Chapter Text
Darkstripe woke up, a dark void all around him, where was he? He had died, right? Twice? There wasnt a second hell was there? He hoped not...
He saw a white figure out the corner of his eyes,
He blinked for a second their not there anymore...
He heard a twig snap, was it a twig? He couldnt tell.. it was so dark... and so.. quiet.. earily so.
He turned around just in time for something to bite at his throat.
He guessed he deserved another death at this point, after everything he had done, dead and alive.
He looked into its piercing white irises, he felt as if they stared into his soul, if he even had one anymore.
His eyes widened as everything around him blurred, lights appearing out of no where flickered like thunder and lightning, bangs echoing around the darkened space as he woke up.
He scrambled out of whatever uncomfortable thing he woke up in, where was he, what was he?! Was he even a car anymore??!!
He gasped for breath, sitting down wearily, allowing his claws to slide out onto the grey hardened floor beneath him.
He finally calmed down, only just now noticing the rain dripping down onto him, he huffed , his throat felt constricted, what was happening?
Was he alive again? Why? Why him of all cats???
He huffed out a breath, his tail fur matted with rain and dirt and grime and his abnormally odd ears flicking in every direction.
He jolted at the sound of a monster nearby, to nearby to be safe.
It was then he realised that he was smaller, was he a kit again? But why was a kit alone? In the twoleg place none the less?
It was then he heard a quiet mewlijg behind him, he turned to see the exact opposite of himself in whatever make shift den he had woken up in.
He looked down at the very pale gray kitten behind him, it was even younger than he was, he tapped the floor next to him trying to get its attention, the kitten didnt respond, could it not hear him? He tapped the floor with his other paw, it responded this time, shivering from the cold.
He hoped this wasnt a sign of anything bad or harmful to the small ball of fluff before him.
He curled up around it (slightly) reluctantly, huffing as it mewled for warmth.
Darkstripe, was that even his name anymore? Did he even exist anymore??
Did the clans exist? They had to?!
He huffed again, looking down at his neck before realising that he was wearing a collar, he must be a kiitypet then , surely!
But why was he out in the cold?
This made no sense! It was all so confusing.
He shut his eyes, not quite sleeping , ready for any danger that may arise and cause bumps in the night.
He squinted open his eyes , noticing it was lighter outside now, before getting up. It was warmer than the night before, and the kit next to him was no longer mewling as often. It was probably hungry, he definately was, he couldnt hunt though, not here.
He stretched and picked up the white kit next to him before trudging off into twoleg place on unsteady feet, he must of hurt them, but how? So many questions and so little answers.
He headed away from the thunderpaths,marking the odd looking den before wandering off unevenly, glaring at anything near him, cautiously sliding his claws out incase a fight occured.
He could see other cats sculking around the darkness , each one hissing at each other or watching him walking as confidently as he could despite being unsteady on his paws.
He noticed a fence with nicer looking twoleg dens between it, that must be near the forest, he knw there was dens like that at the edge of Thunderclan teritory when he was there and alive still.
When willowpelt would clean him...
No. No, he would not think about all of that now, not now, not ever.
The kit he was carrying mewled , he assumed it was still hungry, his stomach hurt and so did his jaw from carrying the kit.
He set it down between his paws so he could analyse the leap onto the fence and back over it before deeming it safe enough to make.
He picked the kit up again, swinging it into the air slightly before squinting his eyes, lashing his tail, twitching his ears, bunching up his legs and finally, jumping up onto the fence.
He landed haphhazardly atop the pointed edges, huffing as it dug into his paw pads he lept down as quickly as he could without harming himself or the kit.
He shook of his fur , warming up the kit quickly before wondering off into the forest silently, the forest looked just like it did when Firestar had joined the clan, had time somehow gone backwards?! This was all still so confusing, he would see when he met a cat from Thunderclan he guessed, and if Spottedleaf was there or not.
He heard the grass rustling a few foxlengths in front of him, he crouched, his tail just above the ground.
He lashed his tail, hitting some grass on accident, he growled, his fangs showing off fully before he full on lept forwards, with no hesitation he caught and killed the mouse, that wasnt how he was taught to hunt but it would have to do, both him and the kit were starving, he just hoped it could eat fresh kill , if not that would be a whole different problem.
He took a bite out of the furry little rodent, it was still warm, he swallowed, pushing the white ball towards it slightly as if to encourage it to try.
It mewled at him , as if to say it needed its food chewed up, Darkstripe huffed in frustration before taking a small bite, chewing it up and then dropping it on the floor infront of them, the kit sniffed it, licking at it slightly before taking a very small bite.
Before they could finish their food he heard a patrol of cats come stalking through the undergrowth, he pushed the kit behing him, getting ready to fight.
He looked at the patrol, the cats in it were cats he had known before, cats such as, Lionheart, Bluestar, Whitestorm, Tigerclaw , Ravenpaw and Greypaw.
He hissed at them as they assessed him, Ravenpaw looked frightened where as Greypaw just looked interested, Whitestorm interevened before the eager apprentice tried to attack, probably noticing the half eaten prey and the very clearly to young and to small kit hidden terribly behind the dark patterned cat, Darkstripe noticed that he was smaller that Greypaw, but not by much, he was most likely a bit younger too, maybe a moon or less.
He lashed his tail defensively, sliding his claws out as far they would go and pinning his ears back, showing these cats that he wasnt afraid to fight to protect himself, the kitten or the food he had caught for them
Tigerclaw growled at him, he growled back, much louder and much more aggresively than the ridiculously large and intimidating tabby before him, who slid out his stupidly long claws in response.
"Bluestar," Tigerclaw growled,"We should drive them out now, before they bring all their stupid kittypet friends here for food they already have!"
Darkstripe hissed, could they not tell he was starving?! Even they were bigger tham him!
Bluestar shook her head,"You are an impressive hunter, young one. This is not an offer i give lightly, nor one that i will give again," she started, her blue tail swishing behind her looking peaceful,"we have lost many warriors in these past few moons, too many... and most kits dont live long enough to see their apprentice ceremony," she continued," food is low and warriors are even lower, especially hunters, we are in need of new apprentices , this is a one time offer young one, but do you wish to join our clan?" She finished, apprehensive seeping into her face, as if her decision was a bad one, before looking at her companions , hoping for a better chance.
His ears pricked up in surprise but he claws out and fangs ready to bite before looking her in the eyes as if to ask if she was being honest and serious, "Would he be safe too?" He answered with no option but to agree,
Motioning to the pale kitten below him, the blue leader nodded, two cats were better than one, despite both being young and one being a kitten, it would be better than nothing.
He could tell she was being honest.
He could tell they would probably be safe.
So Darkstripe nodded,speaking for the first time since he had woken up, his voice gravelly and cold, rusty from misuse "Yes, i will join your clan."
The patrols eyes widened in varying degrees .
He looked them in the eyes as if to challenge his decision,he sweeped the young kit up with his tail, pushing him forwards,the white kit looked up, his multicoloured eyes opening for the first time that day.
Before getting up, ready fir any challenges that would oppose him.
He would be good this time,he would.