In my head I knew I was great,

I received praise for every well executed move.

For every battle technique that was displayed,

I proved that this was my strength.

Whether it was the bulk of Badgerpaw,

Or the agility of Snakepaw,

I managed to prove myself the best of the best.

Some despised me for my abilities,

But many adored me.

I enjoyed the attention I was given,

It was my goal to remain making my Clanmates proud.

It put a smile on my face just to see my parents' prideful expressions.

My mentor was thrilled.

Perhaps another moon of training and I would attend the gathering,

Not as an apprentice, but a warrior.

However,

With every skill there comes a flaw.

My sister,

Briarpaw she was called,

Rose to the ranks of glory.

Not beside me,

But rising past me.

Hunting was her specialty,

Making her a popular idol among the Clan.

The kits particularly enjoyed her presence,

Most often they were practicing their hunting crouch,

Many had considered it the "Briarpaw Crouch".

It sickened me inside,

As her fame increased,

My abilities were outshone.

By my own sister no less!

My Clanmates began to ignore me,

Just as they had when I was but a kit.

If they indeed noticed me,

It wasn't to praise my skills.

I could still hear their taunts,

"Brindlepaw! Brindlepaw!" they crowed,

"Why can't you be more like your sister?"

I wanted to snap at them,

I wanted to regain my place on top.

Now, I see that as somewhat selfish,

But I didn't think that then.

"You'll see!" I called out to my former friends,

"I can be just like Briarpaw! I'll be the best fighter and hunter!"

With those same former friends,

They followed me into the woods.

The followed me with silent snickers,

Inwardly knowing I couldn't be as great as my sibling.

A shrill cry alerted us,

Perched in a tree above us sat a robin.

"An easy kill," Snakepaw mewed softly,

"But she'll never catch it," Badgerpaw added.

I resisted,

I resisted the urge to claw the smirks from their flea-bitten muzzles.

Using what little knowledge I had,

I dropped into a crouch.

With soft and silent paw steps,

I inched my way up the trunk.

The red-breasted robin came further into view,

The urge to pounce even greater now that I was experiencing it.

My haunches wiggled,

Ears pinned back I was ready to leap.

Mouth ajar with fangs I lept,

Claws extended.

A sudden snap brought the robin to senses,

Startled, it flew.

I had no time to halt,

I was already mid-air.

My claws scraped against the branch,

Missing it by a whisker.

Gravity pulled me towards the earth,

Everything fell in slow motion.

A long yowl echoed through the trees,

Followed by the thump of a body hitting the leaf littered ground.

I cringed,

My forepaw inflamed as I tried to stand.

Finding no energy to rise,

I lay there in silence,

Listening to the snickers.

They roared and howled,

Gasping for breath within each giggle.

Tears of shame rolled down my cheeks,

My body trembling and racked with sobs.

"Aww, poor Brindle's crying!" Foxpaw wailed with laughter.

"Go back to mother," the snarky voice of Briarpaw was heard,

"You're nothing but a disgrace. You could never compare to me."

And so I ran.

Not back to camp,

But away.

Far away.

As far as my three paws would take me.

Tears flooded my vision,

Beyond the point of pausing to blink them aside.

I couldn't stop,

I was beyond my breaking point.

The scent of the border became blurred,

I couldn't tell where I was.

Eventually, I tripped,

I was sent sprawling across the ground where twigs lashed out at my pelt.

I couldn't find the strength to continue,

So I lay there,

Sobbing my heart out until the tears ran dry.

I don't know how long I lay there,

But it must have been a long while.

Paw steps thundered closer,

I shank back in fear,

Fear of my "friends" coming back to add more taunts.

But I heard no familiar voice.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

The voice- male upon listening closely,

Sounded like pure, rich honey.

He sounded genuinely concerned,

A feeling I had not heard as of late.

"Why are you crying?" he pressed on,

"Look at you; you're all dirty. Oh! And your paw, poor thing. What's your name?"

"B-Brindlepaw," I stuttered.

"I'm Tigerpaw," the voice added,

A warm flare surrounding the area.

"Come on then, Brindlepaw," Tigerpaw meowed,

"I"ll take you to ShadowClan camp, you can get yourself cleaned up there."

I leaned on the tom's shoulder,

Grateful for a concerned soul that which I could fall back on.

Padding further on I left my past behind,

My friends, my Clanmates, my sister...

They all became shadows as I was led farther into the trees.

All dark memories fading,

Replaced with the hopes of a better life.

My first challenge for FallenClan. Called Best of the Best. And since I didn't want a particularly sad ending- read some of my other one-shots to see what I'm talking about- I decided to give Brindlepaw a happier ending. Hope you enjoyed!