Please, please don't take this story seriously as an example of my writing. I wrote this many, many years ago. I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote about Mooncats and such… ;-)
Battle with Nightclan
Lightning flashed on the horizon, making the pitch black sky as bright as it would be in the middle of the day. A blood curdling screech echoed through the forest, audible even through the pounding rain.
"Stay off our territory, Oakfur!" hissed a tom cat, his golden tabby pelt slicked with rain.
The dark brown cat's fangs glistened in the brief flash of lightning. "Never, Thorntooth!" he yowled, "You know this land is rightfully Nightclan's!"
"I dare you to say that again!" Thorntooth howled in outrage, pinning Oakfur to a slippery, wet boulder.
Oakfur narrowed his eyes, but it didn't work. Thorntooth knew he was trying to hide his fear. The younger cat could easily bite into his throat. "Okay!" he spat, "This - land - is - Nightclan's!"
"That's it!" Thorntooth couldn't take it anymore. He lunged for Oakfur's throat, but was knocked away by a heavy but swift paw. It could be none other than Bigpaw, Oakfur's second-in-command. Thorntooth quickly got back up. He had to be ready for anything with this guy around.
"Surprised?" the huge black cat snickered. "There's more where that came from!" And with another lash of his paw, Thorntooth was down again, a long scar across his right eye.
"You won't get away with that!" Bigpaw turned around to face a ginger she-cat, who immediately leaped at his face. The two wrestled in the soggy grass, a tumbleweed of fur and claws.
"You go, Flamecoat!" Thorntooth shouted. "Oof!" Thorntooth fell back, hitting his head on the hard, red- clay ground, gasping for breath. He didn't even know what hit him, until Raintears spoke.
"You going to let a she-cat beat you?" she purred. She sat down and began to wash her silky, gray-blue coat. "A former show cat, for that matter!"
Thorntooth was embarrassed, but he tried not to show it. He sat up and calmly licked his wounds. "You snuck up on me," he said with a shrug, "That was all. Besides, it would be wrong of me to hurt a she-cat."
"Take that back!" Raintears hissed through her teeth, her blue eyes like icy flames. "I am just as strong as you!" She threw herself at him, and sank her needle-like teeth into a hind leg.
"That's not what I meant!" Thorntooth screeched with pain, "That's not what I meant!"
Suddenly, all the enemy warriors looked up at the sky at the same time, and bounded away into the forest as if on cue.
Flamecoat and Thorntooth stared at each other in astonishment. Nightclan had been winning. Why would they just leave in the middle of a battle, especially one they were winning?
A Deadly Sickness
The ginger cat and the golden brown one dragged themselves through the pouring rain. It leaked through the tree branches and water gushed though the forest. Watery red mud swirled around their paws and made it hard to walk. Finally they got to a clearing surrounded by protective holly bushes: the home-sweet-home of Earthclan.
They pushed their way through the prickly leaves, and entered the clearing. There, an elderly cat was telling a bunch of wide-eyed kits about the monsters called humans. They gasped when Thorntooth appeared, bloody and battle-scarred. Why was he home early from the battle?
They immediately ran up to him and began asking questions. All he could do was flop onto the ground and let out a painful breath. "Fetch a medicine cat!" he managed to hiss.
Autumn, a tiny tortishell kit, ran into one of the bushes that served as the clearing wall. A moment later, a black cat emerged with her, with long, matted fur, and a bundle of herbs in her mouth.
"What have you gotten yourself into this time?" she yowled, spitting the herbs onto the ground. She looked Thorntooth over, then her eyes grew wide. "This cat needs help!" she whispered, then shouted, "Someone help me move him to a dry den!"
Two strong cats swiftly came, both dark brown tabbies with powerful shoulders and long claws. "What is it you needed?" one asked. The black cat repeated herself and the two nodded their heads. "Yes, Crow," they said solemnly, then lifted Thorntooth together onto their backs.
They carried him to the oak tree at the center of the clearing, and laid him in the hollow of it. This den belonged to Gingerstar, the leader of Earthclan, and it was the driest bed in the camp.
Here, Crow gave him the herbs and watched over him as he slept. The cold water had soaked into his fur and made him very, very sick. No one was sure if he would live or die, but Earthclan really couldn't afford the loss of a great warrior such as him.
The Dream
Thorntooth woke up in the middle of the night with a cold chill running down his spine. His teeth chattered and everything appeared blurry. Why am I in Gingerstar's den? he wondered.He'd just had the strangest dream about green hedgehogs all over the forest. "Thorntooth!" a sweet voice seemed to call in his mind, seeming real and like a dream at the same time. Thorntooth tried to focus his vision, and there before him in the clearing was a beautiful white she-cat with enchanting, dark blue eyes. "Come with me, Thorntooth!" she was saying now. Thorntooth struggled to get up, then followed her outside the camp and into the night-time forest.
She kept walking until they got to a clear stream with clean, smooth pebbles at the bottom. It seemed to glow blue-white in the light of the stars above. There, she plunged into the gushing, frigid water. She stuck her head out at the surface and smiled slyly at him, her slanted eyes twinkling with moonlight and mischeif.
Thorntooth stopped dead in his tracks. Was it wise to get his paws wet when he was so deadly sick? He decided not to, and yet... and yet, some kind of force was drawing him nearer to the water's edge. He tumbled in, losing his balance, and the image of the white cat vanished. Thorntooth had imagined her all along. But now was not the time to think about that. He kicked and splashed in the water, struggling to reach the air. He breathed in a big gulp of it, then spiraled back down to the pebbly floor of the small river. His lungs and heart tightened, and everything went black.
A Miracle
It was right before sunrise, and the horizon glowed pink and pale yellow. Wispy clouds decorated the sky, and a single bright star remained. Felis, the cats called it. Flamecoat sat by Gingerstar in the clearing of the Earthclan camp, caterwauling her mourning song to the heavens. In front of her lay the body of her best friend, Thorntooth. A midnight boundary patrol had found him washed up beside the stream, apparently drowned. Now he was dead, and life didn't seem worth living.
Gingerstar didn't say anything, just leaned against Flamecoat's shoulder and gave her a brisk lick on her forehead. She had lost many loved ones in the past, and knew how the young warrior princess felt.
Suddenly, Thorntooth's eyes began to open. He blinked in the sunlight, but soon he was fully awake. Gingerstar and Flamecoat ran to him, not believing their own eyes. After greeting him with word and with tongue, they began to shout to the others, and all of Earthclan was soon gathering around the clearing, murmuring, and trying to wake themselves. But this wasn't a dream.
Gingerstar leaped to a low branch of the oak tree, where she always gave announcements to the clan. "Cats of Earthclan!" she yowled, "It seems that by some miracle, our dear warrior Thorntooth has been risen from the dead!" She looked around the clearing at the confused but joyous faces, trying to think of something to say. "We are all very glad," she said at last, "Though not sure of how this has happened." She grinned, wide eyed and laughed, "I guess that's all there is to say!"
The marmalade she-cat leaped down from the branch and landed softly in the clearing. The sun had risen now, and was warming the ground with its light. It was unusually hot for Autumn. She padded over to Thorntooth and asked if he remembered what had happened.
Thorntooth struggled to remember, but the only thing he came up with was that he'd been seeing things that weren't there, and fell in the river. He couldn't even remember what had happened the day he got sick, so they had to retell the story of the battle with Nightclan to him, a story they'd heard from Flamecoat only yesterday.
During all this, Flamecoat hung back, some ways behind the crowd. She didn't know whether he'd remember her, or even if this was happening. Thorntooth walked up to her, and she could hardly believe he'd been dead just a few minutes ago. He looked healthier than she'd ever remembered seeing him, and strangely, all his scars from the day before were gone. She blushed and turned away sadly. Thorntooth, too, began to frown. "Hi," he said shyly, "Aren't you happy that I'm alive? Why do you look so down?"
"Oh, of course!" the beautiful orange she-cat mewed quickly, "It's not that at all! It's just... are you really here? Am I dreaming?"
"I'm here," Thorntooth said seriously, "I'll always be with you, no matter what. I love you."
Flamecoat playfully batted his ear with her paw. "Stop it!" she growled, annoyed with him, but slightly amused. Then her face grew serious. "Thorntooth," she said quietly, "How did this happen?" Her boyfriend looked at her dumbly. "You know!" she said, "How did you die, and come back to life? It's not possible!"
"I don't know," he said, "But I want to find out. I'm also curious as to what Nightclan is planning. It's not normal just get up and leave a battle, one you're winning, anyway."
"Thorntooth, I'll go with you." Thorntooth didn't ask what she meant. He knew. They were going on a journey to the Moon-Cat, who was said to know everything. It would be a long and dangerous quest, but it could save Earthclan, and with it, the balance of the forest.
The Owl
Thorntooth woke up around midnight. The air was freezing cold, and there was frost clinging to the dusty clearing floor. He walked around the clearing for a bit, then pounced on a mouse that was nibbling a tiny seed held between its paws. As he was munching on his newly caught prey, he heard something rustling in the holly bushes, where the entrance to the camp was. He jumped in fright, then focused all his senses on whatever it was. Ready for attack, he crouched and flicked his tail.
It was only Flamecoat, who also couldn't sleep. Must be the full moon that's out tonight, he thought. They didn't say anything at first. Finally, Thorntooth spoke. "Do you want to go tonight?"
"Where?" Flamecoat asked, "To the Moon-Cat? But we haven't even got any supplies ready!"
Thorntooth shook his head. "I know, but we won't be able to. If we get supplies together, cats will begin to get suspicous."
Flamecoat thought for a moment. "Okay," she said with a nod. "Let's go. Do you think they'll be okay without us? What if Nightclan attacks?"
Thorntooth hadn't thought of this. "We can only hope they'll be alright. This can't be helped. We must go. Besides, Houndclaw and Brownstripe will protect them."
I hope he's right, thought the orange she-cat. But she doubted it greatly.
An owl hooted, and sweeped down into the clearing, brushing the two cats' ears with its feathers. It landed in a tall tree, and stared down at them with wise, amber eyes that peirced like daggers. At first Thorntooth prepared for attack, but then realized that it wasn't trying to snatch away a kitten. It seemed to be urging them to leave on their journey. The two, owl and cat, stared at eachother for what seemed to be an eternity, though sharp, narrowed eyes. Thorntooth finally turned away from it, and it flew off into the darkness. He and Flamecoat also disappeared into the shadowy forest.
What they did not know was that Gingerstar emerged from her den a minute after, and that without the owl's help, they would have been caught sneaking out of camp.
Owl
The great horned owl flew through the woods at top speed, hunting. With his sharp eyes, he soon spotted a mouse. Swooping toward the creature on the forest floor, he turned his wings sideways and dove. He killed it quickly and ate it in one gulp.
He now flew above the tree tops, out in the night sky, black with stars like tiny, white diamonds. Approaching a tree taller than the others, he came to an abrupt stop, and landed ungracefully on a sturdy branch.
I must follow those cats! he thought. They could get into some kind of trouble, chasing after imaginary Moon-Cats. He snorted with the thought of it. It was half in amusement, and half in disgust. Felines are stupid, gullible creatures, he told himself. They will believe just about anything!
Oh, no! I hope I haven't lost them. No, there they were, passing right under his tree. The owl let out a sigh of relief, and continued following them.
Meanwhile, something lurked in the shadows, following closely behind.
Rogue Ambush
Thorntooth and Flamecoat were now passing under the tallest tree in this forest, and into enemy territory. Here, the rogues lived, wild and free from law. A few were friendly, and even loveable, you may say. But none could be trusted. No matter what.
All was silent except the crunching of paws on Autumn leaves. A fluttering of wings broke the silence and Flamecoat gasped. She could see nothing. But wait. Was that the owl that had swooped down on them earlier in the night? Was it... following them? Flamecoat shook the thought out of her mind. Ridiculous. Why would an owl be following us?
But it was. The further they went, the more she was sure of it. And suddenly, yellow eyes seemed to glow in the darkness around her. The owl isn't the only one following us, she thought grimly.
Then she realized: Thorntooth was nowhere to be seen! The shreik of an angry cat sounded out, and Flamecoat recognized it at once as the voice of her companion. She ran into a thicker part of the forest, where briars and dense bushes grew.
There he was, fighting off three rogues at a time! She flung herself at the largest, but it was useless. They were stronger and much, much heavier. Just when both traveling cats began to give up hope, an owl hooted and dived from the sky towards the rogues, crashing through the rustling leaves. Three cats and an enormous bird sped through the forest, and were gone. Only Flamecoat and Thorntooth were left, standing there in silence. "He saved us..." Thorntooth whispered, "That owl just saved us..."
Flamecoat didn't say anything about the owl. There wasn't anything to be said. "I was so worried about you," she meowed, "Let's be careful not to lose each other from now on, okay?" She raced ahead of him, then stopped an turned to call, "Come on, you turtle, hurry! We've got a Moon-Cat to find!"
Construction Site Battle
The forest grew thinner, until it completely opened up into a gray-green field. Abandoned human dens dotted the plain. How strange, thought Thorntooth, who had never seen a building before. They are made of stone instead of briars and ferns and moss. Flamecoat, on the other hand, had once been to the farmer's house near the Earthclan camp. What she wondered was why the humans had left it.
They kept traveling, staying as far away from the human dwellings as they could. It was cold out here, and frost glistened on the ground. Soon winter would be here, sooner than the cats of the forest would like. Prey was always scarce during that time of the year.
A large, strange object appeared on the horizon. It was orange and had a long neck. Thorntooth stared in wonder, remembering tales he'd been told as a kitten, tales of their anscestors, who hunted creatures such as this, called giraffes.
But as they got closer, he realized that it was not an animal, but a machine. The two cats approached it cautiously, crouching low, stepping lightly. The gray-green grass became hard, cracked ground, with holes big enough for a man to stand in. A creek of filthy water ran through this land, congested with thick, slimy mud and the remains of prey.
"Come closer..." hissed a voice, "Come closer..."
Thorntooth and Flamecoat paused. They certainly didn't want to get any closer.
"Come now..." said the voice, "Or I'll make you..."
Thorntooth and Flamecoat glanced at each other, eyes wide with fear. Together they stepped forward, trying to be brave for one another.
A huge cat leaped down from inside the machine. His long, sand-colored fur was knotted, with burs tangled all in it. A long scar stretched across his left cheek, deep and red. He unsheathed his long, twisted claws and hissed.
"Who- who are you?" Thorntooth stuttered.
"My name is Fossil and whoever you are, you're on my territory. Get out of here now, or you'll find out what dark things we do to tresspassers like you."
Flamecoat gulped, hoping Thorntooth hadn't seen the look of fear on her face. She was a prideful she-cat, who didn't want any help from a tom like him. "I am Flamecoat of Earthclan," she said, trying to sound brave. "And this is my companion, Thorntooth. We are only passing through these lands so that we may get to the Moon-Cat."
"I'm impressed," Fossil spat, "Most cats seem more afraid when I approach them. You must not be from around here, or you would have heard tales about me."
"I don't care who you are, Fossil. I'm passing through this way and you won't stop me!"
"Flamecoat," Thorntooth hissed, "Are you sure that's a very wise thing to do?"
"Stop your mewling. We can take him on easy."
Fossil just laughed. "Really?" he rasped, "Two pitiful kittens like you?"
"It is two against one," Flamecoat said proudly. She smiled and narrowed her eyes, examining her claws.
"Really, now? Is it?" The evil cat turned to face the machine behind him. "Come, oh Fossilclan, and fight once more!"
Eyes Thorntooth hadn't noticed before now glowed red in the shadows beneath the orange monster. Thin, mangy cats slunk out from the big holes in the ground. They'd been there all along... watching and waiting for an intruder to attack. They looked desperate. Would they go so far as to eat Thorntooth and Flamecoat?
:::
Dun-dun-dun-dun! :-O Oh no! What will happen now? We'll never know, will we?