**OLD** Valley Cats: Of Sky and Stone 1- Daughters and Darkness

Chapter Sixteen

 "What took you so long? The sun went down ages ago!" Pumpkin squeaked impatiently.

 Twisterpaw shook out her pelt, still ruffled from the climb up the smooth channel in the cliff. "I had a busy day. Some kit nearly drowned, and I think my brother hates me now. But I learned how to swim, so..." she felt conflicted about her day, but shrugged it off. "I'm here now, though."

 "Great! Let's go inside before the bugs get to us! I can't wait to hear all about your day." the fluffy ginger kitten spun on her heels and began bouncing away through the tall grass, but Twisterpaw drew back her head, hesitant. "Where are you going?" she asked uncertainly.

 "In the house. Where I live with my grandfather." Pumpkin called over her shoulder. "Hurry up! You're going to miss feeding time."

 "Feeding time? What's that?" Twisterpaw waded through the weeds, curious but alert.

 Pumpkin was halfway across the grassy space she called a 'yard'. She was heading towards a structure that could only be a twoleg den, at least from what Twisterpaw knew about them. She watched as the kittypet stepped onto a smooth surface of pale stone in an angular hollow in the den. She stopped in front of a tall, fence-like surface in the side of the hollow. At eye level, there was a strange hole, outlined in white, covered by something clear.

 "What is that?" Twisterpaw asked, slowly creeping onto the hard ground. It felt like the same rock that made up the channel, but a different color.

 "The door, obviously. Pearl has to meow so loud to make her twoleg let her in. But I have a cat-flap!" Pumpkin smiled at her. "Come here! I'll show you."

 The black-and-white she-cat noted the strange words as she edged closer. Pumpkin smiled at her before pressing her forehead against the clear surface. It gave in as the kittypet forced her way through, swinging back as she disappeared into the orange-ish glow from inside the twoleg den.

 "Hello? Pumpkin?" Twisterpaw stepped closer, feeling the doubt trying to pull her back. "Where are you?"

 The tabby reappeared, poking her face through the 'cat-flap'. "Come in! Just try it, it isn't that hard!" she urged.

 Twisterpaw pressed her muzzle onto it, shoving her face inside. The air was warm, and smelled faintly of herbs and dust. She put one paw in, then the other. The floor looked like wood, but it was smooth and slick. She scrambled for a moment before she managed to place all four of her paws on it.

 "Welcome to my home! This is the living room. Wanna sit on the couch? We can't claw it, though. Otherwise... we don't talk about the spray bottle." Pumpkin lowered her voice, but she was still talking way too fast.

 The kittypet sprang away suddenly. "Look! My twoleg fed me already!" she squealed.

 Twisterpaw followed her into another place, this one with a floor made of smooth stone. The walls were brightly colored, and overhead a harsh light shone on everything, illuminating many strange structures.

 Pumpkin was vigorously eating something in a corner. She looked up as Twisterpaw scooted closer. "Sorry, I ate all the wet food already. But you can have some pellets, if you want." she offered.

 "No, thanks. I'm not allowed to eat those." the apprentice declined.

 "I'll go look in the laundry room and see if Mango's sleeping in there. I thought he'd hear us by now, but I guess I have to wake him up." Pumpkin licked off a few crumbs from her chest. "You'll like him. But his ears are really sensitive, so don't make any loud noises. And he's also really old, so he won't be interested in playing or anything." 

 The kitten paused at the entrance to another place within the twoleg den. "Don't just stand there, Twisterpaw! Follow me!" she beckoned with her fluffy tail.

 The she-cat reluctantly followed the kittypet into a darker space, where Pumpkin was pawing at an elderly tabby tom who was sleeping on a pile of strange-smelling, soft things.

 "Come on, Mango! The wildcat's here!" she prodded him with an unsheathed claw.

 "Alright, you. I'm coming." the tom stretched and yawned before sitting up and studying Twisterpaw, who was hovering in the previous space, not enthusiastic to follow a strange cat into the darkness.

 "Twisterpaw, was it?" the old tabby said as he padded over. "Why don't you sit with us? When Pumpkin first told me about an apprentice of ForestClan, I was so excited. Why don't we sit down and chat?" He brushed past the two, waving his tail for them to follow.

 "Oh! You've got to feel this carpet!" Pumpkin raced ahead back to the 'living room' and flopped over onto a strange, pelt-like surface.

 Twisterpaw sniffed at it, then sat down cautiously on the grayish, furry mass. It smelled like the pile of soft things the tabby tom had been sleeping on.

 "In case you haven't guessed, I'm Mango." the tom said, already nested deeply into the strange-smelling fur. "So, who are you? And who is your mentor?" he prompted her.

 "I'm Twisterpaw. My mentor is Crowpelt. I'm training to be a warrior." she said simply, not willing to give out too much information. "What about you?" she asked the old tabby.

 "Oh, let's see." Mango narrowed his eyes. "Let's see if this old tom can remember..."

 After a while, he sat up. "I was born in ForestClan, about eleven years ago. Which would be one hundred and thirty-two moons ago. My name was Marigoldkit, and my siblings were Poppykit and Pansykit. One day, the healer Flickerfur received an omen. We would all be gifted with intelligence at some point in our lives, but our brains would suffer curses as we got older. My sisters were destined for greatness, but I was not." he recounted.

 Twisterpaw's pale green eyes widened in the orange glow from above. "You were a ForestClan cat? And the brother of Poppystar and Pansypool?" she breathed.

 "Ah, yes. Poppystar became leader and received the gift of reading emotions. Pansypool became a skilled healer with an excellent memory. I heard she retired because of her curses, though." Mango shook his head sadly. "It's been a while since the last time Poppystar has visited me. Pumpkin wasn't even born then." he flicked his tail at the kitten, who was curled up a few tail-lengths away.

 "Why don't you go over there? I'm sure they'd be glad to see you." Twisterpaw urged.

 "The last time I saw Pansypool, she didn't even recognize me. I suppose it was some kind of memory loss. And Poppystar... it wouldn't be right for a Clan leader to waste time visiting some old kittypet like me." Mango sighed sorrowfully, looking more mournful with each word.

 "How did you become a kittypet?" Twisterpaw tried to change the subject.

 "I gave up. I didn't see any point in staying in the Clans, when my insignificant fate was already sealed. I left on the night of my warrior's vigil. I only told Poppypetal." the ginger tom once again shook his head sadly.

 "Oh. What was your warrior name?"

 "Marigoldheart. I was honored for my faithfulness and dedication. How ironic, isn't it?"