Chapter 1

Panther trotted beside her mother and sister. Her small, young body was trembling with excitement; today her mother was going to teach her how to hunt! Beside her, her sister was also bouncing with joy.

The sky was dark and overcast. Panther’s mother stopped to sniff the air. ‘It will rain soon,’ she said. ‘We must hurry. We do not want to get soaked.’ Panther followed her mother to a big oak tree. Acorns scattered the ground. ‘Squirrels like here. Can you smell squirrels?’ Panther’s mother had asked. 

Then there was a flash of blue light and flame, followed by a horrible boom that left Panther’s ears ringing. The small white kitten could not even make a cry of shock before the lightning-struck tree burst into fire and toppled down, caging Panther’s mother and sister in a net of ash and flame. Panther fled as the wildfire began, interlaced by the heart-piercing wails of cats on fire.

Chapter 2

Panther was older now, of course. Now, at the age of four years, Panther was a powerful fighter and hunter who could easily take down a bald eagle. Although the only physical threats to her were the dogs that the humans let roam the fields, Panther was haunted by her dreams, replayings of the fire that engulfed her family and the lightning that destroyed her life. The turquoise cat traveled constantly, following the prey that roamed the landscape, always wary of any rainstorms to come.

Finally, she decided she was home when she came across a gathering of three islands. Although now she had enemy cats to deal with, she soon was left alone by the other cats due to the fact her resilience and strength made her one of the most powerful cats of the islands.

Chapter 3

The hunting was good on the islands. Panther preferred to stay on the biggest and smallest island, because the medium one was separated from the others by a stretch of sea, and Panther preferred to keep her paws dry. Humans had made a small city on the biggest island, and a small neighborhood, and the dog threat kept Panther away. But she soon found that the prey – and predators – were stronger on the islands. Mice, raccoons, skunks, and squirrels had a tendency to fight back, and the coyotes that roamed the islands could easily rip a cat apart, and even though Panther was fast, the dogs and rats could outrun her. Although Panther loved solitude, she quickly realized that if she was to stay on the islands, she needed to group up with one or two other cats in order to survive. The problem was how to make it clear that she was not going to attack.

Chapter 4 

Sasuke was a black cat with white paws and yellow eyes. She was lonely, and very hungry. She was not fast or very strong, and she had trouble catching prey.

There were seven cat ‘Families’ living on the islands. The City Cats wouldn’t accept her, and the Black Fox Hunters said she would just be more work for them. The Howling Dogs said she was lazy (and no, she was fat, but that does not make a cat lazy), and she was not going to swim across the sea to see if the Iguana Tribe wanted her. So, like many other cats on the islands, she became a loner. 

She did not have any territory, but she liked to think of the skateboard course as her territory. Teenager humans came and went with their skateboards, doing tricks and going up and down the ramps and jumps. Sasuke liked to watch them. Sometimes they gave her scraps of food, but they mainly left her alone. Sasuke liked that.

Even though she wasn’t in one of the seven cat families, the island cats had a very good system of sharing important news. If a loner learned something important, they would report to the nearest Cat Family, and that Cat Family would send a messenger to alert the other Cat Families of the important thing. The Cat Families would alert the loners in the area, and word would spread quickly. 

One warm summer, Sasuke was alerted that a strange turquoise cat had entered the islands. He or she seemed to be a loner, but no one knew for sure. The turquoise cat was powerful enough that they were attacking the dogs and hawks for prey, and that the cat must be avoided at all costs.

Sasuke decided she would not flee if she met this loner. If the loner would accept her as an ally, Sasuke would gladly join them. If the Cat Families wouldn’t allow her, maybe another loner would.

Chapter 5

Panther had no idea she was the center of attention, and she wouldn’t have really cared. She began to search for another cat to ally with, but it seemed to her that as soon as she began to search, all of the cats she’d been seeing had just disappeared. Panther soon gave up, deciding that staying alive should be her main focus for now.

Summer turned to Autumn. Prey began to be scarce and hard to find. The occasional trees that dotted the islands lost their leaves, and the ferns that clumped around the boulders wilted and turned brown. Mushrooms populated the islands, and the rainstorms that came during autumn began to be commoner and commoner. 

One day, Panther was passing by a strange structure made of rough gray stone when Panther caught sight of a black cat on top of the structure, peering down at Panther curiously. Their eyes met, yellow against green, and the black cat looked away, perhaps embarrassed. Panther was relieved. Finally! She had found another cat. However, she realized that she had not interacted with another cat since she was a kitten. She suddenly wondered if she could still interact with others.

She wondered if she should say something. She lifted her head and asked, “Hello?”

The black cat turned to Panther and ungracefully leapt off the stone thing. After an awkward landing, the cat said, “Yes, hello! Who are you?”

Panther suddenly felt very uncomfortable. “Who are you first?” She meowed.

“Me? I’m Sasuke,” The black cat said. “And you are…?” 

“Panther,” Panther said.

“Panther? That’s a very pretty name,” Sasuke said. “Well, hrm. Uh, this may sound strange, but may I, uh, travel with you? I mean, winter is coming, and–” Sasuke began.

Panther was excited. What a coincidence! Sasuke was also looking for an ally. “Sure,” Panther said.

And that was the beginning of a grand adventure…

Chapter 6

Word soon got around that Sasuke, the lazy and fat black cat that lived at the skateboard course, had somehow allied herself with the ferocious turquoise cat that had been hanging around. Now, this was shocking, but even more shocking was the fact that the cats of the Black Squirrel Tribe had suddenly disappeared. The other Cat Families sent out search party after search party, but no one could find a trace of the missing cats.

The Iguana Tribe was the first to suspect that Sasuke and Panther might have something to do with the disappearance, and sent one of their finest hunters to investigate.

Panther and Sasuke had settled in an area of unused territory beside a large lake. They used a huge, hollow log as their den, and sheltered in the log during the many rainstorms that occurred. Their new territory was very hilly, and the hunting was good. 

One day, they met a ginger tomcat who was prowling around their territory. Panther instantly became cautious, whereas Sasuke was very friendly.

The tomcat looked up in surprise as the two cats approached. “Oh, hello,” He said. “Who are you?”

“I’m Sasuke, and this is–” Sasuke began.

“Sasuke,” Panther growled. “Stop. Something feels fishy.”

“Now I am hungry for fish,” Sasuke said.

Panther rolled her eyes.

“I am Flame,” The strange cat said. He had deep blue eyes, prominent black stripes, and dark red fur. Unlike Sasuke and Panther, he was a shorthair, not a longhair. “I do not mean any harm,”

Panther snorted and trotted off, tail held high. Sasuke ignored her and said, “I apologize on Panther’s behalf. She has been very moody recently.”

“She seems like a very special cat,” Flame says.

“She’s… strange. She’s probably from somewhere very far away,” Sasuke said. “Anyway, there is plenty of prey around here, and you are welcome to stay. Just don’t get on Panther’s moody side!” Sasuke purred before sprinting away, leaving a confused Flame standing alone on the hills.

Chapter 7

Now, Flame was the investigator\spy that the Iguana Tribe had sent. However, he was surprised to find he enjoyed Panther’s personality and Sasuke’s gentleness, and soon he joined the two cats. The Iguana Tribe, quite confused at this, decided to leave the three cats alone. 

The three cats became good friends. Panther was a skilled fighter and took out any nearby threats, as well as catching bigger prey such as deer and eagles. Flame did most of the hunting, and Sasuke collected herbs to make sure the other two’s wounds did not get infected. They were quite a team. 

Time passed quickly. Autumn’s seasonal rainstorms switched to Winter’s chilling blizzards, and then to Spring’s sun showers. Spring faded into Summer, when the dust storms began along with the growth of cacti. And that Summer, a new addition to the group, Zena, was born. Flame, the lucky father, strutted around like a peacock, and Panther snuggled beside her black-and white tabby daughter. And like that, a new Cat Family was started; the Tribe of Hope. 

Now, 100 years later, the island is ruled by skyscrapers, but the Tribe of Hope still lives on. The original cats have long since passed, but their ancestors have the same traits; Panther’s strength, Flame’s speed, Sasuke’s kindness, and Zena’s resourcefulness, alongside coats of unusual colors and patterns. Although they are rare, the Tribe of Hope cats live around the globe, and some day, one lucky person may come across these rare creatures and have a rare companion for the rest of time.

The End