VPOV
Black pain.
Pain.
Fire.
--
I looked down proudly at my wriggling kits. Fox looked at them with the same love. Steel had expressionless eyes outside. Raccoon was trying to hide a smile.
One kit looked exactly like his father, one was a silver tabby she-cat. The last one was a pretty golden tabby. I licked their heads as they suckled. We were in a small den in the forest, more likely an abandoned badger den. Steel and Raccoon was guarding the front as Fox and I named our kits.
I gushed, "This ginger one looks like you."
Fox nodded, a light of happiness in his eyes. I meowed, "Fox Jr.?"
Fox beamed and smiled, "I love it."
I pointed with my tail at the silver she-cat, "Storm?"
Fox mused over this a little bit, "Hmmm… yes."
The last golden she-cat was quite still. I prodded her gently with a paw and she hissed, lunging at it. I laughed and said, "You will be my little Dandelion." ooo
Her response was a gentle pummeling on her paws. I smiled. Fox did too.
After a few weeks inside the den, the kits started to open their eyes. The golden one's was clear blue, the silver one was green and the ginger one was also green.
I smiled as they struggled up and bounced around. My tail was constantly their target. The kits started to get restless and we headed outside.
Storm squeaked as a butterfly flew onto her nose. She bounced away into Fox (jr.). He pounced onto Storm and they started play-fighting.
Dandelion(Dandy) was looking strangely at a dandelion. I padded over to her and murmured, "That's a dandelion."
She looked at me with those pretty clear blue eyes and said, "Me?"
I nodded. Dandy batted at it and the white fluffs drifted into the air. She tried to lunge at them, but she landed on my nose instead. We both laughed and I batted her off. Raccoon brought back plenty of prey.
Dandy pounced on a still warm mouse and started playing with it. Storm and Fox (jr.) joined her.
I called to them and they started eating the mouse properly. After Dandy finished, she padded over to Raccoon gracefully and meowed clearly, "Thank you."
Fox and I were surprised. Raccoon was too and patted Dandy on the head, "Your welcome young one."
Dandy purred. I bristled. That was my kit! Not hers. I was poor at hiding my fury. Stiff-legged I stalked up to Raccoon and Dandy and picked up Dandy by the scruff.
Through a mouthful of fur, I meowed, "You shouldn't be straying so far from your siblings.
Dandy nodded and grew quiet and I placed her next to Fox. Dandy suddenly bristled and lunged at Fox with an intense glare. Fox cocked his head and was barreled over.
I thought they were just play-fighting until I saw the droplets of blood on the daisies around them. Fox noticed too. He drew Fox(jr.) away as I threw Dandy into a tussock of grass.
I pinned her down and hissed, "What are you doing?"
She whimpered. I let her go and sighed. Dandy slunk off to Storm. Storm looked scared at the golden she-cat and scurried of to play with Fox instead. Dandy drooped her head and headed towards the forest muttering to me as she brushed past, "I'm thirsty."
I led her to a lake, where lily pads were bobbing around. She took a long lap and a lily pad bobbed against her wet nose. Dandy looked up and bounced onto the lily pad. I called to her to come back. She was dashing across the lily pads with ease.
I looked at her worriedly. A frog jumped onto her lily pad and she gave a frightened squeak. She fell into the water, tail first.
DPOV
Oxygen was getting low as slippery bubbles slid past my mouth. My lungs were burning at the lack of air. Which way is up? Which way is down?
Water rushed in through my nose, and I gagged. My lungs burned fire. A scaly tail brushed my tail, and I flipped it up immediately.
A strong firm grip tightened around my scruff… AIR!
I breathed in and out, and I was dragged to shore. Wait! Where was Vixen, who saved me? I saw her head bobbing up and down in the water. Her paws were thrashing around wildly. A scaly tail ripped across the surface, towards her. I saw two beady eyes… what was that?
As Vixen saw what was coming towards her, she screamed and thrashed towards shore. I urged her on, but the scales and snapping jaws were gaining… gaining!
She heaved herself onto the shore and pulled herself out. Vixen was panting and gasping. Suddenly, the green monster snapped at her tail. She screeched. Fox burst out of the bush and reached for Vixen.
Too late.
She was gone. The snapping jaws engulfed her, and Fox cried out. The green snout was gone, and so was Vixen. Red blood stained the lake, and both of us were looking in horror.
Fox turned to me and snarled, "What did you do??"
I looked at him with grief in my eyes and I sobbed, "She saved me… I fell in, and that monster! It-it- Mother!!"
Fox's eyes overflowed with sorrow, pain and sadness. My eyes mirrored his. What have I done?
As we padded back to Steel and Raccoon, I was horrified at the small voice in my head that snickered, "One down, two to go…"