It Was Just a Joke

"Hey Rosepaw!"

The cream she-cat flattened her ears in annoyance. Oh, out of all the days… "Yes, Redpaw?" she mewed begrudgingly.

"Ta-da!"

An eight-legged… thing… swung before her face. Rosepaw's fur instinctively rose up from her spine. Her jaws opened and a scream of terror shot out from between them. Everything happened in slow motion. Her front paw was rising, rising, rising… and then falling, taking the spider with it. It smashed on the ground with a deafening squish.

"Ha! I got you good!"

Rosepaw scowled at the dark ginger apprentice. "Not funny, Redpaw!" she hissed. "You know fully well that I'm afraid of spiders!"

Redpaw shrugged. "So? It was just a joke, man!" He nudged her, but Rosepaw didn't respond. She only glared at him. Redpaw slumped, a sigh bursting from his mouth. "None of you know how to be fun," he muttered, spinning around and heading to the apprentices' den.

"That attitude of yours is going to get you bad at some point!" Rosepaw yowled after him.

IT WAS JUST A JOKE

Redpaw was the biggest prankster that MazeClan had the horror of knowing.

"Biggest troublemaker, too," his mentor, Adderstone, was very displeased to say.

Redpaw reveled in it.

All the biggest pranks or troubles in the clan were caused by him. Messing up Risingsun's herb stock? Redpaw. Crow-food in the middle of the fresh-kill pile? Redpaw. The warrior den's moss nests were all messed up, you say? A classic Redpaw move. Your dried flower collection gone, Thicketkit? The ones you planned to give to Rosepaw? Oh, that's Redpaw's doing.

"I'm the best troublemaker of MazeClan you've known all-time," Redpaw declared to his sister.

Maplepaw snorted disbelievingly. "More like the worst," she commented. "All the warriors have been complaining about you. Adderstone told me that if he hears one more trouble caused by you, he's going to personally line his and Brindleshade's nest using your fur."

Redpaw made a face. "Ick. Brindleshade and Adderstone. Well, that's my next target chosen. Thanks, Maplepaw."

"No!" Maplepaw glared at her brother. "These… jokes of yours are good once in a while, but every single day? That's going too far! You're just aggravating other cats."

Redpaw started as if Maplepaw had offended him. Which… she had. "Aggravating?" he cried, striking a dramatic pose. "Oh sister, you wound me. My jokes are for laughter and joy, not aggravation or irritation. You take my motives quite wrong, I tell you."

Maplepaw rolled her eyes. "That attitude of yours will cost someone's life one day," she warned.

Redpaw flicked his tail. "Yadda yadda," he muttered. "Rosepaw said the same thing."

"She's right, then."

"Nah, both of you are obviously wrong."

IT WAS JUST A JOKE

The following day, Redpaw set his plan into motion. It didn't take too much time to figure out what he should do for the 'lovely' couple. Honestly, that idea had been lurking in the back of his mind for a while now. Probably after Brindleshade became pregnant with Redpaw's mentor's kits. And then Adderstone started doting on Thicketkit and Thornkit so much that he hardly had time for Redpaw anymore.

Oh gosh, Redpaw was going to teach that tortoiseshell queen and her kits a lesson.

It was fairly simple. He was going to lure Thicketkit and Thornkit out of camp, let them wander in the maze for a while as a cliché 'I'll show you around the territory, because you totally deserve to know before you are apprentices' move. Every kit fell for that, for some reason.

And then he'd tell the two kittens to hide under one of the walls, and then leave them there. A few hours later – maybe it would be evening by then – Brindleshade would go around screaming that the kits were missing, and there would be search patrols sent out to every single part of the maze. Redpaw would be the one to find the two, and then he would be hailed a hero – and the kittens would get all the blame for that little mess!

It was the perfect plan. Adderstone would start paying more attention to him and less to his offspring. Redpaw grinned at the prospect. He was so immersed in his thoughts that he didn't notice a certain white tom glancing at him.

"Hey, Redpaw?" The russet apprentice turned his head to look at his denmate, Creekpaw.

"What?" Redpaw snapped, irritable to get yanked out of his daydream.

"You got that look in your eye again."

"What look?"

"That look when you're about to bust out some kind of plan that'll get you into trouble."

Redpaw snorted. "What? Nah. I'm just thinking about what I'm going to eat when I come back from patrol."

"Oh." Creekpaw considered this. "Is Adderstone taking you?"

Redpaw scoffed, his eyes sparking at the name of his mentor. "No. Obviously the great Adderstone has no time for his apprentice because he's busy doting on Thornkit and Thicketkit." He hunched his shoulders. "But seriously, Fernsplash and Whitesnow are taking me, not him."

"Have you tried talking to him?"

That caused Redpaw to hesitate. To be frank, every trouble, every prank that he did was for a purpose. Risingsun's herb pile was messed up to annoy Ashfrost. The elder had accused Redpaw of putting a thorn in her nest – which, for the record, he did not do – so what better way to rile up Ashfrost than destroy the herbs that she'd carefully organized? The fresh-kill pile was done because his denmates had refused to share prey with him when Redpaw had come back from patrol. And he had been really hungry! Thicketkit and Rosepaw… that was because Redpaw was completely sick of the two chatting together like they were some kind of couple. Even Creekpaw had complained about it! If anything, those two pranks had been subtly requested by the entire clan.

No one listened to him much, so what Redpaw did was use actions to pass on his message. He'd never considered talking.

"No," he growled. "Mind your own business, Creekpaw."

The white apprentice shrugged before padding outside of the maze. Redpaw leered after the pale form. What did a former rogue know about talking to Adderstone or anyone, anyway?

Redpaw shook his pelt before turning around and making a beeline for the nursery. Brindleshade was thankfully out – no doubt taking a stroll with Adderstone. Thornkit and Thicketkit were all his.

"Hey, kittens," he whispered softly. From his point, he could see the dilute tortoiseshell form of Thornkit and the brown fluff that was Thicketkit stirring. Redpaw resisted the urge to smirk. "Wanna go take a trip out of this stuffy nursery?"

Thornkit immediately sprang to her paws. "Do I!" she exclaimed, bouncing out of the nest. Thicketkit was a little more hesitant. Obviously, he was wary of Redpaw for the previous prank the apprentice had bestowed upon the kitten.

"Why?" Thicketkit mewed. That sentence was accompanied with a large yawn. "I'm sleepy."

His sister nudged him, sending the brown tom sprawling on the ground. "Come on, lazy-bones!" Thornkit chirped. "It's a chance to see the territory! It'll be fun, you'll forget all about your tiredness!"

Redpaw decided to intervene, leaning down and grasping Thicketkit's scruff in his jaws. Thicketkit let out a small squeak of protest as he was lifted up.

"Hangff ot," Redpaw mumbled around the brown fur. Thornkit hopped behind him, excited to get out.

"Hold it!" Redpaw froze in his tracks. He slowly turned to look at Hazeflower. The gray tom was eyeing the kittens suspiciously. "What are you doing with Adderstone and Brindleshade's kits?"

"Uh." Redpaw racked his head, trying to think of an excuse. He placed Thicketkit on the ground before saying, "Adderstone requested that I bring these two? He wants to personally show these two his favorite view. Y'know, the one with the violets?"

Hazeflower tipped his head. "And he couldn't come himself?"

"Well, you know Adderstone. He's practically attached to Brindleshade's side these days. He'd rather send me, 'cause I'm disposable."

Hazeflower rolled his eyes. "That does sound like something he would do," the warrior muttered. "Carry on, then. Don't lose them, or Adderstone'll throw a fit."

Redpaw nearly fainted in relief. "Thanks!" he mewed, picking up Thicketkit again and heading on.

IT WAS JUST A JOKE

Thornkit was bumping against his legs right now, and it was ridiculously uncomfortable. Thicketkit's fur was long – Redpaw imagined that it would take moons to get all the stray strands of fur out of his mouth.

"How much longer?" Thornkit complained. "My paws are tired."

"Nearly there," Redpaw replied encouragingly. "See that small hedge? We're going to stop right there."

It only took a few pawsteps to reach it. Redpaw dropped Thicketkit, who let out an indignant wail as he plummeted to the ground. He glared up at the apprentice. "I hurt!"

"Oh, don't be such a crybaby, Thicketkit!" Thornkit reprimanded her brother. "What do we do now?"

Redpaw looked down at the kits, a devious smile on his face. "You just go under the hedge and stay there until I tell you to come out. I'm going to get Adderstone and Brindleshade, just wait here."

"Momma and Daddy?" Thornkit blinked. "They'll yell at us for being outside."

That is exactly the plan. "Don't worry, they'll be proud that you managed to come out here all on your own!" Redpaw purred, nudging the pair under the leaves. "I promise, they won't be mad at you at all."

Thornkit stared up at Redpaw. "Promise?"

Redpaw shrugged. "Yeah. Pretty much."

He was about to turn around and leave the kittens to fate. He was forced to stop. A thin white cat was staring at him with eyes of disbelief. Redpaw felt like clambering under the hedge with the kits.

"Redpaw, what are you doing?" Creekpaw's even voice sent chills down the tomcat's back. "Why are you stuffing Thornkit and Thicketkit under a bush?"

Redpaw bared his teeth. "None of your business! Don't you have a patrol to go on?"

"And so do you," Creekpaw returned. "I see that you're up to no good again."

"I told you to stay out of my business! What I do is my choice!"

"Redpaw!" Creekpaw's voice was louder now, with a harsher edge. "You're being selfish! Have you ever considered what would happen if someone got hurt because of your prank?"

Redpaw snarled, but he couldn't find a way to rebut that. He slumped. "Skies," he mumbled. There was nothing much else to say, really. A silence passed through the two felines. Then the russet apprentice realized, abruptly, that it was too quiet. The kits had stopped squeaking. He whirled around, and to his horror – both of the kits had disappeared.

"Creekpaw!" Wild-eyed, Redpaw turned to the white tomcat. "Help me find the kits! They've gone!"

Creekpaw's eyes widened to match Redpaw's. "No!" The apprentice dashed past Redpaw, vanishing around a corner of the maze. Redpaw quickly followed suit.

The kits were small, and also tricky. They seemed to have slipped under hedges, forcing the two toms to do the same. It was lucky that both of them were relatively small and lean.

As they neared the outer circle of the maze, Redpaw vaguely heard terrified wails of kits. Heartbeat racing, he barged past Creekpaw and burst out into the open.

They'd come out to the ledge, the rickety one that Flamepool had specifically warned not to venture close to. Redpaw's eyes landed on the small form of Thicketkit hanging from the edge, Thornkit attempting to pull him up.

"Help!" she wailed, meeting the apprentices' gazes.

Redpaw had never been the one to plan beforehand, but even he was surprised at the swiftness of his paws running up the narrow ridge. Nudging Thornkit back, he leaned down and clutched Thicketkit's scruff in his jaws firmly, pulling him up with a grunt.

"Skies," Creekpaw commented as the trio trekked down. "You all are a complete mess. Here, let me hold Thornkit."

"I don't need – " Thornkit began, but was plucked off the ground.

IT WAS JUST A JOKE

They returned to camp when the sun was setting. Brindleshade let out a small shriek at the sight of Redpaw and Creekpaw with her kits.

"Thornkit! Thicketkit!" The two apprentices dropped their bundles. Even as they came down, the two kittens were flailing to get to their mother. Brindleshade collected them with her paws, covering the pair with loving licks.

Redpaw's attention was diverted to somewhere else, however. Adderstone's form was foreboding as it came closer, silhouetted darkly in the sunlight.

"Redpaw." The brown tom's voice was gruff. "I hear you took my kits out."

Redpaw swallowed and scrunched his eyes shut, preparing himself for the shouts of anger.

It never came. Instead, a single word reached his ears.

"Why?"

Redpaw slowly opened his eyes again, but stared at the ground. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "It's just… you've been doting on your kits so much. I want to train, but you always seem to be around Brindleshade or Thornkit and Thicketkit. I was afraid that I would fall behind… and… uh…" Redpaw was at a loss for words. He shut his eyes once more. "I'm sorry," he mewed again. "I've been selfish and attention-seeking."

There was silence for a moment.

"Well, don't think that this will go unpunished," Adderstone growled. "You're going to be taking care of my kits until they wear out of their shock. And you're confined to camp for half a moon. If I catch you doing any more 'jokes', that half moon will grow longer."

Redpaw couldn't work up the courage to look into Adderstone's eyes again. "Yes, Adderstone."

"But," Adderstone continued, "if you've been doing well for a quarter moon… I'll take you out for training."

Redpaw's head jerked up. "For real?"

Adderstone nodded. "For real. I'll admit that I haven't been the best mentor. I intend to make up for the missing days that I haven't trained you. As long as you don't joke around."

Redpaw let a watery smile cross his features. "Promise."