A/N: I figured that it was time to start this story again. Enjoy, and review!
A fine, light rain shrouded the city, clinging to pelts and making them heavy. A thick blanket of dark gray clouds covered the bright sun, and provided the rain that was endlessly falling. All buildings, large and small, were unidentifiable to even the keenest eye. To avoid wet fur and the muddy conditions in the many alleys, most BloodClan cats stayed in their warm dens under the ground, in dumpsters, or anywhere that they could find room.
However, one cat trudged through the sticky mud in a small and confined alley, which was made even dimmer by the gray landscape. Sharp yellow eyes watched the tabby cat make barely any progress, stumbling many times, mixing blood with mud.
When they had seen enough, the owner of those eyes turned, and left the cat alone, stuck whimpering in the muck. The cat's legs couldn't free themselves, and they churned deep within the wet dirt, making no advancement but severely tiring the cat out.
"Mother," Panther cried in anxiety. "Mother, Time, save me!" Unfortunately, deep within her clean, pure soul, the kit knew that her mother wasn't coming to save her ever. A band of cats, led by Silence, had raided Time's den late last night, about five hours ago. They had heard of the prophecy that Sun had given and had come to 'annihilate the fulfiller of the prophecy!'
Time, in desperation, had trapped the cats in her den, and shoved her only kit out to run. The raiders outnumbered her by many, but she held her own for a while, letting her kit get farther and farther away from those who wished to kill her. She defended the exit well until Cactus caught her flank unguarded and leapt upon it. As she took her last breaths, and her bright eyes became dim, she heard the attackers rush off, and hoped that Panther had gotten far enough away already.
The unwounded cats chased furiously after their target, sometimes drawing blood by scoring their claws on her flank. Finally, before she collapsed, the kit took a turn and hid underneath a dumpster. The rank scent of human garbage almost chased Panther out, but the thought of Silence and his rogues prowling about outside looking to kill her made her stay hidden underneath.
Finally, after five hours of crouching tensely she deemed it safe enough to come out. The sound of pawsteps had faded, and the scent of excitement and rotting prey that clung to the rogues like burrs had disappeared. What a mistake she had made when she decided to come out. At least underneath the dumpster had been warm and dry.
"I am not Time," a methodical voice mewed soothingly. "However, I can act as your mother figure and teach you in the ways of a BloodClan cat."
Panther tried turning, but failed as her legs were trapped by the mud. The she-cat moved in front of her, looking at the kit with guarded eyes. She was a long-haired cream she-cat, radiating power and grace. A much older, dark gray tom emerged from the elongated shadows in the alley. He seemed ancient compared to the young and boisterous cats that populated BloodClan, with his fur around his muzzle gray, and everything matted.
He looked old, but his eyes were still a sharp yellow, and he was able to hunt and defend himself, thus giving himself a home in BloodClan. She studied him curiously. Soon he would be killed off by the Elites if he didn't provide, so he must be still young, in a way.
"Tear told me that you had been chased by Silence, and you lost both of your parents. Is this true?" the cream she-cat asked, sitting down and placing her tail over her paws carefully.
Panther paused, not really sure if she should reveal her lineage to this cat. Of course, it could be her only chance of survival, as the she-cat might leave her to die if she said nothing. "Yes, it's all true. Ghost, my father, had died awhile ago, killed by Silence's claws," Panther mewed hesitantly, unsure of the details for Ghost died before she was born. "Silence raided Time's den, and now I am alone."
The she-cat's light blue eyes softened and she rose gracefully to her feet. "Thank you, Tear, for informing of Panther. Dawn, Mahogany and I will take good care of her." Tear dipped his head to the young she-cat, and limped off. The shadows soon engulfed his form, although his footsteps echoed around the alley walls for minutes later.
"Who are you?" Panther asked quietly. The she-cat looked the kit dead in the eyes before answering. As Time had taught her before her mother's death, Panther knew that the she-cat was proud and unafraid right now through her expression.
"Cream," she answered curtly. Cream grasped Panther's scruff between her sharp teeth gently and pulled slightly. The mud stuck tightly to her dark brown legs and caused a discomfort to Panther. Finally, after a few minutes of pulling, Cream was able to free the kit. Panther dangled freely from Cream's jaws, and the queen sped through the city easily, knowing every path and shortcut.
Cream moved deftly through the rain, darting and sliding out of the way of humans, cars or other animals, a feat that no Clan cat could have done. Finally, with a sigh, Cream approached a large, abandoned building, unseen seconds before through the fog. She slipped in, and dropped Panther on the hard ground.
A stale scent assaulted Panther, the scent of cats, blood, dust and dirt. Her ears detected the scuffling of small prey animals, breathing and the occasional creak of the old building. When her eyes finally adjusted, she was greeted with a dingy, dirt covered landscape. Some furniture was lying around, and underneath an armoire were two queens and five kits. They gazed wearily at the figures in the entrance, as if tired of attacks, but prepared for it.
"Who is it?" the gray queen hissed, unsheathing her claws and bristling her fur. Panther trembled, afraid that Cream had taken her to the wrong place, and that the queens were going to kill both of them.
Calmly, Cream pushed Panther away and shook out her fur, which was stuck to her sides because of the rain. The long haired strands let go of the moisture they had withheld and the wetness flew, splattering the dust and grime covered furniture and floor adding some darker color to the dreary landscape.
"It's me Cream, Dawn," the she-cat answered. Dawn's eyes became filled with recognition, for the long, light cream fur had been released from its hold. Relaxing, Dawn called over Mahogany and their kits. Two young kits, identical in every way, rushed over to Cream and started playing with her tail.
Mahogany walked over to Panther, her deep ginger pelt reflecting light without any sun. She sniffed the top of Panther's head, and making Panther's small kit ears flatten. "You really found Panther, huh Cream?" she asked, moving away from the well known kit and wrapping her tail around her long tail around her own bright ginger kit. "I really thought Tear was lying to you, as Time would never let her only kit wander about alone."
The sound of her mother's name made Panther flinch and press into Cream's long, comforting fur. "One must be strong as a BloodClan cat," Cream whispered into the kit's ears, pushing her into the middle of the floor. Cream looked into Mahogany's eyes and spoke aloud. "We shall keep Panther and train her as if she was our own." Dawn opened her mouth to say something, but Cream silenced it with a stern look. "We mustn't worry about Time wanting her kit back, for she is dead. I saw her body myself, and it had the scent of Cactus and Silence all over it."
Gasps came from every cat, even the small she-cat playing with the string on top of the chair. "Go play," Dawn mewed gruffly. "We must talk." She pushed Panther towards the gray kit. Solemnly Mahogany let go of her kit, and the twins followed him.
The crawled under a large desk, and when all were there, Mahogany's tom kit confronted her. "Who are you?" he asked, slightly hostile, "and who is your mother?"
"I am Panther, daughter of Ghost, former leader of BloodClan, and Time, an Elite," Panther answered with pride in her lineage. She spoke with rebellion, as if she wouldn't take anything from this cat.
The ginger tom's face fell. "Oh," he mewed. "I'm Rust, the gray kit is Claw, and the twins are Take and Keep." Panther nodded in turn for each of the names, trying to remember them. The twins would be hard, but she could tell them apart if she remembered that take had a small black spot on her nose while Keep didn't.
"What are we doing?" Claw asked, her voice high and squeaky. "They told us to play, and I want to play. It'll also be so much more funner than sitting here talking."
Rust paused, and looked at Claw. He pounced when she least expected it, closely followed by Take and Keep. Panther joined, laughing as they tumbled around the floor. She was enjoying herself greatly, but deep underneath the pleasure, Panther missed the calm, stern mother that now roamed StarClan.
A/N: How'd I do for the second chapter of my first story on this site? Please review and tell me so. (I said please…)