Chapter 6 of Nuke Warriors!! :P
Only three reviews… :(
Gazingmoon: Awww thank you so much!
Mystik Shadows: Thanks, it worked quite well with my plans…
LoOkLeFt: Thanks…no, Brambleclaw is not going to die in the bath tub…yet (jokes, or am I?).
This chapter is from the perspective of the newest main character…Jayfeather!! !
*SPOILER* - do not read if you haven't read Sunrise and you want to find out by yourself.
Happy Reading
Leopardstorm
(The date is the 17th December 2012)
Chapter 6 – Disowned
I woke up. I felt sticky, like I am in a massive mud puddle. What in the name of StarClan was going on? Then I remembered. That night, when hell broke loose in the sight of our ancestors. I had no clue what actually happened that night, I only heard screams, unnatural explosions and the stench of fire that eventually engulfed everyone. Am I still alive?
I felt…different to what I was. My fur felt strangely like I was hairless, and I felt like I was much larger. I tried getting up, the mud clinging onto my strange floppy pelt. Was this me? A bald, tall weirdo with his fur hanging off? Whatever I was, I was still blind and, now that I was half way to getting up, I didn't know where to go, or rather, where I was.
I flopped back onto the floor, my head fur splattering the mud all over my body. I gave up. I couldn't. I fell asleep, wondering if I could seek answers from Yellowfang or Bluestar.
I opened my eyes to the familiar StarClan hunting grounds, but they were uncharacteristically quiet and tense, as though the whole of the Place of No Stars were about to engulf these tranquil sacred grounds.
I looked around. I saw everything from a different angle, like I was watching from the top of a moderately large tree. No-one was here. I looked down, but suddenly jumped to find what was there, or rather who was there.
It was an old female Twoleg, who had grey hair and rather disgusting teeth. How did a Twoleg enter StarClan?
"Come down, Jayfeather!" the Twoleg commanded. I recognise that voice…could it be…
"Yellowfang?" I looked at her incredulously.
"Yes, it's me," the ex-ThunderClan medicine cat said to me. "You might want to look at yourself…"
Fearing what I might find, I tentatively looked down. I jumped as I found I no longer had paws, fur and a tail. I had clumsy hands which in no way could catch a mouse (my paws couldn't do that either), feet that were fleshy and extended and pelts that was floppy and unstable.
"How is this supposed to keep me warm?" I mewed- no shouted indignantly.
"Twolegs stay in their nests which have small fires for warmth," Yellowfang replied distastefully. "And you can change those pelts and clean yourself; otherwise you'll smell worse than a yarrow patient eating mouse-bile."
"How will I know where to go?" I had found probably the biggest problem. "I can't keep warm if I don't know where!"
"We thought of that too, impatient one," Yellowfang twitched her wrinkling nose with annoyance. "When you wake up, you will have a sight-aid on your chest. Put them on the bridge of your nose and all will become clear…" she was starting to fade away…
"NOOO!" I wailed. "Don't leave, I need to know more!"
"The answers will come in due course…" the voice of Yellowfang drifted on the wind and through my ears.
I didn't want to wait. I wanted them now! What is the point of knowing the answers if you didn't want to give them to me? Sometimes… I sneered. My own vision was starting to fade away as I felt like I was falling backwards, my head spinning like a whirlpool. Round and round until…
SPLAT! I was in the mud, the gooey substance oozing through my pelts. I opened my eyes. I just saw swirling colours of nothing that formed into confusing vortexes. Then I remembered: the sight-aids! They were indeed, on my chest. They felt clunky and metallic, but strangely light to pick up. Opposable thumbs did have its advantages…
I did as Yellowfang said…they felt slightly uncomfortable, but hell was it worth it. I could see everything: the burnt forest, the city behind me, and that huge tree that was about to fall on me…what!?
I jumped out the way just in time, getting me muddier. But if I hadn't had those glasses on… (huh?)
I walked on towards the city, the rain that was lightly drizzling washing the mud off from my sodden clothes. The city was, from my imagination, everything I thought it would be: high-rise buildings, manmade lights that shone unnaturally on the massive Thunderpaths and had the smell of pollution reeking its way through the empty streets (my senses seemed…duller than when I was a cat). Night was beginning to fall on the city, my body felt tired and I longed for this all to be a horrid nightmare, and that I would wake up in the medicine den with Berrynose being a stuck-up snob, Firestar being a woos and Squirrelflight sniffling in the corner like normal.
I knew that this was not even a dream, this was very real and there was no way back as far as I could tell. I needed to find a shelter, like the ones that Yellowfang was talking about. There wasn't anything that even resembled a nest here. I sighed and carried on. I noticed that my sight was beginning to fail. Were these things broken? Trust Twolegs…
Then I realised. A human's sense of sight was duller than a cat's (I couldn't compare them to my sight as this was still a lot better than what I had). I needed to find somewhere, and quick. All I needed to do was- OUCH!
I had bumped into something, or rather someone.
"Hello?" I called tentatively, hoping it was someone I knew…what if it's a rouge?
"Jayfeather?" the she-human called out. It was Cinderheart. What luck…
"Cinderheart!" I greeted. "What are you doing walking around?"
"Probably the same thing as you," she sneered sarcastically. I physically jumped: she wasn't normally that hostile. "I'm sorry," she sounded defeated. "But I've been walking around for two days now, and I haven't found anyone."
"Better you than me," I replied. "I woke up earlier, but it's been much the same…at least I can look where I'm going in the daytime…"
"You can see?!" Cinderheart said in awe.
"These metal things that have glass frames in them," I pointed to them…then remembering she couldn't see it very well, being night-time.
"Well, I have a place that is sheltered," Cinderheart was bursting to tell me this as far as I could tell. "It's not exactly warm, but it will keep us dry," she grabbed my hand and walked off towards her shelter.
She's grabbing my hand…I sighed contentedly, but then straightened up. Why would I care if she's grabbing my hand? But it had felt great, like the time when Half Moon said that she believed in me to take the Tribe to the Mountains…was it…? No! It couldn't be that…
After what seemed like a moon, we got to the shelter. It felt really dry, but I still found myself shivering from the cold.
"There's a seat over there," the she-woman grabbed two seats and sat down. Suddenly, I heard a low growl. My dulled senses were on full alert.
"Cinderheart," my voice shook slightly as I caught her attention. "Did you hear something?"
The thing growled again.
"That?" Cinderheart asked.
"Uh huh…" I was really starting to get scared. Was it a dog? A fox? A badger…?
"It's your tummy, mouse-brain!" Cinderheart laughed in affection. Then she came over all serious. "I'm hungry too…" she slumped back in her chair, the lightstick above us giving the only feasibly sensible light in the whole street.
"I'm tired," I yawned loudly. "Do you mind if I get some sleep?"
"Of course not!" she chuckled as she brought over two big mossy sheets (that didn't feel like moss). "Put one underneath you and one on top; it keeps you warmer." Then she went to grab a big pillow of human moss. "Stick this under your head, it keeps your head from hurting."
"Thanks," I mumbled indistinctly as I lay down on the first sheet. "Do you think this would all be just a dream tomorrow morning and we were back by the lake?"
"Somehow, I think there is more surprise to come…" she replied as she got another pillow and laid down next to me. "Goodnight…" she said as she held my hand. I felt another tingle. Stop it, Jayfeather…you're a medicine cat…were the last thoughts before I too entered the land of nod…
-x-
I woke up. Again. Maybe this time I will be back in the forest, I dared to think. I opened my eyes: nope, still in the deserted alleyway with Cinderheart snoozing next to me. My tummy grumbled again; I needed to eat. I smelled myself, also realising that I needed a wash, badly.
I got up, flexing my muscles, trying to get life back into my aching limbs and sore hands. If only I had some horsetail… but then I realised that it wouldn't work with Twolegs. They probably had some different medicine techniques.
"Jayfeather?" Cinderheart yawned giving the impression that she too, had just woken up.
"I'm here," I shouted back. "I'm just looking for food."
"Don't waste your energy," she shouted back. "There isn't any that I could find…"
I sighed. I guess we just had to keep moving. Shaking some of the earth that was on my shirt, we got ready for another day as humans.
"Will we come back tonight?" I asked my grey-brown haired companion.
"Only if we haven't found another place to stay that's warmer and drier," she gritted her teeth as she fought against a massive gust of wind that swept through the alley. "Come on."
We must have slept quite late, because the sun was already at its highest point. We trundled along the suburban streets, wandering past buildings that looked much more like houses than the ones that I had seen when I first entered the city.
Suddenly, I heard voices. This time I was convinced it wasn't my stomach.
"Cinderheart?" I called back to her as she looked at a rather battered old monster near to us. "I heard something like voices!"
"Well, don't just stand there, mouse-brain," she replied lightly as she touched my shoulder. "Go find out who it is…." she touched me…STOP it, Jayfeather, you have codes to stick to!
I forgot the quarrel with myself and tentatively walked towards the other humans that were just walking out of the Twoleg nest. One of them went towards the centre of the city, while another came towards me. Hide!!
"I saw you," the brown-haired human walked towards me. "Come out, who are you?"
Not hearing the male human, I ran as fast as I could, not caring if it was anyone I knew. I hid behind a carrion-can, hoping he wouldn't see me. Are you a man or a mouse? my conscience was almost mocking me, face him, it might be Firestar or someone… It was right. I needed to find out who it was.
I ran back up the alleyway, and back into the open road.
"Hello!" I shouted back to the other human. "Hello?" he was walking the other way, his head turning back to face me. "Sorry, I ran away. My name is Jayfeather." I held out a hand to greet the stranger "a wise decision?"
He startled me as he held out both hands to embrace me, "Great StarClan you're alive!" He was clearly happy.
"That's great…but who are you?" I asked a little confusedly.
"Sorry, it's Brambleclaw…" he trailed off, remembering the Gathering and everything that had happened since.
"It's great to see you," I hugged him back in a strangle bout of affection. He raised me up, even if he wasn't my real father. I heard him heave a sigh of relief.
"How could you run that well with out bumping into anything?" the former deputy asked me, curiosity filling his amber/hazel eyes.
"These metal things on my nose help me see," I explained lightly. I examined Brambleclaw a little more. He was still well-built and his hair was the same shade of brown as it was in his cat life.
"That's a miracle!" he exclaimed heartily. "And I see you have brought someone with you!"
"Oh yeah" I laughed. "Cinderheart, I have found Brambleclaw!"
The grey/brown haired woman turned around and leapt with surprise.
"Brambleclaw!" she yowled as she ran to embrace him, nearly knocking him over with such force.
"It's great to see you too, Cinderheart!" my foster father muffled through Cinderheart's thick coat. As she let go, Brambleclaw said, "you better get inside the house, you look so cold."
We walked back to his house, feeling a lot better than I had when I originally woke up as a human. Eventually, we were there. Brambleclaw took out a funny metal thing and put it through the door. Then he twisted the knob and the door open. Suddenly, warmth hit me flat in the face, almost like a stranger to me. It felt awesome.
"Squirrelflight!" Brambleclaw shouted. "You'll never guess who I found outside!"
They had obviously made up with each other, judging from the warmth of his voice. The floor above us creaked as we heard her come down the stairs.
"I don't know, just see for yourself!" Brambleclaw took our coats and hung them on the walls.
"We already found Crowfeather!" my foster mother looked at me curiously as she entered the room. "Where did you find those things on your eyes?"
So they have found my fox-hearted father, then? I wanted to yowl that out to the highest heavens, but I kept that inside me.
"No," I stood forward. "I'm his son, Jayfeather."
Squirrelflight looked stunned for a few moments, but then embraced me like Brambleclaw had earlier. "I'm so glad you are safe," she mumbled. "I'm surprised you still want me near you," she sniffled as she let go of me.
"'Course, I do!" I said back. "You raised me up…"
"Sit down," she gestured to a seat by a warm fire, not like the ones that burn down the forest, but a human one, spreading warmth through the house.
"Who is your friend?" Squirrelflight called from another room.
"It's Cinderheart," I called back to her.
"Hi!" she greeted while coming back into the room with two mugs, the tops steaming with warmth. She placed them down on the table in front of us.
"It's hot chocolate," she said lightly before we could ask what it was. "It's really warm and tasty, and it makes you feel good inside."
I sipped it, its warmth seeping into my dry mouth. As I went to swallow it, I felt a wonderful sweet sensation hitting my taste-buds. I swallowed it, the warmth reaching down my throat, warming my whole body.
"That's fantastic, Squirrelflight!" I called as she made Brambleclaw some more, Cinderheart nodded her approval as the mates sat down.
"So, what's your story?" Brambleclaw asked as he sat down with us.
We explained everything that we went through, all the trials and tribulations that had gotten us to here. Then Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw told us what had been going on.
It had all been going swimmingly; four friends talking around a warm fire. Then it all went pear shaped.
The door started to click as we turned around.
"Ah, Crowfeather must have brought more firewood!" Brambleclaw said as he got up to greet my father at the door. My muscles tensed. I didn't like it; it was great until he had to intervene. Cinderheart had put a hand on my knee, knowing that he felt uncomfortable. Even her touch didn't settle me. I wanted to kill that man, the man who had disowned his own mate and children. He didn't deserve this.
"Hey, Brambleclaw!" the blue/black haired man walked in with arms full of wood, presumably for the fire. "Who is there?" he put the wood down and walked towards me, my muscles ready to spring at the first chance.
"It's your son," I replied, ice cool.
"Breezepelt…" he said with contempt. My hands were shaking with hatred, I was so close to snapping.
"No! You mouse-brained fool, can you not recognise your own flesh and blood?" I growled.
"Jayfeather…" he trailed with amazement. He gulped. He knew why I was tensing up. "You've got to understand…"
"No! You have!" I yowled, surprising myself with the strength of my voice. "You disowned me and my siblings, you fox-hearted coward! You couldn't face up to your mistakes and support us, and your crumbling mate!" I got up, toe-to-toe with my traitor father, he was the reason why Leafpool had left, and he was the reason why my life was thrown into confusion.
"I had no other choice!" he shouted back. "I would have had no place to go if I had admitted it to my Clan. I was planning to sort it out when I could!"
"You weren't planning that at all, were you?" I screeched, my anger levels rising through the roof. "You embarrassed all of us in front of everyone at the Gathering, you could have supported us, and Leafpool, but you disowned us again, in front of every Clan! How can you call yourself our father?!"
"I wish things hadn't turned out this way…" he looked down to his feet. "I wish I could have been there for you, help you sort this mess out…"
"You didn't give two mousetails," I roared, and then did something I never thought I would ever do to another person. I punched him in the jaw, my own father. I calmed down; shocked to the bone that I had done such a thing. Crowfeather lay on the floor, unconscious, but still breathing.
Cinderheart put her arms round me, I was grateful for her hug. I knelt on the floor next to my father's head.
"I'm sorry…" I said, noticing that my foster parents' mouth were agape, in total shock.
Crowfeather regained consciousness, and looked me in the eye. I was half expecting him to leap at me in revenge, but his eyes just looked despairing and regretful.
"You shouldn't be apologising," he said dejectedly. "It's all my fault. I was a coward, you're right. If only I could find Leafpool and tell her how I really feel…"
"I'll help you look for her tomorrow…" I helped him get up as he brushed his nose, blood dripping where I landed the blow. I got a bit of cloth and wiped it for him.
"Just keep holding where the blood is so no more comes out," I advised as we sat back down.
"Thanks," he sighed as he sat opposite the fire.
"I'd better go…" I said as I went for the door. I could meet him here tomorrow from the alley Cinderheart showed me.
"No you aren't!" he called in a non-argumentative. "You can stay here as long as you want; I need to make it up to you…"
I gave in. "Can Cinderheart stay?" I called to him.
"Yes of course!" he looked at me with a strangely knowing smile. What is he smiling about? I just punched him in the face! "There is a bedroom on the first floor; I think the clothes in there fit you…"
It was like he was planning this… I shrugged. I wanted to get to know my father better anyway. We walked up the stairs towards our bedroom. I opened the door to see a big bed with covers like the ones Cinderheart had found. It would be able to take at least two people.
Cinderheart insisted in trying the new bed, she said she was tired. I decided to back down. I walked down the stairs, suddenly hearing sniffling.
"…come on, Crowfeather, you will find her!" I heard Brambleclaw say encouragingly.
"No, I won't!" he said between sniffs. "You two have it, Jayfeather and Cinderheart have it, but I don't deserve it."
Have what? I felt like bursting in there and asking, but I held station. Then it hit me: Love! How could I not have guessed sooner!? Do I love Cinderheart? I thought, trying to be honest with myself. I felt great whenever she held my hand, and when she hugged me, it made me feel comforted even if I was angry.
"My own son can do it!" he yowled in despair. "Why can't I?"
"Jayfeather said he will help you look tomorrow!" Squirrelflight said soothingly.
I walked back upstairs, thinking about what Crowfeather had said. Was it that obvious that I love her?
Phew! How long was that!? 3,500 words!! My longest ever chapter!
Don't forget to read and review!
Question – can you guess which city this is set (it is the same city that Crowfeather was exploring last chapter!)
Please review! IT MAKES MY DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for reading and Happy New Year!!
With warm regards,
Leopardstorm
