Rain pounded heavily against the nursery walls in the Thunderclan camp. A young pale ginger queen howled.
"The kits!" She yowled. A gray tom, the medicine cat, darted through the nursery entrance a few seconds later. His green eyes flashed in the lightning, and he had brought a stick.
"Hey Leafblossom, it's me, Grasswhisker. Don't be nervous, just bite on this stick and you'll be fine," the gray tom, Grasswhisker, meowed reassuringly. Leafblossom gripped the stick tightly in her mouth as she began kitting. "Good job Leafblossom, you are doing a great job! Come on, the kit is almost there!" Grasswhisker coaxed. A small ginger she kit with white paws slid out and Grasswhisker quickly nipped it free and gave it to Leafblossom to lick dry. He waited a moment, but realized there was only one kit. He smiled.
"Congratulations, you have one healthy she kit. My brother would have been so proud!" Grasswhisker meowed. Thunder boomed, and the two cats cringed. Leafblossom moved the small she kit to her belly and she began to suckle. The young queen smiled tiredly.
"Yes, Snowfoot would be very proud. She has his white paws," Leafblossom purred. "I think I'll name her Brightkit!" Thunder roared dangerously close once again, this time with lightning. Grasswhisker soon smelled smoke and heard the panic of cats running out of camp. He poked his head outside and saw that the camp wall was on fire. He ran to the medicine cat den.
"Beepaw! Wake up!" Grasswhisker yelled. The young yellow tom snapped awake. "Grab cobwebs and everything that helps with burns and get out of camp! I'll meet you in the far clearing with the rest of the clan, I have to help Leafblossom!" Grasswhisker darted back to the nursery.
"Leafblossom, we need to leave! Most of the clan is gone already and the fire is still spreading!" Grasswhisker meowed full of worry. The tired queen staggered to her feet. Grasswhisker grabbed Brightkit by the scruff.
"Lean against me!" he said around the kit. Leafblossom followed his directions and they began walking towards the camp entrance. Suddenly, a burning branch from a nearby tree began to fall. Grasswhisker felt himself being pushed aside as the burning branch fell above him. He got up with Brightkit still in his jaws to see Leafblossom's back legs crushed under the branch as her fur and flesh began to singe.
"Go!" she coughed. "Make sure Brightkit lives. I may see my mate in Starclan today, but I pray I don't see my kit," she meowed.
"But Leafblossom, I can try and save you!" Grasswhisker argued, his nose itching and lungs burning from smoke. Leafblossom smiled sadly.
"But how far would I make it? Save Brightkit, she has a long life ahead of her and I wish her the best of luck. Think of it as my dying wish. Now go, please!" Leafblossom pleaded. Grasswhisker lingered for a moment longer, but then took off for the dirt place tunnel, eyes, nose, lungs, and pelt all burning from the smoke and fire. He was sure that Brightkit felt the same. As Grasswhisker squeezed through the narrow tunnel, to his horror, Brightkit's flank snagged on a thorn and the tiny she kit squealed in pain as warm blood seeped out. He burst out of the tunnel and ran through the forest faster then he had ever ran in his life. His paws flew over roots, twigs, and leaves as he ran, and he could still feel the heat of the fire on his back. Grasswhisker quickly reached the far clearing, with the rest of the clan already there. Most of the clan was in groups around the dead, who were mostly elders whose lungs couldn't handle the smoke.
"Beepaw! I need cobwebs!" Grasswhisker yelled. He began cleaning the tiny kit's wound. Vinestar padded over quickly.
"Grasswhisker! Where's my daughter?" Vinestar asked worriedly. Grasswhisker looked up from Brightkit. He looked at his leader.
"I'm sorry Vinestar, but Leafblossom has joined Starclan." Grasswhisker meowed solemnly.
"No!" Vinestar yowled. He sniffled a few times, trying not to cry. He turned to Grasswhisker, eyes glistening with tears. "How?" he choked.
"She... She saved me and her kit from a falling branch in camp," Grasswhisker replied, head drooping. Vinestar wailed, sniffling once again.
"Kit? Did you say kit? She kitted before the fire?" Vinestar asked. Grasswhisker nodded and moved to the side so Vinestar could see Brightkit.
"This is Leafblossom's kit, Brightkit," Grasswhisker meowed. He went back to cleaning Brightkit's wound again. Vinestar took a step forward, but then jumped backward and fear gleamed in his amber eyes. Grasswhisker glanced at him in confusion as he put cobwebs on Brightkit's cut. "What's wrong Vinestar?" he asked.
"Th... The cut! It must be an omen!" Vinestar murmured.
"An omen? From Starclan? The cut? That's ridiculous, how could a kit's cut be an omen?" Grasswhisker said skeptically. He was a medicine cat, and he didn't get an omen from Brightkit's cut.
"Yes yes yes! Didn't you see? It was shaped like a lightning bolt! That's what burned our camp down, and Brightkit is who killed Leafblossom! It's an omen that Brightkit is evil! It's all so very clear now!" Vinestar whispered. Grasswhisker's eyes widened. Vinestar leaped onto a nearby rock.
"Everyone! I have an announcement to make! Many have died in this fire! My daughter Leafblossom was among them! She did birth a kit however, but this kit is evil! It has a lightning bolt cut, and it is an omen from Starclan!" Vinestar yowled, the gleaming in his eyes no longer fear, but hatred. Cats began murmuring, and Grasswhisker quickly and quietly picked up Brightkit and began to slink into the forest. Vinestar began speaking again.
"This cut is an omen that the kitten is evil! The kit is the reason my daughter is dead and the reason there was a storm! Therefore, the kit, must die!" Vinestar meowed. The crowd of cats shrunk back in fear of their crazed leader, no one was brave or crazy enough to stand up to him.
"Grasswhisker, the kit please?" Vinestar asked turning his head to where Grasswhisker was. There was nothing there but stale scent. "Grasswhisker!" Vinestar hissed. He leapt off the rock and took off into the forest. He followed the scent of Grasswhisker and Brightkit, with a sense of betrayal fueling his anger even further. He soon caught up to them at the river, which Grasswhisker was trying to cross. However, it overflowing with water from the storm and too difficult for even a Riverclan cat to cross.
"Why are you protecting that cursed kit, Grasswhisker? It needs to die!" Vinestar hissed. Grasswhisker froze when he heard Vinestar's voice. The gray tom whipped around to face the larger brown tabby. Grasswhisker placed Brightkit down behind him and stood in front of her protectively.
"I promised Leafblossom that her kit would live. It was her dying wish, and yet her own father is trying to kill her kit," the medicine cat replied. Vinestar snarled.
"Don't you use my daughter against me! She would understand why I have to do this if she was still here. But she isn't here, is she? We don't even have a camp anymore, all because of that kit! That's why it needs to die," Vinestar meowed. Grasswhisker shook his head.
"Would she really understand? Because I don't think she would. If you want the kit, you have go through me!" Grasswhisker meowed. Vinestar unsheathed his long, razor sharp claws.
"Easy peasy, medicine cat," Vinestar spat. He charged straight at Grasswhisker, but Grasswhisker sidestepped and tripped Vinestar while moving Brightkit out of the way with his tail. Vinestar's head dipped in the river, but he pulled himself out of the river quickly, enraged. He let out a blood curdling battle roar and leapt on top of Grasswhisker. The poor medicine cat barely knew how to defend himself. Vinestar shredded his left ear as he crushed the smaller gray tom to ground. He then flipped Grasswhisker over and mercilessly tore into his soft belly. Grasswhisker cried out in pain and wailed but couldn't get the large tabby off of him. Vinestar pushed his face close to Grasswhisker's.
"It's like I said, easy peasy," Vinestar snarled. Vinestar bashed Grasswhisker's head into the ground three times, then got off of him. He watched as Grasswhisker lay still on the ground, blood seeping from his wounds. Grasswhisker coughed, blood coming out of his mouth.
"I'm sorry Leafblossom," Grasswhisker whispered as his vision went dark. Vinestar turned to find Brightkit curled up on the ground, shivering from rain, squeaking quietly. The large tabby leader padded to the ginger she kit. He stood the pathetically small kit up on her feet. He raised his claws to the kit's throat. For a moment, just a moment, he saw Leafblossom in this tiny kit, and he lowered him claws. He picked up the small ginger she kit. Softly, he whispered,"This is for vengeance, you little curse! May you drown swiftly!" He flung the kit into the raging river with a snarl. He walked quickly to where Grasswhisker lay. Unsure if Grasswhisker was dead or alive, Vinestar dragged him over to the river bank and pushed his limp body in the river as well. As Vinestar turned and padded back through the trees to the clearing, he couldn't help but wonder if his actions were worth it.
So, yah. This idea popped into my head and I just had to write it down even though I should be working on my other story XD. Review if you think this is over or if there is more to this story than meets the eye... Bye! (See, I'm a poet but didn't know it)