This one is…weird. Thanks to my faithful reviewers like rainstorm007 and edward4life

i hope i get more readers...i had more before i deleted this story. r my old readers angry with me?

Runningpaw's lips curled as the scent of kittypets, two by the smell of them, wafted into his nose. The breeze carried the scent that could be smelled as far as the Thunderpath. It was disgusting.

Of all the places that a kittypet could wander- why was it in the forest? Those soft cats were more curious than a five-moon-old kit! Always getting their muzzles into some other cat's business! Runningpaw shook his head with disgust.

But perhaps these kittypets really wanted to be here in the forest- not just looming around like some kind of cat's annoying shadow. Besides, kittypets didn't usually risk meeting wild cats like the ones in ThunderClan- these ones must have meant business.

The light brown tom gulped and shouldered his way out of the thick bracken. It scraped his sides an he winced as he felt a thorn get stuck in his thigh from the bramble bushes. But Runningpaw ignored it. He didn't want to show weakness around these softies.

Runningpaw pushed his nose through the bracken, curiosity brimming in his sapphire eyes. At first, he didn't see anything- the scent was slowly dissolving into the sunhigh air. Making sure that no cat was around, he curled up and started to pull the thorn gently out of his side. He winced as he saw blood flowing out of it, yet felt a fire begin burning inside him as he realised that he had the perfect chance to meet Cinnamonpaw.

Suddenly, as Runningpaw spat the thorn onto the sandy floor, the kittypet scent came flooding back again. The light brown tom froze. Where were these cats? Were they in the sandy hollow or not?

And Runningpaw felt his stomach start to knot as he thought, Where these cats even kittypets? It was a possibility that they were forest cats trying to trick him into getting some serious injury.

These thoughts flew out of his head. Immediately, a snarl filled the air and a she-cat, reeking of kittypet, flew through the air. The kittypet was a pale tabby, with a collar that was the color of a bright rose. She flung herself on top of Runningpaw and started to nip at the scruff of his neck. He realized that there was only one now- the other one must have gone somewhere to hide from forest cats.

He felt some blood on his neck, but otherwise the she-cat's bite wasn't very good. It hardy prickled his fur, and Runningpaw didn't feel a thing. It actually kind of tickled, Runningpaw realized. This kittypet was almost powerless against a fully trained apprentice, about to be a warrior in less than a moon.

He hissed as he flipped the she-cat over onto her back. He gave her a hostile look, instantly telling her to keep out and never come back. To compliment the look, he bit the kittypet's ear. He wanted to mew "Get out of here! You don't belong in a place like this!" but decided not to. It would be impolite if he snarled something to the kittypet.

The light brown tom unsheathed his claws and brought his paw down onto the kittypet's head hard, leaving a coupe of clawmarks on her head.

She yowled with terror, yet didn't stop. Her claws out, she sliced her claws down Runningpaw's face. Blood seeped out of the wound on the bridge of Runningpaw's nose, making him wince. But he couldn't show weakness around this kittypet, it would bee too embarrassing.

Runningpaw hissed ferociously as the she-cat took his scruff in his teeth. She didn't even shake him, just kept digging her teeth into his scruff. Runningpaw smirked and went limp, giving the kittypet the impression he was defeated.

She looked down at her work with pride, still not letting go of the light brown tom's scruff. She smiled proudly, her eyes beaming and brimming with happiness.

Suddenly, Runningpaw's eyes snapped open, and he snarled as he kicked out with his feet. She flew out off of him and slammed into a tree with a loud thump. She looked stunned, and she just lay there, her eyes looking out to nowhere. The apprentice had defeated the kittypet.

Runningpaw at first was happy for himself- he had done something good. Driven out kittypet intruders. Maybe now I will be made a warrior, Runningpaw felt with spite.

But he couldn't help but feel guilty at the sight of the poor kittypet, laying sprawled out in front of the birch tree. She looked really damaged. Her head was bleeding like crazy and her ear was bleeding just a little. But otherwise, she was okay. But Runningpaw couldn't help but feel stupid for showing so much hostility around just a feeble kittypet.

"Uh… you okay?" He asked, padding up to the she-cat with sympathy.

She didn't say anything, just sitting there, blood flowing out of the scar on her head where Runningpaw had brought down all of his weight. He winced at the sight of her single wound. Imagine what would have happened if he hadn't ended the fight…she would have been swimming in her own blood if kittypets shed this much blood.

Runningpaw leaped back with a lurch in his stomach as the she-cat leaped to her paws immediately, glaring into Runningpaw's sapphire eyes. She smiled, but didn't say anything yet. She leaped up on top of him and clawed up at the top of his back where he couldn't reach.

He howled and rolled onto his back, where she kicked his belly and left him twice as battered as she was.

Runningpaw was dazed at how impressively the she-cat had fought. And she was a kittypet! She was a house cat that had never seen the forest or any Clan cats before, let alone fought for real with claws and teeth before. She was a good fighter…and ThunderClan needed more cats like this. Imagine how strong she could be if she got training! That didn't sound like a bad idea at all to Runningpaw…

He huffed and smiled at the she-cat. "Wow," He breathed to the kittypet, "You did well." He noticed that this was the first time the two had communicated since they saw each other, other than when he had checked on her when she got slammed against the tree.

She looked down at her brown paws and said nothing. Her green eyes stared up at him and folded to a glare. She still seemed to be hostile.

Runningpaw still went on. "Uh, how old are you?" He mewed, anxiously kneading his paws. "I'm…I just turned eleven moons, how about you?" He asked.

She still didn't say anything. She just nodded as if to signify, "Me too."

Runningpaw smiled. "Y- you too? That's weird, but really cool too!" He tried not to sound too nervous, as he was around this kittypet. He would feel a bit better if it were a tom, this way the silence could possibly be broken and it wouldn't be so awkward to be around the cat that just defeated you in a fight.

She shrugged, but nodded along with him.

The light brown tom sighed. "Well, do you feel okay?" He asked, looking down at his paws. "I am sorry that I kind of hurt you, I really didn't mean to."

She shrugged but still said nothing. Runningpaw wanted to get some words out of her, but sbe didn't seem to prefer to be chatty, so he stayed social and not encouraging her to talk at all.

Runningpaw sighed. "Wow, you really bloodied me up a lot!" He meowed thoughtfully, licking his wounds. "That was some really good fighting you did there. Was it hard?" He asked. He tasted salty blood with disgust. However friendly he was, he felt nothing but fury at the thought that a kittypet had defeated him in a fight single-pawed. A kittypet! He was really getting weak lately.

"Yeah, I myself wasn't fighting very well," he continued when he noticed the dusky brown she-cat kept quiet, "I guess the two of us should switch! You be a forest cat, and I be the kittypet!" Runningpaw purred.

To his surprise, Runningpaw saw the kittypet also shaking with silent laughter. Her eyes were narrowed, but she was smiling with pure laughter. Still, no sound came out. Great StarClan, thought Runningpaw, is this kittypet a mute? Did her brother or mother or something claw out her tongue or something when she was born?

Runningpaw stopped laughing and was serious now. This kittypet really seemed like the perfect cat for ThunderClan- witty, strong, good-humored, and stunningly beautiful, Runningpaw realized with a jolt. No way! No way did he just think a kittypet was pretty! He shook his head. Just hanging out with this kittypet for a few minutes had already brainwashed him, he was thinking a kittypet was pretty!

"So, what's your name?" He asked, peering into her beautiful (what was he thinking?!) green eyes. "Mine's Runningpaw."

The kittypet squinted. "Runningpaw?" She finally mewed. The apprentice was shocked to hear the she-cat say a whole sentence. He thought she was just going to refuse to talk the entire time to a forest cat like Runningpaw was some kind of fox that was asking to kitsit her kits. "What a funny name. Do you live…" She gestured to the bushes leading to ThunderClan camp.

"In the forest?" Finished Runningpaw. "Actually, I do! Right over there, in ThunderClan camp." He puffed out his chest with pride. He could tell this kittypet, who was new to the forest, all about the Clans and fighting and cats and everything! Plus, this could raise the odds of the she-cat wanting to join the Clan.

"ThunderClan?" she asked, squinting with confusion again. "What the heck is that?"

"Here, let me explain…" and Runningpaw started telling the kittypet about the life of an apprentice, hunting, the fights, the other Clans, and the benefits of living in the forest. "It gives us such freedom," Runningpaw explained. "It is way better than sitting around in a Twoleg nest all day."

The kittypet shrugged. "I-I'm not sure. It does sound awfully great, Runningpaw, but…" She hesitated, blinking her eyes quickly. Oh why does she have to do that? Runningpaw thought with a pain in his heart. It only makes me want her more! Instantly getting back into character, he sat up straighter and listened to what the she-cat had to say instead of looking into her deep emerald eyes.

"Runningpaw, oh I'm sorry, but I'll have to think about it," She whispered. She still smiled at him though when she finally mewed, "How about," She mewed thoughtfully, "How about that I go back to my nest and think about it. I'm sure my Twolegs would be heartbroken to not have me around anymore…" She lowered her head at the thought. "So…I'm not sure. Do you want me to come back and meet you soon?" She asked.

The light brown tom nodded with enthusiasm. "Yeah, that sounds great! How about…in about five sunrises?" He asked.

The kittypet nodded. "Ok, sounds good!" She exclaimed. She sounded exhilarated at the thought of living in the forest, yet reluctant to leave her Twoleg nest. She leaped out of the undergrowth and headed back to her Twoleg home.

Runningpaw lifted his head, suddenly remembering something. "Oh, wait!" He called back to the she-cat. He no longer thought of her as a kittypet, but of something more…a soon to be apprentice, a soon to be warrior…just a she-cat for now.

She flew back out of the bushes. Runningpaw was impressed as he could hardly hear her coming back. "What?" She asked.

"What's your name?" He called.

"Oh," She blushed. "Molly.

"

Runningpaw grimaced. Molly? What kind of name was Molly? It must have been a Twoleg name that they named their kittypets. He shrugged. At least it wasn't something worse- like Tinky or Purry or some other kittypet names that he had been told when he was a kit. Actually, Molly was a nice name for a kittypet.

Runningpaw started back to camp, feeling good. ThunderClan could possibly have a new apprentice coming! He smiled to himself. He was so happy that a new member of the Clan was going to be there!

Suddenly, Runningpaw remembered that he still had to hunt. Hurriedly, he set off in the direction of Snakerocks.