oSaC || a partnership between birds and lynxes

= PenguinEatsCarrots
= Ciarwitch

---

The clearing was in disarray; cats were everywhere battling all kinds of shaded creatures with eyes glowing brighter than fire. Lynxtail herself happened to be right in the middle of such comotion.

She had successfully snapped Ashenpaw out of his Ashen stupor, letting him reunite with his mentor. Blood dribbled from a wound on her underside but she ignored it in favor of docking a surprise blow from an ashen creature. These creatures were relentless! The taby she-cat growled in annoyance as she slashed her claws aross the creatures exposed throat, watching it disipate into the air like smoke.

A cry of distress rose above the normal sounds of war. It struck through Lynxtail's head with familiarity and her brown eyes widened as she realized who it belonged to. Birdcatcher! Lynxtail had grown quite close to the older she-cat and couldn't fight the ball of cold fear that rolled in her stomach.

She turned around quickly and bolted towards the group of healers. She bounded past cats fighting off creatures, some solo but most in pairs. Somewhere inside Lynx's mind she smiled. Everyone was working as a collective unit—a team—and fought this enemy together.

The Scottish fold spotted the gray crafter with little difficulty. She was being tag teamed by two large shadow creatures, black smoke like ooze dripped from their jaws like blood. Their eyes glowed red and their body seemed to fluctuate like mist. Lynxtail bolted forward with a yowl of fury. "Don't you touch her you createns!" She hissed as she came closer.

Everything had gone to shit once Nic had left-- and of course, though she'd just healed the Skinner, Birdie leapt into the fray. She never had known when to leave well enough alone, after all, so now wasn't the time to start, when nothing was well enough to leave alone.

She was exhausted, but often, the Ashen-Shadows were simple enough to attack or kill. They had minds-- though those minds were.. Faulty, for some reason. She could effect them, with her telempathy-- and she did. She filled them with terror-- then dispatched them, with vicious blows to the throats, the heads and spines. She was a warrior again, right now-- fighting for her home, and her family. Adrenaline pumped through Birdie's veins, though there was still tremors in her paws.  

She lunged, for another of the beasts, when it wasn't looking. it was larger than she, and she used her smallersize to her advantage, as her mind attacked its-- fear spiraling through the beast, to make it freeze up, or try toflee her. Neither tactic would work, as they rolled from the impact of her tackle-- and she hissed, burying her fangs in it's throat, and tearing it free. The thing vanished, eyes dulling, and she pulled back, and shuddered wearily.

But before she could even turn around, a blow to her middle had her sprawling, and Birdie shrieked in stunned pain. It tore open a wound on her hip, as she rolled--- only to see, with horror, exactly what had happened. To of the beasts were circling her, now, and they had pure malice in those red eyes.

The forest cat mix rocked to her paws, and leapt back, to dodge another blow, fangs bared, and powers arcing from her. But two at once, in her weakened state-- she couldn't. Leaping back, again, she barely heard the scream of rage, from Lynxtail, but she looked up just in time, to see that the Monarch was coming to her aid-- attacking one of the creatures. The Crafter didn't even waste time on a relieved sigh, spinning and lunging for the one who had not been targeted by Lynx, to tear into it as best she could, even in her weakened state. Claws gleamed, as both she-cats attacked their targets.

Lynxtail couldn't explain how happy she was she had heard Birdcatcher in time. The gray speckled she-cat was struggling, Lynxtail could see it clearly, the healing and the constant battling finally taking its toll.

The monarch growled loudly and dug her enhanced claws deep into the shoulder of one of the shadow creatures. She was so done with these creatures. With saber like fangs, she sunck her teeth into the creatures neck, savoring the feeling of flesh becoming mist.

"Bird!" Lynxtail called above the crowd. She turned her eyes to see Birdcatcher battling the other creature. She was holding her own but just barely.

Birdie managed, barely, to tear at the other-- but this one, she couldn't take down, on her own, and she staggered back, leaping and hissing, again to stay out of range. She leapt, to attack, again, and then rolled away, beneath it's stomach to end up near Lynx's paws, out of breath and shuddering, tiredly, as thebeast whirled to face the pair, black ink dripping from wounds one it's stomach and sides from the Crafter's efforts.

She didn't have enough left in her to kill it, though, and so she just paused, focusing and using the telempathy once more, in a pink glow, to make the beast stiffen with fear.

"Help, please." She panted, to Lynxtail, looking up at the Monarch as she struggled to her paws.

Lynxtail didn't need to be told twice. Activating her geokenisis, Lynxtail shifted the earth beneath Birdcatcher, causing the ground to tilt towards Lynxtail. In doing this, Lynxtail managed to roll Birdcatcher away from the threat.

Surprising the enemy, Lynxtail leapt over the unturned earth and barreled into the creature head on. Her skull impacted the beast with a loud CRACK and Lynxtail had to pause to clear her head as the beast fell to the ground with a thud.

Birdcatcher had successfully wounded the creature to the point that only a few more blows would take it down for good. She leapt at the ashen creature once more with fangs bared biting and nipping at every bit of exposed flesh. She felt claws tear into her in unarmored flesh, making crosshatches across her side and stomach, until suddenly it stopped and nothing was left but smoke drifiting off into the wind.

Birdie let out a yelp, as she was rolled away from the beast, sprawling on her side a short distance from the battle that was now taking place. She let out a panicked, bleating sort of meow, as she struggled to her paws to ensure that Lynxtailwas alright. But she needn't have worried.

Moving, as Lynxtail dispatched it, the Crafter laid her nose on the side of the Monarch's--- healing it, and her wounds almost immediately, and then sitting back, heavily, with a soft smile. "Lynxtail. You're a sight for these eyes of mine." she said, softly, affectionately. She'd always liked Lynxtail-- she was a kind, brave soul, and full of hope.

"--" She wasn'tsure what else to say, buther head dropped, the exhaustion weighing on her like a rock upon her lungs, as the Crafter finally took a moment to breathe. She needed it. She didn't want it, but she needed it. The chaos-- it almost seemed like it was dying down, after all, and so she sighed, quietly, in a sort of relief. Perhaps, then, soon, they could go--
Nic...
She didn't want to think about that.

Lynxtail hadn't even realized her wounds were being healed until she felt a comforting warmth overwhelm her. She looked down to see a very worn Birdcatcher healer her wounds. She gave her a soft smile and said, "and you mine," she took this moment to sit next to the gray she-cat.

Other cats were beginning to enter Babylon. What awaited them in this tower? Lynxtail shuddered at the thought. It could be practically anything and that's what scared her most. Lynxtail let out a deep breath before turning her attention to the worn she-cat. "I'm sorry I can't help you much.." She frowned. She never did learn any tiers in healing, she was so worried on getting on the offense and defense that healing had never crossed her mind.

"I can build a wall to block them out for now but that's the best I can do." She continued to watch as cat after cat disappeared into the gauntlet. "I wonder what's on the other side.. What's awaiting us.. What does he," she nearly snarled, "has planned."

Birdie watched, as others entered the gauntlet, and she sighed, softly, bowing her head, just a little. She was resting, now-- but she intended upon entering Babylon as well, and would not give until she was at the top, and confronting the  tom that her heart achedso badly about. Looking to the cream she-cat, Birdie sighed.

"It's alright. I'm afraid I'll have to take one of those restorative fruits, but.." a shake of her head. "I intend to enter Babylon. And I won't let anything stop me." There was a steely determination, in those pink eyes, and she looked at the tower, towards the very top. She wondered if Nicholas could see them, from there, or if they were naught but specks. Or if he was even bothering to watch, and was just waiting, like a king in one of her stories upon a throne. The thoughtmade her want to blanch, but she didn't. She looked back to the monarch, and made a sad sort of smile.

"--- He was my friend too. But.." She sighed, shaking her head. "I grieve him. I grieve him and who we all knew, as much as I wonder how much of that was truth and how much was a lie." But her eyes steeled, again. "We will get our answers, however. Of this, I have no doubt."
...
And even still. After all this..

She didn't know what she hoped would happen, in the end.

"I won't stop you," Lynxtail told her with a lighter smile. "As long as you take me with you. You'll need my help as much as I'll need yours.. It's best not to take this challenge on alone,"

She remembered months of pure loneliness and tried to shake off the memories. It was painful to know that when you called out you were calling out to pure emptiness. The thought could make someone go insane and it nearly did.

"He was our friend," Lynxtail repeated in a low murmur. She finally allowed her head to bow lowly in what someone would see as defeat, Lynxtail saw it as weariness, fatigue, sadness. "We had trusted him.. Let him into our hearts. Only to have him turn around and tear it to shreds. We TRUSTED him!" she lashed at the ground with enhanced claws causing deep crevices to appear.

Her voice held so much anger and confusion. Why? Why did he have to do this? Turn around and  forfeit all the friendships he's made? All the heart he's touched? She hated it. She hated him. It hurt.

Birdie looked surprised, as Lynx said that she wished to accompany her up the tower. She had thought that the female monarch would pair with Hop, if anyone. Not herself. But a small smile split her muzzle. "Then I will be your partner." Came the soft, but firm words, as she ducked her head.

It was hard. This was bringing back every sorrowful feeling she'd had-- both when the darkness had first come, and during the Calamity itself. She shook her head, and pushed it back, nuzzling Lynxtail, gently, soothingly, as the cat seemed taken by her own demons, for a moment there.

"I don't think he's seeing this all.. As it is. He's seeing it through blinders." Birdie said, sadly. " We'll have to make him see to make him stop. And I think.. Oh Lynxtail. Don't let anger, and rage warp who you are. Don't let it change your heart. I know this is hard. I know. It's horrific and heartripping." But she sighed.
"But remain true to who the stars chose, Lynxtail. Even now. Especially now. You are wonderful. Kind, and strong. Rely on those things." A smile.

"And as your partner, I vow to remind you."