The shadows

[spike]

Zoomer paused when he heard the laughter. Something in him began to yearn it though. The smile twitched at his face before he finally managed to bellow out a few notes of laughter. How long had it been since he had last laughed? Two days? Two moons? No... probably not since kithood. It was a depressing thought but now he had laughter again.

"Oh, Clover," he sighed to regain his breath. "You have enough courage for a milllion cats sometimes. But it's so hard to believe that you're not a million. Just one. It's been so long since I've had that type of fun. Or any fun, for that matter."

[Kitty]

"Well, I've never had that kind of fun, so you're ahead of me!" Clover meowed, feeling her pelt grow warm from his compliments. They were complements, right? Oh well, it really didn't matter. She'd made Zoomer have fun for the first the first time in a long time. Her laughter died down to only a chuckle, then faded to almost completely gone, but it still shone in her eyes.

"You know, you're the only kind loner I've met so far," she realized out loud, settling into a more comfortable position on the ground; one where she didn't have to crane her neck so far around to see Zoomer to talk to him. So, she pretty much just rolled over to face him.

[spike]

"Then you haven't met that many," he suddenly growled. Zoomer climbed to his feet to walk off a few pawsteps. He hated snapping at Clover but there was a sudden feeling engulfing his heart and his mind. Fear. Total fear. There had only been one "friend" he had ever made in his life. That had been Leader. Leader taught him to hunt, to live, to survive. Leader gave him life when death was there to take him so willingly. Leader had spared him when he could've killed the kit. That weak tom-kit that was once Dusty was now Zoomer, a brave -or so he thought- loner.

He sighed before facing Clover again. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean that. I'm scared, that's all. You understand, right? I only know one other cat but, as far as I'm concerned, he's dead. Leader was the only cat I knew really. It's strange for me to have such a playmate. Please forgive me."

[Kitty]

Clover gasped in shock and backed up against the barn in a crouch as Zoomer snapped at her. What had she said? She'd said something about him being kind...she couldn't even remember anymore. But why had he snapped, exactly?

But she soon found out as he faced her again, looking sad. She looked down at her paws. "Well, I never knew any cat really, so, again, your ahead of me. And aren't we all scared of something?" she ased in a murmur. She sighed, and mewed, "It's okay."

[spike]

"Others have been quick to judge me for my sudden reactions," Zoomer admitted. "They run off on me for it. Thank you for not doing so. I have a... problem with the idea of others. I don't know why but it's not easy trying to hold up to something like friendship." He slunk back like a punished kit before pressing his nose to Clover's shoulder in a friendly way. "Now, as I was going to say, you haven't met that many. You can see other kind loners out there. I don't want you to think I am the only one out there. You're not as old as I am. You can fit well in a society of other loners, if you try."

[Kitty]

Clover looked back up. "I'm a patient cat," she meowed. "And you're welcome. I think. Anyway, sure, I've met plenty. they've juswt taken one look at me and ran. Why? I dunno. They just don't really like cats, I guess." She shrugged. Then she snorted. He didn't think she was as old as him? They were within a couple moons of eachother, at least. "So, mister I'm-way-older-than-you, how old are you, exactly?" she demanded, a teasing glint in her eyes, that also seemed to say, 'I'm gonna prove you wrong. We're almost the same age, and I know it!' So she sat and waited for his answer, putting a calm face on overtop of her still slightly-confused look, from when she'd wondered why he'd snapped.

[spike]

"I'm going to guess that you're thirty moons," Zoomer began. 'Just to start. I'm... oh, what was it now." His face wrinkled in thought as he seemed to recall the days of his life. "I believe... yes, yes, fifty-two moons. That's about right. Or at least I hope it's right. Anyways, I'm about fifty-two moons. That's how Leader taught me to count my age, that is. I don't know the kittypet terms for age. I know it's different though. My mother never referred to her age in moons."

Zoomer's eyes gained a devilish glimmer now. "So, was I right? Or was I right?" he asked smugly.

[Kitty]

Clover burst out laughing at his guess. Did she really look that young? Actually, it was kind of flattering. Especially since she was twenty moons older than that. Yes, they were very close together in age.

"I'm sorry, Zoomer, but you're right. Just barely. Thirty moons? Seriously? I mean, I know I look young, but that young? Anyway, I suppose I should feel flattered, hm? Especially since you were exactly twenty moons off from my real age. I'm fifty moons old, roughly." She laughed again. "And I only count my age by moons. How other kittypets do theirs, I'm not sure, but in the room with cages the cats there taught me to give my age this way." She smiled smugly this time. "So what was that about being an elder?"

[spike]

"I'll be an elder two moons before you!" he pointed out. "So I am right that I'm older than you. But don't get a big head off of the age thing. You really do look that young. When we're a hundred moons- I'll be a hundred and two- you'll look as old as you are now, only in your fifties!" Zoomer lifted his chin defiently as if to end the statement. "I still win," he mewed like a kit with its small bit of dignity hurt. "I'm happy enough with that."

A sudden hush reign over Zoomer for a moment. "Anyways, you really do look thirty moons," Zoomer grumbled shyly.

[Kitty]

Clover laughed to herself, still not quite sure. Thirty? She shook her head unnoticeably. "Fine, you be happy with winning, I'll be happy with not being an elder until after you." She smiled, then got quiet too, feeling a little awkward. After all, even if Zoomer didn't look fifty moons, he looked older than Clover. Maybe it was a little awkard for him. "I'm just good at judging ages. If I weren't good I probably would've thought you ere about forty moons." That was probably just an excuse, trying to make him feel a little more comfrotable. She chuckled, poking Zoomer with a paw. "You're making me feel all old now. I look thirty moons but feel fifty." She shook her head in mock-sadness.

[spike]

"Don't even say that," Zoomer snarled in a playful manner. He reached out to bat at her nose as if scolding a kit. "You and I don't need to be ten moons or such to have fun. We're not old. We have over half our lives still before us. Why, we'll hit a hundred moons then we get the right to feel old. But for now, I say we both make a promise. I'll promise to you and you can promise to me. Deal?"

Before waiting for her answer, Zoomer leapt to his feet with the usual second to reset his body in a usual stance. "I, Dusty, better known as Zoomer the loner, will promise to live every day as my last to make sure I never feel old again. I will play like a kit and fight like a young tom. I will work hard for anything I must and I will never work too hard to let my paws pain. I promise that to you, Clover."

He smirked in a way that seemed to say 'can you do better?'

[Kitty]

Clover grinned. "Deal!" Hm, a promise...

She, too, jumped to her paws and raised one front paw. "I, Clover the loner, former kittypet, will promise to live every day until I die as my last so I will never feel old again. I will play like a kit and have fun and learn someting new every single day just like a young she-cat. I will work hard every day in order to get what I want, but never enough to cause my poor little paws lots of soreness. And I promise to keep feeling young, even when I've passed on to the afterlife. This I promise to you, Zoomer, or...Dusty."

Dusty...That was a new one. Zoomer hadn't told him he was once called Dusty. She smiled at him, as if to say, 'I think I just did.'

"Happy now?" she asked, smiling and batting playfully at Zoomer as she resumed sitting.

[spike]

"Dusty was the name my mother gave me," he informed quickly instead of answering her question. "I found it respectable to do so. I was a former kittypet too, remember. I can' t forget all the parts of my life. But yes, I am really Dusty. Don't ever call me that in life though. Only this occasion. I'm just Zoomer to others."

Zoomer paused to daydream again. He brought back past memories of kithood and other such things before clearing his throat, in turn bringing him back. "I think we can call that a success," he spoke up in a lighter tone. "That felt... good. I feel better now, Clover. Thanks."

[Kitty]

"Oh, I see. Clover was the name my mother gave me," Clover meowed with a laugh. She remembered her mother a little, not very well, though. The loner remembered her scent and what she looked like. Clover's mother looked like Clover.

She smiled. "Yes, that was definitely a success," she agreed. "I feel younger already!" She paused to think, then a devillish grin spread across her face. "So, what would you do if I did call you Dusty?" she wondered out loud.

[spike]

"You want to risk it?" Zoomer purred while raising his chin up in a strong way. He stared down on her with the glimmer in his eyes strengthened with amusement to think about it. But the small growl in the back of his throat broke through. It was one that seemed to test another. It was one that simply acted the question he had voiced earlier. It was one of dominance and confidence.

Then some part of him knew that Clover was a risky she-cat. She would dare to risk it.