Chapter Text
Princess always hated the bramble box. It usually meant they were heading to the Vet.
But today was different. They had brought her to a new twoleg home. It was empty, but soon they had started to fill it.
It was nice, new place, with plenty of neighbors...
And today? They finally let her out into her garden!
———
She stepped out, the air light and the smells all different.
Wow! It was quite pretty at dawn. Princess skipped to the fence, coiling her muscles to leap up.
It was certainly big. Much bigger than her old garden and sidewalks. She sniffed, opening her maw to relish in the scents of her new home.
"Are you new here?"
Princess blinked. She knew there was other kittypets around, but she didn't expect them to be up this early. She smoothed her fur that had spiked form the surprise.
She looked around herself.
Huh? She thought, where is this cat?
"Where are you?" She meowed calmly, speaking her thoughts.. A fluffy light orange a white tom jumped up on her fence. A black she and young brown she-cat coming up right after.
"Hello." The black she hummed. "Hi. Princess, you three are?"
The group glanced at each other, a silent conversation that ran past them. The brown she spoke up first.
"I'm Freckle!" She chirped in delight. "Billy, and this is Ebony." Billy nodded to the black she-cat.
"Nice to meet you all. And yes, I just moved here a few days or so ago."
Princess shifted into a stretch. "Where are all you heading to? No danger, I hope."
Again, another stolen glance that meowed for them.
Ebony spoke up. "Ah, just out There's some rocks far out to sun ourselves on."
"Ooh! Nice to know. Be careful though." She hummed, continuing.
"Adders hide in warm rocks. I remember my friend who once went into the forest. Came back with a snake around her paw. Almost died." Princess warned them. She liked this group quite a lot.
"I see, we'll keep a sharp eye." The black she nodded.
"Uh-huh." She meowed. "Well, I'll see you all."
"Wait." The light orange and white tom spoke up again, a tinge of worry and concern in his eyes.
It scared her lightly, before let herself calm again. Princess blinked. "What?"
Billy shook out his long fur. "Keep an eye out. If you see a black and white cat, telling him that were going this way. He doesn't quite know the way. Snooky is his name."
She raises a cat brow. "I'll let him know if I see him. Be safe." Princess nods, a farewell as the kittypets began to depart.
Princess skips her way onto a rock to sun herself with a smile.
She watched them walk off. Huh, they moved with such power in their legs. Interesting!
———
It wasn't long until a black-and-white tom, about Freckle's height, came wandering as Princess was sunning herself.
She glanced up, before her eyes lit up.
"Hey! You're Snooky? Right?" She bunched her muscles, leaping over like how the kittypet's had done.
The tom practically jumped at her voice. "What? Y-yes, I am?"
She snorted. "Don't be so tense. I saw your friends earlier. Billy, Ebony, and Freckle I believe."
Snooky blinked in surprise. He probably didn't recognize her. "Huh, oh, yeah. Who are you? I'm Snookp- Snooky," He paused, "well, y-you seem to already know that."
"Don't worry kit. I'm Princess. I'm new to the neighborhood," She introduced herself again, "your friends mentioned you weren't good with directions. I can show you where they left?" She offered.
The tom seemed to light up. "Yes please!" He squeaked, before then realizing he probably sounded like a kit, added, "I mean, If you can, that would be nice."
"Of course. Follow me." Princess stood up from her rock and raised her tail for him to follow. Which he did, keeping up at her side.
They walked in comfortable silence.
The two cats finally seemed to to be closing in on the Thunderpath.
"Here, I'll—" Princess started, before stumbling on a root of a tree.
"Great StarClan—" She growled lowly to herself. "Sorry about that, I must've not been looking. Anyways,"
She cleared her throat, glancing at Snooky who now looked surprised. Must've just been because of her stumble.
"I'll help you cross, then you'll be on your own. Think you can handle yourself from there, youngster?" Princess purred.
Snooky just nodded. He must have been anxious, but it seemed he was starting to recognize the way.
She braced herself as they pressed against an invisible wall. Well, if you counted scents as invisible...
"On my word, run like you've never run. Okay?" She wait for a response, just watched for opening.
"Go!" She howled after a monster zoomed past.
Her paws met twoleg rock as she sped to the other side. Princess hoped Snooky had ran with her.
She panted, now on the other side.
"Snooky?"
The black and white cat popped back into view. "Right here. I'm okay! You okay?"
She nodded. "Yeah, just haven't had to run like that in a while." She gave an exhale out slowly. She just needed to moderate her breathing back to normal.
A few deep breathes, and she was alright.
"You know the way from here, right?" Princess stifled a relieved sigh as Snooky nodded. Her soft pads couldn't stand much more walking!
She leaned over, giving a lick of reassurance to his head. "Be safe. Snakes lurk in rocks."
The young black-white tom nodded. "Goodbye, Princess! Oh, and-and, thanks for showing me the way!" He rushed off, leaving Princess to cross again.
Which was a pain in her tail, but whatever.
She went back silently, making sure was more watchful of where she was going as she returned to her rock.
She plopped down back on her rock, closing her eyes and putting her head down. Taking a little nap wouldn't be too sour, She thought, since the sun is warm.
———
When she woke, the sun had climbed to the middle of the sky. She yawned, sitting up.
Princess stretched out her limbs, body warm from the sunning. She was right when she noticed how warm today was!
She stood up, limbs stiff with sleep. She lapped at her chest fur, making sure she looked presentable once again.
Once she was to her standard, she decided it was time for some fun. Her twoleg home was in a more secluded area luckily. Which meant a bunch of trees kind of crowded her home.
She bounced off the rock, trying to remember what little Cloudtail and Firestar had told her about hunting. Suppose it was fun to try and hunt here, since no clans owned the land.
Princess dropped into a okay hunting crouch. Her weight was shifted, tail drifting over the leaves lightly. Shoulders a bit too low, but it was okay. It wasn't like she had a clan to feed.
She slid through the undergrowth, ears pricked for life. She opened her maw, letting the scents bathe her tongue.
Mouse! Finally! She tried to pinpoint the location, finding it behind a tree, gnawing on a nut.
She moved through the leaves and bushes with surprisingly silent speed. The mouse had no idea she was here.
Wait...
Now!
Princess launched forward, biting down into the spine. The sharp tang of blood surprised her.
"Ugh," She grunted, swallowing the taste. Yuck. She picked it up. Hm, what does she do with this? She doesn't need it. She trotted back to the tree, laying it down as some offering.
"Hm." She hummed, "perhaps some loner might need it." Princess smiles softly. Yeah!
She pranced back. Why not catch another piece of prey? She flopped back into a crouch, sniffing out something else.
Ooh! A robin. She looked for movement, watching. She spotted it with a smile still plastered on her face.
She forward, before accidently stepping on a stick. It cracked loud in the silent air.
The robin took off.
Princess sprung up after it, missing it by a claw-length.
She fell down hard, slamming her shoulder into the ground. She hisses, pain exploding in her shoulder.
She stumbled up, favoring her front right leg. She hadn't noticed how the sky had started to darken. Ugh. She would need to get home.
She limped back slowly, shoulder throbbing.
"Princess?"
It took her a second to recognize the voice.
"Billy? Ah, hello." She meowed, spinning around slowly to find Billy, Freckle, Ebony, and Snooky.
They looked... worried? Huh, she barely knew them?
"Is your paw okay? You're limping pretty bad?" That was Freckle. She had slunk forward, sniffing.
Princess blinked in surprise. "It's just my shoulder. Slammed it hard into the ground while trying to catch a robin." She shrugged — well, most you could a with jacked up shoulder.
"You wrenched it pretty bad. Any worse and it'd be sprained." Freckle had concluded, stepping back.
She hummed in agreement. "Yeah. Hurts badly though. I'll survive." She gave a few delicate laps to her shoulder, flinching slightly at the pain.
"You should'v"e been more careful. Could've broken your leg. You don't even know how to hunt properly." Ebony gave her a sharp lap.
I suppose all cats are close here, then!
"Yeah. Not the smartest decision. You all should head home though, it's almost dark." Princess chided.
They nodded in agreement. "Bye, Princess!" Billy shouted as they began to walk back.
Princess limped her way back home, getting coddled by her twolegs. Today was good day!
Epilogue
Mid-day — Snookpaw POV
——————————————
"I'm telling you, Billystorm! That's what I heard!" Snookpaw squealed. He swore that he heard that new kittypet say 'Great Starclan.'
Billystorm let out humorless laugh. "I'm sure you heard it wrong. It's a kittypet." He hummed. Ebonyclaw and her appprentice, Frecklepaw, sat down next to them.
"What's got your whiskers twisted, Snookpaw? Not another failed rabbit hunt, I hope?" Frecklepaw snorted, taking a bite into the thrush her and Ebonyclaw were sharing.
His fur fluffed up. Do they truly not believe me?
"I'm for sure! I heard the new kittypet," He paused, thinking, "Princess, was it? Nevermind, I know I heard her say 'Great Starclan!'"
"Who said great Starclan?"
Their heads whip around.
There stood Leafstar with a curious smile, before she plopped down beside Billystorm.
Ebonyclaw spoke up first. "Nothing. Just Snookpaw hearing things."
"What?! I know I heard—" Snookpaw started, before Billystorm gave him the, 'shush, this is your leader you're talking to' stare.
Leafstar tilted her head. "Tell me what happened, Snookpaw. If it's got you this captivated, It must mean something."
"Well," He started, taking a deep breath in. "My twolegs today shut me in a bit more than usually this morning. They still let me out, but I was very behind."
Snookpaw shifted on his paws. "I was very lost. I hadn't found my way before with the help of Billystorm, Ebonyclaw, and Frecklepaw."
She nodded understandly. "And? Getting lost shouldn't have you so confused."
"No, no. It wasn't that." He shook his head. "I was wandering when a kittypet stopped me. I think she's new to the neighborhood...?"
Billystorm nodded. "That's right. About three days."
"Anyways," he continued, "I saw her, she shouted out my name. She spooked me out of my fur. She—well, Princess explained that Billystorm, Ebonyclaw, and Frecklepaw was there before. Told her to keep an eye out."
Snookpaw flexed his claws absent-mindedly as he kept going. "She walked me there. Once we approached the thunderpath, she tripped on a root. I swear, I heard her say 'Great Starclan.'!"
Leafstar's eyes went round. "You're sure?" She asked. "Nevermind. You seem quite sure. I'll keep it in mind, but don't stress it." She hummed, standing up.
"Be safe." She purred to Billystorm. She's so smitten, thought Snookpaw. Leafstar didn't seem to notice. "Oh yeah, after you finish, if you and Ebonyclaw could take your apprentices out to the Sky Oak? They need to train a bit more on climbing I believe."
Oh Starclan! Not climbing!