So, get ready...get set...READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!
Shadow leapt backward, breathing heavily. Blood flowed freely from a wound along her side.
Bite sneered at her. "You're so weak and useless. If Raze and I ever have kits, I hope they're not as weak as you."
Shadow hissed and lunged at Bite. But her injury made her slow, and Bite easily sidestepped and slashed her back. Shadow fell to the ground, her vision going hazy.
"Weak," Bite growled. "Useless." He stalked past her.
Shadow's vision went black as she saw a tan shape fly toward her.
##########
Shadow awoke feeling stiff and sore. Twisting her head around, she saw angry red wounds slicing down her back and left side.
"So, you're finally awake."
Shadow groaned and looked at her mother, Sand.
"Hey, you should be more grateful. I saved your worthless life," Sand meowed.
Shadow gritted her teeth. "And you only did that to please Scourge with another warrior."
Sand shrugged indifferently. "It's Scourge. I'd do anything."
Shadow hissed. Her mother and father, Thistle, had never even been mates. Sand had been padding after Scourge since the beginning of BloodClan.
Shadow turned away from her mother. "I'm leaving."
"For good?" Sand meowed hopefully.
Shadow didn't respond. She stalked out of the Twoleg waste thing they lived under to find her friend Night.
She slipped through the alleys of Twolegplace. Finally, she came upon the box that Night lived in. Shadow made a lot of noise, just in case Night wanted to shoo her away. Nothing came in her direction, but she heard Night's voice and her mate, Ash's.
Shadow rounded the corner of the box. Inside, Night and Ash were laying with their pelts pressed together. Ash was licking Night's ears gently, purring with happiness. Night was purring too, though she looked both happy and scared.
When Night saw Shadow, she leapt to her feet. "Shadow!" she meowed excitedly. "Guess what?"
"What?" Shadow meowed, though she already guessed.
"I'm expecting Ash's kits!"
Shadow purred in congratulations for her best friend, though she felt uneasy. Could Night pull off the hatred that queens were supposed to show to their kits?
Ash stood up. "I have to get going now," he meowed swiftly. "We've already spent too much time together. Bye, Night. Bye, Shadow." He padded quickly out of the den.
Night looked after him. When he was finally out of sight, she turned to Shadow. "So, Sand is getting to you again?"
Shadow just nodded.
Night looked sympathetic. "Mothers are supposed to be cruel and distant, but not that cruel and distant. Like, they don't usually let their kits fight to the death."
Shadow nodded again.
Night curled her tail protectively around her belly. "I would never do that to my kits."
Shadow gaped at her. "But...Night! You have to!"
Night shook her head. "No, Shadow. I...I hate the brutality of BloodClan. Once my kits are born, I'm leaving. I would leave now, but I wouldn't be able to support myself because I'd be too slow to hunt."
Shadow looked helplessly at her friend. "But, Night, you're the only friend I've ever had!"
Night shook her head again. "I'm sorry, Shadow. But I have to do this."
Shadow paused for a moment, then mewed, "But, what if you have four kits? What would you do then?"
Night shook her head yet again. "I'd find a way. Please, Shadow. You can't tell anyone."
"I promise," Shadow meowed.
"Okay." Night yawned and immediately fell asleep.
Shadow left Night and wandered through the alleys with no sense of where she was going. She didn't want to go back to Sand yet. After a while, she found herself in front of Scourge's den.
"Oh, no," she muttered, and turned around to go. No one who wasn't part of The Guard were allowed to get in the same alley as Scourge's den.
She started padding away when suddenly there was a flash of black. Scourge was standing before her, his black pelt bristling.
"I decreed that all but The Guard were to stay away from my den," he growled.
Shadow rolled her eyes. "I was just leaving, so if you'd excuse me."
Scourge circled her menacingly. "No one defies me," he hissed.
Shadow's eyes glinted. "I do."
The bones on the end of Scourge's claws gleamed as he lunged at Shadow. Shadow rolled away, marveling at how much better she felt in one day. She felt like she could take on a thousand Bites and still win without a scratch.
Scourge whipped around and came at her again. This time he caught Shadow on the shoulder, leaving a deep cut that spurt bright red blood. Shadow staggered and fell to the mercy of Scourge's claws.
Scourge stood over her and smirked. "Weakling," he snarled. "You're completely useless to me. Unable to fight. Unable to hunt."
The blood roared in Shadow's ears as her vision went foggy. "Someday," she gasped, "I'll show what I can do. I'll prove it to you."
Scourge hissed. "Well, until that day comes, stay away from my den." He spun around and stalked away.
I will not faint, Shadow groaned in her mind. I will not lose consciousness. Not right in front of Scourge's den. A surge of energy burst through her, and with a snarl, she flew at Scourge.
Catching Scourge unawares, she landed hard on his back and began tearing out clumps of fur. Scourge yowled in surprise, but quickly regained his composure and rolled over, trying to crush Shadow beneath him. However, though Shadow must have been over six seasons younger than him, she was still nearly as big as him, though she had always been small herself. She slipped off him back as he rolled over, exposing his belly. Still snarling, Shadow ripped the bone reinforcements at the end of his claws off, then, pressing her weight on top of him, placed her paw on his neck.
"I am not useless," she hissed. "I am not weak. I can fend for myself. I can hunt for myself. I need no one."
Scourge looked at her hard, and something flashed in his eyes. Fear?
But soon it was gone. He tipped his head to one side cockily. "Maybe I can make something out of you," he meowed snidely. "Maybe you can become part of The Guard."
Shadow's heart leapt. The Guard! She'd never even considered becoming part of The Guard!
"Who is your mother?" Scourge asked.
Shadow snorted. "Sand."
"Ah, yes." Scourge nodded knowingly, his eyes twinkling with something more than cruelty. "Yes, she's the tan one. The foolish one. I thought she killed all of her kits?"
A lump rose in Shadow's throat as she thought of her two brothers, deemed too weak at birth and brutally murdered. "No. She...only killed Sun and Moon. She wanted to keep one alive to...please you."
To Shadow's surprise, Scourge let out a raspy purr. "Please me, she has."
Shadow stepped off of Scourge and backed away. "I should be getting back to her," she meowed cautiously.
"Why?"
The question caught her off guard. Shadow swallowed. "Because...she'll be worried," she lied.
Scourge snorted. "I know your mother. She doesn't care about you." His blue eyes bored into Shadow's stormy gray ones. "But I suppose you should be going." He paused, like he was going to say more. Then he shook his head minutely. "Come back tomorrow. Here. That's an order."
Shadow nearly fell over in shock. Scourge wanted to see her? But she kept her cool. "Yes," she replied.
Scourge's eyes still studied her, making her feel uncomfortable. She slowly backed out of the alley, then ran all the way to Night's box, where she poured out the whole story.
Night yawned, then shook her head in wonder. "I suppose you do have talent. I've never seen you fight, but I know Bite sure doesn't like you."
Shadow just looked out of the box, where it had started to rain, her gray eyes mirroring the color of the stormy sky.
I know I should be typing the 100 Tales Challenge I'm doing, but it gets boring sometimes...no freeform. Have to do it about something specific. Even if I don't win, I'll finish it, slowly but surely. Anyway, R&R, please!!!!!!!
~Wildshadow24
