School's died down enough for me to be able to write something this week. (Except I've got to pick classes for next semester next week and the thought of it already gives me anxiety.)
Not a very long chapter today. I'm still trying to think up of ways to wrap Ignite up, but even then I've got ideas for little snippets for AVOS and TBC. Heck, I'm still trying to come up with ideas for An Angel Lost in Time. I keep having to remind myself that I'm writing for me and my enjoyment, and if people don't like how any of my fics go, then that's their problem. But part of me still wants it to be really good at least, for all my readers out there! :)
Reviews are appreicated!
The clan had agreed to Firestar's request for him to step down as leader. He wasn't a cat anymore and he had no business trying to lead them when he couldn't even fit himself into camp with the rest of them. He felt strangely disconnected from the cats milling about within the hollow. They were so small, so weak compared to him. Perhaps his disconnection was due to the fact that he could crush them all easily while hardly batting an eye.
Yet it didn't stop him from loving his treasures all the same. Now that he lost one of his hatchlings, the instinct, the will, the desire to protect his treasures came even more fiercely than before. He loved them. They were his.
He would burn everything in his path if he lost another treasure again...
Firestar shook his head lightly. No. His treasures wouldn't like it if he did that. Their happiness was all that mattered.
It had been a strange day of him trying to overcome the newest instincts that flooded his head- the instincts that told him to take his treasures and keep them with him at all costs. The instincts that told him to take whatever territory he could get his claws on. Even stranger were the instincts that told him to take whatever he wanted, preferably something nice and shiny.
The last one confused him, but at the very least it was the weakest of his new instincts. Really, what need did he have for such things?
He watched from above as the most of the clan took the time to mourn for their fallen clanmates, the remaining cats having been sent to Shadowclan and Riverclan to ask for any herbs they could spare.
(They didn't bother with Windclan. None of them wanted to ask Windclan to help after what they had done to their previous leader. Firestar had silently agreed, all the while wondering where his friendship with Onestar had gone.)
Mousefur. Ferncloud. Bumblestripe. His hatchling, all killed during battle. Sorreltail had died not too long after the battle had ended, with no one looking at the wounds she had hid for the sake of her kits. Foxleap had been sent to the medicine den with a badly infected wound after attempting to shield his sister from a fatal blow. He felt especially bad for Foxleap- he had trekked all the way to find him only to come back to die.
At least, he hoped the tom didn't die. He wasn't in the mood for more guilt to weigh down on his mind.
He forced himself to stay still atop the hollow all day long. He scared them all enough already, just overlooking the clan with a watchful eye. They had enough on their minds, and he didn't want to add any unnecessary fear.
After a stressful day of rising tensions, exhaustion, and uncertainty, with most of the clan turning in for the night, he finally allowed himself to shift and silently curled up, making sure not to disturb his sleeping mate and hatchling. Sandstorm too had been busy throughout the day, and finally allowed herself some time to spend with her mate, taking solace in each other after the loss of their daughter. Squirrelflight had joined them later, preferring his warmth to the partly destroyed and drafty warriors' den.
He kept an eye out for his hatchling, who needed to trek up to the Moonpool with Jayfeather to receive his nine lives.
He drifted on and off, trying his best to ignore the instinct that was telling him to get up and make sure he was safe.
As the first light of dawn broke through the horizon, a very tired Jayfeather and Brambleclaw stepped into the camp. Jayfeather dipped his head to Brambleclaw and padded off towards the medicine den, glancing back at where he knew Firestar was situated, a thoughtful glimmer in his clouded eyes. Brambleclaw himself turned to climb up to the top of the hollow. Neither one of them said anything as Brambleclaw tiredly kneaded at his scales, and Firestar shifted to allow him to settle inbetween his forelegs.
"Did you receive your nine lives?" he rumbled, trying to keep quiet as to not wake his sleeping treasures. He feared that maybe Starclan would have withheld a life from Brambleclaw, as Firestar never gave up the remaining life he held. Or maybe Starclan still recognized himself as leader. If it was the latter, he would march up to the Moonpool and speak with Starclan himself.
The tired tabby gave a tired nod. "Yeah, they did. They said something about not being about to feel your last life, so they didn't have a problem giving me all nine," he yawned.
"Oh? When was this?"
"When you transformed, I think. Into a dragon."
Firestar briefly wondered what would happen to all his lost lives currently aimlessly wandering Starclan.
"Was she there? Did you see her?" His tone took on some desperation; but he just wanted to know if his hatchling had made it safely to Starclan.
"She was there. And before you ask, she looked as happy as any other Starclan cat. She told me to tell you not to be upset about her," Bramblestar meowed. Firestar sighed, a puff of smoke leaving his maw. That was a request that he wouldn't be able to uphold. His heart stung at the thought of Leafpool, his sweet daughter, and her face of resolution as Tigerstar slit her throat. He missed his gentle hatchling with all his heart. Of course he was going to continue to be upset over her death.
"I could use your help... you know, with trying to be a good leader," Bramblestar asked tentatively, wanting to steer the conversation away from Leafpool.
Firestar twitched his tail, knowing why Bramblestar was changing the subject. If he thought about Leafpool too much, he might as well have sunk into a hole of depression.
What he needed to do here and now was to protect his remaining treasures with all that he had.
"Of course I'll try to help you and give advice, but you're going to need to stand up on your own paws eventually," Firestar rumbled.
"So you can help me pick out a deputy before moonhigh?" Bramblestar joked.
"Very funny. If Starclan said that picking a deputy was my decision alone to make, then it applies to you as well."
Bramblestar sighed, his head racking through his options for who would become deputy. He stretched his head over Firestar's forelegs to gaze at Squirrelflight's sleeping form curled up against the curve of Firestar's side. Maybe...?
"I will say this though: Choosing a deputy means having faith in their abilities, and not because you chose them as some form of apology," Firestar said, having seen Bramblestar's inquiring gaze upon Squirrelflight. He would be proud of his hatchling for becoming deputy, but because she earned it, not because Bramblestar gave it to her as some weird form of apology.
"I guess you're right," Brambestar said tiredly. "I have to pick a deputy, address the clan about rebuilding and the Dark Forest trainees-," he rambled, before a yawn cut him off.
Firestar looked up at the sky to see the sun rising, the sun's rays hitting his scales to allow some of his previous ginger to peak out from behind the black. "No one judged me when I first returned from the Moonstone and got some sleep. You've had a long day already," he reasoned, tightening his forelegs gently around Bramblestar to trap him in.
"Suppose no one will mind," Bramblestar mumbled. He laid his head down on Firestar's scales. "You're so warm..."
Another yawn, one from beside him captured his attention away from his hatchling. His mate was getting up, stretching out her body.
"You make a nice heater," she purred. He lowered his head and gently touched noses with her, almost knocking Sandstorm onto the ground.
"You're going to have to tell the rest of the clan that Bramblestar will be resting for a bit," he murmured to her.
"I'm sure we'll survive without him for a little," Sandstorm meowed. "I'll round up any able-bodied cats for some patrols, and then I've got to see Jayfeather about redressing my wounds," she said, already bounding down into camp.
He watched her with a critical eye, and then turned his attention to the medicine den. Brightheart was helping Jayfeather, even though she had her kits to worry about. Asking for help from the other clans hadn't resulted in very much, but any herb the other clans could spare, even one leaf could mean the difference between life and death.
Fluff starring Firedad and Brambleson for the soul.
Soon I'll need to write the obligatory Starclan chapter, for why they suddenly left right after the battle. That's a plot hole that I refuse to leave uncovered.
Squirrelflight is NOT BECOMING DEPUTY- I can't stress how much I hated that particular decision because Bramblestar literally only gave it to her to apologize and then they went right back to being awkward around each other in Bramblestar's Storm. No offense, but I absolutely hate the idea of Squirrelstar.
Tell me how I did.