Berry's Loss
Summary: After a frightening first outing with her new apprentice, ThunderClan's medicine cat tells her of how she came to ThunderClan. Dapplecloud tells a tale of cross-species friendship, the bond of a mother and her daughter, and loss. How did she make it all of the way to ThunderClan? A three-shot set in the Ghouls of the Clans universe.
A/N: This three-shot is related to my old story Ghouls of the Clans: Tigerstar's Revenge, a Warriors crossover fanfiction I deleted years ago. I will reboot it at some point, but I wanted to start things in one-shot and short story form first.
This story takes place in two different time periods. It starts six years after Thunder and Shadow, but goes back to around one year after Thunder and Shadow. There will be two different allegiances as a result. The present day allegiances will be in this chapter, while the past allegiances will be listed next chapter. All allegiances will be at the bottom of chapters.
In the descriptions of the OCs, I list their parents' names. Some cats might only have one parent listed, and some pairings might be a shock.
Warnings: OCs, character death, gore, fantasy elements, supernatural elements (Dark Forest activity, a supernatural character from another series showing up), kits in life-threatening/life-ending situations, canon deviations, crossover cameo (Ghouls of the Clans started as a multi-crossover; Berry's Loss and Dapple's Return will be the first to reflect this.)
Canon Deviation Warnings: Lake Territory!SkyClan, Powered!Three (they did not lose their powers permanently), Medicine Cats Allowed Mates and Kits, Altered Cat Descriptions (the Erins have not been consistent on cats' appearances or even their gender, so I made up my mind on some cats), Alderheart Not Remaining A Medicine Cat Apprentice, etc.
Crossover Cameo Warning: Discworld. More specifically, Death. Unfortunately, the Dark Forest causes a disturbance in 'normal business' (the collecting of souls) in the flashback portion of the story. Which gets his attention pretty fast.
Dapplecloud darted through the entrance tunnel. Her short fur stood on end. She nudged her apprentice ahead of her. Cats cleared away for the duo.
The thin she-cat panted. Specklepaw had just received her name today. Her first outing should have been a simple tour of ThunderClan's borders, learning where the most common herbs were found, and being taught how to gather moss.
Instead, WindClan's dreamy medicine cat apprentice Lavenderpaw nearly attacked the dark speckled tortoiseshell she-cat and her mentor. Specklepaw witnessed Lavenderpaw's mentor Kestrelflight receiving notification that his son Pheasantpaw had died while he was out of camp from a nasty case of greencough. Dapplecloud had not felt comfortable how the messenger had publicly announced such a delicate matter.
She brought Specklepaw to the ShadowClan and SkyClan borders after giving her condolences to Kestrelflight. She tried keeping an eye on the tortoiseshell. A certain clearing consisting of ThunderClan, ShadowClan, and SkyClan territory was called the Forbidden Clearing for a reason. Then, her apprentice discovered a white object. A round white object with two holes at the top, a smaller hole in the middle, and small round objects on the bottom.
Dapplecloud shuddered at the memory. That had not been a mere object. The white object had been a Twoleg's skull. The very creatures she lived with as a kit until the attack happened. She insisted on burying the skull before she and Specklepaw fled back to camp. They sensed a dark presence around the area.
The she-cats entered the medicine cat den. They emptied their jaws of herbs they had gathered throughout the day. Dapplecloud rounded on her speckled tortoiseshell apprentice once her mouth was free.
"What were you thinking, Specklepaw? I told you not to stray in the Forbidden Clearing for a reason. That Dark Forest spirit could have killed us!"
A hint of worry laced her loud and furious voice. Specklepaw had assisted her for a couple of moons before her medicine cat apprenticeship was made official. The young cat had been one of the first cats to make friends with Dapplecloud in many moons. She was also the granddaughter of the ginger tabby and white she-cat's mentor.
What would Jayfeather think if she had lost Specklepaw tonight?
Specklepaw bowed her head. She did not meet her mentor's gaze.
"I thought that the Twoleg skull was interesting," she admitted.
"None of the warriors had seen a Twoleg for several years. Whenever another cat says that I'm not supposed to go somewhere, that somewhere ends up being fun. I've had to sneak out of camp before to take a look at the forest, and when Skipperpaw told me I couldn't join him once, he and the other kits were played a prank on the warriors without me. I have no idea it would be so dangerous!"
Dapplecloud curled her thin tail around her apprentice. Her dark blue eyes glistened.
"The forest is very dangerous, Specklepaw. That is why kits are supposed to stay in camp until they are apprenticed. When you snuck out with Snowkit and Finchkit before, you stayed near camp, and the warriors searched for you like mad. Now that you are an apprentice, it isn't about being left out of games. Many creatures want to hurt us, and even kill us."
The ginger tabby and white medicine cat scented three cats outside of her den. One carried the milky aroma of the nursery, one had musky tom scent intermingled with rabbit blood, and the last smelled distinctly of forest.
"Your mother, your father, and Squirrelstar are outside," she informed Specklepaw.
"I will tell them about today's events. When I am done, I will bring in some fresh-kill. Please rub your wounds from Lavenderpaw with a little dock while I'm out."
The dark tortoiseshell's bluish green eyes brightened.
"I will. Thank you, Dapplecloud."
Dapplecloud padded out of her den. A large tortoiseshell and white queen bowled into her frail body.
"Dapplecloud, what happened? Is Specklepaw okay?"
A smaller dark gray tabby tom pulled the queen away.
"Robinsong, let her breathe. But, yes Dapplecloud, why did you and Specklepaw run back into camp as if all of ShadowClan were after you?"
A small dark ginger she-cat leveled her green gaze with the medicine cat's very dark blue eyes.
"Dapplecloud, did you and Specklepaw encounter anything unusual during her first time out of camp?"
Dapplecloud flattened her large ears.
"A lot of things, Squirrelstar. Lavenderpaw of WindClan forgot where the borders were. She attacked Specklepaw. I assisted her mentor Kestrelflight in defusing the situation, but then a WindClan messenger arrived to give Kestrelflight grave news of a personal kind. His son Pheasantpaw succumbed to the greencough outbreak WindClan has been suffering from while Kestrelflight and his young apprentice were out of camp."
Squirrelstar bowed her head.
"How sad. But, the events you described wouldn't have you or Specklepaw running around like mice. Did anything else occur?"
The thin she-cat stared at the ground.
"I directed Specklepaw to our borders with ShadowClan and SkyClan after bidding Kestrelflight and Lavenderpaw farewell. I showed her where celandine grows at the lakeshore. We ended up near the Forbidden Clearing. Specklepaw spotted a white object near the edge of it. I told her not to stray into that area, but she didn't listen."
Robinsong's back fur rose.
"The Forbidden Clearing?! Why did you take her anywhere near that place?! Specklepaw doesn't always listen to what Smokefoot and I tell her."
Dapplecloud kept her very dark blue eyes to the ground. Robinsong had bore five kits in two different litters. Three were newly apprenticed. One was the age of a warrior but still an apprentice from a bad shoulder injury in his ninth moon.
The final kit had her spine crushed from a badger's paw smashing down on her small black body. She shoved her brother away from the menacing creature so he would live. She spent three nights in agony in the medicine cat den before Dapplecloud gave her the only help she could.
Robinsong's anger was justified. What cat should see their kits pass into the paws of StarClan? Dapplecloud's own mother grieved deeply after the attack. The attack that robbed the two she-cats of their kin, and led them to ThunderClan.
Smokefoot nudged his mate.
"All apprentices need to tour the borders so they don't trespass on another Clan's territory," the dark gray tabby tom reminded Robinsong.
"Every cat has the risk of straying into the Forbidden Clearing once around the ShadowClan and SkyClan borders. What was the white object my daughter decided to examine, Dapplecloud?"
Bile traveled up Dapplecloud's throat. Fifteen law of the warrior code or not, she hated seeing dead or injured Twolegs because of her kittypet background. Her voice came out barely audible.
"It was the skull of a Twoleg, Smokefoot. There were no other bones nearly. We buried it, and then sensed a malicious Dark Forest presence. It was a cat made of shadows that was larger than a fox. Specklepaw never looked so scared. We fled back to the camp. The spirit lost us after a while."
Squirrelstar growled softly. She swished her bushy tail about.
"Good. I will remind all mentors to maintain vigilance while around the west side of our territory. All of them should emphasize why the Forbidden Clearing is forbidden. I will leave any punishment for Specklepaw's disobedience to you."
Robinsong glanced at the ginger tabby and white medicine cat.
"May we say goodnight to Specklepaw?"
The dappled she-cat nodded.
"Of course. Please keep it brief. After I find her something for tonight's meal, I want her to rest so she's ready to go in the morning."
The tortoiseshell and white she-cat entered the medicine cat den with Smokefoot. Dapplecloud padded to the fresh-kill pile. She picked a scrawny mouse for herself and a plump squirrel for her apprentice. The small she-cat didn't need that much, but Specklepaw was large for her age and still growing.
Robinsong and Smokefoot exited the medicine cat den as Dapplecloud crept inside.
Specklepaw laid in her fresh nest of moss. She raised her head.
"Mother and father spoke to me," she meowed.
"Mother doesn't want me around the west part of the territory. Father told me I should listen to you more often, but that I'll get better with time. Will I have to be punished?"
The ginger tabby and white she-cat nodded.
"It's not going to be that bad," she assured the young she-cat.
"You will just have to attend to the elders for a day. Part of this is my fault. You're just out of the nursery, and I didn't keep a good eye on you as I should have."
Dapplecloud dropped the squirrel in front of the tortoiseshell's large paws. Specklepaw tore into it with great speed.
Dapplecloud nibbled at her mouse more slowly. While the day had been sunny, cold air had nipped at her short fur all day long. Frost would kill most of ThunderClan's herbs soon. She would take her speckled apprentice with her tomorrow so she became familiar with ThunderClan's herbs. Perhaps she should push the she-cat's punishment back two days so her education was not neglected?
"Hey Dapplecloud, how come you know so much about Twolegs?" Specklepaw blurted out.
The remains of her squirrel laid beside her. Only the bones and fur were left.
The thin she-cat stared at her nest. She wanted her muscular apprentice to fall asleep soon. Was the story of her family's demise inappropriate so close to bedtime? It might give the thicker-furred young cat nightmares.
"You know that I had spotted a Twoleg skull right away, and you spoke how they behaved as if you had seen them before," the tortoiseshell apprentice added.
Dapplecloud locked her gaze with the young cat. Her whiskers twitched.
"That is because I knew Twolegs more than the typical Clan cat. Specklepaw, did anyone tell you of where I came from?"
Specklepaw shook her head.
"No. Were you born outside of the Clans like my parents, Frostflower, Hailwhisker, Webtail, and Ravencloud?"
The ginger tabby and white she-cat glanced around the medicine den. She nodded.
"Yes. I used to be what Clan cats deem a kittypet. I lived with my mother, my sister, my brothers, my father, and my uncle in a Twoleg nest. Our Twolegs consisted of one adult she-Twoleg, her mate, and their Twoleg she-kit. My mother and I stayed there until I was four moons old."
Her dark tortoiseshell apprentice widened her eyes.
"What caused you and your mother to leave?" she voiced.
"Were the Twolegs mean?"
Dapplecloud fluffed up her fur. She glared at the young she-cat.
"By StarClan, no!" she hissed.
"They were nothing but kind to my family."
She paused for deep breaths. Her dark blue eyes softened.
"I can tell you the story of why my mother and I settled into ThunderClan, but you need to go right to sleep afterwards. We will need to be quiet since most of our Clan are settling down for bed. Do you understand, Specklepaw?"
Specklepaw nodded.
Dapplecloud shifted closer to her apprentice. Her voice came out as a whisper.
"The first thing that you need to understand is that, while neither kittypets or Twolegs speak the same tongue, they can understand what the other is saying when they've been around each other for a long time. My mother's name had been Mottleflower, but our Twolegs called her Briar after her brown and cream muzzle, ears, legs, and tail. The rest of her body was pale."
Specklepaw wriggled in her nest.
"What about the rest of your family? Did your Twolegs have names?" she whispered excitedly.
The dappled ginger tabby and white she-cat gazed fondly at her apprentice. She nodded.
"Everyone in this story, whether they are cats or Twolegs, has a name," she assured the apprentice.
"My father was called Jack. We weren't close, but he loved my siblings and I. He was mostly white with a ginger tabby patch on his right ear. Cloudy was my only sister. She loved climbing trees. Her fur was white all over. She would have been right at home in ThunderClan or SkyClan."
She paused for breath. Memories flashed in her mind about her kithood home.
"My brothers were named Rudy and Patches. Rudy liked making others laugh, and used to go on walks with me through our Twolegplace. He had cream fur with a dark brown face, legs, ears, and tail, and white paws. Patches had a patched cream tabby and white coat as his name would imply. He and I did not get along. He bullied me."
Specklepaw flattened her ears.
"He bullied you? Why?!"
The thin she-cat forced her dark blue eyes to the ground. Specklepaw had gotten along well with her sisters and older brother. She probably could not imagine doing such things to Dawnpaw, Sootpaw, or Leafpaw.
"Even as a kit, I did not like games such as hunt the tail, test your jump, or play fighting. I never won those when I competed against my siblings. Patches thought that I was a wimp," she admitted.
"The she-Twoleg's name was Eliza. She had golden fur at the top of her head. She called her mate Mason. He possessed short black fur at the top of his head. They named their daughter Maria. The fur on her head was yellow in color, and was not that long. Eliza and Mason worked as Cutters. They were fond of all creatures. Maria and I were close friends. She gave me my kittypet name."
Specklepaw leaned forward.
"Was your kittypet name something weird?"
Dapplecloud purred.
"No. She called me Berry because of my ginger tabby patches looking like the berries that grew in her family's garden. She acted cheerful most of the time, but was actually lonely. Do you remember hearing the stories about Briarlight?"
The tortoiseshell cringed.
"Yeah. Because of her spine being crushed by a falling tree, she couldn't walk anymore. Wait a minute – was Maria unable to walk for some reason?"
The older she-cat's dark blue eyes glistened. She nodded.
"Yes. Maria's legs never worked right since she was born. The other Twolegs made her a small monster called a wheelchair so she could get around. She used her upper paws to make it move. Because of Maria being in a wheelchair, the other Twoleg kits didn't like playing with her. She spent a lot of time in the garden, and reading stories recorded in rectangular objects called books."
Dapplecloud allowed her mind to wander back to her kithood days. How her younger self would lay in Maria's lap while she read one book or another. Or, Maria introducing her to their Twoleg neighbors. She closed her eyes.
"The story I tell starts in leaffall. It features the bond of a mother and her daughter, loss, murder, friendship being two different kinds of creatures, and a promise. On the last day my mother and I spent with our family, Maria woke me early in the morning…"
Berry slept soundly. She snuggled into Maria's nightgown. Her owner was comfortable to snooze on. The kit only knew of warmth and darkness.
A small hand gently shook her.
"Berry, wake up! We need to go get breakfast."
The ginger tabby and white she-kit's dark blue eyes flew open. She came face to face with a young girl with pale yellow hair ending at the bottom of her neck.
"Good morning Berry," Maria greeted.
The small she-kit nuzzled her owner's face.
"Good morning to you too Maria," she purred.
Berry knew that her owner could not speak her tongue, but her mother Briar assured the she-kit that humans understood the general meaning of the things their cats told them. She waited for her pale-skinned friend to settle into her wheelchair before jumping on her lap. Maria pushed her wheelchair towards the bathroom.
After the yellow-haired girl changed from her red nightgown to a green dress, white socks, and plain black shoes, she directed the wheelchair to the dining room. A golden-haired woman laid out sausage, eggs, toast, a mixed bowl of berries, and a jug of milk on the table.
"Good morning, Maria. Did you sleep well?" the woman asked.
Maria nodded.
"It was nice. Thanks for letting Berry sleep with me, mum."
Maria's mother smiled at the wheelchair-bound girl.
"Think nothing of it. We're keeping her, so there's no harm with her staying in your bedroom. Your dad will be serving breakfast to the cats soon. Let Berry down from your lap."
Berry glanced at her young owner. Maria petted her head.
"Go on Berry," she encouraged.
"Dad's bringing you breakfast. Your family is waiting for you."
The dappled ginger tabby and white kit jumped from her owner's lap. Her back legs skidded on the kitchen floor as she landed. Her large ears picked up a jeering mrrow.
"Oh look, it's the runt," a white tom-kit with cream patches sneered.
"You can't even jump right."
A cream tom-kit with a dark brown muzzle, ears, legs, tail, and white paws hissed at the patched tom-kit.
"Patches, cut it out! Could you stop making fun of Berry? We're going to be separated into new homes in a few days. I want our last days together to be fun."
A white she-kit shoved herself between the two tom-kits.
"Patches, stop bothering Berry for me. Please?"
Patches' very dark green eyes softened.
"Only for you, Cloudy. I wonder what Mason will give us this morning."
A high-pitched voice answered from behind the kits.
"I believe that we're getting lamb this time, Patches. Good morning, my kits."
A pale she-cat with a brown and cream muzzle, ears, legs, and tail approached the young cats.
Cloudy rubbed against her mother's side.
"Good morning, mom."
Patches ran up to the small she-cat.
"Morning mum," he mewed.
Rudy skipped excitedly to his mother. He nuzzled the narrow-faced she-cat's cheek.
"Good morning, mum! Did you sleep well?"
Berry's mother nodded. She released a loud purr.
"I certainly did, Rudy. Did you, Patches, and Cloudy rest without me there?"
The cream and brown tom-kit puffed out his chest.
"We sure did. We aren't little kits anymore, mum. I actually missed Berry more than you."
The pale she-cat glanced at Berry.
"Is that so? Good morning, Berry."
The ginger tabby and white she-kit rushed up to her mother. She nuzzled the queen's brown and cream face.
"Good morning, mum. Sleeping with Maria was great!"
The pale she-cat licked the top of her daughter's head.
"I'm glad. I was a little worried when Eliza allowed Maria to take you to her bedroom. You didn't sleep well when I started sleeping with your father again."
Berry licked at her chest fur.
"That was when I was as small as a flea!" she joked.
"It's not like Maria's a stranger."
A black-haired man walked into the dining room carrying a tray of stainless steel bowls. They smelled of warm lamb canned cat food. A white tom with a patch of ginger tabby on his right ear and a pale cream tabby tom with a white chest and paws followed on his heels.
"Briar, Berry, Rudy, Cloudy, Patches, Jack, Matt, time for breakfast!" the man called.
The man sat down the filled cat food bowls. The cats rushed towards the food.
Berry gulped down her food. It tasted very rich. Her eyes kept a close eye on Patches in case he tried stealing some of her food. She wouldn't put it past him. Her ears listened to Maria talking with her parents.
"Remember, we will be picking you up from school so we can take you to your doctor's appointment," Eliza reminded her daughter.
Maria sighed. The dappled she-kit heard the girl spoon up some soft berries.
"I know. Mum, why do I need to see the doctor so much?"
Berry chanced a glance at Eliza. The pale-skinned woman frowned.
"Maria, you know that you're a little different from the other kids. The doctor needs to keep a close eye on you so you don't get sick," the golden-haired woman explained.
She then turned to her mate.
"Mason, we're going to have to close our practice early for Maria's doctor visit. The doctor insisted on having us both there. Can you have our receptionist reschedule our later appointments, and leave the number of the nearby emergency vets on our answering machine?"
Mason nodded.
"Sure. I can handle that."
Berry returned her attention to her food. She devoured the last few morsels. Patches stared at her hungrily. Jack blocked the young tom from making a go for the ginger tabby and white she-kit's food with his tail. Cloudy licked a few speckles of food off her whiskers. Rudy glared at their brother.
Briar nibbled at her meal daintily while staring at Patches. It was her way of saying 'Don't you dare steal your sister's meal, or I'm going to give you a cuff around the ear!'. Her kits heeded her very well.
Eliza picked up the cats' bowls once they were empty. She stacked them together. The golden-haired woman carried them out of the room.
Her mate approached the cats. He crouched down to their level. His green eyes took in all of them.
"Now, which one of you will we bring to our practice today?" he wondered aloud.
He smiled at them.
"Which one of you wants to go with daddy to work?"
Matt rubbed Mason's leg excitedly.
"I want to," he purred.
"Please, take me to your office Mason. I want all of the girls there to fuss over me again!"
Jack headbutted against the man's chest.
"Take me instead Mason," he begged.
"The visitors always give out nice treats!"
Rudy nudged the man's belly.
"Please take me, Mason. I want to see your vet office before I leave with new owners," the kit urged.
Eliza reentered the dining room. She shook her head at the scene.
"How about we take Matt and Patches?" she suggested.
Patches' dark green eyes widened in disbelief. Matt nuzzled Mason's leg affectionately.
"Matt loves going to our vet office. He gets along well with the vet techs and visitors," the golden-haired woman explained.
"People love kittens like Patches. It hasn't escaped me that he likes to pick on Berry if they're left alone. She needs a break I think. A little more socialization could help Patches with his manners."
Maria nodded eagerly from her wheelchair.
"It sounds like a great idea, mum. I don't like that Patches hurts Berry so much."
Her father stood up. He strode to the yellow-haired girl's side before petting her on the head.
"Don't worry, sweetie. The Maples will pick up Patches in five more days."
Berry bowed her head. She had five more days until she, Rudy, Cloudy, and Patches would have to say farewell. She ran to the girl's wheelchair. She jumped up onto Maria's lap.
The shorthaired girl hugged her close.
"I love you so much Berry," she whispered.
"I have to go to school soon. I wish I could take you there. A lot of the kids don't like me."
The dappled ginger tabby and white kit rubbed against Maria's belly. She knew from what her owner told her that schools were where human kits learned from older ones called teachers. Each teacher was assigned to a large group of kits called a class that they were supposed to teach.
The kits in Maria's class often didn't let her play with them. They excluded her from a lot of activities because of her being confined to her wheelchair. She only had a few friends.
Eliza approached the yellow-haired girl.
"Maria, say goodbye to Berry. It's time to leave for school," she informed the small child.
The girl ruffled Berry on the head one last time.
"I've got to go. Bye, Berry!"
The small she-kit jumped down from the wheelchair. She called back to her friend.
"See you later, Maria! Have a good day."
Eliza and her daughter headed out the door. Mason trailed behind them with Matt and Patches in separate carriers. Matt turned his head to where Berry stood.
"Have a great day, Berry. We'll play hide and seek later when I come back."
Berry purred. Her brother sulked in his carrier. Maria's family closed the door behind them.
The ginger tabby and white she-kit played with her family for the next few hours. Rudy raced against her across the living room. Her cream and dark brown brother then tested his climbing skills against Cloudy. They clambered onto a wooden shelf.
The small she-kit stretched out her body against the scratching post her human family had set out for them. Her claws relished the tough material. She heard the ring of her mother's pink collar behind her.
"Berry, would you like to go on a walk?" Briar inquired.
"I think your father wants to use the scratching post."
Berry glanced behind her. Jack eyed the scratching post eagerly. She felt restlessness in her dainty paws.
"Are you sure we can go on a walk?" she asked anxiously.
"Maria and her parents always come back to the house early whenever Maria has to go to the doctor."
The pale, cream, and brown she-cat nodded. She encircled her daughter with her long tail.
"If they didn't want us outside, they would have closed the cat door before they left," she reassured.
"It will only be for a little while. If we see Mason's van on the road during our walk, we'll come back home. Don't worry."
The dappled ginger tabby and white kit retracted her claws. She followed her mother out of the cat door.
The mother and daughter pair stepped onto a wooden porch. Some rays of sunlight peeped out of the clouds above them. They ran down the ramp that Maria used to enter and exit the house. Their paws touched hard stone.
Berry glanced across the street. A nearly white she-kit with a reddish-brown muzzle, ears, legs, and tail napped under a tree alongside an older white she-cat with a frosty gray muzzle, ears, legs, and tail. They snuggled into one another.
"It looks like Rosie and your aunt Olivia are down for their morning nap," her mother murmured.
"Let's not disturb them. We'll visit them on our way back if they've woken up by then."
The dappled she-kit nodded. She held her head low in disappointment. She loved visiting her cousin Rosie.
She traveled with her mother Briar on the sidewalk. A lot less humans than normal were outside of their houses. Crows swarmed the cloudy skies. The cold breeze ruffled her short fur.
Berry paused a few doors down. Her pale pink nose picked up the scent of a dog and two terrified kits. A slavering gray and white dog with erect ears chased after a flat-faced white she-kit and a larger brown tabby tom-kit.
Briar stood in front of her daughter. She arched her back.
"Laurel, Pine, get over here! Flee into the bushes with Berry."
The ginger and white she-kit fled into a large set of rosebushes. The bushes' thorns scratched against her short fur. Laurel and Pine followed after her.
"My owners' dog Hank got loose from their yard," Laurel whimpered.
"I've tried to get along with him since I first came to live with our family, but he hates me. He chases me as if I'm one of his squeaky toys."
The white she-kit shivered.
"A lot of us hate Hank," Pine growled.
His fur stood on end. He crouched low to the ground.
"Many of the local dogs don't mind cats. One even helped me get home after I got lost on my first trip outside. But, Hank isn't one of those. His owners should be more careful. I've heard my owners say that if a dog kills another animal or attacks a human, a special group of humans takes them away."
Berry wondered what the word killed meant. It sounded very bad from how the older tom-kit used it in an angry tone.
She heard the dog yelp. Her nose caught the coppery scent of blood. Hank's large paws faded away fast. Her mother's voice called from outside of the bushes.
"It's safe to come out now, kits."
The dappled she-kit climbed out of the bush. Briar sported blood on her front paws. A few tufts of fur were missing from her tail and side. Her back leg was stained with a small amount of blood. Berry and her companions stared in awe.
"How did you get Hank to go away?" Laurel gasped.
The pale, cream, and brown she-cat purred.
"I aimed for his nose. Most dogs turn into whimpering kits once you scratch them there."
Pine's amber eyes widened.
"But, you look so delicate," he mewed in disbelief.
The thin she-cat narrowed her very dark blue eyes.
"Just because I'm a former show cat doesn't mean I'm soft. Especially when someone threatens my daughter and her friends."
Briar looked around the surrounding streets. She lifted her nose into the air.
"Hank will still be out there a while. Laurel, I think you should stay with Pine until Hank is shut away in his kennel again. It shouldn't take your owners long to find him."
Laurel nodded.
"I'll head back towards home with Pine. I hope I see you later, Berry."
The thin she-kit nodded at her long-furred friend.
"Bye, Laurel."
Pine guided the flat-faced kit with his tail.
"We'll see you around, Berry."
The brown tabby and his white friend rushed towards their neighborhood.
Berry continued walking with her mother. She nuzzled the short-furred she-cat's side.
"Mum," she mewed sadly.
"I'm going to miss Rudy and Cloudy. Why do they need to leave our house?"
Briar glanced at the dappled ginger tabby and white she-kit. She bowed her head.
"Berry," she crooned.
"When a kit reaches around two to three moons old, they are usually big enough to live with a human family without their mother or littermates. Some mothers don't want their kits to stay with them once they can live on their own."
She paused for a moment before continuing.
"Our owners can only take care of a certain number of cats without running out of food to take care of us. A lot of housefolk want cats to join their families. This often happens when cats are still kits. Your littermates stayed longer because all of you were smaller than normal."
The dappled she-kit curled her lip. Once five days had passed, they would be no more Rudy and his silly antics. Her uncle Matt was funny, but it wasn't the same.
"I still don't like this," she hissed.
"In five more days, my sister and brothers will be picked up by strangers. I don't know if I'll see them again. I don't mind Patches joining a new family, but Rudy and I have been so close. He always gets me laughing with his tricks."
Her pale, cream, and brown mother pulled her close with her tail. She licked Berry's right ear.
"You don't need to like it, Berry. When I was a kit, my sister Olivia and I were lucky enough to have owners that lived across the street from each other. Our brother Ace, on the other paw, lived on the edge of town. We couldn't visit him often. After a couple of years, he and his owners moved out of our town all together."
The tiny she-kit rubbed the small she-cat's side.
"I'll have you forever, right mum?"
Briar nuzzled her face.
"Until I grow too old and ascend into the clouds as our owners put it. I will not leave you until then, Berry."
A sudden scream cut off their conversation. The coppery tang of blood hit their noses.
Briar lifted her nose into the air. She flattened her large ears.
"A human is being attacked by something," she growled.
Her dark blue eyes narrowed.
"We need to find a hiding place that gives us a view of the human and their attacker. Berry, do you see any shrubs or bushes we can hide in?"
The ginger tabby and white she-kit looked around. There was a bushy shrub four houses down from them on the grass. The house behind it was a small yellow dwelling. The screams came from the same direction.
"There's a shrub four houses down," she reported.
"It's in the yard of a small yellow house."
Her small mother purred quietly.
"That's my girl," she praised.
"Now, stay quiet so the human's attacker doesn't find us."
Berry nodded. She and the thin she-cat crept across the lawns. They kept low to the ground. Only a few soft rustles accompanied their entrance into the bush.
The dappled she-kit stared out of the bush. The creature attacking the human was nothing she had seen in her short life so far.
The creature assumed the shape of a very large cat. It was completely black with glowing amber eyes. Shadowy tendrils extended from its body. The grass under its paws wilted away.
The assaulted human was an older man with graying hair. Blood ran down his shoulder.
He tried elbowing the creature in the chest. The creature caught his arm with its mouth. It tore off a chunk of his flesh. The human let out a loud yowl. A few other humans rushed out of their houses.
They were too late. The creature tore out the human's throat.
Berry and her mother watched in horrified fascination. Plants rotted wherever the creature walked. None of the tactics the humans attempted worked. The creature tore the gathered humans apart. Blood pooled around the streets.
The creature stalked off towards one of the human's houses. The high voices of young human kits echoed from inside.
Briar gasped. She pulled her daughter close.
"What a monster," she hissed quietly.
"We're getting out of here. We are running back home."
The small she-cat and her tiny daughter pelted off towards their house. A black-cloaked figure materialized from thin air as they departed.
Houses flashed before Berry's eyes. Most of the doors were wide open. A lot of housefolk laid unmoving in their yards in pools of blood. She occasionally saw dogs, cats, birds, or other creatures lying still beside them.
Did the shadow cat commit all of this? What was it doing to all of these creatures?
The dappled ginger tabby and white she-kit spotted her family's house after several minutes of running. The elegant pale blue home loomed in front of her with Mason's green van in the driveway. The door had been torn apart. The side of the house sported a prominent claw mark not there previously. The claw mark was surrounded by blood splatter.
The kit froze. She lifted her nose into the air. The smell of excessive blood and torn up flesh stank from inside. She shivered.
"Mum," she whimpered.
"That monster might have attacked our family. Do we go in?"
Briar gulped. She licked her terrified daughter's ear.
"We will go in there together," she declared softly.
"We will see if Mason, Eliza, Maria, your siblings, your father, and your uncle have been attacked. If they've been hurt, we will get them out of the house. We will find a way."
Berry leapt through the hole in the door. The coppery stench nearly clogged up her nose. She crept on the floor cautiously. A blood trail led further in the house.
She followed the trail of red liquid to a large black-haired man lying on his side. Blood spilled from his chest. It stained his white collared shirt. His blue eyes gazed at nothing.
The ginger tabby and white she-kit nudged his neck. She felt no pulse.
"Mason, wake up. We need to get out of here," she whispered.
There was no response. She barely sensed her mother enter the room.
"Mason, you're hurt. Please get up so we can get out of here," she pleaded.
Her mother licked her ear. She moaned softly.
"Mason's dead sweetie," she cried.
"Let's find everyone else."
The she-kit crept into the dining room with questions whirling in her mind. Mainly, what did the word dead mean? A golden-haired woman laid on the floor with a torn throat. Her arms were covered with scratches. A cream tabby tom with a white chest and paws convulsed near the woman. Blood trickled from his head.
Briar rushed to the tom's side. She nudged his back.
"Matt, what did this to you and Eliza?" she yowled.
Matt's amber eyes flickered open for a minute. His breath grew ragged.
"Briar, I'm glad you found us," he rasped.
"A monster cat made of shadows attacked us when Eliza, Mason, and Maria came back home before Maria's doctor appointment. Maria fled with Jack, Patches, Rudy, and Cloudy towards Maria's bedroom. Mason tried fighting the creature, but it eventually…"
He broke off into a bout of coughing.
"We know," she whispered.
"What do you want me to do?"
The tom's body shuddered. He lifted his head slightly.
"Find everyone else, and help Maria find human help if you can. The most important thing is to get everyone out of here. The creature might come back."
Matt's head fell back to the floor. He coughed violently.
"Tell Jack that I love him. That he was the best brother I ever had."
The cream tabby closed his eyes. His chest stopped rising and falling.
Berry ran to her uncle's body. Her dark blue eyes glistened with tears.
"Uncle, please wake up…" she sobbed.
He had supported her when she couldn't measure up to her siblings in physical play. He knew the best of jokes. He had the power to cheer everyone up.
Her mother's tail wrapped around her body.
"Berry, he isn't going to wake up sweetie. I know you're upset, but we need to find your father, your siblings, and Maria. Let's head to Maria's bedroom."
The journey to Maria's bedroom was slow. Berry and her pale, cream, and brown mother passed fallen papers around Mason's computer desk, a broken cookie jar, fallen ribbons Briar had won in cat shows a couple of years ago, and bloody paw prints staining the floor. The floor areas not stained by blood had yellowed and grown cracks. The lights suddenly fizzled out. The dappled she-kit froze near Maria's wide bedroom door.
Her father laid on the floor with his legs splayed out. Blood stained his mostly white fur. His shoulder sported a gaping wound. The bite marks indicated that the creature had made it. Blood pooled around his belly.
Briar ran to her mate. She nudged his neck. He did not stir.
"Jack, no."
She tipped her head back into a yowl.
Berry crept beside her mother. She nuzzled Jack's face. Something told her that he was gone for good.
"Dad, what are we going to do without you?"
She inwardly hoped that Maria and her siblings were okay. She could not lose anyone else.
Her large ears picked up a weak mew.
"Mum, Berry, are you there?"
It was Rudy's voice. The ginger tabby and white she-kit yowled back.
"We're here. But, dad is lying still on the floor. I think he's not here anymore. Are you inside of Maria's bedroom?"
The tom-kit answered back in a whimpering tone.
"We'll all here. A strange creature attacked us. You better come in."
The small she-kit walked into Maria's bedroom. The area reeked of blood. Her yellow-haired friend's cat poster had been ripped from the wall. The porcelain pig that she used to store coins laid on the floor in broken pieces.
Cloudy slumped against Maria's bookshelf. Her neck had been twisted. She had been torn from her throat to her tail. Blood and … unmentionable squishy things … pooled under her. Berry turned away from the scene. She heard her mother's wail.
Patches was missing much of his patched cream tabby and white fur. Lacerations covered much of his small body. His chest had been torn open.
She followed Rudy's scent to in front of Maria's wooden desk. The cream, dark brown, and white pawed tom was missing a chunk from his side. His bright blue eyes blinked blearily.
"Berry," he whispered.
"I'm glad you're here."
Berry nudged his dark brown muzzle.
"Can you walk?"
He shook his head.
"I tried after the creature bit me. I grew dizzy and fell to the floor. I haven't been able to get back up on my paws."
Her brother's body shuddered. He coughed out a large clot of blood.
"Oh no. I think the creature messed up some of my insides too."
Rudy raised his head slightly. He struggled to keep it upright.
"Berry, I think I want to tell you one last joke," he announced.
The dappled ginger tabby and white kit grimaced.
"I don't think this is the time for this, Rudy. We need to get you and Maria help."
The cream and dark brown tom-kit shook his head. Blood leaked out of his nose.
"Sis, I don't think I'm making it out of here," he rasped.
"Everything's going dark. Just listen to my joke, please."
The small she-kit grew silent. She waited for her brother's joke.
"Why didn't the cat speak to his foot?" the tom-kit asked.
Berry lay down next to her brother. She sensed Briar sitting just behind her.
"Because," the dying kit rasped.
"It's not polite to talk back to your paw."
The dappled she-kit couldn't help herself. She let out a mrrow of laughter.
The cream and dark brown tom-kit purred.
"Maria parked her wheelchair next to her bed. She convinced the creature to run off. I love you Berry. I couldn't have asked for a better sister."
Rudy's bright blue eyes drifted closed. His breathing grew shallower. It soon stopped all together.
The dappled she-kit allowed herself to wail. Her funny brother that she had been so close to was gone. It was something her young mind could barely comprehend. A familiar voice struck her from her grief.
"Berry? Berry, are you there? I'm next to my bed."
Berry's large ears pricked. It was Maria! They could at least get her out of here.
She followed her young owner's voice to the side of her bed. Maria's green dress had been torn in multiple places. Large scratches crisscrossed her pale arms. Her chest oozed with blood.
The small kit leapt into the girl's lap. She shuddered at the blood gushing from her friend's body.
Maria petted her head. Her breaths come out ragged.
"Mum and dad came back to the house to drop Matt and Patches off when this scary creature attacked us. It looked like a cat, but it was as big as a person. It was all black except for its glowing amber eyes. Everything it touched started to rot away."
She shuddered for a moment. She then continued.
"Dad tried to stop it. When he had failed, mum told me to take your dad and siblings to my room. She told me to contact help if she failed in keeping it away. It found us. I eventually chased it away, but I think you know how that turned out, Berry,"
Berry nodded at the yellow-haired girl. Tears slid down her owner's face.
""Rudy died, didn't he?"
The dappled she-kit nodded, although she did not fully understand the term died. It seemed to mean that a human or cat was no longer around. She let out a wail.
Maria lowered her head. Her lips quivered. She abruptly coughed up a lot of blood. The blood coming out of her chest oozed faster.
The ginger tabby and white she-kit glanced at the yellow-haired girl's bed. It was covered by a loose yellow quilt and a white under sheet. She jumped to the head of her owner's bed. Could the under sheet help stop the bleeding? She saw it work before when she saw a girl at Mason and Eliza's vet office press a sheet to an injured dog's side. She had watched it from Eliza's arms.
Berry sat on one of Maria's pillows. She grabbed a corner of the under sheet in her mouth. She started to tug.
Her mother glanced up at her with widened dark blue eyes. The she-cat then spotted Maria.
"What a good idea, Berry!" the pale, cream, and brown she-cat proclaimed.
"Keep tugging at it. Once it's free, try to hold it out for Maria. Have it cover where she's hurt. You will have to press your paw where the injury is to stop the bleeding. I've seen Eliza and Mason do it at their vet office."
The small she-kit dug in her back legs. She tugged very hard on the fabric. It came very slowly. She didn't know how long it had been when it came free of the bed. The she-kit jumped for Maria's wheelchair with the under sheet in her mouth.
The yellow-haired girl clung on, but barely. Her hands feebly grasped the fabric.
Berry pressed the under sheet to her friend's chest with her paw as firmly as she could. She stared into Maria's green eyes.
"Hang on, Maria. We'll get you out of here. Mum and I will help you find someone to help out," the she-kit urged.
The girl smiled sadly.
"Berry, I don't think I'm wheeling away from this. My sight is getting dark. Something is tugging on something inside of my body. It's like my mind is being shut away deep inside me. Is this what happens when you die?"
The dark-cloaked figure from before appeared out of thin air. The ginger tabby and white she-kit saw that he was very bony with blue lights coming out of his eye sockets. Despite being made of all bones, she swore his face was frowning a bit. She turned her attention back to Maria.
"I tried so hard to make friends," the girl whispered.
"I tried to join in the other kids' games as best as I could. I tried to keep up with my work in class even though I'm often at the doctors. I tried protecting Jack, Patches, Cloudy, and Rudy. Was I not good enough?"
The dappled she-kit nudged her while keeping a firm paw on the girl's chest.
"You were good enough!" she yowled.
Her voice startled Maria, her mother, and the bony dark-cloaked figure. They stared at her.
"The other kits were too mean to see how nice you are. You told me several times that your teacher was proud of you. That creature was as big as your dad. It killed a whole group of adult housefolk trying to take care of it. You might not have protected my siblings or dad, but you chased it off. It won't hurt our neighborhood anymore."
Maria twisted her lips into a big grin. She hugged Berry tightly.
"You really think so much of me…"
A very deep voice penetrated the she-kit's ears.
SHE THINKS VERY KINDLY OF YOU, MARIA. AND I THINK HIGHLY OF THOSE WHO LIKE CATS.
The giant cloaked skeleton walked to the yellow-haired girl's wheelchair. She raised her head.
"Thank you, sir. But, who are you?"
The skeleton knelt to her level. His voice came out with a hint of sadness.
I AM DEATH, MARIA. I'M AFRAID YOUR PREDICTION IS RIGHT. YOU ARE ABOUT TO DIE. UNFORTUNATELY, YOUR CAUSE OF DEATH HAS LEFT SOME COMPLICATIONS.
Berry shivered. Her short fur stood on end.
"What kind of complications?" she squeaked.
Her owner dying, whatever that was, was bad enough. Now it was going to get complicated for some reason?
Death leveled his glowing blue gaze with the dark blue-eyed she-kit's. His voice carried a somber tone.
THE SHADOW CAT THAT GAVE MARIA, MASON, ELIZA, JACK, MATT, RUDY, PATCHES, AND CLOUDY THEIR INJURIES WAS NOT A NORMAL CREATURE, BERRY. IT WAS A DEMON FROM A PLACE CALLED THE DARK FOREST. THAT IS WHERE EVIL CATS GO UPON THEIR DEATHS. DEATH IS WHEN A LIVING THING STOPS LIVING. DEAD CATS AND PEOPLE LEAVE THEIR BODIES BEHIND WHEN THEY DIE AS SOULS. A TWISTED RITUAL CAN FUSE SEVERAL OF THE CATS WHO HAUNT IT INTO A SHADOW DEMON.
Maria widened her eyes.
"You can understand Berry?"
Death nodded.
I CAN UNDERSTAND ALL CREATURES, AND MY VOICE CAN BE UNDERSTOOD BY ALL OF THEM. THESE SHADOW DEMONS HAVE QUITE DISTURBING ABILITIES. THEY CAN CAUSE ANYTHING THEY TOUCH TO DECAY. THE INJURIES THEY INFLICT ARE EASILY INFECTED BECAUSE OF THE GRIME OF THE DARK FOREST. THEY CAN APPEAR IN OTHERS' DREAMS AND ATTACK THEM. THE INJURIES FROM THE DREAM STAY WITH THEIR VICTIMS AFTER THEY WAKE UP.
The shorthaired girl shuddered.
"That's scary," she rasped.
"But, how does that make my death complicated?"
The giant skeleton stared at the ground.
SHOULD SOMEONE DIE OF WOUNDS INFLICTED FROM THE SHADOW DEMONS, THEIR SOULS ARE UNABLE TO PASS ON AS THEY SHOULD BECAUSE OF THE TAINT SHADOW DEMONS CARRY. IT IS A FACTOR THAT IS TIME DEPENDENT. SHOULD SOMEONE DIE AFTER STRUGGLING WITH SHADOW DEMON RELATED WOUNDS FOR WEEKS ON END, THEY WILL PASS ON NORMALLY BECAUSE THE WINDOW FOR THE TAINT TAKING EFFECT HAS PASSED. THE TAINT FADES AWAY FROM AN AFFECTED PERSON'S SOUL ONCE THEY HAVE BEEN DEAD FOR A WHILE.
Maria rattled out a cough.
"So that means I won't be going to heaven?"
Death shook his head.
NOT IMMEDIATELY, NO. IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT. I AM VERY SORRY, MARIA.
The yellow-haired girl shivered in her wheelchair. She stroked Berry's back with a shaky hand.
The ginger tabby and white she-kit nuzzled her owner's neck.
"It will be okay Maria," she reassured.
"You are not alone. I'm not going to abandon you. I will stay until the end."
Maria smiled at the she-kit.
"You're going to stay, aren't you?" she whispered.
The dappled she-kit nodded. The pale-skinned girl hugged her close to her chest. Her lips lifted into a smile.
"Thank you, Berry. You're a good friend."
The girl's body shuddered. Her green eyes slowly closed with their gaze fixed on her feline friend. She slumped over in her wheelchair. Her breath grew shallower, then stopped all together.
Berry stared at the yellow-haired girl. Her dark blue eyes glistened with tears. Her friend and owner Maria was dead.
Her gaze shifted to Death. He held out a long pole with a sharp blade on top. He swung it at Maria. It passed through her without an effect.
He did the same for Patches, Rudy, and Cloudy. Nothing happened. He stared at the floor.
SORRY ABOUT THAT. EVEN THOUGH I KNOW I CANNOT RELEASE THEIR SOULS RIGHT NOW, I HAD TO ATTEMPT IT FOR THE SAKE OF MY DUTY. I FEEL BLOODY USELESS.
Briar approached the cloaked skeleton. She nuzzled his leg.
"You tried. That is what counts. You said that you'll be able to help Maria, her parents, and my family pass on once they have been dead for a while?"
The giant skeleton patted the pale, cream, and brown she-cat's head. He nodded.
YES. ONCE A FEW YEARS HAVE PASSED, I WILL BE ABLE TO HELP THEM MOVE ON. IN THE MEANWHILE, YOUR TOWN IS NOT SAFE TO STAY IN. CERTAIN CREATURES WILL RUN RAMPANT WITHOUT THE HUMANS AROUND TO KEEP THEM IN CHECK. ONCE YOU HAVE DEALT WITH YOUR DEAD, I SUGGEST THAT YOU AND BERRY LEAVE. A FEW STREET CATS MIGHT TELL YOU SOME BETTER PLACES TO LIVE ON YOUR OWN.
Berry shuddered. Did that mean that there was no housefolk to take them in? Did the shadow demons kill them all?
And, what about Maria eventually passing on? Would her spirit move on alone?
She turned her head in Death's direction.
"Does that mean Maria's soul will pass on when I'm all grown up?" she inquired.
The skeleton ran a bony hand down her side. He nodded.
CATS ARE FULLY GROWN BY THE TIME THEY ARE TWO YEARS OLD AT MOST. ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT MARIA WILL BE ALONE WHEN THIS HAPPENS, BERRY?
The thin she-kit nodded back. Death pulled the under sheet over Maria's body.
I NORMALLY DO NOT MAKE PROMISES LIKE THIS, BUT MARIA'S CASE IS NOT NORMAL. WHEN THE DARK FOREST'S TAINT HAS LEFT HER SOUL, I WILL COME AND LET YOU KNOW. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE HER OFF. DOES THAT SOUND OKAY?
Berry nuzzled the skeleton.
"It does. Thank you," she mewed sadly.
"I will come back to say goodbye to her even if it's years from now."
The cloaked figure scratched her under her red collar.
YOU'RE WELCOME. I DON'T LIKE SEEING CATS UPSET OR HURT. I THINK I HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU AND YOUR MOTHER.
Death fetched a few large cans of cat food from his robes. He opened them up with ease. He set them on the floor.
ALMOST ALL OF THE HUMANS WHO LIVE HERE ARE DEAD. THOSE WHO AREN'T WILL BE LEAVING VERY SHORTLY. THIS AND ANY FOOD MASON AND ELIZA LEFT WILL BE THE LAST CAT FOOD YOU HAVE ACCESS TO. YOU WILL HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO HUNT FOR FOOD, the giant skeleton warned.
I WOULD AGAIN TALK TO A FEW FRIENDLY CATS ON THE STREETS FOR TIPS ON HOW TO BEGIN. YOU WILL LEARN THE REST BY TRIAL AND ERROR.
Briar rubbed against Death.
"Thank you. We will not waste it."
The cloaked skeleton rubbed the thin she-cat's side. He did the same for Berry.
I THINK YOU NEED TO HAVE A VERY SPECIAL TALK WITH YOUR DAUGHTER, BRIAR. FAREWELL. UNTIL NEXT TIME.
With that, Death vanished into thin air.
The ginger tabby and white she-kit approached one of the cat food cans. She nibbled at the contents. It was not warm like how Mason prepared their food, but she did not care. The food's flavor did not register on her tongue.
Her mother took food from the other side of the can. They ate in silence.
Briar rose into a standing position once she was finished eating. She approached the bookshelf where Cloudy had twisted her neck. She picked her dead daughter up by her pale blue collar. She laid the white she-kit at the foot of Maria's wheelchair.
She then walked up to Patches' body. She carried him by his dark green collar to where she had laid Cloudy. She walked a few pawsteps towards Rudy. Berry stopped her.
"Mum, no," she whimpered.
"I want to carry Rudy. Can you please bring dad and Uncle Matt in here?"
The pale, cream, and brown she-cat stared at her daughter. She nodded.
"Of course. It's only fair."
The thin she-kit approached her brother as her mother exited Maria's bedroom. Rudy had already grown a little stiff. She carried him by his violet collar with difficulty. His back paws dragged across the floor. Berry laid him next to Cloudy.
The tiny she-kit watched her mother carry Matt's corpse into the bedroom by his orange collar. She laid the cream tabby and white tom next to Patches. The thin she-cat exited again for a brief moment. She heaved Jack into Maria's bedroom by his black collar. She laid him next to Rudy.
"I wasn't able to move either Eliza or Mason very far. They were too heavy," Briar moaned.
"I managed to close their eyes, however. Let's do the same for your littermates."
Berry moved her paws over Cloudy's very dark blue eyes. They closed without problem. She considered that a good thing. They were no longer the same pair that matched her own, but foggy and unseeing.
Her mother licked Patches' very dark green eyes closed. Tears glistened in her dark blue eyes.
"My children, my mate, my mate's brother, our owners," she cried.
"Why have my daughter and I lost those that we loved in so short of a time?"
Briar started up a large wail. She crouched on the ground. It was then that several truths sank in for Berry.
There would be no more sleeping with Maria in her bed. Rudy would no longer try to make her laugh by popping out of a bag or another silly stunt. Cloudy would not be there to make peace between her and Patches. Patches would never have a chance to learn better manners. Mason wouldn't give her or her family anymore warm canned cat food. He and Eliza would no longer take her family to their vet clinic to greet patients.
She and her mother were for all purposes alone in the world. They had lost all of their family. They wouldn't even be able to lay their housefolk to rest properly because they were too large. And, if what Death said was true, their souls wouldn't be able to pass on for years.
The ginger tabby and white she-kit drooped her ears. Her heart felt empty. She had no one but her mother.
She released a large wail that matched Briar's. She cried for hours. She cried for her housefolk and her relatives. She only stopped because of passing out from exhaustion.
Present Day Allegiances
ThunderClan
Leader: Squirrelstar – Old dark ginger she-cat with green eyes and a white forepaw
Apprentice, Skipperpaw
Deputy: Smokefoot – Swift dark gray tabby tom with light green eyes (Half Moon and Jayfeather's son)
Apprentice, Dawnpaw
Medicine Cat: Dapplecloud – Dappled ginger tabby and white she-cat with very dark blue eyes and a long thin tail, former kittypet (Mottleflower and Jack's daughter)
Medicine Cat Apprentice: Specklepaw – Dark speckled tortoiseshell she-cat with blue-green eyes, white front paws and tail tip, and a small white mark on her forehead (Robinsong and Smokefoot's daughter)
Warriors:
Lionblaze – Old golden tabby tom with amber eyes
Tigerheart – Old dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes, formerly of ShadowClan
Dovewing – Old pale gray she-cat with blue eyes
Apprentice, Shadepaw
Molewhisker – Old brown and cream tom with amber eyes
Apprentice, Sootpaw
Lilyheart – Aging small tortoiseshell and white she-cat with blue eyes
Ambermoon – Aging pale ginger she-cat with amber eyes
Snowbush – Aging white tom with amber eyes
Stormcloud – Aging gray tabby tom with deep amber eyes
Hollytuft – Aging black she-cat with bright green eyes and distinctive tufts on her ears (Cinderheart and Lionblaze's eldest kit)
Alderheart – Older dark ginger tom with amber eyes (Squirrelstar and Bramblestar's son)
Apprentice, Ashpaw
Larkblaze – Older black tom with blue eyes (Lilyheart and Snowbush's son)
Pinestripe – Dark brown tabby tom with green eyes, is wobbly (Dovewing and Tigerheart's son)
Drizzlewing – Silver-gray she-cat with dark blue eyes (Dovewing and Tigerheart's daughter)
Shriketail – Gray tabby and white tom with blue eyes (Ivypool and Bumblestripe's son)
Robinsong – Tortoiseshell and white she-cat with green eyes, former loner (Eclipse and Fox's daughter)
Burnetfoot – Swift ginger tabby tom with green eyes (Cherryfall and Stormcloud's son)
Cranefeather – Gray she-cat with bright green eyes (Hollytuft's daughter)
Antfang – Black tom with dark green eyes (Hollytuft's son)
Leopardclaw – Spotted golden tabby tom with amber eyes (Cinderheart and Lionblaze's son)
Aspentail – Large gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Cinderheart and Lionblaze's daughter)
Apprentice, Leafpaw
Webtail – Dark gray tabby tom with green eyes, former rogue
Yarrowheart – Golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes and one broken back leg, has a significant limp (Larkblaze's daughter)
Limpetcloud – Slender cream tom with green eyes (Rosepetal's son)
Ravencloud – Small black she-cat with blue eyes, a white chest, and a white hindpaw, formerly of GorgeClan
Frostflower – White she-cat with dark green eyes, former loner
Apprentices:
Leafpaw – Ginger tom with amber eyes and a long scar on his shoulder, has a pronounced limp (Robinsong and Smokefoot's son)
Ashpaw – Dark gray she-cat with ice-blue eyes (Cinderheart and Lionblaze's daughter)
Skipperpaw – Ginger and white tom with blue eyes (Lilyheart and Snowbush's son)
Shadepaw – Black tom with dark amber eyes (Lilyheart and Snowbush's son)
Dawnpaw – Plump gray tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes (Robinsong and Smokefoot's daughter)
Sootpaw – Thin dark gray tabby she-cat with green eyes (Robinsong and Smokefoot's daughter)
Queens:
Hailwhisker – White she-cat with long whiskers and dark blue eyes, former loner
Fostering Cinderheart and Lionblaze's kits: Finchkit and Snowkit
Cherryfall – Old bright ginger she-cat with amber eyes
Mother of Rookflight's kits: Foxkit, Swiftkit, and Graykit
Sparkflower – Older orange tabby she-cat with green eyes (Squirrelstar and Bramblestar's daughter)
Mother of Burnetfoot's kits: Daisykit, Applekit, Sorrelkit, and Peonykit
Willowface – Pretty silver tabby and white she-cat with blue eyes (Ivypool and Bumblestripe's daughter)
Expecting Cedar's kits
Kits:
Snowkit – Tiny white she-kit with blue eyes and a small dark gray spot on her left hindleg, deaf
Finchkit – Dark golden tabby tom-kit with green eyes and a fluffy tail
Foxkit – Ginger tom-kit with pale green eyes
Swiftkit – Small black she-kit with bright blue eyes, a white chest, and small ginger patches
Graykit – Tiny pale gray she-kit with green eyes and small cream patches on her pelt, has a weak heart
Daisykit – Cream she-kit with green eyes
Applekit – Ginger and white she-kit with green eyes
Sorrelkit – Ginger tom-kit with green eyes
Peonykit – Small cream tom-kit with amber eyes and a white chest
Elders:
Curlewfoot – Brown tabby tom with yellow eyes and a notch in his ear, former rogue
Whitewing – White she-cat with green eyes
ShadowClan
Leader: Palestar – Very pale white-silver tabby tom with bright green eyes and light gray markings, former loner
Deputy: Tawnypelt – Elderly tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes
Medicine Cat: Puddleshine – Older white tom with brown splotches and blue eyes (Pinenose and Spikefur's son)
Medicine Cat Apprentice: Sunpaw – Longhaired golden tabby tom with blue eyes (Goldie and Bitternpelt's son)
Warriors:
Snowbird – Old pure white she-cat with green eyes
Apprentice, Brindlepaw
Owlclaw – Old light brown tabby tom with amber eyes
Apprentice, Darkpaw
Dawnpelt – Old cream-furred she-cat with amber eyes
Pinenose – Old black she-cat with amber eyes
Mistcloud – Aging spiky-furred pale gray she-cat with light blue eyes
Hornetcloud – Aging longhaired ginger she-cat with dark blue eyes, former kittypet
Cloverfoot – Aging gray tabby she-cat with green eyes (Snowbird and Scorchfur's daughter)
Rippletail – Older white tom with green eyes (Snowbird and Scorchfur's daughter)
Sleekwhisker – Older yellow she-cat with amber eyes (Dawnpelt and Crowfrost's son)
Needletail – Older sleek silver-gray she-cat with white chest fur and bold green eyes (Berryheart and Sparrowtail's daughter)
Starlingfire – Older black tom with blue eyes, a white chest and white paws, former rogue
Tallflower – Black she-cat with long legs and green eyes, is very wobbly (Pinenose's daughter)
Apprentice, Creampaw
Blizzardheart – Small white she-cat with black paws and blue eyes (Rippletail's daughter)
Apprentice, Rainpaw
Tanagerfang – Dark ginger tom with blue eyes (Arguswhisker and Juniperstar's son)
Wagtailheart – Black and white tom with green eyes (Arguswhisker and Juniperstar's son)
Ploverclaw – White tom with gray tabby patches and blue eyes (Puddleshine's son)
Lilacleap – Pale gray tabby tom with dark amber eyes (Needletail's son)
Slugfoot – Black tom with a stripe of white down his chest and blue eyes (Tallflower's son)
Sedgetail – Black tom with a white tail-tip and amber eyes (Tallflower's son)
Waxfeather – Fluffy golden tabby tom with amber eyes (Lionfoot's son)
Plumnose – Reddish-ginger tom with blue eyes, former kittypet
Thymestorm – Pale cream tom with amber eyes, former loner
Garlicleaf – White tom with green eyes (Rippletail's son)
Leechspots – Tortoiseshell she-cat with large black patches and golden eyes, former loner
Pipitfoot – Light brown tabby tom with dark amber eyes, a white belly and white paws (Railclaw and Lilacleap's son)
Stripeflower – Gray tabby she-cat with green eyes and prominent stripes (Railclaw and Lilacleap's daughter)
Firpetal – Dark gray tabby and white she-cat with green eyes and a missing front leg (Railclaw and Lilacleap's daughter)
Apprentices:
Darkpaw – Large black tom with green eyes (Goldie and Bitternpelt's son)
Rainpaw – Dappled gray and white she-cat with blue eyes (Goldie and Bitternpelt's daughter)
Brindlepaw – Fluffy tortoiseshell and white she-cat with green eyes (Dawnpelt and Starlingfire's daughter)
Creampaw – Cream and white tom with amber eyes (Dawnpelt and Starlingfire's son)
Queens:
Newtnose – Aging tortoiseshell she-cat with dark green eyes
Mother of Owlclaw's kits: Tinykit and Shrewkit
Kits:
Tinykit – Tiny ginger tom-kit with amber eyes
Shrewkit – Light brown tabby she-kit with pale green eyes and ginger patches
Elders:
None
WindClan
Leader: Heatherstar – Old light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes
Mother of Basilwhisker's kit: Fernkit
Deputy: Sedgewhisker – Aging light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes
Medicine Cat: Kestrelflight – Old mottled brownish-gray tom with bright green eyes and white splotches
Medicine Cat Apprentice: Lavenderpaw – Blue-gray and white she-cat with light green eyes, former loner
Warriors:
Larkwing – Aging pale gray she-cat with blue eyes
Oatclaw – Aging pale brown tabby tom with green eyes
Featherpelt – Aging gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes
Apprentice, Gorsepaw
Slightfoot – Aging black tom with a flash of white on his chest and amber eyes
Brindletail – Older mottled brown she-cat with blue eyes (Heathertail and Breezepelt's daughter)
Basilwhisker – Older spotted gray tabby tom with amber eyes, former loner
Apprentice, Fawnpaw
Sparrowstripe – Striped light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Featherpelt's daughter)
Stoatstep – Small ginger tom with amber eyes, former kittypet
Brightcloud – Dappled black and white she-cat with blue eyes, former loner
Asphodeltail – Ginger she-cat with deep green eyes, a white chest and white paws (Stoatstep's daughter)
Sprucepelt – Pale gray tom with light green eyes (Shortflower's son)
Mintclaw – Gray tabby tom with amber eyes, former loner
Chervilfur – White tom with blue eyes (Bluetnose and Harestar's son)
Chipmunktail – Splotched brown tabby and white she-cat with pale blue eyes (Bluetnose and Harestar's daughter)
Ryestorm – Golden brown tabby tom with amber eyes, former loner
Sheepcloud – Black and white tom with dark green eyes (Brightcloud and Oatclaw's son)
Apprentice, Asterpaw
Birchnose – Pale gray tabby and white she-cat with light blue eyes (Brightcloud and Oatclaw's daughter)
Apprentice, Dustpaw
Buzzardleap – Brown tabby tom with bright blue eyes (Brindletail's son)
Dunlinwhisker – Gray and white tom with amber eyes (Sparrowstripe and Slightfoot's son)
Blackbirdfoot – Pretty black she-cat with blue eyes and a white chest and tail tip (Sparrowstripe and Slightfoot's daughter)
Teaselfeather – Long-furred blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes, former loner
Rockspots – White tom with gray spots all over his body and deep blue eyes (Birchnose and Mintclaw's son)
Grasstail – Brown tabby she-cat with green eyes (Birchnose and Mintclaw's daughter)
Nettlefoot – Gray tom with green eyes (Birchnose and Mintclaw's son)
Morningpoppy – Patched gray tortoiseshell and white she-cat with golden eyes (Asphodeltail's daughter)
Dappleheart – Tortoiseshell and white she-cat with dark blue eyes (Asphodeltail's daughter)
Apprentice, Swallowpaw
Apprentices:
Dustpaw – Dusty gray tom with amber eyes (Sedgewhisker and Emberfoot's son)
Fawnpaw – Pale brown tabby and white she-cat with light green eyes (Sedgewhisker and Emberfoot's daughter)
Gorsepaw – Mottled brown and white she-cat with pale blue eyes (Larkwing and Kestrelflight's daughter)
Swallowpaw – Black she-cat with green eyes, a white muzzle, a white belly, and white paws (Larkwing and Kestrelflight's daughter)
Asterpaw – Pale blue-gray tom with blue eyes, former loner (Teaselfeather and Fang's son)
Queens:
Shortflower – Small dark gray she-cat with green eyes, former loner
Mother of Squirrelfoot's kits: Batkit, Lightkit, and Fogkit
Brackenflower – Golden brown tabby she-cat with light green eyes (Sparrowstripe and Slightfoot's daughter)
Mother of Chervilfur's kits: Milkkit, Volekit, and Smallkit
Kits:
Fernkit – Spotted light brown tabby she-kit with pale blue eyes
Batkit – Black tom-kit with green eyes
Lightkit – Pale tawny she-kit with a pink tint and pale amber eyes
Fogkit – Light gray tom-kit with green eyes and dark gray front paws
Milkkit – White she-kit with green eyes
Volekit – Brown tabby tom-kit with green eyes
Smallkit – Tiny golden brown tabby tom-kit with blue eyes
Elders:
Nightcloud – Black she-cat with green eyes
Gorsetail – Very pale gray and white she-cat with blue eyes
Bluetnose – White she-cat with pale blue eyes, former kittypet
RiverClan
Leader: Mistystar – Elderly blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes
Deputy: Reedwhisker – Old sleek black tom with dark gray eyes
Medicine Cat: Willowshine – Old dark gray tabby she-cat with green eyes
Medicine Cat Apprentice: Nightpaw – Small black she-cat with icy blue eyes (Hollyleaf and Fallen Leaves' daughter)
Warriors:
Mallownose – Old light brown tabby tom with amber eyes
Petalfur – Old gray and white she-cat with amber eyes
Apprentice, Sandpaw
Podlight – Aging sturdy gray and white tom with blue eyes
Curlfeather– Aging pale brown she-cat with amber eyes
Lakeheart – Older gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes
Shimmerpelt – Older silver she-cat with green eyes
Perchwing – Older gray and white she-cat with blue eyes
Apprentice, Duskpaw
Brackenpelt – Older tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes (Petalfur and Mallownose's daughter)
Jaywing – Older gray tom with green eyes (Petalfur and Mallownose's son)
Foxnose – Older russet tabby tom with amber eyes
Chanterellefur – Light ginger she-cat with pale green eyes, is wobbly (Brackenpelt's daughter)
Spiderfang – Black tom with one dark amber eye (Havenpelt's son)
Patchpelt – Gray and white tom with pale amber eyes (Jaywing's son)
Otterclaw – Black she-cat with dark amber eyes (Jaywing's daughter)
Apprentice, Owlpaw
Breamstream – Long-legged silver tabby tom with amber eyes, former loner
Wigeonfeather – Pale tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes and a white belly (Chanterellefur and Spiderfang's daughter)
Hornetclaw – Pale ginger tom with amber eyes (Chanterellefur and Spiderfang's son)
Lightningspots – White tom with bright golden tabby spots, dark green eyes, former loner
Apprentice, Spottedpaw
Rushheart – Brown tabby tom with one blue eye (Curlfeather's son)
Shellpaw – Brown tortoiseshell she-cat with a white chest, paws, and tail tip, and blue eyes (Curlfeather's daughter)
Mudwhisker – Brown tabby tom with green eyes and a white chest (Curlfeather's son)
Privetstream – White she-cat with very light blue eyes (Icewing's daughter)
Juniperfoot – Swift light gray she-cat with bright blue eyes (Icewing's daughter)
Heronfrost – Silver tabby and white tom with very pale blue eyes (Icewing's son)
Apprentices:
Spottedpaw – Large spotted tortoiseshell and white she-cat with bright green eyes (Hollyleaf and Fallen Leaves' daughter)
Sandpaw – Very pale ginger she-cat with light green eyes (Hollyleaf and Fallen Leaves' daughter)
Cormorantpaw – Black tom with bright blue eyes and one white hindpaw (Hollyleaf and Fallen Leaves' son)
Owlpaw – Dark brown tabby and white tom with light blue eyes, formerly of StreamClan
Queens:
Lilytail – Gray she-cat with blue eyes and a long tail (Perchwing's daughter)
Mother of Mallownose's kits: Creekkit, Brookkit, and Tawnykit
Swanwing – White she-cat with dark blue eyes and a small ginger patch on her head, former loner
Mother of Reedwhisker's kits: Birdkit and Redkit
Kits:
Creekkit – Frosty gray she-kit with a rose-tinted pelt, green eyes (Lilytail and Mudwhisker's daughter)
Brookkit – Gray tom-kit with blue eyes and white paws (Lilytail and Mudwhisker's son)
Tawnykit – Tawny brown tom-kit with green eyes (Lilytail and Mudwhisker's son)
Pochardkit – Gray, cream, and white she-kit with gray eyes (Swanwing and Reedwhisker's daughter)
Redkit – Reddish-ginger and white tom-kit with blue eyes (Swanwing and Reedwhisker's daughter)
Elders:
Mothwing – Dappled golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes, former medicine cat
Icewing – White she-cat with blue eyes
Pouncetail – Ginger and white tom with blue eyes
Minnowtail – Dark gray she-cat with amber eyes and fluffy fur
SkyClan
Leader: Hawkstar – Aging small dark gray tom with yellow eyes (Cherrytail and Sharpclaw's son)
Deputy: Falconheart – Heavily scarred gray and white she-cat with light green eyes, is blind in her right eye, former kittypet
Medicine Cat: Mossleaf – Aging pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes, white paws, and a white tail tip, former loner
Medicine Cat Apprentice: Maplepaw – Brown tabby, ginger, and white she-cat with amber eyes (Warblerflower and Harrybrook's daughter)
Warriors:
Mintfur – Elderly short-legged gray tabby she-cat with deep green eyes
Apprentice, Goosepaw
Birdwing – Old black she-cat with a gray muzzle, bright green eyes, and a scar over one eye
Harrybrook – Old gray tom with a paler muzzle and underside, and amber eyes
Cloudmist – Aging small white she-cat with blue eyes
Bellaleaf – Aging pale orange she-cat with green eyes, former kittypet
Dovenose – Aging gray tabby tom with deep green eyes (Mintfur and Nettlesplash's son)
Whinchattail – Aging pale brown tabby she-cat with bright green eyes (Mintfur and Nettlesplash's daughter)
Diverleap – Older black and white tom with green eyes, former kittypet
Apprentice, Thistlepaw
Violetheart – Older black and white she-cat with amber eyes, formerly of ShadowClan (Pebbleshine and Hawkstar's daughter)
Daisyfoot – Swift white she-cat with blue eyes and small silver tabby patches, former loner
Warblerflower – Pretty brown tabby, ginger, and white she-cat with green eyes, former loner
Cricketsong – Small black she-cat with green eyes, former kittypet
Campionflight – Ginger she-cat with a white chest and paws, and blue eyes (Blossomleap's daughter)
Flamenose – Ginger tom with blue eyes (Bellaleaf and Ivyface's son)
Ashheart – Gray tabby tom with green eyes (Newtmist's son)
Ospreyspots – Small black and white she-cat with blue eyes, former loner
Apprentice, Cinderpaw
Oakstripe – Golden-brown tabby tom with a white chest and dark amber eyes, former loner
Crowcloud – Black she-cat with dark green eyes (Birdwing's daughter)
Kestrelclaw – Brown tortoiseshell and white she-cat with bright amber eyes (Falconheart and Gingerstrike's daughter)
Gullfur – White tom with gray patches and deep green eyes (Falconheart and Gingerstrike's son)
Kitewhisker – Mottled brown tabby and ginger she-cat with pale green eyes (Commaclaw and Cedarstorm's daughter)
Wasptail – Pale ginger tom with a distinctive striped tail and amber eyes (Commaclaw and Cedarstorm's daughter)
Wisteriafang – Pale gray tabby tom with green eyes (Dovenose's son)
Wrenfeather – Light brown tabby tom with amber eyes and soft fur (Cricketsong and Oakstripe's son)
Terneyes – White tom with sharp green eyes (Tinycloud and Diverleap's son)
Apprentices:
Goosepaw – White and light gray tom with green eyes (Tinycloud and Diverleap's son)
Badgerpaw – Black and white she-cat with pale blue eyes (Tinycloud and Diverleap's daughter)
Cinderpaw – Pale gray she-cat with green eyes and light ginger patches (Warblerflower and Harrybrook's daughter)
Thistlepaw – Mottled gray tabby and white tom with amber eyes (Warblerflower and Harrybrook's son)
Queens:
Silverpoppy – Small silver tabby she-cat with bright green eyes, former loner
Mother of Ashheart's kits: Quailkit and Bluekit
Lichenheart – Gray tortoiseshell and white she-cat with bright blue eyes (Flamenose's daughter)
Mother of Russetstorm's kits: Poplarkit, Mallowkit, Slatekit, and Tipkit
Kits:
Quailkit – Silver tabby tom-kit with gray stripes and blue eyes
Bluekit – Blue-gray she-kit with white-tipped fur and green eyes
Poplarkit – Black tom-kit with bright green eyes
Mallowkit – Pale ginger she-kit with blue eyes
Slatekit – Dark blue-gray tom-kit with blue eyes
Tipkit – Dappled ginger and white she-kit with green eyes
Elders:
Tinycloud – Small white she-cat with blue eyes
Cats from Outside the Clans
Loners and Rogues
Dottie – Tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes, lives at the Horseplace (Smoky and Coriander's daughter)
Stripes – Gray tabby tom with blue eyes and prominent stripes, lives at the Horseplace; Dottie's mate
Tiger – Gray tabby, cream, and white she-cat with blue eyes, lives at the Horseplace (Dottie and Stripes' daughter)
Shadow – Longfurred black tom with green eyes, lives at the Horseplace; Tiger's mate
Cedar – Brown tabby tom with green eyes, formerly a kittypet; Willowface's mate
Former Clan Cats and Their Families
Leafpool – Elderly light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, a white chest, and white paws, formerly ThunderClan medicine cat
Crowfeather – Old dark gray, almost black tom with blue eyes, formerly of WindClan
Half Moon – White she-cat with green eyes; revived, formerly of the Ancients
Jayfeather – Aging gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes, formerly ThunderClan medicine cat
Dustleaf – Pale brown tabby tom with dark green eyes, formerly of StreamClan
Rookflight – Sickly, thin black tom with pale green eyes, formerly of GorgeClan
Mole – Black tom with amber eyes (Leafpool and Crowfeather's son)
Patch – Tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes; Mole's mate
Acorn – Brown tabby and white she-cat with blue eyes (Leafpool and Crowfeather's daughter)
Snowflake – White tom with green eyes; Acorn's mate
Gale – Pale gray tom with green eyes (Leafpool and Crowfeather's son)
Orphaned Kittypets
Saki – Old white and tortoiseshell she-cat with one blue eye, one amber eye, and a short bobbed tail
Rosie – Nearly white she-cat with a reddish-brown face, ears, paws, and tail, and blue eyes; Dapplecloud's cousin
Nicole – Tortoiseshell she-cat with a white chest and paws, and amber eyes
Sky – Longfurred bluish-gray tom with amber eyes and a flat face
Flower – Ginger she-cat with amber eyes
Cedar – Brown tabby tom with green eyes; Willowface's mate
Amos – Gray tom with blue eyes, a white muzzle, paws, belly, and tail tip
Willow – Gray tabby tom with amber eyes
Berry – Black she-cat with green eyes
Oliver – Black and white tom with green eyes
Watson – Golden brown spotted tabby tom with green eyes
Others
Death – Tall male skeleton with blue eyelights, wears a black cloak
A/N: This is one of the spookiest things I have ever written. Knowing I was eventually going to do it did not make it easier. Welcome to Berry's Loss. Let me go over things that were not covered in the main story.
While there was a greencough epidemic back at the WindClan camp, Kestrelflight had to leave his patients unattended because his apprentice is too young to be gathering herbs on her own. Lavenderpaw is only two moons older than Specklepaw, and as Dapplecloud brings up, she has a dreamy nature that leaves her prone to ignore other Clans' borders. Kestrelflight likely had another cat oversee his patients while he was gone.
The Twoleg skull once belonged to an unlucky person camping around the lake when the Dark Forest spirits/shadow demons attacked. The shadow demons are very vicious, and have prevented others from cleaning up corpses around the Forbidden Clearing. That means that any Clan cat who dies in the Forbidden Clearing will be left there most of the time.
Specklepaw does not know she is Jayfeather's granddaughter yet. You might know if you read Snow's Passage that while the medicine cat mating ban has been revoked, cats got very suspicious of medicine cats being in any sort of friendly relationship with another cat just before it was. It was Jayfeather and a revived Half Moon being chased off/savaged by an all-Clan patrol without anyone's permission that rescinded the ban. If Smokefoot revealed whom her grandfather was right away, nasty things could happen to Specklepaw and her siblings.
Jack and Matt were neutered after Jack impregnated Mottleflower to prevent a repeat. Mottleflower was not spayed after weaning her kits because she is a purebred Siamese of breeding quality. Her breeder made a contract that stipulated that she be bred to a show-quality Siamese male and has purebred kittens.
Her breeder was not pleased, but understood that it was an 'accident' and that no other ones would be happening in the future.
As mentioned in the story itself, Dapplecloud and her littermates were smaller than normal, and her littermates were not advertised for new homes until four moons old as a result. Their small sizes made them poor candidates for early spaying and neutering.
I did not mention things such as Eliza, Mason, and Maria's last names, the name of the town they lived in, the name of Eliza and Mason's vet practice, or the name of Maria's school as they are not important to Dapplecloud or the story. Mason, Eliza, and Maria's last names are mentioned in the final chapter near the end.
I have decided that cats mostly comprehend human language if they live with them. This means that the kittypets in my story have basic knowledge of human concepts. Why else would they accept human names like Rudy or Olivia, come when their owners announce its mealtime, run when they hear the word 'vet', and avoid hurting humans even if they're harming cats?
Even in Rising Storm, Fireheart/star recalls the word 'kitchen', which he would only know if he understood humans speaking back in his kittypet days.
I have decided to do away with the all dogs hunt cats approach that the Erins often use. As both a dog and cat lover, I find this insulting. There are many breeds of dog with different temperaments out there. Several actually love cats. Hank went after Laurel and her friends because he is a Siberian husky, a breed of dog infamous for being an escape artist and having a high prey-drive.
The kittypets in this story use the name of our species in addition to terms like 'housefolk' and 'workfolk' to refer to humans. Certain sentences become harder to write when calling people housefolk (ex. "black-haired housefolk" to describe Mason, "A housefolk is being attacked by something" when Briar discovers the shadow demon, etc).
People are probably wondering why no one called an emergency number after the shadow demons started wreaking their havoc. That is also something that will be answered next chapter, although I have left a slight hint here.
Mottleflower's breed would be a Siamese in the UK where Warriors takes place until at least The New Prophecy. All pointed colors are Siamese in the UK, but only the first four pointed colors (seal point, blue point, chocolate point, and lilac point) are considered Siamese in the US depending on the registry. The other colors are divided into a separate breed called the Colorpoint Shorthair. It makes for a big headache.
Dark Forest cats cause the environment around them to decay when in the living world. They do not lose this ability upon transformation into shadow demons. I wondered how to render its effects in Maria's house, as it is a man-made structure. If you believe that the decay needs to be ramped up, let me know.
Maria only survived as long as she did with her injuries from Dapplecloud's assistance and sheer willpower. Her being wheelchair-bound left her defenseless against the shadow demon until she used her wheelchair to harm it.
The usage of Death from the Discworld series might raise a few eyebrows. I needed someone to attend the deaths of those in Maria's town, explain what the shadow demons are, and explain that Maria and the others killed won't be going to the afterlife right away. It isn't just the Clan cats who have souls. None of my options for such a task were that great.
Dapplecloud and Mottleflower had not heard of StarClan yet as they are kittypets in the flashback, and StarClan would not have a reason for guiding their dead family's souls elsewhere. The spirit of a dead family member could appear, but they wouldn't know everything about the shadow demons.
Angels that could have done that, but they would look even more out of place than Death. I also have objections to putting them in stories. They are easily overpowered. So, I went with one of the best grim reapers in literature as he posed the least trouble.
While Death mainly attends to the Discworld, perhaps the Dark Forest's activities have begun to interfere with normal business (the collecting of souls), and he has had to step in.
Berry not understanding the concept of death is pretty simple here. Four month old cats are the equivalent of six to eight years old. According to the research I found, children don't fully get death until nine years of age. Berry is not some 'wise beyond her years' kit. She's never seen a dead creature before. It will take her time to process everything. The wisdom she possesses as Dapplecloud came with time and many trials.
Dapplecloud will likely leave ThunderClan for a little while once it's time to upkeep her promise. She still remembers it years later, and knows it's only a matter of time before Death comes to visit her. She will make sure that the Clan is in good paws before she leaves.
This first chapter featured horror elements, but it will be toned down in the last chapter. After all, the shadow demons have little reason to stalk Dapplecloud and Mottleflower all the way to the lake. I will reclassify the story's genre if I need to.
This is seven months after Ash's Family. Any cats listed there but not in this chapter's allegiances have died. Cats that got their canon warrior names in Thunder and Shadow have them to lessen confusion, but remember that events played out differently in my set of stories as I've been writing them since before the sixth series was released.
Readers may now notice that cats are mentioned in the these allegiances to be wobbly. That is shorthand for them having cerebellar hypoplasia, a condition where a cat's cerebrum is not fully developed. The cerebrum is the part of the brain responsible for body movement. Occurrences of this condition tend to increase when an affected cat's mother contracts feline panleukopenia aka blood dirt fever while pregnant. Affected kits have a hard time moving around. It's the feline version of cerebral palsy.
I have also added age descriptors to the allegiances as there are several old characters around. Clan cats age faster than house cats, but have been enjoying longer lives in the Ghouls of the Clans' universe thanks to several factors. A cat labeled 'older' is around seven to eight years old. 'Aging' cats are eight to ten. Cats over ten but under twelve years old are 'old'. 'Elderly' cats are twelve years old and up. I calculated everyone's approximate ages with the Warriors Wiki Events Timeline.
I have further tweaked the allegiances to place several now characters in the Clans. While he is not alive during the present day, Egretstream plays an important role in the Ghouls of the Clans' universe and history. He introduces some traditions that are still used in the present. And, some of those contributions have made life easier for disabled cats. Bluetnose, Buzzardleap, Dunlinwhisker, and Blackbirdfoot are from Bramble's Sacrifice.
The cover depicts Dapplecloud's house, Twolegs, and kin before the nastiness starts. She and Briar/Mottleflower are larger than everyone else as they are the main characters. How large the other cat characters are depends on their relationship with Dapplecloud. Rudy, Matt, and Cloudy have prominence as they and Dapplecloud got along very well. Jack was so-so (and a little bit of a lazy bum), so he's partially obscured by his daughter. Dapplecloud and Patches were not good friends, so we don't even get to see his head.
The cover symbolizes what Dapplecloud loses over the course of her story: her family, her owners, her home, and her safety. The angry clouds hint at the coming storm she and her mother must face.
Please tell me what you liked, and what could be improved upon.
