Archive of Our Own ^beta

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The calico she-cat dug her claws into the cold, dark earth. Endless dark trees loomed around her, but she was used to their menacing appearance. She was focused as she watched a pale gray queen lay beside two tiny kits, a dark red tom, and a light brown tabby tom. Beside them, a dappled gray tom stood, admiring his new kits. The furious she-cat lashed her tail in anger as a deep growl rose in her throat.

Shellheart. Kit of Willownose, who was the kit of Appledusk-and his new son-future leader of Riverclan. The furious tri-colored cat glared down at them with pure hatred in her gaze from her dark prison above.

It isn't fair! She hissed to herself. My kits’ descendents should have been leaders! Not that foxheart’s! She knew that Appledusk was long gone, but this kit bore the same light brown coat as the cat that had betrayed her long ago-which just made the fact that he would become leader even worse.

As she looked down at them she imagined the small light brown kit-a full grown tom. He stood atop the highrock, gazing down at his clanmates, a proud leader. He looked healthy and strong, the way her kits should have been. Then suddenly, light caught his fur, and the stripes on his pelt twisted and morphed until his fur settled and his face grew into a very familiar one. The same face that had cast her out of Riverclan and blamed her for her kits’ deaths. Appledusk!

The dark forest resident clawed at the ground in fury, pulling up clumps of dry earth. The she-cat wanted to charge down there now and rip out the throats of Shellheart and his kits-but she resisted. She could do better. Just killing them wouldn’t be enough. She would make his life a living nightmare until he had nothing left to live for.

"You ruined my life Appledusk." she hissed furiously. "Now I will do the same with your kin."

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The calico she-cat paced around the gloomy forest. Her paws were itching with excitement at what was soon to come. She had been watching the kits for moons, waiting for the right time. Stormkit was getting more restless day by day, and she knew it wouldn’t be long before the incident.

Dry earth crunched under her paws as she paced. She had been imagining this moment ever since she learned of the life the young warrior would live. The incident that would define the rest of his life. Her teeth bared in delight as she imagined the devastation she would soon cause.

“You seem unusually happy Mapleshade," a harsh voice spoke from behind her.

The she-cat spun around and glared at the menacing silver tom behind her. Her tail tip twitched in annoyance. "Sorry my life wasn't exactly great, there isn't much for me to be happy about. Not like the great life Silverhawk lived. How did getting your son to be leader go?" she snapped and lifted her gaze off him.

The tom narrowed his eyes and smirked at the she-cat. "It really is a shame. My kit was so ready. He grew healthy and strong…and yours-"

Mapleshade spun around and glared sharply at Silverhawk. "Do not speak of my kits! They do not deserve to be spoken of by fox-heart like you!" The angry warrior's tail lashed furiously and her teeth were bared.

"Oh no," the tom said sarcastically, "are you going to kill me too in another one of your spurs of anger?" He smirked, obviously happy to be getting under Mapleshade's skin.

The calico was furious, ready to pounce and dig her claws right into Silverhawk's smug face, when she heard a terrified mewl from down in Riverclan.

"He's going to kill us!"

"Run!" two tiny voices mewled in terror.

It was time. Mapleshade gave Silverhawk one last glare, and turned her attention to the two kits. The silver tom watched in curiosity for a short moment before his patience ran out and he slunked back into the depths of the shadowy forest.

Below, two tiny riverclan kits stumbled over the stepping stones in terror, with an old, unkempt tom chasing them.

The strong river currents crashed against the small stones in the water. For such tiny cats, they were doing well at keeping well away from the older cat, but she knew this wouldn't last long.

As the light brown tom scurried across the rocks, he suddenly lost his footing, and crashed face-first into the rock ahead of him. His jaw absorbed most of the blow, but he was sent falling helplessly into the dark river. Mapleshade grinned, and knew her plan was officially set in action.

The she-cat made her way down to the kit as he tried desperately to stay afloat. His paws were flailing helplessly against the strong currents as he began to sink under.

But something was wrong. Everything was going according to plan. Stormkit breaks his jaw on the stone, starts to drown, then she appears and he thinks she's his savior. The plan was flawless. Except…she didn't feel the joy and satisfaction bubbling up in her like it did when she killed Appledusk. She felt…pity? For Appledusk's kin? Kin of the cat that betrayed her, who would unfairly become leader? Mapleshade had every reason to hate him, but the truth was, she didn't.

As the kit's paws thrashed around desperately, she felt her heart sink. He had the same look on his face, the same look her kits had when they were trying to stay afloat in this same river. Terrified and alone, feeling forgotten by everyone that was supposed to keep them safe. This cat wasn't Appledusk. This was a helpess kit that only did what any kit did.

Despite all of her planning, the schemes she had been working on for moons, Mapleshade's instincts kicked in and she grabbed the kit by his scruff before he sank under. If Starclan found out she was physically interacting with living cats, they'd bite her tail off. She shook the thought off and gently carried him to the shore, where she saw his littermate running off to get help. Carefully she placed the injured kit onto the soft ground, knowing she had to leave before the other warriors showed up.

The calico warrior turned her back, ready to return, when she heard a tiny groan. The young kit attempted to say something to her, but flinched in agony at the immense pain in his jaw.

"It's okay little one," the she-cat mewed gently as she rested her tail on his tiny body. "It isn't your time yet, don't worry. I will keep you safe."

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Stormkit wrinkled his nose at smell of rotting bark and dank air. Unfamiliar, dead trees surrounded him on all sides, staring down at him almost menacingly. Where was he? 

Last he remembered was a searing pain in his jaw, and the strong smell of herbs around him. This was not a place in Riverclan, or anywhere else he'd ever seen. The confused kit looked around the murky terrain, scanning for any familiar faces or landmarks, but all he could see were endless looming trees in all directions and a dark hazy sky above.

Stormkit attempted to call out for someone, but flinched at the pain that sparked in his injury as soon as he tried speaking. The kit shut his eyes and grimaced, trying his best to get through the momentary pain. After a moment, a surprised gasp sounded from above him. The kit blinked open his eyes in surprise and looked up.

A large, long-furred calico she-cat stood above him. Her pelt shimmered with a dark aura and her amber eyes glowed sharp against the dark light. She gave off a sense of power, someone most cats would be afraid of. But, despite her ragged fur and frightening appearance, her eyes were full of compassion and worry, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort looking into them. She was certainly not a cat from Riverclan, yet she had a familiar air to her… His eyes widened in realization when he remembered where he had seen her.

The cat that saved me in the river! The kit opened his mouth to exclaim his discovery, but the she-cat gently placed her paw over his muzzle to silence him. Her touch felt cold, like a gust of air had blown into his face.

"Don't speak little one. I know it is painful for you. You must rest after all that has happened, my dear Stormkit."  The kit blinked in surprise. How did she know his name and what happened to him? Stormkit studied the calico. The shimmering pelt. The glowing eyes. The cold fur.. She was a Starclan cat! Starclan themselves had come to save him from drowning, and now they were here to speak with him! Although his broken jaw didn't allow him to smile, his eyes lit up in joy at his thought, and his tail raised in delight. The she-cat noticed and smiled down at him.

She stared at him for a long moment, eyes full of warmth and longing. "Patchkit…" the she-cat murmured to herself quietly while still watching him. Stormkit tilted his head to the side in confusion, but she didn't seem to notice him at all anymore, she seemed to be staring right through him. The kit looked behind him to see if anyone was there, but the shadowy forest was empty aside from the two cats. He stared back at her curiously. Seeing him confused, the she-cat snapped back to reality and shook out her pelt.

"Sorry about that dear," she purred. Her purr seemed to fill his body with a sense of comfort. Stormkit stared into her eyes, where he saw a strong look of longing, fiercer than he had ever seen, even from his own mother.

Suddenly, she shook her head and her expression turned serious. "But listen, things will be hard for you after this. Fate does not have great plans for you, but I will help you get through this. You are never alone, that is my promise to you." 

Stormkit blinked in surprise at the concern in her voice. What would happen to him? Before he could think about it too much, the she-cat bent down and touched her nose to his. The same cold sensation he felt before filled him, but the warmth in her gaze seemed to make it ebb away. 

The calico stood up once again and smiled softly at the kit before turning her back and beginning to make for the dark trees. He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed at her leave. As she began to reach she shadows, she suddenly paused, and turned back to him.

"By the way, my name is Mapleshade."

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my Mapleshade reference/design, enjoy!!

(top right is her before death design)

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What was wrong with her! Her. Mapleshade. Fiercest warrior in the Place of No Stars. The cat who swore to avenge her kit's deaths at any cost. And what was she doing? Helping the kin of the cat that hurt her most! 

The she-cat let out a roar of frustration and leaped at the nearest tree, slashing at the decaying bark with her claws. The brittle wood chipped off at the force of her strike, leaving a deep gash in the trunk. Tiny splinters of bark scattered to the ground as the calico shook out her claws to remove the chips from her paw.

She hadn't planned to visit the kit again after their first interaction. After his accident, the she-cat tried to distance herself from the sickly kit, not wanting to lose herself like that again. She was supposed to ruin his life not save it!

But she heard his whimpers of pain from the medicine den. She heard the concerned whispers around him. Even without seeing him at all, an uncontrollable force couldn't keep her away. So the warrior had welcomed the kit into her forest, in an effort to comfort him.

One look at Stormkit and she no longer felt the claw of anger in her belly and the longing for revenge that had been with her for a very long time. His soft fur. His pink face. The scent of milk. But what especially broke her was the look in his eyes. That familiar look of admiration and comfort, the same shine in his eyes that her kits had when looking up at her. Especially…Patchkit.

This was hopeless.

Mapleshade let out a groan of frustration and let herself fall to the ground, burying her face in her paws, ashamed at herself. The calico lady there for a moment, wallowing in her dissapointment, before her ears pricked at the sound of voices in the medicine den where Stormkit resided. 

"Stormkit can go back to the nursery today," came the soft mew of Brambleberry, the medicine cat.

Mapleshade heaved herself up with her paws and headed towards the noise.

"Really?" The reddish brown kit next to Stormkit squealed as he pounced on his littermate happily. "That's great! Come on lazybones!" 

The warrior couldn't help but smile at the expression that lit up Stormkit's face. He playfully batted back at his brother excitedly, feelings of joy and relief radiating off of the kit. 

But the heartfelt moment was broken by a harsh voice. "So he's better?" Rainflower remarked, her gaze growing dark as she glanced at her injured kit. "You can't do any more for him?" 

Mapleshade felt a wave of anger rise in her belly. She should be thankful her kit is alive at all! That's more than I ever got! Her tail began to lash furiously. And the guilty look in Stormkit's eyes at his mother's words made the feeling grow even more. 

The two she-cats talked more, but the words leaving their tongues didn't even matter. Mapleshade felt the disappointment and disgust radiating off of Rainflower, and it made her blood hot. She flexed her claws in and out of the dirt, desperately wanting to jump down at that very moment and teach the gray she-cat a lesson, but she had already messed with the living cats enough as of late, and anything big like that would definitely set Starclan off on her tail. Her teeth bared in frustration.

By the time she snapped out of her thoughts and refocused on the kits, she noticed Stormkit and Oakkit scampering around camp, happy as can be. Mapleshade felt her temper cool a bit at the sight. At least his brother would always be there for him. 

The she-cat felt her gaze shift away from the living cats and towards the dark trees, towards the direction of the border to Starclan. As much as she despised the majority of the cats residing in Starclan with their high and mighty attitudes, it was also the resting place of her kits. The she-cat wondered if they were taking care of each other, the same way Oakkit was taking care of his littermate. She smiled at the thought, then looked back down at Stormkit. I may have not been able to save you my kits, but there may be someone else I can save. 

BONUS CROOKEDSTAR REF SHEET FOR THE WAIT!! (also changed his design a little bc I wasn't really happy with it)

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"Come and see the training corner we made in the nursery!" Oakkit squealed and dashed off in the direction of the den.

Stormkit padded after his brother and squeezed into the nursery. "Wow!" he stared in delight at the far end of the den. The nests had been pushed back and moss lay on the floor. 

Oakkit bounded past him and launched himself onto the moss. "This is so we can fall without hurting ourselves!"

"What are those?" Stormkit glanced up at the fat brown bulrush heads sticking out high above up the nursery wall.

"Watch!" the dark brown kit exclaimed as he proceeded to leap up and grab the bulrush with his front paws, before falling back down onto the soft moss.

Stormkit couldn't help but feel joy rising up in his belly. He had dearly missed Oakkit and the rest of the kits in the nursery, even the other queens he used to spend every day with. But he had missed Rainflower most of all. 

A fresh wave of guilt swarmed over him. She's still mad at me. Rainflower didn't seem to miss me at all. 

The tabby kit shook out the thought. It's not like that. Like Oakkit said, she was just tired from hunting. She still loves me, she's just upset right now. The thought should have made him feel better, but a small feeling of guilt still lay in his belly.

Stormkit's thoughts were interrupted by two kits bounding past him, bumping into him a little on their way. 

"Have you tried it yet Stormkit?" Volekit questioned, tail raised in delight.

"Not yet," the light brown kit replied before shrinking down into a hunter's crouch. He pressed his belly to the floor and crawled closer until he was right below a fat bulrush above him. Wiggling his haunches, he reached out with his forepaws and leaped. Not far enough. His paws clapped together onto emptiness and he fell back onto the moss.

"Aww you nearly had it!" Petalkit mewed encouragingly.

Stormkit lashed his tail. "Nearly's not good enough."

A rustling at the entrance made the kits gazes turn. A long-furred gray she-cat began to squeeze into the den, purring in delight.

"It's good to have you back" Echomist replied, her soft gaze landing on Stormkit. 

He tried to be happy for the queen but his frustration still lingered. All the other kits are so big now…even Oakkit! Will I be able to catch up and become an apprentice alongside them?

Rainflower followed the other queen into the den and walked past the kits into her next, purposely avoiding eye contact with her injured kit. 

"You're not going to clog up that corner with more mess are you?" the queen remarked, licking her paw then rubbing it over her pale gray face. "Can't you play outside like normal kits?"

"Okay!" Oakkit said as he nudged the other kits towards the exit. "Come on, let's play moss-ball!" 

His denmates bounded past him, quarreling over who would be the catcher. Stormkit smiled and began to chase after them when he stumbled on an unfamiliar mass of woven reeds. 

"What's this?" the kit asked, looking over at his mother. 

Rainflower paused mid-lick. "That's your nest," she meowed and continued grooming.

"My nest?" Stormkit felt his heart sink. Wouldn't he be sleeping with his mother and littermate?

"You'll need your own space," Rainflower's tail tip twitched in annoyance. "Your jaw must be sore. You'll probably fidget in your sleep, I don't want Oakkit disturbed just because you're injured."

Stormkit stared up at his mother, despair filling his chest. "It doesn't hurt now. I won't fidget, I promise."

"Still it's better if you have your own space," Rainflower said as she began to groom her haunches, turning her head from the kit. 

Stormkit stared at his mother. Was she angry because he'd worried her being so ill?

"How are you settling in?" Stormkit's thoughts were interrupted as father poked his head through the entrance.

"I've got my own nest," the kit mumbled without thinking.

Shellheart narrowed his eyes. "Have you got your own nest too, Oakkit?"

Oakkit stared at his paws.

"Rainflower." Shellheart's mew hardened into a growl. "I'd like to speak with you outside."

Stormkit felt the guilt rise once more. Was Rainflower going to get in trouble because I told on her? 

The fur on the gray queen's spine bristled as she hopped out of the den. 

"Come on kits," Echomist mewed in an attempt to distract the young ones. "How about we have another go at the training wall?"

Stormkit heard the queen's voice fade away as his paws carried him to the entrance of the den where he saw his parents bristling at each other.

"His own nest?" His father growled.

"He has to grow up eventually." Rainflower answered, turning her head away from the tom.

"But Oakkit can stay in your nest?"

"Crookedkit must be used to his own nest after so long in the medicine den."

Stormkit's stomach dropped.

"Crookedkit? You're still on about that?" The gray tom's tail lashed.

"It suits him." his mother replied coldly.

"Don't you think it's a bit cruel?" 

"If he'd stay in camp like a normal kit he would have never had the accident! Then he wouldn't be the ugly mess he is now!" 

Tears welled up in the corner of Stormkit's eyes and he held back a sob. She does blame me! And she hates me! And thinks I'm ugly! I'm not her handsome little kit anymore and I never will be!

The kit buried his face in his paws to hide his sobs to not give away his eavesdropping. Hot tears streamed down his face and his body shuddered at each sob that attempted to leave his mouth. Everything was ruined! If only he'd-

A familiar scent filled surrounded him. The scent of old rotting bark and dry dirt. Cold fur brushed against his pelt. The kit looked up behind him. Mapleshade!

But she wasn't looking at him. The she-cat was staring intensely at Rainflower outside the den. Her eyes burned with fury and he could feel anger pulsing off of her. Was she angry at his mother because of the nest?

"It's okay." Stormkit mumbled. "It's not her fault. It's my fault for getting hurt. This is what I deserve."

Mapleshade looked down at him in shock. 

"No no no," she said, looking down at him and shaking her head. "It's not-"

"Stormkit?" Echomist's mew interrupted and the calico she-cat faded away before the queen could see.

The gray-she cat padded toward the kit and pressed her soft fur against his. 

"She's grieving," Echomist murmured to Stormkit. "She doesn't realize what she's saying."

"I never knew you could be so heartless Rainflower." Shellheart growled from outside the den. "If you insist on Hailstar going ahead with the renaming ceremony then we are no longer mates. I will never share a den or a piece of fresh-kill with you again."

"Very well," his mother replied coldly. "Tomorrow he will no longer be known as Stormkit." The queen stalked off towards Hailstar's den, not looking back.