the world is B L A C K. [OPEN!]

[(( lullaby *]

i n h a l e.

Stupid fool. Stupid fool. Stupid fool. Anger and shame reverbrated in a small gray cat's mind as she stared unseeingly into the shadows of the Hills. It was nearly twilight now, but ths silver-sheened warrior had stayed motionless all day, looking blankly into the distance. Stupid Moonflame. Stupid Sh--MistClan. Stupid me.

Alright, hon. Take a deep breath. Exhale. There, you've got it.
Shut up!

A bird's calling shattered the silence. Inhale's dark sapphire eyes narrowed irritably, but she didn't jerk her head up to glare at the bird. No. Her bones were made of lead, it seemed. The poor loner was in depression. Inhale trembled once before collasping on her side, her tears coming hard and strong. No, no, no! Only cowards cry!

But Inhale was a coward! Cow-ard. Cow-ard. Cow-ard. The syllables echoed agonizingly in the female's mind.

She stopped her childish sobbing but remained belly-up in the fast approaching darkness.

[Kiako]

"That's a surefire way to get yourself killed." Skysong's voice cut through the chill of twilight. She had taken to moving around later in the day and hunting early in the morning; there were to many cats around during the middle of the day. She had been watching this particualar she-cat for a couple of minutes, enough to realize that she wasn't much of a threat. "You're comletely defenseless, if I was someone else, you'd be dead right now." she added, her voice cool with a little bite, like the aproaching night air on the verge of leaf-fall. She limped toward the small she-cat, the stump of her back right leg tucked close to her body.

[(( lullaby *]

i n h a l e.

'That's a surefire way to get yourself killed.' A voice sliced evenly through Inhale's depressed air and slapped her harshly in the soul. Immediately, the loner's head snapped up, shame and rage mixing harshly in her indigo gaze. Her mouth was set into a tight, firm line.

'You're completely defenseless; if I was someone else, you'd be dead right now.'

[/s]

Inhale forced back a sinister chuckle. "Dear, I know that better than you ever will." She remained in her 'defenseless' position. "Fortunately for you, I don't care if I live or die at this point." The truth in the silver warrior's voice made her tremble with despair from head to toe. Even though it was still summer (In Twoleg language, at least!) Inhale was beginning to feel the coolness of the nights. The sixty-degree weather hugged the tiny feline's frame like an annoying, cold blanket.

Her eyes flickered up to the newcomer. "Who are you, anyway?" She asked flatly. "I haven't talked to anybody since--uh, for a while. Let alone care," Inhale added brokenly.
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[Kiako]

Skysong hiked up an eyebrow at the loner's sharp stare, expecting a quick verbal retaliation followed by the cat rightening herself. What she recieved instead not only surprised her, it also frightened her a little. You don't meet many suicidal kitties, and one so seemingly beyong help threw Skysong off for a moment. "Fallen," Skysong said, in responce to the inquirey about her name. Even this close to the rumored location of the Clans, Skysong was still wary of giving out her real name. A Warrior name was about the one thing that would turn every rouge and loner within a three mile radius against her. "Well, at least you know the source of your problem. Fix your attitude, then maybe you won't want to die." she sneered, having little patience for the cat's depressing outlook. Then, "So, what's your name?" Annoying, yes, but that didn't mean that Skysong didn't want to stop talking.

[(( lullaby *]

i n h a l e.

Fallen? Inhale thought bleakly, the name barely registering in her mind as she half-closed her eyes, completely defenseless. But it didn't matter. She'd sacrificed so much, and for what? Nothing. If this Fallen could kill her right now, she'd be grateful.

'Well, at least you know the source of your problem. Fix your attitude, then maybe you won't want to die.'

[/s]

Fallen's cold voice made Inhale's eyes fly open in shock. Surely any other cat would either a) be sympathetic, or b) have killed her the moment they stumbled upon her. "Excuse me?" She asked, her voice bitter as she got to her paws, her bones aching as she did so. "Have you ever grieved before?"

'So, what's your name?'[/s]

Inhale's eyelids fluttered in exhaustion. She didn't want to talk, but this annoying cat seemed to be cold and nosy at the same time. "I'm Inhalesp-----, I mean, Inhale." The silver cat muttered, rocking back on her paws, ready to flee the moment Fallen charged at her.
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[Kiako]

"Grief!?" Skysong sputtered, "You think this leg came off without a fight?" she demanded, stretching out the stump of her back right leg, showing off the pathetic knoble that ended what once had been a fully-functioning, slim, muscled leg. Her sleek orange pelt that shone so brightly over the rest of Skysong's body didn't extend to the stump. He fur was patched and bristly, not at all up to standard.

And that wasn't even the worst part. Lonliness, the terrible feeling of abandonment. Oh, and the hunger. It was enough to crush a cat. "And that's not even the half of it." she added bitterly, reflecting. Her strong Clan pride, minced, as she scrounged for a meal, sometimes having no choice but to settle for slop that was worse then crowfood.

Skysong cast a critical eye over Inhale. She looked about ready to keel over. What was happening to the world where a defenseles cat like this was forced to fend for herslef? Though forcibly supressed by the hardships that she had face, Skysong was at heart a compassionate cat. She sighed, flopped down on the grass, and started grooming her already immaticulate paw.

[(( lullaby *]

i n h a l e.

Sapphire eyes still bleak, Inhale flinched as Fallen's harsh voice made her entire mind go into shutdown.

'Grief!? You think this leg came off without a fight?'

[/s]

Inhale's bit her maw, trying to stifle a sob that was building up inside her. "I-I-I-I'm sorry." She whispered. "I...didn't...see." Lowering her blue gaze, she stared at her own paws. Even though Inhale had been through so much, she still had her four legs. You didn't see. Really. You were too worried about her charging at you, but you didn't see that she was a...cripple?

'And that's not even half of it,' Fallen continued bitterly. Inhale looked up, silently agreeing, though her azure eyes said it all - I know. So she murmured, "Don't think I don't understand." She flopped back on the ground, her gaze flat now.

Suddenly, her heart opened. "But...you don't know what I've been through." Inhale said softly. "I've killed a cat. Killed one! For my Clan---"

She broke off, amazed of how much she'd just revealed.
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[Kiako]

Of course she didn't see. They never see. Skysong tried not to glare at Inhale. After all, it wasn't her fault that she only had three legs. It wasn't her fault that the world was pitted against her. After all, it seemed the world was pitted against Inhale, too.

Skysong was dragged from her depressing thoughts by the word Clan. Just one word, and her whole perception of the situation changed. Clan!? Inhale was a... Clan cat? Like her? Questions bombarded Skysong, it seemed as though the clouds had opened up, but instead of pouring down rain, it was questions. She had scarce enough time to articulate one in her thoughts when another one was present, pushing it's way to the top. Which Clan? Who was the leader? Does she know what happened to the Clans? Where they are now? How many survived? Why did Inhale leave the Clans? It was endless. To buy herself time, to order her thoughts, Skysong said slowly, "The Clans... don't believe in killing." Those words brought a whole new barrage of questions, though these were directed at herself. She had killed, would StarClan forgive her? Would her Clan accept her? Would she tell her Clan? What would Blitzfire do? say? The peircing gaze that bored into Inhale, trying to see the answer to her questions without having to voice them, now looked at the ground, afraid that Inhale might see into her soul instead, see the grievances that wieghted on her heart.

[(( lullaby *]

i n h a l e.

Inhale was seriously contemplating just making a run for it - but something about Fallen intrigued her, and the loner's curiosity was forcing her to say. It was like Fallen was guarding a secret she had - perhaps like Inhale did, before she big-mouthed herself off.

'The Clans.... don't believe in killing.'

Fallen's voice was slow and unsure, and Inhale lowered her eyes, ashamed of what she'd done. She was about to defend herself when - How does SHE know about the Clans?

Immediately, Inhale snapped to attention. "How do you know that?" She asked, her senses tingling. Her brain was on hyper-alert. Did MistClan send her to punish me? How did she find me? But how? She wouldn't make small talk with me if all along she wanted to hurt me, right? Rightrightright? A torrent of thoughts spilled through Inhale, each a blow to her heart.

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[Kiako]

After a moment, and a temendous amount of effort, Skysone compossed herself. She looked up again, dispair hidden behind a sarcastic front. It was an old standby, if all else fails, Skysong could always count on sarcasam. "Who doesn't?" she asked, the mild note of hysteria easily passabe for incredulity. "Honestly, get in to one fight and it's pretty obvious."

Skysong met Inhales' gaze, and she noticed the attentive look that had come over Inhale. Great, now she wasn't going to get another word out of her about the Clans. She was to suspicious. But now Sky was on the red alert. She wouldn't let anything else slip either. She couldn't afford to lose, especially now that she knew that Inhale was a Clan cat. A rouge discovering her allegance wouldn't be as bad, there was only one of him. Inhale, even if she was a rejected Clan cat, had the potential to call in reinforcements. And Sky hadn't even found her Clan yet, to back her. But... what if they had been in the same Clan? She didn't recognize this cat, but that didn't necisarily mean anything. She had been gone awhile, many things were sure to change. Still, the possibility was tantelizing. Finally, after all these years, someone who might know how find EmberClan, or FlareClan, as she heard it was now called. Sky didn't say anything, but now that she had her mind open to the possibility, she would be scanning Inhale's words, trying to find clues to her past. If any could be had, that is.