Well, I'm sick. Apparently that means a surprise chapter on Monday...

Anyway, Review Replies!

Birch Guest: :D This review made me so happy! I'm really glad to hear that you don't find any of the characters to be Mary-Sues. I'm always scared that I'll have one like that. And Darkpaw seems to be a real fan-favourite, good thing I'm not going to be Erin Hunter and pull a Cinderpelt…

Stormbreeze: Good suggestions :). And thanky you :P. I'm grinning like an idiot.

Rainmist: Yep, another Clan's cat seems to be winning.

Starrysong: You shall see!

Books: Popular opinion, but let's see what you think after this chapter :)

Kai Lover: A rogue? Perhaps. Family problems are the name of the game when it comes to warriors. Now that I think about it, Darkpaw's the only one of the four that doesn't have parental issues… wait, both her parents are MIA. Mmkay…

Alrighty! Wavey's turn!

Again: This chapter has dark themes. Consider yourself warned.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own warriors! Yet.

Chapter 27.

"Wavepaw? Wavepaw? Are you alright?" Fallowspots's concerned mew brought him back to reality.

The silver-furred tom tried to answer, but the water in his mouth prevented him from forming intelligible replies. Liquid dripped off his whiskers and dribbled out of his nose as he coughed up the water in his lungs.

"I- I'm fine…" Wavepaw hacked up another few droplets. "I just… lost my balance on… the stones… what's your problem?"

Wavepaw wasn't sure, but he thought he saw a gleam of worry in his father's green eyes. He cares? Since when? Wavepaw hissed internally, but it was nice to know that his father's animosity to him, whatever the reason, had begun to fade.

"Nothing," Fallowspots curled his lip, and Wavepaw rethought his original assumption. "I just don't want any herbs wasted on a cat that shouldn't even be acting like this."
"What are you talking about?" Wavepaw didn't want to provoke his mentor and father, but he couldn't let it slide without going unchallenged.

"You've been training for a moon," Fallowspots narrowed his eyes at his son. "You should be able to swim."

"I can swim!" Wavepaw retorted. "I just slipped!"

His father said nothing, just turned away and padded back towards camp. Wavepaw's temper flared. They were supposed to be practicing hunting, but Fallowspots was just having him stand in the water, waiting for his paws to adjust. He claimed it was because Wavepaw shivered every time his paw touched the water, which was 'preventing him from getting a grip on fish', but Wavepaw was pretty sure his father was just too lazy to teach him.

"We're supposed to be hunting!" Wavepaw growled at him. "Hey! Get back over here!"

"Come see me when you're ready to learn," Fallowspots sniffed, his steps unfaltering. "I'm not teaching a foolish apprentice that can't even keep his own balance."

"Then show me!" Wavepaw's temper spilled over into his words. "Just show me! If I don't know what I'm doing wrong, I can't fix it!"

"Then keep your weight on your back legs and keep your claws in," Fallowspots whirled around, his green eyes on fire. "And stop curling your toes like that!"

Blinking in surprise, Wavepaw tried it. He was solid as a tree as the water washed over him. Swallowing his pride, he said: "Fine. Thank you."

Fallowspots relaxed a little, his ego visibly swelling. "It's not that hard."

Wavepaw wanted to rake his claws over his father's smug face, but he resisted and sat down. "Then show me more!"

"Fine," Fallowspots rolled his eyes, but he was obviously more at ease. "Crouch atop the riverbank, but don't let your shadow fall over it."

Wavepaw nodded obediently and crouched, one paw slightly in the air.

"Good, but don't forget to keep your weight back," Fallowspots circled him with a critiquing eye. "And watch for a flash- now!"

Wavepaw slashed his paw through the water without hesitation, pleased with his lightning-reflexes. A wriggling silver shape smacked onto the bank, and Wavepaw killed it quickly.

"Good," Fallowspots nodded approvingly. "Again."

Nostrils flaring, Wavepaw crouched again to catch another fish.

"Good job today," Fallowspots laid his tail across his son's shoulders, a rare gesture of affection.

"Thanks," Wavepaw said stiffly, not brushing the tail off. Just because they had been able to spend the entire day together without trying to kill each other didn't mean they were anything other than father and son.

"I just wanted to say-" Fallowspots was cut off by a loud shriek.

"What in StarClan's name was that?" Wavepaw jumped, his heart racing. "I recognize that voice!"

Fallowspots stiffened, but it was gone so fast Wavepaw thought he might have imagined it.

"Should we help them?" Wavepaw demanded.

"No!" Fallowspots rounded on his son. "There's- I don't- we can't-"

"What are you saying?" Wavepaw demanded.

"We're going back to camp," Fallowspots half-guided half-dragged him back towards the sheltered camp.

There's something fishy here. Wavepaw's frown deepened. Fallowspots is hiding something. But what?

"We aren't talking about this," Fallowspots snapped abruptly.

Wavepaw shrugged. He hadn't even said anything. He'd never seen Fallowspots this defensive, however the gray-and-white tabby tom's hostility only hardened Wavepaw's resolve to get to the bottom of the mystery. First arguing with Cloudfall for reasons that don't even make sense, then looking for a random ShadowClan apprentice at a Gathering, and now completely ignoring the screams of a cat! What in StarClan's name is going on here?! He darted a glance at his stone-faced father. He isn't taking his secrets to the grave, if it means I have to dig him up!

He opened his jaws to speak, but figured he wouldn't get anything out of Fallowspots when his father was on the defense. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he lashed his tail. How in StarClan am I going to get him to fess up?!

The walk back to camp was only interrupted by a crack of thunder as the sky split open and water began to pour down. A storm?

"A storm?" Fallowspots echoed his thoughts. "In leaf-fall?"

Wavepaw felt a tinge of fear more thunder exploded overhead. Looking up, he spotted a purplish flash of a fork of lightning. Lightning.

A head-ache exploded between his ears.

"Argh!" He yelped in pain, brought to his knees by the pain.

"What's wrong?" Fallowspots demanded, crouching in front of his son.

Agony ripped through his head again as the lightning flashed again. No! Please! He wanted to screech his pain to the sky, but knew it wouldn't help. Stop! Help!

The suffering swept away as soon it had come as the rain evened but didn't lessen. The crash of rain against the ground slowly faded into background noise as Wavepaw got a grip on himself. Suddenly, another explosion of blinding lightning lit the sky. This time, he shrieked in pain.

"Wavepaw!" His father bellowed, the rain lashing down around them. "Wavepaw!"

He wanted to reassure his father as the throb lessened, but as he looked up, another couple forks of lightning cracked the sky open.

"No!" His howl of torment echoed alongside the thunder.

Stop looking at the lightning. A cool voice washed into his head like a cool breeze on a hot day. Are you that mouse-brained that you can't tell that it's the lightning causing your pain?

Pondfrost? He whispered into his head, closing his eyes. I'm okay! Thank you.

He heard thunder again, but didn't look at the lightning. No blinding pain. No screams of agony. He was truly fine. Thank you, Pondfrost. He repeated.

Fish for brains.

The voice vanished as quickly as it had come.

Wavepaw breathed a sigh of relief as Fallowspots spat angry words in his face.

"What is wrong with you?" The fear in his father's eyes was so real it took his breath away. "Don't scare me like that!"

What's wrong with me? Wavepaw demanded internally. What's wrong with you! Why are you so freaked out?

"Why are you so… agitated?" Wavepaw questioned, for lack of a better word. "I'm alright!"

His father stood up, his green eyes flashing in the semi-darkness. "I'll tell you when we get back to camp."

Narrowing his blue eyes at his father, he stumbled to his paws as well, and they finished the journey to camp with Wavepaw leaning heavily on Fallowspots's shoulder.

As they staggered into the camp together, Wavepaw turned and stared his father straight in the eye. "You said you'd talk, so talk."

His father looked like a rabbit in the middle of a thunder-path for a moment, but quickly gathered himself. "Let's talk in a den, it's far too wet and cold out here."

Shrugging, Wavepaw followed his father into the apprentices' den. They settled down into the stiff reed nests, Fallowspots looking uncomfortable in one of the unused nests, Wavepaw sliding into his vole fur-lined nest like a second pelt.

"So…" Fallowspots stalled, looked rapt by the colourful feathers and shimmering pebbles that Briarpaw had artfully arranged in her nest.

"So," Wavepaw eyed his father.

Fallowspots let out a breathy sigh, then began. "The reason I… behaved in that manner was because… did you know today was the day you were born? Today will be exactly your seventh moon."

"How do you-" Wavepaw interrupted himself. "That's beside the point. Why were you freaking out?"

"I'm sure my- Cloudfa- your mother, has told you of… Pondkit," Fallowspots looked a tiny bit uncomfortable, but continued.

Wavepaw was tempted to correct him and say 'Pondfrost', but he resisted.

"So," Fallowspots said again. "My- our- her- your still-born littermate. It's just… the night you were born, there was a storm, just like this one, lightning, waves, darkness, breeze, everything."

The fur along Wavepaw's spine rose, but he simply nodded.

"And… when Pondkit was born, as you know-" he gulped, but continued, "she was dead. When you were born… a wave came up the shore and… took her from us. And then I named you Wavekit."
Wavepaw's eyes were round, but he simply nodded again. He named me for the thing that took my sister. She was already dead, but my namesake stole her chance at a proper vigil and burial.

"And-" Fallowspots eyes shimmered, full of tears, but he continued. "And every time I saw you, I was just reminded, that I- I wasn't good enough. I failed Pondkit before she was even born, named you for something terrible, and I haven't been a good father."

Wavepaw was torn. Fallowspots was finally owning up to everything that Wavepaw had imagined clawing out of him and more, but he only felt sympathy for the sniveling wretch that he'd once thought of as his enemy.

"You didn't fail any cat," Wavepaw comforted awkwardly. "I'll be the first to admit you weren't a good father, but-"

Fallowspots swallowed hard, blinking back the tears, but Wavepaw continued.

"But you can start now, and be a better father." Wavepaw declared.

Fallowspots nodded weakly. "But how do I start?"

Wavepaw wanted to box his father's ears, but he resisted. What do I know about fathering? I'm barely seven moons old!

"You might want to start by apologizing to Cloudfall," Wavepaw suggested, then recoiled as his father swelled up in front of him.

"No!" His father spat, rage like nothing Wavepaw had ever seen in his life blazing through his green eyes. "I can't! You don't understand what it's like! You're hardly a kit, what do you know?"

What? Wavepaw was bewildered and terrified as his father stormed out of the den into the gale. What did I say? It's true! Cloudfall doesn't deserve to just be left like that…

He stared out in vain at the storm, his father's white and gray tabby tail disappearing into the warriors' den, where Briarpaw and Ripplepaw were no doubt sheltering.

Completely alone in the apprentices' den, Wavepaw curled up in his nest, a single salty drop sliding down his muzzle.

"Wavepaw," a faintly amused voice greeted him as he blinked blearily.

"Wh- where am I?" Wavepaw scanned his surroundings. "StarClan?"
"I wish," what he now recognized as Pondfrost's voice sounded almost longing. "No. Just the forgotten place."

"Is that what this place is called?" Wavepaw darted another glance at the foggy, blurry features of the desolate land.

"It's what I named it," Pondfrost answered simply. "No one to disagree with me, is there?"

She motioned to the abandoned grayish landscape, her feathery gray and silver tail flicking softly and longingly. "I wish."

"I'm sorry," he felt despondent for her.

"For what?" The faintly amused tone was back. "There's nothing you can do about it."

"Why am I here?" He cut to the chase.

"I want to talk, brother dearest," a hint of danger was present in Pondfrost's voice, but she swept on. "About our sweet and loving father."

Fallowspots. Wavepaw thought, disgusted.

"That's right." Pondfrost nodded, satisfaction flashing in her green gaze as he jumped in surprise.

"You can hear my thoughts?" Against his will, a twinge of fear snuck into his voice.

"I control everything here," Pondfrost shrugged, twitching an ear as though she didn't care. "No one else to."

Her mew was so lonely that he wanted to bring her back to the world of living with him. He knew it was impossible, he wasn't even truly there.

"Wavepaw, listen," Pondfrost's eyes blazed with intensity. "Do. Not. Trust. Fallowspots."

He gulped. "What do you mean? He's my father! A shabby one, but he still matters to me-"

"No!" Pondfrost hissed, leaning closer. "You can't trust him."

"Prove it," Wavepaw scoffed contemptuously.

Pondfrost hesitated, and Wavepaw felt a flash of triumph, but there was real urgency in her eyes, and Wavepaw wasn't certain that all she said was untrue.

"Listen," Pondfrost sat down with a defeated sigh. "This may not be StarClan, but I can… hear them sometimes. They can't hear me, but they know that you've visited me. Since you left, they've been talking to me non-stop."

Her voice broke a little on the last word.

"What you don't know is that when you were born, there was… a prophecy," Pondfrost looked almost defiant.

"Are you serious?" Disbelief echoed in Wavepaw's voice. "And I have magical powers, and I'm destined to save the whole world from evil."

"No. Well, sort of. But not really," Pondfrost looked like she was balancing on ice. "Before I tell you anything else, you need to know, I need to be careful about how much I tell you."

"Why?" Wavepaw demanded, leaning closer to her. "Why can't you just tell me everything you know?!"

"Because I know everything, and if I tell you, the prophecy will rocket onto a path that no cat can steer it off of!" Pondfrost hissed furiously.

"What do you mean, a path?" Wavepaw was taken aback. "It will just come true!"

"No!" Pondfrost shrieked like he'd clawed her. "No! We cannot, must not believe that! If we do, all hope is lost."

"What do you mean 'we'? I thought you were alone!" Wavepaw hissed.

"Me, and…" Pondfrost swallowed. "StarClan. They're talking to me, and I must answer. Maybe it's because of this land, maybe it's because I would have been a medicine cat, had I lived, but either way, the words they speak are true ones."
"So what?" Wavepaw shook his head angrily. "The prophecy has to come true, no matter what any dead cat says!"

"Wavepaw." Her mew was infuriatingly patient. "The prophecy has foretold that the Clans will tear each other apart. Do you understand?"

"Not in the least." Wavepaw matched her patient and patronizing tone.

"The Clans will die!" Pondfrost screeched. "They will fade from every cat's memory! They will disappear!"

"What? No!" Wavepaw shook his head furiously. "That can't be true!"

The thought was so horrible that he leapt at his dead sister, claws outstretched. To his shock, she disappeared.

"Watch it, Wavepaw," Pondfrost's voice echoed overhead, faintly amused once again, but smudged with sorrow. "That temper will be the death of you."

"I suppose the great prophecy has foretold that as well," Wavepaw snorted, digging his claws into the fog.

"You'd be surprised," there was no amusement in her voice, it was simply sorrow and anguish. "If you don't get control of yourself before your emotions manifest in… other ways… bad things will happen. Namely, the prophecy."

"Why are you doing this?" Wavepaw demanded. "What good does feeding me little snippets of a dark future do?!"
"I have to scare you!" Pondfrost's voice was like thunder in his ears.

Mission accomplished. He thought sarcastically, not caring if she could hear him.

"Why?" He screamed desperately into fog.

"So the prophecy doesn't come true!" Pondfrost hissed, slowly fading back into view. "Wavepaw, I don't want it to come true. It can't come true. You need to win Lightningpaw."

"What does she have to do about?" Desperation rang in his voice.

"It… doesn't matter," Pondfrost stepped towards him, but it wasn't threatening, simply a plea. "You need to go to her."

"Again!" He threw his paws into the air in exasperation and annoyance. "I can't! Last time, WindClan caught me, and I highly doubt that ShadowClan is going to welcome me into their camp and offer me my pick of the fresh-kill pile."

"Obviously!" Pondfrost growled at him. "You're just finding ways around the problem! You have to face it head on! It's the only way. Trust your instincts, Wavepaw."

"What are you talking about?" He yowled into the wind, but she was already fading, and so was the dream world.

And just like that, he was back in his nest.

Peering out into the storm, he spotted the tip of a gray-and-white tabby tail disappearing into the warriors' den.

Huh? He recognized it as Fallowspots's tail. Either he walks really slowly… or no time has passed? Is that even possible? Did I dream… for a split-second? Wouldn't be the strangest thing that's happened today.

He remembered Fallowspots's strange behaviour all day, and snorted. He smothered his sadness with sarcasm as he padded cautiously out of the den. The camp was completely deserted and silent, save for the steady pattering of the rain, and the occasional crack of thunder.

Wavepaw kept his eyes on his paws, not wanting to see the lightning and have another attack like before.

He bumped into a couple bushes, but he made it out of the camp alright and headed towards the lake. You have to face the problem head-on.

He stared out across the shivering surface of the lake as the rain disrupted the smooth, shiny surface that it usually had. You're just finding ways around the problem.

He stepped into the water, as though in a trance. Find a solution, or the Clans will die.

Pondfrost's desperate voice echoed in his ears.

Trust your instincts. The Clans will die.

Bracing himself against the chill, the rain battering his fur, he pushed his way into the water.

Don't go around the lake. Face it head on. If your instincts are telling you to swim across the lake, then do it. Save the Clans. Win Lightningpaw.

The words drowning out the crashes of thunder, his eyes screwed up against the rain to the point at which he couldn't a whisker in front of his face, he continued into the water.

His foot flailed for solid ground and his muzzle dipped under the water.

You can't touch the bottom? So swim! Call yourself a RiverClan cat? Pondfrost's contemptuous snort hardened his resolve, and he shouldered through the waves.

His paws churned at the water skillfully, and he pushed through the first several fox-lengths of the water easily as wind cutting through still air. He knew his strength would wane eventually, but he pressed onwards.

Wavepaw. Pondfrost's quiet mew nearly made him lose his rhythmic pace through the water, but he quickly recovered. Can't you see I'm busy? Wavepaw snarled silently, irritated.

I'm going to lend you my strength. But it comes with a price. Pondfrost whispered.

What? He felt worried, but concentrated on cutting his paws through the water as rain lashed his head.

You've done well avoiding the lightning, and I can help you with that, but- Pondfrost's voice wavered. It comes at a cost.

Stop beating around the bush! Wavepaw hissed silently. Just tell me!

You'll… feel my urgency… and that means… Pondfrost huffed out a breath. You'll have more… dark visions… of Lightningpaw.

What? Why? He demanded. A wave sloshed into his mouth, and he coughed up the water, breathing out through his nose, trying to clear his body of the lake water.

Because that's going to be her if you don't succeed in winning her over! Pondfrost snapped. First of all, you need to get a hold of yourself when you see her. You'll never show her the real you if you can't control yourself around her. You weird her out, admit it.

He growled out loud, gasping in a breath as he realized his strokes were getting weaker. The rain made it impossible to see where he was in the lake, but he knew he was probably a good distance across it.

I'm going to give you my strength now. Pondfrost whispered as he fought harder against the water. But listen. If I do this, I'll stop being able to bring you into the forgotten land during your dreams for a while. I might be able to talk to you in your head once in awhile, but there's no way I can appear solidly to you.

Okay. He muttered back, his chest heaving against the water as he fought for breath. Do it now!

Pondfrost sighed loudly into his head, and it echoed in his skull, filling his entire being. At first, it was icy cold like the water around him and the rain pounding into his head, but then it burned like fire. A howling like nothing he'd ever heard before rang in his ears, and his blood felt like it was boiling.

And then, all of a sudden, it was gone. The exhaustion, desperation, and burning in his aching paws disappeared. His insides felt full of wind.

I can do this. He pushed one paw through the water easily, then another. Faster and faster until he was cutting across the water easily. Surely I'm almost there?

He continued across, Pondfrost silent, the rain painfully loud. His eyes were wide open as he fought to keep his balance in the water. Suddenly, the sky lit with bright light.

It was gone as quickly as it had come, but the lightning made an image sear behind his eyes. Lightningpaw! His mind cried out, but he continued through the water. Her golden eyes were wide with pain and fear as a pair of silver claws tore across her sides again and again. No!

Gritting his teeth, he ignored the picture and continued across the agitated water. Little crests were rising out of the water, and slapped him as he crossed.

Waves stole my sister.

He fought against them, but they only grew larger.

Waves turned my father against me.

A big one slapped him in the face, and he sputtered water.

Waves are stopping me from saving the Clans.

"No!" A shriek ripped out of his throat as another flash of lightning illuminated the dark clouds.

Waves. Waves. Everywhere. I'm sorry, Pondfrost.

As the newest image of a dying Lightningpaw branded itself on Wavepaw's heart, a wave crashed over his head.

Good-bye.

He didn't bother trying to fight his way back to the surface.

Wavepaw! Wavepaw! Pondfrost's voice brought him back to the present. Fish-brain. Why did you fight it?

What do you mean? He gasped a breath, glancing up at the still-dark sky that poured rain down.

The waves carried you to shore. Pondfrost whispered. I can't keep this up. Go to her! Go back by WindClan territory. No cat will be out in this kind of storm.

Wavepaw nodded and staggered into the territory. ThunderClan. The sweet scent of ThunderClan wrapped around him, and he breathed it in deeply.

Sighing, he crept into the heart of the woods. Even in the storm, every scent trail led straight towards one point, which he guessed was the camp. As Pondfrost had predicted, there wasn't a single cat out.

He found the camp easily, but almost fell off a high precipice into it. Luckily, he was being cautious and managed to pick his way down around it. Eventually, he came to a prickly thorn-bush with a tunnel through it.

He guessed that it was the entrance and crept in. There wasn't a single cat in the whole camp. It was relatively sheltered, but rain still showered off the trees onto the camp.

Scenting the air, his heart jumped when he recognized the scent of Lightningpaw. He followed it into a sheltered den around the leftmost part of the camp. Creeping in, he spotted her dark pelt in the shadows of the den.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw her, and he raced over to her. After only a couple stumbling steps, he managed to stop himself. Pondfrost's right, I can't control myself around her. He sighed.

He backed out of the den, into the main camp, and tried again. This time, when he saw her, his thoughts still faltered, but he only took a single step towards her.

Get a hold of yourself. He rebuked himself.

He tried over and over again until he had no reaction to her at all. Better. He sighed, looking up as the clouds began to lighten. Time to go back.

His paws felt like stone, but he forced them to carry him back around the lake, through WindClan territory, and into the RiverClan camp.

I swam around the lake. The realization hit him like a ton of stones. I. Swam. Around. THE LAKE.

Breezepaw might cross a border for you. Wavepaw thought, collapsing into his nest. But would he swim across the lake?

WHOA okay. Before you all hate me, squealing about how an apprentice of seven moons can't swim around the lake, TO BE FAIR, he also had Pondfrost's strength, and some other, factors.

BTW, it's weird as heck to write interactions between one of your characters and yourself.

Okay, quizzy of the chappie: Do you guys like Wavepaw at all? I mean, he swam across the lake for Lightningpaw. GIVE THE MAN SOME CREDIT. That's freaking dedication right there.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and don't forget to leave a review on your way out!
~Pondfrost