Enemy

Looking back slowly, I see a pair of golden, glowing eyes. A big grey cat leaps into the open, snarling. It is a lynx, I can tell, and its long, silver claws are unsheathed. I hear Gingercat whimper, and Leona protectively wraps her tail around the kitten.

"Why are you here?" the lynx demanded, locking eyes with Loong. He crept towards the dragon, his claws tapping delicately against the stone. We are in a spot so dark, dark enough that those golden eyes seem to be the brightest things nearby. "Loong!" He growls, baring his sharp teeth. "Answer me!"

"What do you want from me?" Loong growls back, showing his fangs as well. I never noticed how incredibly pointed his teeth really are.

"Where is Lava?" the grey cat asks impatiently, launching himself at the dragon. I feel my heart race just watching. Loong will be okay, he's pretty big compared to the lynx. He yanks on Loongs' pointed ears and hisses, "YOUR QUEEN!?" He was loud enough to shake the ground, making Gingercat crouch even lower to the ground.

"It's none of your--" Loong makes a high-pitched sound as the lynx claws at the dragons' magenta eyes. Hopefully, he shut his eyes in time. I don't want to see two eye-injuries.

"Loong, careful!" Gingercat yowls in her small, squeaky voice. She jumps over Leona's striped tail, running up to the lynx and raking her silver claws down his side. The animal flattens his dark ears, snarling at the tabby, his yellow eyes blazing with fury.

Gingercat flattens her ears as she spits, "Come at me, you stupid fuzzball!"

The lynx laughs, dropping off of Loong. "Hah, pathetic."

Suddenly, Loong launches himself at the grey cat, roaring with anger.

I didn't quite catch what happens next, but Loong falls to the ground, shaking, and his neon orange blood is pouring down the lynx's paws.

But this isn't the end of him yet.

"Run!" Leona yowls, making Gingercat jump slightly. Leona and I begin to run, but it's awkward because this area of stone is a bit slippery, for some odd reason.

"Help!" Gingercat yelps, trying to get up but failing. The lynx has her pinned down, and just as I turn around, there's an orange flash. There was a big orange tabby with brown stripes, her golden eyes blazing as she snarls fiercely at the lynx. Somehow, she had always managed to keep the white fur on her chest, belly, snout, and paws very clean.

"Leave my kittens alone!" She jumps toward the lynx, his eyes wide as he's knocked off Gingercat. I know that cat; she's someone I will never forget.

"Milo!" I meow, ears perking up. She's the cat that took me in when my parents wouldn't.

"Yes," the tabby purrs deeply but sweetly. "And you, Dark, should try calling me 'Mom', for once." The lynx rolls his eyes, clearly annoyed that someone interrupted his ending scene. Milo slams the lynx onto the ground, knocking the breath out of him before taking a bite at his throat.

"Now, where were we when I last saw you all together?" How is Milo so chill right after murdering someone… right in front of us too?

"I… I don't--" Gingercat stops abruptly, her mouth hanging open. I see what she sees now.

A forest-green dragon steps out of the darkness, lime-green eyes glowing. Their long tail has a large red leaf growing off the end, and red leaf-shaped wings to match. When she slowly blinks, thick red lashes follow swiftly. "Have you seen Loong?"

"I'm sorry." Leona faces the new dragon. "A lynx killed him."

"You can't assume that a dragon's dead before you actually know the truth," Loong walks out of a shady corner, his wounds healed as if they had never been given to him.

Gingercat stares in shock. "But how…?

"Forest and I --well, all dragons-- have more than just one life. So, I am not dead yet." The fire dragon smiles. "And by the way, Forest is that beautiful dragon over there."

Forest shakes her head, giggling. "I have noticed that you all keep getting attacked--"

"How did you know about--?" Milo pauses, hissing when she notices that she was being stared at by everyone. She doesn't like it when others do that.

"Hush now, tabby," Forest continues. "We need to come up with a disguise." The foresty dragon looked over her furry shoulder at Loong.

"I have a plan," the fire dragon whispers. Leona, Gingercat and I exchange glances, unsure about what's about to happen.