Kitten of the Dark Forest

Ch. 7: The River of Memories

Tinykit walked beside Mapleshade through the Dark Forest. It had been a half moon since Tinykit had told the cats of the Dark Forest his plan, and all was going well. The training was going as planned and it seemed that no Clan cats, or even StarClan for that matter, had any idea of the attack. Even the old cats were looking more lively, and were becoming more vicious every day. It was all so perfect. Even the unwanted feelings that Tinykit had struggled to hold back were starting to go away. Almost. Tinykit sighed. Everything was finally going his way, and he and Mapleshade would soon get their revenge. He looked up at her and smiled. "So, do you think those ThunderClan cats have a chance?" he asked her. Mapleshade took on a thoughtful expression for a moment, then smirked. "As long as nothing unexpected happens, we'll be fine," she answered. "I mean, have you looked at all the cats here? Everyone's bloodthirsty spirits are lifted. You even got those old cats to liven up, and not even the Great Battle could do that. Redwillow can finally prove himself worthy to live here, and heck, you're even starting to make Rabbitsplinter get rid of his jumpy personality." As though summoned, Rabbitsplinter appeared. He was much less twitchy than when Tinykit had first met him, but his eyes still flicked quickly to the left or right. His tail waved in odd, broken off jerks, that clearly showed that Rabbitsplinter had not given up his nervous ways just yet. After sheathing and unsheathing his claws a few times, he cleared his throat. "Um, Tinykit, I, uh, had an idea that, um, you would might want to consider just a little bit, uh, please?" Rabbitsplinter stammered. Tinykit rolled his eyes, but nodded his head nonetheless. "Yes, and what would that be?" he asked quizzically. Rabbitsplinter seemed to calm a little, knowing that Tinykit was not mad at him for voicing his opinion. "I was thinking about how I used to live in SkyClan and all, and how we fought ThunderClan. Um, and I remember that some of their, uh, defenses, were bramble bushes. So, I thought that maybe we should get some brambles and practice crawling under them and dodging them while running and such?" He looked at Tinykit with a nervous, hopeful gaze. "That is a good idea, Rabbitsplinter," Mapleshade said. "Don't you agree, Tinykit?" Tinykit nodded his head in agreement. Though he did not particularly like Rabbitsplinter, his idea was a good one, and plus, Mapleshade agreed with it. "Yes, I agree," Tinykit said. "Where are the brambles in the Dark Forest located?" Rabbitsplinter's face fell. "Oh, well, that's the one problem." He hesitated. "It's across, well, the brambles are across the river," Rabbitsplinter said with a gulp. Tinykit had never seen the river that ran through the Dark Forest, but Mapleshade had told him about it more than once. It had lifeless, black water that had the feel of sludge to it. It moved slow, but the sheer weight of the water was enough to drown any cat that couldn't swim well. Around the banks of the river was a sucking mud that stuck to a cat's fur easily, and there was nothing to cross the river. Not even a single stepping stone or fallen tree. Tinykit's gaze hardened in determination. "Well, I guess we'll just have to find a way to cross it, then!" Mapleshade bristled beside him, looking down at him with surprise. "Are you sure you want to do that? Cats have died trying to get through all that mud and water." Tinykit nodded, then turned and said, "Yep, I'm sure. Let's go."

Mapleshade walked next to Tinykit, unease filling her up. She did not like where this was going, and deep inside of her she felt a distant memory trying to get free. She merely pushed it away, not wanting to interfere with it. But Mapleshade had no idea how real the memory was about to become.

 When they reached the river, Tinykit observed the scene and shuddered. It was just as bad as he thought it would be. He looked around for a way to cross, but found none. "Ugh. Not a pretty sight at all," he commented. Beside him, Mapleshade nodded. Tinykit then noticed that she had been staring up at something, and followed her gaze. He saw the long tree branch almost instantly. It was long, and stretched across the river, leaning in toward the other side. It's end even passed the mud. But the branch was not as perfect as it had seemed at first. It was cracked halfway near the beginning of it, and to much weight would cause it to snap off. "I don't like it," Mapleshade said grimly. "Not one bit." Tinykit nodded his head in agreement, then huffed. "I don't like the likes of it, but I'm just a kit, how heavy can I be?" he said, with a slight note of forced cheer. He quickly climbed up the tree, then carefully started to walk on the wavering branch. When he was over the middle of the branch, he looked back at Mapleshade and smiled. "See? It's no big deal. I can grab the brambles and go! Maybe you can-" and there the branch cracked. Had Tinykit kept moving, he could have made it safely to the other side, and would have even been able to cross the branch a second time, but he had stopped in the middle, causing the branch to crack. Tinykit let out a yowl as he fell into the black, sludge-like water, and quickly disappeared. The water pulled him down deeper and deeper, and he was unable to do anything about it.

 Mapleshade stared in horror as Tinykit was pulled below the surface, his flailing paws disappearing from sight as they were covered by the thick black water. She froze in fear, horror, and despair. In that moment, she was unable to stop the torrent of memories coming back to her. In an instant, she remembered it all; Appledusk saying he loved her, her beautiful kits being swept away in the river, her never-ending quest for vengeance. She now knew, in only a second, how she felt about Tinykit; to her, she was her fourth kit. The only kit that hadn't left her, who felt like she did, who needed her the most. He had no family or siblings to go back to, she was his only family. Mapleshade narrowed her eyes and prepared to leap into the river. She would not fail this time. She would not let Tinykit die.

Tinykit flailed his paws uselessly for a moment, then went still. Trying to save himself was useless. He knew it. Tinykit shed a single tear, knowing that the only thing to do was give up and drown. Everything he had built, everyone he had met, would soon be forgotten. He would fade from this world, and be forgotten, like some rotten mouse that had been thrown out and discarded. He clenched his teeth in despair, knowing that he had failed everyone, that he had failed Mapleshade. As the dim light from the Dark forest faded into complete darkness, Tinykit ceased struggling and closed his eyes. He then, finally, opened himself back up to his memories and emotions that he had tried to lock away. They rushed into him, filling up his mind, and he soon  remembered it all; His mother, Silverpelt, and his four siblings, Fallenkit, Spottedkit, Snowkit and Ripplekit, and even his father, Scarheart. He remembered how much fun they used to have together, how much love there was between them, until he abandoned them for a murderous life of evil and heartbreak. He suddenly knew how he felt about Mapleshade; she was like his mother. She loved him, and he loved her. To Tinykit, Mapleshade was the best mother a cat could have. She understood him, walked his dark path with him...Tinykit felt a rush of sadness knowing he could never see Mapleshade again. He released his final breath, and waited for his inevitable death. Suddenly, he felt something grab his scruff, and was dragged upwards. The dim light reappeared, and for a second he wondered if this was what dying a second time was like. Then his head broke the surface of the murky black water, and he gasped for air. He smelled Mapleshade's scent, and at that, tears started flowing out of his eyes. He coughed up black water, and fell limp on the shore when Mapleshade brought them back to the banks and carried him across the mud to dry land. She curled around him and started cleaning him, while Tinykit could only cry and cough. "Are you okay?" Mapleshade asked after what seemed a lifetime. Tinykit looked up at her, now bawling, with glassy eyes and said, "Yes. Thank you, mother." Mapleshade smiled, now starting to shed a few tears herself, and said in a quiet voice, "Hush now. You are safe now, my precious kit."