Vengeance

This is a fanfiction by Eevee. Enjoy~

Prolouge
The slender silver she-cat yowled in pain as a spasm shook her. ''I can't be kitting! Not now! ''She crouched and moaned in pain, her ears flat to her head from the rain that pounded down on them. She knelt over and called out weakly, "Bracken!"

Her mate, a large bracken-colored tom, rushed to her side and licked her ear. "You're... kitting!?" His fur bristled. "Not now! We have to move! To avoid them! Can't you go any farther, Cinder?" He crouched beside her, anxiety in his large brown eyes. "Please?"

The she-cat blinked and growled as yet another spasm took her. "I won't - can't - go on until these dang kits are born." She glanced around fearfully, hoping the dogs wouldn't catch up in her moment of weakness, when she couldn't run.

"It'll be over soon. Don't worry." Bracken stiffened in horror as he heard the snarl of the creatures pursuing them. He took Cinder's scruff in his jaws and dragged her over to a small spot between a Twoleg trash bin and a Twoleg nest, making sure the dogs couldn't reach them. He'd barely gotten them into the spot when the dogs ran up to them and scratched eagerly at the two cats, whimpering excitedly.

Cinder cried out. Bracken hissed and clawed at the smaller brown dog's nose. It flinched and yelped as blood leaked out of the wound. At the same time, Cinder wailed as a kit fell onto the concrete. Moments later, after Bracken had clawed nearly all the fur off of the brown dog's face, another kit slid out. Bracken slashed at the bigger black dog, and another wail came from Cinder as the final kit was born.

Bracken looked back as a shrill wail erupted from the last kit. It had a blue-grey pelt. Bracken lashed his tail angrily as he slashed at the other dog. He raked its muzzle and near its eyes, and soon both dogs were running away, tails between their legs.

Bracken stood, defiant. He looked back at Cinder and touched his nose to her forehead. "You okay?" he whispered hoarsely, as if he'd been yelling for hours. He stared at his three kits; One was a jet-black she-cat, who wasn't breathing - she was a still-born. The other was a ginger tom, like Bracken. Its breathing was shallow and fast. Seconds later, its breathing stopped. The last was a blue-grey tom, wailing like every other newborn kit. But there was something about this kit that Bracken didn't like.

Cinder nodded as she watched her living kit scornfully. She pushed it away, leaving it blind and deaf, wailing in agony and hunger. It crawled toward her again, and she shoved it again.

"Give it milk. It won't shut up until you do." Bracken pointed out, already hating his son.

Cinder, reluctantly, let the kit nurse, sweeping her feathery tail across the floor. "What should we name it?"

"Name it? As far as I'm concerned, it's not my kit." Bracken mewed coldly, his eyes darting toward the tiny kit. He narrowed his eyes.

"What do we do with it? Let it die of hunger?" Cinder's eyes sparkled maliciously, as if she wanted the kit's death to be slow and painful. "It looks like the mythical cursed cat that my grandfather had always talked about... It might explain why his littermates are dead!"

Bracken snarled, "Then leave it to die! It can be swallowed by those dogs for all I care!" His fur fluffed up, and his eyes held a cold fire as he stared at the kit in malice.

It curled up as a raindrop the length of its tail dropped onto its head. It whimpered.

Bracken took the dead kits in his jaws and buried them in a patch of dirt a tail-length away from the hiding spot.

Cinder got to her paws. "We should go."

Bracken nodded, and the mates set off, leaving the blue-grey kit wailing as he realized the warmth had gone.

The kit wailed loudly, and then went quiet. I'm alone... he thought, scared and afraid.

Meanwhile, a brown tom trotted through the alleyway, his ears perked for the wailing he'd heard. "Sounds like a kit..." he mumbled. He scented the air, and smelled the kit, even through the pounding rain. He padded up to a hiding spot; A small blue-grey kit lay wailing, his parents not with him. "Who would do this!?" the brown tom exclaimed, and picked up the kit by the scruff.

The kit stopped crying as he felt himself lifted off of the ground. ''Is it another cat? ''

"Don't worry, I'll take care of you..." The brown tom thought a moment. "Blue."

Chapter 1
Blue gazed up at Bramble, his bright blue eyes shining curiously. "What happened next?" he asked eagerly.

Bramble purred, "Littlestar was near dead. He was weak and on his last life, but that didn't keep him from fighting." He seemed distant, as if he were right in the battle, remembering every claw-swipe, every dodge, every little detail down to the first drop of blood spilled the day of the battle. "Shadowheart, the deputy of BrackenClan, suddenly turned on Littlestar, wanting the leadership for himself. He attacked Littlestar viciously, swiping at him.

"Littlestar was wise, for a new leader. He dodged every claw, not getting even an ounce of blood taken from him. Shadowheart got really furious, and he leaped straight at Littlestar. But Littlestar had a trick up his fur." Bramble paused for effect. Blue shuffled forward, his eyes wide.

"Littlestar was small and swift. He slid behind Shadowheart and, before you could say 'vole,' was on his deputy's back, snarling and slashing at his face and throat. Shadowheart couldn't kick him off, and fell due to blood loss. Littlestar stepped away and shook. He declared the battle over." Bramble sneezed, and then continued, "and guess who was made deputy?"

Blue mewed, "Who?"

"Me!" Bramble meowed, proud of himself.

"Why'd you leave the Clan?" the four-moon-old kit asked curiously.

Bramble chucked. "Let's save that for another story, shall we?"

Another voice called from the other side of the den, "Oh, you're just keeping him from another story!" It was Bramble's mate, Petal. She was a pale cream tabby with emerald green eyes.

Blue scampered over to her. "Can you tell me why?" he chirped. His fluffy kit fur glowed dimly in the dawn light that filled the den. He stared up at Petal innocently.

Petal chuckled. "Sorry, little guy. I can't tell you."

"Why nooooooot?" Blue mewled stubbornly.

"I don't know!" Petal replied. "I wasn't in the Clan. I've been a loner all my life." Her eyes shimmered in amusement, and she wrapped her tail around Blue and licked his forehead.

Blue responded by pushing away. "Petal, I'm not a kiiiiiiiiiiit!"

Petal purred. She licked Blue's forehead again, smoothing down a stray tuft of fur. "Bramble, would you go hunting? The fresh-kill pile's running low." She flicked her tail toward a small pile of mice and voles. She looked back at the brown tom, who had started to pad away. "And try to catch a rabbit or a squirrel!" she called. Bramble nodded before sliding out of the den.

Blue gazed up at Petal. He mewed, "Can I go now?"

"Not out of the den."

"Can't you take me hunting?"

"Well... You're a bit too young -" Petal began uncertainly, and then sighed. "Okay, okay." she meowed. "I'll take you hunting." She got to her paws and started toward the mouth of the den. Blue trotted after her, his ears perked excitedly. The only time he'd been outside was when he was watching Bramble hunt. A vixen had come with its cub and tried to steal Blue. Bramble and Petal had, of course, driven it off, but the fox had given Blue a thin scar running down one side. Petal always flinched looking at the scar, and she always kept him from going out of the den. ''Overprotective, if you ask me. ''Blue thought, a bit annoyed.

''But I finally get to go outside! Have to watch for burs though... Petal would throw a fit if one gets caught in my fur! ''Blue sheathed and unsheathed his small, sharp claws as he padded beside Petal. His blue eyes glittered with curiousity, excitement, and anxiety. What if a fox shows up?

He shook the thought away.

More coming soon!