DeadClans: Series 1 Book 1 |
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Author: Splashcloud
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Status: Finished
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Series: DeadClans: Series
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Allegiances: To be created
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Preceding: None
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Succeeding: DeadClans: Series 1 Book 2
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Spellcheckers: None
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| Pouncekit is born in a clan, where only one kit from each litter can survive to be an apprentice. But then a miracle happens, Pouncekit survives, only to be rejected by almost all other cats. |
Prologue[]
There use to be one clan, SilentClan, ruled by an evil leader named Adderstar. He forced all the cats to do his bidding. He had a few cats that were as evil as him. Badgerscar, Claw-eye, Snakestrike, and Lionscream, who would murder cats Adderstar hated. Adderstar's mate had four daughters, Snowkit, Moonkit, Featherkit, and Berrykit. They rose against his evil leadership and created peace among the cats. Each of them started their own clan. Adderstar from the Dark Forest along with his followers, who were also killed, put a curse on the clans that StarClan cannot stop. From now on, only one kit from each litter can survive to be an apprentice.
Chapter One[]
Runningfire looked at Swoopstrike. She was in love with him, and he loved her back. She wanted to be his mate and have kits, but the curse ruined everything. She didn't want to have kits that would all die. The kits that died because of the curse were always the strongest. The kit that was usually left wasn't as strong. You always knew when a kit was being killed from the curse. The kit would begin to cough, then their eyes would turn bright red, next thing you knew, they were dead. She remembered lying next to her brother, Jumpkit as he died and her sister, Redkit, as she died. Swoopstrike walked over to her and her heart longed for him. She looked around at the other cats in camp. SnowClan was so small, it needed more cats. Nightwhisker, the newest warrior, walked into camp with a squirrel. Maybe I can be lucky and only have one kit she thought, but she knew that was unlikely. She turned to her mate. Her love for him was strong, but she was afraid, it might end up just hurting her more.
"Is she going to be all right!" pressed Swoopstrike as Moonstream hurried over to Runningfire two and a half moons later.
"Yes," Moonstream reassured Swoopstrike.
Runningfire sat there trying to push out her kits, as Moonstream helped her. Please be one pleaded Runningfire. A spasm hit her and she let out a yelp. After a few more moments, two she-kits laid next to her. Well at least it isn't three or four kits she thought.
"What should we name them?" asked Swoopstrike.
"Poppykit," stated Runningfire pointing to a silver tabby.
"How about Pouncekit?" commented Swoopstrike glancing at the other kit, a brown tabby.
"What are we going to do when one dies?" she asked her mate.
"I don't know," answered Swoopstrike, "I don't know, I just wish someone could stop this curse,"
Chapter Two[]
Pouncekit looked around the nursery. Hawkkit, Snowstar's only surviving kit was hiding behind a bush at the entrance of the nursery. Poppykit padded by the bush unaware that Hawkkit was getting ready to pounce. Pouncekit took off across the nursery. Hawkkit leaped out of the bush as Pouncekit jumped up into the air, knocking Hawkkit away from Poppykit.
"Hey," complained Hawkit standing up, "That wasn't fair!"
"Yes it is," retorted Pouncekit, "It's not my fault you're as slow as a snail,"
"Hey! Take that back!"
She took off as Hawkkit darted after her. Racing into the nursery, she leaped onto Runningfire's silver pelt, and landed on the other side. Hawkkit, two moons older, easily jumped over Runningfire. Pouncekit glanced behind her to see Hawkkit gaining. Legs flying, she headed towards a small hole in the nursery. Only kits younger than three moons could usually fit, Hawkkit at four moons probably wouldn't. She drove through the hole, losing a few pieces of brown fur. Tumbling to a stop, she saw the brown spotted tom skid to a stop on the other side. He peered through the hole with his green eyes.
"I will get you," stated Hawkkit as he began to dig with his claws.
Pouncekit lifted her fluffy tail. The only bad thing about the hole was that the way to SnowClan's territory was blocked by a huge rock. Pouncekit turned her blue eyes to her other side where the hole didn't block her way. Trotting along the side of the nursery. She arrived at the ferns that signaled the apprentice's den. A white tom apprentice exited the apprentice's den. He lifted his front brown paw and started to groom it.
"Sandpaw!" squeaked Pouncekit darting out of the ferns.
"Hi Pouncekit," he answered putting his paw down.
"Can you tell me what it is like to be an apprentice?" inquired the brown she-cat eagerly.
"Sandpaw, you are needed for a border patrol!"
Pouncekit turned her head to see Fuzzybreeze assigning patrols.
"I have to go. Maybe another time," Sandpaw walked off leaving Pouncekit alone.
Disappointed, Pouncekit sulked over to the nursery. She flattened her ears against her head as she sat down next to Runningfire.
"Do you want to play with...?” Pouncekit began to cough. Her chest hurt and she started to feel sick.
"It is happening!" wailed Runningfire, she stood up and raced off.
Pouncekit stopped coughing and laid down closing her eyes. Two figures stood at the entrance of the nursery and Pouncekit was barely able to make them out.
"Are you sure there is nothing you can do?"
"There is nothing that I can do," responded a soft voice.
"Pouncekit what are you doing, it is only sunhigh!" squeaked Poppykit.
Pouncekit opened her eyes and looked up at Poppykit.
"You have bright red eyes!" exclaimed her sister.
Runningfire bolted in and then stopped. "You are dead,"
Chapter Three[]
Eight sunrises later, Pouncekit was still alive. Her bright red eyes freaked out everyone in the clan. They acted like if they looked at her, they were going to die. Every once in a while, Pouncekit would get a pain in her stomach, but it would go away. Runningfire kept starting at Pouncekit.
"I have had it!" announced Runningfire that day, "You are going to die and there is nothing anyone can do, so might as well get it over with,"
She rushed out of the nursery and Pouncekit stood in astonishment. Hawkkit, and Poppykit, who both didn't act strange around Pouncekit, walked over.
"What is she meowing about?" inquired Hawkkit.
"I don't know," responded Pouncekit.
"Let all cats join beside the Longlog for a clan meeting!" called Snowstar.
"Let's go outside," commented Hawkkit.
Pouncekit turned her head to lick at her fur, before going outside. She had a white stripe that went from her front right leg, over her back, and onto her back left leg. Standing up, she followed Poppykit and Hawkkit outside.
Snowstar stared at Pouncekit for the longest time until she motioned for Pouncekit to come closer. Pouncekit padded uncertainty closer to Snowstar.
"StarClan, you know every cat by name. The cat before no longer stands for what she is called and as my authority as clan leader, I am changing her name. From now on she will be known as Deadkit,"
Deadkit's eyes widened in amazement. First every cat in the clan begins to act like she will kill them by looking at her and then they change her name to Deadkit. Great StarClan, what is going on? Thought Deadkit.
Runningfire padded by muttering, "Good, now I can stop worrying because she is dead,"
Chapter Three[]
Deadkit spent her days playing with Hawkkit and Poppykit. Runningfire acted like Deadkit never existed along with her father. Her stomach hurt with pain ever time Runningfire or Swoopstrike acted like she wasn't there. Deadkit sat alone in the middle of the nursery by herself getting ready to go to sleep. Last time she had tried to sleep next to her sister, Runningfire had chased her off. She was now six moons old and Hawkkit, now Hawkpaw, had been made an apprentice. His mentor was Fuzzybreeze and that same day, Sandpaw had become Sandpool. Flamefire had become a warrior one moon before Sandpool. Deadkit laid down and fell asleep. The next morning she woke up exited. It was her apprentice ceremony! She stood up, and raced to the entrance of the nursery. Then she stopped what if they didn't make her an apprentice? What would she do then?
Well, might as well look good either way. She sat down and began to groom herself. Once her coat gleamed, she turned her head to peer into the nursery. Poppykit was being groomed by Runningfire. Why did I have to be the one to be rejected?
Snowstar called the clan as Deadkit joined her sister. Deadkit and Poppykit sat down right in front of their leader as she began to speak.
"Poppykit. Until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Poppypaw. I will be your mentor," announced Snowstar.
"Poppypaw, Poppypaw!" called the clan.
Cats started to leave as Nightwhisker hurried over to Snowstar and whispered in her ear.
"Oh, yes," commented Snowstar, "I have something else to do. Deadkit, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Deadpaw. Nightwhisker will be your mentor,"
"Deadpaw, Deadpaw!"
Deadpaw looked around to see only, Hawkpaw, Poppypaw, and Nightwhisker cheering. Runningfire and Swoopstrike were nowhere to be seen and the rest of the clan seemed not to notice.
Chapter Four[]
Four moons later, Deadpaw was going to her first gathering. She had found over the last moon that Nightwhisker didn't act like she didn't exist. He had finally convinced Snowstar let her go to a gathering. Snowstar kept on saying a dead cat couldn't go to a gathering, but Nightwhisker finally persuaded her to let Deadpaw go. Once they arrived at a clearing surrounded by willow trees. Cats from other clans poured into the clearing. Seeing a black apprentice she walked over.
"Hi," stated Deadpaw.
The black apprentice turned and her eyes widened. The apprentice darted off without saying a word.
Puzzled, Deadpaw headed towards a gray tabby apprentice.
"Hi," commented Deadpaw.
The gray tabby she-cat turned her head. "Wow,"
"What?" inquired Deadpaw.
"You have red eyes. In all my time as a medicine cat apprentice, I have never seen a cat who survived," stated the apprentice.
"Oh," commented Deadpaw, "My name is Deadpaw, what is yours?"
"Graypaw,"
"What clan are you from? I am from SnowClan,"
"I am part of FeatherClan, my mentor is Fernscar,"
"My mentor is Nightwhisker,"
"Graypaw! Where are you?"
Graypaw turned to Deadpaw, "I have to go, and that was Fernscar,"
Deadpaw watched as Graypaw raced off. She looked up at Talltree where the leaders were waiting for BerryClan to arrive. Deadpaw trotted off into the middle of the cats.
"Hey!"
Deadpaw stopped and glanced behind her to see a golden tom.
"You, with the red eyes," called the tom.
Deadpaw padded over, "Yes?"
"You have red eyes!" exclaimed the tom.
"So," challenged Deadpaw.
"Aren't you supposed to be dead?"
"Well my name is Deadpaw so I might be," joked Deadpaw.
"You don't look dead,"
"Maybe I'm not dead,"
"My name's Lionwhisker," he stated staring into her red eyes.
Deadpaw looked back into Lionwhisker's blue eyes. "You're a warrior?" she asked.
"I was made a warrior two sunrises ago," Lionwhisker explained, "I am from MoonClan. Where are you from?"
"SnowClan,"
"Cats of all clans!"
Deadpaw turned to see a ginger she-cat talking.
"That's Featherstar," explained Lionwhisker, "The gray and white tabby is Berrystar and the brown she-cat with the white throat is Moonstar,"
When the gathering was over, Deadpaw was disappointed to leave. She had finally found a few cats that didn't freak out when they saw her.
That night when she fell asleep, she woke up in a forest full of stars.
"Deadpaw!"
Deadpaw turned to see a dark gray tabby.
"Yes?"
"When you become a warrior, you must form your own clan of cats who aren't afraid of you. Only those cats can help stop the curse. You saw some of them tonight. There are four more cats you must find, not in your clan. If you don't do this, the clans will be wiped out if anything major attacks them. You must not forget what I am telling you. Bye Deadpaw,"
Chapter Five[]
Deadcat looked around at the cats in the clearing. Every since her warrior ceremony one moon ago, she had felt even more alone in her clan. Poppyflower was spending all her time with Hawkflame and had started to ignore her. Nightwhisker had gotten greencough and was confined to the medicine cat's den.
This was her only second gathering, and she was looking for cats who weren't scared of her.
"Hi," she commented.
The two cats she was trying to talk to darted.
Well, at least I know some of the cats who aren't afraid of me
"Deadpaw!"
Looking behind her, she saw Lionwhisker; his golden fur glowed in the light.
"I...I don't know any Deadpaw. I am Deadcat," stuttered Deadcat.
Lionwhisker stared at her, "Snowstar must be crazy, and who picks Deadcat as someone's warrior name? She could have picked Deadsong, Deadbreeze, or... or Deadspirit,"
"Well she probably is," commented Deadcat.
"I need to go. See you later,"
"Bye,"
Deadcat started off through the cats. A black tom stood next alone at the edge of the clearing.
"What is wrong with your eyes?" inquired the tom.
"I was supposed to die, but I didn't," answered Deadcat.
"Wow. I am Blackfall and I am from BerryClan,"
"I am Deadcat and I am from SnowClan,"
"Odd name," commented Blackfall.
"I have to go, bye,"
"Bye, Deadcat,"
Deadcat walked through the cats as the leaders started talking. She finally found a white she-cat, Icestorm, from FeatherClan who also wasn't scared of her. At the end of the gathering as she was beginning to leave, Lionwhisker walked up to her.
"Meet me tomorrow at the border of MoonClan and SnowClan," he whispered before walking off to find his clan.
Chapter Six[]
Deadcat glanced out of the warriors' den. She wasn't concerned about Snowstar or Fuzzybreeze to find out she had been sneaking out of camp. They thought she was dead and didn't care what she did. She was afraid Nightwhisker, Poppyflower, or Hawkflame would find out. Nightwhisker still had greencough, but he could accidentally find out somehow. Runningfire was sitting on guard, so Deadcat walked past her unchallenged. The moonlight shone on the forest, lighting Deadcat's path. She pushed by ferns and bushes as she neared the border. Lionwhisker stood in the moonlight. His golden fur took Deadcat's breath away.
"You look... wonderful," commented Lionwhisker.
Deadcat looked down at her paws embarrassed.
"You look wonderful too," stated Deadcat looking up at Lionwhisker.
His lovely blue eyes stared happily at her.
Why do my eyes have to be red?
Her eyes sparkled with joy as she looked at him.
"What do you want to do?" asked Lionwhisker, as he crunched down, his tail flicked from side to side.
Deadcat crouched down playfully; she shot out her paw, flattening Lionwhisker's tail to the ground. She let go and stalked around to Lionwhisker's side. Lionwhisker turned his head to look at Deadcat. Deadcat rolled onto her back as Lionwhisker leap over her. She unbalanced him with her sheathed back paw. She leaped back into her paws as Lionwhisker tumbled to the ground. Deadcat watched as he got up and looked playfully at her. Deadcat jumped up on top of Lionwhisker, flattening him.
"Do you surrender?" called Deadcat.
"Never!" answered Lionwhisker pushing up with his paws.
Deadcat felt off onto the ground and on her stomach. Lionwhisker jumped onto her back.
"Now will you, surrender?" he challenged.
"Yes," groaned Deadcat.
Lionwhisker jumped off Deadcat and onto a piece of moss. Deadcat stood up and walked over to him. Deadcat began to purr.
Chapter Seven[]
Two moons later, Deadcat looked around the cats at the clearing. She had only found one other cat, Lichenbreeze from BerryClan, a tom. Now looking for that last cat, Deadcat was wondering what to do when she found the last cat.
"Deadcat!"
Turning around she noticed Graypaw with another cat, a tortoiseshell she-cat.
"Graypaw!" greeted Deadcat.
"It's Graycloud now!"
"You have your full medicine cat name,"
"Yes I do. This is my friend, Garlicfur,"
Deadcat looked at Garlicfur, The last cat! Now what do I do?
Deadcat talked to Graycloud and Garlicfur until it was time to leave.
As Deadcat left, she got ready to slip out and meet Lionwhisker. He had not been at the gathering. Ever since that one night, Deadcat had been seeing Lionwhisker at the border. It was easy to get away, unless Hawkflame, Poppyflower, or Nightwhisker were on guard at the entrance. Nightwhisker had gotten over greencough and had gone to the gathering. She glanced at Nightwhisker to make sure he wasn't looking. Disappearing into some bushes, she slipped off to go see Lionwhisker.
When she headed back to camp, she saw Specklefang on guard.
This should be easy noticed Deadcat.
"Deadcat," hissed a voice, "I need to talk to you,"
Turning around, she glimpsed Nightwhisker's black pelt. She walked over to him.
I hope he didn't see me and Lionwhisker!
Her fears were confirmed when Nightwhisker began to speak. "What are you doing? Seeing a cat from another clan! If you were a normal cat, I would tell Snowstar, but since she wouldn't do anything, I am confining you to camp."
"You can't confine me to camp! I can do what I want, and you are only eight moons older than me! What gives you the right to order me around?"
Deadcat ran off through the forest. Anger filled her. She slowed down near the border between MoonClan and SnowClan. A cold breeze came through, and Deadcat shivered. StarClan told her to make a clan full of cats who didn't fear her anyway. Once she did that, Lionwhisker would be in the same clan anyway, so it wouldn't really matter. Exhaustion filled Deadcat and she realized she hadn't sleep for a while. Curling up under a bush, she fell asleep.
"Deadcat, Deadcat!"
"What?" Deadcat looked up to see Nightwhisker, "What do you want?!"
"I am sorry, I overreacted," stated Nightwhisker.
"Well that's for sure," mumbled Deadcat.
"I never asked you why you were doing this,"
Deadcat began to explain that StarClan had told her to create a clan. When she had been looking for the cats, she ran into Lionwhisker. She had soon begun meeting him every night at the border. She had finally found all the cats, but she didn't know what to do.
"Well, we need all the cats to meet together," suggested Nightwhisker, "And I have a plan on how to do that,"