Fiora trailed behind Spottedfeather, fear painted in her fiery amber eyes. She panted slightly, still tired from her secret trip to the mountains. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked the tom.
"Do not be afraid, Lady of Flame. They will not harm you," the tom assured her.
"I don't know… Morninglight will probably be hostile towards me, still." She winced, remembering the day she had met the Clanners. Morninglight was definitely not her friend.
"Morninglight will not touch you so long as I am with you." Spottedfeather turned his head, his gaze full of love. "No one will lay a whisker on you. I promise."
"Thank you, Spottedfeather," she purred.
The tom sent one more smile before showing her the way into camp. She came in right behind the black-and-white tom, her ears flattening as she heard the whispers of other cats.
Fiora looked around and immediately noticed the golden pelt of Morninglight. It was easy to recognize since the she-cat was seething with anger. Her fur began to bristle when she saw the she-cat coming towards them.
"Just what do you think you're doing here, you filthy rogue?" demanded the she-cat.
"I, uh…" Fiora trailed off, and looked to Spottedfeather for help.
"She has requested an audience with Smokestar," Spottedfeather explained quickly. "I thought it to be acceptable."
"Of course it's not okay." Morninglight lowered her voice to where Fiora could barely hear her. "You know how Smokestar feels about rogues."
"Be that as it may, Fiora has sufficient right to see Smokestar. Now I am taking her there. Please excuse us." Spottedfeather walked away from his clanmate without another word, and Fiora followed silently.
The tom led her to a secluded den. Must be Smokestar's, she decided.
"Wait out here for just a moment. I will call you in." Spottedfeather disappeared into the den.
After what seemed like many moments, Spottedfeather finally called her in. She took a deep breath and stepped inside.
She almost flinched when she saw the leader. His eyes were blazing with fury, and he was littered with battle scars. "Hello, sir. I-"
"Skip the formalities. Tell me why you're here," demanded Smokestar.
This time, Fiora did flinch. "Well, yes, okay. I come here to ask that I join your Clan. I-"
"Why do you think I'd let you join our Clan, when rogues like you killed half of us?" Smokestar glared at the ginger she-cat. "We have no room here for the likes of a filthy rogue such as you."
Fiora flinched this time. "Sir, I-"
"No. I will hear none of this. Get out of my den, get out of my camp, and get off of my territory. I do not want to see you ever again. Leave. Now." Smokestar turned away, and Fiora stood there trembling.
"Smokestar, I will not allow you to send away Fiora." Spottedfeather spoke up suddenly.
"Why not? Do you mean to defy your leader? Just because you're a part of this Clan now doesn't mean you will be forever," growled the dark tom.
"Fiora is a queen." Those four words made her head swirl. Of course Spottedfeather knew. He was the father, after all.
Smokestar turned on Fiora once more, this time careful to eye her belly. The realization hit him, and his gaze softened, though not much. "We do not take all queens. Give me a better reason."
"The kits are mine, Smokestar. I will deny it no longer. I took a rogue as my mate, and I do not regret doing so." Spottedfeather was calm as he spoke, and Fiora admired that.
Smokestar eyed Fiora one last time before turning to Spottedfeather. "She may stay, but there are three conditions. One, she must take a Clan name. Two, you must train her in Clan ways. Three, you will be the one to take care of her in the nursery."
"I understand, sir. Fiora?" His eyes turned to the ginger rogue.
"O-of course. I understand," she stammered. "Thank you for letting me stay."
"Now leave," Smokestar meowed harshly.
Without another word, the two cats left the leader in his den. Spottedfeather led Fiora to a different den. It smelled of milk and she-cats.
"This is the nursery," he told her. "You'll be residing here until the kits are six moons."
Fiora peered inside. "Are there any kits in there?"
"No, but we currently have two queens, Pheasantflight and Iceflower. They seem pleasant, so do not be concerned." Spottedfeather gave her a small, awkward nuzzle. "You may get settled. I will check on you later."
"Thank you." Fiora licked his muzzle, and she could feel the tom trying to shy away from the touch. He was still getting used to it, she knew.
Fiora watched the tom walk away before entering the den. Two cats were asleep in the back. Trying not to make a sound, she headed to a nest that was far away from the she-cats and sat down.
The golden she-cat lifted her head groggily. "Who's there?" Her grey eyes caught sight of Fiora. "Oh, hey there. Who are you?"
"I-I'm Fiora," she meowed cautiously.
"Oh. Hi, Fiora, I'm Pheasantflight. This sleeping furball is Iceflower. Welcome to TacoClan." Pheasantflight shot Fiora a smile before resting her head once more and falling into a deep slumber.
Fiora smiled. What a nice cat.
She heard a yowl from outside, and the golden she-cat leaped to her paws. "Clan meeting! Iceflower, wake up." Pheasantflight was prodding the white cat.
"I'm up, I'm up. Geez, Phes, it's just a meeting." Iceflower's gaze caught Fiora. "Who's that?"
Fiora smiled and her ears perked as she stepped outside of the nursery. She could see Smokestar and the cats gathered around him. She slid through the crowd and found Spottedfeather, who she stood next to with her pelt pressed against him.
"Cats of SmokeClan," began the leader. "Some of you may have noticed a newcomer amongst us. This she-cat is a queen who has come to us requesting that she join the Clan. I have agreed to-"
"Why should she join? She's just a filthy rogue," a cat spoke up. Fiora bristled. She knew who it was. "She attacked Flurrypelt and me during a patrol once," Morninglight said.
"Liar!" the ginger she-cat called out.
Morninglight bristled and turned towards Fiora. "Shut up you filthy rogue," she hissed.
"Make me," challenged Fiora, her fur standing on edge.
"Silence." It was Smokestar. "Morninglight, do not challenge my decisions. I have let her join for a reason. This she-cat is Spottedfeather's mate and it pregnant with his kits. I do not want to lose any more warriors than we already have. It was either she stays or he leaves."
Morninglight stayed silent, but it was obvious that she did not like this decision.
"As she is now a part of this Clan, it is custom that she takes on the name of a Clanner. I will be performing such a ceremony. Fiora, please step forward."
Fiora looked to Spottedfeather, who gave her a nudge forward. She nodded and stepped in to the front where she was seen by all cats.
She stood confidently as Smokestar performed the leader, and when it was over, she was no longer Fiora the rogue. She was Flametail, a queen of SmokeClan.
Flametail enjoyed her time in the nursery with Pheasantflight and Iceflower. The she-cats were nice to her despite her being an ex-rogue. Spottedfeather visited every day, and the two she-cats' mates, Whitewhisker and Eveningclaw, visited often. She was happy.
However, there came a time when her swollen belly began to hurt her, and she could feel ripples throughout her belly.
"Iceflower," Flametail spoke up with gritted teeth. "Go get Shadyleaf."
Iceflower looked at her with worry, but when she saw the look on the ginger queen's face, she hurried away.
The white she-cat soon came back with the small black she-cat, who had herbs in her mouth. "Time?"
"Time," Flametail said with a nod. A small yowl of pain escaped her jaws.
"Okay. Pheasantflight, go let Spottedfeather know. He'll want to be here. Iceflower, I'll need some help over here with the kits," instructed the medicine cat.
The golden queen quickly exited the den while the white queen crouched next to Flametail. The medicine cat passed Flametail a stick that she bit down on, screeching the entire time.
Spottedfeather joined the she-cats and Pheasantflight returned, which was good, because all four cats were needed.
When everything was over, there were four small kits curled against Flametail's belly. Shadyleaf gave Flametail one last herb before exiting the den, followed by Iceflower and Pheasantflight.
Flametail licked each kit affectionately. She looked to her mate, who was smiling.
"They need names," she commented quietly.
Spottedfeather crouched next to his mate. He nosed the tan tom-kit. "This one can be known as Dustkit."
"Perfect," she purred. She gave the ginger tom a lick. "This one can be Redkit."
"Beautiful name, love." He pointed to the ginger-and-white tom-kit. "This one shall be known as Firekit."
Fiora nodded her head as she licked the last one, the only she-cat of the litter, and the only one who looked like Spottedfeather. "This can be Splashkit." She looked to her mate for approval.
A flash of sorrow flashed in the green eyes of the tom, but it soon passed and he nodded. "Perfect, Lady of Flame."
By the end of that day, they were a family. Spottedfeather the father, Flametail the mother, and Dustkit, Redkit, Firekit, and Splashkit the kits.
Flametail watched the kits play. Dustkit had become the headstrong one, always picking on his siblings. Redkit was small and sensitive, constantly picked on for his wisp. Firekit was protective of Redkit, defending him to his last breath. Splashkit was kind and gentle. They were definitely a variety of personalities.
She loved them with all her heart, and as they pretended to hunt, Fiora couldn't help but remember spending her days hunting with their father. She smiled.
Pheasantflight and Iceflower had given birth to their kits, and all the kits were playing.
She watched as Dustkit pinned Fishkit, Pheasantflight's son. "Dustkit," she spoke up sternly. "Don't hurt him."
"I wasn't. We were just playing," complained Dustkit, crawling off of the golden tom-kit. "You're no fun."
Fishkit stuck his tiny tongue out at Dustkit and trotted to his mother. Pheasantflight shot Flametail a smile before licking the top of Fishkit's head.
Swiftkit, another one of the golden she-cat's kits, came running towards Dustkit. "I'm not scared!"
Dustkit gave a playful growl, than struck the she-kit with his paw. Swiftkit went flying and hit Pebblekit, her brother.
Flametail narrowed her eyes. "Dustkit, be nice. Pheasantflight's kits are much younger than you are."
"So? They're weak, and there is no room for weakness in the nursery." Dustkit shot the kits a nasty look.
Goosekit tumbled over to Dustkit. "It's just playing. It's not serious."
"Of course it's serious. Playing shapes us to be an apprentice which is how we become warriors," Dustkit told the tom-kit.
Goosekit frowned, and bounced away to his mother, Iceflower. "He's no fun," mumbled the small tom.
Flametail sighed. "Dustkit, how many times have I told you to play nice with the other kits?"
"A lot," mumbled the dusty tan kit.
"That's right, a lot," she said sternly. "What would your father say?"
"That he is very disappointed and expects better out of his kits." The black-and-white tom padded inside the den, his gaze set on Dustkit.
The tom-kit scampered away, obviously disappointed that his parents had ruined his fun.
Spottedfeather sighed before turning his gaze to Flametail. "How are you faring, Lady of Flame?"
"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" A sly smile came to Flametail's face.
Redkit trotted over, a smile on his face. "Daddy!" he exclaimed. "Did ya bwing ush anyt'ing?
"Not this time," he told Redkit, giving him a lick on the ear. "I'll bring something later," he promised.
"Yay! Hear dat Shpwashkit? Daddy ish gonna bwing ush shomet'ing ratew." Redkit skipped away, jolly despite his speech impediment.
Flametail watched her son go to Splashkit. She frowned. "He'll never be able to speak right," she said sadly.
"No, he won't. He's still happy, though, and that's all that matters." Spottedfeather gave Flametail a small lick on the ear. "He has his family and friends."
"I know." Flametail looked up into her mate's loving gaze. "I know."
AN: This takes place in the Tacoverse (TacoClan universe). It is an AU for if Fiora were to have joined TacoClan. Yup, yup.
If you don't understand what's wrong with Redkit, he was born with a speech problem, causing him to sound really weird. He was saying, "Daddy! Did you bring us anything?" then "Yay! Heat that Splashkit? Daddy is gonna bring us something later." My poor baby. ;-;
Merry (belated) Christmas, TacoClan. I love you guys.