My Bloody Choice - Chapter 1
This is the first chapter, and as you can see, it isn't written from Mapleshade's point of view. Instead, it is written from Redleaf's (her mother) perspective. This will hopefully give you a good idea about how other cats thought of her; she was just a normal kit longing to be a warrior and had dreams of being leader. Redleaf worries that life will only let her down and she will never accomplish her dreams, but can't bring herself to break her daughter's heart. It is then that she receives a prophecy foretelling a life of pain, hardship, and darkness in her daughter's future.
I don't own Warriors.
One – "That Will Be Me"
"Maplekit!" Redleaf called from outside the nursery. "Don't wander too far off, now!" she called. Redleaf lay on her side, basking in the sunlight. Newleaf was the best time to have a litter, and her own was blossoming. With a total of four kits and the biggest litter for the last five moons, she couldn't help but feel proud of her family. She looked on fondly as her two daughters, Maplekit and Rosekit played with a small ball of moss, tossing it back and forth. Rosekit had Redleaf's looks—she was a small, lithe, dark ginger she-cat with bright green eyes. When she grew up, Rosekit would be one of the most beautiful she-cats in the Clan, Red leaf could see that. Her other daughter, however, wasn't as pretty.
Maplekit was a short, stalky, broad-shouldered tortoiseshell she-kit. Her pelt was predominantly ginger and white with some black splattered on carelessly. Her stark, white tail stuck out the most as it waved happily in the air, acting as a rudder to steady the young kit while she played. Redleaf worried about her daughter's future. Maplekit was very independent and often had dreams of becoming Clan leader. Redleaf would humor her, saying that she knew Maplekit would make a great leader, but she had her doubts. She felt guilty for feeling the way she did, but she didn't believe Maplekit would be successful. She couldn't even imagine her kit gaining any form of authority. And, as unimportant as it was, Redleaf was mostly worried about little Maplekit finding a mate.
The she-cat was not pretty. What tom would want an ugly she-cat? Redleaf felt awful for thinking of her daughter as being ugly, but she could not deny or ignore what was plainly true. Maplekit didn't look like Redleaf, or her father, Bonefur, a white cat. What would Maplekit's future hold if she did not take a mate, or become leader? Perhaps being a medicine cat would be a better occupation, but Maplekit showed no signs of swaying from her goal of power.
Redleaf yawned and stretched slowly. The greenleaf sun felt divine on her red fur. She wished that leaf-bare never existed. She wished that leaf-fall never existed either. For now, she was content where she was. In less than a moon, her kits would be apprenticed and they would be out of her fur. She would be able to move back to the warriors' den with Bonefur. Perhaps her next litter would be better.
"Mommy!" one of her kits called.
Redleaf opened her eyes to see her two sons bouncing over to her. Fallkit and Rainkit took after their father. Fallkit was the largest of the litter and had his father's white pelt, and his grandmother's deep blue eyes. Rainkit was a dark gray tom who also had the same, deep blue eyes. They were both turning into very handsome tomcats. Redleaf would never have to worry about her sons—they would be fine wherever they went. Why couldn't Maplekit be that way?
"I heard that Emberstar is going to call a Clan meeting!" Fallkit meowed.
Redleaf yawned a second time. "Were you two sticking your noses into places you shouldn't have been? How did you come about this information?"
Fallkit looked down, self-consciously. "Well, we heard Spottedfur talking about."
Redleaf shook her head at her kits' antics. "Please, you have just one moon left in this nursery. Can you please behave yourselves?" she asked tiredly.
"Yes, mother," the two toms said softly.
The queen purred, mildly pleased by their answer. She knew in her heart that they were only saying it to appease her. There would be many more expeditions before they became apprentices. They had not been caught snooping around yet, but it was only a matter of time. Once they were apprentices, their training would allow them to release their energy, and they would be less prone to get into trouble, or so Redleaf hoped.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath Highrock for a Clan meeting!" Emberstar's yowl split the air. Redleaf looked up to see the golden-furred leader standing on Highrock, looking as regal as ever. He gazed down, his green eyes raking the ThunderClan camp.
Maplekit and Rosekit scampered over to their mother. "One day, that will be me up there!" Maplekit whispered to Rosekit. "I'll be Clan leader! Can't you just see it? Maplestar leader of ThunderClan!" she squeaked happily.
Redleaf looked at her two daughters sitting next to one another by her tail and sighed. She knew that one day her daughter's dreams would be crushed. There can only be one leader. The odds that it would be her were slim. She called her two sons over, and they sat next to their sisters. Today, Emberstar was making warriors out of three apprentices. She knew that one day, that would be her children. The thought of her kits being made into great warriors made her heart warm with pride.
"Beware of the darkness," a windy voice whispered, making Redleaf jump. She looked around rapidly, searching for the source of the voice. "The darkness will consume her," the voice said.
Redleaf dared not speak aloud; she did not want to worry her kits. What do you mean!? she yowled in her mind.
"The maple will grow strong and proud, but then, the sun will cease shining, and she will be left in the shade. There, the darkness will consume her heart and the dark whispers will control her mind."
Redleaf's eyes widened in horror. What do you mean?! she demanded, but the presence had left. Her gaze landed directly on her daughter. What will become of you, my kit? she wondered. What will become of you?
The Clan shouted the names of the new warriors with heart and pride. Redleaf's litter joined in, yowling and squeaking away. When the ceremony was over, Maplekit let out a playful growl and tackled her brother Fallkit to the ground. "I'm going to be the best warrior in ThunderClan!" she declared, battering at her brother's face gently.
Rainkit knocked her off. "No! I will be!"
Redleaf looked on fondly as her kits played. How could her daughter ever be consumed by darkness? Sure, her expectations of life were a little high, but she was still just an innocent kit. She did not know the way the world worked yet. With time, she would gain experience and she would grow and learn like every other cat. She would be fine. A mate wasn't a necessity, and if she was happy with being a single warrior, what was the harm in it?
"You will be fine, my daughter," Redleaf whispered softly. "You will grow and be good and strong."
"Training to be strong warriors are we?" Bonefur's voice caused Redleaf to snap out of her thoughts.
She looked up as her mate was nearly tackled and mauled by his kittens. "Father! Father!" they cried happily.
Bonefur chuckled at their enthusiasm and happiness. "Yes, yes, alright," he said, pulling himself to his paws. "Great StarClan, you kits are about as fierce as ShadowClan warriors!" he purred. "I think I would much rather prefer the ShadowClan cats than getting tackled and licked to death by you four! At least with the ShadowClan warrior I stand a chance!"
The kits purred, pleased by his reaction. "We're gonna be the best warriors in the whole Clan!" Rainkit boasted, puffing out his chest.
"Yeah!" Maplekit agreed. "We'll be the most feared cats in the whole forest! We'll be so good, no one will want to fight us, because we would easily beat them in a fight!"
Redleaf watched her daughter with a smile. What was the harm in dreaming? She was just being a normal kit, wasn't she? There was nothing wrong with Maplekit. She probably had imagined the whole thing! She was wrong: she didn't need to worry about Maplekit. She would be fine.
A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!