AQUAPAW

Aquapaw was frozen in place, not even noticing her Clanmates evacuating in the dens. She was paralyzed, staring at the gray mass. "It's a tornado! Quick, everybody, get in the dens!" Leafstar yowled from above, but she still didn't listen. Mesmerized, Aquapaw allowed herself to close her eyes, also allowing her life to become one with the tornado. "Aquapaw!" Sunpaw shrieked, and she opened her eyes, yelping as he tackled her to the ground, out of the way.

He shoved her inside the nursery, swiftly following. "Your siblings were worried sick about you. What if I wasn't there to save you?" he meowed angrily, shaking his head in disapproval. "I never experienced a tornado before," Aquapaw admitted. "Clearly you never had a drill, either," Sunpaw muttered dryly, and she tried to ignore his rude remark. Besides, she had three cats she wanted to see. She shouldered past the other queens and whimpering kits until she reached Skykit, who was peering up at her anxiously.

"You'll be alright, sunshine," Aquapaw murmured. "Now, where is Mommy and Jaykit?" She tried to sound soft and gentle, but it came out quick, like it was her last breath. Skykit pointed to her family with her tail before sticking herself to Aquapaw. She smiled, and picked her up and carried her to Ivyblaze. Her eyes were panicked, and her posture didn't indicate any better. If I don't say something assuring, she'll go insane, she realized.

"Mom! Mom, snap out of it!" Aquapaw meowed urgently, her eyes pleading. She was answered with a blank stare. "She's been inconsolable since the tornado started," Jaykit explained with wide eyes. "The other queens wanted to get the medicine cat, but unable to because of the tornado getting closer. StarClan can only guide her now." She blinked sympathetically at her brother, surprised yet proud that he spoke so maturely.

"I'm scared, sis," he added, his eyes traveling to the ground. "I think everyone else is, too," she mewed gently, "but I need you to stay strong, Jaykit. You understand?" He nodded, and she turned. "I am going to Hazelbreeze and Silverpaw, okay?" she announced, treading a circle to look back at her brother and sister. "Don't follow me," she meowed sternly, "under any costs." They both nodded, and she took off.

As Aquapaw padded outside, wind instantly blew in her face, making her pelt want to rip off... again. She trekked towards the medicine den, sometimes blown off-course because of the intense wind. Finally, she made it. Easy enough. But the medicine den was cluttered. Really, really cluttered. Herbs scattered everywhere, Silverpaw sneezing every five seconds, and Hazelbreeze tiring from useless efforts in sorting out the herbs in order again.

"Oh, Aquapaw!" Hazelbreeze meowed, delighted she could take her mind off the herbs. She bounded to the apprentice, but Silverpaw reached her first. "Did you cause this tornado to happen, Dark Forest cursed?" she asked in a sneer. "No," Aquapaw replied coldly. "I need help, and why in the world would I just randomly start a tornado?" "Silverpaw!" Hazelbreeze chastised, sweeping her away to face her.

"Look, I need your help. Ivyblaze isn't acting right," she pleaded, and she saw Silverpaw snicker. Hazelbreeze threw her apprentice a glare before returning her attention to Aquapaw. "I'll do my pure best," she promised, joining her outside. After a few staggering, they reached her mother, and she sat by, attentive as Hazelbreeze checked her over.

"She either bumped her head really hard, ending with amnesia, or she is just affected badly by the sudden tornado," the medicine cat reasoned carefully. Then, after a millisecond, a stomach-churning crack sounded, and crashed right into the nursery! "Everybody, quick! In the medicine cat den!" Hazelbreeze screeched, and the queens and kits fled, the nursery abandoned.

Except for Hazelbreeze, Aquapaw, Jaykit, Skykit, and Ivyblaze. Jaykit rushed to his mother's side, eyes watering. "Mommy..." he whispered, and as Aquapaw's world stopped spinning, she realized what the problem was. The tree collapsed right on top of the queen, her breathing slowing and slowing by the minute. Finally, Ivyblaze lifted her head, face somber. "I'm sorry," she whimpered. "I didn't act like a real warrior. Or a queen. I scared my kits to death." Her eyes drifted to Aquapaw.

"Now, with my last dying breaths, I ask you to take care of the kits, Aquapaw, and... I l-love... l-love you..." With those final words, her body went limp, breath escaping through her lips, and light dying from her eyes. Jaykit and Skykit screeched in pain, and she winced. "Why didn't you try to help her?" Jaykit demanded, staring accusingly at Hazelbreeze, who kept her gaze fixed on the ground in shame. "You wouldn't understand. It was StarClan's will," she whispered.

"StarClan? StarClan?" Jaykit's eyes flashed. "StarClan would never hurt my mom! If they do, then StarClan doesn't exist! You mouse-brains! Fox-hearts!" As she approached, trying to comfort her distressed brother, he spun around to face her, shooting daggers with his eyes. "Don't try to speak to me!" he hissed, unsheathing his tiny claws. "Skykit? Sis?" Aquapaw switched her gaze to her sister pleadingly.

Skykit took a deep breath before answering. "You are not my sister," she answered firmly. "You're just a cursed cat birthed by a rock." Mouth agape, claws stuck in moss nests, she stared at her. Then, the siblings left, only to be saved by their father. He glanced at Aquapaw, then at the corpse of his mate. He glowered at Aquapaw before he silently led his kits out. She stared helplessly after him before Hazelbreeze sat next to her.

"Why blame it on me?" she suddenly blurted out. "Why me?" she repeated after taking a few breaths. "I mean, just because I popped out of a rock doesn't mean it's my fault she died. Fox dung, I tried to help!" She searched Hazelbreeze's face for any reaction desperately. She slowly nodded. "I certainly agree, Aquapaw." Not much further, the whole den collapsed, with Aquapaw shrieking and fleeing without the medicine cat, who tried to sprint after her but was crushed by the debris.

The tornado was ruining the camp! Debris flied everywhere, clouding Aquapaw's view. Then, she blacked out for what seemed like eternity.