A Merciless Fate

Please do read my story and give me your honest opinion. If you catch any errors or areas I could improve on, please notify me. I spent a lot of my time working on the cover, plot, writing and editing. Even if you're not a member of ThunderClan, or even familiar with who I am, I highly suggest reading my story. I think even you might enjoy it! Don't be shy; I promise no one will bite you. Well, Snake might, but I think you're safe.

They say time heals all wounds, however, the two sisters Wolf and Puma would have to disagree. After a cruel event, Wolf and Puma are swept away mercilessly by a series of events that will forever scar them, both physically and mentally. An endless tide of fury, dismal and anxiety floods the lives of the sisters as they grow older in what they will eventually know as "the dark days". There is no escaping the ruthless creatures of the forest. It is up to Wolf and Puma to either face the hazards of life and die fighting, or hide from fate and forever live in the shadows, never to see life through the thick blanket of darkness it is engulfed in.

## Prologue

"Boulder, look! Our little one has opened her eyes!" a dark brown-hued she-cat with white stripes exclaimed with delight. Her leaf-green eyes shone with joy and happiness.

"Yes, Jade?" Boulder, a muscular solid gray tom cat bounded towards his mate. His relatively solemn golden gaze softened as his eyes rested on his kit. The tiny she-kit gazed up at her father with a pair of wide icy blue eyes. White markings dappled her brown pelt, and her underbelly consisted of a strikingly black hue. Boulder purred and nuzzled the tiny she-kit on the cheek affectionately.

"Good morning, little one. Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"Yep!" The she-kit responded in a high-pitched squeal.

Jade purred in laughter. "She is much more talkative than our last litter. Speaking of our last litter, where did Wolf and Snake run off to? I told them to stay close so they could attend their sister's naming ceremony."

Boulder shrugged his broad shoulders. "I have no idea where those sly creatures went. I'd bet you any piece of prey they've gone to the Thunder Tree."

Jade twitched her whiskers and flicked a tufted ear. "You better go find them and tell them to get washed up. Blink will want to perform the ceremony before sun-high," Jade mewed.

Boulder nodded briskly. "Right." The tom whipped around and set off to find the three young cats. Meanwhile, Jade washed her kit in preparation for the naming ceremony.

The brown she-kit tilted her head backwards to stare at her mother. "What is my name going to be, mother?"

"Blink will decide that. She will consult our fallen friends for guidance and give to you your name based on their opinions. They did the same for Wolf and Snake."

"I can't wait! I'm going to have a fierce name like Wolf! I'm going to be the strongest!" The kit sprang to her paws and stumbled out of her moss-nest on tiny, short legs. The petite she-kit circled her mother restlessly with her tiny tail sticking straight up in the air like a twig.

Jade planted a gentle paw onto her kit's back, flattening her to the ground with little effort. Jade lowered her head and lapped her kit between the ears. "Don't waste your energy, young one. You don't want to be sleepy during your ceremony. Blink will think I'm raising a lazy deformed squirrel."

"I'm not a lazy squirrel! I don't know what that other word means... but I'm not a lazy squirrel!" The she-kit squealed indignantly as she wriggled out of her mother's grasp.

"I know you're not lazy, but if you waste your energy now you'll be tired before sun-high," Jade scolded her kit firmly, yet the motherly tone stuck with her voice.

"The sun is up though, right? What's the difference between now and sun-high?" The she-kit swept her furry tail in a wide arc motion, gesturing towards the sun slinking past the barrier of trees.

A purr of laughter rumbled in Jade's throat. "When the sun is past the trees, that is sun-high. It won't be long now."

The brown she-kit lowered herself into a sitting position, for once seeming satisfied. She curled her furry tail over her front paws and fixed her icy blue gaze upon a tiny beetle crawling by. A mischievous gleam ignited within her eyes as the kit lowered her slim body to the sandy ground. She grinned and pulled herself forward one paw at a time. Once she was a mouse length away from the insect, the she-kit sprang into the air and landed on the beetle, crushing it beneath a tiny fore-paw. After several heartbeats, the kit lifted her paw tentatively. The beetle scurried away rapidly, disappearing beneath the thick tangle of bracken and twigs where the kits and their mothers slept.

The she-kit frowned. She turned to her mother, infuriated to see her amusement. The brown she-kit narrowed her eyes and drew herself to her full height, although her ears hardly reached her mother's chest.

"The beetle was small," the she-kit squealed in fury. "If it were a mouse I would have killed it!"

"Maybe next time you'll get it," Jade purred warmly.

"Of course I will!" The she-kit puffed out her chest with pride.

"Hurry up you slugs! You both are so slow!" a young voice mocked loudly.

A night-black furred feline burst into the sight of the she-kit and her mother. The she-cat's pelt was littered with thorns, although it was still healthy and sleek. The feline paused beside Jade and the brown she-kit. Her golden eyes gleamed with excitement and energy. She whipped her head around and yowled.

"Snake, father, *come on!*At the speed you're going, you'll both miss my sister's naming ceremony!" The black, long furred feline lashed her tail to and fro impatiently.

Boulder and a smaller black furred feline identical to the she-cat appeared shortly, breathing heavily. The smaller black tom-cat twitched his whiskers. Many thorns were tangled in his thick pelt as well.

"Calm your tail, Wolf. We aren't late. Blink will get our sister in a bit yet," the tom-cat mewed as he caught his breath.

Wolf rolled her piercing golden eyes. "Whatever, Snake. I don't see how you got your name. You should have been named Snail. That would suit you much better."

Snake reared up and brought his paws down onto Wolf's head, sending both of them tumbling to the ground. The two siblings locked into a playful tussle, nipping at one's ears and batting at the other's muzzle.

"Wolf, Snake, stop! That's enough!" Boulder ordered firmly. The muscular tom-cat wore an expression of disapproval on his face.

Immediately, the two dark felines scrambled to their paws and licked their chest fur in embarrassment. Ignoring their father's serious stare, they exchanged good-natured glares, indicating their conflict was not yet over.

"Look at yourselves! You're covered in thorns! You both look like a pair of filthy, malformed hedgehogs! Clean yourselves, I would be so embarrassed if I took you to your sister's ceremony looking like that!" Jade admonished her kits.

Horrified, Wolf and Snake set to work, cleaning their pelts with brisk laps of their tongues.

"Boulder, Jade! It's time." a commanding meow sounded clearly within a small cave tucked away at the edge of the clearing.

Boulder and Jade rose to their paws, nudging their kits with their muzzles.

"Hurry! Blink is ready for us!" Jade meowed and picked up the brown she-kit in her jaws. This action was followed by a mew of protest.

"Let me go! I can walk myself!" the kit squealed.

Jade ignored her daughter's protests and sprinted towards the cave. Boulder, Wolf and Snake followed closely at her heels, their tails held high with anticipation. Wolf easily outpaced her family, skidding to a halt beside the cave entrance, her tail flicking eagerly. Jade was second to reach the cave entrance. She paused beside Wolf and lowered her head to place the tiny brown she-kit at the mouth of the cave. Jade gave her daughter an encouraging nudge of her muzzle.

"Go on, Blink will be waiting. We'll be close behind you. Don't make a sound while Blink speaks or else you won't get a name," Jade whispered quietly in her daughter's ear.

The brown she-kit nodded, for once serious and strode into the cave importantly. Her tiny body was swiftly swallowed by the shadows of the cave.

Jade nodded to Wolf and Snake, giving them permission to enter. Once the two siblings had disappeared into the cave, Boulder and Jade followed.

The cave was dark and for the most part, silent. Paws pattering against smooth stone and the occasional drip of water were the only sources of sound. The cave smelled strongly of fungus. The walls of the cave narrowed into a tunnel, pressing against the cat's pelts uncomfortably. After several heartbeats of walking in little space, the tunnel expanded into a wide cavern.

A pair of amber eyes illuminated a small portion of the space. A faint outline of a tall, sleek furred feline was visible in the dim lighting. The figure stood and greeted the family with a nod. She turned to the kit before her and blinked kindly before raising her head to speak. Her voice echoed clearly, bouncing off the cave walls.

"My fallen friends, I ask of you to look down on this kit now. She is new to the world, and is in need of a name. This name we give her shall be cherished throughout her life until the day she joins you within the sky. Lend me your assistance in deciding a name for this young one."

The tall feline then closed her eyes and stood as still as the stone surrounding her and the family. Heartbeats passed. Anticipation built in the air. The cave was now silent. Time seemed to slow and occasionally the family could hear whispers of their fallen friends. The sound of dripping water disturbed the silence at last. The towering feline opened her eyes.

"Thank you, my friends. I hereby declare this kit as Puma to represent her curious nature and the strength that I'm sure will come to her in time. I am certain that good things are to come to this young she-cat. Our friends approve of my choice for young Puma's name, and will continue to watch over her from the skies above."