Well, I wrote this one-shot about a year ago. It focuses on DustClan rather than ScarClan like my other fanfictions. Some Clan and cat names have been changed since writing this. The events take place before any of my other fanfics.
Enjoy this crap.
"Help!" Bluewing's call startled Torndawn. "The kits!" She ran to the medicine den and came out with Snowdrift.
"What's going on?" Torndawn asked.
"Featherstar's kits are coming." Greenwing sat next to him. "You should go in. You might calm her while Snowdrift's working." Torndawn nodded and hopped into the nursery.
"Torndawn!" Featherstar's voice was full of pain. "Come here." Her belly moved as the kits fought their way into the world. Torndawn's eyes did seem to comfort her, because she stopped hissing.
"Congrats." Snowdrift whispered. "You have three beautiful kits."
Torndawn stepped in to take a look. His tail started swishing madly. Three bundles of fur were laying in between Featherstar's legs. One was gray, another was golden, and the last was tortoiseshell.
"Two she-kits and a tom." Bluewing meowed. "Congratulations!"
Featherstar licked them clean. Torndawn was never so happy. He laid with his face to Featherstar, and they made a wall around their kits.
"What are their names?" Snowdrift asked. Torndawn and Featherstar exchanged glances.
"The gray one is Bluekit, the golden one is Marshkit." Featherstar whispered. She turned to her mate. "You can name the tortoiseshell."
Torndawn sat in silence for a few moments. "Stormkit." He finally said.
Stormkit bounced on Bluekit. Her brother rolled away and bumped straight into Marshkit. The three of them were play-fighting in the nursery.
"Stop, or someone is going to get hurt." Featherstar warned.
"Not to worry." Torndawn licked Marshkit. "You will be apprenticed in another moon."
"That's so long!" Bluekit complained. "I want to be like Robinpaw and Jaypaw!"
"Your time will come." Featherstar smiled. "And we both know that all of you will do great things."
"I want to be leader!" Stormkit jumped on Torndawn. She climbed up his back and sat between his ears. "I am the mighty Stormstar!"
"Speaking of which," Featherstar grabbed Stormkit and dropped her on the mossy floor. "Torndawn, Robinpaw and Jaypaw are ready to be warriors."
Torndawn exited the den. Stormkit crept behind him. I want to see Jaypaw and Robinpaw.
The sun made Stomkit squint. If I sit with everyone else, the sun will be in my eyes and I won't be able to see! She glanced around to look for a place where she could sit and watch.
She crept over to the tunnel and started to climb. Yes, she could watch from the top of the camp!
Stormkit eventually made her way to the top, and sat behind the thorn wall.
"All cats old enough to catch a fish in the mighty ocean gather beneath highstone for a clan meeting!" Torndawn called.
Stormkit thought it was strange that her father was using the WaterClan meeting call. She leaned in closer when Robinpaw and Jaypaw climbed up on the rock.
"I, Torndawn, deputy of DustClan want StarClan to look down on these apprentices. They have studied hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I shall grant them warriors in their turn. Robinpaw, Jaypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?" Torndawn announced.
"I do." Robinpaw's ginger fur was almost fire-colored in the setting sun.
"I do." Jaypaw bounced up and down.
Stormkit padded closer, she wanted to hear the best she could what their warrior names were. I wonder what mine will be! I like Stormfrost, Stormsky.
All of a sudden, the ground gave way beneath her. Her head filled with fear as she went tumbling down the wall. Then she saw something.
The thorn bushes.
Stormkit couldn't stop herself in time. She went sliding into the bush. A thorn scratched her on the face, and she had to close her eyes when one was poked.
"Stormkit!" Robinpaw jumped down from the rock and ran in front of the tumbling kit. The pain was immense. Stormkit blacked out when she hit Robinpaw's fur.
Featherstar paced outside the medicine den. Stormkit was badly injured in the fall, and Greenwing was watching the other kits.
"Sit down! Walking is not going to help anyone." Torndawn rubbed his head against Featherstar's neck.
"What was that mouse-brained kit thinking!" She growled. "She could have died!"
She could have died.
Fireeye pushed his way out of the den. "You can come in now."
Featherstar pushed her way besides her brother. Stormkit was laying near the pool, a bloodstained leaf over her eye.
"My baby!" Featherstar wrapped her body around Stormkit. The leaf fell on the ground, revealing a swollen-shut eye. Stormkit winced in pain as Featherstar lifted her head to lay on her mother's paw.
"That will scar nicely. You look like a fierce warrior!" Torndawn licked the blood off of Stormkit's pelt.
"What… what happened?" Stormkit whispered.
"Robinfall caught you before you slid into the puddle." Torndawn said. Featherstar joined in the licking.
"It's not all over." Snowdrift dipped her head. "Her eye is infected. I will have to take it out."
Hearing that, Stormkit dug her face in Featherstar's cream fur. Featherstar could feel the kit shaking.
Torndawn looked Snowdrift in the eye. "I... " He paused, and trotted out of the den after licking his mate and his kit.
Loud yowls echoed around the camp and disturbed Torndawn's sleep. Stormkit had been yowling all night. She should learn to follow directions and not be so reckless!
Then he realized that he would have done the same thing. He had lost his leg for the that reason. He was reckless and he wouldn't listen.
Featherstar's eye fluttered open.
"I can't sleep." Torndawn whispered. "Stormkit was…"
"I know." She answered. "She's just like you."
Torndawn knew he had to do something, so around midnight he set out to get to work. He pulled at a tree until one of the leaves snapped off. He made two holes with his claw and ran a branch from the brambles through it, making sure to pull all the thorns out.
Here we go. He thought as he pulled at the brambles until it could fit around a cat's head. All of a sudden, the hollow grew quiet and fog swallowed it in a matter of seconds. Torndawn looked around, but he could see nothing except for a glowing eye in the middle of the fog.
"Greatness lies between the eye of the storm."
The words rang in Torndawn's head. He put his paw and his tail over his ears but they still were heard.
"Greatness lies between the eye of the storm."
Torndawn closed his eyes, then opened them again. The fog and the eye were gone. He was alone, holding his creation.
Stormkit found herself wandering along the shoreline of the burning river. She watched for a NekoClan patrol but there weren't any. I have been walking for hours but where is the pool?
In fact, she had been walking and walking but she didn't come to the burning pool. I should have passed it by now!
All of a sudden, the ground gave way beneath her and she fell into a hole. Leafless trees surrounded her below a blood-red sky. She remembered this place from her father's stories. She was in the Dark Forest.
"Hello, Stormkit. I was expecting you."
Stormkit flipped around and drew her lips back in a snarl. A golden cat was sitting in front of her, with an icy blue gaze.
"Where am I?" Stormkit was frantic with fear. "Who are you?"
"Your uncle." He answered.
"Fireeye?"
"No, Leafstar."
Stormkit relaxed. "Why have you brought me here?"
"I need to talk to you." He turned around and started walking into the trees. Stormkit followed close behind. His scent was similar to Torndawn's. They found themselves in another clan camp, with cats busily running around.
"Where are we?" Stormkit asked. The camp smelled strangely familiar, but she couldn't say exactly what it was.
"WaterClan camp." Leafstar meowed. He walked into it, and poked his head in a den. "Come see."
Stormkit obeyed, and found herself staring at two young cats. One was gold and the other was tortoiseshell, but his front left leg was silver.
"That's me and your father." Leafstar swished his tail. Stormkit was surprised at how her father looked. He had all his legs and no scars at all.
"Now follow me." Leafstar trotted out of camp and into the woods again. Thunder clapped overhead as they walked. A clearing was visible in the distance, with outlines of fighting cats. Leafstar sat and watched.
"He can't go on much longer! We need help!" A voice boomed.
"Stay calm, Brackenshell. Silverstar will survive." Another answered. Stormkit saw a cat laying on the ground, howling in pain while another lay limp.
"The battle that took your father's leg." Leafstar had to yell to be heard over the rain. "He went through the same thing as you." A strike of lightning hit the ground in between them, and Leafstar was gone. Stormkit could not take her eyes off of the limp cat next to her father. Flower.
Stormkit's one remaining eye shot open. What a strange dream! She stretched her legs and looked at herself in the pond. Her eye was still swollen shut, with some sticky liquid that she could only guess Snowdrift had put on.
"Wow." A voice boomed. Torndawn limped over to her. "You look awesome!"
"No I don't." Stormkit meowed. "I look like a monster."
"Sometimes that's a good thing."
Stormkit was speechless. Her father had a point, and he had gone through the same thing, possibly worse.
"I brought you something." Torndawn wrapped the bramble around her head, with the leaf covering her injured eye. It was surprisingly comfortable, and it made her look less like a freak.
"Thank you." Stormkit meowed.
"Now you look like a warrior." Torndawn licked Stormkit. "You will be a great one one day, I'm sure of it."
"But how can I be a warrior with one eye?" Stormkit cried.
"I… er…" Torndawn couldn't find the words. Stormkit had been the smallest of the litter, but the most active. If she had imagined herself ever being leader, her dreams were probably crushed the moment she woke up in the medicine den.
"You were already a warrior when you lost your leg." Stormkit mewed.
"I trained myself." Torndawn said. "Maybe I should mentor you."
"I would like that." Stormkit answered. At least she sounded more cheery.
Stormleaf held Jayscar as Snowdrift pulled the thorn from his back, and then his leg.
"There are other places to find Catmint." Stormleaf told him. "Not just near the thorn wall."
She remembered when she was just a kit and she had gone tumbling down the wall. Robinfall had gotten her warrior name from the fall.
"You could have done the same thing I did." Stormleaf gestured to the leaf covering her eye. "Trust me, it hurts. A lot."
"How's it going?" Featherstar pushed her way through the brambles. "What happened to him?"
"He had a fall." Snowdrift answered. "Into the thorn bushes."
Featherstar looked to her mom, and then to her daughter. "It surprises me how big this family has become. Maybe I should have another litter."
"Our clan is big enough." Stormleaf snapped. "I don't need more cats to look after."
Featherstar was going to leave the moment Torndawn arrived. Stormleaf watched her father soak a piece of moss in the pool, and then started stacking the wet pieces.
"You know that water is only for the sick to drink." Stormleaf ran her tail along her father's back.
"It's not for drinking, is it?" Snowdrift walked to the pool and watched.
"Robinfall wants to try again. She's having more kits." Torndawn meowed.
"She was an apprentice when she had her first litter!" Jayscar yelled from the other side of the den. "I wasn't surprised that they both died."
"Kits die, Jayscar. It's not my fault that Marshpaw and Bluesky both died, and my third kit only has one eye." Featherstar hissed.
"At least she's alive and trained as a warrior and a medicine cat!" Jayscar snapped.
"He's going crazy." Snowdrift meowed. "He needs to rest. Alone."
Featherstar, Torndawn, Stormleaf, and Snowdrift exited the den. Snowdrift ran off to find Dirtfur, who was eating a vole.
"So," Featherstar stared at her mother. "What now?"
Torndawn sighed. "I'm going fishing." He stretched his legs and limped over to the river. Stormleaf watched him go.
"You should go with him." Featherstar licked Stormleaf. "You should learn to fish."
Stormleaf ran out, swishing her tail in thanks to her mother. Torndawn was sitting silently on the side of the river, his mouth inches away from the water.
"Hi!" Stormleaf ran over to her father. Torndawn turned and perked his ears up.
"You mousebrain!" He teased. "You scared away all the fish!"
"Someone has to do it." Stormleaf laughed. She pounced on Torndawn, knocking him into the river. He ran and flicked water at her. The wind blew in their faces as they ran.
"I've got you!" Stormleaf pinned her father to the ground, careful not to let his face sink below the water. Torndawn stared at her like she was attacking him.
Stormleaf raised her paw to her swollen eye. Her patch was gone. I scared him!
"I…" She couldn't find the words. She took her paws off of Torndawn and turned away.
"Hey, It's okay." Torndawn licked her on the cheek. "Cats looked at me for moons after Goldpelt took my leg."
"At least I have someone to relate to." Stormleaf meowed. "Now, where did it go?" Both cats searched the area for the patch, but nobody could find it. Around sunset, Stormleaf gave up and was walking back to camp. She heard her father limping behind her.
When they were back at camp, Stormleaf grabbed one of those long leaves from a cocomilk tree and tied it around her face. I'm not letting anyone see.
But deep down she knew that she was just trying to hide who she was.
"I can't find the stupid thing!" Featherstar's voice woke Stormleaf. She laid in her den, with Snowdrift snoring beside her. "Someone needs to tell her to stop hiding."
"If she feels comfortable," Torndawn sounded like he was with Featherstar. "Then we can't stand in the way."
"She's hiding herself."
"The cherry doesn't fall far from it's blossom." A third voice spoke. Stormleaf recognized Fireeye.
Featherstar let out a low growl. "He has a point." She sighed.
Stomleaf stretched her legs. Jayscar had left the medicine den a few sunrises earlier, and Stormleaf could finally get some sleep. Padding out into the clearing, Stormleaf smelled fresh-kill and the humidity of the new morning. She spotted Featherstar, Torndawn, and Fireeye on highrock. Robinfall was chewing on some fish with Ravenheart and Suntail. Stormleaf walked over to join them.
"I haven't been there in forever!" Ravenheart was saying.
"We should take Robinfall and Fireeye to go visit sometime." Suntail meowed.
"What are you talking about?" Stormleaf sat down next to Robinfall.
"The Old Territory." Robinfall answered. "We should go back. I want to visit BrokenClan."
Stormleaf nodded. "But did you hear what happened on that island?"
"Yes," Suntail groaned. "Feather became the Dark Cat, we met Darkstar, Brokenstar, and Ashstar, Silverstar died ."
They all glanced at Torndawn. He turned his head to the group.
"For the record, I didn't die. I became the second Dark Cat, Feather found me in the woods, and-"
"Yeah, we know the story." Suntail shook her head. Torndawn shrugged and walked back to what he was doing.\
"That fox-brain better be happy." Ravenheart hissed. "He came back, but Robinfeather couldn't."
Stormleaf had heard tales of Robinfeather. He had died long before she was born. He was Robinfall's father and Ravenheart's mate.
"I'm going hunting." Robinfall said. Suntail followed her.
My stupid eye! Stormleaf was filled with anger. I scared them away! A feeling of pure sadness overtook her and washed away her rage. Dragging her tail, she made her way back to the medicine den. I don't belong here and I never have.
She finally made the hard decision to leave.
Stormleaf set out the next morning. She had eaten traveling herbs, and started towards the Rocky Border.
A ShadowClan patrol was remarking the borders, and they noticed her.
"Hello." Stormleaf recognized the deep voice of Fireblaze. The brown tom's fur was golden in the sunlight. "What are you doing here?"
"Going to the Old Territory." Stormleaf replied. "My clan is afraid of me."
"Sounds relatable." Earthspirit chimed in. "Everyone is scared of me."
"It's different. Where's Icecloud?" Stormleaf desperately wanted to see the small medicine cat.
"Back at the camp." Fireblaze said. "Ambershade has greencough."
"Well, if you need anything, Snowdrift will surely have some." Stormleaf promised. She turned away from the cats and continued on her path.
"Good luck." Earthspirit called after her before going back to his business.
For days, Stormleaf had to fight the winds of the mountains and the coldness of the fallen snow on her paws, but when she arrived in Toad Forest, the world was silent.
It was the kind of silence that had the power to stop someone from doing something they will regret. Stormleaf had never felt so alone.
Light flooded the hollow as Stormleaf opened her eyes. Letting out a loud yawn, she remembered that she was in Thunder Hollow. Decaying bodies were all around, letting out a disgusting smell. Stormleaf padded out of the hollow to carry on through Toad Forest.
I should be at the Maple Moor by sundown. She concluded. Padding on, she caught some prey and settled down to eat on the edge of the forest. The vole she was eating was plump, like it had nothing to be afraid of. The silence was thick and Stormleaf remembered that there had not been any cats her for at least a year.
Maybe I should…
The silence was disturbed by a rustling sound. Stormleaf perked up her ears and looked around for the source of the sound.
A black head poked out of the grass. "Who are you?"
"Who are you?" Stormleaf asked.
"My name is Black Hole. I'm guessing you have heard of me?"
Yes, Stormleaf had heard. Black Hole was the cat that sent Feather and Snow to this place when a demon tried to kill them.
"I'm Stormleaf. My mother is…"
"Don't say that name." Black Hole hissed. "She has brought me pain. So has, what are you calling her now? Ravenheart."
"How did you get here?" Stormleaf asked. "This place was deserted moons ago!"
"I like to be alone. Why don't you go back to where you came from." He said. "I need my precious space." Black Hole's head sunk under the grass and Stormleaf could smell his scent getting fainter and fainter.
"I'll stay out of your way if…" She paused, a realization sweeping over her.
"If what?" Black Hole turned back to Stormleaf.
"I'll make a deal with you." She thought about what to say next. "Help me find a home, and we will go our separate ways after that."
Black Hole was silent for a moment. "You've got yourself a deal."
Stormleaf and Black Hole were laying in a cave that he said was Goldpelt and Bell's before they moved to the New Territory.
"This is the farthest North we can go. The twoleg place makes the surrounding area impassable." Black Hole concluded.
"Thank you." Stormleaf said. "You have been a great help."
Black Hole padded out of the den and raced across the Oak Moorland. Stormleaf was about to ask if she could have some fish when she remembered that there would be nobody there to answer her.
She was alone. But at least she was finally at peace.
"Stormleaf?" The voice of Leafstar rang in her head. "What are you doing here? You should be home."
"I can't go home. They are all afraid of me." She thought out loud.
"Why can't you see it? They are afraid of you because they aren't used to your eye. You have been hiding it all these years."
"So what?!"
"If you hadn't worn that patch they would be used to it."
Stormleaf was hit with a wave of guilt. What hurt even more is that she knew he was right.
"I have to go back." She decided.
"There it is." Leafstar's voice faded until the eerie silence returned.
"Featherstar!" Stormleaf called through the camp. "Featherstar!"
"Where have you been?" Her mother ran up behind her. "I was worried sick!"
"I am never leaving again. I belong here, with my eye exposed." Stormleaf turned to see Robinfall running towards her. The three cats embraced each other.
This is where I belong. She repeated. This is my home.