Challenge: Imagination or Reality

Word Count (min. 550): 875

Rating: K, suitable for all ages

Seeing is Believing

Fawnstep entered the warriors den with a large rabbit in her jaws and sat in her nest in the middle of the den. She glanced around quickly before placing her prey on the ground.

"Here you go, Lilystorm," the pale brown she-cat purred. "You haven't eaten at all today and I thought you might be hungry."

From the shadows walked a cream coloured she-cat. Her green eyes shone with gratitude and she stepped forwards to lay in the nest in front of her companion so she could share the rabbit. "Thanks!"

"So how has your day been?" Fawnstep meowed as she tore a piece of the rabbit off and passed it over to Lilystorm.

"Alright," the cream warrior shrugged. "It gets a little boring when you're not around. I miss you."

Fawnstep opened her mouth to answer when a hiss from behind, interrupted her.

"Fawnstep! Why are you putting pieces of rabbit in my nest again?!"

With a wince, the brown she-cat turned around to face a livid black tom. She sighed. Blackfrost has caught me again.

"I'm just giving some to Lilystorm!" Fawnstep argued. "She'll get out of your nest as soon as she's finished eating. She hasn't eaten all day, you know!"

"How many times must I tell you?" Blackfrost sighed angrily. "There's no one there! You're just jealous that I got an apprentice before you did, aren't you?"

"...No!" Fawnstep answered, annoyed, as she stiffened and her pelt stood on end. "Well... yes..." she admitted to the younger tom. "But I'm just sharing my catch with Lilystorm! Can't you see how thin she is?"

"I can't see anything!" Blackfrost retorted.

Fawnstep let out a low growl and turned away from Blackfrost, putting her attention over to Lilystorm once again.

"Don't listen to him," she meowed. "He's just jealous that I have friends."

Lilystorm purred. "It's okay. As long as you're here, I'm alright."

"That's so sweet," Fawnstep purred in response. "Thank you."

From behind her, the brown she-cat heard Blackfrost groan. "You're crazy," he muttered.

Fawnstep pinned her ears back and glared back at Blackfrost. "I am not! She's real!"

She noticed her father walk past the entrance of the den and she jumped up and bounded over to the brown and white warrior. "Branchfang!" she whined "Tell Blackfrost that Lilystorm is real! He doesn't believe me!"

Branchfang looked at Fawnstep, worry glimmering in his brown eyes. "Well... Um..."

"You don't believe me either!" Fawnstep cried before Branchfang had time to answer. "You think I'm crazy too, don't you?" Branchfang lowered his head in shame and Fawnstep whipped her tail angrily. "How can you not remember your other daughter? My sister!"

"My other daughter is still in RainClan," Branchfang replied cooly. "She's still with your mother. You've just made Lilystorm up because you were lonely as a kit. She's not real. At least, not the one you're talking about."

"You're wrong!" Fawnstep growled. "You're all wrong! Lilystorm is real! How else could I remember her? I remember playing with Lilykit before you brought me to LightClan. When you brought me here, she stayed behind, but a quarter-moon later, she told me that she missed me so much and decided to stay in LightClan with me. She's been with me ever since."

"You and your sister weren't named until I brought you here," Branchfang meowed, exasperated. "Your sister could have been called anything. Puddlekit, Rosekit, even Birdkit."

"Mother always said that she reminded her of a lily, so that's why her name is Lilystorm," Fawnstep growled. "I remember it. I'm not crazy and I can prove it!"

"Whatever you're going to prove, do it later." A voice came from behind the father and daughter and a silver and black tabby she-cat walked up to them. "Fawnstep, you are to go with Beestripe, Paleclaw, Tigerfrost and Fishpaw to check and re-scent the borders."

"Alright Silverstorm," Fawnstep meowed. She glared at her father. "I'll prove that Lilystorm is real. You can count on that."

.

"Are we done yet?"

Fawnstep rolled her eyes at the tan apprentice. "Yes, Fishpaw. That was the last scent marker."

The apprentice let out a sigh of relief and lifted his paws to lick his sore pads. Tigerfrost flicked his tail and beckoned for the small patrol to follow him back to the camp. A rustle from over the RainClan border caused Fawnstep to stop in her tracks and look over her shoulder.

A squirrel burst into the open, pursued by a cream-coloured she-cat.

Lilystorm!

"Hey! Lilystorm!" Fawnstep called. "What are you doing over the border?"

The she-cat stopped, her green eyes flashing with confusion and annoyance. "I almost had that squirrel, you mouse-brain!" she hissed.

Fawnstep was taken aback and her lip trembled as she tried to find something to respond with. She's never spoken to me like that before...

"L-Lilystorm?"

"Why are you calling me that?" the she-cat huffed. "My name is Lilyfall. Who are you?

Fawnstep's eyes widened as she realised that her Clan was right. She had made Lilystorm up. She was crazy. Now I'm never going to hear anything but "I told you so" from Blackfrost...

"Well?"

"I'm Fawnstep..." she breathed in shock, unable to talk any louder than a rasping whisper. "I'm your sister..."