Author Note:

These are a collection of Short-stories I had in mind. I didn't want to split them into chapters, so every line break is where I would have cut it off if it was a chapter.

Allegiances: (Only the cats who appeared in this story)

BUSHCLAN

MEDICINE CAT: Poppyclaw – dark ginger tom with amber eyes

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WARRIORS:

Pigeonstream – sleek gray and white tom with blue eyes

Gingerstrike - unusually broad shouldered dark orange she-cat with white forepaws

Leaftail - light tortoiseshell she-cat with brown eyes

.

APPRENTICES:

Applepaw – ginger and white she-cat with yellow eyes

Gorsepaw - lithe golden brown tabby she-cat with dark green eyes

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KITTYPET(S)

Timmy – long furred black tom with green eyes

A Night of No Stars

"Leaf! Leaf!" came the wild yowl as a tabby she-cat writhed with a strange tendril around her neck. "Run Leaf! Run!"

Terror kept her rooted to the black-stone, her eyes wide in horror as the massive creatures shoved her mother into a strange den. A swinging mesh slammed shut as a dark tan paw with long toes reached down to her. A deep strange mew echoed into her ears as she squealed, whirling around and bolting.

Her paws thrummed the hard surface as she raced madly into the undergrowth. The Giant Garden was her only security. The rest of her mother's group was somewhere ahead. Her eyes wide as she searched feverishly, pelting between ferns and clumps of flowers. With a shriek, she tripped over a root, her paw twisting wrong as she rolled head over tail into a heap. With a pitiful cry, she looked around, paw throbbing.

A dark ginger tom dashed towards her. Fear raged within her, thrashing her pitiful heart as she squealed in terror. Amber eyes flashed as the tom reached her, grabbing her scruff and hauling her away. Sharp teeth pricking her sensitive skin. She mewled again, the tom's gruff voice muffled by her fur.

"Hush! They'll here you!"

"What are they?" Leaf asked, her mew quivering with fear.

The tom growled his answer. "Twolegs."

He kept rushing, her body hitting the stone painfully, so much so her tail was dragging, burning from the friction. She began to squeal in pain, wriggling a bit as the tom growled to silence her. It hurt so bad! Her tail felt like it was in fire. Suddenly a sharp pain clutched her tail like teeth.

. . .

With a jerk, the pale tortoiseshell she-cat woke up with a start, pain flashed in her tail. With a nasty glare, she locked eyes with Pigeonstream and gave a low hiss. The gray and white tom blinked apologetically at her, looking tired as he went back into his shared nest with Gingerstrike. With a snort, she decided it was tame to wake up and washed her face briefly and then her back carefully.

Soon she shook out her fur, got up with a small stretch and picked her way out of the den. Tail flicking angrily from the sharp pain. With a big yawn, she stepped out into the early morning light. She stretched her forelegs in front of her, flexing her powerful shoulders and back muscles. She then began pulling herself forward to stretch each back leg in turn. Her tail flicked, the pain soon becoming a dull ache.

Satisfied, she went to wait until the sun was in a better position. Exhaustion clawed at her. She hadn't been sleeping well, taking long walks to the vast expanse of the thunderpath where monsters slept. There, very few fake-suns lit the night, but it was still a few too many for the stars to appear. The chips of ice that seemed trapped in the indigo sky were very few, even with the misshapen moon that shone down upon her. Not quite a half-moon and not quite a full moon.

She liked it there, it reminded her of her mother. She couldn't recall what she looked like, or even sounded like. Although, she knew for certain she was a tabby. That was all she knew. Everything else about her was a blur. Sadness trickled through her like the rainwater did by the thunderpaths. She didn't know her mother for very long, barely over a half-moon old she guessed. She wouldn't know, only Poppyclaw did. He practically raised her as though he was her parent.

Looking ahead of herself, to the apprentices den among the clumps of ferns and in the base of a flowering bush. She could imagine what her apprentice might feel. Applepaw had been born not long after the Division. Not to mention that this was still all new to them all. Poppyclaw explained the rules and Bushstar changed their names. She couldn't recall the exact words, but she knew her name was of importance.

"Morning Leaftail." mewed Poppyclaw as he padded to the fresh-kill pile.

She flicked her tail in greeting, but stayed quiet. Her mother wasn't the only one taken. Morningpelt's mother was stolen as well as Minteye's parents. A lot of their group was taken by the Twolegs, yet they ran away and hid among the wilderness. Only then did the stars speak to Poppyclaw and created a division that lead them through many harsh battles. Sometimes, Leaftail questioned why she had been born at all.

Shaking out her fur, she headed to the apprentice's den, it was time to get her apprentice to awaken. Applepaw had to learn to fight and hunt for her clan, even if they were unsure of how they could survive. FearClan, as they began calling themselves after Bushstar's demise, had threatened to kill them all. Before the Division they were one group and family. Now, they were in an endless battle after betraying the late leaders and the one who rose into power, Cedar.

"Is something the matter?" The medicine cat meowed, tilting his head to one side.

She shook her head, "No, just thinking."

"Don't get too lost in thought, that's my job." he teased lightly, a tone he only ever used with her.

Leaftail blinked softly, feeling warmed by his kindness. She could never thank him enough for taking care of her when no other cat dared to. She was so young that many believed they should have let her be taken. Only their medicine cat had believed she could be saved. Even if he wasn't one at the time, she could tell why he gotten the position. He was compassionate beneath his rough surface and held love for kits that was not unlike a mother.

"Thank you." she breathed, slipping past the tom who raised her and peeked her head through the entrance of the den. Louder she called out. "Applepaw, it's time to get up."

Poppyclaw gave her this chance at life. She was going to provide for the new Clan the best she could. Late night walks or not, she was going to push herself further than any cat could dream of. She wasn't useless anymore, she was a full-grown warrior. Nothing could stop her from training the younger ones to be powerful fighters and expert hunters. She was going to make even her mother proud, wherever she was now.

Soon, Applepaw appeared, bleary eyed with sleep, but shaking out her ginger and white pelt. Yellow eyes blinking against the morning sun. Warmth spread through Leaftail, she ushered the younger cat to follow. They had to hunt, it was the only way to stay battle-fit for their Clan. Swiftly, they left camp and headed to the hunting grounds beyond the bushes. If they were lucky birds could be too busy pecking at the ground for insects to notice them.

"What are we hunting today?" Applepaw asked.

Leaftail spoke confidently, "Anything that we can catch. FearClan is ruthless and will not hesitate to spill blood. So we must always be ready."

"But why?" her apprentice asked, not for the first time either.

"Ever since the Division, battles have been waged. Some only ask for peace and others want to remove those who share faith of the Clans."

"We are the only Clan here though." Applepaw pointed out, confused.

The pale tortoiseshell nodded. "That is true. You see, many seasons ago four Clans lived here. They went on a journey and left the forest they called home. The Twolegs took over the forest, destroying and marring the land. They changed it and in a cat's lifetime we came here to hide from our own destruction. According to Poppyclaw, there was originally five Clans in the forest. We are the unofficial sixth Clan in that sense."

"Unofficial?"

"It is Poppyclaw's way of saying we are not known to the Clans who once lived here." she explained, slowing to a stop. "You must understand, we are as much of a Clan as any other. We believe in the same things, we are just very far away."

Applepaw blinked up at her, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "Will we ever meet them? I'd like to meet cats like us!"

"We may never meet them." Leaftail whispered, her mew soft. "They would never return to here and if we were to leave, then FearClan has won. Nightstar vowed to avenge Bushstar's death. It is only a matter of time before we may not survive to see such a day."

Her apprentice nodded, looking ahead. "Well, I hope we do. FearClan's too mean to be around."

"That is true, now come along. Prey won't catch itself." Leaftail bounded ahead, her apprentice close behind.

Perhaps it was too lonely to be the only Clan in a ravaged forest. However, it was their home and they were different from any other Clan. What would the faraway Clans think of their bloodline if they were to meet? Surely, they would never trust them. Who could trust a cat whose lineage was with the fractured BloodClan?

Dusk settled over the camp when they returned. Leaftail held a rabbit she caught while Applepaw carried a fat pigeon. StarClan was treating them well, or was it just a natural hunt? It wasn't the first time the pale tortoiseshell had questioned their beliefs. She believed the words that Poppyclaw had spoken, but she also didn't quite understand them. They deposited their prey, having hunted long and hard, maybe even ate some mice while out. Leaftail wasn't about to let her apprentice go hungry even if the warrior code dictated they shouldn't eat when hunting.

Flicking her tail dismissively, she let her apprentice go to join Gorsepaw, a golden brown she-cat who was cleaning her pelt alone. She watched Applepaw run off to join her den-mate. Excitement buzzing off of her in waves. Once more, she felt out of place. Her apprentice had friends, while she only had Minteye and Morningpelt, both of which were busy with their own duties. Lowering her head, she came to a conclusion.

Even among her clan-mates she was alone. Turning away, she headed to the warriors den to get some rest. Curling up on her nest, she tried to get some sleep. Sleep wouldn't come. Cats would come in for rest or privacy, their gentle snores sounding too loud for her. Cats and their mates curled together while her head was empty. Her body refused to relax. Her muscles tensing as though they were under attack. Only when the moon had risen high into the sky, did she rise from her nest.

She wasn't tired, but she wasn't quite energetic. A deep void was inside her as she picked her way back out. Her eyes looking to the sky as she left the warriors den. Pinpricks of light sparkled high above. More than the stars she saw back in the Twoleg Place as a kit. She began to wander, heading out of the camp. Her paws padding slowly as she followed the familiar path.

She wandered into the night, heading to the massive flat thunderpath. Monsters still slept there, her heart pounding as she thought about their crouching bodies and dark, blank eyes. They would be asleep and wouldn't know she was passing through. At least, that's what she hoped. Poppyclaw claimed they only woke up when Twolegs were in their bellies, but she had no idea why any creature would want to be inside them.

Even now, she was approaching the vast expanse of the black-stone. It's surface warm from the sunlight earlier in the day. It warmed her pads as she padded across it. For moons she had sat in the shadows of bushes and now she wanted to venture out into the open. She could scarcely remember what it was like to live among the Twoleg Place. A place where she was born so long ago. Curiosity buzzed within her as she leaped onto the vertical flat-wood.

She perched up on it, her mind racing as she tried to remember what it was called. The unfamiliar word fizzed into her mind. It was a fence, old and rough from many seasons of wear and tear. She dug her claws in, the wood was soft in her claws as she peered around. The Twoleg dens were dark as she began to travel across them. Something inside her wad making her heart beat with excitement.

Was this what she wanted? Did she want to leave the Clan forever to wander the thunderpaths? Excitement fizzed in her limbs as she picked up the pace, her eyes glancing around carefully. She had to be careful, kittypets and loners could be aggressive if she wasn't careful. Quickly, she reached the other side of the Twoleg Dens and leaped down onto the hard flat-stone. Memories filled her, she could remember scampering along after Poppyclaw, determined to prove that she wasn't a kit anymore even though she was barely a moon old.

A purr rose in her through her, warming her at the thought. She padded along the flat-stone, the occasional monster roaring past, it's acrid fumes stirring up memories of the many crossings they went through. Cautious, she stepped closer to the thunderpath, her whiskers quivering nervously. Would a monster ever leave it's path? Could it? They had to if the former Clans left the forest before it was destroyed. Worried, she looked around, letting her kit-like curiosity spill out of her. The black-stone looked like a black river. She took a single step onto the path, the stink of the thunderpath blinding her nose to any other scent.

"What in the world are you doing?" a cat meowed behind her.

Flinching, she drew back her paw and whirled around, fur rising along her back. "Nothing!" she squeaked, feeling embarrassed.

It was a fluffy black tom, bright green eyes glinting in the fake-suns light. His head tilted to one side curiously. "Doesn't look like nothing." he murmured, leaping down from a stone fence. "You don't look like you are from here."

Leaftail narrowed her eyes, her fur puffing up indigently. "I was born in an alley." she mewed scathingly.

"An alley? What's that?" the tom seemed genuinely curious.

She twitched her tail, uncertain if she should explain, let alone how. It had been many moons since she had seen the place of her birth. "It's just a small place." she lied. "No monsters can squeeze in there."

"Really, so why are you acting like you never seen a thunderpath before?" the tom inquired, his mew light in amusement.

Her ears grew hot with embarrassment as she admitted sourly. "I'm a clan-cat. I live beyond a flat thunderpath behind these Twoleg dens. I was born in an alley, but I was a moon old when we passed through. I haven't seen any since then."

The cat blinked. "Is that so? I thought there was no clans."

"My clan is special." Leaftail replied, "They are a sixth clan that the ones who used to live here have no idea about. We follow the same rules and faith." Although, I haven't followed all of the rules myself. She thought wryly.

"So what's your name clan-cat?" the black tom asked, his plume of a tail curling around his paws as he sat down.

"Leaftail." she mewed, "I am called Leaftail."

"Leaftail?" he echoed, looking her over in confusion. "Your tail doesn't look anything like a leaf."

Amusement bubbled up into a purr. "I was named Leaf because of my pelt looking like a pile of leaf-fall leaves."

"And the full name means?" The cat asked, his ears twitching as another monster rumbled past them.

"I'm not sure." Leaftail answered. "When I was renamed, I was told it was because I was able to keep moving forward like a cat who fell out of a tree and landed on it's feet."

"That's odd."

"Well what's your name?"

"Timmy." The tom mewed, "the name my housefolk gave me."

Leaftail blinked, shaking her head. "It's weirder name to me."

"It's a perfectly normal name." Timmy meowed defensively.

"So you say." she grumbled, "I better head back home. before anyone notices I'm gone."

"What are you even doing here?" Timmy asked, getting into her path.

The pale tortoiseshell narrowed her eyes. "That's none of your concern."

"Come on, who am I going to tell? My sister Luna lives two dens down and even she rarely gets a chance to visit." He meowed, "There isn't many cats who live here. Except Smudge and Hattie. Although, their odd cats themselves."

"It's clan business." she lied, not wanting to voice her worries. Afraid that if she did, she might actually make her feelings come true. Without another word, worry racing through her veins, she leaped back onto the fence and made her way home. Trying to put on a brave face despite her nervously flicking tail.

"Well, whatever that is about, please do come back again. I'd like to speak to you more." Timmy called after her.

Her tail froze and fluffed up nervously before waving a farewell to the kittypet. She looked back once, taking note on how much he looked like a shadow among the flat-stone beneath the fake-sun that shone on him. Orange light flickered in his green eyes, making her heart race. She stood still, unsure if she should say something.

Timmy beat her to it. "I'll be waiting, Leaftail. Whenever you want, I'll meet you here every night."

She could feel her legs trembling. Yearning wrapping around her like snake's coiling body. Her eyes staring intently back to the leafy green looked almost golden under the strange orange light. Far different than the silvery light of the moon she was used to. Giving the tiniest of nods, she made a silent agreement.

For once, excitement didn't just buzz beneath her pelt. A serene calm overcame her. She felt like a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. Perhaps, she was looking outside of the Clan for a friend? She had to hope so as she turned and made her way back to the massive thunderpath. Tiredness was already slowing her down as she crossed back. For the first time in moons, she actually wanted to sleep.

Was it all her mind needed? A friend to put her mind to rest? Relaxation filled her as she wandered back into BushClan territory. Her tail held higher than it had been for moons. Her heart feeling lighter and she walked among the familiar foliage. The moonlight her only companion that seemed close enough to watch over her. Briefly she wondered what cat watched them through the moon, before shrugging it off and padded into camp in silence. She needed to get some sleep before dawn.

A moon passed since their meeting, only a quarter of it's pale face was shining. Exhaustion plagued Leaftail as she padded the familiar path, taking a longer way to keep her clan-mates unaware of her nightly wander. Her heart had settled down for so long, however she found herself too tired to work properly as a mentor. Blinking, she spotted the familiar fluffy black tom. The orange light of the fake-suns giving him a golden-brown shine.

Her heart felt constricted in her chest, pounding as though she was making a horrible decision. She could recall the other night when she asked the tom to leave his Twoleg's behind. He refused, as it was his home and they needed him. She didn't understand why or how they could need him, but he also asked her to live with him. This left her unable to answer and after all day she knows the answer she needed to give.

"Leaftail, did you decide if you will come live with me and my housefolk?" he asked, excitement bright in his gaze.

At first, she was unsure how to let him down gently. Before realizing, she had to put her paw down. She had to be firm, she couldn't be gentle. She wanted to be gentle, maybe even lie and give up everything for him. However, she knew she couldn't. Twolegs kidnapped her mother and left her motherless. How could she ever forgive them enough to live with them?

"We can't see each other anymore." The words felt like stones as they left her mouth. The fake-suns lightning the grayish-white slab of rock beneath their paws. The long haired black tom blinked slowly, hurt shining in his green eyes. Her heart felt heavy in her chest. The trees shuddered softly around them in the breeze. Looking to her paws, she knew this was the last straw for either of them.

"So this is it?" The black tom mewed, his voice soft and cold now.

"It must be." She replied, her voice threatening to tremble. "I cannot see you anymore."

"Never come back here then." The tom growled, green eyes glittering with pain and anger. "Leaftail, never return to my Twoleg den for as long as you live."

Leaftail blinked, seeing the tom turn and pad away. His paw steps hardly scuffing the slab of stone as he leaped back into his garden. Her heart shattered, her love becoming a nagging cobweb. Dipping her head, she turned and headed back along the thunderpath. Her clan needed her with fitful sleep, not the heartbeat of sleep she had been getting. Her body had been exhausted from sneaking so far to reach her kittypet lover.

Unknown to her, it was more than that. Far more than just late nights of play and kittypet food. Moons passed and strange symptoms emerged. Her belly became swollen, her balance was compromised, and she was sleeping more often than she should. It took Poppyclaw's expert eye to diagnose her with kits.

Memories flashed though her mind, even now as pain clutched her belly. Her claws digging into her nest as she chomped down on the fracturing stick between her teeth. Pain seared through her as the dark ginger tom who practically raised her, announced each kit that slithered out of her body. Gingerstrike was close by, cleaning the kit as she kept bringing new life into the world.

Only when the pain subsided and the last kit slithered out did she fall still, panting heavily. Her flanks heaving as she felt drained of all of her energy. Looking to Poppyclaw, who sat silently, seeming unable to look at her. She licked her lips, her throat feeling drier than before. Had he noticed that none of her kits looked like any tom who is not an elder? Worry filled her as she waited, unknowingly holding her breath.

"I'm so sorry Leaftail." meowed the medicine cat, his voice soft and cracking with sorrow. "This is the only one who survived."

She looked at the tiny bundle of fur that suckled her milk. Her eyes dark in shadow as she realized what he was acting odd about. Two black kits didn't survive. The only one who did was the brown and tan tabby kit. Sorrow swallowed her heart. The black kits had their father's fur, but no longer would she ever have his shadows.

Gently, she nuzzled into the tiny kit. She was going to love her new daughter as though she was never part kittypet. Her former mate would never know as long as she could help it. For as long as she lived, those nights under the fake-suns no longer existed. Her ears twitched as she was lost in thought, grief falling over her like a haze.

"What will you call her?" Poppyclaw meowed impatiently, his mew tight.

"Tumblekit." She replied, her gaze distant. After my tumbling emotions.

That was the only real name that suited her new daughter. She followed her feelings and it was her emotions that lead her to leave her former mate. The one who would never leave his kittypet life for her. Closing her eyes, she curled around her daughter, feeling alone in the world with her. Fierce determination bubbled into life inside her. She was not going to leave her daughter motherless if she can help it.