"I'm so grateful to you both. And I love the kits. But I don't know. I'd like to stay, but we'd be so vulnerable, especially with small kits to take care of. I've never been safe. Darktail isn't perfect. Not at all. But he's strong, and he can take care of his cats." |
— Dragonfly to Nettlesplash and Mintfur in Darkest Night: Bonus Scene, chapter 1 |
Dragonfly is a yellow tabby she-cat with long fur, green eyes, and a broad face.[1]
History[]
In the A Vision of Shadows arc[]
Darkest Night: Bonus Scene[]
- Dragonfly: "There's a place in Darktail's group for strong cats. And there are enough of us there that no cat would dare attack us."
- Mintfur: "Darktail's group is stronger than we are. But we care about you, even when you can't hunt or fight."
- Darkest Night, bonus chapter, chapter 1
- Dragonfly is first discovered when Nectarkit hears a strange sound while she and her littermates are playing their game, saying it sounds like Fringekit did when she had a bad stomachache, but louder. Nettlesplash and Mintfur listen carefully, confirming it is the noise of some creature in terrible pain, prompting Nettlesplash investigate, and discovering a cat in terrible pain. Nettlesplash sees her eyes are glassy with fever and the cat tries to stand up before collapsing again, panting as she says to do whatever because she cannot stop him.
- Indignant, Nettlesplash retorts that he isn't going to hurt her, as he isn't one of Darktail's cats and wouldn't hurt a defenseless cat. Sounding guilty as she looks away, the she-cat admits she joined Darktail after the cats who lived in the gorge were gone, but she doesn't want to hurt other cats either and was never going to attack Nettlesplash. He mews that if she does stay, she will have to and introduces himself before asking for her name. The rogue takes a shallow and rattling gasp and she says her name is Dragonfly, and she had met Rain in the forest, and he had convinced her to join because it would be safer than living as a loner. As he presses a paw to her unusually warm side, he dryly asks if it is.
- Dragonfly sighs as she says that it did seem better at first because she had other cats to help protect her, until she got sick. She dips her head as she continues that Darktail's doesn't like sick cats, and since she wasn't strong enough to fend off the other cats, she couldn't eat and was evicted from the best sleeping places, having only gotten sicker. As Nettlesplash listens to her breathing, he asks her if she's tried tansy for her coughs, noting the strange whine at the end of each of her breaths. Dragonfly wraps her tail closer around her as she mews she hasn't seen any, and although another cat had told her catmint could help, but Darktail had taken it away when they found some because he didn't think she deserved the herbs. The rogue's head starts to tilt towards the ground as her eyes start to close slowly, going on about how following him was the wrong choice, how she has made bad decisions, and it may even be her last one.
- Nettlesplash hisses at her to not fall asleep, and asks her why she's there now to help keep her awake. Dragonfly opens her eyes and explains she had wanted to find more herbs, but didn't see anything useful, as well as trying to hunt. She finishes by meowing that she was too weak to hunt and the longer she went without a catch, the weaker she got. Nettlesplash hesitates as her debates whether to do anything or not, since she followed a cruel leader who had driven him and his Clanmates out of his home. The she-cat's eyes start to close again as he does and Nettlesplash makes up his mind, pressing against her as her yowls at her to stay awake, and if she can walk if he helps her. Her eyes slowly open as she struggles to her paws and confusedly asks where they are going. The brown tom tells her he is taking her back to his den.
Mintfur and Nettlesplash make a nest for her in a nearby bush, having found tansy to treat her sickness. Nettlesplash thinks that she must have been lonely even with the amount of cats in Darktail's camp, and her relationship to the family had improved vastly in the short time she had been there, after being awkward at first of any attention Nettlesplash and Mintfur had paid to her. He notes that now she and Mintfur were talking easily about the best hunting spots while the kits weave around them, and Dragonfly seemed to fit in with their family so well. He finishes the thought that having another adult cat with them was almost like having a piece of SkyClan back.
- A quarter moon later, Mintfur purrs as she thanks Dragonfly for the pigeon she had caught. Palekit clambers over Dragonfly as she declares the rogue must have run really fast to catch it, causing Dragonfly's eyes to shine with pride. The yellow cat purrs that she wouldn't have been able to run so fast if it wasn't for the family, so she definitely wanted to share her catch with them. Fringekit nuzzles her head against Dragonfly's side, and the she-cat bends down to lick the kit's head.
- Nettlesplash is happy that Dragonfly had grown strong and that she recovered so quickly, but is surprised when Dragonfly offers to move on since she can now look after herself, seeming sad as she does so. Mintfur surprises Dragonfly by protesting, stating that that isn't what they want, and they actually want her to stay with them. Dragonfly meows that she is certainly very grateful for what they did for her, and she loves the kits, but she doesn't know if she wants to stay as they'd be so vulnerable, especially with kits to look after. She looks back and forth between the parents as she explains she's never been safe, but Darktail is strong and can take care of his cats, even if he isn't perfect.
- Mintfur argues this, considering no one from the gorge had come looking for her, or if Darktail even noticed or cared. Dragonfly looks down at her paws and meows that she is healthy now and there is a place in Darktail's group for strong cats, and there are enough of them that no one would dare attack. Mintfur brushes her tail against the rogue's, and though she admits Darktail is stronger than them, they care about Dragonfly even when she cannot hunt and fight. She looks thoughtful at this, but doesn't reply, so Nettlesplash asks her to sleep on it and decide in the morning. The yellow tabby agrees, easing herself away from Palekit and Fringekit. She looks at the kits for a long moment, then dips her head to the parents, adding that she is so grateful for all they've done and will know her choice come morning. The next morning, Nettlesplash goes to talk to Dragonfly, but finds her nest empty and her scent stale, indicating that she has made her choice.
- A half moon after Dragonfly has left, Nettlesplash sees a rabbit burst into the clearing, followed a second later by Dragonfly and Darktail, ordering his kits to hide before they stop in surprise. Darktail says he thought he'd driven away all the flea-bitten Clan cats, looking around as if to see others. Nettlesplash explains to the white tom that it is just him, and he lies that he couldn't bear to leave, because he'd lost Mintfur and his kits after the battle. Dragonfly's eyes are wide with fear, knowing that Nettlesplash has lied, while Darktail looks thoughtful, deciding that Nettlesplash must bring them three fat pieces of prey by day's end, or they would have to hunt him down. Dragonfly interrupts, looking at him with an unfriendly gaze as she asks for Darktail to look at him. Dragonfly continues that Nettlesplash is so scrawny that any catch of his wouldn't be worth it, and was startled by a measly rabbit. Darktail's whiskers twitch in amusement as she continues that the brown loner is pathetic and they should leave him to his lonely life without his mate, kits, or Clan, as he won't last much longer. Darktail seems satisfied with the cruelty of Dragonfly's words as he asks her if he isn't worth it, and decides that being the last survivor of SkyClan will be punishment enough. The two rogues start to leave and Dragonfly looks over her shoulder at Nettlesplash and returns his almost undetectable nod. When Mintfur returns, Nettlesplash explains what had happened, and how Dragonfly convinced Darktail to leave.
Character pixels[]
The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation. |
Appearances[]
- Darkest Night (First appearance)
Trivia[]
Author statements[]
- When asked what happened to Dragonfly, Kate said she disappeared into the background with the other rogues.[blog 1]
Quotes[]
- "I wouldn't have been able to run so fast if it weren't for you all. So of course I want to share my catch."
- ―Dragonfly to the family Darkest Night, bonus scene, chapter 2
- Darktail: "I think you owe us your next three catches. You can deliver them to the gorge today. If we don't have three delicious pieces of prey from you by nightfall, we will have to hunt you down."
- Dragonfly: "Really, Darktail? Just look at him...He's so scrawny. Any catch he can make won't be worth the effort of chewing. He was startled by a rabbit!"
- Darkest Night, bonus scene, pages 18-19
- "We're Clan cats. We're together, and we're safe for now—thanks to Dragonfly. And someday SkyClan will come back for us. We will survive."
- ―Nettlesplash Darkest Night, bonus scene, chapter 2
External links[]
- Creating an Antagonist on the Warriors official website (Indirect mention only)
Fan content[]
- Warrior of the Week #86 - Dragonfly on the Warriors official website (Warrior of the Week #86) (backup link)
Notes and references[]
Author references
Kin cats | |
---|---|
Leaders | Darktail |
Members | Rain • Raven • Nettle • Roach • Dragonfly • Flame • Silt • Thistle |
ShadowClan defectors | Needletail • Juniperclaw • Sleekwhisker • Violetshine • Berryheart • Cloverfoot • Beenose • Sparrowtail • Mistcloud • Buster • Birchbark • Lioneye • Slatefur • Puddleshine • Strikestone • Dawnpelt • Stonewing • Grassheart • Whorlpelt • Snaketooth • Flowerstem • Snowbird • Scorchfur • Yarrowleaf • Conefoot • Frondwhisker • Gullswoop • Ratscar • Oakfur • Pinenose • Spikefur |
Kittypet recruits | Max • Zelda • Loki |
RiverClan prisoners | Reedwhisker • Mintfur • Icestar • Brackenpelt |