

Artemis smiled. “Alder’s greatest strength is his compassion. He puts his heart into everything he does and considers the hearts of others before doing it. That is his way.”

Avalon and Ming watched the children walking ahead of them. Quietly and gently, Ming place a hand on the princess’ shoulder and leaned in to whisper to the monarch. “He is still there, that youthful kitten we all love. He is there, still inside him, my princess.”

Avalon took great solace in the doctor’s words. She turned to her and smiled, but was too weary to say anything at all. Instead, she folded her hands in front of her, resting on the billowing skirt of her dress and along with the good doctor, followed after the children.

Yes, the true nature of her son was still there. Buried in the rubble of strict conformity and shrouded in the darkness of the extermination of mirth, he was still there. …but, for how long? It was that uncertainty that was Avalon’s trepidation. How long could she, Arjuna and Palm keep the child’s head above the waters of unfeeling? How long would her son have to wear the mask of a smile he did not feel, so that others could indulge in a joy and happiness, that he was being forced to surrender to the people of his kingdom? How long before the weight of the burden of leadership broke her little boy? How long before the child that she loved…was gone, forever?