Hey y'all! Thanks so much for all the reviews! Whitepaw and Swanpaw plushies to Lilystripe608! And Stonetail plushies to everyone!
"Oh, Whitepaw. I never pitied you for one moment. The reason I look out for you so much?" Stonetail murmured, placing a tail over her shoulder, "I love you. I love both of you," He meowed, pulling an angry Swanpaw in with a foreleg. "If only the whole Clan could see how wonderful you are…then, I'd be happy. But I never pitied you, sweet. I love you." Her father's golden eyes warmed her heart, like Newleaf rays.
"Really?" Whitepaw asked. She desperately wanted to believe him, with all her heart.
"Really." Stonetail sighed, licking her on the head. "You're a beautiful, smart, talented, amazing cat. I'm proud to say you're my daughter."
Swanpaw huffed. "Then what am I?" She muttered. " 'Cause clearly, I don't mean much to her!" She pointed a silvery-white tail at Whitepaw, who immediately bristled in response. Stonetail soothed them both.
"Oh, Swanpaw. I love you too. You are gorgeous, funny, and always there for every cat," He meowed, looking at Whitepaw, "Because you love them." Swanpaw looked at her sister.
"Yeah, see? I was only trying to help!" She complained.
"Well, it didn't seem very much like help." Whitepaw grumbled.
"Well, I was worried about you. You came home acting like a badger who ran into a skunk! Stupid furball. I wanted to help 'cause I love you. I mean, a cat only ever has one sister." Swanpaw purred. Whitepaw smiled back, tentatively.
"If anyone's the stupid furball, it's you! You expect me to talk to you when you're interrogating me? That's like thinking the skunky-badger will wanna play moss ball!" She grinned, pushing her sister with a paw.
"Yeah, well, ya never know. In the end, the skunky badger's sister always swoops in to save the day!" Swanpaw giggled.
"Huh. Now how would she comfort a skunky badger?" Whitepaw asks.
"Well, she would tell her that she loves her no matter how bad she smells!" Swanpaw purred triumphantly.
"Now that would earn skunky's sister a one way trip to a fox den! At dinner time!" Whitepaw laughed, tackling Swanpaw.
"Agh! No! I'm being attacked by a skunky badger! HEEELP! Stonetail! HEEEEELP!" Swanpaw chokes out between fits of laughter as Whitepaw tickles her.
"Papa badger, to the rescue!" Stonetail meowed, tackling Whitepaw and rolling over in the pine needles, wrestling the white she-cat. Whitepaw giggled, swiping her father with a paw as he pinned her. He nuzzled her belly, making her laugh even harder.
"Stop! Daddy, that tickles!" She gasped.
"Wait for meeeeee!" Swanpaw shrieks, pouncing on her father and sister. Swanpaw landed on Stonetail's back, and clings on for dear life as he shook. Taking advantage of the distraction, Whitepaw crawled up her father's legs, and the burly tom collapses under the weight of both his daughters. The three tussle on the ground, laughing until they're unable to breathe. Finally, after lying on the camp floor for a few moments, gasping for breath, Whitepaw piped up,
"I'm starved! How about some food?" She asked, looking over at her father and sister.
"Yeah! My stomach is so empty, it's gonna start eating itself!" Swanpaw mewed, getting to her paws. Stonetail purred and nodded, shaking the pine needles and moss scraps out of his thick gray pelt. Whitepaw bounded off, and snatched the squirrel off the top of the fresh kill pile. Happily dragging it back to her family, she thought, Wow! They do love me! And now, this squirrel will taste even better. I have cats to share it with! You know, maybe I'm not alone after all…Thank you, Starclan. I love you.
The white pelted apprentice grinned as she took a large, messy bite of the squirrel. The sweet yet tangy flavor enthralled her, and squirrel juice ran down her chin. Swanpaw giggled when she saw her sister, and Whitepaw made her squeal as she chewed loudly, mouth open, right in Swanpaw's face. Stonetail chuckled as he watched his daughters.
"Whitepaw, sweet, that's enough now. Let Swanpaw eat her share in peace." He purred, leaning down to push the squirrel closer to his eldest daughter.
"Thanks, Dad." Swanpaw chirped, leaning down and taking an equally sloppy mouthful. She munched with her jaws wide, and Whitepaw shrieked and ran, Swanpaw chasing after her. "Revenge!" The silver and white apprentice yowled, mouth full, dashing behind Whitepaw.
"No! You'll never get me!" She called over her shoulder.
"Wait! Whitepaw! Look out!" Swanpaw exclaimed, skidding to a stop.
"You can't fool me that easily!" Whitepaw yelled, smiling, still running.
"No, seriously! Look out! Quick! Stop!" Swanpaw cried. Whitepaw just shook her head.
"Stop! Whitepaw, sto-" Swanpaw shrieked, but it was too late. The fluffy white apprentice went crashing into the cat, both soaring through the air, and tumbling to the ground in a furious tangle of white and silver limbs.
"I am so so so so sorry!"" Whitepaw gasped, struggling beneath the larger cat.
"You clumsy apprentice!" The other spat. Whitepaw froze. I know that voice! It's-it's her! No! The small she-cat found herself staring into the crystalline blue eyes of her mother.
"P-Paledove?" She squeaked.
"You foolish klutz! Mousebrained furball! How dare you!" Paledove growled. "Crashing into warriors, what were you thinking? No, that's it. You weren't thinking." She snarled.
"I'm sorry, mother." Whitepaw whispered.
"You are not my kit." Paledove hissed, eyes narrowed. "You will never be my daughter. You are a disgrace. I have one kit. Her name is Swanpaw. Now get out of my sight." The pale silver warrior growled, untangling herself from Whitepaw. The apprentice felt nauseous. My-my own mother! She denied me, again. She'll never love me…why can't I be like Swanpaw? What's wrong with me? Whitepaw's stomach lurched, from grief, confusion, anger. In an instant, the huge chunk of squirrel came up from her stomach, and spewed itself all over Paledove. The silver cat shrieked.
"You disgusting, rude little 'paw! Look what you've done! Get away from me! Leave! Leave, and never come back!" Paledove screeched. Whitepaw stumbled to her paws, and took a few steps before throwing up again, red, orange, and brown gunk spattered her white pelt and Paledove's dainty silver paws. Suddenly light headed, Whitepaw sank to the ground, black spots dancing in front of her fuzzy vision. She could hear shouts, in voices she recognized. Stonetail, Paledove, Blueshine, Sharpcloud, Timberpaw, Hollowstar. They merged together, forming a raucous cacophony of sound, where only one voice was clear. Whitepaw sagged against a warm shoulder.
"Whitepaw?" A worried mew sounded through the chaos. Swanpaw… She thought.
"Is she all right? What happened? Whitepaw?" Another mew came from the other side, this one higher and squeakier. Barkkit? I-is that you? Whitepaw's mind asked amidst the jumble of her senses.
"I hate you! Why can't you understand she's a terror? She was never meant to be born!" Paledove's hawk-like shriek emerged from the tangle.
"You're heartless! She's our daughter!" Stonetail's deep shout fought Paledove. The voices fused together once more, and the blurry shapes and colors began to fade. Whitepaw felt her stomach heave once again, and doubled over. Nothing came up. She hacked up foul air, that was all. Finally, a soothing meow arrived by her side.
"It's okay, dear. Everything will be all right. Just come with me…everything's going to be okay…"
Whitepaw nodded tiredly, and tripped over her own paws as she tried to follow the voice. Eventually, it led her to a soft nest. A soft paw nudged three small shapes into her mouth, and she swallowed. They brought her to a place where her already muted senses dulled further, where she let go, and fell into a deep sleep.
When Whitepaw woke, she found herself in the medicine cat den, in a nest of woven twigs and feathers. Shyfawn sat beside her, diligently scrubbing the smelly orange stains from Whitepaw's pelt with a soaked lump of moss.
"Shyfawn?" Whitepaw mewed, surprised when her voice sounded as thin and raspy as a dry reed. The black and orange tortie looked up, deep turquoise eyes meeting the white apprentice's.
"You're awake." She purred. "Now you can wash yourself!" The she-cat mewed with a chuckle. "No, I won't do that to you. Just relax, Whitepaw. You had a rough day yesterday." Suddenly, the memories of the day before hit the young she-cat. Whitepaw groaned and closed her eyes.
"Did that all really happen?" She moaned.
"Yes. But you'll be fine. Just a little stomach bug. Must've been that squirrel…" Shyfawn murmured, continuing to wash the fluffy white pelt of the apprentice. Whitepaw cringed. It wasn't the squirrel. She thought miserably. It was mother…and the shame…why can't I be like Swanpaw? Or look like mother, instead of this? I'm so plain. So ugly. And my paws are too big. And my ears stick out too much. I'm too pudgy. My fur's too thick. Oh, why am I so terrible? If only Paledove loved me…if only I was pretty…
"Whitepaw? Hello?" Shyfawn's voice brought her back to the present.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" She asked, blinking.
"Apprentices. Always have their heads up in the clouds. I said, you can go train today, but to take it easy. No prey until at least midday , and drink water in sips, not gulps. Then, you'll be back in perfect condition." Whitepaw flinched again. I'll never be perfect…
"Um, hello? Shyfawn? Whitepaw?" Barkkit's small voice sounded from the entrance to the den.
"Yes?" Shyfawn meowed, turning around. Her eyes narrowed. "Oh. It's you." The small brown tom kit looked at the ground.
"I-I was wondering if Whitepaw was feeling better?" He asked timidly.
"Yup. I'm okay." Whitepaw piped up before Shyfawn could speak to Barkkit. The medicine cat's disapproval of the young tom was made quite clear in her gaze.
"Well, Whitepaw, if you're feeling that much better, go outside. Stretch your legs, and go find Waterfall. I'm sure she'll be happy to begin your second day of training." Shyfawn said, her voice softening as she spoke to Whitepaw. The apprentice nodded. Rising up from her nest, she followed her friend outside into camp.
The stares that greeted her burned like fire.
QOTD: What would you do if you were Whitepaw right now? Do you like Stonetail?
Love y'all!
-Bright