The Clan World



Author: Itendstonight

Prolouge
Shudderstar stared at the sky, reluctant to do what she was about to. "Whitepetal, OrchidClan is so short on warriors, we may need to take in..." She paused, but Whitepetal, her deputy, knew what she meant.

Whitepetal's snow-white pelt glowed silver in the moonlight as she nodded. "I know Shudderstar, but what Kittypets would live with the Clans volutarily?"

Shudderstar licked her paw and ran it over her ears to wash away the rain that was splattering down on her gray pelt. "I don't know, but OrchidClan is in danger, and we will have to get new warriors. This is the first time since Orchid herself that we are the weakest of the clans, and with Leafbare approaching, we can't get any stronger."

Whitepetal bowed her head, watching as the moon was covered with rain clouds. The rain splattered down on her fur and made her squint to aviod getting it in her eyes. The rain started to fill her ears with pattering on the bare grasses around her and the splash over the river beside her, as she thought about what Shudderstar was suggesting. "Are saying, Shudderstar," Whitepetal asked eventually. "that we must steal kits?"

Sudderstar didn't answer for a long moment, then stood and nodded to her deputy. "We have no choice." she meowed solomley.

Chapter 1: stolen
Flutter hissed at her attacker. It had her pinned against a tree and was attempting to sink it's claws into her flesh. Flutter felt tears well up in her eyes. she was helpless. She could never fight, could never hunt, could never live without Mango by her side. And right now, she wasn't going to live anymore...

Flutter jumped up, squeling with fear. she was confused for a moment, then realized she had fallen asleep in the garden. the twolegs wer crouched beside her reaching out hands to pick her up. they hoisted her into the air and wrapped their arms around her, petting her gently and saying something soothingly in twoleg-speak. Flutter purred as they stroked her soft, bright, orange fur.

Mango was waiting for her inside when Flutter was carryed in by her twolegs. "Are you okay?" Mango asked, careful not to sound worried for his sister.

"I'm fine, just had a nightmare." flutter answered. She flicked the rain from her fur and was greatful that the roof of the twoleg den kept the water out.

"Nightmares." Mango snorted. "Only you could be scared by something that isn't real."

"Quit being the tough guy." Flutter meowed in a joking yet annoyed voice. she started licking the rain out of her brother's fur, but Mango jumped away with an annoyed hiss.

"I can clean my own fur, thanks." He meowed huffily, then started washing his thick, dark ginger fur. Flutter's green eyes shone with amusement, then padded over to the twoleg catbed she shared with her brother and curled up in it until her tail touched her nose.

Mango pinned down his tail and licked the fur flat. He looked unsual with his fur flat, as he usually looks puffy. He spat with disgust at the taste of his fur, and padded over to his food bowl to wash away the taste. then he curled up in the catbed next to his sister, protectivly wrapping his tail over her head. He acted tough, but he still loved his sister.

Mango opened his eyes to feel brambles raking his dark ginger fur. He was being carried by a strange cat that smelled of the forest. He wanted to fight back, but was too tired. He feel back asleep.

Whitepetal carried a small bright orange kit. she hated stealing kits, and had doubts about kittypets. A warrior next to her was carrying the dark ginger kit. "are you sure that Sudderstar is being wise about this, Leafpelt?" she asked the she-cat next to her.

Leafpelt blinked at Whitepetal. "The leader's word it law. You should know that, being deputy." Leafpelt walked faster, the dark gigner tom bimping against her chest.

chapter 2: Living in a clan
Mango awoke next to his sister in an unfamilair place. His head shot up and he hissed at the she-cat with her tail wrapped around him. the she-cat jumped backwards, alarmed. "Where are we? where are our twolegs?" he hissed at the she-cat.

The she-cat leaped at him and pinne dhim to the ground gently. It wasn't a hostile move, but just one to stop him from attacking. "What's up with you, Flamekit?" the she-cat meowed to him. "You're home. you must have been having some dream."

"My name's Mango!" Mango hissed at the she-cat. He scratched her underbelly with his paws, but she didn't let go.

"We saved you from those mean twoelgs." The she-cat explained. "you were clan kits kidnapped by twolegs, and we brought you home."

"you're lying!" Mango hissed. "I've never even heard of a clan!"

"That's because they kidnapped you so young." the she-cat got a gentle and loving look in her eyes. "I'm your real mother."

"It's not true!" Mango hissed. "I'm a pet and my name is Mango!"

"Hush, Flamekit, hush. I know you're sad, but once you've gotten used to clan life you'll be happy we rescued you."

Mango gave up and ighed as he curled his tail around his sister. "My name is Mango." he meowed stubbornly to himself.

Flutter opened her eyes to find Mango prodding her in the side. "Bloomkit, wake up."

"Bloomkit?" Flutter asked. "I'm not Bloomkit."

"I know, but we got renamed.This is our new mother, Rainflower." he meowed, showing his sister the she-cat behind him. then he whispered in her ear, "I tried, we can't escape. But the clan is better, they give us good tasting food and we learn how to fight!"

"Why did we leave the twolegs?" Flutter asked, or, now, Bloomkit.

"The twolegs stole you from us." Rainflower cut in. "we took you back."

"But the twolegs were good to us! They gave us food and toys!" Bloomkit protested. "And you can't just rename us!"

"The twolegs renamed you, Bloomkit and Flamekit are your original names!" Rainflower mewed huffily.

A small gray she-kit strutted over to Bloomkit, chest thrust out proudly. "I've lived my whole life int eh clan, and i'll make a better warrior!" The she-kit meowed.

"Silverkit, hush! They'll wonderful warriors because they're not arrogant!" Rainflower hissed at Silverkit.

"Don't you dare hiss at my kit!" hissed another queen, entering the den.

"Then teach your kits to stay away from mine!" Rainflower hissed at the new queen.

"I will, after all, what do my kits want to do with kittypets?" the queen spat.

Rainflower called the other queen something very bad under her breath, then pushed Bloomkit anf Flamekit away from Silverkit in the far corner of the nursery.

Silverkit hissed at Bloomkit, then looked up at her mother. "where's Fluffykit?"

"He's playing around in teh camp, go and join him." The queen sighed. She lay in her nest as Silverkit rushed out of the den, her breath slowing into sleep.

Rainflower curled her tail protectivly around Bloomkit and Flamekit, then leaned down and licked Bloomkit's ear. "You'll be great warriors." she mewed.

Chapter 3: Silverkit's all Mew
Flamekit padded out of the nursery, marveling at the camp. He sniffed along the walls surrounding the camp, made of brambles, bracken, and twigs. He realized it would be very hard for any unwelcome cat to get in, or out.

The nursery looked big on the outside, and beautiful, with little purple orchids woven into the walls. the other dens had the same design, except for the leader's den. It was made from slick bark that was held in place by dried mud, and could probably hold the leader's weight. Little leaves shaped like stars were pasted on the sides to hide the ugliness of the dried mud, and a few new flowers grew around the entrance.

Silverkit scared Flamekit by jumping on his head while he was marveling at the size of the camp. He rolled over and pinned her down, but Silverkit wriggled away easily. "You have as much strength as a mouse, and as good reactions as a Twoleg." she mewed, licking a paw casually.

"oh, yeah?" Flamekit meowed. He leaped at her mid-lick. they rolled over three times before they smacked into the wall of the nursery, where Flamekit pinned Silverkit down and batted at her ears.

Flamekit had the upper-paw until Bloomkit grabbed his tail in her teeth and pulled him away. "Why are you fighting?" Bloomkit asked her brother. "Are we as bad as clan cats now?"

"As bad as?" Silverkit hissed, geting up and licking the dust from her fur. "you should be honored to be like clan cats. when clan cats are as bad as kittypets is when StarClan will fall from the sky."

Bloomkit tilted her head to the side. "StarClan? what's that?"

Silverkit snorted. "Kittypets." she hissed, then she turned and walked away, tail in the air.

Rainflower emerged from the nursery. "Don't mind Silverkit" she told the kits gently. "She's all mew and no bite."

"Rainflower, what's StarClan?" Bloomkit asked.

"StarClan is our ansectors watching over us, every sunrise." Rainflower meowed, licking down a tuft of fur on Bloomkit's head. "And when good warriors die, the go to StarClan and watch over their clanmates. StarClan keeps us safe."

"If StarClan watches over us and keeps us safe, then why did they let you take us from the twolegs?" Bloomkit huffed. "If I had to choose, I would have choosen Twoelgs over Silverkit."

Rainflower sighed. "I'm sure Silverkit will warm up to you in no time. But sadly, she gets her attitude from her mother."

"What's Silverkit's mother's name?" Bloomkit asked.

"Ferndapple." Rainflower meowed simply.

"Do all these clan cats have funny anmes?" Bloomkit muttered to Flamekit.

Chapter 4: More kidnapped kits
Bloomkit and Flamekit sat in the middle of the clearing, playing a game as they watched the warriors walk around. The game was to see who remembered each warrior's name, and the kit who remembered more names won. bloomkit flicked her tail to a golden tom. "Pollenfur." She mewed. Then she flicked her tail to a golden tabby she-cat on the other side of the clearing. "And that's his mate, Leafpelt."

"Good, but who's that?" Flamekit asked, flicking his tail to a pale gray she-cat with blue eyes.

Bloomkit glanced over at the she-cat, taking in her swift movements as she padded quickly to the nursery. She had strong hind leg muscles, probably best for jumping to catch birds. bloomkit got up and padded after the she-cat, listening in on her conversation with Rainflower.

"Hello, Shudderstar. What brings you to the nursery?" Rainflower asked.

"Hello, Rainflower." Shudderstar mewed, seriousness in her voice. "Dawnpetal has been injured and the fresh-kill pile is as low as it is poddible to be. And Ferndapple has just been to see me, she thinks Fluffykit might have whitecough, and Dappleleaf's catmint supplies are almost gone. I think it's time we get new apprentices."

"b-But all the kits are at least two moons to young!" Rainflower exclaimed.

"I'll do what I need to to save my clan!" Shudderstar snapped. "I will make Flamekit and Bloomkit apprentices tomorrow, but first I must speak with Whitepetal."

Shudderstar turned to leave, but Rainflower stopped her. "I can't keep lying to the kits. These kits don't want to be in the clan, they want to be kittypets."

"Well, maybe we should get more kits with warrior's blood!" Shudderstar spat, and she pulled away and ran out of the nursery. Bloomkit and Flamekit just stared at each other in shock.

Whitepetal hated the fact that she was doing this. Orders from Shudderstar, she, Pollenfur, and a warrior named Meadowbloom rolled in the stream, trying to drown their OrchidClan scent. "Hey!" Pollenfur meowed, flicking his tail to quiet whitepetal and Meadowbloom. He crouched in the water and stalked along the bank. Then he jumped up onto the bank, killing a mouse.

"We don't have time to hunt, Pollenfur." Whitepetal mewed.

"This isn't to eat." Pollenfur meowed. He set down the mouse and rolled on top of it, covering his fur in mouse scent.

"Good idea!" Whitepetal meowed. She climbed up on the bank and everybody covered their fur in the mouse-scent. "We can carry it back to camp later." Whitepetal meowed as she buried the the mouse. Then the trio continued to the TulipClan border. Shudderstar had heard something interesting at the last Gathering.

The three cats tried their best not to leave any scent, walking through streams and, to their disgust, through piles of mouse-dung. right before they reached the camp, Whitepetal cleaned her claws in a nearby stream, then waited until the ginger tom guarding the entrance left.

Pollenfur and Whitepetal snuck into tulipClan camp, making no noise. the camp was empty adn every cat was out on patrol or asleep. the deputy and warrior made their way to the nursery, made of bracken and tulips weaved together. the snow-white deputy glanced inside, staying hidden. The queens were fast asleep, and so were the kits. One queen had five kits, and the other had three. Whitepetal scooped the three younger kits out of the nursery and set them quietly down next to her, then nodded to Pollenfur. The golden tom started scraping a hole in the side of the nursery, then he took a leaf that was covered in fox-scent and rubbed it around the hole.

Whitepetal felt relaly guilty, and her guilt increased as she remembered what Shudderstar had said, "TulipClan has a lot of new kits, they said so at the Gathering. We need as many warriors as possible, so we need as many kits as possible. I want you to steal as many kits as possible, Whitepetal."

The snow-white she-cat felt the prickle of guilt grow hotter as she scooped some more kits out of the nursery. finally she decided what she was going to do. She would leave one kit per queen, but then she remembered her leader's words again. She had to steal as many kits as possible. She took all 8 kits and slipped them through a hole in the wall of the camp.

Whitepetal carried four kits, two in her jaws, two on her back, and Pollenfur and Meadowbloom each had two. "This isnt right." Whitepetal sighed. "We're stealing kits from another queen. ths poor queens will wake up to find that their kits are gone."

Pollenfur sighed in agreement. "I know, but Shudderstar's word is the Warrior Code."

shudderstar smiled as she saw Whitepetal, Meadobloom, and Pollenfur set the kits down in her den. "Perfect, 8 kits!" Shudderstar meowed happily. "An TulipClan is strong, so their kits will be strong."

Whitepetal stepped to her leader. "This isn't right, Shudderstar. We're stealing kits from other clans, it's against the Warrior Code!"

"It's also against the Warrior code for Orchidclan to die out!" shudderstar hissed. Whitepetal didn't mention it, but she thought the only danger Orchidclan was in was because of Shudderstar.

Chapter 5: Apprentices
"What should we name them, Ferndapple?" Rainflower asked the other queen.

"Well, We'll each take four. I'll take the pinkish-cream twins, that blue-gray, and the reddish tom." Ferndapple meowed, pointing with her tail to the new kits.

"Ok, I'll take the blue-gray she-cat there, that ginger tom, and the those she-kits." Rainflower meowed, scooping the kits close to her belly. they immediatley started nursing and she purred with laughter. "If only you got to choose what kits you get when you actually give birth to them."

"you might have choosen kits that werent so sickly." Ferndapple meowed, tactlessly.

"It's not my fault my kits died."

"Of course it's not." Ferndapple mewed. "But it is your fault you took in kittypets as replacements."

Rainflwoer changed the subject. "I'll name this blue-gray she-cat Streamkit, this ginger tom Firekit, and these two dark tabby she-cats Stripekit and Darkkit."

"Ok." Ferndapple meowed. "I'll name my blue-gray tom Dapplekit, the red tom Pyrokit, the pink she-cats Petalkit and Pinkkit."

"I bet their real mothers are missing them." Rainflower sighed. "I wonder what in the name of Starclan Shudderstar was thinking."

"Then from now on, until you get your warrior names, you will be known as Flamepaw and Bloompaw." Shudderstar meowed, looking down on Flamepaw and Bloompaw from the top of her den. "Leafpelt, you are a strong and honest warrior. I hope you will pass these traits on to your new apprentice, Flamepaw. Whitepetal, you are a wise and strong, I hope will pass the traits on to Bloompaw."

Leafpelt and Flamepaw touched noses, and Whitepetal and Bloompaw touched noses. "What are we going to do first?" Flamepaw asked Leafpelt excitedly.

"First, we're going to collect moss for the elders and the new kits." Leafpelt meowed, and the smile faded form Flamepaw's face.Bloompaw gave her brother a smack with her paw.

"Better that then trying to kill cats from other clans." Bloompaw murmured in her brother's ear.

Whitepetal interupting, fur bristling. "Let's hope your claws will nevr kill another cat, warriors don't need to kill to defeat their enemies. It's part of the warrior ode."

"And what does the warrior code matter?" Bloompaw spat at her mentor. "I'm sure there's something against kidnapping kits in there, isn't there? But I'm afraid Sudderstar doesn't seem to mind, does she!"

"How dare you?" Witepetal spat at her new apprentice. "Never speak down to you mentor, deputy, or leader!"

"If you say so." Bloompaw shugged. "But I will speak down to the cats who kidnapped me and my brother from my happy home to live as feral cats in the middle of nowhere."

"You will ake care of the elders fr a moon!" Whitepetal spat at her apprentice. "And you'll only leave camp to fetch moss and wash mouse bile off your paws! You need o learn respect!"

Bloompaw shrugged again. "Okay, see you then. I'll go check in on the elders right now if it makes you happy." And the bright ginger she-cat added away, happy as ever.

Leafpelt rested her golden tail on Whitepetal's shoulder."Don't lose your temper, she'll come around soon enough. You've trained your fair share of apprentices, you know how stubborn they can be."

But Whitepetal was more worried about how she couldn't clear her consicence. She couldn't help but agree with Bloompaw.

Chapter 7: The first Gathering
Flamepaw and Leafpelt padded on through the forest. Suddenly the golden she-cat stopped and sniffed the air. "What do you smell, Flamepaw?"she asked.

Flamepaw sniffed. "A.. sweet smell... but unusual."

"We're on the LilyClan border. Their territory is just on the other side of that pond."

"Cool, are there fish in that pond?" Flamepaw asked. He stalked over to the pond and shot out a paw, whipping out a golden fish.

"Wow, that's your first catch." Leafpelt meowed, padding over and praising her apprentice. then Flamepaw suddenly pricked his ears and crouched in a patch of pink orchids. Leafpelt heard the approach of LilyClan cats and hid with Flamepaw.

A white she-cat with pinkish tabby sripes padded alongside the border. Behind her came a dark ginger tom that looked like a tiger and an orange tom apprentice with white paws.

"Tigerpelt, Orangepaw, keep up." the white she-cat meowed.

The ginger tabby tom that looked like a tiger sped up, but the apprenic stayed behind. Then Tigerpelt stopped and urend around, glaring at the aprentice. "Orangepaw, hurry up!"

"I'm sorry, Tigerpelt. I was just thinking of Lavendarfur's kits." Orangepaw meowed hurridly, trotting to keep up with his mentor and the white she-cat.

"Well, get your mind n your hunting task!" Tigerpelt snapped. "Think of newborn kits when you get back to camp. now let's catch up with Stargazer." The two cat rushed to catch up with the white and pink she-cat ahead of them and the three disappeared into a patch of Lilies.

Leafpelt stood and flicked her tail for Flamepaw to follow her. The apprentice and warrior padded in silence back to camp, but then the golden she-cat stopped and bent down to whisper something in Flamepaw's ear. "Do me and Whitepetal a favor, please?"

"of course." Flamepaw meowed, bewildered.

"Don't mention anything about Lavendarfur's kits to anybody else, especially not Shudderstar." Then Leafpelt rushed into the tunnel leading into camp.

Sudderstar shuffled her paws in the sand on the ground of her den. She had formed a big circle around her nest from all her pacing, and now she had stopped to tear the moss from the lining of her nest. She was waiting for Whitepetal, she had left to go hunting at sunhigh and the sun was setting, they needed to leave for the gathering soon.

The gray she-cat flopped down in her nest and started chewing the bracken poking out of her nest anxiously. She finally decided to go talk to her clan about the Gathering, then she would fill in Whitepetal later. She stood and rushed out of her den, leaping up on the top of her den. "Will all cats old enough to hunt among the Orchids please gather here!" she called.

"Is Whitepetal back?" Sudderstar heard from someone in the crowd.

"I don't see her." came a response.

"I wanted to discuss something about the Gathering." sudderstar called, silencing the crowd. "No cats is to mention the new eight kits. If anyone so much as mentions new kits, they will be punished." She gave an angry glance around at all the cats in the clearing, then continued. "Also, nobody mention how Bloompaw and Flamepaw used to be kittypets."

"Why shouldn't we?" Leafpelt asked.

"Just don't." Sudderstar gave them all an angry stare again, then continued once more, "The cats who will be coming wil be Whitepetal, Leafpelt, Pollenfur, Meadowbloom, Pinkstripe, Longwhisker, Flamepaw, and Bloompaw."

"i thought Bloompaw wasn't coming." Whitepetal emerged from the tunnel that led to camp, dropping a squirrel at her paws so she could speak. "I was punishing her."

Sudderstar narrowed her eyes. "I'm bringing her. If we don't have enough apprentices at the Gathering, the other clans will know how badly our clan is doing."

Flamepaw and Bloompaw sat side-by-side in the middle of the group of OrchidClan cats. However, their cover was blown when the few cats wandered off and some LilyClan cats spotted them. Flamepaw spotted Orangepaw and waved him over.

"Hello, Orangepaw." he meowed.

The ginger tom blinked in surprise. "How do you know my name?"

"I-i.. uh... I just heard you talking to Tigerpelt on the border."

"oh." Orangepaw meowed.