Post by omegahound on Jul 7, 2017 22:57:06 GMT -5
Based on a prompt of sorts on another site, this was born and I'd love to know anyone's thoughts on this and if I should make more of it. Questions are also encouraged because, like everything else I do, I overthought this.
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“What do you mean, ‘he isn’t coming back?!’”
Lightningpelt paced a tight circle, trembling with a mixture of confusion and fury. The light ginger fur along his back bristled as his mind swarmed with curses.
Across from him, stoic tom sat with his tail neatly curled over his paws. His own fur was white, splashed with ink-black across his chest and paws. And, unlike the ginger tom, this cat shone like starlight, the trees in the distance barely visible through the white on his body. This star-cat watched Lightningpelt with a serenity that the living cat once thought he understood. But now left him dumbfounded.
Sensing that Lightningpelt was awaiting an answer, the calm black and white tom obliged. “We waited. We hoped that he would see in time that he belonged with the Clan. That he had responsibility beyond his own life.”
Lightningpelt halted in his turning, eyes darting to the other in disbelief. “So why didn’t you stop him? Back when he first left?! You-you could have sent me a vision, and I could have sent cats after him! It’s only been a quarter-moon, I can still track hi—”
“There is no point. You cannot drag a cat that feels the way he does back into the role of leadership.”
“What are you talking about?” Lightningpelt cried out. “Ivystar knew what he was promising when he came here to get his lives! When he agreed to be deputy!” Lightningpelt hissed, shaking his head. “Yes, he wasn’t deputy for long before Stonestar died, but no cat ever thought he would go to these lengths to avoid the responsibility!”
The white and black cat only blinked slowly, taking his time to respond. Frankly, it was driving Lightningpelt even more insane than this whole situation made him feel. “No cat can truly know what another is feeling. Not even StarClan knew the extent of his worries, when he dreamed with us.”
Lightningpelt dropped into a sitting position, his shoulders hunched and his head low. This was simply too much to absorb. “…fine. If there’s nothing to be done about Ivystar, then tomorrow I will bring Birchclaw and—“
But the thin glint of hope that he held vanished when he glanced up to see the StarClan cat shaking their head.
“Unfortunately, that isn’t possible. Ivystar still possesses his nine lives.”
“…what?”
For a split second there was a waver in the StarClan cat’s gaze. As if they didn’t want to answer. But the expression quickly reverted to its supernatural calm. “StarClan doesn’t have the power to take lives from leaders. We can give, and sometimes we can influence the paths of oth—“
Lightningpelt gaped, sputtering as he cut the other off, “t-that’s fox-dung! You-the cats living here- you are StarClan! How can you not have the power to give Birchclaw nine lives?!”
Now the cat with gleaming fur sat a bit straighter. “As I said, StarClan is not all powerful. There is a limit to our powers, and those powers only allow us to grant the lives to 4 living cats at a time. I’m sorry, Lightningpelt. But that’s the way it is.”
“How will the Clan survive, then? If Ivystar doesn’t return, we won’t have any kind of leader!”
“That isn’t true. Not entirely. Both you and Birchclaw are capable cats, respected by the entire Clan. There is no reason the two of you cannot cooperate.”
Lightningpelt had never felt so enraged. At Ivystar. At the situation. At all of StarClan for letting this happen. He also felt another, stronger pulse of hate, directed at the cat across from him. How can they sit there and speak so casually of something that could very well be the start of his Clan’s destruction?! His claws unsheathed and he buried them into the ground, trying to still his racing heart.
“You expect us to lead our Clan for what amounts to 9 lives?” He asked, his voice hardly more than a breath. “No cat can do that! That’s the entire point of having a Clan leader!” He didn’t give the other a chance to respond, hurriedly continuing, “And-and what do I tell our Clanmates? Or the other Clans? They could use this against us!”
“You are smart. It’s true, the Clan will face hard times in the coming seasons, but you can guide them. You will. Don’t forget that StarClan is watching, always.”
And with that word, the world around them began to fade before Lightningpelt’s eyes. Panicking, he attempted to step after the other but found he couldn’t move as his dreamscape blurred and crumbled around him.
StarClan is watching, always…
- -
“Birchclaw, correct? Where is Stonestar? Or Ivywhisker?”
The light brown tabby blinked out of her stupor and lifted her chin up toward the leaders of the other Clans. “I…”
Birchclaw shot a look around at Lightningpelt, who nodded with as much certainty as he could muster. She swallowed and squared her shoulders as she leveled her voice. “Both of them are gone now. I am the new leader.”
The three other leaders exchanged their own startled glances as an uproar broke out among the cats below them. It made sense, Lightningpelt thought ruefully. Just last moon Stonestar had been standing right where Birchclaw now was. For a Clan to lose their leader and their successor so quickly…
Finally, Snowstar stepped forward, head bowing in acknowledgement. “Then welcome, Birchstar.”
Birchclaw only gave a purr in return, but Lightningpelt could tell by the quiver along her spine that she disliked the dishonesty forced upon her, as well as a false name. But such a lie was necessary. Only he and Birchclaw knew the truth. He had not shared what he learned with the rest of their Clan for fear of some cat letting the truth slip out. That, and how in the world could he tell his Clan, his family, that StarClan couldn’t do anything to help them?
Birchclaw had been distraught, naturally, at the revelation but she had promised to do right by the Clan. They needed a strong leader, and she would do her best to be that.
The ginger tabby tom narrowed his eyes as he watches her leap up beside the other leaders and found himself wishing that Ivystar, wherever he rested his head now, would dream of nothing but darkness.
