Vivianhorsegirl's Writing Contest entry

Princess's Soul

The light brown tabby sat on her fence, fidgeting with her paws. The molly's ears perked up when she saw a ginger tomcat come out of the forest. "Rusty? Is that you?" She asked softly, almost hesitant about if that was her brother. The breeze ruffled the ginger toms fur but he nodded a bit.

"Princess, it's me, but I changed my name, I'm Fireheart now, o-of ThunderClan." The ginger tom replied, his green eyes warm at the thought of his Clan as his sister nodded gently. Her pink collar jangled as she moved to the forest floor, feeling the soft grass below her paws. "So you're a wildcat now? Isn't that dangerous?" Her own eyes widened and blinked, looking at her brother.

"Well yeah, it's not the safest but yeah, I'm a wildcat I guess you could say that..." He said with a smile and a nod. "How have you been?" He asked, sitting down and wrapping his tail over his paws and he watched as his sister followed suit. "I know it can be dangerous but I'd rather that because I can't stand the kittypet life..." He shook his head and sighed softly. Princess nodded gently and sighed a bit, shaking her head worriedly.

"I've been doing well, I'm seeing a tomcat in the area, he's a kittypet and he's a very good tom..." She said with a soft smile, her light brown fur swayed softly in the breeze. Princess could barely pay attention as much as she tried, when the conversation was over he said goodbye and she said goodbye, touching noses with each other. She leapt back onto her fence to watch her brother leave.

The next few moons were difficult, they were brutal though her conversations with her brother had kept her going. She found herself more tired and more thoughtful with each conversation. She sighed softly and dragged her pregnant form up onto the fence.

"Fireheart!" She said with an eager and tired smile, seeing his ginger fur stand out among the Greenleaf forest flowers and scenery. "It's so good to see you!" Her belly swayed and she purred, pressing her nose against her brothers cheek. "It's been a while, I was so worried you may have been... You may have had something bad happen..." She said softly. "I've been thinking, and I wanted to tell you that I'm going to have kits!" She purred happily, pulling away from her brother with a grin. "I know the two legs will take him away so... When he's born I want you to bring him to ThunderClan..." She said softly. "I want you to have kin in the Clan and I want you to teach him to be good..."

Fireheart blinked, trying to process this before smiling widely. "Princess I'm so happy for you!" He said with a gentle purr, nuzzling his sister and pulling away with a sigh. "And... And you want me to keep the kit?" He asked softly. "Are you sure about that?"

Princess nodded gently, sighing softly. "I wouldn't have given you permission to take one of the kits if I weren't sure in my decision..." She assured gently.

The ginger tom nodded at the molly in front of him. "I understand, Princess, thank you for trusting me with this information..." The hot Greenleaf sun burned his pelt and made it burn a darker ginger, like fire branding his fur.

Moons later the pain she felt was unbearable. She hissed and gave loud yowls but the screeching stopped after a few extremely painful hours. Eventually her body relaxed and she looked at the kits at her belly. "After all that pain..."

Fireheart came back a few days since she had recovered- at least enough to walk and she brought her shivering snow white kitten out of the house, shaking as she waited on the fence. "Fireheart..." She hummed softly, seeing the ginger tom sticking out like a sore paw, her heart twisted a little and she almost regretted watching the kit mewl out weakly for her. She bit her teeth and tried to bare the pain that came with the separation, wishing Fireheart farewell.

Many years went by, and she watched her brother grow from warrior as she'd learned, to deputy. She'd learned what that is to, technically a secondary leader with restricted amounts of power but also should take over when the leader becomes sick or dies. She learned of her brother becoming leader himself, the ginger tabby tom becoming Firestar. A face she was sure the Clans would remember for moons to come. She watched the young squealing and mewling tomkit she allowed Fireheart to take turn into an apprentice, essentially a cat training to be a warrior, she met him when he became a warrior. She was equally shocked and pleased when her son, dubbed Cloudtail presented his mate to her. Lost face had been her name, and at first she criticized the scarring, more out of fear. She still reminisced about the final battle the Clans faced and caught herself wondering what it could have been if her brother had never left.

The light brown tabby was jolted from her reminiscing at the large clump of mixed pelts that came upon her. The ginger tabby and fluffy white tom in the lead. "Princess!" His familiar voice rang out as she jumped off of the fence, rushing to greet her brother with enthusiastic and cheerful purrs. "Firestar, you had me quite worried with the lack of visiting..." She said softly, smiling gently. "Oh Cloudtail, you must have fought so bravely, I'm just so glad you're safe..." She said with a relieved sigh. She was confused when her brother's face turned serious.

"Princess, the Clans are leaving the forest, it's not safe anymore..." Firestar said, shaking off the cats whose gazes burnt into his pelt like fresh sunlight with all the conviction of a forest fire. "We have to go and I can't abandon my Clan, nor would I abandon them..."

Princess looked about ready to cry but she understood, trying to keep herself steady. "I-I understand, this means you're saying goodbye, then?" She asked softly.

Cloudtail pressed his large figure against his mother, nuzzling her in an attempt to comfort her. "It doesn't have to be goodbye! Y-You could come with us?" He meowed hopefully, tail and ears perking up at the idea which was quickly crushed when he saw his mother shake her head no. "I... Okay... Princess, I wish you the best of luck then..." He said, allowing her to touch her nose against his forehead one last time. "Goodbye Princess..." He spoke softly, gaze averting as he left to go check on Brightheart. Princess's heart broke at the sight of her son looking so upset, she wanted just one more word, just one more touch, just to say she was proud of him but her emotions and thoughts left her unable to speak a word of goodbye, the thoughts stolen by the emotion choking up her throat.

Firestar, the tom who has grown up with her when they were kittens, who spoke to her for most of her adult life, whom she gave company and solace to in hope to keep him safe, was the only one left. Her brother dipped his head respectfully to her and she mirrored the action when he lifted his own head in turn. "I'm going to miss you, my brother, please don't forget about me and I hope to see you again... If there is ever an again..." She whispered softly, those being the only words she could muster.

Firestar nodded and pressed his cheek against his sisters in a soothing manner. "No matter what happens to you or me, I hope peace follows you, Princess... May StarClan light your path and always protect your paws..." He spoke gently. Princess nodded, she had half a mind to remind him that she didn't believe but allowed the words to comfort her anyways. When he pulled away there was a cold so jarring she felt she could die on the spot and she shivered. "Goodbye, Firestar..." She said carefully, this time slowly going back to her fence. The ginger tom flicked his tail and his Clanmates started to leave in one massive cloud. She continued to watch as her brother walked away from her and she knew she'd never see him again. Her heart heavy like a stone in her chest, she tearfully yowled goodbyes and good wishes to the only Clan cats she ever knew, and ever would know again until long past moon high when the Clan cats pelts couldn't be seen any longer. 'Good-bye...' she thought sadly as she was called inside to eat. She sniffled and pushed away her food, going to her fluffy nest, tucking in for rest. And goodbye indeed, to the last Clan cats she ever did love, and ever did know.