Falling Moon- A Warrior Cats Fanfiction

Chapter 13

"Moonpaw! Guess what? Wake up, you big lump of fox dung!"

A paw prodded the white she-cat in the side multiple times. "Go away." She groaned, flattening her ears, but she couldn't block out the touch. After a few more moments, she sat up to face none other than her sister. No surprise there.

"I just heard from Ivypaw that Spottedrose is moving into the nursery!"

Immediately, Moonpaw sat up, eyes widening. "Already? She's only been a warrior for... anyway, that's cool! More queens means more apprentices! Well, not yet, but more expecting queens means more kits, which means more apprentices, more warriors and more ThunderClan!" She gave a small leap.

Then, realising that she was overreacting, she nodded calmly, sitting back down, brushing scraps of her bedding out of her pelt with a paw. "I mean, that's cool." She replaced her former words coolly.

Palepaw nodded, a grin breaking out across her features. "You don't need to tell me that twice. Come on, let's take a look!"

As Moonpaw padded outside, meows could be heard. "But I don't want to go into the nursery yet!" That was definitely Spottedrose. She clearly didn't want to become a queen just yet. "I want to hunt more!"

Thistleheart, who must've been her mate, kept nudging her over to the den where Pebblesplash sat, watching her two kits tumble around her paws with a warm affection. "You're expecting kits now! Please, Spottedrose. I don't want to lose you or the kits, so don't go out of the camp alone."

The tom's tone was pleading as he reasoned with his mate. Usually, Spottedrose was quiet, but she seemed adamant about doing more as a warrior before she settled down in the nursery.

However, at the mention of losing her kits, she winced, then groaned, defeated. "I don't want to lose them either," she murmured softly, then, after receiving a swift lick on the cheek, she padded into the nursery with a sigh.

"I can't wait for the new kits to play with!" Palepaw meowed animatedly. Moonpaw couldn't help but agree. They would be able to play with Rosekit and Thornkit in a moon or so, yes, but the more the merrier.

Ashcloud chose that particular moment to stick his head in, making both she-cats jump. "Battle training!" He chirped merrily, then padded away to where Sorrelspots was.

Moonpaw's ears flattened, and she let out a groan. She did not want to train.

However, Palepaw quickly glanced at her, confusion in her amber gaze. "What was that for?" She asked.

Moonpaw shrugged. "Nothing. I'm just tired." She spoke too quickly, though; her sister narrowed her eyes at her, though said nothing.

The two she-cats left the den after a quick groom, following their mentors into the woods for the battle training.

~

"No, that's definitely not how you do it, Palepaw. Try again."

With a groan, Palepaw practised her badger attack for the fifth time, though once again, the moment she stepped out, she lost balance for a split-second, and her invisible opponent would have torn her to shreds had it been a real battle. Or so Ashcloud had said.

"It's hard lunging at thin air." She complained, earning a disapproving glare from Sorrelspots.

"You've got to imagine that there's a real badger there. What do you do?"

"Run, maybe? They'd be pretty slow, since they're so fat." Palepaw let out a yawn, stretching it out to emphasise her boredom. "It's not like I'll ever meet a badger, so I don't see why I have to learn this stuff."

Sorrelspots suddenly lunged at her without warning, and Palepaw found herself being flipped onto her side. "I'm a badger." She snarled, arching her back. The black and ginger fur along her spine bristled just like Palepaw imagined a badger's to.

She darted back when a paw swiped her way, and she found herself imagining a massive white paw instead of Sorrelspots' small white one. After a split-second, Palepaw darted forward, rearing up quickly and lashing a forepaw down Sorrelspots' face. Sheathed, of course.

She then lunged underneath her mentor; being smaller than a badger, she would always have that advantage. She leapt on her mentor's back, pretending to rake her claws down with a triumphant yowl.

And completed the move perfectly.

She hopped off of her mentor's back, happiness fizzing from her pelt. "Nice work, Palepaw." Ashcloud nodded to her, while Sorrelspots purred.

She nodded with a purr of her own. "That was much easier with an actual 'badger'."

Ashcloud nodded. "Of course it was. And you shouldn't use a move like that with something like a fox because...?"

Palepaw thought. "It was quite an exposing move, so it would be bad for a faster animal. Right?"

"Correct." Ashcloud seemed impressed. Palepaw could've jumped for joy at his expression.

"Now it's your turn, Moonpaw." Ashcloud turned to Palepaw's sister, who had been watching silently with a look of awe and dread on her face. "Remember what Palepaw just did, and try not to fall over with this move."

~

Moonpaw padded shakily up to Ashcloud. I'll fail I'll fail I'll fail I'll-

You're not going to fail. Moonpaw could barely stop herself from jumping at the voice in her head.

Just focus. It may come easier to your sister, but you will always beat her when it comes to precision.

Then, a shadowy she-cat stepped out of the darkness. Moonpaw was shocked to find nobody noticing her. They cannot see me, Moonpaw. The voice purred. Moonpaw watched as green eyes streaked with gold-yellow lines narrowed as the cat smiled.

I am a badger. Came the snarled reply. You must attack me. Claws unsheathed; I can take it. Again, another cruel smile.

Moonpaw found an uncharacteristic anger bubbling up inside of her. She didn't need any cat's help. She could do it on her own!

Good, the voice purred. Now use that anger. Put it into your move.

I don't need your help, stranger, she thought, glaring at where the she-cat stood. She took off, running like a river. When close enough, she reared up, slicing her claws down the dark she-cat.

Where her claws met fur, blood welled up, and she took a step back, eyes widening with horror.

The she-cat's meow was one of outrage. Don't stop there! Finish the move!

Moonpaw shook her head, and after an instant, the black shadow disappeared.

Next time, it snarled, don't hold back.

But Moonpaw barely heard the voice. She winced as she remembered the blood, slowly trickling down the she-cat's body.

She turned to her mentor, who looked as though she'd just insulted him. "Ashcloud..." She meowed quietly, shaking slightly. "I don't think I can do this." She sat down, head bowed in shame.

If she found it hard to injure a shadow, how would she ever fight in a battle?

Ashcloud looked her over carefully, eyes narrowed slightly. "Alright. Let's go back. We've done enough training for one day."

After shaking out his pelt, Ashcloud led the group back to the camp.