A/N
Ugh, vacation was the worst experiance of my life. Well, I hope you enjoy this.
ALSO! Havenspirit of MoonClan won the Q and A contest from the last chapter!
Answer: Their mother is Yellowlily and their father is Weaselclaw
Bonus: They are second cousins!
She requested a Thymetail plush, so here! *gives invisible one because I have no sewing talent but if I did I would make you one*
(Recap)
"You're never going to become a warrior, Birchpaw," Morningfeather growled grimly, her eyes dark.
All of Birchpaw's former emotions seemed to have been sucked right out of his eyes and body, his eyes were reduced to the dull color of dead leaves, rather than his lively pine green.
"I'm never to be a warrior?" He echoed back blandly. "Not even a slim chance? In a possible future that you see?"
Morningfeather closed her eyes, turning her back to him. "No." She sighed, her body rigid in guilt.
Birchpaw crumpled to his nest. Hawkpool had left, unable to bear watching the moment go on any longer. Birchpaw's mind raced.
"Then what do I do?" He whispered, clenching a ball of moss in the pad of his paw.
"That's up to you," Morningfeather mewed softly, leaning down to Birchpaw's eye level. "But you are welcome to train under me, and beside Breezepaw." Morningfeather stepped back, herself and Breezepaw both wearing friendly, warm grins.
"R-really?" Birchpaw sounded relieved. "I didn't think I could! Because you're training Breezepaw. I would have become a medicine cat and not a warrior if I knew that… I wouldn't have broken my leg."
"You know we still have to do our best to heal your leg so it's not completely useless," Breezepaw meowed pointedly.
Birchpaw nodded eagerly. "I'll do whatever it takes!"
"You do realize being a medicine cat means not having a mate, right?" Morningfeather pointed out.
"Who cares?" Birchpaw rolled his eyes, which had regained their sparkle. "This is what I really wanted to do. Save cats and not hurt them."
"I need to see my siblings!" Birchpaw suddenly blurted, heaving himself out of the den. "Where are they?" He turned around, facing the medicine cats.
"Whitepaw's on a hunting patrol, and Hazelpaw's in the nursery," Morningfeather replied. Birchpaw frowned in confusion.
"Where's Reedpaw?" Birchpaw asked, his heart speeding up in concern.
"He's not with us anymore," Breezepaw meowed distractedly.
Birchpaw yowled in shock, then Breezepaw caught her words. "No, no, I mean he's on a mission. StarClan asked each clan to send cats on a journey to hunt down Dustsnow, and Reedpaw volunteered."
Birchpaw breathed a hefty sigh of relief. "Thank StarClan." Birchpaw sighed. "Wait, when will he be back?"
The two she cats exchanged worried looks. "We aren't quite sure," Morningfeather meowed, closing her bright blue eyes. "I don't see a clear time for them returning."
Birchpaw's shoulders slumped. "Oh," he muttered. It was always clear he and Reedpaw were extremely close.
"Well, there's always Hazelpaw in the nursery to visit first," Breezepaw pointed out sweetly.
"Oh, how is she?" Birchpaw asked keenly. "Last I remember she had almost died!"
"Why don't you see for yourself?" Morningfeather purred, flicking her tail towards the nursery. "Oh, and ask her to bring in her kit. I need to see how her cough is healing."
Birchpaw strained to stand, limping towards the nursery. He could smell the milk-scent from across the clearing. "H-Hazelpaw?" Birchpaw called, nosing his way into the nursery. It seemed smaller than he remembered. A soft, stunned gasp was heard in the back of the den.
"Birchpaw?!" Hazelpaw shrieked, suddenly visible as she raced forward and tackled him, the both of them tumbling into the clearing. A thin layer of snow was like a blanket on the ground, the frost sticking to their coats.
"You're okay!" Hazelpaw cried out joyfully, embracing him tightly once they got to their paws. Her face grew worried briefly as she caught sight of his leg.
Birchpaw shifted awkwardly, attempting to obscure his twisted leg from his sister's view. "Um, yeah. By the way, Morningfeather said your kit needed a checkup. Something about a cough."
Hazelpaw grinned softly. Her different blue shaded eyes had a hint of sadness. "Would you like to meet her?"
Birchpaw hesitated briefly, then nodded. "Of course!" His heart swelled with pity. I wonder if she'll ever catch up in her training. Her kit would nearly be a half moon old now!
"Cloudkit," Hazelpaw whispered, nudging the white she kit awake. One of her black ears twitched, blinking wide yellow eyes up at her mother.
"Yes, mommy?" Cloudkit squeaked hoarsely. She sounded like she was still in pain. Hazelpaw forced a smile. It was clear Cloudkit was getting weak.
"Remember my brother I told you about? Birchpaw?" Hazelpaw asked sweetly, leading Cloudkit towards the brown tabby mottled tom. Cloudkit nodded.
"The one who fought bravely and got really hurt?" Cloudkit rasped, peering up at Birchpaw with sleepy eyes. Her nose was crusted, but she looked in awe of the tom who was much larger than her.
"That's him," Hazelpaw purred, nodding to Birchpaw. "He's doing much better now. Cloudkit, meet your uncle, Birchpaw."
"Nice to finally meet you, Cloudkit," Birchpaw greeted, touching his nose to Cloudkit's forehead. She forced out out a light, rumbly purr.
"You should see the medicine cat now," Birchpaw meowed in concern as Cloudkit sneezed. "She'll make you all better."
Cloudkit shook her head, curling into a ball. "They scare me." She mumbled, not meeting Hazelpaw's or Birchpaw's eyes.
"Well, why do they scare you?" Hazelpaw asked, lifting Cloudkit's chin with a paw.
"Morningfeather is weird. She talks about being able to see the future and she can read my mind, and it's kinda frightening. Breezepaw's eyes can't see and they're filled with fog but she looks right at me," Cloudkit muttered, his yellow eyes wide. Hazelpaw let out a snicker.
"Oh, those things are nothing to fear," Hazelpaw reassured her kit, an approving nod coming from Birchpaw as Hazelpaw swooped down and trotted to the medicine den. "Everyone is special in their own way."
"How am I special?" Birchpaw heard Cloudkit ask eagerly.
"Well," Hazelpaw purred. "You care for the elders for one, and you make your father and I feel special."
Cloudkit's fur bushed up in modesty. "Mom!" She whined, but there was a hint of playfulness. "Anyways, the elders deserve kindness. They served their clan fully. One day I'll be an elder and all you will be picking ticks from my fur!" Cloudkit squealed with a mischievous smirk.
Birchpaw snickered, following his sister into the den. He might as well start learning the herbs, such as what would help Cloudkit's cold.
"Here the little scrap is," Hazelpaw chuckled, setting Cloudkit down on the nest Birchpaw had previously been laying in. The she kit fidgeted uncomfortably.
"There's nothing to be scared of," Morningfeather blurted, Cloudkit going stiff. "I don't bite. Well, not kits."
Morningfeather pressed her ear to Cloudkit's chest, listening to the rumbles of her breathing. She pulled back with a faint frown. "Pad." Morningfeather demanded, Cloudkit obediently holding out her paw.
"Hm," Morningfeather grumbled. She turned to Breezepaw. "Fetch me some chickweed and lavender. Honey would be good, too."
"What? What are those for?" Hazelpaw asked fretfully, hovering over Cloudkit. Morningfeather grimaced.
"Cloudkit has whitecough. It's gotten a lot worse than when I last checked up on her. If we don't treat this soon, it'll be greencough and Cloudkit will walk in StarClan," Morningfeather growled, snatching the herbs Breezepaw had retrieved and mixing them together.
"Have her smell the lavender. It clears the sinuses," Morningfeather ordered to Birchpaw, who quickly held it under his niece's nose. She let out a purr of contentment.
"It smells pretty!" Cloudkit cried out with a wide grin.
"Now, you have to eat this," Breezepaw insisted, holding out the chickweed, but Cloudkit's attitude had turned stubborn.
Breezepaw sighed in irritation, whirled around, dipping the herb in honey and then feeding it to Cloudkit. The she kit made a soft whine of disgust, despite there being the honey.
"If you don't eat it," Birchpaw meowed, "you might not ever become a warrior. It'll make you big and strong."
Cloudkit looked doubtful, but she slowly chewed and gulped down the herbs with a shudder. "I did it…" Cloudkit moaned in distaste.
"That you did," Hazelpaw purred. "My brave little kit!" She exclaimed, licking Cloudkit's forehead affectionately. Hazelpaw's gleeful tone masked her obvious uneasiness to Cloudkit's weak condition.
Birchpaw frowned to himself, feeling his heart go out to his sister's kit. She's so weak! She was already born early, which gives her weak lungs, and now she has whitecough. StarClan, don't take her from us!
(POV change: Snailpaw)
Snailpaw paced back and forth nervously outside the medicine den. Wile sat just outside the entrance, eyeing the RiverClan she cat peculiarly.
"You're going to turn your paws to panjevi if you keep pacing like that," Wile pointed out with a twitch of his tail tip. (Pronunciation: panyevi)
"Turn my paws to what?" Snailpaw quentioned, confused.
Wile laughed sheepishly. "Panjevi. Stumps. You've worn an indent into the ground."
It was true. Snailpaw glanced down at the snow coated floor. The natural warmth of her paws had melted the snow away into the soil, turning it to a mushy grayish brown color and squishing the mulchiness into a groove of where her paws repeatedly treaded.
Snailpaw plopped down on her rear in irritation. "Can't your father do more? Like, have an herb that can heal him super fast?" Her voice was laced with desperation. Wile frowned at her.
"Not even my father can heal your friend that quickly," Wile sighed. "He has pneumonia and that takes a long time to heal."
Snailpaw furrowed her brows together. "What's pneumonia?"
"It's when tekućina- um, I mean fluid, builds up in your lungs," Wile began explaining. "It makes it hard to breathe and steals all of your energy. It can even lead to coughing blood or phlegm and causes extreme pain." (Pronunciation: just like it seems like)
Snailpaw's face grew terrified. "Th-there's gotta be something Ruse can do! There just has to!"
Wile's shoulders sagged. "I'm not quite sure, Snailpaw. I don't know a whole about medicine, but I do know Reedpaw's gone into respiratorni distres. I mean, respiratory distress."
Snailpaw fidgeted uncomfortably. Just as she has confronted her feelings for him, this happened? But, what exactly were her feelings for him? It certainly wasn't hate or disgust, so then what?
Snailpaw felt her stomach knot and head spin. She felt like she was going to be ill. "I don't think… I mean… Is this…" Snailpaw couldn't find the correct words to speak her mind. Snailpaw rose quickly to her paws abruptly, a fierceness in her limeish eyes.
Snailpaw shoved past Wile, barging into the medicine den. Ruse spun around, glaring at her with his huge amber eyes and flat face.
Snailpaw froze at the sight of Reedpaw's motionless body. There was barely even hint he was alive, aside from the faint rise and fall of his flanks.
"He's unconscious," Ruse growled, obviously aggravated by her sudden entrance. "It was loše- bad- to move him; his lungs are more damaged than I thought." (Pronunciation: low-shey)
Snailpaw shivered in horror, yet she was surprisingly unsurprised. She wasn't sure why.
"Reedpaw," Snailpaw whispered, forcing herself to approach the chocolate brown tom.
Suddenly, Reedpaw's limbs began twitching and his head turning back and forth. He was muttering under his breath and sounded in pain.
For a moment, Snailpaw thought he was dreaming, but his eyes flickered awake. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out, only gurgling.
Reedpaw's eyelids fluttered closed again, despite Snailpaw's frantic pleading. His breath was ragged and he shook with chills.
"Is he going to die?" Snailpaw croaked, her voice pathetic. Ruse shrugged his shoulders, as if Reedpaw's life didn't rest in his paws, though it clearly did.
"It's not up to me," Ruse mewed, rubbing his temples with a paw. "It's his borba now. I mean, fight. His fight now."
Oh, StarClan, please! Don't let Reedpaw die on me, just… please. Snailpaw prayed, clenching her jaw and unsheathing her claws. If StarClan could hear her, they didn't show it, or simply did not care.
Suddenly, Reedpaw's limbs jerked again, and he was groggily awake. Snailpaw opened her mouth, but no words came out, so she darted forward instead, purring deeply and loudly.
To her horror and bewilderment, Reedpaw pushed her away, his face one of disgust and confusion. "What in StarClan's name are you doing, Snailpaw?"
Snailpaw felt awkward and ashamed, but her puzzlement masked it. "I-I was worried." She choked out the words, her throat tight.
Reedpaw snorted. "Right. You, worried about me. Funny. Now cut it out."
Snailpaw slumped to the ground, her ears flat and legs numb. "What is with you? You weren't like this by the river!"
"River?" Reedpaw repeated, raising an eyebrow. "We weren't by a river. We just got away from that fox."
Snailpaw felt her blood run cold and her heart dropped. She took a step back from him, her eyes wide in terror. "Y-you don't remember anything?"
Reedpaw scoffed, rolling his eyes that were now filled with hatred. "You must have bees in your brain, you mousefodder."
Snailpaw jumped back, visibly flinching from his insult. SNailpaw turned to Ruse. "He doesn't remember anything. Why doesn't he remember anything?!"
Ruse's shoulders sagged and he sat beside the young she cat. "Respiratory distress can sometimes cause amnezija- amnesia- to the brain. It'll have to come back to him in time. For now, leave. I must treat him."
"What happened to me, anyways?" Reedpaw rasped, clutching his chest. "It's like someone started a brushfire in my lungs."
Ruse swatted Reedpaw's ear. "You were a fool and nearly got yourself ubijen. Killed." Reedpaw skidded away from Ruse. (pronunciation: ubiyen)
"Who are you? Where's Morningflower and Breezepaw?" Reedpaw's head swung from side to side, his fur bushed up in confusion.
"You clan cats came here on a mission to hunt a cat. Dustsnow, I think. You're in the Two-leg place, in the Liberty Tribe camp." Ruse explained calmly, unfazed by Reedpaw's puzzlement. His accent seemed less noticeable in that once sentence.
"What is this?" He croaked as Ruse pushed a bundle of herbs in front of him.
"It's catmint, coltsfoot and honey. It'll help your lungs, and you should be treated and bolje- healed- within a quarter-moon," Ruse mewed, pushing the herbs closer before listening to his chest again. The liquid seemed to already be dying down once Reedpaw swallowed the plants.
Reedpaw struggled to get up, then snapped at Snailpaw. "You going to sit there with your mouth open like an idiot or help me?"
Snailpaw scrambled to her paw, guiding him out into the snowy clearing. He looked around briefly, then huffed to himself. "I don't know anyone." He admitted, staring at his paws.
"But they know you, dungface!" Snailpaw growled with a smirk, nosing him forward towards Breezepaw of ShadowClan, who was quietly speaking with a blue-grey she cat and a dark grey tom with a white, jagged stripe down his back.
"Reedpaw!" The dark grey tom exclaimed when he saw the chocolate tom. The blue-grey she cat spun around with a gentle smile and sparkling aqua eyes. Reedpaw's heart skipped a beat when he saw her.
"Uh, your medicine cat says I have amnesia…" Reedpaw mumbled. "Do I know you?"
The dark grey tom laughed loudly. "No worries! I'm Thunder, and that's my sister, Azure."
Azure- the blue-grey she cat- purred softly. "That's me! I'm sure you already know Breezepaw."
Reedpaw nodded briskly. "I've seen him at Gatherings." However, he didn't look at Breezepaw. He was too captivated by Azure, mainly, by her crystal clear blue eyes.
Snailpaw saw this, feeling her insides knot. She was torn between clawing Azure's eyes out or crawling under a bush and crying.
Snailpaw's fury overwhelmed her jealousy and mixed together into one emotion, finding her paws carrying her to the trio of cats. Breezepaw shrunk down in fright at the sight of Snailpaw's sour, irritated look.
"Snailpaw?" Reedpaw voice was soaking with loathing. Snailpaw brushed it off, too angered to notice. "What are you doing here? Can't you see I'm spending time with an actually attractive she cat, or are you so visually impaired you're blind to your own repulsive looks?"
Snailpaw looked taken aback for a heartbeat, but she blinked her face was contorted back into one of wrath. "Come on, Reedpaw, I'm not your reflection."
Reedpaw stood, his jaw dropped in shock of her quick comeback. Breezepaw and Thunder exchanged concerned looks.
"Isn't Reedpaw supposed to love Snailpaw?" Thunder asked in a soft voice, leaning into Breezepaw's ear. The cream tabby nodded, his ears flat.
"This is all wrong," Breezepaw whispered, twitching his tail tip. "I gotta do something."
Breezepaw forced his way between the fighting cats, a smug looks on his face. "You know, I don't think Azure is a good match for you." Breezepaw bluntly meowed loudly. Azure had felt uncomfortable watching the scene, and was now across the clearing away from them.
"Why not?" Reedpaw growled to the ShadowClan cat. "She's cute and I like her and- why are you two looking at me like I just killed our families?!"
Breezepaw cuffed Lightning's ear quickly with a sheepish clear of his throat. "Well, my sister's kinda a wild one, and not in the good way. You know?" Lightning mewed, a timid look on his face.
Reedpaw gave his tail a lash. "No, I don't."
"We just think she's off the rails, loco, crazy," Breezepaw insisted. "Definitely not a cat for a substantial mate."
Reedpaw glanced at Snailpaw, who was now busy with chewing at a torn claw. "I don't know why I decided to hang out with you guys, this is lame. I'm gonna go be with Snailpaw, even though she's a bee-brained fox-heart."
Lightning and Breezepaw's faces erupted into wide grins and wide eyes. "Yes, yes." Lightning squeaked like a she kit.
Reedpaw raised an eyebrow at them. "I think you two are the loco-crazy ones."
He trotted away, approaching Snailpaw, trying to make eye contact, but she avoided him. Her sorrow had taken over her rage.
Reedpaw tilted his head at an awkward angle, trying to peer at her eyes. "Maybe you are blind. How come you ain't looking at me?"
"'Cause you're ugly as a toad with dung for a pelt!" Snailpaw spat the first thing that popped into her head, blinking away the tears that had begun to form with a cocky smirk.
Reedpaw flinched, then hissed at her. "Well, you're an ice cold fox-heart!"
"Yeah, like that's new," Snailpaw growled sarcastically, rolling her eyes. It was weird. They were fighting, like they did moons ago, but it felt fun and almost normal. She liked it.
"Whatever, Snailpaw," Reedpaw snapped back. She pressed her nose to his face with an intimidating glint in her eyes.
"Get lost, Reedpaw," she snickered, then raised her tail high in the air and stalked off. "I'm going to hunt."
Reedpaw groaned loudly, sprinting to catch up with her. "I guess I'll come too, since I've nothing better to do."
"We can come, too!" Lightning exclaimed, dashing up to the pair, but they seemed so involved into a each other, they completely dismissed him.
"No, it seems we have to go alone, ugh," Reedpaw huffed, rolling his eyes for dramatic effect, but even a kit could see the tip of his tail curving to link with hers.
As they padded away into the undergrowth, their tails were completely twining together, rumbly purrs coming from them, and Snailpaw resting her head on his shoulder.
Abruptly, Reedpaw pulled away once they were out of sight of any other cats. His face looked droopy. He stared up at her, his face a mixture of several different emotions. Reedpaw opened his mouth to say something, but he decided against it and sprinted away into the undergrowth.
"Oh, StarClan, why?' Snailpaw sobbed quietly. She plucked a daisy with a claw, tugging off a petal as she recited, "to be, or not to be."
A/N
That was short. I am sorry. I'm back from vacation, and it was horrible. It sucked all my ideas from my whole being, so please please review/DM me ideas. For now, it's on hiatus.
Look, Reedpaw's following in his mother's pawsteps with amnesia.