"Katherine was really shaken by what she saw," Marie spoke in a weak voice, "probably as part of the sort of crisis that many people who were forced to wear masks end up asking. Much of her attempts to be friends with everyone as merely what was expected of her because of her fur color, and the practically scarred fighter was a result of Armando's training."
"It had to have left her with a serious identity crisis," Lawrence commented.
He then whimpered when he noticed his Aunt's glare at him. Marie largely ignored it. It wasn't her place to enter into a discussion on Lawrence's "maleness".
"It did," Marie sighed, "and it was one of the things she would have to sort out? Was she to be happy go lucky with not a care in the world? Or a cold and practically uncaring warrior? It was something she would have sort out these problems before her scheduled sparring match..."
++++++++
"Is this really me?" Katherine asked as she moved toward her bed looking into a small hand mirror.
She was bruised just about everywhere, and one of her fangs was missing entirely. All signs of the training she had gone through with Armando. All reminders of what Lupman and Leoman commonly lived with every day... not in the sense of war but in hunting. Leoman and Lupman were big game hunters. She didn't know what those outside of Europe hunted, but in her time training with the Roman Pack, she got a good idea of what European Lupman and likely European Leoman hunted.
Some European Lupmans hunted European Bison, some hunted Ibex, those in Norway hunted Musk Oxen, some hunted Mouflon, some hunted Chamois, some hunted Moose, some hunted Roe Deer, some hunted Red Deer, some hunted Fallow Deer, and some hunted Wild Boars. All are large and powerful animals in their own right and some were potentially dangerous. Lupmen and likely Leomen needed to be tough just to survive hunting these animals. Their young chased rabbits and smaller animals were eaten... but it was clear that their preferred prey were animals that took a great deal of strength to bring down.
Felmens weren't that way. They rarely if ever hunted, and when they did, it was more of a service to human society to rid their granaries and places of mice and rats. Some fished, but usually for small fish... and of course those that were really deviant chased song birds, which most Felmen turned away from because humans seemed to like the creatures.
So Katherine's appearance really challenged what one expected from a Felman female...
"But then, that is who I was," Katherine thought to herself, "everyone expected... expects me to be happy and go lucky. Marie even pushed me away because she thought it was genetic... whatever that means... but is it wrong to be happy?"
These thoughts plagued Katherine as she went to sleep...
++++++++
"Wake up lazy cat-monkey," a voice growled at Katherine, "I can't wait all day."
"Don't be mean to her!" another voice cut off the first before Katherine could respond.
She slowly shook herself awake to see two versions of herself. One looking very much like she did when she first met Marie Cruz, the other looking more like what had been beat into her by Armando.
"What is this place?" Katherine asked, too curious to avoid the question.
"Your dreamworld, silly," said one Katherine with a bright smile.
Katherine moved away slightly, as the "act" seemed to actually be a turn off to her.
"Who are you?" Katherine asked.
"We are you, or at least the visions you have of yourself," the scared Katherine answered.
"I don't know who I am anymore," Katherine said weakly.
"You're a friend, a companion," the happy Katherine said and sat beside Katherine, purring as she did so.
"But that was only an act," Katherine told her, "I only behaved that way because everyone expected me to."
"But you liked being friends with Marie," Happy Katherine purred, "she's our true friend."
"She pushed you away," the Scarred Katherine said gruffly, "Marie herself is a warrior... and oddity among her race as human women do not fight. She didn't like that attitude."
"She did become our friend when she realized it wasn't an genetic for us... do you know what genetic is?"
"No."
"Me neither."
"I do know that Marie faces danger and we must be strong to face it," the Scarred Katherine spoke, "and I will do whatever is necessary to insure that Marie is successful."
"But I'm no warrior," the Happy Katherine protested, "I'm there to tell people what the unevolved cats tell me, give hugs, and purr to everyone's heart's content. Marie doesn't want a warrior. She doesn't want to see Katherine hurt."
"So Katherine should let Marie go into danger alone?" the Scarred Katherine responded, "Marie could die and leave her best friend alone. None of the other girls treated you well. Marie was the only one who did..."
"After I broke through her exterior," the Happy Katherine shot back.
"After I prove that I am just as good as her, that I can help her," the Scarred Katherine argued.
"Marie doesn't want another soldier, she wants a friend," the Happy Katherine spoke, "Her heart longs for it."
"Are not comrades in arms friends as well?" the Scarred Marie asked back, "joined by a common cause?"
"Friends are always together," Katherine spoke ignoring the argument.
"What?!" both Katherines responded.
"True friends are always there for each other," Katherine spoke, remembering some of the things she had used to try and get Marie to accept her friendship, "for the good and the bad. No matter what. And the one thing the two of you agree on is friendship with Marie."
Both Katherines looked at her.
"And it's helped me realize who I am," Katherine spoke, "In a way, I am both of you. I am a friend to all, but determined to protect those friendships. Marie is in for facing something very dark. Something that could very well break her spirit if she simply goes with someone who is a warrior who doesn't care... but something that could kill someone who cares but can not protect those they care for."
She paused for a moment.
"I spent so long pretending to be "happy go lucky" that it annoyed many," Katherine continued, "but Marie was always there, and treated me better then most, and became my first real friend outside of my sisters, who I barely remember. Then when I learned of her supposed fight with these witches, I went to Armando and the Roman Lupmen to prove I could be fierce enough to stand by Marie's side... but that isn't me, I'm not ferocious."
She looked at both Katherines.
"I'm a friend, and one who cares," Katherine spoke, "I AM doing this so that Marie has a friend with her. One who will stand beside her and support her, even when all seems dark and hopeless for her. Someone who she can draw strength from. Someone to be her anchor who can keep her from passing on or giving up... a TRUE friend."
+++++++
"She was both?" Cassandra asked.
"In a way," Marie answered, "she realized that Marie was more important to her perceptions about being tough or happy. She tried being happy with everyone... but was largely rejected by everyone with Marie being the only one who was remotely kind to her. Going through Armando's training was to prove that she was more then just a happy face..."
"And now she realized she was more then that all along," Betty commented, "unlike others..."
Lawrence only whimpered.
"She realized that Marie was more important," Marie sighed, "being "happy go lucky" didn't do her any good as it only made her one friend... Marie. But she wasn't like she was really the warrior that Armando had trained. That was only a creation of the training, but created because Katherine knew who Marie was and wouldn't let Marie go alone."
"But Marie wasn't alone," Lilly spoke, "Vatican and Draco were going, and Draco knew her before."
"He knew the "mask" that Marie wore while Gabriel had her pretend to be male," Marie spoke, "Marie wasn't sure yet on whether or not to actually confess that to him, and Katherine didn't know about Vatican, and even if she did, she would likely argue that while Vatican was a friendly acquaintance, his size and duties made it impossible for him to be a true friend to her. Katherine was the only one of the European "hunters" that could do that. Just as Alice and Abbey's love was able to save Samantha from Kurse, it was Katherine's friendship that would be a force that the witches and all their magic could NEVER overcome..."
++++++++
Marie and Katherine slowly made their way along the path to the area outside Rome's walls, which still stood to protect the city, just as they had the ancient Romans, and in fact, most of the walls dated back to 312 AD... the Aurelian Walls. Looking back to them, Marie did feel confident that Rome wouldn't be in serious danger without her there.
As they approached the area where the sparring match was to take place, they found that the ENTIRE pack was there. Apparently they all wanted to see who would win.
"Seems like we're pretty popular," Katherine joked.
"It's the fight they're here to see, they don't care about us," Marie answered, "Lupman for the most part only care for their Packs... it's partially what's got them in trouble with humans. Before you knew me, I had a young Lupman friend who lost his Pack to a war with Spain over hunting grounds and was taken in by the Church as spoils of war."
Katherine didn't immediately answer.
"Welcome, young ward of the Pack and female Inquisitor!" Alberto spoke fairly politely, "welcome to main event!"
He then gestured to a relatively flat area that had been set up as a combat ring for the sparring match to take place in.
"I will now turn things over to the trainer, Armando, who will explain the rules of the match," Alberto stepped aside and let Armando come forward.
The Golden Brown male then stepped forward and looked to Katherine with what looked like he was proud.
"The rules are simple," Armando spoke as he ushered Marie and Katherine into the prepared ring, "the fight is non-mortal, no lethal blows are to be delivered, which means no blows to the head. The match is over once one has been disarmed or an unblocked blow to the chest or abdomen is delivered."
A pair of lower ranking wolves then came forward with a pair of wooden swords and offered them to Katherine and Marie. The two then moved to two different corners of the area. Armando stood between them.
"Begin!"
The two began to circle waiting for the other to move.
"Please don't do this, Katherine," Marie spoke down, "back down. I don't want to hurt you."
"I don't want to hurt you either," Katherine answered.
"Then back down," Marie urged.
"I can't," Katherine told her.
Marie sighed and moved forward with an overhand strike, bringing her "sword" down for a strike toward Katherine's shoulder. Katherine blocked it with her own sword, and pushed it against Marie's... though Marie began to slowly push Katherine toward the edge of the battling area.
"Why are you doing this, Katherine?" Marie asked, "You know you can't beat me. I've been training for this sort of thing for far longer and I've faced against those who truly wanted to kill me."
"Because we're friends, Marie," Katherine said, her eyes beginning, "you said you're facing a threat that could kill you or enslave you or transform you without thinking... you need someone who truly cares for you by your side, someone to support you in brightest day and darkest night. Someone who truly cares for you. Someone you can draw strength from..."
That actually surprised Marie, and allowed Katherine to step to aside, sending Marie tumbling face first into the ground. She rolled over to see that Katherine hadn't made any move to strike her.
"If you go, I go," Katherine spoke, "not to be a warrior, but because I'm your friend. THAT is who I am. Not the image my kind expects me to be and not the warrior Armando has trained. I am your friend... and as your friend I is my honor to support you as you would support me."
Marie slowly got up, her eyes misting as well, "but I don't want you to get hurt. It would kill me on the inside... I've lost my Godfather... the Witches have proved to be dangerous and not interested in true friendship... It would kill me to lose you."
"And how do you think I feel whenever the Inquisition sends you on missions? Against the undead? Against heretics? Against those that bend the rules of both magic and science? A part of me would die if I lost you, Marie," Katherine spoke, "I have sisters. I was part of a litter of Felmen kittens... but I haven't seen them since... forever. I barely remember them. If they were to die, I can not honestly say I would heavily mourn, because I do not know them. But I know you. You are my family now. As your friend and as "family" I must stand by your side. And may this fight with witches be the final battle. And we can live in peace for the rest our days."
The scene was beginning to startle the lupmen and Armando specifically. They had expected a fight, and so far there was more talking.
"You consider me family?" Marie gasped, dropping her sword.
"As close to it as two non-related people can be," Katherine answered, "please, Marie. Let me help you. Let me support you. Let me be with you. Together we can show these witches what TRUE friendship is. They may kill me, they may kill you, but that is the risk we'll have to take, but if we're together, we stand a better chance as we know each other best. We can look out for each other."
Marie didn't know how to respond. How could she fight someone who was doing everything she could to prove that she was a true friend and would always be there for her. Marie didn't think Draco would do that, as he only just just met "Marie" and she didn't know if he would forgive her for lying to him, Gillian, and Lobo in the past. She was certain that Vatican would defend her, but part of that came from the fact that he was a gargoyle, they lived to protect, and he had sworn a personal oath to protect Marie, but that wasn't really the same as friendship.
It was then when she noticed the disappointed and almost angry looks on the Lupmen.
"You have to finish it, Katherine," Marie sighed weakly and prepared for a good hard "thunk".
Instead, Marie felt Katherine's wooden sword just barely touch her shoulder, as if Katherine was knighting Marie. She then felt Katherine move forward and hug her firmly. Katherine then quickly purred to show her support for Marie.
"I can't believe this!" Armando roared, "I trained you for three years for this?! For the two of you to hug?"
"You trained me to help my friend save the world from a very grave threat, and for that, you my thanks," Katherine spoke clutching Marie to her in a protective hug, "but friends do not fight each other. Would you fight your Pack mates for no reason?"
Armando didn't have an answer for that. Outside of challenging for the rank of Alpha, he would never fight another member of his pack. He only backed away grumbling.
"You are to stay close to me," Marie spoke, "I'm sure the Lupmen did a good job, but still I don't want to be in a position where I can't watch your back."
"I wouldn't be anywhere where I couldn't watch your back," Katherine answered, "because that's where best friends belong. Side by side. Together..."
Marie nodded.
++++++++
"That seems rather anti-climactic," Lawrence commented.
"You didn't honestly think that Marie would go all out against the one person she had as real friend?" Marie asked, "Marie never wanted to fight Katherine."
"But for her to just surrender and for Katherine not to really try all that hard?" Lawrence protested.
"Katherine didn't want to fight Marie either," Marie explained, "and for the most part while they had seen themselves as friends, Marie didn't think that Katherine cared about Marie that much."
"She didn't..." Betty gasped in shock.
"Probably some heavy pessimism on Marie's part," Marie sighed, "The only one that she knew that loved her before was Father Gabriel, but he had died by that point and the Council did it's best to pretend that Marie didn't exist. And for the most part, Marie didn't see Katherine as much as she truly wanted to as part of her missions... so while they had made friends, Marie didn't fully know that as far as Katherine was concerned, Marie was family... and that struck a nerve that no blade could have ever touched. And at that point, Marie didn't... couldn't refuse Katherine's desire to protect her friend anymore."