IMPORTANT NOTE: The author says there might not be a conclusion to this story. SWAT KATS: DAY AND NIGHT PART ONE: MEETINGS AND BEGINNINGS From: Kay Chang PROLOGUE: Luytrian Field, 207 Many a dead kat lay near the girl who rocked herself. She was humming insanely, the looks of her surroundings didn't register on her snapped mind. Tabby watched her closely. It was too late to save the other, but where was her child? Spying it, Tabby lept forward, snatched it, and ran. The child was very important to her, the Light Child, as it would be the ancestor of one of her companions in the distant future, Chance Furlong, a.k.a. T-Bone ACT ONE: Jake was reading the newspaper, and waiting for Chance to wake up. They were close, certainly, but sometimes Chance could really get on his nerves. Oh well. Might as well go see what he needed to work on in the hangar. When Chance woke up, then they could begin training. Amber Coloite read the sign. "Welcome to Megakat City, population: 6,000, Mayor Manx in charge." Good. This was the right palce. Now all Amber had to do was find Tabby in this crazy bustle called a city, and the time/space freeze could be cast...once they found their companions for the Journey. Though Amber looked like she was in her early twenties, with violet eyes, red hair, and cream fur, she was, in reality, over 2,000 years old, the Servant of the Light Child. T-Bone and Razor were now practicing in earnest. The obstacle courses were vaulted over, destroyed by the glovatrix missles, and puzzeled through by both the Swat Kats. Neither could know that in just five hours, they would be leaving Megakat City on a Journey no one but the Players of the Game could fully understand. There was Tabby. Now all they had to do was summon the four that would come with them. Calico Briggs and Felina Feral would be easy. The Swat Kats could take a while. They headed for City Hall, not knowing that Felina followed them after hearing them mention her name and something about a Journey. Tabby nervously fingered her Sunstar, which lay over her heart. Given to her at birth, it was a golden replica of the sun, studded with diamond stars, and a reat, rainbow-colored gem at its heart. It carried the the Light Child's greatest powers. A time/space freeze was very dangerous to do, and she was worried that something might go wrong. They joined a tour group at City Hall and headed for the roof. There the freeze spell could be cast. Marrkee better have his timing right, or they were in BIG trouble. Felina met Callie and told her what she had overheard from the pair of young women, one who appeared to be only thirteen, with long dark hair, gray fur, and celestial blue eyes. They two women from Megakat City followed the Light Child and her Servant to the roof, where they turned to greet them. PART TWO: "Hello, Felina and Callie. Don't look so surprised! We knew your names before you were born. We need your help, as well as the Swat Kats. Our only problem is, we don't know how to contact them. You and the Swat Kats have been chosen to play in the Game. You won't know why, but you'll help us. In the Ageless Book it has been decreed that you would help. Call the Swat Kats for us, please, but not the Enforcers. That will just cause a lot of trouble for everyone." Tabby cocked her head at them, even as Callie's hand snuck into her purse and gave the communicator button a push. The Turbokat was there in record time. When they leaped out, Tabby smiled. "You're all here! The freeze can begin!! Amber, if you please..." Amber nodded, and began to chant in a strange tongue. T-Bone stared at them as if they were monsters. "What the heck do you mean "freeze?" And what are you..." Tabby cut him off. "Just let me explain, okay? It'll be easier for both of us if you just keep still and let me tell the story." "Once, on a planet of a star you wouldn't know, I and my counterpart lived as Hydra. A creature without mother or father, we kept the balance between the world. Then the Storm came. It ripped us into two seperate bodies, Light Child and Night Child. The Storm left a crystal to take our palce as the "middle line." It is called the Circle Crystal, and is very dangerous. It can be destroyed by either me or my counterpart, and whoever does will have infinete power over the other. We can choose to convert or destroy them. The Time is almost at hand, we go to the Circle Crystal! When we seperated, I took the name Tabby, the Light Child. Two students of mine from my days as one of Hydra stayed with me through the countless centuries, waiting for you four to be born and learning about their tasks. We protected your families from the Night Child and waited. Amber is one of my students. The other is Marrkee, who is waiting on a hill beyond the City. We will leave after the freeze is completed. T-Bone, you are the Fighter who will fight fiercest when we are attacked. Razor, you will be the Planner, who thinks and makes plans. Felina, you are the Acrobat, who serves as a more nimble fighter. Callie, you are the most important. If and wehn I am forced to leave you, YOU Callie, will take my place." They sat in astonishment during the girl's narrative. They started to ask her the countless questions they had, but before they could, Amber stepped in. "Excuse me, m'lady. We are ready for your part now." Tabby stood up and took a deep breath. "Well, here goes nothing. Wish me luck." Then she turned to face the City and chanted slowly and solemnly: "The Storm has gone and left its mark, I carry the Rainbow stone upon my heart. The time has come to still the breeze, Marrkee, the Watcher, set loose the Freeze!" PART THREE: There was silence. Then a it grew colder and colder. Slowly, white falkes drifted down and froze any living thing it touched, leaving it well preserved and still alive for when the foursome returned. When the entire city was covered in that white blanket of something that was like and yet unlike snow. Tabby turned to them. "They will sleep now, all of them. When this is all over with, you will be returned. Without any memory of this, if you wish. Come. Marrkee is waiting. He does not talk much, he sees and listens and thinks more than anything else. Think of this as a uh...holiday. We will have to do some fighting, though, but mostly traveling. You will get used to it. Let's go. Marrkee can become very impatiant at times, it's not good to keep him waiting. Even if he is the Watcher, the one who will be our scout. Oh yes, and Amber is the Healer. She will act as healer of the sick and wounded among us." Marrkee saw them coming from far away. He readied the packs again. The horses sifted and neighed. They were just as eager as he was to be off, but, also like him, they knew they would have to wait until their mistress was with them, as well as the other Companions. They were to be called the Seven, looking for a way to stop the Circle Crystals destruction. >From far away, the Night Child felt the freeze spell that his "sister," the Light Child, had cast. She was such a fool. Why give herself a name of the puny feeble, stupid lesser beings called kats, when she had once been known and feared as Hydra, both King and Queen of both the Light and the Night? Ah well, at least HE hadn't become so feeble-minded. He kept the shape he had been formed in: a giant snake with glowing red eyes. There would be time to destroy his sister and her pathetic pand called the Seven later. Right know he had to discover where the Circle Crystal was hidden. Then he could destroy his sister and her servants. That would be so delightful, to watch the horror dawn on their faces that they had been to late to save their foolish cause. Ha! Light! Who cared about something as trivial as that? The Night Child curled up and went to sleep, dreaming of what he could do to his sister when he had the Circle Crystal. They were off! The horses galloped and seemed to be racing each other. Callie, Felina, Razor, and T-Bone didn't talk much, and the First Three couldn't blame them. A hawk flew overhead, its lonely, clear call seeming to signify the entire meaning of the Journey. For freedom and joy would be lost if the Crystal was shattered by the Night. By the Light, swore Tabby, that would not happen!! To be continued in "First Trials" :)