Post by Brambleclaw on Mar 18, 2009 18:34:16 GMT -5
[[1350 words exactly!]]
Othernight was sick and tired of hanging out in the Nursery. There were still a few cats in there, and they could care for her little ones a minute. She was not used to sitting around as a mother. Her thoughts reflected in a dark and dismal way what had come to pass. Nothing good from a discussion with the old SilenceClan leader. That was definitely for sure. She remembered softly, as if from another life previous - as it had been - the gentle meow of her kits. Her three kits. But their father had been none too pleased to hear the news with another mate of his, his real mate, soon to be kitting. So he had attempted to kill the kits and expel Fallingfeather. However, he did not rid himself of the Deputy all that easily, and only ended up killing one of the kits and hurting the other. That other was Angel's-kit.
Not that Othernight did not love her kits, no, she loved them with all her heart. However, her heart always had a special place for her first two kits. The third, the only tom, had survived only two sunrises after birth and so she had not learned to bond with him. And Fallingfeather had in fact pretended she was not the mother. Her mate would have it no other way as long as the kits lived and remained in SilenceClan. She shuddered at the thought. These memories became more vivid as she sat on the pond's shore and gazed out at the other side. The pond was scarcely five cats across, but from where she sat it was some fifteen cats to reach the other side. Not much of a pond, but the major water source indeed.
The gentle ripples reflected her memories ever stronger, and the remembrance scared her. She was not Fallingfeather nor Fallingstar, leader of a murderous Clan. She was Othernight, Deputy of a miraculous Clan. But Fallingfeather's memories were her own as a well, and she could never forget her little kit's face. The last she saw of the snow-white beauty. Angel's-kit had such promise. She could've been great. She had spunk, strength, and a bravery that beat others out of the water. But the kit had also had a temper, and that was what had killed her.
Othernight and her daughter, as well as her new mate, had tracked Angel's-kit all the way to the Gorge. Then they had made their way to TrueClan, where they were strangely welcomed. Othernight felt sick to think of her luck after learning that her daughter had drowned. That had come after admitting to being their mother and telling them who their father was and what he had done. All during a battle of bloodshed for a Deputy position and to prove a point. It was all crazy and mixed-up to the unhappy she-cat. She hated wars. She hated fighting. She hated death.
Death was another subject she avoided thinking about. All her family was dead. Her brother had become leader in what she had thought of as her position. Her parents had died, though she never learned how. She had.... murdered her own sister. All after she had died, being welcomed to StarClan, and then being given extra lives! It wasn't even possible, or so she thought. She recalled her father's words.
"You are not yet complete in your quest. You never had a bad intention, just fate. You need to live on. Now, you must go back and finish your destiny. To become leader."
Othernight frowned. Leader? That was what she was supposed to do? And she had thrown it away for love, family and a pure heart. Redemption. Was that so wrong? Had she thrown fate to a new course? Had she played a trick that had caused the destiny of every cat to be altered? She blinked, remembering her father once again. He had told her long ago that destiny never could change course. Everything that happened was supposed to happen, and you could never change your fate. What you did was already what you would do. She blinked in realization.
She had been told to become leader so that she would know that was her fate. To rule a menacing bunch of bloodthirsty rogues and Clan-haters. But then she would learn a gentler side with her kits, and forever hold a peace of that motherly love with her. Being stoney and cruel made her feel worse inside, until a new light had burst from her. And changing her name only made it easier to change her ways. Then she could do right and correct all she had done wrong. She could redeem herself, and possibly earn forgiveness from her family and StarClan. Maybe she could even see Angel's-kit in StarClan. After all, where else would an innocent kit go?
The leader sat reminiscing for quite some time. Suddenly, she heard a terrible coughing. Jolting up from her spot, she looked about wildly. Not a creature in sight. But the spluttering came again. Suddenly, a rustle behind Othernight sent her fur on end and her whiskers straight as sticks. She was frozen to the spot, not even capable of letting out a hiss or blinking. She just stared blankly as the noise grew louder. Suddenly, she relaxed and let out a sigh of relief. It was Foxtail.
Foxtail was her senior and the Deputy one rank above her. Othernight had a great respect for the elder, and wished that she hadn't gotten sick. It was mild, but the cough grew worse every day. It had everyone worried. Foxtail was especially Othernight's favorite, though. Othernight thought of her as a mentor, a leader, and a mother all wrapped into one. Foxtail was full of wisdom, love and respect - the perfect cat to be around. No surprise either, she had happened to be RiverClan Medicine Cat before she had joined TrueClan. Foxtail was truly amazing.
"Oh, Foxtail, why are you out here?" Othernight asked in concern. The she-cat's cough had gotten to be almost unbearable, and she needed medical assistance.
"Can't I come visit you?" Foxtail replied with a smile that was forced.
"What is it?" Othernight knew there was something else. Foxtail sighed, giving in.
"I'm dying."
"And you will die if you don't get back to camp!" Othernight said unhappily.
"No, I'm not going back. My time has come."
"What? You're delusional. I'll take you back myself!"
"No, no use in that. I'm done. Wanted to say goodbye." Foxtail's eyes filled with emotion. Othernight could scarcely believe her ears. Foxtail couldn't die!
"No, you can't die!"
"I'm old."
"Don't be unreasonable!" Othernight was almost to the point of an emotional breakdown. She couldn't lose Foxtail. Not Foxtail. Not her guardian angel. Foxtail tried to fight her coughing to reply, but it was no use. She collapsed to the ground in a fit that was beyond her own body's strength. Othernight raced up to her side. Foxtail's body jerked with the force of the coughing. It was unlike anything Othernight had ever seen.
"Please, one last request." Foxtail spoke softly, her throat burning as if on fire.
"Anything..." Othernight muttered.
"Bury me... by the lake..." Those final, parting words silenced the golden she-cat forever. Othernight let out a painful screech. Foxtail was gone.
Bury her by the lake? Surely the pond wasn't big enough to be considered a lake! But Othernight would respect her friend's wishes. After vigil, of course...
-
Deep in ThunderClan territory, on the other side of the forest, a young she-kit lay by a pool of water - eddied from the river at Sunningrocks. Her golden fur and darker stripe was similar, almost identical, to Foxtail's. Firestar and a patrol of cats monitoring the border approached her. Blinking open her beautiful green eyes, she stared right up at the leader.
"I am Firestar, and this is ThunderClan." He spoke with a smile. Wind buffeted his golden fur, and his majestic appearance was complimented by the large group of strong, brave-looking cats. The young she-cat sighed softly.
"What is your name?" The leader continued. She looked up and met his gaze fiercely.
"Fox..." She spoke, and fell once again into deep unconsciousness.
Othernight was sick and tired of hanging out in the Nursery. There were still a few cats in there, and they could care for her little ones a minute. She was not used to sitting around as a mother. Her thoughts reflected in a dark and dismal way what had come to pass. Nothing good from a discussion with the old SilenceClan leader. That was definitely for sure. She remembered softly, as if from another life previous - as it had been - the gentle meow of her kits. Her three kits. But their father had been none too pleased to hear the news with another mate of his, his real mate, soon to be kitting. So he had attempted to kill the kits and expel Fallingfeather. However, he did not rid himself of the Deputy all that easily, and only ended up killing one of the kits and hurting the other. That other was Angel's-kit.
Not that Othernight did not love her kits, no, she loved them with all her heart. However, her heart always had a special place for her first two kits. The third, the only tom, had survived only two sunrises after birth and so she had not learned to bond with him. And Fallingfeather had in fact pretended she was not the mother. Her mate would have it no other way as long as the kits lived and remained in SilenceClan. She shuddered at the thought. These memories became more vivid as she sat on the pond's shore and gazed out at the other side. The pond was scarcely five cats across, but from where she sat it was some fifteen cats to reach the other side. Not much of a pond, but the major water source indeed.
The gentle ripples reflected her memories ever stronger, and the remembrance scared her. She was not Fallingfeather nor Fallingstar, leader of a murderous Clan. She was Othernight, Deputy of a miraculous Clan. But Fallingfeather's memories were her own as a well, and she could never forget her little kit's face. The last she saw of the snow-white beauty. Angel's-kit had such promise. She could've been great. She had spunk, strength, and a bravery that beat others out of the water. But the kit had also had a temper, and that was what had killed her.
Othernight and her daughter, as well as her new mate, had tracked Angel's-kit all the way to the Gorge. Then they had made their way to TrueClan, where they were strangely welcomed. Othernight felt sick to think of her luck after learning that her daughter had drowned. That had come after admitting to being their mother and telling them who their father was and what he had done. All during a battle of bloodshed for a Deputy position and to prove a point. It was all crazy and mixed-up to the unhappy she-cat. She hated wars. She hated fighting. She hated death.
Death was another subject she avoided thinking about. All her family was dead. Her brother had become leader in what she had thought of as her position. Her parents had died, though she never learned how. She had.... murdered her own sister. All after she had died, being welcomed to StarClan, and then being given extra lives! It wasn't even possible, or so she thought. She recalled her father's words.
"You are not yet complete in your quest. You never had a bad intention, just fate. You need to live on. Now, you must go back and finish your destiny. To become leader."
Othernight frowned. Leader? That was what she was supposed to do? And she had thrown it away for love, family and a pure heart. Redemption. Was that so wrong? Had she thrown fate to a new course? Had she played a trick that had caused the destiny of every cat to be altered? She blinked, remembering her father once again. He had told her long ago that destiny never could change course. Everything that happened was supposed to happen, and you could never change your fate. What you did was already what you would do. She blinked in realization.
She had been told to become leader so that she would know that was her fate. To rule a menacing bunch of bloodthirsty rogues and Clan-haters. But then she would learn a gentler side with her kits, and forever hold a peace of that motherly love with her. Being stoney and cruel made her feel worse inside, until a new light had burst from her. And changing her name only made it easier to change her ways. Then she could do right and correct all she had done wrong. She could redeem herself, and possibly earn forgiveness from her family and StarClan. Maybe she could even see Angel's-kit in StarClan. After all, where else would an innocent kit go?
The leader sat reminiscing for quite some time. Suddenly, she heard a terrible coughing. Jolting up from her spot, she looked about wildly. Not a creature in sight. But the spluttering came again. Suddenly, a rustle behind Othernight sent her fur on end and her whiskers straight as sticks. She was frozen to the spot, not even capable of letting out a hiss or blinking. She just stared blankly as the noise grew louder. Suddenly, she relaxed and let out a sigh of relief. It was Foxtail.
Foxtail was her senior and the Deputy one rank above her. Othernight had a great respect for the elder, and wished that she hadn't gotten sick. It was mild, but the cough grew worse every day. It had everyone worried. Foxtail was especially Othernight's favorite, though. Othernight thought of her as a mentor, a leader, and a mother all wrapped into one. Foxtail was full of wisdom, love and respect - the perfect cat to be around. No surprise either, she had happened to be RiverClan Medicine Cat before she had joined TrueClan. Foxtail was truly amazing.
"Oh, Foxtail, why are you out here?" Othernight asked in concern. The she-cat's cough had gotten to be almost unbearable, and she needed medical assistance.
"Can't I come visit you?" Foxtail replied with a smile that was forced.
"What is it?" Othernight knew there was something else. Foxtail sighed, giving in.
"I'm dying."
"And you will die if you don't get back to camp!" Othernight said unhappily.
"No, I'm not going back. My time has come."
"What? You're delusional. I'll take you back myself!"
"No, no use in that. I'm done. Wanted to say goodbye." Foxtail's eyes filled with emotion. Othernight could scarcely believe her ears. Foxtail couldn't die!
"No, you can't die!"
"I'm old."
"Don't be unreasonable!" Othernight was almost to the point of an emotional breakdown. She couldn't lose Foxtail. Not Foxtail. Not her guardian angel. Foxtail tried to fight her coughing to reply, but it was no use. She collapsed to the ground in a fit that was beyond her own body's strength. Othernight raced up to her side. Foxtail's body jerked with the force of the coughing. It was unlike anything Othernight had ever seen.
"Please, one last request." Foxtail spoke softly, her throat burning as if on fire.
"Anything..." Othernight muttered.
"Bury me... by the lake..." Those final, parting words silenced the golden she-cat forever. Othernight let out a painful screech. Foxtail was gone.
Bury her by the lake? Surely the pond wasn't big enough to be considered a lake! But Othernight would respect her friend's wishes. After vigil, of course...
-
Deep in ThunderClan territory, on the other side of the forest, a young she-kit lay by a pool of water - eddied from the river at Sunningrocks. Her golden fur and darker stripe was similar, almost identical, to Foxtail's. Firestar and a patrol of cats monitoring the border approached her. Blinking open her beautiful green eyes, she stared right up at the leader.
"I am Firestar, and this is ThunderClan." He spoke with a smile. Wind buffeted his golden fur, and his majestic appearance was complimented by the large group of strong, brave-looking cats. The young she-cat sighed softly.
"What is your name?" The leader continued. She looked up and met his gaze fiercely.
"Fox..." She spoke, and fell once again into deep unconsciousness.