A/N
Pix: Not much to really say, except enjoy this chappie!
NightWalker paws thundered on the flat ground, their eyes shining with the lust for a fight. The grey mottled she cat lead her huge gang of cats, stopping abruptly as sand met her paw pads.
"Rooster"! She hissed, her orange eyes narrowed at the white tom with the ginger mark. "I thought you said we were going the right way! This is a beach! The clans don't live near a beach."
He gulped nervously. "Melody, I-"
"Don't 'Melody' me!" Her eyes were blazing like a hurricane. "I want to know where we are!"
Rooster met her eyes evenly. "It appears we're at the sun-drown-place, as the clans call it. We need to turn around, cross the mountains and follow the main river from the lake. The lake was their old territory before it expanded too much and drove them out many, many seasons ago."
Melody rolled her eyes in anger. "I don't care about their past; just get me to their current territory."
Rooster dipped his head obediently. "As you wish." He lifted his pale head to the air, a thinking look in his eyes. "Hmm… We should be there in three moons…" He waited for his leader to lose her temper, as always.
"Three moons… Three moons?! THREE MOONS?!" Melody screeched, unsheathing her claws into the sand. "No, I need to be there now!" She placed her paws over her head, her body sinking down to the sand.
"This is a disaster! I'll never have death! I need my revenge!" She wailed, angry tears flowing from her eyes.
"And you will," Rooster assured her. "Just think of this as a preparation time."
Melody sniffed and stood up. "Alright. Let's hurry. My urge to kill is so strong…"
(In the ShadowClan camp…)
The humid air was filled with cries of battle and shrieks of pain. ThunderClan and ShadowClan fought once more, fierce as ever. Both were low on kits, especially for mid-New-leaf.
"You will never have the third kit!" Mouseclaw screamed at Stagstrike as he bowled him over, battering his stomach with thorn-sharp claws.
Stagstrike hissed cruelly, "ThunderClan are squirrely cowards! You're so stupid, I'm not sure I speak that level of idiocy, but let me try. Duuuuuumb!" Stagstrike taunted.
Mouseclaw lunged forward, but the ShadowClanner expected it. He stood on his forepaws and kicked Mouseclaw away with unsheathed hind paws. He walked over to Mouseclaw, lying limp on the ground and bleeding heavily from the underbelly. His breaths were short and ragged and his eyes glazed over.
A hiss to furious came from the other side of the clearing, making Stagstrike turn around, and what he saw frightened him.
A tall, muscular blue-grey tom with a freaky scar going over one eye, leaped at the deputy, long claws extended. He mercilessly raked Stagstrike's muzzle and ears, even reached his underbelly with his back paws. The dusky tom ran off, yowling as he fled.
Scarface hurried over to Mouseclaw, and quickly brought him to Redbreeze, who was busy treating a deep flank wound on Flamefoot.
Cardinalheart stayed back at camp, helping Mintflower with the treatment on Lightfeather, who was very groggy and her memory was sketchy at best.
"Redbreeze; stupid Stagstrike did a number on him. I have to go, but please help him! He's fighting for the only family he has left." Scarface begged, then hurried back out into the flurry of teeth and claws.
(POV change; Thymetail)
"Thymetail, can we hurry? The fighting seems to be slowing down!" A she kit squeaked, her voice high pitched and frightened. The tabby medicine cat nodded. "O-of c-course, little one."
The dark grey she kit kneaded her paws anxiously on the ground. I don't want to cause a war, just because my birth was a mistake. I want to live my life however I want to…
"R-ready, let's go, Yarrowkit." Thymetail remembered with a pang that Daisystripe named this kit after her mother, who died kitting her. Yarrowkit took a deep breath and sighed as Thymetail picked her up swiftly and silently left.
As soon as Thymetail couldn't hear the fighting anymore, she broke into a fierce run, Yarrowkit squealing in angry protest. Tall, red and cream colored Two-leg things came into view. The roofs were odd, and slanted and the white sticks jutted out on the ground, connecting all the strange dens.
Thymetail wandered around, forcing herself to stay calm, and hoped she'd run into someone nice, and that would take care of Yarrowkit. StarClan, let us find a cat that I can trust… Thymetail prayed, and moments after, a heart-wrenching familiar scent drifted up her nose.
"Thymepaw?!" Came the astonished voice of a pale ginger tabby with bright, violet eyes.
(Meanwhile in RiverClan…)
Rowanstorm paced heavily outside the nursery, muttering curses under his breath. Wrenshadow groaned loudly, and a purr came from Honeysnow in the den. "That's it! There's the last one!"
Wrenshadow let out a tired, but strong purr. "They're so cute…" She turned her head towards the front of the den. "Rowanstorm, come in."
The dark brown tabby held his breath and padded in nervously. Two kits suckled eagerly at their mother's belly, their tails swishing happily.
Rowanstorm let out his breath as a sigh. "What should be name them?"
Wrenshadow lifted her head from her paws and looked at him sleepily. "I was thinking the tabby should be Silverkit," she flicked her tail towards a light silver tabby she kit. Rowanstorm nodded.
He turned his amber gaze to a dark brown tom kit with light brown ears and tabby legs. "How about Tigerkit?" He gave his son a lick on his ear. Wrenshadow nodded blankly, and with a yawn, she rested her head on her paws. Her light brown eyes seemed sad, and distant, but Rowanstorm couldn't see why.
Then, from the back of the den, he saw Honeysnow crawl forward. A limp body hung from her jaws.
Rowanstorm followed the medicine cat. "Honeysnow! Where are you going?" The golden she cat stopped. She turned around and glared at Rowanstorm with protective eyes. She dropped what she was holding.
The tabby felt his heart stop and words catch when she realized what she was grasping. A kit.
"This was Ashkit." Honeysnow muttered, her voice breaking as she nosed the dark, mottled she kit with light brown paws. "She was stillborn."
Rowanstorm bent down and pushed his muzzle into his daughter's shoulder. "May StarClan light your path in hopes we will join you one day." WIth that, he let Honeysnow carry away Ashkit to bury her.
The dark brown tabby trudged back into the nursery, curling around Wrenshadow. "Ashkit will be okay; I'm sure Pricklefoot will look after her." He murmured, remembering Wrenshadow's older half-sister that died in her kitting of Beechtail and Reedflight.
Wrenshadow sighed. "You're right; I can't just lie here while two other kits need our love. Pricklefoot will care for Ashkit like her own."
Rowanstorm nodded as he kept his mate warm. "I wonder how they'll be… Maybe Silverkit will be quiet and Tigerkit energetic…" Wrenshadow shook her head with a purr.
"No, I think Silverkit's gonna be a little bossy. Look how she battles Tigerkit for milk!" The queen was right. Silverkit swatted her brother blindly with a tiny paw and pushed him over. "I think Tigerkit will be more soft-spoken."
(POV change; Runningkit)
"Go, go, Snowkit! Don't let Treekit get it!" Runningkit cheered as he passed the moss-ball to his brother and tackled Treekit playfully.
Snowkit kicked the moss-ball up in the air and pawed it to Runningkit who instantly began teasing Treekit and Morningkit. "You can't catch me, you can't catch me!"
He switched it from paw to paw, and when Treekit lunged for it, Runningkit swiped it up and it was back with Snowkit. Morningkit pounced on Snowkit and the moss-ball tumbled away. Treekit and Runningkit both hared forward, racing each other for it.
It stopped just behind, Marigoldfur, Treekit's and Morningkit's mother. The dark brown kit skidded to a halt but with Runningkit's long legs, he crashed right into Marigoldfur's side.
The flecked queen stood up, a rage filled look on her face. "Runningkit! How rude!" She hissed. "Willowleap, your kit ran straight into me!"
The young silver queen padded out from the elders' den. "Marigoldfur, he was playing. See, you crushed his moss-ball. Treekit, Runningkit, come here." Willowleap purred.
The former ShadowClan she cat took the stomped bits of moss and squished them back together into a ball. She rolled it over to them. "I think you should hold your tongue every now and then. Treekit and Runningkit were just having some fun."
Marigoldfur snorted. "I don't need tips on parenting! Treekit and Morningkit shouldn't even be playing with your kits. They're five moons and too big to be playing with my teeny babies!"
Treekit growled. "I'm not that small! I'm just as big as Snowkit and I'm a whole two moons old!" His sister backed his argument with a hiss and the three kits stalked off, Willowleap giving Runningkit a little smirk as he bounced away.
Snowkit threw a moss-ball at Runningkit. "Wanna play?" The white kit asked.
Runningkit shook his head. "Not now Snowkit, I'm thinking."
Snowkit shrugged and bounded off, playing 'warrior' with Treekit and Morningkit. Runningkit stood up and crept into the nursery.
"Flowerpelt," he began to the tortoiseshell queen. "Have you named your kits yet?" The queen gave a sad nod.
"This is Ivykit," she said to a brown tabby she kit, fur tinged with ginger and white stripes, "Antkit," Runningkit realized it was the dark ginger tom with the pale ginger tail, "and this one is Poppykit." Flowerpelt said to the last kit, a light brown she kit with a white flash on her chest and pale ginger flecks.
"They're Flameheart's, aren't they? They're not Beechtail's…" Runningkit said, examining the three kittens. Flowerpelt's eyes widened but she frantically shook her head.
"N-no. They are not Half-Clan, they are Beechtail's and they have a half-brother and sister." Flowerpelt didn't seem to be talking to Runningkit anymore, more like trying to convince herself.
Oakstar's familiar call brought Runningkit scampering out and neatly curling his tail over his paws.
"As you know, the Gathering is tonight, and the cats attending are, Gorseheart, Pebbletail, Shadeleap, Marigoldfur Sandfern, Flowerpelt, Reedflight, Thornsnag, Puddlewhisker, Mothleg, Petalpaw, Mistpaw, Jaypaw, Splashpaw and Yellowlily." Oakstar climbed down easily from the GreatLedge and let his clan chat about the Gathering.
Runningkit saw Honeysnow nudge Yellowlily and the young elder placed her tail on Honeysnow's throat. "Oakstar said you're going to Gathering." Honeysnow meowed, and a brilliant grin formed its way onto Yellowlily's face. Her yellow-green eyes shimmered happily.
Curiously, Runningkit approached Honeysnow as she entered her den. The blue-grey and white tom nosed his way past the vines hanging over the cave-like den and meowed softly, "Honeysnow? Can I ask you something?"
His eyes adjusted to the dim lighting and noticed Honeysnow sitting in front of him. "Yes?" She asked, beginning to lick one of her paws.
"Well, uh, I saw you speaking with Yellowlily earlier, but I thought she was deaf…" Runningkit shifted his paws awkwardly. Honeysnow let out an amused purr.
"My sister is deaf; she fell through thin ice and she fell too deep. The pressure in her ears caused her to go deaf when she was just a young warrior. Oakstar and I helped her create a way where she could understand what cats were saying by their rumbles in their throats. She places her tail on their throat and can mostly understand what you're saying."
Runningkit felt his head swimming with curiosity. "That's genius! Why didn't I figure that out?" The tom kit muttered to himself, padded out the den with his ears twitching thoughtfully. Honeysnow purred, glad that he had no interest in being a medicine cat, fully aware he'd be too much of a pawful.
(POV Change; Ivykit)
"F-Flowerpelt?" Ivykit had heard others say the name and she wanted to try it out herself. The tortoiseshell spun around and smiled warmly. "Ivykit! You've opened your eyes!" Flowerpelt meowed.
Ivykit blinked her round, green eyes. (I realize kits are all born with blue eyes, but Erin Hunter had Bramblekit/star born with his amber eyes and other kits too, so I have the right! XD)
"Mama, when are Antkit and Poppykit gonna open their eyes?" Ivykit stared her sleeping littermates. Flowerpelt shook her head. "I'm not sure, dear. Why don't you go and play with the other kits? I'm sure Morningkit and Treekit would be happy to play a game of moss-ball." Flowerpelt purred as the striped kit stumbled into the bright light and began chasing Treekit around playfully.
Out of the corner of her eye, Ivykit saw a golden she cat with dark brown flecks staring at her. A small, evil-like grin formed its way onto her face. Unnerved by the stare, Ivykit backed away.
As the sun began to go down, a select group of cats had formed a group and headed off. Ivykit wondered where they were going, but Morningkit soon told her it was called a 'Gathering' where all the clans meet under the truce of the full moon, and Ivykit began to play with Antkit and Poppykit.
(POV change; Thymetail)
(Recap)
"Thymepaw?!" Came the astonished voice of a pale ginger tabby with bright, violet eyes. Thymetail felt her heart melt with joy as she spun around. "Spark!" Thymetail cried, not caring that he called her by the wrong name.
Spark stared at Yarrowkit with a sad face. "I-is she…" He shuffled his paws.
"No, no! She's not mine! I became a medicine cat. I can never have anymore kits, it'll be agaisnt the code." Thymetail insisted. "Spark, I need your help again; the clans are at war over this kit. She's half-clan and they're fighting brutally for her."
Spark nodded for her to go on. "So, ShadowClan is fighting another clan over this kit because they both think she belongs with them… You want me to take her?"
Thymetail nodded and Spark's expression lightened. "Brilliant! Ringtail will be so glad to have a new kit." He mewed cheerily, dashing off and returning a few minutes later with ashy grey she cat with a ringed tail and light brown paws. "Dad, what is-" She stopped when she saw Thymetail.
"You remember how I told you of the clans. This is their medicine cat." Spark waved his tail towards Thymetail.
"H-hi… I'm Thymetail, Spark here tells me you wouldn't mind taking care of this little kit?"
Ringtail shook her head. "Of course not; all of my kits were stillborn, except one. He's-" Ringtail stopped as a light grey tom with black stripes bumped into her.
"Mama, mama! I followed your scent trail!" The little kit squeaked. Ringtail purred, but then she turned on him sternly. "That's fantastic, but Marble, what have I told you about going outside?"
Marble hung his head. "That it's dangerous…" He looked up at his mother with milky blue eyes, and Thymetail realized why he was not allowed outside.
Marble was blind.
Ringtail leaned forward and took the she kit from Thymetail. Ringtail purred as she let out a hungry squeak. "What's her name?"
"Yarrow. She's called Yarrow." Thymetail said softly. Ringtail looked at Thymetail with dark blue eyes. "Thymetail… You look familiar…"
Thymetail chuckled nervously, but her heart cracked with regret. "I can't possibly be familiar…" She said melancholy.
Ringtail shook her head. "No, I'm sure of it. I feel like I know you from somewhere… Hmmm…" The ashy grey rogue twitched her ear.
"Spark, before you go, tell me; how are the others?" Thymetail asked and Spark knew exactly what she was asking.
"Well, Acorn is very strong and likes to speak his mind. Merry- dark grey with thick fur- she's expecting kits, and her mate lives with us, then there's Dice- dark grey with the black tail- well, I'm not sure how he is… He left on his own with a ragtag group of cats a season ago…" Spark replied awaiting Thymetail's answer.
"I'm glad everyone is happy." Thymetail meowed after a heartbeat. Even if it is without me…
Spark took Yarrow in his jaws as Ringtail took Marble and flicked her tail for Spark to go on. Ringtail sat in front of Thymetail before standing up and saying, "goodbye, mother…"
Thymetail stared at Ringtail with shock but she managed to say, "you won't tell anyone, right?"
Ringtail shook her head sorrowfully. "Of course not. I understand what you did and why you did it, but I wish you had thought it over. I think Dice might have stayed if you had stayed." Ringtail picked her son up in her jaws once more. "Say bye to Thymetail, Marble."
"Bye, mommy's mom…" Marble mewed in his soft kit voice.
(POV change; Flowerpelt; sorry for so many changes but there will be more)
The tortoiseshell was a little wary of being away from her kits. Antkit and Poppykit had just opened their eyes. Antkit's were blue and Poppykit's were a pretty green, just like Ivykit.
Once she jumped onto the island, Flowerpelt sought to find her friend, Lilypelt.
Almost instantly Flowerpelt located the white and silver she cat. "Lilypelt!" Flowerpelt called as she hurried to meet her friend who was sitting with Nightbreeze of ThunderClan.
Nightbreeze kept glancing over shoulder, at a broad shouldered white tom, who Flowerpelt recognized as Cloudclaw, their deputy. Odd, I thought Brackenfang was her mate…
A call from Oakstar told the cats to gather.
"RiverClan is doing just fine; we have a new warrior, Shadeleap." Oakstar waited for the loud cheers to die down as he then announced, "and two new apprentices; Jaypaw and Splashpaw."
Splashpaw seemed to soak in all the cheers, but her brother looked still overwhelmed by all the cats. Oakstar turned to Sunstar, but a yowl interrupted it.
Marigoldfur had stood up, a sadistic smile on her face. "Beechtail is not the father of Flowerpelt's kits." (and in the distance a cry was heard. "Not again!..." I know, Mouseclaw practically said the same thing…)
"Ivykit and Poppykit have green eyes, but Flowerpelt and Beechtail both have blue, therefore, if he was the father, all the kits would have blue eyes. I've come to realize, that the father of her kits, is Flameheart of WindClan!" Marigoldfur turned to stare at the ginger tom.
Flameheart looked ready to defend himself, but he stopped. "Yes; I don't deny it. I'm the father, but it's not like we planned it!"
Flameheart looked at the tortoiseshell with hurt in his green eyes. "I do not love her but I am the father. I am loyal forever and always to WindClan." Flameheart looked as if he just broke his own heart and Flowerpelt's but no one seemed to notice.
Marigoldfur hissed and slunk down, obviously not getting the reaction she wanted. Sunstar sent a scowl at Marigoldfur and stood to announce his news.
"We have three new warriors; Frostberry, Owlnose and Birchfoot." Sunstar waited as the clans chorused their names. "And two new apprentices; Dustpaw and Deerpaw." The clans once again cheered.
"Roseclaw had became a queen with Whitefur's kits, however, she died when her kitting came a moon early. The kits all died except one; a tom kit named Emberkit." Sunstar paused as he let the clan cats mourn the previous deputy.
"I have appointed a new deputy; Flameheart!" He boomed, not mentioning his unintended affair. Only a few cats cheered for the new deputy.
Fallenstar was next. "We have won a kit in our dispute with ThunderClan; her name is Firekit. That is all." Smokestar shot Fallenstar a curious look but he spoke.
"We have also claimed a kit; Squirrelkit. He is parented by Lightfeather and her newborns; Dovekit and Rabbitkit. Also, during our fighting, the third kit of Daisystripe had disappeared. We suspect she was taken by a fox or even a Two-leg."
Smokestar leaped off his branch and yowled, "this Gathering is over!"
Flowerpelt locked eyes with Flameheart for a heartbeat before he turned tail and bounded away to his clan. Flowerpelt ignored the sound of her heart breaking as she jumped from stone to stone back to camp.
"Mama! Mama!" Came the squeals of her three kittens as she settled into her nest. "Yes, dears?" Flowerpelt noticed the tears in Ivykit's and Poppykit's eyes and the anger in Antkit's.
"What's 'Half-Clan'?" Antkit growled. Flowerpelt was stunned but she obliged. "Half-Clan is where a cat is half-blood; one of their parents was from one clan, and the other parent was from another."
"Like us?" Ivykit murmured. Flowerpelt didn't reply, she only used her tail to bring them closer. "Who told you this?" The queen demanded.
"Troutpaw and Jaypaw were teasing us. They called us skinny, WindClan fleabags… Are we part WindClan mama?" Poppykit asked, her green eyes wide with innocence. Flowerpelt sighed.
"Yes; your father is the deputy of WindClan…"
A/N
Pix: Sorry for the shortness, my back and finger hurt and I cannot type. On the bright side, I have fantastic news!
Okay, settle down it' story time…
I was at my birthday party and I was ordering my drink when I saw the most amazing thing on earth… BLUE FREAKING RASPBERRY FANTA ICEE! If you read my bio, you'd know that I've always wanted it. I asked my sister and she said no. I was sad but still happy that it exists! IT EXISTS!
Hawkpool: Okay, bye readers! Don't forget to review, and answer the much needed question; "should Nightbreeze make up with Brackenfang and have kits with him again, or make up with him but have Cloudclaw's kits, or never make things up and become mates with Cloudclaw and have kits with him?" Review your answer!
~Hawkpool and the hyper writer