Work Text:
It was well after midnight by the time the two women made it home, full of a couple that had been a little too judgy. Not that the two women, nocturnal by nature, cared. In fact, Claudia thought it was a little early. Still, neither would mind spending the night enjoying each other.
“Think she’s home yet?” Madeleine asked. There was little ambiguity about whom she meant, of course. When they entered their small house, almost a cottage, a soft meow flowed over their ears.
Claudia, Madeleine, you’re home. A warm mental voice called out. How was your hunting?
Their fledgling sat in the middle of the living room, gently weaving reeds and seashells into a neckless. Her contribution to the household.
“Hello, Feathertail.” Claudia said. “It was pretty good tonight. How was yours?”
It was good. Thank you. I gave the rabbit to Leaf and Moon and shared tongues with them for a good while. Did you know she’s expecting another litter of kits?
“Is that her third?”
Yes.
Madeleine spoke up. “And guess who had to save the world once more by playing a game of discs?”
Oh StarClan. Did it go well, at least?
“Yes, until your maker decided to eat an alien.”
Feathertail conked her head to the side. She had lived among these two-legs for many season, ever since Claudia had changed her into a vampire as she lay broken and dying and she realized she couldn’t live with the clans. She had learned to understand their languages, both “French” and “English”, yet there were still words that escaped her.
Alien? She asked as she hopped up onto the couch.
Claudia shrugged. A being from outside of our world.
But not the Demonata?
Right. From our physical universe but not of our planet.
From the stars. Madeleine added.
Oh. A Xenos. Feathertail said. I thought Karenus was making those up.
Feathertail was still a firm believer in Star Clan. It just made sense that the souls of cats who had died became the stars in the sky. And Silverstream had assisted her in killing Sharptooth and later in her transformation into a vampire. Still, Feathertail, since she had started to live with Claudia and Madeleine, had also come to accept stars were also physical objects, just like the sun for other worlds. Just with less burning vampires, thank StarClan.
And it didn’t taste good? She asked curiously.
Claudia smiled. “No and eating it was dumb for me to do. It could have been poisonous or worse.”
Oh. I’m glad it wasn’t. Feathertail replied. After a moment she added, So Madeleine was right again? She teased her maker, a purr rippling out from her throat.
Claudia smiled as she sat beside her fledgling. She had long since being amazed that she could hear the cat’s thoughts, even as her maker. Perhaps it was due to the fact that Feathertail was a cat and not a human. Well, whatever the explanation was, Claudia was just happy to have been able to make a fledgling herself.
“Yeah, she was.” She responded as she gazed at her beloved. “Always.”
Madeleine sat besides her. “I am not, Claudia.”
Only sometimes. Feathertail said, as a purr ripped from her small frame.
“But those sometimes, you’re always right.” Claudia said with a wicked grin.
Madeleine gave her a deep kiss. “I will concede that.”
Feathertail’s whiskers were raised in a smile.
“What is it?” Claudia said as she remembered they weren’t alone and saw the cat’s expression.
Twolegs have the funniest mating rituals.
We do not! Madeleine protested.
Sharing tongues doesn’t mean actually sharing tongues!
It means cleaning each other’s fur, non? Madeleine replied.
Feathertail nodded. Yes, it does. I miss having clanmates sometimes. Sometimes, I wish you turned Stormfur or Crowpaw as well. I know it probably wouldn’t have worked but…
For a number of reasons.
Feathertail could still remember the looks on her friends’ faces when she finished draining Stoneteller, the first and only cat she had ever drank from. She still remembered the hisses of murderer from the tribe. She still remembered the last conversation she ever had with her brother.
“Why’d you do it?”
“I don’t know.” Feathertail lied. It was a kinder truth. That she was hurt, confused and hungry and every instinct in her body had told her drinking Stoneteller’s blood would fix that. She wished she felt bad about doing it, instead being upset at how her brother and her friends looked at her. But it felt as natural as eating a fish had. It felt good. Still… She didn’t blame Tawnypelt or Crowpaw for glaring at her, fur raised as if she were an enemy and not a dear friend. She didn’t blame Brambleclaw for putting himself between her and Squirrelpaw. She didn’t blame Squirrelpaw for looking so confused at her. “I… couldn’t stop myself.”
“Are… are you even still my sister?”
Feathertail flinched. “I think so.” She replied. “I still love you, Stormfur. Nothing will change that.”
“Would you… do that to me?” Would she eat her brother, her best friend, who had been with her all her life, the only one who had understood her, who had followed her into the unknown?
“I don’t want to.” Feathertail meowed. But could she stop herself? She looked at her paws. “I can’t go back. They say the sun will kill me.” She paused “I don’t want to hurt anyone. Please, Stormfur, you’ll have to be the one to save the Clans. I’m so sorry that I can’t go back with you.”
Stormfur nodded. “I will.” He meowed cautiously. “I love you so much, Feathertail.” But he didn’t come any closer.
“I’m going to miss you all so much.” Feathertail mewed to her friends. She could hear the pain at what she had become in their minds. “And Graystripe. Tell father I love him. And Mistyfoot and Mosspelt.”
“I will.” Stormfur meowed. “Goodbye Feathertail.” The rest of her friends gave her a few halfhearted goodbyes but Feathertail kept her eyes on her brother. The only one who still saw her as Feathertail.
“Goodbye Stormfur.” Feathertail replied as Claudia picked her up. “I’ll never forget you.”
Claudia glanced at Madeleine, who nodded without hesitation. It was not the first time the bad memories had been too much for Feathertail. Claudia shuffled over and began combing Feathertail’s silver fur with her claws.
Sorry, It’s not my tongue but I am not going to lick you.
Feathertail blinked away the horror and purred with laughter at the thought. No, no. Thank you, Claudia.
It was hardly the first time that one of the vampires had done this with her but it always made Feathertail feel happy, a reminder that just because she was among twolegs, it did not mean she didn’t have a clan. And she had been a part of clans far worse than Claudia and Madeleine.
“Do you want to come hunting with us tomorrow?” Madeleine asked. Feathertail preferred to feed on the blood of rabbits primarily but if Claudia and Madeleine offered her some of their victim, she’d happily lap some up, for it tasted most delicious.
Feathertail shook her head. No, I’m sorry. I am chaperoning Gret and Bill-E. Devin’s going to dinner and then to that theatre production.
“Wicked?” Madeleine asked and Claudia nodded grimly. None of them had any desire to set foot in a theatre again, not after what happened the last time but they’d both seen the many posters set up around town. It was hard not to.
“Maybe we could hunt after.” Claudia offered. All three were well aware that Bill-E was not ready to see them kill. Gretelda, well, Gret turned into a werewolf every full moon and had eaten the occasional person herself, even if she felt awful about it after. And Madeleine had tried to eat her when they first met, only to find werewolf blood quite unpalatable. So the violence of their nature was hardly unknown to the poor Irish girl.
Honestly, it was pretty surprising she was still friendly with Claudia and Madeleine. Maybe Claudia talking Lord Loss into ‘prolonging her suffering’ and letting her keep her sanity was the reason. Or that they had helped her find her Uncle Dervish after her Aunt Kate had refused to lock her in a cage during the full moon and Gret came to covered in her aunt and cousin’s blood and entrails. Actually, maybe not that surprising that the werewolf considered the vampires her family.
Sure. Let’s hunt after. Feathertail agreed. I’m sure it won’t be too late.
Claudia laughed. “There’s always people out.”
I almost forget about what it’s like when prey’s scarce. Feathertail purred. No more feeling hungry for us.
“I thought there’s always fish in the river.”
Feathertail shrugged. Some winters, it froze and we’d have to eat mice and squirrels.
“The horror.” Madeleine snickered. “Squirrels.” She was well aware of Feathertail’s thoughts on squirrels.
I hope wherever they’ve settled, prey’s abundant, Feathertail said wistfully.
“We could try and find them someday.” Claudia offered. “The clans. If you want.”
Feathertail shook her head. I don’t think there’s a reason to do so. Everyone I know will have been dead for many, many, many seasons. Everyone’s grandkits as well. And their grandkits too. No one will even know who I am. The clans may not even exist anymore, beyond my memory. It’s okay, you two. You’re my clan now and I am happy.
And so the three spent the rest of the night chatting and playing and gardening and showering or in Feathertail’s case, swimming and reading and sewing till Madeleine saw the clock and swore.
“What is it?” Claudia’s voice was filled with concern and she ran into the kitchen, swiftly followed by her fledgling.
“Look at the time.” The sun should have been up well over fifty minutes ago but it was still dark outside. And they hadn’t even felt any of the usual tiredness they associated with the sun.
Okay, but what is it? Feathertail asked, for she could neither see the clock, nor understand human concept of time. She understood moonhigh and sunhigh and sunrise and sunset well enough but the vagary of numbers on a clock escaped her. Especially when they’d change what actual time they referred to as seasons passed.
“Normally, the sun would be up fifty minutes ago.”
Feathertail almost instinctively sought cover but the rays of the sun had not entered their little cottage, nor the outside world.
Did something happen to the sun? She asked, a little confused.
“Why yes. When we beat the alien, he tried to bargain for his life.” Claudia said with pride. “We made him put a sunproof cover over the whole world.”
“And then your maker still ate him, of course.” Madeleine teased.
“I never said I wouldn’t.”
Feathertail purred with laughter, because that was just so much like Claudia. Once it faded, she asked, So no more hiding out the day?
“We could stay up all day, if we want.” Madeleine said.
“Still, we should probably get ready for coffin. I’m more than a little tired.” Claudia noted once the three had finished celebrating the fact that they’d never have to worry about burning in the sun again.
“Oh, I suppose so.” Madeleine replied. “Do you want to sleep with us, Feathertail or in your own coffin?”
I’ll sleep with you, if that’s okay. Feathertail replied.
“Certainly.”
Madeleine got up to get their Feathertail-is-sleeping-with-us dressing gowns, covered in the cat’s fur. Soon, they were all nestled in the coffin together, all three struggling with falling asleep without the aid of the sun for the first time since obtaining the dark gift and also snuggling together till sleep found them.