THE BLOOD MOON; WARRIORS FANFICTION

Chapter 20

It had been a few days, and Flowertail hadn't forgotten about the strange light on her paws. She hadn't told Menace about it because she hadn't wanted him to worry about it, but she did feel strange. 

Waves of nausea would wash over her at some points, and her vision would blur every once in a while. Then there was the dizziness; Flowertail fought to stay on her paws but she'd often find herself veering off in another direction to find Menace anxiously calling after her and trying to figure out what was wrong with her.

Of course, that got Maple started with insults again.

"She's getting loopy in her head." Maple would whisper in a not-so-whispery voice, then give Menace an innocent look when he glared at her.

Usually, Flowertail would retaliate with a sharp retort or a furious growl.

Now she felt too exhausted to do so.

"Are you sick?" Menace would ask frequently, and didn't seem to hear her response because he would ask the very same question just a few minutes later.

Flowertail eventually just stopped answering and started giving him flat, deadpan looks instead.

Flowertail couldn't have been happier when they stopped to rest that day. She dropped straight onto the sweet green grass, her eyes closing.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Menace asked, sitting down next to her.

"I'm actually worried about your health; I've been telling you the same thing over and over again and yet you don't seem to hear me. Is something stuck in your ears?" Flowertail retorted.

"She's fine if she can talk like that." Maple snorted.

"Speaking of sickness, did I tell you about the time I killed a dog on my own while I was sick with greencough?" Cliff meowed arrogantly, puffing out his chest.

"Did I tell you about the time I tried to feed death berries to a cat who annoyed me?" Flowertail grunted under her breath.

Oblivious, Cliff continued. "It was a stormy night, and I was dripping wet, coughs racking my body and shaking me as I padded bravely through the lightening and thunder in the dark." Cliff began, and Maple sat in front of him as if she was hypnotized.

"That must have been so hard for you!" Maple gushed, her eyes wide and shining.

Cliff nodded solemnly and Flowertail tried not to burst out laughing.

"There I was, my body battling greencough as dog scent washed over me." Cliff lowered his head as if going through a traumatic memory.

"I can't believe you fought a dog while sick." Maple gasped.

"Yeah. I can't believe it. Literally." Flowertail rolled her eyes. 

"Not just one dog. Three of them!" Cliff proclaimed.

"Three dogs!" Maple gaped at him in amazement.

"She's being as mouse-brained as a kit." Flowertail mumbled, and Menace nudged her.

"At least she's enjoying herself."

"While listening to lies." Flowertail pointed out.

"But she's happy. Isn't that what matters?" Menace blinked at Flowertail, who frowned.

"No. It's wrong to be lied to just so you can be happy. It's wrong to just live in a false reality thinking that everything is amazing and perfect when it's really not!" Flowertail ranted, not understanding why she had become so angry over such an unimportant subject.

Menace stared at her, confused, and Flowertail realized Maple and Cliff had both turned to blink quizzically at her too.

Flowertail felt the tips of her ears warm up and she flattened them, her gaze flickering away. "I...um...I'm going to...go. Take a walk."

Flowertail backed away, then quickly disappeared into the bushes. "I told you she's getting loopy in her head." Maple muttered after her.

What am I doing? What is wrong with me?

Flowertail flopped to the ground a few tree-lengths into the clump of forest, panting.

I hardly even ran. Why am I so tired?!

Flowertail put her head down over her paws, blinking as sleepiness washed over her.

I need to...stay...awake...or...

Then everything slowly faded into darkness.

***

Flowertail opened her eyes to find dog scent washing over her. She instantly stiffened, her eyes widening as she lifted her gaze slowly to find the dog standing just over her, its front paws on each side of her head.

You have got to be kidding me.

The dog growled.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Menace approaching the dog from the side, and she realized all too late that another dog was standing behind Menace, bunching its muscles and baring its teeth.

He's going to die.

He's going to die.

He's going to die.

And it'll be my fault.

Flowertail lunged out from under the dog and it bit down on her hind leg, opening the scar on it and causing her to screech in pain. Blood spurted out of the wound, and along with it, yellow ribbons of bright colors splashed out. 

They danced through the clearing for a few seconds before three of them landing on the ground, growing in size and landing on the grass. They grew to be about the size of a cat, morphing and changing until they stopped, having become-

Three more Flowertails.

What the freaking-

Both dogs immediately forgot about Menace and the real Flowertail, charging after the three imposters.

Menace instantly ran over to Flowertail, trying to nudge her to her paws and letting her lean on him for support.

"Come on. We have to go." He meowed urgently, and Flowertail tried to limp as fast as she could, the blazing pain on her hind leg burning into her skin and dripping red puddles onto the grass.

What was that?!