Jaydomination: thanks!
snowcrystal of thunderclan: glad to hear it!
wyldclaw: thanks! I bloody love writing Tigerstar and I missed it sm
Flower: and thank goodness for that! she's such a unique character and I look forward to writing more of her.
sorry about the last "chapter", i just figured it was pretty important to the plot especially now that Sasha will be introduced. it feels like i haven't written for nightfall in so long, glad to be back! Important a/n at the end, much appreciated to read! thanks!
Leafpaw shuddered as the cage stopped moving. Her eyes flickering around her, groping for something - anything- to escape with. But she found herself stumbling in mere darkness on a cold, plastic surface.
She took in a trembling breath and realized in horror that there were so many overwhelming smells that she couldn't handle them. A mingle of Clancats, rogue, and kittypets alike reeked, and various, panicked voices wrapped around her head saying nothing and everything all at once.
Then Leafpaw was blinded momentarily as the darkness fell from one side of the cage. A Twoleg paw was fiddling with something on the front of her cage, and looked at her nonchalantly before trotting away with a whistle. Leafpaw scrambled back, eyes wide in horror, as the cats yowled after the human to return and help them.
Once Leafpaw's eyes adjusted and her heartbeat began to slow, she began to recognize faces. Mistyfoot of RiverClan was across from her, grooming her ruffled pelt. Nearby was Gorsetail of WindClan, who looked rather angry as he paced his cage. Leafpaw's ears flipped up when a white cat beside Gorsetail turned, revealing a fleshy, scarred face.
"Cloudtail!" she called, feeling her heart beat wildly. She could see his mate, Brightheart, in the cage opposite his, looking frantic. Cloudtail looked to her in surprise upon hearing his name, and he called back "Leafpaw?" in response, but Leafpaw could only see his lips moving as the cats protested louder.
Suddenly another cage was brought in by the same, bumbling human who swayed dangerously while carrying the cat. Leafpaw didn't look as he shoved his newest victim in place, and instead stared at her paws. Her belly rumbled, and she squeezed her eyes to ignore it.
Perhaps the Twolegs will feed us, she wondered, glancing up at Gorsetail's cage. The thin tom looked sickly even for a WindClan cat, btu a bowl of something - pebbles? - remained untouched. The brown tabby she-cat beside him was eating happily from it, so Leafpaw decided that whatever it was, it was safe.
"Sandstorm!"
Leafpaw's head shot up at the unfamiliar voice. Is my mother trapped, too? The horrible thought hit her instantly. She swung her head around to look for the pale ginger pelt of reassurance, but to her dismay, she saw nothing. Suddenly she locked eyes with a tan cat with vibrant blue eyes, looking at her desperately.
"Sandstorm, is that you?" the she-cat repeated. Leafpaw's hopes fell, but she felt a twinge of confusion. Is she talking to me?
"How do you know Sandstorm?" she asked in reply, loudly as to stop the shaking in her voice. To Leafpaw's surpise, the colorpoint ruffled her hackles in response.
"How do you?" she snapped.
Leafpaw reeled back, but ignored her harsh words. She noticed the worn purple collar around her neck and realized this must be a kittypet. If she knows Sandstorm, maybe she can help me get home!
"Sandstorm is my mother," she revealed, forcing a friendly purr. The she-cat looked shocked and blinked slowly.
"I met her, once," the kittypet replied blankly, looking as if she was reaching into her farthest memories. "She was on a ThunderClan patrol, with Tigerst-"
"You know Tigerstar, too?" Leafpaw interrupted, not able to contain her excitement. The kittypet was beginning to look disgruntled, which Leafpaw ignored completely.
"I used to," she muttered uncomfortably. Leafpaw could barely hear from across the tight hallway, but the regret in her icy eyes was palpable. The kittypet looked up firmly. "What's your name?"
"Leafpaw!" she chirped, puffing her chest for the first time in a long time. "Medicine cat of ThunderClan."
The kittypet's head tilted in confusion. "Has something happened to Cinderpuff?" she inquired.
Cinderpuff?
Cinder...puff?
Cinderpelt!
Leafpaw held back a snort. Cinderpuff! Imagine my mentor's face if I called her that! "Cinderpelt, you mean?" she laughed. "No, she's fine. I mean, I think she is," Leafpaw corrected, words falling into a sigh. She didn't know if Cinderpelt, or Squirrelpaw, or anyone for that matter was okay. She might never know. "The Twolegs have been taking our cats, land, and food. If worst comes worse, we won't be here much longer."
Her head fell at her verbal reminder, and even the stranger seemed saddened.
"Are the other Clans suffering, too?" the kittypet whispered in worry. Leafpaw's gaze flickered to Mistyfoot and Gorsetail, who both looked painfully famished and weakened. She nodded grimly.
"We're all suffering," stranger, she almost said, but realized at the last moment that she had never learned this she-cat's name. She glanced at her in slight embarrassment. "Hey, I never caught your name."
The she-cat smirked and straightened her lithe shoulders. "That's because I never told you. I'm Sasha."
Leafpaw's eyes rounded, and suddenly everything clicked.
Mothpaw purred, giving her front paws a little shake to free them of droplets. "Really? Sasha used to say Hawkpaw gets that look all the time, when he's training."
Leafpaw purred, but it faltered at one word. "Sasha?"
"Oh, my mother," Mothpaw explained, voice suddenly losing its playfulness. Snowfoot had gotten to his paws, hobbling towards Leafpaw's side.
"Was she a kittypet?" Leafpaw asked, suddenly growing curious. If Sasha was a kittypet, then maybe she wasn't the only medicine cat feeling left out!
"She used to be. She became a rogue later on, before she had me and Hawkpaw," Mothpaw explained.
Leafpaw blinked in shock before looking at the she-cat intently. Mothpaw and Hawkpaw's mother! Of course!
And Tigerstar's mate, came a sinister voice from inside her.
"Sasha!" she echoed, growing increasingly thrilled. "You're Mothpaw and Hawkpaw's mother! I've found you!"
For a moment, Sasha looked stunned. "How did you know?" she rasped, growing frantic. "Did Leopardstar tell? Does everyone know?"
"No, no, nothing like that," Leafpaw promised quickly. "Mothpaw told me a couple days ago. I'm really close friends with her."
Sasha's head jerked up. "Really?" she replied, blue eyes rounding. "Do you think… do you think if we get out of here, you can take me to them?"
Leafpaw began to nod, but suddenly had a downward spiral of thoughts. "Hawkpaw went on a journey, recently," she began slowly. "The last time I was in the Clans, he wasn't home. I don't know when he will be. And in the meantime, we're still stuck."
"I've lost so much of my family," Sasha admitted, glancing at the exit of the hallway, looking forlorn. "If I can just have one kit…" she shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Anyway, this is no big deal to get out of. When you're a stray, you get cooped up all the time."
She demonstrating by taking a swift gander towards the door to make sure no Twolegs were looking. Then, when she was sure, she reached her paw out of the metal bars and puched down on the lock. Leafpaw's amber eyes widened as Sasha used her shoulder to pushed, and with a burst fo effort, the cage popped open. Sasha leapt onto the ground and scurried over to Leafpaw's cage, where yowls of protest began to rise.
"Oh, you saw me do it!" Sasha snapped at the complaining cats. "Figure it out." She turned back to Leafpaw's cage and began to push down on the lock with her paws.
"When I say push, push the door," she instructed while busy at work.
"You have to help my Clanmates escape if I take you to your kits," Leafpaw warned, glancing at Cloudtail's mortified face.
"Sure. Push!" Sasha barked. With a grunt of effort, Leafpaw threw her side into the cage door, and it popped open. Sasha sprung aside gracefully, and as Leafpaw emerged from her cage she could see the resemblance between Sasha and her kits. She had Mothpaw's lovely fur and Hawkfrost's almond, sapphire eyes, but there was really nothing else. Leafpaw shuddered.
They really do look like Tigerstar.
And they did. Leafpaw wondered why no one had ever brought it up or thought it before. Mothpaw wasn't a large cat, but she did have wide, muscular shoulders - too muscular for any ordinary RiverClan cat. Her fur was thick, which was no doubt a good attribute to have for swimmers, but it was no shock where she got that. Hawkpaw had the same, large stature as Mothpaw did; Leafpaw recalled seeing him at a Gathering and thinking he looked far too large to be an apprentice. And dark brown tabby fur - how had she missed dark brown tabby fur?
It was so obvious that it baffled Leafpaw why no one had ever noticed before.
Then she realized. It was because no matter what anyone thought, no matter what anyone suspected, whenever they saw Mothpaw or Hawkpaw at Gatherings, they would never voice their opinions or give it a second thought. Tigerstar was loyal. He had ThunderClan running in his veins, pulsing in his blood and oozing in his words when he spoke at Gatherings. He proved it when he killed Firestar, when he united his Clan once more. ThunderClan owed him am unplayable debt. His Clan owed that to him. His first children owed it to him. His ThunderClan mate, Goldenflower, owed it to him.
Which raised Leafpaw's question: why Tigerstar? He had the spitting image of a perfect family before Goldenflower's death: the strong, leader father, the beautiful, loving queen, the brave son, the cunning daughter...
He had everything. At once Leafpaw felt a prickle of envy. She recalled every time Tigerstar whispered to Cinderpelt, every time her mentor brought up her stupid omen of fire and tiger. She had not been blessed with a perfect family. It wasn't her choice. It wasn't Tigerstar's choice, either, no matter how much he wished it were. Maybe it was best she wasn't born at all. But she was, and seeing the doubt flicker in his eyes every time Squirrelpaw made a smart comment made her despise him just a small bit. She was the daughter of a broken family, and Tigerstar hated that. So it soothed her, in some odd way, knowing that Tigerstar's stainless image was shattered the minute he decided to meet up with Sasha.
She smiled her thanks at the tan she-cat, and looked straight into her cold blue eyes; Hawkpaw's eyes. She said nothing. Sasha coughed to break the silent tension between them.
"Now what about your friends-"
"Gotcha covered!"
Leafpaw's head snapped up at the unfamiliar voice. The brown tabby she-cat who had a pink collar dangling from her neck - the one who Leafpaw had seen happily eating Twoleg food - had hopped down from her cage, with Mistyfoot, Gorsetail, Brightheart, and Cloudtail following her warily.
Sasha heaved a sigh and rolled her eyes, but Leafpaw ignored them and rushed up to Brightheart, shoving her head under the taller cat's chin and purring.
"I'm so glad we found you!" she exclaimed, relieved to finally see a friendly face again. Brightheart's chest rumbled warmly in return as she stepped back, blue eyes shimmering.
"Me too!" she resounded.
"And safe," Cloudtail added, flicking his fluffy tail. "Let's get out of here."
"Quickly," Sasha put in worriedly with another risky glance at the door. "If these loud idiots keep this up, the humans will be back soon."
"I know the way out!" the brown tabby piped up. Sasha blinked at her with slight annoyance, but she didn't seem to notice. Leafpaw liked her. "Come on, housefolk always keep these unlocked."
"Your housefolk might," Sasha growled as the kittypet ignored her once again, bumbling to the door in the very back and pushing it with her nose. Leafpaw followed worriedly, feeling the monster rumbling, but not moving completely under her paws.
"It's moving!" the brown kittypet exclaimed, looking over her shoulder in excitement. "If we push on this side it will swing open. Come on, I need help!"
Leafpaw exchanged a glance with Brightheart and rushed up to the metal door, using her shoulder to shove the door. Another cat appeared beside her, and Leafpaw forced her fur flat as she realized it was Gorsetail, mustering all his strength and screwing his eyes shut in effort as slowly, the door began the swing open and reveal dark green grass right next to the Thunderpath.
"Jump!" Mistyfoot gasped the second she saw the opening. the RiverClan warrior leapt, followed by Cloudtail, Sasha, and Brightheart. Leafpaw saw her chance and left the door and Gorsetail behind, taking a daring jump.
Her paws left the criss-crossed metal and her stomach twisted as she reached air, being much higher up than she anticipated. Then she felt her paws hit the ground and her stomach lurched, but she remained fine and only shaken as she landed beside Sasha. A moment later, Gorsetail appeared beside her with a grunt of effort.
"Come on," Cloudtail ordered, waving his tail at the woods. "Let's get out of here before the Twolegs realize we're gone."
Leafpaw followed him, breaking into a trot, with Brightheart and Mistyfoot following eagerly.
But the minute Sasha and the brown she-cat followed too, Gorsetail stopped dead in his tracks.
"What about them?" he asked, though below his meow was a hint of dislike. "Kitttypets don't live in the woods."
At that, both she-cats ruffled, but the brown tabby was the one to speak.
"First of all, my name is Cody, not kitty-pet," Cody retorted. "Second of all, I saved your butt so you could at least be thankful. Third of all, I've decided to travel with you until I can find my housefolk, considering I have no idea where I am and the houses are on the other side of the woods."
Gorsetail shrugged, but it looked stiff. "Fine. What about this one?"
Sasha's head jerked up. She looked at Leafpaw desperately, but before Leafpaw could explain, another cat spoke.
"This is Sasha. She came to RiverClan a while ago because she wanted a safe place for her kits," Mistyfoot explained with a warm look at Sasha. Sasha returned the glance but looked more relieved than anything. Leafs eyed Mistyfoot. She had never really seen her up close, and she was honestly surprised by the amount of scars the noble warrior held. They look more like she was tortured to death than run-of-the-mill battle scars, Leafpaw thought, surprising a shiver. Mistyfoot's ears were nearly torn off, her tail-tip was crooked, and she was missing tufts of her sleek blue fur along with scratch-marks scored across her face and nose.
"That's right," Sasha began hesitantly. "I'd like to meet my kits again and say goodbye before the forest is destroyed."
Cloudtail's ear flicked. "Good. Are you done, Gorsetail? I'd really like to not get trapped again."
Gorsetail grumbled something under his breath, but Leafpaw was relieved as ever when he headed into the woods.
"Stubborn tom," Brightheart muttered, following him.
. . .
"So did you know a cat named Princess, back in Twolegplace?" Cloudtail asked Cody. The two of them had taken the front, with Leafpaw and Sasha not far behind. Leafpaw gaped her jaws in a yawn, only half-listening. How long have I been gone? she wondered. One... two nightfalls? The sun was beginning to rise now, with the hope of a new day ahead of them.
"I've seen her around. I don't know her personally, but my friend Smudge knew of her and her brother," Cody replied. A weird look crossed Cloudtail's face.
"Oh.. Rusty?" he guessed. Cody nodded importantly.
"Yeah. Smudge said he joined the Clans and never came back." She shivered, and the bell on her collar jingled when she did. Cloud tail looked at his paws but kept walking.
"Princess was my mother," he said randomly, changing the subject. Cody's whiskers twitched in surprise.
"Really?" she mused. She motioned her left ear at Leafpaw, whose head jerked up in shock. "I thought this one might be related to her. Same markings and everything."
"Well, actually, the strange thing is, Leafpaw is Rusty's daughter," Cloudtail explained.
What? Leafpaw jerked her head back, eyes squinting in confusion. Then she remembered.
Oh.
My father was a kittypet.
Cody blinked at Leafpaw in shock. "Look at you all, having housecoat roots!" she said in approval. Brightheart and Gorsetail exchanged a glance, and Leafpaw winced. That's not a good thing.
"We're almost at the WindClan border," Gorsetail remarked to change the subject. Leafpaw realized they were atop a hill, overlooking the vast, hals-destroyed moor. To her horror, she realized that ThunderClan's trees were mostly gone, and if it weren't for the untouched underbrush, camp would be completely visible from her stop. But before Gorsetail could bid them goodbye, Mistyfoot froze.
"Wait," she whispered. "Gorsetail, stop. Don't move."
To Leafpaw's surprise, the thin tom actually obeyed Mistyfoot's words and slowly coked his head to face the departing group.
"Fox," Mistyfoot grunted between clenched teeth, eyes wild but posture frozen. Leafpaw slowly followed the warrior's gaze, and sure enough, a ginger blur was moving up and down lightly behind a gorse thicket.
The cats slowly began to tread backwards, Gorsetail being the most cautious, but their efforts failed. There was already a pair of golden eyes glaring at them.
"Run!" Cody shrieked, pelting towards ThunderClan territory with Cloudtail on her tail. The fox bared its ugly, dog-like fangs and jumped straight for Gorsetail. The tom screamed, unsheathing his claws and meeting the creature mid-air. Leafpaw admired her bravery, but realized in horror that she had no idea how to fight.
StarClan, don't let me die now!
To her relief, Sasha and Mistyfoot rushed past her, snarling and helping Gorsetail. Leafpaw followed, realizing hopelessly as there was nothing she could do but manage a few nips at the fluffy red and white tail.
The narrowed head reared back, flinging Gorsetail from his grip on the fox's neck. the WindClan warrior was thrown back, rolling a few feet before landing on his paws.
"Run, Gorsetail!" Mistyfoot shrieked, scoring a blow across the fox's face. The red creature stumbled back, blinded momentarily. "We've got this!"
Horsetail looked ready to fight but only swallowed and nodded, turning tail and disappearing into the bracken.
Leafpaw flushed with pride. Mistyfoot's right - we're winning!
But as soon as she said it she regretted it. Brightheart tumbled aside, leaving an opening for the fox to realize that Leafpaw was the smallest and weakest cat of the bunch. She scrambled back as the fox leapt at her, yellowed teeth glowing in the sunrise, but she was too late.
Instead, another cat look the blow. Leafpaw opened her eyes, blinking, to see Mistyfoot slam into the side of the fox's jaws, rearing the head the other way and saving her life. Sasha saw the golden opportunity and pushed herself towards the fox's exposed neck, biting down into it. The fox screamed and Sasha bit down harder, this time with Brightheart rejoining to help kill the fox. Slowly, the creature's efforts drowned, and it slowly kneeled over until it lay still. The three she-cats stepped back, breathing heavily.
Leafpaw reviewed their wounds shakily. Sasha had gained a cut above her eye, too small to be infected, and Brightheart had earned a knick on her ear, but aside from that, they were fine.
"Is everyone okay?" Cloudtail asked, emerging from the nearby bushed with a ruffled Cody behind him. "I was going to get her to safety before rejoining the fight, but that only lasted seconds."
Sasha nodded. "Everyone fought well," she praised, cleaning her face with her paw.
"Thank you!" Leafpaw gasped, rushing up to Mistyfoot and ignoring the other cats. "You saved my life!"
Mistyfoot licked down her rumpled chest fur. "Of course," she said modestly. "You're a Clan cat, too. At a time like this, it's best we all look out for each other."
"Still," Leafpaw insisted, dipping her head. "I would have died."
Mistyfoot's gaze darkened. "I've seen so many things close to death. If I could help just one cat..."
Leafpaw looked at her. She wondered what was going through the wounded warrior's mind, and what death she had almost faced. She must have been very brave, Leafpaw decided.
As if, a new voice sneered. Leafpaw recognized Firestar's voice and ruffled her fur instantly. Her family is weak, not brave.
"What would you know about her and what she's endured?" Leafpaw retorted under her breath, glancing up to make sure no one had heard.
You'd be surprised, Firestar replied, and Leafpaw could almost see him shrugging. She longed to ask him what he meant, but before she could Cody appeared beside her happily.
"Come on!" Cloudtail hollered from ahead, dispelling Firestar from Leafpaw's mind. "We're almost home!"
Ah, it's so good to see Leafpaw's slow gaining of interacting with others! To clarify, Leafpaw had been trapped for roughly three days. The next chapter is in Bramble's POV and goes over the day right before she gets back. Then we'll finally be back up to speed and on the right days! Yay!
Also, this is gonna sound weird but it's been two years of Pure Evil! About two years ago I wrote down a general plot idea of a series of short stories entitled 'Pure Evil'. They were supposed to be unrelated stories that were only a few chapters long that explored what it would be like if different pro/antagonists switched. This included Tigerstar/Firestar, Brambleclaw/Hawkfrost, Bluester/Thistleclaw, and I think Yellowfang and Brokenstar? There was also another version where Hawkfrost became a medicine cat and Mothwing was evil but I never gave a second thought to that one. Obviously I only used about half of this idea and on May 12, 2015, I created a document called Pure Evil: Dusk. I wrote only what is now the prologue and half of chapter one (it's pretty much the same as it is now) until August of the year after, which is when I finally posted it and finished it. I'm so glad people are enjoying it, and while I wished i had written the whole story sooner, I'm glad I've allowed my writing skills to evolved to where they are now. I always wanted to see where the sequel(s) would go, but I guess to have a sequel you have to actually finish the first story lol. Anyway, thanks for sticking with me! Without you all I don't think it would have ever gotten past the first gathering.
~Quinn
:)