Warriors: Return of the Clans
(You can read all of the finished chapters on my FanFiction page!)
BLURB
"In frosted day, by blazing night, through echoed stone, Silverpelt shines bright."
Generations of cats have come and gone since the days when the Clans held territory in the forest. Only the Last Star is left behind, and time for the Clan's legacy is running out. Among the shattered remains sits Fawn, an ordinary kittypet who enjoys her human's company and her easy life as a house cat. But when a fire destroys her old home, she's forced to take a new path. Along with Echo, her closest friend, and Night, a dark-pelted cat with stars in his eyes, she takes up the task of restoring the Clans, and the warrior code, to it's former glory. Will this small group be strong enough for the task? Or will the stars go dark once and for all?
Generations of cats have come and gone since the days when the Clans held territory in the forest. Only the Last Star is left behind, and time for the Clan's legacy is running out. Among the shattered remains sits Fawn, an ordinary kittypet who enjoys her human's company and her easy life as a house cat. But when a fire destroys her old home, she's forced to take a new path. Along with Echo, her closest friend, and Night, a dark-pelted cat with stars in his eyes, she takes up the task of restoring the Clans, and the warrior code, to it's former glory. Will this small group be strong enough for the task? Or will the stars go dark once and for all?
ALLEGIANCES
CATS OUTSIDE CLANS
KITTYPETS (cats that live with humans)
FAWN -- long-furred, seal pointed she-cat with usual white spots and blue eyes
ECHO -- Lithe, silver tabby with rough paws and green eyes
MOZILLA -- feisty ginger tom with foxlike markings
SALEM -- poor-tempered solid black she-cat
MUTE -- deaf, white she-cat with light blue eyes
BUTTERS -- calico patterned tom
OREO -- small, timid black-and-white tom
LONERS (cats that live on their own, but respect another cat’s territory)
NIGHT -- black, bright-eyed tom with a grey blaze and an angular face
BADGER -- long-furred, bulky brown-and-white tabby tom
FUZZ -- grey-and-black tabby tom
TWIG -- sable pointed tom
GINGER -- long-furred ginger tabby she-cat
FANG -- aggressive cinnamon-and-white tabby tom
ROGUES (cats that travel, and tend to ignore boundaries)
BOAR -- fierce brown tom with a flat face
CYCLOPS -- brown tom that’s blind in one eye
GHOST -- very pale she-cat with unusual pink eyes
In honor of the Last Star
PROLOGUE
He hated it.
The same old trees, the same old prey, the unchanging stars above, the deafening, endless silence that chewed away at his core. Many seasons ago, this starry realm was his home, filled with his friends and family, but now it was nearly unbearable. He hated his own face the most. Every day he would investigate the small pool at the edge of the forest, and every day he saw the same thing; his own face staring blankly back at him. At one time he felt a sense of pride in his image, the fiery pelted cat destined to save the forest and all who lived in it. Now it just irritated, no -- infuriated him.
For seasons he begged the stars to send a cat to him, to give him a sign, something; and for seasons he got nothing in return. But he continued to wait at the pool. Surely if this was really the end of Clans and the warriors who upheld the code, then he would have vanished long ago. And yet here he was. All the other warriors, leaders, and apprentices had faded away, their earthly bodies lost to nature, and their spiritual presence lost to time. It seemed as if no cat remembered the Clans anymore, so why was he still here?
He sighed deeply and his reflection did the same. It felt like it was taunting him. He could easily imagine it cackling, it's evil, green eyes giving him a condescending look as if to say, "What were you expecting, you stupid furball? You should've never left your Twoleg's backyard!"
He shook his head and went back to watching the pool. He couldn't give up now, after going for so long, that would be too easy. Even here, he knew that a warrior's service never really ended. Once a warrior, always a warrior. It didn’t matter how long he had to wait, how long he would have to see the same ginger pelt and blue eyes…
"Blue?" he whispered, unsure of what to think. He wanted to shake his head again, just to be sure he wasn't seeing things, but forced himself to stay still, afraid of ruining the only change he'd seen in seasons. The tired, green eyes he had become so exhausted of had morphed into a vibrant blue. He'd only seen eyes like that a few times before; they were rare to find in cats. He slowly rose from his crouching position, although his reflection didn't move. Instead, more of it changed. Its pelt shifted from ginger to a pale brown; the subtle, mackerel markings on its forehead disappeared and the face grew darker; the short, sleek fur he had before became longer, and the small nick in its ear vanished. A collar appeared around the new feline's neck, it's color and type eerily resembling the one that he used to wear so many seasons ago.
Whoever this cat was, he knew he had to find them. But were would he even start? He didn't even know their name. As if to answer his question, the cat rose from the pool, the effortless movement reminding him of how RiverClan cats used to come out of the water after a long day of fishing. As it did, he could see that the cat a was female, and had several white spots on her back as well as white toes. She began looking around nervously, like she was lost.
"Hello?" he asked. "Can you hear me?" The she-cat didn't respond, at least not to him. She let out a series of hisses at some invisible attacker before slowing fading away. He sighed, somewhat disappointed that the vision was so short-lived, but relieved that he did finally get the sign he was asking for. As he went back into the forest to think over all of what he saw, a whisper from behind made him stop in his tracks.
"Firestar!"
He whipped his head around to see who called him but saw nothing. Was he hearing things?
"Don't be afraid," the voice reassured him. "In frosted day, by blazing night, through echoed stone, Silverpelt shines bright. You will no longer be the Last Star. Be patient..."
Firestar flicked his ears, but the voice went silent. He continued walking; his mind fully engrossed in what the voice had said. If what it said was true, StarClan would be filled with cats once more. But would he meet his old friends and family, or would there be new, foreign cats? Was this unknown she-cat, who clearly still lived with her Twolegs, really be the key to saving the Clans?
Despite his worries, he was feeling excited. Good times were coming. The warrior code would be restored, and the Clans along with it. His days of being the Last Star were coming to an end.
The same old trees, the same old prey, the unchanging stars above, the deafening, endless silence that chewed away at his core. Many seasons ago, this starry realm was his home, filled with his friends and family, but now it was nearly unbearable. He hated his own face the most. Every day he would investigate the small pool at the edge of the forest, and every day he saw the same thing; his own face staring blankly back at him. At one time he felt a sense of pride in his image, the fiery pelted cat destined to save the forest and all who lived in it. Now it just irritated, no -- infuriated him.
For seasons he begged the stars to send a cat to him, to give him a sign, something; and for seasons he got nothing in return. But he continued to wait at the pool. Surely if this was really the end of Clans and the warriors who upheld the code, then he would have vanished long ago. And yet here he was. All the other warriors, leaders, and apprentices had faded away, their earthly bodies lost to nature, and their spiritual presence lost to time. It seemed as if no cat remembered the Clans anymore, so why was he still here?
He sighed deeply and his reflection did the same. It felt like it was taunting him. He could easily imagine it cackling, it's evil, green eyes giving him a condescending look as if to say, "What were you expecting, you stupid furball? You should've never left your Twoleg's backyard!"
He shook his head and went back to watching the pool. He couldn't give up now, after going for so long, that would be too easy. Even here, he knew that a warrior's service never really ended. Once a warrior, always a warrior. It didn’t matter how long he had to wait, how long he would have to see the same ginger pelt and blue eyes…
"Blue?" he whispered, unsure of what to think. He wanted to shake his head again, just to be sure he wasn't seeing things, but forced himself to stay still, afraid of ruining the only change he'd seen in seasons. The tired, green eyes he had become so exhausted of had morphed into a vibrant blue. He'd only seen eyes like that a few times before; they were rare to find in cats. He slowly rose from his crouching position, although his reflection didn't move. Instead, more of it changed. Its pelt shifted from ginger to a pale brown; the subtle, mackerel markings on its forehead disappeared and the face grew darker; the short, sleek fur he had before became longer, and the small nick in its ear vanished. A collar appeared around the new feline's neck, it's color and type eerily resembling the one that he used to wear so many seasons ago.
Whoever this cat was, he knew he had to find them. But were would he even start? He didn't even know their name. As if to answer his question, the cat rose from the pool, the effortless movement reminding him of how RiverClan cats used to come out of the water after a long day of fishing. As it did, he could see that the cat a was female, and had several white spots on her back as well as white toes. She began looking around nervously, like she was lost.
"Hello?" he asked. "Can you hear me?" The she-cat didn't respond, at least not to him. She let out a series of hisses at some invisible attacker before slowing fading away. He sighed, somewhat disappointed that the vision was so short-lived, but relieved that he did finally get the sign he was asking for. As he went back into the forest to think over all of what he saw, a whisper from behind made him stop in his tracks.
"Firestar!"
He whipped his head around to see who called him but saw nothing. Was he hearing things?
"Don't be afraid," the voice reassured him. "In frosted day, by blazing night, through echoed stone, Silverpelt shines bright. You will no longer be the Last Star. Be patient..."
Firestar flicked his ears, but the voice went silent. He continued walking; his mind fully engrossed in what the voice had said. If what it said was true, StarClan would be filled with cats once more. But would he meet his old friends and family, or would there be new, foreign cats? Was this unknown she-cat, who clearly still lived with her Twolegs, really be the key to saving the Clans?
Despite his worries, he was feeling excited. Good times were coming. The warrior code would be restored, and the Clans along with it. His days of being the Last Star were coming to an end.
CHAPTER ONE
Fawn woke up with her fur bristling and her heart racing. She had a terrible dream, the shock of it following her into the waking world. She slowly caught her breath and gave herself a quick shake, trying to get the visions of dying cats and blood-filled water out of her mind. I shouldn’t eat so much before going to bed, she thought, chastising herself. She padded over to the bedroom door, which she quickly noted was closed. It was open when she went to bed. Fawn flicked her ear in irritation; her housefolk must’ve closed it when they left earlier, meaning she would have to wait until they returned to leave the room.
Turning away from the door, she yawned and stretched. She still wasn't quite awake yet anyway, so it was probably best that she wait. Something caught her attention, however, on the way back to the cat-bed. There was something off about the air. Fawn took in a deep breath, a familiar scent filling her nostrils. Smoke! She went back to the door and leaned against it, then quickly jumped back from the heat. There was no question, a fire was on the other side. Now she wasn't so upset that her housefolk had left the door closed.
Fawn ran to the window, thinking that she could leave the room through there, but it was locked. Her options were running out, and it was only a matter of time before the door succumbed to the flames. What am I going to do? I can't just stay in here until the fire gets me...
A loud banging from the door seemed to answer her question. In a second, the door fell, revealing a two-legged creature with an odd black and yellow pelt. Fawn tried to run, but it was no use. Where would she even run to? The creature swooped down and picked her up, then headed back into the fire. Fawn's fur was fully puffed out as she struggled and flailed. She extended her claws and started raking them against the beast's pelt; it wasn't long until she felt her claws digging into its skin. It dropped her in retaliation, grabbing its arm where Fawn had attacked it. Her eyes darted from side to side to find an exit. Smoke was blurring her vision, making it hard to see what was happening.
She blindly rushed forward, dodging and leaping over various bits of fire and rubble. She was forced to stop at the front of the living room on account of the massive flaming pile of wood in the doorway. Soon the creature was over her again, and despite her furious hissing, it grabbed her once more, kicking the wood out of the doorway as it went into the hall.
In what seemed like just a few heartbeats, the two were outside in the snow. Though her vision was blurry, Fawn could make out the shapes of cars and many humans. One of the cars she recognized immediately; it was the one her housefolk used to go from one place to another. It was asleep right now, it's usual glowing eyes were dark, and it was on the very edge of the Thunderpath. Behind it was a much larger car. This one was wide awake and had many glowing eyes. It was growling and screeching loud enough that Fawn could hear it clearly despite it being nearly a tree-length away. Some sort of tail was coming from its side, and there were more of the black and yellow creatures holding it and pulling on it.
Fawn was glad to have left the burning human nest, but she was shaking from head to tail-tip. She started coughing hard, making the creature carrying her stop walking. It's black, bulky face seemed to peer down at her, although it didn't have any visible eyes.
It said something she couldn't quite understand. The voice was muffled, but it sounded worried. The creature continued walking, while slowly peeling off what Fawn had assumed to be its face. She soon realized this creature was a human, although the pelt he was wearing was far more bizarre than anything she had seen one wear before. She coughed again, louder this time, and the human muttered something again. She caught a few words, but most of it was lost on her. His words continued to echo in her head as she drifted off. "You'll be okay... I promise..."
Turning away from the door, she yawned and stretched. She still wasn't quite awake yet anyway, so it was probably best that she wait. Something caught her attention, however, on the way back to the cat-bed. There was something off about the air. Fawn took in a deep breath, a familiar scent filling her nostrils. Smoke! She went back to the door and leaned against it, then quickly jumped back from the heat. There was no question, a fire was on the other side. Now she wasn't so upset that her housefolk had left the door closed.
Fawn ran to the window, thinking that she could leave the room through there, but it was locked. Her options were running out, and it was only a matter of time before the door succumbed to the flames. What am I going to do? I can't just stay in here until the fire gets me...
A loud banging from the door seemed to answer her question. In a second, the door fell, revealing a two-legged creature with an odd black and yellow pelt. Fawn tried to run, but it was no use. Where would she even run to? The creature swooped down and picked her up, then headed back into the fire. Fawn's fur was fully puffed out as she struggled and flailed. She extended her claws and started raking them against the beast's pelt; it wasn't long until she felt her claws digging into its skin. It dropped her in retaliation, grabbing its arm where Fawn had attacked it. Her eyes darted from side to side to find an exit. Smoke was blurring her vision, making it hard to see what was happening.
She blindly rushed forward, dodging and leaping over various bits of fire and rubble. She was forced to stop at the front of the living room on account of the massive flaming pile of wood in the doorway. Soon the creature was over her again, and despite her furious hissing, it grabbed her once more, kicking the wood out of the doorway as it went into the hall.
In what seemed like just a few heartbeats, the two were outside in the snow. Though her vision was blurry, Fawn could make out the shapes of cars and many humans. One of the cars she recognized immediately; it was the one her housefolk used to go from one place to another. It was asleep right now, it's usual glowing eyes were dark, and it was on the very edge of the Thunderpath. Behind it was a much larger car. This one was wide awake and had many glowing eyes. It was growling and screeching loud enough that Fawn could hear it clearly despite it being nearly a tree-length away. Some sort of tail was coming from its side, and there were more of the black and yellow creatures holding it and pulling on it.
Fawn was glad to have left the burning human nest, but she was shaking from head to tail-tip. She started coughing hard, making the creature carrying her stop walking. It's black, bulky face seemed to peer down at her, although it didn't have any visible eyes.
It said something she couldn't quite understand. The voice was muffled, but it sounded worried. The creature continued walking, while slowly peeling off what Fawn had assumed to be its face. She soon realized this creature was a human, although the pelt he was wearing was far more bizarre than anything she had seen one wear before. She coughed again, louder this time, and the human muttered something again. She caught a few words, but most of it was lost on her. His words continued to echo in her head as she drifted off. "You'll be okay... I promise..."
***
When Fawn opened her eyes, she was surrounded by green. Around her was a sprawling forest, and under her was thick, green grass. The sky was filled with stars that shined brightly, far more than what she was used to. Off in the distance, she could see the sun setting behind some hills.
"Where am I?" She wondered aloud. She rose to her paws and walked toward the forest edge, in the direction of the sun.
Even though this place felt serene, something about it was off. There was a sense of dread that hung in the trees and emptiness that filled the air. She wasn't quite sure what, but something here was missing. Every new step she took confirmed her thoughts. The grass she was walking through was flat, as if someone had been through it before. Looking around, she could see that many of the trees had claw marks in them. There was no doubt in her mind that this forest, at one time, had cats living in it. So where were they now?
Fawn sighed. Cleary she wouldn't find any help here. Her ears pricked at the sound of flowing water, and she followed it to a small stream a few tree-lengths away. She was lapping up the fresh water when another sound caught her attention. Glancing up, she could see the rough outline of a cat in the trees. She quickly scurried away into some nearby bushes as the cat came closer; it was a bright ginger tom, his pelt marked with several scars. He crouched at the stream to take a drink. Apparently, he hadn't noticed her, Fawn thought to herself, relieved. She was unsure of whether this cat would be friendly. If he had scars, there was a good chance he was a feral cat and didn't take too kindly to strangers.
As he stood up and yawned, Fawn noticed something else about him. His pelt was covered in small flecks of light, like small stars. The lights floated around him and seemed to move independently of his body. This was no ordinary cat. The fur on her shoulders bristled ever so slightly as the ginger tom glared in her direction. Had he spotted her? She decided it wasn't worth sticking around to find out. She backed away as quietly as she could, then once she was several cat-lengths away, turned-tail and ran.
Unfortunately, the tom must have heard her flee, because Fawn could make out the sound of pawsteps behind her. She peeked over her shoulder to see how far behind he was. Big mistake. There was a loud THUMP that ringed through the air as she ran into a large boulder. By the time she scrambled to her paws, the tom was right in front of her.
"Please don't run again," he mewed. "I know I might look scary to you, but I'm harmless, trust me."
Fawn's tail twitched back and forth. She was debating if he really meant what he was saying. A cat like him, harmless? It seemed unlikely. Even so, his green eyes gave off a pleading expression.
She opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. The words vanished as if she had never tried to say anything. What's going on? Her paws faded from underneath her, and the next thing she knew, the forest was gone, and her strange dream was over. Instead, Fawn was surrounded by shiny, hard webbing. The ground under her was vibrating softly. She gave herself a rough shake and looked around. The space she was in was dark, with two small holes on either side to let in light. Fawn assumed she was in a car of some kind, although it was very different than what her housefolk used. She jumped from a soft whisper from behind.
"Pssst! Fawn is that you?" the voice asked. It took a moment, but she recognized who it was.
"Echo? Where are we?" Fawn whispered back, glad that her voice was working again.
"I'm not sure... I think it's a car though. Some funny-looking humans threw me in a cage during the fire... when I woke up, I was here. I hope they're taking us back to our housefolk."
Fawn turned to face Echo. The silver she-cat was sitting with her tail curled tightly around her paws. "Me too. Mine must be worried sick!"
"Would you two keep it down? I'm trying to sleep!" Came a loud hiss from Fawn's left.
"Sorry," she mewed back, "I didn't know you were there." She looked over to see who the cat was. Fawn could just barely make out his shape; his pelt was black, making him blend in with the harsh shadows inside the car. His eyes, on the other hand, stood out clearly. The piercing yellow orbs reminded her of streetlights at night.
"I don't even know what you're all worked up about," he muttered, "You're precious 'housefolk' aren't gonna come get you. We're going to the pound."
"Pound?" Echo repeated, her tail swishing back and forth nervously. "They only take homeless cats there! We have housefolk already!"
"Doesn't matter, you're still going." The black tom stretched and turned away. "I wouldn't worry too much if I were you, kittypets always get adopted from the pound anyway. They just kill cats like me." Despite the severity of his words, he didn't sound upset, just mildly annoyed.
"You're lying!" Echo growled at him. "Humans wouldn't do that! They'll bring us back, you'll see!" She was yelling now, although the tom didn't move.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night," he replied.
"Don't listen to him," Fawn meowed. "He's just grumpy because he doesn't have housefolk of his own."
"Right, because I really want a bunch of humans hovering over me like I'm a kit," he shot back, rolling over to glare at Fawn. "Just because you like being locked up and fed food that looks like rabbit poop doesn't mean I want to."
Fawn flattened her ears against her head and gave her chest a nervous lick, unsure of how to respond to his accusations. What he said was technically true, although she didn't want to admit it. Echo, on the other hand, returned his glare full force.
"Alley cats like you always act so tough, but I know it's just a ruse! You think making things hard for yourself and making fun of others is how you get ahead. Well, you're wrong! I make my housefolk happy, and I'm proud of it. That's all that really matters, right Fawn?" she looked expectantly at Fawn, her green eyes beaming.
"Right!" Fawn mewed.
The tom opened his jaws to fire back a reply but got cut off by the car rumbling loudly. "What was that?" he growled; all the smugness gone from his voice.
Fawn pressed herself against her cage's bottom, her tail thrashing wildly. The car shook and rumbled again harder, enough to slide the cages around.
Echo backed into her cage's corner. "What's going on out there? Did we hit something?" she hissed.
There was a deafening screech as the car was rammed by something none of the cats could see. Its back mouth flung open, and the cages tumbled onto the slush-covered Thunderpath.
"Where am I?" She wondered aloud. She rose to her paws and walked toward the forest edge, in the direction of the sun.
Even though this place felt serene, something about it was off. There was a sense of dread that hung in the trees and emptiness that filled the air. She wasn't quite sure what, but something here was missing. Every new step she took confirmed her thoughts. The grass she was walking through was flat, as if someone had been through it before. Looking around, she could see that many of the trees had claw marks in them. There was no doubt in her mind that this forest, at one time, had cats living in it. So where were they now?
Fawn sighed. Cleary she wouldn't find any help here. Her ears pricked at the sound of flowing water, and she followed it to a small stream a few tree-lengths away. She was lapping up the fresh water when another sound caught her attention. Glancing up, she could see the rough outline of a cat in the trees. She quickly scurried away into some nearby bushes as the cat came closer; it was a bright ginger tom, his pelt marked with several scars. He crouched at the stream to take a drink. Apparently, he hadn't noticed her, Fawn thought to herself, relieved. She was unsure of whether this cat would be friendly. If he had scars, there was a good chance he was a feral cat and didn't take too kindly to strangers.
As he stood up and yawned, Fawn noticed something else about him. His pelt was covered in small flecks of light, like small stars. The lights floated around him and seemed to move independently of his body. This was no ordinary cat. The fur on her shoulders bristled ever so slightly as the ginger tom glared in her direction. Had he spotted her? She decided it wasn't worth sticking around to find out. She backed away as quietly as she could, then once she was several cat-lengths away, turned-tail and ran.
Unfortunately, the tom must have heard her flee, because Fawn could make out the sound of pawsteps behind her. She peeked over her shoulder to see how far behind he was. Big mistake. There was a loud THUMP that ringed through the air as she ran into a large boulder. By the time she scrambled to her paws, the tom was right in front of her.
"Please don't run again," he mewed. "I know I might look scary to you, but I'm harmless, trust me."
Fawn's tail twitched back and forth. She was debating if he really meant what he was saying. A cat like him, harmless? It seemed unlikely. Even so, his green eyes gave off a pleading expression.
She opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. The words vanished as if she had never tried to say anything. What's going on? Her paws faded from underneath her, and the next thing she knew, the forest was gone, and her strange dream was over. Instead, Fawn was surrounded by shiny, hard webbing. The ground under her was vibrating softly. She gave herself a rough shake and looked around. The space she was in was dark, with two small holes on either side to let in light. Fawn assumed she was in a car of some kind, although it was very different than what her housefolk used. She jumped from a soft whisper from behind.
"Pssst! Fawn is that you?" the voice asked. It took a moment, but she recognized who it was.
"Echo? Where are we?" Fawn whispered back, glad that her voice was working again.
"I'm not sure... I think it's a car though. Some funny-looking humans threw me in a cage during the fire... when I woke up, I was here. I hope they're taking us back to our housefolk."
Fawn turned to face Echo. The silver she-cat was sitting with her tail curled tightly around her paws. "Me too. Mine must be worried sick!"
"Would you two keep it down? I'm trying to sleep!" Came a loud hiss from Fawn's left.
"Sorry," she mewed back, "I didn't know you were there." She looked over to see who the cat was. Fawn could just barely make out his shape; his pelt was black, making him blend in with the harsh shadows inside the car. His eyes, on the other hand, stood out clearly. The piercing yellow orbs reminded her of streetlights at night.
"I don't even know what you're all worked up about," he muttered, "You're precious 'housefolk' aren't gonna come get you. We're going to the pound."
"Pound?" Echo repeated, her tail swishing back and forth nervously. "They only take homeless cats there! We have housefolk already!"
"Doesn't matter, you're still going." The black tom stretched and turned away. "I wouldn't worry too much if I were you, kittypets always get adopted from the pound anyway. They just kill cats like me." Despite the severity of his words, he didn't sound upset, just mildly annoyed.
"You're lying!" Echo growled at him. "Humans wouldn't do that! They'll bring us back, you'll see!" She was yelling now, although the tom didn't move.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night," he replied.
"Don't listen to him," Fawn meowed. "He's just grumpy because he doesn't have housefolk of his own."
"Right, because I really want a bunch of humans hovering over me like I'm a kit," he shot back, rolling over to glare at Fawn. "Just because you like being locked up and fed food that looks like rabbit poop doesn't mean I want to."
Fawn flattened her ears against her head and gave her chest a nervous lick, unsure of how to respond to his accusations. What he said was technically true, although she didn't want to admit it. Echo, on the other hand, returned his glare full force.
"Alley cats like you always act so tough, but I know it's just a ruse! You think making things hard for yourself and making fun of others is how you get ahead. Well, you're wrong! I make my housefolk happy, and I'm proud of it. That's all that really matters, right Fawn?" she looked expectantly at Fawn, her green eyes beaming.
"Right!" Fawn mewed.
The tom opened his jaws to fire back a reply but got cut off by the car rumbling loudly. "What was that?" he growled; all the smugness gone from his voice.
Fawn pressed herself against her cage's bottom, her tail thrashing wildly. The car shook and rumbled again harder, enough to slide the cages around.
Echo backed into her cage's corner. "What's going on out there? Did we hit something?" she hissed.
There was a deafening screech as the car was rammed by something none of the cats could see. Its back mouth flung open, and the cages tumbled onto the slush-covered Thunderpath.
***
It took a moment for Fawn to regain her senses. The first thing she felt was warm; she looked down at her paws, which were covered in red. A dull pain in her side told her she was bleeding, but she wasn't worried about it, not now. Fawn scrambled out of her, now open, cage and onto the hard ground of the Thunderpath. She could see the shiny pelt of what she assumed to be the car she had been in, as well as another car with a different colored pelt jammed into its side. Two humans were standing next to them yowling things at each other she couldn't understand.
She looked back and forth for the other two cages. One was not too far away, but it was empty. Fawn could just barely make out paw prints left behind in the slush. The second was much further out on the Thunderpath, but it was also empty. Just a few mouse-lengths to its left was a silver, cat-shaped outline. "Echo!" she meowed as loudly as she could.
Fawn trotted over to her friend quickly at first, although her pace slowed as she got closer. She stopped several tail-lengths away. Echo was her side, her body perfectly still. The ground around her head was tinged a sickening shade of red.
She looked back and forth for the other two cages. One was not too far away, but it was empty. Fawn could just barely make out paw prints left behind in the slush. The second was much further out on the Thunderpath, but it was also empty. Just a few mouse-lengths to its left was a silver, cat-shaped outline. "Echo!" she meowed as loudly as she could.
Fawn trotted over to her friend quickly at first, although her pace slowed as she got closer. She stopped several tail-lengths away. Echo was her side, her body perfectly still. The ground around her head was tinged a sickening shade of red.