Chapter Text
Nightmare sat cooled by the barn AC overhead. Soft moss mixed with old dead hay laid under her paws, a small squeak echoed from near the end of her tail. Turning to see her little brother, Croba, playing chase with her tail happily. The orange tom’s green eyes followed as he moved with her tail. She lashed her tail to the other side, her eyes narrowing playfully. Croba gave a small huff as he bolted after it but nothing special.
On the other side of the stick and hay made den sat two bickering she-cats. Nightmare half-sisters, Shard and Raincloud, letting hushed snarls fall between purrs. Shard- an orange she like her half-brother, sat pressed into Raincloud’s crest fluff. Their tails were twined showing echoes of gray and orange accents through her bushy tails. Speaking of those- they were the main trait we made them sure in the first place they must share a father. Nightmare’s and Croba’s mother were still around and it was easy to notice her. Hell Nightmare was like a little clone of her! Shard’s and Raincloud’s had been gone for a while… Both of them had short barely noticeable fur on their tails.
A hushed voice broke into the den, “I got food- come get it!” The sweet scent of rabbit filled the tight area quickly. Nightmare nodded, leading her tail around for her Croba to follow. `Her mother’s pale blue eyes softened as the group moved over to her. “Eat up, took me almost all day to get-.”
“Darknessclaw!” A blooming voice cut off her mother’s words. She turned, her fur clearly bristling at the sound of her name. “We need to talk,” the voice declared calmly, “step out of the den.” A chuckle sounded from outside, “if you don’t do this correctly we must make you an example! You know that, love”
Mother’s face twisted into pain, turning to her kits she sighed, “stay safe. Stay with Nightmare, if anything happens to me she’ll be your mother then.” Then her face softened into the caring look Nightmare knew so well, “I love you four. No matter what happens I’ll always be there for you.” Darknessclaw nodded at their crests before mewing softly, “in there- in your heart. I will always love you kits even if I’m dead. I promise,” she gave Nightmare’s head tuft a quick lick while whispering. “Be there for your siblings- for you even if I’m not there,” before turning tail and leaving.
Nightmare narrowed her eyes, “wait here and save some for me. I’m going with Mom.” She didn’t let herself hear what her littermates had to say- she had to stay with her mother. This day was the first time since she first ever went hunting her mother didn’t take her instead mewing, “stay with your littermates- they need you more.” Then she walked out. Nightmare was fine with that tho, it was nice to be with her siblings for the day but she was always with her mother when they talked to someone- this time wouldn’t be different.
She stayed pinned against the hay- the straw ends digging into her fur. Whatever, it kept her clotted in darkness and with her black pelt it was easy to not be spotted by the other cats lining the ground of this place.. Catching and holding her mother’s mixed scent twinned by the other rogue cats. She raced close to the scent while staying as much in the shadows as she could. She blinked as she made it to the place her mother stopped.
Before she could mew to her mother a voice cut in, “you know what I want, Dark.”
“That’s Darknessclaw to you, murderer!” Mother snapped with a new found rage in her voice, “and no! Paws off and kits!”
A scoff sounded from the darkness, “two of them aren't even your kits! Why do you care so much!” They seemed to start lashing their tail- well from the dust flying away from the darkness they were.
"You’re a tom! You can never know a mother’s love for her kits because you just choose to believe they don’t exist! Night and-” a screech cut her off as the tom leaped at her, claws unseathed. He lifted his paw closest to Nightmare, cutting her neck right open. Using his paws to open it, her mother turned, clearly seeing Nightmare. “Love, run please-!” She begged as the tom’s jaws sank into her throat tearing out her voice box. Nightmare felt tears well up in her eyes as she turned and ran. A bloody splash sounded behind her- the tom was killing her mother.
Bolting back into the den, Shard looked up from where she laid, “Raincloud tried to take your share, I had to beat her out of it!”
“Not true!” laughed Raincloud, her tail wagging.
“Just go to sleep!” Nightmare cried, “I can’t…. I just can’t right now, I’ll see you three in the morning.” Her mind kept replaying that part over and over again- “Stay safe. Stay with Nightmare, if anything happens to me she’ll be your mother then.” Then following her and hearing “Love, run please-!” The look her mother gave… Nightmare’s mother was gone from whoever that tom was- and their leader, Alder, let it happen. Whatever she was too sad to note what Alder could have done, curling up into a ball and using her tail to muffle her sobs she cried, “I’m sorry…. I’;m sorry Mom, I’ll take care of them I swear! I’ll be just as good a mother as you were.” She repeated that until the darkness of sleep took her under.