TW: Blood, death, sickness ~The Approaching Darkness Alternate Universes~ Are all universes a repeating sequence of events? Or is each universe a new experience? What becomes of cats when one bit of the timeline is changed? See how our beloved cats go about their lives in other realities. Part 1 Tigerkit looked around the nursery, and at her sick family beside her. Tigerkit felt her own life seeping out of her. /Is this the last of me?/ She thought with tears in her eyes. She began to cry but went into a coughing fit. She coughed up the worst stuff she'd ever seen. Blood and a lot of mucus. Her father, Squidclaw, had brought home redcough, and her mother, Butterfly, was the first of the clan to catch greencough. Lightkit, Tigerkit's sister, had never been a strong kit, and caught the sickness not long after their mother. Marigoldfur and Hollytail had no catmint, so Tigerkit's family was practically doomed. Tigerkit sighed. Then a flash of blue ran into the nursery to Tigerkit. /Rainkit!/ Tigerkit brightened up. "Hi, Rainkit!" She said weakly but delighted. "Tigerkit!" Rainkit was devastated, his green eyes filled with grief and worry. "It's ok, I'm going to make sure you stay alive." "Rain, you don't have to do anything, it's too late." Tigerkit pointed out solemnly. "No!" Rainkit yowled. "I'm going to find catmint, tansy, anything!" He stormed out of the den. Tigerkit purred. "His misplaced confidence is fun to see one last time. *** Rainkit was running and running, secretly leaving camp. The cold leaf-bare air in his fur. He eventually smelled something sweet. "Catmint!" He said aloud. He followed the scent and noticed a black tom throwing a huge clump in a deep little pond. The black tom looked very familiar to Rainkit. /It can't be.../ Rainkit said to himself, worryingly. /No, he died when I was very young. It's some rogue./ Rainkit waited until the tom left and he ran and dived into the pool, he felt himself more comfortable with swimming than any other ThunderClan cat. He thought he saw his paw was gray with a rocky texture, but he just assumed it was the water affecting his vision. He reached the sinking catmint, but a strong current suddenly came and Rainkit tightly grabbed the catmint. As he was swimming out, a rock was coming straight for his face. He stared at it in fear until it was too late, it hit his face, he felt himself getting less comfortable in the water, he saw a green shape, and everything went black. *** Tigerkit was wheezing and coughing, when she heard her mother coming into the camp, panting. Tigerkit poked her head out of the nursery and saw Butterfly put down Rainkit! "Rainkit!" Tigerkit yowled, tripping and coughing trying to run to him. Numerous other cats gathered around Rainkit and Butterfly. "Is he ok?!" "Is he dead?" "Why are you outside when you have greencough?!" Tigerkit just stared at Rainkit when she heard a yowl, it was Minnowstar. "Leave Rainkit and Butterfly alone!" Minnowstar meowed firmly. "Give them some space!" Minnowstar lowered her voice. "Butterfly, explain." "I-I think he went to find catmint, he found some, but it's really soggy." "Did someone say catmint?!" Marigoldfur ran out to the clearing. "Oh Silverpelt- Rainkit!" Marigoldfur crouched down to Rainkit. "No no no!" She whispered. "You can't die, you're speci-" She hesitated. "The clan needs you, Rainkit. Don't die." Tigerkit shot Marigoldfur a confused look. "Hollytail! Give this catmint to Tigerkit, Lightkit, Squidclaw, and Butterfly. Now, sister!" As Marigoldfur spoke, a gasp came from Butterfly. Butterfly collapsed. Tigerkit stared at her mother in shock. Marigoldfur and Hollytail pounced over to her body. "She's not breathing!" Hollytail yowled. "Her body heat is leaving, fast. She's dead." Marigoldfur said sadly. Tigerkit gasped herself. "Momma, no..." She whispered, and went into a loud, hard coughing fit. "Hollytail, catmint, now!" Marigoldfur yowled. "Come on, Tigerkit." They walked into the nursery. Tigerkit settled down on the nest next to her father and Lightkit, when she felt a cold touch, and Lightkit staring at her, crying. "D-daddy- he-" Lightkit couldn't say more before bursting out into tears. Tigerkit let Lightkit lean on her. "It's ok, he'll be fine, and we'll be fine soon too." Tigerkit wasn't sure if she could believe it though. She overheard stories of how bad of a cat Squidclaw was before meeting Butterfly. Hollytail didn't even look at Squidclaw's body, it was obvious there were more pressing matters. "Eat this, you two. Eat all of it if you can. It's your only chance at survival." Tigerkit looked and Lightkit and nodded. /We must./ The two kits ate the catmint, and Tigerkit could already feel better. She wasn't any less sick yet, but she felt hope for the first time in days of sickness, and couldn't help but smile. Rainkit suddenly burst in. "Tigerkit! Did it work?!" Tigerkit giggled. "Yes, Rainkit, it worked." She looked (CONTINUED IN NOTES AND CREDITS)
(CONTINUED FROM INSTRUCTIONS, DON'T READ HERE UNTIL FINISHED UP THERE) at Rainkit's face, it was bloody and wrapped up in leaves and cobwebs. "Are you ok?!" She yowled. "I'm not sure. I'm just glad my efforts weren't for nothing." Rainkit said happily. A gray kit came in with a cream apprentice. "Is Tigerkit ok now?" Hailkit, the gray kit purred curiously, looking back and forth between Rainkit and Tigerkit. "Not sure yet, Hailkit." Tigerkit said honestly. "All we can do is hope now, guys." Wildpaw, the cream apprentice said nervously. "Agreed." Rainkit said with a smile. Tigerkit noticed Hailkit looking at Rainkit with a look she couldn't read. /Hopefully that isn't a problem./ But for the first time in a while, looking at all her friends, Tigerkit knew things would be ok. *** Tigerkit was dreaming of a purple, starry field. "Woah." She couldn't help but purr in awe. Then she plunged into darkness. There were cats fighting all around her. And she heard a voice. "Fate has not gone as planned, play your moves carefully, young tiger, or the new future will not be safe." And suddenly a fire burned quickly around her. She stood around in horror, and it engulfed her. As she woke up, she couldn't help but think about one thing the voice had said. /Fate has not gone as plannned./ Was she meant to have succumbed to the greencough?
