“C’mon, it’ll be fun to meet them, I promise.” Crush purred, a happy skip in the large tom’s step and green eyes sparkling with amusement as he looked back at his bitter brother. “They’re ThunderClan.” Fox spat, tail lashing behind him. “Don’t you remember what mom told us about them?” “Well, yes..” Crush trailed off, licking his lips. The more he got to know these cats, the more he began to doubt the stories their mother had told them. Except for Nightshade. She *had* to be bad.. But, on the other hand, hadn’t she been that fuzzy figure in his dreams, comforting him and telling him stories, sneaking out with him that one night in the dark? He shook his head, clearing his mind of visions so fuzzy they hid the line between reality and fantasy. “Um, I think you’ve already met Sunpaw. You know, he was the tom that I had to pull you off of when you guys got into a fight..” He glanced back at his brother who was still training behind, burning green eyes fixated on the ground. Crush cleared his throat. “He’s actually a really nice guy, he’s just kind of, well, uh, arrogant.” Suddenly, a familiar scent hit his nose and he grinned, picking up the pace as they emerged into a pretty green clearing, the breeze tugging gently at the soft grass beneath his paws. In the clearing sat four other young cats, their eyes all turning expectantly to the pair. There were two toms and two she-cats. A sleek, golden tabby tom with orange eyes sat next to a plumper, golden tabby, the only exceptions between the two being that she had a thicker pelt with white underfur and dazzling green eyes. Sitting next to the tom was a gray male with short, messy fur, a dark underfur, and deep blue eyes. Next to him sat a small white she-cat with pale brown tabby patches and amber eyes, sitting and looking rather plain and bored. All their eyes turned to Crush and Fox as they stepped into the clearing, Crush wincing slightly at the tension between his brother and Sunpaw. He’d have to make sure they didn’t end up at each other’s throats again. Crush cleared his throat, licking his lips awkwardly. /Time to introduce everyone./ “Fox, this is Trillpaw, Sunpaw-er, you might remember him-, Darkpaw, and Poisonpaw. Everyone, this is my brother, Fox.” For a moment, there was tense silence. Finally, Sunpaw spoke up. “I’m surprised you got him to show up. Last I heard he hated us ThunderClan cats.” Crush winced, looking over his shoulder and seeing Fox bare his teeth at the other tom, both of their hackles starting to raise. “Oh, please. Shut it, you two. Honestly, your ridiculous squabbling is going to get us all in trouble. I know Thornstar’s a forgiving leader and all that, but meeting with rogues could be pushing things a bit too far. And if Sunpaw goes home with scratches all over him, you’d better believe that we’d *all* be in for an earful from Sheepstep or Frogheart or someone or other.” Trillpaw chided, her green eyes narrowed as she scolded the two toms. “Now, I don’t see why we can’t all sit down and have a *civil* conversation. Honestly, you two are beyond belief!” She mewed dramatically, her talkative nature becoming clear to Fox, Crush was sure. But, her words seemed to have the right effect as the two toms exchanged one final glare before bitterly looking away and sitting down. “See? Wasn’t that easy?” She asked, clearly proud of herself. “Now, Crush, weren’t you going to tell us all more about your run-in with that *terrifying* dog?” Crush relaxed, sending Trillpaw a grateful look as he too sat down. “Oh, yeah. It was pretty intense.” He playfully nudged Fox’s shoulder, who didn’t seem to share his amusement. “Uhm, yeah. ..So, we had been looking for food in the Twolegplace, when we came face to face with that gigantic dog, blocking the alley we had come in from. It growled as it got closer, it’s claws clicking on the cold, cement floor beneath our paws.” Crush crouched down for effect, rolling his shoulders back and forth with a sparkle in his eyes. “But then, uhm, Fox had the bright idea to knock over the trash can that sat in that dark, back alley. He told me, and we snuck over to it. Just as the dog lunged at us, we pushed the trashcan right towards it. It made the dog stumble, but we knew it would regain it’s bearings soon, so-” “You’re telling the story all wrong.” Fox broke in, looking up at his brother with a glare. For a moment, Crush could only look at him, a blank expression on his face. Then, “..No, I’m not.” “Yes, you are. It was mom’s idea to knock over the trash can, and then when we ran, she also held off the dog long enough for us to escape.” “Heh heh, uhm,” Crush glanced at his friends out of the corner of his eye, swallowing. “That’s not how *I* remember it..” “Well that’s how it happened.” Fox mewed matter-of-factly. “We wouldn’t be alive right now if it weren’t for Viner-”
“MOM!” Crush broke in, his eyes wide. The others jumped back in surprise, Trillpaw giving him an exceptional ‘Are you Crazy?’ look. “Yeah, yeah, mom! She’s-She’s great! A-A great mom.. she is..” “You haven’t mentioned your mom before.” Crush turned his head to see Darkpaw studying him quizzically. “What’s she like?” “She wouldn’t like you guys.” Fox muttered, still bitter as he tore at the grass beneath his claws. “Uhm, she’s.. She’s…” Jeez, what could he possibly say that wouldn’t let them know that his mom was the infamous Vineripple? Heck, the very first time he had met this group, they had been telling him stories about how horrible she was. Now, which stories to believe he still didn’t know-but he wasn’t allowed to lose the only cats that made him feel normal because of his mom. “She’s dead.” He finally finished. Everyone in the clearing stared at him in shock. “I’m.. I’m sorry.” Trillpaw finally mewed. “Oh, heh. That-That’s okay.” He swallowed, blinking rapidly and pushing his mother from his mind as he wrapped his tail around Fox and pulled him close. “At least I got my brother!” Fox pushed him away with a wrinkled nose. “She’s a whole lot more than *dead*, Crush.” He turned to the other cats and puffed out his chest with pride, green eyes beginning to shine with love and awe, like they always did when it came to his mom. Crush kneaded the ground nervously. This was dangerous.. “She was strong and fierce, and didn’t care about what anyone thought of her! Lots of the time she was stern and dangerous and a little sarcastic, but then other times, she would wash our pelts and tell us stories about her old life.” So far so good.. He hadn’t mentioned her name. Or that she was in ThunderClan. Or that she had started a war. Or that she had been in love with Thornstar.. But, Crush wasn’t sure how long it would last. He cut in. “And let me tell you, she was the *best* story-teller. She taught us everything we needed to know to live out on our own, and really, we’re alive because of her.” He took in a breath, swallowing a lump in his throat. Sometimes he had his doubts about whether she was really a good cat, but she was hisi *mother*. He had the right to miss her, didn’t he? “But uhm, enough about her. Tell us what it’s like to be in a Clan.” Fox rolled his eyes. “I can’t say I’m very excited to hear about that.” He shot a green-eyed glare to Crush. “And I don’t think mom would be very happy about it either.” “Well *I* want to learn more about their culture. It’s enlightening.” Crush snapped. “What, didn’t mom tell you plenty?” Fox turned his attention back to the Clan cats, the fur along his back prickling as he spat at their feet. “About how they’re selfish, unloyal, cruel monsters?” Sunpaw and Darkpaw both jumped to their feet, Trillpaw slowly following as Poisonpaw continued to silently observe, her amber eyes not quite as bored anymore. “Don’t bring mom into this.” Crush hissed at his brother, ears flattening. “Well why not!?” Now it was Fox’s turn to jump to his paws with a snarl. “You’re acting like you’re ashamed of her! Really, you should be ashamed that you’re even *talking* to this ThunderClan scum!” “Watch your mouth!” Sunpaw snarled, taking a step forward as Trillpaw gently held him back, her eyes cold. Poisonpaw and Darkpaw both continued to watch the scene silently, one concealed in shadow, the other standing in the light and ready to step in if things fell to blows. “Fox, stop it.” Crush growled, a lace of desperation in his tone. “*Please*.” “Stop what? Being proud of who I am? Continuing on our mother’s legacy like she wanted us to? You’re betraying her name even sitting here with these cats!
