Hazelpaw is out of quarantine and Smokeblaze is in quarantine...
Hazelpaw sighed. The only thing that Smokeclan has brought to us is death. Why did I ever trust Smokepaw? Or Smokeblaze, whatever he is now.
She felt conflicted about the gray tom, but knew that it wasn't love that she felt for him, really just a strong friendship. We may have had our fair share of quarrels, but I can't just turn my back on him now, not after what we've done for each other.
She knew that something was wrong in Smokeclan. She narrowed her eyes, but suddenly blackness overcame her.
She found herself in the Mapleclan camp, with cats doing their normal duties and the whole camp being peaceful and normal. What in Starclan's name am I doing here?
Suddenly, a terrible cracking noise came from above her, Hazelpaw looked up to see the floor above cracking, on further examination, she could see that the wood was rotted, and that the cats below were completely oblivious.
"The floor is going to break!" She yelled. "Move!"
No cat moved, but one cat looked up just as the floor broke. Heavy planks of wood rained down, and Hazelpaw stood, frozen, as the camp was thrown into panic. She heard a shriek, and saw her brothers disappearing into the wreckage. Tinyfeather's call for help was abruptly cut off as she was hit and Hazelpaw tried to help her, but her paws were frozen. Once the dust had settled, Snakestar rushed into the fray, and let out a grief-stricken wail when he saw his mate and kits's bodies.
Hazelpaw felt like she might faint. What am I seeing?
Suddenly a voice echoed in her ears. If you do nothing, you are seeing the future.
Darkness swirled around her and she found herself back in the territory. "If you do nothing, you are seeing the future."
She understood what it meant now. She spun and raced towards camp, chest burning, she had to get home, she had to warn them.
The entrance of the camp rose up in front of her, she burst through, standing in the middle of the clearing. The camp was fine, and several cats shot her odd looks as she came through.
"The floor, is it broken?" She mewed breathlessly.
Berryheart looked up. "No, of course not!"
As if on cue, a dreadful cracking noise started up, and cats scattered immediately, leaving the area beneath the breaking floor barren.
Suddenly the floor broke, and planks rained down, and dust blew up, obscuring the camp. Hazelpaw coughed, and when the dust cleared, she found everyone around her shocked, but no one was harmed.
"Great Starclan." Snakestar breathed, coming out of his den, drawn to the commotion.
Berryheart leaped at her, hugging her tightly. "You saved my life. You saved all of those cats's lives."
"Hazelpaw?" Snakestar asked. "How?"
"I just… I don't know." Hazelpaw admitted. "It was like I saw it right before it almost happened."
She described her vision to the wide-eyed Clan, and Snakestar let out a relieved sigh when she was done.
"Well, I was actually talking to Lightningpelt just now. He reckons that it's past time that you become a warrior, and I agree, especially with quite recent events." What?
Hazelpaw gaped at him. "Really?"
Snakestar nodded, smiling. "Really."
He swept his tail in a wide arc, causing dust to rise up behind him. "Let all cats old enough to hunt in the night come to me for a Clan meeting!"
Berryheart nudged her excitedly. "Are you ready?"
"No." Hazelpaw responded before padding over to stand in front of Snakestar. When every cat had gathered, many quite hastily, Snakestar cleared his throat.
"I assume that everyone knows that not that long ago, part of the upper floor broke. Many would've died, but thanks to Hazelpaw's extremely well-timed warning, she was able to save the lives of many cats. Many cats that would now be dead if not for her."
An appreciative silence fell over the crowd, and Snakestar beckoned Hazelpaw forward.
"I, Snakestar, leader of Mapleclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn."
His golden gaze fixed upon her, and Hazelpaw met it, feeling more ready than ever. "Hazelpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
Hazelpaw's mew was steady as she replied. "I do."
Snakestar smiled. "Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Hazelpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Hazelfall. Starclan honors your perseverance and quick wit."
He rested his muzzle on her head, and she licked his shoulder gently in reply, feeling ready to burst with excitement.
Remember, you have to keep a silent vigil for the entire day." Snakestar reminded her before padding into his den.
Hazelfall nodded, and was abruptly bowled over by Berryheart. "Yay! You're a warrior!"
"I guess that I'm the only one who's not." Sandpaw commented from over by the medicine den.
"Did you forget about Perchpaw?" Berryheart asked, letting Hazelfall scramble to her paws.
She felt a pang of sadness when she thought about the sick apprentice, his health had taken a turn for the worse and Frogstep didn't expect him to live much longer. Sometimes these things happen, is what she had said.
These things don't just happen. Cats don't just get sick out of nowhere.
Hazelfall shook the thought off.
"Well, I have to sit vigil now. Go to bed, you earned it." Berryheart padded away, and soon the entire camp was sleeping peacefully, leaving Hazelfall sitting in the sunlight.
The camp stayed in a blissful silence, and Hazelfall was left to her thoughts, a relief.
She flashed back to the vision that she had earlier. Can I do it again?
A little voice in her head seemed to say yes, because she was plunged into darkness for a split second before she was in the Smokeclan camp, or at least she thought it was the Smokeclan camp.
Cats sat in small groups, laughing and chatting, and though Hazelfall searched for Smokeblaze or even Nightfrost, they were nowhere to be seen. Willowpaw, or Willowface, whatever her name was, was sitting next to Shadestar, their tails were intertwined. Hazelfall felt like she might hurl.
Those two are mates? How much older is he than her?
Suddenly a familiar ginger pelt caught her eye, Redscar was sitting by himself, immersed in his thoughts. Hazelfall padded over to him and sat by him.
"How are you?" She asked, knowing that he couldn't hear.
Redscar didn't respond, only staring at the ground, a deep feeling of loss in his eyes.
"Look who it is!" A black tom who Hazelfall quickly identified as Crowtalon strutted over to him.
Redscar didn't look up. "I thought you were guarding."
"Well, I was, but Blackdust and well, now Willowface, are there."
"Wow. I bet that they're quite a match for two starving cats with powers, aren't they?" Redscar replied evenly, glaring at him.
"Are you sympathizing with them?" Crowtalon's voice became dangerously low.
Redscar didn't blink. "Did I ever say I was?"
"Well, don't you want to visit your old friend?" Crowtalon continued. "After all, he probably has kits on the way soon, his time might be occupied soon."
Hazelfall was puzzled. Who are they talking about, and where is Smokeblaze?
Anger flashed in Redscar's eyes, uncontained anger. "Well, yeah, I wonder why, when our so-called leader is forcing them too."
There was a flash of claws, and Redscar hissed, blood dripping down his face.
"You want another scar to go with that one?" Crowtalon challenged. "You're coming with me. I think that you're overdue for a visit."
Redscar glared at him, and opened his mouth to say something in reply, but Hazelfall was yanked out of the vision, and she found herself in the Mapleclan camp again. I wonder what that was. I mean, it obviously won't happen for another day at least, it's past sunhigh by now and the sun hadn't reached sunhigh in the vision.
Hazelfall sighed, still puzzled. Whatever is going on in Smokeclan, I need to know.
Which means that if I can't talk to Smokeblaze, I'll have to talk to Redscar.
Make way for Detective Hazelfall everyone, place your bets now! Is she going to die? Anyways, stay safe, everyone!
Have a good day (or night), and keep writing!
-MintflightPhoenixEcho2007