Advent Of A Gunslinger

“So as I said, when I finally arrived in Tabbytown, things didn’t get any better. In fact, they got worse…”

Tabbytown was a small rural town that was already part of Abyssinia. Located on the opposite end of the region, away from Siam and Catskills, it was a very peaceful place. However, when news of the war broke out, that peace didn’t last for very long.

It’s as they say: History is written by the victors. That statement rang true as soon as King Devon and Queen Persia mounted their attacks on Siam and Catskills. When the news finally reached back to Abyssinia’s major cities and towns (including its capital, Panthera as well as Litterbox Ridge, Tabbytown, and Klugetown), the citizens were enraged. Why?

They were all led to believe that Siam and Catskills were the evil ones who stole Abyssinia’s resources and killed their people in the process. The situation had been warped to fit the narrative that the king and queen wanted to convey to the masses. Both regions were deemed as plagues that had to be cleansed by the army of Abyssinia.

Because of this, not only were both regions subdued, but anyone from those regions could never be looked at the same way again. From that day forth, Siamese and Skillcats were all seen as traitors to the entire Abyssinian race.

Which in turn, affected Mio greatly. By the time he reached Tabbytown, the news had already spread. Realizing this, he avoided speaking or showing his face to anyone due to the fact that his accent and facial features could easily give away where he was from. So he hid himself within a hood made out of a set of old wool he stole from a clothing store.

That’s when he had an idea.

From then on, he resorted to being a cat burglar and a pickpocket. Swiping and stealing whatever he could find in order to stay alive. Things went just fine for a few months. However, his luck would eventually run out.

A blind tabby man would find him sneaking through his trash one day, and offered the young Mio a stay inside his home. There, the man somehow managed to prepare him a proper meal consisting of braised pieces of squab and hen despite his blindness. Afterwards they both enjoyed a round of cards using braille dimples on the corner of each one.

...And Mio lost almost every match. But that’s when he discovered his love of not only cards, but what they represented. The captivating colors of the suits, the unpredictable Joker, the Ace being the most powerful, and so on.

“...It sounds like this man took good care of you,” said Nurse Leona, “What was his name again?”

“Mr. Birman,” Mio replied, “That’s a name I will never forget.”

“Understood. So what happened next?” the nurse asked.

“...Foster care.”

Unfortunately, because of Mr. Birman’s blindness, he could not legally adopt Mio nor take care of him. It was considered too severe of a disability to properly care for a child. Despite both of their protests, Mio was forcefully removed from the home, and placed into the Tabbytown Orphanage.

Which is when Tartarus broke loose.

Mio tried to shy away from the rest of the other children in the orphanage due to fear of them finding out where he came from. So he kept himself hidden within the hooded vest he had obtained. It was all fine and dandy until sets of parents started to come by to look for children to adopt. Mio tried to refuse removing his hood, but he was forced to take it off so that the parents could see his face like everyone else’s.

...And that’s when they found out.

As soon as a few of the adult couples saw Mio, they revolted. The fact that a Siamese lived in the orphanage drove them away, never to be seen again out of fear that other Siamese could be living there.

Needless to say, the owners of the orphanage and the other orphaned children were livid. The fact that Mio’s mere presence could drive away potential adoptive parents made everyone absolutely furious. He was spanked with a wooden birch cane, and sent away without anything to eat for that night, and forced to sleep in a supply closet away from the other children.

It didn’t stop there, however.

Whenever he was being picked on or bullied by the other children, those in charge of the orphanage would never listen or believe his side of the story. Instead, they would always think that he had provoked the one who attacked him. And whenever he fought back to defend himself, he was punished while his attacker got no repercussions for their actions.

It got so bad in fact, that whenever he saw any of them glare at him, he would develop a panic attack as he knew it was time for his usual beatings. Whether it be getting his face shoved in a urinal, punched and kicked by the older boys, or being tied down and sexually abused by the older girls. He regularly developed a fearful nature of anyone who looked at him a certain way.

There were a few times he was adopted, though. But that fared no better. Some families who already had children were not fun to live in, because those children would treat him just as bad as the ones in the orphanage. Other families seemed just fine at first--such as one couple who tried to adopt him into a home where he would be the only child. But the public ridicule and long-standing hatred for a couple who adopted a Siamese caused his adoptive father to lose his job, and his adoptive mother to get attacked while she toiled away in her garden.

Because of that, they had to return him. Mio was an endlessly wandering soul who could not find his place anywhere.

This went on for several years. Mio escaped from orphanages, was brought back into them, adopted, returned, abused, and generally mistreated all because of something he had no control over.

However, when he turned 15…

“...That’s when I was approached by some folks who worked in Klugetown that wanted to offer me a position in their gang. I accepted, and the rest is history, really.”

Leona stared down at the floor as she contemplated what she just heard. “...I’m sorry, I--I don’t know what to say. I thought my situation was bad, but it turns out that I got lucky. You...you hurt constantly, don’t you?”

“Not physically,” Mio muttered coldly, “At least not anymore. But I can never forgive those who did what they did to me. I hope they all face retribution for what they did to me one day…”

“And that’s why our current leaders--King Mau and Queen Bombay--have kept certain aspects of history hidden…” Even though Leona didn’t agree with it, she couldn’t deny that what Mio suffered through was something she wouldn’t wish upon her worst enemy. “All things considered, it’s a miracle you’re still sane, sir.”

Mio chuckled. “...I question that about myself, every day. But I don’t let it get to me. While my past is horrific and is something I won’t forget, I won’t cling to it and allow it to change my future either.”

Leona nodded with a purr. “A noble sentiment indeed. What do you intend to do from here?”

“Change Klugetown...destroy it if I have to, and rebuild it from the ground up,” he replied while clenching his fist, “King Mau has done what he can do to tear down what his parents did in the past, so I don’t see why I can’t do the same thing. That place still suffers from the last remnants of Devon and Persia’s rule. But Mau and Bombay’s resources aren’t ready to take on anything else, given that they’ve already spent the last twenty years fixing up the rest of the Kingdom...”

“...You know quite a lot about the royal family,” Leona said as she flicked her tail, “You’re quite the skilled researcher, sir.”

While Mio appreciated the compliment, there was far more that he knew he needed to do. “Thank you,” he replied, “But research alone will only get me so far. I have to get out there and make what I want to happen happen. Starting with the express removal of Rongu. Even if it means killing him.”

Leona stared down at the tom’s medical file with the smallest hint of concern. “What do you intend to do after that? What about those you currently work for?”

Mio waved his hand with a scoff. “Rerr. I expect that ol’ Ronnie has already informed our boss about my treachery. I don’t work for them anymore. And frankly, I couldn’t care less.”

“...So you’re saying that you’re actively fighting against the Felidae?”

“I am,” he affirmed, “They’re going to regret what they’ve done to those ponies. They’re not better than the Abyssinian Army that was run by Devon. Even if I have to change it all myself--I will handle it.”

His words put the nurse at ease. With that established, she knew that she could trust the tom with what she was about to say next. “Good. Because I have something to tell you: Those who you’ve been working for? Those are the remnants of the Army that fled once Mau rose to power.”

Mio’s eyes and nose twitched violently. This whole time, they had both unknowingly been working for the very same individuals that caused him all of that suffering! “But how,” he muttered in disbelief as he stared at her with his mouth agape, “...how do you know this?”

The nurse twiddled her index fingers of both paws. “I only recently found out. Long story short--I had been working in Klugetown just like you had, but a few weeks ago, Mona made a discovery. So I did even more digging through the files of our database in order to confirm it…”

“...A-and what did you find?” he asked shakily.

“...The injuries that General Zula sustained as Mau’s men tried to capture her...we found injuries on your boss that were almost an exact match.”

Mio instantly turned to the side of the bed, and tried to stand. “What?! We have to--!” He then stopped himself, and took a deep breath. “...Alright. I think I have an idea of what I want to do next.”

“...Mr. Thuong, please,” Leona commanded, “You need time to heal from your injuries before you rush back out into the field. And...there’s also Spitha--who probably could use the company after all of this has gone down. And she probably knows more about Rongu than we do.”

Mio relaxed, and folded his arms. “...I’m not going to use her to further my own goals. She’s been through enough of that malarkey as it is.”

“I completely understand and will not force you--however, it might be better if you simply ask her directly at some point. You’re a tactful tom, so I’m sure you won’t have any problems.” For the first time since they spoke, her expression changed--to a little, smug smile. “...Besides, I know you probably want to repay her for the kind act she did for you. So why not get to know her better?”

The tom placed his face in the palm of his paw. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Leona was probably right. Some careful planning would need to be done in order to navigate the situation properly. Maybe talking with Spitha wouldn’t be so bad.

Just then, the yellow abyssinian doctor stepped into the room, and shut the door behind herself. “Leona. Did you tell him?”