Asexual
#A3E4D7
Name Colour
🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄
its april which means its time to bow down to the 'tism
Pronouns: She/her, they/them
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Post by 🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄 on Jun 10, 2023 21:25:14 GMT -5
This will be the thread for a more fleshed out version of the Let's Write An Arc Thread that @mudgoose, valleylight, ! (Ġray) !, ᦓρ꠸ᥴꫀᠻꪖꪀᧁ, earthreborn, stupidflower, @rainfall180, auser and I have worked on! The title is subject to change since it is a working title/title I suggested; but the content isn't since we are on to book 2 in the thread.
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Post by ! (Ġray) ! on Jun 10, 2023 21:27:07 GMT -5
YAY
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Asexual
#A3E4D7
Name Colour
🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄
its april which means its time to bow down to the 'tism
Pronouns: She/her, they/them
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Post by 🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄 on Jun 10, 2023 21:40:20 GMT -5
Prologue An apprentice was in a dream forest. They had been there before, when dreaming of catching a huge rabbit for their Clan. But this was different. The shadows were talking.
"Help us..."
"Look beyond!"
"The clouds... the CLOUDS!"
The shadows flickered like a star, then grew even darker and acted like a dense fog. They came closer and closer as if the apprentice could touch them. Eyes shone but the shadows were so intense, they very well could have been tricks of the mind. The eyes began to be more prominent as the shadows morphed into figures, ones that looked like they could be alive. They danced around the apprentice, who felt like the shadows were going into him.
The shadows danced quicker and quicker, turning into a rush. They flickered more and more frequently, before turning into a flashing swirl that got bigger and bigger.
"THE CLOUDS!"
"FIND THEM!"
"BEYOND..."
The voices became more and more disjointed and chaotic as they unified into one sharp howl of pain.
The apprentice felt frozen with fear. Their blood turned into ice and it was hard to move. They eventually ran and ran, trying to find the sun's warmth and light, to get away from these horrid shadows. But they noticed he wasn't running. Something had stuck his paws to the ground. The sun was gone, and the shadows took over.
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Asexual
#A3E4D7
Name Colour
🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄
its april which means its time to bow down to the 'tism
Pronouns: She/her, they/them
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Post by 🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄 on Jun 10, 2023 22:20:49 GMT -5
Chapter 1 Graypaw woke up to the nudge of a paw. His mentor, Poppyfrost, was staring at him with a sympathetic look in her blue eyes. “Dawn patrol,” She muttered. When Graypaw didn’t reply, she continued. “Are you alright?” She asked, “You were talking in your sleep again.” Graypaw’s ears pricked up, hot with embarrassment. This wasn’t the first time his mentor had caught him shaking and muttering odd things in his sleep. “I’m fine,” he replied, getting up to his paws.
A blink, a yawn, and a stretch, and Graypaw was up and awake. He usually woke up well, despite how tired he truly was. But today was different, Graypaw noticed the messed up moss in his nest. Was I running in my nest? As he followed his mentor towards the camp exit, the dream became no more than a distant memory.
He and Poppyfrost were joined by Dewnose and Nightheart. The latter cat was notorious for hating dawn patrols. Graypaw yawned again. Maybe Nightheart had weird dreams too. The patrol left the camp, led by Poppyfrost with the two youngest cats trailing behind.
The patrol was on its way to the WindClan border to mark it. Poppyfrost was swift, zigging and zagging through the undergrowth Dewnose and Nightheart slinked under it just as quickly. Graypaw lagged farther and farther behind. Each step was getting harder and harder to take, his eyes and body got more and more tired. The air around Graypaw started to make a nest around him... if only he could...
"GRAYPAW!" Poppyfrost shrieked. "What is taking so long?"
Poppyfrist's voice jolted Graypaw back into the world. He ran towards the rest of the patrol at the border, and started to help them mark.
"Graypaw, I know you are tired and all, but this-- when you are a warrior, things like this won't fly!" Dewnose lectured.
"Heehhhh," Graypaw nodded.
"Did you sit guard with Leafshade last night?" Nightheart joked.
"No, I just.. I couldn't sleep. And I had a weird dream. That's all, just a rough night," Graypaw murmured.
"It's alright, Graypaw. If I had known, I would have talked to Ivypool about you skipping this one," Poppyfrost mewed while licking her apprentice's cheek. "We're almost done here, so why don't we skip training this morning and get some rest? Besides, Alderheart's got his paws full, and I would like to help him gather herbs."
Graypaw nodded. After the borders were marked, the patrol went home. Nightheart and Dewnose went ahead, while Poppyfrost went slowly with Graypaw.
"I'm worried about you," Poppyfrost whispered. "You've had a lot of hard nights. Is everything alright? Is our training stressful?"
Graypaw shook his head. Poppyfrost was a wonderful mentor! She always met Graypaw where he was at and never judged him for anything. She was the opposite of stressful. He opened his mputh to reply, but he saw the shadows flicker. His head flashed back to the dream he had last night-- a recurring one he had had for some time.
"Poppyfrost, the shadow of that tree-" Graypaw whimpered. Poppyfrost looked, and Graypaw could tell she saw nothing.
"Oh, poor thing, you must be seeing things! Let's get you to your den."
Graypaw shook. Maybe Poppyfrost was right. Was it all just a hallucination?
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Asexual
#A3E4D7
Name Colour
🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄
its april which means its time to bow down to the 'tism
Pronouns: She/her, they/them
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Post by 🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄 on Jun 10, 2023 22:27:38 GMT -5
Will be doing a ping list for chapters/updates, let me know if you want to be on it!
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Post by ! (Ġray) ! on Jun 11, 2023 0:12:13 GMT -5
Will be doing a ping list for chapters/updates, let me know if you want to be on it! I already bookmarked the thread, but sure!
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Asexual
#A3E4D7
Name Colour
🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄
its april which means its time to bow down to the 'tism
Pronouns: She/her, they/them
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Post by 🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄 on Jun 11, 2023 20:50:09 GMT -5
Chapter 2 Stripepaw licked the blood of a rabbit off of her chops. She was sharing it with her mentor, Songleap, and Whistlenose, the medicine cat. Kestrelflight had passed away due to a heavy strain of greencough, leaving young Whistlenose the sole medicine cat. But Brindlewing's son, Muddykit, was approaching six moons and wanted more than anything to learn from Whistlenose.
Muddykit bounded up towards Stripepaw, eyes widened. He was only a moon younger than her, yet dealing with him felt like talking to a four-moon-old kit. Muddykit was shy, but also curious, so he asked a lot of questions. The day before he had asked if deathberries could kill a fox. Muddykit also asked more... personal stuff, too. This morning, he asked why Leaftail didn't like Breezepelt. And now...
"Stripepaw, why are you a she-cat but you sound like a tom?"
Stripepaw sighed. She was born a tom but that word didn't really fit her, and she realized she felt more herself as a she-cat. It took a while for most cats to catch on, and even then, Stripepaw was still isolated in her Clan, although she felt like that even before coming out. Before she could explain that to Muddykit, Harestar's voice called out.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather for a Clan meeting!"
Harestar stood on the Tallrock, looking oddly tired. Stripepaw looked up to her leader, and wanted to be as good a warrior as him. But that day, Harestar looked tired and overwhelmed. What could be on this usually strong cat's mind? As Stripepaw continued looking towards Harestar, she noticed a flash, Harestar's shadow was flickering, but why?
Stripepaw shook her head. It must have been nothing, her imagination was just getting to the best of her. “As some of you know, RiverClan scent has been seen on our territory,” Harestar announced. Gasps filled the clearing. RiverClan! They didn’t even share borders with WindClan! “We will be monitoring the situation carefully, and if it happens again I will not hesitate to speak to Icestar.”
A war? No...
*****
Songleap had decided to take Stripepaw hunting since the apprentice was worried about the possible war. Stripepaw liked hunting. It gave her plenty of thrill. Songleap was happy to be hunting with her. Stripepaw would beam at her compliments. Sometimes I feel like Songleap is the only cat who truly accepts me. Stripepaw always felt lonely, and wish more cats would support her like Songleap did. At seven moons old, when coming out as a she-cat, Songleap was the first cat Stripepaw had told. But now, even with the support of her Clan a moon later, Songleap was the only cat Stripepaw could feel like herself around.
Thoughts swirled in Stripepaw's mind. How could she fight her best friend, Frostwillow? What if Songleap was killed? Stripepaw shuddered at the thought of being alone.
But there was something else she didn't want her Clan, or even Songleap to know.
Stripepaw wanted to join RiverClan. Pings: ! (Ġray) ! ᦓρ꠸ᥴꫀᠻꪖꪀᧁNote: Had to explain Kestrelflight's abscence in the whole of the first book. I think we forgot about him :P
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Post by ! (Ġray) ! on Jun 11, 2023 21:50:31 GMT -5
AAAAA Stripepaw my baby I want to give her pats i love her so much
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Asexual
#A3E4D7
Name Colour
🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄
its april which means its time to bow down to the 'tism
Pronouns: She/her, they/them
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Post by 🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄 on Jun 12, 2023 9:27:45 GMT -5
Chapter 3 A few days had passed since Graypaw's nightmare. Despite what Poppyfrost had told him, Graypaw had deduced that the shadow monsters, as he called them, were not exhaustion-induced hallucinations. Even while being well-rested, Graypaw still saw them from time to time. It came to a point where after the first night, Graypaw decided not to sleep in fear of them eating him.
His brother Stempaw noticed something was off, though. Graypaw would often go for moonhigh walks to not get stir crazy in the apprentice den. This time, Stempaw joined him.
"What's wrong, Graypaw? You aren't sleeping at all!" Stempaw meowed, his voice coated with concern.
"Why are you up?" Graypaw retorted.
"Because I am worried!" Stempaw grumbled.
Graypaw loved his brother. Stempaw always cared for his littermates, and Graypaw did too, but the nightmares that have been plaguing him have been distracting him. Graypaw wanted to tell Stempaw everything, but realized that he couldn't. Stempaw would think he was crazy! What if he told Bristlepaw? What if the whole Clan found out?
"It's nothing, Stempaw. I'm just tired. I can't sleep because I'm thinking about training," Graypaw explained. It wasn't the best excuse but he needed to get Stempaw off of his tail somehow!
"Okay..." Stempaw said a if he didn't fully believe Graypaw. The orange tabby returned to his nest, leaving Graypaw alone with his thoughts.
I can't do this anymore. I just want to be with my family! It's time to see Alderheart. Graypaw went to the medicine den, where Alderheart was tending to Cloudtail's sniffle. Alderheart didn't see the apprentice enter the den, but that was for the better. Graypaw saw Cloudtail flicker, briefly turning into a shadow.
On second thought, maybe it wasn't the best to speak to Alderheart. The medicine cat hadn’t been in his best spirits lately after his mentor, Jayfeather, had mysteriously went missing three moons ago. The clan had searched everywhere for Jayfeather, but there were no scent trails, and no evidence of where Jayfeather could be at all. The clan assumed he was dead. That’s when Graypaw realized something. Three moons ago was when he was apprenticed. Three moons ago was when he started seeing the shadows. At the moment Graypaw though of that, every cat in the clearing turned into a shadow, then flickered back quickly.
Graypaw started to panic, eyes wide at what he'd just seen. Fear combined with days of almost no sleep made him emotionally unstable, and when Poppyfrost came up behind him, he started screaming and curled into a ball. Shocked and concerned, Poppyfrost dragged Graypaw into the medicine den as the clan watched worriedly.
Graypaw panted while Poppyfrost hurried him into the medicine den. He was too overwhelmed, he felt like he couldn’t breathe. Alderheart turned away from the herbs he was sorting, alert something was wrong. “What has happened?” He asked. “I don’t know, but Graypaw hasn’t been right.” She told him, “Something is wrong, I think he needs to be calmed down.” Graypaw was barely aware of what they were saying. Alderheart and Poppyfrost were flickering back in forth from shadows to normal. Graypaw closed his eyes, exhausted and horrified.
pings: ! (Ġray) ! ᦓρ꠸ᥴꫀᠻꪖꪀᧁ note: edited it to add a part i forgot to put in >.<
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Asexual
#A3E4D7
Name Colour
🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄
its april which means its time to bow down to the 'tism
Pronouns: She/her, they/them
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Post by 🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄 on Jun 12, 2023 22:04:41 GMT -5
Chapter 4 Stripepaw sat at the pointe near the Horseplace, gazing at the lake and into RiverClan territory. For as long as she could remember, Stripepaw didn't feel like a WindClan cat. She wasn't built for running on the moor like the rest of her clanmates; her legs were too short and her pelt was too long.
She often found herself staring across the border to RiverClan territory, wondering what life was like there. Surely she'd be better at swimming than running?
*****
Stripepaw trailed behind Songleap as the two looked for scents, staring at the ground. Lost in her thoughts, she almost missed the strange way that Songleap's shadow was moving. Blinking in shock, the shadow quickly went back to normal. But Stripepaw was sure that she hadn't imagined it.
The two cats noticed their patrol getting intercepted by another one, led by Breezepelt. "What are you doing here? Crowfeather didn't order you out until sunset!" Songleap asked.
"There was a change of plans," Breezepelt meowed matter-of-factly. "Crowfeather and Harestar decided to arrange extra battle patrols. We are headed to RiverClan."
"RiverClan?" Stripepaw repeated, eyes widened in worry. She shuddered at the thought of a possible skirmish-- or worse, a war-- as it was the last thing the Clans needed.
"Stripepaw, you don't seem like you're ready for this," Breezepelt said gently. "You're still a young cat, and you know what? This would be a good experience for you..."
"What are you suggesting?" Songleap asked, standing between Breezepelt and Stripepaw.
"With all that has been happening in ThunderClan, cats going missing, and now with RiverClan not respecting borders, we need brave apprentices more than ever for our future," Breezepelt grunted. Stripepaw noticed his pelt starting to bristle.
"I'm brave!" Stripepaw protested. Songleap nodded to affirm her apprentice.
"Obviously not! Stripepaw, you are coming on this patrol. It'll help you learn how to be bold."
"Stripepaw is learning hunting skills, to feed our Clan and keep it strong," Songleap growled. "You wouldn't want me to report this to Crowfeather."
Breezepelt scoffed. "Keep your cowardly apprentice then!" He flicked his tail, and his patrol left. Breezepelt's behaviour had been odd, and it unsettled Stripepaw. Was he trying to start a needless battle? And why was Breezepelt so... angry at the world? Yes, he had been angsty moons before Stripepaw's birth, but he mellowed out. What could have provoked the senior warrior? Pings: ! (Ġray) ! ᦓρ꠸ᥴꫀᠻꪖꪀᧁ
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Asexual
#A3E4D7
Name Colour
🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄
its april which means its time to bow down to the 'tism
Pronouns: She/her, they/them
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Post by 🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄 on Jun 12, 2023 22:11:14 GMT -5
Chapter 5 Birchpaw pounced on a frog. He was on a hunting mission with his best friend, Whisperpaw. But they were alone. You see, Birchpaw had been heavily sheltered since the death of his brother Rowankit. He hadn't been able to explore his world properly. Whisperpaw was more mischievous and independent, and often got Birchpaw into trouble with his parents. But this was different. If Birchpaw could show that he could fend for himself, then no cat would set him back!
"Great catch, Birchpaw!" Lightleap's voice rang from behind. Birchpaw felt his fur bristle. His parents always sent his older siblings out to watch him, making sure he wasn't getting into any danger.
Birchpaw could hardly hold back a growl. he wished that Lightleap would just disappear. He wished that his family would stop paying so much attention to him. Lightleap's shadow flickered.
Birchpaw wasn’t scared of the shadow flickering. He was fascinated by it, in fact. He was curious, and wanted to know why it had happened. But his focused changed when a butterfly flew across his view. “Butterfly!” He shouted, and dashed after it like a kit.
Birchpaw ignored the yowls of Whisperpaw and Lightleap as he chased after the butterfly. Their voices didn't seem important to him, especially when compared to the beautiful blue of the butterfly's wings. Birchpaw was so excited by the insect that he didn't notice where he was putting his paws... until something slammed into his back and forced him to the floor. It was Whisperpaw, standing over him and panting. "You almost fell into the trench!" Whisperpaw panted. Birchpaw realised how close he was to falling, ears going red. "Thanks, Whisperpaw."
Whisperpaw stepped off him, whiskers twitching. "Don't worry about it." Birchpaw would have been happy to forget abut the incident and continue hunting, until the dark tabby pelt of Lightleap appeared. Unlike Whisperpaw, she seemed furious. Lightleap didn't just seem furious, she also seemed... darker, as if the forest's shadows were sticking to her pelt.
Birchpaw flattened his ears in fear. He was used to cats being mad at him- it happened whenever he spoke out of turn or did something other cats found weird. He'd never cared much for their scoldings; he simply laughed it off with Whisperpaw afterwards. But this time, he felt genuinely afraid. "I'm sorry!" he whimpered, trembling on the ground with his eyes closed. "Don't hurt me, please!"
Lightleap’s shadow went back to normal. “Why would I ever hurt you?” He asked, “Let’s go back to camp, Birchpaw and Whisperpaw. I’ll sure the clan will appreciate it.” Birchpaw knew Lightleap was acting nice, but he also knew he was going to tell Dovewing and Tigerstar everything that happened. Why couldn’t his family just leave him alone?
Lightleap had always hovered over him like this. His brother Shadowsight and sister Pouncestep had carefully watched him, too, but Lightleap had always been the one paying attention to him the most. Shadowsight was always busy as a medicine cat, while Pouncestep seemed to have everything: talent, respect, friends, a mate in Flaxfoot, an apprentice in Firpaw. Lightleap, meanwhile, wasn’t very popular in the Clan; Probably due to her annoying personality, Birchpaw thought. In addition to her reckless behavior and quickness to blame everyone else for her problems, she had grown more bitter an snappy in the last season. Her best friends, Sunbeam, had left the Clan to be with her mate, Nightheart, while Lightleap’s own mate, Blazefire, had been killed in a battle with RiverClan. Birchpaw knew that Lightleap blamed their father, Tigerstar, for her mate’s death- had Tigerstar never taken over RiverClan when they were in need of a leader, Blazefire, and many others, would still be alive. He often caught her staring at their father, a surprising anger and even hatred in her eyes. Birchpaw growled now. She’s my least favorite sibling for sure, he snarled in his mind. Sometimes I wish she would just…disappear. Pings: ! (Ġray) ! ᦓρ꠸ᥴꫀᠻꪖꪀᧁ Note: This chapter was so long and detailed I didn't have to add anything :D
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Asexual
#A3E4D7
Name Colour
🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄
its april which means its time to bow down to the 'tism
Pronouns: She/her, they/them
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Post by 🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄 on Jun 13, 2023 10:59:16 GMT -5
Chapter 6 Graypaw had finally went to sleep after days of fighting his urge to rest. As he had predicted and feared, Graypaw had been sucked into yet another dream.
This time, the shadows were more intense. They continued flickering, and whirring in and out. Graypaw tried to close his eyes, but the shadows started to get louder, and louder, and louder. He opened his eyes to see the shadows coming together, making a spiral, a whirlpool. The whirlpool started sucking him in. Graypaw started sinking deeper and deeper into the flickering shape. I'm drowning! He tried swimming, but struggled. Is this how I die?
He thought back to the stories he had been told about his and his littermates' namesakes. Bristlepaw had been named after Bristlefrost, whose soul and spirit faded away after sinking in a pool of blood to defeat the evil Ashfur. What if Graypaw met a similar fate? Where would he go?
As Graypaw sank deeper and deeper, he found himself in a different place. A flash of light, almost like lightning, crashed, and Graypaw found himself standing on a dense fog. Not fog-- shadows. Shadows started coming out of the fog, but these ones were different. These ones were alive. They had eyes that shone through the darkness, and Graypaw felt burning whenever they looked at him. Graypaw counted three of those shadows.
"Who are you?" Graypaw yowled. He walked towards one of the shadows, and was horrified at what looked back.
Graypaw was staring at himself.
The other shadows revealed themselves as well. They looked like... other apprentices! Graypaw could vaguely recognise them, were they cats he had met at gatherings? They had to be from other Clans. Could these cats see shadows as well?
Graypaw woke up from his nightmare to a screech. What is happening now? He heard frantic murmurs and meows from various cats in the Clan. It felt all too similar to when Jayfeather had disappeared. Graypaw deduced that someone else must have gone missing as well. He left the apprentice den to see what was going on.
Graypaw spotted the Clan deputy, Ivypool, rushing out of the thorn tunnel with her tail bushed up. "She's not by the border either!" Graypaw wanted to ask who, but shadows flickered around him again, and he peered out of the medicine den for a second before flopping down. He noticed that Alderheart was looking panicked, and was bounding up to Highrock. "Squirrelstar is gone!" Pings: ! (Ġray) ! ᦓρ꠸ᥴꫀᠻꪖꪀᧁ
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Asexual
#A3E4D7
Name Colour
🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄
its april which means its time to bow down to the 'tism
Pronouns: She/her, they/them
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Post by 🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄 on Jun 13, 2023 11:01:50 GMT -5
Chapter 7 Stripepaw returned from the patrol with no prey. She had barely been able to catch anything since her apprenticeship on the moor. Only in the small part of territory with the trees near the ThunderClan border was she able to catch anything. Just another reason to join RiverClan, she thought. Songleap saw she was done, and went over to Stripepaw.
“I’m sure you’ll catch a rabbit soon, you just have to work on your hunting technique on the moor,” Songleap said consolingly. But all Stripepaw felt was anger.
“Of course I can’t hunt on the moor!” She blurted out, “I don’t belong here! No cat accepts me, I shouldn’t be a WindClan cat!” The shadows of all the cats in the clearing flickered, and Stripepaw instantly regretted what she had said.
Stripepaw knew she was being irrational. But all she had ever wanted was to fit better into her Clan. She suposed this stemmed from her knowledge of her father- or, rather, lack thereof. Her mother Larkwing had never revealed the father of her and her brother, Brookpaw. It often frustrated Stripepaw- cross-Clan relationships were more accepted now! If Stripepaw and her brother were half-Clan, why couldn't Larkwing just say so? But Larkwing had always kept her mouth shut, and Stripepaw was sure that it was her mother's silence that led to the odd looks she'd get, the whispers, the gossip. It never seemed to mind Brookpaw; he was always so happy, outgoing, carefree. But all Stripepaw wanted to know was where she came from. All she wanted was closure. And from the way she could barely keep up with Songleap, the way the moor never quite felt like home, the way the river called out to her, she always wondered, guessed, maybe even hoped, that what she was looking for, that father she was looking for...might just be found in RiverClan.
Stripepaw decided that she should talk to her brother. If anyone, she could confide in him, right? She poked her head into the apprentice den, but it was empty. Well... almost empty. The shadows were still there, swirling and flickering like a storm. Deciding she needed to ask Whistlenose for a vision test, she backed out of the den. "Stripepaw! Have you seen Brookpaw?" It was Stripepaw's mentor, Emberfoot. Stripepaw furrowed her brow worriedly. "Isn't he with you?" Emberfoot shook his head. "I haven't seen him all morning."
Stripepaw's eyes widened in fear. My brother is missing! Pings: ! (Ġray) ! ᦓρ꠸ᥴꫀᠻꪖꪀᧁ
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2023 4:13:47 GMT -5
Will be doing a ping list for chapters/updates, let me know if you want to be on it! I’d like to be added, sorry I’m a bit late
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Asexual
#A3E4D7
Name Colour
🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄
its april which means its time to bow down to the 'tism
Pronouns: She/her, they/them
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Post by 🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄 on Jun 17, 2023 12:02:23 GMT -5
Chapter 8 Birchpaw was sharing a piece of prey with Whisperpaw when Bloompaw approached him. “Tigerstar wants you, Birchpaw.” She said.
“Oh,” he replied, “I’ll talk to you later, Whisperpaw.” Birchpaw walked away slowly. What did his father want? As he approached the leader’s den, he had to resist the urge to let out a sigh of anger when he saw Dovewing was there too.
“Hello, Birchpaw,” Tigerstar greeted him.
“What is it?” Birchpaw snapped. He had lost patience with his parents smothering him.
“We have asked Sparrowtail for updates on your training,” Dovewing said softly. For once, Birchpaw actually got his hopes up from what his parents had said. Would he be made a warrior early?
“He had said that you’ve been distracted during your training constantly. I, your mother, and your siblings have noticed this too, and we just want to know if everything is alright.” Tigerstar told him. Birchpaw unsheathed his claws and dug them into the dirt in anger. Why couldn’t his family stop being so obsessive over him? Just because he had trouble staying focused didn’t mean he had to be watched every second like a newborn kit!
Birchpaw flattened his ears. "I'm fine! I'm completely fine all the time! You two just need to leave me alone and stop sending Lightleap and everyone to watch me, because I'm not a kit anymore and I can take care of myself!" Tigerstar narrowed his eyes. "Lightleap said you almost fell into a trench today because you were chasing a butterfly."
Birchpaw lashed his tail, angry that there was nothing he could say in his defense. Once again, he wished that his family would just go away. And once again, the shadows flickered. Pings: ! (Ġray) ! ᦓρ꠸ᥴꫀᠻꪖꪀᧁ @rainfall180
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Asexual
#A3E4D7
Name Colour
🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄
its april which means its time to bow down to the 'tism
Pronouns: She/her, they/them
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Post by 🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄 on Jun 17, 2023 22:00:56 GMT -5
Chapter 9 Graypaw woke up, shaking. Three days had passed since Squirrelstar had disappeared. He had been staying in the medicine den ever since, too shocked and anxious to leave.
"Hush, it's okay. Everything is okay," the soothing voice of his mother, Spotfur, murmured. Spottfur had never left his side, putting aside her warrior duties for Graypaw. Spotfur has always made her kits the first priority-- reasonably so, Graypaw felt. Spotfur has lost so much. Her mate, Graypaw's father, Stemleaf had been killed after standing up to the evil Ashfur. Spotfur then grew close to her friend Bristlefrost, who had promised to raise her kits. But bristlefrost sacrificed herself defeating Ashfur once and for all. On top of all of this, Spotfur's littermnates had left the Clan to become kittypets. We're almost all she has left...
"This isn't the first time Squirrelstar went missing," Spotfur would reassure Graypaw. "She always finds her way home."
Graypaw wanted so much to tell his mother. But would she stop him? She had lost so much to the last big problem in ThunderClan. I wouldn't want her to worry. But he knew one thing. The shadows were behind this. And he didn't want his mother to be in danger of losing her life, or those close to her. But what if they do come for me?
He shuddered at the thought. What even were the shadows? He had no idea, and he didn’t know why they were taking cats. Why did they want Jayfeather, why did they want Squirrelstar? These two cats had a connection with Ashfur, but Ashfur’s spirit had been killed before Graypaw was born. The only other connection Graypaw could think of was from the stories that Graypaw had been told about Squirrelstar raising Jayfeather to cover up for her sister, Leafpool. But since Leafpool and Squirrelstar were sisters, there was another connection that popped into Graypaw’s mind.
Firestar. Pings: ! (Ġray) ! ᦓρ꠸ᥴꫀᠻꪖꪀᧁ @rainfall180
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Asexual
#A3E4D7
Name Colour
🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄
its april which means its time to bow down to the 'tism
Pronouns: She/her, they/them
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Post by 🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄 on Jun 17, 2023 22:20:06 GMT -5
Chapter 10 Birchpaw returned from gathering moss for the elders. He had to do it all alone, because Cloverfoot had decided that he must atone for being so reckless. It's not my fault the butterfly flew near me! As Birchpaw gathered the moss, he noticed the shadows. Shadows under the trees, shadows cast by clouds, even shadows of the various birds. They weren't flickering today. How could that be?
Birchpaw assumed he must have been overtired when he had saw the flickering. It had happened before. When he was a kit, during his littermate's vigil, Birchpaw had stayed up the whole night. he had been so exhausted, he thought he had saw a fox outside of camp. He had cried, but nothing was there.
After finishing the elder duties, Birchpaw decided to share a lizard with Whisperpaw. But after calling for the gray tom, there was no reply. Bloompaw, however, joined Birchpaw to find her brother. They looked in the apprentice den, the medicine den, even the dirtplace, but Whisperpaw was nowhere. Cloverfoot hadn't sent Whisperpaw on any patrols. Perhaps he just went on a walk?
*****
"Wake up!" Streampaw tapped Birchpaw's flank with her paw. "Have you seen Whisperpaw anywhere?"
"No..." Birchpaw growled groggily. But clarity and alert hit him like a huge badger. "Bloompaw and I were looking for him last night! We thought he went on a walk."
"Well, he hasn't come back!" Streampaw wailed. The whole Clan is worried sick!"
Sure enough, once Birchpaw walked outside of camp, he saw all of his Clanmates in a frenzy. Warriors were going out in droves to search. Those who remained heavily guarded the Camp. Cinnamontail wailed, and Slatefur tried to comfort his mate and remaining kits.
I have to do something Whisperpaw was the only cat who truly understood Birchpaw, and Birchpaw couldn't let him suffer, wherever he may be. Birchpaw decided to find his friend, even if it meant leaving his Clan forever. As he walked out of camp, the shadows came back. They flickered and whispered to him as if they approved.
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Asexual
#A3E4D7
Name Colour
🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄
its april which means its time to bow down to the 'tism
Pronouns: She/her, they/them
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Post by 🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄 on Jun 17, 2023 22:29:54 GMT -5
Chapter 11 WindClan's endless hunt of search patrols to find Brookpaw weren’t working. It's been four days, and the Clan was losing hope. Cats put flowers of heather in Brookpaw's nest. Harestar considered holding a vigil, but Crowfeather had stopped him, invoking what had happened to Nightcloud many moons ago. She had disappeared and returned home, safe and sound.
Without Brookpaw, Stripepaw had no reason to stick around. She had wanted no more than for them to earn their names and serve their Clan side by side. It was the only thing holding her back. Stripepaw couldn't do that in RiverClan, but couldn't do that with Brookpaw missing, either. Although Songleap would be upset she left, Stripepaw thought she was doing her mentor a favor. If Stripepaw stuck around, she would only disappoint her.
The pointe was beautiful with the falling sun dancing on the lake. In her mind, Stripepaw pictured her RiverClan mentor. She hoped it was Graystorm, Frostwillow's brother. Streampaw would master swimming and be eager to learn. Graystorm would be so pleased. Stripepaw just knew she would amount to something in RiverClan.
Stripepaw looked into the sunset and left WindClan territory once and for all. When she arrived at RiverClan, she scented no patrols and went into their territory. Too early for the dusk patrol, I suppose. But then, she did smell something. Something that wasn’t RiverClan. A ShadowClan cat was here! In the distance, something was passing by. Then, Stripepaw recognized the cat from gatherings.
“What are you doing here, Birchpaw!?” Pings: ! (Ġray) ! ᦓρ꠸ᥴꫀᠻꪖꪀᧁ @rainfall180
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Asexual
#A3E4D7
Name Colour
🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄
its april which means its time to bow down to the 'tism
Pronouns: She/her, they/them
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Post by 🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄 on Jun 17, 2023 22:33:24 GMT -5
Chapter 12 Graypaw couldn't figure out why Firestar was connnected to the shadows, or if he even was in the first place, but he knew he wouldn't find out but hiding in the medicine den. So even though he was afraid, he knew he had to leave. Nobody else could see the shadows. It was up to him to save the clans. The thought made him almost dizzy. 'What if I can't do it?
The apprentice shook his head. He could do it. He had to do it. Graypaw stared into the clearing, full of panicked cats gathering for a search patrol. Who’s related to Firestar? he thought, Lionblaze, Alderheart, Sparkpelt, Nightheart, Finchlight, Hollytuft, Sorrelstripe, Fernsong, Spotfur— That’s when Graypaw remembered something. He was related to Firestar! And so were his siblings! What would he do if Stempaw and Bristlepaw went missing? He couldn’t see either of them. He dashed around camp, panicked. “Bristlepaw, Stempaw!” He called. “Over here!” Bristlepaw shouted. She was sharing a piece of prey with Stempaw. Graypaw let out a sigh. Thank god they were okay.
Graypaw ate the sparrow with his littermates. He wished he could tell them! But they may think he had bees in his brain. Stempaw and Bristlepaw were joking around about their training, and how Stempaw almost fell into a bramble bush! Graypaw looked up to make a remark, but what he saw horrified him. Bristlepaw and Stempaw had turned into shadows. Their pelts glowed with darkness, and their flesh was falling off of their bones. Graypaw blinked, and everything was back to normal.
"Err, I think I have a bellyache," Graypaw mewed awkwardly, ambling his way to Alderheart's den. But it wasn't because of a bellyache. He needed to warn the medicine cat of what he was seeing, and how Ivypool, the acting leader, and Dewnose, the acting deputy, were both in danger, along with everyone they loved. Pings: ! (Ġray) ! ᦓρ꠸ᥴꫀᠻꪖꪀᧁ @rainfall180
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Asexual
#A3E4D7
Name Colour
🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄
its april which means its time to bow down to the 'tism
Pronouns: She/her, they/them
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Post by 🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄 on Jun 18, 2023 10:54:15 GMT -5
You are getting close to the moonpool scene eeek!! I know screee!
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Asexual
#A3E4D7
Name Colour
🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄
its april which means its time to bow down to the 'tism
Pronouns: She/her, they/them
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Post by 🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄 on Jun 18, 2023 11:18:52 GMT -5
Chapter 13 “What are you doing here?” Birchpaw snapped in a reply. He didn’t want to be interrupted by the WindClan apprentice, and he felt awkward seeing another cat wandering on RiverClan territory. Birchpaw was trying to check if Whisperpaw could be here, but so far there was no sign of him.
“I’m, er, joining RiverClan.” Stripepaw responded. Birchpaw felt confused. Why would Stripepaw ever want to leave his clan?
“If you don’t mind if I ask, why?” Birchpaw asked, “Have you fallen for a she-cat?” Stripepaw looked awkward.
“Uhm, I’m a she-cat,” she admitted, “I like toms.”
There was a moment of awkward silence. “Oh,” Birchpaw murmured, “Sorry.”
Stripepaw looked away "It's fine."
The two stood in awkward silence for a moment. "What are you doing here?" Asked Stripepaw.
Birchpaw dipped his head sadly. "My friend Whisperpaw is missing, but I don't know why. So I came to find him." Birchpaw realised that the shadows cast by the trees nearby were flickering. "The shadows!"
Stripepaw followed his gaze, staring in horror at the shadows. "So I didn't imagine them..."
Birchpaw's ears pricked up and he turned back to Strippeaw. "You can see them, too?" he asked.
Stripepaw nodded. "I think... we're the only ones who can," she said. "Nobody else has mentioned them in WindClan. Unless... unless they've always been around and everyone can see them from the time they're born, and for some reason we just haven't been able to. . ." she shook her head and sighed. "I don't know." She glanced back the shadows, which had stopped flickering, then asked, "Do you want me to help you find Whisperpaw?"
"That would be great!" Birchpaw mewed. I was on my way to the Moonpool. My parents must be worried about me, and it's the half moon, so Shadowsight will be there."
Stripepaw agreed to travel with Birchpaw. The two cats made the trek to the Moonpool. Birchpaw was thankful to travel with a WindClan cat who knew the quickest way to get around the territory without being caught. The two cats jumped over the stream, catching up about Clan training and the such.
"So, what were you doing out there, Stripepaw?" Birchpaw asked.
"I was going to leave my Clan. So not much different from what I'm doing now, I guess," she replied.
Birchpaw gave a sympathetic mew. It seemed like they were diferent--one cat who's Clan had a chokehold on them, the other not feeling accepted in theirs. But before Birchpaw could say anything, they arrived at the Moonpool.
And the medicine cats had a ThunderClan apprentice... Graypaw was it? After making out the murmurs of the medicine cats and picking up the context, Birchpaw gasped at what he deduced.
Graypaw could see the shadows. Pings: ! (Ġray) ! ᦓρ꠸ᥴꫀᠻꪖꪀᧁ @rainfall180
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Asexual
#A3E4D7
Name Colour
🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄
its april which means its time to bow down to the 'tism
Pronouns: She/her, they/them
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Post by 🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄 on Jun 18, 2023 11:20:54 GMT -5
Chapter 14 Stripepaw pushed Birchpaw to the ground. The ShadowClan tom's gasp had alerted the medicine cats, and if they weren't completely still, they would be seen. They had to hear what the medicine cats were saying. They needed to learn more about the shadows. Anything was useful information. "I'm worried about ThunderClan. Squirrelstar and Jayfeather have both gone missing, and we can't find a trace of them anywhere," meowed Alderheart. "One of our apprentices, Graypaw, has been acting strangely lately. I think he might know something."
Whistlenose, the WindClan medicine cat pricked her ears in intrest. "You think an apprentice is behind it," she mewed incredulously.
Alderheart shook his head. "Of course not. But I think he knows something. It doesn't matter now, though. We need to talk to StarClan."
The medicine cats dipped their heads into the moonpool, closing their eyes as they started to dream. But the moonpool was growing darker. Stripepaw gasped. The water itself was turning to shadows, and they were reaching out, about to strangle the medicine cats. She opened her mouth and screamed.
"WATCH OUT!!!!" Stripepaw screeched. Everyone looked at her and Birchpaw, surprised at their presence.
"Stripepaw!" Whistlenose gasped. "We have been looking for you!" Shadowsight had a similar response to seeing Birchpaw, who also was his little brother.
"What is going on?!" Fidgetflake flicked his tail. "Why are two apprentices here?!"
Stripepaw hurriedly explained everything. The shadows. How they can see them too. How the Moonpool was trying to take the medicine cats!
"That sounds like a load of mouse droppings," Whistlenose hissed. It sounds like two notorious troublemaking apprentices have teamed up and tried to be self righteous and saving the Clans like they are the second coming of Firestar."
"WAIT!" Graypaw yowled. Graypaw was a moon older than Stripepaw and Birchpaw, and being kin of Lionblaze, was huge, easily being a head taller than even Alderheart. "They are from other Clans, they couldn't possibly have known what I was seeing to this level of accuracy. And..." Graypaw started breathing quickly as if he was panicking a little.
"And I saw the Moonpool being evil too." Pings: ! (Ġray) ! ᦓρ꠸ᥴꫀᠻꪖꪀᧁ @rainfall180
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Asexual
#A3E4D7
Name Colour
🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄
its april which means its time to bow down to the 'tism
Pronouns: She/her, they/them
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Post by 🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄 on Jun 18, 2023 11:21:07 GMT -5
This is getting intense...
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Asexual
#A3E4D7
Name Colour
🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄
its april which means its time to bow down to the 'tism
Pronouns: She/her, they/them
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Post by 🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄 on Jun 18, 2023 11:23:21 GMT -5
Chapter 15 Graypaw felt his legs start shaking. The shadows weren’t anywhere, but all Graypaw could think about was them. They were making him extremely worried.
“Breathe, Graypaw,” Alderheart said softly. Before Alderheart had left for the moonpool, he had practiced some breathing exercises with Graypaw to help cope with the anxiety that had been caused by the shadows. However, Graypaw had not only started to get timid around the shadows, but he had started to get timid around almost everything. He was scared of what was out there.
“This can’t be true—“
Before Mothwing could finish her sentence, she was cut off by Shadowsight. “My little brother notices things that other cats don’t. He’s fascinated by small things, and while some cats may think it’s strange, I think it’s a gift. If anyone knows something was going on, he should.” Graypaw turned to Birchpaw. He was looking amazed, as if he wasn’t expecting such a compliment from his older brother.
“I think they are telling the truth,” Frostwillow said.
“I do too, and we must do something about it,” Frecklewish said, “However, we need more evidence.”
“I don’t know,” Fidgetflake muttered. Muddypaw, who was Whistlenose’s new apprentice, didn’t say anything and instead just looked at his mentor.
“I don’t believe this. These three apprentices sneak out, go to the moonpool, and claim to see shadows with no evidence? I’m not believing that so easily.” Whistlenose snorted.
“They have plenty of evidence,” Alderheart claimed.
“And what would that be?”
Graypaw then knew that this wasn’t going to be easy. How would they tell others of something that only he, Birchpaw, and Stripepaw could see?
Graypaw twitched his tail fearfully, wishing that he could go and hide in his nest. "Well um- uh- some c-c-cats went missing in- in ThunderClan an- and I think the sh- sh- shadows took them."
The medicine cats gave each other uneasy looks. But before any of them could speak, Birchpaw let out a wail. "Whisperpaw went missing! He wasn't taken by the shadows, was he!?"
"And Brookpaw too," mewed Stripepaw quietly. "Will we ever see them again?"
Graypaw shivered, his breathing becoming faster once again. The shadows were going to destroy the clans. It was only a matter of time before someone he loved was taken away.
Graypaw could hear the medicine cats trying to help him out, but he was too scared. What would happen to the cats who went missing? What would he ever do? It couldn’t be a connection to Firestar anymore, because if the other cats who went missing. Graypaw felt overwhelmed. His breathing just went faster, and faster. The shadows flickered quickly, and he started shaking faster. Then his fear overwhelmed him.
“Graypaw!” Stripepaw cried. Then Graypaw fell on his side, and the world went dark. Note: (he fainted) Pings: ! (Ġray) ! ᦓρ꠸ᥴꫀᠻꪖꪀᧁ @rainfall180
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Asexual
#A3E4D7
Name Colour
🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄
its april which means its time to bow down to the 'tism
Pronouns: She/her, they/them
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Post by 🍄🎶✨Brambleheart✨🎶🍄 on Jun 18, 2023 11:24:05 GMT -5
At this point our entries are so detailed that I can copy paste them into a coherent chapter hence the quick chapter spam, I hope that's okay!
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