Stayed up too late and it hurts to breathe
Said it's 4 A.M., girl go back to sleep
Sometimes at night I can hear her dreams

Come rescue me, Come rescue me
Don't you ever leave, Don't you ever leave
I know we got our problems and it's probably me
So hold onto me, hold onto me

- Hold Onto Me, Mayday Parade

Chapter Twenty:

Whitepetal didn't get any sleep the first night away from Shadowfire.

It's because I haven't been in the nursery at all, the white warrior told herself as she tossed and turned in her nest.

It's because you're scared you'll wake up and find Shdowfire's body in the middle of the clearing, her mind purred mockingly.

Shut up, mind. What do you know? Whitepetal retorted, and much to her delight her mind shut up.

She was lucky that she wasn't alone in the nursery. Brightdove and her moon old kits were sleeping soundly at one corner of the den, while Desertrose, Mossflight, and Creekblossom were at the rest. Whitepetal -for being the newcomer in the group- was in the dead center, where the cats that would walk past the nursery could look directly at her.

Much to her surprise, Whitepetal didn't care that cats could look at her with just a meek glance at the nursery entrance. All she cared about was that Shadowfire would stop getting beaten to the point where the medicine cats were running out of herbs -and fast.

Whitepetal -with much effort, considering the fact that her belly was twice its normal size- rose to her paws, swaying slightly from all the weight she was carrying.

"You know," Desertrose remarked in between licks of her paws, "your kits should be coming any day now... I remember when my four came; it was the middle of leafbare -the night, even!"

Whitepetal smoothed her chest fur with a few swift licks from her tongue. She gaze a Desertrose for a moment, finally seeing what every cat was chattering like birds about; there was gray lining the she-cat's muzzle, and her once beautiful and well-kept pelt was duller and starting to mat. At this rate, Desertrose was close to becoming an elder, but being as she adored new queens and helping them during births and teaching them the skills of keeping track of the little bundles of fur, many cats assumed that she would stay in the nursery until she felt the need to go into the elder's den.

"We know, Desertrose..." Mossflight grumbled from her corner of the den, her tortoiseshell pelt contrasting with the moss and bracken underneath it. "You've told us how many times now?"

"Six..." added Creekblossom with a casual flick of her tail. "I have a feeling she'll be telling that story for moons on end... I wish my kits would hurry up and come so I don't have to hear it!"

"Oh, you two be quiet!" Desertrose chided, a purr of amusement following her words.

"It's the truth," Creekblossom stated with a small chuckle.

"Might as well admit it, Desertrose." Mossflight added warmly, twitching her ear-tips.

Whitepetal let out a warm purr as Desertrose rolled her eyes at the two expecting queens. With a sigh of contempt, the white she-cat padded towards the entrance of the nursery, leaving the three she-cat's bickering playfully at one another until Brightdove snapped at them to shut their traps.

As she was exiting the den, Whitepetal heard the scream of Shadowfire... He was being tortured again.

The lichen to the old, abandoned den swayed for a moment before Hawktalon and Blackfang padded out, their pelts and claws stained and reeking of blood. They sat down outside the den and began to groom their fur of the bloodied mess they had made on it.

With a cry of agony and betrayal, Whitepetal bounded -as best she could while expecting kits- forward to the entrance of the den.

"Not as fast, little cat." a sweet purr sounded beside her, laced with fake concern and care for her.

Whiteptal hissed and turned her head sharply to the side, staring into the cold and lifeless eyes of Hawktalon.

"You monster," she snarled, baring her teeth. "You promised you wouldn't hurt him."

"Oh, darling Whitepetal..." Hawktalon purred, wrapping his tail around her right forepaw to which the white she-cat hissed and shook it off. "We didn't hurt him one measly little bit, did we Blackfang?" when the black warrior nodded his head in agreement, he went on. "We just gave him a... Simply warning, shall we say."

"A simple warning?" Whitepetal hissed. "You call all that blood on your fur and claws a simple warning?"

"Indeed we do, darling." Hawktalon smirked at his own comment.

"Where's Cliffstar?" Whitepetal demanded, lashing her tail.

"Why, he's inside the den." it was now Blackfang who spoke. "Why? Are you worried about you little friend Shadowfire? Afraid your leader is going to do something to him?" He smiled. "You really are a soft kittypet, aren't you? I knew it all along yet no cat listened... Such a shame, really."

"Now," said Hawktalon with a twitch of his tail, "if you'll excuse us, we've got a dusk patrol to lead..."

Whitepetal watched the two toms leave, her pelt brisling and boiling with anger as she padded inside the den to find Cliffstar laying next to Shadowfire's nest.

But it wasn't in any friendly manner.

Cliffstar's neck had been ripped open, and reeking of Shadowfire, who was no longer inside the den.

Geez, guys. You know what I just realized after watching a whole bunch of Yu-Gi-Oh episodes? I've just turned Blackfang and Hawktalon into little Seto Kaiba's and Whitepetal into Yugi... Holy crap, never thought that would happen... But it's kinda cool! :D

Next update: Thursday or Friday, so be prepared!

~ Ben :3