Maplefall's Memory

Chapter Two - Maple

Maple looked at Ripple as he stepped in, asking her of her identity like Koi had. "I d-don't rightly remember." she told him, "I think it was Maple something." she said. Ripple nodded, looking at her thoughtfully. This was the cat Koi had talked to when she woke up for a few seconds on the way to this den, "Koi had said something about you knowing herbs." she said, Ripple nodded, "Herbs cannot heal amnesia." The word made Maple flinch, "I have amnesia?" she asked. Ripple hissed in annoyance, "You can barely remember your name, what say you?" he said. Maple flinched again, "Right..." she said awkwardly.

"Just another mouth to feed..." Ripple muttered as he walked out of the den, Maple turned to Koi, "He's like that." she said, already anticipating the question. Maple nodded, "Another mouth?" she questioned. Koi nodded, "We're a small group of cats, only three, four now, including you." the cream she-cat swiftly explained. Maple nodded. Koi flicked her tail, "Come on Maple, I'll introduce you to the other one." She said. Maple nodded.

Koi led her out of the den, where Ripple sat next to a gray tom with blue eyes, Ripple's tail twitching. Koi flicked her tail to Ripple, "You've met Ripple already." She said, "And that's Stone." she gestured to the gray tom. Maple nodded, introducing herself to Stone, "Hello, I'm Maple." she said with a bit of a smile. Stone smiled back, "Welcome to the group." He said. Ripple looked over, that look of annoyance still in his eyes. Stone sighed, "He's always weary of new cats." Stone said as he saw the look in the supposed leader's eyes.

Maple nodded, "That's kind of understandable." she said. Stone nodded, flicking his tail to a mouse on the ground near the den, Maple followed his gaze. "I hunted for you as soon as I heard of a new arrival." He explained. Maple nodded, "Thank you." she said, grabbing the mouse in her jaws, biting into it, "Want to share?" she offered. Stone shook his head, "No thank you." he said, "I've already eaten." Stone told her.

Maple nodded, "Okay." she said after gulping down the mouse ravenously. Ripple seemed deep in thought now, looking down at his paws. Koi placed her tail on Ripple's back, "What now?" she asked, the sun was actually setting now, Maple had been unconscious the entire day. Ripple sighed, "We'll rest for now." he decided, "And then we can look for a different place to stay in the morning." he said, "Those 'Clan' cats as they call themselves, have been expanding their territories closer to this den." Maple looked confused at Ripple's words, "Clan cats?" she asked.

Ripple smiled, "Nothing." he said. Koi leaned closer to Maple, "Cats that live around the lake that way." she said, pointing towards the MoonFall, past it. and the lake was in sight far past it. Maple nodded, not remembering at all that she was a Clan cat. Koi looked at her, "Come on," she said, "Lets go to sleep." Maple nodded, "Right." she said to her new friend, stepping into the den.

(later...)

A noise outside woke up Maple, it sounded like cats. Then a tom with blackish blue fur stepped into the den with a hiss over his shoulder, "We found them." he said, his green eyes glinting in satisfaction. Maple got up, shaking Koi awake, "Koi!" she said, "Is this a Clan cat?" she asked as the cream she-cat woke up, she stiffened when she heard Maple's question, "Clan cats?" she asked, jumping up, nearly hitting her head on the roof of the small den, but stared at the tom, she sniffed the air, "Yes." she said with a bit of a shake in her voice. The tom hissed, "Stay off of VineClan land." he said.

Ripple, hearing the commotion, woke up, "VineClan land?" He hissed, "That's the Clan you are from?" he hissed. The tom nodded. "Why can't you let other cats live here?" he challenged. The tom hissed, moving further into the den, his shadow moving out of the way of the moon light, light filtering into the den, letting him see all the cats clearly, his eyes landed on Maple, "Maplefall?" he asked, "What are you doing here?" he asked. Maple backed up, "Who are you?" she asked. The tom flinched, "D-Duskstar." he said, "How do you not remember?" he asked, "It's hardly been a day since your trip to the MoonFall." Duskstar said. Maple only looked confused.

"I don't even know what you're talking about." she said. Ripple stepped forward in an attempt to end the conversation between the two, "She has amnesia." he explained. Duskstar looked horrified, "My Medicine Cat has amnesia...?" he asked. Ripple nodded with confusion, not knowing what a Medicine Cat was. Duskstar hissed now, "Why is she with you?" he asked, "We found her floating in a river, we guessed she got hit by a tree branch or even a whole tree, getting knocked into the river." Ripple explained swiftly. Duskstar sighed, "Sparrowclaw, Ambertail!" He called over his shoulder. A brown tabby tom with white chest fur and green eyes stepped in, Maple guessed that was Sparrowclaw.

Sparrowclaw looked at Maple, "Maplefall!" he exclaimed happily, running forward to nuzzle her. She pushed him away. "Maplefall..?" he asked. Maple shook her head at him, "I don't know you." she said. Sparrowclaw looked confused, "She has amnesia." Duskstar explained when a brownish red she-cat entered the den behind Sparrowclaw, her tail in the air as she saw Maple, but it fell when she heard the part about amnesia. The she-cat, presumably Ambertail, was talking to Duskstar in hushed voices.

Duskstar shook his head, fear in his green eyes, "Will you come back with us?" he asked Maple. Sparrowclaw nodded, "Yeah, come on, sis." he said. Maple looked at him, he was her brother? She didn't know any of them at all, "N-no..." she said. Sparrowclaw rushed forward, "Maplefall, please!" he said, Maple only fixed him with a serious gaze, "My name is Maple." Duskstar hissed at this, "The mark of a rogue!" he hissed. Sparrowclaw shook his head, "N-no she just doesn't know what else to be." he said. Ambertail sighed sadly. Maple looked at them all.

They all seemed to feel so strongly about her name, at this point Stone had been awoken, "What does her name matter?" He asked, "To not have a full name like a normal Clan cat is the mark of a rogue." Duskstar hissed, "Like you." he said. Stone growled, "That just means i'm not part of an idiotic Clan!" Duskstar smacked the tom away as he walked closer to him. Maple hissed at this, unsheathing her claws and scratching at Duskstar's muzzle.

"Maplefall!" Sparrowclaw gasped, leaping on her to hold her down. Ripple growled at the sudden battle that broke out, leaping at Sparrowclaw, pushing him off of his sister. Ambertail leaped at Ripple now, getting him away from Sparrowclaw. Koi helped Ripple, double teaming Ambertail. "Maplefall, you never were a fighter, or a warrior." Duskstar said, "You always cared for helping others, other than fighting." he said. "I am helping others!" she said, "These cats have shown me nothing but kindness!" she was growling at him now, and forced Sparrowclaw off of her.

Stone had pushed Ambertail out of the den along with Ripple and Koi, then the three turned to Duskstar. Sparrowclaw didn't know what to do, Maplefall would probably jump to help her new rogue friends if he got off of her, so he stayed. Duskstar hissed as he backed out of the den, he may be trained, but he was heavily outnumbered. Sparrowclaw growled at this, leaping after him, "Maplefall, come wit-" Maple cut him off, "Maple." she corrected. Hurt flashed in Sparrowclaw's green eyes as he turned, leaving.