Hopeless Dream

So...for the first book of my (not so) amazing series!

JungleClan
Leader: Nettlestar

Deputy: Flameblossom

Medicine Cat: Ambershine

Warriors:

Mistfur (Apprentice, Jaguarpaw)

Cherryleaf

Skytail

Antpetal

Vinepelt (Apprentice, Bamboopaw)

Toucanfoot

Mothflight

Streamlight

Rainwhisper (Apprentice, Strikepaw)

Stormpelt

Cloudbreeze

Firetail

Snowdrop

Apprentices:

Jaguarpaw (mentor, Mistfur)

Bamboopaw (mentor, Vinepelt)

Strikepaw (mentor, Rainwhisper)

Queens:

Icemist (kits: Hawkkit, Splashkit)

Mintberry (kits: Waterkit, Swallowkit)

Prologue
Icemist's body convulsed for the first time, as she was having her kits.

Ambershine placed her paw on her side. "There has to be at least two," Ambershine mewed.

Icemist's mate, Stormpelt, stood beside her. Toms didn't usually witness their kits' birth, but Stormpelt couldn't bear to leave Icemist in pain.

Another jolt of pain passed through Icemist's body.

"Push!" Ambershine called. Icemist tensed and dug her claws into the moist dirt. It was utter agony. How could queens do this?

Ambershine twitched nervously. Icemist worried. ''Is something going wrong? ''

The pain was so intense that she felt like she was going to black out.

And she did.



Stormpelt ran his tail down his mate's flank. She was still breathing; that was a good sign.

"Will she be okay?" he asked Ambershine, the MoonClan medicine cat.

"I think so," she said back.

"That's not good enough! Can you even assure that she will ever wake up?" snapped Stormpelt. Ambershine shrank away at his response.

Stormpelt sighed. "I'm sorry."

Ambershine nodded with understanding. "It's fine," she said, her voice flowing like the ominous jungle stream bordering their territory.

He peered over Icemist.

"Wake up, my beautiful. You have yet to see your kits," he murmured. Icemist slowly stirred, and opened her eyes. Her light blue ones bore into his darker teal gaze.

"Stormpelt," she muttered, as she struggled to sit up.

Stormpelt pushed her back down into her resting position. "Yes?", he mewed softly, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she murmured, "May I see my kits?"

There were two lumps of silver and black fur furiously suckling right next to each other, as if they were inseparable. Stormpelt twitched nervously, awaiting her surprised reaction once she saw them.

Icemist gently licked the kit nearest to her.

The first kit rose, the other following soon after. They suddenly found themselves staring at a pair of twin ice-blue eyes.

There were two kits standing there, but also....only one. The silver-and-black furred kits seemed to be linked, joined by their flanks. They shared a single body.

Icemist choked with fear and surprise.

"I'm sorry," Ambershine breathed to Icemist.

"No, it's perfectly all right. Just-just fine. But also, in some ways, such...such a disappointment. Oh, my poor kits!" Icemist began to wail.

"Ssh. They're lovely, with beautiful eyes just like you."

Icemist just looked away. Then she looked down at her ragged pelt, so scrawny that Stormpelt could see her ribs.

"I look dreadful," Icemist sighed. Then she began to groom herself, as the kits squealed in protest.

Ambershine dipped her head and slunk out of the den.

"Um, Icemist?" Stormpelt interjected.

"Mmm?"

"Don't you think that we should name them?"

Icemist stared off into the distance. "Oh yes. I forgot. You go ahead."

Stormpelt understood her disappointment, but their kits deserved names and care ''just like any other. ''

"The one on the right should be Splashkit, I think," he began. Then he turned his gaze to Icemist.

She sighed a soft, sad sigh. "The one on the left will be Hawkkit."

Stormpelt purred. "Those are perfect." Icemist couldn't help but to purr too.

Stormpelt stopped suddenly. As much as he loved his twin daughters, he wondered about their futures. After all, they were conjoined. They could be deprived of so many wonderful things....

Hawkkit flickered her eyes open again, and emitted a small squeak. Stormpelt's heart filled with sadness.

Just then, he made a silent promise, a promise to help the kits through the difficult times ahead.

Chapter 1
"This is boring," Hawkkit complained. Hawkkit and Splashkit sat in the nursery, listening to Waterkit and Swallowkit squeal.

"Icemist said to wait here until she comes back with our prey," Splashkit said firmly.

"Oh come on," Hawkkit protested, "Let's at least get out of the nursery!"

Splashkit rolled her eyes. "Are you looking for trouble?

Hawkkit just shrugged. But this seemingly normal, harmless action made Splashkit jerk up.

Splashkit and Hawkkit were born stuck together by their sides. Cats called them "linked" behind their backs, but it didn't bother Splashkit much. It was true.

They faced the same direction, at least, but it was hard to remain coordinated as they walked and ate. They had to be in sync all of the time, or else they would be practically tripping over themselves.

"We could play moss ball in here," Splashkit suggested. Since they couldn't toss moss to each other, they came up with a new version of moss ball, where they had to push it along the ground and kick it into their goal.

"Moss ball is boring too," Hawkkit complained, "And you know how Mintberry gets when we mess up her moss."

"Since when have you cared about Mintberry's moss?" Splashkit scoffed.

Hawkkit just shrugged again, making Splashkit jerk up with the sudden movement. Sometimes Splashkit wondered how she would even survive stuck with her derelict sister.

"Come on. It will only be for a little bit," Hawkkit said, lowering her voice so Mintberry couldn't catch it, "We'll just slip out, slip in. Icemist won't even know that we're gone."

Knowing she could no longer fight it, Splashkit sighed. "Let's go."

Mintberry's head drifted up as they shuffled out of the den.

"Um...Hawkkit needs to make dirt," Splashkit quickly lied.

Mintberry nodded. "Be careful, and don't trip over anything."

Splashkit twitched her ears in annoyance. They were linked, but did they always have to be treated like moon-old kits?

The duo left before Mintberry could restrain them any more.

They scuffled across the damp clearing, vines dangling overhead. Cats all over the camp turned to look at them. Splashkit's lip began to quiver at their curious stares, but she just held her head high. Hawkkit, however, seemed strangely undaunted.

Splashkit skidded on a sticky green leaf, making Hawkkit trip.

"You're terrible at sneaking!" Hawkkit hissed under her breath.

"So-ree."

They shuffled behind the elders' den, and into the dirt place. Finally, they stumbled through the tunnel into the jungle.

Chapter 2
Hawkkit was instantly fascinated by the leafy green abyss. Ants marched along the damp ground, and howler monkeys hooted in the trees above.

Suddenly, a hunk of mushy black substance landed with a plunk before their feet.

"Ugh. Dung," Splashkit grumbled. Another piece landed a frog-length from Hawkkit.

"Let's get out of here," she mewed.

They tripped over the tree roots and around towering trunks, through dangling vines.

They stopped for a rest, panting. Even walking is a labor with our stupid linked bodies, Hawkkit thought to herself.

Hawkkit looked up, and noticed a fairly thick vine dangling in front of them. A grin spread across her face.

"Oh no you don't," Splashkit said.

Hawkkit only grinned wider. This was going to be fun.

"If walking was hard for us..."

But Hawkkit sunk her claws into the tough vine and leaf. Splashkit just sighed and climbed up next to her.

Hawkkit swelled with joy as she saw her sister laughing aside her. She thought Splashkit had no idea how to have fun, but she was proved wrong. She, too, found herself laughing beside Splashkit as they clawed their way up, even during the times where they almost slipped.

They eventually hauled themselves to a branch crawling with ants and treehoppers. The storm finally broke, showering the jungle with rain.

"This is great!" Splashkit yowled to the canopy.

"Now you're getting it!" Hawkkit shouted over the thunder.

Splashkit purred. "Hey! Let's climb that one over there," she exclaimed, gesturing to a thick green vine.

They ambled over the slick tree branch, as they tried to move their paws at the same pace and time. Hawkkit was the first to stand on top of the thick, limp vine.

Suddenly, it moved. And it wasn't from the wind.

Hawkkit gulped as the "vine" rose beneath, and she found herself staring into twin beady eyes.

The snake unwrapped itself from the branch. Venom and spit dripping from its fangs, as it arched its head back to strike.

Chapter 3
Splashkit knew she must've went into shock as that happened, because she couldn't remember anything from that moment on.

She woke up to the soothing licks of her mother, and the comforting fur of Hawkkit. She tried to say, "What happened?" but it came out sort of like "Urrrrgh...Wheppend?"

She curled back onto the den floor, her blue eyes flickering open. She found herself staring into Icemist's.

"Oh my kits! I was so worried! Are you okay, Splashkit? Because Hawkkit...." Icemist broke into sobs.

Splashkit tensed up. Hawkkit? Was she all right? She couldn't be...no. No. She wouldn't think about that.

Stormpelt came into the den. "She's woken up!" He purred with delight.

"Hawkkit?" Splashkit groaned.

Icemist tensed, and Stormpelt shifted side to side. "Our patrol came just a second too late," he paused, trembling, "Hawkkit is alive. But the snake bit her just as we were climbing up the tree." Stormpelt shivered with sadness. "It's minor. But Ambershine saved her just in time."

At this little speech, Icemist began tearing up again. "What were you thinking, going into the jungle? You could've been killed, and you practically were! I told you to wait in the nursery, and next minute you're gone! Do you have any idea how terrified I was that I had lost you? Don't ever go into the jungle again!"

Mintberry stepped in. "Sorry, I it's my fault! The kits told me they were making dirt, and I let them go!"

"Stay out of this!" Icemist snapped to Mintberry. Splashkit had never seen her this mad.

"And you can stay in the nursery for the next quarter moon! And for now, Stormpelt will be watching you to make sure you don't get any more ideas like that!"

Stormpelt sat down awkwardly, and curled his tail over his paws. Just then, Hawkkit coughed, and rose.

"Hawkkit!" Splashkit squealed with relief.

"That was so epic, wasn't it?" she rasped.

Splashkit turned to her as much as possible, and stared at her with shock. "You just got bitten by a giant snake and you say that was epic?"

Hawkkit weakly shrugged. "Yeah. It was so awesome how the snake was all slimy and scaly, and its teeth were dripping with blooood and pooiison!" she groaned playfully.

Splashkit gagged. "First of all, that's nasty. Second of all, that was horrible. We nearly died. I'm never doing anything like that again."

A faint sound reached her ears. Splashkit realized that it was just Stormpelt chuckling.

Hawkkit dragged herself in the direction of Stormpelt, bringing Splashkit with her. "Will you tell us a story? Please?"

Stormpelt sighed, "All right. Anything for my wonderful daughters.

Splashkit's ears pricked. Now, she could have an adventure that wasn't life threatening!

"Once upon a time there was five Clans living in this jungle. MoonClan, DuskClan, SunClan, TwilightClan, and DawnClan. They lived peacefully for some moons, but then they were torn apart by fighting. And life in the jungle is hard, and it still is. Finally, some cats from those Clans decided to join together to make one giant Clan, JungleClan."

"That's us!" Hawkkit squealed excitedly, apparently getting her voice back. Splashkit just listened attentively.

"JungleClan would've thrived if it wasn't for the cats remaining in the original Clans. The ones who had stayed considered those who joined JungleClan traitors, and believed that they should be dealt with. In fact, they are still seeking revenge to this day." He stopped for a moment.

"Kits, I believe you are old enough to know why we move all the time--" he was cut off as Icemist stalked into the den.

"What are you doing?" she mewed sharply.

"I was just telling them a story. A little Clan history."

"What do you mean, 'Clan history'! They aren't old enough to have all of the worries that we carry. It isn't right to be poisoning their minds with this rubbish! Out, now!"

Stormpelt looked embarrassed to be told off by his mate, but he still left the den quietly.

"You go girl," Hawkkit smirked at her mother.

"Rude," Icemist said as she flicked her tail on Hawkkit's mouth. She just rolled her eyes. Splashkit shook her head (accidentally bumping Hawkkit's ear in the process). Why did Hawkkit always have to be so cocky?

The boring silence of the nursery was broken by a singular yowl.

"DuskClan! Attacking!"

Chapter 4
More coming soon