Zelda

"We want to stay until Darktail is defeated. He's so cruel...We want to be sure that he's gone for good."

— Zelda to Bramblestar before they battle the Kin in Shattered Sky, chapter 17

Zelda
The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation.
Affiliations
Current:	Kittypet
Past:	The Kin
Names
Rogue:	Zelda
Kin:	Zelda
Kittypet:	Zelda
Book appearances
Living	Shattered Sky, Darkest Night
Living	Shattered Sky, Darkest Night

Zelda is a plump, tabby she-cat with a glossy pelt.

Zelda is a kittypet when Thistle and Roach bring her, Loki, and Max to Darktail in order to join the Kin. She excitedly joins the Kin at Darktail's suggestion, and is put under the care of Violetpaw. With the help of Violetpaw, she eagerly learns a lot about life as a rogue in the Kin, and Violetpaw even notes that Zelda would make a great Clan apprentice due to her enthusiasm. When she and her friends consider leaving, Darktail makes them stay, saying the Kin needs all the support they can get. She stays in the forest until Darktail is slain, in which she decides she ultimately has to go back to her housefolk and that they miss her. Violetpaw is saddened by her leaving, as they had grown close, but ultimately Zelda returns with Loki to her housefolk.

History

In the A Vision of Shadows arc

Shattered Sky

"Oh, I love feasts! When I lived with my housefolk, they had feasts sometimes, with scraps of all different kinds of food. They played a game with me: they'd put my feast into the garbage can, and I had to hunt for it. It was fun!"

―Zelda on her kittypet life ^{Shattered Sky, chapter 9}

Zelda, Loki, and Max first appear when Thistle and Roach escort them from Twolegplace under Darktail's order. She is noted to be looking around nervously as the kittypets enter the camp. Violetpaw exclaims they are kittypets, and Needletail mutters about Thistle and Roach having bees in their brains for bringing them there. Darktail emerges from his den and comes over to meet the kittypets with a polite greeting. After some displeased cats voice their opinions, Darktail silences them and beckons the kittypets to introduce themselves, Zelda among them. She says she heard about the Clan cats living by the lake from her friend, Minty, and adds how she always wanted to meet them. She explains how Minty told her and her friends about when her housefolk's den was flooded, and how much fun she had. Darktail calls the Clan cats vicious, and she looks surprised but doesn't speak out against the rogue leader. When they're stating the oath, her voice is said to ring out clearly, as if she meant every word she said, to which Violetpaw wonders if she knows what she's promising. When the blood pact is sealed, Zelda's, Loki's and Max's eyes are shining with enthusiasm; Violetpaw is then put in charge of Zelda.

Zelda is taken by Violetpaw to collect the remaining prey Needletail and Violetpaw had caught, and then spent the rest of the day being shown around ShadowClan's territory, noting that they climbed a tree that looks over the Twolegplace, Zelda trying to work out which of the dens was hers. She tells Violetpaw about the dog who lived in the nest nearby and adds that it loves to chase cats, and they're lucky it is too heavy to catch them. Violetpaw then teaches her some hunting techniques, and the apprentice is impressed by how attentively the kittypet listens, even though she doesn't catch anything. She realizes Zelda would've made a good apprentice, and feels bad that the she-cat must live the boring life of a kittypet.

Upon returning to camp, Zelda chooses a shrew from the fresh-kill pile, mentioning that she's never tasted an animal before, but she really enjoyed it. She explains to a confused Violetpaw that she usually ate dry, hard pellets. Violetpaw wishes Zelda wouldn't have to go back to her housefolk, and that the tabby she-cat would stay and be her friend. The other visiting kittypets then arrive; the plump tabby asks if they had fun, noting that she saw everything and thought her time was fantastic. The others tell of their experiences, and Zelda comments that for once, they'll have stories to tell Minty. Loki comments that he's full, but his housefolk will still try to feed him, to which Zelda comments that she'll still eat because she doesn't want her housefolk to stare at her.

Violetpaw meows to Zelda that she'll have to come and find her in Twolegplace sometime. Zelda is about to reply when Darktail cuts her off, saying that the kittypets shouldn't leave as they have so much to learn. While he is trying to convince the kittypets to stay longer, Zelda casts an uncertain look at Violetpaw. Darktail mentions that they could get attacked by the Clans at any moment, to which the she-cat uneasily asks if it's likely to happen. Max says they could stay another night, Loki and Zelda agree. Violetpaw shows her new friend to her nest in what used to be the apprentice's den. The kittypet cuddles up next to Violetpaw and quickly falls asleep.

While trying to comfort Needletail while the rogue is having a bad dream, Violetpaw hopes she won't disturb Zelda, who is noted to be sleeping on the far side of the den. She thinks about how since the kittypets had come, things had gotten worse, and Darktail had convinced them to stay even longer.

Later, the ShadowClan rogues line up on the border with RiverClan, all cats included, even the elders and kittypets. Zelda, standing next to Violetpaw, murmurs that she's nervous and wishes she had eaten. Darktail tells her that after the battle, there'll be a feast, and she comments about how she loves feasts, and how her housefolk would give her different scraps of food. Darktail is noted to look as if he wants to claw her ears off, before he beckons the kittypets and elders forward and announces that they'll be at the front of the line, leading the fight. The three visitors appear alarmed. When the battle begins, Violetpaw realizes that the kittypets look as if they have no idea what they're doing, specifically noting that Zelda opened her mouth and, rather than a battle roar, a squeak came out. During the fight, the apprentice checks to see how the kittypets and the elders are. She sees Zelda with a large gash in her hind leg, limping and in pain.

After the battle, Violetpaw is sharing a fish with Loki and Zelda. Loki and Violetpaw agree that the fish tastes bad, and Zelda's only response is a sigh, having lost their enthusiasm when Max was killed, and the black-and-white apprentice being their only friend at this point. The tabby kittypet complains that some cats left the nasty bones of fish behind, exclaiming that they could attract scavengers.

Zelda and Yarrowleaf take their turns guarding the RiverClan prisoners, and Violetpaw offers to keep guard while they go get something to eat. The former kittypet's eyes light up, and the two cats race off toward the fresh-kill pile. Violetpaw's discussion with the imprisoned cats is interrupted as the previous guards return, with Zelda giving Violetpaw a strange look. Violetpaw remembers their discussion from last night, remembering Zelda had revealed that she wants to go back to her housefolk still, yet she believes Darktail will never let her. The apprentice wonders if the tabby would ever betray her if she found out Violetpaw was feeding the prisoners, realizing she can't risk trusting the kittypet as she might turn her in just to get Darktail's favor. Violetpaw looks into Zelda's eyes, but her expression is unreadable. Later, the kittypet is taking the night guard, appearing tired. Violetpaw greets her, and for a moment Zelda thinks she's an intruder, but quickly realizes it's her friend. The apprentice asks to see Needletail, and the tabby tells her she can't, as they'll both get in trouble. After some convincing, she agrees, though is clearly distraught.

Later, it is briefly noted that the black-and-white she-cat had made a new nest to get privacy from her friend. When Darktail catches Violetpaw trying to give him poppy seeds, Zelda is seen again guarding the prisoners den, and looks scared as Darktail approaches.

The Clans manage to defeat Darktail, and Zelda decides she must return to her home in Twolegplace. Violetpaw asks if she really has to go home, and that she's going to miss her as a friend. Zelda responds that she'll miss her too, but she must return to her housefolk. The apprentice thinks about Max, and realizes that the kittypets were once carefree, but will never forget the horrors of Darktail's leadership. The tabby kittypet promises to visit her every once and a while, also mentioning that she's glad Violetpaw found her kin. Violetpaw asks if she'll be okay and if she should come with them, and they decline, exiting through the thorn tunnel. The apprentice says goodbye, and wishes for StarClan to light their path.

Darkest Night

Alderheart is searching for the six-toed cat. He decides, since he can't find anything in the Clans, a kittypet might be the answer. When he visits the Twolegplace, group of them corner him, including an unknown she-cat, and demand to know why he came there. He looks at them, and notices they look familiar. He recognizes that they’d been held captive by Darktail. He suddenly remembers that the she-cat's name is Zelda. Alderheart exclaims the she-cat's name, and she backs away scared, asking how he knew her. Alderheart then describes how he is ThunderClan's medicine cat, and he saw her in the battle with the rogues. He explains why he is here, and Zelda is shocked to hear a cat has six toes.

Loki says that cats don't have six toes, but Jasper lost a toe and now has four. Zelda says he lost it after it was infected. Alderheart expresses sympathy, to which Jasper angrily hisses he didn't need a stray's care. Zelda clarifies Alderheart is a Clan cat. Jasper is still furious, despite what the other kittypets try to say. Zelda blinks apologetically at him, saying Jasper is okay. Alderheart asks Zelda if she has seen any six-toed cats around, to which she and the other kittypets reply they haven't. Zelda apologizes for not being able to help, and asks Alderheart why he needed to find one. He decides they won't understand, so he thanks them for their help and decides to leave. Before he does, Zelda asks if he wants any of her Twoleg food. He says no, shuddering at the thought, and Zelda and the other kittypets express their goodbyes as he leaves.

Character pixels

The pixel artwork is fanart based on the canon description; undefined traits are left to the artist's interpretation. Kittypet Version Rogue Version The Kin Version

Appearances

• Shattered Sky (First appearance)
• Darkest Night
• River of Fire (Mentioned only)

Trivia

Author statements

• Kate suspects one of the editors named Zelda after the titular character from The Legend of Zelda.
• Kate believes Zelda to be a brown tabby.

Quotes

Loki: "I never knew how many of you there were. And you have such a great place to live. I'm glad that we got to see it."

Zelda: "Now we've got stories to tell Minty!"

^{Shattered Sky, chapter 6}

«The two surviving kittypets had changed since the battle, when Max had been killed. Their excitement and enthusiasm had drained away, and they seemed to realize that they would never be allowed to leave the Kin. Darktail no longer treated them with fake friendliness; he and the other rogues simply ignored them, and Violetpaw was their only friend.»

—Violetpaw on Zelda and Loki ^{Shattered Sky, chapter 11}

"I still want to go home to my housefolk, but I don't think that Darktail is ever going to let me."

―Zelda to Violetpaw ^{Shattered Sky, chapter 13}

«Loki and Zelda were carefree once. But they'll never be able to forget what they've seen under Darktail.»

—Violetpaw about the kittypets before they leave for home ^{Shattered Sky, chapter 22}

External links

• Best of the Worst on the Warriors official website (backup link) (Indirect mention only)

Fan content

• Warrior of the Week #82 - Zelda on the Warriors official website (Warrior of the Week #82) (backup link)
• Our favorite kittypets artwork on the Warriors official website (backup link)

Notes and references

Author references