The above photo was drawn by RosestarofRoseClan11! Please go give her a follow and give her some love!

-

    The forest was shrouded in darkness. Thunder rumbled overhead and lightning flashed across the sky. Shivering and curled up against the trunk of a fern bush, a tiny calico kitten pressed in closer to his brothers and sister. His sister, who was dark brown with white patches, squealed as the thunder roared above them. "It's okay, Oak," Willow reassured her, reaching out with his forepaw. "Mommy will be back soon. I promise."

    Her amber eyes flashed towards him. She was trembling, but she fell silent as the storm continued to rage around them. Willow's brothers, Maple and Birch, were watching the branches of the fern bush. The wind grabbed a hold of the green leaves and whipped them forward. Branches managed to be ripped off from the sheer force of the blasts. More thunder and another flash of lightning overwhelmed their young senses.

    The first rain droplets finally hit the ground. One after another, they began to soak the green and brown earth. It didn't take long for the rain to leak past the feeble branches of the fern bush. Within seconds, the four kittens were drenched. Still, they remained. The pounding of the rain drowned out their whimpers and whines.

    Rustling behind the kittens made Willow stand up shakily. He turned, his honey eyes wide, to see a very large shadow. A narrow muzzle cautiously pushed itself under the bush. A pungent stench hit Willow's throat as the muzzle's lips twitched upwards, beginning to snarl. Lightning flashed behind the figure, lighting up the dark red fox. Willow heard Oak squeal, the she-cat trying to flounder away from the beast.

    The fox barked, its paws desperately digging at the fern bush. Willow was frozen as he felt his brothers shimmy away. Mere heartbeats later, the fox's head managed to wedge under the bush. Its harsh, amber eyes, strangely so cat like, spotted Willow. It opened its jaws, the gums lined with pure white teeth. He stared down the throat of the creature, fear keeping him rooted in place.

    A shriek was heard above the pounding of the rain. A black and white she-cat flashed past Willow, launching herself at the fox. Her claws raked down its open jaws, causing it to yelp and jerk backwards.

    "Run!" she snapped at Willow, who was still frozen in place. When he didn't move, she shoved him over with her backpaw. He blinked, shook his head, then scrambled to his paws and bolted away. His siblings were curled up between the roots of a nearby oak tree, eyes watching him in terror. He ran up to them and settled himself in front of them, looking back at the fern bush. The she-cat and fox let out angry screeches and yelps.

    The kittens weren't sure how long it took for the noise to stop. But when the black and white cat reappeared from the fern bush, they watched her eagerly. Blood and fur was caught between her claws, but it was already beginning to wash away from the rain. She immediately approached them, her head tilted. "Where are your parents?" she asked irritatedly, her tail lashing.

    Willow stood, shivering violently.

    "Our Mommy left to go find food," he told her. "She said she'd be back before it started raining." The she-cat looked around, as if hoping the kittens' mother would suddenly appear, then flicked her tail.

    "Come with me," she muttered. Patiently, she waited for the kits to get up, and led them away from the tree. Willow padded in front of the other kittens, hot on the she-cat's heels. Behind him, Oak pressed close to him while Maple and Birch lagged behind. They soon reached an open clearing, a jumble of rocks to one side. The stones were balanced precariously on top of one another.

    At the very bottom, was an opening. The black and white she-cat ushered the kittens inside, away from the rain. Willow blinked, slowly gazing around. There was something awfully familiar about the rocks... The sudden feeling of his lungs being crushed made him crouch down, wheezing. His siblings and the she-cat ignored his small cries as he tried to reach for them.

    "Help!" he squeaked out. But none came.

~*~

    Willow jolted awake, heart pounding. Breathing heavily, he lashed his tail agitatedly. "You're okay," Stone muttered. "You're okay." Slowly, the crushing feeling ebbed away. Now light headed, Willow nuzzled into his nest, hoping to squash away the terror the dream had left. In the back of his mind, he could feel Robin and Stone's presence.

    "You're okay," Stone reassured him again.

    "I know," Willow told him, staring at the log. Desperately, he tried to remember the dream, but it was disappearing fast.

    "You don't need to remember it," Robin soothed him. Her voice was soft and comforting. "It'll only stress you out more. None of us need you to go through that," she continued. The calico remained tensed, still uncertain. "It really is okay, Willow.

    "There's nothing to worry about. I promise." Robin's words finally convinced the honey-eyed tom. He took a deep breath in and slowly released it. It was still dark out, with dark and stormy clouds partially covering the sky. Willow's eyes were drooping from drowsiness and he wished to go back to sleep. However, he lifted his head when a strange noise reached his ears.

    A few seconds later, and he heard it again.

    "What is that?" he muttered, ears flattening. For a second, his alters were silent.

    "I think it's a kitten," Robin finally shared, her voice cautious. "Or an injured cat." Swallowing, Willow slowly got out of his nest and weaved through the branches.

    "If it's a kitten, then who is it?" Stone grumbled. "As far as I know, most of the she-cats here keep a close eye on their kits." Robin scoffed at Stone.

    "Not all she-cats do," she growled. "Hazel is a prime example. She was an awful mother!" Stone snarled at Robin,

    "I thought we said not to mention her?" The calico paused, confused by their conversation. "Even then, lots of kittens are known for sneaking off. Maybe it wasn't even her fault," Stone hissed after some time. Willow could hear Robin growling, but then she fell silent. Both of them did.

    'Hazel's an awful mother?' he suddenly thought, focusing on what they had first said. 'Scooter has been saying that she's a good mom... What does Stone and Robin know?' he asked himself. He waited, hoping for someone to explain.

    No explanation came. Sighing, Willow padded forward, ears pricked as he listened for the whimpers. Finding himself at the edge of the clearing, he shoved past the grass, and opened his jaws. Tasting the air as he slowly walked around, his ears swiveled to catch every sound. Moments later, the scent of a kitten bathed his tongue. Cautiously, he let his senses of scent and hearing guide him in the direction of the kitten.

    Willow practically tripped over the little thing, his right forepaw brushing up against it. The kit was curled up into himself, shivering as the wind blew against him. His fur was clearly dark, and he looked rather young. A moon, at least, Willow guessed. Lowering his head to further examine the kitten, he murmured, "Hello?" The kitten's eyes slowly opened, staring at him blankly.

    His eyes were blue, but they looked hollow. He didn't protest as the calico pressed his nose against his side. He was shivering more than Willow had thought and he could feel his ribs right beneath the skin. "Rotted rats!" He growled, tail lashing. The kitten had clearly been left longer than just that night. Stalking around, he desperately searched for any she-cat scent, but came up empty.

    Returning to the kitten, he gently nuzzled him. "You poor thing. Come here." Carefully, the calico grasped the kitten by his scruff and trotted back to his den. Weaving through the branches, he faintly noticed Robin and Stone arguing again.

    "You were the one who had said we shouldn't talk about her," Stone was hissing.

    "It doesn't matter who said what, I said to drop it!" Robin snarled back. Willow rolled his eyes at his alters and continued on to the nest. Once in the den, he placed the kitten down in the moss and curled himself around him.

    "Don't worry," he murmured to the still shivering tom. "We'll find your mother tomorrow. For now, just rest." The kitten stared at him for a few moments before burying himself into the calico's warm fur. Willow kept himself wrapped around the kitten, falling back asleep rather quickly.

~*~

    Thunder rumbled overhead, causing Willow to snap out of his sleep. He picked up his head, watching as lightning flashed through the dark sky. For a moment, he wondered if he was still asleep. However, the small bundle laying in his fur shifted, reminding him of his new task at paw. "Great, now a storm..." Willow muttered, sighing.

    'What do I do?' He asked himself, watching as the wind violently lashed at the golden grass.

    "You could ask us for help," Robin broke through his thoughts. Her voice was no longer gentle and comforting, like it was earlier that morning, but it wasn't as haughty as it was the days before. The calico sighed again, resting his head on his paws. The last thing he wanted to do was ask them for help. He remained silent, watching the darkened sky. Small birds fought the rough winds, almost blending in with the clouds.

    The kitten stirred as more thunder erupted from the storm clouds, lifting his head sleepily. His bright blue eyes were very striking against his dark pelt. He blinked away the sleep, opening his jaws in a silent meow. The dark tabby tried to stand, accidentally stepping on Willow's tail. The older tom poked his head up, tilting his head at the kitten. He was staring at the calico, his jaws opening once more in another silent meow.

    Willow felt his belly fill with spite. He desperately didn't want to ask Robin and Stone for help, but what else could he do? The kitten was going to need food or go back with his mother. He had no idea what to do, now that a storm was about to let loose. With a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes. For a moment, all he saw was black.

    A second later, Robin stepped out from their shadowy mind.

    "I need your help," Willow mumbled, his tail twitching. She dipped her head, laying down.

    "What do you need?" She asked him, her head tilting.

    "I don't know what to do," he blurted. "I have to find the kitten's mother, but now that there's a storm, it's nearly impossible!" He paused, fur bristling. "If I take him to get food or look for his mom, he could get drenched. If I leave him here while looking, he could wander off. If I stay here, he wouldn't be able to eat..."

    Willow's honey eyes glazed with terror. "There's almost no way I can take care of him and deal with the storm at the same time..." Robin nodded, tail flicking. She stayed silent, clearly thinking.

    "You should either go look for his mother, or get him some food," she started. "If you find his mother, that means he'll be able to be taken care of and you won't have to worry any more. But, even if it takes too long to find her, you'll still need to feed him." Willow nodded as she spoke, then began to cautiously think over his options. When he was done, he opened his eyes and sat up.

    "I'll be taking him to get food. Maybe I'll find his mother on the way," he explained to Robin as he stretched his forelegs. He stood and stretched each backleg, then turned to the younger tom. He was watching Willow with wide, curious eyes. The calico leaned down, nuzzling the top of the dark tabby's head. "Come on," he murmured.

    "We're going to go for a walk." He straightened himself and padded out of the den. At first, the kitten hung back, then rushed after the older tom. The wind buffeted their fur as they stepped out from the branches. Their ears were forced flat against their head as they walked towards the trail. Behind Willow, the tabby was struggling to keep up.

    The wind was practically blowing him off of his paws. He cried out, causing the calico to pause and whip around. The dark tabby's claws were dug into the ground, the wind nearly shoving him onto his side. Willow bounded back to the kitten and grasped him by the scruff. He turned and continued on, carrying the smaller cat in his jaws. He forced his way through the wind as he walked along the trail.

    'Where can I even get food when this wind is so terrible?' He thought after walking four tail-lengths along the trail. It was slow going, and he had to keep his grip tight on the kitten. The calico could hear the tabby whimpering as the wind whip lashed them left and right. Still, Willow pushed on, eyes narrowed as the golden grass slapped into his face.

    He continued walking until he reached the creek. His eyes lit up as he thought up a plan. Hurrying towards the creek, tail flicking excitedly, he stopped beside the water and placed the kitten on the bank. Carefully, Willow jumped onto a rock, which helped create a pool beneath. Peering through the ruffled water, he carefully watched for any signs of movement. Once the wind paused, he could see the flashing shadows of fish.

    'Perfect!' Crouching down, he watched the fish as they flickered back and forth. He focused on steadying his breathing, carefully lifting up his right forepaw. He studied them as they swam back and forth beneath him... He shot his forepaw into the water, claws extended. Quickly, he pulled his paw back out. A fish's tail was caught on his claws, but it was quick to wiggle away.

    "No!" Willow yowled, claws scrabbling for the fish. He barely caught it as it slipped back into the water. His paws kept it pressed against the rock, his forelegs now drenched in water. He tried moving the fish up the rock, but the silver-scaled creature only thrashed, nearly escaping. How was he going to get the fish now?

    "Try grabbing its tail with your teeth," Stone advised. His statement was so sudden that Willow almost lost his grip on the fish. At first, he hesitated, but when he looked back on the bank, he saw the kitten watching him with almost hopeful eyes. Quickly, Willow ducked his muzzle into the water and grasped the fish's tail. Holding it tightly, the calico lifted it out of the water. Keeping his grip tight, he bounded back onto the shore of the creek.

    The kitten toddled up to him, his bobbed tail flicking around as much as it could. Willow placed the wiggling fish down next to the tabby, gently nosing it towards him.

    "Here, eat this," he murmured softly. "It's delicious." The dark tom sniffed the scaled-animal, then opened his jaws in another silent meow, looking up at the older tom with confused eyes. Willow frowned and nosed the fish towards him again. "Come on, you need to eat," he tried telling him. The tabby looked back down at the fish before sniffing it again. He tried biting it, but sat up and turned, toddling away.

    "H-hey! Come here, you need to eat," Willow pressed, jumping in front of the kitten. He herded him back to the fish and sat down. His tail flicked, unsure of what to do. 'I need more help...' he thought with a sigh. After a few hesitant moments, he asked, "Hey, Robin...

    "I need some help. Please." A few moments went by when he received a response.

    "What's up, Willow?" Robin questioned, curiosity in her voice.

    "I don't know how to get him to eat!" Willow blurted to her. "He doesn't seem interested in it, at all..." He watched as the kitten chased his tail, completely ignoring the fish.

    "Hmm," Robin hummed. "Ya'know, it could be too hard for him to chew. If you try taking a bite and chewing it up for him, that might help," she explained to him. The calico nodded, ears twitching. He wasn't sure how much that would work, but an idea was an idea, and it was better than nothing. Grabbing a hold of the fish, he tore off a piece and began to chew it up.

    He moved his tail away from the kitten, gently nudging the tabby in front of him. Once he felt that the food was chewed through enough, he spat the food onto the ground in front of the kitten. At first, he sniffed it repeatedly, appeared uninterested, then began to lap it up. 'Thank the skies!' Willow thought happily. Relief flooded through his body as the kitten ate.

    "Ahem," Robin coughed playfully. The calico tom laughed lightly, tail swaying.

    "And thank you, too, Robin," he added with twitching whiskers.

    "Hmph. You better be thankful," the she-cat teased. She fell silent, allowing Willow to chew up the rest of the fish for the tiny cat.

    Almost as soon as the kitten finished eating, the storm crashed all around them. It started as a sprinkle, hanging in mid-air, but within many seconds, it became a torrent of flooding water. Willow grabbed the kitten by his scruff and began to sprint down the trail, his pelt already beginning to be soaked. It didn't help that his forelegs were already wet due to his adventure with the fish.

    He finally reached his den, but both he and the kitten were soaked to their skin. Willow stopped at the edge of the inside branches, placing the kitten down. The dark tabby was shivering violently, his nose almost becoming white.

    "I know, it's cold," Willow murmured. "But it's okay. Just shake out your fur. It'll get the water out," he explained to the kitten. The tabby watched him, uncertain. "Here, like this."

    Willow began to shake out his fur, sending water droplets everywhere. The dark gray tom squeaked, closing his eyes and stumbling backwards as the water hit him. Honey eyes wide, Willow reached out with his forepaw and steadied the kitten. "I'm sorry," he told him. "I didn't mean to do that." The young tom just blinked at him with his blue eyes.

    After a moment, he began to shake out his fur, sending his own cascade of water at Willow. The calico tom grinned as the smaller cat stopped to analyze what he had done. Now that most of the water was off the kitten, the older tom swept him closer. He began to groom the little tabby, licking the fur the wrong way to help dry it. The kitten squealed in protest, trying to waddle away. But Willow carefully dragged him back, trapping him between his forepaws.

    For a moment, the calico was flashed into a memory.

~*~

    A warm den was full of squealing kits, whose fur was plastered to their sides with water. A black and white she-cat groomed each kit individually, licking the fur the wrong way.

    "Hush, little ones. You're safe now," she had murmured to them. "You're safe. I promise, you're safe."

~*~

    Willow blinked the memory away, gazing out at the storm. The rain continued to drench the ground, while thunder ruffled the air and lightning lit up the darkened sky. Fur on end, he pictured a white, brown, and golden calico she-cat. Her sharp amber eyes were full of anger. He didn't know why she looked so angry, but he wanted to know. He wanted to help her, to ease her anger.

    But Willow didn't even know her.

~●《☆》●~

Author's Note

Where do you think the kitten came from?

Who do you think the cat that rescued Willow, as a kitten, is?

Where do you think the kitten's mother is?

Who do you think this mysterious calico she-cat is?

Is Hazel actually a bad mother?

For a word count, I got 3,312 words.

If you enjoyed this chapter, please vote & comment! It let's me know that you guys are enjoying the story and want to read more!

~Paige