“Lyre!”

  Gasping awake, Lyre jumped upwards and found himself on a stone surface. “Get me out!” He screeched, filing his paws wildly. All he saw was darkness.

  The stone ground felt cold, but also warm. Something- or someone- was lifting his arm. As they did, the sharp cold wind weaved through his fur and grabbed his entire fnk, sending a shiver through the rest of his body. He shut his eyes tighter as another gust smmed against his face, and he felt his fur ruffle violently.

  He managed to open his eyes, where he met the concerned gaze of the one cat in a while who called him by his name. The distant expression that radiated from them distracted him from the pawstep that approached from his side.

  He tried to squirm his way to see who it was, but a couple firm paws held him in pce. It felt like at least three or four of them, pressing down onto his side like the strange pressure he felt in his chest.

  “What the…?” The annoyed voice of a male cat was heard. “Didn’t I say he was to leave and never return?”

  Lyre felt his eyes closing and vision blurring again as the pleading voice of Quartz became muffled. A loud noise suddenly snapped him back into consciousness; a hiss? A yowl? He wasn't sure. But once his vision cleared, he saw a closer view of the Calico’s intense tawny stare.

  With a deep growl, he retreated backwards and whipped around, tail high before stomping away and saying something. Lyre couldn’t make out the words as he saw darkness slowly constrict his vision. But the one voice he could hear clearly, more clearly than the others, was the one that sounded as if whoever was speaking was right there with him. It sounded familiar, but just before he could make out its words, they became muffled again.

  A violent shake woke him up a third time.

  “You looked absolutely dazed…” Quartz shook her head, sighing. “What happened?”

  “Uhm…I don’t…need to…tell you anything, you…” His speech was a bit slurred, then trailed away as he felt his body going limp.

  Another shake.

  “Gah! Okay, I…the tree…rocks…” He was lifted by his scruff and was forced to stand on his incredibly shaky and wobbly legs. He felt like a newborn kitten, walking about on clumsy legs before getting used to walking. He took in a breath of icy cold air, and his next words were muted by the aggressive spping of the wind. His eyes stung and watered, and even though he knew he’d slip out of consciousness again if he were to close his eyes, he did so anyway.

  A sharp sudden pain forced his eyes open, and he felt himself slowly being able to stand on his legs. He still felt Quartzs’ jaws grabbing his scruff to keep him from colpsing.

  At st his legs stopped wobbling. Quartz, noticing this, slowly let go of him.

  “Lyre? That’s your name, right?” After getting no response, she spoke again, slowly. “How do you feel?”

  Pissed off. I never needed your help. I never needed any of your help. All I want is to be alone. Is it really that much of a struggle for you to understand?! Lyre’s pain was quickly repced by anger. He bared his teeth as a growl escaped his throat. “Who asked you to save me? After I specifically said I wanted to be alone? You and your little group of cats need to respect that.”

  “Woah woah woah,” the Calico stepped into view, lips curled in the beginnings of a snarl. “You’re the one to talk about ‘respect’ and all that other nonsense. Remember, you’re the one who took our prey. And not only that, you wasted it! And you left it sitting close to the other carcasses, so now we have to-”

  “I think he gets your point. You don’t need to bring it up again.” The Bobtail sighed.

  “Well obviously he doesn’t. I say I teach him a lesson.” He lifted his chin.

  Pupils slitting, Lyre crouched down and sprang with full force at the tom. He knocked into his chest and used a powerful blow to cause him to stagger on his paws before colpsing.

  The tom yowled in anger and surprise as his hind legs kicked and cwed at Lyre’s belly as the two were locked in a ball of teeth and cws. Several small tufts of white fur flew up in the air, quickly blown away by a strong gust of wind that even moved the two a couple inches to the side.

  “Hey! Cut that out!” Quartz watched with terror as the Calico began thrashing about when Lyre bit his ear.

  Yeah, what she said. The voice agreed. Even though he’s doing most of the work, and you’re- okay, you’re not listening…

  Lyre quickly found himself tiring out after biting down, and wasn't even able to draw blood from not only that, but in general. He was bigger and stronger, yet his ck of energy was the one thing that held him back.

  Panting, he waited until the Calico stopped kicking at him, then he jumped backwards. Small trickles of blood oozed out from the already exposed skin. The Calico jumped at him, but he moved to the side. As he did, however, a horrible cold stone was hurled against his gut.

  Unlike Velvet, who’d mindlessly swiped at the air, the Calico came closer, each swipe tearing off more and more fur.

  After what seemed like forever, he spotted the red outline around the wound in Lyre’s cheek with a smirk. “Aw, and what happened there?” He asked with a mocking pity.

  Even Quartz winced at the sight of it. “Did you even pay any attention to that wound?” She muttered, staring at Lyre.

  Lyre didn’t answer. He didn’t want to speak to any of them. They have no reason to all of the sudden want to start worrying about him. That role was already taken.

  “Oh, now you’re quiet.” The Calico poked the wound with a cw, then quickly scrambled backwards. “Ouch! It’s burning like fire!” He was obviously overreacting.

  He sounds like your father. He has that exact same cocky tone, and it’s irritating.

  Lyre stared, bnk-faced. Wait- how do you know about my father and who he is?

  The voice didn’t answer.

  Taking the opportunity at Lyre’s sudden guard drop, the Calico lunged forwards again, cws aiming for his eyes. But Quartz quickly headbutted him, causing him to stumble.

  He opened his mouth to protest, but she stabbed the air with her right paw.

  She then looked at Lyre. “I understand you say you don’t need our help, but right now you do. You’re especially not going anywhere with that infected wound.” Her voice was firm and commanding, and a passing train of thought made Lyre think that she was actually the leader, and she was just lying about the Calico leading the trio.

  The Calico pushed her to the side as he shook his fur. “Whatever. He’s not even worth helping. He can’t even fight.”

  Before Lyre could snap back, the Calico stuck out his tongue at him and stomped away. Lyre’s tail shed, and he sat up as he began licking his wounds.

  Quartz padded towards him as her eyes filled with sorrow. “I’m so sorry.” She said, “he normally doesn’t act like this. I mean sure, he’s hostile, but he’s usually more welcoming if there’s a cat in need.”

  Lyre only responded with a stinging gre before continuing his grooming.

  She was silent for a few moments. “Do you need any company ter? I’ll wait by the statue.”

  “You know that little kit won’t be needing anyone’s company; let alone yours.” The Calico called from the fern curtain.

  Quartz ignored him. “So anyway…” she averted her gaze. “...whenever you feel better- from this fight and from losing your home- remember that we can meet by the statue of The Petrifier.” Waving her tail in a “good-bye” motion, she turned and headed towards the fern curtain.

  Oh, little do you know, Quartz, I didn’t just lose my home. Lyre thought despairingly as he stopped cleaning the wounds and moved to the rest of his body. His fur was terribly matted and not very well-kept. But despite barely having any energy left, he forced himself to smoothen down his fur.