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Just a Promise

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"Mistfall? Sister?" my mew rings through the still night air. "Rainstorm?" Mistfall's drowsy voice answers, wavering slightly. Her pale cream pelt slides through the lichens of the medicine cat den, and her light blue eyes look as if they're still adjusting to the darkness of moonhigh. "What d'you need?" she yawns, her white teeth flashing. "Remember that promise we made as apprentices? Right after you changed from warrior to medicine cat?" I ask hesitantly. "Huh? What's that supposed to mean?!" I huff, glaring at her. --mistfall An irritable yowl shakes me from my thoughts. "Mistfall! Catmint!" ~ ~

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"Mistfall? Sister?" my mew rings through the still night air. "Rainstorm?" Mistfall's drowsy voice answers, wavering slightly. Her pale cream pelt slides through the lichens of the medicine cat den, and her light blue eyes look as if they're still adjusting to the darkness of moonhigh. "What d'you need?" she yawns, her white teeth flashing. "Remember that promise we made as apprentices? Right after you changed from warrior to medicine cat?" I ask hesitantly. She stares blankly at me, then lets out a trill. "Oh, I remember! You'll never leave me, yeah, that one." She waves her tail and blinks. "Honestly, I'm surprised you still remember it." "Huh? What's that supposed to mean?!" I huff, glaring at her. "You're really forgetful." Mistfall purrs. "Remember the time you forgot to assign patrols? Cats were running around, so confused because they didn't know what patrols to go on! It was hilarious!" Her one dark paw reaches toward me, a gesture that always let me know she was only joking. I can't stifle a small laugh. "C'mon! How could I forget a promise, fluff-brain? Especially one with my own sister." I nudge her shoulder with my paw, and she tackles me, laughing. Then her cream fur slips away from me, and I get back to my paws. I wave my long, feathery tail as a good-bye, and she does the same. We turn and pad back to our respective dens. In the warriors' den, I curl back up beside Tigerstripe. He mumbles a protest. "Nooo... go awaaaay..." He rolls over, his striped back facing me. I stifle a purr and soon, listening to the soft breathing and snoring of my Clanmates, drift off into a peaceful sleep. --mistfall "Mistfall! I need more catmint." my mentor Cloudpool calls from where he's sitting, sorting herbs. I recognize a small pile of catmint, and beside it, poppy seeds. "Take a couple warriors to Twolegplace and get some, if you would." he meows. I nod briskly and step out into the calming daylight. The sky is really pretty today, and the clouds look scattered and distant, a few tiny ones straying from the bigger ones. A memory replays in my mind. I remember when Rainstorm and I left the camp as kits and explored the forest. We were fine when we returned, and I had a huge clump of catmint in my mouth, Rainstorm with a mouse. Rosewind, our mother, was worried sick about us. We had tried to tell her we were fine, but she ordered us to go to Crowflight, the medicine cat when Cloudpool was an apprentice. I wonder if that's how the clouds will be... just the little ones straying, then returning... An irritable yowl shakes me from my thoughts. "Mistfall! Catmint!" "A-all right!" I call back, then head toward the warriors' den. I peer inside to see a few blobs curled up, flanks rising and falling. There's Silversong... ah, and Darkspots, too! I don't see Rainstorm... darn. Deputy stuff can be really annoying. "Hey, Darkspots! Russetfoot!" The two warriors raise their heads. Russetstripe, the tiny pale russet tabby, looks nervous, his ears twitching every heartbeat. Darkspots is a dark calico tom. His eyes are unblinking as he stares at me questioningly. "I'd like you to go with me to get some catmint. Is that okay?" Russetstripe quietly mews, "Y-yeah, th-that's fine." He stands and races out of the den, past me. He was always shaken up like that. Darkspots nods slowly. "Hm, that's alright." He rises to his paws and calmly pads past me. I turn and follow the two warriors toward the camp exit. My ears perk up as I hear my name called. "Mistfall!" It's Cougarpaw, Rainstorm's youngest son. He looks a lot like me, except his ears are dark brown, and dark lines run from the sides of his mouth to the inner corners of his beautiful pale-blue eyes. His underbelly and chest are lighter. "Hi, Cougarpaw." I mew, looking back at him. "Do you need something?" "No." he replies without hesitation. When I seem confused, he adds, "I just felt like calling your name!" He lets out a purr as he rubs against me, then gazes up at me. "Where are you going? Can I come? Oh, please lemme come!" "Sorry, I can't." I answer. "It's medicine cat stuff, you wouldn't understand." "Aaaawww!" Cougarpaw moans. "But-" "You can't come." I sharply repeat. Not waiting for an answer, I turn and join the two warriors, and we pad out of camp. --rainstorm "Rainstorm, may I speak to you?" Ripplestep asks, throwing a side glance at my oldest kit, Sleetpaw, to make sure she wasn't watching. She was simply sniffing at a mouse den, possibly abandoned by the previous owner. "Sure." I mew, following my Clanmate toward a small berry bush a couple of tail-lengths away. She sits down and stares at me, her icy-blue eyes cutting right through me. I'm about to say something when she finally meows, "Have you ever broken a promise?" "N-no." I say, startled at the sudden question. "Why?" "Have you ever made a promise?" "Of course. Doesn't everyone?" She eyes me, her cold blue gaze unwavering. "Don't break it." Then she stands and simply walks away. I don't. I sit, frozen to the spot, my tortoiseshell fur bristling. What did she mean...? "Mom! What're you doing?" Sleetpaw's voice breaks me from my trance, and my gaze snaps over to her. She's looking at me in confusion. "You were just staring ahead of you all.. blankly. Where'd Ripplestep go?" I shake my head. "Nothing." I stand. "We should get back to camp." I flick my tail at her, and I lead her back to the camp. What Ripplestep said is still clear in my head. --mistfall "So, it's just catmint, correct?" Darkspots asked as he walked alongside me. I was being escorted by the two to the mint patch, where all the medicine cats of ThunderClan get their catmint. "Yeah." I reply, waving my tail. "But maybe we could pick up some juniper berries or something." Russetstripe lets out a cry. "B-but it's just catmint! I-I... if we stay here for more than ten minutes, we're gonna die!" he wailed. I blink at him. "Calm down, Russetstripe. Nothing's going to happen." I mew soothingly, trying to calm him. Those juniper berries are now on the list. In fact, I should just get a whole stock for Russetstripe. He's so jumpy I'm surprise he hasn't leapt out of his pelt and to the Sundrownplace and back. We reach the mint patch, and the fresh scent of catmint reaches my nose. Darkspots looks around warily, ears flicked up, and Russetstripe looks around, all twitchy-like. I set a paw down on the soft earth, then pad over to the catmint plants. I gently nip the stems, and soon I have about five of the herbs in my jaws. I look around for juniper berries, and see none. I mumble something around the catmint, and pad back to the two warriors. I murmur, "Ready to go." We're not even halfway back to camp when Russetstripe lets out a screech. "Fox! Fox! Fox!" he screeches over and over. Sure enough, a silver-furred fox is bounding toward us, obviously not happy at being seen before it could catch us. Darkspots snarls, "Mistfall, run-" He's cut off when the fox pounces on him, snarling in his face. He screeches at it, drawing deep red slashes through its face with his long, sharp claws. Russetstripe takes a breath, and he whispers, "But... no...!" Then he looks at me, his eyes wide. "Run." he whines before leaping into the fox's side, spitting at it. I stumble back, eyes wide. I drop the catmint and bound over to the nearest tree, latching onto it with my claws. I scramble up to the lowest branch, which is about two fox-lengths off the ground. I watch helplessly as my two friends fight for me, risking their lives. An agonizing screech fills my hearing, and I can't bear the watch as Russetstripe is thrown into the tree I'm sitting in. He lands with a dull thud. Without thinking, I leap out of the tree, landing right beside his body. "R-Russetstripe..." I murmur. "J-just hold on... I'll heal you." His eyes are dull as he whispers, "I knew... this would..." He grows still, and I lower my head and brush his fur with my nose. I hear the cry before the pain comes. "Mistfall!" Pain splinters through my tail, and I whirl around to see the fox, its white teeth buried in my tail. I let out a cry and leap toward it, my claws outstretched. "Die!" I snarl, my eyes blazing with rage. Teeth bury into my throat, and I scream in pain. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a blurred tortoiseshell pelt. The fur of my sister. "Rainstorm!" I wail. How long has she been standing there? ...Has she been watching me... suffer...? --rainstorm "Mistfall!" I cry out, racing toward her. I'm flanked by Silversong, Smokewhisker, and Tigerstripe. The fox, seeing us, drops my sister to the ground and retreats, its tail high. Tigerstripe and Silversong race after it, spitting curses toward it. Smokewhisker looks at me like he's in agonizing pain. "Rainstorm... I'm so sorry..." "Shut up!" I hiss, a hint of a sob in my voice. "Just shut up, okay!" I stumble over to Mistfall, my fur brislting. "Mistfall, please... stay with me..." A faint voice rings in the back of my head. "You broke our promise." I don't notice. I bury my face into Mistfall's bloodied cream pelt, while Smokewhisker stands to the side, his ears and tail low. I hear Tigerstripe's voice. He sounds exhausted, yet triumphant. "We chased it off." he meows. Then I hear his voice break as he says, "Oh, no..." Silversong lowers her head and murmurs something. "We have to take her back to camp." Tigerstripe mews, then he gasps. "Russetstripe!" I look up to see him run over to his brother, amber eyes wide with pain. Meanwhile, Smokewhisker was nudging Darkspots to his paws. Darkspots was badly wounded. But he wasn't dead. I give out a low hiss, but I say nothing. "It was just a promise, Rainstorm! Get over it!" Silversong growls, twitching her tail. For a second I want to claw her ears off. Then I sigh, "Y-yes... just a promise." ~ That night, at the vigil, Rainstorm and her Clanmates mourned the loss of Mistfall and Russetstripe. Silence filled the clearing. No one, not even the kits made one noise. It was eerily quiet. On the side, though, an almost see-through cream pelt stood, its eyes narrowed. "She broke her promise... she isn't with me..." it murmured, a sob in its voice. Then it looked up, its eyes blazing. "But her promise isn't dead... not yet... she can still be with me. Forever. And I know just how to do that." ~