During a heavy storm, Shell leads his group to safety... and receives his nine lives in the process.
Notes: Part of the Cats of Foggy Coast series.
Shell had kept his eyes locked squarely on the sky since sun-high, watching as the faint slivers of daylight were dashed by arriving clouds. Something about today sent tingles through his paws, and the gray tom felt as if he couldn't let his guard down. When lightning flashed in the distance and thunder rumbled, he bristled. Rarely did it storm like this this close to the cliffs.
Shell turned and darted away from the cliff's edge as the storm advanced, running as fast as his paws would allow him. Coming upong the familiar dip in the ground where his home lay, he let out a yowl: "Storm's comin'! Get to higher ground!"
Several cats, at least three, popped out of the abandoned rabbit warrens they called dens. Two grown cats, a black-and-white tom and a silver tabby molly, followed by a ginger kitten, followed Shell higher into the hills. They rested underneath a small rocky overhang. While safe for now, it was too cramped to serve as any sort of permanent dwelling, so once the waters receeded they'd have to go back to their dip in the ground. From their huddled position, they could hear the rumbling of the occasional monster. The kitten's fur stood on end every time the ground rumbled.
"How long until the storm's over?" The ginger kit asked, his orange eyes wide. Fat raindrops fell around them, and the sky brightened and shook with lightning and thunder.
"There's no tellin' for sure, Flash." Shell replied, wrapping his tail around the kit. Flash sniffled, shakily letting his fur fall flat before another round of thunder caused it to fly up once again. He turned his head to the other two cats. "Orca, Puddle, it will be a lot of work, but when we return to the dens we will need to dig deep holes where no cat can go down." he said to them. Orca, the black-and-white tom, nodded. Puddle looked unsure, but nodded hesitantly after a moment. "The deeper we dig them, the less of a chance for water to fill up the rest of the tunnels that cats do use to get around. We won't always have to flee to higher ground." Puddle looked more sure after the explanation, though her tail twitched at the tip nervously.
Though the sky had darkened considerably since the rain started, it was still falling strong. Every cat had curled up underneath the cramped overhang and was fast asleep... except for Shell. He stared out at the dark, featureless sky, rain dripping from his whiskers. He let out a sigh before returning inside to his sleeping companions and curling up alongside them. There, he drifted off to sleep. Hopefully, he thought, this rain will be over in the morning.
Suddenly, Shell's eyes snapped open. He was no longer under the rocky overhang, and no longer surrounded by his groupmates. He whipped around, tail fluffing up. "Orca?! Puddle?! Flash?! Where are you?!" He called out, but got no response. He was on a starry beach, glittering sand beneath his paws. In front of him was the calm, lolling waters of a shimmering ocean. Despite being away from the pounding rain and flooding landscape, Shell's heart raced as if a thunderbolt had landed right in front of him.
Suddenly, he heard pawsteps behind him and turned around. A shimmering gray cat with green eyes stood before him, her face serenely calm."Shell," The starry cat began, "The trusted paw is the surest ledge."
Shell stood, confused but still alert. "What does that mean?" He asked the empty air. The gray molly stared through him.
"Shell, your old life is no more. I give you these lives for knowledge, use them wisely. You are know known by your new name: Shellstar."
Then, she faded into nothingness, leaving behind only the indented sand of where she once stood. Before Shell... no, Shellstar could begin to process what was just said, a rumbling started at his paws. Shellstar heard the rushing wall of water behind him before he saw it, and for a brief moment he squeezed his eyes shut to avoid seeing when it hit him. However, right before the wave crashed over him, he awoke underneath the overhang.
His groupmates were all awake, sitting nearby outside and passing prey around in a circle. The rain had finally ceased, and drops of rain that had collected on the leaves around them dripped onto the forest floor. When Flash caught sight of Shellstar stirring awake, he sprang to his paws. "It's over! We can go home!" He announced excitedly. Orca nodded, cleaning his jaws of blood before padding over to Shellstar.
"The clouds on the horizon are calm again, and the water has receeded, it should be safe to return home." Orca said. Shellstar nodded, letting Puddle and Flash know they would be returning to their camp once they'd finished their meal. Flash leapt about excitedly, purring harder than the thunder last night had rumbled. Even Puddle looked less nervous than she had last night. Shellstar smiled. "The trusted paw is the surest ledge." He thought to himself as he sat down with his groupmates to finish their prey.
