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P A N T H E R S T O R M
A tom blacker than the night slipped through the foggy grounds of the forest. His form was but a shadow that seemed to wade through the trees, making his way towards a certain destination. He didn’t seem real, the way his figure slithered between the dense, dark forest or the way his paws barely hovered above the earth. It was almost like he merely resembled the shape of a cat’s silhouette rather than actually being feline himself.
The only thing that hinted he was once a living warrior was the cold glint of his yellow eyes in the darkness. It was difficult to tell what was what or rather- who was who, in the place of no stars. The forest in which those who committed the most heinous of crimes in their lifetimes were banished to walk for all eternity. It was so dark here, a place without the light of the sun or the glow of the moon. But he didn’t find himself particularly uneasy with the solitude or the emptiness. If anything, he preferred it. He thought it was better this way, with no one to intercept him or his own desires.
However, there was one thing he realized in his time here. The other spirits were becoming disruptive. He had become quite used to not interacting with anyone else in the Dark Forest, as their paths were typically arranged so that they were not allowed to run into another cat. Not that it mattered to him, since he never really cared for company anyway. But recently, he noticed that he caught glimpses of other shadows in the darkness around him. It never lasted long, almost as though the moment they caught sight of each other, they were torn apart. He wanted to test something, to see how far he could stretch the boundaries of this supernatural phenomenon.
Now, he stalked forward with a purpose. He planned on finding another cat in this forest, no matter how long it took him. If he was doomed to walk these woods until he faded away, with no concept of time, then what would it matter if he were to search for something in the meantime? He prowled and he prowled, his paws not stopping for a single heartbeat in his search for another form of life. He didn’t feel hungry. Nor did he feel tired. He simply existed. He existed to move forward, to find someone else in this everlasting emptiness.
Eventually, he happened upon the shape of another cat in-between the shadows of the trees ahead. He didn’t know how long he had walked for, but it was irrelevant. He had succeeded in finding another cat. He crept forward silently, as if he may have been cautious of whatever paranormal force that ruled over them here, like it might have threatened to tear him away if he got too close. But nothing happened. He stepped in front of the other feline and locked eyes with him.
“Greetings.” He spoke stoically, his voice gravelly and rough from the fact that he hadn’t spoken in perhaps many seasons. “My name is Pantherstorm. What’s yours?”
The hunger for payback and the thirst for revenge danced in the other tom's eyes as he leaned forward to drink in Pantherstorm's words. I have him now, he thought victoriously to himself. He had played his cards correctly thus far, and if he proceeded forward with the same intent, Copperheart would prove to be a valuable asset in his goals.
"Do you think ghosts have no right to step in the realm of those who are living?" Pantherstorm countered his question with one of his own- one of those contemptuous turn-arounds a scornful teacher would play on a student, as if they should simply have already known the answer. "If those whose pelts glitter with stars can cross those boundaries, it makes sense that we can do the same. We can walk the same grounds, breathe the same air, and spread our influence just as easily as they do."
"Actually..." he paused, his pale yellow eyes narrowing in glee. "There is the existence of one cat, who seems to possess the gift to interact with the dead unlike any other. It is because of him that the boundaries between our territory and those of the living has become blurred. This opening gives us quite the room to roam, among other things..."
"All we have to do is start here."