Rin clumsily bounded after her, scared that if she stayed behind something would get her. The closer she got the harder it was to breath.

Aware of the fire and now the presence of an unknown cat, Mirri hissed loudly as she all but flew into the shop proper. The counter was in flames and the tight packed trinkets and antiques that they had all lived among for so long were catching fast, the fire spreading from dusty relic to dusty relic. An old candy tin rolled off a shelf, hot and smoking.

"Get out!" she shouted, half at the strange cat and half at no one in particular. "Get out, get out!" She bolted half up the stairs while shouting at the other cats before grabbing Rin on her way back down and squeezing herself and the kitten out of the window. Behind them the sounds of the fire were growing and she could hear the others clammering upstairs to escape before the fire filled the building.

A red gold streak that was Ciaran seemed to sail through the window such that Mirri was only just sure that she had seem him at all, followed by Zmey's retreating tail. A desperate cat could find more than one way to escape and she hoped that the others were doing just that as the fire chased the cats out of the shop.

(("borrowed" a few characters to move things along. Hope you guys don't mind. Feel free to add, edit, or tweak if you have an idea.))

-some time ago-

Ciaran gave a snort of annoyance, then rolled over and sat up...

...and promptly had his nose assaulted by something acrid. Smoke. It wasn't the first time he had encountered this.

The Abyssinian stood up fully now, twitching his ears to shake off the sleepiness that had overwhelmed him after the fight the day before. Suddenly a screech brought him to his senses, and he dashed clean through the window to escape the fire.

-and now...-

Ciaran skidded to a halt several paces away, the whipped back around. Was there anyone else still in there...?! He clambered halfway back through the window, yowling, slightly irked, at Mirri.

"You and Quintus had better get out here quickly."

Rin's ears were flat against her head, her fur showed signs of ash. She cried, scared. Tears made the sting of the smoke easy lightly but crying made it even harder to breath.

When Mirri picked her up she let out a shreak and curled into a ball as she was carried outside to safty.

"My Bell!" she cried. "My bell is still in there!"

Mirri pushed herself and the kitten out the window, slightly annoyed at Ciaran but is not about to gripe with open flames behind her.

Outside shortly after the Abyssinian, Mirri ran across the street to get away from the burning building.

"Have you seen anyone else?" she asked after setting Rin on the ground. For the moment she ignores the kitten's cries for her bell, before speaking quietly that they can go in and retrived the bell later, after the fire is gone, keeping the kitten well close to her body, just in case.

Rin's body shivered so much she couldn't stand. She placed herself under Miri's body so she could hide.

"There is someone inside still! You think they could bring my bell, Mirri?"

Rin stared at the burning shop wistfully and scared.

Kage had first smelt the fire and assumed it to be another one of the strange things humans did occasionally. She had left he comfortable alley way to go check it out to see what she could scavenge. Kage was surprised to find apon arriving to the place were the smell was originating to see a building on fire. Kage heard the worried cry that someone and could they grap the bell. Kage froze knowing she should not get involved, but could she with a clear conscious walk alway?

Kage hissed at herself wishing she did not care and could walk away. She noticed an open window that she could reach with a little effort. Quickly looking around for something that would make an okay mask, knowing with smoke filling her lungs she would be useless. Not noticing any nearby Kage just hoped the missing cat was near the window and jumped up and into the window. The smoke was worse in here and Kage immediatly went to the floor and called, "Yo, anyone in here?"

Quintus' eye opened slowly to the crackling that was engulfing the area around him. He breathed in deeply and- "Kehhe!" Quintus coughed so hard that a black puff of some went out of his mouth. "What in the world??" He looked around from where he was brought in. The bag of ice underneath him had long melted away, giving his coat a wet, damp feeling to anyone who would dare to pet him in the fire-infested building.

"What in the world is going on?" he called out to the voice. A lining of wooden shelves that were built into the wall gave him a path to the window where the voice came from. Swiftly and instinctively, he ran towards the voice, avoiding the fire as the shelves gave way after he lept from each of them.

Kage heard the reply and was happy she would not be carring an uncouncious cat out of the building. "The place caught fire, you're in the fire. I'm here to get you out." She explained. Kage could not see the other cat but she could hear him moving. "I'm by the window so if you get to me you can get out of the building. If you need help call, and I'll come to help you." Kage sincerly hoped whoever the cat was it would not need help. She still had a bell to get and see if any more cats were in the building and unconcious.

Bells, huh. Ciaran struggled through the window and landed a bit ungracefully on the other side. Now...to find it. And Quintus. And...who the heck are those two other voices?! He padded carefully, staying low to avoid the smoke.

Kage saw the red-brown cat jump through the window and managed to sidestep into the smoke before it saw her. It crawled away keeping close to the ground. Kage watched as it went deeper into the burning building. At least two other cats besides me. Get the bell and rescue everyone from the building was the dirrection her thought where going. She then moved out of the smoke caiughing slightly form inhalition. Keeping her head low she moved the opposite way of the red-brown cat and came across a silvery gray cat curled up and unconsious. Obviouly the cat had been attempting to make it towards the window. Kage carefully came closer to the cat and bit it lightly hoping to wake it from its rest and direct it towards the window.

Rin watched restlessly as Ciaran went inside the burning building. "What's happening to our home Miri?" she looked up at the older cat.

"Mirri looked across at the window where the other cats had gone back in, hoping that it wasn't really for something as frivolous as a bell that might be retrieved later, assuming enough of the place remained intact. She listened carefully to the noises coming from the inside of the window and wishing that more cats would be coming outside.

She looked down at the small kitten under her chest and said quietly, "I think we're going to have to find a new home for ourselves."

Kage was glad the other cat was still alive. Now she needed to get it out out of the burning building. She ingnored the sound the cat made, it would be better if they did not know who she was. "The windows this way." She said to the cat before it could lose consiousness again. Her voice was horse from all the smoke. "We need to hurry the building will colaspe soon."

Kage had heard the cat's call but ignored it. There was two cats still inside and if she had time she wanted to grab that bell. Kage jumped when a piece of the building came down near where she was. "Hey, you guys need to get out quick, the building is falling!" She shouted into the smoke and started coughing almost imediatly. She lowered her head until it was touching the floor and went to find the two cats and hopefully a bell.

Quintus circled the room , heading towards the window as fast as his tired legs could carry him. He was starting to feel hot, hotter than usual, especially on his face. "This metal will be my undoing if I don't get out faster," he thought as he heard another platform break behind him.

He saw the black cat jump down onto the ground just before he reached the sill. Standing on it, he looked down and called out, "Let's go! There isn't much time left!"

Ciaran felt Quintus sweep past him as he slunk through the shop towards where Rin usually slept. After several long minutes, the smoke and acrid odor was starting to get to him, burning his nose. He shook his head violently to clear his eyes, and his earring clanged against something metallic and sent it spinning away. The bell...! With a soft *cling*-ing, it hit a wall on the far end under a bookshelf.

...Well...shit. Agile as he was, Ciaran was still the largest shop cat, and would never be able to get that bell. Unless...

He was beginning to become a bit disoriented, and ran headlong into the broom, propped up against a wall, he was looking for. He easily dragged it back to the bookshelf and without much of a hitch proceeding to sweep the bell, now dusty, out from under it. He ran over, picked it up gently in his jaws, turned around to leave...

...and stopped. For the one who spent the least amount of time actually indoors, Ciaran was still strongly attached to his mound of rags that he called a bed. Padding over, he nuzzled it lightly with the tip of his nose, then flopped into it, despite the growing heat and smoke. After some time of tossing and turning, he reluctantly clambered back out, a bit unsteadily, then stared at the pile.

...Really. Why am I doing this...? Ciaran wondered a few moments later as he gingerly dropped the bell in the middle of one of his rags, then took the corners in his mouth. The only way to carry both...

He turned to leave and nearly ran headlong into a strange black cat with a slight limp. But his vision was starting to blur; no time to ask questions. He heaved himself out of the window at a slight run and landed ungracefully outside, sense dulled.

When Ciaran fell out the window it was as much as Mirri could stand not to just leave Rin where she was and check on her other reluctant, but even though her last litter was long since grown, mother instincts where hard to abandon and she picked up Rin again and gingerly carried the kitten as close as she dared to the burning building. She tucked Rin into a small nick in a wall far enough away from the building to not pose any danger and hoped the young kitten would stay put for once (( :p )) before approaching Ciaran. Black smoke from decades of packed items and antiques swelling out the window.

Breathing heavily, Ciaran slowly got to his feet and staggered towards Mirri, not bothering to walk what seemed to be a very long distance to Rin, then dropped the bundle and coughed. He'd done his job, but...who was still left inside?

Kge had seen the reddish-borwn cat had gotten themself out of the building and collected the bell. Kage was worried for the other cat she had heard earlier but not seen. Kage was seaching amoung the smoke when she accidently ran into what see assumed was the last cat, "Come on," She urged the cat who might have been gray or it might be covered in ash, "You don't have any more time to dwaddle, the building is falling." Kage would push the cat out the window if she had to. "Get out quickly."

Rin heard it. It was muffled by the cloth but she heard it and she ran to it.

"My bell! Ciaran saved my bell! Yay!" She pawed at the cloth.

When Ciaran hobbled his way towards Rin, Mirri jumped up to put her paws on the window, trying to keep her head clear of the smoke. Her voice still clear from being outside she called out:

"Is their anyone still in here? Quintus! Sekhmet! Jinx!"

Rin heard Mirri call out inside the shop but she was to busy checking her precious bell over for any hurts it may have sustained. satisfied that it was only covered in soot and dust she laid down and hugged it to her.

"Thank you."

"Mmph," Ciaran coughed, slightly peeved. Quintus, you idiot, quit your yowling and get you ass down here... He'd like to think he didn't have ties to anything, but he'd be lying to himself if he did.

Quintus sat from the fire escape as he watched his home, his first and only human home, burn and crumble under the flames started by who-knows-what. Although he was feeling sentimental, this was no time for sadness. He began climbing down and situated himself next to Ciaran, although his attention was drawn astray to someone else, there's one that was not with the group before.

The leopard-grey cat seemed to be more focused on the other building than on the group in front of her, and seemed less hostile, almost like the a certain other stray that disappeared. Turning to Ciaran, his eyes wanted to show interest in the newcomer...but his face was masked with sadness.

Kage watched as the cats grouped together, she grinned even as part of the building came down beside her causing her to jump out the window. Kage hit the ground carefully as not to jar her leg. She spared another glance towards the cats gathering and hoped all had made it out safely to stay longer would comprimise her identity. Kage then took of in a run, wanting to get away from here before one of the cats would notice her. She would return later bretending to be a different cat to see if they had found a home yet.

Ciaran's head whipped around as he saw the black cat disappear into the alleys from the corner of his eye. He excused himself and slunk off after her, not in too much of a hurry, being more at home in those dark recesses than the shop itself. The Coon, or at least, he thought it was a Coon, was almost his size, a bit startling.

He'd get to the bottom of why the cat helped, and gave chase.

Kage felt she was being followed but scraped it up as being paranoid. She headed towards the closest body of water she would think of, she needed a drink after breathing in the smoke for so long. Plus, a quick dip would get rid of the soot in her fur.

Rin saw Ciaran follow the other cat and darted off, following them both. Her kitten curiosity was an over powering thing.

As Quintus bowed his head, conceding the idea to give Ciaran any hint of his thought, a brush of wind was her in his mechanical ear. He was surprised that his ear still worked as he looked ahead to not only see a cat run around the corner of the alley, but he also saw Ciaran give chase. "He'll be back..." Quintus thought as he turned his attention back to the leopard cat.
"I can't tell if its hideous or beautiful," he said while approaching.

Making his way over nails that jutted from broken planks of wood, Ciaran followed almost nonchalantly after the black cat. Suddenly he stopped and stood as still as stone.

"...You'll skewer yourself bounce around so carelessly," he muttered quietly, the torn ear flicking at the kit.

((Yay for alliteration o.O; ))

Rin stopped and stood still. She didn't know the meaning of the word but it sounded bad.

"Rin wants to come too!" She cried out thinking that he was telling her to go back.

Kage heard the cry and whipped around. She saw the two cats, well the one cat and one kit, following her. So she had been followed, Kage turned back around confident those cats could get back to their group, then she started running away from them. If they were intent on following there was nothing she could do to stop them but if they had just followed her out of idle curiosity then they would give up.