Chapter 9: Lucky

Starlight carried the kitten in her jaws back to The Bending Tower, Liberty walking beside her. The young followed, asking questions and constantly talking, all of which Starlight herself answered and never Liberty. The kitten had fallen silent with its eyes closed and didn't make a single sound on the whole trip.
They went through the tunnel that lead to the yard rather than taking the main entrance, and upon entering the yard no one looked their way, but Liberty knew it was only a matter of time.
"Oh my Lifebreeze!" gasped Nyla, running through the crowd of Benders to Liberty and the others, stopping in front of Starlight to examine the new-found kitten. "What's this?"
"A kitten we found," Starlight answered, voice muffled by the kitten's fur.
"Where?" asked Mistletoe, coming over to Nyla's side to examine the kitten
"Among the trees," Starlight replied.
"Yeah!" exclaimed Alista. "Starlight said it's been...uh...ban...doned!"
"Poor thing!" cried Crystal, running over.
"What's going on?" Liberty heard Miguel say from a few feet away.
"I dunno, but the girls are all obsessing over something," shrugged Raoul from next to Miguel.
"You need to take that kitten to Eclipse," said Crystal, worry written all over her face.
You don't say? Liberty was tempted to respond with.
"We will," Starlight said assuringly.
"Pups, head back to Airia," Nyla insisted.
"Aww!" Rhonda and Alista harmonized.
"Now," ordered Nyla.
Alista and Rhonda headed off, mumbling to each other as they were followed by Okerro and Cloudie into The Bending Tower, followed by Nyla, which Liberty figured was to make sure they actually made their way back to Airia.
"Go to Eclipse, now," Crystal insisted.
Starlight nodded and trotted towards the Tower, Liberty following. Animals turned heads their way as they passed, but didn't stop them or say anything as they continued to head for the Healers.
Upon heading inside, Liberty saw that Ekaj was in there, with Comet tending to a cut on his paw. "Honestly, Ekaj, watch were you step..."
"It was an accident," Ekaj insisted.
"Well, you should be more--"
"Oh my gosh!" spoke up Nightgale. Liberty looked to see the she-wolf running over to her and Starlight from the corner. "Who is this? What happened?!"
"It's a kitten that Liberty found," Starlight said, voice muffled by the kitten's fur. She sat it down on the floor.
"Poor thing!" Nightgale cried.
"What's going on?" asked Eclipse, walking over to them.
"This kitten was found, and the poor thing looks near dead!" Nightgale yelped. She picked it up. "We got to treat him..."
"Is he going to be alright?" Starlight asked.
"Of course," Nightgale nodded. "But after we treat him, we have to get the poor thing back to its mother." She placed the kitten down and put a leaf down on a cut on his back, putting pressure on the wound.
"His mother must be worried sick!" Eclipse exclaimed. "I know I'd be."
"How did he end up like this, though?" Starlight wondered, making everyone turn to her. "All scratched up?"
"Maybe he got lost," suggested Ekaj with a shrug. "Wandered too far from his mother."
"His mom must be feeling so upset though!" Eclipse said worriedly. "I mean, she probably turned her back on him for one minute and then he was gone...she must be looking everywhere for him!"
"Immediately after he's treated we got to--" Nightgale turned back to where the kitten had been, only to see he was gone. "Where'd he go?!"
Everyone exchanged looks and surveyed the area. Liberty scanned the room and looked behind her, but the kitten was nowhere in sight.
"He must've slipped away somehow," Starlight murmured.
"Well, we've got to find him!" Eclipse exclaimed. "Liberty, Starlight and Ekaj, you all head out together. I'll go with Nightgale. Comet," she turned to the wolf, "you stay here in case someone comes for treatment."
"Alright," Comet nodded.
"Let's go then," Starlight said. "C'mon."
She trotted out of the room and Liberty followed, and she could sense Ekaj close by as they went into the hallway. "Which way do we go?" Starlight wondered.
"We could ask around, if anyone happened to see a kitten run by," Ekaj suggested.
You don't say, Liberty thought to herself.
"Let's go then," Starlight nodded, heading down the hall, Liberty and Ekaj following.
"What's the kitten's name?" Ekaj asked as they walked.
"He never spoke," Liberty answered.
"Probably too young to speak. He's awfully scrawny," Starlight pointed out.
They turned a corner and saw Tiggerkat, humming and popping a reese cup into her mouth. "Hey, Tiggerkat," Starlight said.
"Hello, friends!" Tiggerkat sang, grinning ear-to-ear. "How are you?"
"Fine, thanks," Starlight returned.
"Have you seen a cat go by?" Ekaj wondered. "Black, hazel eyes, white spot on his chest?"
"A cat?" Tiggerkat echoed. "'Cat', as in Tigger'kat'? I saw Tiggerkat in the puddle the other day," she said, rubbing her chin with her paw, "is Tiggerkat missing now?" she gasped, and then ran off. "GUYS! GUYS! TIGGERKAT'S MISSING! WE GOTTA FIND HER!"
"Uh..." Ekaj said as she scampered off.
"That was no help," Liberty grumbled.
They continued down the hall in silence, looking into rooms to see if the kitten happened to be there. Nothing, nothing, Liberty said as she saw no black kitten in the rooms she peered inside of. Noth--wait...
She stopped and could see a clump of black fur in the elders' den, sitting among the elders as they talked. "Excuse me," said Liberty, walking in.
"Hello Liberty," Creature nodded with a smile.
Liberty noticed the kitten looked fearful. She could feel Starlight and Ekaj come in as she continued to speak. "Listen, that's our kitten," she said. "We took him to the Healers but he ran off."
"Oh?" Creature frowned. He turned to the kitten. "What's your name?"
The kitten hesitated before replying in a small, high-pitch voice. "Lucky," he whimpered.
Liberty could feel a sarcastic remark about the kitten's name rising in her, but suppressed it. "And why did you run off, honey?" Sun asked.
"They want to take me back to my mom," Lucky murmured.
"Why's that a bad thing?" Starlight asked.
"My mommy's mean," Lucky whimpered, looking close to crying. "She hurts me everyday. I don't want to be hurt anymore!"

Author's Note:
To be continued... ;)
Also, I made a new page on this blog, it's a survey for you guys to fill out. Check it out if you'd like. :3 (you don't have to, of course!)