Lightning's Storm

Fighting Practice

I followed my brother out of camp and towards the mossy hollow. Nightpaw's eyes gleamed as he strode forward. I matched his pace, step for step, and I noticed his shoulders were a bit higher than my own now. I frowned, disconcerted at this new development, and stretched up onto my toes slightly so our heights were equal again.

"Are you two ready for some battle practice?" Cherrytail meowed as she walked ahead of us, Sharpclaw at her side.

"Yes," Nightpaw meowed, his eyes flashing with anticipation again.

"You better watch out," I meowed to him teasingly. "It's not going to be as easy for you as it was when we were kits. I've gotten really good."

"I'll still win," he said with a confident purr, arching a brow at me.

"You wish, mouse-brain!" I exclaimed, bounding ahead so I could race in front of the mentors and be the first to enter the mossy training hollow.

The sound of Nightpaw's steps were close behind me.

I whipped around to face my brother with an eager snarl as he came bounding in after me. He sprung, knocking me over, and the two of us went tumbling across the mossy hollow. I growled playfully, scrabbled my paws at his side, nipping at his tail while he tried shoving my face into the ground.

"That's enough you two!" Cherrytail chided as she and Sharpclaw entered the hollow.

"We're doing real battle training. Stop acting like kits!" Sharpclaw said with a deep meow, his tail twitching.

At the sound of Sharpclaw's voice, Nightpaw quickly scrambled off of me and shot me a glance, like it was all my fault that we got scolded by our mentors. I let out an exasperated huff and lolled my tongue out at him. Nightpaw's gaze narrowed, and he looked like he was only a heartbeat away from leaping at me again.

"Show me your upright lock move," Sharpclaw meowed, pulling our attention back to him as he sat and wrapped his tail around his paws.

My brow furrowed as I played through the motions of the upright lock in my mind. It was a difficult move.

Sharpclaw's probably trying to punish us for playing around!

I twitched my tail in concentration. Then I crouched, before rearing back on my hind legs. I balanced like that for a heartbeat before I brought my forepaws slamming down on an imaginary opponent. Hardly a moment later, I heard Nightpaw's paws slam the ground the same way mine did.

"Good," Sharpclaw meowed, narrowing his eyes at us. "Again."

Sharpclaw had us running drills all afternoon until my paws ached. We did the upright lock more times than I bothered to count with each time, Sharpclaw telling us to be faster, or hit harder. Then we moved to different slashes and different dodging techniques. Then the deputy had us string moves together in increasing complicated combinations that left me panting.

"Good," Sharpclaw meowed finally, after Nightpaw and I finished demonstrating a difficult spring, upright lock, dodge, slash combo.

I was panting, my tail flagging in exhaustion from the incessant training as evening began to set in. Nightpaw looked just as worn out as I felt, his whiskers drooping.

"Now we can head back to camp," Sharpclaw meowed, and my ears perked up. "... As soon as you two demonstrate that you remember what we've taught you today. Against a real opponent."

I bit back a sigh. Cherrytail nodded at me and Nightpaw.

"You will fight each other. We will announce that the practice is over when we are satisfied," Cherrytail meowed.

I turned to face Nightpaw. His tired eyes met mine, but he squared his shoulders in determination. I lashed my tail, raising my chin as I too tried to summon some energy.

"Got it?" Sharpclaw meowed.

Nightpaw and I both gave a curt nod.

"You may begin," Sharpclaw said.

At first, neither of us attacked. Instead, we just slowly circled each other. I narrowed my eyes at my brother, watching each of his movements carefully. His muscles rippled under his short black pelt. I knew he was stronger than me. I would have to rely on my speed in order to win. Which would be difficult considering how tired I was.

But, I summoned my strength, and without warning, I flashed forward with a downward strike from my forepaw. Nightpaw pulled backward, but he wasn't quick enough to dodge the strike entirely-- my paw still batted off the top of his muzzle. Now, he sprung forward, forepaw flashing in a blow. I ducked it, pivoting around him. Then I sprung into the air, twisting and landing on his shoulders, my jaws snapping as I bit down on his scruff.

Nightpaw shook his pelt, trying to knock me off, but I dug my paws into his fur stubbornly. He dropped to his knees, and I realized what was happening just in time to leap off, before he rolled. I landed heavily on the ground, a sharp breath jolting out of me. But, I managed to whirl back around in time to see how I would have been crushed under him. Nightpaw got back on his feet with lightning speed, turning to rear up over me in the beginning of the upright lock.

Quickly, I rose onto my hind legs to face him. I sent another swipe across his face, but he grabbed my shoulders with his white paws and sent us tumbling over with a snarl. I gasped as my shoulders slammed into the earth and Nightpaw pinned me to the ground, his green eyes shining with triumph. I wiggled under him, but he kept my back solidly against the mossy ground. My thoughts whirled frantically, as I helplessly batted his forelegs with my paws.

I let him catch me! That was one thing that the smaller cat can't afford to do in a fight against a larger and stronger opponent.

He won.

No! I thought angrily back at myself.

That's when I noticed his belly was exposed, right above my hind legs. I pulled my hind legs up against me, gathering all of my power into then like I would before taking the huge jump onto Skyrock.

Then I slammed my hind paws against Nightpaw's belly.

"Oomph!" Nightpaw gasped, as the air was forced from his mouth.

A bit of my shoulder fur was torn out as my kick sent Nightpaw tumbling off of me and stumbling back a few tail lengths. I scrambled to my paws, ready to face him again.

"We've seen enough," Cherrytail meowed, ending the fight.

I relaxed, flattening my bristling fur. Nightpaw was still gasping for breath.

"Now you can see the danger of the upright lock; it leaves your belly exposed," Sharpclaw meowed. "This means your opponent can use a belly rake against you, which is quite a debilitating move."

Nightpaw bowed his head once he caught his breath. Sharpclaw turned to me.

"You shouldn't have allowed yourself to be caught by Nightpaw," Sharpclaw meowed. "The battle could have easily been over for you then."

I dipped my head in acknowledgment as he paused.

"...But, that kick was clever thinking," he said.

"I figured that I had to get him off somehow. I bet if it was a real fight, and I had my claws out, I could do a lot of damage," I meowed, my eyes lighting up at the praise.

"A smaller cat would have gone flying from it," Cherrytail meowed.

I fluffed up happily at her words. Nightpaw looked less amused, his tail-tip twitching.

"Next training season you two will learn how SkyClan cats use our skills of climbing and jumping to attack from the trees," Sharpclaw meowed.

He gave me an approving nod.

"Lightningpaw is already learning how to use her powerful hind legs."

Nightpaw brushed by me with an annoyed sniff to follow Sharpclaw out of the clearing.

"Come on, Lightningpaw," Cherrytail meowed from the edge of the mossy hollow.

I got to my paws with a final look at Nightpaw's retreating back, and I followed Cherrytail back to camp.