Okay... *deep breath*... you know when you are so excited and pick up a brand-spankin' new Warriors book, and are so anxious to see what happens next, and you start reading. But then you realize that, somehow, Erin Hunter made a hu-YUGE mistake, and throughout the whole book, called Firestar "Redstar"? Wouldn't that be awful and embarrassing? Alright, now you get to know why I asked such a weird question: my good reviewer, Cam, made an incredibly obvious point: this is set around the FIRST arc, and RAINWHISKER ISN'T EVEN BORN until the SECOND arc. When reading the reviews of people asking what beloved, dead cats to include in this story, I read one mentioning Rainwhisker by my old friend, Icethroat21. And, being the incredibly dim-witted teenager I tend to be, I thought she meant to INCLUDE him, and didn't even think that he wasn't around in the real books yet. But I JUST realized that I included Rainwhisker in the last chapter, and he isn't even around!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SO embarrassed, and extremely grateful to Cam for saying something, otherwise I would have gone down as the moronic author who wrote a terrible Warriors fanfic. I feel really horrible now... here is a story that's supposedly a good one, and then I go and screw something up like that. I'm really sorry, and I'm probably over-reacting, but I hate it when I mess up badly like that. So, tying this into what I first said, this is like publishing a real Warriors book and realizing I made a pretty big mistake in it. Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, guys. I'll just go into the corner and stare at the wall now.... *lol* Okay, anyways, I've got most of that oughtta my system now... meanwhile, I'm basically uploading to frantically explain why I put Rainwhisker in a story where he isn't even supposed to be around yet, and to share with you the tenth chapter of my story. I wish I could be publishing it with a different a/n, one where I didn't make a mistake on the previous chapter, but... that's the way things go. So a HUGE round of applause to Cam, you saved me from complete & total embarrassment. OKAY..... *DEEP breaths* Very good. Now that everyone knows, I feel a bit better. Anyways, I feel pretty crappy about my story now... (Serious LASED* coming on) Right then!!! Well, thank you everyone who may think I'm not an idiot and is reading this, and hopefully you'll still like my story even after my mistake last chapter... Luv ya! (in a total we're-almost-complete-strangers-but-you-all-are-awesome kinda way *lol*) *LASE stands for Low Author Self Esteem Disorder.... ;P Disclaimer: I do nawt own Warriors. And I'm bloody glad, too. I don't have to worry about making a mistake the whole world will read. xD P.S. This has been the longest author's note I've ever made. I hope it wasn't overwhelming... :)
Chapter Ten: The First Sign
Firestar wondered if a cat could have somehow slipped rocks into his paws, because the next morning when he awoke, he could barely move his paws.
His eyes slowly sliding open, Firestar yawned and reluctantly began to sit up, luxuriously stretching his spine and yawning until he wondered if his head would snap in half. He was so exhausted, he couldn't sleep.
It was, not to his surprise, a gorgeous day out, and though the sun was just a newly-risen yellow disk above the swaying green grass, the whole world was painted with brightness. It was almost as if the sunlight was a blanket draped over the Second World.
Yesterday had finished quickly for Firestar, and he had sat far away from the others, sleeping alone, under an empty sky again. He had sat for a long time, thinking, analyzing every memory he had bottled up in his mind, refusing to forget, always repeating his Clan name, struggling to remember Clanmate's names.
But he had also thought a lot about Icefeather. She had dropped so many hints yesterday... what did they all mean? Was he in danger? Was she really trapped here? Would he fall upon the same fate? And what had she begun to say before she said "mingle"? Firestar had nervously pondered and pondered until he finally had allowed sleep to claim him.
Now, Firestar slowly trudged over the grass, eyes narrowed, hair wild and messy. He had tossed and turned last night, and it had left his pelt a mess. Clearly, not everything was always perfect in this world.
"Firestar!" Spottedleaf exclaimed, delighted. Firestar inwardly groaned- he had been trying to avoid her and Bluestar most of yesterday, especially after remembering how Bluestar tried to make him forget about the dream. He couldn't quite put his paw on it, but he always got a weird feeling when the hauntingly beautiful tortoiseshell was around him, and his little chat with
Icefeather yesterday just backed up this creeping feeling.
"Hi," he said listlessly.
Her amber eyes took him in. "You look terrible," she finally declared.
"Thanks," he grumbled.
Spottedleaf laughed softly and batted at him with a paw. "Silly," she purred. "I'm just kidding, you don't look terrible. Just let me fix up some of that fur..." She wetted a paw and pressed it to his fur, attempting to flatten it's wildness.
"It's not working," he guessed after several long moments of concentrated silence.
"Shhh!" Spottedleaf giggled, slapping her tail over his mouth, and narrowing her eyes. "Well, that's as good as it'll get. We can stop by the creek today and use real water."
"There's a creek here?" Firestar meowed, feeling himself slowly start to wake up. He barely suppressed a shiver- after the puddle that led him here, he felt sick whenever he thought about water.
"Of course there is," Spottedleaf meowed, smiling fondly at him. "So what do you want to do today?"
Firestar blinked dully at her. "Go for a walk?" he asked, voice lathered with sarcasm.
"That sounds great!"
"I was joking," he said flatly.
Spottedleaf blinked. "Oh."
An uneasy silence panned out, and each cat bit their tongues, unsure of what to do next.
"You look like you could do with a moon of sleep," Spottedleaf finally meowed, smiling slightly and breaking the ice.
Firestar shrugged and sat down, yawning. His tail curled neatly over his paws. "Or two and three."
Spottedleaf laughed and sat down across from him. "Well, alright then... do you want to go back to sleep?"
Firestar glanced around. Cats were laughing, talking, and walking all around them- no one looked tired like him, and he'd feel embarrassed if he went back to sleep all alone. "No, I'll survive.
Have you seen Graystripe?" he added. He hadn't seen his gray-furred friend since Icefeather sent him home before talking with Firestar.
Something flickered in Spottedleaf's eyes. "Oh, no. You haven't?"
Firestar shook his head and yawned again.
"He's probably out with Silverstream," she said, shrugging.
"He's out with her too much," Firestar said darkly.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
Another awkward silence enveloped them, and as Firestar gazed at Spottedleaf, he wished more than anything that she would go away. What he really wanted right now was a fat, juicy mouse and a warm, familiar nest to curl in so he could just think. With all the cats distracting him, he felt like he barely had time to do that anymore.
"Icefeather talked to you, didn't she?" Spottedleaf sighed.
Firestar's fur prickled uneasily. "Er..."
"It's okay, she must have scared you, huh?"
Firestar squinted at her, not sure how to reply to that without getting embarrassed.
"She does that to all the newcomers," Spottedleaf explained, shaking her head. "It's all stupidity, though. Icefeather's nice enough, but..." Her sweet voice trailed off, and she flicked an ear.
Firestar shook his fur. Half of his heart desperately wanted to believe Spottedleaf. As freaky as this world may be, it was still amazingly beautiful, and there was still a small part of him that was happy each day to see Spottedleaf, his first love, one again. But the other half of his heart trusted Icefeather more than the Second World's Spottedleaf, and he somehow knew in his gut that Icefeather was not just scaring him.
Suddenly, thinking of Icefeather reminded Firestar of something he'd been wanting to do.
"Is Nightblaze still around?" he asked.
Spottedleaf looked surprised. "Who's that?" she asked curiously.
Firestar gave his chest-fur a few absentminded licks. "A black cat, close friends with Icefeather?"
Spottedleaf's eyes clouded. "Oh, him." There was something the way she said "him" that made Firestar think of when a cat would say "cat-dung". "No, he's... he went on, you know?"
"Oh." Firestar frowned. "You mean... he no longer exists in any world?" He felt a pang of disappointment. He had hoped that talking with Icefeather's friend might clear some things up.
Spottedleaf smiled slightly and shrugged. "I dunno about that... I mean, who knows what goes on in the other universes?"
Firestar felt his mind began to spin, and he shook his head briskly as if in hopes of scattering his thoughts. "Er, right. Well, then... I'd like to see Bluestar."
"Again?" Spottedleaf meowed, a hint of suspicion in her voice. "No, you can't... she's busy."
Firestar frowned at her. "I want to see Bluestar."
Spottedleaf sighed sadly. "Look, I'm really sorry, but she just can't."
"This is important!" Firestar exclaimed, feeling very angry all of a sudden. He shot up, and stared coldly at Spottedleaf. "Where is she?"
"Firestar, just-"
"Spottedleaf!"
She looked alarmed, and a few cats were glancing curiously at him, probably wondering what the loud voices were for. "Please, stop, I can't!"
"Why not?" Firestar growled.
Fear clawed at Spottedleaf's amber eyes, and she shook her head quickly. "Would you stop asking so many questions?" she snapped, and it was the first time Firestar had heard her sound angry.
"That's what cats normally do when they're curious!" Firestar spat. "Now tell me where Bluestar is!"
Desperation flashed over Spottedleaf's face, and she looked quite blank, as if at a lost at what to do.
"Now!" Firestar bellowed. Now several cats were watching the debate draw out, and he whirled around.
"Firestar, stop! Please! I'll get in trouble!" Spottedleaf cried. "Bluestar is busy!"
"I need to talk to her! What could be more important?" Firestar shot over his shoulder. To his surprise, he heard no paw-steps chasing after him, and he drew to a stop, swinging around.
No one was giving chase.
"Aren't- aren't you going to try and stop me?" he asked blankly.
Spottedleaf stared evenly at him, and exchanged a look with a cat who was watching as well, a white tom who Firestar realized was Whiteclaw. "See what happens," she murmured, and
Firestar felt bolts of fear shoot up his spine. Her voice was soft like a snake's, and all her anxiety was abruptly gone, replaced by smug contentment, like watching a mouse hop into a cat's claws.
Unnerved, Firestar slowly turned around, and, his fur bristling, began running like wild towards wherever- anywhere to get away from Spottedleaf, from all of them.
His heart pounding, the blood roaring in his ears, Firestar's breath was coming in ragged gasps when suddenly what breath he had was rudely knocked from him as he crashed into someone.
Firestar shakily looked up, and felt his face drain from shock and horror.
It was Bluestar, staring down at him, but there was something wrong with her eyes.
They were switched, like instead of black pupils and blue eyes, she had blue pupils and black eyes, and they were wide and gleaming. But what shocked Firestar the most was the way she was looking at him:
Like she was hungry.
Ohmagawd! Whattheheck????? Something strange is going on, and it's freaking even ME out. lol...
Okay, allow me to say something.
Firstly, to some people's belief, the cats of the Second World are foxes or something trying to eat Firestar and Graystripe. And though that would make a good story, that's not the case here. Well... without giving away too much.... *evil author cackle*... the cats of the Second World are much more than you may think. And they don't want to eat our beloved heroes. Something different.
But I can't tell you. Not just yet. :)
Can you tell I'm feeling a bit better, since I've told you about the Rainwhisker thing? Let's just nod our heads, sympathize with poor, bat-brained Sarafina, and move on. xD I'm gonna try, anyways... Ah, well. What happens, happens. Right?
But seriously, thanks to everyone out there, and a personal thanks to Cam. (I do hope I not overwhelming you... ;P) See ya!