The Rocky Road

by xXBunnyLuverXx

A story about a young she-cat named SwanPaw, who must defend her Clan and live her life finding love, betrayal and obstacles in her path. She learns to become a stronger, more independent cat.

6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: A dark Soul arises.
*WARNING CHAPTER MAY CONTAIN MATURE SUBJECT MATTER. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.*

SwanFlight woke up in the middle of the night, the moon dappling the camp. HeronSwoop was still sleeping soundly, she purred softly at how peaceful he looked. She decided to go out for a walk, stopping at the lakes' edge. Her ears flicked backwards sensing someone coming.

"Mind if I join you?" HeronSwoop asked. She hadn't even realized he followed her. "Sure!" She purred warmly, staring out across the lake. "Is something wrong?" He mewed looking at her. "No why would anything be wrong?" She mewed confusedly. "Well usually cats with issues come out to think." He guessed. "Oh.." She murmured not knowing this. "I just.. feel like I've lost a lot.." She murmured. "How so..?" He tipped his head. "Well.. my fathers' gravely injured, not sure if he'll recover.. my mother's dead.. my sister's disappeared.. and a tom I thought I loved betrayed me from MarshClan.." She sighed. "Oh.." He mewed. They sat in silence for a bit, just letting their thoughts race through their heads. "W-What if I lose you..?" SwanFlight mewed, her eyes brimming with fear. "You'll never lose me, and if you do, I'm always in here." He pointed to her heart with a paw. She purred softly.

They were interrupted by two cats. FoxPaw and MarbledPaw- now MarbledStep stood side by side, a lust in their eyes. HeronSwoop stood protectively in front of her. "You sure you want to play that move sis?" Spat FoxPaw. It was like slow-motion, FoxPaw lunged onto HeronSwoop, MarbledStep tackling SwanFlight. He plunged himself into her, she gasped in pain. His claws re-opened her wounds, as tears streamed down her cheeks. As if by thin air they vanished. She shakily rose up from the ground. "NO!" She wailed in grief as she looked to HeronSwoop. The tom was covered in blood, his head shakily trying to lift himself up. He staggered back down to the ground. "Make a good mother to our kits.." He rasped. "I...Love...you..." He choked before his life left him entirely. "HERONSWOOP!" She wailed, her paws bathing in his pooled blood, tears streaking her cheeks onto his fur. Her shoulders trembled, her mind not even caring about the fact that MarbledStep raped her.

She hadn't even heard her ClanMates' slowly emerging from the shadows, gasping in shock. SwanFlight sat there, her beautiful white pelt now stained red. OtterSplash licked her ear comfortingly, leading her back to camp with her tail hung over her back. SwanFlight glanced over her shoulder, staring as her ClanMates' brought HeronSwoop back to camp to mourn him in peace. No one asked her what happened assuming she was too full of grief. OtterSplash gently helped groomed and bathe SwanFlights' pelt, returning it back to it's snowy self. "T-Thanks.." SwanFlight choked. OtterSplash nodded, giving her one final lick in between the ears before padding off, leaving SwanFlight to her thoughts.

SwanFlight stared up at the star-filled sky. She noticed one bright than all the others. "Thank StarClan you got there safely.." She murmured. Her mind suddenly flashed back to MarbledStep distracting her. She suddenly got up padding to PebbleNoses' den because if there was any cat she could trust, it would be PebbleNose. Her father slept soundly in one corner, his wounds patching up almost entirely. Due to his age, once recovered he would be forced to retire as an elder. "PebbleNose..? Are you up?" She whispered. A head popped up in the back of the den. "Yes? What is it?" A voice answered. "When FoxPaw tackled HeronSwoop... MarbledStep raped me..." She choked feeling her tears come back. She forced them away, trying to stay strong. "Oh no...do you think...?" PebbleNose whispered, even thought it was dark, SwanFlight saw her eyes widening. "I hope not.." She gulped nervously. She laid down on her side while PebbleNose checked her. "It's still too early to tell..." PebbleNose sighed.

"Here's some thyme and a poppy seed. Get some rest and we'll try again in a moon or so.." She mewed dropping the herbs at SwanFlights' paws. SwanFlight nodded, padding back to her nest. She stared at the nest beside her, reminding her of HeronSwoop. She sighed softly, lapping up the herbs. 'I swear to StarClan, if MarbledStep got me pregnant I'll kill off any kit that looks like him.' SwanFlight thought darkly. She fell asleep, but instantly regretted it. MarbledStep appeared from nowhere. "If you kill those kits, I'll kill you." He growled darkly. "What good would that do?" She retorted not intimidated at all by the towering tom. He merely glared. "I've killed your mate, your sister has joined me, your mother is dead, and your father is almost there." He spat. 'Ouch. That kinda got me.' She thought. "What's it going to take to get through to you?" He growled. "Well it depends on what you're trying to get through to." She spat. Suddenly, FoxPaw appeared. "You took everything away from me! I've been nothing but miserable ever since you were an apprentice!" She spat. "I took everything away from you!? More like the other way around!" SwanFlight spat her fur more than bristling. MarbledStep stood there confused. "Y-You lied..?" He mewed hurt. "What?! You're taking her side on this?! I could be carrying our kits!" She added the last part more quietly. "Well I'm just saying it makes sense..." He shuffled his paws. "I can't believe you." She huffed. They slowly faded and SwanFlight woke up.

It had seemed almost a moon since all that happened, and ever since, she entirely forgot to pay PebbleNose another visit. Every paw step shook when she walked forward. "P-PebbleNose?" She mewed. "Yes?" The voice replied. "I-I'm here regarding... uh.. y'know.." She mewed awkwardly noticing TidalFace and her father giving her strange looks. "Oh," PebbleNose responded understanding immediately. SwanFlight laid down on her side again, letting PebbleNose feel for her unborn kits. "You've moved on from HeronSwoop already? I didn't think you were so agile about it.." Her father noted from somewhere near the back of the den. "Er.. not exactly.." She mewed embarrassedly. "SwanFlight, it's affirmative you're expecting kits.." PebbleNose murmured softly. SwanFlight nodded, slipping out. From in the medicine den, she heard her father pestering PebbleNose with questions. She sighed, slipping into the dusty nursery. She settled into the nest, staring at her belly. She was already showing. A few more weeks and they'd be here... 'I hope HeronSwoop and OwlWing are alright..' She thought worriedly. A kick startled her out of her thoughts. She licked her belly as if she could already feel them. "Mommy's here.." She whispered. 'No matter who they are, I will not turn them out.' She thought flatly.