In this fanfic, Ravenwing was murdered by Mapleshade the day they were caught meeting Appledusk with her kits. Mapleshade, Appledusk, and their litter continue to live happily in their clans separately. What challenges will they face?
"Hey wake up buddy!" Mapleshade leapt up and hissed as a black and white tom stepped back. "Who are you?!" Mapleshade let her flank back up into the hay bale. "Why I live here! I found you here the other night but I didn't want to disturb you." Mapleshade tilted her head, oh yeah. She had slept in the barn last night because she had been chased out of Thunderclan. "My names Myler. How about you?" The cat held out their paw in a greeting, she was hesitant at first but then she realized it was just some kittypet so she shook their paw. "Mapleshade.." She looked the other way. "Ah! So your a clan cat?" Myler pulled his paw away and smiled. "I used to be..." Mapleshade thought of her kits crying for help as she was attacked and chased away, Myler noticed her gloomy attitude. "Do you need some time?" Mapleshade nodded and the tom walked away, exiting the barn.
Mapleshade thought for a few minutes, realizing it wasn't right that her kits were raised in that snitch of a clan. She looked up and leapt through the hole to the exit of the barn, she ran as fast as she could through Windclan territory and past Fourtrees before coming along the border of the camp. She smelled a patrol near by, usually this would be a good thing and that friends were near by. But now it means hostile allies were out on the search for her and want blood on their filthy paws. She shook the thought away and fearlessly crossed the border, it didn't matter if anyone saw her she has full authority for her kits.
She was soon nearing the camp before hearing waters and small chatters, one of the voices she recognized as her mate Appledusk. Her ears perked listening closely to the conversation they were having as she crouched down and got cautiously closer.
"Appledusk.... There's something I needed to tell you." She heard a she-cats voice but wasn't able to identify who it was.
"What is it Reedshine?" Appledusk asked. Who is Reedshine? Mapleshade thought.
"The medicine cat told me something when I was getting cared for after the forest incident. And.. they said I'm expecting kits!" Reedshine said. Mapleshade was not to bothered by that.
"Oh! That's great news Reedshine!" Appledusk exclaimed. Mapleshade decided to open a small part in the bushes so she could see the cats.
"Thank you Appledusk. Your going to be a good father." Reedshine laid her head on Appledusk's chest, purring at the feeling of it. Mapleshade unsheathed her claws, was Appledusk really cheating on her?
"Me? A father?" Appledusk asked bewildered, he stepped back from Reedshine and her head almost hit the ground before she jolted up. Looking confused. Although Mapleshade thought it would have been more interesting and funny as heck if she did fall, she kept listening.
"Well.... Yes. These kits are yours after all." Reedshine put a paw to her temporary slim belly. Appledusk was shocked and his face soon turned into worry.
"No no no! I cant have kits with you Reedshine. I already have a she-cat very important to me and she already has my kits! I'm sorry." Appledusk explained looking at Reedshine dead in the eyes.
"But Appledusk-" Before Reedshine could properly finish, Appledusk began to walk in Mapleshade's direction. Mapleshade leapt back and went to the side of the bush as Appledusk walked through it. Of course he took notice of her.
"Mapleshade!" He blurted rubbing heads with his formal mate, Mapleshade knew Appledusk would never let her down.
"Appledusk I need you to help me. I am going to get our kits out of Thunderclan but I need your help." Mapleshade looked sternly at Appledusk as she spoke, but only because it was their kits on the line. Appledusk nodded. Mapleshade stood up and began running towards Thunderclan's territory, the wind hit her fur rapidly as if telling her to pick up the pace or hurry up. It encouraged her to move faster as the wind began flowing her fur all the way back to her flank as she ran. Appledusk almost couldn't catch up.
They both soon arrived at Thunderclan camp only to look up and stare at it for a few seconds. "So.. Are we gonna go inside?" Appledusk looked to Mapleshade in question.
"No, if we go in there they will claw our faces off." Mapleshade responded as she circled the camps walls, she soon found the same hole she had dug from before but it was covered with dry moss.
"Help me destroy this." Mapleshade began clawing at the moss and Appledusk soon joined her. Mapleshade began desperate as she could hear her kits wailing for help in her own mind, she clawed more quickly and even started biting it. Soon a small opening appeared and Mapleshade quickly squeezed through to see the kits sound fully sleeping, except Patchkit.
"Mama!" Patchkit blurted, scrambling up to his mother and grabbing onto her leg with his front paws. Mapleshade sighed in relief, Patchkit's squeaking woke Petalkit and Larchkit and they were ready to yell to their mother before being silenced by Appledusk.
"We need to get you out of here and take you home." Mapleshade whispered. All of the kits nodded with their faces gleaming with happiness. Mapleshade picked up Patchkit and laid him on her back while Appledusk got the other two. Mapleshade feeling the satisfaction of having the weight of a kit on her back again filled her with joy, she then skidded to a halt as she soon realized something. Appledusk looked at her. "We need to clear our scent." Mapleshade let the kits down from her back and looked around sniffing a sweeping her paws around. She then spotted a large pile of dirt.
"Here, rub your fur in here kits." Mapleshade pushed some dirt to the kits for them to bathe in. "Ewww.." Patchkit put a paw in it. Larchkit and Petalkit leapt in the dirt pile with no cares in the world, swimming in it and throwing it. Patchkit was now a dirty kitten along with his siblings.
"Stop throwing dirt!" Patchkit hissed. Mapleshade smiled and rolled in the dirt as Appledusk hesitantly did the same. The family of five had a nice long and mostly dirty bath.
"Ok ok are we done now?" Patchkit began to rub his nose as the dirt made him sneeze.
"Yes, now lets get going." Mapleshade put Patchkit on her back and Appledusk did the same with the other two. Mapleshade and Appledusk walked close together as the kits hopped from one cat to another.
"Where are you gonna take them?" Appledusk whispered in Mapleshade's ear.
"I might take them to the twoleg place, we have no other choice." Mapleshade looked over to the thick aroma of kittypets. Appledusk nodded.
"Do you want me to leave Riverclan? I could stay with you and the kits." Appledusk looked up at the kits as he spoke.
"What? Of course not. You have a life in Riverclan Appledusk. But I do hope you can visit." Mapleshade gave Appledusk a lick on his head and smiled, Appledusk thoughtfully returned. The both of them stopped and laid the kits on the ground.
"Alright kits, I need to go back to Riverclan now." Appledusk gave them all a lick.
"Aww! Don't go Papa!" Petalkit whined.
"I'm sorry my little mirror, but I have to. Stay with your mother ok?" All of them nodded. Mapleshade and Appledusk touched noses and Appledusk made his way back home.
"Come back soon!" Patchkit squeaked after him.
"I will!" Appledusk disappeared into the trees. Mapleshade smiled as she put Patchkit and Petalkit on her back, carrying Larchkit in her jaws. She picked up the pace a little bit as she smelled the harsh aroma and stench of dead trees. The treecut place was not to far.
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