*Sigh*
Yeah, the wait was super long. Way too long. To help make up for it, I will be posting another one shortly. And past those two, they should start getting longer. My writing skills have improved since I wrote these.
Unfortunately, (*hides*) I already had these two chapters written up and never realized it. So, I could've posted them a long time ago. *facepaw*
Chapter 25:
Steamkit burst from the den to where Blackpaw and Lightpaw were sitting, tail sticking straight up. Cinderfoot and Dewsplash were sharing tongues, curled up around each other, just a fox-tail away. They looked up in amusement as the little kit bounced up to the two apprentices.
"Lightpaw!" she squeaked, as her littermates Antkit, Briarkit, and Stormkit tumbled out after her. "Lift me up!" Her eyes shone in the sunlight, and she hopped from paw to paw as she eagerly awaited his response.
The creamy tom purred and half-sat up. A light grin making its way across his face, he extended one paw, slowly moving it upwards. Suddenly, Steamkit was lifted up, as if on invisible shoulders—moving with his paw. She shrieked with delight, and a broad grin stretched over her face.
"Yay!" Steamkit cried. She pumped her paws in the air, allowing herself to move with his telekinesis.
"Me too!" Antkit flung himself at Lightpaw. His pranced around the younger apprentice, paws kneading the ground. His eyes were wide and hopeful.
"Alright." Lightpaw squeezed his eyes shut, concentrating. Slowly, Antkit began to be lifted up as well, until he was level with his Powered sister. He copied her, trusting Lightpaw to not drop him.
Stormkit and Briarkit skidded to a stop in front of the two PowerClan apprentices. "I want to float too!" Briarkit squealed. Stormkit lashed his tail and voiced his agreement. They gazed at Lightpaw expectantly.
Lightpaw hesitated, then glanced at Blackpaw. "I can't do more than two," he mewed apologetically. "Can you fly them around a bit? It's about the same thing."
Blackpaw stared down at Briarkit. "Only Stormkit," he growled, his tone making it clear that this was not negotiable.
Briarkit sat up, while Stormkit stuck his nose into the air. "Why not me?" Briarkit whined.
"Yeah, why not?" Lightpaw asked, his voice almost a growl; his eyes were narrowed and burned with anger.
Blackpaw crouched down to let the larger kit on. "Because you're a useless, Powerless, piece of fox-dung," he hissed nastily at Briarkit. The tabby kit flinched, shrinking down miserably. Stormkit hesitated in the act of mounting Blackpaw; he turned his head to look him in the eye.
"But... why can't Briarkit join?" he asked hesitantly.
"You and I, we're special," explained Blackpaw, eyeing Briarkit scornfully. "We are Powered, the greater cats in this world. We're superior to those Powerless cats, like Briarkit and Antkit. It's just how it goes. When you four turn six moons, Briarkit and Antkit will be left to die. It's how the Clan works. It weeds out the weak, and only the strong are left behind to serve. PowerClan doesn't need weaklings like them." He nodded towards his two siblings. Antkit and Steamkit were both on the ground now. All three of the kits were staring with wide and frightened eyes, and the Powerless ones were doing a remarkable job on compressing themselves into two tiny balls. Lightpaw had spun around and was glaring at his fellow apprentice. Stormkit was still partway on Blackpaw.
"Sp-Spiderstar really is okay with this?" Antkit stuttered.
"W-we're going to d-die?" whispered Briarkit.
"I-I won't let anything to h-happen to you!" Steamkit declared, stepping to their side. Her voice trembled slightly. "Why don't Spiderstar and Stormcloud stop this?"
Blackpaw raised an eyebrow, conveying his disproval of her words, despite not having any actual authority over her. "Why would Spiderstar mess with something that's so effective?" he asked coldly. "PowerClan is strong. We haven't been bothered by rogues for moons. We have a wide variety of skills and Powers. We don't need a cat without special talents. They would just weigh the Clan down." His barbed words made them flinch.
Lightpaw suddenly shoved himself forward, thrusting his muzzle into Blackpaw's face. "For StarClan's sake, shut up!" he spat furiously. Blackpaw recoiled in surprise, his wings flaring out a little in surprise. Then he cocked his head and narrowed his eyes.
"Why?" he growled. "These little... kits, they're Powerless and must be taught their place in this Clan."
"Uh, Blackpaw?" Stormkit's voice interrupted him, and the winged apprentice turned his head to look at him. "W-will that happen to me, too?"
"Of course not," Blackpaw snorted, softening his tone just a touch. "You're Powered, Stormkit. You'll be a great asset to the Clan. You have a bright future in front of you. You're going to be a strong warrior, I can already tell. Maybe you can even be deputy or leader one day."
"You'll be fine." Lightpaw's reassurance made Blackpaw's head snap around. He stared as the younger cat began to hustle them away from him. "Don't listen to Blackpaw. We're all equal in StarClan's eyes. Nothing bad will happen to you, okay, Antkit? Steamkit, Briarkit, and I will protect you. Don't be afraid."
Blackpaw curled his lip as the apprentice and three kits vanished inot the nursery. Stormkit made up his mind and scrambled all the way onto Blackpaw's back. After checking to make sure the tabby had a firm grip on his fur, Blackpaw launched into the air, using his hind legs to give himself an extra push. Stormkit whooped.
Screwing up his face, he struggled to maintain his alititude. He'd carried things on his back before, but Stormkit was a big and heavy kit, especially for his young age, and weighed more than the rocks he would balance. He managed to keep going for a while, just kind of soaring in small lazy circles while Stormkit cheered and cried in delight astride him. The tabby kit's cheers eventually dwindled away, though, and after a full minute had passed in silence, Blackpaw looked back to see the kit was now looking tired, his eyes drooping.
"Stormkit?" he asked softly. "You awake?"
"I'm ti—" Stormkit yawned, then continued, his words slurred with sleepiness, "tired." His head slipped down, and his eyes closed. The black apprentice had a feeling he was almost asleep, if not yet.
Blackpaw glanced up at the sky, and his eyes widened. It was almost twilight! He had been soaring in circles for a while now, but he didn't realize how long it had been. Rivermist had decided to start coaching him on flying at night, and he had to meet up with her. Hastily, he landed, his paws thumping on the ground. Heatherflight had come out of the nursery, her tail coiled around her other three kits. He padded over to her, and the queen gently lifted Stormkit from his spot. He was starting to snore. She gave him a long look, before ushering her kits into the nursery. Stormkit followed
Blackpaw let his wings fold up and rest. He grimaced at the soreness. Great. Now I'll be tired for my first night lesson. I shouldn't have been flying for so long. Still, it was nice to know that he could continue on for so long and not need a break. It seems he had more endurance than he thought.
And besides, he was happy to fly Stormkit around. He was Powered, and would grow to be a strong, sturdy warrior. Already, Blackpaw was fond of the tabby kit, even if he was a smaller copy of his traitorous father. He would clearly be loyal to PowerClan. He cocked his head to one side and remembered something Oakstorm had once said to him:
"I am an empath, remember, Blackpaw? It is my power, my curse."
"And feelings can say a lot, if you look close enough."
Oakstorm was an empath. He experienced other cats' emotions first-paw. Every time a Powerless kit was taught their place, he felt their anger and bitterness. Whenever we disposed of them, he felt their terror and reluctant acceptance before they died. Blackpaw paused for a moment. Stormkit was an empath too. Would he go down the same path? Blackpaw turned the question over in his head, and finally came to an answer: no. The big tabby kit experienced emotions differently. He wasn't an empath, not in a true sense. Oakstorm was. With Oakstorm, other cats' feelings were his feelings. With Stormkit, he saw them through waves. He knew what Cats were feeling, could see it, but didn't feel it himself. He didn't have the same vulnerability that Oakstorm did.
I'm glad, Blackpaw thought to himself. He'll be a great warrior of PowerClan.
Blackpaw suddenly jerked his head up. He sprang to his paws, seeing the time. He was late! Guess I spent more time thinking about that than I thought.
Racing out of camp, he found Rivermist waiting for him in the prearranged clearing. She had taken on the form of a hawk—her standard flying form—and was perched on a fallen log. Her head shot up as he arrived, and she fixed him with a stern gaze from one fierce eye. Blackpaw cringed and flattened his ears, looking down at his paws.
"Well?"
"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I lost track of time."
"Clearly." Rivermist glared at him for a moment longer, then said, "Apology accepted. Don't let it happen again." She sighed and spread her wings. "Come on, let's go."
Blackpaw lifted his head, a smile spreading across his face. With a broad grin, he flapped his wings and launched himself into the air.
Allegiances:
PowerClan:
Leader: Spiderstar- dusky brown tom with pale blue eyes, mate of Rivermist- can detach and grow limbs at will
Deputy: Stormcloud- light gray tabby tom with dark amber eyes, mate of Lilyspring- can make rain and clouds, can control storms
Medicine cat: Mosslight- light hazel tom with splotches of dark gray and piercing blue eyes- can speed up healing
Apprentice, Quietsnow
Warriors: Smokeleap- dark gray she-cat with light gray stripes and an amber left eye and a blue right eye- can absorb energy and use it in another form of energy
Apprentice, Softpaw
Emberdust- ginger she-cat with amber eyes- can teleport herself and anything she's touching
Flashpelt- golden tabby tom with amber eyes- can manipulate time
Apprentice, Shadepaw
Snoweye- white tom with near-deaf ears and blue eyes, mate of Hazelfeather- can see and smell far
Cinderfoot- gray tom with blue eyes, mate of Dewsplash- can breathe underwater
Apprentice, Tallpaw
Frostwhisker- dark gray tom with light gray stripes and blue eyes- has regenerating, poisonous fangs
Apprentice, Lightpaw
Thornfang- black tom with green eyes- can manipulate illnesses
Dewsplash- light gray she-cat with splotches of white fur, and light blue eyes, mate of Cinderfoot- can control water
Rivermist- slender, blue-gray she-cat with triangular ears, a delicate frame, a twisted paw in her natural form, and deep, gold-flecked blue eyes, mate of Spiderstar- can shape-shift
Apprentice, Blackpaw
Goldenbreeze- long-haired golden tabby she-cat with bright blue eyes, mate of Flashpelt- controls the wind
Morningstream- tortoiseshell and white she-cat with dark blue eyes- receives visions of the future and the past
Winterfern- pure white she-cat with deaf ears and crystal blue eyes- telepathic
Hazelfeather- light brown tabby she-cat with a white muzzle and blue eyes, mate to Snoweye- can talk to birds
Juniperleaf- sandy-brown she-cat with dark brown patches and green eyes- can alter fur and eye color
Apprentices: Quietsnow- small, skinny, snow-white she-cat with unusually large, light blue eyes- telepathic- mentor, Mosslight
Shadepaw- silver-gray she-cat with white paws and blue eyes- is nigh impossible to detect when holding still- mentor, Flashpelt
Blackpaw- black tom with large black wings and amber eyes- mentor, Rivermist
Tallpaw- golden tabby she-cat with blue eyes- can grow in size- mentor, Cinderfoot
Softpaw- golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes- can move silently- mentor, Smokeleap
Lightpaw- cream-furred tom with blue eyes- has telekinesis- mentor Frostwhisker
Queens: Lilyspring- ginger tabby she-cat with green eyes, expecting Stormcloud's kits- can manipulate plants around her
Heatherflight- light brown and white tabby she-cat with blueish-lilac eyes, mother of Oakstorm's kits: Stormkit, Antkit, Briarkit, and Steamkit- superstrength
Mistfeather- dark gray, almost blue, she-cat with light amber eyes, expecting Lightningstripe's kits- superspeed
Kits: Stormkit- massive brown tabby tom- can see emotions through waves
Antkit- stocky white tom with a black stripe down belly
Briarkit- sturdy brown tabby she-cat with a white chest
Steamkit- slim, dark gray she-cat- immune to fire and smoke
Elders: Sightheart- black and brown dappled tom with gray eyes- can see inside cat's souls
Beetleclaw- small black tom with slender legs, and dark amber eyes- can control insects
Cats Outside of PowerClan: Evening- golden tabby she-cat
Oakstorm- massive brown tabby- an empath- formerly of PowerClan
I'm making a change with the allegiances. From now on, they'll only be present when there's a major change. In this chapter, it's Heatherflight's kits.
Originally, this chapter was going to turn out very, very differently, and would have incredibly progressed the plotline. I had a whole other plan, but decided to save it for later chapters. It didn't feel quite right yet. Plus, it kind of clashes with the current problem (the one StrongClan is facing, which you'll find out next chapter).
Anyways, I'm going to start editing the next chapter, and once it's ready (tomorrow, I'd guess, but no guarantee), I'll post it.
—Forest