Hello again people of the world! I am back with another chapter in the tale of Fang- Chapter 3! I got so many reviews, I was so excited to see them all! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Keep 'em coming! Please? And now to review answering!
Cloudjumper Kat: Really good guess- and yes, her Clan name (before she was stolen) was in fact Rosekit, thought she doesn't know it. I'm glad you find this intriguing, I'll try to keep that up for you.
Feraa: 1- She does really enjoy fighting. It's supposed to be kind of her way to escape (at least that's how it is in my head...)
2- XD XD XD YAY I HAVE PEOPLE WHO THINK I'M AN AWESOME WRITER! THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH! *tackles in hug* And that is a good guess- something from Starclan is normally the answer in the case of dreams, isn't it?
Fourth Season: Maybe. Good Guess. StarClan likes giving our cryptic messages- it's their idea of fun.
that guy: Here's more. Really.
Guest: She has trained a lot. She has a lot of drive to do so.
And now to the actual chappie.
"Let us try the move out, shall we? Blood, Fox, get ready to battle," Claw said, having just shown his three kits a new battle move that involved knocking an opponents legs out from under them and following up with a claw to whatever was exposed. It required catching an opponent unawares, and no small amount of strength. It was more advanced than many other moves they had learned, and Fang was ready for the challenge.
Fox, however, was not. He was uncomfortable with the move. Yet he stood to face his brother anyway, who smirked in response. They stood in tense silence, waiting for Claw to signal them to begin their battle.
"Begin!" Claw exclaimed, and Blood wasted no time in barreling himself at his brother, who was knocked into the wall behind him, having been unprepared for it. He stood, recovering his breath. Blood came right at him, leaving little time to recover. His left paw swept under Fox's paws, who leaped to avoid them, only to land awkwardly, and fall over, exposing his back and side.
Fang could not stop the gasp that escaped her when Blood dived in, biting with all of the force his jaw could muster. There was a loud, sickening crack, followed by an agonizing moment of silence. It was broken when Fox let out a long, bloodcurdling scream, back spasming and blood spurting everywhere. Blood looked down on his brother with a wide, twisted smile on his face, eyes full of vicious hatred. Fox continued to scream, the sound echoing off the walls and tormenting the ears of his sister, who had to avert her gaze. Fox tried desperately to drag himself away from his vicious brother, his legs dragging uselessly behind him.
It seemed to be in slow motion to Fang, as Blood's leg muscles tensed, before he sprung into the air, landing with all of his weight upon his brother's injured spine. The screaming intensified tenfold, only increasing the wicked smile upon Blood's face. Fang couldn't stand it, couldn't someone make it stop? The horrible, horrible screams resonated within her mind, and she could feel the pain that had caused the terrible sound to occur as if it was her own wound.
Blood stepped away, his jaw and fur covered in his own brother's hot blood. It was dripping off of him, yet he only seemed to revel in the substance that he had extracted from his opponent. Claw nodded approvingly- approvingly!- at his son.
"Your time's up, Fox," Claw whispered menacingly, "I shall go get Shadow. It seems we shall have a plaything for a time." Fox's screams turned to desperate sobs at his father's words. His fate had been sealed the moment his spine was severed.
He was going to suffer the life of a BloodClan cripple.
It seemed that almost no time had passed before Claw returned with the BloodClan leader. Shadow's face was impassive as he inspected Fox, who was still sobbing for all he was worth. Not that it would help him now.
"It seems you shall have only two children now, Claw. At least they aren't disgraces," Shadow spat, running his claw along Fox's injured back. Fox yelped pathetically. Fang could only watch it all in horror. She hid it well, as she had always done. Yet her carefully built walls of stone were in danger of tumbling to the ground. How could Blood do this?! Why did everyone seem so pleased?!
Shadow and Claw then dragged Fox- none too gently- into the main camp area like a piece of worthless prey. Some of the BloodClan members laughed menacingly, while others shouted insults at the crippled Fox. Blood followed after them, and Fang- after a long hesitation- came after, staring straight ahead. Fox was left in the middle of the camp, in the full view off all, on hard stone.
"BloodClan!" Shadow yowled, "This apprentice is disgraced! He has been crippled! Shall he be allowed to live?!"
"NO!" came the answer, as all BloodClan cats who had heard the call of their leader yowled their answer. Mercy was a foreign concept to these hardened cats. It was kill or be killed- a serious injury then became fatal. BloodClan did not help others unless it in some way benefited them.
"That is right. Those who cannot carry their own weight die. That is how it has always been- and how it shall continue to be. Then this cripples fate is set!" Shadow called, before loud cheers came from the cats. Fang watched in horrid fascination. She had never seen a cripple and their fate, although she had heard of it. Shadow then left for his den, leaving silence in his wake, except for the small cries of pain from Fox. Claw left as well, snorting in contempt as his crippled son whispered something to him.
Then Fury, a Junior Soldier, descended upon Fox, slashing at him- careful not to kill him. BloodClan cats enjoyed their cripples too much to kill them right away. No, they preferred hearing their screams for a moon at least- although they rarely survived longer than that. By then, their injuries had taken their toll.
Finally, Fang could stand it no longer, and she fled, exiting the camp area and finding a hidden nook outside. Yet, even there, the images of her brother still plagued her mind- and for once they would not go away. Her mind was racing out of control, which had never happened before. She had and iron fist of control over herself normally, yet now it had crumbled to dust.
What was this place she called home? BloodClan? For all that they preached strength and honor, they lived lives of hate and power. Was their thirst for blood so great that they had to torture the weak until their painful deaths? Would it not be better to just let the weak go? Yet that would kill them as surely as a claw.
What was the answer to the many questions plaguing her mind?
Fang took a deep breath, trying to get rid of the images of her poor brother. She could not help him, because then her fate would be the same as his. Yet what was she supposed to do? Watch him suffer? She couldn't do that- then her carefully crafted walls blocking her thoughts and emotions from others would come crashing down around her, and her secrets would be known. She had worked hard to develop a stoic, blank face, and if she wasn't careful it would be smashed to smithereens.
All over something she had known would happen in the end.
But she had never imagined this- it was all too horrible! How could Blood have done that!? And Claw had been pleased by his son! Everyone had been proud of Blood's deed. To them, he had given them a plaything for another moon.
But his own brother! Did he not care at all?
Fang knew the answer to that- and it was a profound no. Blood felt that having a brother like that was a disgrace. Fang he would keep around and pretend to care for because she had a high ranking- so she did the family proud. But if she were to fall in ranking, he would dispatch her just as systematically. That Fang knew for a fact.
Then why did it feel so wrong in her heart?
That night, when Fox's anguished screams had finally subsided and all had retired for the night save the camp guards, Fang slowly crept out of the Trainee den, careful not to trod on another cat and cause them to wake up. She made her way to the main camp, sticking to the shadows. Even her bright pelt was unnoticeable in the dark night. The only light was the light of the waning moon. Soon, it would be new moon.
She made her way to Fox, who was sobbing pitifully still. He was clearly not asleep, and Fang doubted he would get any sleep this night. Eventually the exhaustion would overcome it all, but until then the pain would make it near impossible to sleep. She tapped him on the shoulder, and he yelped.
"Shh!" Fang hissed, and he glared at her in the dim light.
"Fang? What are you doing? Come to gloat- don't worry, Blood's already got it all covered!" Fox spat- albeit quietly. Fang lowered her gaze to her paws, and shifted uncomfortably.
"No- it's- it's not that. I-I... I'm sorry," Fang stammered, not sure what she had come for, or what she wanted to say. What could she say? Nothing she said would help. She just felt like she had to tell him something- but she knew not what. Fox glared.
"I don't need your pity. You don't really care anyway. Why don't you leave, and go rest your precious first-ranking head!" Fox sneered, turning his head away from her, his legs unmoving. Fang reluctantly left his side, not sure what to do. Then, she had an idea. She crept passed the camp guards, and went out into the territory, looking for scents. Soon, her efforts were rewarded- she found some small scraps of food that were edible enough. She came back to Fox, placing the meal at his head. He gave a start of surprise.
"Wh- Why?" he mewed, sniffing the food. She shrugged, and he immediately began eating ravenously. As soon as he was done, Fang gathered up the scraps to dispose of them.
As she turned to leave, Fox whispered, "Thanks. You could get in trouble though, so get away!" Fang fled, disposing of the small scraps, and returning to the Trainee den, before settling down, and hoping none had seen her. She knew well the consequences of her actions.
Luckily, all of the Trainee's seemed to be fast asleep. There was no yowling or hissing insults. There was silence, all was asleep. Fang stared into the darkness to make sure, before her exhaustion finally decided to make itself known. Her eyelids drooped, and before she knew it she was sleeping.
Yet her sleep wasn't peaceful. In her dreams, Fox screamed on and on, blood flowing like rivers on the hard, cold ground. Blood and Claw grinned beside him, both of them covered in blood and looking overjoyed by this fact. Then their eyes caught Fang's and she couldn't move- she was paralyzed in her spot. Evil smirks growing, they stalked to her, eyes displaying their evil intentions, twin forms hulking and threatening.
They came closer, until they blocked off her escape. Their eyes bored into hers, searching through her soul, finding all of her secrets. She could not speak, she could not move. She could only watch the two toms with growing apprehension.
"Don't you enjoy our little game, sister dear? It is most fun, hearing them screaming on and on, begging for mercy, knowing you are in control," Blood commented coolly, pleasure dotting his features as he spoke.
"Oh, but you don't enjoy in our fun. We must remedy this. You will be one of us one day. You know this in your mind. Come, join in our games. Become a BloodClan cat," Claw crooned, his tail brushing the top of her head. She shook her head in an adamant no.
"I- I'm not like you! I won't be like you!" Fang finally mewed desperately, trying to argue more with herself than the tom in front of her. Her father smirked.
"Oh, but you will... if you wish to survive. If you do not-... I believe your fate will be no different than your dear brother's," Claw's voice became a sneer, his tail flicking with irritation, "You don't want to be a disgrace. You should not waste all of the potential you possess. It would be most... dissatisfying should that occur- but don't believe you will be spared. All traitors and pathetic disgrace's shall be put to slow death- as decreed by our great leader Scourge."
It was then that Blood and Claw lunged forward, sinking their sharp, blood-stained teeth deep into her fur, dragging her forward with her struggling and crying in pain. They dragged her to Fox, who screamed at her.
"Are you just going to stand there and let me die?! You're such a coward, Fang, you never had to work for anything! Everything was given to you, because of you stupid, special talents! Just because you're talented doesn't mean you have what it takes to be a BloodClan soldier! They're brave- but you- you are just a sniveling coward who hides behind talent!" Fox sneered at her, and both Claw and Blood spat at her.
"Aren't you going to prove him wrong? That you aren't a coward? Kill him then- prove yourself!" Claw sneered, kicking her and knocking her to the groud.
"Prove it, coward! Prove it! Prove it! Prove it!" A thousand voices of cats chanted this in her head, and she almost screamed from the pain. As it was, she gasped, cowering on the ground, pawing her ears, trying to get rid of the sounds.
"Prove it! Prove it!" continued on and on, engraving the words in her mind.
Prove it! Prove it! Prove it!
She awoke with a gasp, struggling for air, and still holding her furry paws at her ears. She thrashed around, looking around wildly. Everyone else was fast asleep- it was still dark night. Slowly, she calmed her breathing, settling back down in her upset nest- her thrashing had messed up her neat and orderly nest. She sighed, knowing she would get no sleep at all. She would just have to resign herself to a sleepless night and a sleepy day tomorrow. As she laid down, those words still rang in her head loud and clear.
Prove it! Prove it! Prove it!
Question- Do you think Fang will really become a 'BloodClan' cat? Like one at heart and all of that? Or will she somehow survive it- and die. Great, surviving only to die...
And please review! It makes my day to get on my computer and see all of those Favorites and Follows and Reviews. I bounce around the house all excited-like. My dog ends up chasing me around everywhere because I get him worked up.