Requiem for a Nightmare – Lullabies and Demons
Prologue
"I know what I am. I am a thorn stuck in the pad of StarClan – forsaken and betrayed by my family and friends. But I have changed that, you see." Thorn cooed as she seductively traced her tail under Ghoststar's chin, her eyes sparkling with… rage? Hate? Amusement?
"I have created my own haven. I have invited and welcomed cats like me – cats that have been hurt and betrayed in many ways. I have protected them and treated them as my equals, and that is why the ShadowCats prosper. We live in a democracy. We live in peace with each other, and ongoing war with others." She growled in a dark tone as she padded a few paw steps away before she turned to shoot a glance over her shoulder with icy blue eyes.
"I'm done here, Burntheart. Do what you wish with him." The black she-cat known as the one and only Thorn flicked her tail and began to trot off, her tail curling in delight as she heard the cries of agony behind her.
No longer would she be forsaken.
----
Zots sighed, flattening his ragged ears against his skull as he looked out upon the barren land known as the Afterlife. He was alone, for now, and left to watch over the ShadowCats through a murky pool of crimson, blood-like water below the cliff he was sitting upon. The massive tom pulled his tail closer to him, curling it around his paws as he flexed his black claws.
"Thorn… something must be done." He muttered to himself as his crystalline blue eyes wandered to the skies, which eerily held not a single star – only a blood-stained crescent moon.
"This has to end."
Part I
"Thorn, Thorn!" Came the delighted squeals of three, high-pitched voices. At the sound of her name, the scarred black female twitched her ragged ears and looked behind her shoulder to see three small figures hurriedly stumbling after her with lolling grins on their tiny faces. Thorn smiled tenderly as the three smaller figures grew near.
"Snake, Judd, Briar!" She let out a rusty purr as the three said kit's scrambled over her paws to lick her muzzle and ears affectionately.
"I'm so sorry, Thorn! Snake, Judd, Briar! Show some respect for your leader!" The three kit's mother hissed lightly as she shot a sharp glare at her offspring, who in turn cowered a bit and backed away from Thorn. Thorn, in turn, chuckled slightly.
"No, no, it's quite alright Solace, Their just kits, after all!" Thorn purred and bent her head down to nuzzle the three kit's ears. The kits, in turn, purred softly at the praise.
The mottled grey and black tabby queen smiled and dipped her head; "Thank you Thorn. You've always been so kind to us." She meowed in respect. Thorn smiled as the three kits collected around their mother's paws, walking off with her towards the hollow log that marked the ShadowCat's Nursery.
Thorn sighed contently, gazing at her Clan with soft eyes. They were her family now, her one concern and her reason for living. She wouldn't allow them to be ripped away like so many times before.
No. This time, Thorn was determined to finally live out a semi-normal life.
But when you're living as a ShadowCat, that's something easier said than done. Literally.
-
Thorn sat as a lone shadow upon a large boulder that over-looked a moonlit brook. Nestled snuggly on the other side of the brook laid a large dip in the earth that opened up to a beautiful clearing. That clearing was filled with lush plants and diverse dens containing many unique cats. Thorn's crystalline blue eyes blinked slowly as she looked upon the brook and into the clearing – her eyes softening as her gaze traveled upwards to meet a small break in the lush canopy of trees where stars shined through and the bright crescent moon blazed in all its eerie glory. Thorn's own shadowed form looked like that of a ghost wearing a black cloak, the only thing the darkness revealed was her beautiful eyes. Her pure white whiskers twitched as gentle breeze disturbed the forest she called home.
The Soundless Forest.
As its name properly suggests, the Soundless Forest was a lush paradise of eerie shadows, but beautiful areas and greenery. However, not a single sound floated through the air. Not a single bird chirp or mouse rustle, it was as if every creature was killed off. Even if you walked by yourself over autumn leaves, not a single echo would admit from the crunches a cat's paws produce over fall's dying leaves. It was an eerie forest, which is why no cat dared to set foot in there. Many thought it was cursed.
But it was the perfect home for the ShadowCats.
Thorn allowed her gaze to drop once again onto the soft water's of the brook, the slight ripples made by small fish made it seem even more peaceful under the moon's bright glory. With a sigh, Thorn hunched her shoulder's and looked back onto the clearing. It was eerie in the dark, not a single soul stirred. The only cat besides herself that was awake was the night's guard – Mooneyes - a lithe, blind silver tabby-tom that Thorn had raised herself. As a kit, Mooneyes was aloof and lazy. But as an adult, Mooneye's was a strong, dependable warrior who fought to prove his worth to the world in which he was born in where the blind were shunned as useless. The young tom's ears were pricked, although that would do him no good in his silent home – but Thorn knew that his sensitive paws and whiskers picked up the slightest of vibrations from any source in the ground. It was his body's natural way for making up for lacking sight and having a difficult time with hearing.
Standing, Thorn stretched her stiff limbs and whined softly as she heard them pop in and out of place. Standing back up, she allowed another cool breeze to ruffle her fur before it flattened. Inhaling deeply, she sighed in content as she slid off of her nighttime perch – landing on the damp, cool grass. She trotted off towards the entrance of camp – a large and grand entrance of briars and thorns all made to keep intruders out but still look decent at the same time. Giving a soft grunt of approval as she passed Mooneyes, the tom nodded in response – allowing the black she-cat to pass through into the camp.
Upon entering, the camp was contained its normal, lazy and cozy atmosphere. The Prey-Pile was fully stocked near the very end of camp, in-between the Nursery and the Elder's den. The Warrior's Den and the Rookie's den were located on either side of the entrance, in case an emergency required quick defense. The Healer's den lay a bit more off to the side, but was blanked in a thick aroma of herbs and grasses. Beside the Healer's den lay Thorn's own den, a tight-woven wall of thick moor-grasses intertwined with soft moss. Breathing deeply, she pushed aside the soft lichen that gave her privacy and allowed herself to tiredly collapse onto the moss nest that was so kindly made up for her by one of the Rookie's. She would have to thank whichever one in the morning, for they did an exceptional job with arranging the feathers and moss into a comfortable position. Stretching out her jaws, Thorn allowed a large yawn to rack through her throat. After shifting around just a bit, Thorn snuggled herself down into the nest and sighed once again in content. Allowing herself to fall victim to the silence, she quickly entered the state of unconsciousness known as sleep – allowing her dreams to force into reality.
Or at least for the time being.