Chapter 7

                                    

                                          
As the trio returned to Mercury's and Jupiter's dens, although it took longer to get there than expected, Venus kept tripping over his new limbs. Mercury let out a groan as he watched Venus struggle to keep up. Despite the setbacks, they finally arrived at the den and settled in for a peaceful evening of rest and relaxation. As the sun set behind the horizon, Venus managed to adjust to walking in a cat body. Jupiter stretched and told the two he would be heading to bed. Mercury said good night and watched Jupiter pad up the rotting stairs to his nest, which was located upstairs. "Mercury, what the heck?" Venus snarled. "You have been here all along on earth and didn't leave a note to the sun! Because of your stupidity, he nearly vaporized me. Mercury's fur spiked up in anger. "How should I know that I was unconscious the whole time while being transported to earth?" Mercury defended his case, his tail lashing like a whip and his ears pinned back in defiance.
Venus snarled his claws, unsheathing, without him knowing as his aggression flared. " You might have destroyed us all! With that stunt!" He snarled, not wanting to hear Mercury's case. Mercury let out a frustrated hiss. "UGH!! You don't ever let me speak! I have important information about this place! That helped me survive on earth as a cat!." Mercury yelled, and Venus was startled by his sudden yell. Venus let out a hiss, but his claws went back to sheathe, and his fur lay flat. "Fine, but stay out of my way, Pipsqueak! I don't need your help." Venus snarled, then added "How hard can living on earth be? That idiot's lifeform can't be that hard to survive as!" Venus then went over to the farthest place from Jupiter and Mercury to sleep. Mercury frowned, tired of Venus attitude and unwillingness to ask for help. Mercury shook her head in frustration and plopped himself down onto his nest as he drifted off to sleep.
Mercury awoke early in the morning, as always. Mercury did a quick sprint as he headed outside the den to find some food for him and Jupiter to eat. Mercury didn't want to eat; he wanted to also get some food for Venus. Mercury crouched down as he saw a black bird peaking at some food on the ground. As Mercury leaped and swiftly killed it with his fangs, Mercury hated that he just killed earth's life. But lately, Mercury just said that if he needed to survive in the city, he needed to hunt or scavenge, and Mercury would rather eat something fresh than something rotten. Mercury headed to the den and heard arguing inside. Letting out a goan, he pushed his way in to see Venus arguing with Jupiter about something that Mercury couldn't catch. Mercury decided to wait outside until they finished.
Venus abruptly exited the scene, only to collide with Mercury and utter the phrase, "Hey, pipsqeek! Your so small, I didn't see you there!" Venus hissed, his horrible jabs at Mercury. Mercury frowned, trying to exclaim that the jab at him was working. Venus stopped laughing when he saw the dead black bird in Mercury's jaws. Mercury could swear that he saw Venus become green for a split second. Mercury placed down the little black bird and grinned, "Oh, it seems the goddess of love and beauty. She doesn't like seeing dead life." Mercury joked just to get a reaction out of Venus. Sadly, the reaction was one of violence as Venus baraled into Mercury, sending him a few feet away. Mercury would have douged the move if it weren't so sudden. Mercury hissed in pain as Jupiter came out to warp over Venus, giving him a glare. Venus seemed to falter from his aggression and backed down, grumbling that Mercury wasn't worth it. "Are you alright, Mercury?" Jupiter asked, paddling over to him with a confounded look.
Mercury winced as he sat up, rubbing his side where Venus had hit him. "I'll survive," he replied with a strained smile. Jupiter helped him to his feet. "Thanks, Jupiter. I should have known better than to provoke Venus like that," Mercury admitted, feeling a bit foolish. Jupiter chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, at least you learned your lesson." Mercury nodded before turning back to the black bird he caught. Jupiter saw the black bird and nodded in approval, which made Mercury feel better about himself. The Venus frown turned into an uneasy frown as he watched Jupiter rip one of its wings and begin to eat it. Mercury went over to get a bite when he said, "You're not absolutely going to eat that thing, right?" Venus said he was trying not to hurl at the sight. Mercury just smiled and said, "Cats need to eat." Mercury said, and Venus looked at Mercury like he ate the sun before his eyes.
Venus belly growled, and what next made Mercury laugh uncontrollably? Venus, with pain in his eyes, asked, "Am I going to blow up?!" Mercury couldn't help but laugh at what Venus said, knowing that he had the same idea as Venus when he first expressed hunger. Jupiter rolled his eyes. "For star's sake, you aren't going to blow up. What's with young cats these days thinking that they're going to die?" Jupiter grumbled before eating what was left of the black bird's wings. Venus frowns deeply at Jupiter's comment, "I didn't think I was dying! I was just worried about it, that's all." Mercury grinned, "Sure, Venus, suree." Mercury says this before eating his piece of the black bird. Venus rolled his eyes in response as he glanced at the black bird, and his belly growled louder as hunger won out as Venus was then seen eating the bird. Mercury was going to give a light jab at Venus when he said, "No one cares, Mercury." Venus hissed, his mouth full of feathers. Mercury shut up and wounder what he will do with Venus and how they can return to their home.