Welcome back to Link Start. In this chapter, Warriors finally gets involved, so get ready to witness a furrier version of Kirito, Asuna, and Suguha as their journey into the Warriors world begins.
SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't begun Warriors: A Vision of Shadows yet, please refrain from reading this story until you do so. It is heavily based on this arc with my own crossover twist added. You've been warned...but I still hope you enjoy.
Chapter 1: New World, Familiar Cat
Kirito's eyes slowly opened as he began to regain consciousness. After accessing the mysterious file he was blinded by a bright light and was apparently transported to a forest. Whoa. Where…am I? He slowly got up, but fell down in the process. "Ow. What the heck?" He told himself out loud, wondering how he failed such an easy task. While on the ground, he stuck his hands out in front of him, but let out a gasp when he saw two black paws instead. What's going on here? Using a paw, he swiped downward to open the game menu, but nothing appeared. Maybe there's a different way to open up the menu. "Yui! Are you there?" He called out, but there was no response.
"Kirito, is that you?" He turned his head around to see a she-cat with cream colored fur that sounded exactly like Asuna. She walked over to him and he looked up and stared into her hazel eyes.
"Asuna? Why are you a cat?" He asked her.
"You're the one to talk." She responded with a giggle. "Try getting up on four legs. You've probably done it before." Kirito did as he was instructed and got up correctly this time. "Now go look at yourself over in that stream over there." He now walked over to the stream and looked at himself. Kirito was a black cat with dark gray eyes, along with fur in the style of his hair that hung over his eyes. He gave his tail a small wag and smiled.
"This is awesome!" He looked back at her. "How do you feel about all this?"
"I think it's cute that we're cats now." She responded. "Although, something tells me that this isn't a game, but a different world. I can't open any menus." Asuna swiped one paw in the air in every possible direction with no avail.
"That's what I was thinking too. Hey, where's Suguha?" He asked. The two heard screaming from above them and Kirito looked up to see a cat falling towards him. He tried moving away, but the cat landed on his back. Asuna saw that a light ginger furred she-cat with green eyes was now on top of Kirito.
"I think I found her." She told him with a giggle.
"At least I'm still alive from it all. Suguha, do you mind getting off?" Kirito asked his cousin.
"Oh, sorry Kazuto!" Suguha apologized, getting off of her cousin, but stumbling as she tried to stand up.
"Suguha, try getting up on four legs. I'm sure you've done it at least once while you were young." Asuna informed the light ginger she-cat, her feline appearance based on her ALO avatar. Once she got the hang of it, she walked over to the stream to look at herself.
"We're cats now! This is so cute!" Suguha cheered, watching her tail wag. "Hmmm…" With a grin, she walked over to Kirito and placed a paw on his tail before giving it a yank, causing him to yell and jump into the air, his reaction causing the two she-cats to laugh. "Now you know how Sinon felt."
"Suguha!" He looked at her with a pout, stroking his tail with a paw now. "So, we're all cats now with no idea where we are." He watched Suguha swipe her paw in the air but he shook his head. "We're not in a game. This is a different world, we're sure of it."
"A different world? Just like the one you and Asuna were in for a bit?" Suguha stated, and Kirito nodded.
"Well, I guess we should start walking around to find whatever clans need our help. Actually, why don't you all stay here and I'll tell you if the coast is clear." Kirito offered.
"Off to play hero again? Why don't we go with you?" Asuna asked.
"I mean, if you're up for it, but we're all unarmed here, so I guess we have to be good with our claws." Kirito replied, lifting a paw up and unsheathing his claws. "Okay, that's pretty cool." Without warning, Kirito broke through a row of bushes, and the other two followed him. Once they walked through the bushes, they saw no sign of Kirito on the other side.
"Oh great, where'd he go now?" Asuna wondered.
"I'm not sure, but we should try to find his tracks." Suguha suggested.
"Hey, I'm over here!" They heard Kirito call out. They walked in the direction of his voice and once they passed through a few trees, they saw him sitting in front of a lake. The two she-cats walked over to join him. "Looks pretty neat, huh?"
"Yeah. It looks like the lake in front of our house in SAO." Asuna told him, reminiscing about the time they shared together in their cabin. "We should start looking for the clans spoken about in the e-mail though."
"Right. Sorry that I got sidetracked." Kirito got up and as he was about to make his way into the forest, a cat leaped out of the bushes to his left and pinned him to the ground.
"Kirito!" Asuna yelled as she saw the cat on top of him let out an angry snarl.
"What are you doing on ThunderClan territory?" Kirito looked up and saw the black she-cat now on top of him. He tried moving, but she just strengthened the pressure she had on him.
"Wait, this is ThunderClan? We were sent here to help you!" Kirito explained. "Um…I know you're trying to protect your clan, but could you let me go?"
"Please, do you think I'd believe what you're telling me?"
"Nightheart, where are you?" They heard a voice call out.
"Over here! I caught a cat and his friends!" She replied. Kirito looked over at Asuna when they heard the other voice. They knew it sounded familiar. Out of the bushes, a black tom with violet eyes walked out along with an orange tabby she-cat and a golden tabby tom. The black cat saw the other two cats and they noticed his gaze lock onto Asuna. He then walked over to where Kirito was on the ground and once he saw him, the black tom's violet eyes went wide.
"Kirito, is that you?" Suguha looked over at her cousin and the ThunderClan cats did the same.
"I knew that voice sounded familiar." Kirito responded with a smile. "Lelouch…could you tell your friend to get off of me?"
"Nightheart, it's okay, they're friendly." The she-cat moved off of Kirito and helped him get up.
"Lelouch, it really is you!" Asuna said with joy, running over to get a closer look at him. "Kirito and I weren't sure that we'd see you again!"
"You're not the only one. What are you all doing here anyway?"
"Father, do you know these cats?" The black she-cat asked.
"We're here because of a…" Kirito's eyes suddenly went wide. "Wait…Father!? Lelouch, I didn't know this was your daughter!" A blush formed on Kirito's face. "Sorry if I hurt you or anything, Nightheart!"
"I should be the one apologizing to you." She said with a giggle.
"Don't worry Nightheart, Kirito can handle it." Asuna assured her. "She does look a lot like her father. I'm sure she's as kind and diligent as him as well."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, can we get an explanation about this all?" The golden tom asked.
"Please? How do you two know Lelouch?" Suguha added.
"Oh, right. I should introduce you all. Lionblaze, Sparkpaw, Nightheart, this is Kirito and Asuna. I met them in one of the worlds I visited." Lelouch explained. "I'm guessing that she is also one of your friends?"
"Yup. This is Suguha. She's Kirito's cousin." Asuna introduced the she-cat, who waved with a paw.
"It's nice to meet you, Suguha." Lelouch greeted her with a smile. "Okay, now that the introductions are done, we can get back to the main question: What are you three doing in this world?"
"The three of us were given some sort of prophecy. It talked about embracing the dark or something. I can't remember exactly how it went." Kirito answered.
"That's the same prophecy that brought me back here…" Lelouch realized. "Well then, I guess we get to work together again you two." Lelouch told Kirito and Asuna with a smile. "Sorry, I'm just shocked that I'm seeing you both again, and it's great to meet your cousin, Kirito."
"It's nice to meet you too, Lelouch. I'm pretty sure Kirito has told me about you before." She informed him.
"All good things, I hope?" Lelouch replied with a small laugh. "We should take you four to ThunderClan. I'm sure that Bramblestar will welcome you knowing that you've received a prophecy. Just follow us. Lionblaze, do you mind leading?"
"Not at all." The golden tom took the lead and the other cats followed him closely behind.
"Lelouch, is that your other daughter?" Asuna asked, looking over at Sparkpaw, who now had an embarrassed look on her face.
"Who? Sparkpaw? She's my apprentice, actually. You see, in the clans there are warriors who mentor apprentices into becoming warriors like themselves. Bramblestar let me mentor his daughter, which surprised me because I just returned to this world when she was apprenticed, but it was because he wanted me to spend time with Nightheart more."
"Aw, your leader must be really sweet to let you spend time with your daughter." Suguha commented. "It's kind of surreal actually. She looks as old as you, Lelouch."
"I get that a lot, but regardless, my father knows best, so I don't try to compete with him." Nightheart told them, pressing close to Lelouch.
"Your father is amazing, Nightheart. I'm sure that you couldn't ask for a better one." Kirito told her, causing both the father and daughter to blush.
"Funny, usually I'm the one who says the sentimental stuff." Asuna stated, and the fur on Kirito's face began to grow hot.
"Well I just respect Lelouch a lot, that's all." Kirito stammered.
"Thanks, Kirito, it means a lot." Lelouch responded. "Anyway, what have you two been up to? I assume you made it back to Japan safely?"
"Yup, but after that it's been one real adventure. I had to save Asuna from another game, and then I had to save other gamers in another game as well." Kirito answered.
"Don't forget to mention the fun quest we did in ALO after everything was over." Suguha stated.
"Right. That was pretty much a break for me. Nothing serious, just a fun quest…but now we're back to the serious stuff again." He let out a sigh, and Asuna hit him with a paw.
"Kirito! That's not the right attitude to have for being one of the chosen to know about the prophecy." She scolded him. "Besides, being cats, seeing Lelouch again, and having the possibility of making new friends makes it all the better."
"I agree. You should be a bit more positive, Kazuto." His cousin added.
"Wait, I thought his name was Kirito." Nightheart said, confusion in her voice.
"Sorry, I forgot to explain that. My real name's Kazuto Kirigaya, but in-game I'm called Kirito. You can call me whatever you like, Nightheart." He told her with a smile.
"That's interesting. I'll try to stick to one name whenever I address you." Nightheart told him.
The group continued their walk until they reached the thorn tunnel that led into ThunderClan. Kirito, Asuna, and Suguha followed them through and when they made it to the other side they looked around the camp in awe. They never expected cats in the wild to have the ability to build something like this.
"For cats, this is amazing." Suguha commented.
"We try our best to keep our camp looking good. Glad you three like it." Lionblaze said. They saw a dark ginger she-cat approaching them, and Sparkpaw broke away to greet her.
"It's good to see you all back. Find anything bad on our borders?" She asked.
"No Squirrelflight, but we did find some cats that my father knows." Nightheart informed her.
"Hi, I'm Kirito, and this is Asuna and Suguha." The black tom greeted, pointing his tail at the other two cats as he named them.
"It's nice to meet you three. I'm sure that if you're friends with Lelouch you should be able to stay here." She told them with a smile. "I'll go get Bramblestar." She padded over to the leader's den and Sparkpaw turned around to look at the three.
"That's my mom. She's the deputy, which is the second best cat in the clan, and Bramblestar's the leader, and my dad!" She informed them with pride.
"Really? You're going to grow up to be a great warrior then, huh?" Asuna told her with a smile.
"Yup, the same goes for my brother as well. I'll go look for him!" Sparkpaw ran off, and Asuna giggled.
"She's really cute."
"Yeah, but she's also a bit too prideful sometimes." Lelouch told her with a laugh. They saw Squirrelflight return to them with Bramblestar to her side.
"Hello Bramblestar, it's nice to meet you." Asuna bowed her head, and Suguha did the same, Kirito looking at the two.
"Hiya." Like before, Asuna struck him with a paw. "Ow! Sorry, sorry!" Kirito now bowed his head, causing Bramblestar to smirk.
"It's okay you three. No need for formalities." He assured them. "It's nice to meet cats that Lelouch has been acquainted with. I'm guessing that you're here for the same reason that Lelouch is?" They nodded. "Excellent." Bramblestar's voice was filled with joy, but his expression suddenly faded.
"Is something wrong?" Suguha asked.
"It's just that if the other clans found out that ThunderClan had three more cats with knowledge of the prophecy they may get the wrong idea." He explained. "For the most part, they believe that StarClan, the home of our deceased warriors, favors us."
"Oh…then should we go over to the other clans or something?" Kirito asked, but Bramblestar shook his head.
"It's safer if you stay here, to be honest." The leader said. "For now, make yourselves at home, but know that you'll need warrior training to survive in this world."
"Right. Thank you, Bramblestar." Asuna told him with a bow before he left with Squirrelflight. She saw Sparkpaw running over to them with another cat around her age. "Is this your brother?"
"Yup. Alderpaw, this is Kirito, Asuna, and Suguha. They're friends with Lelouch." His sister told him.
"It's nice to meet you, Alderpaw." Suguha greeted him with a smile, and they noticed him blush in embarrassment.
"Guessing he's a bit shy?" Kirito said.
"Well, yeah. If you know Lelouch then you must be as amazing as he is." Alderpaw told them. "Actually, you two look alike." He told Kirito.
"They do, don't they? I think the only difference is their eyes and that Kirito's a bit smaller than Lelouch." Sparkpaw thought.
"Let's hope mother doesn't get confused." Nightheart joked.
"That's right! Lelouch, when will we get to meet her?" Asuna asked.
"Why don't we give you three a tour of the camp? You'll be able to meet her and the rest of the clan." Lionblaze suggested.
"Sounds great. Why don't we go meet the lucky cat first?" Kirito suggested.
"Might as well. Follow me." Again, Lionblaze led the group until they reached one of the dens in the camp. "This is the warriors' den. You'll be sleeping here. Come inside." They walked inside and saw a few cats resting, but for the most part, it did seem quite roomy. Nightheart left the group and walked over to one of the cats lying down. The cat got up and stretched before walking over to the cats at the entrance. Once she walked over, Lelouch walked over so that Nightheart was between him and the she-cat.
"Kirito, Asuna, Suguha, this is Ivypool. She's my mate." Lelouch introduced her to the three and she greeted them with a smile. "Ivypool, this is Kirito and Asuna. I met them in one of the worlds I went to after I left ThunderClan." He said. "And this is Suguha, Kirito's cousin."
"It's nice to meet you, Ivypool. You and Lelouch have a beautiful daughter." Asuna said, causing the she-cat to blush.
"Thank you, Asuna. It's nice to meet more of Lelouch's friends."
"Well, actually Suguha and Lelouch just met today." Kirito told her, but Lelouch shook his head.
"I thought we were friends already, right Suguha?" Lelouch looked at her and the she-cat nodded.
"W-well yeah! Any friend of Kirito and Asuna has to be friendly, so I think we're friends." Suguha replied, a small blush on her face. She then heard Kirito let out a small laugh. "What's so funny?"
"I was only kidding. Of course you're both friends already." His cousin hit him with a paw. "Ow…I said I was kidding!"
"I know you did, but you can be really annoying sometimes." She told him. "Lionblaze, there's so many more cats in here. Are we really going to remember them all?"
"It seems like a bit at first, but Lelouch here took a while, so I think you three will be fine." He assured her. "My mate, Cinderheart, is over there." Lionblaze pointed a paw towards where she was.
"Hi!" Cinderheart got up and padded over to the others. "I overheard that you three know Lelouch. It's nice to meet you." She looked over at Kirito and Asuna. "I'm guessing that you both are a couple, right?"
"Yeah. What gave it away?" Kirito wondered.
"You remind me of Lionblaze and I for some reason." She said with a smile. "Don't you think so, Lionblaze?"
"I guess. I don't know where you come up with some of this stuff sometimes." Cinderheart gave him a small shove and Suguha giggled.
"You both definitely remind me of the two."
"I should introduce you both to our son. Our two daughters are out at the moment." Cinderheart told them. "Fernsong, come over here and meet some of Lelouch's friends." They saw a yellow tabby tom stand up and walk over to the group.
"Hi, I'm Fernsong." He greeted them with a smile. "It's actually really cool to meet Lelouch's friends that he made from different worlds. Sorry that Sorrelstripe and Hollytuft are out right now, but you'll meet my sisters eventually."
"It's okay. It's nice to meet you." Suguha told him with a smile.
"I can't believe you two didn't introduce me yet." Ivypool let out a giggle and Lelouch looked over at the she-cat who was walking over to them.
"Sorry, Dovewing. Kirito, Asuna, Suguha, this is Dovewing, Ivypool's sister."
"Hi you three. I hope that you'll feel comfortable here in ThunderClan for however long you're here." She greeted. "Hopefully we can train together as well. You'll need to learn how to live like a warrior if you're going to solve this prophecy."
"Right. I can't wait to learn how to fight, actually." Kirito stated. "Can we start today?"
"Calm down there, Kirito. Why don't we stick to introductions today?" Lionblaze said with a small laugh. For the rest of the time, the cats helped introduce Kirito, Asuna, and Suguha to every cat in the warriors' den. After hearing all of the names, Kirito placed a paw on his head, the list being huge, but it didn't help that they were informed that some of the warriors were out and that there were more cats in the other dens.
"Good luck on your trip around camp, you three. You'll like it here, though, I promise." Lelouch told them.
"You're not coming with us?" Suguha asked.
"Did you want me to, Suguha?"
"I was just asking…is all." She replied with a small blush.
"Don't worry, I'm just going to stay here with Nightheart and Ivypool. I'll see you three later."
"Okay. Have fun with family time, you three." Asuna told them before the small group left the warriors' den. "Lionblaze, where are we going next?"
"To the medicine cat's den. My brother, Jayfeather is there with Leafpool, my mother." He informed them as they made their way towards their next destination.
"I didn't know we were going in there. I'm not in the mood to be yelled at!" Sparkpaw complained, causing Asuna to let out a giggle.
"What's she talking about, Lionblaze?"
"My brother. He's a bit moody and grumpy, but what can you do?" He replied with a laugh. The group stood at the entrance to the medicine cat's den and looked inside. They saw herbs and flowers around it, neatly stacked and put in piles.
"Oh, hi Lionblaze. Are these the cats who received the prophecy?" Leafpool asked before standing up and walking over to them once they walked inside. "I'm Leafpool. It's nice to meet you three."
"Hi, Leafpool. I'm Asuna, and this is Kirito and his cousin, Suguha." Asuna greeted. She then looked over at the gray tom and his blind gaze touched hers. She walked over to him. "I'm guessing you must be Jayfeather. It's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too…Asuna, was it?"
"Yes." Jayfeather sniffed the air, remembering the she-cat's scent. "I don't want to sound mean but…is it hard being a medicine cat…being blind?" Sparkpaw's eyes widened.
"Oh no…here it comes!"
"Not really, actually. Every herb has a certain scent, so I just learn what it's from and what that herb does." He calmly answered.
"I thought you said he was moody." Kirito whispered over to Sparkpaw.
"He is...but I guess Asuna asked him nicely." Kirito walked over next to Asuna and Jayfeather turned his head towards him.
"Jayfeather, this is Kirito."
"It's nice to meet you. I think it's awesome that you can do all of this stuff, actually. I can't imagine how difficult it is."
"With the proper learning, it's simple, but thank you for your praise." As Kirito and Jayfeather were talking, Asuna noticed a dark brown she-cat. She saw that something was wrong with her hindlegs, so she approached her.
"Hi, I'm Asuna. That's Kirito, and that's Suguha." Asuna pointed a paw over to each other cat respectively.
"I'm Briarlight. You probably are wondering what's wrong with me, huh?" Asuna slowly nodded her head. "I had an accident when I was young and it left me unable to walk."
"Oh…I'm so sorry to hear that, Briarlight."
"It's okay. Jayfeather and Leafpool take really great care of me."
"That's good to hear." Asuna let out a smile. "I guess I'll see you sometime soon. You wouldn't mind me coming over to visit you whenever, right?" Briarlight's eyes gleamed.
"I wouldn't mind at all. Maybe Jayfeather might, through."
"I'll see what I can do." Asuna walked over to where Jayfeather was and Suguha had just walked up to him and greeted herself.
"Okay, so…Kirito, Asuna, and Suguha, right?" Jayfeather turned his gaze to each cat by how he named them.
"Yup." Suguha confirmed.
"Great. We'll be working together to solve this prophecy, so don't hesitate to come over here if you have any weird dreams, or if you get hurt for that matter."
"Will do, thanks Jayfeather, and thank you too, Leafpool." Kirito told them.
"Alright you three, ready to go?" Lionblaze asked, and they nodded.
"Actually, can you all wait out for me for a second?" Asuna asked.
"Sure." Lionblaze walked out with the others, leaving Asuna in the medicine cat's den.
"Is there something you need, Asuna?" Jayfeather wondered.
"Well…it's more of a request than anything, but feel free to say no if you have to." She began. "I was wondering if I could…learn more about the medicine that you use here. Is it possible for me to become a medicine cat?" Leafpool walked over to her.
"Asuna, you and Kirito are together, right?" The she-cat nodded. Asuna looked over at Leafpool and then over at Jayfeather.
"Medicine cats aren't allowed to have mates, Asuna." Jayfeather informed her.
"But…Lionblaze told me that Leafpool was your mother."
"I had to give up my medicine cat status once I broke the warrior code…but StarClan, the place where are fallen warriors reside, forgave me." Leafpool explained.
"Oh. I should've been more informed before I asked about it. Sorry about that, you two." She apologized. "I'll make sure to see you two in case anything about the prophecy rises." The she-cat began making her way back to the others.
"Wait!" Asuna stopped when she heard Jayfeather's voice. "I wouldn't mind teaching you about some medicine…if that's okay." He told her, causing her to smile.
"Really?"
"Yeah. If you're curious. I'm surprised that a cat from another world is actually interested in medicine. You can also come in and help Briarlight from time to time, just like Lelouch does." Briarlight's face filled with joy. Even though she met Asuna today, the gentleness in her voice was something she knew she wanted to hear often. "That's what you both were talking about, right?"
"Yes. I really don't know what to say. Thank you, Jayfeather!" Asuna walked over to the medicine cat and gave him a hug, the fur on Jayfeather's face growing hot.
"Y-yeah, it's no problem Asuna." She let him go and she let out a small giggle.
"Sorry for the hug if you're not that type of cat."
"N-no, it's okay, really." He said, letting out a kind smile. "You should go continue your tour now."
"Oh, right! Thanks again, Jayfeather, and you too, Leafpool!" Once Asuna left, Leafpool walked over to Jayfeather.
"What is it?" Her son asked, noticing that she was now next to him.
"I'm happy that you agreed to help Asuna learn a bit more about medicine. I'm not sure if it's okay to teach a cat a bit about it, but it's not against the warrior code."
"It's not every day you meet a cat that actually wants to learn about medicine." He stated.
"She is cute too, Jayfeather, just saying." Briarlight added with a giggle and the tom began to blush.
"Do you think that's why I offered? I can't even see her!"
"True, but you were acting nice to her when she asked if it was hard for you being a medicine cat." Leafpool stated.
"Because I just met her and she sounded a bit scared when she was talking to me, that's all." Jayfeather assured the two. I wonder how much she'll be able to learn. I'm sure it's unheard of a cat actually willing to learn about medicine. I remember when I was young I didn't want to, but...maybe teaching Asuna about medicine has some ties with the prophecy.
Asuna, Suguha, Kirito, and Lionblaze now walked into the queen's den. Alderpaw and Sparkpaw were no longer with them, the two apprentices leaving for some reason.
"This is the queen's den you three. This is where she-cats nursing or expecting kits stay." Lionblaze explained. "That's Daisy over there, and that's Lilyheart with her three kits, Honeykit, Larkkit, and Leafkit." As he was introducing them, Asuna and Suguha giggled as they watched the kits work together and knock Kirito to the ground.
"They're a strong bunch, that's for sure!" He said, looking at the three kits who triumphantly stood beside him.
"I'm sorry about these three." Lilyheart apologized with a smile. "I don't think I caught your name, actually."
"I'm Kirito, and that's Asuna and Suguha." Kirito told her, pointing a paw at the two while he was still on the floor.
"Your kits are so cute, Lilyheart." Asuna commented, the three now walking over to her and looking up at her. "Hi there you three. I bet you're going to grow up to become amazing warriors."
"I'll make sure to be the best one!" Larkkit stated.
"No you won't! I'm the one who knocked Kirito over!" Leafkit retorted.
"No, I did!" Honeykit added, the three now complaining.
"Well how about you knock him over again?" Suguha suggested as she helped Kirito back up. The three smiled and wasted no time in pouncing towards Kirito, knocking him down again. "I think they like you, Kirito."
"You didn't get that the first time?" He asked, the kits lightly striking him on the face.
"Okay you three, that's enough. Get off of Kirito." Lilyheart told her kits.
"It's always the toms that kits are aggressive towards." Daisy commented. "They usually do the same exact thing when Lelouch is around here."
"Is he usually the only one who comes here to play with them?" Suguha asked, and Lilyheart nodded.
"I was the same exact way the first time he was here. I'm glad he's back so that my kits are able to experience the care and love that he gives." She said with a smile.
"It just sounds like so much fun. I don't blame him for wanting to come here whenever he has the chance. Hey, maybe we should come here just like Lelouch does." Suguha suggested.
"Really?" Larkkit said with a bit of excitement in his voice.
"More cats to play with!" Honeykit cheered.
"Yay! Hey, why don't we get separate playmates then?" Leafkit suggested. "I call Suguha!" Leafkit ran over to her and pressed herself close to her coat.
"C'mon, that's not fair. Why limit yourself to just one of us?" Asuna said with a laugh. "We'll see what we can arrange. Is that okay with you, Lilyheart?"
"Of course. Although I think now they're going to be too excited every day." She said with a giggle. "You three should go on and see the rest of the Clan now. You'll be happy to stay here for a while."
"With this kits around, who wouldn't?" Kirito said with a laugh. "It was nice meeting you all. We'll be sure to visit whenever we can."
"Bye!" The three kits waved as they left the queen's den.
"They were so cute!" Suguha stated, and Asuna nodded.
"I know, right? I hope we'll have time to play with them."
"With warrior training and the prophecy we have, I hope so. It already seems like a bit just thinking about it." Kirito added.
"Don't worry, you'll get the best training possible. Some of the other cats and I will make sure you learn everything you need to know, from hunting to fighting, in order for you three to successfully help the Clans." Lionblaze assured them. "We're going to visit the elder's den now. This is where our retired warriors stay." He walked inside and the three followed. "Kirito, Asuna, Suguha, this is Purdy, Sandstorm, Millie, and Graystripe."
"More cats from another world? It feels like just yesterday we found Lelouch, Lionblaze." Graystripe commented.
"For elders they seem older than the other warriors, but not by much, actually." Kirito stated.
"Lionblaze, why are there some cats who have a different name structure?" Suguha wondered.
"Some cats that join ThunderClan aren't clan born, so when they come here they usually keep the name that they're known by, just like how Lelouch is, and I'm sure how you three will be." He explained.
"That makes sense."
"Just don't underestimate any cat like that. Firestar, our past leader, was a kittypet…and one of the greatest cats I ever knew." Sandstorm told them.
"Firestar was Sandstorm's mate." Lionblaze explained. "What she says is true, though. You three can make amazing warriors. You just need the heart and determination."
"We'll make sure to do our best to protect the Clans. That's why we were brought here after all." Kirito stated.
"He's right. We're not exactly ready to solve this prophecy yet, but I'm sure we will be." Suguha added, causing the elders to smile.
"It's great to see that all cats from a different world are so selfless. First it was Lelouch, then Sora, Riku, and Kairi, and now you three." Sandstorm stated. "ThunderClan will do its best to train you in the life of a warrior, I promise you that."
"I'm really looking forward to it. I'm not sure about these two though." Kirito said.
"Of course we are…just not as much as you." Suguha retorted.
"You three do realize that warrior training isn't exactly meant to be exciting. The training you'll go through isn't just to help solve the prophecy, it's for your own survival in this world as well." Lionblaze informed them. "I'm not trying to scare you three, but it's the truth."
"Don't worry, Lionblaze, Kirito and Asuna have been through exactly the same thing." Suguha assured him.
"Well then that just means we'll have to make sure you're the most prepared, Suguha." A blush formed on the light ginger she-cat's face.
"I guess…but I don't want to be treated like a baby!"
"You three will both get the same treatment, I'm sure of it." Millie added.
"She's right. Sorry if I offended you by my last comment." Lionblaze apologized.
"No, it's okay. I should be the one apologizing. You just want to make sure that I'm safe here, which I appreciate." She let out a kind smile, which he reflected back at her.
"Well, anyway, we should get going. You four don't hesitate to ask these three for assistance when they're not doing anything." Lionblaze let out a small laugh. "Okay you three, let's go." The four left the elder's den and once they were out, the golden warrior turned around to look at the three. "We have one more stop, which isn't really as important since you've met the two already, but let's head over to the apprentices' den." The group walked until they reached their final spot on their tour of ThunderClan. They looked inside and saw that Sparkpaw greeted them with a big smile.
"Hi and welcome to the apprentices' den you three!"
"So this is why you two left us, huh?" Kirito stated. "You two must be glad you're the only apprentices at the moment. You get this den all to yourselves."
"Yeah, it's pretty great, right Alderpaw?" Sparkpaw looked over at her brother.
"What? Oh, yeah, it's okay, I guess." He muttered.
"Sorry about Alderpaw. He's not as excited as I am about being an apprentice."
"Hey, that's not true at all, I mean, it is, but I am excited about it all." He retorted.
"Well that's good to hear. I'm sure you and your sister compete a lot, huh?" Suguha said.
"Well…not really." Alderpaw said with a sigh. "We do try and help each other, though, so that's something."
"It's better than nothing. Whatever gets you both to become warriors, right?" Kirito told them with a smile and Sparkpaw nodded.
"Yup! Hey Kirito, maybe you can come out with me during my training and we could train together!"
"That's not a bad idea, Sparkpaw. Two of the three can go along with you and Alderpaw while the other is trained by some of the other warriors." Lionblaze stated.
"You're welcome." Sparkpaw said, pride in her voice. "So, are you three done with your tour now?"
"Yup. You two were out last stop." Suguha replied. "So Lionblaze, what are we doing now that we're done?"
"I think for the rest of the day you three should get to know some of the cats around here a bit more. Tomorrow you three should start learning how to fight and hunt."
"Sounds like a plan." Kirito agreed, but suddenly, his stomach growled, a blush of embarrassment on his face.
"More like it sounds like someone's hungry." Suguha joked, letting out a giggle.
"Yeah. I don't even think I ate breakfast." He realized.
"Well the fresh kill pile's over there. Actually, this can be your first real experience in this world." Lionblaze stated. "Follow me." The three followed the warrior to the fresh kill pile, each looking at it with uneasiness. "Pick whatever you want, Kirito, oh and you too Asuna and Suguha."
"I don't think I'm all that hungry…" Suguha said, turning her gaze away from the food in front of her.
"Yeah…I ate before I got here." Asuna added.
"Well you both will have to eat it eventually, so why not get it over with?" Lionblaze reasoned. "Lelouch was the same way when he arrived, but now he eats it like there's no problem." Kirito looked at the she-cats and then back at the pile.
"I guess you're right about that…" Again, Kirito's stomach growled. "Okay, okay, I heard you the first time…" He slowly walked closer to the pile and picked up the limp body of a mouse in his jaws. He dropped it at his paws and gulped. "I mean, cats eat mice…and it's the smallest thing there." He brought his muzzle closer to the prey, shaking as he eased closer and closer to take his first bite. He slowly dug his fangs into the mouse's body and teared away a piece of its flesh. He slowly began to chew, Asuna and Suguha watching him closely to see his reaction. They noticed a sudden glint in his eyes and he began to chew quicker. Once he swallowed, a look of surprise filled his face.
"It's great! You two really are missing out!" He told them before going in for another bite. "Here, try some." With his mouth full, Kirito moved the mouse towards the two, who slowly back away from it.
"Do you want to go first?" Asuna asked Suguha, their eyes connecting.
"The honor's all yours, Asuna." She responded. Asuna looked down at the mouse and, just like Kirito, she slowly moved her mouth closer to it, taking her first bite of fresh kill. She was shocked that it wasn't as revolting as she anticipated.
"It's strange at first, but it's not that bad." Asuna informed the she-cat once she finished her piece of fresh-kill. "I'm sure Kirito's just overreacting because he's hungry." She said with a laugh, looking back at the tom who now picked his own mouse out of the pile.
"Well, if you both find it appealing, I guess I should try it." Unlike when the other two took their first bite, Suguha didn't hesitate to take a bite of the mouse.
"How is it, Suguha? Good, right?" Lionblaze asked her.
"Yeah. It might just be our new cat forms or something because I would never imagine eating anything raw…except maybe fish."
"That's over at RiverClan. You can learn more about the other Clans tomorrow if we have time." Lionblaze told them. "At least you three don't need to starve anymore, but you might have to learn how to eat more than just mice, oh and try to only take one piece of fresh kill at a time. I know you three might already realize that, but I just want to make sure."
"Yeah, Kirito!" Suguha scolded him. "You'd be the one out of us three to do that in the future."
"C'mon Suguha, you don't have to be like that." Lionblaze let out a chuckle at the two cousins' interaction.
"I'm sure you three are going to be great company around the Clan."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
The stars illuminated the night sky above the forest. For the remainder of the day, Kirito, Asuna, and Suguha got to know the cats of ThunderClan a bit more and in turn, the warriors learned more about the three new cats staying in ThunderClan. The three told them stories of their adventures in their world, every cat listening to them intrigued by their tales of battling monsters and saving lives. By the time Kirito finished the current story he was telling, he let out a yawn.
"I guess all that storytelling made me lose track of time." He stated, looking outside at the moon. "Yup. Anyway, you all make sure that the others who are out right now hear that story, okay?"
"You know, it's neat that each group of cats we've told stories to know some that the others don't because of their different tasks." Asuna said. "What do you think, Suguha?"
"Maybe you should ask her in the morning." Cinderheart said with a giggle, looking over at the light ginger she-cat, who was currently sleeping. Kirito placed a paw on her cousin and shook her softly, her bright green eyes slowly opening.
"Wha— did I fall asleep?" She wondered and saw that the other warriors nodded. "Oh…sorry about that everyone. I just didn't really have much to tell after the ALO story."
"It's okay. Asuna actually made us realize that some of the others who went out while you were telling it didn't hear it, so it'll be something new for them to listen to." Fernsong assured her.
"I guess I didn't think about that." Suguha realized. "What story are you on now?"
"Actually…I just finished my last one for today. I probably shouldn't have woke you up. Sorry about that." Kirito apologized.
"You better be sorry." She responded playfully. "Nobody sleeps around here, right?" She asked, making a circle in the air around her with her forepaw.
"You can sleep wherever. You're our guests in ThunderClan after all." Dovewing assured her.
"That's great news to hear because I think my legs are numb." Kirito said, slowly trying to get up, but then quickly sitting down again. "Yeah, definitely." He then eased into a resting position and let out a sigh. "Well, I guess I should be getting some shuteye. There's a big day ahead tomorrow."
"Right. You three will need to be at your best tomorrow." Lionblaze told them.
"Yeah, especially if you're training with him." Cinderheart said jokingly, causing her mate to blush.
"What? I just want them on…you know, just get some goof rest you three."
"We'll make sure to. Thanks for helping us tomorrow, Lionblaze. The same goes for everyone else here that might help as well. We really appreciate it." Asuna told them. She suddenly heard the sound of soft snoring and looked next to her to see that Kirito already was sleeping. Why am I not surprised? Anyway, I'm so glad that we found one of the Clans and also that we found one of our old friends here too. Tomorrow we learn how to survive in this world, which sounds a bit frightening at first, but if that's what we need to do to help find what's in the shadows then I'm sure we'll stop at nothing to help protect this Clan and the other three out there. With that thought in her mind, Asuna snuggled closer to Kirito and slowly drifted off to sleep.
I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter. Originally, I was going to include Sinon with the three, but when I typed the intro of this chapter with her in it, I began to forget that she was with the group, and I think three new characters is enough, for now. Also, I am here to announce a new future Warriors series called Warriors Everlasting Miracles Extra Edition.
In this series, the reader can submit ideas for stories revolving around the series, whether it be shippings , or if you wanted to see something in the story played out differently. Anything goes. Even M-Rated ideas will be put into consideration, but there will be a separate place where I post them, so when the series comes into fruition, please start bringing up some awesome ideas.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the rest of this story!~Geasswolf Out
