Bright light shines on her face, making her feel far more groggy and tired than usual. She tries to ignore the light, considering that it's summer and the intensity from the sun's rays is just because her mother probably walked into her room and opened the blinds, allowing the light to pour through and envelop her entire bedroom. She rolls over, attempting to grow more comfortable in her bed, but a frown tugs its way across her lips. The texture is different from her usual soft sheets. Blinking, she attempts to adjust her vision to the light surrounding her, but only to her dismay as it steadies, allowing her to grasp what is around her. It, definitely, is not her bedroom—in fact, she's not in any house at all. Prickly grass tickles around her, and she trembles at the sudden touch. Everything feels heightened: the sights, the smells—the entire atmosphere around her seems to have changed, something that she's never endured before, colliding into her, almost barreling her over as she tries to take control all at once. Exhilarated, she feels her spine tingle, causing the rest of her body to shake. She stretches herself out, a pleasant feeling now pulsing through her veins—that is, until her gaze focuses on the paws before her.
She lets out a short scream, sounding more like a strangled yowl, as she nearly flies backwards, landing awkwardly on her hind legs. Her body stings from the sudden impact but she's too stunned by the sight she had witnessed to pay much attention. Instead of seeing her familiar, small, nail-bitten hands, fluffy white cat paws had greeted her. Shaking, she looks around feebly, but her attempts are in vain as her head begins to pound from all the new senses climbing over her, drowning her. She gasps for breath, but opening her mouth seems to have worsened the situation as the new scents become intoxicating.
Looking up, she sees a river nearby. Almost tripping over her paws, she makes her way towards it, attempting to catch a glimpse of herself in the reflection. What stares back at her is what she's been dreading all along; a young cat's amber eyes stare back at her, intense, large and bright, holding the same panic that's now pulsing through her veins. The cat is a dark brown tabby, with noticeable white markings scattered across her forehead, dotting its features. The cat is her.
"What the actual hell…" she murmurs and the cat's mouth moves as well. She blinks and the cat blinks. Feeling another shudder race up and down her spine from realization, she looks down at her feet, hoping that she had just been hallucinating. Her hopes are soon crushed when, sure enough, the cat paws she had previously seen remain. She flexes them, watching with amazement as her claws easily slide in and out at command, the way her muscles contract differently than that of moving her human hand.
Holy shit. Almost entranced by her new abilities, she nearly forgets about the dread that has been making her spine tingle since the moment she woke up.
Lifting her head, she tries to distract herself from her new cat physique as she narrows her eyes, attempting to remember what she had done the night before she fell asleep. She had just completed her biology homework, and not being able to fall asleep, grabbed a book off her bookshelf, hoping reading would make her more tired. Coincidentally (or perhaps, not a coincidence at all), the book had been from the infamous Warriors series, a series she hadn't looked at in a long time. The particular book was from the Omen of the Stars arc, Sign of the Moon. It had been years since she read the series, but a part of her was glad she had picked the book up; she was reminded of the courage and ferocity the feral Clan cats held towards their Clan and admired the true natures of wild animals that Erin Hunter managed to convey. Something about the way the cats lived was addicting, with the way survival was depicted, that it was almost reminiscent of Lord of the Flies. She shakes her head, realizing no matter how intriguing the means of survival was in the books, there could be no possible way she's present in that world. After all, it was unthinkable—impossible, even—…wasn't it?
She takes a deep breath, then suddenly notices how differently her lungs work; the oxygen seems to flow easier and quicker. The sensation distracts her for a moment but she manages to push her alerted and intrigued thoughts away. Instead, she tries to remember everything about herself.
My name is Clara. I'm a high school student. I'm just about to start my junior year. I was reviewing old biology homework to prepare. So…what the hell am I doing here?
Clara turns back to the river. Although the waves ripple from something that had hit it, but the image of the dark brown tabby and its intense amber eyes remains imbedded in her mind.
Immediately, new scents find there way to her, nearly causing her to stumble from the overwhelming sensations, barely giving her the chance to decipher that it's coming from several different cats until it's too late.
"Hey, you! You're trespassing on ThunderClan territory!"
ThunderClan territory…What the cat had yowled is more distracting than the idea of other, possibly more vicious and skilled, cats approaching. Clara turns, finally meeting the gaze of a patrol of cats. There are five of them; a long-furred white tom with sharp blue eyes, a golden brown tabby tom with alert amber eyes, a she-cat with tabby fur and blue eyes, a golden tabby with amber eyes, and the one who had cried out—a cream-furred tom, tail lashing angrily, amber eyes narrowed threateningly.
Clara feels her jaw open, but she can't form any words to say. Instead, she stares wide-eyed at the cats before her. Although their scents are unfamiliar, she recognizes them almost immediately. ThunderClan cats: the actual ThunderClan cats, here, living and breathing? This can't be happening—this can't be happening! I have to be dreaming…I am dreaming…aren't I? Clara's thoughts run wild as the detailed descriptions from the allegiances at the beginning of every Warriors novel come to mind, being enough information to tell her that the cats on patrol were Cloudtail, Brackenfur, Berrynose, Cinderheart, and Lionblaze (now Cinderpaw and Lionpaw, judging by the age the two look).
"I asked you a question, fleabag!" Berrynose hisses, teeth bared and glaring. Clara glances his way, still too stunned to say anything.
"I…" Her gaze flickers down to his paws, noticing his claws are unsheathed while his tail lashes violently. She looks back up, meeting his intense amber gaze. "I-I'm sorry…I didn't know that this was…" She takes a deep breath, knowing she has to play it cool. After all, this is what she has always dreamed of…in elementary school, that is. Unsure of the cat formality, she dips her head. "I didn't know this was your territory." When Berrynose didn't spit anything crude, she raised her head slightly. "Where am I, exactly?"
Cloudtail steps forward, shouldering Berrynose away before the younger warrior has the chance to arrogantly snap anything. "ThunderClan territory." His blue gaze watches Clara carefully. "What brings you here? You're obviously not a Clan cat, judging by your scent, but you don't smell like a kittypet to me."
She hesitates, contemplating what to say. Actually, I just woke up here—I have no clue how I ended up here, I just did. She clenches her jaw, reminding herself that she has to play this smartly if she wants to get on their good side, and possibly, have the potential to join their Clan. She opens her mouth to say something, but stops at the feeling of two harsh gazes boring into her. Her pelt burns and she turns to her right to see Lionblaze, now Lionpaw, and Cinderheart, now Cinderpaw, watching her suspiciously. From their harsh gazes, Clara finds herself lost for words again. Cloudtail seems to notice this and shoots the two apprentices a warning look.
"I'm sorry," Clara mews again. "I didn't know I was trespassing."
Cloudtail nods. "Since you didn't know about the territories, we'll let you off with a warning." He hesitates, glancing at the other cats before turning back to the dark brown tabby. "Past that river behind you is WindClan territory, while RiverClan resides farther left, near more river bends. ShadowClan is farther up, near the forest where the rest of our Clan's territory ends. Make sure you don't cross any other borders if you don't want to be caught again."
Clara nods slowly, the map that Erin Hunter had created suddenly coming to mind. Never in her whole life did she ever think it would actually be useful.
"What's your name?" Berrynose asks suddenly, startling Clara and the other cats. Cloudtail shoots the younger warrior another look, but Berrynose's gaze remains on the dark brown tabby.
She hesitates again. Clara sounds too human…too Twoleg.
"Echo," she decides. "My name is Echo."
"Nice to meet you, Echo," Cinderpaw mews, her gaze friendlier than the rest of the patrol. The suspicion she held before seems to have vanished after 'Echo' introducing herself. Lionpaw shoots her a look because of this, but she ignores it as she nods to Echo, tail swaying in an amiable manner. "I'm Cinderpaw—"
"That's enough," Berrynose snaps, shooting the apprentice a harsh look. Cinderpaw meets his gaze evenly, tail now lashing in an angry manner, as she holds back a stinging retort. Echo turns her attention away when Cloudtail addresses her once again.
"Do you have a home near here, Echo?" He continues to watch her with his stern and alert blue gaze. Echo feels her ears warm slightly, realizing that she was out of believable excuses now.
Cinderpaw states, "Maybe she's a loner", causing Cloudtail to shoot her a warning look, signaling for her to be quiet. Instead of retorting, Cinderpaw's ears flatten against her head as she looks down at her paws. Echo shuffles her own nervously.
"No, I don't have a home."
Berrynose's suspicious gaze doesn't leave her as he holds his head high and haughtily. "So you are a loner!" He scoffs before Echo has the chance to retort. "Well, you can get out of here, and don't you even dare think of ever coming back!"
Echo holds back a sigh, remembering how ill the image of being a loner was to Clan cats. At least they're regarded better than kittypets and rogues, she contemplates.
"That's enough, Berrynose," Cloudtail mews harshly, shooting Berrynose a stern look. Berrynose meets the older warrior's gaze evenly, but doesn't protest as the white tom looks back to Echo. "He is right, though. If you're a loner, I suggest you get out of here. This is ThunderClan territory. If another patrol spots you here again, they won't treat your trespassing as lightly as we are." He glances back at the rest of the patrol, nodding, signaling that they should leave. The familiar panic Echo felt before strikes through her once again, causing her to step forward impulsively, gaining the patrol's attention once again.
"Can I join your Clan?" The question comes tumbling out of her mouth quicker than she expects, hardly giving her any time to think through it. She refrains from allowing her ears to flatten against her head in worry as Cloudtail turns to face her again. His whiskers twitch, a slight look of irritation flashing in his blue eyes.
"You want to join?" Echo tries to ignore the bafflement that's present in his voice as she nods her head.
"Yes."
Cloudtail blinks, expression unchanged. "Even if we do allow cats into our Clan, we invite them. They never ask." He continues to watch her, now a look of curiosity replacing the suspicion that was previously shining. He exchanges a look with the patrol. Brackenfur had remained silent throughout the whole ordeal, watching Echo thoughtfully. He glances back at Cloudtail before looking to the apprentices and Berrynose, who also remain quiet. Subtle curiosity shines in all their eyes, even Berrynose, but his flashes only for a moment before he notices Echo is watching, and shoots her a warning glare.
"Is that a no…?" she presses, turning to Cloudtail. He lets out what sounds like an exasperated sigh as he shakes his head.
"I'm sure Firestar would love to hear about this." He looks back at Brackenfur who nods in agreement. "Come on, we'll take you back to our camp. Our Clan leader can decide whether or not you can join."
Echo's eyes widen slightly; she hadn't expected it to be that easy. However, the suspicious gazes that the rest of the patrol gives her as she walks alongside them tell her otherwise. She tries to ignore their stares, spine tingling, as she attempts to focus on her new senses, something that she had squashed down and pushed away in attempts to focus on talking. Opening her mouth slightly, she manages to taste all different scents of cats—the most prominent, she assumes, is the ThunderClan border scent. Glancing to her left, she notices Cinderpaw watching, a look of curiosity and subtle suspicion evident in her blue eyes, causing Echo to shut her mouth almost immediately, ears warming in embarrassment.
"How long have you been a loner?" Cinderpaw inquires.
Echo blinks. "Oh…um…not long."
Cinderpaw frowns. "Were you a kittypet before?"
Echo stares at her, unsure of what to say. Cinderpaw mistakes her silence for confusion as she adds, "A kittypet is a housecat. Like cats who live with Twolegs? Or, um, I guess house folk?"
Echo nods slowly; maybe if she plays along it'll be more believable. "Oh, no…I've never lived with Twolegs before."
Cinderpaw holds her gaze. The confusion is gone but Echo can tell that she remains suspicious from her reaction. She doesn't press about it, though, much to Echo's relief as she looks ahead oncem ore.
"We're almost at ThunderClan camp," she mews. "I'm actually really surprised you want to join our Clan. Most loners, rogues, and kittypets tend to stay away from us."
"Really?"
Cinderpaw nods. Her shoulders relax and Echo can notice some tufts of fur on her neck that had been standing on end lower as she adds, "Yeah. Kittypets come up with these stories about us eating the bones of dead animals." She lets out a small mrrow of amusement. "Isn't that funny? Dead bones? I mean, how mouse-brained can you get?"
Cloudtail suddenly lets out a warning hiss in Cinderpaw's direction and mine, and the gray she-cats ears flatten against her head from the scolding. She looks back at Echo.
"Um, not all kittypets are mouse-brained." She seems to be stumbling over her words, attempting to appeal to Cloudtail, who obviously took offense to her previous statement. "Especially not Firestar and his family." When Echo pretends to give her a confused look, she adds, "Firestar is our Clan leader, and Cloudtail is related to him—his mother was Princess, who was a kittypet like Firestar, and was also his sister."
Echo nods slowly. Looking back ahead, she sees a quarry come into view. A stone hollow, enclosed by tall cliffs, surround most of the camp, followed by the entrance that's through a thorn tunnel. She looks back at Cinderpaw who nods.
"We're here." Cloudtail continues to lead the way, Brackenfur following close behind, as they push through the tunnel. Brackenfur looks over his shoulder to Echo, amber eyes flashing.
"Be careful," he warns as Echo follows after Cinderpaw and Lionpaw. Echo merely nods, watching her paws. She hasn't even made it inside the camp, and she's suddenly overwhelmed by the amount of cat scents that hit her in waves, nearly causing her to lose her footing. She looks back at Brackenfur, who watches her. She has to get used to her heightened senses, if she doesn't want to appear more suspicious than she already is.
Once the group manages to push through the tunnel, carefully avoiding the thorn bushes nearby, Echo's eyes widen at the sight before her. Her nose grows used to all the overwhelming scents of the cats, and she manages to ignore the dizziness in her head, making it pound, as she stares wide-eyed at the area before her. The campgrounds of ThunderClan—it was all too surreal.
"Wow," she breathes. She continues to look around in amazement. Just as it was written, the well-known Highledge stands as a tall rock situated towards the middle of the Clan, right near the leader's den, which can be reached by climbing up the Highledge. Echo doesn't have enough time to try to pinpoint where the medicine den, warrior's den, and apprentice's den is as Cloudtail nudges her, gaining her attention.
"Wait here with Brackenfur," he orders. "I'll be back with Firestar."
Echo watches as he bounds away, skillfully climbing up the Highledge and disappearing into the leader's den. She feels breathless at all the new sights and feelings, inhaling deeply, now enjoying the new senses she can depict just by breathing, and not feeling as if she'll fall over from them. She tries to refrain from trembling from all her excitement, knowing it might look like fear to the other Clan cats. She feels Brackenfur's gaze on her, but ignores it as she stares back at the camp. This is where my adventure begins!
hello! i'll try not to leave many author's notes since i usually don't see the point in them very often, so if you see them, they usually include some important things i want to talk about! first off, i've written this fanfic a dozen times before and this is probably my eight attempt at rewriting it (yikes!) i've also had it posted here before as well, under an old username, and also a long time ago on Quizilla, possibly 6 years ago. obviously, i've changed many things: before, this story was written (terribly) in first person, but i've changed it to third person because not only are the original warriors books written in third, but i find it much more comfortable with my writing style since i feel it's easier to get more descriptive with emotions, etc.
secondly, this version of my old echoflight series is going to be much more detailed and less...obviously written by an 11 year old. i'm 17 now (shit i'm old haha), and i've recently picked up bluestar's prophecy for a light read since i had time on my hands because of summer, and when i read it i realized how much i missed warriors, and what a great series it really is, even though there's so many books like wow. i've focused on other fanfiction throughout the span of six years, but warriors was the first ever fandom i ever wrote anything for, so it holds a special place in my heart. i always turn back to it when i'm lacking inspiration, and i found this old gem in my drafts, so i decided to rewrite the entire thing. it'll take time and i know i should be focusing on other things, but the adventures echoflight goes through are too exciting and nostalgic for me to ignore.
lastly, the chapters will most likely be longer than this one, since it's technically a prologue but since fanfiction lists the first part as chapter one, i had to make it chapter one. but anyway, thank you all so much for reading (especially if you decided to read this long note), and don't forget to review and favourite! if you've read my old fic before (you'll recognize it if you remember echoflight), i'd love to hear what your thoughts are on my improved writing style, since it's obviously different from when i was 11-12, back when i first wrote this. thanks again! :-)