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Chapter Text

Lizzie was a cat. She may have learned to walk upright, to have fancy handwriting and speak like the other rulers, and she may even have the best disguise, but Lizzie was still a cat, and sometimes, cats and humans didn’t get along.

Her wild ancestors, the wild ones, as her mother called them, were captured and caged, forced to perform and wear costumes their captor chose. When the Jungle Kingdom was left to rot, some of her ancestors managed to escape, but most died and rotted with the kingdom, stuck in silly costumes and iron cages. Powerful beasts born to prowl and hunt, forced to beg and perform for survival. Lizzie had never known the Jungle Kingdom, but her mother had, She was a mixed cat (which Lizzie later learned was called Savannah cats by Humans). The old jungle ruler had found domesticated cats, and had breeded them with her ancestors. Her mother was an outcast, just for her parents.

Smaller than tigers or leopards, larger than the calicos brought to the Jungle. Too wild to be pet, yet, too domesticated to run with a Coalition or Leap. Even after the Jungle Kingdom’s collapse, the calicos were hunted, and the wild ones considered Lizzie’s mother closer to a calico than a wild.

So her mother ran. She ran through the Jungle and into the plains. She stopped running, but she never stopped walking. Lizzie’s mother was known to by most as ‘the Wanderer’. Even after meeting Lizzie’s father, she stayed for a single night before returning to her endless journey. She only stopped her journey after Lizzie was born. She settled in a vast and lush birch forest. 

It was beautiful, and it was dangerous. Bulky, cunning foxes were common, even though her mother had told her that foxes usually only lived in a very specific forest called a Taiga. But, here her mother and she was, competing for food against an overpopulation of foxes, and the occasional lone wolf or pack that patrolled in the dark.

The day her mother died, she had been carrying a limp chicken. Lizzie was in the hollow, the place they slept, and was about to scitter out to eat, when her mother’s ears perked up, flicked, then flattened, and her tail fluffed up. Danger. A fox with hungry, wide, yellow eyes licked its lips and rose from its haunches and it stalked towards Lizzie’s mother, never breaking eye contact. 

Foxes ate chickens. Foxes also ate kits, especially if they were hungry. Lizzie flattened to the ground, letting out a small squeak. With her body pressed to the ground, she couldn’t see what was happening, but she could hear the struggle, and she couldn’t react as she heard her mother yowl before falling. She couldn’t see the fight, but she could tell. Her mother was dead. The fox yipped, grabbed the chicken, and trotted off, leaving her mother’s dead body. Lizzie slowly rose from the ground, and stepped out of the hollow towards her mom. She was nearing a year old, but she shouldn’t have been on her own. Lizzie didn’t know how to hunt. She curled up, and buried her head in her mother’s fur. In the morning, she padded away from the body. She didn’t want to, but the body would only attract scavengers, and she wasn’t large enough or skilled enough to fend against a wolf or a flock of ravens.

Sometime later, she was walking in the birch forest, her eyes wide and observant and her ears up and alert, and they pinned as she heard a commotion. 

Leaves and sticks were crackling and crunching in the bushes next to her, and strange, foreign noises, like a strange bird’s song, rang throughout the otherwise silent forest. It was odd, but as she craned her neck to hear, she realized it almost sounded like the songs her mother would howl in the night.

”So you don’t forget our wild ancestors and heritage,” she would meow when Lizzie asked.

The more she tried to strain to understand, the more it definitely sounded like a song. She was so focused on the noise, she didn’t realize it was steadily growing closer, until a wolf and a large… thing exited the bushes. The wolf immediately noticed her and pinned its ears and growled. Lizzie replied by pinning her ears and arching her back. The tall thing blinked at her, pausing its song. Lizzie’s eyes widened as she realized what the thing was. This was what her mother warned her about. It was a human, she hadn’t seen a human before, only heard the tales from the Jungle Kingdom. The human knelt to the ground, putting a hand on the wolfs shoulder, who stopped growling, but still gave a distrustful gaze.

”oOOooOoO,oOoO?” Its noises made no sense, but it had a gentle, soft tone. Nevertheless, no matter how kind it seemed, it was still a human. Her mother said humans were the reason her ancestors were caged, so she hissed and bolted into the bushes. Immediately, she turned around, her curiosity getting the best of her, and she peeked through the bushes at the human. It lifted its shoulders, made more noises, before continuing to sing and walk away, the wolf following. Lizzie blinked, before she decided to follow them, at a distance.

She was a cat, after all, and cats are curious.

Her mother had said, that in the Jungle Kingdom, some of their ancestors were forced to speak and walk like a human. The Jungles ruler had thought their pain was a cool party trick for their guests. 

Lizzies ear flicked. Her mother had made it seem bad, but what if, if she learned to speak and walk like a human, would it help her survive? So Lizzie decided following the Human and their wolf (which she later learned was now a dog) and observed them. 

Learning something meant to be biologically impossible was, naturally, incredibly hard, which Lizzie realized when every time she even tried to get on two paws she fell poorly and hurt something. The human noises were hard to learn too, but it was fine. She was barely a young cat, closer to a kit, so she had plenty of time.

~~~ (2+ years into the future)

She didn’t remember now for how long she had been following Oli- she had learned that was the humans name- but she was definitely not a kit anymore. She was much larger, larger than her mom and ever been, which she thought was odd, since her mother was closer related to the wild ones than Lizzie was. It was getting harder to keep herself hidden from her size. Oli stopped suddenly, grabbing out a shovel and digging. Lizzie knew he had been tracking something for a long time now, had he found it? She followed him hesitantly, many, many paces behind him. She figured now was a good time to 2-leg walk.

Speaking of the way humans walked, she had gotten quite good at it. Although it was painful at first and unnatural, it was easier now after practice. She moved fluidly, and unless you payed attention, you couldn’t even notice her legs bent in the opposite direction a humans did. It was as easy as walking on 4 legs. If she looked the part, Lizzie thought that no one would notice. She would have to create a costume or disguise.

She could understand and speak the human language, too. Understanding was always harder, but when she had learned how to listen and understand what they were saying, talking came naturally. The sounds were hard to make at first, since they weren’t natural, but she got used to it. It also helped Oli was always singing song after song.

She stepped forward silently, her front paws- hands if she were human- folded up by her neck. Oli dug deeper and deeper, until he reached a place created from stone bricks. He passed through room after room, while Lizzie followed from a place where she was unnoticed, but still could see Oli. Even after following him for so long, she was nervous. Her mother had drilled into her that humans were dangerous. 

For someone always singing, Oli was quiet, focused. He walked into one final room, before stopping. Lizzie poked her head into the opening where he had walked in. Oli started to place what looked to be eyes in empty slots in a square. When the placed the last one, the now filled slots trembled, and with a large rush of air, a glowing, black, swirling shimmer appeared.

”Portal done, and now it’s the end of the adventure at the end,” Oli seemed happy (she couldn’t see his face, but she assumed he was smiling), and he giggled, “The end is at the end,” he took a deep breath, before jumping into the shimmer, which disappeared quickly afterwards. 

The… End? What an odd concept. Lizzie shook her head, her ear flicking, before she turned around and walked away. Years of following Oli, only for him to disappear in glimmer. She walked back to the staircase to the outside, and she began to think.

As well as speech and walking, Lizzie had observed Oli creating and crafting things, as well as memorized a few recipes, like armour. She had even figured out, in theory, how she could create a lifelike mask to hide her face, on that would make almost any human believe she was the same. She went back into four paws, and began to track down some cows and sheep. She killed a few of both, a task she once thought impossible, but now she thought was easy with her new size, and collected their tan and wool to make human clothing, as well as that mask. Now that Oli was gone, and she hadn’t seen any hint of humans aside from him, she decided she would head back to the birch forest, and wander a bit like her mother. She put on her costume, returning to 2 legs, and started to walk in the direction she had come from- to the Birch forest.

Her plans of wandering were interrupted when she found an interesting place, where there were a bunch of humans. Dressed anywhere from casual to wedding formal. Some of them, she could tell, weren’t human. One was short and had green skin, and another technically could have been a human, but he was taller than most of the trees. Again, her curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to see what they were doing. She walked quietly on 2 legs towards the area. She had thought she was being incredibly stealthy, but the very tall man suddenly yelled, his voice loud and like crackling thunder.

”Another ruler? I suppose we counted wrong and forgot one,” they spoke, and the other rulers slowly turned towards where she was standing. She did her best to stop her tail from flicking in nervousness. “What is your name?” The tall person spoke again. She sighed a little in relief. They thought that she was human- that she was one of them. They thought she was a ruler.

”I am Lizzie,” her voice was soft. She hadn’t used it to speak to anyone directly before. The tall man flicked his wrist, motioning for her to join them. She tentatively walked to the gathering.

”Welcome!” A friendly looking girl smiled, “I’m Shelby, but you can call me Shubble, it’s very nice to meet you! Right now, we are splitting up territory,” she explained, “any place you want?” 

Lizzie blanked out. A place she wanted? The only place she could think of was where she was born.

”There’s a birch forest,” she replied. The green skinned guy lit up, gasping and smiling.

”That’s close to where my territory is! I’m Fwhip, by the way,” he laughed heartily, and introduced himself. The tall man cleared his throat, getting the others attentions.

”Any objections?” He said. Everyone was silent, and to Lizzie’s shock, golden letters began to form in the sky.

Welcome new ruler, Lizzie. Territory: Birch Forest.

Lizzie wasn’t the best at reading, but reading these words was almost instinctual. As she finished reading, she felt a tingly feeling in her gut. Since she was a young kit, she had felt tied to the land, and she had known death was final. But now? The feeling of connection to the land was amplified, and death? Something in her gut told her now that death was temporary. She would return, as long as she was a recognized ruler. She also had knew that if they found out she was a cat, there was a high chance they that her ruler status would be gone, revoked by the others, and she’d be nothing but wild and something to cage and tame. She whimpered in fear as quietly as she could. After all of the rulers claimed territory, they split up. Lizzie walked quickly into the woods, before making sure she was alone. When she knew no one else was there, she took off her disguise and ran on all fours all the way to her forest.

Her forest. The forest she was born in, was officially hers. Even the animals recognized it. Foxes that would eye her warily or hungrily, seeing if she was a threat or good to eat, stopped and gazed at her respectfully, dipping their heads. Sheep who would bleat and run in fear now stopped and accepted their fate quietly, as if dying at her hands was as good as life. 

Lizzie used to only be able to understand other felines, then she learned human. After becoming a ruler, she had been given the gift of understanding and being able to communicate with her citizens, no matter the species. That was when Lizzie started considering if she could create a utopia for animals. A place where they are free and happy.

~~~ (one year later)

After a year of hard work, Animalia, her country, was thriving. She had different districts for the villagers that focused on one field of work, and the animals that wished to learn how to walk on 2 legs and speak human were encouraged. The critter council, filled with the animals she trusted most, helped her to handle the day to day affairs of Critter City and Animalia as a whole. On top of that, Animalia was quite rich with their exports, Amethyst, Chicken, etc. They also had an alliance with Gobland and Fwhip, which further made Animalia even more powerful. When anyone asked, she could say those in Animalia like to look like woodland natures so they could connect with nature. No one knew the villagers just were animals.

No one suspected she was a cat.

Well, almost no one.

Shubble. The kind one, who had explained the territories. Shubble had the kind of eyes that were warm, but also stared straight through you, like they knew everything. It was starting to seem, to Lizzie, that Shubble was catching on.

Once in a casual conversation, Shubble had asked if Lizzie was ok because she noticed the way her legs bent. In another conversation, she had mumbled something about odd posture and an aversion to water. She might not know, but she was getting close to the truth, and Lizzie had to make sure she had her hands full and she was occupied.

Lizzie would have to think of something quickly. Her time was running out, and Lizzie did not want to be caged. 

Chapter Text

Lizzie had no problems with Shubble, she was kind, but as she reminded herself constantly, she didn't want to be caged, and if she found the truth and told the others, she would be. 

She was in her room, the one time she took off her costume. Even in Critter City or Animalia, she stayed in her costume in case another ruler or one of their citizens were nearby. Her room was the one place she felt safe.

No unlocked doors.

Absolutely no windows.

No one, unless they blew up her house, could see her. She stretched out, her ear flicking. She didn't want to do anything directly to Shubble, because she truly did like her, and if she did anything that was easily traceable to herself, it could end up with Shubble angry and suspicious. So what could she do? She lived in the Evermore, a place sentient and angry, a place that took souls. Lizzie's tail flicked anxiously as she thought.

What did she know about Shubble? She hadn't seen the ruler much since the beginning. Lizzie knew she lived in the evermore, that she was a witch, and that she was friends with Katherine. That left her with almost nothing. What did she know about witches?

They did magic (Very helpful Lizzie, she chided herself), they rode on brooms and had wands, and they tended to have a familiar. From what she had seen when in the Evermore, Shubble had a toad as her familiar. She called the toad 'Tortoise'. Witches usually had her kind as familiars, felines. Lizzie didn't blame them. Cats, naturally, were curious and almost magical creatures. It made sense. She recapped her knowledge: She was a witch, she had a toad, and she was friends with Katherine. That gave her more to work with. A plan began to form in her mind.

"What if...." she drawled out her voice, before yawning, "I steal her toad," her ear flicked and she blinked, rolling over to her back, "And then I blame it on Katherine?" she mused, her claws unsheathing as she thought.

It was a decent plan. Shubble cared deeply for Katherine and Tortoise, and if she made the toad go missing, and made her think that Katherine had done it, it would make her very busy. Lizzie would have to make some books and quills, but she had gotten better at handwriting, so imitation wouldn't be super hard. She could make it seem like Katherine hated her. She could make it seem like if she didn't hurry, Katherine would kill the toad. She could create a distance- a pressure that would keep Shubble occupied. This plan was starting to work out.

She stretched again, sheathing her claws and putting on her costume, her tail swishing excitedly behind her. She had found a solution to her problem. Her identity, and Animalia with it, was safe for another day. She unlocked her door, walked out, and headed into her chests to grab supplies. She had ink and spare books, and she crafted them quickly, putting them in her bag.

"Mayor Lizzie!" chirped a fox villager. From the slight, flowery looking patch of white fur on their right ear, she could tell who this was. It was Gary, "Where are you going on this fine day?" He finished, his tail flicking curiously. Foxes and Cats were similar in this way, they were curious. She waved to him in greeting.

"Just on a few errands. The Critter Council is dealing with stuff today," she replied calmly. Gary smiled and yipped excitedly. That was something she had noticed, even about herself. When a villager, or an animal who had learned human customs felt an intense emotion, they still made the sounds they would have made in the wild. Lizzie had had to stop herself from purring a couple of times.

"Alright, enjoy your errands!" Gary nodded to her, turning around and walking away. She was glad that her citizens did not pry on what she was doing. The situation was hard to explain, since they had always been wild. Their ancestors hadn't been caged, so they didn't understand her focus on keeping the fact they were animals secrets. She walked quietly out of Critter City, making sure she had everything she needed. One lead, check. 3 books and quills, check. 3 chests, check. As well, she had her diamond tools she always carried, like her axe, shovel, etc. 

~~~ (Approximately an hour later)

Walking to the Evermore was tiring. It took a long time, and she was impatient. She had arrived there recently, and she was walking cautiously in the Evermore now. The trees rustled, and they almost seemed angry. The wind howled. She took a deep breath, her ears pinned in fear underneath her mask. It almost seemed like the woods were twisting, trees shifting places. She remembered what Shubble had said about the Evermore taking souls. She could really see that now. She felt if she was here for as long as Shubble had been, she'd be crazy by now. Toads and Frogs croaked, and fireflies flickered in her vision. It wasn't even night yet, it was just ominously dark in the Evermore. The water swirled, and fish, little minnows darted around.

It was beautiful, in a magical way. It was also terrifying. Lizzie really hoped she would find Shubble's cabin soon, she didn't want to be here any longer. She passed under a mangrove tree, crouching underneath it. She didn't enjoy water, but if she had to get wet, so be it. She peeked around the tree, and saw a quaint little cabin. It had a frog on the outside, which croaked. Tortoise. She was about to rush out of the water and go past the jumble of Mangrove leaves, when she saw the front door open. Shubble opened the door, broom in hand and hat on her head. Lizzie ducked down even further, everything from her neck down submerged. She didn't want to be seen.

Shubble got on her broom, and she slowly lifted into the air, before she whizzed off. When Lizzie was sure she was gone, she rose out of the water. She hated getting wet, and she hated shaking like a dog, but she hated being wet more so she shook out her pelt the best she could. Her costume was water-resistant and could handle being wet, so she wasn't worried about damage. She lifted the Mangrove leaves out of her way as she stepped onto land. Her legs were dripping wet, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. She walked over to the frog, bending over. It croaked at her. She untied its lead, and tied it to her own lead. She set a chest by the place it was standing, and began to write her first book.

"Hello Shubble. I would like to say I wrote this with good regards to you, but I don't. To put it simply, I don't like you anymore. Wondering where Tortoise is? I took them, and depending on how I feel, I may even go as far to kill them. I hope for your sake that you can find them in time, but honestly I won't care either way. I'll give you hints to where I've hidden your precious Tortoise. Your first hint: In the middle of what you are surrounded with. I don't even want to give you another clue, but if you really need more help, then go to the Wheat fields in Dawn.

".With no amount of love, Katherine, Queen of the GlimmerGrove

Lizzie finished the book, putting the quill in her bag and setting the book in the chest. It might have been a bit too much, but Lizzie had to make sure Shubble would get mad at this. Her secret depended on it. The frog croaked again, and Lizzie started to walk out of the Evermore with Tortoise.

It took forever to find her way out. If the Evermore was angry before, it was downright furious now. It didn't want to let her leave, but Lizzie was determined not to become a lost soul, so she eventually found her way out. Lizzie figured she should hide the frog first, then she should place the other books, so she started to walk to the GlimmerGrove, Katherine's kingdom. That would make Shubble angry. Someone who stole something from you, and then hid the thing in their kingdom would piss anyone off. 

As she arrived in GlimmerGrove, she chose a large tree in the outskirts, a place she was sure no one could see her. She opened up the tree, and set the frog inside, with another book she had penned. This one, Lizzie felt bad writing, she didn't even want to repeat what she had said. If the other books didn't do anything, the last book would definitely make Shubble mad. It would make her rethink her relationship with Katherine. It would make her think their friendship was a lie. After sealing the gap in the tree, Lizzie pulled out a pair of elytra and put them on her back. She grabbed out some rockets and dived off a cliff, the wings opening and launching her into the sky. The last place she had to go in this prank was Dawn, where the second clue would be.

A rocket exploded in the sky, propelling her forward. She would make good time, she had already lost at least two hours traveling to the Evermore and then to the GlimmerGrove, so the final stop would be quick. The view was amazing. The sun was setting, and Lizzie was reminded of truly how beautiful the land was. Fields of flowers and streams with fish, forests and kingdoms vast. It was all beautiful. Up ahead, Lizzie could see the vast farming fields of Dawn. Wheat and golden carrots were the main staple. She decided to land a bit aways from Dawn, so she could sneak into the fields without her knowing. She gently dove down into a small lake a bit aways from Dawn.

The water was cool, and it broke her fall. Lizzie got out quickly and shook off again, setting the fireworks in her bag. She kept the elytra on, since she would be flying back home anyway. She walked quietly towards Dawn, which she could see in the close distance. As long as she was quiet and stayed lower to the ground, she would be fine. She arrived in the town outskirts, and walked into the wheat field. The wheat was tall, and it swayed in the breeze gently. She straightened up, because the wheat was taller than she was, and it would hide the fact she was here. She walked quickly, her tail flicking behind her. She sat down, and got the book out. She uprooted one of the wheat plants and the dirt it was growing in, replacing that dirt with a chest. She got her book open and began to write.

"Wow, you found the next book, so you aren't a complete fool. Maybe you're just a fool when it comes to magic. I would hurry up, I'm not feeling patient today, and if you don't hurry, something might happen to your precious Tortoise. Your final hint: It's in a kingdom far better and much more pretty than yours. A kingdom that actually matters. And before you say: Isn't two clues too little? Be grateful I'm giving you any at all. I don't particularly feel like helping you at all, so be grateful. Time's ticking Shubble, so you should hurry.

".Signed by the ruler who's better than you at literally everything, Queen Katherine of the GlimmerGrove

That was the last book she had to write. Lizzie sat up, after setting the book in the chest. She hoped that this prank caused enough drama to keep Shubble busy. I mean, she could always set the Evermore on fire if this didn't work, but that just felt cruel. She stalked through the wheat, thinking about what she had done. She hoped it would work. She exited the wheat field, looking around for a cliff. She got out her fireworks and headed to a steep cliff. 

Usually, for most rulers, using elytra was nerve-wracking. You were going against your natural instinct and jumping off a cliff. Your body wasn't used to flight, so it always assumed it would plummet to the ground. Most rulers felt adrenaline whenever they were about to take off.

But Lizzie was a cat, and cats always landed on their feet. She technically couldn't survive that far of a fall, but mix the fact she had fallen time and time again from tall heights, and the fact if you landed in water your body would be fine, she wasn't nervous. She opened the wings of her elytra, before swan-diving off the cliff. 

rapidly, she plummeted to the ground, the open wings slowing her down a bit. She launched a firework, which shot her forward, and changed the direction she was soaring from down to up. She did a little twirl in the air, the elytras feathers fluffing up in the wind. She was home in 30 minutes, and she even got home before monsters began to spawn. When she landed on the ground at the outskirts of Critter City, the stars were out, but no mobs had spawned yet. The birch forest was dark, but Critter City was very well lit. Every home had at least a lantern, and the occasional torch stood on the fence or ground as well. She opened up the fence and closed it behind her, entering the city. The villagers were inside by now, sleeping or finishing up work. She walked into her house and upstairs, going into her room. She opened the door, and then closed and locked it behind her to double check. When she was certain it was locked, she took off her disguise and leapt into bed. After what she had done today, she was exhausted. She yawned and curled up in her bed. She hoped that in the morning, she could have a calm day as Shubble found her notes and began to hate Katherine. Her eyes closed, and she fell into a dreamless sleep.

Chapter Text

Shubble had had a very long day. Getting supplies and making friends with the rulers she wasn't as close to was exhausting. When she was finished, she grabbed her broom out of her back. She gazed at the sky, her eyes widening slightly when she saw how early it was.

She had left yesterday before sun-down. The yellow to blue ombre lighting up the sky told her it was now sunrise. She could have sworn she hadn't been out for long. She sat on her broom shakily, yawning. The broom steadily rose.

1 foot,

2 feet,

3 feet.

Higher until she was floating past the tallest trees.

6 feet,

7 feet,

8 feet.

A sudden stop, her broom stopping its rise. She swung her legs, which cut through the open air. Most rulers used elytra. Shubble was not most rulers. She was the resident witch of the Evermore! She was special. She blinked, fighting to keep her eyes open as her broom began to rush forward. It was slower than usual, as if it sensed her weariness and it felt tired, too. Flying slow might make the journey longer, but she loved the views from on her broom. The journey wasn't terrible, compared to other journeys she had to make. It was short in comparison to the journeys she made to visit Katherine, her best friend. 

Up ahead, she could start to see the mangrove trees. The Evermore was close. Home was close.

She landed on the outskirts, putting her broom back into her bag. She could take off from her broom in the Evermore, but since the Evermore was constantly shifting, landing could be quite dangerous. Even though the Evermore had grown to trust her, it could still be dangerous. When she stepped into the woods, she could immediately see her cabin.

That was odd. Sure the Evermore was constantly shifting, and sometimes it was farther or closer, but it was never on the outskirts. The Evermore didn't do things like this unless something was wrong.

A frog croaked, and fireflies zipped around with more intensity than normal. The usual woosh of wind was a howl. The trees- not their leaves, the actual trees- were shaking. Something was definitely wrong. She ran to her cabin quickly. Had a creeper blown up her house while she was gone? She checked for damages to the exterior, but there was nothing. No trees were damaged, either. 

No frog remains. No dead fish on her door. It almost seemed like nothing, like the Evermore was pranking her, but that was when she noticed it.

Tortoise was gone. His fencepost he was tied to was still there, the lead still wrapped around it, but her frog had vanished. In the spot where he tended to sit and croak irritably, was a chest. Had she done any magic, any spells that could have gone wrong? HAD SHE TURNED HER FROG INTO A CHEST??

She took a deep breath, walking towards the chest and opening it cautiously. If it was Tortoise it would have been full of frog guts, because he would still be alive, just as a chest. There weren't any guts.

In fact, there wasn't anything in the chest. Except for a small book at the bottom. She grabbed it gingerly, trying to not damage it, and closed the chest. "To Shubble" was scrawled on the front, and she opened it, beginning to read it.

...

She didn't know what she was expecting.

But it wasn't what she had just read. It was from Katherine, and it said that she hated Shubble. It said she had her Tortoise, and Tortoise was in danger. Katherine, even to people she didn't like didn't act like this. At least, Shubble didn't think she did. Her first clue said Tortoise would be in the middle of something she was surrounded with. Did Katherine mean trees? It was the only thing in the Evermore, besides frogs, water, and fireflies. She doubted it would be in any of those things, so she wrote in a scribbled book she kept:

"Clue one: Tree."

She closed the book, and set the one written by Katherine into her bag. Speaking of the Evermore, if it had been worried before, it was silent now. The wind, gone. The trees were still. The frogs, gone. Even the fireflies' quiet hum was gone. The Evermore felt... scared, remorseful even. If the Evermore was scared, what had happened while Katherine was in the Evermore? She paced in front of her house for a moment. The book said Dawn was where the next clue was. She grabbed her broom out, her hands shaking. No, her hands weren't shaking, her broom was. She mounted it quickly, all earlier sleepiness gone. Before she could ask the Evermore what had actually happened- she wasn't expecting an answer, but when dealing with magical places, it never hurt to ask- her broom had risen and sped off. It was going faster than Shubble had ever seen it fly before, the ground under her was a blur.

~~~ (Approximately 15 minutes later)

A journey to Dawn usually took 45 minutes- an hour if her broom was being feisty. This trip took 15 minutes. Shubble had been going so fast she had been scared. Her broom had suddenly stopped, causing Shubble to almost tip over, and gently descend to the ground. Her broom had stopped her near a little lake, on the outskirts of Dawn. Great. It didn't seem like it would go further, either.

Shubble would have to walk, then. She set her broom in her bag. She figured she should talk to Gem, so she didn't see her in her fields and assume she was stealing. She took a step forward, before frowning and looking down.

Large pawprints. Not footprints, pawprints. They were spaced out like footprints, but they were animal tracks. She was sure. Shubble knew Gem had a bear named Apollo, but she didn't think Apollo made these tracks. Apollo still walked on two legs. Besides, these were feline tracks. They lead into the fields. She shrugged. This was something she could investigate later. It was probably just some cat with 2 legs missing, anyway.

She started to walk up to the castle. Dawn was a beautiful village, and Gem's home was no exception. Shubble admired it for a moment, before knocking. 

She waited for a moment, before the door opened softly, and Gem appeared. Her eyes widened as she saw Shubble.

"Oh- Shubble!" she said, flustered, tucking her orange hair behind her ears, "What brings you to Dawn?" she finished, gazing at her. Shubble swallowed.

"This is uhh, very weird to say," she started, "But, can I look through your wheat fields?" She put a hand behind her head nervously, smiling. Gem's eyes narrowed, and her head tilted in confusion.

"What for?"

"I'm looking for Tortoise," Shubble said awkwardly again. Gem's eyebrows crinkled in even more confusion.

"Tortoise? Who's that?" She asked, skeptical. She didn't believe Shubble. She was nervous now. What if she said no? 

"Tortoise is my familiar, he's a frog," Shubble explained. Gem nodded.

"So you're looking for Tortoise the frog, and why would you think he's in my fields?" She asked again. Shubble hoped it was making more sense.

"Funny story, that's actually not funny at all- I think Katherine stole them? When I got back this morning from some errands, Tortoise was gone and there was a chest with a book from her," She finished, "She said the next clues here. She also said she would kill him if I didn't hurry," Shubble added. She had been acting very casually during this conversation, but her voice cracked as she explained. This was just reminding her that Katherine had said she hated her, and that she was threatening her familiar. Gem gasped, eyes widening in shock.

"That... isn't like Katherine at all! I wonder what happened. Of course you can check. I'm so sorry," she apologized, her eyes filled with sympathy, "What are you standing here for? Hurry! Go get Tortoise!" she added. Shubble smiled at Gem's understanding.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, turning away. Gem smiled and nodded, closing the door. Once the door was closed, Shubble began to book it to the wheat field.

~~~(30 minutes later)

Shubble admired the various fields in Dawn. They were beautiful and produced a lot of food. However, right now was not one of those moments. 

30 minutes of work, and still, nothing. She was giving up. What if Katherine had lied? What if Tortoise was dead by now? She walked forward, stopping for a moment as she looked around. Her foot tapped on the ground in nervousness.

Thunk,

thunk,

thunk.

Wait a minute. Dirt and wheat didn't sound like that. She crouched down onto the ground, stepping back. She had been standing on a well hidden chest. She opened it up, grabbing the book at the bottom. It looked the same as the other book from Katherine. She opened it up quickly, reading the clue. This note was even meaner. It called her a fool and a bad witch. She set the book back in the chest. She had kept the first one, but this note was horrible. She didn't want to hold or look at it for much longer.

She had told Katherine she was insecure about her magic because she trusted her, and Katherine was mocking her for it? The second clue wasn't even that helpful at first glance.

"It's in a kingdom far better and much more pretty than yours. A kingdom that actually matters." 

What was that meant to mean? She thought the Evermore was beautiful. The Evermore did matter. 

...

Did it though? Worry overwhelmed Shubble. Did the Evermore matter? What did Katherine consider pretty and important? 

Of course! 

Oh.

Of course.

Katherine probably hid it in GlimmerGrove. Most rulers believed their kingdoms were best anyway, so it wasn't a stretch. The distance from Dawn to GlimmerGrove was way shorter than the Evermore to Dawn, so she found herself talking gently to her broom to slow down as she pulled it out and mounted it. If it went the speed it was going before, She would arrive at GlimmerGrove in 2 minutes, tops. Before she told her broom to lift off, she quickly got out her diary and scribbled:

"Clue two: GlimmerGrove. Why would she do this? " 

She didn't even want to write it, but since she wasn't keeping the second book, having evidence of what the clue was would be helpful. She scribbled out the ending, feeling ashamed. This book was for important stuff, not things that didn't matter. She took a deep breath, putting the book and quill away as her broom began to rise and speed off.

Shubble was lucky, her broom wasn't going as fast as before. 

~~~ (approximately 5 minutes later)

She wasn't going as fast as before. She still almost ended up falling when her broom screeched to a stop. It, again, gently fell to the ground. In the far-off distance, Katherine's castle and the town was seen. Shubble thought it was beautiful.

Still, looking at GlimmerGrove gave her a sour taste in her mouth. She put her broom, once again, in her bag, sighing. The place she had landed technically counted as part of GlimmerGrove, but it was far from where the town truly began. She was standing beside a tall tree. GlimmerGrove might have been in a plain, but Katherine had planted a bunch of trees when she had arrived. She thought it would be easy to find Tortoise, but now that she saw the area she was in was basically a forest, she began to feel despair.

Tortoise was somewhere here. Scared, maybe suffocating. Maybe he was already dead. Shubble prided herself on the fact she rarely overthought, but she was definitely spiraling right now. She leaned on the tall tree, hyperventilating. Tortoise was her familiar, her first friend when she moved to the Evermore. 

Back then, the Evermore was hostile, even to her. Even she had almost gotten lost and had her soul claimed. It was humiliating. It made her want to give up. Then she found Tortoise. Companionship in the Evermore helped your chances of making it out, and it helped Shubble calm herself down and realize it would be ok.

And he was gone. Tortoise was gone. She sank to her knees. Losing Tortoise was devastating. Losing Tortoise from who she thought was her best friend, Katherine, was even worse. She buried her head in her hands, feeling warm tears stick to the palms of her hands. She was silent at first, but grew louder with every sobbing hic that made her whole body jolt. 

The noise started off quiet too. It seemed far-off. It was muffled. She didn't even notice it, through her sobs. Then it grew louder. 

Crooooooooaaaaaaakkkkkkkkk...

Was that... A frog croaking? It was loud enough that Shubble paused. She sniffed, wiping her eyes with her wrists. She stayed quiet, listening. It happened again. It was definitely a frog croaking. It happened again, and again. The 6th time it happened, she finally realized it was coming from inside the tree.

Of course! The first clue said it was in a tree. She stood up, whipping around to the tall tree. She grabbed out her axe and began to swing into the tree, opening a hole in the tree.

There he was. Tortoise. Croaking and tied to a fence. She walked into the tree, beginning to cry again. She untied him, and grabbed him in her arms.

"Tortoise! Oh I was so scared," She sobbed. Tortoise croaked, almost relievedly. She set him in her bag (She would lead him, but carrying him in her pack was easier if she traveled by broom) and noticed a third chest. She opened it, and ‘surprise’, there was a third book. She opened it up, already preparing herself.

"Wow, you actually found your stupid ugly toad? No matter, you're still a failure Shubble. Do you know what you are? Pathetic. I can't believe I was ever friends with you. Oh wait! I wasn't! I never liked you. You just kept pressing and asking for stuff. You're as annoying as you are useless. I cannot believe you thought we were friends. Sometimes, I wonder how you ended up becoming a witch. Then I laugh when I remember that even the witch school thinks you're terrible. Anyways, now that you have your stupid toad, I just wanted to tell you one thing. Let's cut ties. GlimmerGrove will always be better than your Pathetic swamp anyways. I'd even go to war with you! (Spoiler alert: You'll lose, because you and your empire are weak.) So with that said, I'm honestly a little upset. I was really looking forward to killing Tortoise. I hate you, Shubble.

".Signed, Queen Katherine of the GlimmerGrove

Shubble dropped the book in shock, her heart skipping a beat. Her hands trembled and she began to cry again. Katherine said she hated her. Katherine said they weren't ever friends. Was she annoying? 

Tortoise croaked in her bag comfortingly. She furrowed her eyebrows and picked the book up. She set it in her bag gently, trying not to disturb Tortoise. She wanted to rip the book apart, but she wanted even more to scream at Katherine and chuck them at her. She wanted to throw them at her just right so it would make her nose bleed. Besides, she knew not everyone thought she was annoying. Gem didn't, Tortoise didn't either. She wiped her tears again, a scowl growing on her face. She left the tree, not bothering to fix the tree, and started stomping towards Katherine's castle. Tortoise wasn't even a toad, he was a frog.

On the doorstep, she set her bag down beside her, grabbing Tortoise and tying a lead around him and tying the lead to her left hand. With her right hand, she grabbed the first and third book, and knocked on Katherine's door. A minute later, Katherine came out smiling.

"Shubble he-" she started, pausing when she saw Shubble's furious expression, "What's wrong?" Katherine's eyes filled with concern. What a joke. Shubble laughed bitterly, spitting at her and staining her dress, Katherine's eyes widened.

"Oh shut up and stop acting," Shubble hissed. "You want war, you absolute piece of crap? Well fine," she threw the 2 books at Katherines head. One hit her in the eye, the other hit her nose. Katherine flinched from the impact and lifted a hand to her nose. Her left eye was squinted, but her right eye widened in 'confusion' and fear as her hand came back covered in blood.

"w-" she started. Shubble shushed her loudly. 

"I'm done here. I can't talk to someone who faked being friends with someone they hated. Next time I see you, watch your goddamn back," she warned, untying the lead, grabbing her broom, and setting Tortoise back in her bag. She whipped around and walked away from Katherine's house. When she was far enough away, hidden in the middle of the town, she mounted her broom and soared into the air. The broom was its usual speed now, like it was calm after she had found Tortoise. She spent the flight staring at the sky and talking to her familiar (Don't judge her- Tortoise was a very smart frog.).

~~~

Shubble didn't even care how long the journey took. When she got home and off her broom, she grabbed Tortoise and took him inside. She no longer could trust him to be outside- there were too many things that could happen to him out there. She set him on her bed, building a quick little mossy corner for him. He croaked and jumped to the mossy spot. Shubble sighed and stretched out on her bed. She hadn't slept the night before, and she was exhausted. 

She didn't want to sleep. She didn't want to lose something again. She shook her head. She was being overly paranoid now. She set her bag beside her, on one of her chests. She didn't want to sleep, but not sleeping was stupid, so she got under her covers and closed her eyes. It would just be a quick nap anyway. She wouldn't sleep past noon. 

As she fell asleep, one thought swirled in her mind, again and again.

What a fool she was and is to think she could have trusted Katherine.

She yawned, feeling herself drift into sleep. What a fool she had been. 

Had.

She wouldn't make that mistake again.

Chapter Text

For a moment, Katherine was stunned. She didn't move or even really breathe, until she saw the silhouette of Shubble disappear into GlimmerGrove's town square.

What just happened?

Shubble had declared war, and she had chucked two heavy books at her head. Katherine's eye would definitely be bruised later, and her nose was probably broken (As evidenced by the blood gushing onto the dress she was wearing). She opened her squinted eye, wincing pain, but sighing in relief when she could still see. She searched in her bag and grabbed a loaf of bread, quickly eating a portion to stop the bleeding. She wasn't that injured- it would be healed soon enough- but her head was still spinning from what had just happened.

Why did Shubble declare war on her?

And why did she say the war was Katherine's idea?

Katherine would never want to go to war with her. She loved Shubble, Shubble was her best friend. She closed her door and grabbed the books off of the floor, walking to her couch and sitting down. Maybe, just maybe, these books had a clue or something?

Both book covers were lavender, the official colour of GlimmerGrove (along with dark purple) so she could see why it could be assumed she wrote them. She didn’t though, she hadn’t written anything like this since she was young. For official business she used scrolls and notes. She opened one of the books with a mix of curiosity and fear. What did this thing say?

~

Katherine was floored. She hadn’t written that note, (it was a book, but I mean, it was one page long, she thought). That note was horrid and degrading. It was signed under her name. It was calling her best friend horrible things, and making it seem like it came from her.

Whoever wrote the note tried very hard to copy her handwriting. It was almost a little too close. It had to have been convincing, since Shubble believed it. She grabbed the other book, desperate to read it to see what other lies were being said, when she noticed on the spine it said 3 in a fancy golden engraving. Had Shubble not thrown it at her, or just not kept it? If she didn’t keep it, what was said in it? Maybe she’d go check Dawn, where the first book said the next would be, just in case. She had to get this sorted out. She loved Shubble too much as a friend to have her hate Katherine. She shook her head to clear her mind as she opened up the book to read it.

~

As she finished the note, she realized she was shaking. Actually trembling in rage and confusion. If the first note was horrid, this one was evil. Disgusting and monstrous. She threw it to the ground in anger. These were not her thoughts. These were not her words. She quickly grabbed the book off of the ground, for evidence, and shoved it in her bag as she walked to her storage room. Once she was inside she grabbed a stack of fireworks and her elytra, fitting the custom made lavender wings onto her back.

She definitely had to find the second book, to see what it said, and it was most likely to be at Dawn. She had to know: who would try to drive her and Shubble apart, and why?As she walked to her front door and into the heart of GlimmerGrove, she checked her bag for food just in case she fell off the cliff by accident. 

Speaking of the cliff, she had finally reached the closest cliff. Her body prickled with anxiety and adrenaline as she stepped forward and grabbed her rockets. She hated flying, especially the take off portion of it. Her wings spread as she took a deep breath and dived off the cliff. She set off a firework, changing her downward path into upwards momentum. She sighed in relief as she continued to fly straight. The worst part was over now, and she’d be in Dawn soon. This whole situation would be taken care of soon enough.

~ (approx. 10 minutes later.)

She landed with a soft thud in front of Gem’s house. She could just go land by the fields and check right away, but it seemed impolite not to talk to Gem first. It would be bad if Gem thought she was stealing her crops, too. She walked up to the door and knocked. She waited a few seconds before Gem opened the door.

Katherine noticed her expression changed from one of curiosity to disgust. Weird.

”Hello Ge-“ Katherine started politely before she was slapped across the face. Katherine spar and sputtered, wincing after Gem hit her already bruising eye and broken nose.

”Ow- what was that for?” She choked back as she doubled over in pain. She coughed before slowly rising to start Gem in the eye. Gem simply flexed her hand while glaring at Katherine.

”Don’t play innocent, Katherine,” Gem hissed her name like it was an insult, venom dripping from her words, “I know all about what you did to Shubble. You are such a horrible person. Stealing a familiar, from your best friend? Really? Well, I guess she wasn’t your best friend, since you had the guts to do this.”

A… witches familiar. Katherine blinked slowly. She didn’t steal anything, let alone a familiar.

Did Gem mean Tortoise? Katherine wanted to doubt it, since she knew how special Tortoise was to Shubble. She loved Tortoise like he was her child (honestly fair enough, she loved her cats to death). Plus, Shubble literally had Tortoise in her bag when she saw her!

“I didn’t take Tortoise,” she said honestly, and her eyes widened for a moment as Gem began to laugh.

”Right, and I’m the ruler of the Evermore,” she said, mocking her, “In all seriousness, Frog-thief, I recommend you leave now. I tend not to resort to violence, but I also don’t like heartless twofaced people. Don’t come back to Dawn, or so help me,” she trailed off, glowering at Katherine like she was a trash heap. Message received. Gem slammed the door, and Katherine took a deep breath.

She was horrified. Gem thought she was a thief? And Shubble was mad at her because of those notes and because she thought she stole her frog? She tried not to cry because of how overwhelmed she was as she grabbed a piece of bread and began to eat it.

Well, now what?

Gem said to leave, and she didn’t want to be slapped again, so she began to walk into Dawn to get into the fields. It was when she was in the town square she began to notice.

Most citizens were staring at her in disgust. A mother covered her child’s eyes and walked in the other direction. She heard a few younger women jeering in anger. She truly was a criminal in everyone’s eyes. Shubble was the only person she cared about hating her, and she hated Katherine the most.

She walked quickly, trying to keep her head down. She hated being stared at. Finally, she reached a small little pond and the wheat field. By the pond in the thick mud were two different sets of track, one human, one… other thing. They lead to a path in the wheat that had definitely been walked in recently. She was about to reopen the path in the wheat to find the book, when she noticed truly how weird the other set of tracks was. Huge paw prints, the size of a lynx, maybe even a bit bigger, spaced apart like a human's. She shook her head, clearing her mind. Probably some weird cat was taught to do tricks like that.

She walked into the path, quickly finding a chest in the ground with some broken wheat laying beside it. She opened it and grabbed the book, which looked like it had been thrown. The back cover was bent and the pages were stained with.. tears? How bad was this note? She read it quickly, deciding that although the third one was worse, this one was still horrible. She had to go tell Shubble it was a mistake. She grabbed the book and put it in her bag with the others, grabbing fireworks out of her bag. There was a cliff right by the pond, so she ignored her shaking hands and jumped off. 

~ (Approx 45 minutes later.)

It was noon now, and the sun filled the sky like the yolk of an egg. She began to descend, seeing the mangroves of the Evermore in the distance. She landed just at the beginning, wincing a little as her legs hit the ground without anything to block the fall. The mangroves wooshed. Really weird. She walked inside, and immediately saw Shubbles cottage. That was the weirdest thing of all. The Evermore liked Katherine, sure, but she usually had to walk for a minute to reach Shubble's house. Fireflies flickered in a line, buzzing around her cottage.

Wait. Did the Evermore know she was innocent? And if it did, did it know who did this?

She grabbed the books out of her bag, knocking on the door. Through the stained glass on the door, she could barely see Tortoise on a lead. Why did she think she stole Tortoise? He was right there in her house. There was rustling inside, before Shubble opened the door. As Katherine looked closer, she noticed eyebags and... an axe. A large, diamond axe that glimmered. An enchanted axe. 

"Hello Shubble, I'm so sorry about what happened. I'm here to tell you-" She was cut off by the sharp sensation of said axe slashing her stomach. She immediately reeled over in pain, unable to think.

"What the hell are you doing here," Shubble said, devoid of emotion.

"I'm here to tell you I didn't steal Tortoise!" Katherine gasped, feeling sticky blood drip from the wound. Shubbles laughed.

"Bull crap. I'm too tired to deal with a manipulative jerk, and I told you to leave. You're just getting what you deserve," She hissed as Katherine fell to the ground, clutching her stomach. Her eyes widened for a moment as she felt her head sever from her body in one swift movement. Her consciousness was fading as she resurrected, but she was conscious just enough to notice Shubble tossing her body into the murky water.

...

She gasped as she woke up, back in her bed, and instinctively cradled her stomach and her neck. She was fine, she knew that, but she hadn't died due to non natural causes in a long time. It was painful, and now she had a thin scar line around her neck and her stomach. Great. She took a shaky breath, realizing  the books were gone. Now there was no proof that she was innocent. She put her head in her hands, trying to calm herself down.

After a while, she decided on what she would do. If Shubble wanted war, then who was Katherine to deny her? She didn't even want to see Shubbles face after just what happened, except maybe if it was begging for her life. She shook that thought out.  She didn't have to be evil, even if they thought she was. She sat in her bed, considering what she could do. 

After a bit, she grabbed a scroll and a quill, and began to write the official document of war on the Evermore. This could have been avoided, if Shubble had just listened, but it was too late now to go back.

Chapter Text

Lizzie picked out an outfit-not too formal, yet regal enough for a ruler- and grabbed her disguise. She had slept through most of the day she pranked Shubble, and had been very busy in Animalia the next. Today she would finally return to her disguise, since she had a meeting with Fwhip.

Nothing too weird, but since they were acquaintances and allies, they met up every week or so in one of their kingdoms to discuss business about the other kingdoms, trade, etc. These meetings honestly annoyed her, but it was good to catch up on stuff. Maybe she'd even learn what happened to Shubble and Katherine. She put on her disguise, flicking her tail once before leaving her room. 

She passed by the Critter Council on her way out, saying her hellos and informing them of the meeting (They all knew, but still) and closing the door gently behind her. It was early, only a few citizens were up. She waved as she saw Nesi go by, Nesi's ears perking up and tail swishing behind her as Lizzie passed. Shortly after, she passed by the butcher shop, where Stew was sharpening a butcher knife and fresh sheep meat hung inside. 

"What are you up to?" He blinked, setting down the knife. Lizzie's ear flicked.

"Morning Stew, nothing much. Just a meeting with Fwhip," She replied, shrugging. He nodded.

"Ah, noted. Lamb is on sale today," He added, pointing at the lamb chops inside.

"Thanks," Lizzie smiled, "I'll be back," she said as she turned away. She walked out of the town, towards the mines. Her amethyst cove twinkled faintly as she got closer. Finally, she was at Gobland. At the entrance to the cave stood Fwhip, smiling and in a suit.

"No need to be so formal," Lizzie smiled as she walked forward, "Hello Fwhip," Fwhip laughed.

"I'll be casual when you are," he turned to stare into his kingdom, "Shall we?" Lizzie blinked and stepped forward.

~

Lizzie sat at the bar stool of the empty Dripstone Tavern, tucking in her tail even more to make sure it wasn't noticeable, "Why is the tavern empty? The drinks here are amazing," She asked.

"Well, when I have an important meeting, the owners close it down, except for me and the other," Fwhip explained, shrugging, "Mighty kind folk they are. I wouldn't mind more company though,"

Lizzie nodded, "That makes sense."

Fwhip ordered a drink, while Lizzie ordered a water. As a cat, she didn't have a good tolerance to many things. She was still trying to make poison resistance potions to be able to eat chocolate.

"Well, let's get straight to business. What's your thoughts on the war?" Fwhip asked after paying for his drink. Lizzie tilted her head, confused.

"I'm sorry, war?" 

Fwhip look astounded, "You don't know? A huge war is breaking out. Pixl says it's already becoming a world war. I believe the guy, since he's like super smart," 

Lizzie felt her heart drop. She sheathed her claws, glad that Fwhip hadn't noticed them sneaking out, "Why is there a war? And who is it against?" She asked, already dreading the answer Fwhip would give.

"Oddly enough, Shubble and Katherine. Supposedly, Katherine was being a total jerk so Shubble killed her when Katherine came to apologize. Katherine says she didn't do it, but can no longer try to resolve it peacefully. We're just lucky Katherine hasn't appealed to remove Shubble as a leader," he paused, "Its a real shame, they were really close," 

Lizzie was trying hard to not shake. This-this isn't what she meant. She meant for Shubble to get a bit mad, not kill Katherine. She swallowed the lump forming in her stomach.

"That's horrible. What are your takes on it?" She asked, trying to redirect the conversation a little, so he wouldn't notice how truly nervous she was.

"I'm personally neutral, I'm friendly with both sides so I'll help 'em both out. Oli's in a similar position, but he's just staying out of it. Smart move, honestly. Pixl is also sort of in the neutral zone, at least he was when I talked to him about it last. He just wants to know all the information first, since both sides are giving different stories," 

"What about everybody else, what side are they on?" Lizzie breathed, becoming more and more anxious.

"Gem, Sausage, False, and Jimmy are with Shubble, and Joey, Scott, and Joel are with Katherine. With all that context said, what side are you on?" Fwhip stared at her, before laughing "I won't be mad at what you chose, I swear."

Lizzie blinked rapidly for a second, grounding herself, "With the peacefulness of Animalia, and the fact most of my citizens can't protect themselves as well as I can, I will remain neutral," technically, her citizens could fight tooth and claw, but she didn't want to take the risk. She didn't want to be found out. She didn't want to be caged. 

~(Approx. 6 hours later)

Lizzie and Fwhip discussed many more things, but she wasn't paying attention. After learning of the war-what she had caused-She couldn't focus. As soon as she got home, even though the sun was setting, she gathered all of Animalia.

"Citizens of Animalia. This is shocking news, but there is a war brewing. A bad one. Do not fear however, since Animalia will remain neutral," She began, and quickly after she paused, worried whispers spread through the crowd.

"That's all, and please do not worry. I swear I will do everything I can to make sure you are all safe." She finished, giving a reassuring smile. The citizens continued to murmur for a moment before returning to their homes. She turned around and into the community building, heading straight to her fortified room. She took off her clothes and her disguise, her tail flicking nervously. She jumped onto her bed, curling up. 

"This war will kill everyone I know. I don't want to be caged, but I don't want to be alone in grief, either," she whispered, just barely audible, before closing her eyes. It was only after an hour she could fall asleep, the fear gnawing at her stomach releasing its grip for just a moment so she could slip into comatose.