A/N: Hooray everyone for making it to the official chapter 70! And also, thanks a bunch for the 800 reviews! You guys never cease to amaze me and you make an aspiring author all the more confident and happier with herself, so thank you everyone! School started again for me, and as it turns out, one of my classes doesn't start until next month, so hooray for that. Hopefully, my other classes aren't as time-consuming as I'm predicting them to be, but only time can tell.
After the heartache that was Cherry's backstory, let's return to the ever-harrowing perspective of Flarekitty :).
Reviews
PhoenixRune- I'M SORRY XD I couldn't get rid of them, pesky little critters escaped my grasp. I'll get 'em next time. I'm all about making you guys feel conflicted for hating the bad characters so muahahaha. Uhhh, no it ain't Cloudstar haha. What a twist that would be though.
silhouette amongst stars- Well that's… Strange XD. Anywho, yeah. It didn't feel like a lot at first, but that's maybe because- when I was writing Windy's who had like 15,000+ words- I didn't write it all in one long sitting. I divided up throughout the week instead (which is what I should've done for Windy's but hey, what can you do). Yeah, I especially cause most of the other kits had dead parents already, I didn't want Cherry to be amongst them. I wanted the irony where she had her parents, but they weren't really there, you know? Doesn't everything end in tragedy? I enjoyed writing that line, out of everything, I think that was the most important line (and she needs to remember that mentality, but uh, since Ixora taught her it, I doubt she wants to remember). She really did draw the short end of the stick, I'm sorry Cherry. Fun fact: Ixora means west indian jasmine, and idk where I heard that name from, but I absolutely love it and think it's beautiful. XD Her father definitely was not any of those peeps.
AlderClaw (Guest)- Aww, thank you! Hmm… It's gonna be going on for a very very long time XD. I estimate upwards to 140-150 chapters maybe? I still haven't finished my outline, and things keep changing so maybe it'll be more, maybe it'll be a little less. But yeah, it's gonna be in the 100's range haha. Hope you're in it for the long run. It's always nice to have a new reader review, so thanks for taking the time to do so :). Ooh, that's a cool resolution, and I wish you the best of luck to do so. And I listened to the song and I have to agree with you, it's a very good sootxflare song.
Thanks to everybody who reviewed!
Let's get started!
…
Blazeclan
…
"Ah, so this is where you've been."
Out of everyone, Flarepaw wasn't expecting her to be the one to appear.
Silver eyes blinked, burning from not having closed them in a while, before glancing over her shoulder. A flicker of concern, anxiety perhaps, wormed its way into her chest, accompanied by mild agitation borne from a bitter routine. But her annoyance was short-lived, simply because it made no sense to be angry at the moment.
"Emberpaw." The amber-furred apprentice murmured a small greeting, turning her body to the side from where she stood in front of the two- now three- graves in the clearing with the dead willow tree. She didn't know how long she had been standing there for, paws aching and numb from having to dig a new grave amidst the piles of snow. Darkpaw now settled comfortably off to the side of Flamepaw's grave. All she knew was that now, the sun had begun to set and there was an ache in her stomach that reminded her she had yet to eat anything today.
The red and black tabby Royal stood a few paces behind her, an uncharacteristically saddened and mellowed purse to her lips as her dark green gaze flickered almost uncomfortably towards the graves before back at Flarepaw. There was hesitation in her twitching muscles, almost as if she didn't know whether to step closer or just leave now, and Flarepaw almost found it amusing seeing Emberpaw so indecisive when every one of her actions was done with a sense of surety. She had never once seen her rival, enemy, friend so hesitant before.
"I've always wondered where you've picked up the habit of disappearing who knows where when something happens in your life."
Flarepaw blinked, unused to hearing such a somber tone to Emberpaw's voice. The Grand Royal apprentice turned completely around at that point, facing her once-rival and turning her back to the graves. That was fine: the Royal's presence hadn't disrupted her from doing anything, she had been silent the entire time- trying and failing to find the courage to speak to their graves one final time.
She had to say goodbye to them. She had to.
If she ever wanted to win against Wildfire, if she ever wanted to be free of her role as a puppet, she had to escape the chains she willingly placed on herself with the deaths of Willowflame and Flamepaw (and now Darkpaw, too).
She had to destroy every part of herself binding her to the past, shackling her to her father. Only then would she ever be able to build herself anew.
"Pardon?" Flarepaw tilted her head slightly to the left. She knew she often came here when something… big happened, but the way Emberpaw seemed to phrase it… When the going gets rough, you run and hide.
No, she wasn't running and hiding. It was a tactical retreat, buying herself time to face whatever it was coming for her head-on and with a fresh perspective. Sometimes.
Sometimes, she really was just running and hiding.
Emberpaw huffed, glancing down at her paws with a shake of her head before dark green met silver once more. "You are great at the disappearing act, I'll give you that. The poor Noble is running himself into the ground looking for you right now."
Sagepaw… It had been a while since training ended, and while her brother was giving her the benefit of the doubt and was willing to wait for her until she was ready to return to camp (because he knew how often Flarepaw just needed to be alone), that didn't mean he worried any less for her. If anything, he always worried himself more whenever she needed her solo-time.
"Did he ask you to look for me?" Flarepaw asked, feeling the slightest bit of guilt for always making her brother worry.
"Nah, I was just wandering around, avoiding Shadepaw, hiding from Gingerpaw, staying away from camp… The usual- when I stumbled upon here." Emberpaw was walking forward now, steps careful and unsure, weary that Flarepaw's temper was on a hair-trigger and the Grand Royal apprentice could snap at any moment. Flarepaw, for a brief second of ignorance, wondered why the other she-cat looked so tense and on-edge as she glanced around the clearing, but then she remembered…
This is where I hurt her. The ragged scar on the right side of Emberpaw's jaw, stretching down from the junction of her neck to just barely above her upper lip, was not something Flarepaw was proud of creating. At the time, it had felt good, great even, to inflict pain upon the she-cat who bullied her so soon after the fire. To harm someone who would dare sully the names of Willowflame and Flamepaw.
In a twisted sort of way, Emberpaw- and her brother, Gingerpaw- had only been trying to help Flarepaw out of her emotional slump after their deaths, where everything seemed unimportant and her will withered away.
And Flarepaw had hurt her because of it: biting the helping paw that was stretched out to her. (Sure, in hindsight, Emberpaw and Gingerpaw's methods weren't the best way of helping, but help was help nonetheless.)
It would mark the only, and last time, Flarepaw shed blood in this clearing.
"You're staring," Emberpaw, in an attempt to lighten the hidden tension in the air, cracked a regular smirk. "Shall I pose for you? This isn't my good angle."
The Grand Royal apprentice breathed out a laugh, a quirk to her lips as she felt some of the tension in her shoulders bleed out. Emberpaw was unabashedly shameless in the best of times, unafraid of acting the "proper" way the clan wanted her to. She acted herself no matter the situation, and Flarepaw was always envious of her for it.
And she's not the only one. Sootpaw, too, was always going against the norm, as dangerous as his methods were. Sagepaw was another, his acts of independence calmer and quieter than most others. Whiteshadow, Shadepaw, Hollypaw to an extent… Flarepaw wondered what it would be like to be as brave as them.
"Save your posing for someone who actually wants to see it," Flarepaw returned the smirk with one of her own, silver eyes twinkling with a spark of mischief and teasing. "Like Shadepaw, for example."
Instantaneously, Emberpaw wrinkled her nose, a scowl taking dominance on her face. "There's a reason 'avoiding Shadepaw' was on my list of usual duties for the day."
"He's just excited that you two are the same rank again," Flarepaw chuckled on her behalf, "you know he's liked you ever since we were kits. You're the only one who could match his playfulness."
"His antics and pranks pale to the schemes I revel in," Emberpaw's smirk returned, wider than before, sharper than before, and the Grand Royal apprentice fed off the waves of mischief rolling off of the Royal she-cat. How Flarepaw used to be annoyed by Emberpaw's troublesome nature, she didn't know. "There's room for only one prankster here, and I don't intend to share that spot."
"Fair enough," Flarepaw hummed in acknowledgment, grateful for the momentary reprieve from the tension but never one to stray too far away from it. "Why is 'hiding from Gingerpaw' part of your list?"
Just like that, the sharp grin and roguish demeanor on Emberpaw's face deflated with her heavy sigh, ears turning to lay flat against her skull before she looked back up. "There's only so much lecturing I can take before I feel like clawing his head off."
"He's your brother," the Grand Royal apprentice murmured, "he only cares about you, is all."
Emberpaw sat heavily in her place a mere tail-length away from Flarepaw, tail curling around her paws. The she-cat's larger-than-life attitude belied how small she actually was, only slightly taller than Flarepaw's own height (which wasn't much). But here, at this moment, the Royal did seem rather tiny.
"Exactly, he's my brother," the frown on her face was deep as she furrowed her brow, glancing down at her paws, "not my father. He doesn't need to lecture me."
Flarepaw frowned as well- because she understood Emberpaw. Similar to her situation with Wildfire favoring Flamepaw, Russetclaw favored Gingerpaw over his daughter. He wouldn't go so far as to attack and punish the Royal apprentice- unlike Wildfire- but Russetclaw's act of dismissing everything Emberpaw accomplished hurt in its own way.
No matter what, Emberpaw was always second-best to her brother. Gingerpaw was obedient, where Emberpaw was wild; Gingerpaw was strong and noble, where Emberpaw reckless and dangerous; Gingerpaw was wise beyond his years, where Emberpaw only seemed to care about the unimportant things.
Gingerpaw was worthy, where Emberpaw was not.
Yes, Flarepaw understood the other she-cat too well. Perhaps it was why, in a way, Flarepaw always did- and would probably forever- envy her carefree, if a bit unhinged, attitude. Emberpaw was dead-set on the destruction of her image, because only when that picture of a quiet second-place daughter was destroyed, only then could she build an image to her own liking.
"Do you…" Flarepaw paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts before meeting dark green intensely. "Do you remember what you said to me a while ago? About… how you used to look up to me?"
"What happened to the Flarepaw I used to look up to?"
"I… I dreamed of being like you. You were so… cool."
"You were my hero, you were the one I strived to be."
"Not my proudest moment," Emberpaw let out a breathy chuckle, eyes sad as she shuffled the weight on her paws uncomfortably, "but… yes. I remember."
"Why?"
"Huh?"
Flarepaw's face pinched with confusion and sorrow, a strange mixture. Her silver gaze glanced briefly to the side, just enough to see the graves at her back out of the corner of her eye. "Why did you used to look up to me?"
"I really don't feel like repeating what I said like some kind of fan," Emberpaw wrinkled her nose distastefully. "You were just someone I strived to be like. You were strong and you had a cool battle style only you were learning."
"Is that all?"
"Why is this important?"
Flarepaw glanced down at her paws once more before she blew out a slow breath. Why indeed. The disappearance- the death of Darkpaw had knocked Flarepaw off the path she had set out for herself, a path that was shared with the ones she cared about, a path to righteousness. A path to her freedom, where she wouldn't have to care about doing the things she didn't want to do for the image her father had made for her.
A path to her own self, in the end, she would find out who she really was or die trying.
"Because I want to be someone others can look up to again… The one you used to look up to wasn't me, and I'm sorry to say that she's gone and I'm happy that she is. I just… I just want to be Flarepaw now; I want to discover who she is for myself, who she truly is without the boundaries of everything going on. I want others to look at me for me, not because I'm the daughter of Wildfire or the daughter of Willowflame or the sister of Flamepaw or some sort of prodigy. Just… me. And sure, maybe, after taking away my title and everything else I'm known for, maybe I'm not all that great. Maybe I'm no one special."
Flarepaw smiled again, sad and sheepish all at once as she shrugged. "But… is that really such a bad thing when I can finally be just me?"
Without the many different masks she created to wear for specific occasions, without the overbearing title of Grand Royal, without the dual legacies placed upon her shoulders from the combined blood of Wildfire and Willowflame running through her veins, without looking at her remarkable feats in combat. Who would Flarepaw be then?
Who are you? Willowflame's voice whispered in her mind. And she would answer, I am Flarepaw.
Willowflame would smile, and ask instead;
Who do you want to be?
And Flarepaw found that she didn't have an answer.
Flarepaw turned her body around, just enough so she could properly face the three graves before her. All empty. Willowflame and Flamepaw's bodies had never been found, most likely burned to crisps and returned to the earth naturally. Darkpaw was still missing, and at this rate, they wouldn't find him either; dead or alive.
She had failed to save all three of them. She had failed when they needed her to succeed most.
And she was still failing. By willingly coming back to this place, over and over again, by carving open the scars on her heart, by not letting them heal properly with her repeated tormenting of that day. How could she ever move forward, how could she ever hope to step farther on the unknown path before her if she was still being weighed down by the chains of her past? She could feel them now, prickled thorns wrapping around her throat, her chest, her heart, her legs and shoulders and back and head- drawing blood with each of her subtle movements as she attempted to step away from them.
All while knowing she had claws off her own, claws sharp enough to cut away the vines killing her in an unrelenting death-grip.
That first cut was always the hardest, and while Flarepaw had unsheathed her claws, ready to do so, she hesitated still. Because who was she without them? Without the masks, without the image, without her scars?
"I looked up to you… because no matter what situation you were in, no matter how badly you were losing or how lost hope seemed to be… you always pulled through in the end."
Flarepaw gasped as she turned back to face Emberpaw. Her once-rival was staring at her, unflinchingly, and the Grand Royal apprentice couldn't remember a time where she looked so intense, so serious before.
"I looked up to you because, despite how scared you most likely were, you didn't let it control you." Emberpaw chuckled gently. "Even more so than Flamepaw; I always thought, and forgive me for saying this, that he was a bit overrated. Sure, he was great, but he reached his limit far before the race even started. He was powerful. But you… You had so much room to grow, so much time. I knew… Or, I hoped at least, that once you were finished growing… Well, there would be no one who could best you. Not even him."
There was a sense of shyness that sparked in Emberpaw's eyes at that point, ears falling flat nervously as she smiled. "And I know you're not done growing yet, Flarepaw. Are you?"
I still admire you, Emberpaw's words said, I still look up to you.
Don't give up. Even if Emberpaw most likely didn't know of her entire situation with Wildfire, the she-cat somehow said the words she needed to hear. Flarepaw felt her heart clench, throat constricted with emotion as she blew out a ragged breath, turning her gaze to the graves once more.
"Sometimes, in order to continue growing," Willowflame had never looked so sad before, Flarepaw almost panicked seeing that expression on her mother's face. The two sat together by a small spring in their territory, beech trees stretching tall around them, alive with noise even so early in the morning. "You need to destroy yourself before you can make yourself into something greater. Think of it like… a snake shedding its old skin; in order for it to continue growing, it must tear itself away from what it once was."
"Mother?"
"It'll hurt," Willowflame continued, deaf to Flarepaw's concerned and confused murmur, "perhaps it'll be the most painful experience in your life. But you'll come out stronger than ever before. It isn't easy, but letting go of who you were, letting go of your past, never is. In the end, I promise it'll be worth it."
"Will I have to do that one day?" Flarepaw asked quietly, never one to destroy the peaceful atmosphere between mother and daughter. In these quiet moments, where the rest of the clan slept and it was just… them. The young she-cat could forget about everything: the running for Grand Royal, her rivals, the growing number of scars on her underbelly, the secrets she hid from her mother. It was just… her. Flarepaw, and while she didn't know who she was yet; one day, she thought, she would. "Let go of my past?"
"Maybe," Willowflame sighed eventually, eyes tired as she stared up at the rising sun. "Eventually. We all do at one point. I'm just trying to prepare you for it."
"Will you be there?" Flarepaw shuffled her weight so she could better face her mother, a growing sense of worry making it slightly harder to breathe. "Will you be there when it happens?"
The fact that Willowflame didn't answer with an immediate yes made her lungs burn with anxiety, but the smile that her mother sent afterward cooled her worry. Quelling the inferno of concern sparking within her. Willowflame always had a way of soothing her thoughts.
"No matter what happens, I am always with you, my little one."
Always.
"I'm not done yet, Emberpaw," Flarepaw spoke in a quiet tone, ears flattened in determination as she stared down at the graves by her paws. Behind her, she could feel the Royal's presence shift ever closer. Drawing strength from her, giving courage in return. The two had made a dramatic change in their relationship: from rivals to enemies to friends. Flarepaw wanted to be someone Emberpaw could count on. Someone that everyone could count on. "I'm not done growing yet, and I won't let anyone or anything stop me."
Wildfire can't stop me, no matter how much he tries. I won't let him.
Darkpaw wouldn't want me to stop, Flamepaw wouldn't want me to stop.
Sootpaw and Sagepaw need me to keep fighting.
I need to keep fighting, for myself.
To the crows with lasting only a quarter-moon. Flarepaw will last until her lungs ceased to draw breath, until her heart stopped beating, until her spirit joined her mother and Flamepaw and Darkpaw in the stars.
"There's the Flarepaw I want to see," Emberpaw's smile was radiant, eyes gleaming with excitement. "What are we going to destroy first, huh?" You're not alone.
Wildfire… No, not yet. Wildfire would not be taken down with one battle, one scheme, one fight. Against him, it was a long war, and Flarepaw needed to think of only achieving victory when it mattered most. She will lose the battle, but she will not lose the war.
The hierarchy system… No less daunting than her father, perhaps an even longer war. But it could be done. She could bring about a revolution, with the help of her friends and her comrades. Quiet and sneaky, those sticking to tradition wouldn't know what was happening until the toxic system was already being dismantled from the ground up.
My past image… The prodigal daughter of Wildfire, faithful puppet strung along to do his bidding. Flarepaw was already neck-deep in those waters, fighting the currents tempting to drag her under. But this fight was almost done. And she wasn't alone.
"There's something I need to do first," Flarepaw sighed shakily, turning to the other she-cat with a gentle smile and stepping closer to brush her cheek against Emberpaw's in thanks. "If you see Sagepaw, tell him I'll return to camp shortly."
"Is that my cue to leave?"
"I just need to be alone for a little while longer. I'll be-"
The words cut themselves off in her throat, posture going rigid, and Emberpaw mimicked her actions; playful smirk vanished without a trace as her eyes narrowed immediately. Despite being dropped down to the rank of Royal, the red and black tabby was still on-par with Flarepaw when it came to combat and sensing trouble. And the unfamiliar scent that lingered in the air was definitely trouble.
Never a moment's rest, if Flarepaw wasn't in this situation, she might've laughed in exasperation, ancestors please, give me a break. Just one day.
"To the right," Emberpaw's eyes darted in that direction, just barely able to see out of the corner of them. And whoever had been spying on them had the good instinct to leave. Well, try to at least.
As soon as the words left Emberpaw's lips; no, before they finished escaping, Flarepaw was sprinting in that direction and the Royal wasn't far behind. The amber-furred apprentice entered the treeline in a matter of seconds, pausing only for a heartbeat for her eyes to focus on the movement ahead of her. It was a tricky situation because whoever had been spying on them was built for that kind of incognito mission.
"Their pelt is white," Flarepaw called out a hidden warning to her companion a few steps behind her. Receiving only a grunt in response, the amber apprentice took off once more when she captured movement in her line of vision. Her aching paws screamed in disagreement as she barreled through the forest, indentations left behind in the snow for Emberpaw to follow in case she outran her.
The stranger, perhaps thinking they had been in the clear, stopped for the breath of a second to look back, and Flarepaw could clearly see their face. A pelt of pale white with crystal blue eyes and a darker lilac to accentuate their features. There were specks of snow on those darker places in an attempt to hide themselves even more. Smart.
But not fast.
The brief moment the stranger paused to look back at her was more than enough for Flarepaw to close the distance between them, leaping into a lunge and tackling the stranger down. Perhaps not an approach she was used to, but then again, it wasn't every day the Grand Royal apprentice needed to chase down a stranger.
Her tackle sent the two of them flying to the side, snow kicked up where it was disturbed and sending up a shower of frost. Flarepaw was quick to escape from their grip once it became apparent the other cat- a she-cat- was much stronger than her. That was fine. Flarepaw was never one to fight with grapples after all.
The stranger scowled, ruining their dainty features, before her features melded into one of focused intensity. The Grand Royal apprentice could see a spark of what could only be rising panic hidden deep within blue eyes. Whoever they were, they surely weren't prepared to be caught.
"A rat… on my territory?" Flarepaw huffed out a chuckle, playing the confident and taunting role she always did to rile up her opponents. Someone who fought out of blind anger was always the easiest for her to take down, they were simply too predictable. "I thought I exterminated all of them the last time your kind appeared."
"King warned us of your overbearing ego's, clan cat," the stranger spoke in a cool voice, blue eyes flashing in anger and driving away the panic. "Tell me, does your bite live up to your bark?"
Taking a page out of Emberpaw's book, Flarepaw's smirk turned sharper as she sent a playful wink. "Why don't you come over here and find out for yourself? I promise to be gentle."
The rogue hissed before charging forward, skidding to a stop a step away to toss some of the stray snow beneath their paws into the air. A diversion tactic using the environment around them, and one that might have worked if Flarepaw didn't have a close bond with someone from Forestclan- the masters of using the environment to their advantage. The Grand Royal apprentice calmly stood in place, ducking her head slightly so the snow wouldn't land in her eyes and prepared to dodge when the rogue barreled forward.
There. The white-pelted she-cat was quiet in her approach, Flarepaw gave her points for that, appearing from the rainfall of snow like a fish leaping out of the water, claws extending and lips pulled back to reveal sharp fangs. The amber apprentice blew out a short, steadying breath before racing a few steps forward, just enough to be under the she-cat and slicing upwards with her claws to her belly.
The cry of pain was instantaneous, and Flarepaw almost felt guilty for it. She scowled in discomfort as droplets of the rogue's blood landed on her face, but quickly shook the feeling away. The rogue had landed wrong, dropping into a roll and painting a streak of red across the world of white. Gritting her teeth through the pain, the blue-eyed stranger stood up, squaring her shoulders and letting the growl rumble in her throat.
"I'm sorry, you wanted me to bite you, didn't you?" Flarepaw had always felt the slightest bit immoral whenever taunting her opponents, harsh remarks dripping like poison from her tongue, but it needed to be done. Sometimes, depending on her opponent, it was fun. Other times… Not so much. "My bad. Why don't we try again?"
"We'll enjoy watching you bleed, clan cat," the rogue panted a pained breath, teeth gritting as her lips curled into a malicious smile. "Every last one of you."
"Funny," Flarepaw's smile was gone, brows furrowed in anger. "It isn't my blood being shed right now."
"Oh, but it will be. All in due time."
The rogue charged forward once again, forgoing the method of diversion and replacing it with a full-on frontal assault. Flarepaw feigned a bored sigh, muscles twitching with each of her calm movements. The she-cat was strong, sure, but not particularly powerful when it came to all-out attacks. Her strikes didn't make the winds quiver, but that didn't make them any less deadly or dangerous. Whenever Flarepaw tried to retaliate, however, the she-cat was always prepared to block: the Grand Royal apprentice had to give her props for actually being a tough opponent.
But all she needed was one opening, and once she spotted it, Flarepaw lunged forward for the win.
A strike meant to bat at her head instead met empty air, Flarepaw's whiskers barely brushing against the leg at her side as she stepped closer. Turning her head to the side, the Grand Royal apprentice sank her teeth until she met the resistance of bone, jerking her head to the side at the same moment she twisted her body and letting go at just the right moment. The rogue's momentum made her trip forward, falling flat on her face and not having enough time to react before Flarepaw was upon her.
Claws digging in between shoulder blades, the Grand Royal apprentice drowned out the screams from the rogue by spitting the excess blood from her mouth to the floor. She had always hated the taste of blood.
"Aww, I was too slow!" Emberpaw appeared at that moment, slightly out of breath as she padded over to them, a frown on her face. "Why do you always get to the fight?"
"If you were faster," Flarepaw grunted, letting out a warning hiss down to the struggling rogue beneath her, "then I wouldn't have to."
"Ah well," the Royal shrugged before crouching in front of the rogue, eye-level to her and green gaze twinkling. "It looks like you needed to let off some steam. Figured that a free little runt like this was a good enough start."
Flarepaw felt like laughing at that. Of course, Emberpaw had probably just been watching the fight instead of helping. If only for Flarepaw's sake.
"Now," the red and black tabby chuckled, "mind telling us what business you have on our territory little runt?"
The rogue had gone quiet beneath Flarepaw, no longer screaming but occasionally letting out grunts and whimpers of pain. Cheek pressed into the snow, the rogue kept her mouth firmly shut and teeth clenched. The Grand Royal apprentice sighed. Of course, she won't talk.
"Have you gone mute? You sure seemed like you enjoyed running your mouth a little while ago." Emberpaw pushed on, claws unsheathing as they scraped across the snow, leaving behind small paths of chaos. "Why were you watching us? Who sent you?"
Again, her questions were met with more silence, and no matter how far Flarepaw dug her claws into the rogue's back, she was quiet. "She's not going to talk."
"Fine," the red and black tabby suddenly stood up, bouncing in place as she lifted her gaze to Flarepaw. "Perhaps she'd like to talk to the Grand Royal instead."
"You can walk, can't you?" Flarepaw stepped away, not before leaving behind a wicked slash down the she-cat's back- reminiscent to that of Sootpaw's wounds and the wounds she had left behind on the Artisan's who did that to him. Sootpaw. How concerned was he right now? She had been gone a while, and this only further set her back.
The rouge obediently stood up, legs quivering and blood dripping from the wound on her belly, and Emberpaw and Flarepaw stationed themselves on either side of the she-cat as they began making their way in the direction of camp.
I can say goodbye to them later. Willowflame and Flamepaw and Darkpaw would have to wait for just a little longer (and Flarepaw was grateful for the extra time given).
"It's not possible…" The rogue suddenly murmured, almost as if she were talking to herself.
"What'd you say, runt?" Emberpaw scowled, fur bristling and playing the role of captor well. Flarepaw glanced to the side quietly, teeth clenched and adrenaline running through her veins, preparing her for anything that was to come.
Blue eyes pierced into her, and Flarepaw fought hard to keep the sudden shiver at bay. Disbelief and confusion, if a bit mystified, Flarepaw could see these and many more emotions filtering in an ocean of crystal blue. It made her uncomfortable, just how… revering it felt. Like she was someone the rogue looked up to.
"What are you talking about?" Flarepaw stopped walking, bringing the small trio to a halt as she turned to properly face the rogue who was now looking off in the distance. "What's not possible?"
But once again, the rogue went back to being mute. Her eyes closed as she lowered her chin to her chest, submissive and unwilling to try and fight to escape. No, the rogue had accepted her fate of being taken prisoner by the two.
"We better take her to the Grand Royal," Emberpaw spoke this time, serious once more as her eyes narrowed at the rogue suspiciously. She, too, must've noticed the way the stranger was looking at Flarepaw.
"...Yeah," Flarepaw murmured before nodding her head, Emberpaw taking charge and bumping the rogue to continue walking.
The way she had looked at her… It's almost as if… she recognized me.
Flarepaw would have to save her confusion for later, but through it all, she had a bad feeling that things were going to quickly go wrong.
A very, very bad feeling.
...
Forestclan
…
"You are the greatest warrior of this generation… No… Of this lifetime, Leafpaw."
"Do not disappoint me…"
"You will achieve greatness. Nothing will be able to stop you."
"Forestclan will rule over all, and you will lead the world to righteousness."
"Do not disappoint me…"
"Do not disappoint me…"
"Do not-"
"Grand Royal?" The voice of her lead Royal was quiet at her side, tone firm and professional as it always was and holding just the slightest bit of weariness. Darn, he must've noticed her tensed posture, her faraway look as she stared off in the direction of the oak forest just a lone path away. It wasn't often Leafstar slowed down enough for her personal demons to catch up to her, if only for a moment, but with everything going on- with no news of Whiteshadow's return- can anyone blame her for stopping?
Certainly not.
Light green eyes fluttered shut for a moment, collecting her thoughts just enough to garner coherency and allow herself to breathe in the crisp night air. It stung, the wind whirling inside her lungs, but the discomfort was a welcome reminder that she was in the here and now and not in the past.
"Yes, Addermask?" She had yet to turn to face him, eyes opening once more to view the looming oak trees across the way. Leafstar did not regret her decision of assisting Blazeclan by giving them the oak forest, though she did regret not mentioning that the reason she did so was completely selfish and personal.
The oak forest had been both her home and her prison, more so the latter than the former; and as a leader, she had no excuse to leave it until the opportunity presented itself with the burning of Blazeclan's home. Her choice had been a leap of faith, one that she still wasn't quite sure she had yet to stop falling from.
"The preparations for tomorrow's assessment are complete," Addermask's voice was closer now as he stood a tail-length off to the side, a step behind her so they weren't exactly side-by-side. If she turned her head just-so, she would be able to see the splash of black on his face, taking over his muzzle and surrounding his gleaming yellow eyes. If she turned to look at him, she would be able to see the knowing expression of rising sorrow in his aging gaze. "I've seen to it myself. Unfortunately, there have been no further sightings of those who ambushed our apprentices."
In hopes of finding the rogues on her territory before they could slip away, most likely to Blazeclan, Leafstar had assigned herself and her lead Royal to continue looking for them. The rest of her warriors wouldn't exactly be thrilled to go on a wild, empty chase for no particular reason. If the rogues were off their territory, then it was no longer Forestclan's problem.
The ignorant mindset that had long since been engraved into the souls of Forestclan warriors made her teeth grit in frustration.
How can they not see that one clan's problem was everyone's problem? That just because something happened in another's territory doesn't mean it won't spread to them? Out of sight, out of mind, until the problem was right in their faces and sinking their teeth into their throats.
Only when it was too late did they want to do something about it.
Forestclan, as well as Blazeclan and Stormclan, had been cursed with prideful, indolent souls. Spirits that only wanted to take action when the action was already happening around them.
It frustrated Leafstar to no end- that warriors who had so much room to grow and expand were content with just… wasting time. Doing nothing until it was absolutely necessary. Wasting away what little precious life they had lounging around and going about a senseless routine that gave them a false purpose.
"You will unite the clans one day, Leafpaw," the voice of her many mentors echoed, Leopardstar's burning ambition bright in Leafstar's memories. "You will succeed where I have failed. I have finished paving the path before you, and it is up to you now to lead Forestclan through it. Unite the clans, and become the supreme ruler of these lands."
"That has always been a Forestclan leader's destiny."
How thoughtless of her ancestors to think every leader would share the same mindset.
"You are troubled tonight, Grand Royal." Addermask pulled her from her thoughts once more, her light green gaze drifting from the snow-covered oak forest to glance at him out of the corner of her eye. His yellow eyes were gentle, kind, and glittering with slight amusement. "Will you share what plagues your mind with this old soul?"
Leafstar, despite her tired thoughts and oppressing demons, couldn't help but snort in laughter. Quite undignified for a Grand Royal, but then again, the grey and brown she-cat never quite liked the stuffy image that came with being the leader. Who says she couldn't be fun and lead a clan at the same time?
My ancestors. Well, she already disagreed with them plenty, so to each their own.
"You're not that old, Addermask." There was a smile in her voice that matched the one growing on her lips.
"Older than you, Grand Royal," the tom smiled purposefully, "I've seen the rise of two Grand Royal's and the fall of one in my time and assisted both. You certainly have an… interesting mindset, compared to the late Leopardstar."
Leafstar let out a huff, her smile taking on a bitter slant as she shook her head gently. "I'd rather have an interesting mindset as opposed to a tyrannical one."
"I didn't say interesting was bad," Addermask chuckled quietly, smile worn and comforting. "There's a reason I have not spoken out against you, Grand Royal. Not many dare to stand apart from what's expected of you."
"Forestclan was built to be a peaceful clan," Leafstar narrowed her eyes, "not one that secretly plots to overthrow the others. Compared to previous leaders, I'm the only Grand Royal taking our role to heart, aside from our fore founder."
It was the second Grand Royal of Forestclan, Barkstar, who had begun molding what was intended to be a peaceful clan into one that planned to destroy the others. Every generation after him followed in his pawsteps, some going about their plans quieter than most others (as opposed to those like Leopardstar, who didn't care to show the hidden violent side of the forest-dwellers).
And now, it was meant to be Leafstar's turn. She was meant to be the one to start the grand revolution: of the peacekeepers becoming the overlords. The culmination of generation upon generation of planning and strengthening themselves for war peaked with her. As a kit, she had been excited at the chance to become a leader, to dominate others in combat through mental strength alone. She had spent hours, days, moons practicing and meticulously training herself under the watchful eyes of her leader, her parents, her elders- outwitting even them with the skills of a tactician she was blessed with.
Some said she had been the "reincarnation of the first leader, Foreststar." The first Grand Royal had been the greatest strategist of her time.
But, just like Leafstar learned to become, the first Grand Royal had been a true peacemaker at heart. Using her skill and strength to end wars instead of starting them. Content with ruling only one clan instead of all.
"You are afraid," Addermask spoke up quietly after a moment of silent observation, and Leafstar was feeble to try and deny it. Instead of interrupting her aging second-in-command, she listened as he read her with a sharp eye; all of her secrets and thoughts and fears and hopes laid bare on her skin for him to look at. "You are afraid that you have failed what you've set out to do from the very beginning."
"...I knew from the beginning that my way of thinking was unorthodox," Leafstar blew out a sigh, "but I had hoped that at least someone from the new generation would adopt it before the time came for me to choose my successor."
Leafstar closed her eyes, slouching in defeat as she sighed. "And I have failed."
Berrypaw, Cherrypaw, and Bramblepaw… None of them were the right choice, but they were all she had left to choose from.
Berrypaw was the closest; a kind soul who didn't really seem to care about friendships between two clans. Before the incident with the fox that made her a cripple, she had been a valiant warrior too. Not the strongest nor the sharpest in the mind, but she more than made up for it in sheer determination and willpower. If she wanted to win, she would find a way to do it no matter who or what opposed her. But it took a lot of encouragement to get her to care about something, a great deal of prodding to make her move forward with her own ideals instead of bending to the will of others.
Quite frankly, Berrypaw had lost her pride and her self-worth the moment she lost to the fox. And the attack the rogues made on her only set her back even more. Leafstar knew it would take time, time that none of them had, for Berrypaw to regain her emotional strength back. (And by then, it would already be too late.)
Bramblepaw was the farthest to what Leafstar needed in a personal successor; a fighter instead of a peacekeeper. The leader wasn't blind to the glares nor deaf to the whispers spread behind her back. The light brown tom wasn't shy to express his distaste towards her for her gentle and "submissive" ways. Vicious and battle-hungry, Leafstar often wondered how long it would take for that tom alone to bring destruction to the lands she had carefully grown to love. Nothing short but a few days, she'd imagine. Prideful and powerful, he was everything Forestclan warriors adored and everything Leafstar didn't need.
It was too late to try and shift his vehement love for his clan into a more peaceful route. Trying to change his perspective on the world and the other clans would be like trying to uproot a tree with a single paw: impossible.
And Cherrypaw…
Leafstar's frown deepened.
There was a chance, however slight it may be, that the black and grey apprentice could be a candidate. The trickster of a she-cat wasn't too far gone into the realm of darkness that Leafstar had tried so hard to destroy. Bringing Cherrypaw under her wing would either be her best decision or her stupidest one yet. While Leafstar was a strategist, it was not impossible to outwit her, and Cherrypaw, too, had been known for her scheming.
But the window of opportunity to sway Cherrypaw down the right direction was closing faster and faster, and the Grand Royal didn't truly know if it was already closed or not.
After everything I've put her through… My own kin…
Another reason she was so hesitant was because of their blood relation. Would Cherrypaw think Leafstar only chose her because they were related? Would she think her leader was pitying her or show her favor?
"It's not usual for you to be so despondent, Grand Royal," Addermask pointed out with a sly glance. "You have faced worse odds before and survived. So, tell me. What has you in such despair?"
Everything. It was hard to be hopeful when there was nothing to hope for. And while Leafstar had been the epitome of optimism in the worst of times, single-handedly raising the spirits of others and being the lone beacon of hope for them to find their way through the darkness, every light could flicker.
And she was on the verge of extinguishing.
I should've gone with him. She had promised, hadn't she? That he would never have to face his past alone because she would be right by his side? And now, where was she?
Stuck in Forestclan- and suddenly, the aspen forest became the same prison for her as the oak forest.
"There are dangerous times upon us," Leafstar's voice quivered with foreboding, an ominous breeze chilling the night air and making the two warriors shiver where they stood. "Not just for the future of Forestclan… Something is coming, Addermask, and I'm afraid we're too busy fighting one another to focus on the real threat."
Because why worry about something that isn't even here? She wanted to smack those who said that because you were supposed to worry. If you knew danger was coming, maybe not soon but eventually, why not prepare for it?
Perhaps she really was just being paranoid.
Or maybe she was the only one being smart.
Only time will tell. And time didn't enjoy giving its secrets away freely. Everything came with a cost, and all Leafstar could hope for was limiting the number of casualties that was to come.
"You will get us through it," the lead Royal's voice never wavered, true to his word and acting as a pillar for her to rest on. As he stepped close enough to her side for her to lean on, she couldn't help but sigh in exhaustion. "If anyone can, it's you, Grand Royal."
A bitter smile pulled at her lips, eyes closed and resting. She was tired.
"I think you give me too much credit, Addermask."
A gentle hum sounded from the aging tom's chest, reverberating throughout his body and melting away the stiffness in her muscles as she leaned against him.
"On the contrary, I think you don't give yourself enough credit, Grand Royal."
"Please," a gentle laugh escaped her, "call me Leafstar. You know I don't order you to be professional."
"I'm afraid I must decline," Addermask shifted, sitting taller in his place as he raised his chin. Despite how old he was, some warriors claimed he was past the point of retirement, he was still a strong and honorable warrior. She wouldn't seek to replace him until he felt that it was his time to go. "I admire you too much to call you by your name. It is a reminder to others as well; you give too much free rein to the young ones despite how disrespectful they are. I seek to help them remember that you deserve respect above all others."
Leafstar's smile grew at that, though she remained quiet. Try as she might, Addermask never called her by her name (at least, not without her title in front of it). It was a reminder indeed- while everyone didn't seem to admire her, they certainly respected the aging tom enough not to go against him.
And it's a reminder to me. That she was the Grand Royal for a reason.
And while that reason may not be what her ancestors wanted it to be, Leafstar crafted her own reason.
I will maintain peace throughout our lands and protect all those who suffer from pain. If she was going to unite the clans, then she would do it through peace and not war.
"Should we head back to camp now?" Addermask spoke up after a moment of silence, standing up only after she leaned away from him. "It's crucial for you to get your rest during these trying times, Grand Royal."
"Head back before me," Leafstar said, "I'll be there momentarily." She glanced upwards, gaze rising from the oak trees to the starlit night sky. "I wish to look at the stars for a moment longer."
"As you wish, Grand Royal," Addermask turned without argument, pawsteps light as the snow shifted beneath him. "Have a nice night."
Leafstar hummed in acknowledgment, closing her eyes as the sound of his pawsteps receded into the distance. The night was silent around, only the occasional gentle breeze stirring at her ears and making her fur fluff out from time-to-time. Light green flickered open to view the backdrop of blue-black speckled with glints of white. Off on one corner of her eye, she could just barely make out the glimpse of an aurora coming to life- greens and blues and purples a stark contrast to the dim world around them.
Please, Whiteshadow… She released a slow breath, watching as it crystallized in the frosty air and whisked away. Please be okay. Please come back.
It was a mistake agreeing to his ridiculous plan. Sure, with the small attacks on the clans right now, time may have seen like it was of the essence. But they had panicked. They were too hasty with this idea, too quick in sending just two scarred souls into the hazardous unknown. If only she could've talked Whiteshadow and Redstar out of this, convinced them to give her just a little bit of time to come up with something.
Looking at it now, there were plenty of options. Wait for Blazeclan to be targeted and flush out their attackers, capture as many as they could. Sure, Redstar would have to work hard to convince his clan of this action, but Leafstar had faith in him (even if he didn't). If they could find were these rogues were hiding, perhaps she could've even negotiated with them; find out what they wanted and all the information Whiteshadow was tasked with retrieving through sneaky interrogation. She was always good at digging information out of others.
Convincing the clans that there was a threat would be difficult, but not impossible, and if Cloudstar and Redstar helped her, they could even launch a small skirmish. To test the waters, see what these rogues had to retaliate with.
Planning a full reconnaissance mission, instead of just two to scout, would've been the safest option.
But no. They had been scared into reckless action without thinking. And now Rainpaw and Whiteshadow could die out there, and those in the clans wouldn't know until it was too late.
"You are destined for greatness, Leafpaw," her father would smile at her, pride dripping from his voice and holding his shoulders uncomfortably squared. "You will become a Grand Royal that will revolutionize our world, for the sake of Forestclan."
"Do not disappoint me…"
"Some Grand Royal I am," she grumbled with a self-pitying chuckle. The only legacy I will leave behind will be that I destroyed what so many before me have built up to…
And I replaced it with nothing.
"G-Grand R-Royal?"
Leafstar's ears immediately perked as she stood up, going on the defensive and whirling to the right where the stuttering voice came from. Her claws begged to unsheathe, but the she-cat forced the feeling back with a lifetime of experience. Always scope out your opponents first.
But there was no need to because she was in no danger.
A lone tom stood before her, trembling from head to tail- whether it was from the cold or being in the presence of a leader, she couldn't quite tell. His black fur was speckled with white, some of it snow and some of it the color of cobwebs. Dark grey paws shuffled nervously, dark green eyes hidden as he bowed his head deeply. Yet still, a stranger.
No… Not quite. The scent of Blazeclan was strong on his pelt.
"Who are you?" Leafstar dropped her defensive posture, standing as unthreatening as possible to ease the tom's obvious nerves. Her light green eyes remained cautious, however, as she eyed him from a distance. "Are you alone?"
"Y-Yes I'm alone… I…" The tom cleared his throat, teeth chattering for a moment before he seemed to compose himself and raised his head. Still, his eyes didn't directly meet hers, and all the pieces came together in her mind. A Servant then… A frown pulled at her lips. But, whose Servant? "I don't want to burden you, b-but I… You see, I've been… Exiled? Not exactly, no, but… My master-"
Ah. There were only two ranks in the clans that could properly force someone into the life of an Outcast; the Grand Royal to all, and those who were Masters to Servants. Normally, permission would have to be granted from the leader, and the reasoning would have to be quite important.
"You are from Blazeclan, yes?" Leafstar glanced to the side, keeping the tom in her line of vision but still motioning to the oak forest just a small way's away.
"Y-Yes, Grand Royal. My… Umm. Yes." There was a twinge in her chest at the tom's meekness, a timorous character born from a life of absolute submission. Servants were only allowed to talk to Master's, and they were only allowed to speak when spoken to, to answer only the questions asked and nothing more.
"Please," Leafstar smiled gently at him, "do not be afraid of me. Though I may not be your Master, nor your Grand Royal, I am the one you are talking with, and therefore, I permit you to speak your mind as you wish it."
The tom released a heavy sigh, one that sounded vaguely like relief, before he bowed his head in gratitude.
"Thank you, Grand Royal," his dark green eyes finally met hers, a youthfulness to them that spoke volumes of his young age. "You see, my name is Darkpaw. I come from Blazeclan, but my Master has forced me into exile. I… can't return now."
Leafstar frowned, brows furrowing as she tilted her head gently. "It's hard to believe Redstar would allow this."
Darkpaw shuffled his weight nervously, glancing down at his paws with a shuddering sigh. "My Master didn't ask for permission, I don't think he truly needs it. The blizzard… Well, I kind of got lost, and the blizzard made it hard for anyone to find me and for me to find anything."
Leafstar stared at him for a few moments before her eyes narrowed. "Your Master wouldn't have to be Wildfire, right?"
"Yes, Grand Royal, it is." Darkpaw closed his eyes. "I cannot return to Blazeclan."
Damn. She knew, for the longest time she knew, that Redstar always had trouble keeping the troubling tom in line. And because the rest of Blazeclan admired him for his lineage, no one ever saw fault in aggressive Royal. Leafstar, too, had always wondered just how difficult it would be for her to keep him under control. Perhaps it was impossible.
Someone denied of their rights, their heritage as leader tended to be uncontrollable.
"I'll bring this matter up to Redstar in the next Gathering," Leafstar eventually said as she glanced towards the oak forest once more, shaking her head gently. "In the meantime, Forestclan will provide you shelter, Darkpaw."
"W-Won't your clan deny that?" The tom rushed after her as she suddenly began padding away from the border.
Leafstar's light green eyes gleamed mischievously.
"I am their leader," she smiled, sharp and threatening, "they can gossip and whine all they want, that won't change a thing. What I say is the law, and if anyone wishes to deny it, they can challenge me head-on."
Darkpaw let out a nervous squeak, perhaps not thrilled of the idea of someone fighting on his behalf, but Leafstar purred to ease his nerves.
"You've suffered enough, I imagine. No harm shall come to you as long as you are under my protection."
"T-Thank you, Grand Royal," the Servant bowed his head, "your kindness will not be taken for granted."
It already has before, she huffed to herself, but I'll take your word for it.
Leafstar already made decisions that her clan didn't want her to, despite them coming from the kindness of her heart.
What was one more?
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A/N: And scene. Whoo. That was kinda fun, actually. I don't think I've written in the perspective of Leafy before, and if I have, then welp. I forgot XD. Anyways, hooray for another chapter! I told you he's alive! Darkpaw lives, so you guys can't kill me anymore, okay? As for Flarekitty, the rogue that they took prisoner was indeed one of them from Ignis's group (it was Frost, she always scouts for the targets ahead of time). Hope you guys enjoyed, thanks again for reaching 800!
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Question of the Day
(Kinda random)
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? (I'd live anywhere near the ocean, probably stay in the US.)
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~Wolfcreations20