LostHope's Path

Chapter 11

"Fawnpaw!"

"Yeah, cripple! Think you're literally able to become a warrior in a moon!?" Fawnpaw sneered, gushing acid sarcasm that dripped from her scratchy voice. She snickered and hissed, arching her tawny back. "Fight me. If you can win," She giggled. ''Well, fat chance at THAT. I will leave ya alive."

"Fawnpaw. Look at me! " Lostpaw snarled, staring at her sister, dirty and broken. Lostpaw's voice shook. "I-I know you remember me...j-just try...! Please...Fawnpaw."

"I don't remember you! And I wouldn't want to! I'm treated with no respect cuzza you, and I don't know who ya think ya are, but I'm gonna KILL YOU!"

She roared, and launched half-way across the pool, the water shattering into sharded droplets. Lostpaw met her with sheathed claws, and threw her sister off about five foxlengths away.

Fawnpaw let out a screech and barreled straight for the dark ginger she-cat again. Lostpaw tried to bolt away, but the brambles snarled from all sides of the tiny arena. Help me!

Lostpaw felt harsh bolts of pain roar across her back as Fawnpaw raked her claws across it. She couldn't do anything...

Not again... Fawnpaw...I don't want to hurt you ... Lostpaw squirmed helplessly under her, crying.

Fawnpaw snarled in Lostpaw's ear. "Cut that out. I knew you wouldn't fight me."

The light tawny she-cat lunged, trying to bite her sister's throat.

She....she wasn't bluffing... Lostpaw narrowly dodged her attacks, one after another....

And another

and another...

When suddenly, a silvery shape slammed into both cats, hissing her heart out for all she was worth. A she-cat, and her light frame, and her tawny fur were so familiar, though misted in silver, pelt entwined in stars, and gentle fury was blazing in her amber eyes.

Oh. Lostpaw shrunk back. Oh. Look. Two Fawnpaws. She let out a tiny whimper of fear.

Lostpaw let out a mew of confusion as the silver Fawnpaw gently grabbed her scruff and flung her into some ferns. Then the almost-translucent one snarled in battle and flung at its doppelganger, hissing, claws unsheathed. Lostpaw just stared as the spirit attacked Fawnpaw, and the tawny she-cat began to flicker in the dirt.

Is she dying!? Lostpaw let out a silent wail as the phantom Fawnpaw turned to her. P-Please leave me...

"Calm down! She's just waking up!" The silver figure snarled, turning to her.

"St-stop it!-"

"-I may not look like much." Lostpaw stammered. "But I do, in fact, have three working legs, claws, teeth. And I bet I'm going to be named Lostfox. Because, I did, in fact, kill a fox, just so you know."

"For the record, our dad killed the fox." The cat purred.

Lostpaw blinked. ...Our dad? She stumbled backwards a little. N-No, it can't be...

I killed her.

I killed her when I didn't know the branch was going to crack

I killed her.

But why is she here?

"Fawnpaw?" Lostpaw asked, feeling really, really, stupid, and regretted those words, 'til...

"Yes, Lostpaw. It's me." She sighed in exhasperation.

W-What?

"B-But y-you don't remember me in real life..."