A/N: What is this? My third update this weekend? Sorry for three short chapters in a row, but I hope they make up for the lack of posting last weekend.
AnonChan1: Aww. I hope you get some good amount of sleep tonight, if my update doesn't keep you up. (B) It was the inspiration for my story. Realitywalking powers had to come from somewhere. (3) Maybe. I don't think it will happen though. (4) Yes she is! (i) We are back to roman numerals, lol. (ii) What idea are you talking about? With Swiftpaw, I mean. (iii) Lol, too late. (iv) Spoilers! :) (v) Prepare yourself!
Sierra: (1) Well, here it is! (2) If Tigerclaw was a good boy, I'd consider it. I'm afraid that that's going to have to be another oneshot idea. I should probably be writing these two down somewhere and working on those oneshots like I promised. Lots of people have been waiting on those. (3) Check out my profile for summaries and info on future plots and stories. (4) Fireheart's going to have a lot more babies than in canon. We shall see if they all survive... but a FireheartXFoxshadow kit pairing isn't entirely out of the question. We shall see, hm?
Swiftpaw gaped at her. "I'm supposed to fight you!?"
Foxshadow couldn't help a small purr. "Are you too scared to fight me?"
Swiftpaw's legs shook in rage at the taunt and he snarled. "Of course I can take you on!"
"Then prove it," taunted Foxshadow, remember how she once taunted Heavystep before everything went awry. She prepared herself for Swiftpaw to take advantage of her distraction but the black and white tom was distracted himself, trying to search for a weak spots and completely missing the most obvious one. In a flash, she feigned a charge and stopped as Swiftpaw scrambled away. "What's the matter? Too afraid to actually hit me."
The black and white's fur fluffed up and he charged blindly, trying to rake his paw through her shoulder fur. She twisted away and around, so her muzzle was within reach of his hindleg. He twisted around to attack but she easily grasped his ankle in her mouth and yanked him hard off his paws. He landed with a whoosh on his side, winded and she lashed her sheathed paws across his stomach.
"You're going to have to do better than this," she meowed, letting go and stepping back.
Swiftpaw rolled to his feet and hissed angrily, his gaze much more serious now as he scanned her for weakness. This time, he attacked, his paws slapping down hard towards her shoulder, but she reared and kicked out with her forepaws, knocking him over. He rolled away and tried again, this time aiming for her hindlegs, but she twisted her body around so she was facing the opposite direction. Swiftpaw landed right in front of her, a growl of frustration threaten to escape him. Foxshadow lunged for his side and he darted away.
"Have you realized yet that you can't beat me?" Foxshadow taunted. "Give up now. You're never going to be a warrior if you think this is impossible."
"Shut up!"
Swiftpaw charged, claws extended and aimed towards her flank. She sidestepped and twisted around once more, earning another growl of frustration. Instead of waiting for him to attack, she lunged for his side, her own claws extended and scratching his haunch. He jerked away and hissed.
"If you use your claws, then I will use mine," she meowed, voice low and dark.
The black and white apprentice sheathed his claws and padded in a half-circle around Foxshadow, trying once again to find a weakness. Foxshadow lashed her tail in annoyance. Brackenpaw would have known by now that Foxshadow was too slow for Swiftpaw to handle. She forced herself to keep her eyes on Swiftpaw and tensed to spring.
Swiftpaw lunged, Foxshadow leaped straight up. Swiftpaw whipped around to face Foxshadow, thinking she had leaped behind him, but instead she came crashing down on his shoulders and flattened him underneath her. She waited for his breathing to become regular again before stepping off him and padding a ways away.
"I can keep this up all day," Foxshadow taunted.
Runningwind piped up. "Use your speed, Swiftpaw."
Swiftpaw lashed his tail, annoyed, but ducked his head in what might have been respect and focused on Foxshadow once again. Then he charged, practically bolting like a lightning bolt across the Sandy Hollow, and Foxshadow barely had time to react before something collided with her shoulder. Her mouth opened in a snarl and she grabbed a mouthful of fur. She twisted her head, trying to push the tom off his feet as Swiftpaw struggled in vain to push her off her paws. The strength match lasted for half a second before Swiftpaw found himself no longer supported by Foxshadow's bulk, and her grip on his scruff caused him to rolled onto his side. In a heartbeat, she had pinned him.
"Quick on your paws, but not where it counts," Foxshadow hissed, annoyed. "You can't defeat me using strength and speed alone."
Foxshadow lifted her paws off him and allowed the black and white tom to stand up.
"This is impossible!" hissed Swiftpaw, crouching and staring at them in despair. "You're the best warrior in the whole Clan!"
Foxshadow felt a flush of fury. "You're stupid if you think that should stop you from trying!" She whipped around. "A warrior is going to always going to face someone who is stronger, smarter or faster than they are! You have to use your head and determination to defeat them or else remain an apprentice forever!" Feeling like she had completely lost Swiftpaw, she turned to Runningwind. "You are going to fight me now."
Runningwind blinked slowly and stood up. "Okay."
Foxshadow was surprised that Runningwind wasn't surprised by this and was kind of glad he wasn't surprised. She padded a tail-length away and turned to face Runningwind. Swiftpaw watched them with curiosity and a frown on his face.
It started so fast that Foxshadow very quickly forget everything except staying on her paws and keeping Runningwind away. The grey-and-brown tom darted around her and rained blows from every angle, and Foxshadow was whipping around to much to pay attention to anything else. Runningwind would run around her, back track and constantly keep her off her paws as he continued to rain blows down on her. Foxshadow had never felt more at a loss of what to do than ever before.
Faster than the running wind, indeed, she thought to herself, impressed.
She swiped out her tail in order to trip Runningwind, but the tom reacted to the motion and instead grabbed her tail in his mouth, yanking it along with him as he circled her once more. She twisted to bite at him, but he jerked back and yanked her tail, earning a yowl of pain. She lashed out with her paws at his shoulders, but he sidestepped the blows, his mouth firmly on her tail. A growl of frustration and fury escaped her and she charged at him, her paws slashing at his paws and forcing him to let pay attention to his paws. He yanked on her tail again, causing her to overbalance and stumble. He used the opportunity to race across to her other side and land a hard blow on her ribs.
With a jolt, she realized just how much control he had over her because of her tail. She leaped and twisted away, ripping her tail of his mouth and landing neatly a foxlength away. Then she charged forward, darting to the left when Runningwind made her for her left, and felt her shoulder hit the grey-and-brown tom. She mouthed his ankle and twisted her rear away from him, lifting her head to knock him off his paws. She felt his other hindpaw kick her in the throat and she gasped, releasing his leg. Dizzy, Foxshadow looked up just in time to see Runningwind leap onto her back and yank at her scruff, knocking her off her paws. A heartbeat later, he pinned her. Just like that, it was over.
A few heartbeats passed as their breathing became regular again and Runningwind let her up. Foxshadow staggered to her paws and shook herself, before licking her chest fur flat again. She looked up towards Swiftpaw, who was watching them with his mouth agape.
"You see?" asked Runningwind, sounding almost like he was pleading. "It isn't impossible."
Swiftpaw ducked his head, gaze thoughtful. "Okay. I want to try again."
Runningwind glanced at Foxshadow who nodded and rose to her paws.
The sun sank slowly towards the horizon, but Swiftpaw could not knock Foxshadow down. The sparring match concluded as dusk fell over them. Foxshadow waved Swiftpaw away with her tail.
"That's enough for today," meowed Foxshadow. "We should all head back to camp. Brackenpaw, you're with me."
Runningwind nodded. "We'll see you back at camp."
Swiftpaw's shoulders slumped as he followed after his mentor. Brackenpaw had padded up to Foxshadow and sat down next to her.
"What did you learn today, Brackenpaw?" she asked him.
Brackenpaw furrowed his brows and looked away, his gaze sweeping the Sandy Hollow. "Nothing is impossible," he meowed finally.
Foxshadow purred. "Exactly. One day, Swiftpaw will figure out how to defeat me, but until then he must remain an apprentice. Not forever, but for however long it takes him to learn the most important lesson of all." She touched her tail to Brackenpaw's forehead with a purr. "Never give up."
"It has been days since any cat has smelled that fox on our territory," Tigerclaw meowed, fur prickling in irritation. "We need all our warriors hunting and not staying up on guard shifts."
Foxshadow couldn't help but agree with Tigerclaw. She and the senior warriors, Mousefur and Runningwind, had gathered outside of the leader's den and were listening to Tigerclaw speak to Bluestar. After the grueling and disappointing sparring match with Swiftpaw, Foxshadow guessed that her own plans to bring a certain kittypet into the Clans had been even more postponed. With luck, he'd be five moons when they found him and suffering from amnesia.
"Almost all the leaves have fallen," meowed Mousefur.
"The apprentices are getting restless," meowed Runningwind, sounding uncomfortable with speaking among the other warriors. It was times like this that Foxshadow wished Whitestorm was here. Or Lionheart.
"They are hoping to have a short apprenticeship," meowed Foxshadow, shifting uncomfortably and fluffing out her fur. "Despite how much we may need more warriors, we need apprentices as well. Who else can preoccupy their time with taking care of the elders and queens when we are too busy with foxes on our territory?"
Mousefur nodded. "Should we delay their warrior ceremonies?"
"Not Swiftpaw's," meowed Foxshadow. "He'll be ready to become a warrior by the next Gathering."
Tigerclaw shifted uncomfortably at the sounds. "The apprentices will be made warriors when they are ready. Brindleface can take care of our one elder and the queens."
Bluestar looked between her senior warriors thoughtfully. "Does this mean that you all want Ravenfeather and Fireheart on patrol again?"
"Yes," meowed Foxshadow. "Ravenfeather and Fireheart are some of our best hunters." Plus I need him to fetch Cloudkit for me. "And our queens need as much prey as possible if they are going to continue producing milk for our kits."
Bluestar looked at Mousefur, and the best hunter in ThunderClan nodded. "They aren't as good as me," Mousefur meowed, "but they are better than some other cats."
Like Patchpelt, Foxshadow thought with an amused purr. The elder was lying on the apprentice's stump, curled up and asleep. With all the other elders having passed away, he was alone in his den. Perhaps being on the night vigil made him feel less alone, especially with Brindleface keeping him company.
"Longtail could replace Brindleface on vigil," meowed Tigerclaw. "Since Brindleface is needed to help keep the kits healthy."
Foxshadow nodded absently and wondered if Brindleface was milking the kits. Sometimes a mother's mammary glands were triggered even when the kits weren't theirs. A prickle of discomfort filled her as she remembered that she hadn't checked on the kits since they were born. Surely Frostfur could understand how busy she was? She felt suddenly horrible, planning to bring yet another kit into the Clans when they barely had enough cats to feed the twelve kits currently in the Clan. Had any died yet? She looked towards the nursery, as if she could divine their safety just by looking at the dark and cold entrance.
"Very well," meowed Bluestar. "I trust that you will do everything for me, Tigerclaw."
Foxshadow flicked her ears and looked back at Bluestar, suddenly annoyed with the queen. Surely, Bluestar could tell this to the Clan herself?
"Yes, Bluestar," meowed Tigerclaw, dipping his head.
Bluestar nodded. "You are all dismissed."
Foxshadow rose to her paws and padded straight for the nursery, careful not to disturb the queens as she stuck her nose into the den. The thick scent of nursery milk and warmth hung in the air and she meowed a greeting as she pulled herself the rest of the way in. Goldenflower and Willowpelt were curled up asleep as their kits nuzzled at their stomachs. Brindleface licked at the kits nuzzled into her own belly and Foxshadow recognized the one and half moon old kits.
"They learned to talk yet?" mewed Foxshadow quietly, padding up beside Brindleface. It was good to see that Brindleface was milking the kits and a flash of guilt filled Foxshadow at the thought of bringing one more among them.
"They try," meowed Brindleface softly and tiredly.
"I'm guessing they don't let you have enough sleep." The massive dark brown-and-white cat glanced over the kits with a worried frown. "Why do you volunteer for the night vigil if you're so tired?"
"To take a break from the kits," she meowed tiredly. "I never wanted kits to begin with, you know? It was always Frostfur's idea. She just never wanted to be alone with them. They've grown on me and I can't imagine being without them."
Grimacing, her heart twisting up, Foxshadow looked around before finally settling down beside Brindleface. "Bluestar is putting Longtail on the night vigil instead of you. I'm sorry, Brindleface. We're really worried about the kits."
Brindleface flattened her ears and looked away, her eyes on the kits. "I understand."
Foxshadow rested her head on Brindleface's shoulder and gazed at the kits. "Have you ever had a litter before?"
"Yes, at first just to see what it was like." Her tail flicked. "Sandstorm was a great daughter and she's the only one of my first litter to survive."
Foxshadow licked Brindleface's shoulder. "Are you afraid of losing your sister's litter?"
"No," meowed Brindleface, "the kits will die when StarClan decides they die."
"That's morbid," Foxshadow meowed. "We shouldn't be thinking like this. We should do what we can for the kits and give them the best possible chance of survival, not be resigned to fate."
"Do you believe in StarClan?" asked Brindleface, curious.
Surprised at the question, Foxshadow thought over what she had said and relaxed. "Of course I do. I just think we should all try to do everything in our power to protect them." She felt she was one of those characters you read about in the books who was questioning their own personal beliefs and how to enforce those beliefs on others. "We shouldn't rely on StarClan to make our decisions for us. We have a responsibility to ourselves and our Clan to make sure we are doing everything we can for everyone we can."
Brindleface purred and looked up at Foxshadow. "Tigerclaw is right. You'll make a great deputy one day."
Foxshadow looked down at Frostfur's kits as a wave of anger and jealousy swept over her. First it was Frostfur then Goldenflower telling her she would make a great queen, and then it was Tigerclaw and now Brindleface telling her she would make a great deputy. Everyone seemed to think that her future was already decided.
Why did she promise to protect Frostfur's kits? The she-cat had it coming, hadn't she? She was so stupidly obnoxious about having kits, then she abandoned Mistlekit by running off and getting pregnant again before her body was ready. Now she was dead and Brindleface was being forced to stay in the nursery all out of a sense of duty when she wanted nothing more than to be free of it. Brindleface wouldn't be like this if Frostfur hadn't died. She would already be on her second litter, with Fernkit and Ashkit.
But Foxshadow couldn't bring herself to say this. These comments about her becoming a deputy were what would help her to succeed in becoming the deputy. Her inner sense of duty forbid it. After all, someone needed to hold that position until Fireheart had finished training his first apprentice.
A/N: Hope you all enjoy this chapter!