Disclaimer;
Really people, if I owned warriors I would have thrown Blackeh in the actual stories...and WC would totally be the main Clan since TC is getting overrated...XP That of course doesn't count the awesomeness of a certain family of HareClanners and a cuddly deputy with a stoic exterior. (You know who I'm talkin' about Simpeh XP) Mmmm, technically I don't own them. Simp's characters are HERS...I'll tear you're heart out and feed it to my psycho's if you even DARE to TOUCH them. Only I get to touch them...unless Simp says otherwise of course...-cuddles Assassin and purrs- Cudddddllllllyyyy...Oh! the way that this one character gets to become leader isn't an idea I came up with...it was used on an RPG site because both the leader and dep died there and that's how I got the position. :3 Also the thing that happens to Bravespirit happened to a person who calls herself Tailseh's cat. I don't own that either, I'm using it though because it causes a lot of stress and fits so well with the story.
Basically I'm neglecting necessary school work for this.
Long disclaimer up there...-.-u
So...yeah, wrap your heads around THAT one.
XP
Chapter Fourteen- The Dead will Speak
It was an uncountable amount of moons later when the world came back with terrible clarity to the black and white warrior. His quiet observation that set him apart from his fellow clan-mates shattered so simply that it left him feeling stunned and terrified days later.
The day was cold, and for some moons Darkstar had fallen prey to a sickness. Wailingcry succumbed to it a short while later. As Blackblizzard skirted the edges of the WindClan camp he caught the distress that filled the air like a thick cloud. The warrior twitched his ears and silently came to a halt at the edge of the crowd.
"Darkstar is dead." The murmurs of his Clan-mates sounded filled with terror and distress. Blackblizzard thought of the dark gray tabby who had been weakening with every passing day. Could his Clan truly be so surprised. "Wailingcry passed on as well."
Blackblizzard blinked. He certainly hadn't expected that. The warrior wondered who their Clan leader would be, and he watched as Bravespirit made his way to the top of the Windy Tree. The medicine cat looked solemnly down at the Clan below before he started to speak, "As you all know by now...both Darkstar and Wailingcry are dead."
Despaired cries spread through the Clan. Blackblizzard merely stared at his paws. When would these cats learn that death was unavoidable? That the way they grieved over something so inevitable was just a waste of time and energy? Brightcourage stepped forward, his square muzzle held up as he gazed around the Clan, "We must decide who will be the next Clan leader."
"Brightcourage is right." Bravespirit meowed, dipping his head to his father. Blackblizzard wondered if the medicine cat was ill himself. He seemed more frail than usual, and his breathing came in gasps. Not that Blackblizzard cared much. The warrior snarled at the frosty ground and shook his head at his Clan-mates.
"Fickleheart!" One cat in the very back of the Clan meowed. Blackblizzard's head snapped up in surprise, and he spotted his brother's tortoiseshell pelt in a heartbeat. The small cat's eyes stretched wide in surprise.
Fickleheart had barely recovered from his madness three moons ago. The warrior would be forever grateful to his friend for reaching out to him and telling him the one thing he needed to hear. That Doomkit had loved him and would never have dreamed of tormenting him. It was amazing how simple it had been to scatter away all of his doubts with those words.
Now he found himself looking around wildly with a trapped feeling that reminded him of his days of madness. The tortoiseshell stared around him with eyes widened in horror. "Wait...what?"
"Yes! Fickleheart is a wonderful choice!" Many warriors that had moons more experience than he consented, nodding their heads. Some of the Elders let out jubilant cries of agreement. Fickleheart's head reeled. He hadn't even realized he was a CANDIDATE! When had he become so popular and worthy of such an honor in the eyes of his Clan-mates?
"Fickleheart! Fickleheart!" The entire Clan was in agreement...or so it seemed at the moment. Fickleheart blanched. No! Wait, I'm not good enough for something like this! Not me! Any cat but me, I'll mess up!
"Fickleheart..." Bravespirit meowed solemnly, "The entire Clan thinks you are up to this task. Leadership is no easy duty, there will be many things in your life that will change."
"I..." Fickleheart felt the pressure of every cat's eyes around him. Fox-dung I'm trapped! I don't want this, but I don't have a choice do I? The tom dipped his head and meowed softly, "I'm honored...but...Yes. I'll be the next leader Bravespirit. I'll try my best, I swear it by StarClan."
It felt as if he'd been tossed into a pool of cool water. Blackblizzard felt a meow of protest rise to his maw. No! You mouse-brains! He's mad! We can't have him for a leader! He'll destroy you all!
It took every fiber of concentration for him not to leap in front of all the cat's and scream this at the top of his lungs. The warrior trembled violently as he watched his brother with widened sun-colored eyes. There had to be a way to stop this. There had to be a way for them to realize that Fickleheart COULDN'T possibly be leader. Never, never in a million moons.
But if he said anything who would believe him? He, who had been sulking for some twenty-odd moons in the warriors den? He who most cat's couldn't name any longer. Blackblizzard backed away feeling trapped by his loneliness. Why did he do something as stupid as that? Because he would have never imagined that a cat would choose Fickleheart as leader.
I really don't think it's a good idea for Bravespirit to come with me. Fickleheart thought, narrowing his golden spattered brow as he padded beside the sickly medicine cat. The poor tom didn't seem like he was doing well...at ALL. Fickleheart glanced over his shoulder at the empty moorland behind them. They'd left camp at sunhigh. Now the moon was making it's way through the sky and the two cats were hurrying toward the moonstone.
Who would have thought that even before I had nine-lives I'd have to judge a cat from my Clan? Fickleheart thought, thinking of the she-cat he had crossed paths with on the border. His back ached from the burden he took from her. He'd have to talk about that later though. Highstones was looming before them.
Bravespirit ducked in with no hesitation but Fickleheart stopped at the mouth and gazed around him in awe. This place, he'd been here before as an apprentice of course but he would never have imagined that one day he would travel down there to converse with his warrior ancestors. For a moment he felt a stab of fear.
Fickleheart followed after Bravespirit, his golden-orange eyes flashing in the darkness. Tunnel after tunnel weaved before him, and a stifling feeling of claustrophobia descended over the small tom-cat. For the first time in moons he imagined piercing ice colored eyes, but he shook it off. Doomkit didn't hate him, he never would have been able to. The tom-cat felt no fear for his long dead kin, only a piercing regret.
He almost broke his vow of silence entering the main cavern. The whole area suddenly lit up, changing to a brilliant silver before his very eyes. Fickleheart's mouth fell open in awe. StarClan were truly powerful beyond imagining. To change an entirely dark cavern into a thing of such great beauty...appreciation for his ancestors welled within the small tortoiseshell. Bravespirit was curled at the edges of the cavern, his breathing hitched and his eyes half-closed.
Bravespirit caught his worried glance and flicked his tail to the looming moonstone. Looming, no, looming meant dark. This was holy. Fickleheart padded around it and settled onto the cold stone underpaw. The cat breathed a sigh through his nose, and almost expected stars to dart off of the glowing stone. Instead he leaned forward and pressed his nose to the coldest stone he ever felt. Then he was spinning into the stars.
Blackblizzard had decided to sleep. If only to get this whole mess off of his mind. The warrior was now padding through a darker version of the moorland. Cries could be heard in the distance, and if he focused on them he could make out who they were and what they were saying. Blackblizzard had forced himself to stop focusing on those voices, it hurt him too much.
"Fancy seeing YOU here." A snarl mixed with a purr. It was such an odd way to talk that Blackblizzard tipped his head to one side in confusion. His eyes found that night-colored tom-cat who grinned at him. Sharp fangs glinted crimson in the darkness, "Desperation will make any cat turn to almost anything for help."
"Nightrage." Blackblizzard said, and shuddered. The cat that had kidnapped him as a kit. The cat that Whiteface had been obsessed with. The warrior glared at the tom and meowed irritably, "What do you want?"
"Only have your best interests in mind kitten." Nightrage purred, and Blackblizzard flattened his ears against his skull. He was no kitten. Youth had died long ago, somewhere back with Shadedjay. Nightrage padded up to him and flashed another crimson-stained grin. "The best interests of your pathetic little Clan. Do you not agree that it is stupid to place a cat who is insane in power?"
"How..." Blackblizzard shook his head from side to side and snapped, "Nevermind Nightrage. WindClan's problems are no concern of yours."
As the warrior turned to pad away his own shadow suddenly heaved underpaw. Nightrage materialized in front of him, an evil grin made it's way across the cat's features. Blackblizzard curled his lip up in a snarl. Long ago he may have been frightened of the darkness but it was part of him now. There was no use fearing the black patches that covered his white pelt. The warrior watched as Nightrage scoffed at him, "No concern? I'm offering to help you, fool. Do not pass up your only chance to end this."
"WindClan has not been there for me." Blackblizzard snapped back, "So why should I care if it goes down in the dirt?"
"My, my, aren't we selfish?" Nightrage purred, "But then, I'd be in denial too if I knew this entire thing was all my fault."
Blackblizzard's muscles tensed. Eyes filled with rage flicked up to Nightrage's face. The tom-cat grinned at him again. Blackblizzard wrestled with the urge to tear the cat's throat out. Blackblizzard pulled his lips back into a snarl, and suddenly the sky blossomed with color overhead. Blackblizzard let out a caterwaul of terror as the dark sky flashed blood red. Lightning as dark as the night itself forked down and slammed between the two cats. Nightrage stood with eyes as dark as the starless sky. The black cat's mouth parted in a fanged grin, and cold laughter poured out of his throat.
Helplessly, Blackblizzard found himself rigidly attached to the ground. Black lightning seemed to surround him, to fill his body with cold fire unlike anything he ever felt before. The tomcat yowled in complete agony. The sound was so horrifying that the sky seemed to tear itself apart because of it. Then, still frozen with his muzzle tilted toward the sky, images began to flash.
Everything. His father's singed pelt, his mother's broken wail, Doomkit's neck bent at an awkward angle, Kindredheart fighting the fox, Windywhisker with the deathberries, Hollyreign's limp form and finally Shadedjay. Shadedjay broken and bleeding on the black tar of the Thunderpath, and Fickleheart's eyes. He saw it, saw the moment that his brother's mind finally snapped.
"All of it is your fault." Nightrage whispered, Blackblizzard would have shuddered if he could move. The evil warrior purred, "It is amazing how much destruction you have caused. If it hadn't been for you your father would not have joined that patrol you know, he probably wouldn't have felt an obligation to. But you were his son, he was proud of you. Oh, and of course Doomkit was your fault too. You may as well have tossed him over the cliff yourself. Broke your mother's heart and mind you did..."
"No..." Blackblizzard moaned, fighting against the guilt that threatened to swallow him whole. Nightrage chuckled coolly, specters rose up around Blackblizzard. Their eyes glittering crimson in the dark-light. The warrior struggled against the pain that held him in place. "Nooooo..."
"You fought with Kindredheart and sent her storming off. You didn't notice the agony Windywhisker felt, not in time anyways. Could have stopped it, if only you would have paid more attention to her. That's all your sisters wanted. Was their brother. Hollyreign's mind ate away at her health, which, as I mentioned before, was your fault." Nightrage laughed cruelly at the tears that poured down Blackblizzard's muzzle. Oh the agony of the lightning was nothing compared to the hole that was opening in his heart. "Then you were stupid and wouldn't tell the she-cat that loved you what she wanted to hear. Would she have been there all alone if you had spoken sooner? No, she would have been with you. She wouldn't have been on the Thunderpath. Then you told you're brother you'd kill him if he wouldn't shut up, or at least that's what he heard right? So Blackblizzard, how can you deny that those deaths, those breaks, are your fault?"
"Please..." Blackblizzard choked, "Leave me alone. I just want to live my life alone. I'm happy that way. I'm happy when the world ignores me."
"You have sinned Blackblizzard. When you die you will join us in the darkness." Nightrage was joined by the voices of the specters. Blackblizzard trembled with inner agony with the pain of his guilt. "Unless...you can fix the wrongs you have done. Unless you can prove to your warrior ancestors your strength. Your faith."
"Salvation..." Blackblizzard murmured, a longing like nothing he had ever felt welled within him. To never feel the stabbings of guilt. To finally be at rest with the world. "To be free..."
"Kill your brother. Right the wrongs you have done to your Clan. Do you not see why you must do this? He must die at your claws for it is your fault his mind is still broken. You did not fix him, so you must take him down. Or WindClan will fall." Nightrage meowed, Blackblizzard's heart tore. Pain flashed in his eyes.
"But...my brother..." Blackblizzard choked. "He's all I have left, even if he never talks to me. Or looks at me...I...I'm his older brother. It's my duty to protect him."
"You are a WindClan warrior." Nightrage meowed, suddenly the ground vanished from underpaw. Blackblizzard was hurtling toward the crimosn sky. Flashes of black lightning stabbed at his vision. Agony poured through his body, and he heard only one phrase over and over as he fell into the nothingness; "You do what is best for your Clan."
Fickleheart couldn't believe it. He was at Fourtrees. The oaks rose around him like great guardians, their branches sparkled with the reflection of starlight. Oh those stars! They were closer than he had ever seen them. The warrior felt like he could scoop them from the sky with his paw. I wonder what stars feel like? Are they hot, or are they cold? Do they feel like ice or fire?
"Fickleheart." The voice startled the warrior. The tortoiseshell whirled and saw that he was staring into the gentle eyes of Darkstar. The leader's youth had been restored. He held his head high, and his tail curved behind him in a proud arc. "You are a most interesting choice for leader, but I have faith that your hardships and struggles will shape you into a great leader."
Speechless the tortoiseshell dipped his head. It was then that he noticed the group of cats that sat calmly behind the former leader. Wailingcry, with her sandy head held high. Nativebrush (Fickleheart assumed) with his chest puffed out proudly and his ice colored eyes flaming with pride. Kindredheart, her tortoiseshell fur fluffed out in excitement. Windywhisker, blinking calmly in Fickleheart's direction. His mentor Shadedjay burst into a loud purr when he met her gentle blue gaze. His heart lurched a bit when he saw Hollyreign, staring at her paws as though ashamed. Finally he broke his silence, "Doomkit..."
"Fickleheart!" Doomkit meowed cheerfully, bright blue eyes twinkling with mirth. "I'm glad you've been chosen as leader!"
"I..." The warrior choked on his apology as the young forever-kit tilted his muzzle back and laughed. Fickleheart's stomach lurched as the tom turned and buried his nose into Hollyreign's fur. How could he be so forgiving of the cat that killed him? The warrior blinked, suddenly, "There...is there one missing?"
There was no reply.
"Me first." Kindredheart meowed, scrambling to her paws. Fickleheart jerked with surprise as the tortoiseshell advanced on him, and the she-cat openly snorted. "Oh, hold still will you? You've always been such a baby. With this life I give you judgement, use it so that you may never make the mistakes I made."
The tortoiseshell touched her nose to the center of his forehead, and Ficklestar was shocked by how much it HURT for her to touch him. It BURNED in a way that neither ice nor fire did. His instinct was to shy away, but he found himself unable to move as a strange energy flooded him from whiskers to tail-tip.
Even as Kindredheart stepped away from the dazed tom-cat Windywhisker slid into place. She leaned forward and meowed solemnly, "With this life I give you endurance. Use it to move beyond the heartbreak you will face in your years."
He felt the agony of loosing hope, the sheer pain of feeling like the whole world could care less if he dropped dead. Fickleheart choked on the misery that seemed to flood from the she-cat, but something glimmered there too. This experience had made the StarClan she-cat even stronger than she had ever been in life. It must have. Fickleheart felt a twinge in his heart as his older sister padded away. He was sorry that he never got close to that she-cat.
The cat that resembled his brother slid forward. Blue eyes glimmering with pride. Nativebrush made a soft noise that sounded like a cross between a sigh and a purr. "You cannot fathom how proud I am of you Fickleheart. To move beyond your pain...but remember that times will be tough son. I only wish that I could have gotten to know you beyond this first meeting." Fickleheart felt suddenly choked up, and the warrior glanced away feeling embarassed. Nativebrush meowed solemnly, "With this life I give you imagination. Use it to open your mind to the possibilities of your Clan."
Fickleheart braced himself for agony, and was surprised by the way his mind seemed to explode with color. Tastes, sounds, words seemed to fly through his head. The tom-cat felt his eyes stretch wide in confusion. Creativity in it's rawest of forms flooded into Fickleheart, and for the smallest of moments he felt he could identify the melodies of birdsong. As Nativebrush slipped away he wondered what kind of cat his father had been.
Wailingcry padded to his side and Fickleheart blinked in surprise at the she-cat. Her eyes flashed with pain for a moment, and she paused as though she had no idea what to say. Fickleheart squirmed for a moment under that level stare. Finally Wailingcry heaved a soft sigh and gently pressed her muzzle against Fickleheart's forehead. Her eyes glimmered with apology as she meowed, "Fickleheart with this life I give you compassion. Use it to forever love the lives of those who are around you."
It hurt worse than he would have imagined. Guilt, love, joy, pain...it all slammed into him so quickly that it was all the small cat could do to remain standing. The guilt felt like thorns digging into his pelt from all sides. The love was a fierce protectiveness that burned through his pelt like the hottest of fire. The joy was the only thing that didn't hurt, but when the pain came. Oh it was a pain like nothing he ever felt. A pain of sympathy, of pity for those whose lives he could not change. It was a terribly helpless feeling, and left Ficklestar on the verge of being sick in the grass.
Now wouldn't that be humiliating? The tom-cat thought with a snort of laughter, Throwing up in front of my warrior ancestors?
Shadedjay padded forward. His mentor glanced at him gently, her blue eyes filled with a small grief. Finally she leaned forward and brushed her muzzle against his, "I am proud of you, my former apprentice. To think that the cat I trained...no...we trained you. Please Fickleheart, watch over Blackblizzard for me will you? I fear that his heart is so vulnerable now..." She shook her head, "But that's not what you're here for. Fickleheart with this life I give you understanding. Use it to understand all sides of fights and crime."
It was an oddly electrifying sensation that spread through the tom-cat. He found himself panting as Shadedjay pulled away. Panic gripped him. He was having a hard time breathing. Had a cat ever died during this ceremony? It seemed like an important thing to notify somebody of, that it hurt. Maybe that was why the ceremony was so secretive. A cat would have to be completely mad to endure all of this for power.
The next cat that padded forward was Hollyreign. Both tortoiseshell's stood rigid for a moment. Golden-orange eyes locked for a moment, his flickering with hesitation and fear and hers flickering with agony and guilt. Finally Hollyreign stepped forward. Her muzzle brushed his and she meowed in a soft and sad voice, "With this life I give you peace of mind, use it so that the pain I have caused you and the pain that you will see does not shatter your resolve as it once did mine."
The guilt he felt during Wailingcry's gift was nothing compared to this. It was like he'd been thrown headfirst into a sea of mud. Thick mud that flooded into his mouth and weighed down his heart heavily. Whispers filled his ears, and a feeling of mistrust descended on him like a thick cloud. The whole world was against him, and his heart felt as if it had not merely broken, but been torn from his chest. It felt as if the shadows would reveal beasts that were far worse than anything his own hallucinations had conjured up. Fickleheart wailed aloud as Hollyreign slid back into the Clan. The grief and pain was too much to keep inside.
The warrior was trembling as he crouched on the floor. The feelings of paranoia ebbed away slowly, scaring the fur off of him. Why would it last so long when the other lives had faded away? Was it that Hollyreign had felt so much pain, so much emotional strain that the imprint would stay with him forever? The thought made the warrior whimper like a small kit.
Doomkit gently nudged Fickleheart, and the tortoiseshell tore his gaze from his paws to those ice colored eyes. Doomkit quirked a smile at him, a gentle and sympathetic smile. The tiny kitten looked so young, but so serious at the same time. Fickleheart felt his heart twinge with pain. His brother would have made a far better leader than him, "With this life I give you forgiveness. Use it to judge those of your Clan with fairness."
It was warm. So gentle was the feeling that entered Fickleheart that the warrior thought he was going to fall asleep. He had an immense feeling of PEACE descend upon him. The warrior had never felt so calm, not in his entire life. Doomkit and Fickleheart stared at each other for a moment before Doomkit dipped his head and stepped back into the mass of starry cats.
"Fickleheart." the tortoiseshell blinked and whipped his head around. Bravespirit was sitting with his tail wrapped around his paws. His orange eyes glimmered dimly, and stars shimmered in his fur. Fickleheart felt a flash of total confusion as the cat padded forward and pressed his muzzle to Fickleheart's forehead like the others. "With this life I give you faith. Use it to forever believe in your warrior ancestors and the unseen paths they leave you to follow."
His confusion had left him unguarded, and the raw emotion that flooded into Fickleheart knocked the cat down. Somehow Bravespirit's nose remained trained on his forehead, but the warrior collapsed under the sheer weight of what had settled on him. Faith was uplifting, but this seemed like it was almost a burden. Like he was carrying a thousand stones for the sake of what he believed in.
"Wait...Bravespirit..." Fickleheart choked as the cat began to walk away. "What are you doing...here? I thought that...I mean..."
"I've died Fickleheart." Bravespirit replied calmly. The cat tilted his starry muzzle to look over his shoulder. His orange eyes flashed with pain and he continued softly, "When you awaken you will find my body. I apologize...I...did not realize that I would leave this world with you."
Darkstar padded up to Fickleheart before the cat could even say anything in reply. The dark tabby regarded the tortoiseshell for a moment before pressing his muzzle against Fickleheart's forehead. His head throbbed at the touch, and Fickleheart felt an immense relief that this would be his final life given. Darkstar closed his eyes and meowed, "With this life I give you honesty, use it to guide WindClan with truth."
To this day he wouldn't be able to explain it. It felt like pain, but it was uplifting at the same time. Like the weight that had settled on him from Bravespirit's life had drifted into the clouds. Fickleheart felt strong and weak at the same time as Darkstar padded away. It was such a complex sensation that the cat blinked in confusion as he stared around the group.
"Nine lives have been bestowed upon you. Use them to protect your Clan in a way that no warrior ever could. From this moment on, and into eternity, your name will be known as Ficklestar. StarClan honors you as the new leader of WindClan." The voices of the cats boomed around him with so much strength that the cat felt the tremor of it in his paws. "Ficklestar! Ficklestar! Ficklestar!"
When his eyes flew open the silence was so complete that the cat felt a pang of fear. The cave was dark now, and even with his night vision he could barely make out the ginger patched pelt of his medicine cat. Ficklestar dipped his head and grabbed the scruff. He would have to take Bravespirit home.
As he padded out of the den his head spun with the memory of his ceremony. His paws itched to run across the moorland, and yet he felt as if he could sleep for six moons straight. The new leader felt a new weight of responsibility descend on him as he managed to get Bravespirit on his back. The cat was bigger than him, but he couldn't get himself to drag the medicine cat's body all the way home. It was like Bravespirit was the symbol for all the weight he had to carry now. Grimly the tortoiseshell headed across the dark moorland.
Blackblizzard lifted his muzzle in a snarl. No cat would notice, but he couldn't help the feeling of frustration he felt. That Bravespirit was dead...it was an omen he was sure of it. Sent by Nightrage himself. The medicine cat's death was a warning. If Blackblizzard didn't take Ficklestar down then the whole Clan would fall.
It was an unbelievably heavy burden, to know that he had to kill his own brother. It made Blackblizzard hate himself, and since it did no good to hate himself he turned it towards the cat that he would have to destroy. To kill Ficklestar he would need a plan, which meant that he had to re-enter the real world.
Not completely though. This was his duty, his burden. He couldn't afford friendships when he knew that this could kill him. Or get him banished. The warrior narrowed his eyes coolly as he stared at the tortoiseshell who was chatting easily with the medicine cat apprentice. Grief was still clear on the tom's face but...
"Sometimes...for the sake of those around you you have to break your own heart." Blackblizzard meowed softly, "I'm sorry Ficklestar. I cannot keep that promise...I must make myself hate you. I must kill you. For the sake of the cats in this Clan."
DONE! Thank goodness!
One more epilogue-chapter thing to go!
YES!
I had so much fun writign this. :3