~ I wanna feel free to be who I am, what I'm about is more than I've been. Ready to show the world who I am, start letting out what I'm holding in. Find my own place to stand, so I can be who I am. ~ Who I Am, by Natasha Bedingfield


Chapter 56

"Who I Am."

7/18/17 - 7/19/17 - 7/21/17 - 7/22/17 - 7/24/17


~ Eaglekit ~

"Please tell us more about Eaglecry!" Breezekit pleads. Foxflame fixes himself in his nest.

"I've told you all about her, what's more to tell?"

"Tell us more! Please!" Eaglekit pokes her father's flank.

Daisyleaf chuckles. "Alright, kits, your father has told you all about his aunt. Why don't you go out and play with the other kits?"

Eaglekit bristles her fur at the mention of the WindClan kits, but Breezekit pulls her tail and goes outside without protest.

Those WindClan kits are jerks.

They always look down on them and stick with each other, although Mothkit and Wolfkit were cool, but Cedarkit and Hootkit were insufferable.

They could take a nap with Thrushwing, but she's speaking with Littlestar at the moment.

Lightningkit would be fun to play with… Oh, wait, he's a 'paw now. So are Cloudypaw and Honeypaw.

"Hey, Eaglekit, Breezekit!" Tansykit calls from the group. "Why are you in the elder's den again?"

Eaglekit and Breezekit look at each other, unsure about how to respond. Cedarkit snorts and says to Tansykit. "Their father is a stinky old elder."

Breezekit bristles his spiky fur. "Foxflame is not old!"

"Then why is he there?" Cedarkit retorts. "Only old cats belong in that den. Is he a coward?"

Eaglekit growls. "Foxflame isn't a coward!"

Wolfkit shoulders the dark brown tabby. "Cedarkit, knock it off before Lilypool finds out!"

"Dad is a super cool, brave warrior!" Breezekit hisses. "Mom wouldn't have been with him if he wasn't!"

"Shows what that crazy bird was thinking!"

"Cedarkit!"

Breezekit almost lunged at the dark brown WindClan tabby when he hears Lilypool. The white she-cat stares at Cedarkit with shock, and Hollyclaw is right next to her.

"How can you say something so horrible?" Lilypool demands her now frightened son.

"Thrushwing is a cat, not a thing you to make fun of."

"She was also a WindClan cat once." Hollyclaw put in. "She is a fine warrior for ThunderClan to have, and she survived Lionstar's tyranny. She deserves your respect, and you should respect her kin."

The WindClan kits were tense when Hollyclaw mentioned Lionstar.

"Cedarkit, Hootkit. Apologize to Breezekit and Eaglekit. For as long as we're staying in ThunderClan you will be courteous to our hosts." Lilypool said.

"But I didn't say anything!" Hootkit exclaims.

"Exactly. Standing by and doing nothing is just as bad as not stopping it."

Cedarkit and Hootkit quietly said, "Sorry."

Eaglekit is still bristling in defense of her father.

Maybe if I become deputy, or leader, they won't be able to make fun of me or my family.


~ Thrushwing ~

The cream brown she-cat scratches the ground nervously trying to look Littlestar in the eye. The very thought of Ashpaw - Lionstar she reminded herself - lurking outside while she talks to Littlestar unnerved her. Maybe she should have brought Foxflame with her…

Don't look to him to cushion your fall. He might just end up like Lightstripe…

Littlestar can tell Thrushwing is debating something in her mind.

"Thrushwing?"

The cream colored she-cat jerks her head up and widens her eyes as if she just noticed him.

"What did you want to talk about?"

Thrushwing takes a deep breath. "Lightstripe wasn't killed by a badger."

The mention of his fallen deputy made Littlestar stiffen.

"Thrushwing… I understand that his death came as a shock…"

"Please, hear me out." Thrushwing pleads. "L-Lightstripe was killed by a cat. I know it."

"That's a serious accusation." Littlestar said in a warning tone.

"Littlestar… One of the WindClan apprentices isn't who he is. H-He's Lionstar."

Littlestar frowns. "Thrushwing…"

"I know it sounds crazy but-!"

"That's because it is." Littlestar hisses. "Both ThunderClan and WindClan are tense enough with little space to give, if you accuse an apprentice of killing an experienced deputy it will cause turmoil!"

"But, Lionstar-!"

"Stop saying his name!" Littlestar exclaims. "Thrushwing, I understand you had a horrible life in WindClan because of him, but not every WindClan tom is Lionstar! Unless he's reborn to a cat's body like Cinderpelt, there's no way he could exist!"

Thrushwing surprisingly doesn't buckle down.

"He is reborn." She insists. "I see him when he sneers at me. I got these scars from him."

Thrushwing shows the healing wounds under her long fur.

"Ashpaw is the last one to see Lightstripe alive, and if he was attacked by a badger why didn't Ashpaw step in and help him?"

Littlestar opens his mouth but Thrushwing cuts him off.

"I've spoken to Hawkflight. Ashpaw is a capable fighter and is almost preparing to become a warrior soon. He is able to help Lightstripe fight a so called badger unless he stood by and watched."

"..." Littlestar is at a loss for words. Thrushwing gives a shaky breath.

"Also, if anything happens to me… Please tell Foxflame I love him, and watch over Eaglekit and Breezekit for me."


"Brackenstar, we have great news."

Cheetahspots, Lilypool and Cloversong approach the WindClan leader that early evening.

"The moors have cleared up, the smoke is gone and the fire died down." Lilypool said.

"Has it?" Brackenstar asks.

"Yes. The dens are messy but we can clear it up." Cheetahspots said.

Brackenstar nods, satisfied that Cheetahspots has a clear head in things.

Being a mother has certainly changed her.

Brackenstar looks at the WindClan cats and calls them over. The ThunderClan cats look on from a distance in curiosity.

"Cheetahspots and her group have told me that our territory is safe once more. We will depart before sunset."

The WindClan cats cheer for the queens, Spiderdusk cheers the loudest. Cheetahspots glares at him with a "shut up!" look.

Thrushwing sighs with relief, and she suddenly locks gazes with an amber eyed Ashpaw. She returns it without fail, and proceeds to approach her kits.


~ Aspenpaw ~

The saddest part is Harepaw nudging his shoulder with his nose.

"I'll see you at the Gathering." Harepaw promised him. "Thanks again for standing up to Flashpaw for me."

Aspenpaw nods, remembering bitterly over Flashpaw cornering Harepaw and demanding he tell him WindClan secrets. Aspenpaw's anger took over his fear of the bully and told him off for bothering Harepaw.

"Harepaw! Come over here or we'll leave you behind!" Ashpaw calls.

Sedgepaw gives her brother a leer before Harepaw runs over to them.

Pricklefrost licks each of Spiderdusk's kits goodbye, much to the dismay of his Clanmates.

They were shocked to find out that Pricklefrost had kits in WindClan, and now he has grandchildren. The white and grey tom narrows his eyes on a passing Cricketleap as he gathers his own kits to the WindClan cats.

Aspenpaw suddenly hears a cry and notices Thrushwing, Foxflame, Cheetahspots and Spiderdusk with their confused kits.

"But why can't I stay with Eaglekit?" Jaykit stares at Spiderdusk with wide eyes.

"Yeah, I want Breezekit to come!" Vixenkit put in.

Cheetahspots looks at Spiderdusk. He nods and looks at the kits.

"Eaglekit and Breezekit are ThunderClan cats, we're rivals, so we can't…"

"But that's stupid!" Runningkit stomps his paw. "Their our friends!"

"Kits, its the warrior code." Cheetahspots said. Jaykit looks torn as she looks at Eaglekit and Breezekit, who are equally upset with the change.

Vixenkit whimpers. "Can we say goodbye?"

"Please?" Scorchkit put in.

Four parents allowed it. Eaglekit nuzzles Jaykit as the blue grey she-cat tries not to cry. "I'll miss you." Eaglekit said.

Scorchkit bumps heads with Breezekit, and Runningkit and Vixenkit do the same.

"You better not forget us." Scorchkit told Breezekit.

Cheetahspots sweeps her tail over her kits and leads them away. Eaglekit buries her face on Thrushwing's stomach while Breezekit stares after his WindClan friends.

Poor kits. Aspenpaw knew the heartbreak when Amelia's family left, taking Magpie with her.


~ Brightflower ~

Brackenstar dips his head to Littlestar. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"No need. The lake needs four Clans."

Brightflower follows Brackenstar and the crowd toward the moorland.

"I can't wait to be out in the open again." She told Mintpelt. The bluish grey tom's strength returned, and is looking much healthier.

"I know what you mean. Hopefully nothing is too destroyed."

Cricketleap pads past Brightflower without a crude remark, balancing Tansykit, Mothkit and Wolfkit on his back while Sandkit dangles in his jaws.

"Giddy up!" Tansykit orders Cricketleap, who cracks a smile.

Brightflower hasn't been tormented by Cricketleap in moons, not since his kits were found and taken into the Clan.

He probably wants to be a positive role model.

Brightflower presses her pelt against Mintpelt's and feels content with his presence. Nutbranch glares at the two, but pushes his resentment aside.

You had plenty of opportunities to stop being cruel and win her over. You messed them all up. Don't ruin this for Mintpelt.


~ Sedgepaw ~

She was glad to be home.

Hollyclaw assigned both her and her brothers to their final assessment. She looks at the afternoon sun and smiles before looking for prey. She spots a rabbit drinking in the stream.

Perfect.

Sedgepaw slowly stalks toward the unsuspecting rabbit before lunging on it. She bites its neck and kills it instantly. Sedgepaw suddenly feels teeth sink into her scruff and pull her off the rabbit.

"What-?!"

Sedgepaw is dragged across the stream and into the forest with her back legs kicking, desperate to be free.

"Put me down! Let me go!"

Her captor drops her on the ground digs their claws on her eyes, blinding her. The claws dig into her stomach, neck, chest and feels the blood pour out.

No, I can't die here. It's not fair.

"It's not fair!" She wails.

The clawing stops as the deep voice of her captor whispers in her ear.

"Life's never fair."


~ Ashpaw/Lionstar ~

The sun is almost disappearing behind the Twoleg barn when Ashpaw keeps track of how long Sedgepaw was gone.

She should have returned. Or at least told Hollyclaw that she was stepping out for a bit.

He decides to leave by himself and look for Sedgepaw himself. Ashpaw follows her scent toward a dead rabbit laying in the stream.

The trail takes him into ThunderClan territory and barely past the stream when he finds Thrushwing, Lionfang and Stormwhisker arriors bending over a light brown tabby's bleeding body.

Ashpaw's eyes widen in a dark shade of amber when he recognizes the light brown tabby. "Sedgepaw?!"

Thrushwing looks up with fear in her eyes when he pushes her away. Ashpaw vigorously shook Sedgepaw's body to get a rise out of her. She remains limp under his paws as well as bloody.

Ashpaw glares at Thrushwing. "Why didn't you do anything you useless she-cat?!"

Thrushwing is almost thrown back into her nightmares when Lionfang bristles his fur.

"Don't talk to her like that! We found Sedgepaw like this - she was dead when we found her!"

"You expect me to believe that?!" Ashpaw's body becomes dark gold, and muscular in midst of his anger.

Stormwhisker gapes in shock. "What in StarClan…?!"

"This is your fault!" Lionstar yowls at Thrushwing. "You killed Sedgepaw! If she'd been born in my time she would be my mate instead of a coward who switches sides on a whim!"

Thrushwing looks at her sons. "We have to go!"

Lionfang rapidly looks between his mother and Lionstar. "But isn't he-?"

"Yes it's Lionstar! Run, now!"

Stormwhisker and Lionfang obliged by running ahead, Thrushwing looks back and sees Lionstar crouching over Sedgepaw, tears streaming down his face.

He truly did love her.

Thrushwing turns away and runs back to her camp.


"Littlestar. Wake up, son."

The small black and white tom opens his eyes to a dark brown tabby towering over him. Littlestar blinks. "Dad?"

Tigerflame nuzzles Littlestar's muzzle, purring. "I'm happy to see you again."

Tigerflame pulls back and frowns.

"I wish I had the chance to meet again under positive circumstances, but I need to tell you something about your grandfather."

"... What about Lionstar?"

Tigerflame narrows his amber eyes. "You know what I mean. Thrushwing told you. Lionstar is back, he stole the body of an apprentice."

Littlestar feels his skin become cold with fear. He was told plenty of horror stories about Lionstar, his treacherous grandfather, enough times to be plagued with nightmares for a week.

He killed his sister, father and his mother, and abused his mate. He didn't deserve to be a leader.

"Just this evening a tragedy happened to the true Ashpaw's sister, resulting in her death. She was probably the only cat to curb Lionstar's thirst for revenge and Tigerstar's temptation."

"Wait, Tigerstar is here?! I thought he was killed by Firestar!"

Tigerflame sweeps his tail. "Remember the Soulless being the embodiment of the Dark Forest cats hatred and vengeance? Each Dark Forest cat that were killed as spirits end up in eternal limbo, and fester there as Soulless until they were brought to the living by Daisypelt and Redfawn. After they were killed, most Soulless who were killed are gone forever, but sometimes their original spirits are reborn into the Dark Forest."

Littlestar blinks. "So Lionstar and Tigerstar are reborn…"

"And Hawkfrost."

"Are you kidding me - who's body did he steal?!"

Tigerflame shakes his head. "You need to figure it out for yourself. Keep an eye on your cats, and try to listen to more concerns like Thrushwing pointed out."

Tigerflame's voice suddenly becomes distorted.

"Look at the clouds in the sky. That's my answer to your problem."

Littlestar's father is covered by the thick fog, blocking him off from his sight.

"Look at the clouds… What are you trying to tell me, Dad?"


Poor Sedgepaw, you will be missed. ~ Kyubi