Warriors of the Plants

In the outlands 

Firefly loved his brother. He truly did. However Lightningbug’s reaction to being chased out of their own home was lackluster and disappointing. Firefly was fuming, anger shot through him in flashes of thunder. As for his brother... “No, Lightningbug!” Firefly protested. “We are no where near twolegs!”

Lightningbug groaned the cuts on his body stinging and his claws had been damaged from running and fighting. He just didn't understand why Firefly was being so difficult. The twolegs could give them treatment and even if they didn't go near the twolegs they could at least get easy free food from them. "I just don't understand why you're so against it!" He snapped his fur bristling "You think we have the energy to treat our wounds and hunt!" He yowled frustrated

“Twolegs aren’t just gonna treat us! They’re gonna grab us and then prod us and do something to our brains!” Firefly snapped back. “Remember Reapwatcher?”

Lightningbug scoffed "You don't actually believe that old nursery rhyme do you?" He meowed licking at a cut on his arm. "So, let's just say we don't go to the twolegs what are we going to do about our wounds huh? Hunting won't be easy because i'm not sure if you've noticed IT'S LEAF-BARE! Our ears will probably freeze off before we even manage to treat our wounds and catch prey," He meowed "It would just be so much easier if we went to the twolegs,"

Firefly looked away, his fur heating up with embarrassment. How did he get stuck with Lightningbug’s idiotic mentality?! “We find the others!” Firefly insisted. “Find Cloudwish, regroup! We gotta find the clan! That means we can’t go to the twolegs!”

Lightningbug growled digging his claws into the ground, "How in the world are we supposed to find them. Look where we are. We're no where near ForestClan and we hav eno idea where they are. It could take MOONS to find them. We need to take care of ourselves first." He growled although he would do anything to be taken in by a twoleg. He could almost feel the pets and the warm building, and soft blankets to sleep on...it was so close to that freedom but of course he had to be stuck with Firefly

“FINE THEN! Let’s look for herbs and cobwebs to close off our wounds.” Firefly said sourly. “You do know how to apply cobwebs right? You don’t need me to hold your paw?”

"Oh please you might just give me an infection with how you apply cobwebs!" Lightningbug snapped at his brother as he started walking again

“Well maybe you deserve it!” Firefly shot back, tears stinging at his eyes.

Lightningbug bristled baring his teeth at Firefly but said nothing, just scoffed and looked away, walking in front of his brother and flicking his tail slapping Firefly in the face

It only made Firefly more upset. The leaner twin reached up to dab at his watery eyes, refusing to let small tears form. The reality of their situation struck him hard and heavy, shackling him to his raw distress. He was weak, he couldn’t fight well enough and he got bested by those stupid sand cats. His breaths came sharp and few inbetween. Maybe he should apologize but Lightningbug was just as rude. He just continued forward, slinking behind his brother as the shadows only grew.

"We need to find shelter soon..." Lightningbug finally meowed no more malace or anger in his voice. Just exhaustion and some pain as his cuts stung him especially without that rage and adrenaline running through his veins. 

Aisling had been out collecting more herbs. He looked up at the sky realizing it had gotten much later than he had planned while heading back he noticed two cats also padding, seemingly, aimlessly. He watched them to get a look at the two before he approached. 

No collars so not house cats, One was huge with rippling muscles, the other leaner and shorter...maybe rogues he should probably stay away but he noticed the cuts and wounds. He noticed the leaves scattered in their fur. Since they were walking aimlessly maybe they got kicked out of their rogue group. He could use some muscle and protection in his group. Aisling cleared his throat carefully padding up towards them, "Hey!" He called

Lightningbug passed flicking his ear and turned towards Aisling. He would have been defensive seeing another cat especially while wounded but Aisling looked harmless

Firefly stopped, his paws catching on some roots. He squinted his eyes. “Who’s there?”

"My name is Aisling. I'm not here to hurt you," He quickly meowed.

"What do you want." Lightningbug asked gruffly. they were wasting what little sunlight they did have by talking to this random loner

Firefly slid up to his bigger brother, looking like a drenched soggy rat with his wounds and blood caked body. He tilted his chin expectantly.

Aisling tried not to bristle seeing their wounds and the blood. "W-well it looks like you need some help. My home is not too far from here. We have prey and I know herbs," He offered nervously. He didn't have the rest of his group mates to help him if these rouges attacked him not like the others could fight back anyways.

"And how can we trust you?" Lightningbug grumbled but it sounded like a growl as he squinted his eyes at Aisling.

Firefly examined the stranger—Aisling—incredulously, narrowing his green eyes with suspicion. “He’s got a point, how can we trust you?”

"Oh well..." Aisling never got to really talk to wild cats so he wasn't sure the best way to convince them. He glanced towards where the RV was. Now as it was getting dark in the distance there would be a light and smoke from Fiver liking to keep the fire going during the night for warmth. "See over there. That's where it is. There'll be food, warmth, and like I said I can treat your wounds," Aisling insisted

Lightningbug would follow Aisling's eyes to the light and faint smoking up. Was this cat a kittypet? That would be perfect for him, "I trust him," He meowed before his brother could interject

“What do you mean you trust him? We just met him!” Firefly asked, gobsmacked. “He could be leading us into a trap—do you not see that rising smoke?!”

Lightningbug stifled an irritated sigh. It wouldn't be good to show their scwabbling in front of this cat they could use it to their advantage. "We could use the warmth I mean look at you you're shivering. I'm assuming it's one of those contained fires those twolegs could do when they were in the Forest," He meowed trying to reason with his brother. "And this cat is saying they can treat our wounds. Last I checked neither of us know herbs." He grunted

Firefly opened his mouth to argue with him but couldn’t think of anything else to counter Lightningbug’s very solid points. “Fine...” He grumbled, relenting to his brother’s word. “But if we somehow end up with them being crazy rogue medicine cats or something, I’m tearing your ears off.”

Aisling perked up "Wonderful! This way," He meowed leading the two brothers towards the light

Firefly kept his guard up as they padded through the forest. He stayed close to Lightningbug, hip checking him at some points just to break the tension.

As they rounded up to the clearing with the RV Aisling would start talking again "Here it is! Right in here," He instructed leading them to the door of the RV

Lightningbug bristled slightly having seen the monsters before by said humans camping out in the forest for a few days

Aisling noticed "It's alright, it's under our control and won't move an mouse's tail length," He insisted. Lightningbug grunted with a nod going to the entrance to slip in. If he was ever going to be a kittypet he couldn't be scared of the other creatures Twoleg's liked to keep

Firefly stuck back, glaring at the giant monster with a smothering look of unease. “How do you control it?” He asked curiously, straining his voice.

"The monster?" Aisling meowed looking at Firefly. "Lot's of things, we make sure not to startle it for one," He meowed completely bullshitting, "Now come on before your ears become frostbitten," He encouraged

Lightningbug had also paused watching the two letting them go in before he slipped into the RV as well

Firefly took a step forward. This was okay. He barely got ontop of one of the steps when a loud honk filled the air. Immediately, Firefly leapt up, springing to his paws as his fur bristled.

"Oops my bad," Cashew ducked his head in embarrassment.

Lightningbug also jumped his hackles rising and his claws unsheathed his teeth bare

Aisling flinched from the sudden honk and also at the two cats now ready to attack anything. "I-It's alright, the monster might not move but it still has a voice," He tried to soothe the two toms with an awkward chuckle trying not to make any sudden movements

"DAH!" A mew and a bonk could be heard from within a cuboard, and then a thud as Fiver fell out. "DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT!" Cley groaned.

Cashew leaped off the weird circle thingy, "Sorry I startled it, I was trying to watch the twolegs over yonder."

"Twolegs? Is there one big, one small?" Fiver blinked curiously

Firefly flinched, stepping back from the strange cats. “Twolegs? You said there weren’t any!”

Lightningbug couldn't help but roll his eyes "So you're telling me you would have left ForestClan because some twolegs liked to wander in the forest?" He called out his brother letting his hackles drop but his claws stayed unsheathed

"Towlegs? Ah sometimes there are, but most of the time they stay away especially when we have the monster roar," Aisling quickly explained

“Twolegs are dangerous!” Firefly spat, his fur spiking up and his claws digging into the matted floor. “And we’re literally inside a monster! Did you just say you can have it roar? Like you can make it roar?”

Aisling looked at Firefly and nodded "It's under our control like I said," He meowed

"Firefly will you calm down! It's dark, cold, and it's probably going to snow. This is our only chance of survival now!" Lightningbug growled at his brother

Cashew stretched, he has clearly taken a liking to The Vespers but he was still planning on going back to Pigeonclaw one day, "Don't worry about, they're gone now, it was just a couple of kits playing in the snow."

Firefly snapped his mouth closed and stalked past the others, going to curl up in a random corner of the RV.

Aisling watched the two awkwardly. He glanced at Lightningbug's still unsheathed claws, "Um...Swallowtail!" He called out as he jumped onto the counter where he kept his herbs

Swallowtail poked his head from his cabinet, rubbing sleep from his eyes. “Yes, your greatness?”

“We have two new ones, could you get them some food?” Aisling asked softly motioning to the two brothers both soaked in blood and having wounds

"I still have spare herbs in the lower cabinets. Just found the last berries!" Fiver quietly mewed as cley hopped back up into cleir sleeping cabinet

In Lotus leaf camp 

Flintrunner was lazing around, halfheartedly playing with a random feather he found, he was clearly bored out of his mind which means it's high time for him to find someone to bother. Looking around it seems that Pigeonthroat was the only one near his vicinity, he slinked over to them, "Hey birdbrain what do you think you're doing~?" He smirked with his fangs slightly poking out of his maw.

Pigeonthroat looked up at Flintrunner nervously, shifting their paws slightly. Flintrunner had always intimidated Pigeonthroat, though they had, thankfully, not had many interactions. "Existing..?" They said casually, trying to act like they weren't at all concerned by the reddish cat's antics. "I-is there a problem?"

Flintrunner rolled his eyes, "Uh duh! You look so pathetic like how do you even fail at that?!" He chuckled, his eyes narrowing

Pigeonthroat sighed and adjusted their position once again. "Do you need something?" they asked. Internally, they were hoping Flintrunner would take a hint, say no, and go away, but that seemed unlikely.

"I just need some entertainment, nothing you can't handle right?" Flintrunner flicked his tail, hitting Pigeonthroat's face lightly

"Sureee...." Pigeonthroat mumbled, flinching slightly as Flintrunner's tail hit their face.

Flintrunner pouted, messing with Pigeonthroat was so much more fun back then, "You piece of foxdung..." He took a swipe at them, with claw sheathed of course.

Pigeonthroat reached out a paw to bat at Flintrunner's face in return, swishing their fluffy tail and sending a cloud of sand flying as a result.

Flintrunner coughed, spitting out sand, you would think the red warrior would be mad, but instead he smiled, spraying sand back at Pigeonthroat and laughing, "Come one is that all you got?!"

Pigeonthroat half-laughed, half-coughed at the sand in their face and swatted their paw at Flintrunner again, this time with more force, though their claws were still sheathed.

Flintrunner darted to the side and pounced on the grey cat, maybe being a bit more forceful then the average playfight.

The fluffy gray cat shook Flintrunner off and tumbled into the sand. "You'll regret that," Pigeonthroat teased, surprised by their own confidence.

Flintrunner bared his teeth, though still a playful glint in his eye, "You've gotten a lot bolder since last time." He hissed, swiping at the other cat again but missing by a whisker.

Pigeonthroat ducked and flattened themself to the sandy floor, glaring up at the red tom. They lifted a paw and swiped upward, managing to gently hit Flintrunner in the chest.

Flintrunner took a step back, "Alright enough of the kits' play!" He barked, already lunging at Pigeonthroat, digging his claws in their shoulders, not enough to draw blood but enough to force the warrior down to the ground.

Pigeonthroat attempted to roll over and knock Flintrunner off their back, but was unsuccessful. They squirmed under Flintrunner's grip, trying unsuccessfully to land haphazard blows.

Flintrunner laughed, not releasing his grip, "Oh how foolish I've been to think you wouldn't be pathetic anymore~" He battered at their nose.

Hissing, Pigeonthroat jabbed a paw upward and managed to throw Flintrunner off of their back. They then shoved Flintrunner to the ground and held him there triumphantly. "Pathetic?" they asked, trying to hide the slight quaking in their voice.

Flintrunner smirked, kicking away the grey cat easily, "Mhm~ still pathetic." He flexed his claws like he intended on using them.

Pigeonthroat pounced again, batting Flintrunner in the side with more force.

Unsheathing his claws, Flintrunner slashed at Pigeonthroat's side, snarling in their face, in his mind this was much more fun, he cackled.

Pigeonthroat glanced at the scratch Flintrunner had left on their side, which was small, but still dripping with blood. Pigeonthroat backed away slowly, unsure of what to do. They didn't want to get injured, but they also didn't want to be seen as a coward.

Flintrunner still had that punchable smirk on his face, just as he was about to go for another jab, a blur of grey and white bodied him to the ground. With wide eyes he stared up at a bristling and angry Dawngaze.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Dawngaze snarled, pinning the red cat to the ground, he looked over at Pigeonthroat and saw a dribble of crimson, "You drew blood!?"

Pigeonthroat looked from Flintrunner to Dawngaze, unsure of what to say. They appreciated that Dawngaze had helped prevent future injury, but didn't like the feeling of needing protection.

Flintrunner rolled his eyes, "We were just playing Dawngaze back off!" He scoffed, trying to shove the other warrior off.

Dawngaze narrowed his eyes, "You were actively trying to injure them! I'm really sick of you pushing everyone around Flintrunner! I would love to tear into you right now but I'm not like you." They released their grip on the red cat, letting him up.

Flintrunner rolled to his paws, shaking his pelt off dust and sand, "You're no fun." He scoffed again, pouting.

"T-thanks," Pigeonthroat whispered to Dawngaze as quietly as they could. "I'm sorry," they said a little louder so that Flintrunner could hear, unsure of what they were apologizing for.

"You better be..." The red tabby warrior muttered which earned another glare from Dawngaze but he stalked away before she could throw a retort at him.

Dawngaze had her hackles raised from irrigation, "That foxheart..." She growled, but he took a deep breath and turned to Pigeonthroat, "It's no problem."

Pigeonthroat nodded. "Okay. Thanks again," they said. They looked at their paws and realized they were shaking pretty hard.

"You go get that checked up, we can't have injured warriors, in leafbare especially." Dawngaze nudged Pigeonthroat towards Thistlesong's den, "I'm gonna go make sure that sad excuse of a warrior learns a lesson or two."

"O-okay," the fluffy cat nodded and made their way towards Thistlesong's den. At the den's entrance, Pigeonthroat waited for a moment before entering the den.

Flintrunner sat down at the opposite side of camp, licking his paws and drawing it over his ears, he groaned when Dawngaze stormed over to him but he put on a charming smile, "Hey Dawngaze~"

Dawngaze growled, "Don't you 'hey Dawngaze' me! You need to control yourself! You could've hurt them badly!"

Thistlesong looked up from his nest. "What’s wrong?" He groaned, sitting up an staring at Pigeonthroat.

Pigeonthroat stepped forward tentatively. "Uuh sorry, I just have a scratch on my side and Dawngaze suggested I come here to get it fixed and-" They cut themself off, realizing they probably didn't have anything else they needed to say.

"Oh." Thistlesong grunted, as he got up and fetched some cobwebs. "I’ll fix you up, it shouldn’t need much." He said, making his way over to Pigeonthroat.

"Thank you!" the fluffy cat said, standing there awkwardly.

Thistlesong plastered some cobwebs over the wound. "Try not to exert yourself too much, and open the wound." He said. "Otherwise you should be fine."

Pigeonthroat nodded gratefully and shifted their weight. "T-thanks," they told the older medicine cat. "Sorry to bother you."