Bonjour, my fellow warriors fans!
I am writing Tainted Roses! I hope you enjoy!
Tainted Roses: Prologue: Renewal
A she-cat sits in a nearly dead forest. Fungi rot below giant dead oaks, and the pungent fills the area. She looks up at the darkened sky, no stars shedding their abundant light. She starts to groom herself because her pelt is filthy and dull from not having prey in never-ending moons. As her rough sandpaper flattened her dull, dark cream fur, she shivers as a bone-chilling gale goes through her thick pelt. Ignoring the strong wind, she continues to groom her chest and then she carefully licks the fur around a deep scar. That's Mothclaw's scar. The scar that killed me. That foolish mistake. That scar tells a story of lies, yet I ended up in the place Mothclaw should have. She thought scornfully thinking of her past and how her sister had killed her in "self defense" because Petalnose, which was herself, was a "dangerous threat" to the Clan.
"Mothclaw, stop! You know this is not right!" a slender cream she-cat yowled at a golden tabby as the golden tabby she-cat chased her through the lush green forest. "You're throwing your life away if you do this. I won't let you hurt him because he's my mate!"
The golden tabby stopped and sharply retorted, "Training in the Dark Forest and having a mate from another Clan is a terrible sin, Petalnose!"
"You can't hurt Pebblestrike because I love him, and that's my choice," Petalnose replied curtly. "You don't know what pain is because the whole Clan follows you around like you're their savior. Our own mother rejected me because I was tad smaller than you!"
Mothclaw gave a menacing glare, and Petalnose saw a devious plot form within Mothclaw's head. What is she going to do?! This isn't good at all… Petalnose thought. She lashed her tail and spat at the broad-shouldered she-cat. Staying strong is the best thing I can possibly do at the moment.
Mothclaw sat and licked her paw. As she drew her paw through her long white whiskers, Mothclaw mewed eerily calm, "You know why mother didn't love you. It wasn't your size or the prophecy. You weren't her kit; You were a rogue's kit."
"That's a load of foxdung, Mothclaw, and we both know that," Petalnose growled. "Everyone knows that I obviously am our father's daughter because I have his amber eyes and his creamy brown dapples." I flick my tail to my eyes and then touch one of my creamy brown dapples on my back.
Mothclaw looked shocked at her disbelief, so convincing though. Petalnose unfortunately fell for the golden tabby's show. "What do you mean? You are Hazelstar's daughter and you look like my father because he is Hazelstar's brother. Don't you get it? He mated with a rogue, and that's how you came about. You're even lucky to be alive because my mother almost refused to nurse you when she set eyes on you." Mothclaw responded.
She's serious… I can see it in her eyes..."Is this really true?" Petalnose could only whimper as she realized, "You have to be lying to tell such a terrible tale. You lie all of the time though!"
Mothclaw replied icily, "Why would I lie about a cat with tainted blood? You're as pretty as a rose, but your blood taints you. And now you're going to taint your bloodline further if you eventually have kits with that air-headed frog!"
"You're lying," Petalnose wailed. She unsheathed her claws and leapt at Mothclaw, but the golden tabby had already set her trap; in the position Mothclaw was, the golden tabby was ready to spring and strike. When Petalnose leapt, she realized her mistake instantly; Mothclaw's long, pearly white claws had been unsheathed the whole time. Foxdung, my belly's fully exposed!
Everything went into slow motion at this point. As Petalnose sailed across the air to strike Mothclaw, Mothclaw leapt and extended her unsheathed daggers. With the momentum Petalnose had, the cream she-cat had prevented her from being able to twist, and Mothclaw pinned her instantly. Mothclaw's dark green gaze was filled with dark intentions. "You were never meant to be born, and now I'm doing ThunderClan a huge favor."
Despite being smaller than Mothclaw, Petalnose was unable to wriggle free from the golden tabby's pin. She kicked her hind legs, but Mothclaw only then tightened her grip on her. Petalnose shut her eyes. This was it. Mothclaw raised her pure white right paw and struck Petalnose's throat to her belly.
I fell for that dumb trick because I was pregnant and I couldn't control my emotions. She killed me and my unborn was my death that I didn't deserve because of my lying sister. She surprisingly made it into StarClan too. At least my kits were sent to StarClan. I've been in this dreaded Dark Forest for seasons, and I haven't even made a friend here. She sighs to herself. Yes, she had come across cats who were passing by or trying to kill another cat, but everyone had thoughts of malice and revenge. She shakes her head at the thought. They're corrupted, you're not. You're not even supposed to be here.
As rustling came from a nearby bush of deathberries, Petalnose's ears immediately perk up and her head whipped around to see who or what it was.
"Show yourself now or I will act out in self defense." she let out a low growl.
"Be not afraid, for I am not of this place of darkened souls. I come to bear you news, Petalnose," a deep voice mews. "You will have to make a choice that will determine your fate."
A large ginger tabby steps out of the bush of deadly berries. His broad shouldered push the branches out of his way with little effort. As he walks towards Petalnose, his white paws stand out from the dark, muddy ground. As the wind brushes his fur, starlight glitters brilliantly from his fur. Huh, a handsome StarClan cat in the Dark Forest and he hasn't been shredded yet? What could he want with a reject like me? she thinks. Something has to be special about him though...
"What would you even want from me?" She mews questionly. "I'm just another one of your rejects. Nothing special at all."
The ginger tabby chuckles, "Yet, you are special. Every cat in this forest has their own story to tell. Tigerstar, Mapleshade, Breezepelt, the names go on and on. You are a blessing among Dark Forest cats. You chose to do no wrong again and seek revenge on Mothclaw's kin, which is unique."
She was speechless after his words. It is true that she did not even try to train other Clan cats to be evil because she thought it was stupid. She did not want anyone else to suffer through a lonely exile like hers. "It is true that I didn't train a cat, but I am not unique," she states sternly.
The tabby sighs. "I've been watching you since your birth. Many questions have been unanswered for you still because you are here instead of StarClan."
"So? My mother, most of my Clan, and StarClan rejected me," she spits in frustration. "When cats look over the Dark Forest border and see me, they jeer and jibe at me like I am a fox or a rogue. They do not know my complete story. All they know is I'm the mediocre Dark Forest cat."
"Well, I have come to make you an offer either way. Yet, it's more or lessly forced." The tom mews extremely calm and clearly ignoring here last statement. "It requires you to complete a prophecy."
How? Petalnose mews dryly, "If you haven't noticed, I'm kind of dead, so that won't work at all."
The tom sighs again, seeming to lose his patience. He perks up again and states, "Look, you have hope. The founders of the Clans have a job for you, and if you refuse, you will fade into oblivion, alright? We are giving you a chance because you are one of the best cats for the job."
Fade for eternity? My pelt has already start to dull because the Clans are forgetting me, she gulps. Petalnose glanced at her pelt and noticed that her pelt was dulling already since when the tom started the conversation. "What is it you want me to do then?" she mews quietly. "I will do it if you tell me too."
The ginger tom purrs, "You have another chance to enter StarClan as long as your task is completed. You will be reincarnated after we are done speaking. You will forget most of your past life, but parts of it will guide you to a better future for the Clans."
Very vague, but I don't care because I'm getting out of this wretched dump. Petalnose nods hesitantly because she is not very sure what she is getting her paws into. If I get to relive my life, I guess I have to take it. Plus I get out of this shabby place! "I accept your will completely. Do what you want with me?" She answers.
"I knew you would say yes," he purrs. "Your process shall begin now and good luck."
Before she knew it, she completely began to fade away, starting with her paws. "What is your name?" she manages to yowl before completely disappearing. Yet, she sees a flash of lightning, and thunder roars.
BOOM! As A queen kits with the assistance of a silver tom in a bramble thicket, thunder and lightning violently rampage outside. Heavy downpours and thunder block out the queen's moans of pain.
"Push! Push!" a silvery gray tom encourages a white she-cat. "It looks like you have one more kit, Whitewillow," he mews as he was shocked to see another. She's already given birth to a toms and a she-cat. I only predicted two kits for her litter! I guess living cats plan and StarClan laughs...
The silvery tom gives a sigh of relief when the last bundle of fur comes out of Whitewillow. Thank StarClan! She must exhausted because she's been kitting for what it seems like moons. The tom nips the kitting sack and picks up the cream bundle of fur and evaluates it. "Your last kit is a she-cat as well, Whitewillow," he purrs. He gives it a quick sniff and begins to lick the kit's fur backwards to warm the kit up, which causes the kits to let out a squeal.
Suddenly, his mind flashes out of the scene. All he can see is a lovely white flower from a distance at sunhigh. At dusk begins to set in, the flower in blown away by strong gales and the petals begin to splotch with red. A petal flies onto the tom's pink nose, and he sniffs it. This is cat blood on it! he shivers.
His mind is taken back to the scene. He shivers, what was that all about? He had never received a prophecy or omen from StarClan like that before. Let's tend to Whitewillow first and worry about this omen later.
The silver tom places the cream kit at the snowy white belly next the other she-kit. "Can you get Foxfall for me?" the drowsy white she-cat mews softly. "I want to name our kits."
The silver tom turns to tortoiseshell queen in the nursery. "Can you get him, Sorrelfur? I have some herbs that I need Whitewillow to take."
"Of course, Palecreek," Sorrelfur answers and sprints out of the nursery.
Palecreek picks up a pile of herbs and sets it next to the fluffy white she-cat's front paws. "Eat those. They'll help you produce milk."
The drowsy queen licks up the herbs swiftly because she tries to ignore their foul taste. "Anything for the kits," she purrs softly.
A reddish brown tom ducks his head down to get into the nursery and purrs at the sight of the newborns, "They're beautiful, Whitewillow. Let's begin to name them. But, you can name the first two you pick." the reddish brown tom mews.
"For the tom that looks like you, his name shall be Oakkit," Whitewillow mews and strokes the nursing kit with her bushy tail.
Palecreek evaluates the newly named Oakkit. The name definitely fit the kit because he was bigger than most newborns. He had red-brown fur like Foxfall, but he had tabby stripes as well. His pelt did look the leaves of leaffall as well. He'll be sturdy like at oak as well with proper training.
"You can name the rest, my love," Foxfall purrs. He licks his mate's cheek gingerly. "I trust you know the names that we came up with."
Flicking her bushy tail to the second born kit, she mews softly, "How about Lilykit?"
"Perfect! She'll be very beautiful and graceful like you," Foxfall purrs.
Palecreek looks at the second born kit closely. The kit's pelt was predominantly white with an interlacing of silver here and there. The kit was slender and nimble, already looking destined to be a great hunter. The kit was definitely the runt because Oakkit and the lastborn oversized her a tad.
Finally, Palecreek evaluates the last kit. Her pelt is mostly a cream color, but she has pale reddish brown dapples on her back that faded into her cream pelt. Her paws are snowy white. Something is odd about this kit for sure. She was the last one after all, the one that I didn't expect. She looks similiar to Dapplerose, Foxfall's deceased sister, but there is something else.
"How about Rosekit? So we can remember your sister." Whitewillow yawns. "She looks very similiar her."
"A lovely name for a lovely kit," Foxfall purrs, stroking the kit with his tail.
"Goodbye you two. Whitewillow must sleep for your kits' health. I shall be returning to my den," Palecreek mews. "I will check on all the queens in the morning."
As he walks back to the medicine cavern in the pounding rain, he wonders, What could StarClan be telling me about? It's been moons since my last omen or prophecy...
After drying himself off, he curls up into his nest. It can wait till tomorrow obviously. I need sleep.
Allegiances
ThunderClan
Leader- Honeystar- a long-legged, short-furred, sleek golden she-cat with green eyes
Deputy- Wolfclaw- a large, battle-scarred, muscular, mottled dark gray tabby tom with white paws and amber eyes
Medicine cat- Palecreek- an undersized, short-furred, silvery gray tom with a white chest and pale green eyes
Warriors
Nightfang- a broad-shouldered, muscular, black tom with a scar on his muzzle and yellow eyes
APPRENTICE, THRUSHPAW
Hollyberry- slender, short-furred, tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes
Bumbletail- an average-sized, broad-shouldered, dark golden brown tom with a long tail, white paws, and blue eyes
Weaselwhisker- a lithe, ragged-furred, cream tom with white paws and blue eyes
APPRENTICE, PEBBLEPAW
Foxfall- a long-legged, lean, dark reddish brown tom with pale amber eyes
APPRENTICE, LEAFPAW
Littlestorm- a small, broad-shouldered, dark ginger tom with yellow eyes and short fur
Sagemist- small, skinny, pale brown she-cat with dark green eyes
Pinefur- a broad-shouldered, muscular, dark brown tabby she-cat with spiky fur and green eyes
APPRENTICE, FLAMEPAW
Finchleap- a slender, sleek golden she-cat with darker patches and pale green eyes
Jaggedstripe- a large, broad-shouldered, sleek black and silver tabby tom with short fur and amber eyes
Eagleclaw- a massive, muscular, sleek dark brown tabby tom with a white chest, a white face, and blue eyes
Apprentices
Thrushpaw- a large gray-brown tom with amber eyes
Leafpaw- a tiny dark brown tabby she-cat with forest green eyes
Flamepaw- a pale ginger she-cat with darker patches and green eyes
Pebblepaw- a broad-shouldered dark gray tom with white paws and blues
Queens
Whitewillow- a slender white she-cat with long fur and green eyes
Sorrelfur- a dilute tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes and a bushy tail
Dustnose- a small, short-furred, pale brown tabby with green eyes and a white chest
Elders
Quailwing- a white tom with brown patches and blue eyes
Lightfoot- a golden tabby she-cat with green eyes and white paws
Kits
Oakkit- a sturdy dark reddish brown tabby tom with yellow eyes
Rosekit- a long-legged cream she-cat with pale amber eyes, pale reddish brown dapples on her back and white paws
Lilykit- an undersized, slender, white she-cat with silver splotches and dark green eyes
Tallkit- a long-legged black and white tom with dark amber eyes
Branchkit- an awkwardly long-legged, thin, brown tom with green eyes
Crowkit- a large black tom with front white paws and yellow eyes
Voila! Here's the allegiances for now. The allegiances skip forward about 3 moons, so Crowkit, Tallkit, and Branchkit were born to Sorrelfur a moon after Whitewillow's kits. Obviously, I will update the allegiances later with the other 3 Clans; I hope to update the allegiances about every 10 chapters or so. I hope you liked the prologue and I know it was long. Anyways, if you really liked it, please review! I will try to update as soon as possible because I am in the midst of finals. Reviewers get Rosekit, Lilykit, and Oakkit plushies!
~Blizzard