Duality

by kool kitty89

Of all the time he'd spent with Christy, through all her games and teasing, Alex had learned to know what it looked like, that pretense of the big scary predator she liked to play so often.

But there was one instance that he'd seen his calico friend in a different light.
He'd witnessed the act but once, but that was still one time too many:

It had been a couple years back, late in the summer that had followed high school graduation. They'd been friends, good friends even, for quite some time, and he'd been visiting her home when she'd told him she was going out for a little while, and for him to wait there. Out of sheer curiosity the little, eight and a half inch tall pika had followed her out to the open field at the base of the hills about a block away from the cat's house. He knew it wasn't safe for one such as himself to be out here alone and unprotected, but his inquisitive side got the better of him. Besides, logic dictated that he could still call for Christy's assistance, at least so long as he remained within earshot.

Alex's eyes tracked Christy as he quietly tailed behind the five-foot-eight feline, making his way between the tall, golden stalks of grass in the field. At first, it appeared she'd simply decided to take a walk, or perhaps a short hike . . . but then why wouldn't she take him with her? Sure, there were some dangers around for a creature his size, but they'd that never let that stop them before.

Alex cocked his head as he watched the cat, rather perplexed by her movement. She'd stopped in a dense patch of tall, golden grass, crouching, silent and still. Cogs turned in the mouse-like lagomorph's brain as the logical realization struck him . . . but no, she couldn't be--

His thought was halted as a faint rustling reach the rock rabbit's little round ears, and given the twitching of those big tufted triangles, the calico had heard it too. Alex watched intently as he saw the slits in the feline's feral, emerald eyes dilate momentarily as her lips twitched into a predatory grin. He could hear the blood rushing in his ears as he watched the towering predator crouch low, ears folded, as she prepared to--

-Woosh-

Alex's eyes went wide in awe as the mighty huntress lunged forth from her cover of dry grass, graceful feline form sailing through the air for an instant before landing hard on the grass and earth below.

-Crash-

A moment later, a brown blur was seen frantically scurrying away from where the cat had just landed . . . and headed straight towards Alex.

Thinking quickly, the little pika jerked backwards, burying himself deeper in the grass around him just in time to see that brown flurry of motion, a vole, he now realized, shoot past his hiding spot. Before the little creature could make it any further, a rushing sound followed by another crash marked the massive feline's pursuit as an enormous white paw was thrust forward, mere inches beyond where Alex lay hidden.

The sharp-clawed appendage struck the little rodent with enough force to send it flying a a couple feet to the side, the brown mass of fur sprawling as it impacted hard with a patch of parched soil. The great feline wasn't done yet though, and Alex craned his head up to see her quickly leap to the other side of the little vole, orange and brown muzzle now facing back towards the mouse-hare's hiding spot. That face, the face of his friend turned sleek, deadly predator, became one of the most terrifying sights the little lagomorph had ever seen. The calico's cute visage had twisted into a feral, snarling, and decidedly hungry sneer. Wild green eyes locked on her prey as her maw parted slightly, allowing her tongue to briefly flick across the feline's muzzle.

As the struggling little creature attempted to flee once again, another massive paw struck the vole, this time flinging it straight into the the black-padded surface of her other paw. Hook-like claws extended on white-gloved fingers cupped like a cage to receive the diminutive rodent.

Alex winced at the pitiful squeaks escaping the rodent's mouth as those clawed digits wrapped around its tiny form, razor sharp tips digging into the tender flesh of the little creature turning the squeaks into frantic squeals.

The logical part of the pika's brain knew that vole wasn't a sentient, intelligent creature like himself, and that his friend wasn't doing this to another person, but still, another part of him couldn't help sympathize with the pitiful creature . . . and he shuddered as he couldn't help imagining himself in the vole's place.

At least . . . at least she isn't talking to it.

Alex immediately regretted that thought as the cats jaws parted.
"Mmmm . . . so here we are my little treat" Christy's voice was a low, sultry growl, distinct from any Alex had heard before. "I've gotta say, that was fun, but all good things come to an end, you know . . . and [u]I'm hungry[/u]."

Alex wished he could tear himself away from what came next, but between being frozen in abject terror and more than a little morbid fascination, the pika's wide brown eyes remained locked on the towering predator and her prey.

The cat's jaws opened wide. Glistening fangs, easily long enough to pass straight through the little vole's body, stood at the entrance to that jagged-tooth-lined cavern. Tongue extending below the mottled black and red palette, the feline's head tilted back slightly as her paw raised the little rodent above and released the squirming creature.

The split second of free-fall ended with a wet -plop- as the frantically squeaking vole made contact with the spiny surface of the feline's tongue. The pink organ retracted as the jaws clamped shut around the tiny creature with a sickening squelch.

 -Crunch-

Alex still couldn't look away as a trickle of blood escaped the corners of the predator's maw as those jaws worked the remains of the creature into position again . . .

 -Crunch-

 -Pop-

 -Gluck-

The pika stared in fascination and horror as a bulge briefly formed on the mighty predator's neck, and just like that, the vole was gone.

As the big cat lick the traces of blood from her muzzle, a burning sensation in Alex's chest reminded the little pika that he'd been holding his breath since that first pounce.

As he desperately gasped for air, the diminutive lagomorph lost his footing and tumbled into the surrounding grass.
A moment later, he'd righted himself, but as he looked up, what he saw made the pika's heart nearly leap out of his little chest.

There before him, just beyond the thicket of dry grass, the calico's tabby-striped muzzle loomed. But it was not the face of his friend, rather, it was the wild-eyed predatory monster he had just seen consume a creature not all that much smaller than himself.

Frozen in fear, Alex could do nothing as the terrifying feline visage shot forward, jaws parting ready to snap around his little form. At that moment, the pika shut his eyes tight, tears welling up as he anticipated what what would come next.

And then . . . nothing.

The little lagomorph's eyes slowly opened to meet a pair of great green pools staring back.

"Alex?" Christy's voice, the sweet, caring voice of his friend, whispered softly as puffs of the feline's breath ruffled the pika's soft fur. "Alex, what are you doing out here?" Deep concern shown in her voice as she peered down at the little pika, just inches below the calico's maw.

"I-I . . . " Alex started, voice shaking as tears soaked into his furry cheeks. "I was curious . . . I-I wanted to know what you were doing . . .  so I f-followed you . . . out here . . . a-and then . . . then . . . y-you . . . a-and that vole . . . " He managed, voice shaking just as terribly as the rest of him.

"Oh my god!" The cat gasped, prompting the little pika's ears to fold back. "Alex, do you have any idea how dangerous that was . . . I could have . . . I-I almost-" Christy's voice began to crack as well, tears welling up around her brilliant green feline eyes.

"Alex, I could have killed you . . . " It came out in a pitiful moan as the full realization hit the patchy feline.

"I-I know . . . I'm sorry . . . i-it's my fault." Alex managed, trying his best to recover from his adrenaline-riddled state of shock.

"No!" Christy gasped between sobs. "No, it's my fault, I should have trusted you . . . told you the truth."

"Oh, Alex, I don't know what I'd do if I . . . if I'd hurt you . . . or . . . or . . . " she let out another sob. "if I'd k-killed you."

Dispose of the evidence? A grisly scene briefly flooded the pika's mind, but, just as quickly, he shook that morbid thought.

For once, it was Alex's turn to take charge. The little pika stood up straight, shaking the lingering terror as best he could, and steadied his quaking voice.

"Stop it Christy!" He shot back, starting straight into the cat's sodden eyes. "But, you didn't hurt me, right, you stopped yourself before . . . before anything could happen: Look." He turned around in front of his calico friend's eyes. "See, not a scratch on me, I'm fine."

"But I could have-" Christy began, still choked up, but not quite sobbing anymore.

"But you didn't!" The pika shot back before she could finish. "Look, you're still you, I'm still me, OK, the same two friends who were binge-watching random web videos less than an hour ago, right?"

"Well . . . yes, but after what you just saw-" The cat started.

"Christy, just stop it . . . I know you, and I know you well enough to know that you'd never want to hurt me . . . and . . ." The pika paused, taking on a slightly more releaxed, if exasperated tone. "Www hell, Christy, you can make a pretty damn convincing game of things, but you always know where to stop, you-"

"But that's different . . . that's all pretend, and-"

"Christy, how does that change the fact that you've chased me, dozens of times even, caught me mid-dash in your claws, and never left a mark . . . I've seen the level of restraint you've got . . . that control . . . I wouldn't do the things we do if I didn't know that . . . if you didn't know that."

Before the calico could voice another protest, Alex stepped forward, closing the gap to the massive feline's muzzle . . . resisting a shudder from the fresh memory of what had just taken place in those jaws . . . and the lingering scent of blood.
The little pika stretched out his tawny-furred paws as he hugged the big kitty's muzzle, pressing his fluffy cheek against her nose. A moment later, a gentle pressure was felt on the lagomorph's back as pair of great, white-furred paws cupped around the pika's soft back, returning the embrace as the enormous feline form rose to a sitting position.

"Christy . . . " Alex whispered, snuggled against the cat's nose. "Hey, everything's going to be fine, OK?"

At this, the great feline's jaws parted slightly, and a warm, wet slab of flesh flicked out, lapping over the little pika's chest and face. The big cat was careful to only make contact with the soft tip, avoiding the rough, spiny surface that might scrape the pika's tender muzzle.

For a fraction of a second, Alex was tempted to struggle, lingering smell of the fresh kill bringing that terrifying scene back to the forefront of the pika's mind. But he quickly caught himself, forcing those dark thoughts aside, embracing the feline's tender affection as he had so many times before.