Hi, guys! It's me again! This story was a request from my dear friend, Racing Duck Inc. It's about Ocelotfur falling in LOVE! Be nice, and enjoy!
xxx
Ocelotfur padded through RiverClan territory, green eyes alert for any sign of prey. The tom had just had a weird encounter with the prettiest she-cat in the Clan, Lostlullaby. She had come as a prisoner from WindClan, but eventually Foxstar had accepted her as a full-fledged warrior. She had the long, grey fur of a natural RiverClan cat and beautiful blue eyes that mimicked the sky.
The encounter wasn't terribly odd. In fact, it was something that happened every day for almost every cat. But for Ocelotfur, it was foreign. She had padded over to him and started talking with a purr and lovely eyes, and he had zoned out from being so close to her. The memory of her face was just enough to make him glow with pleasure, and her voice was smooth and memorable.
Ocelotfur caught sight of a fish in the stream and realized how hungry he was. He padded over to the flowing river and extended his dominant paw. The trout swum over and he snatched it out of the water, using his opposite paw to snap it's vertabrae. He remembered how bad he was at fishing when he was an apprentice, and how much his skills had improved.
He trudged back to camp after catching another trout and a vole. When he emerged into the clearing, Lostlullaby was sitting in the center of camp, eating a vole and watching a pair of kits play. He gasped quietly and walked around the perimeter of camp, trying to get to the warrior's den before she noticed him.
A foxlength away from the warrior's den, a voice called out, "Hey, Ocelotfur!" The tom halted and turned slowly. "O-oh, hi Lostlullaby! Didn't, uh, see you th-there." Lostlullaby laughed her sweet, melodic laugh and beckoned him with her tail.
Ocelotfur meandered over and plopped down next to the beautiful she-cat. "How are you?" She asked sweetly, taking a bite of vole. "I-I'm good." He stuttered. She smiled and her eyes shone with amusement. "What'd you get on your hunt?" Lostlullaby asked eagerly.
"Oh, I got two trout. A vole. They're my favorite prey. Trout is okay, but..." Ocelotfur stopped when he saw the warrior's amused look. "...I'm babbling now."
Lostlullaby giggled. "Yes, you are. And vole is my favorite as well. So meaty and delicious." She shook her head and her face broke out into a smile. "So, tell me a bit about yourself."
"Er...me?" He asked with a goofy look. "Nothing, really. A lot of cats died. Don't really like to talk about it."
Lostlullaby rested her tail on his shoulders to comfort him. "I'm sorry. But you know what they say. The past is in the past, and the present defines you." She meowed, nudging him gently.
Ocelotfur nodded curtly, even though he didn't agree with what she was saying. The past is most of what defines you. The present is only part of it.
"Well, I should go out hunting. It was great catching up with you." Lostlullaby jumped up and hesitantly nuzzled Ocelotfur before bounding off.
Ocelotfur stayed in the clearing, flabbergasted. She's so perfect, he thought. Everything about her is amazing. He sighed and went to the warrior's den to nap.
But that's the thing. He didn't nap. Because this she-cat was so beautiful, so utterly perfect that he couldn't sleep. He thought about her until he realized the obvious: I am in love with this lullaby. This lost lullaby will no longer be lost... she will be found.
Ocelotfur sprung to his paws and raced out of the warrior's den and into the elder's den. "Raggedclaw?" He called. "Raggedclaw?"
"Aye," The old tom grunted. "What d'you need now?"
Ocelotfur's pelt burned as he spoke the next words. "I need to know how to, uh-well, you see, I want Lostlullaby to be m-my, uh..." He trailed off, hoping the elder would understand.
"Mate?" Raggedclaw finished, an amused shine glazing over his eyes.
"Y-yes," Ocelotfur looked away quickly.
Raggedclaw chuckled. "Alright. Well, the first thing to do is get the lovely lady a rose. They like those a lot. And remember to be smooth. And polite. Compliment her pelt or her eyes. Things like that." The old cat lifted his head and glanced outside. "You should go now. The sun is setting. There's a rose bush just outside of camp. Maybe wash off. But hurry."
Ocelotfur nodded to the elder. "Thank you, Raggedclaw." He trotted out of the elder's den and looked around for Lostlullaby. Then he saw Mistpaw carrying some herbs. She looked like she had come from the forest.
"Hey, Mistpaw!" The warrior called. Mistpaw looked over. "Oh, hey." She greeted him. "Have you seen Lostlullaby?" Ocelotfur asked. "She's over by the stream by the Dusk Syndicate. Why-?" Mistpaw was cut off by Ocelotfur yelling, "THANKS!" and bolting out of camp. The apprentice shrugged and went back to the medicine den.
Ocelotfur swum quickly through the river, heart pounding. He was so excited. He would actually get to tell her. The beautiful lullaby would be found. By him!
He stopped by the rose bush and picked the prettiest one. It was rather hard to judge, since he never really thought of the flowers in that way. But he picked the reddest one and went on his way, keeping the flower safe by all means.
When he was almost to the stream, he could smell the lullaby's beautiful lavender scent. "Lostlullaby!" He called softly. There was no answer. She must not hear me. Ocelotfur got a little closer and called, "Lostlullaby, it's Ocelotfur!" There was still no response. Now that he got closer, he realized that her sweet scent was mixed with something... else. Something he had smelled before, but he couldn't put his paw on it.
His stomach lurched as he realized what the smell was. Blood. "LOSTLULLABY!" The warrior screamed, tearing through the trees to get to the beautiful lullaby. If he lost his lullaby, he would go insane.
Ocelotfur finally emerged into a small clearing by the stream. Lostlullaby was lying on her side, her neck bleeding and torn open. "L-Lostlullaby," He choked on his words. Her gorgeous eyes were glazed with fright, and her body was stiff.
"Oh my StarClan. Why? She's dead!" Ocelotfur sobbed into her soft grey fur. He breathed in her delicious scent and cried harder when he realized he'd never smell it ever again.
He looked up from the beautiful she-cat in hopes that she would just wake up and brush it off, like she always did. But she didn't. She never would.
"Hey!" Ocelotfur woke to Stormfur prodding him in the side. "Ocelotfur, wake up!" The young warrior exclaimed. "What do you want?" Ocelotfur growled. He had been having a good dream, which was a rarity for him. "There's an intruder in camp!" Stormfur exclaimed.
Ocelotfur jumped to his feet. "A what?" He asked. "Yeah! Come on, let's go check it out." Stormfur beckoned his friend and walked into the clearing.
Once they had exited the warrior's den, Ocelotfur saw that a beautiful young cat was cornered by 4 warriors. But she still fought furiously, diving and ducking at all the right moments.
"Get off our territory!" A bold kit screamed.
"I don't mean any harm!" The loner hissed.
Ocelotfur raced over to the loner, and the 4 that were cornering her. "Leave her alone!" He cried. He truly believed that the she-cat didn't mean any harm.
"But she's... a loner!" An apprentice protested.
"Yes, and so were some of you. She just needs help is all." Ocelotfur faltered on the last sentence, probably since he hadn't spoke in front of this many cats since his warrior ceremony.
The beautiful she-cat looked over at Ocelotfur, her eyes gleaming. He looked back shyly at her, fear radiating off his pelt. He had never been this close to a she-cat, with an exception of his mother.
Her fur was a gorgeous silvery grey color. Her tail had just a bit of fluff, and her eyes were a deep blue.
But the most entrancing thing was her purr. It was a lullaby. A lost lullaby that needed to be found. By what was a mystery. A Clan. A tom. A destiny. But it was lost nonetheless, and he had found it.
Ocelotfur whimpered a bit as he remembered their first encounter. He suddenly looked up and lifted the beautiful she-cat on his shoulders to take her back to camp.
"I'm in love with you. And I will never stop loving you."
xxx
"Creekpaw! Flakepaw!" The RiverClan cats chanted. Creekpaw padded to the front of streamstone and looked out at her Clan, gaze confident and proud. Flakepaw stumbled on his paws and stood next to his sister, looking around awkwardly.
Ivycloud watched happily as her two kits became apprentices. Ocelotfur stood beside his mate, looking up at the two proudly. They were lucky that they had both made it through, especially after Creekpaw had gotten that nasty case of greencough when she was a kit, and Flakepaw fell into a lake when he was only 4 moons. But both were safe and sound, becoming apprentices together.
Ocelotfur smiled as Creekpaw and Flakepaw jumped down from streamstone. "I am so proud," He purred. Ivycloud nodded, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks.
"Oh mom, don't!" Creekpaw protested. Flakepaw just nuzzled his mother before shyly flicking his sister's ear with his tail.
Ivycloud laughed at her two kits. "You're all grown up! I can't believe you two will be sleeping in the apprentice's den now." She sighed and Ocelotfur pressed against her.
"How the moons pass," He remarked. The tom had barely changed since that day back when he had found Lostlullaby, except for the few grey hairs that were appearing around his muzzle and the even more scarred past.
"Yup. So, do I-HI, BRONZEPAW!" Creekpaw exclaimed as she saw her friend. The copper apprentice looked over at her and smirked. "Hey, Creekpaw!" He beckoned her with his tail and she bounded over. Flakepaw smiled sheepishly. "I should go get her." He hesitated before giving both his parents a lick on the shoulder. "Thanks for everything."
Ocelotfur sighed once his son had trotted off. "I feel so old," He meowed to Ivycloud. She laughed and rubbed against him. "We can be together in the warrior's den tonight." She reminded her mate.
The tom smiled. "Yes, we will. Excuse me, my love, I need to step out for a bit." He gave Ivycloud a lick on the cheek and bounded off after whispering, "I love you."
Ocelotfur walked slowly, with a haunting grace. He knew what had to happen, and he was unafraid. He climbed up the tree with only one thought running through his mind. Lullaby. He padded carefully to the very end of the branch and looked down at the rocky river below.
This is it. My lullaby is gone, and so am I. He went to the edge of the branch. Goodbye, Ivycloud. He closed his eyes. Goodbye, Flakepaw. He put one paw over the edge of the branch. Goodbye, Creekpaw. He took a deep breath.
Hello, Lullaby.
And then it was over.
xxx
LIKE IT?! #death! I know, I know, it's morbid. BUT IT'S AWESOME!
