1Hey there, Nani here. :) This'll be the start of my first story (reposted). Please review and tell me what you think, and criticism is appreciated. I'll probably update in a week. Anyway, enjoy!
-NanixLanix
Allegiances
PineClan
Leader: Redstar-reddish muscular tom with black ears, green eyes
Deputy: Owlfeather-handsome brown tom with hazel eyes
Apprentice, Fleckpaw
Medicine Cat: Starlingcall-small speckled black she-cat, pale blue eyes
Warriors:
Robinpelt-gray tom with white chest fur and tail tip, yellow eyes
Gingerfoot-pale she-cat with a brown front paw, amber eyes
Fallenwing-dark fluffy gray tom with large white spots, yellow eyes
Oakfoot-white tom with brown paws, amber eyes
Brackentail-light tabby tom with brown tail, narrow amber eyes
Darkfang-thick muscular gray tom with black muzzle, blue eyes
Whitegaze-light creamy she-cat with bluish-gray eyes
Apprentice, Tinypaw
Leafclaw-handsome dark brown tabby tom with black paws, green eyes
Apprentice, Ravenpaw
Swiftfur-skinny brown tom with unusual dark stripes going down back, yellow eyes
Apprentice, Shrewpaw
Foxfur-orange tom with white tail tip, bright green eyes
Fawnfur-pretty brown she-cat with white underbelly, tail tip, and paws, blue eyes
Apprentice, Hazelpaw
Birchleap-light gray tom with tabby markings, soft blue eyes
Apprentices:
Hazelpaw-pretty light brown she-cat with glistening light green eyes
Tinypaw-small fluffy white she-cat with a light gray paw, large blue eyes
Ravenpaw-muscular dusky black tom, piercing yellow eyes
Fleckpaw-dark gray tabby with white underbelly and limbs, amber eyes
Shrewpaw-small sleek brown tom with fluffy black tail and paws, amber eyes
Queens:
Petaltail-pale gray she-cat with white tail tip, amber eyes; mother of Darkfang's kit, Thrushkit, small gray tom with black muzzle and stripes, green eyes
Creamrose-creamy she-cat with white muzzle, underbelly, and tail tip, blue eyes; mother of Fallenwing's kits, Snowkit, fluffy white she-cat with large greenish-golden eyes, Graykit, small dark gray and white tom with blue eyes, and Rosekit, white and creamy she-cat with green eyes; Tinypaw and Hazelpaw
Elders:
Drypatch-fuzzy pale brown tom, yellow eyes
Webfoot-black tom with big gray paws, amber eyes
RapidClan
Leader: Fallowstar-gray tom with dark gray stripes, icy blue eyes
Deputy: Rainfall-speckled gray tom, amber eyes
Medicine Cat: Lightpool-white and gray she-cat with light green eyes
Apprentice, Silverpaw
Warriors:
Roughstep-large brown tom, amber eyes
Apprentice, Bearpaw
Gorsewave-pale tom with amber eyes
Darkstorm-dark tabby tom with yellow eyes
Copperfur-tannish tom with yellow eyes
Apprentice, Troutpaw
Slushfall-fluffy pale she-cat with gray tail, green eyes
Apprentice, Frostpaw
Ripclaw-muscular gray tom with one black paw, blue eyes
Crookedfoot-light brown tom with awkward back paw, amber eyes
Brownnose-patchy black tom with dark brown nose, amber eyes
Apprentices:
Bearpaw-muscular fluffy brown tom with long claws, amber eyes
Frostpaw-pale tabby gray she-cat with gleaming amber eyes
Silverpaw-light gray she-cat, green eyes
Troutpaw-dark gray tom with one black ear, amber eyes
Queens:
Orangeglow-pale sandy she-cat, unusual orange-like eyes; mother of Ripclaw's kits, Sunkit, dappled orange she-kit with white paws and amber eyes, and Jabkit, dark gray tom with one black paw and blue eyes
Minnowtail-white tabby she-cat with black tail, green eyes; mother of Gorsewave's kit, Tumblekit, short legged gray tabby tom with amber eyes
Mossflower- pretty gray she-cat with white markings, amber eyes
Elders:
Fishbone-black tom with bent tail, amber eyes
RockClan
Leader: Thistlestar-dark brown tom, amber eyes
Deputy: Hawkclaw-muscular gray tabby tom, blue eyes
Medicine Cat: Sagefur-sleek dark gray tom, light blue eyes
Apprentice, Shrubfoot
Warriors:
Sootflank-dark tom with green eyes
Apprentice, Duskpaw
Scarnose-dusky gray tom with a scar going across nose, amber eyes
Lioncall-sandy muscular tom with thick tail, amber eyes
Hollowfoot-white tom with gray back legs, blue eyes
Apprentice, Cloudpaw
Bolderface-light gray tom with dark mask on face, amber eyes
Apprentice, Falconpaw
Shadowfur-dark brown tom with black markings going down back, blue eyes
Softclaw-tall gray and black she-cat, amber eyes
Apprentice, Wingpaw
Brokenface-dark brown tom with many scars on face, amber eyes
One-ear-pale brown she-cat with one ear bitten off, green eyes
Apprentices:
Shrubpaw-black tom with brown fore paws, blue eyes
Cloudpaw-dark gray tom with bluish eyes
Falconpaw-muscular dark brown tom with white chest fur, golden eyes
Duskpaw-dark tom with yellow eyes
Wingpaw-small pale tabby she-cat with amber eyes
Queens:
Sleekfur-smooth light brown she-cat, light green eyes; mother of Sootflank's kit, Nightkit, black and brown tom with green eyes
Ambersurge-pretty pale she-cat with dark amber eyes; mother of Lioncall's kits; Rosekit, light orange she-kit with dark amber eyes, Goldenkit, sandy brown she-cat with large yellow eyes
Elders:
Snapjaw-old shaggy brown tom, blind
Tailtwitch-tabby tom with fluffy tail, amber eyes
FadeClan
Leader: Willowstar-soft furred gray she-cat, narrow blue eyes
Deputy: Graystorm-dark gray tom with yellow eyes
Medicine Cat: Bristleberry-pretty tortoiseshell she-cat, green eyes
Apprentice, Maplepaw
Warriors:
Ivyfeather-dark tabby she-cat, green eyes
Apprentice, Weaselpaw
Applenose-small light she-cat with a very pink nose, blue eyes
Fernpool-patchy light brown she-cat, amber eyes
Apprentice, Featherpaw
Oatfur-dark brown tom with white paws, blue eyes
Frozenfall-white she-cat with one green eye and one blue eye
Razorjaw-tall black tom with long fangs, amber eyes
Daisyleaf-pretty skinny light brown she-cat, green eyes
Apprentice, Sneezepaw
Grasswhisker-brown tom with long whiskers, green eyes
Apprentices:
Maplepaw-golden brown tom, yellow eyes
Sneezepaw-scruffy pale tom, green eyes
Featherpaw-pretty golden she-cat, amber eyes
Weaselpaw-brown tom, amber eyes
Queens:
Milknose-light brown she-cat with creamy nose, blue eyes; mother of Oatfur's kits, Whitekit, small brown tabby tom with white paws, Dapplekit, brown she-cat with dark brown spots and amber eyes, Breezekit, light brown tom with white forepaws and blue eyes, and Tallkit, pale brown tabby with big ears and amber eyes
Swanheart-beautiful white she-cat, blue eyes, deaf, pregnant with Graystorm's kit; Silkkit, pretty white and grey she-kit, green eyes
Elders:
Blueface-gray tom with bluish gray patch on face, blue eyes
Jaggedtooth-old fuzzy brown tom with twisted teeth, pale eyes
xxx
Prologue
A sober moon hung through an arrangement of dark silhouetted clouds, masking the woods in a mixture of eerie glowing light and faint darkness. The moon was full tonight; no doubt the Clans would be attending the always-anticipated gathering, where all four Clans, PineClan, RapidClan, RockClan, and FadeClan would come together in a union of peace to discuss urgent news and scandalous gossip.
But one tom had slid away from camp as the chosen gathering group preceded through the night, thinking no one would notice him escape to meet his beloved.
He was a fine and noble warrior of PineClan, loved and respected by his former mentor and leader, Redstar, and by the rest of his Clan. Well, not everyone shared admiration for the honorable tom.
His brown fur flashed through the scattered undergrowth, his excitement pulsing off him in waves. The last time he had seen his beloved, she was pregnant with their kits, and that was several moons ago. How would she appear to him now? He almost wanted her to stay within her own Clan for the time being so that she could give birth in peace. But she had insisted to meet him.
He was getting closer to their meeting spot, when a sharp scent of blood hit his nose. He came to a halt in a small, open clearing, gated by short, thin trees. He gulped down the blood-scent, panic rising in his throat. Where was all that blood coming from?
Suddenly, two she-cat's burst out from a thistle bush, their fur dripping and damp from crossing the river that bordered RockClan and PineClan territory. His tail rose in delight at the sight of his mate, but it lowered again as he took a closer look at her. She looked exhausted. Her fur, through the wetness, was mangled and torn, there was a slight chip in her ear, and her belly was huge and swollen; it seemed to pulse. From somewhere, she was seriously bleeding, and her eyes were blank with pain.
He felt as if he could just screech in disbelief.
The other she-cat's attention snapped to him and she looked at him up and down in disbelief. She jerked her head back towards the queen. "This was who you wanted to meet?! A mangy PineClan cat?"
The queen glared at her. "He's no mangy PineClan cat. He is my mate!"
The she-cat's mouth popped open and hung in disbelief, but the queen ignored her friend and looked back at the tom, who stared at her in anguish. She uttered her sweetest look and gently purred, "Don't fret my love, all is well…"
He slowly shook his, trying to grasp the situation. "What happened to you?"
He padded up to her, but the she-cat quickly stood in his way.
"Move!" he snarled, his fear and panic creating anger.
"No!" she spat. "Come anywhere near her and I'll slice your muzzle off!"
He curled his lip and tensed his muscles, ready to clobber the she-cat into the ground.
"Stop this!" the queen hissed. "I want him near me!"
The she-cat turned to face her, teeth bared and nose flaring. "But he's a Pineclan cat! This is a trap!"
"This is no trap! We love each other and we can always trust him!"
She tensed for a moment, but backed away from the warrior tom, suspiciously.
He rushed forward, baring his nose into his mate's cheek, then found his way downwards to urgently sniff at her. "These wounds don't seem fresh... How long have been like this?"
"My love…" she murmured, her eyes softening with affection.
He looked up at her, ignoring her soothing tone. "How did this happen? Was it a battle?"
The other she-cat answered. "No. She's been tossing and turning every night in her dreams, and sometimes, evening during the day. It was so intense that she even hurt herself in her sleep. It was horrible and none us knew what to do for her. Not even our medicine cat." She hung her head low and shivered from the memories.
The queen continued. "That was why I had to meet you, my love. Those dreams were of hollering and sobbing, and blood spattering everywhere… and there were so many cats fighting!" She began to tremble, and the she-cat huddled close to her.
The queen took another breath as her mate listened intently, nodding his head for her to continue. "And these dreams had started as soon as I knew I was expecting. My love… those dreams were coming from Starclan. They're an omen for our kits!"
His eyes grew and he suddenly became dizzy; he instinctively glanced at the moon, but it only appeared frozen and bared no response.
Suddenly, the queen gasped and bent over sharply. The she-cat jumped up urgently, "Come on, we have to get you back to camp!"
"T-there's no time! They're coming… now!" The queen wailed.
"Oh, StarClan…" the tom uttered in dismay. He glanced around, hoping to see other cats around to help them; but to no avail.
The she-cat motioned at a patch of grass. "Lay here."
The queen obeyed and got herself to lie down and sprawl against the grass. Her mate came to her side and nosed her gently. "You're going to be okay," he told her soundly, though he was trembling in his fur. "StarClan wouldn't do anything to harm our kits. I don't know what those dreams meant, but they couldn't have been caused by our kits."
She opened her mouth to reply, but a spasm relayed in her belly and she let out a yowl of pain that split through the silence of night.
"Lilyfur!" Owlfeather cried, responding to his mate.
She let out a muffled cry once more and arched her forepaws.
"Lilyfur!"
The she-cat barreled him aside. "Stop it, you, mousebrain! Yelling at her isn't going to help!"
"But we need to do something, she's suffering!" he wailed in rage.
"Okay, what if we retrieved one of our medicine cats?"
"We can't do that, all of the medicine cats attend the gatherings!"
"Well, can't you find a nearby Clanmate who can help us?!"
"There's no time!"
Beside them, Lilyfur wailed in agony, piercing her claws into the ground.
"Please, Lilyfur!" he willed her. "You're going to be okay!"
The she-cat glanced around in frustration and grabbed a solemn stick from off the ground. She mouthed it over to Lilyfur. "Here, use this to ease the pain."
Lilyfur obeyed and positioned the stick in her mouth. Just in time, she trembled slightly and bit down on the stick.
"Come here," the she-cat directed to the tom. She positioned him and herself at the base of Lilyfur's swollen belly. "We need to be ready to help her with her kits, can you do that?"
"Of course!" he growled impatiently, peering down at Lilyfur's pain-stricken face.
"Okay," she mewed. She turned her attention back to Lilyfur, who shivered pathetically where she lie. "Lilyfur, we're going to help you get through this. You can do it, I know you can."
She pressed her paw down onto Lilyfur's belly and gave a gentle massage, "You're doing great… Okay, now push!"
Lilyfur groaned as pushed with her might, another spasm erupted and she held back.
The she-cat glared at him. "Soothe her!"
"That's what I've been doing!" he snarled back, furious that this blasted foxbrain was making the notion that he didn't care for his mate.
"Okay, just a few more pushes left," she murmured, massaging Lilyfur's belly again.
After several goes, Lilyfur cried out and dropped the stick as a tiny little bundle of fur slipped out into the glass. The she-cat gasped in relief and immediately lapped at its fur to warm it, while the tom rasped his tongue over Lilyfur's face.
"It's only one, but she's gorgeous," the she-cat confirmed.
He purred loudly. "You did it, my love! We have our kit now…!"
But Lilyfur didn't reply to him, instead her eyes gazed toward with sight; blank and dull. His mouth fell open in dismay, but before he could speak, he noticed the shadows of night increasing around them until it nearly became possible to see.
The sky had suddenly begun to darken. The moon was becoming shrouded by heavy dark clouds; a thunderous sound breached the air and a rainfall began. Was StarClan angry?
The she-cat stared into the distance night. "What in StarClan's name is going on at the gathering?"
The tom shook his head and turned back to Lilyfur, anxiously prodded her with his nose. Foxdung to the gathering! Foxdung to everything! He couldn't lose Lilyfur, he just couldn't!
The she-cat padded up to him and gently let her tail rest on his shoulder. He shook it away angrily. "She's still alive! She's still alive..."
"No, she's lost too much blood."
"I don't believe you, I just don't!"
"Listen!" She snarled. "Lilyfur's gone, but she left you her kit! It's still alive!"
The tom winced in realization and turned to look at the tiny kit between the she-cat's paws. It had his fur color, only it was lighter. It's eyes were closed, but it squirmed about, crying for its mother's milk.
But Lilyfur was dead! How would their kit survive now?
A gentle laugh came from behind them. They whipped around to see Lilyfur looking back with exhaustion, but happiness.
"Lilyfur!" He cried in joy. He went up to her and covered her in affectionate licks. "I knew it, I knew you weren't dead! Can you stand? You must see our kit!"
Lilyfur purred in a weak laugh, her eyelids fluttered weakly, revealing her beautiful blue eyes for the last time. "I'm sure she'll have your eyes, my love…" She sighed her last breath, and queen was gone.