Well, I meant to have this chapter out yesterday...
Excuses, excuses, self. These people are amazing, and you're just too lazy to write anything.
That's not true, self! I totally was writing yesterday...just not this...
Seriously, guys, I can't say enough thank yous for all the feedback I receive! Really, I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read this! And sorry that I didn't have this out earlier...
But on with the story.
I do not own Warriors.
Chapter Ten
Skykit was a light gray tabby she-kit with white paws and a white tail tip, named for her sky blue eyes. Her pelt, while sleek, was, like all her littermates, marred with healed over wounds, and the aura she carried with her was that of a kit who had seen too much for her young age. She seemed angry, yet her expression and posture was relaxed and at ease, although Finchkit figured that the other could leap to her paws in a heartbeat.
"Excuse me?" she repeated, unsure whether or not she'd actually heard the kit speak. Earlier, at the Rock, neither Skykit nor her littermates, Grasskit, Rabbitkit, or Snowkit, really spoke. So it was strange to hear one of them talk, or to find another kit here by the Starpool at all.
But these kits, Finchkit reminded herself, are different. They know we're dead.
Skykit responded, lifting her chin a bit higher as she repeated, "I'll repeat, what are you going to do now?" She paused for a moment, studying Finchkit, and when the younger kit didn't respond, Skykit continued, "Now that you've met Finn, now that you've seen your brother. Now that you've heard the prophecy. Now that you know the truth about all of the other kits."
Finchkit, in truth, was so lost, both physically and mentally. She didn't know where she was going. She didn't want to go back to the Rock, to the past when she was just another kit who didn't know the truth about StarClan. But the future didn't look much better either.
Perhaps that was why StarClan never told the kits about their deaths. If they did, then there would be myriads of kits like Finchkit - depressed, alone, not understanding, confused, wanting to know more.
Finchkit settled for, "How do you know about all that?"
Skykit flicked her white-tipped tail. "There's more than one way to visit other cats' dreams," she replied mysteriously. "And StarClan doesn't just visit the dreams of living cats."
The other kit thought about that for a moment, pondering Skykit's words. From what she'd learned from Mothflight, and a bit from Windstar, she'd been under the impression that destiny only happened in the living world - she, of course, being an exception to that statement. She'd thought that only the living cats held important paths; that when a cat died, they faded to the background, they were not longer that important, they no longer got involved in prophetic futures...
But it seemed Finchkit had been wrong. And she didn't know why, but she trusted this mysterious kit, this kit who had died strangely so long ago, more than she trusted anyone she'd met so far, even more than Finn and Windstar.
And so Finchkit asked, "StarClan cats are just as important as the living ones, aren't they? They can be involved in prophecies too."
"Sometimes," Skykit replied. "But I think the dead cats have a harder time realizing their importance. StarClan isn't all about endless hunting, peace, and speaking with the stars to deliver messages. Every now and then, some cat important comes along, and I believe that a destined cat in StarClan has more power than any prophetic cat alive."
Finchkit liked the way that sounded. More power than any prophetic cat alive. That's me. Right?
"You're very smart," she mewed.
Skykit let out a rusty sounding purr, as if the sound was unfamiliar to her. "One of the few perks of being dead, I find."
Hardly daring to ask her next question, Finchkit stammered, "And, u-um, h-how did you and your littermates die?"
The gray she-kit's fur bristled a bit, and for a moment her blue eyes sparkled with pure hatred and rage, a look that was a bit unnerving to see in such a small kit. But otherwise she remained as calm and placid as she'd ever been, flicking her tail back and forth as if this motion was habit. "Oh, like any cat might die. Unexpectedly. Without living enough. But for all the right reasons."
She paused again.
"When my littermates and I first came to StarClan, we liked to tell the older kits that we'd been attacked by foxes, or killed by badgers, or caught in a Twoleg trap," she added, and then trailed off into silence. "But," she continued, and her voice sounded thick with emotion, "now they've all faded away, and we're the oldest."
"How long ago were you alive?" Finchkit perused, finding herself unusually intrigued with this kit's story; yes, she'd listened to the countless deaths - pardon, arrivals at StarClan - of the others, learned of their innocence when it came to their deaths...but yet, because Skykit and her littermates' deaths were shrouded in a mist of mystery, she couldn't help but ask for more details.
Skykit flicked her tail again, and it rested neatly on her paws. "A long time ago, when the Clans were new to this territory that is there home now."
Wow, Finchkit thought. That must be a long time ago, then. I didn't even know the Clans lived anywhere else before the lake.
There was silence between the two, and Finchkit felt that she'd found an equal, someone who understood her, someone who'd felt what she was feeling.
"The other kits don't know they've died," she mewed at last, feeling her voice tremble with suppressed anger. Turning to Skykit, she added, "I thought it was wrong, that StarClan kept the truth from them, but now I feel like it's unfair to me. And you. The others get to play and fight and think it's all good fun, but we know reality. I wish I didn't know I was dead. I wish I wasn't dead."
"Don't we all?" Skykit agreed. "Believe me, those kits are better off not knowing. They may be as wise as any StarClan cat but...I don't believe they could handle the truth. But Finchkit," she mewed, sounding almost urgent, "there's something big that will happen. I can sense it. I know you don't like the thought that stars control our destinies - I don't like the thought either, and honestly I want to find the star that killed my littermates and I and strangle it to death - but it's true. The stars tell the future, and someone has to listen."
"They're not saying anything to me," Finchkit meowed shrewdly.
Skykit flicked her ears, the only sign that she'd heard Finchkit. "I've been listening them for seasons now, and only lately have they begun to speak of a great change in StarClan - unusual, as normally a great change occurs in the living Clans. They speak of two cats who must journey far and wide to find who they truly are." She stopped, perhaps thinking she's spoken too much, gone to far.
"So I've heard," Finchkit agreed. "Me and my brother, right?"
Skykit gave a tentative nod.
Finchkit glared up at the sky full of stars accusingly. "You know, I really wish the stars would actually SPEAK with ME instead of speaking to OTHER cats who then have to tell me what the stars said. It's really inconvenient and just plain ANNOYING."
Another rusty purr came from the other kit. "They are speaking to you, Finchkit. You just have to listen harder."
A silence descended, and in it, Finchkit tried to do what Skykit had told her - she tried listening harder, but then came the dilemma; how did a cat listen harder? Did they try concentrating on their ears? Or try directing their ears upwards? She really didn't know, and she still couldn't hear the stars anyway.
"It working?" interrupted Skykit. "Can you hear anything?"
"Oh yes," Finchkit replied with sarcasm. "They're telling me loads of useful information."
Skykit tilted her head. "That's not how it works, Finchkit. They tell you something, but not everything."
Lashing her tail in frustration, Finchkit mewed, "You said I'd have to go on a journey - why in the stars would I have to do that? My destiny must be with StarClan - if I leave, then what then? And is there anything beyond StarClan?"
"Some destinies lay beyond the Clan," Skykit answered. "If you leave, and if it's what you're meant to do, then everything will come together. And StarClan is not unlimited. Everything must come to an end, sometime, eventually."
"We'll all fade away," Finchkit mewed softly. She straightened up. "I'm going back to the Rock. I'll get some sleep. And then I'll decide what I need to do. Those other kits - Skykit, they deserve to know the truth."
Skykit's blue eyes widened, and she shook her head frantically, flicking her tail behind her body. "No, Finchkit. You can't tell them. I don't know why, but I feel like it's not safe to tell them the truth. Not directly."
Mimicking Skykit's movement, Finchkit moved her tail, getting to her feet, thoughtful yet confident. "Then I'll figure out some other way to tell them. But I have to tell them - because it feels right, but also because it could be part of my destiny, somehow. But I'm going to tell those kits the truth."
Author's Note: Another round of apologies for not updating yesterday and also another round of thank you so much's for all the amazing readers and reviewers! Seriously, I appreciate you all so much!
I hope this chapter was interesting; not a lot of drama, but more about those WindClan kits' mysterious deaths, and more about Finchkit's future in general...I hope Skykit was an interesting character to read. I don't know why, but I really like her.
So yeah...any feedback is much appreciated! Thank you all so much!
Remained unnamed: Hmm, Icekit x Tigerstar? Sounds interesting, you'll have to tell me more about this. And thanks for letting me use Icekit as an antagonist - she's not going to be EVIL, like mwahaha evil, but more getting-in-the-way-and-disagreeing-with-Finchkit evil. And I won't kill you. AND I WOULD LOVE IT IF YOU'D DRAW SOMETHING FOR THIS! I'm already amazed at your drawing and I haven't even seen it yet. Amazing! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!
MyPatronusIsEmberdawn: Thank you! I really appreciate all your support. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thanks for reading and reviewing!
Hand Knit: Tallstar's Revenge is probably my favorite super edition! I love it. It's so sad, though. I cry every time I read it and I've read it like, a hundred times and already know everything that's going to happen, but still. As much as I wish Finn was real, he's not. He's an OC who Mistleaf kindly let me incorporate into this story! Hmm, I wonder if there is an actual cat named Finn somewhere in the Warriors series? I could look that up. Thanks, I'm glad you think this is creative! That is a huge compliment. I'm so thrilled that people like the idea of a Starpool; I was really worried it would just come off strange...random fact, but I was actually going to call it the Sunpool at the start because it was the opposite of the Moonpool and the sun is the opposite of the moon...anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading and reviewing!
jadewolf334: Finn: Thanks! I'd say I try to be hilarious, but, you know, it just comes naturally. Finchkit: Sure.
Thank you, though! I was really worried about writing Finn's character, but I'm so relieved that he's amusing! And I'm glad Finchkit doesn't come off to whiny, or if she does, you feel that she has reason to sound that way. The way she sounds is something that gives me grief each chapter. But maybe things will change for the better, now that she's met Skykit and sort of has a plan? Ooh, I like that idea of her looking for her mother through the Starpool - she's seen Palebird but hasn't really spoken with her. I'm going to do some research (aka reread Tallstar's Revenge and cry and then actually do research) and try to find parts where Palebird is grieving for Finchkit - I recall one part, but not sure when it is, so yes, I need to do my research. You're right, though, Palebird mentions Finchkit several times in the actual book.
Regarding your story, that's okay. You're an amazing writer, and each update is worth the wait. No problem, and thank you too for all your support! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thanks for reading and reviewing!
Pancake Unicorn: Thank you! That's quite a compliment, and I appreciate it! HAHA, you have to wait to find out who the mysterious cat is! Well, I guess you don't anymore because you just found out but...HAHA still. Glad you love Finn! I will try to update again soon. Thank you for reading and reviewing x 100000000000!
Snowcrystal of Thunderclan: Haha, yeah! Finch x Finn...might be a thing later? Don't know...anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing!
BooksRCoolYeah: Nooooooooooooo I confused someone! I'm so sorry, but if you have any questions or need clarification on something that happened please let me know. I feel so horrible because I want people to understand what happened and I'm so sorry for your confusion. Please let me know what's weird. I'm glad you love the other non-confusing stuff, though! That's good. And I have to say Skykit is my favorite. I don't know why, but when going over all the kits she just really stood out to me. I will try to include Snowkit more, though! And thanks for reading and reviewing!
Ivyfrost-from-Shadowclan: Yes, it's an interesting concept, isn't it? How StarClan cats feel when visiting others' dreams, and how much time they actually have to visit. I wish it was explored more in the actual series. We need to like, petition for a StarClan cat super edition or something. I appreciate all your support! Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Mistleaf: YES! It's great to know that you approve of my characterization of Finn! Sure, Appledawn can be his mentor, or Redclaw, whichever you prefer. Let me know, and I'll do that! Okay, I'll make sure Bell, when seen, is a good mother to Finn, and also use those details you told me! I really appreciate it, and one last thing - when Bell and Finn join the Clan, what do you want Bell's name to be? I was thinking like Bellflower or Bellsky or Bellcloud or something along those lines. Anything you'd prefer? And you're welcome, and I really appreciate your enthusiasm! Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Mistyecho101: Thank you! I hope there was a bit more about StarClan's secrets here, but I will definitely explore more about StarClan in later chapters! Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Like normal...this author's note was probably longer than the story. XD