A/N: Hey guys! I'm back and so sorry for the long wait! I got my laptop taken away. Any who, I really feel bad that I have updates so spread out. I really should be on chapter 40 or something. I will start tying chapters ahead, so after I finish this chapter, I will type chapter 37, 38, 39,and 40. That way, we can hopefully have the whole book done before January. I did get a Devianart account, which I will leave a link on my profile page.
Skyfrost14: yup Quailsong is going to have Foxscar's kits and now he is dead. See, I didn't kill little Bluekit.
Amberstorm223: thanks! Ya, I do feel bad for Quailsong, but at least Foxscar and Stormclaw are dead.
Stream that Flows around Rock: yes, I do have Quailsong's kits and personalities chosen, and yes, Grasswing does seem to have a lot of kits but remember Cinderkit isn't hers.
Windflight13: yay!
The Spirit that Comes at Night: me too! I absolutely love Marianas Trench and all of their songs! Thanks!
Willowtuft: Thanks, but sadly I already have everything planned out in the book. Maybe in the sequel or third book I might need help with names!
Foreststar of Windclan: well, being exiled only meant Foxscar was still around while killing him was much different.
Scarletpool: thanks! Technically, I don't think it would be plagiarism if you did a story of cats with wings. If you changed the main plot, clan name, cat name and put your own uniqueness, then you wouldn't be copying. I got the idea originally from the book Cat Wings.
Random Rainbows (guest): there will be more than one and you are close…
DarkWolfScourge (guest): yay! Foxscar is dead and Stormclaw probably would have been good if Flightstar didn't turn them evil.
Brightcloud0915: ya, Foxscar was an obvious killer and hopefully Quailsong's kits will be good!
Andrea (guest): it was a close call. Quailsong's kits will be born soon.
ForeverMe19: don't worry, Quailsong won't teach her kits to be bad, and Bluekit might recover.
I hope you enjoy chapter 36!
Chapter 36
A few days have passed since Foxscar's and Stormclaw's deaths. Bluekit still hadn't fully recovered, still looking over her shoulder constantly to check if someone was hunting her. She would wake up in the middle of the night, wailing from nightmares. Grasswing felt guilt weighing down on her shoulders, eyelids drooping from exhaustion. Even though she didn't have those horrible nightmares constantly, nightmares still plagued her dreams.
Guilt washed over her like waves Everytime she saw Quailsong. Her kits would be born not having a father nor having a good father. Quailsong said it was okay everything Grasswing confronted the black-and-white she-cat yet Grasswing didn't agree.
"Momma?" Bluekit asked, nudging my front leg.
"Yes Bluekit?"
"C-Can I go outside?" she asked, her voice cracking and full of worry. The brown tabby queen nodded, giving her daughter a lick on the head. "O-Okay," she stammered and walked outside. The sun shone brightly through the tree tops, frost clinging onto the leaves and patches of ferns in the clearing. Bluekit's littermates were playing with a frozen puddle, somehow amusing themselves.
Bluekit walked over to them, glancing over her shoulder once in a while. "D-Do you guys want to play m-moss ball?" she stuttered, Dovekit nodding.
"Okay!" she purred, running to get a moss ball.
Grasswing sighed, walking over to her mate, Applefrost. The black tom was sharing a squirrel with Quailsong, Swallowtail, and Tigerstrike, chatting happily. She noticed her mate's fur was fluffed up, clearly thinner than hers. "I can't believe leaf bare is here. I won't be surprised if I wake up tomorrow with snow everywhere," Swallowtail said and Barkfang nodded in agreement.
"It's going to be a cold leaf bare. I can feel it in my bones!" Tigerstrike purred, taking a bite of the squirrel.
"Hey, you aren't that old!" Quailsong joked, flicking Grasswing's ginger brother's ear. Grasswing chuckled, squeezing herself between Applefrost and Quailsong. Pressing herself against Applefrost, she smiled at her kits in the distance. Quailsong, catching Grasswing's eye, looked over at the troublesome kits of the deputy. "Do you think my kits will be like that? Carefree and happy, not following in their father's pawsteps?" she worried and Grasswing looked at the expectant queen with sympathy.
"Don't worry Quailsong. They will be great warriors and won't follow in his pawsteps," Grasswing reassured and Quailsong dipped her head, still troubled.
"Foxscar was once kind wasn't he?" she asked and Grasswing couldn't find the words to reply. Her memories whisked her away to that day when she first opened her eyes. He was so nice, friendly, until Flightstar changed him. That sweet brother she barely knew turned cold, mean, and unforgiving to Grasswing. "Grasswing?" Quailsong asked, her voice breaking through Grasswing's thoughts.
"Y-Yes," she stammered. Clearing her throat, she continued. "He was once kind, actually caring about me," Grasswing murmured, her memories flooding back to her.
"I remember. That was when Flightstar had taken us on a tour of camp. He…He told us that Grasswing was a monster, a freak and that she didn't deserve to be in the clan. We-Foxkit especially hated what Flightstar had said."
"Now listen kits that over there is the medicine cat den. Only the cats that are weak in battle and get injured go there. Unlike you four, they aren't as strong and get hurt too often," Flightstar growled and Foxkit frowned.
"But papa? How are they weak? Aren't they like us?"
Flightstar shook his head at the dark ginger kit's question. "Foxkit, cats are weak. Everyone has a weakness. If you find it, you can break them. That's why I stay strong, get rid of the weakest cats so we can survive together," Flightstar explained and Stormkit tipped his head.
"Why isn't Grasskit with us? Surely she should be here and visiting the clan with us!" Stormkit squeaked and their father narrowed his eyes to slits.
"Grasskit?" he spat. "She is one of the weak ones. She was born wingless and deserves to be kicked out. A weak, pathetic monster that-"
"Grasskit is not a freak!" Foxkit growled and Flightstar sighed.
"Ya! Grasskit is nice and she is our sister! We love her!" Stormkit hissed and Tigerkit nodded.
"Stormkit, Foxkit, enough!" Flightstar yowled and the two kits looked at their father, scared. "I'm sorry I yelled but you have to understand the truth. Grasskit will never belong here. She has no wings and will never be useful," Flightstar said and Barkkit looked at his paws sadly.
"That doesn't matter. I still love her and won't be mean to her," Barkkit mumbled and Flightstar gave his son an odd look.
"What was that Barkkit?" he asked and Barkkit ignored his father's question. "Good. Now who wants to see the apprentice den?" he purred and the four kits followed him to the den.
"I won't be mean to Grasskit," Foxkit whispered to Stormkit who nodded in agreement.
"Me neither. She is strong, just like us!"
"I don't know what happened to them. Father, he was horrible, not including Grasskit in anything. He tried to teach us to be cruel, to hate her and I guess he was successful," Tigerstrike finished, pinning his ears to his skull.
Quailsong blinked, sad that her mate was once a sweet kit that their previous leader turned cold.
"When Grasskit was kicked out and Pebblefall went with her, it was the final straw for Foxkit. Flightstar had found his weakness and took advantage of it. He blamed Grasskit for the reason Pebblefall left and that she never loved him." Barkfang dug his claws into the cold earth.
"I should have helped him!" he wailed and Applefrost shook his head.
"You did you best Barkfang. Nobody would have been able to stop Flightstar though," Applefrost meowed and Grasswing smiled at her mate.
Licking his cheek, she stood up. "I have to go and make sure the kits go in the nursery before they freeze! It's gotten colder and I don't was them sick," she purred, walking over to her kits. "Come on kits, it's time for a nap," she called and the six furry kits ran over to their mother.
"Can we have a story before our nap?" Moonkit asked and Grasswing licked her daughter's head.
"Of course!" she purred and the six kits rushed to the nursery.
The moment she entered the nursery, Phoenixkit and Pebblekit ran over to the brown tabby she-cat.
"Guess what! Tomorrow we become apprentices!" they meowed, excited. They were hopping up and down, eyes glowing happily.
"That's great!" Grasswing replied, receiving a smile from Snowdapple.
"I can't believe that they are going to be apprentices now. It seemed like yesterday that they were kits," Snowdapple murmured and Grasswing couldn't help but agree.
"M-Momma? C-Can we have the story now?" Bluekit stammered, nudging her mother.
"Don't worry Bluekit." Lying down in the nest, the kits curled up at their mother's belly. "Now what story would you like to hear?"
"The story of Lightningwish!"
"No! The story of the cats that lived under a lake!"
"Maybe about Blazeflame?"
"H-How about when you and Foxscar were kits?" Bluekit asked and Grasswing's eyes widened.
"When Foxscar and I were kits?" Bluekit gave a small nod and Grasswing took a deep breath.
"It all began-" she started only to be interrupted by the blue-grey kit.
"No. Before, when he didn't hate you," Bluekit corrected and Grasswing confused, began to retell the story Tigerstrike had told ealier.
"When we were only a few days old, my brothers and I were very close, caring about each other. That all changed when Flightstar met us…"
A/N: How did you guys like it? I am so sorry for the long wait! I really am. School has been so annoying and finally the weekend has come with barely any homework! I have a one-shot I will hopefully post soon so don't worry! I will be typing chapters ahead of the posting so that I will give you fewer spaces between updates! Also, I threw in a bit of little Foxkit before he was mean and cold. I felt horrible when I added the part near the end of the flashback when they said they would never hate Grasskit. Oh well. A while ago, I had made a one-shot featuring a character from this story and still nobody has figured out the cat! You guys can guess the character, (the story is Memories and Broken Hearts), and the person who gets it right will get a sneak peek of the next chapter! Something bad will happen next chapter so please don't hate me about it!
-Grasswing.