Cha-Ching (Till We Grow Older) (Night Visions songfic)

Song twelve of Night Visions.

I don't sleep so well at night

Waiting up and shivering

Heater's gone and money's tight

In this little home that I'm living in

“No-one expected for early Autumn to be this cold!” yelped Brownstar.

He was right. The crisp Autumn air in Meadowclan was colder than ice!

Cloverstorm paced around Brownstar’s den. “The dens need insulating,” he muttered to himself. “Cats keep waking up in the middle of the night because of the cold!” He turned to Brownstar. “Which cats are able to work on dens?”

“Dogpelt, Leopardtail, Volewing, Waterpaw, Jayrunner and Hareheart!” chirped Brownstar. “Shall I get them for you?”

Cloverstorm nodded. “Yes, thank you, Brownstar.”

“Great! See you in a minute!” called Brownstar.

~

You've got to live your life

While your blood is boiling

Those doors won't open

While you stand and watch them

Once Brownstar had gathered every cat needed, he called Cloverstorm in his den for a private meeting.

“I’ve noticed how you behave as deputy around the other cats,” he growled. “If you don’t put force upon them they will soon start to treat you lower than you actually are!” he snapped.

“But I don’t think I’m ready for this!” Cloverstorm replied meekly. “After all, when Featherclan is rebuilt I will proclaim myself leader.”

“But that’s the future, Cloverstorm! After all, you’re not a deputy forever!” Brownstar’s eyes glinted.

Cloverstorm heaved himself to his feet. “Alright, I’ll try,” he sighed.

~

Oh oh oh,

What is with you?

Oh oh oh,

I've never seen this side of you

“Listen up!” he snarled at the cats outside the den. “You are gathered here to do an important task: insulating the dens so cats don’t get frostbite and have to have their paws amputated!”

A few cats laughed, and Cloverstorm felt warm inside.

“First,” he snarled again, pacing around the huddle, “You are to gather moss and clay from the river nearby and bring it here. Then,” he said, eyeing them steadily, “You will efficiently insulate all of the dens. Step a toe out of line and no food until the full moon.”

A few cats quivered in fear.

“P-please, s-sir,” stammered a black apprentice, “Why are you suddenly so intimidating?”

Cloverstorm purred and licked his chest embarrassedly. “As deputy, I had to toughen up. Now get moving!” he barked, and the cats scattered in all directions.

It felt good to be the boss.

~

Oh oh oh,

What is with you?

Oh oh oh,

I've never seen this side of you

“Great!” meowed Cloverstorm a few hours later. “That’s more than enough. Now, Waterpaw will work on the elders’ den. Hareheart can probably do the nursery by himself. Dogpelt can do the apprentices’ den, Volewing can do the warriors’ den with Leopardtail, Jayrunner can insulate the entrance of the medicine den, and I will happily insulate Brownstar’s den and make it nice and cosy.”

The cats went to their separate jobs, and Cloverstorm was left working on the leaders’ den with Brownstar.

“See?” Brownstar purred. “Told you that if you put your back into it, cats will listen to you.”

Cloverstorm had to admit, Brownstar was right. Perhaps he could be a deputy after all.

~

We are all living

Till we grow older

You be the worker

I'll be the soldier

“Done!” yowled Cloverstorm.

Brownstar took a step back. “Great Starclan, Cloverstorm, you didn’t need to be so loud!”

“As deputy, I have to be loud,” joked Cloverstorm.

Brownstorm sighed. “You have a point. So when are you rebuilding Featherclan?”

Cloverstorm stopped dead in his tracks. He had never thought about that.

~

I never hear those sounds that sing to me

Cha ching, cha ching, cha ching-a-ling

“When are you going to start? It’s a big task, Cloverstorm,” Brownstar repeated.

Cloverstorm hesitated. “Maybe in a few days time.”

“What?” shrieked a she-cat. “That’s way too short!”

“In a few days time is my final answer!” snapped Cloverstorm. The cat fell silent.

“Well,” meowed Brownstar silently. “You’d better get a move on, Cloverstorm.”

~

I never hear those sounds that sing to me

Cha ching, cha ching, cha ching-a-ling

“First thing first is cats,” yelled Cloverstorm on the Meadowrock. “We need warriors to help keep the clan alive! Like when my father rebuilt Meadowclan, his dead clanmates went into Twolegplace to find recruits. I am taking the cats who helped me on the dens this morning. Now get ready and prepared, say goodbye; we’re leaving on the full moon.”

“Alright, Cloverstorm,” the cats chorused.

Cloverstorm beamed with confidence. He was going to be the finest leader the clans had ever seen.

~

I don't think it's quite the same

Just running out to feel the rain

The sky was clear on the dawn that Cloverstorm and some others set out to twolegplace.

“I was born in twolegplace,” sighed Cloverstorm.

“Cool!” piped up Waterpaw. He was the same black apprentice who was scared of him a few days ago.

“Hopefully we will be able to get some cats,” said Cloverstorm determinedly. “I bet you anything that there will be lots of willing young cats.”

“Your deputy position!” yelled a cat. The others laughed.

“No,” Cloverstorm snapped. They all laughed.

Staring as the stars parade

Are they telling me it's gonna be okay?

“What if there are no cats who want to come?” asked Leopardtail, a timid young she-cat.

“There will be,” Cloverstorm reassured her. But then he lost confidence. What if rebuilding Featherclan would be a failure?

Was this journey really worth the time and effort?

~

You've got to live your life

While your blood is boiling

“Wake up!” hollered Cloverstorm. “Hopefully we’ll be there by midday.”

Around him the cats groggily woke up.

“Do we have to go now?” complained Jayrunner.

“Yes,” snapped Volewing who was lying nearby. “Deputy’s orders.”

Cloverstorm cast him a a grateful glance.

He was finally getting cats on his side.

Those doors won't open

While you stand and watch them

“My paws hurt!” moaned a cat. Cloverstorm was too determined to reach twolegplace to see who it was.

“I’m starving!” screeched another.

“We’ll feel better at twolegplace,” reassured Cloverstorm irritably. “Now please stop whining.”

~

Oh oh oh,

What is with you?

Oh oh oh,

I've never seen this side of you

There was an outburst of complaints.

Cloverstorm tried to block out the sound.

How much longer was it going to be like this?

~

We are all living

Till we grow older

You be the worker

I'll be the soldier

~

I never hear those sounds that sing to me

Cha ching, cha ching, cha ching-a-ling

~

I never hear those sounds that sing to me

Cha ching, cha ching, cha ching-a-ling

~

We are all living

Till we grow older

You be the worker

I'll be the soldier

~

I never hear those sounds that sing to me

Cha ching, cha ching, cha ching-a-ling

~

I never hear those sounds that sing to me

Cha ching, cha ching, cha ching-a-ling

~

We are all living

Till we grow older

You be the worker

I'll be the soldier

~

I never hear those sounds that sing to me

Cha ching, cha ching, cha ching-a-ling

~

I never hear those sounds that sing to me

Cha ching, cha ching, cha ching-a-ling