Apple and Glow

The small she-cat slipped into the clearing, glancing around. With a sigh, she sat beside a large stone rock, putting her head on her paws. Light blue eyes looked around again, before they closed. She hadn't seen Flow in a while.. And the last time she did see him, he was with that other she-cat. Huh. Her eyes flickered open again, and she got up, sliding across the clearing to a small bush of ivory leaves. She slipped underneath it, into a small, somewhat hollowed-out hole, that she made herself. Constantly she came here, thought, ate, whatever.. It just brought peace, and isolation from the world. The ivory smell masked her scent, and the small hole-like thing kept her out of eye-level. Her small, fluffy tail flicked around her body as she lay down again., closing her eyes.

The black tom trotted in. His gait was slightly unsteady, though his paw had healed quite well, it was still sore. He had a slight smile on his face, his eyes glinting a bright shade as he detected Tail's scent, his muzzle puling into a smile as he looked around. "Taaaaaaiiilll? Tail?" He called her name, blinking.

Her ears flicked upwards, and she lifted her head a bit. No. she told herself. You are staying here. End of discussion. Her head went back to her paws, and she stayed there, not moving, as much as she wanted to. Her back itched a bit, and she tried to roll her shoulders.

He hesitated, uncertain. "Apple?" Where is she? Why isn't she coming out? Did... Did I do something wrong? He heard the quiet sound of her fur shifting as her shoulders rolled, the light brush of her wings, and turned to the sound. "Tail..." He whispered, his gaze confused and hurt that she was trying to act as if he hadn't called her name.

She slid back against the side of the ivory bush, trying to make herself as small as possible. Don't move.. Just don't move.. she told herself. She winced as a sharp piece of the branches dug into her pelt. No. No crying. Her blue eyes kept flickering over the small space, constantly moving. Not taking chances.

Glow's ears flattened, and he backed away. "Fine... Fine..." his voice was quiet, and obviously hurt. "If you don't want to talk to me, I'll go." He turned, slinking away quietly. With a turn, he settled into a laying position, a sulking thought digging in his mind. What did I do? Where did I go wrong? What the heck's happening?

She slid forwards a bit, letting out a soft cry as the branch was pulled with her, digging into her skin. Bad idea. Very bad idea. She turned, staring at the branch. Okay.. What if I try to dislodge it? She moved her body just a bit, thinking it had come out.. but it hadn't, really. She jumped forwards, and let out a slightly loud caterwaul. "Ow! OW! Ow Ow Ow Ow OWWW!" she yelped. Through damp eyes, she stared at the chunk of skin and fur hanging from the small branch, then to the blood spot on her side. Blood welled out, soaking her fur in a smaller spot, but it freaking hurt.

He got up with an alarmed hiss, before sprinting to where he had heard Tail earlier. His black form crouched beside his friend, and he saw the blood. "What happened, Tail?" He mewed, grimacing.
Her head turned and she let out a guttural hiss at the black tom. Her ears flattened to her skull, teeth bared. "None of your business! Why don't you go run off with that other little cat?" she said angrily, eyes flickering around the small area, searching for a secondary exit. Wincing at the pain in her side, she threw herself through a weak spot in the ivory bush. Bad idea. Very bad idea. More little branches had embedded themselves into her fur and skin. She stumbled as she reached the outside, but then started running, moving like a jackrabbit across the open ground. She plunged into the woods, darting to the mountains, pain rippling through her small body..

He watched her leave, horror striking his face. "Wh-what...?" He mewed slowly, his ears flattening. But he commenced to streak after her, the world rushing by in a blur. "No - Apple!" He almost screamed it, his neon green eyes narrowing and filling with confusion. "Come back!" His paws outstretched as he leapt over a fallen tree, his eyes widening as he felt the pain in his paw. But it didn't matter now. He had to find out what was happening... Why she was acting this way.


The lithe she-cat darted up the slope, fighting the urge to cry out in pain. Everything hurt. There were small twigs embedded into her fur, as well as the sharp thorns that were in her skin. She dove into a stone like thing, similar to a foxs' set. She gasped for breath, ducking into the far back of the set. Almost instantly, she began yanking out the things in her fur. A few cries managed to escape her, but she held most back. Now there were tiny spots of blood everywhere in her fur, slowly welling up. She was shaking, both from fear and pain. Her blue eyes stared out blankly.

Glow's form streaked after her, his neon green eyes glimmering with pain he chose to ignore. He leapt into the air, his eyes scrutinizing the mountainous ridge. "Tail?" His voice echoed off the steep cliffs, his heart pounding with every painful bound, his paw aching greatly. But he was oblivious to it; he needed to find Tail, and this alone kept him from crying out in pain. His long, wiry legs trembled as he rounded the corner of a drop-off, and he skidded to a slow stop, scenting the air. "Apple?" He was obviously deeply confused, his ears flattening.

The cat stayed quiet, not breathing. Hush, she told herself, pressed hard against the wall of the set. She looked.. Hollow. Her eyes were sullen, her body small and bony. She started to growl as she heard him, a little away from the set, but the shut herself up.

"What did I do wrong...?" His voice was a whisper as he glanced up at the sky, looking up to the ancestors of the Tribe that he still doubted. If they're watching over me, then why don't they help me when I need it? He grimaced, stopping. His neon eyes shut, his ears pinning to the back of his head. "Tail?" He called once more, his eyes flashing hopefully before breaking into a hard run, tracking her scent. His sides were heaving now, his run hurried and alarmed. "Tail? Where are you? I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

She opened her mouth to say something, then she closed it. If he's sorry.. Maybe you should say something.. He probably means it. One part of her said. No, he probably doesn't mean it. He probably doesn't even know what he's sorry for! Her head swirled, the two sides of her mind fighting one another. "Stop.. Just leave me alone.." she whispered hoarsely, tears in her voice. Her body ached, and she just didn't want to move..

It was Mumble, wasn't it... Was that who she meant by 'little cat'? "Tail... I'm sorry... I didn't know... Mumble..." He stopped again, gasping and trying to get air. "I didn't know..." He flattened his ears again, staring into the entrance of the fox-set--like den. "Forgive me..." He mewed, backing away. "Fine..."

Was that her name? Maybe.. He did mean it.. She got to her paws, limping to the entrance of the set, peering out at him with her light blue eyes. She opened her mouth to say something again, then thought better of it, simply looking at him.. He's in pain.. she thought, looking closely at him. After thinking for a few seconds more, she slipped up to him, wincing at her limbs. She stared up at him, not saying anything.

His eyes slowly opened, and he stared back down at her, a pleading, pained look in his eyes. He parted his jaws to say something, but stopped, his ears flicking slightly. "I'm sorry..." He finally mewed, "I didn't know..." His tail was lowered to the ground, his mouth opening again.

"No. You shouldn't be the one apologizing. I'm the one who should be apologizing." she said in a stern tone. "I was stupid.. And I think I thought differently about.. Mumble?" she murmured. Not knowing what to do.. She simply nuzzled her head under his chin, against his warm fur. "I'm sorry." she added lightly, closing her eyes.

He frowned. "Okay..." He whispered, smiling slightly then. He then gave her a friendly lick over the ear, and slightly lifted his head. "Show me a smile, yeah?" He mewed good-naturedly, blinking as he looked down at her face.

Looking into his glowing eyes, she smiled just a bit, light and gentle. "Happy now?" she asked, sitting down where she was, continuing to stare into his eyes with her own light blue ones.

He laughed slightly, smirking in a good-natured way. "Sh'yeah." He replied, looking back into her eyes also. After a few mystified heartbeats, he mewed out of the side of his mouth. "So... What are we doing here?"

"Not sure.. I just.. Ran." she answered lightly. She closed her eyes, breathing in his scent with her head practically buried into his fur. "We can go now, if you want to." she added, opening one eye at him.

"Ah, sure..." He mewed, "Only if you want to, too, of course." He continued. Glancing around, the Tribe to-be thought for a moment, before slowly stepping out of the way. "Why don't you lead the way?" He asked.

"Ah~" she gasped, catching herself before she fell forward. "Sure.. But Um.. I might.. get us lost.." she added more quietly. With a flick of her tail, she set off back towards the way she thought they came.

"I think you won't, actually." He mewed, grinning. There was a hint of laughter in his voice, as he stepped behind his butterfly-winged friend. His neon green eyes glinted, and he glanced down at his glowstone, which luminously glimmered with a similar light to his eyes.


The small cat limped in, her friend Flow [Glow] following close behind. She slipped between two close knit trees, now fully in the clearing. Her light blue eyes gazed around, looking everywhere, her body alert, even though there was pain everywhere in her body. "Flow? Where d'ya wanna go?" she asked, glancing behind her at the black tom.

"Hmph? 'M not sure." Came the black to-be's reply as he entered. His eyes drew to the other cats in the clearing, and he shuddered slightly as he spotted Stormyfur, before his gaze trailed to... Arak and the strange individuals beside him. ". . ." So. A green cat and something else. How nice. His gaze grew incredulous, his whiskers twitching bemusedly.

The little cat slipped across the clearing, her tail flicking in a greeting to Stormyfur. She wasn't afraid of the cat, whatsoever.. She was just another person. Like Dare was. "Flow! C'mon!" she called back to her friend, smiling lightly again. She clambered up the trunk of a tree, only making it to the first branch. She had forgotten about the pain in her limbs, and thats what stopped her from going up any further.. "Okay. Ow."

"Eh, 'Kay." With a bounding step, he clambered up the tree to stop beside his friend. "You okay, Tail?" He asked her, flicking her on the shoulder with his banded tail. He flicked his ear, glancing at the ground before looking at the twilit sky.

"I'm fine.. Those thorns just hurt.." she murmured, blinking her eyes to keep herself awake. What the heck just happened? She dug her claws into the branch to keep herself there. I will not fall, I will not fall.. she told herself, but it was unavoidable. The little thorns had had a form of toxins in them, not enough to kill her, but simply knock her out.

He hissed slightly, with precaution jumping forward and gripping his friend by the scruff. "Hrrrgh..." He groaned. She was heavy. He flattened his ears, "Eh, Tail? Put off on the fish." He joked to her, supporting her by the scruff.

She made a noise somewhere between a whine and a hiss, before she dropped dead-weight, only hearing half of what he was saying. Her vision had blurred, and her limbs felt so heavy..

He winced, lightly crouching and trying not to drop her. But she felt to weigh so much. How could he even think of getting down with her in his mouth? It was basically impossible without hurting her. "Sit tight, Apple..." He whispered to her, slowly mustering strength in his limbs, and flinging her tenderly onto his back. I don't know how to do this The realization was sudden, the thought horrid, and he growled to himself, lightly trying to leap from the tree. But when he landed on the ground, he rolled, his eyes shutting to block dirt from getting in them.

The small cat was oblivious to everything around her, because she was unconscious. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt the pain of their landing, but didn't realize it.