zuri's Story

Kioni said goodbye to Nightfur and started walking back home. Once there he met no one and boredly walked to his den where a very fluffy white cat named Zuri was waiting for him. He ignored her and went to his bed to lay down and try to sleep. He didn't succeed in sleeping though, due to the females nudges and loud purring. "Ugh.. leave me alone Zuri. Im not interested..." He snapped at the female and rolled over, covering his ears, his tail flicking around in an irritated manor.



Zuri

Zruni was waiting for Kioni to return home, hoping she could convince him to reconsider his decision about being with her. She nudged him and licked his face. She got upset when Kioni turned away from her. She purred loudly her tail brushing along kionis face. "C'mon Kioni, if you're with me no one will bother you, you'll have anything you could ever want." He replied with a snotty remark about Zuri not being something he wanted. He then told her to leave, she rolled her eyes and added something about how he would eventually run to her and they'd be happy together, Then left quietly. Soon after she left Kioni did too and wandered off into the woods. Zuri followed him quietly as he paced around the borders. Eventually running into a kit who he seemed friendly with, she layed in silence in a bush and watched them.

Nightfur cried in her tree for a while, then picked herself up, and looked around her. She pulled out her wool ball and cuddled it. She sighed, feeling a little security in her crazy world. She focused really hard on a spot in the wall of her hollow, and it split to make a little nook for her ball. She was ecstatic at her progress with her power, and put her ball in it's special nook. She then clambered down the tree, bending branches slightly with her power. She sat on its roots, and groomed herself. She was licking her paw when Kioni came to their tree. She rushed over to him, and rubbed her head on his neck as her tail wrapped around his. "Oh Kioni..." She broke into tears again, and they walked over to the roots of the tree. They found a spot under the roots where they formed a sort of roof, and Nightfur told Kioni everything that had happened since she saw him last. He frowned at the points she was sad, and smiled at the points where she was happy. Nightfur finished her tale, and sighed. "I'm just... I'm just glad you're here for me Kioni..." She blushed, and looked up this time. Before she knew what was happening, she was kissing him.

Kioni saw that Nightfur was crying and listened to her story and comforted her the best that he could. At one point he even hugged her close to him to stop her tears. There was a moment of silence then Nightfur said she was glad that he was there for her. Then suddenly out of nowhere she kissed him. Kionis eyes shot open widely and his tail stood straight up. He didn't understand the feeling he was getting but he liked it. Kioni closed his yes and kissed her back. To him it seemed like time had just stopped and that they had kissed for the longest time. But in reality it only lasted a few seconds. He eventually pulled away, his face as red as a tomato. " W-what was that for?" He asked staring down at her, very confused. Did she like him? Did he like her? Kioni's feeling were all messed up and he wasn't able to think straight. All he knew was that when he was with Nightfur he felt happier somehow.



Zuri


Zuri watched through the bushes and the little cat cried and kioni comforted her. "He's never comforted me before! who is that cat!?" She said quietly to herself and continued to watch. Suddenly the small black cat kissed kioni. "What the hell! That bitch! I was supposed to steal Kionis first kiss! NOT her!" She growled angrily. Luckily Kioni and Nightfur couldn't hear her. ' I can't rush in now...i'll spook them..i must lay low a while longer.' She thought to herself. And so she waited angrily, wanting to strike and eliminate her competition.

"W-what was that for?" Kioni had said after they broke away from their kiss. Nightfur was a little taken aback. "Oh... I'm sorry... I just thought..." SHe sighed, and looked down. Now you've done it Nightfur. She frowned, and got ready to stand up and leave, when Kioni stopped her. "No, it's a good thing..." He and she blushed, and their tails wrapped around each others. Nightfur purred, and they muzzled each other. "Kioni... I don't know what this feeling is... But I like it." She smiled, and they both walked out the little hollow. Nightfur thought she saw a flash of white, but shrugged it off. Probably just a rabbit... She and Kioni climbed their tree, and lay on the branch. After just basking together, Nightfur stood up, and stretched. "Her Kioni, I want to show you this" She grinned, and went into the hollow. She showed him the nook she had made, and how she had bent the branc so as to get to the ground quicker. She grinned, proud of her achievements, and they hugged again. Nightfur sighed happily till she realized something. "What will our clans say? I mean, we're from different clans..." Her bliss with her newfound love was suddenly broken by this realization, and she suddenly wasn't so happy anymore.

"well....No one in my clan is going to give a crap...." He said. "Well Zuri will but i don't really care about what she thinks. Im just worried about you having to tell Snowp- er...your dad. I don't think he likes me. I mean, he healed me, but he didn't seem too happy about it." He said frowning at the newly found problem. "Maybe i could somehow join your clan...if thats even possible.." He said, wrapping his tail around her and nuzzling closer. "W-w could always just run away together too. But you have people who care about you, making you leave them wouldn't be right.." He said with a sigh. " I don't know what to do..." He admitted looking quite saddened by this new problem.


Zuri


Zuri was enraged by the new love between Kioni and the Black kitten. She ran home and told the elders. They pondered for quite a while. The came to the decision that if Kioni and the young black female became mates that it would unite the two clans in glorious harmony and supported it. Zuri was furious. She ran out, and devised a horrible plan to get rid of the black cat. A horrible, Possibly deadly and evil plan. "I will have kioni...He WILL be mine!" Her plan would play out the next day.

Nightfur sighed in relief, but partly in worry. "But if it was fine, where would we both live when we became adults? What about possible kits? What clan would they belong to?" She was worried, but knew that Kioni was supporting her. She sighed, trying to release the stress, but it wasn't working. She snapped and slashed at the wall of the hollow. She almost immediately regretted it, and put her paw on the scratches. The wood healed over smoother and better than before. Feeling better, she exited the hollow, and Kioni followed her. She slid down the branch she had bent, and looked back up at Kioni. "We should go back to my clan and tell them. I'm sure Snowpaw likes you, you saved my fucking life after all. Plus, he's he's like that all the time." She smiled, and walked towards camp with Kioni at her side."You know, I'm officially a teen now. It was my birthday today." She smiled at Kioni, and they continued walking.

When they got there, they heard lots of voices coming from the meeting area where the two clans would often meet and discuss things. "But the next meet isn't for another moon!" They looked at each other, worriedly, and rushed to the meeting spot. They came through the bushes and the two clans fell into silence. Puzzled, the two of them realized everyone was looking at them. Nightfur whispered to KIoni."Are we really that late?" Kioni opened his mouth when the Woodland clan leader boomed out with his deep voice. "Nightfur, Kioni! come up here!" Now nervous, the two teens walked up to the old massive tree stump the leaders and elders were sitting on. Nightfur saw a white cat sitting with the river clan alphas. She was staring daggers at Nightfur, and it seemed as though she wanted to kill her. "It has come to our attention, that these two cats-" The alphas gestured to Kioni and Nightfur."Are now mates!" The audience broke into whispers of shock and confusion. Nightfur and Kioni stood in shock. Nightur saw Kioni scowling at the white cat.Who is she? "The leaders and elders have come to a decision about what to do with them." There was total silence except for a small kit asking what was happening.

Nightfur and Kioni were terrified, and locked tails for support. "We have decided, that their mateship will be the perfect thing to stop us from fighting! Their story will live on in our clan legends for being the cats that showed us, that while we may be different clans, we can live in harmony with each other and the forest! So let us all rejoice, for we have found a symbol of peace and hope!" Everyone in both clans cheered for joy, yowling happily and thumping their paws and tails. Kioni and Nightfur let out a deep breath, and saw the elders, leaders, and Snowpaw smile and nod their approval. They both laughed in joy and thumped their tails. Nobody noticed the white cat sneak off into the trees with a furious scowl.

Nightfur woke up, the dawn light meeting her eyes. She yawned and stretched. She stood up, and saw that Kioni had already gone hunting. She smiled, and looked out the cave entrance. Now they had made it possible to get down to the path-like ledge so they could exit that way without revealing their secret passage. That was their secret. She smiled and basked for a while before getting up, and walking down to the path. It had been a year since that meeting, and it was great. There were rumors of groups trying to start a war, but they were stomped out. Apart from that, everything was bliss. She got to the end of the path and saw that Kioni was fishing down at the river. She smiled at the sight of him, remembering he was now an adult, and she would be too soon. she had learnt all there was to learn about being a healer. Her dad was a great teacher. She opened her mind to the trees and searched for Birkita. Good morning Birkita!Good morning my little one. I have new for you.Oh?I am a sapling now! What? Where?Just behind you silly little kit.

Nightfur purred, knowing she would never stop being a kit to Birkita. She liked it. She turned around, and saw a little sapling growing. She laughed at the tiny thing, not believing a tree as old as the clan's soul was in there. She smiled softly and stroked the little tree. It grew slightly, it's leaves broadening and it's trunk widening. A little extra help Birkita. She felt Birkita's thanks, her knowledge of how hard it was to do that and how it drained her energy. Nightfur smiled again and leaped through the trees to Kioni. "Hey silly, look up!" She saw him almost drop his fish in shock and look up. His eyes softened and he smiled. Nightfur leaped down and he put his fish on the rock. They purred and wrapped tails. They picked up their fish and walked back up to their cave den to enjoy breakfast. "So anything special happen while I was asleep?" Nightfur questioned, gulping down her trout, not seeing the white cat observing them from a tree by the river.

"Heh, well i caught a glimpse of zuri today. That happens every day though...But other than that nothing really happened." He said his face went into frown mode when he talked about Zuri. "Oh! i flew with eagles today, i'll have to take you with me sometime, its really fun!" He said excitedly. "So, how are you this morning love?" He asked while eating his trout happily. "I've got to go see my father. He started babbling about kittens and teens yesterday and says we need to have a serious talk....I wonder what about though." He sighed and finished off his trout."Well i better get going, i'll see you in a little bit" He said and kissed her before flying off to where his father was.


Zuri

Zuri had watched the couple for a year now, no matter how many times she tried to eliminate Kioni's mate she somehow slipped out of Zuris traps. She had a perfect plan this time though, one that was fool proof. She had been watching how Nightfur had been taking care of trees and that she could heal them with a simple touch, she seemed to be extra connected with the new sapling by their cave. While Nightfurs back was turned Zuri went up and ripped the young sapling out of the ground, and burning it up with her fire powers. "That'll teach you to steal whats rightfully mine you black piece of crud..." She said out loud.

Nightfur smiled at the thought of flying with eagles, but frowned at mention of Zuri and serious talks about kittens. She then smiled again and watched Kioni leave safely with his majestic wings. She sighed happily, but was suddenly racked by pain, as she felt a part of her being clawed into pieces. She yowled and stood up with a start. She hissed, her fur standing up and her ears against her head. Her mind was suddenly taken by Birkita. THAT BITCH BURNT MY NEW BODY!! I"M GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT FOR WHO KNOWS HOW LONG FOR ANOTHER CHANCE LIKE THAT!!! Nightfur was sent an image. An image filled with feelings of terror and anger and sadness. An image that would frighten most trees to their roots. It was the image of something evil. Zuri burning Birkita.

Nightfur yowled louder and raced down the path on the worn down side that gave her more speed. She practically flew down the path.I am sick of that bitch trying to ruin my life! She snarled and leaped right at the end of the path where there was a sudden steep incline, giving her the perfect spot to jump from. She leaped and pulled a branch closer to her, landing on it heavily, it bending and snapping back upwards, giving her a boost towards Zuri who was trying to escape the scene. "YOU BITCH!" Zuri whipped around just in time to see a black silhouette and a large tree branch pin her down, preventing her from moving. Nightfur grit her teeth and used the branch to roll Zuri into the water, and pinned her down again. "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!"

Just as Zuri was beginning to walk away she was trapped by Nightfur and pinned in the water. "You took what was mine...You deserve it..You're the bitch here. Not me!" She spat angrily at NIghtfur and struggled against the tree. After struggling with the the branch she set it on fire. When NIghtfur got up Zuri sprang at her, pinning NIghtfur down on her back. "You'll suffer for what you did to me! You ruined everything you worthless ball of fluff!" Zuri screamed and swiped Nightfur across her face, hitting right under her eye. Zuri got up and started to walk away. "Don't you even think about having kits with Kioni...If you do i'll make sure each and every one of them meets a terribly slow and painful death..." Zuri took the shriveled sapling and threw it down on the ground and stomped it till it was nothing but ashes. "I'll be watching bitch..." She said as she limped away, her leg hurt from being pinned by the tree.

Nightfur yowled in pain, her eye bleeding heavily. She panted and tore bark from a nearby tree, making a huge bowl from it, and drenching Zuri with water. "You're the one trying to bring the peace apart aren't you you bitch? You're the one forming the resistance groups!" She saw Zuri's evil grin, and then her spinning round, trying to set fire to the ground under Nightfur. Now it was Nightfur's turn to grin. "Water beats fire, surely you knew that? Well then again, you know jack shit about anything don't you? All you know is jealousy and rejection, and it's always going to be that way, because NO ONE, I repeat, NO ONE, messes with the cave clan." Nightfur panted heavily, her eyes filled with rage as she took a branch and hit Zuri across her hind legs, sending her back to where she had come from faster, and she limped off into the trees, all of them dropping leaves and twigs on her as she left, as Nightfur raced back behind the rocks to go in her secret passage unnoticed.

Nightfur went into the cave, in a frenzy to make it more private as she hung tree branches up in the main entrance and put up many fake cat silhouettes to confuse Zuri. I'll change their positions every day... She sighed as she finished hiding the passageway even more and rearranging the cave so Zuri would have less of an angle on them. Finally, she moved a bush so it was in front of the passageway and harder to see. She then gave a message to the trees to give to Snowpaw. COME QUICK-NIGHTFUR!

Snowpaw

Snowpaw sighed, after a busy day of healing he was exhausted and lay back, smiling in relief he now had a little bit of rest and privacy. As cats walked by they bowed their heads in respect. Now he was almost an elder, and he was also the father of the new Cave Clan's soon to be mother, Nightfur, so he was given much respect and honour. He smiled and closed his eyes until a pinecone fell on his head. He frowned and looked down in front of him at the pinecone that had become the point on an exclamation mark at the end of a message.Oh shit...

Snowpaw rushed up the stairs of the secret passage to see Nightfur and saw her wounds he rushed over and immediately started healing her as she cried and told him what had happened. He supported her and carried her over to her bed, her wounds were going to keep her there for a day at least, and he quickly dashed back to Woodclan to tell them what happened. IT soon spread around the two clans alphas and elders, and they arranged for warriors from both clans to protect the cave from any who might try to ruin the clans future. Snowpaw lay with his daughter, healing her as needed, and they both waited for Kioni to come back.

Kioni had finished talking with his father and headed back to the cave den. Upon entering he saw Snowpaw laying with Nightfur. Nightfurs eye was injured. "What the hell happened? Are you Okay!? Who did this!?" He said rushing to Nightfurs side. He was really, really worried. After all he love Nightfur and couldn't stand to see her hurt. "Is she gonna be ok?" He asked Snowpaw in a panic. Kioni paced around the room worried and angry at whoever did this to her. "It was Zuri wasn't it? Gah i hate that bitch, why can't she just leave us alone!?" Kioni's eyes filled with hatred and he must have looked really scary.


After a minute of silence kioni snapped out of his rage and turned all his attention to his injured mate. He walked over to her and nuzzled her. "I'm sorry this happened...I never should have left you here alone...I should have known she would try to hurt you.." He said, a grim look covering his face.

Kioni did as Nightfur told him then listened to the guard. "Don't worry, I won't let her hurt you ever again" he said an nuzzled her, then walking to the entrance. He picked up the dainty silk color and carried it to Nightfur. "I saw this and thought you might like it." He said and smiled at her, then placed it near her. He layed down next to her and stretched out laying on his back. He must have looked like a playful kit. He looked at her for a while then filed widely. " You know that you're the most beautiful cat I've ever seen right?" He stretched again, realizing that even though Nightfur was almost an adult that he was still much bigger than her. He picked up the silk collar and placed it over her neck "Fits perfectly" he smiled at her.


Zuri

After being chased away by guards she settled down in a high tree, still watching Kioni and Nightfur's cave den. She growled and hissed at them from afar, not understanding how they could be so happy together. The minute she got close enough was the minute Nightfur would suffer.

Nightfur looked down at the collar, smiling at it's little black bow. She looked at Kioni, and grinned. "Thanks Kioni." SHe smiled and licked his muzzle, still worried about Zuri. "But what if she comes here? I can't run!" She was worried until she remembered how big Kioni was and his wings. "Oh. Right."She laughed nervously and lay down, her mind constantly bombarded by worrying thoughts. "I just can't stand the thought of her ruining everything. Our new clan, our possible family, our lives! She can't do this Kioni." She sighed and lay flat on her bed "What do we do?"

"Well if you can't run, then i'll carry you. And trust me, I'm going to do everything i can to keep her away from you." He said and cuddled her close, refusing to let go. "She can't ruin anything if we don't let her. She will give up eventually, we just have to figure out how to make her so mad that she just gives up. I'm not sure what we could do to cause that through..." He sighed. "We will have to figure it out. " A cold wind blew through the the entrance of the cave. "Its starting to get cold, fall is coming. we will have to move the beds farther in to stay out of the wind." He said as he curled up around her to keep her warm. "Don't worry about Zuri anymore ok? The guards and i will do our best to keep you safe." He smiled warmly at her.

Suddenly Kionis father barged in. "We have successfully chased the white demon spawn away. She will be chased if she gets near the cave again." He said. Kioni said thank you. "Have you considered what I said son?" Kioni nodded. "And whats your decision?" He asked. "We haven't decided yet give us some more time to think" Kioni said with a less than amused face.

Kionis father dismissed himself after saying goodbye to both of them and went back to his post. Kioni sighed. "He's too exited" He chuckled.

Nightfur sighed in relief after hearing that Zuri was gone for a while. She smiled at Kioni as he walked back. "Well he'll have to wait until we're ready won't he?" She grinned and batted at Kioni's nose, the loss of stress easing her body, causing her to feel even better. She smiled and tried standing again. She managed a minute or two but then lay down again. "Well I'll be able to walk by tomorrow!" She grinned and muzzled Kioni's shoulder. "Thanks again for the collar Kioni, I really like it." She let out a little gasp, having a little brainwave. "It could be like, a heritage thing where the female leader of the clan wears this collar! And we could find an eagle feather and put it on another collar for the male leader!!" She laughed, pleased with her idea, a little happier and back to her old self again. She thumped her tail in glee, and yawned. "Well...I better rest my bones..." She smiled, and closed her eyes, having a quick nap.

Kioni snuggled up against Nightfur and the kits. "They're perfect......just like their mommy" He said as he watched his new children closely. He snuggled up more to his wife and sighed. "I wonder what they will be like when they grow up...I hope they're just like you." He said with a slight smile. "I can't wait to teach them how to hunt and fish, and how to climb trees too." He said looking down at the two suckling kits.



Zuri

Zuri had heard from a secret informer that Nightfur had delivered three kits. While she was delighted that one didn't survive there were still two alive, which angered Zuri very much. She walked through the forest, to their den and waited for the guards to change, going her five minutes to get in and kill the kits. She waited patiently, and quietly, not being seen by anything or anyone.

Nightfur purred happily, and looked out at the guards. They were about to change, and were moving about, impatient to go back to their homes. She smiled, glad that she was safe. She stroked her kit's fur and squinted down at the forest below. Is that... Snow?Child! The evil bitch that burnt my sapling is back!! Nightfur gasped and yowled. "Kioni! Zuri is back!" She frowned and her mind filled with panic. Kioni growled and rushed to tell the guards as Nightfur quickly grabbed the kits and hurried them into an alcove, covering their hiding spot with a branch or two. She and the kits huddled together, keeping warm in the cold rocky alcove. Nightfur wasn't taking any risks after last night. She looked down at her two new kits, and smiled at them reassuringly. "We need to be quiet now ok?" She muzzled them both as Misty and Orchid wormed their way into her warm fur, breathing softly as the three of them waited to be safe.

Kioni was half asleep when Nightfur started yelling about something then hid with the kits. "What..? whats going on?" He said then saw a flash of white outside the cave. "Shit...." He mumbled to himself. He wandered over to the entrance, Zuri casually walking up to him. "I heard about the kits Kioni...And I'm NOT happy about it..You were supposed to have kits with me, not her. Our clan had an agreement...We were supposed to be mates...You disobeyed the elders...And yet, They supported your decision to be mates with the worthless puffball." Zuri said, circling Kioni. "Nightfur is NOT worthless....And i don't care if you're happy or not." Kioni said.
"So, where is the wife and kids huh? Hiding in fear from little ol' me huh?" Zuri said with a smirk. Suddenly she pounced on Kioni and pinned him down. "Tell me where they are, and i promise not to hurt you."

"I will NEVER tell you where they are....You can hurt me as much as you want, you could even threaten to kill me, but I'm not telling you where they are." He said glaring up at her. Zuri slashed at his throat, causing him to bleed . "How about now?" Zuri said scowling.

"No.." Kioni said as he pushed Zuri off and she flew back, hitting the rocky cave wall. Stunned zuri ran at him sinking her teeth into his back. Kioni growled and shook her off. He drove her to the edge of the cave. The two fought back and fourth. The guards showed up and drove zuri off. She ran off with and injure leg and a bleeding nose. Kioni managed to stay on his feet till he got back inside the cave, His neck was bleeding badly and he soon passed out from blood loss. If he didn't get help soon, he would die.

Nightfur heard everything that occurred between Zuri and Kioni, and was worried all the while. As soon as she heard Zuri hiss and run away, she peeked her head out. She couldn't see Kioni, but heard the blood drip on the floor. She quickly rushed out, leaving the kits in the alcove under some leaves. She sprinted to the opposite end of the cave and quickly tended to Kioni who was bleeding. She cried out in panic, and quickly tore a leaf from a branch and wrapped it around his throat, slowing the bleeding. "Oh my gosh!! Kioni!! Stay with me OK?!" A tear fell from her eye to see Kioni in so much pain. She quickly sent a message to Snowpaw asking for urgent help. Her lip trembled, and the kits wobbled over. Seeing their father injured, they mewled worriedly, and Misty walkd over to Kioni's front leg, and tenderly licked a gash on his ankle. Meanwhile Orchid muzzled him worriedly, and quietly mewled. "Wake up Daddy!" She licked his nose, and Nightfur gasped inwardly, proud and worried. She managed to in a way pick up Kioni and drag him to the bed, and pushed him on, and wept as she kept him alive, waiting for Snowpaw.

Snowpaw arrived in a hurry, the twigs and pine cones still in his mind. He rushed up the path to the cave, and practically flew in through the cave entrance, the branches parting as he went through. He saw the blood on the stone floor, and heard the guards arriving behind him to guard once again. He panted as he arrived at the bed, Kioni unconscious on it. He immediately set to work, Nightfur worriedly watching on with the kits as they fed. He did his best, and sighed. "That's all I can do for now. We must wait and continue to look after him, keep everything clean and staunch the blood. If he makes it he must eat much. But I'll stay until he's recovered." He sighed again and looked at Nightfur. Her eyes were red, and her face was wrought with worried lines. "It was Zuri wasn't it." Nightfur nodded, and a tear fell down her muzzle, hitting the stone floor with an echoing splash.

Kioni could feel himself being pulled to their bed but could not wake up. He eventually stopped hearing as well. 'this is it...im going to die....' He thought. He could feel himself slipping away slowly and clung to life. At one point he could feel himself stop breathing. He faught hard against death, eventually winning . He woke up to see snow paw and night fur looking at each other. Nightfur had a tear down her face. Neither of them had noticed his awakening yet though. Kioni started coughing, quickly realizing that he was coughing up a lot of blood.

He tried to get up but his legs wouldn't allow it. He sighed and layed his head back on the bed. He didn't want to talk because every part of his body hurt. Zuri and kioni had beaten each others butts pretty well. Laying there made kioni anxious to get up, so he mustered up all the strength he had left and sat up, wincing from the pain he was experiencing. He looked over at the kits, with a 'i hope everyones okay look' and coughed some more, Blood dripping onto the floor of the cave.

Nightfur gasped in relief, and hugged Kioni as tight as she could without hurting him, which wasn't very tight. Orchid bounced over to her daddy, gleeful, and snuggled up in his fur. Misty walked over as well, but stumbled a few times, his eye slowing him, preventing him from seeing the pools of blood and small rocks on the floor. He did make it however, and tenderly licked his dad's scratches, looking sideways at his grandfather to check he was doing the right thing. Snowpaw smiled, relieved and proud and filled with other feelings, just glad everything was OK. Nightfur buried her head into Kioni's fur. "I'm so glad you're OK..." She murmured, and smiled gently. She purred, and didn't care. She soon fell asleep on the bed, exhausted, the whispers of trees giving support and blessings lulling her as she listened to Kioni's lucky, lucky breaths.

Nightfur was climbing the tree again, filled with joy. But the real Nightfur remembered this nightmare. She couldn't do anything however, as she arrived on the top branch. She watched Kioni fall again, the lightning crippling him, she saw the tsunami rushing towards her, she saw Zuri climb up towards her. But this time Misty and Orchard were in the dream too, and they were draped around Zuri's back, drenched in blood, and bugs from Zuri's coat running all over them as Zuri bit down on Nightfur. Then she woke up.

Kioni was glad when his family came over to him, it was a relief that they were all unharmed. He cuddled his kits and his wife close to him, well as close as he could without getting his blood all over him. "I'm just glad you're all safe...I love all of you so much.." He said in a calm and loving tone. Kioni was starting to feel better and stronger already, but he still needed rest. He laid down carefully, snuggling his kits close to him and wrapping his fluffy tail around them softly. " Get some sleep little ones, it will help you grow big and strong." He said with a pretty loud yawn.

Kioni and the kits had fallen asleep soon after Nightfur did. He dreamt of when he and Nightfur had first met, happily remembering every moment, even the very awkward ones. He dreamt back to the time when he first told Nightfur that he loved her, remembering how happy he was when she said that she loved him too. His dreams were interrupted by night furs sudden awakening, she looked distressed and very scare. "Whats wrong dear? Have a bad dream again? " He asked quietly so he didn't wake the kits from their peaceful slumber. He cuddled closer to his beautiful mate, reassuring her that things were okay.

Once assured that all was fine in his family Kioni cuddled closer to Nightfur and drifted off into a deep, restful sleep.


It had been a year since the birth of the kits and all was well. There had been little signs of Zuri anywhere and the family hadn't been threatened. Orchid and Misty had grown into teen hood and Kioni was starting to feel like an old man.

"Hey dad! Look what i can do!" Orchid shouted as she ran up a tree almost flawlessly. "Great job Orchid. You're getting much better!" Kioni said sounding very proud. Orchid and Kioni spent a lot of time together. It was your typical father daughter relationship. Orchid looked up to her daddy and Kioni adored her to no end. Of couse he loved misty the same amount, he loved his children equally. It was just that Kioni and Orchid had similar personalities and interests. Orchid ran off to play with other kits and Kioni went off to find his beloved wit and son. Soon finding his wife in their cave. "Hey dear" He said upon walking in and kissing his wife. He didn't see misty though. "Wheres Misty? Off with Snowpaw again?" He asked as he plopped down next to Nightfur and nuzzled he lovingly, asking how she is.

Nightfur purred happily, smiling at Kioni. "I'm good thank you." She licked his nose, and leaned on his shoulder. "I'm not sure where Misty is, but I'm sure he's fine." She smiled softly, sighed, and looked up at Kioni. "What do you think of starting to ask other clans to join cave clan?"

Misty bit his lip, focusing hard to keep his balance as he reached out his head, stretching his neck so as to reach the small plant growing on the mossy rock in front of him. He pushed against the cliff face, his legs stretching out as far as they could without him falling. He grit his teeth as he tried not to look down when he heard a pebble being dislodged by his paw. He heard it tumble down the cliff face, echoing as it hit the river with a faint splash. "Almost there..." He stretched himself out, reaching with his head towards the small herb that had caused him so much bother. He could smell it now, and he took a deep breath, pulling the plant towards him. He bit down on it quickly, at yanked back, tumbling back on to the ledge, back to safety.

Misty sat up, and saw the plant in his mouth with his good eye. He smiled and put it in the basket on his delivery system he had made. He put the other herbs he had collected in there too with a rock to help it go down quicker. He looked proudly at his invention as the basket zipped down the line. He sighed and hopped down a series of ledges back down home to their cave. He picked up a piece of bark next to the entrance and placed it on the edge of the slope down to the forest, so that it was just balancing. Misty then hopped onto it, and giggled and whooped in delight as he slid down the path in his sled. He laughed as he got off then cleared his throat, becoming serious suddenly, embarrassed he had found so much enjoyment in such a.... simple activity. He cleared his throat and walked into the clearing where his family was, and sat at the bottom of Orchid's tree. "What ARE you doing?"