Rocking the silver tom's body in her arms, Blaze buried her face in the wonderfully thick fur of his chest, her tears mingling with the blood matting his coat, her eyes burning with bitter rage.
"I'm sorry, Blaze." Bill Bailey stood, slump-shouldered, behind her. He had done all he could to reach his friend.
Staring up at him, Blaze shook with fury and misery. "Why didn't you try to save him?" She screamed angrily. "Why did you waste time killing that thing when you could have saved him?"
"Blaze..." Griddlebone gently wrapped her white arms around the sobbing black queen. "Bill did all he could... you can't blame him for Grumbuskin's..." She couldn't bring herself to say the word.
"Death." Blaze mumbled numbly. "Why him, Grid? Why my Grumbuskin? What about our kitten?"
"I don't know, Blaze." Drawing the younger queen into a sympathetic embrace, Griddblebone smoothed her fur, kissing the top of her head sadly. "I really just don't know."
*
Little Dragon stared at the spirit, perplexed. "What do you mean... dead?"
"There was nothing I could do to prevent the death of one of your tribe." Charumcah gazed implacably down at the slight queen, his expression on his dark face as neutral as ever.
The Siamese queen shook her head vehemently. "Don't give me that crap!" She snarled, her hands on her hips fiercely. "You drag me all the way up here, tell me you brought all of us to save your planet, then you'll just sit back and let us die?" She stared out of the window blankly, noticing uneasily that a dark cloud had suddenly begun to form in the clear sky.
Turning back to the spirit, she smiled icily. "I think you're testing us. You can save him any time you want to, but you just want to see how we're going to cope with the loss..."
The cloud swirled closer and closer, engulfing the tower in darkness, but Little Dragon paid no heed, as she took another step towards the spirit.
"You listen to me, buddy." She growled, her hackles rising, her neat white fangs bared threateningly. "You're going to bring my friend back now. He has a mate and they're expecting a kitten... he will NOT die!"
The spirit said nothing for several minutes. It was true. Grumbuskin had sustained a severe blow to the head, but he would not necessarily have died from it, lest Charumcah drew the Yealika's spirit away permanently. He still could return the life.
Lightening flashed around the tower, sparking off the walls around the queen and the spirit. The only outward sign of her anxiety came when her ears flicked back against her skull, but she stood her ground.
"I won't let you let him die." She murmured calmly. "Tell me how to save him."
"There is no wa..."
"Don't give me that bullcrap." She spat. "I know of the old ways. You told me of them yourself, tell me how to do this!!" She stared at the deep, blood-red eyes. "I'm begging, Charumcah," She lowered her voice. "Please..."
*
"What the hell is going on there?" Genghis and McDuff halted the litter that was bearing Grumbuskin's body back to the tower to stare at the immense, jet-black cloud that roiled and billowed around the peak of the tower.
White lightening streaked across the sky, deep rumbles of thunder shaking the very ground they stood on.
"Someone's pissed the black shadow dude off." Bill Bailey murmured painfully, his hand still clutched to his aching ribs, the blood sticky on his fur.
"And it could only be one person..." Griddlebone whispered, her ears flattening against her skull. "Little Dragon's up there with him."
Blaze raised her eyes bleakly to the tower, her hand still clutching Grumbuskin's motionless one tenderly, a look of hope slowly brightening her dulled violet eyes as she felt the tingle of power in the air.
"We have to get there." She whispered hoarsely, her lips barely able to move. "We have to get to the tower as fast as we can!"
Bill Bailey quirked an eyebrow. "I get the crap squished out of me and now you want me toasted? And I thought you liked me..."
"Shut the hell up!" She growled, bending over Grumbuskin, touching his silver face urgently. "Little Dragon..." Her lips moved, but no sound emerged, her eyes closing lightly. "Stop moving!" She ordered, sitting down beside her mate's body.
Lowering the litter, the two larger toms watched in confusion, as Blaze smiled, laying one of her hands over her own heart, her other hand resting on his chest.
"Tell me how, Dragon." She breathed. "I'm ready..."
Backing away, Bill Bailey crept closer to Griddlebone, his uneasy, nervous fear apparent. Wrapping himself in her arms, he watched what the black queen was doing, along with three other pairs of eyes.
*
At the high window of the tower, Little Dragon sat on the window ledge and slowly stretched out her arms, the lightening dancing around her, the heat singing her soft fur as she concentrated.
Swallowing hard, she spread her palms and focused on the small group in the distance, a burst of burning pain exploding through her veins, her blood turning into the very lightening the illuminated her.
The air around her shimmered and crackled as she drew on the energy of the planet and spirit, feeling it pulse through her; heating her, drawing from her, draining her very life force.
A low moan rumbled in her throat, but she found the connection she needed with the black queen and ignored the pain long enough to send the blast of life-giving energy between them.
Wave after wave of dizziness and nausea washed over her, as she grimfacedly maintained the link, her body shaking from the ultimate effort.
Without warning, the blackness engulfed her, the connection broken, the oblivion complete.
*
With a jerk, Grumbuskin's body spasmed against Blaze's shaking hand, his mouth dragging in a gasp of precious air as the energy passed through his body, his dark green eyes sliding weakly open as his lungs filled with the sweet oxygen.
Blinking weakly, he slowly raised his hand to touch Blaze's one that still lay on his chest, a hesitant smile crossing his unusually pale lips.
Her head was aching from the channeling, but Blaze couldn't give a damn about it, gathering her mate in her arms, her tears of relief splashing down his face.
"Hey." He mumbled painfully through his broken jaw. "I thought you would at least be pleased to see me..."
"You prat!" She sobbed with relief. "You silly, silly, prat. Don't you ever die without telling me first, do you hear me? Don't you dare!"
"Been there, done that, got the t-shirt." He breathed slowly, touching her face wonderingly. "Don't fancy trying it again." Kissing the trickle of tears off her cheek, he smirked up at her. "Does this mean I get breakfast in bed yet?"
"Don't push your luck!" She replied sharply, poking him in the ribs gently, her eyes widening as he yelped in pain. "Oh, Grum, darlin' I'm sorry..."
"You forget," He spoke through his teeth painfully. "You resurrected me... you didn't heal me..."
"You can do that yourself, you lazy arse." Bill Bailey sauntered over. "You have no idea how much effort I had to put in to kill that thing...ME! I had to do something useful! All to save your sorry hide, can you believe that?"
"What is the world coming to?" Grumbuskin grinned weakly. "Now we know you can hunt, you've got no excuse."
Bill Bailey stared at his battered compatriot, then laughed. "Damn! My evil plans foiled!" He paused, shaking his head lightly. "Again!"
"Do you hurt much, Grum?" Griddlebone asked anxiously, leaning over Blaze's shoulder to look him over.
Shifting his weight, he shook his head weakly. "Not too badly." He replied, lying through his teeth. "I'm a mass of bruises and I think my shoulder must be dislocated... it was that thump on the head that did the damage."
"Damage?" Genghis echoed. "Dost my ears deceive me? You insinuate that you have something worth damaging inside that thick little skull of yours?"
"Stranger things have happened." Grumbuskin acknowledged weakly.
Nodding, Genghis retorted. "Blaze here was dumb enough to mate with you... now that is strange!"
"Thanks." Blaze stuck her tongue out, swaying a little, still dizzy.
"Whats wrong, love?" Grumbuskin touched her cheek gently, his eyes dak with concern. "Are you feeling okay?"
"Its just the after-effects of channeling the energy back into you." She rubbed her temples with a weak smile. "I didn't do much...I just had to direct the energy flow...I got the energy from Little Dragon."
"Dragon?" Bill Bailey's ears flattened back. "Will she feel as bad as you do, Blaze?"
Shrugging weakly, blaze wetted her lips. "I'm not sure, Bill..." She glanced over at the tower. The dark cloud was still there, but was paling...melting away. "She won't be good...if I feel this dizzy..."
Before she had even finished speaking, the little tom had sped of, faster than the lightening that had scorched the ground so close to them, his feet barely seeming to skim the rough grasses.
*
Flying up the tower stairs like a bat out of hell, he saw her slumped there, in the shadows, her delicate little body contorted into an agonising position, her face taut and strained.
"Dragon?" Dropping down beside her, he tenderly rolled her over, cradling her in his arms gently.
He could hear every weak, shallow breath she drew, her eyelids fluttering as if she were in the throes of some horrible fit while her body lay inert in his arms, her tail limp on the stone floor.
Her creamy fur was soaked to a dark brown with sweat, the stench of vomit filling the tower with its nauseating smell.
Stroking her face gently, he murmured softly to her, nuzzling her tenderly, his body pressed warmly against her cold one, warming her.
When the blue eyes finally opened, Bill Bailey felt like singing, but - instead - smiled and held her closer, gathering her in his arms and carrying her down the winding stairs.
"Bill?" Blinking as he carried her carefully outside into the sunlight, she rested her face against his chest. "Is he all right?"
Looking down at the self-sacrificing queen, he smiled gently. "Yes, Dragon. That lazy git's goin' to be fine...so are you."
"I know." She murmured, nestling closer to him.
*
Laying Grumbuskin carefully on the thick, soft furs, Blaze drew his head into her lap, gently stroking the thick mass of silver fur. His eyes were closed now, but it was in rest, no longer in unconsciousness and the soothing caress of his mate's fingertips relaxed him even more.
Yawning, he licked his lips and grinned with wicked delight when Blaze giggled and lifted his lips away from the inviting warmth of her inner thighs, lowering her own mouth to his.
"You taste nice." He murmured wearily as she withdrew her lips, tracing her fingers tenderly along his swollen jaw.
"I'll take that as a compliment." She whispered in husky response, gently licking his bloody fur with her rough tongue, cleaning the dirt and crusty mud and blood out of his silky mane.
Closing his eyes, he tilted his chin back to let her clean his neck and smiled. "It was meant as one...you've neer tasted or smelt better than you do tonight..."
And even though he told her that many times, it never had as much meaning as it did on that day, as she tended his wounds and cleaned his scars.
*
Outside, Bill Bailey still embraced Little Dragon.Carrying her down to the river, he laid her on the bank, sliding into the water and gently pulling her in beside him, cradled securely in his arms.
Carefully cleaning the grime and sweat off her fur with the soft, sun-warmed water, he smiled at her, as her arm wrapped around his shoulder holding him close.
Flushing the dirt and sweat out of her soft fur, he moistened his striped paws and stroked her relaxed face, brushing the burning, hot skin with the water, cooling her down slowly.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked as she opened her round blue eyes.
"Much." She smiled weakly up at him, her lips barely strong enough to twitch upwards in the full smile she wished she could give him. "My head...hurts a little...but I think I'll be fine..." Her eyes sank closed once more.
Cleaning her face more slowly with his tongue, he paused and murmured. "You better be, little lady." Shifting in his arms she rubbed her face against his, her soft lips brushing too close to his own for him to resist.
Little Dragon was more than fully-aware of the firm lips of a very attractive tom pressing hungrily against her, her arm tightening around his shoulder, deepening the kiss until it became unbearable.
Drawing back, the pair stared at one another in awe-struck silence - the only sound the ripple of the water around them. Little Dragon hesitantly fingering her lips, a grin twitching at the corners of her mouth.
"Uh..." Bill Bailey quirked her that cheeky familiar sheepish grin, his arms still securely around her. "What just happened?"
Shifting her weight, her damp chest rubbed teasingly against his as she lifted herself up, both arms draped over his shoulders, holding her body closely against his as she replied silkily. "You just kissed me."
"Er..." Grinning weakly, he shook his head. "I think you'll find its the other way around, Dragon..."
Shaking her head, she gazed up at him from below thick dark lashes, a soft smile playing on her lips. "No, Mr Bailey," She murmured softly. "If I kissed you, it would be like this..."
The second kiss the pair shared was more prolonged and much sweeter than their previous and first shy attempt with much less of the clashing of fangs that often accompanies a first kiss.
"So..." Grinning like the cat that got the proverbial cream, the brown and white tom kissed the Siamese queen gently on the tip of her brown muzzle. "Do you still have such a very bad headache?"
"I think I'll survive." Returning the grin, Little Dragon kissed him again, their damp fur wafting in the current.
*
"Awww." Griddlebone drew back from the window ledge with a smile. "Our resident kittens are now officially mated."
From his position on the floor, where his head still rested in his mate's lap, the silver tom chuckled painfully, his aching ribs crying out in outrage. "Looks like I'm going to win, after all." He mumbled, burying his face in the fuzzy, black warmth of her round belly.
"Win what?" Blaze asked sleepily, her own head resting on the snoozing Genghis' back, her arms pillowing her head against his firm, muscular spine. "You haven't been making bets have you?"
"Would I?" Came the muffled reply from her belly, followed by a lazy yawn.
Genghis gave a stifled snort of laughter, puffing up his long whiskers up as he lazily shifted his weight slightly off his back, rolling onto his side much to Blaze's indignation.
"Kittens in less than two years, no doubt." Blaze murmured sleepily, unable to figure out just why Genghis and Grumbuskin both burst out laughing.
Glancing out the window once more as the young couple, Griddlebone sank down next to her mate and grinned at the giggling trio on the floor with a heavy sigh of mock-despair.
"Hopefully those two will prove a tiny bit saner than this lot...sensible parents...thats what we need..."
"Wishful thinking, love." McDuff chuckled, wrapping his arms around her. "Most everyone is mad here."
Rolling her eyes, Griddlebone nodded. "Ain't that the truth!"
"And to think the insanest one of us all is going to be a daddy in a matter of weeks..." Genghis whimpered from beneath Blaze's legs. "God help the Yeahlika world as we know it!"
"And us." Blaze added, turning serious. "We need all the help we can get."