Ni-hao! This is 'Painful Truths', part of the Arcana Saga. Here's a summary of questions.

Will Feral sacrifice something dear to him to get what he wants? Just who is Callie's Knight? And how come the SWAT Kats don't believe Feral deserves a second chance?

Author's note: Shadowplay comes into being in this chapter. It tells a slanted version of the Truth. The Shadowplay are composed of two shadows who 'play' off of each other. They pop up from time to time.

As always, send any questions or comments to AkaneKitty@aol.com or drop me a line at FanFiction.net. Enjoy!

Ja ne,
AkaneKitty



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The Arcana Saga:
Painful Truths

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11 p.m. Dark, but never still.

"It never fails. They always show up like clock work and get in my way."

Feral slowly walks through the lobby of City Hall, his ears adjusting to the stillness. Jamming his paws into his pockets, Feral feels the weight of his locket on his chest.

"Yes, I hate them."

Feral continues to walk, turning into a long corridor. Some moon beams peek in from the bay windows, casting long shadows. Each flicker with each shift of the moon.

"Heh. Shadowplay." Feral says lightly, and walks out the doors.

The Shadows continue to shift, finally forming two distinct kat shapes.

"Do you know? Do you know? Do you know what I wonder?"

"It's easy to forget the Knight has feelings!"

"Really? That's news to me."

"And do you know what these feelings are?"

"Love? Friendship? Heartburn?"

"Do you know? Do you know? Do you know what they are?"


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"Sirius. One of the brightest stars in the sky."

Callie looks up into the night for Sirius, trying to form in her mind the constellation that went with it. Feral would have pointed it out easily.

Feeling a little guilty, Callie separates herself from the SWAT Kats, who were talking to Jem.

"I can't believe Feral grew his hair out." T-Bone was saying, shaking his head. "It was like he was a completely different kat!"

"Roger that." Razor says. "But, then again, Felina grew her hair out, too."

"Strange things have been happening, excluding Lokii's words of wisdom."  T-Bone crosses his arms.

"Like what?" Razor asks.

"Like Callie going to dinner with Feral, of all kats!"

"And that bothers you?" Jade speaks up after she wanders over to where the SWAT Kats were.

T-Bone looks at her. "Well. . ."

"And the Deputy Mayor is the Queen?" Garnet looks at Callie, who was still looking up at the sky.

"That's what we're assuming," Razor replies.

"And are you assuming that Commander-sama is the Knight?" Jade feels her pendent grow warm.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Feral can't possibly be the Knight. He hasn't done anything!" T-Bone growls. "He doesn't have a shred of nobility in him!"

"Is that so?" Sapphire looks at T-Bone incorrigibly. "You guys seem way too cocky."

"Excuse me?" T-Bone challenges.

"You guys seem so comfortable in your positions as the Queen's heroes, that you feel threatened when the Knight competes for her affection." Jade releases her pendent. "And, besides, she feels guilty."

"Huh?" T-Bone and Razor look at each other. "Why should she feel guilty?"

"Maybe you should ask her." Garnet says, turning on her heel. "But, now, we should be going."

"Hey! By the way, what gun is that?" Razor asks, pointing to Garnet's holster.

"Oh, this?" Garnet retrieves her gun and holds it up. "It's a light gun. It just a way focusing intense light into one beam."

"Lokii seems to be hurt by this," Sapphire adds. "But, only in her physical form.

"Will we see you again?" T-Bone asks.

"I'm sure you will," Garnet toss over her shoulder, "Now that we have a common enemy. See ya!"

The SWAT Kats watch as Jem blends into the shadows. "So, what now?"  Razor asks his friend.

"We ask the Queen why she feels guilty." T-Bone jerks his head in Callie's direction. "Let's go."

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"Licking your wounds, Lokii?"

"Ha, ha. Very funny, Grey."

Lokii focuses some of her spiritual energies on the wound on her arm. "Jem. I should have known they'd track me down."

"So, what else is new." Grey bounces in his box. "You know that you're messing with the Rules."

"I'm just fudging them, that's all." Lokii says after awhile, her wound closed. "But, since Jem is here to play also, they can also help in my plans. Sorry,
Katra. . ."

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"So, what has Lokii been telling you? Nothing good, I'd guess."

Callie and the SWAT Kats were in the Deputy Mayor's office, with the former wanting to get in from the night. Callie perches herself onto her desk,
crossing her legs.

"Quite." Razor replies.

"Like what?" Callie presses them.

"Lokii called us Squires to the Knight," T-Bone says before Razor can stop him.

"Squires, huh?" Callie places a paw to the side of her face. "Squires to. ..Feral?"

"Feral? Why him?" Razor asks.

"I don't know." Callie shrugs. "Just stating the obvious if you use MadKat's words."

"Feral is no Knight." T-Bone says, almost growling. "He lost his chance."

Callie looks at him briefly and glances away. "I wouldn't say that . . ."

"Huh?"

"Nothing." Callie hops off her desk.

"If you don't mind me asking, Ms. Briggs," Razor asks as Callie goes behind her desk, "Just who is your Knight?"

"Knight?" A snippet of thought crosses Callie's mind. Those words of long ago. * "I hope to be your Knight, someday. . ." *

"Ms. Briggs?" T-Bone breaks the silence.

"Oh! Sorry, guys." Callie slowly sits down in her chair. "It's just that I don't know. . .or ever know."


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Enforcer Headquarters. Dark, isolated, lonely. It was the shift change.

Feral slouches in his chair, his uniform jacket thrown over one of the guest chairs. Feral also removes his locket, sitting it down on the desk in front of him. Its clasp is open.

"I wonder. . .do they still have that picture?" Feral traces the chain with his claw.

A soft click of his office door alerts Feral to someone's presence. He looks up.

"Oh. . .You."

"Hai. You seem upset."

"I am."

"Because of them?"

"Because of them." Feral says, getting up to look out of one of his office
windows.

"Are you prepared to lose a part of your nobility to get what you want?"

"I don't know."

"They are blind to your nobility. What would it hurt?"

"That nobility is the only thing that separates us. I'd rather keep it."

"Really. It is your nobility that keeps you apart from them, yet it keeps you away from what you really want."

Feral shrugs, grabbing the locket from his desk and slips it around his neck.

"You're being naïve."

"It's not being naïve, it's being stubborn."

"I see. . .So, why don't you fence?"

"Nani?"

"They say fencing is good for the soul. Why don't you and Clawson go to the new Civic Center? It'll be like old times."

"Huh. . ." Feral crosses his arms. "I haven't fenced in a while."

"Besides, doesn't the Knight need to be in top form?"

Feral looks over his shoulder. "Are you behaving yourself?"

"Of course."

Feral turns back towards the window, and smiles. It was an unusually starry night. "Very well."