Rated T for:
- mild violence
- mild sexuality
- language
- random crackness
...
Alright, so I typed up this chapter,
and then the internet flipped out on me and DELETED THE WHOLE THING WHEN I PRESSED 'SAVE'
Clearly, my computer and I are NOT on as good of terms as I'd thought. =(
Anyway,
this was TOTALLY random,
but since I HOPE I'm better at writing for humans than other animals,
I decided a twisted Warriors would be pretty fun. =D
So welcome to the School of Schmaltz!
Btw, 'Schamltz' is a fancy-dandy strange way of saying nostalgia, or memborable.
;] This chapter's the boring one btw,
cuz it's rlly just an intro.
Warning before-hand!
There are some slash and straight pairings,
so heads-up!
DISCLAIMER: WARRIOR CATS AND ALL IT'S AWESOME EPICNESS BELONGS TO ERIN HUNTER, NOT MWA -cries-
Chapter 1- Last Chance
... 60 Years Ago ...
The blanket of shadow engulfed the ground, cast by the multitude of limp bodies littering the forest floor. A heavy stench filled the air and clung to the tattered pelts, yet not a being stirred. A strange calm seemed to have settled, in all the irony that peace can come of such a scene. Yet this was not the cause, no. It was the effect, surely. A darkness covered the night sky, and to the twolegs, it would be the darkest day when the thick clouds shrouded out the stars. However, the felines knew better. The stars were dying, being taken in by the shadows that swallowed up their light. If all in the clearing had not been dead, mournful wails of sorrow and despair would have been audible.
The soft crunch of leaves accompanied by the Leaf-fall wind vibrated in the silence. A figure, black as the darkness above, picked its way carefully around the bloodied mass. A grin so soft and faint, stood out as a thin line against the feline's expression. His body stood, translucent, as though he was not really there. A sudden laugh shattered the sky.
"I'VE DONE IT! WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THOSE 9 LIVES STARCLAN? I THOUGHT NOTHING COULD OVERCOME YOUR LOYALTY! WHOSE WEAK NOW?"
The shrill voice echoed across the woods, sending sleeping birds jumping in their nests. In the distance, a badger stirred and peeked one eye open, but was reassured by the thought that there was nothing out there bigger than itself. The tom laughed harshly, and his breath shook his small flanks. The azure eyes sliced through the night, illuminating the scarlet clearing below.
"You call thought little Tiny couldn't do it. EVERYONE, even dear mother thought I couldn't survive. But Tiny isn't around anymore! He DID die! And in his place, Scourge was born! And now the ones who lose are YOU!" The black cat sneered, eyes narrowing as the volume in his tone died down.
Decidedly, he smirked and continued roaming about his masterpiece. The tension had long ago crackled and faded away into mist, and the moon glowed off of several hazy eyes that would never again flicker with life. The claws that glinted with blood were scarcely visible in the lurking shadows. Really, it had all been far too easy. It was thanks to Tigerstar that the plan had worked, but of course, Tigerstar had also been the stupidest one. Really, who believed the cat who'd killed them? It was with extravagant images of glory that he'd gotten Tigerstar to round up the half-hearted clanners and warriors of the Dark Forest.
"We'll split it. Half and half."
What a fool. Didn't the tabby know that Scourge didn't share?
The little tom glanced down in disgust at the sight of a cat's whose eyes had been torn free of the sockets. Some fighters just had no class. It actually made Scourge chuckle darkly as he recalled the events that had led up to this... Massacre. The clans had never seen it coming until the three from the prophecy had figured it out. Really, it was all thanks to Jayfeather that any of this had been possible. There was so much the little medicine cat didn't know, but oh well. He was dead now, along with the rest of his precious clans. Even Starclan was gone.
Oh yes, the dead could cease to exist. Once you die, you go to Starclan, or are sent to the Dark Forest along with the rest of the black-blooded. You do not get any justice, nor are your pleas heard. Once you have sinned, you are condemned. The cats of Starclan, once their time of watching over the clans below had passed, faded away and became stars in the never-ending sky. Some even claimed that the sun was the very first cat ever born, but Scourge had his doubts. But those of the Dark Forest did not meet such a glorious end. They were trapped in that hell-hole of cimmerian shade. Enemies lay behind every bush, paranoia heavy in the air. Fear and vengeance haunted those woods. And when a cat of the Dark Forest faded away? Did they become a star? Did they shine brightly for all the world to remember? No, they were forgotten. They became the dark emptiness surrounding the stars, always to be outshone. That eternal gloom that cats always wondered about, yet never bothered with. The shade that was home to the lustrous spirits of Starclan; the spirits of those forgotten. The cats of the Dark Forest would be remembered in legends and kit-tales, until even then they were no longer passed down. But the stars would always be there.
Bitterness filled the tom's heart. Those foolish cats of Starclan had thought themselves invincible with their powers, and the leaders, so cocky and brave with their 9 lives. Scourge grinned malevolently. Firestar hadn't expected to see Scourge again, but the small black cat had been sure not to make the same mistake as before. As soon as the fiery leader had fallen, Scourge made sure he would never rise again. But there would be no Starclan awaiting Firestar, for Starclan cats were not meant to die. And when they did, there became no Starclan. The sparkling warriors simply vanished and faded into nothing. They no longer existed, and no stars burned for their spirits to lay claim upon. At first, Scourge and Tigerstar's followers had been outnumbered. There were far more good clan cats and Starclan warriors then cats of the Dark Forest who knew of the clans. But it was thanks to Jayfeather, yet again, that they'd been able to win. For, though the blind healer hadn't known it, the Dark Forest does things to cats. To the dead, it is a prison that eventually squeezes the memories from them until they are lost to the past. If one of the living were to enter though, they would form a gateway of shadows into the land of which they'd come. The poor little tom was clueless to the fact that he'd let every blackened soul in the Dark Forest enter the living world as they pleased. Even cats with no alliance to the clans or Scourge joined in. It was their chance to reek the havoc and revenge they'd always sought after. It was with their help that the clanners had been vastly outnumbered. The battle had been bloody and long, yet Scourge had enjoyed every minute of it knowing that he would win inevitably.
"I do not share."
He murmured to himself, sitting beside Jayfeather's body. The tom almost hadn't remembered where the medicine cat had fallen what with all these carcasses.
Scourge had never planned on living in the world alongside the other cats of the Dark Forest. No one could be trusted; no one could be relied on. He'd killed Tigerstar once the battle was over. Sliced his claws down the tom's stomach the same way he'd done all those years ago. And Tigerstar had dropped, blood pouring in gushing waves, jaws gaped in anguish, and yet, they lacked surprise. It was as if Tigerstar had always been cautious of this happening, and it made Scourge purr with pleasure at the suffering the massive tabby must've endured mentally and, eventually, physically. Taking care of the rest had been easy. Not a clanner remained alive, Scourge had made sure of it. Those of the Dark Forest and Tigerstar's crew who'd not been killed in the fight were injured, or worn out at least, and few in number. Picking them off in the confusion and shock had been all too simple. Besides, once he'd closed his jaws around Jayfeather's squirming neck, the gateway had been cut off, and all those who had no connection with the clans were sucked back into their shadowy keeper. Scourge stood alone in his glory, savoring the blood on his claws and muzzle.
"I've won, finally... I've done it..."
He closed his eyes and, for the feeling of bliss. All his life, he'd searched for something, desired acceptance, which had turned to the need for honor and then power. Over time, Scourge had become a murderer and a tyrant, desperate to find that peace. And now, as he waited at the peak of his success for that feeling of calm and satisfaction, it never came. The tom opened his eyes, sucking in his breath expectantly, but the air remained the same. Dark, dreary; dead. Anger and frustration flashed through him, but was wiped away by a cold chill that ran up his spine.
"Scourge... Tiny, what have you done?"
The tom spun around, shock and disbelief clear on his features. There before him stood the ugliest, most hideous creature he'd ever seen. It was bare naked, without a stretch of fur to cover its gruesomely pale skin. Gnarled claws that were jagged and torn hung from the bony paws, and every inch of the creature screamed monster at him. The animal turned it's bulging whites upon the black cat, and Scourge found himself recoiling in digust.
"What the fu-"
He was cut off when the creature raised its head back and let out a mournful wail that sounded like a dying wolf. The howling cry shattered Scourge's ear drums, and the cat hissed in distaste.
"The balance! The balance, you have destroyed it! Time has been rendered."
The deformed creature mourned, salty drops falling from its sightless eyes. Scourge stared uncomprehending, wondering what this thing was.
"What are you talking about? The balance has been placed! I've done what I was meant to do!"
But the strange figure shook his head, white eyes boring into Scourge's soul.
"No, no Scourge. Those who fade are not meant to come back. You were not meant to come back."
Anger flared in the tiny cat's chest and he moved to lash out at the ancient frame. However, his claws passed right through the figure. Strange, the animal had seemed completely solid by appearance. Scourge himself could get hurt or killed, and yet he was practically see-through.
"The balance must not be disturbed. Disturbances must be removed."
The creature threw back it's head once more, parting its jaws as its eyes seemed to darken. No, they were darkening. A filmy sheet of black was steadily invading the pure white gaze, enveloping it in a shining coal that terrified Scourge. That was when he realized the animal was a cat. A cat who had lived forever, and would never fade away. A cat who had more power than Starclan or the Dark Forest themselves. A cat who could kill Scourge if he wanted to. The black tom took a fearful step backwards as he unsheathed his claws, blue eyes wavering for the first time since he'd left behind the name Tiny.
"The balance must not be disturbed!"
"What are you?"
Scourge's cry rang past the cat's wails, and without looking down at Bloodclan's leader, the cat rolled its eyes to the back of its head and moaned.
"I am Rock, the keeper of Time. It's embodiment, even Time itself. And you, Scourge, have destroyed my path. Time must be rewritten. I must be rewritten!"
And then the ancient cat gasped as the clouds moved backwards and faded into thin air. The blood seeping into the ground ran into the bodies, no longer flowing out as the grass dried and the fallen cats faded. Star dust seemed to float from the atmosphere and collect in a swirling mass of spirits before exploding in a cloud of light. Within seconds, the starlight was shattering the darkness that had once surrounded it, and Scourge felt a stabbing pain in his chest that seemed to be ripping him apart.
"AUUUHG! FOX-DUNG, WHAT DID YOU DO?"
The black cat screeched as he crumpled to the ground, trembling as waves of unbelievable agony raked through his body, causing his breath to come in short, desperate gasps. Rock stood still before slowly closing his mouth and staring blankly down at the cowering figure.
"Eliminating the disturbance."
Scourge groaned as his eyes hazed over. The tom fell sideways to the ground, mouth parted in a silent plea of forgiveness to his dear mother, the only cat who had ever loved him. And then the tom let out a kitten-like mewl as his sides stilled their breathing and he too, faded away into the night. Rock was left standing there alone, eyes clearing once more to reveal the astonishing emptiness.
"And yet, the balance is not right. Time cannot exist with none to keep it. Time cannot exist with none to remember."
The tom closed his eyes and exhaled as starry figures began to gather around him in an enormous mass. Pelts of all different shimmering colors flickered in the night as whispering voices filled the clearing. Eyes glowed like orbs of hope and life as the Starclan spirits pressed their pelts against his hairless one.
"Rock, there is so much to thank you for."
A blue-gray she-cat murmured, voice gentle and soft like a mother's. Rock stared back, unable to ever feel emotion.
"Without the remembrance of those past, the balance cannot be even. For Time to rearrange, the history must be rewritten, so that the future can be seen differently. From a new set of eyes, a new perspective, so that what happened before can never happen again. A different way, a different time..."
The tom's gaze fell to the kit standing at the she-cat's side. Bluestar followed his gaze and smiled down at her daughter. Mosskit blinked innocently back.
"But how do we do that? We couldn't even stop this from happening."
A black and white tom meowed uneasily, and others picked up his worried murmurs. Anxiety rose with helplessness to assist their lost kin, who had nowhere to rest now that their spirits had already been lost to the darkness. Rock's face remained unchanging as he turned his blind gaze to Tallstar.
"Give me your power, and I can change the future."
Bluestar was the first to press her nose into the tom's side, and others began to take after her until Rock began to feel a remarkable energy passing through him. It washed away the ancient times, and brought back such bittersweet memories as each cat looked deep within themselves for every moment in their lives they could recall. An unbelievable pain swept through him as he felt sad, bitterness, regret, jealousy, and anger. Yet felt his silent heart quiver and grieve as loss and sorrow passed by. Then an amazing warmth passed through his tailtip to his nose as happiness, joy, love, and peace flowed into his veins. The tom closed his eyes, and whispered something that only he himself could hear. Then the air began to calm and lay perfectly still. Not a leaf dared stray from its place, and even the badger lay stone-still and wide awake. The atmosphere clenched, as though struggling with some heavy burden, and the walls of the world seem to fold in, threatening to collapse for just a moment before suddenly they were relaxing, and flowing currents in the wind were connecting together. Memories blew by and collected into their own star, and Rock finally opened his eyes and stared at the spirits he had collected.
"Their memories will be locked away. They will not be forgotten. When the time comes for the future to forget the past, they will remember. When they all call for you as one, Starclan, return to them. And I shall be there to restore the balance once and for all."
And then the spirits Rock had collected vanished. Little did the cats of Starclan know that they had scattered across the world and been reborn. Some rested in the corners of the universe, waiting for their time to be brought back, while others, the ones who had already seen more, were risen to life at once. Rock blinked, and something of a smile flitted across his features. Then he was gone, leaving the Starclan cats staring blankly at one another.
"So what do we do? What happened to them?"
Spottedleaf's gentle worried voice carried across the elongated silence, and Yellowfang shifted beside her.
"Well, we all heard him. When the time comes, our children will find us. Until then, we must be ready."
Several warriors looked at one another uncertainly before Tallstar and Bluestar stepped forward to join the two. At the sight of the leaders, soon others were joining. Raggedstar brushed his pelt against Yellowfang's, and Stonefur padded over to stand beside Graypool. The felines moved together until they had formed one union of souls, and they raised their heads together and faded into the emptiness as they returned to their home in the skies.
The island was left empty, aside for the badger and birds. And finally, the badger lay down its head and fell back to sleep, and the birds, selfish and oblivious to the toils of others, burrowed into their nests. A fish adjusted its sleep on the lakebed, and a horse kicked its hoof in the barn. Soft night whispers filled the air, and the stars danced on the water from above. Rock's words lingered on the air, delicate enough to slip by if not remembered by the right ears.
When the time comes for the future to forget the past, they will remember. When they all call for you as one, the pathway through time will reopen, and the prophecy will be fulfilled. The balance of Time will be corrected.
...
Alrighty, I do hate cliffhangers, but I think I managed to conclude this one pretty well. =)
Waddya think?
Next chapter is when they're actually humans,
seeing as this one was quote, "60 Years" before the time the story will take place.
If you're wondering why so long ago, it's for the older warriors like Mousefur and Morningdew.
The younger cats are born later, but the next chapters take place with ALL the characters,
though the Starclanners aren't going to be humans for obvious reasons. =(
Anyway, review please! =D
I'm really looking forward to writing this one,
and it's only me second Fanfic,
so I hope it satisfies all of us. xD