- Aug 5, 2022
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He shreds the corner of his nest in a fit of irritability. Such behaviour is unlike Fly but he can't help the behaviour from slipping out; it's a more harmless way of letting his anger out than taking it out on his family.
"Fly, please come outside."
The voice of his mother gives him pause, if only for a moment before he's clawing at the moss and leaves in his nest. He does not want to go outside and does not want to talk. Despite his lack of answer, his mother stepped into the den, her amber eyes boring into him almost instantly. His mother, Shimmer, was a striking cat. The most beautiful cat in the forest if you asked his father. She was taller than her son, with long, toned legs suited for running. Like all their family, she possessed long fur, her pelt a solid swathe of blue, only broken up by a white locket and forepaws. Her fur was glossy and well-groomed, not scruffy like his own. Fly lifted his head to look at his mother and her expression softened. "You cannot hide in the den forever," She told him in a not unkind voice.
"Why not?" Fly fired back. "It's not like I can do much else apparently."
"Fly..." His mother's voice trailed off for a moment. "Don't be like that. You know your father and I only mean well."
Fly rolled his eyes and went back to his shredding, debating whether to speak back or not. After pondering for a few moments he decided on an answer. "I'm not a kit anymore! You don't need to protect me like you used to!" Fly snapped. "Do you think I'm a poor fighter is that it?"
"Of course, you're not a poor fighter!" Shimmer reassured him. Fly thought his mother probably believed that wholeheartedly, but in his own opinion, his combat skills paled in comparison to that of his elder sisters. Even Moth, who had long since abandoned the family would probably run circles around him. "We just want you to be safe is all. Your father and I don't believe all our family needs to fight against the Marsh Group to defend our home. There are other ways you defend this place. Stay in camp, help watch over the sick and wounded, the queens who can't as easily defend themselves."
Fly listened to his mother's words carefully. He supposed she had a point about there being other ways to defend the camp and the cats that called the pine trees home, but that still didn't mean he was any less fired up about being denied the chance to fight in the upcoming battle. "What about your safety? What if I want you all to be safe? If I'm there I can help!"
Shimmer inclined her head softly. "I'm sure you would, Fly," She sighed. "I would like for you to respect our wishes but I won't force you to stay away if you really want to fight. Just be prepared for if the worst should happen." Fly's eyes widened a little at the very thought of the worst happening, surprised his mother would even think like that. But with how severe the fights had been getting between the two groups, Fly is hardly surprised that her mind has wandered in that direction. "Maybe if I'm there we will win the battle?" Fly suggested, choosing to ignore how naive he sounded at that moment.
"Oh, my sweet boy," Shimmer said taking a step towards him. "You cannot know that. You know as well as I do how fiercely both sides will fight when this war comes."
" I know..."Fly said shakily, nodding his head in such a way it seemed as though he was in some kind of deep pain. "I just don't want anything to happen to any of you. I don't want to...lose you."
Shimmer's expression was unreadable for a moment. "You won't," She told him steadily. Fly almost wanted to respond, to throw her previous words right back at her but he can see the expression on her face, and elected to keep his mouth shut. "Whatever happens, you will never lose us. We will be a part of you always, as you will be for us. We will carry each other in our hearts and memories until the day we breathe our last."
"Don't let that day be any time soon," Fly begged.
Shimmer chuckled, but it was devoid of any real amusement. "Oh, but Fly, you already know I can't promise that."
Before Fly could ask what she meant, the dream ended. He awoke and he was no longer Fly but Flycatcher, deputy of ThunderClan. He looked around the warrior's den for a moment, almost half expecting to still see Shimmer standing there, but she was already gone. And she had been gone for a long time. As Flycatcher had once been afraid of, he had lost his family. They had died fighting in the Great Battle and he had been left alone. But he was not alone anymore, he had his clan, he had his mate and kits, he had family he never knew existed. Most of all, despite the grief and loss that had led him here, he was no longer alone. With a contented sigh, Flycatcher lowered his head and curled up back to sleep.
"Fly, please come outside."
The voice of his mother gives him pause, if only for a moment before he's clawing at the moss and leaves in his nest. He does not want to go outside and does not want to talk. Despite his lack of answer, his mother stepped into the den, her amber eyes boring into him almost instantly. His mother, Shimmer, was a striking cat. The most beautiful cat in the forest if you asked his father. She was taller than her son, with long, toned legs suited for running. Like all their family, she possessed long fur, her pelt a solid swathe of blue, only broken up by a white locket and forepaws. Her fur was glossy and well-groomed, not scruffy like his own. Fly lifted his head to look at his mother and her expression softened. "You cannot hide in the den forever," She told him in a not unkind voice.
"Why not?" Fly fired back. "It's not like I can do much else apparently."
"Fly..." His mother's voice trailed off for a moment. "Don't be like that. You know your father and I only mean well."
Fly rolled his eyes and went back to his shredding, debating whether to speak back or not. After pondering for a few moments he decided on an answer. "I'm not a kit anymore! You don't need to protect me like you used to!" Fly snapped. "Do you think I'm a poor fighter is that it?"
"Of course, you're not a poor fighter!" Shimmer reassured him. Fly thought his mother probably believed that wholeheartedly, but in his own opinion, his combat skills paled in comparison to that of his elder sisters. Even Moth, who had long since abandoned the family would probably run circles around him. "We just want you to be safe is all. Your father and I don't believe all our family needs to fight against the Marsh Group to defend our home. There are other ways you defend this place. Stay in camp, help watch over the sick and wounded, the queens who can't as easily defend themselves."
Fly listened to his mother's words carefully. He supposed she had a point about there being other ways to defend the camp and the cats that called the pine trees home, but that still didn't mean he was any less fired up about being denied the chance to fight in the upcoming battle. "What about your safety? What if I want you all to be safe? If I'm there I can help!"
Shimmer inclined her head softly. "I'm sure you would, Fly," She sighed. "I would like for you to respect our wishes but I won't force you to stay away if you really want to fight. Just be prepared for if the worst should happen." Fly's eyes widened a little at the very thought of the worst happening, surprised his mother would even think like that. But with how severe the fights had been getting between the two groups, Fly is hardly surprised that her mind has wandered in that direction. "Maybe if I'm there we will win the battle?" Fly suggested, choosing to ignore how naive he sounded at that moment.
"Oh, my sweet boy," Shimmer said taking a step towards him. "You cannot know that. You know as well as I do how fiercely both sides will fight when this war comes."
" I know..."Fly said shakily, nodding his head in such a way it seemed as though he was in some kind of deep pain. "I just don't want anything to happen to any of you. I don't want to...lose you."
Shimmer's expression was unreadable for a moment. "You won't," She told him steadily. Fly almost wanted to respond, to throw her previous words right back at her but he can see the expression on her face, and elected to keep his mouth shut. "Whatever happens, you will never lose us. We will be a part of you always, as you will be for us. We will carry each other in our hearts and memories until the day we breathe our last."
"Don't let that day be any time soon," Fly begged.
Shimmer chuckled, but it was devoid of any real amusement. "Oh, but Fly, you already know I can't promise that."
Before Fly could ask what she meant, the dream ended. He awoke and he was no longer Fly but Flycatcher, deputy of ThunderClan. He looked around the warrior's den for a moment, almost half expecting to still see Shimmer standing there, but she was already gone. And she had been gone for a long time. As Flycatcher had once been afraid of, he had lost his family. They had died fighting in the Great Battle and he had been left alone. But he was not alone anymore, he had his clan, he had his mate and kits, he had family he never knew existed. Most of all, despite the grief and loss that had led him here, he was no longer alone. With a contented sigh, Flycatcher lowered his head and curled up back to sleep.