So here's my new story, Love Isn't Always Wonderful. It's about Lovespirit, and her life. This story includes her killing some of her victims. I am truly impressed with myself on this. I think this is the most I've ever written for a one-shot. Okay, onto the story!
Stoneflower crouched before the Dark Forest's leaders.
"You will be born as a Clan kit, and destroy as many of them as you can," Owlstep ordered.
"If you do not sow havoc among the clans," the oldest of them, Redwillow, barely an outline now, meowed. "We will hunt you down and kill you in the most painful way possible."
"Do you understand?" Echostar growled.
Stoneflower nodded, not daring to raise her head.
"Speak!" Twofur snarled.
"I understand," Stoneflower meowed.
"Then go, Redwillow growled. "And find the mother and be born into a kit, with our gifts."
Stoneflower rose and raced out to fulfill her orders.
Bluefang was waiting. "What took you so long?" She hissed.
"You know how long the distance is," Stoneflower replied.
Bluefang swiped her claws across Stoneflower's ears, shredding them even more.
Stoneflower jerked her paw sideways, cleaving a path through Bluefang's face. She jumped backwards, yelping in surprise and pain.
"Move," she hissed, all friendliness gone. "Unless you don't want havoc wreaked among the clans.
Bluefang snorted and sank her claws into the ground and bared her teeth, but she stepped aside. She wanted to clans hurt, and she wanted it now.
Stoneflower padded to the Birthing Pool. It was night in the clans, and most of the StarClan cats were off warning the clans cats of a evil that was rising. Likely her. How they knew, she had no idea. But it worked to her advantage. By not paying enough attention, she was able to be born into the living world.
Stoneflower leaned over and searched the Pool. Her gaze rested on a white she-cat, almost ready to give birth. Her eyes found the kits inside her. One was a very white tom, and the other was tortoiseshell she-cat with ginger stripes. Inside the white one, she could see more goodness than usual. He wouldn't do, she decided. But the other one...
The she-cat's heart was as cold and dark as the Dark Forest. This one was clearly special. Stoneflower leaned closer. Yes, this was the one. She was evil to the core.
Stoneflower touched the kit in the pool with her nose. Searing pain stabbed through her and she stumbled. The world around her began to fade and turn dark. It's working, she thought numbly. It's working.
The Dark Forest gives this kit the gift of manipulation. Redwillow, Echostar, Owlstep, Twofur, and Springstar's voices rang inside her head. For a moment she processed them, wondering. Then she was born once more.
Lovekit sneered at her brother. Hatedkit slumped on the ground, his white tail wrapped around his scarred nose. What remained of his ears were laid back as he rested miserably.
Featherleaf smoothed down Lovekit's fur, cleaning it until it shone and more even then. It was almost time.
Lovekit was proud of herself. A strange cat in shadows had entered her sleep. He told her that if she did as he told her, without questioning, or rethinking his orders, she would have total domination. What kind of cat wouldn't want that? All she had to do was learn the ways of the Dark Forest and follow them without question.
She found nothing wrong in his commands, so she followed them. One was to scar her pathetic brother for life, so she did so. Another was to look for deathberries in the medicine den and put them in some prey. She found none, to her disappointment.
The tom, named Ravenfang, told her he would be giving her a special task soon after she earned her apprentice name. Lovekit couldn't wait for it.
She hated her name. Why couldn't she have been given a name like Hawkkit, or Thistlekit? Ravenfang had told to try not to convince Mudstar to rename her. Having Love- would make her clanmates trust her more.
Mudstar emerged from his den. "Let all cats old enough to swim gather to hear my words!"
Lovekit looked up, pricking her ears. It was time! She cast a contemptuous look at her brother, who was slowly dragging himself to his paws.
"Today we are gathered for a special occasion," Mudstar meowed when the clan had settled. His gaze fell on Hatedkit. "His mentor will be Bristlefur," he announced simply. Lovekit glanced over at Hatedpaw. The white tom was looking resigned, but there was a fury in his eyes that she had never seen. To hide her surprise, she smirked at him. "Lovekit, step forward please," Mudstar went on. She did so, dark excitement threatening to burst out and cast a shadow over the clan. "From this moment on, until she receives her warrior's name, she will be known as Lovepaw. Her mentor will be Heronclaw," Mudstar announced. He placed his muzzle on her shoulder.
"Lovepaw! Lovepaw!"
Lovepaw turned towards Heronclaw and touched noses with the muscled warrior. Then she sat down next to him, watching with wandering eyes.
Smokeleaf padded up to Bristlefur who was standing next to Hatedpaw, both of them shooting vicious glances at him. Serves the coward right!
"I feel sorry for you, Bristlefur," Smokeleaf growled. "Having to train that cloudbrain."
I should have thought of that! Nothing's worse than a cloudbrain. All there would be is pieces of fluff floating around, just like Hatedpaw.
Bristlefur glared at Hatedpaw. "It'll take forever to teach this abomination to catch a leaf."
Lovepaw saw Hatedpaw shrink down. Then Heronclaw's tail tapped her shoulder.
"Let's get going," he meowed gruffly, no trace of warmth in his voice.
He has to pay for that, Ravenfang sounded inside her head.
He has to pay for that, Lovepaw echoed.
"You will catch three fish, and two land animals," Bristlefur meowed. "Whoever gets back here first with the prey wins. We might be watching one of you while you hunt," he added. He shot a nasty look at his apprentice. Hatedpaw cringed away slightly, but otherwise didn't move.
"Understand?" Heronclaw asked, his eyes narrowed in distaste as he glanced at Lovepaw's brother.
"Yes," Hatedpaw muttered, his voice barely a whisper.
Lovepaw nodded. "Then go," Bristlefur dismissed them.
Catch a few pieces of prey, then steal what Hatedpaw has caught, Ravenfang ordered. Lovepaw leaped into action. She shot away into the forest, heading towards a small stream right outside the RiverClan border. When she arrived, a large, bulky black and brown tom was sitting beside it, his paw was almost effortlessly flicking in and out of the water. Mounds of small minnows lay besides him. Four kits tore into the fish, and four adult cats were swallowing the food as well. Lovepaw settled in to eavesdrop.
"How can we ever thank you enough, Jackdaw?" One of them, a small white tom, asked the big tom.
"A simple thank-you is enough," Jackdaw answered.
"There must be more we can do!" A ginger she-cat insisted.
"You could come visit me," Jackdaw offered.
"Oh, we will!" A weak-looking she-cat declared.
"We have to get moving," the white tom meowed. "Thank you again, Jackdaw."
"It was my pleasure," Jackdaw replied. "Why don't you spend one more night with me?"
"We have to..."
"Oh, please, daddy?" A kit bounced up.
"Yeah, we want to be with Jackdaw longer!" Another added.
The two other kits chimed in, both wanting to stay.
"Oh, all right," the second she-cat meowed. "You are okay with that, Snap, Flame?"
"Well..." the white tom, Snap answered.
"Please?" The kits begged. "Please, please, please?"
"Alright," Snap sighed.
The last cat, a ginger tom, simply bobbed his head.
"Yay!"
"Great!" The she-cat exclaimed.
The five cats, and four kits climbed to their paws and began to leave. Yes! Lovepaw thought.
The nine cats were almost out of sight when Jackdaw stopped, raising his nose.
"Jackdaw?" Snap called. "Are you coming?"
Flame padded up to Jackdaw and tapped him on the shoulder. When the black and brown tom looked around, he jerked his ginger tail towards the other cats.
"Just need to check something out," Jackdaw called. "I'll be there soon."
The other cats nodded, and headed away. Jackdaw started towards Lovepaw. "I know you're there," the black and brown rogue rumbled, his voice a low threatening growl.
Show yourself. Then kill him, Ravenfang ordered coldly. True Dark Forest warriors never show themselves to their enemies unless they're going to kill them.
Lovepaw shot forward, her claws aimed for Jackdaw's throat. Surprisingly quick, the tom leaped backwards, his own claws sliding out.
"I wouldn't do that," Jackdaw snarled. "I've killed countless cats before, a fair amount of them part of the clans."
Lovepaw started feeling doubtful about her ability to kill this tom. She suddenly narrowed her eyes. The RiverClan elders had once told her a story of a killer from RiverClan called Crowheart. They had mentioned that he was once a respected warrior, proud as well. They had also said that he was a killer. He killed his family, and his friend's friend, the strongest warrior in the clans. The leader drove Crowheart out, and they never saw him again. But Crowheart had fled to the no-cat's land beyond RiverClan. The elders had said that Crowheart had a taste for the life of a rogue, one that has no rules. The elders described him as a large black and brown tom.
Jackdaw fit the descriptions. "Are you Crowheart?" Lovepaw asked. She would need to resort to trickery to overcome Jackdaw. He was too strong for her to defeat with brute force alone.
"What?" Jackdaw looked stunned. "How did you—"
Lovepaw lunged forward. She spotted a black tom keeping pace with her, his strides long and steady. His face was twisted in a snarl, a deep, threatening, hate-filled growl rumbling in his throat.
Jackdaw swung his claws at Ravenfang, clearing seeing him as the bigger threat. In that moment, Lovepaw swung her claws at his throat.
Quicker than the eye could see, Jackdaw spun around and smashed into her. She was thrust upwards a few mouse-tails, then crashed back down with a thud. Pain shot through her. Lovepaw staggered to her feet. Jackdaw would pay for that.
"Crowheart, face me, you coward!" Ravenfang yowled.
Jackdaw spun to meet Lovepaw's Dark Forest mentor.
"Ravenfang," he snarled. They know each other? Lovepaw thought through the cloud in her mind. "Come back for revenge?"
Ravenfang didn't answer, only launched himself at Jackdaw. The big tom rolled out of the way with surprising nimbleness, then launched his counterattack.
Ravenfang fell back under the onslaught of hard, vicious, lightning-quick blows coming from Jackdaw. Lovepaw shot forward to help Ravenfang, but Jackdaw simply twisted away from them.
Jackdaw raced forward, his long, muscled legs pushing himself a fox-length every stride.
"I have come for revenge," Ravenfang snarled in answer to Jackdaw's earlier question.
Then the rogue was upon them. Lovepaw pretended to jump onto his back, as did Ravenfang. Jackdaw adjusted himself to defend his back. Lovepaw immediately dropped to all four paws and slid under Jackdaw, clawing his stomach, while Ravenfang went ahead with leaping up.
Jackdaw let out a yowl of pain and rolled to the side. Ravenfang leaped clear, and Lovepaw climbed to her paws.
"You shall not best me!" Jackdaw growled through gritted teeth, climbing to his paws.
But in the end, they did. Jackdaw lay dead upon the rocky river shore, blood seeping through the cracks in the stones, turning the water red.
Lovepaw's wounds stung, but she wasn't about to admit that to Ravenfang. The black tom looked no better, but he held himself high, his gaze sweeping across the undergrowth around them.
"Jackdaw?" The ginger she-cat burst through the bushes. She let out a loud cry of alarm at the body on the shore. Flame appeared behind her, his eyes full of concern. He recoiled when he saw Jackdaw.
Flame's gaze flicked to Lovepaw and Ravenfang. Lovepaw saw he took them in equally, surveying their wounds, the amount of blood on their claws, how tired they were.
Lovepaw hated the ginger tom's keen observation. She bared her teeth at him.
"Leave us," she growled at Flame. "And we might spare you."
Flame was silent.
"Speak." Lovepaw spat.
"Leave him—" the ginger she-cat started.
"Not you!" Lovepaw snarled. She flicked her tail, and angled her ears at Flame.
Flame shook his head.
"Speak!" Lovepaw repeated.
Flame glanced at the ground, then at his she-cat counterpart.
Lovepaw rounded on the she-cat. "Dog got his tongue? You explain!"
"Why should we?" The ginger she-cat asked bravely.
Lovepaw held up her unsheathed claws for an answer. The she-cat trembled.
"I'm Sun," she started haltingly. "And that's Flame. We're littermates."
"Get to the point," Ravenfang growled, before Lovepaw could.
"Flame is mute," Sun reluctantly admitted. "He can't speak. He can hear, smell, see, feel, but he can't speak."
"Lovepaw," Ravenfang snarled. "Take care of that she-cat for me."
Without hesitation, Lovepaw lunged forward. Flame shot into her without a pause. His claws were sharp and hooked. They dug deep into Lovepaw, tearing into her pelt without mercy. She shoved him off, and without even blinking, tore into Flame's throat.
"Flame!" Sun cried. She rushed to the dying tom, but Lovepaw cut her off. "Have you no pity?" Sun snarled at her.
"My heart has no room for such weakness," Lovepaw replied. She killed the she-cat.
"Very good," Ravenfang nodded approvingly. "You'll make an excellent Dark Forest warrior."
Lovepaw snuck up on her mentor. It was time for Heronclaw to pay. It would be all over in seconds. She couldn't have him telling the truth to StarClan, now could she?
Heronclaw was padding along the shoreside with his mate, Snowdapple. The two cats were chatting happily, not a care in the world. Lovepaw would be happy to change that.
She ducked to the side, waiting for them to pass. When they did, she charged a nearby bush, creating lots of noise.
"Wait here," Lovepaw heard Snowdapple meow. "I thought I heard something."
"I'll come with you," Heronclaw offered.
Snowdapple glared at her mate. "Are you suggesting I can't handle myself?"
"No," Heronclaw protested.
"Then let me look at this," Snowdapple insisted. "Alone. Unless you want to insult me?"
Heronclaw shook his head and sat back. Snowdapple noses her way forward. Lovepaw backed into another bush and made more noise. She continued the process, luring Snowdapple farther and farther away.
Finally, when Lovepaw judged that they had gone far enough, she pounced. Snowdapple was rolled onto her back, and before she could see her attacker, Lovepaw snapped her neck, killing her instantly.
Lovepaw settled in a nearby bush, and waited for Heronclaw to come looking for Snowdapple. It took a while, but her mentor eventually came crashing through the bushes, calling her name.
"Snowdapple," Heronclaw called. "Snowdapple."
Heronclaw suddenly stiffened. His eyes filled with pain. He rushed forward and nosed Snowdapple's limp body.
Lovepaw pounced. Her fangs sunk deep into Heronclaw's neck and while he thrashed, her mentor couldn't shake her off. Eventually, Heronclaw's struggles ceased, and he sank to the ground. He was dead. Lovepaw released her hold and watched blood flow from the holes in his neck. A thrill of exhilaration rushed through her.
Very good, Ravenfang murmured in her ear.
What's my next task? Lovepaw asked.
In one moon, right before you are scheduled to receive your warrior name, I want you to kill Barkkit, Ravenfang whispered back. There is a possibility that his strength, cunning, and willingness to kill will be even stronger than yours. But we don't want Barkkit. He will ruin everything. The Place of No Stars has great plans for you. You are becoming a true Dark Forest warrior. You will rule the clans. Not Barkkit.
Not Barkkit, Lovepaw agreed.
Lovepaw nudged Barkkit. The brown tom raised his head to look at her.
"Be quiet," Lovepaw hissed, before he could say anything. "I have an adventure for you."
"You do?" Barkkit whispered.
Lovepaw nodded. She started to exit the den, flicking her tail to signal Barkkit to follow her.
There was a slight rustling as Barkkit scrambled over to her. "Where are we going?" He squeaked.
Lovepaw didn't answer. She looked down at him in distaste. Only she would have the Dark Forest's attention! Barkkit was just a obstacle in the way of domination. And Hatedpaw, but I'll deal with him when the time comes.
She cocked her head for a moment, thinking. I'll lure the guard away, letting Barkkit sneak past. Then I'll lead him to a river. After that, I'll drown him.
"I'm going to distract the guard," Lovepaw murmured to Barkkit. "When I do, run past him as quietly as you can."
Barkkit nodded, his amber eyes wide in excitement.
Lovepaw strode out of camp.
"Lovepaw?" The guard, Flashtail, padded over to her. "What are you doing?"
"I couldn't sleep, so I—" Lovepaw broke off deliberately, staring away from the entrance. "I think I saw something over there. A pair of green eyes."
Flashtail whipped his head around.
"You go check," Lovepaw meowed. "I'll guard the camp." When he looked doubtful, she added, "I'm nearly a warrior. It'll be fine."
He bounded away. "Quick," Lovepaw hissed. Barkkit scrambled out. She grabbed his scruff in her jaws and raced away.
Lovepaw headed towards a river. Once there, she let go of Barkkit and he slid to the ground. She shoved him into the river.
Barkkit wasn't very panicked, since it was calm and shallow, but he looked confused.
"Why did you push me in here?" Barkkit asked.
Lovepaw didn't answer, only placed her forepaws on his chest and pressed him into the water.
Barkkit didn't struggle much at first, clearly believing that it was all a joke, but when Lovepaw didn't let him up, he began to panic. Barkkit thrashed wildly, bubbles coming from his mouth. Lovepaw sunk her claws into him. Blood billowed around him.
Slowly, Barkkit stopped moving. Lovepaw released him, and watched his brown pelt slowly drift down the river. Lovepaw cleaned her paws of blood, then rolled herself in the river farther upstream to get rid of any scents. Then Lovepaw headed back.
Very good, Ravenfang murmured. Very, very good.
"I, Mudstar, leader of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has worked hard to became a warrior RiverClan can be proud of," Mudstar began.
"Ashheart, has Lovepaw proven herself worthy of her warrior name?" Mudstar asked, staring at the gray tom.
"Ashheart dipped his head. "She has."
"Lovepaw, do you promise to protect your clanmates, defend RiverClan, and uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do," Lovepaw answered with a trace of hesitation.
"Then Lovepaw, from this moment, you will be known as Lovespirit," Mudstar yowled.
"Lovespirit! Lovespirit!"
"Hatedpaw," Mudstar meowed. "Because you cheated, you will stay as an apprentice for another moon. During that, you will also clean out the elder's den."
Lovespirit smirked at her brother. Cloudbrain.
"Lovespirit! Lovespirit!" The clan chanted her name. Lovespirit sat with her head held high, but she cast a smug look at Hatedpaw.
The clan began to disperse, but Mudstar raised his tail. "Wait. Two kits have reached six moons today. Duskkit, Stormkit, step forward please."
Duskkit, his dark brown tail waving excitedly in the air, nearly leaped forward. He restrained himself, though, and somehow managed to pad forward calmly. Stormkit also obeyed, although his movements were more sad.
"This kits are ready to become apprentices," Mudstar meowed. "But before we do that, let us take this time to remember their littermate Barkkit."
Mudstar bowed his head, and the rest of RiverClan followed his lead. They had found Barkkit's body floating down the river the next day. No one, except for Hatedpaw, had suspected Lovespirit.
They sat like that for several minutes. Finally, Mudstar raised his head. "And now onto naming the apprentices. Duskkit, from this moment on, until you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Duskpaw. Your mentor will be Featherleaf."
Duskpaw touched noses with Lovespirit's mother, but the fire had gone out of him. Lovespirit snorted. Get over it, weakling.
"Stormkit, from this moment on, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Stormpaw," Mudstar announced. "Streamfang, you have been a loyal warrior, and you are a strong and fierce fighter. You will mentor Stormpaw. I hope you pass on these qualities to your new apprentice."
Lovespirit nodded in approval. Streamfang was one of Lovespirit's staunchest supporters. He did everything Lovespirit told him to do. If Streamfang failed to turn Stormpaw to Lovespirit's side, then she would have him kill the young cat, or she would do it herself.
Streamfang met Lovespirit's eyes. He nodded. He understands. Stormpaw will be on my side at the end of this, or dead.
Lovespirit felt a flash of pain as Hatedheart sunk his teeth deep into her throat. She thrashed, but before she could escape, darkness closed around her.
Lovespirit rose from her body. She watched as Hatedheart dropped it, then turned to see Ravenfang watching her.
"Lovespirit," he meowed simply.
Lovespirit dipped her head to her mentor. "I have done as you asked. Now it is time for me to secure my place within StarClan."
Ravenfang's eyes flashed with anger. "After all this time, after all you've done, you still want to be with those fools? I thought you were loyal to the Dark Forest!"
"Fish-brain!" Lovespirit spat. "I am loyal to the Dark Forest! Don't you see sense in my plan? I'll be a spy from within, and those starry fools won't even suspect me!"
Ravenfang dropped his eyes. "Then go, Lovespirit, and spy for the Dark Forest. For us. Fo-for..." His voice trailed away. Ravenfang looked up and Lovespirit saw an emotion that she had never seen in his eyes before, an emotion that made her lip curl with disgust.
Ravenfang's eyes hardened. "Go," he flicked his tail angrily. "My time is up. StarClan is coming. They cannot see me with you, or else your disguise is ruined."
Lovespirit simply gazed at him, her gaze hard and cold. Then she turned and without another word, padded up the path to StarClan.
Heronclaw, Snowdapple, Barkkit, and many other less-relevant cats were there, such as Ashheart.
As they surrounded her, smothering her with praise and comfort, Lovespirit's mind drifted back to Ravenfang's eyes, the conflicted emotions she had seen in them.
One she saw was disgust. But the other...
Dare I say it, free of anything else?
Yes, she dared.
Love.
So, that was basically Hatred from Lovespirit's POV. Tell me your thoughts in your reviews!
Some things:
Stormpaw did join Lovespirit, with the name of Stormsplash.
Lovespirit did not get to see Hatedheart dying.
In case you didn't realize, Lovespirit is Stoneflower reborn.
Hatedheart was to be a hero. Stoneflower and the Dark Forest ruined it.
Ravenfang had Lovepaw/spirit kill Barkkit because had he grown up into a warrior, he was destined to reveal Lovespirit's secret (she would be known as Lovestar if he had lived), and kill Lovespirit/star.
If you read Foreststar's Rejection, then you know Hatedheart is the leader of the Dark Forest. Lovespirit would've been, but many of the cats from the Dark Forest scorned her for joining StarClan. They looked to Hatedheart, whom they believed had chosen to be part of the Dark Forest. They had seen inside him, and they thought he would be part of StarClan. So they saw Hatedheart as a true Dark Forest cat.
So, did you get the last part? About Ravenfang's eyes? Eventually, I'll probably put in my profile what that was about. But tell me what you think!
Bye!
—Foreststar