Thanks, Shadow! I'll read your stuff soon, promise!
"What's a city?" asked Firelily.
"Not now, Firelily," hissed Duskfall. He was getting ready to fight, his hackles lifting.
"This, little she-cat, is a city," Scratch meowed, waving his tail around at the streets and the tall structures. "And it belongs to me and my gang."
"You can't fight them all, Duskfall," she hissed back.
He flexed his claws. "I can try."
Scratch smiled. "You? Fight me? And my entire gang?" He snorted. "You've got no chance of winning. Just turn right around and head back the way you came, and we won't bother you."
"Fat chance!" Duskfall's hackles rose.
"Can't you just let us in?" Ghostsong asked calmly.
"No. We've got enough cats to watch over as it is," Scratch meowed. "We don't need anyone extra on our paws. So get moving."
Duskfall threw himself at Scratch, teeth bared. They fell to the ground in a ball of fur and claws, rolling around and around. Scratch came out on top, his ginger bulk pressing down on Duskfall, one paw pressing against Duskfall's throat. "I said," he hissed menacingly, "get lost."
"Ooh, terrorizing some more cats today, Scratch?"
A black-and-white she-cat sauntered forward, smiling. "Hey everyone! How are you doing today! Good? Great!" She turned back to Scratch. "Don't be a meanie."
He growled. "I'm defending my territory. And I'm defending you."
"Me?" The she-cat laughed. "Oh, I'm flattered, Scratch, but I'm good. I could defeat any cat. I don't need help! I'm awesome enough! Let that cat go, and I'll show you!"
Scratch looked wary, but he released Duskfall.
"You know what," the she-cat said, "on second thought, I don't feel much like a tussle." She addressed Firelily, Ghostsong, and Duskfall as a whole. "Hey, y'all! Do you wanna come over to my place, hang out, and maybe have a couple rats? Yeah, I know. You do! So follow me!" And with a wink, she took off running.
After a moment, Firelily bolted after her, Duskfall and Ghostsong just behind them.
Scratch screeched in rage, and ran after them. But Everly seemed to know every nook and cranny of this "city". They soon out-maneuvered the Flea-Bit gang, and Everly led them to a low, cozy rooftop.
"This is where I live," she meowed proudly. Then she looked around and smiled brightly. "I see Scratch decided not to come, huh? That's awesome. He's a mouse-brain, and he smells terrible. Who wants a rat? I got a couple somewhere around here…" She dug a fat rat out from under her nest, which was a dirty pile of strange, soft pelts. "Here ya go. I'm Everly, but you can call me Ev. And you guys are…?"
"I'm Firelily," said Firelily. "Thanks for rescuing us from that Flea-Bit gang."
"No prob, Bob! They're just a buncha bullies. Kinda weird name you got there, though," Ev added, sounding curious.
"Well, your name is weirder," Firelily said. "What kind of a name is Everly?"
"My housefolk gave it to me. I kept it. I figured I might as well. I don't want a dumb name like Scratch, you understand. I mean, who does?" Ev turned to the others. "And your names are?"
"Duskfall," Duskfall muttered.
"Ghostsong," said the mystic.
"These names just keep gettin' weirder and weirder!" Ev laughed. "Are you gonna eat that rat? 'Cause if not, I'll be happy to."
"Go ahead," said Firelily.
Ev leapt forward and devoured the rat in three bites. She licked her lips. "Mmmm. There's nothin' like a good rat. So, anyway—what're you doing here in the city?"
"None of your business, is it?" Duskfall said.
"Well, I'd say it is my business. After all, I saved ya, didn't I?" Ev gave them a smug look.
"You wouldn't get it anyway." Duskfall turned his back and padded toward the edge of the roof.
"Sheesh." Ev made a face. "What's with him?"
"A lot," sighed Ghostsong.
"We're from clans," said Firelily.
"Wow, really? I thought clans' were an old queens' tale, to keep kits from running out into the wild!" Ev grinned. "That's so cool that they're real!"
"Yeah," Firelily mumbled. "Cool."
"Y'all seem pretty tired," Ev observed. "Go a head and get some sleep. Tomorrow morning I'll get the whole story outta you." She grinned again. "If you're hungry, I got more rats."
Firelily accepted a rat and padded over to sit next to Duskfall while she ate it. She wanted to say something, but there was nothing to say, so she just sat there silently.
Behind her, she heard Ghostsong explaining some clan stuff to Ev. The black-and-white she-cat seemed nice enough, but had Firelily been too quick to trust? Maybe Ev was no better than Scratch and his gang or Skyblaze and LostClan. It seemed like the world was angry with her, and just kept throwing bad things her way.
She looked up at the Moon. She was still up there, in the city sky. She was still watching over Firelily.
Firelily glanced over at Duskfall, who was staring down at the streets below them.
"Duskfall," she got up the nerve to ask, "who's Breezewhisper?"
He didn't say anything. She sighed. Typical Duskfall.
"She was a very special friend of his," Ghostsong mewed, coming up beside them. "I wanted her as my apprentice, but…I couldn't stand to pull the two of them apart." His voice was heavy with guilt. He blamed himself for her death as much as Duskfall did, she realized.
Duskfall hissed, quiet and furious. He padded away and curled up with his back to them.
Ghostsong looked down, his pale green eyes sad. "She was like a daughter to me," he mumbled. "I wanted her to be happy. I wanted them both to be happy."
Firelily rested her tail on his shoulders. "It's not your fault, Ghostsong. You couldn't have known."
He nodded. "I know…but it doesn't make me feel any better…"
He padded away, his head bowed.
Firelily walked over to where Duskfall lay. "Duskfall—"
"Leave me alone," he snapped.
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I…I wish I could've met Breezewhisker. I'm sure she was a great cat."
Firelily didn't expect him to say anything, but he did.
"She was. She was an amazing cat." He rolled over to face her. "She would've liked you."
Firelily nodded.
He looked so sad and fragile for a moment. Then he pulled himself back together, his face hardening. He turned away from her again and fell silent.
"I can tell you really loved her," Firelily whispered.
Duskfall let out a dry chuckle. "You have no idea."