So, hey, this is a one-shot for FroggyClan. Is it okay? Do I suck at one-shots? This is my first one. It's set about six moons after The Last Hope. Enjoy!
What am I doing? he thought to himself. He knew if he spoke again, he would die. I have to move, but what can I do? He knew what the only option was, and he took it.
Ivypool crouched, waiting to pounce. The water vole she was stalking twitched its nose. Don't see me! She prayed. Tensing her muscles, she leaped low to the ground, weaving around the fern bunches and grasping the vole in her jaws. Nipping its spine, it fell limp in her jaws. She hadn't forgotten than first hunting move Hawkfrost had taught her.
"Nice catch!" Ivypool turned around to see Dovewing standing behind her, puffing and panting.
"Dovewing! You shouldn't be so far out of camp." Ivypool scolded gently. "Not when you're so close to kitting." Dovewing rolled her blue eyes in exasperation.
"Honestly, Ivypool, you're acting like Daisy! I just wanted a bit of fresh air, that's all." She gestured lazily with her tail. "Bumblestripe's just over there." Ivypool felt that pang of jealously yet again. Dovewing had found her perfect mate, and was having his kits any day soon. Ivypool felt empty and alone in comparison. She wanted kits of her own, but no cat seemed to like her in that way. Shaking away her thoughts, Ivypool padded to her sister.
"Come on. I'll fetch Bumblestripe, and then we're coming back to camp. You need to rest." She meowed firmly. Dovewing rolled her eyes again, but didn't argue.
Ivypool nosed her way through the lush green-leaf ferns.
"Bumblestripe!" She called. "I'm taking Dovewing back to camp. Are you coming?" The grey and black striped tom popped out from behind a bramble thicket.
"Yep!" He trotted out, fur tufted and messy from the thorns.
"What were you doing in there?" Ivypool asked, half amused, half muddled. Bumblestripe shuffled his paws in embarrassment.
"I was looking for some feathers for Dovewing's nest, so the kits will be extra comfy when they're born." Ivypool flicked him around the ear.
"There'll be plenty of feathers that aren't hiding underneath the brambles!" She teased.
Catching up to Dovewing, the two mates walked slowly back to the camp, fur brushing. Ivypool fell slightly behind, not wanting to intrude on their conversation.
As the three cats were padding through the thorn tunnel, Dovewing dropped to a crouch and let out a sharp yowl of pain.
"My kits… I think they're coming." She gasped. Bumblestripe pounded across the camp to the medicine den.
"Dovewing's kits are coming!" He yowled into the den. Jayfeather came trotting out grumpily.
"No need to shout." The blind medicine cat grumbled. "She's got plenty of time yet." Ivypool ushered her sister into her nest in the nursery, where she settled down with a sigh. Almost immediately she jolted and hissed in pain again. Bumblestripe was pacing anxiously outside the den. Jayfeather twitched his ear, then called over his shoulder,
"Bumblestripe, go and get Dovewing some water soaked moss. You'll do no help hanging around there." Bumblestripe's scent faded. Ivypool stroked her sister's ears gently. "You'll be fine soon." She murmured.
"Doesn't feel like it!" Dovewing meowed through clenched teeth. Her flank rolled and contracted.
"That's it." Jayfeather mewoed. "I think the first one's nearly here." Dovewing tensed and yowled in pain as a small, wet bundle slid into her soft nest. Jayfeather leaned over and nipped the delicate sac with his teeth, and the new born kitlet out a wail. Jayfeather felt Dovewing's belly with his tail, then sat back on his haunches.
"That's it." Dovewing looked surprised and relieved at the same time. She bent down to lick her kit as he scrambled towards her belly for milk.
"He's a tom!" She purred. As he dried, Ivypool saw he was a strong grey and white tom with faint grey stripes on his tail tip.
Bumblestripe poked his head into the den, and his eyes lit up as he set eyes on his son.
"He's beautiful!" He purred. "You're so brave, so clever, Dovewing." The grey queen tipped her head.
"Can we call him Whisperkit?" She asked. "He looks like a whisp of cloudy smoke." Bumblestripe nodded, still purring.
"That's perfect."
"Hey, he has your stripes on his tail!" Dovewing exclaimed.
"He'll look just like Greystripe before long." Bumblestripe couldn't stop purring. Ivypool felt a pang of loneliness. She wanted to have
beautiful kits of her own, with a mate to father them. With a sigh, she turned away from the nursery and the scent of milk, into her own den for a nap.
"Hey, Ivypool, you okay?" Snowpaw and Dewpaw stuck their heads into the warriors den.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired." Ivypool meowed wearily. Curling down into her nest and burying her muzzle under her paw, she listened as the two apprentices moved away from the den.
"Ivypool? Ivypool!" Ivypool was dreaming. She opened her eyes, but all she could see was darkness.
"Ivypool!" A voice was calling her. It sounded like a tom.
"I'm coming!" Ivypool called, loneliness and longing vibrating in her voice. "I'll find you!"
"Ivypool!" Ivypool opened her eyes blearily and saw Bumblestripe leaning over her.
"Whisperkit's opened his eyes already!" He exclaimed. "Want to see?" Ivypool nodded blearily and climbed out of her nest. Looking up with shock, she realised it was dusk. She had slept since before sunhigh!
Ivypool clambered into the nursery and saw Whisperkit staring up at her with wide yellow eyes.
"Hello?" He squeaked. "You smell like Mother. Who are you?" Ivypool felt her heart melt and her worries fade a little.
"I'm Ivypool, little one. I'm Dovewing's sister." She purred. Whisperkit was about to reply, when a huge yawn came from his jaws.
"Out now." Dovewing shooed her mate and sister from her nest. "Whisperkit needs to sleep."
Ivypool rolled back into her nest, feeling restless after sleeping for most of the day. She wriggled and moved for a few minutes, then sighed and got to her paws. A walk through the forest would clear her head.
"Hey, Ivypool! Where are you going?" A voice hissed from the den. Reluctantly, Ivypool turned to see Mousewhisker staring out of his nest. Ivypool sighed inwardly. He was so annoying, always criticising everything she did and said, following her round like Berrynose, but worse.
"I need some fresh air." She whispered. Mousewhisker sprang out of his nest.
"Can I come?" His eyes gleamed eagerly. Ivypool rolled her eyes inwardly.
"Fine." She tried to keep her tone light, but really she wanted to be alone.
The two cats padded out of camp side by side.
"Where are you two going?" Whitewing was on guard duty at the entrance to the thorn tunnel.
"Just out for a walk." Ivypool mewoed lightly to her mother.
"I'll keep an ear out for you." Ivypool was glad Whitewing didn't probe any further.
Ivypool walked next to Mousewhisker in silence. He shivered beside her.
"Brr, it's cold out here at night. Want to race?" Ivypool nodded. Maybe running would warm her up.
"Last one to Sky Oak is a mouse!" Mousewhisker's words hung in the air where he had been a second ago. Ivypool streaked after him.
"Hey, no fair!" She panted. "You didn't give me any warning!"
Ivypool streaked through the trees, weaving around bushed and ferns like a fish in water. Exhilaration surged through her.
Gradually Ivypool gained on Mousewhisker. Just as the Ancient Oak came into sight, she drew ahead of her companion.
Oof! All the air was knocked out of her lungs as Ivypool tripped over her own paws and rolled straight into the roots of the Sky Oak.
"Hey, I guess you win!" Mousewhisker halted beside the heap of white and silver fur. "Nice landing!" He teased.
"I'll get you yet!" Ivypool growled playfully as she leaped on Mousewhisker and bowled him over. The two cats tussled for a moment, but suddenly Ivypool found herself being pinned down by Mousewhisker's strong forepaws. He was barely a whisker length from her face. Ivypool lowered her gaze, uncomfortable with being so close to another cat.
"I-I…"
Mousewhisker's POV
Come on, just say it, mouse brain! Mousewhisker was struggling to get the words he had wanted to say for so long out in the open. Ivypool tensed beneath his paws, eyes darting to the edge of the clearing. Mousewhisker tasted the air, suddenly detecting a rancid stench.
"Badger!" Both cats whispered in unison. With a ferocious screech, the badger came blundering from the undergrowth, teeth bared.
What am I doing? he thought to himself. He knew if he spoke again, he would die. I have to move, but what can I do? He knew what the only option was, and he took it.
I'll died either way.
Mousewhisker sprang to his paws as the badger unsheathed its claws and prepared to lunge. Quick as a snake, Mousewhisker threw himself in front of Ivypool, just in time for the badger's filthy claws to dig deep into his chest.
Ivypool's POV
NO! Ivypool readied herself to spring at the badger. To her immense relief, it turned and crashed back through the undergrowth. Ivypool watched in frozen terror as it crossed the lakeshore and crossed WindClan's boundary. Mousewhisker! The grey and white tom was lying on the soft grass, sticky blood pooling onto the ground beneath him. Ivypool desperately rushed to him and tried to hoist her Clanmate onto her shoulder.
"Come on!" She meowed through gritted teeth. "I'll carry you back to camp." Mousewhisker shook his head weakly.
"No… point." He rasped out. He coughed up a sticky clot of blood.
"Did… did-"
"Hush." Ivypool soothed the injured warrior. "Save your breath."
Mousewhisker ignored her. "Did-did I ever te-tell you how b… brave you are?" He rasped. "You stood up agai… against the Dark Forest. I've never… ever seen something so amazing." His final word was punctuated with a rattling cough.
"I love you, Ivypool." His eyes fixed themselves on the last thing they would ever see - his love's face. His tail twitched, then he fell limp.
Ivypool felt a grief she had never felt so strongly slice her heart. He had been there all along. And now he was gone. Ivypool rested her muzzle on her mate's cold flank. At least, he should have been her mate.
I always will be, Ivypool. I will wait for you forever.