Alliances: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1306432922/ Next: soon!! First: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1306530659/ Greetings! This is the SECOND part of the first chapter of The Elemental Clans, my Warrior Cats fanfiction. Enjoy! (OMG IM SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG) Main character: Sharktooth The camp was nestled in a sandy hollow, protected by high walls of driftwood and dried kelp. As Sharktooth and Dolphinclaw padded through the entrance, the familiar scent of damp fur and marsh-grass surrounded them. Puddlestar, a sturdy tom with a coat the color of storm clouds, was presiding over the fresh-kill pile. He looked up, his amber eyes sharp. "You two look like you’ve been dragged through a reef backwards," he meowed, his voice a deep rumble. "What happened? Did the tide catch you off guard?" Sharktooth felt the weight of the secret pressing against his ribs. He glanced toward the mountains, then back at his leader. "A shark, Puddlestar," he meowed, keeping his voice steady despite the lingering tremor in his paws. "It caught us out by the Sun Beach rocks. We barely made it back to the shallows before it caught us and we became its lunch.” He flicked his ear self consciously, noticing a few cats looking at him, their eyes wide. He didn't mention the explosion of water or the black she-cat with the ivy tail. That memory stayed locked away, a private debt, his secret, that he wasn't ready to share with the Clan. Yet "A shark?" A vibrant blue queen, Bluescale, padded over slowly, her red, shark-like tail curled protectively around Eelkit, a tiny, wriggling bundle of fur and scales. "In the shallows at this time of year?" Eelkit let out a tiny squeak and tried to pounce on a stray piece of seagrass a few feet away, oblivious to the danger his mother feared. “Its to early in the year for any sharks to be in any shallow water.” "It was fast," Dolphinclaw added, her voice still a bit shaky. "I... I thought we were finished." "Marshwing! Poolpaw!" Puddlestar called out toward a shaded cleft in the rocks.The medicine cats emerged quickly. Marshwing, SeaClans medicine cat who has been alive for as long as anyone has remembered, with bits of dried moss stuck to his flank, led the way, followed closely by his apprentice, Poolpaw. "Check them for nicks and salt-burn," Puddlestar ordered. "We can't have our newest warriors sidelined by a stray tooth or a rough current." Poolpaw scurried over to Dolphinclaw, sniffing her fur with wide, curious eyes. "Your heart is racing like a panicked minnow," the apprentice whispered, his voice full of surprise and question. Sharktooth stood by, letting Marshwing poke at his shoulder, but his mind was still on the beach. He could still see the beautiful she-cat's nod—a silent acknowledgement between two different worlds. "You're fine, Sharktooth," Marshwing grunted, nudging him toward the warrior's den. "Just go get the salt out of your coat before you start itching."As the camp settled back into its evening rhythm, Sharktooth watched Eelkit tumble over Bluescale's paws. The peace felt fragile now. Like it could be snapped in half at any minor interference. Sharktooth looked around the camp. Fishtail and Creekshine were sharing tongues by the elders' den, which had been empty for a while. Lakepaw was showing off his bright pink gills to Deepkit, who was watching with interest. Bayheart, Pondlight, and Streamleap were sharing a sea trout between the three of them. Sharktooth sighed. Sometimes, Clan life was boring. Just then, his father, Rainstone, the deputy of SeaClan, walked up to Sharktooth. “You’ve had quite the adventure today, yes?” he asked, sitting down next to him, his black tail swishing behind him. Sharktooth nodded quietly, not speaking out loud. He had never particularly liked his father. He had always preferred his mother, Reedfeather, who had drowned six moons ago. He lowered his head slightly at the memory of her. “Still thinking about Reedfeather?” his father asked as though he were reading his son’s mind. “Y-yeah,” Sharktooth replied, glancing up at the bright blue sky. Rainstone sighed. “It's her own fault she died,” his father commented, shaking his head slowly. “She was the one who jumped in to save that stupid BreezeClan cat, and it cost her her own life.” Sharktooth leapt up. “How dare you!? She died saving him from death! That's more than you would ever do! You hate all of the other Clans! She was fascinated by them! You’re just selfish and cruel!” The camp fell into a deafening silence. The sound of Fishtail and Creekshine stopped instantly, and Pondlight’s sea trout sat forgotten on the sand. Rainstone didn’t flinch. He slowly stood up, his gray fur like an approaching storm, his eyes narrowed angrily. CONTINUED IN NOTES AND CREDITS
"Fascinated?" Rainstone’s voice was dangerously low, a contrast to Sharktooth’s jagged shout. "She was reckless. She forgot that the sea doesn't care about 'mercy' or 'nobility.' It only cares about who is strong enough to stay afloat. Her fascination is what pulled her under, Sharktooth." He turned his back, his tail twitching with dismissal as he padded toward Puddlestar, ears pinned back. “And next time, show a little bit of respect to your deputy and father.” He snorted and walked away, fuming. Sharktooth’s claws furrowed deep into the damp sand. The "secret" of the ivy-tailed she-cat felt even heavier now. His mother had died for a cat from another Clan, and his father viewed it as a weakness—a stain on their history. If Rainstone knew about the stranger who had truly saved them from the shark, he wouldn't see a savior and a hero; he’d see a cat betraying her Clan. "Ignore him," Dolphinclaw whispered, appearing at his side. Her fur was still damp from the medicine cat's wash, but her eyes were clear. "He’s just scales and salt. No heart,” she growled. Sharktooth looked back toward the high walls of driftwood. Beyond them, the ocean roared, hiding the black she-cat and the truth about his mother’s heroic move. He realized then that the peace of SeaClan wasn't just fragile—it was a cage. And he was locked inside. END OF CHAPTER 1...
