Warrior Cats One-Shots

What if Spottedleaf had lived?

*Image Credit*

Feyrah on DeviantArt.com

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A tortoiseshell she-cat raced out of the medicine den. when she heard the yowl.

     "Someone has stolen my kits!" cried Frostfur, the white-she cat frantically scrambling out of the nursery.

     Spottedleaf pelted past her, behind the nursery, searching for the kits. Something rushed towards her, so fast it was nothing but a blur.

     "Who is it?" she meowed, but now reply came. The blur turned out to be a large cat, who lunged at her, teeth bared. Ears flattened in panic, Spottedleaf tried to duck, but a large paw collided with her head, and her world went dark.

• • •

"She's not dead, is she?"

     Spottedleaf stirred at the sound of the familiar voice.

     "No," she meowed softly. "I'm not dead, Firepaw."

     "Oh, thank StarClan," he breathed, sounding very relieved. "We thought you were dead, Spottedleaf."

     "Well, I'm not," the she-cat replied, opening her eyes to look at her friend. Her head ached from the blow she'd been dealt earlier. "What happened?" she asked.

     "We attacked ShadowClan and got the kits back," Firepaw explained. "And I'm Fireheart now." His russet chest swelled with pride.

     "That's great, Fireheart," Spottedleaf purred affectionately. "I knew you'd be one of us."

     The young warrior flicked his ears in thanks, and settled down beside her. "Yellowfang has been taking care of you," he meowed. In a moment of silence, Spottedleaf sensed something unsaid between them, though she couldn't quite tell what it was yet.

     Fireheart's green eyes peered into hers. "Spottedleaf –"

     He was cut off by Yellowfang, the former ShadowClan medicine cat who always seemed to be grumpy about something or another. "I hope he isn't bothering you, Spottedleaf," she meowed, her voice raspy. "I need you to get better, not worse."

     Spottedleaf let out mrrow of amusement to soothe Fireheart's obvious anxiety in the presence of the old cat. "No, Yellowfang. He was just telling me that he got his warrior name."

     "Well, now that he's told you, he can get out," Yellowfang growled at Fireheart.

     The young cat pressed his nose to Spottedleaf's head once more before he obeyed the older medicine cat's orders. Spottedleaf felt a pang in her chest as she watched him leave, though she didn't understand why.

     "You should get some rest," Yellowfang told her, sounding less gruff than before.

     After casting one last glance at the new warrior with the flame-colored pelt, Spottedleaf nodded, and laid down to sleep.

     "Thanks, Spottedleaf," Graystripe said, licking his now-cured paw gratefully. "That feels much better, now that that nasty thorn is out."

     It had been three sunrises since the attack on ShadowClan and the incident with the stolen kits. Spottedleaf had healed, and Yellowfang had rejoined her Clan, leaving ThunderClan's medicine cat to once again tend to her duties. Which meant she was back to picking thorns out of young warrior's paws.