Mistflower placed a paw down tentatively into the darkness and felt cold grass beneath her. As she did so, the spot beneath her paw exploded into a starburst of light, which broke up into thousands of fireflies that flew up, illuminating a deep velvet sky and large, empty plain. The fireflies rose up until they became stars in the dark sky. The stars shimmered and the faint outline of cats appeared around them. The images pulled away from the sky and stepped down onto the ground in front of Mistflower, their pelts regular colors but, at the same time, dotted with stars and swirling with the colors of the heavens.
"Welcome," came a strong she-cat's voice. An amber-colored cat stepped forward, her golden eyes warmer than her tone. "I am Amberstorm, Silverclaw's mother."
"You're my grandmother?" Mistflower asked incredulously. Amberstorm's eyes glistened like shooting stars and she nodded. "So I'm in StarClan?" Again, Amberstorm nodded.
"Your sister has already told you of the prophecy," Amberstorm said softly, sitting down and sweeping her tail up. The other cats, which had until now blended into the land around, stepped forward and formed a semi-circle around her. A dark-gray shape materialized in front of Mistflower; a small, sleeping kit with a white arrow on its back.
"Ashpaw," Mistflower muttered, confused. "Why is my daughter involved in this?"
"When fire burns the forest down, all that remains is ash." Amberstorm repeated the words Ashenstripe had said nearly seven moons ago.
"What does it mean, Amberstorm?" Mistflower pleaded, stepping forward. A beautiful silvery-blue she-cat with piercing sky-blue eyes stepped forward. "Dewstar?"
"You will find out in time," Dewstar mewed with her usual regal air. "As will Ashpaw, and the whole forest." Before Mistflower could argue, Dewstar touched Mistflower's forehead with her tail and StarClan's territory was replaced by the warrior's den. Mistflower looked over at Maplestream, curled around his mate and sleeping comfortably. Lucky, Mistflower thought, resting her head in her paws, he doesn't need to worry about any prophecies.
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Ashpaw opened her eyes slowly, looking around at the apprentice's den. She saw her sisters Pantherpaw and Darkpaw, curled up not too far from her, and Sunpaw nestled against the far wall to her left. Sunlight tinted green as it struck the mossy roof streamed in and illuminated the sleeping apprentices.
"Ashpaw!" came her mentor's mew. Ashpaw looked out to see Firestorm seated outside the den, curling his tail impatiently.
"I'm up," Ashpaw grumbled, reluctantly rising and padding out to meet him.
"Today we're doing hunting lessons," Firestorm reminded her. Ashpaw twitched her ear to show she heard him and walked over, half-asleep, toward the fresh-kill pile.
"Good morning!" Oceanwhisker said brightly to her niece, finishing the last of her thrush.
"Good?" Ferneye mumbled as he dragged his paws over to the fresh-kill pile. "I hardly slept at all."
"That's because you were thinking about going to the Gathering tonight with Flamefrost," Crowpelt quipped as he passed by.
"I'm going to eat somewhere else," Ashpaw said, but to herself, because her aunt and uncles were too busy quarreling… as usual. Ashpaw grabbed a nice, fat mouse and scampered over towards the medicine cat's den.
"Hey, Ashpaw," Ashenstripe greeted as Ashpaw settled down beside the entrance.
"Morning," Ashpaw replied brusquely before tucking into her mouse hungrily. She wondered whether or not she should tell Ashenstripe about her dream. She ultimately decided against it; after all, she could only remember the fierce-sounding she-cat's words about the fire and ash and stuff.
"Could it mean Ashenstripe?" Ashpaw asked herself under her breath, so Ashenstripe couldn't hear. But Ashpaw knew it was about her. Was she destined to save the Clan?
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"Now, what can you scent? And don't tell me that you can smell me, because I already know I'm here."
Ashpaw's eyes glimmered innocently at Firestorm before focusing on the smells reaching her mouth. They were on the border near Crossing Rock, in the bushes just around the clearing. "Stale squirrel," she reported, "some… ugh, some fresh skunk…"
"Anything else?" Firestorm asked.
"Mouse!" Ashpaw exclaimed under her breath. She pricked her ears to the source of the smell. "It should be over there," she pointed with her tail towards her right. She lowered herself into a hunting crouch, stepping forward as lightly as she could. Silently shoving her way through a bush, she spotted the little creature nibbling on an acorn urgently.
With a single bound, Ashpaw fell upon the mouse and bit it's tiny neck until it stopped squirming.
"Shame it was so small," Firestorm said, padding over, "but excellent form! I'll definitely report this to Treestar." Ashpaw's eyes glowed as she looked up her mentor, the mouse clamped firmly in her jaws.
Things continued on like this until sunhigh, Ashpaw having caught three mice, two fat squirrels and even a sparrow.
"Wait here," Firestorm instructed his apprentice, leaving her in the clearing before Crossing Rock. Ashpaw nodded fervently. As Firestorm's flame-colored tail disappeared into the bushes, Ashpaw turned-tail and walked over to the edge of Sparkling Gorge. The river below was just as beautiful as her mother had described. Then something caught her eye; a sandy-colored tabby, in fact. She scented him before he was near. CaveClan. The cat walked casually up the edge of the Gorge, watching the sky. When he noticed Ashpaw, he crouched down and his fur bristled. Ashpaw did the same.
"What are you doing in our territory?" Ashpaw demanded, trying to sound bigger than she was.
The pale tabby huffed and puffed his chest out, narrowing his golden eyes. "I go where I want," he boasted. "I'm Palepaw."
Eventually the fur on Ashpaw's back settled. "I'm Ashpaw," the gray apprentice mewed at an attempt to be friendly. Palepaw cocked his head and circled her.
"That's a weird spot on your back," he commented, pointing with his tail at the arrow on her back.
"It's a marking," she said, puffing HER chest out. "It's the same one as my mother and my grandmother, and my aunt and my brother. It's like a family emblem."
"Whatever," Palepaw sighed, shrugging nonchalantly. "I look just like my dad, 'cept my eyes. They're like my mom's."
"My eyes are like my dad's," Ashpaw commented.
"So…" Palepaw drifted, "you're ForestClan, right?"
"Duh!" Ashpaw giggled, then asked in a mock-trance, "And you're from… CaveClan?"
"Wow," Palepaw joked, widening his eyes. They both started laughing. "So, why are you here?" Palepaw asked once he'd caught his breath.
"Hunting lessons," Ashpaw said proudly. "And you?"
"I had the day off," Palepaw replied. "I decided to take a walk over here, since my first Gathering is tonight."
"I'm going too!" Ashpaw exclaimed happily. "I'll see you there, then?"
"Will you sit next to me?" Palepaw asked coolly.
"Sure," Ashpaw managed to mew. "Well, I should probably go find my mentor. See you tonight!"
"See ya." Palepaw said in return.
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((AN: I'munna do summit I haven't done before… different POVs!))
Palepaw watched as Ashpaw hopped back into the bushes before turning back toward the way home. He could feel his body warming under his pelt. Why was he feeling this way? He was starting to feel lightheaded. Especially when he thought of Ashpaw...
"I'm not in love with her, am I?" Palepaw asked his reflection in a pool on the riverbank. The river beside him sent another wave crashing into it, scattering his reflection into a cascading image. When the surface was still again, Palepaw was shocked to see Ashpaw's face. He turned shortly away from it, but every time he closed his eyes he could see her golden eyes. The scent of her lingered in his nose, of pine needles and fresh grass, with a hint of fragrant blossoms that no doubt grew abundantly in her home.
"Palepaw!" Sealilly, Palepaw's mother, called. The blue-sheened she-cat leaped over the Rock Path over to her son. "Where have you been? Dreamstar decided to put you on the next hunting patrol."
"Sorry mom," Palepaw said. "I just took a walk, that's all."
"Don't go so far from camp next time!" Sealilly scolded. "And… ugh! You smell like ForestClan! How far did you go?"
"It's alright mom, I won't go that far again," he lied. He knew sooner or later, after the Gathering, he would have to see Ashpaw again.
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"I told you to stay put," Firestorm commented, not strictly, but concerned.
"I only went a few fox-lengths!" Ashpaw complained. "It's not like I went into any other territories." Or met any other cats, she thought humorously. Her face felt hotter than usual, even though she was walking through the shade of the forest and a cool wind was blowing.
"Are you okay?" Firestorm asked after a while. "You've been pretty quiet, and that's not too common for you." Ashpaw flicked her tail in annoyance.
"I-I'm fine," she muttered, but Firestorm smirked.
"Is this about a tom?" he asked in a teasing tone. Ashpaw turned to him suddenly, eyes wide.
"What? Why would you think that?" she demanded, flushing.
"I know, you don't want to talk about it," Firestorm mewed knowingly. "But if you aren't too embarrassed, who's the lucky cat?"
"He doesn't like me back," Ashpaw replied, though uncertainly. "It doesn't matter."
"You never know," Firestorm said. "Not until you try."
"Yeah," Ashpaw muttered. Hope flooded her body. What if Palepaw did like her? Then the reality of it hit her – he was from a different Clan. They were just too different. They couldn't be together, even if they wanted too. 'I want to,' Ashpaw thought sadly as she entered the camp. 'I do like him… and I want to be with him, no matter what.'
ME: Two stories in one day! I'm on fi-ya!
Maplestream: Not really. But that can be arranged…
ME: D'you want me to kill you off?
MS: Eep! I'm sorry!
ME: That's better. Now go away before I change my mind.