wip - stars 3000 entry

[KittyandCat]

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Nestor, a kitten, has always lived a rather unremarkable life with his mother and best friend, Finn. That is, until Finn starts telling him stories about groups of forest cats, called clans, and the two go looking for them. It doesn’t take long for things to go wrong, and the two toms to find themselves lost and alone… or so they think.

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Font Credit xx Adopt Page

[KittyandCat]

xxx“And- and they fight each other and talk to their dead ‘ancestors’! Isn’t that crazy?” “That’s just a story!” “How do you know?” Finn purred, pushing his friend. “Shhhh!” Nestor giggled. “Keep your voice down, you’re going to wake mother!” “So? It’s not like she isn’t used to me being noisy.” “So she said if you wake her up one more time, she’s going to grind you up into mouse dirt!”
xxxThe two toms lay on their back, muffling their laughter with their paws. Above them, the stars glittered, twinkling through the foggy night air. “You know, those crazy clan cats think the stars are dead cats,” Finn said after catching his breath. “You can’t be serious, how dumb-” Nestor stopped as he turned and saw his friend looking wistfully up at the stars. He quickly turned his gaze back to the sky. “Uhh, where’d you learn about these cult cats anyway?” “Clan cats.” “Right, that’s what I said.” Finn shifted beside him. “It was just something my father used to tell me about, like a bedtime story sort of thing. I had a dream the other night that sort of jogged my memory.”
xxxThe two toms lay in silence as Nestor processed that. Finn’s dad had been gone since they were 2 moons old, having disappeared without a trace. Finn never really talked about him. “Okay, so the stars are dead cats, there’s a bunch of clans that all fight over their territory, and they all live far away from and hate twolegs. What else did you dad say about these clan cats?” Nestor didn’t mean to sound sarcastic, but he cursed himself internally when what he said came out that way. Finn flicked an ear uncomfortably, still staring up at the sky. “Well, he did say they had a funny way of naming each other…” He said hesitantly. “Funny how?” Finn took a deep breath, like he was about to unload a lot of information. “They name all the kits after something, a trait they have, usually, and then tag ‘kit’ on the end-” “So like Nestorkit?” Finn smirked. “Um, no. Something like Claykit for your fur color maybe. I’d call you Hollowkit since your stomach is always rumbling!” “Hey!” “Anyway,” Finn continued, purring, “When they turn 6 moons old they start training to be warriors, and the ‘kit’ part is replaced with ‘paw’. Like Hollowpaw. Then when they become warriors the ‘paw’ gets replaced by something completely unique- like maybe pounce if you’re a good hunter or claw if you’re a good fighter. You know, something like that.”
xxx“Huh. That is weird. Uh, weird in a cool way!” Nestor quickly added, not wanting to hurt Finn’s feelings. “Are these clan cats still alive?”
xxxFinn sat up, startling Nestor. “Uhhh, Finn?” “I never thought about that! I don’t know!” Nestor didn’t get why his friend was suddenly so excited. He turned. “We should go looking for them, Nestor!” “Um. What?” “It would be an adventure- imagine how cool it would be if we found them! I could become leader, and I could make you my deputy, and-” “Woah, woah, woah. Stop right there. There is no way my mom would be okay with that!” “She doesn’t have to know!” “What?” Finn was already up, quickly grooming his thin fur. “Come on, we’ll be back by morning! It’ll be fun, Nestor!” He glared at his friend. “Please?” Finn pleaded, his eyes huge. “Ugh, fine. As long as we’re back by morning-” Finn cheered.
xxxThis is a terrible idea, Nestor thought. “We should give ourselves clan names, in case we do find them! You’re Hollowkit, but what should my name be…” Nestor glanced over his friend. He didn’t have any remarkable traits besides his eyes and the scar covering one- both striking pink against a pure white pelt. But, annoyed, he just said, “Whitekit. You know, for your white fur.” Finn looked unimpressed, but shook his head quickly and beamed at his friend. “A name given to me by my best friend- I love it! Let’s get going!”

[KittyandCat]

xxxx

xxxNestor’s legs were sore. He felt as though they’d been walking for ages. The sun threatened to rise from the ridges ahead of them. Quickening his pace to catch up with Finn, he panted “Fi- Whitekit? It’s getting close to morning, I think we should head back,” “Oh, come on, we still have time before the sun rises!” “But- but you know mother wakes up early to bring us breakfast. She’ll be getting up soon, and she’ll see we’re gone, and-”
xxxFinn stopped and turned, still ahead of his companion, “You’re such a rule follower! Don’t you ever have any fun?”

xxxNestor trembled. He suddenly felt dizzy. His friend’s comments repeated through his head. Don’t you ever have fun? In front of him, Finn’s body seemed to flicker, just for a heartbeat, looking… translucent. Star-touched. Scarred?
xxx “Let’s keep going! Just a little longer, please?” Finn asked pleadingly. He laughed, already walking further into the brush. Nestor followed silently, his steps stiff, as he thought about what he’d seen. His friend has glittered in the same way the stars that surrounded him had… And his body- his thin white fur littered with faded pink scars. His friend had only one major scar- the one that covered his eye, an injury earned from a fight with a fox where’d he’d been saved by his father. Finn had always liked to boast how long he’d kept his own before being saved. But in Nestor’s… vision? Finn had so many more, as though he’d fought countless foxes. And he looked… older, his mischievous grin replaced with a softer, almost sad smile.
xxx“Hey! Hollowkit! You’re gonna wanna see this!” Finn called from somewhere ahead. Pushing through the brush, Nestor found his friend looking at something large and shiny on the ground. A boxy mesh of criss-crossed silver strands, with an opening only at one side. Inside sat a pile of brown pellets, their tempting scent wafting gently on the dawn breeze. Finn licked his lips. “What do you think it is?” “I don’t know, probably some sort of twoleg thing. It might be dangerous to go inside-” “But it smells so good!” Nestor thought for a moment. “Well, maybe I can go in a bring the little brown pellets out here. I’m smaller, so it’s probably safer if I do it.” Finn nodded, not really caring so long as he could have a taste of the strange food.
xxxNestor crouched and began creeping into the silver box, wriggling as his fur got caught in various places. Once he was in, and had picked up the pellets, he tried to turn.
xxxThat’s when the opening slammed shut.

[KittyandCat]

xxxNestor wasn’t afraid; he was annoyed. If he hadn’t followed Finn on this stupid “adventure”, he wouldn’t be stuck in some sort of twoleg contraption.
xxxFinn walked circles around his prison, trying to find any sort of clue on how to open it. Nestor wasn’t sure how long his friend had been at it, but he’d given up helping from the inside. The sun was nearly risen now, and Nestor thought guiltily about how worried his mother must be. Actually, he thought, she’s probably more mad at Finn than afraid. He almost laughed- like mother like son.
xxx“Soooo,” Finn drawled, still circling Nestor. “It’s not looking so great, but I think-” he was cut off by a rustling. Nestor, who’d been picking at the grass coming up from between the bars of the trap, jerked his head in the direction of the noise. “What’s that?” He asked, turning to Finn, who had disappeared into the bushes. Nestor could just barely see the glint of his eyes through the branches. The rustling got louder, and a large, burly twoleg appeared. He mumbled some nonsense, before picking up Nestor’s cage and shaking it.
xxx“Finn!” He yelled, looking frantically around, trembling. “Finn, help me!” The twoleg took Nestor towards a large monster, which he placed him in. He spoke some sort of gibberish in a tone that may have been comforting, if Nestor weren’t being taken away from life as he knew it. As the monster rumbled to life, Nestor peeked through the window, and saw his friend begin to race towards him. The monster roared to life, and as it drove away, it outpaced his friend.

- - -

xxxIt had been several moons. Nestor lay on the cold, hard floor of what he’d been told was a kennel. He hadn’t seen the twoleg who brought him here since he was dropped off, and a part of him almost wanted to. He figured a twoleg’s familiar face was better than nothing at all.
xxxDays blended together. There was nothing to do here but eat and sleep. The other cats had no interest in talking, and those that did were kittypets with no idea of forest life, cats whose small talk revolved around twolegs and being pampered. Nestor was told he should be more active and try to look cute to impress the twolegs who visited, so he could be ‘adopted’. He had no interest in living as a kittypet, and so he slept through their visits. No one had any interest in him.
xxxOne morning, after he’d eaten his breakfast and gone back to sleep, he awoke in a vibrant, starry forest. For the first time in moons, he didn’t feel sore or tired. He looked around in awe.
xxx“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

xxxNestor startled, spinning around to see a tall and beautiful… cat?
xxx“Who- who are you?” He asked, feeling the fur rise along his spine. He looked around. “And, uh, where are we?” the she-cat purred. “I am Dawnstar, and this is StarClan.” Nestor hesitated. That left him with more questions than it answered. Before he could speak again, she giggled. “But who are you, dear?” “I’m- I’m Nestor, and-” “Nestor? Hmmm,” she seemed disappointed. “So you still use the name your rogue mother gave you. Do you not want to hold onto the one your best friend, Whitepaw, gave you? It is all you have left of him, after all…”
xxxNestor felt as though his head spun more by the minute. “Whitepaw?” “You two are almost 7 moons old now. It’s about time your get your apprentice names.” “But- but we’re not clan cats! Those are just made up stories!” Dawnstar smiled. “Are they, Hollowpaw? Your journey is just beginning. You mustn’t keep moping around in this kennel. The stars have much planned for you.” She began to fade, and Nestor began to step forward. “Wait, wait, I don’t-” Where his paws should have touched soil, they slipped into empty air. He began to fall.

xxxNestor jerked awake, trembling. Do you not want to hold onto the one your friend gave you? It is all you have left of him, after all… He shook his head. Fine. He wasn’t Nestor anymore, he was Hollowpaw. And he was going to get out of here and find his best friend, Whitepaw. And then… he sighed. What did she mean “the stars have much planned for you”? And how was he meant to get out of here?

- - -

xxxHollowpaw couldn’t believe he was doing this. Humiliated, he crouched and wiggled his hindquarters, drawings coos of adoration from the twolegs. He pounced, before rolling over and beginning to play with his own tail.
xxxAfter spending many days attempting to brute-force his way out, Hollowpaw quickly realized the only way out was with a twoleg, who he could ditch afterwards. The tricky part was convincing a twoleg that he was the best cat available. Today was day three of trying to impress one into taking him home, and it was starting to wear him down.
xxxAs the twolegs began to walk away, Hollowpaw realized he’d gotten so lost in his thoughts that he’d stopped his show of rolling around and acting stupid. He cursed himself internally as he meowed and began playing again, but the twolegs continued walking away. He got up and began licking his fur, but startled as he realized there was still one twoleg watching him, standing a little bit away from his cage in the shadows. He said something to the kennel owner, who grunted in surprise, pointing at Hollowpaw.
xxxAs the owner came over with his key ring, excitedly jabbering at the other man as he opened the cage, Hollowpaw felt like his heart would burst. He’d done it.
xxxHe was getting out of here.

[KittyandCat]

xxxWhat happened next was not part of the plan. Hollowpaw stepped out of his cage and wove around the twoleg’s legs, purring, ready to walk out of the building next to him. But instead, he was scooped up and stuffed into another, smaller cage.
xxxHe yowled indignantly, and his new twoleg cooed something in a gentle voice. He hissed, before begrudgingly settling down as he was placed into another monster. This was going to be a long ride.

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xxxAfter what felt like forever, the monster stopped. The twoleg got out and roughly picked up Hollowpaw’s carrier. He wasn’t put down and let out until he was in the twoleg’s camp, and the exit was securely blocked. He thought sourly about how his plan of running the first chance he got hadn’t worked so well, stepping hesitantly into the new territory.
xxx“There’s no reason to seem so afraid.”
xxxHollowpaw jumped, before looking around. What was it with she-cats sneaking up on him? The cat who had spoken was a lithe color-point, her blue eyes piercing. “Who are you?” He hissed, more aggressively than he’d intended. The she-cat just smirked, not at all intimidated. She came closer, walking circles around him. “Shouldn’t I,” she briefly met his eyes, “be asking you that? This is my territory, after all.” “I- well- whatever! I’m Hollowpaw,” Hollowpaw stuttered, distracted be the she-cat’s ever searching eyes. She seemed to be taking in every little detail of his pelt. “Um, hey, could you cut that out?” She purred, and stopped circling, sitting down so that they were face to face. She was an inch taller than him. “I’m- uh- I’m Hollowpaw. I’m a forest cat who got trapped by twolegs and I’m just trying to escape. I need to find my best friend.” “A forest cat?” She said distastefully. “I- yeah? Um, anyway, can you help me get out of here?” She looked almost offended. “I don’t know. Maybe. You need at least a few days rest, you look scrawny.” Hollowpaw shifted his paws uncomfortably. “Okay… so, can I ask my questions now?” “Go ahead.”
xxx“Who are you?” “My name is Beverly. I’m 9 moons old, so probably your age.” Hollowpaw decided not to admit he was only 7 moons old. “Why did your twoleg get another cat, if he already has you?”
xxxBeverly’s face turned sour, and Hollowpaw wondered for a moment if he’d said something he shouldn’t have. She sighed, turning her face away from his. “My brother, Bailey, ran off last week. He was talking crazy about these ‘clan cats’ and stuff. The twoleg has been losing fur looking for him. I guess you’re his replacement.”
xxxHollowpaw immediately felt guilty. He couldn’t imagine how Beverly must feel, with her brother gone and this new stranger here to act as a stand-in. Not only that, but Hollowpaw had also got into this mess because of…
xxx“Clan cats? Ha, yeah, that is crazy! It’s funny you should say that, my best friend, Whitepaw, he believes in the same thing and that’s actually what led to me getting taken away and-” Hollowpaw rambled awkwardly, only stopping when he noticed Beverly’s annoyed gaze. “You believe in that load of mouse droppings, too. Yeah, I got that from the name, Hollowpaw.” Hollowpaw’s face dropped. “As much as I’d hate to help another fool go chasing that nonsense, you could be my only line of communication with my brother. Once you’re out, if you find him, could you tell him to come home?” She met his gaze pleadingly, and he felt as though all the air in his lungs had been stomped out.
xxx“Yeah, of course,” he choked out.

- - -

xxxHollowpaw shifted uncomfortably in his nest. The twoleg had picked him up (which he had not enjoyed) and placed him in a strange, but comfortable, bed. His new nest was right beside Beverly’s, and once he’d be placed beside her, she’d huffed in annoyance and pointedly turned her back to him. Since their introductions, when she’d learned he was a forest cat, she’d become more dismissive and annoyed. For some reason, it bothered him.
xxxAt least I know she’ll help me escape, since she obviously wants me gone so bad, he thought bitterly, shifting in his nest. He turned over, seeing Beverly’s back still turned on him. Her fur rose and fell gently as she breathed, and he could hear faint mumbles, inaudible, as she sleep-talked. She sounded distressed, and Hollowpaw began to feel guilty.
xxxI guess it makes sense she’s so wary of forest cats, if they remind her of her brother who just… left. He stared at the wall. He didn’t blame her brother, Bailey, for leaving. He didn’t understand what Beverly liked so much about this place. He’d noticed her looking longingly at the windows here and there, and at first he’d thought she was only thinking of her brother, but now he wondered…
xxxI’m going to convince her to come with me, Hollowpaw decided. She can help me find her brother- we’ll have better luck that way. Then we can find Whitepaw, and we can all go looking for the clans together! He just knew Beverly would be happier in the forest than cooped up in the twoleg place. And a part of him couldn’t imagine leaving her…
xxxContent with his plan, he wriggled comfortably deeper into his nest before falling asleep.

- - -

xxx“What? Are you crazy?” Beverly hissed, her back arched. Hollowpaw laughed nervously; he had not expected this dramatic of a reaction and was cornered. “I already explained to you-” “What’s so much better about this than forest life?” He interrupted, and she looked livid. “You toms never listen! The twoleg place has safety, security- they feed us and shelter us, and most of all we know they’re real!” “So you’re afraid to take a risk?” “N- Excuse me? Looking for ‘clans’ that may not even exist isn’t a risk! You’re following a fairytale-” “Aren’t you bored here?” “That doesn’t matter!” “Don’t you want to be happy?” “I want to be safe-” “Don’t you want Bailey to be happy?”
xxxTime seemed to slow down as Beverly went silent. She refused to meet his eyes. She was trembling. “Yes,” she whispered. Hollowpaw stepped forward, nudging her shoulder with his forehead. “I’m sorry, I went too far. I just wanted you to listen.” She was quiet. “Just come with me to look for him. You’ll get a taste of the world outside the twoleg place. There’s a bigger chance of finding him if you’re with me. If you decide you don’t like it, you can come back.” “What if I get lost?” “I’ll lead you back.”
xxxShe suddenly glanced up, her blue eyes glittering as they met his. “Okay. I forgive you.” “So- so you’re coming?” “Let’s get moving before I change my mind.”

[KittyandCat]

xxx“UGH! Why did I ever listen to you?” It was currently day 3 of searching, and Hollowpaw began to regret bringing Beverly more with each passing day. They had been skirting the forest just around the twoleg place, never going deeper, under her leadership. “I really think that at this point we should head just a little deeper into the forest… we’ve pretty much seen all there is here.” Hollowpaw was able to recite where most of the pebbles in the leaf litter were by now.
xxx“No! I- I can almost scent him, he has to be nearby.” Hollowpaw sighed. He knew he should feel some sort of sympathy- she was obviously afraid of going into the forest, leaving behind everything she knew. And she obviously missed her brother. But the way she refused to communicate her feelings and pretended she was better than Hollowpaw was insufferable. He sat down with a soft thud. Today was going to be a long day.

- - -

xxxDay 7. Three days ago, Beverly had finally agreed to let Hollowpaw take the lead, and they’d ventured into the forest. He felt more comfortable here; he loved the crunch of leaves under his paws and the scent and sound of small animals scurrying in the underground. Beverly, on the other paw, still seemed jumpy.
xxxAs they walked, side by side, Hollowpaw bumped her. She paused, before looking at him irritably. “What was that for?” Her unimpressed tone and annoyed expression made him laugh. As they continued, he bumped her again. “Would you cut it out?” He grinned, and as he prepared to do it a third time, she bumped him instead. He was surprised at her strength and stumbled, looking at her with wide eyes and mouth agape, before a smile overtook his features and he purred with delight.
xxxHollowpaw wriggled his hindquarters and pounced at Beverly, who dodged, laughing. She jumped at him and barreled him over, sending the two of them rolling over the forest floor. They grappled until Hollowpaw pushed her off, gasping for breath. “Time out, time out!” He laughed, and she purred, the two of them laying with their bellies to the sky. The midday sun streamed through the branches overhead. After a moment, the two’s heavy breathing quieted, and Beverly sighed. “Thank you,”
xxxHollowpaw glanced at her, startled. “For what?” “For- for cheering me up. You aren’t too bad, for a forest cat.” She playfully kicked him, and he grinned, ready to attack back, when a violent rustling sounded nearby. “What’s that?” Beverly asked, scrambling to her paws. Her question was soon answered as a lanky, russet figure stepped into the clearing.

xxxThe fox’s beady eyes fixated on the two young cats, standing stiff-legged and trembling in the hollow. For a beautiful moment, everything was still, the only sound Hollowpaw’s own heart. But the trance was broke almost as quickly as it began, when the fox snarled and jumped toward the two cats.
xxxHollowpaw slammed into Beverly, who was frozen with fear, sending both cats tumbling over one another. Her eyes, wild and afraid, met his and suddenly the world around him seemed to slow. He had to protect her. She was only out here because he convinced her to join him. And while he may have said it was for the help finding her brother, he knew, deep inside, that wasn’t entirely true…
xxxHollowpaw scrambled to his paws, arching his back and stepping away from Beverly. Thankfully, the fox’s eyes followed him, its head turning as he did a slow circle around the clearing. He began to wonder, that if he kept moving, the fox would stay in this sort of trance and not attack. He soon got his answer, when it once again leapt at him. Hollowpaw narrowly dodged, hearing the snap of teeth and feeling a few furs being plucked from his tail. That was close. He didn’t have time to recover his wits, because the creature very quickly pounced again, pulling Hollowpaw under it.
xxxFrom under the beast, Hollowpaw gagged at its sour odor. Drool slipped down its jaws and onto his fur, making him shudder. So this is how I die, he thought. He couldn’t see her, but he hoped Beverly had sense enough to run away. He hoped the fox would be satisfied enough after tasting his blood not to go after her.
xxxHe gave a weak shove at it he fox’s belly with his hind legs. It became very evident he wasn’t going to get out of this. He sighed, closed his eyes, and relaxed. His mother always told him things hurt more when you were tense… His heart ached at the thought of her. He really would never see her again. As he let his thoughts wander, ready for the end to come, a voice interrupted his thoughts. Loud, obnoxious, and rather familiar, someone yowled nearby before the fox lurched, as though hit with something heavy.

xxxThe fox fell onto Hollowpaw, and for a moment he couldn’t breathe. As soon as the predator rolled off of him, he scrambled backwards, trying to take in the sight in front of him. He blinked several times before accepting his eyes weren’t deceiving him; in front of him, Whitepaw wrestled with the fox.
xxxHe was snapped out of his awe when his friend yowled “What are you waiting for? Run, I’ll catch up!” Frantically he began to run toward where’d he’d last seen Beverly, glancing behind himself and tripping the entire way. When he passed her, without thinking, she quickly caught up to him. “Are you kidding?” She hissed, sounding more annoyed than frightened now. “We’ve been out here a week with no sign of Bailey, but we found your friend?”
xxxHollowpaw didn’t respond. He couldn’t help grinning. He may be miles from home, dragging around a grouchy she-cat with what looked like little to no hope of being able to help her, but his best friend in the world was back. They’d found Whitepaw.

[KittyandCat]

xxxHollowpaw sat awkwardly in the clearing as Beverly and Whitepaw eyed each other. They’d all managed to make their way deep enough into the forest that the fox had given up chasing them. Now, an uncomfortable silence, broken only by the sound of Whitepaw’s tongue running over his freshly-earned scars, settled over them.
xxxBeverly cleared her throat, and Hollowpaw drug his gaze from Whitepaw to her. She glared at him, and glanced pointedly at his shoulder. He mouth, ‘what?’ and she hissed in exasperation. Getting up, she stalked over before plopping down beside him. She licked his shoulder, and he flinched at the sting. He felt his fur get hot. “Wh-what are you doing?” He asked shrilly, breaking the silence. She looked up at him, still looking annoyed. “We’ve been sitting here for what feels like moons, and you haven’t even bothered cleaning that nasty scratch the fox gave you, so I’m doing it for you.” And just like that she leaned forward him again, and he felt the sharpness of her tongue against his cut. But this time he didn’t flinch away.
xxxHe was startled to hear a snicker, and looked over to see Whitepaw looking at him teasingly. He quickly pulled away from Beverly. “Okay, thanks, that’s enough.” He cleared his throat uncomfortably. “I should probably introduce you two…” he glanced between his two friends. “Beverly, this is Whitepaw, I’ve already told you a little about him,” Whitwpaw’s ears perked up. “What did you say about me?” He asked. Hollowpaw continued, “And Whitepaw, this is Beverly, she’s-” “Your future mate?” “Hey! No- she’s, she’s, um-” A flicker of amusement, for a mere second, crossed the she-cat’s face. “I helped Hollowpaw escape the twoleg place. In return, he’s helping me find my brother.”
xxxWhitepaw’s expression became serious. “Your brother- is he… is he missing?” Beverly began inspecting her claws. “Yes.” “Oh, I’m sorry. But hey, you have me now! I can help you guys out. Three’s better than two, after all!”

- - -

xxx“So you’re a kittypet? And after being outside the twoleg-place you still wanna go back?” “Of course I want to go back.” “Why in StarClan would you want that?” “Have you seen yourself? I don’t wanna be covered in scars!” Whitepaw and Beverly chatted, walking side by side. Hollowpaw dragged along behind them, noticing that often, one would speed up challengingly and the other would match their pace. Currently, they were just verging on running. Why do they have to be so competitive? he wondered.
xxx

[KittyandCat]

xxxb

[KittyandCat]

xxxb

[KittyandCat]

xxxb