Applestar's Tears

Prologue - Sea Of Running Red Water

[ Mintstar's POV ]

Blood covered my vision. I stepped forward. I let the water rush over my head and pull me. This was my eighth life. I was dying. I drowned under the water and let it pull me into the sea. I was bleeding out from scars and at the moment Conewing had pulled me out of the water… The water was red and I was saying hi to Driftfeather and Cattlesnout of StarClan… And waking up again. I had one more life.

Chapter One - New Leaf-Bare, A New Sadness

The snow was in clumps all together. Applekit was snoozing by her dearest sister, Aurorakit. She didn’t really like her brother so she always were around Aurorakit, her sister. She and her siblings and mom were the only cats in the nursery. But Petalsong would soon be in the nursery again, expecting her second litter of Dustdawn’s kits.

“Young un’...” purred Creamspirit. “I want you to meet my father.” she meowed. “Who’s your father?” Asked Applekit. “His name is Snapleg.” said Creamspirit. “He’s our only elder in the Clan.”

“Where’s your mother?” Asked Applekit. “She passed away several moons ago… Her name is Cattlesnout. She was cream and brown. My brother, Tangerineclaw, is brown like Cattlesnout and Snapleg… I’m a cream colored queen.” she meowed.

“Okay.” Applekit wondered how it felt to lose a relative. Was it something to grieve over? Is it something to cry about? Something to feel… bad about? “How sad was it to lose Cattlesnout?” asked Applekit. The words slipped off her tongue.

Grief clouded in Creamspirit’s eyes and she shuffled her paws. “I-I…,” she sighed, “don’t worry about how it feels… that’s something to learn when you grow older.” meowed Creamspirit. “Cause it’s almost impossible to lose relatives when your this young.”

Relief washed over Applekit. Maybe it wasn’t that bad? But she worried as she noticed Creamspirit shaking and full of grief. Empathy tugged at Applekit’s belly. “It’ll be fine mom. Cattlesnout’s happy!” meowed Applekit.

More grief struck Creamspirit in the heart. “It’s not easy to make grief go away,” meowed Creamspirit. Applekit nodded. “Sorry if I’m making you sad.” “Your not!” meowed Creamspirit. “It’s just…,” she sighed again, “Cattlesnout, i knew her well. Super well! More than I ever knew Snapleg.” meowed Creamspirit.

Applekit curled her tail around one of Creamspirit’s big paws. Snow clumps hit the den roof and it made sounds of it sliding off and getting stuck in the moss and branches. “I love you, Applekit.” purred Creamspirit.

---

Applekit and Aurorakit were talking when Bluekit and Creamspirit were sleeping. “Wanna go outside camp and see the world?” asked Aurorakit. “Sure!” Applekit thought it would be much fun.

They went in the snow and buried themselves and unburied themselves. They enjoyed themselves while catching snowshoe rabbits and missing and giggling. “This is fun!” purred Applekit.

“I know. We should play in the snow much more often!” purred Aurorakit, snowflakes tickling her nose. [ Aurorakit secretly ate a few snowflakes. ]... Applekit purred after spinning around a tree, very dizzy.

“Let’s relax.” meowed Aurorakit. “And be steady! I hear a patrol!” Aurorakit and Applekit were dead silent. Applekit was so quiet she almost fell asleep. And she did. “Wake up!”

A voice demanded of her to wake up. She opened her eyes to see Creamspirit. “My little daughter… Where’s Aurorakit?” she asked. “She was beside me.” meowed Applekit. “She wasn’t. And the place strongly smelled of fox.”

“And what else?” Asked Applekit, stunned. “Blood tracks were in the grass and you were oozing out blood from your jaws. You had a couple of scars but almost no damage.” meowed Creamspirit. Applekit was scared.

“Is this bad?” asked Applekit, quivering. “Yes.” Creamspirit said. “But if Conewing sends out enough patrols we might find Aurorakit.” Might. Thought Applekit. “We MIGHT?” Applekit was puzzled. “Sorry… But we only might.” Creamspirit replied.

Applekit felt like this was fake. She couldn’t have lost Aurorakit and been left with Bluekit. She tore a piece of fox fur out of her pelt. “Now that’s more proof.” Creamspirit meowed. Bluekit was beside her, shocked.

“Applekit! I know you did it! You probably pushed Aurorakit into a fox’s jaws and wounded yourself and put some fox fur in your pelt to seem loved!” hissed Bluekit. “Sister… I HATE YOU!” He hissed.

“Bluekit! That is no behavior in a maybe death situation!” hissed Creamspirit. “Besides, Applekit would never hurt Aurorakit. Aurorakit’s her best friend!” “I’m her friend too. But she hurts me.” “She never hurts you!”

Bluekit glared. “I just wish I was given care!” he huffed. “This isn’t a good type of care. It’s because a cat might be dead. And it’s a KIT. You mustn’t argue in such a situation.” Creamspirit said.

“I sent out some patrols to chase out foxes and find Aurorakit.” Conewing was saying to Mintstar. “Good. I’ve had enough of seeing harm from foxes during these beginnings of leaf-bare.” meowed Mintstar.

Conewing watched as the patrols left camp. “I’m sorry, Creamspirit.” He murmured. “It’s okay.” Creamspirit meowed. “It’s not your fault I lost Aurorakit.” “Nor yours!” added Conewing. Creamspirit purred.

Applekit and Bluekit went to the nursery. Applekit felt ill and didn’t take any milk that night from her mother, Creamspirit. She sat in the den. Alone as Bluekit ate with Creamspirit. Nothing will be the same again until they find Aurorakit ALIVE…

---

It had been half a moon and no sight of Aurorakit. Just the foxes. Applekit snuggled into the moss in the nursery, afraid as the foxes lunged into the camp. Creamspirit is fighting too. Thought Applekit, afraid.

Bluekit was watching it, flicking his tail as blood splashed around and insides strewn around the camp. What is happening? Wondered Applekit as her mother came into the den, horrified and had her leg half-broken. “I- I forgot i need to check on you kits every so often!”

A fox knocked her out of the way and leaped at Applekit and Bluekit. Shock filled Applekit’s body. Creamspirit! Save us ! She could hear echoing of her stillborn sister, Echokit, in her head. Blood surrounded her vision.

Bluekit tore helplessly at the fox’s pelt. The fox was massive and had huge claws and paws that could hit one blow death on a kit. Applekit felt super weak and was breathing heavily on the ground. Why do I even exist? She wondered, feeling useless.

“Bluekit…” she murmured. Bluekit turned in disbelief as the fox left the den, bored. “Applekit? Are you okay?” he asked. “I’m…” Blood came out of Applekit’s wounds slowly. “RUN, ThUNDERCLAN!” heard Applekit. It was Conewing talking.

Applekit was too weak to move. Bluekit was trembling and tired, panting from the battle he couldn’t fight. “I’ll take you outside camp so your safe, Applekit.” Bluekit dragged Applekit out, blood lost every step of the way.

She soon felt herself in a newly built den. Brindleleaf and Vividpaw were cleaning her wound. “She lost a lot of blood from the fox fight,” said Brindleleaf. “But not enough that she’ll die.” Applekit felt sad.

She came out to the clearing noticing Bluekit and Creamspirit full of grief. There on the grass lay the dead body of Aurorakit, Applekit’s favorite, best friend like sister. “Aurorakit, no!” cried Applekit, and she fell helplessly beside Aurorakit’s bloody body.

She’s truly dead.

I can’t save her!

We can’t hunt together now…

We can’t play in the snow secretly now…

My happiness is over now….

Chapter Two - Depression Takes Over

coming soon !