cringed. Hugged Chu-Chu.
Ao Rue had come around the Mount of God and was plunging down upon the canyon. His silver body blew a valley in the peak's snow; white waves leapt away in great sheets from the stone as he roared down. Silver sparks trailed the edges of his wings. His speed burned and cut the air. He threw his anger before him. Ao Rue flew through his own fire. Again and again, he burst anew out of flame. He was the purity and might of lightning without storm, thunder without noise. His eyes blazed in great whirlpools of blue. Billows of energy streamed from his scales. Great swells of broken air cracked in his wake. He rode all his power to Mei-chou's call! His talons reached out for Han Chung-li.
'Now, the fear is yours, little general.' Mei-chou's fear had turned to anger; she rose to stand astride Chu-Chu. 'He is your death. The perfection of fur and fire. The last of the great sorcerers. He has stilled your hot breath. He has taken your fire. Now, for Lord Chu, he will take your life!' Han Chung-li, half-blind, turned in panic. He scrambled down the mountain. Too witless to fly, he banged against the stone. Ao Rue was almost upon him.
Mei-chou's rage suddenly vanished as she felt a faint stirring of Chu 's body. 'No, No, Ao Rue, here. Here, to me, to me!' Her cry stopped Ao Rue so quickly that he had to sink his talons into the granite to keep from flying by. As he cracked out of the stone and moved to her, concern marked every step. He offhandedly threw a blue orb in the direction of the fleeing Azghun Demon; it popped out of existence.
'What is it, Mei-chou; I came as fast as I… Oh, no!' He had seen the black body. 'Who is this?' His voice dropped to a whisper.
'This is Lord Chu, the real First of the First. My teacher. I should not mourn; I should not. He wouldn't like it. This is as it should be. He has had a full life. He saved me. It was important to him. Important that he die for his student. Important he die this way.' It was all Mei-chou could do to talk. 'He dies a hero. Now, at least, I know. I never believed his stories. He was the dragon slayer. He was the legendary torn! Our greatest hero. Legend incarnate. To think I never knew. So much wisdom and courage in one body. Can anyone be this much again? Chu- Chu, my Chu-Chu, Chu-Chu!' She had begun to shake.
'Easy, my little friend.' She was almost hysterical. Ao Rue found himself wishing he could hold her. 'There's still some life. I think I can save him, heal him.' The swirling blue magic rose in his eyes. 'Yes, a small spark. Nothing's broken inside. The fur and flesh will come back. Climb up on my claw while I hold him, Mei-chou; I need to feel you with me.'
Ao Rue carefully slid one claw under Chu-Chu's brittle body. Covered him in a light clasp with the other. Mei- chou climbed up on top. Blue light began to pulse within his folded claws as he concentrated. She could feel the magics that moved from him to Chu-Chu. They were summer breezes, budding flowers, small things stirring in warmth, awakenings, the warm loam, tender shoots. Despite the moment, she felt good, healthy. Ao Rue lifted his head. He let out his breath in relief. Mei-chou jumped down. Ao Rue opened his claws to let her look within. Chu- Chu was curled up, happily sleeping. His new, pink skin was already covered with a light fuzz, a promise of wonderful fur.
Just as Mei-chou was able to speak again and as Lord Chu began to stir, Pita arrived. She was teaming, sliding, skittering through the rocks and sand. One shoulder was marked with blood where she'd scraped a boulder. For once, a cat didn't seem to care about being awkward or dirty.
'Pita, you're a mess. You're not even smart enough to groom!' Lord Chu had climbed down out of Au Rue's claw and was standing. He was shaky but working to recover his dignity.
'You old fool, what's the matter with you. I go out for one second, for one jerboa for myself, so as not to touch your precious larder. And what do you do. You wander off. Get lost. I've been all over this mountain looking for you.'
'Watch your tone, silly kitten. How could I get lost? Why I knew every crack of this mountain before you were born. I have been protecting Mei-chou.'
'You're too old even to protect yourself. Get back to the cave where I can take care of you. Leave this First of the First stuff to Mei-chou; you're too old.'
'I hardly need your protection, madam.' Nonetheless, he began to move. 'I'm not that old. I've been doing some dragon slaying.'
'Those stupid, old stories again. You've started to believe them yourself.' She walked at his flank, herding him in the right direction. 'Don't give me any of that nonsense. You get your tail to bed. You look terrible. What did you do to your fur? I can't trust you for a minute. You'll be the death of me.'
'Just who do you think you're talking to, pink-nosed Pita! Why I remember when the best you could do was get a teat in your mouth. Don't use that tone on me, little Pita. It wasn't so long ago that your eyes weren't open. Funny thing, you were, stumbling into everything.'
'How dare you, you senile lout.'
As their yelling faded into the distance, Mei-chou smiled. Ao Rue was nonplussed: 'Why is she so furious with him? Doesn't she think he did the right thing, was noble?'
'Ao Rue, how can you be so powerful yet so naive. She's not angry, just relieved. She loves him.'
'He's twice her age.'
'Age isn't the factor. Genuine affection is; loyalty is. Rare commodities in this age or any other for that matter. There are some that say that the young, like Pita, are to be avoided. Too mercuric, too fickle. I don't know. There are few rules in such things. Look at us. Interspecies friends. Good love? Luck, maybe? More likely the wisdom to pick well. Who knows?'
'Yes, you're right.' Ao Rue was recovering his poise. 'I'm so pleased I found my love, my Nii-kua, now when I'm smart enough to know what she is. She is so special.
She makes me more than I ever thought I could be. It's good to find the right one.' Ao Rue was obviously proud that he could interpret the moment in his own terms. 'Well, try not to be too quick. It's early yet.'
'Mei-chou, you're being cynical again. Isn't Nii-kua at least the equal of Pita? After all, Pita's only a cat.'
'Only a cat?' Mei-chou quickly stifled her anger. 'You might also entertain the idea that fidelity isn't species- specific.'
'Enough. It's not up to you to question Nii-kua; she is mine. Anyway, Lord Chu can now rest without being disturbed again.'
'I wouldn't be too sure. Chaos is loose in the world. We all may yet play roles none of us expected. But that's something no one can predict. For now, I must thank you. Bless all that's holy that you were nearby. If you hadn't seen us.' Mei-chou let her voice trail off into a future she didn't want even to think about.
'I didn't. I was off listening to the whales sing. You called me!'
'I did?'
'Well, I heard you. Now that I think of it, how can that be? I know dragons and cats are bound, but telepathic contact?'
'Maybe great moments do summon great powers. We'll probably never know. Now I must go fix something. I never believed he was a hero. It just seemed he was born old, a creature of mind, not courage. I need to tell him he is a hero and, more importantly, that I know.'
'I have to go, too. As much as I'd relish going after Han Chung-li, I have an important kaochang; I hate meetings. Do you think Lord Chu will listen to you?'
'Chu-Chu? He'll make fun of me, but it's something I have to say. And he'll listen. He'll pretend not to, but he'll listen.'
Critical Cats by Susan Shwartz
So much they know, those two-legs. So many words they have for what they think they know. Like the way they take away our names, replacing them with noises of their own. They make a lot of noises.
I have learned to turn my head away when the two-legs push through the door here. The bells above the door
