#his coat. and despite the weird pet names there is respect still there. he listens and figures out what she’s saying and it’s advice

[magpie-trove]

A million negative points against Spike for the mass murder etc yes yes but you know what? Kinda touched by how he treats Drusilla

[where-the-wilds-things-are]

Wild Meets Wild Chapter Two

Rusty openly gaped at what Bluestar had said.  Behind him, Princess widened her eyes while Smudge gasped. Judging by her Clanmate’s expressions, they weren’t the only ones surprised by the question.

“You want us to join your Clan?” asked Smudge. The tom looked genuinely surprised at this, and so was Rusty. Lucky Land Lane cats had mixed feelings about the Colony of Feral Cats that lived in the forest.  One group despised them, never forgetting the raids that had hurt and even killed their loved ones all those years ago. Others were curious about what life could be like outside the city, and the last was neutral.

Lionheart turned his golden head to face his Leader, shock burning in his green eyes.  “Bluestar, are you sure about this? Sure, two of them are nearly bigger than a warrior, but all still have that kitty pet softness," meowed Lionheart.

“And they are kitty pets, how can they be Warriors if they have Housecat blood?” curiously sputtered Graypaw. Rusty shot him a look, and the gray tabby at least looked abashed of what he said.

Something flashed in Bluestar’s green-blue eyes. “Warrior Blood. Too much has been spilled lately. From ThunderClan all the way to ShadowClan.”

Bluestar fell silent and Lionheart took a step forward towards them.

“Bluestar is only offering you training, young kits. There is no guarantee that you would become a full warrior. It might prove too difficult for you three. After all, you are used to a comfortable life.”

Rusty inwardly bristled before quickly becoming contemplative. He and Princess had heated cat beds, food bowls that was never empty, countless cat toys and more. Smudge even had a pool in his backyard, and they swam in it whenever their owners left. What kind of life did a Clan cat live?

“Excuse me, Ma’am, but why give us the chance then. Surely you don’t want inexperienced cats in your Clan?" Mewed Smudge. His shock had faded and a questioning gleam entered his eyes.

Bluestar was the one who answered. “You are right to question our motives, young one. The fact is, ThunderClan needs more warriors, and I can tell that all of you are thinking about what I said."

“Understand that Bluestar does not make this offer lightly,” warned Lionheart. “If you wish to train with us, we will have to take you into our Clan. You must either live with us and respect our ways or return to your homes and never come back. You cannot live with a paw in each world.”

A cool night breeze stirred the brush, and Rusty shivered with hidden excitement. Countless opportunities were opening in front of them with this chance meeting. If joining this Clan stopped him and Princess from becoming like those conceited Show-Cats from Pleasant Street, then he’d take it with open paws.

Really. Those cats spooked him. When Princess compared them with those weird colorful humans in that movie with the girl with the bow and arrow, he didn’t want to believe it. It was when she pointed out that they wear outlandish cat clothing, are vain, and even talk in an off-putting high pitched voice without barely moving their jaws made him make the connection.

“Are you wondering if it’s worth giving up your comfortable kitty pet lives?” asked Bluestar gently. “But do you three realize the price you can pay for your warmth and food?”

Rusty, Princess, and Smudge shot each other glances before looking back at Bluestar with puzzled expressions.  Was this a type of test that they had to answer to pass?

“Well, we can’t really see the stars sometimes since the city lights block them out. Do you see the stars more clearly in the forest?” meowed Princess.

“I lost count how many times my Neighbor blasts his Mixtape during the day, despite the complaints he gets from my owner and others. It’s not even good music either, just something his “band” made together. Is it quiet back in your Clan?" replied Smudge.

“Our Owners, despite giving us gifts and playing with us, always seem to leave us in our house. I don’t know where they are going, but we can be alone for hours until Constance and James come back," said Rusty.

Rusty could see the slightly confused expressions on the Clan cats and realized that maybe Bluestar was referring to something else.

“Well, I was going to say that clearly the two of you are toms despite the stench of two-leg place on your fur. But to answer your questions; the stars shine like dewdrops during the night, birdsong and the voices of your Clanmates are what you will hear, and fellow warriors can be your companions. Though can’t say I know much of the other stuff you had said,” replied Bluestar.

“What do you mean—still a tom? Are you saying you know about cats who are spayed or neutered by the vet?” muttered Smudge. At the mention of the word “vet," Rusty twitched his whiskers in irritation. He hated the sterile smell of those rooms and cold, gloved hands touching him for his check-up. That, and he was worried that he’ll be put under and wake up altered with a cone around his head, so that was another pro in the Clan side.

“You haven’t yet been taken by the Twolegs to see the Cutter,” meowed Bluestar gravely. “You would be very different then. Not quite so keen to fight a Clan cat, I suspect! As for your sister, she would have been Changed, something that would have stopped her from having kits if she wanted it.”

Lionheart spoke up, meeting their eyes with a steady gaze. “There have been stories of kitty pet toms and she-cats being altered in some way by having something taken from them. This can make them not have kits, and even make them fat or lethargic.”

“The Clan may not be able to offer you such easy food or warmth,” continued Bluestar. “In the season of leaf-bare, nights in the forest can be cruel. The Clan will demand great loyalty and hard work. You will be expected to protect the Clan with your life if necessary. And there are many mouths to feed. But the rewards are great. You will remain toms, and a she-cat. You will be trained in the ways of the wild. You will learn what it is to be real cats, your potential unleashed. The strength and the fellowship of the Clan will always be with you, even when you hunt alone.”  meowed Bluestar.

“Wait a minute, I know someone that said the Clans have healers to take care of the ill. Is this true? commented Smudge.

Princess and Rusty blinked at the same time. This was news to them. Though it can explain how the Clan had lasted this long without dying of sickness with no help from humans. It was actually pretty astonishing if it is true.

“You heard about Medicine Cats?” asked Graypaw astonishingly. The tabby tom had been nearly silent for most of the conversation, observing the three beside Lionheart before speaking up in surprise.

Bluestar and Lionheart also showed shock that kitty pets had at least heard about Medicine Cats, though they recovered from it quickly.

“Why yes, we do have cats who treat our ill. As Graypaw had said, they are called Medicine Cats, and their job is to look after us when we are sick or injured, gather herbs, and much more," softly spoke Bluestar.

“Though, I'm curious as to where you had heard this. Smudge, was it?” replied Lionheart, who looked at his black and white friend.

Realizing that he had five gazes on him, Smudge shuffled on his paws. “An old She-cat named Shanty said she had heard a lot of Clan related stuff from her late old friend. One of them was about cats knowing about how to care for the sick. Actually, now that I think about it, she said that he came from a Clan!”

Alarm came off of Bluestar and Lionheart in waves. “Did she say what her friend was called?” Bluestar asked, her voice tense. She had a strange look in her eyes. Something that was mirrored by Lionheart. Graypaw just looked confused.

Taken aback by the sudden change in the air, Smudge licked his lips before continuing. “She said that his name was Pine and that they were very close friends," he meowed. "He even saved her from being hit by a car!"

At hearing the name Pine, the Clan cats reacted to this piece of knowledge. Bluestar and Lionheart’s eyes widened before narrowing and sharing a quick look. Graypaw looked to his Clanmates and the trio in confusion. “Pine?” Then his eyes grew huge. “Do you mean Pine—”

“That’s enough Graypaw," mewed Bluestar. She sighed, her ears twitching. “That is an old name that I thought I would never hear again, until now. And I apologize if I came on a bit hostile, it was just surprised that a kitty pet has had a knowledge of our home."

As the awkward moment passed, it was Lionheart who broke the silence.

“Come, Bluestar, let’s not waste any more time here. We must be ready to join the other patrol at moon-high. Tigerclaw and Mossflower will wonder what has become of us.” He stood up and flicked his tail expectantly towards the undergrowth.

“Wait, can we have time to think about your offer?” Meowed Rusty. While it was so tempting to say yes right off the bat, he and the others needed time to think.

Bluestar looked at them for a long moment and nodded. “Lionheart will be here tomorrow at sun-high,” she told him. “Give him your answers then.”

Bluestar murmured a low signal, and in a single movement, the three cats turned and disappeared into the underbrush.

Processing what just happened, Rusty shook his head. Nervous excitement clung to his fur like a second coat.

“So Smudge, when were you going to tell us that you kinda knew about the Clans?” asked Princess who batted the tom with her tail playfully.

“I didn’t know about a Medicine Cat at all!" Rusty exclaimed, hearing a nearby vole dart away. "How do they learn how to be like a Doctor? Is there a cat equivalent of a MED School going on that we don’t know about?"

As they made their way back home, Smudge replied. “I only heard of it a few days ago from Oscar when he was on his porch. Shanty used to tell a lot of stories to him and anyone who listened. But after she had that surgery with that stomach tumor, she stays in her house now.”

“Right, it was close to being really severe from what I heard. Glad they caught it before it got worse,” said Rusty. Though he only met her once, the brown tabby was kind to him and Princess when the Wintergreens brought them to her house to talk to her owner about something.

“So what will happen now? This feels like a once in a lifetime chance, but I don’t want to regret it either.” Princess meowed honestly. Huffing, she jumped on the fence post and stared at the colorful houses. When he and Smudge copied her action, she continued.

“Let’s be honest, we don’t really know much about the city except Lucky Land Lane, Hillcrest Ave, Pleasant St, that one Pet-Smart, and HeartGold Park. Other than getting into the car to be driven to the vet, that’s all we know. Should we really leave the familiarity of home to live in the unknown?” She said softly.

Rusty looked at her before focusing on what looked like a plane blinking in the sky. “Those are really good points, Princess. But you must have heard about what Constance and James were talking about. They want us to become Show-Cats in some high brow circuit. I for one don’t want to become a pretty-up-puppet that gets used to winning ribbons. They, they want to chip us too, so even if we do leave, they can track us. The timing couldn’t be better, besides, I want to have kits later in life man.”

“Can I add something?”  Turning to Smudge, both were taken aback at the gloominess in his eyes. “I didn’t want to say it because I was still coming to terms with it, but… Donovan is coming over to stay for a while.”

Rusty recoiled and Princess stared at Smudge like he grew a second head. “Donovan? Your owner’s nephew with the creepy green eyes and yanks your tail hard on purpose? The one who tried to lure you into the tool shed that has sharp blades?  And is probably a future serial killer in the making with those vibes he gives off? That Donovan?” She hissed.

Smudge balefully shook his head. “The one and only. Apparently, there was really bad water damage to their ceiling from that bad storm, and the ceiling caved in. Charlie offered to them to stay for a bit until it’s get fixed, or until they can get a hotel. I don’t know about you two, but if joining the clan keeps me from becoming one of the dead animals that are eventually going to be found under the bed or in the bushes, then so be it.”

Licking his paw and rubbing his head, he continued. “That, or just becoming a street cat. I can’t just can’t shake the feeling that if I stay, I might die, or actually survive just to get neutered, but I also don’t want to leave Charlie,” he said sadly.

Eyes softening, Rusty gently placed a paw on Smudge’s shoulder. “Smudge, you are our best friend and both of us would never abandon you. If you want to stay as a house cat, we can decline the offer and make sure nothing happens to you until Donovan leaves. Nothing the Clan can offer can make us leave you behind."

“Rusty is correct, whatever you decide, we will follow you either way. After all, that's what friends are for, right?” replied Princess.

Smudge eyes widened at the proclamation. “Th-thanks guys, really. And you know what, I do want to join to be a Clan cat. A Medicine Cat actually. How cool would it be to become a Doctor? I want to leave my mark on this world somehow, strange as it seems. If I can become a healer or at least a trainee to one, I can help save lives and maybe even find out why they are sick!”

“Does this mean that you want to join us?” asked Princess hopefully. When the black and white tom nodded his head, she made a happy squeaking sound.

“So like a more friendly Dr. House who happens to be a cat?” playfully teased Rusty. Truthfully, he wanted to jump up and down in excitement if he wasn’t on a fence post. Smudge was going to join them!

Smudge rolled his eyes at his friend's words before he blinked. “Hey, remember what Bluestar said about how it gets cold in leaf-bare, which is most likely the Clan term for Winter? What if we bring old blankets with us as a peace offering? Sure, Lionheart said we can’t have two paws in both worlds, but when they see how helpful it is, maybe they’ll let it slide?”

“That’s a pretty good idea Smudge. Maybe we should also bring some toys for the kits, we have loads of them back at our house, maybe ThunderClan will like that as well." Rusty said. He hoped that Princess didn’t pick up on the other reason why he offered to bring toys. He didn’t want to leave his favorite plush toy behind. It helped him during some very rough times.

Unfortunately for him, Princess saw right through it and gave him a dry look. “Sure, Rusty. I’m pretty sure this has nothing to do with your Lucha Libre Pikachu toy, PK Thunder. Though, it would be hypocritical of me since I have Bonnie. Hmmm, maybe we should bring some toys just for any kittens along with the blankets and say Bonnie and PK Thunder are very special to us.”

“Is it settled then? We wake up around seven, that’s when all of our owners leave. Then after we can gather as many toys and blankets we can carry, we can say our goodbyes to our friends before carrying our cargo to meet Lionheart at twelve, since that should be at sun high,” said Princess.

With the two toms nodded, Smudge jumped to the ground before he started walking to his house. "I don’t know about you two, but I’m going to bed now so I can watch Into The Spider-verse for the last time in the morning before we join cats who probably don’t even know what technology is." And with that, he darted to the cat door and disappeared.

“Huh, he’s right. Better get around to finally watching Lilo & Stitch," remarked Rusty as he and Princess slunk through the cat doors.

Princess yawned as she settled herself on his place on the cat tree. “Speaking of movies, you do realize that this means we can’t see any new movies or their sequels, right?"  she mumbled before she closed her eyes.

Rusty shook his head. He hadn't thought of that. Shoot. Good thing John Wick 3 came on the TV last week before he leaves.

As Princess drifted to sleep, he settled on his warm strawberry cave bed and curled around Thunder. Looking around at the living room for his last night here, Rusty let slumber take him.

He dreamed of running free in the forest, free of his collar with Princess and Smudge. Of catching bountiful prey, a sea of stars and even starting a family with a cat that he got close to. Then the dream turned blurry and fast as he got visions of fire, death, and destruction. Eyes of yellow, blue, and green that held malice glittered in the dark as danger hid in the forest before it all grew into an enormous black reptilian shadow with the most intense glowing red eyes that he had ever seen. It opened its vast mouth with teeth that can swallow him whole and spoke with a voice like thunder.

I̷̡̡̨̠̭͍͓̙̎̍͋͐̇̓̾̿̂̂̽̀̾̊͝ ̴̨̲̣̫̺̬̘͕̼̻̣͕̆͛͛̔͊̏̒͝h̸̛̰͓̭̥̺̠̗̀̒͒͋̈́̊̊̎́́͊͝å̷̡̜̦̣͙͔͕̠̮͇̞̜͖̱̌̒́̍̿͗͊̍̈́̚͜͠v̴̧̤̬̹͇̱͖͈̐͐́͑͆̓̊̃͒͐̑̾͘͝ȩ̷̧̨̛͙͈͎̰̱͒̅̍̿̈̒̅̌ͅ ̸̲̞̲̲̪̬̲̖͉͝b̸̩̔̈́̔̿̓́̂̽́͆̈̚ȅ̶͕̯́̈́͛͂̚͝ę̷̣̰̤͔̯͔͈̲̜͈̤͒̾͛̈͘͘͘̚̕͜ͅn̴̲̮̳̭̈́͛̊̚͝ ̵̧̛̞̤̽̔͗̈̾̇w̷̧̧̢̫̬̰̠̯͎̲̱̟͓̳͙̋͂̆͂͊̀̀́̂̉̊́̔̊a̴̢͚̲̘̘̙͇̫̞̞̿̍̉͋̆̿̏̌̿͘̕͘̕͝͠i̴͙̞̕t̷̪̙͔̟̙̗̬͔͍̪͖̽̀̀̅̇̽̓͜ỉ̷̲̠͙͖͒n̷̝͉̰̥̪̄͑̏̃̂͒̃̋̚g̸̟̺̩͉̖̘̜̳̤͛̾̆̌̍͛̓̿̐̕̕͜͝ͅ ̵̢̢̪̣̦̳̗̥͙̞͇̰̜̌̉̾ͅf̸̞̞̗̫̹̾̇̊͑͌̈́͜ǫ̷̯̲̠̺̺̹̟̪̖̀̄̈́̔̑̐r̴̗͚̳͇͇̣̿̀̍̔̂̀̏͊̑̂̉̕ ̸̢̨͖͖̭̜̹̰͈̖̝͓̹̣͋y̷͓̟̗̩̤̪̖͊͒͜o̶̠̕u̷͓̾̍̔͐̇́̒̇̂͂̇̕,̵̨̨̡̛͉̩̫̹̼̜͓̲̱̌ ̷̱͍͔̯̦̺͕̠̯͓̗̠̺̭͘͜F̴̛̜̝̬̪͈͊͊̈́̐̑̍̒̊͗́̍͘̚ị̷̧̡̢̺̪̠̙͓̣̰̝̊̈̍͌͒ͅr̶̰̹̪͕̝̣͕̤͖̩̈́̓̄̆̊ͅę̶̰̰͕̤̹͈̝̩͇̻̠̠͌̂͊́͋̍͊̓͒̌͑̏̀̎̾ş̵̤̣̤̻̫̩͙̥̤̼̀̅͐̊̋̌́͂͐͋͜͜͝ͅt̵͕̀̽͝ą̴̨̢̳̲͓͕͕̗̖̯͔̈́͊͗̀̃̍̑̅͜͠r̴̝̤͕̤̩̘̼̠̭̒́͋̊̂̚.̶̗̱̿̈́̉

“-usty. Rusty!” he jostled awake from the harsh shaking to his shoulder. Yelping, he realized Princess was staring at him with a concerned look in her eyes. “You were making noises in your sleep and was twitching a lot. Are you okay?”

Rusty shook his head and noticed PK had fallen out of his bed, and that it was morning by the pale light outside. He could vaguely remember catching his thrush and eating it and then… nothing. So why make noises and thrash around like so?

“I’m fine Princess. I think I must have had one of those nightmares that you forget as soon as you wake up," he meowed. He belatedly felt that his throat was dry and that he wanted a drink to quench his thirst.

Princess twitched her whiskers and rolled her eyes. “So was it the one where you were being chased down a hallway by the Jigsaw doll on a bike or that girl from the Ring that wanted to drag you into the well? Though I don't know why you were scared, your ugly mug can send even Freddy running for the hills," she teased before nimbly dodging a playful paw swipe.

“Haha," he muttered as he stretched his legs and quickly went to the cat fountain. When he finished drinking, he met Princess in the kitchen. It seemed like his last meal as a house cat was venison cut up into pieces. Quickly eating the meat for the energy he’d need for later, Rusty looked on as Constance finished her coffee at the table. Leaping onto her lap, he let her pet him for the last time behind the ears.

When she left with James in one of their cars, Rusty and Princess nodded to each other. “I’ll get the blankets from the Laundry Room while you gather some toys. Don’t try to go overboard. We can’t carry all of it and we might overwhelm them as it is with them anyway." Sniffing at her, he lumbered towards the box that held many of the toys that the Wintergreens had bought them.

Soon, he made a pile that consisted of four mice rattles, five colorful balls and three plushies that were a seal, a fish, and a sheep. Three lavender-scented fleece blankets sat next to it. They were colorful, and were space-themed, jack o lanterns, and autumn leaves. Regretfully, he came to the conclusion that no, they can’t drag the cat tunnel with them. ThunderClan would never know of those wonders, unfortunately.

Convincing Princess that he should bring PK made him feel better though since she was taking the small toy rabbit too.

“Are you sure they’ll accept this? They might think it’s too much if they are like the Amish and like things simple,” asked Princess.

“I mean it’s free stuff. Who’ll turn down free stuff? Besides, maybe they’ll be grateful for the blankets when Winter comes and the toys can keep any kittens entertained,”  said Rusty.

Hearing the cat flap being opened, they turned to see Smudge come in carrying what looked like a metal lunchbox in his jaws. As he got closer, Rusty could see it had Spider-Man proudly displayed on its surface.

Setting down his cargo, Smudge shook his head. “Hello, Rusty. Hello Princess.” Looking at the pile, he shook his head. "That’s kind of a lot of things, don’t you think? Good thing I brought the lunchbox to carry herbs if I become a Medicine Cat apprentice, maybe we can cram the toys in the box? That can lighten the load.”

After some trial and error, they finally managed to squeeze the items into the box, and drag the blankets and plushies next to the rose bushes for them to collect after they say their goodbyes.

“I never want to go through that again” muttered Rusty. Squeezing all of that in was no joke, and forcing the latches to close was harder. Sometimes he envied humans with their opposable thumbs.

“Leave it behind Rusty, let's just say our farewells to the others. It’s nearly noon already," said Princess. They were back on the fence again, taking in what will be their last morning in the city.

“We should stay to the backyards, don’t want any humans to see you two and wonder why aren’t you with the Wintergreens,” muttered Smudge.

Jumping down, the soon to be Clan Cats went to say goodbye to the city of Silverpine.