Chapter 8
"Zero to Negatives."
8/3/16 - 8/4/16
Stealthpaw knew she would face disappointment, but she never expected for everyone to quickly turn against her. Blazefrost hissed at her when she looked him in the eye, Brightpool and Fallencloud were glancing at her in distrust.
Leopardstrike was bold enough to knock her down and dare her to fight back when he knows full well that she couldn't.
Stealthpaw was punished to clean out the elder's nests and queens nests, and was forbidden from going to the next gathering.
The queens weren't so bad. She got to finally see Volefang and Jaystripe's only son, Timberkit. And Pounceclaw was due at any time. Now Stealthpaw leaves for the elders den. She nearly bumped into Rainpaw.
The blue speckled tom narrowed his eyes and padded past her without a word.
Stealthpaw also saw Leopardstrike - ugh - staring at her haughtily with Sweetpaw in toe.
"Take a look at her, Sweetpaw," he said, nodding toward Stealthpaw.
"We have no tolerance for traitors and foolish kits."
Sweetpaw uncomfortably shook her fur.
"I thought we were going hunting."
Leopardstrike nodded. He gave Stealthpaw one look of triumph before padding toward the thorn barrier. Sweetpaw mouthed "I'm so sorry." And follows her mentor.
At least one cat has forgiven me. It was a mistake, I don't need cats constantly putting more guilt on me!
Duckpaw couldn't look her in the eye anymore. Squirrelpaw was stepping on rose thorns whenever Stealthpaw tried to talk to him.
Rainpaw refused to speak to her or look at her. Foxpaw was sick with white cough, but even he was reluctant to say anything to her.
So far, Sweetpaw and Stoatpaw still talk to her, even if their mentors don't approve.
Stealthpaw enters the elders den with fresh twigs and feathers, but she only sees Mooneye, who was awake.
"Where are the others?"
"They went out to stretch their legs." He replied.
If Stealthpaw's eyes could shrink into the size of pebbles, they would.
Oh. My. God.
Of course she was put with the most cranky, sharp tongued cat in the elders den.
She pads toward Mooneye and settles her twigs and feathers.
She opened her mouth but Mooneye cuts her off.
"I know why you're here. I'm glad Thornstar grew some back bone and put you on punishment. Only a complete idiot would break the warrior code so shamelessly.
StarClan, God? I don't care which, just strike me where I stand!
Stealthpaw weaves a twig through the nest after she removes the dead ones.
Then, she places the feathers on the rims around the nest.
"Back in my day we wouldn't tolerate this type of treachery. We'd drag a cat out into the clearing and maim him till his own mother couldn't recognize him."
Stealthpaw stopped what she was doing when Mooneye continued to rant.
"If it was a rogue, you wouldn't get any chances to join us. You would have been ripped to shreds before we kicked you out!"
Is he trying to make me mad?! Stealthpaw bit back a growl, but Mooneye wasn't done yet.
"Every cat knows not to trust Crowstar. You'd have to be a complete mouse brain to think he wants to be nothing but friends with you. Foolish, completely-."
Stealthpaw stomped her paw and lashed her now bushy tail.
"I get it!" She spat. "I'm a moron for even giving Crowstar a chance - I'm stupid for trusting him - I'm a complete traitor who should be kicked out! You're not the first cat t say that to me!"
Mooneye's fur spiked.
"Don't you raise that tone with me! I'm your elder, you should treat me with respect!"
"Respect is for those who've earned it!" Stealthpaw retorted.
"All you did since I got here is criticize me! That's all you and you cats are doing!"
"Welcome to the real world, kit." Mooneye said sarcastically.
"You really must have been sheltered with that rogue family of yours."
"They didn't care about me!" Stealthpaw's head began to hurt, as bits and pieces came in her head.
"My mom never paid attention to me, I always had to fight - not literally - to get her attention whenever she's arguing with my brothers! I was always last before them! And you can forget about kits my age - they were nothing but a nightmare! Always ditched, laughed at and teased!"
"I had nobody until I came to ThunderClan! I wanted friends, I didn't care where they came from, so long as they didn't care that I was-!"
Autistic.
Stealthpaw couldn't say the words. What would cats know about something so human… Twoleg.
"Is that it?" Mooneye asked boredly. "I figured something was off with you."
"Nothing's 'off' with me!" Stealthpaw said angrily. "I just...don't think like other apprentices."
"Obviously." Mooneye chuckled. "But then again, the apprentices don't know any sense either."
Mooneye stood up from his nest, and shook his shaggy fur.
"No wonder those youngsters are so defensive of ya, that Crowstar's as lousy as they come! It ain't like the days when Whitestar was their leader. At least she would have talked to Thornstar instead of tricking an apprentice!"
"Crowstar hasn't changed from the last time he tricked one of our own."
Stealthpaw sat down. "He's done it before?"
Mooneye laid his blind gaze on Stealthpaw.
"Eh… Most of ThunderClan has forgotten what happened, but I suppose I could tell you, just in case."
Mooneye turned around in his nest to face her; Stealthpaw crouched down and perked her ears.
"When Hallowstar still lived, and Thornstar was a warrior, Thornblaze, an apprentice was about to become a warrior when she met Crowstar, who was called Crowshadow and was still the deputy. He convinced the apprentice to meet with him in secret, and eventually Palewhisker - who was Palepaw - told her that she was expecting kits."
"That she cat was my apprentice, and as much as the entire Clan was furious with her, I was more infuriated with Crowshadow. He took advantage of an impressionable young cat and got her pregnant - becoming the first apprentice to become a queen.
I made my apprentice talk to him about it one night on the island while I watched in hiding."
"What happened?" Stealthpaw asked.
"Crowshadow denied it furiously." Mooneye replied. "He even went as far as attack her, but I gave him some scars to remember me by. The she cat's kits were born a week early, and all three of them died."
"Hallowstar announced the dead kits at the Gathering, and Crowshadow just looked as arrogant and cocky as ever. I'll be honest, I wanted to shred him to bits until there was nothing left. My apprentice suffered the loss of her first litter and a broken heart in the same moon, and nobody but me comforted her."
Mooneye ran his paw over his ear.
"Luckily she got over it and worked twice as hard to become a warrior, and eventually her betrayal was forgotten."
Stealthpaw bowed her head. Mooneye gets out of the nest and licks her forehead.
"Just you wait. Knowing that mouse brain Crowstar, he'll start a fight. And I want you to deliver the first mark on his pelt, because StarClan wishes I still have the energy to do it!"
"Will everyone forget about it, too?' Stealthpaw asked.
"Work hard on your assignments and everything will be forgiven." Mooneye said.
"And don't let hot headed fools like Leopardstrike tell you otherwise!"
"Now get!" He suddenly said, getting inside his nest. "You've cleaned my nest, now go do the others."
Stealthpaw was about to enter the medicine cat den when she heard screaming from the nursery. Palewhisker suddenly made a beeline for the nursery.
"What's happening?"
"Pounceclaw is having her kits!" Palewhisker said slipping inside. Cats were beginning to stop what they were doing and stare at the nursery, except for Volefang, who went in and came out with his son, Timberkit. Palewhisker's head poked out.
"Stealthpaw!"
The golden she cat blinked at the mention of her name.
"I need you to help me with the kits!"
Stealthpaw pads inside the nursery and sees Pounceclaw on her side, breathing heavily and wincing in pain. Palewhisker pats her tail near Pounceclaw's haunches.
"Sit right here, I'll give you a kit when it shows up."
Stealthpaw slowly sits next to Pounceclaw and looks at her closely.
She looks terribly exhausted, and the smell of blood was evident.
"I've… I don't know how to deliver kits." She told Palewhisker. "Where's Yellowpaw?"
"She's getting catmint from Acornfur in RiverClan," she replied. "It's not difficult, just-." Palewhisker was cut off by Pounceclaw's screeching.
Jaystripe licks Pounceclaw's ears.
"It's okay, friend. I'm right here."
Pounceclaw groaned as she raises her head.
"Where's Leopardstrike? I-!" She cuts off with a screech.
"Get ready, Stealthpaw. I see a head coming…"
Stealthpaw's fur stood on end when she sees Palewhisker with a pink sac. She cuts it open with a claw and a small kit came out with damp fur she could barely make out.
"Lick it in the opposite direction!" Palewhisker ordered her. "It'll make it warm and start its breathing."
Stealthpaw leaned in and licked the kit vigorously, she was startled by the strange taste but kept it clean. The she kit began to fight from her paws and cry.
"Good, now put it near Pounceclaw's stomach."
Stealthpaw gently places the kit near Pounceclaw's huge belly. At the same time, Palewhisker places another kit down. Stealthpaw repeated the same action until a third and final kit came out.
Palewhisker smiled at Pounceclaw.
"Three healthy she cats, congratulations."
Jaystripe licked Pounceclaw's ears. The white and ginger she cat looked at each of her kits warmly.
"Are you going to name them?" Jaystripe asks.
"Not until Leopardstrike gets back." Pounceclaw whispered. The queen looked at Stealthpaw. "Thank you."
Stealthpaw nodded and pads out the den, embarrassed by the attention. Palewhisker padded behind her and turns to the crowd.
"Three she cats, all healthy."
The ThunderClan cats brimmed with happiness.
"I've never seen kits born." Stealthpaw admitted to Palewhisker.
"I've noticed." Said the light brown tabby. "Yes, it's always miraculous to see kits come into the world. You might be one of those queens in the future ~."
Stealthpaw's ears grew hot. Her, with a tom - and being touched? The whole thing was a fantasy to Stealthpaw. Plus she was a human, wouldn't it be weird if she became mates with a tom?
"Do you ever wish you had kits?" She asked Palewhisker. The light brown tabby shook her head.
"No, I never thought of it. I never liked hurting cats, either. And that's why I became medicine cat."
Leopardstrike came through the thorn barrier with a rabbit, and Sweetpaw follows with a squirrel.
"Leopardstrike." Palewhisker called. "Pounceclaw had her kits, she's waiting for-."
Leopardstrike dropped his rabbit in shock and raced into the nursery.
Yellowpaw came back with catmint and stared at the crowd.
"What… Did Pounceclaw have her kits?" She asked Palewhisker. Sweetpaw padded toward the nursery and came back to Stealthpaw.
"Pounceclaw is asking for you."
Stealthpaw padded toward the nursery and saw Leopardstrike gazing warmly at his daughters. Stealthpaw almost felt at ease with the golden brown tom, until he looked at her with an unreadable emotion.
"I heard you helped Pounceclaw…. Thanks."
Pounceclaw nodded to Stealthpaw.
"I want you to meet the kits." She said. Stealthpaw pads to the nest and sees the kits' fur growing in.
"This is Gingerkit," Pounceclaw nudged the pure, bright orange kit.
"And this is Redkit," Pounceclaw's tail brushed a dark ginger kit, who looked almost red.
"I want you to name the last one." She said. Stealthpaw felt her heart grow warm. She looks at the last one - and her heart skipped a beat. The she kit looked like an exact replica of her father. Golden brown with black patches on her pelt.
"Uh… How about Spottedkit?" She said. Leopardstrike nodded. "Spottedkit it is."
Pounceclaw gazed at her kits with warmth, and Stealthpaw felt an ugly feeling overcome her mind: jealousy.
Her human memories showed nothing but her own mother in some argument with her two older brothers. Even when it's not directed at them, Stealthpaw was overlooked by her, always.
"Stealthpaw." Palewhisker's voice brought her back to reality.
"Pounceclaw needs to rest."
Stealthpaw went to the apprentice's den that evening.
"Hey," she turned around and saw Duckpaw. "I heard you delivered Pounceclaw's kits."
"I did…"
Duckpaw touched her muzzle on Stealthpaw's shoulder.
"I'm sorry for my behavior. I was just so shocked I didn't know what to say."
Duckpaw's gaze fell upon her spine. She saw the scars healing on Stealthpaw's back.
"Crowstar did this?"
Stealthpaw nods, and trembles violently as she fell in her nest, and sobbed.
Duckpaw laid down and ran her tail on her back.
"It's okay… Trust me, Crowstar is not getting away with this, not by a long shot."
Duckpaw overheard paw steps and sees Rainpaw, Squirrelpaw and Sweetpaw.
"Oh." Sweetpaw immediately pads to Stealthpaw and licks her ears, proving her namesake. Rainpaw sighed, as if a heavy weight was lifted, and sits next to Stealthpaw too. Duckpaw moved for Squirrelpaw to sit down and say,
"It's alright, Stealthpaw…"
Duckpaw glanced at the entrance and sees Flamepaw. For once, the dark ginger tom had nothing to say. He just pads toward Squirrelpaw, who moves immediately when he sees Flamepaw.
Flamepaw laid down and presses his nose on Stealthpaw's ear, comfortingly.
"StarClan bless you.."
What do you think of Mooneye? He's like the cranky and wise grandpa in the form of a cat. And Stealthpaw's memories are coming back a little bit, but it still doesn't show her how she ended up as a cat. And Spottedkit… I have plans for her, but it's gonna have to wait for a while.
