Lamprey

Chrissy, a stray molly, had a short-lived relationship with a tom named Archer that resulted in her having kittens. She gave birth to two look-alike kittens, a boy and a girl. The girl was trouble, often pushing her brother out of the way to get what she wanted from her mother. But Chrissy loved them the same and would protect them with her life, even if she did feel tired. Though, that overbearing affection seemed to only push her rebellious little girl away.

While scavenging, Chrissy encountered some cats part of a bigger group. Chrissy’s possibility of a future was cut short there, and so her kittens were left behind with no one to take care of them. The unnamed girl kitten listened to her brother’s whining for about a day before growing worried herself, at least for her brother. So she cried out even louder than him until big creatures found them. Concerned about all that was happening, the molly squirmed against the creatures that picked them up, but fortunately, it all ended well with these things taking care of them.

While she was in these humans’ care, the girl had a tendency to get rather chompy, literally biting at the hand that’d feed her. After a while, she was bounced to another set of humans, separated from her brother. They didn’t like her ‘tude very much though, so she’d be sent back, only to repeat the process a few times. Finally, she ended up being taken care of by a young human boy and being named Lamprey. This human was surprisingly pleasant, he was gentle and generous with treats. Lamprey lived with this human in his little room for a long time. But then things started changing. She couldn’t tell why, but her sweet human seemed more stressed than usual. She was really frustrated she couldn’t tell. Lamprey had found someone who understood her, but…

Lamprey was put in some odd… thing, with one of her humans. But not her boy, it was one of his parents. She was on edge as she noticed the outside was moving but where she was wasn’t. Then, everything came to a stop and she was taken out. She was overwhelmed by how the outside was but stayed still. Then, she was left alone.

Lamprey tried to follow where the human had gone at first until she was forced to give up. She was confused by what had happened, then it set in that she’d been abandoned. She didn’t even get to say goodbye to her friend! Did he know she was being kicked to the curb? Was that why her human was stressed? Well then, this time she wouldn’t go crying for anyone’s help, because obviously, she was the only one who’d take care of herself.

Lamprey traveled for a long time, trying to find some trace of food. Trial-and-error wasn’t cutting it when she tried to hunt, and she eventually found a human place to eat scraps from. It was embarrassing enough but then some cat came to take it from her. Knowing that pang in her stomach would only get worse if she turned away, she had to fight for it. She didn’t back down when they tried to intimidate her. Despite her inexperience, she refused to let the fight end with her coming out as the loser, resulting in a desperate swipe to her eye from the stranger.

Lamprey escaped, unable to open her eye and panicking. She had no idea how to treat something like this! No one stuck by long enough to teach her anything, so why did life keep throwing her these hardships? Well… it’d just get worse if she sat around doing nothing about it. She patched her wound to the best of her ability and hoped for the best, taking plenty of rest even if she was starving.

Lamprey didn’t ever get her vision back to normal, and it was disorienting and terrifying. She tried to push her fear down, supposing she already needed to learn a lot, so it’d be a little easier to adapt to being half-blind. She’d learn how to get through all of this, even if it was hard. Pushing herself up, she went to get some scraps and a drink. She was just barely managing to get by but things would get better if she had any say in it.

Lamprey slowly weaned herself off the human places. Even if it still was far from great, her coordination had improved with some practice. She’d probably do decent out on her own, she thought. Really she wasn’t completely sure about that but she was just sick of fighting, eating disgusting scrap food, and avoiding being caught by humans. She set out into a valley, aimlessly wandering for days with little food or water. She’d finally managed to track down a rabbit and was on its’ tail until she was tackled to the ground.

Yet another fight with some stupid territorial cat! Frustrated to the point of gaining some strength, she threw the tom aside. He was quick to get back to his feet, however, he didn’t keep attacking her. Lamprey remained on guard as the tom introduced himself as Red and explained that she’d been stealing his prey. Ugh, these jerks! Couldn’t she live her life without being attacked for stepping over a nonexistent boundary?

Lamprey vented out her anger at this Red, explaining how selfish it was to let the rabbit go to waste just to protect his land. To her surprise, he responded to her anger by offering her food. As insulted as she was, she wouldn’t turn down that offer. She told him to bring her the prey if he was feeling so generous. It would’ve been stupid to let herself get tricked, but when he brought the food, she didn’t consider any possibilities of it being poisoned or anything. That bird was decimated in a matter of a minute, much to Red’s amusement.

She asked him why he’d given up prey to her if it was so precious to him. He joked that it was practically the signing of a deal for her to help him out. Lamprey scoffed, though she didn’t actually mind the idea of having someone to talk to for a day. How long had it been since she talked to anyone peacefully? This didn’t start off peaceful, sure, but if he was giving her a safe place to stay…

Lamprey agreed to stay with Red until she was ready to leave. Her leaving date kept being pushed back as she realized she needed someone, anyone, to talk to. Someday this cat might betray her. But maybe she didn’t care about that anymore. As Lamprey stayed with Red, his values began to rub off on her. It felt nice having a place to call her own and defending it from trespassers.

The thing about expanding their territory and enforcing it was that it made Lamprey feel in control and strong. She was sick of being alone and helpless. Red made her see and believe there was no such thing as too much power, so when he attacked a mother who came into their territory for food, Lamprey didn’t see it for what it was. She celebrated the victory with him, glad they could live happily. Even if it meant a mother coming back to her kittens empty-pawed and wounded.

Lamprey grew worried as prey began to get really low. Red suggested they travel to find a place with more plentiful resources. Lamprey thought that sounded fun and it’d help them out, so they left their home behind. While traveling, they ran into a group of cats. Lamprey and Red fought well at first but were outnumbered.

Red struck up a conversation with the cats, discovering they thought they were only defending themselves. Lamprey kept her eye on the leader of this group, Lune, as she convinced Red to join them. When Red saw how hesitant Lamprey was about all of this, he remarked that she could follow him or be all alone again. She chose to follow him and listened to Lune as she explained how they’d thrive with more of a community. With time, Lamprey accepted that she was more powerful and respected than she had ever been by joining this group. And with no other future to strive for, Lamprey embraced it.

Rising Moon Arc

A tom named Spider had made his way into their group and he was far more ambitious than any of them. He knew a lot about the colonies of cats nearby and worked well with Lune. While the others were suspicious of him, Lamprey liked him. She looked past his mask, seeing somebody who was both curious and smart. Spider and Lune made their group official in a place Spider found, calling it the Web Colony. He took over as the leader, or rather, his title of Overlord, while Lune served under him as a “communicator”.

Red went along with it and joined as a commoner, so Lamprey did too. Her decision didn’t hinge on Red, she thought. In the Web Colony, she was stronger. It felt like she finally had some say in how her life was, and the recognition she got for being strong… she needed to keep it. Though she considered all of that her reasoning, a large part of why Lamprey joined the Web Colony was because she finally had friends to rely on. Red, well, he was her friend, but he was just… different.

The Web Colony ran into its first issue rather quickly. Coyotes were scented by the border, causing some fear in Lamprey’s fellow residents. Coyotes were dog-like creatures, and judging off her time spent as a scrounging stray, they’d truly be a hassle to deal with. But she wouldn’t let it worry her too much, Lune and Spider probably had some idea of what to do about the coyotes. Then, the unconcerned molly found Aspen and Rye.

Aspen and Rye were younger sisters who’d been chased into the Web Colony by the coyotes. Seeing how shaken up they were upset Lamprey. For some reason, she saw herself in their scared faces. Lamprey insisted that Lune keep the two in the safety of the Web Colony, and with enough convincing, Lune agreed to take them in. Sure, it’d be more cats to feed, but they’d grow up soon enough. It was important to help such vulnerable cats anyway.

Spider and Lune came up with a plan to drive the coyotes off. The residents were trained in what to do and a patrol was set out to put their plan into action. Coyotes were surprisingly fearful and would run with their tails between their legs if you made enough noise. Lamprey saw how nervous the others were while she felt neutral about it herself. Then, they actually saw the coyotes and did everything possible to scare them off. And it worked!

Everyone returned satisfied from their victory. Lamprey knew Spider and Lune were smart but taking an issue like that and solving it so fast… they were truly talented. Plus, how Lamprey worked alongside the others was perfect! Making such a good and scary team reminded Lamprey of why she was a Web Colony cat. There was strength in numbers.

A bit of time passed with more cats joining the Web Colony. Lamprey was proud to have acquired so many new friends. She was riding high yet there was this niggling doubt that this is what she wanted. She wasn’t used to such a place after all, nor did she have a clue what her future held. She was used to living out on the streets after being left behind by somebody she loved. It was hard to believe that there wouldn’t be some sudden reason for her to leave, whether it be her own decision or somebody else’s.

Red announced he was becoming mates with Bracken. Even more, she was expecting his kittens. Lamprey couldn’t hold back her shock at hearing something so big told so casually. She felt left out of Red’s life. She didn’t know he and Bracken were that close, or even that he wanted kittens. And knowing how he was more than anybody else, she wondered if it was all simply a mistake.

With the coyotes gone and a growing population, it was clear that the Web Colony needed to spread out. Lune and Spider announced their territory would be expanding. Lamprey didn’t mind the longer walks, she was basically built for it. On one of these long patrols, Lamprey was caught in the middle of her doubtful friends. They believed Lune would be a better leader while Lamprey wondered why they were even doubting Spider’s leadership.

The argument wouldn’t have bothered her so much if not for Red undermining her so much. She hated how weak she felt under his glare and that she didn’t know if this was how a friend should treat her. She was left behind by Red and Thrasher, but in their place was Mocha, comforting her in her distress. She wondered if she was wasting her time with the wrong cats. Maybe… Mocha was what a good friend looked like.

Mocha’s limp body was dragged into camp. Lune held him, guarding his body from Spider, who’d been called for the emergency. Nothing had felt right that eerie morning, but there weren’t any words to describe the emptiness and confusion Lamprey felt upon seeing her friend dead. He was gone. Did she ever say how much she appreciated him?

The conclusion drawn was that the Fire Colony killed Mocha. They didn’t know why but the evidence pointed toward them. The Web Colony allied with the Cavern Colony and Clover Colony, and attempts at communication with the Fire Colony about the situation proved pointless. The Web Colony closed its borders off to the Fire Colony and any wanderers, on-sight attacks of self-defense permitted by Overlord Spider. Suddenly, everything was escalating. Lamprey didn’t understand, why did the Fire Colony do this to them?

Dread was low and consistent until it was sudden and high. Lamprey was terrified when she saw Fire Colony cats near trespassing, but she was scared of the wrong cat, she’d soon realize. Red suddenly attacked one of the Fire Colony cats, swiftly killing them. At first, Lamprey didn’t even process it— she wouldn’t be able to wrap her head around what Red just did. Lamprey and Aurora argued with Red until Fire Colony reinforcements arrived. It was too late. They had to fight now.

When Lamprey returned to camp with the others, she felt like a stranger in her own body. They left those Fire Colony cats out to die. Red thought they were monsters, but… but… they were living, breathing, feeling things. Not like Red. Red didn’t feel anything except triumph for the blood on his paws. Lamprey was clueless to his mistreatments before, but she could now say, with all the confidence in the world, that she loathed Red.

Lamprey pitied Red’s children. Nobody looked at him or his family the same way again, yet Lune announced that Red would face no punishment for what he’d done. It was too late to take things back. Lamprey was shocked. But she quickly learned to keep her mouth shut, because she couldn’t take the arguing about the state of things anymore.

Following the attack, the Web Colony went on the offense against the Fire Colony. They took territory from the Fire Colony and kept up their fights unwaveringly, although the fights were much more matched this time. Lamprey was at a loss as to what to do. She wasn’t sure why, but she couldn’t up and leave the Web Colony. At least she noticed some of her friends agreed with her.

The fight against the Fire Colony would end when both colonies called upon their allies. The Web Colony’s new ally seemed to turn the tides of battle, allowing the Web Colony to claim another victory. After that, the Fire Colony was no more. They’d been driven out. The Web Colony took over their territory and many cats returned terribly wounded by the battle.

The Clover Colony dropped the Web Colony as an ally. Some Web Colony cats hated them for it, saying they could be conspiring with other colonies. Lamprey couldn’t begin to understand the theories and she never would. The Clover Colony had done their job in serving in the battle. And Lamprey couldn’t blame them for wanting to distance themselves. Cats of their own had been killed to drive away the Fire Colony, and there was doubt that it was the right decision to make the Fire Colony fall anyway.

Though their issue seemed solved with the Fire Colony gone, Lamprey and many others didn’t feel it was. Verbal infighting was so commonplace that heated topics such as the Fire Colony were practically shunned. Lamprey was fortunate to find out who exactly she could trust. Aurora, Stag, Solana, Dusty, Mac, Chestnut, Jessamine, Tansy, Rye, Aspen, and Ember all suspected there was something more happening in the Web Colony. Spider, the head of everything, rarely ever showed his face, and… maybe the others were right all along. Maybe Lune would be a better leader.

These “rebels” frequently discussed what changes they wanted to see in the Web Colony and how they’d go about making them. They agreed to convince Lune to recognize her own power, and some of the rebels would make individual decisions. For example, Jessamine seemed to have a connection in the Clover Colony who could give unbiased information. Unfortunately, she’d been caught talking to the Clover Colony cat, but before Lamprey could defend her, Jessamine had found the perfect excuse to let it slide by. The lack of communication in some aspects worried Lamprey, but they were heading in the right direction.

Lune called Spider out to camp. The rebels would back her in overthrowing Spider, and as he reared the corner, Lamprey prepared for the worst. Of course, when he realized what was happening, he argued. He said that Lune agreed with all the choices he’d made for the Web Colony, that she supported and encouraged his beliefs. When he stepped closer, Lune slashed his face. Lamprey was taken aback to see how young Spider really looked. How shocked he was. And how he resigned himself to what was happening, leaving the Web Colony. The rebels reassured Lune in her panic as they wondered what was happening behind the scenes.

So, Lune was now the Overlord. She cut the communicator role, maybe feeling that it was unnecessary. Everyone waited to see how this would go while straying from outright voicing any opinions. Lune seemed rather snippy, but Lamprey was willing to forgive it, considering her circumstances carried a lot of stress.

Rye went missing and… Lamprey didn’t know how to feel. So much was happening that she was emotionally exhausted. She knew she cared to see such a bright soul suddenly gone. That bright soul who she’d brought to the Web Colony herself. Knowing how it all turned out now, Lamprey regretted taking them in, wishing she could’ve stepped in for them differently. Maybe Rye chose to leave, and maybe Lamprey had given them that tough decision to make. Though Lamprey had changed the Web Colony by being a rebel, she couldn’t help feeling so many things were her fault.

Lune reached out to the Clover Colony’s leader to try and find out more about Spider and Rye’s disappearances, to no avail. Lamprey was disappointed to hear nothing came of it. She was glad that the Clover Colony and Web Colony could have neutral contact again though.

Lune’s efforts to find Spider were unsuccessful until he found himself on the Web Colony’s border one day. Lamprey, Alouette, and Pigeon were the ones to first find him. At first, they wanted to send him away, thinking he was trying to weasel his way back into the Overlord role. Lamprey was stubborn, but even she could see that Spider was sincere in believing something was wrong with the Web Colony. Curiously, they allowed Spider to turn himself in and brought him to Lune herself.

It was a whirl of events as Spider pieced together everything he’d found out while away from the Web Colony. The Fire Colony never got Lune’s communications like she said, meaning they didn’t even know of Mocha’s death for the longest time. She’d manipulated him into every wrong decision until everybody viewed him as a criminal who could never be trusted. Lamprey was skeptical, but everything he said began to click. Red defended Lune only to be scorned by the other residents, and then Lune attacked Spider again, only to be brought down to her knees.

Red and Lune never showed their faces again after that. Bracken left, too. The Web Colony was left with no Overlord and Spider wanted to see its downfall. After everything, Lamprey couldn’t blame him. The Web Colony ruined so many lives in its existence and it’d be cruel to let it go on. Spider guided everyone to find the futures that would be right for them and Lamprey hesitantly decided on joining the Cavern Colony. They were the most familiar to her.

When the Web Colony was stable, she was happy. So Lamprey was sure that she wanted to be a part of a community again. If it wasn’t going great, well, she finally learned her lesson that it’d be okay to leave. Lamprey said goodbye to the friends that she’d made in the Web Colony, tracing their faces with her eye so as to never forget them. Then she left. Lupa, the Cavern Colony’s chief, accepted Lamprey as a guardian of the Cavern Colony.

There were still some familiar faces in the Cavern Colony, for better or for worse. Fortunately, Lamprey was able to get past the presence of cats she wasn’t agreeable to with the help of her new acquaintance Daisy. They loved challenging each other to playfights and silly dares. The lightheartedness was very much welcome and Lamprey began to feel comfortable and cheerful once again. Only this time, it’d actually last.

Lamprey came to appreciate the cats she thought she could never trust. She made new friends. Something as scary as a harsh winter didn’t concern Lamprey with such nice and supportive friends by her side. And, she began to consider what direction she wanted to take in life.

Current

Lamprey remembered how happy she felt around Aspen and Rye, how she wanted to protect them. She wanted a shot at a sort of “normal life”, too. Basically, she dreamt of having a family. She ignored all of her doubts just to get this wish out to Daisy, and somehow, it all untangled into Daisy and Lamprey deciding to coparent a litter of kittens together. Together, they were able to work out any concerns, though those worries would linger for Lamprey.

Through the use of a surrogate, Lamprey successfully became pregnant. Of course, it was no surprise, yet the thought that all of this was real overwhelmed Lamprey. Overwhelmed in a good way. She knew it wasn’t something she’d come to regret, especially not with Daisy helping her. She hoped she could give these kittens everything she never had and more.