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Post by phantomstar57 on Jan 16, 2019 14:06:56 GMT -5
Yours is one of several I am reading! Just taking time.
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Post by darkfeather88 on Jan 16, 2019 18:01:33 GMT -5
(Sorry was not trying to be whiny about it. I was just curious about what I could do to make this better.)
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Post by phantomstar57 on Jan 16, 2019 20:41:37 GMT -5
(Sorry was not trying to be whiny about it. I was just curious about what I could do to make this better.) Understood. I know the feeling when there isn't much response but if the tale is good eventually people do read. They may never comment t you find out later that they read and enjoyed it. A coded format is not necessary but can help, but sometimes it can hurt. Depending on what font and size and contrast in colors people choose, it can make it easier or more difficult to read. So far I have not had trouble reading yours.
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Post by darkfeather88 on Jan 16, 2019 21:17:05 GMT -5
(So... What do you like about it so far?)
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Post by phantomstar57 on Jan 17, 2019 13:41:26 GMT -5
(So... What do you like about it so far?) I am enjoying the differing pov in delving deeper into Rusty/Firepaw's personality and thinking processes. And enjoying the veer from events and small things in the original. The What Ifs when a decision is not made or changed etc and what that ripple effect turns out to be. It is the same thing I had fun with writing my Fic which is set further in the future during the Vision of Shadows arcs. When I introduced my OCs into the Clans, it changed things, and how they all respond, and the new dangers I brought in, changed things as well. It can be hard to do esp when writing canon characters, and stay true to them yet true to your own OCs, but it is fun. You are, so far, pulling it off well.
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Post by scint on Jan 20, 2019 19:32:21 GMT -5
(I really enjoy the way you characterize Rusty/Firepaw, and Bitterclaw is actually beginning to grow on me. Your First series rewrite is a lot better than mine. I really like the pacing so far, I think it's quite decent and I also think the characters are consistent for the most part. I'm going to bookmark this thread so I won't lose track of when it's updated, although I did read the last few chapters on FFN instead.)
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Post by darkfeather88 on Jan 20, 2019 21:50:58 GMT -5
(Thank you Hazelholly for your kind words.
You said characters are consistent for the most part. Is there anyone that is strange to you?
Also... here is a fun fact... The Nightmares? All canon characters.)
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Post by scint on Jan 20, 2019 22:44:57 GMT -5
(Hmm, there are some moments when the characters in seem a little out of character at times, but for me it's hardly noticeable unless I read the chapter over for a second time. )
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Post by darkfeather88 on Jan 20, 2019 23:10:55 GMT -5
(Ooopss… Sorry...
Though, some characters are going to be different than canon because of differences in their pasts. So... some characters are going to be different on propose... And some of it is on accident. So... there is that...)
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Post by scint on Jan 20, 2019 23:28:27 GMT -5
(That's alright! I have trouble keeping canon characters in my AU stories in character sometimes, so I get it!)
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Post by phantomstar57 on Jan 21, 2019 14:32:30 GMT -5
(Thank you Hazelholly for your kind words. You said characters are consistent for the most part. Is there anyone that is strange to you? Also... here is a fun fact... The Nightmares? All canon characters.) Not so far. Everyone is ringing true so far. One has to account for the variants that change in events will do, but I don't see a deviation from how the characters respond and their basic personalities :-)
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Post by darkfeather88 on Jan 24, 2019 0:12:09 GMT -5
Chapter 6: Border Lines
“Hey, Firepaw! Time to go!”
“That is Bitterclaw!” Firepaw realized as he slowly stood up. “I guess that it is time… Time to start my training as a warrior… But somehow, I need to tell her what I have learnt… And see if she got to warn Redtail…”
With a heavy heart, Firepaw carefully stepped around the sleeping Graypaw and exited the den. He blinked his eyes at the harsh sunlight, almost running into Bitterclaw.
“Hello there Firepaw!” she mewed. “Are you ready for today? Now, go pick out something off of the fresh-kill pile and then we will… Firepaw, are you okay? Did you sleep well?”
“It was a rough night,” Firepaw stated with embarrassment. “However, I don’t want to talk about it in camp…”
Bitterclaw just gave him a low nod to show that she understood that he wanted to talk about something that he didn’t want others to overhear. She then straightened her form as she looked down at him.
“Go eat something to eat,” she ordered, flicking her tail. “Then I will show you the borders with the other clans. I will be waiting for you by the exit.”
As Bitterclaw left, Firepaw slowly stepped over to the fresh-kill pile, wary about the reaction he would get. However, there seemed to be only two cats by the fresh-kill pile. The first cat was a gray tabby tom with amber eyes. The second cat was an elderly she cat that resembled the tom besides her pinkish orange tail. However, that wasn’t helping Firepaw’s nerves as he moved closer to the pile of prey. He carefully picked out the smallest adult mouse and went to move away.
“Hello, Firepaw!” mewed the she cat, causing Firepaw to freeze. “Why don’t you join us? I would love to learn a bit more about you.”
“I would love to stay,” mewed the tom. “But I need to join a patrol… See you later, Rosetail.”
“Is he leaving because I am here?” Firepaw wondered as he carried his mouse over, still keeping a slight distance from the she cat. “Does he not like me? Or is it for another reason?”
“Sorry, I cannot stay for long,” Firepaw stated. “Bitterclaw is taking me out to see the borders…”
“Okay sorry to hear that,” the elderly she cat. “However, I just want to tell you how glad I am that Bitterclaw has an apprentice. I thought that Bluestar would never would so… I’m glad that she has this chance.”
“Why do you say that?” Firepaw asked, listening. “Surely Bluestar would have…”
“Well…” began the elder. “Bluestar always blamed Bitterclaw and Hollowtail for what happened to her… On how she was blamed for Thistleclaw’s actions…”
“I understood that there seemed to be bad-blood between Bluestar and my mentor,” Firepaw reflected. “Based on how they seemed to act, but I don’t know what happened… What could have happened that would have been so bad? Wait… Just what else am I missing here?”
“Oh dear!” giggled the elder. “Sorry for rambling! Now, why don’t you take a bite of your mouse? Bitterclaw is getting frustrated with me!”
Sure enough, Bitterclaw looked like she wanted to glare down the elder. Looking down at his mouse, Firepaw took a bite and gulped it down.
“This is delicious!” he exclaimed. “Just what have I been missing? This is so juicy!”
However, as he quickly gobbled up everything besides the bones, he saw Redtail talking to Bluestar and his heart and stomach sank.
“I hope that Bitterclaw got the warning to him,” he thought sadly. “No one deserves to die that way… Betrayed…”
Firepaw was afraid to speak to the deputy: he was afraid of being laughed at or called a liar. Even if the older tom did believe him, that would lead him to having his secret revealed to the clan… Or at least, it would reveal to Bluestar that he now knew of the prophecy.
“I don’t want to think about what she would say,” Firepaw sighed. “So let’s not think about it… I am going out to see the territory… I am going to be taking my first steps as an apprentice.”
“Now Firepaw,” Rosetail mewed, tone serious. “If you have any questions, or just need anyone to talk to, you an come to me anytime. I will look forward to learning more about you.”
Firepaw just nodded as he carefully picked up the bones and carried them over to Bitterclaw. Bitterclaw, in turn, lost the frustrated look and gave him a smile.
“Are you going to carry that all day?” she asked as she tried to hide her giggles. “Well, follow me and we will bury it under a tree… But next time, we have a place next to the Dirtplace that we bury the bones of our prey.” As Bitterclaw exited the camp, Firepaw followed her, excitement building in his heart. The first thing that they did was go up to the nearest tree. As Bitterclaw watched, Firepaw carefully dug a small hole and placed the tiny bones in it. He then quickly covered them.
“Now, first we are heading over to our border with ShadowClan,” Bitterclaw stated. “Then we will go along the other borders… We can talk about what you wanted on the way… However… I don’t have good news myself. I did talk to Redtail, but he didn’t believe me. I couldn’t get him to believe me without giving your secret away… I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s not your fault,” Firepaw replied, his excitement falling as sadness creeped in. “It’s mine...”
“No, your fears are very understandable,” Bitterclaw answered back, beginning to move a certain direction. “You, in your own way, want some form of control in your life… And I’m not losing you to the medicine cats!”
“Speaking of control…” Firepaw thought as he walked behind her. “I need to tell her about the prophecy…”
“Bitterclaw, I had a very strange dream last night,” he began after taking a deep breath. “I went to sleep and woke up in a very dark and foreboding…”
Bitterclaw suddenly stopped, her fur rising along her back. Her tail fluffed up as she quickly turned to face.
“No!” Bitterclaw snarled, upset and confused. “Why would anyone there go for…? Who did you meet there?”
“Wait… You have been in the Dark Forest too?” Firepaw exclaimed in a soft whisper, surprised that neither one of them had started yelling out loud. “Did you end up meeting the Nightmares too?”
“The Nightmares?” Bitterclaw questioned. “Just what are they? Are they also cats that have done terrible things and want to destroy the clans?”
“No… We are the ones that try to keep those cats in their place!”
Shivers ran down his spine as Patches suddenly appeared behind them, green eyes glowing as he glanced around. Bitterclaw turned to face him, hissing, while Firepaw just looked at him confused.
“Patches, what are you doing here?” he wondered. “And how in the world did you get here? Weren't you in the land of the dead?"
“Who are you and what are you doing on ThunderClan’s territory?” Bitterclaw hissed “Don’t make me send you running, you mousebrain i…”
“What could you do to me?” Patches questioned, turning his attention on her. “I’m dead… A spirit… And normally, you wouldn’t be able to see. I revealed myself to you because I was curious about Firepaw’s mentor.”
“How do you know that?” Bitterclaw snarled. “Have you been spying on us?”
She then leaped in front of the nightmare and stuck him across his muzzle, causing Firepaw to mentally panic. However, Patches just gave Bitterclaw a bored look.
“Listen, Bitterclaw, I’m on your side,” Patches sighed as dark, almost black blood dripped down onto the ground. “My job here is to find and return any runaways and help Firepaw with the prophecy about him…”
“Prophecy?” Bitterclaw growled. “What are you talking about?”
“No Patches!” Firepaw call out in alarm. “Stop! I was trying to tell her that myself!”
“Oh dear… I hope that there is no one else around!” Firepaw thought, adding to that alarm. “Otherwise, both Bitterclaw and I look like crazy cats!”
With that thought, Firepaw quickly glanced around the area. Luckily, there was no one around and there was also no prey nearby. Returning his sight to the other two, he noticed that both Patches and Bitterclaw were talking. Bitterclaw was still wary while Patches just seemed bored, even with the blood dripping from his muzzle.
“Well, this is great…” Firepaw groaned. “I wonder just what they are talking about? And… Why is Patches here anyways? Whatever the reason, it can’t be good.”
“Are you serious?” Bitterclaw suddenly snarled. “She did what? StarClan did that!”
Firepaw had little warning before Bitterclaw shook her head then stormed off in anger. Firepaw let out a gasp then followed her, hoping that he hadn’t upset her. The last thing that wanted was to anger one of the few cats that was on his side.
“Just what did Patches say to her?” Firepaw thought with worry. “And why did she run off like that?”
Then, before he knew it, he stepped out of woods into a clearing. Before him lay a Thunderpath, the black stones taunting him. Firepaw found his self beginning to panic, remembering the time that the rogues tried to murder him by throwing him into the Thunderpath. He couldn’t breathe, and he was shaking as the memories overtake him. Suddenly, he smelt Bitterclaw as she sat beside him.
“It’s alright, Firepaw,” she mewed calmly. “I’m not mad at you… I just couldn’t believe what that cat told me…”
Surrounded by her scent, Firepaw began to calm down. However, he closed his eyes in order to not see the Thunderpath. The last thing that he wanted, besides upsetting his mentor, was to relive his kittypet life. While his twolegs had been nice, he had not been there for too long, and had never truly bonded with them as many kittypets did. Adding to that, there was the fact that he would never have been accepted by the rest of the kittypets: with hateful and angry looks that always followed his every pawstep.
“If I am ever going to prove everyone wrong, I cannot be held back by my fears,” Firepaw told his self. “If I don’t… I will forever be seen as a weak kittypet by the rest of the clan… Somehow, I need to step forward. I cannot let the past hold me back.”
However, it was hard to focus when he could still smell the acidic scent of the Thunderpath not too far away. With Bitterclaw besides him, he was able to focus on her scent in order to calm his self mostly down.
“Hey Firepaw,” Bitterclaw mewed. “Do you trust that cat? Despite his strange appearance… Despite where he was from… Though, just what did he do to get into the Dark Forest…”
“As strange as it seems,” Firepaw replied. “I do trust him… And the other Nightmares… Unlike some cats, they were at least willing to tell me the truth… Not to say that I blame you at all! I mean, you were the only one willing to train me…”
“Firepaw, I would encourage you not to meet with them,” Bitterclaw sighed. “Not because where they are, because that would make me a hypocrite…”
“A hypocrite?” Firepaw questioned, turning towards her. “How?”
“My father tried to introduce me to his ‘spiritual’ mentor,” Bitterclaw stated, sounding sad. “However, I didn’t trust my father, so I felt like there was something strange going on. When I saw the newcomer, I bolted… And for several nights after that, I returned to that nightmare of a forest… Having my father and his mentor taunt me… That being said, that forest seems to have a corrupting force… The longer you are there, the darker you become…”
“That could be true…” Firepaw agreed. “That place seemed so dark, unwelcoming… That is, until he led me to a clearing that seemed different than the rest… It didn’t feel as dark as the rest of the forest… In fact, there was a small gap in the barrier where you could see a place that sparkled like the stars…”
Firepaw, with his eyes still closed, explained everything, leaving out no details. Bitterclaw just quietly listened, not asking any questions. When he had finished, she sighed.
“So the Nightmares are the ones that try to keep those imprisoned within the Dark Forest?” Bitterclaw questioned. “And they were once all kits that died young..? Seriously? There is something very wrong with this picture… Why convert kits?”
“That is… A very good question,” Firepaw realized. “I didn’t think about that when I was there… But… That is odd… That the one that created them, turned them into monsters, seemed to only target kits for transformation. Though, I got the impression that they were willing to be transformed into nightmares…”
“Whatever… Just promise me that you will be careful,” Bitterclaw added on. “It sounds like they could snap at any time… Become a danger to you.”
“I promise to be careful, Bitterclaw,” Firepaw mewed. “After all, I have to be my best… For the good of all the clans…”
“Because I have a prophecy hanging over me,” Firepaw added to his self bitterly. “That will somehow save ThunderClan from… Something.”
“No,” Bitterclaw stated strongly. “Do not stay safe because of a prophecy. Promise me for yourself… And become the best cat you want to be. I can see that you want with all your heart to be a respected warrior… Do not worry about some prophecy and just live your life. StarClan doesn’t have the right to control your life. Now… Can you open your eyes?”
Firepaw opened his eyes slowly and tried not to panic at the sight of the Thunderpath. He was only able to stay still by looking at Bitterclaw.
“Well, this is our border with ShadowClan,” Bitterclaw told him, noticing his reaction. “And… I guess that I don’t have to tell you to be careful of the Thunderpath. However, if you find an unusual scent, one that smells of mud and pines, you go find help then attack. Now, lets go… There is no need to bring up bad memories.”
“But I can’t run away from it forever,” Firepaw sighed as they moved away from the Thunderpath. “There will be a time where I will have to face my fears.”
“But not today,” Bitterclaw stated firmly. “These things do take time… You will not face your fears easily for a while yet. If you want, if we are not busy with our duties, we can come here so that you can face the Thunderpath… It is okay to be wary, but you are right, there is little need for panic…”
“She understands!” Firepaw exclaimed in his head, his fear exiting his body with each step they took away from the Thunderpath. “She may not like everything that is going on, but she is willing to support me, to help me… How did I get so lucky with my mentor?”
“Now, we are heading toward the Owl Tree,” Bitterclaw explained. “You can hunt there but you have to be careful. There is an owl that likes to roost there… While it normally doesn’t go for cats, competing with us for our prey, there is the small chance that it could go after you… Or any other cat in the patrol.”
Firepaw nodded to show that he heard and understood. However, Bitterclaw fell silent, ears flicking. Firepaw mimicked her, sniffing the air. The scent of mouse entered his nose right before a mouse bolted out in front of him. Firepaw reacted as the mouse dashed straight toward him. He pinned it with his claws as he bit down, blood filling his mouth.
“Great job, Firepaw!” laughed Bitterclaw. “Not bad for your first time, though I was surprised to see it run straight at you…”
“Hey! That was mine, you foxheart!”
Sandpaw rushed out with a snarl, tackling Firepaw in her anger. She pinned him, showing him his teeth. However, in that action, Firepaw forgot everything else as he stared in shock at the she cat on top of her. He forgot that he was supposed to be upset that his clanmate is attacking him. He forgot that he was afraid of the Thunderpath: he even forgot his other worries, including his thoughts about how young he was to be seeking love.
“Wow, she is strong…” Firepaw thought. “And she is so pretty…”
Sandpaw slapped him upside the head and that was when he realized that he said that out loud, not just in his thoughts. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw both Bitterclaw and a large white tom had slightly stunned looks on their faces. However, there was a hint of anger on the tom’s face.
“Sandpaw, get off of your clanmate!” he ordered. “We do not attack our clanmates no matter what!”
“But he is a kittypet!” Sandpaw snorted as she leaped off. “How can a kittypet even be a warrior? He doesn’t share our blood and he smells of twolegs! He is going to be too soft!”
“Sandpaw, it is not your place to question Bluestar’s decision,” the white tom mewed. “And Firepaw was helpful by catching the mouse that was spooked by your actions. While I know that you have already done well with your hunt, this just shows that even the best hunters can make mistakes. Just learn from this… I know that you will do well, just... There is no need to taunt Firepaw for not being clan-born.”
Firepaw shook out his short fur as he stood up. He noticed that Sandpaw just rolled her eyes at her mentor’s words.
“Of course, I am going to be great!” Sandpaw declared. “I’m the daughter of the deputy… Failure isn’t an option! I just don’t see why we have to waste time on a cat that is surely going to run back to his twolegs the first change that he gets…”
“I will prove you wrong, then,” Firepaw stated as he faced her. “I will fight to prove myself to everyone… and to you. I will prove that blood isn’t the only factor behind who can be a warrior…I will make everyone proud to have beside me, both as a warrior and as a friend.”
“Then maybe, something more,” Firepaw thought. “You are so fierce and wild… I wish that you would look past my kittypet blood to see me as I am…”
“Okay Firepaw!” Bitterclaw called out with a sharp smile. “Enough mooning around! Lets head towards the RiverClan’s border. Whitestorm, Sandpaw, we will leave you to your hunting.”
“Be careful, Bitterclaw,” the white tom mewed. “There may be some RiverClan warriors on SunningRocks… And don’t worry about the mouse. I will take it back when we are done…”
Bitterclaw nodded as Firepaw joined her, feeling slightly embarrassed by the situation. However, he was curious to see the SunningRocks and to gaining more knowledge about the culture of the clans.
“I do wonder what is so special about SunningRocks?” he questioned his self. “And why we seem to think that the SunningRocks belongs to us…”
He walked after Bitterclaw as she led him to a large oak. Glancing up, he saw a large hole where something could live.
“Is this the Owl Tree?” Firepaw inquired. “And that is where the owl lives?”
“Yes, that is correct,” Bitterclaw stated. “While it can be a danger to our smaller cats, we have learnt to use the owl to see if there prey nearby. After all, if the owl can find prey, then there or likely to be more prey in the same area. Now, let’s get over to the RiverClan border… Before it could be dangerous for your training.”
“Dangerous? How?” Firepaw questioned, flicking his ears.
“Well, let’s just say that we don’t have a good relationship with RiverClan,” Bitterclaw stated with a sigh. “Thanks to SunningRocks… Now, I have a question… When did you start mooning over Sandpaw? It looks like she shares the clan’s opinion about kittypet blood.”
“I… well…” Firepaw stuttered. “At first, I had a vision… Where we had kits…”
“Okay, let me stop you right there!” Bitterclaw stated harshly as she stopped right there and faced him. “While your power is useful, you cannot base your decision on that! That is wrong in so many ways!”
“And…. I know that,” Firepaw continued to stutter. “And I wanted to get…. To know her as my clanmate… But then… She just knocked me over and… Wow, she is tough! But… I know that this is just a crush and that things could change, but still… Wow…”
“Oh… You’re one of those cats,” Bitterclaw growled, rolling her eyes. “Well, you have a lot of work to do if you want to prove yourself… And if you want kits that badly, well, when you are old enough, when you are a warrior, all you have to do is to be patience!”
“Patience?” Firepaw questioned. “What do you mean?”
“Well, if a she cat wants kits yet does not have a mate,” Bitterclaw began. “All she has to do is ask one of the toms and if they accept… They leave the camp for a while when she is ready to have kits and... well, they make babies. That way the clan will have kits that will grow into the next generation of warrior, and the practice allows those that do not want mates or have mates that cannot produce kits yet want them to be happy.”
“What in the world?” Firepaw thought, confused. “That is not how it goes down in the Twolegplace… Though I do remember my mother complaining about the fact that most of the toms did not in fact stay to see their kits… Or stay put and only take one mate… Though now that I am thinking about it… Where did my mother get those ideas? What Bitterclaw is stating now is very similar to what my mother used to preach…”
“Okay, we are here, Firepaw,” Bitterclaw mewed, surprising him out of his thoughts. “Now… We will not be leaving the shelter of the leaves, but I want you to sniff the air and tell me what you smell.”
Firepaw obeyed as he took a quick sniff. He winkled his nose as a fishy scent entered his nose and put his paw on it to try and get rid of the horrible stink. Bitterclaw giggled at his reaction.
“Very fishy, isn’t it?” she added. “That is RiverClan’s scent. Should you find it anywhere over in the woods, you see if you can find the cat or patrol on our territory then get help if you need it! Until we get you a fighting style that fits your body type, I don’t want you fighting RiverClan alone! They are for the most part going to be much larger than you and are more muscular than a lot of ThunderClan cats.”
“Well thanks,” Firepaw snapped back mentally. “I needed to be reminded again that I am a runt… Wonderful, just wonderful. Then again, it seems like everyone is larger than me!”
“Now, while we are not going to be going any closer,” Bitterclaw continued. “So that we don’t start any battles accidently, but I want you to see SunningRocks… To know what we have been fighting for and what we are trying to reclaim.”
Firepaw peeked out of the bushes and then understood her reasoning. SunningRock lay on what should be ThunderClan territory, with the river being on the other side on the rocks. It was a very large pile of flat rocks where cats could lay and feel the sun on their pelt. In the forest that ThunderClan lived in, there was very few places that the ThunderClan cats could do so, with one of those places being in camp.
“Okay, I can see why ThunderClan would want this place!” Firepaw stated to his self. “It’s quiet out here and you could relax without all of the noise of camp… And it looks like it would be the best and largest place to be able to sun. There could be many cats sunning out here…”
However, the stones were not the only thing he noticed. There was a large, muscular dark reddish brown tom laying out on the flat rocks, yawning as he seemed to be peacefully sleeping. Bitterclaw snorted at the sight.
“That stupid mousebrain!” she snarled. “Firepaw when we get back SunningRocks… Don’t be like that idiot! Always have someone that you can trust with you… I would love it if you had at least two other cats with you while on SunningRocks…”
At that moment, the breeze changed direction and began to blow from behind them… And towards the RiverClan warrior. Firepaw saw Bitterclaw’s fierce look turn into one of worry as the tom sniffed the air then opened his amber eyes. Then, with a yawn he leaped off of the rocks as he headed straight for where they were. Firepaw unsheathed his claws.
“Oh no…” he thought. “Are we going to get into a fight? And how will I be able to fight someone like him?”
“Bitterclaw,” the tom called out. “I know that you are there… Come on and let’s talk… And bring out your friend.”
“Stay behind me,” Bitterclaw whispered to him. “And try to stay silent… While Oakheart isn’t going to do anything, it never hurts to be careful…”
“Why does Bitterclaw have any faith that Oakheart won’t do anything to either of us?” Firepaw wondered with a gulp as they both stepped out, facing the strong warrior. “He is of an enemy clan and he could just attack us just for being so close… Unless Bitterclaw knows something that I don’t… Which would be a lot at this point.”
“Oakheart, what do you want?” Bitterclaw snapped. “I have places to be and the last thing that I need is to be seen here talking to you!”
“Who is this young tom?” the tom, Oakheart asked, ignoring Bitterclaw for the moment. “This cat doesn’t seem someone that has been announced at one of the Gatherings… Unless he happens to be a rogue that Bluestar took in…”
Firepaw had to do everything in his power to keep from flinching as Oakheart came up to him and sniffed him. A hiss of distaste came out of the RiverClan warrior’s mouth as he then backed up.
“Oakheart, leave my apprentice alone!” Bitterclaw snarled. “He doesn’t need you all up in his business!”
“A kittypet?” he mewed, sounding slightly confused. “I’m… surprised that Bluestar would even think to bring a kittypet into the clan after what happened with Pinestar… Though, I guess that wouldn’t mean the cats themselves if they chose to leave behind their former life… Say, what is your name, apprentice?”
“Er… Firepaw!” Firepaw yelped out, wanting to get away from this muscular tom. “Can you… get away from me?”
“Fire… paw?” muttered Oakheart just loud enough for him to hear. “That is unusual… The timing of this is…”
“Why I am not getting a good feeling about this?” Firepaw thought with worry. “He is acting like he knows something that we don’t… Or maybe…”
“Hey Firepaw,” mewed Oakheart, staring at the markings on his legs. “Were you born with those markings on those legs? They seem very unusual… especially for a kittypet. Are you not sure that this tom is not related to Pinestar in some way? After all… ThunderClan failed to keep track of what their leader did…”
“Oakheart… Shut up!” Bitterclaw snarled, looking very insulted. “We don’t go around insulting your past leaders!”
“None of our leaders felt the need to leave the clan either,” Oakheart snapped back playfully. “To the point that we had to add a rule to our Warrior Code. But seriously… I’m surprised that Bluestar let you have an apprentice, considering that she hates you…”
As Bitterclaw and Oakheart snapped back and forth, Firepaw noticed something strange about this chat. While Bitterclaw wanted nothing to do with Oakheart, being even sharper in tone than normal, Oakheart seemed more playful than upset. For someone that belonged to a different clan, Oakheart was sure being friendly towards them.
“Is there something that I am missing here?” he wondered. “This situation is just totally strange…”
“Well, we are getting out of here!” Bitterclaw snapped. “Come on, Firepaw. We have wasted enough time here.”
Firepaw had ever been so glad to get away from someone so quickly. Bitterclaw went back into the undergrowth and Firepaw went in after her. However, he could still feel Oakheart’s gaze following his pelt.
“I wish that he would stop that!” Firepaw thought bitterly. “I’m not his clanmate nor will I never be!”
“I was hoping that wasn’t going to happen!” Bitterclaw growled. “But looks like my luck was not on my side.”
“What was that all about?” he questioned. “For someone that is an enemy… He was a bit too friendly!”
“That is correct,” Bitterclaw added with a snarl in her throat. “Oakheart may the deputy of RiverClan but he is a mousebrain! Speaking of which, I believe I know the reason that he was acting so friendly towards me… Though without asking Bluestar herself, I have no proof and she would refuse to answer me… Like she always does…”
“Rumors?” Firepaw mewed without thinking. “What rumors?”
Bitterclaw waved him closer and Firepaw stepped towards her, curious about what she was going to say. However, before she could say anything, another voice rang out, with a hint of a sneer.
“Bitterclaw,” Hollowtail stated as he stepped out from around a tree. “Kittypet spawn. Just what were you doing near the RiverClan border? For that matter, why were you talking to that mousebrain Oakheart? You are not being disloyal, are you?”
“No, we were not,” Bitterclaw growled at him. “I was just showing him the border, and he happened to be there… It’s not like I wanted to talk to him!”
“Good… But I am going to report your… chat to Bluestar,” Hollowtail sneered. “After all, I would hate for something to happen to you… You already betray ThunderClan with your training a… worthless kittypet… And RiverClan is the enemy… Remember what they did...”
“Yes, let yourself believe that, you foxheart!” growled Bitterclaw. “At least I will not be found dead on the border, with no sign of what killed you… And if you are so worried, I will tell Bluestar about our encounter with the RiverClan deputy myself! Now, tell me why you are here, or get lost!”
“Bluestar is calling a meeting and she wants everyone there, even the mousebrain kittypet,” Hollowtail answered with a dark smile on his face. “It’s time to take back SunningRocks!”
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Post by darkfeather88 on Feb 5, 2019 22:53:05 GMT -5
(Bump)
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Post by darkfeather88 on Feb 8, 2019 0:34:42 GMT -5
Chapter 7: To Save a Life
It was a long, quiet walk back to camp. To Firepaw’s ears, it seemed like all the prey had fallen silent as Bitterclaw and Hollowtail glared at each other. Firepaw stayed away from Hollowtail, not wanting to end up being scratched by the tom.
“Most of the cats in ThunderClan don’t seem to like me,” Firepaw thought. “But Hollowtail seems to be taking it to the next level…”
Soon enough, the group was near the entrance. With a snort, Hollowtail entered the camp first, to Firepaw’s relief.
“Let’s go,” mewed Bitterclaw. “It is time to see what Bluestar wants…”
“I wonder too…” Firepaw added in his head. “And are we going to get in trouble for talking to Oakheart? It is not like I wanted to see anyone from the other clans… And Oakheart was the one acting too friendly! Bitterclaw wanted nothing to do with him!”
With Bitterclaw in the lead, they entered the camp. Bluestar was standing on Highrock, tall and proud, her long blue-gray fur dancing in the wind. Everyone else was staring toward their leader, claws unsheathed as they waited. Firepaw heard the whispers and felt their excitement in the air. Looking over at the other apprentices, he noticed that Graypaw was waving him over with his tail. With a nod from Bitterclaw, Firepaw joined the other apprentices, causing Sandpaw and Dustpaw to hiss.
“What is going on?” he questioned Graypaw as he sat down. “What is this meeting about?”
“That is why we are all here, kittypet!” snarled Dustpaw. “So shut up and listen!”
“What has his tail in a twist?” he wondered. “Whatever… I need to pay attention…”
“Cats of ThunderClan!” Bluestar began, looking down on her clan. “For too long, RiverClan has been laying around in our territory! It is time to do something about it!”
“Yes! SunningRocks!”
“It’s about time!”
“Time to show those fishbrains who is better!”
Firepaw felt the excitement in the air as cats began to leap onto their paws, tail waving. However, he failed to share their excitement. Instead, he felt a deep seed of horror root itself into his bones as Redtail nodded to his leader.
“Is this the battle that Redtail will die in?” he wondered, glancing around the clan quickly. “Where he fights Oakheart and kills him, then falls to the fangs of his clanmate… Is there truly nothing that I can do to stop it?”
Finally sighting the dark brown tabby pelt of the cat that he saw in his vision, Firepaw’s fur rose on the back of his neck. The tom in question wasn’t cheering like the rest of the clan: his amber sight was on the deputy, a small sneer on his face. If Firepaw hadn’t been looking for anything wrong, he wouldn’t have known that the bulky tom way doing anything.
“Whatever that tom is planning, we can’t let it happen!” Firepaw thought angrily. “And why would a loyal clanmate take out their deputy without warning or reason? Nothing good could come from such a thing…”
Suddenly, Firepaw felt his self freeze in place as suddenly a large number of unknown cats flooded into the camp. He noticed that everyone had disappeared and the only cats that seemed to be in the camp where a few elders, some of the kits but older, an unknown flat-faced gray she cat and…. His self, but older.
“What in the world?” Firepaw exclaimed. “What is this? What is happening here?”
He saw his self fighting some of the rogues with the help of the one former kits. A dark brown tabby with what looked like a broken tail attacked one of the nearby cats. The flat-face gray she cat hissed at the sight. However, he noticed that the dark brown tabby tom, Tigerclaw if he remembered right, fought the incoming rogues for only a little bit before sneaking off to Bluestar’s den. However, his other self had also saw Tigerclaw’s actions and, when he had the chance, darted in right after Tigerclaw. Then, Firepaw soon found his self in Bluestar’s den along with his other half and was horrified by what he saw.
“How in the world can anyone be so cruel?” He thought in horror. “Why would anyone betray their leader in this way? Didn’t he vow to protect and fight for ThunderClan’s honor? Why would he act so dishonorably?”
Bluestar sat in her nest, froze from shock as Tigerclaw and his older self fought, blood dripping from several wounds. Her eyes had the blank look of someone that was on the edge of snapping; of someone about to lose their sanity. However, her attacker only seemed angry that he had failed: that he had failed to murder his own leader in her own nest.
“How could anyone remain sane after that?” Firepaw questioned. “Someone that should be trusted has just betrayed her… Why in the world..?”
“Hello, young Firepaw.”
Firepaw almost leaped out of his pelt in shock as he was thrown out of the vision as a deep sense of terror overtook his body. The only reason that he didn’t run was some force seemed to hold him in place; overtaking his body. He was trapped as he heard a laugh in his mind.
“Oh, little Firepaw,” the voice purred. “StarClan’s chosen savior… I am not here to harm you…”
“Why do I not believe you?” Firepaw snarled back. “We are in the middle of a clan meeting, and it was bad enough that I was having a vision… I really don’t want most of my clanmates to know that I have visions… So leave me alone!”
“Why?” the tom questioned in a smooth tone. “Why hide? Didn’t my children tell you? Star-Blessed are held with high regard, often ending up as medicine cats thanks to StarClan. You could have the respect that you so want with just a few words… And, it would have the added effect of breaking their faith in StarClan…”
“And how would me telling the clan my curse break their faith in StarClan?” Firepaw asked in return, noticing his sight was finally returning to him, though the other still had control of his body. “Surely their faith would be strong to survive something so simple…”
“You are wrong there, little fighter,” the voice purred with a cold whisper. “That would shatter their beliefs... The clan cats believe that the ‘Star-Blessed’ are gifts from StarClan, when in fact, it’s not. The Star-Blessed, the Cursed, the Chosen, the Marked… It doesn’t matter what they are called… It’s something that is passed down through blood… Well, most of the time…”
As the unknown voice droned on, Firepaw saw that most of the clan was returning to normal as Bluestar was no longer on the Highrock. Most of the apprentices had left while Graypaw continually poked his frozen body. The silver-gray apprentice was saying something but, with the unknown voice in his ears, Firepaw failed to hear any of the words.
“This is terrible!” Firepaw thought, trying to mentally struggle. “I can’t move at all… Could anyone do this to me? Take over my body and force me to do things that I don’t want… I could end up accidently murdering someone…”
“That is correct, little Firepaw,” the voice whispered. “This is just an example of what could happen… And the Dark Forest are not only ones that will use your lost against you. In order to get what they want, StarClan is willing to do anything… even murder other cats. Now, be very careful, young Firepaw… While my Nightmares will help you, they cannot stop everything that happens… Now, I have to go…”
“Wait, I have a question!” Firepaw mewed as he felt the other began to loosen their grip. “If you are the one that created the Nightmares… Why did you target kits? Why did you change kits into those cats?”
“Unlike StarClan, I am giving them a chance for change,” the voice snarled, the soft tone becoming bitter and hateful. “They will not have to remain kits for the rest of their spiritual lives, and have an important job: protecting the living from other Nightmares and trying to keep the Dark Forest cats in line… And when they are forced to fall, they will be rewarded… They will get the change that I never had. They will have the chance to live again… As themselves… The chance that I never was able to receive… And speaking of kits, good luck.”
While Firepaw was confused about what the voice said, he felt the voice release him. Then, as he regained the rest of his senses, a little gray ball of fluff tackled him.
“ThunderClan, attack!” Cinderkit yelled as she led the kits against him. “Let’s take care of this rogue!”
“But what if we need help?” questioned Brightkit. “What if we need help?”
“Do not worry, Brightleaf,” the dark gray she cat called out. “If we need any help… If we cannot finish this rogue, then Swifttail and Woodpelt will save us!”
“Hey…” called out a black and white tom kit that had been playing with a dark brown she cat. “Woodkit and I didn’t agree to join in your game… We are too old for that!”
As Cinderkit leaped off of him in order to run over to argue with the other kit, Firepaw slowly stood up and eyed Brackenkit and Thornkit, who were standing nearby watching him. Brightkit was watching with nervous energy, acting as if she didn’t know what to do. Firepaw just sighed to his self as he faced the kits.
“They are nervous because they don’t know me,” Firepaw realized. “They still see me as a stranger… Well, there is just one way to solve this…”
“Oh no, what ever shall I do?” he stated out loud, falling onto his side. “ThunderClan has beaten me! Please have mercy on this poor kittypet…”
With those words, Brightkit cheered at she dashed over and climbed onto him, with her brothers following her, gently pinning him. Cinderkit, seeing what her littermates had been doing, let out a yell of excitement as she leaped onto Firepaw.
“We have won, ThunderClan!” Cinderkit stated proudly. “This kittypet is not a danger to the clan anymore…”
“He shouldn’t be here in the first place!” growled the black and white kit with a snarl. “Goldenflower says that he has no warrior blood… Kittypets should stay with their twolegs and never return to the forest… He is just going to waste our food!”
“We don’t know him yet, brother,” the dark brown she cat pointed out. “Not everyone can be a warrior… And he seems like he really wants to be here… Why shouldn’t we give him a chance?”
Firepaw narrowed his eyes when he noticed the she kit’s differently colored eyes and her shorter than normal fur. Compared to her littermate, she had a leaner build and was shorter than the black and white tom.
“Just what is up with all of these unusual pelt and eye colors?” He wondered. “From what I am seeing, it seems like nature is just throwing random markings and colors… Oh right, never mind. I shouldn’t be talking like that…. Because I have a pelt color that shouldn’t that have happened… I should look like my mother, not my mousebrain father who couldn’t even stand around long enough to see his kits!”
“Oh really, Woodkit, you now want to believe in the kittypet?” the black and white tom kit stated with a sneer. “When you were the one that was hid in the back of the nursery when he first came? Make up your mind… But I still believe that he shouldn’t been here!”
The dark brown she kit ignored him as she slowly stepped over to Firepaw, who still had Brightkit, Brackenkit, and Thornkit standing on him. Then, she put her nose onto the yellow markings on his legs.
“What strange patterns,” she mewed softly. “These look like the stars in the night sky… Have you always had these?”
The other kits got off of Firepaw to look at his legs, much to his relief as they were heavy. However, he was very uncomfortable with how they were staring at the markings, moving to try and cover them up.
“Playing with the kits, Firepaw?”
“Oh, thank the great mother!” Firepaw thought with thanks. “I have never been so happy to see someone before! Get me away from here!”
Bitterclaw has a smirk on her face as she watched him. However, the kits backed away from Firepaw nervously, staring at the warrior.
“I guess so, Bitterclaw,” Firepaw answered. “So did you need me?”
“Let’s step outside of camp!” Bitterclaw mewed. “I noticed that you failed to pay attention during the clan meeting… So we need to have a talk…”
“Translation, I saw that you froze, and I want to know what is up,” Firepaw guessed. “Oh dear, I hope that I am not in trouble… What just happened to me just proved that I have no control over my power… Also, the fact that someone could overtake me, control me like that… It’s truly frightening… I could become a danger to ThunderClan…”
“Are you in trouble, Firepaw?” Woodkit asked. “Did you do something wrong?”
“Of course, he is in trouble!” snapped the black and white tom kit. “He is a kittypet! He has no warrior blood and will never understand our clan’s ways! He should go back home!”
“You are being unfair!” Cinderkit exploded. “Bluestar says that Firepaw is to learn to be a ThunderClan cat! Are you saying that Bluestar is wrong?”
“Kits!” called a pale ginger she cat. “Come over here!”
“Let them be Goldenflower,” mewed a pure white she cat, yawning as she turned to stare at the other. “The kits are not in any danger…”
“You can do what you want with your kits,” Goldenflower stated firmly. “But until the kittypet proves his self to me, I don’t want my kits around him. Swiftkit! Woodkit! Get over here!”
Firepaw noticed that Bitterclaw frowned as Swiftkit hissed at him before running off. Woodkit, on the other paw, stared at Firepaw’s markings with a thoughtful look before Goldenflower call out her name for the second time. Then, she bolted off as Cinderkit began to cry on how unfair things were.
“This isn’t fair… The only thing ‘wrong’ with me is the fact that I’m a kittypet!” Firepaw snapped in his head. “Well… Besides for being a runt… Otherwise, I’m just like everyone else…”
Firepaw then realized that wasn’t true. His power, his curse, would forever keep apart of him away from others. They would never truly understand what he could be feeling, what he was seeing, how he understood the world.
“Will I ever been able to be normal?” Firepaw thought with alarm. “Since I cannot control my visions, cannot know when they will hit or even what they will be about, will I be able to fight?”
“Come on, Firepaw,” mewed Bitterclaw, sounding serious, eyeing the cats around them. “We need to talk about your actions during the meeting. You have to pay attention!”
However, she slightly ruined the effect she had been going for by winking at him. Firepaw just gave her a blank look then sighed, acting as if he was in trouble. As he turned to follow Bitterclaw as she went to head out of camp, he noticed that Bluestar seemed to be staring at Bitterclaw with anger in her blue eyes.
“Wait a moment…” Firepaw stated, slightly confused and worried. “Before I had the vision, Bluestar was talking about fighting for SunningRocks… Then why isn’t she with the battle patrol if it is so important? And…”
“Bitterclaw…” Firepaw carefully questioned softly, in order to try and not be over heard. “Who went on the battle patrol?”
“Honestly, if you were listening, Firepaw, you would have already known!” Bitterclaw stated, acting high and mighty, but she lowered her tone to answer his question. “Redtail was leading the patrol with Tigerclaw, Runningwind, Ravenpaw, Dogfang, Birdtail, and Longtail.”
“Tigerclaw… That is the name of the dark brown tabby tom right?” Firepaw wondered as a shiver ran down his spine. “That cannot be good… Bluestar staying behind while Redtail is with the cat that will betray him. There must be some way to...”
“Firepaw! You have to run! You have to go now!”
As Firepaw darted to attention, wondering where the voice was coming from, pain blossomed in both his eyes and head. Suddenly, he found his self at SunningRocks, watching as cats attacked each other. He saw that Redtail went directly at Oakheart as the RiverClan warrior led the attack against the ThunderClan warriors. Quickly glancing around, he saw that Tigerclaw went after a pale blue gray tom. He also noticed that Ravenpaw was the only apprentice on the battlefield, nervously glancing around and trying to stay out of the fighting. However, that failed to work as one of the RiverClan warriors jumped on him, tearing into his fur with their claws.
“No!” Firepaw thought. “Bitterclaw and I made a mistake… Oakheart was prepared! Did we cause this? Are we going to be the reason why Redtail dies?”
“No, Oakheart knew that a battle could happen at any time,” Minnow’s voice stated as Firepaw was forced to watch as Oakheart broke off his fight with Redtail to go after Tigerclaw. “So you are not to blame… But Firepaw… If you want to change Redtail’s fate, you need to act now! Otherwise… Things will…”
Then, Firepaw was suddenly thrown back into the camp, fear in his heart. He was panting as the pain retreated from his head as quickly as it had come.
“This is strange… Why did that hurt?” he mentally cried. “These visions have never hurt me before! However, one thing is clear… I have to do something!”
“Firepaw,” Bitterclaw mewed, worried. “Are you okay?”
Firepaw just turned to stare at her. His worry must have shown because Bitterclaw developed a worried look on her face. Before she could ask anything, Firepaw turned his sight towards the exit and did something that stunned the rest of the clan.
He bolted.
“Wait! Firepaw! Just what do you think that you are doing? Stay put!”
Firepaw barely heard Bluestar as he flew through the tunnel, thorns scratching at his pelt. However, he failed to notice the thorns as he ran towards where he believed Sunning Rocks was. He was so panicked at the moment that he was having a hard time remembering the direct route to the SunningRocks, ending around in circles.
“Oh dear, ever though I have just explored the territory, I have forgotten where it is…” Firepaw thought in a hurry. “Come on… Think! What can you do in order to get to SunningRocks? Maybe I can try and find the scent of the patrol..?”
“Firepaw! Just what are you doing?”
Firepaw stopped running in circles and faced Bluestar and the cats following her. The leader seemed furious with him as she took a step towards him. Bitterclaw, who had followed her leader after her apprentice, looked concerned. Finishing off the patrol were the mostly black warrior, Crowsong, and the apprentices Dustpaw and Sandpaw.
“Er… Why are Sandpaw and Dustpaw here?” Firepaw wondered before going back to panic mode. “Never mind that! There is something more important going on?”
“Firepaw, are you okay?” Bitterclaw mewed. “Is something wrong?”
“Why are you asking that?” Crowsong stated, his mew deep and dark. “Bluestar, we should chase this mousebrain kittypet out of our territory! It has become clear that this cat will only drag us down in the long run.”
“Yeah! We don’t need weak kittypets here?” Dustpaw added. “He was so frozen in fear during the meeting about the battle ahead… He wouldn’t even move!”
“Crowsong, he has been here for one day!” Bitterclaw snapped, rolling her eyes. “Let’s not judge him so quickly? You were not a perfect apprentice on your first day, were you?”
“Enough, Bitterclaw,” Bluestar said, still as regal as ever but with a hint of anger. “Crowsong was just bringing up a point… Which I disagree with. However, Firepaw, you are going to be punished! Apprentices cannot just run off for any reason… However, first, you are going to see Spottedleaf about your problems and see if she can do anything…”
“Firepaw, hurry up!” Minnow called in his mind. “If you don’t get here soon…”
“I know, I know!” Firepaw mewed back in fright. “Wait… How are you able to talk to me like this?”
Firepaw got no answer. However, as the patrol surrounded him, Bitterclaw seemed to be hesitating in making a move.
“Er… I’m sorry, Bitterclaw,” Firepaw mewed, looking straight at her. “But which way is SunningRocks again?”
“What a kittypet!” Dustpaw laughed. “Can’t even take things seriously!”
“You are just digging your own grave, kittypet!” Sandpaw added on with a sneer. “So just stop while you are ahead!”
Firepaw wasn’t paying much attention to the other apprentices, his eyes on Bitterclaw. She seemed to be deep in thought. Then, just as Crowsong was getting ready to pounce, Bitterclaw flicked her tail in a certain direction.
“Thank you, Bitterclaw!” Firepaw gratefully thought as he suddenly moved. “Now… To stop Redtail’s death…”
He darted between both Dustpaw and Sandpaw, dodging Crowsong. He then quickly dashed away from the apprentices as Sandpaw ended up tackling Dustpaw by accident. Bluestar hissed as Firepaw began to run away.
“Firepaw, hold!” Bluestar ordered. “Stop this nonsense!”
“Firepaw!” called out Bitterclaw, sounding very concerned. “What are you doing..? No, Firepaw! You cannot fight RiverClan! We haven’t gone over any battle moves yet!”
While feeling some guilt about ignoring his mentor, he knew in his heart that he would feel even worse if Redtail died when he had the chance to change his fate. He dashed toward the direction that Bitterclaw pointed at, hearing the voices of the patrol behind him. Fear drove his pawsteps.
“Come on,” he stated to his self. “I cannot fail now… I cannot let Redtail die… I cannot let that dark future where Tigerclaw tries to kill Bluestar… Leading rogues into the clan to attack ThunderClan… And… I’m the only one that can see this future through my visions…”
Sadness stuck out into his heart, causing him to almost trip on a tree root. He almost missed the hiss that signaled that someone that was on his tail. On the other paw, he could hear the sounds of fighting up ahead him.
“I’m almost there!” Firepaw thought. “Just a little more…”
Firepaw burst out of the undergrowth and stopped, seeing the scene before him. Cats were all around and on top of the stones, hissing and snarling as they wrestled. Firepaw was horrified.
“Just what is this?” he wondered. “Why are they fighting like this? It seems like they are all trying to kill each other!”
Suddenly, Firepaw felt his self get tackled from behind as claws dugs into his pelt. He hit the ground hard, closing his eyes from the impact.
“Firepaw, how dare you disobey me!” Bluestar snarled. “I told you to stay put!”
“Firepaw, I don’t know what you are thinking,” Bitterclaw added. “But you cannot run straight into a battle without any training… You are asking to get killed!”
“But I thought the Warrior Code prevents deaths?” Firepaw questioned from where he was pinned in the dirt. “That it states that a warrior does not need to kill in order to win?”
“Accidents can happen, Firepaw,” Bitterclaw answered sadly. “And depending on the injuries you receive… They could get infected… Also, can you even swim? Because if not, if you end up in the river, you could drown…”
Firepaw felt Bluestar flinch as Bitterclaw suddenly stopped talking. Looking over at SunningRocks, Firepaw saw that the RiverClan cats out numbered the ThunderClan cats. He heard Crowsong hiss as he dashed back and went after a brown tabby she cat that had Longtail pinned against the rocks. The she cat hissed in turn as she let Longtail go.
“Bitterclaw, watch your mousebrain apprentice!” Bluestar ordered. “And make sure that he doesn’t join in the fight! As for you Firepaw, you are going to be punished for this! Now, stay put!”
The weight disappeared from on top of him as Bluestar ran into battle, with Dustpaw and Sandpaw on her paws. Bitterclaw snarled with displeasure as she grabbed Firepaw’s shoulder and dragged him slowly back under the undergrowth.
“You little mousebrain!” Bitterclaw snapped, concern mixing with her anger. “Why did you just run off? You could have gotten yourself hurt!”
“Then why did you point out where SunningRocks was?” Firepaw stated, tired of being put down. “When you could guess that I had another vision and was…”
“Wait, you were having another vision?” Bitterclaw asked. “Then why didn’t you say anything? And... Why was it causing pain? You looked like you had a terrible headache.”
“What was I supposed to do?” Firepaw cried out. “There is a high chance that no one would believe me… Especially since the clans believe that the ‘Star-Blessed’ are gifts from StarClan… There is no way that they would believe that a kittypet could be blessed…”
“Firepaw, what are you saying?” Bitterclaw asked, confused. “How else would a cat gain a gift that is unlike anything else? And as for how you could have been blessed… Maybe Oakheart had a point… Your father could have been our former leader Pinestar…”
“Not possible,” Firepaw quickly answered back, turning his eyes towards the battle. “My father was a true kittypet… My mother told me that his name is Jake… Not Pine! Adding to that, I heard that being what you cats call ‘Star-Blessed’ is caused by…”
Firepaw stopped mid-sentence as he saw Redtail for the first time in the battle, his bright red tail held straight up in the air. He was eyeing Oakheart, who was helping a pale blue gray tom attack Tigerclaw. Tigerclaw was holding on, not giving in an inch. Then, Redtail joined in to help Tigerclaw, clawing Oakheart’s hindquarters. However, the pale blue gray tom took the chance to move away, climbing upward to gain the high ground. As Tigerclaw clawed his way up to try and grab the other tom, Oakheart grabbed at Tigerclaw’s rear, digging his claws in. Redtail, in turn, bit Oakheart’s tail. Firepaw could imagine his shriek of pain. Both angry now, Redtail and Oakheart wrestled on the stone, fur flying in all directions. Then, Firepaw’s fur rose as Redtail and Oakheart went rolling off the backside of the SunningRocks. That was he saw a second tortoiseshell sitting on the top of SunningRocks, backside toward him.
“Wait just moment…” Firepaw thought, narrowing his eyes. “Just who is that she cat? She doesn’t look like one of my clanmates… But… Her pelt seems very similar…”
That was when Firepaw realized where he had seen her. She was the tortoiseshell she cat that pushed the rocks onto Oakheart, crushing him. Stepping out of the bushes to get a closer look, ignoring Bitterclaw’s warning hiss, he noticed that she was watching the area where both Redtail and Oakheart fell.
“No, if she pushes those rocks now, she will most likely kill Oakheart and Redtail!” Firepaw panicked. “I have to do something!”
“Bitterclaw, there is someone on top of SunningRocks!” he quickly explained. “I need to…”
“Firepaw, no running off!” Bitterclaw stated sternly. “And… Are you just seeing things? There is no one there…”
“Great…” Firepaw groaned out loud, gaining a strange look from Bitterclaw. “That means that she is a spirit… Okay, can I even hurt a spirit?”
“Leave her to us!” declared Minnow in his mind. “You get the two deputies away from that area any way that you can. Otherwise, if we can’t get her under control.”
“I understand!” Firepaw answered back. “I will do my best… Now, I’m sorry Bluestar… Bitterclaw… I’m going to have to break the code in order to save Redtail’s life…”
Firepaw took a deep breath, in order to calm his rapidly beating heart. Then, he bolted, running toward the edge of SunningRocks, aiming to try and stay as far away from the main fight as he could. However, a pretty silver tabby she cat leaped into his way. She then gave him a strange look, narrowing her blues eyes.
“What in the world?” she asked. “Is ThunderClan sending kits out to battle now?”
“Get out of my way!” growled Firepaw. “And leave me alone! I have to save my deputy!”
“You are going to have to get through me first!” she snarled back. “You should have never entered the battlefield!”
The she cat prepared to pounce on him but Bitterclaw stopped her. Bitterclaw bit down on the tabby she cat’s hind leg. Firepaw used Bitterclaw’s action in order to slip away and head for the shadows of SunningRocks.
“I hope that I’m not too late!” Firepaw thought. “I hope that Redtail can be saved…”
“Give it up Oakheart!” a voice snarled. “When StarClan moved the river, they gave SunningRocks to us!”
“Never!” Oakheart answered back with a challenge in his tone. “This is RiverClan’s land and will always be RiverClan’s territory. We will always fight, no matter what!”
Firepaw stepped out and saw that Redtail had Oakheart pinned against the rock wall. Peeking up, he also noticed that the tortoiseshell was watching with a wide smile on her face.
“SSS… Stop!” Firepaw shouted. “Please stop fighting!”
Both toms just turned their heads in his direction, stunned. Firepaw saw that both of them had deep wounds but Oakheart was in worse shape.
“Firepaw?” Redtail mewed, his eyes narrowing. “Just what are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here…”
“What..? Is ThunderClan sending out young apprentices without training?” Oakheart stated angrily. “Are you all mousebrains? And… Why in world is he here?”
Firepaw had to flinch at the knowing look that Oakheart gave him. He got the sense that the other tom knew… He was doomed.
“Firepaw…” growled Redtail. “Why in the world did you come here… Against Bluestar’s orders, might I add, just to stop the fighting? We are warriors… We fight for the honor of our clan! If you can’t accept that… Then you need to leave… We don’t need disobedience former kittypets ruining everything for us…”
As Oakheart snorted with disbelief, Firepaw snapped. He was upset that everyone seemed to judge him for his kittypet blood. He was not disloyal for wanting the deputy to survive this battle.
“Redtail, do you want to die?” Firepaw shouted. “Because that is what will happen! And… You cannot kill Oakheart here! Otherwise… Otherwise… You will…”
“Otherwise what?” Redtail demanded. “I will what?”
Suddenly, Firepaw felt a strange energy flow through him. He felt stronger… As he felt compelled to stare into Redtail’s eyes and opened his jaws.
“Should you kill Oakheart here, Redtail,” Firepaw spoke, feeling strange as it sounded like his voice was echoing through the area. “You shall also fall… And start the path down to the clans’ darkest hour, where the lion and the tiger shalt meet in battle and blood will overtake the clans… Dooming them to destruction in the long run… However, there is time to change your fate and the fate of the clans… Look to the outsiders, the half-clan, the betrayed, the hated… Look towards those on the run, blessings forced onto their spirits… Look to those imprisoned by others. Look to those willing to learn, to change, to take on the spirits of warriors… For fire alone shall save the clans from the clan’s greatest enemy, from the power of the blood. He shall fan the flames of change, of kindness, of acceptance… But remember… A fire may burn and destroy but life shall blossom from the ashes… Four shall become five and life will go on…”
Firepaw gasped out in shock and quickly covered his mouth, feeling horrified. Meanwhile, both Redtail and Oakheart looked stunned, silent.
Then everything went to chaos.
Firepaw heard the roars of the Nightmares as they closed in on the tortoiseshell on top of SunningRocks. However, she in turn began to push some rocks, getting them closer and closer to the edge.
“Redtail!” Firepaw screamed. “Oakheart! Run!”
Then the rocks began to fall… Redtail and Oakheart ran but Firepaw was frozen in place, hoping that they could get out of the way.
And then…. He realized that he was too close to the rocks his self… Then… Darkness over took him as rocks began to surround him, his last sight being Patches’ large form protecting him the best that he could.
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Post by darkfeather88 on Feb 20, 2019 20:58:27 GMT -5
(Bump)
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