A/N: I completely forgot to set this part up yesterday, so now I'm gonna be behind. Ah well, I was feeling very lazy on Sunday- I blame the weather cause all of a sudden, it was cold and rainy and I was very drowsy. Not much really going on in my life, other than I got my first dose of the vaccine recently so that was cool I guess. Anywho, this is the catalyst chapter of the next great disaster, so let's see what shenanigans we can get into, yeah?
Thanks to ItsMeAlbeet for following this story!
Reviews
Hissing Mist- Sagepaw is trying his best XD. To each their own, I suppose. I didn't expect someone to dislike Sagebro. We'll just have to wait and see what happens. Ah yes, hello Rainkit. It's been a while, hasn't it? ;) I didn't say that she was back forever, but she has made an appearance so that's something in the right direction for our raindrop. So many questions and not enough time for her to truly answer them lol. She's got a struggle ahead of her, as always. Gracias!
Songmistle (Guest)- Honestly, same. Yeah, I am a fraud who doesn't have everything XD. Those are good names, but I'll have to think more about what kind of name would encapsulate her the best. Since I don't plan to write for the Warriors fandom after this story is over, I haven't really been thinking of new ideas in a while, but I'll let you know if I can scrounge up old notes about it. Something is indeed wrong with Sagepaw, better keep an eye out on him. I won't say she's coming back completely, but she is pushing through again. That's a long list lol, okay, here goes; Twist, raindrop broke her jaw completely (and there's a nerve in your jaw that can pretty much cut off your breathing, so yeah), Amber, tore open her throat and belly, Oak, split open his belly, Marsh, broken spine, Venom, went to town with her claws and he bled to death, Dapple, choked her with her claws, Quill, head bashed open by slamming it into the ground repeatedly, Sky, thrown off a cliff, Smoke, bite to the spine, Bristle, clean cut to the throat, Flint, her first kill with the others as they all ganged up on him, Blink, drowned him in a river, Leo, cut to the throat, Sun, drowned and also had his stomach torn open, Sora, drowned in the fountain, Umbra, head bashed into the boulders. Quite gruesome. I didn't know they were allowing people back on-campus. Make sure to keep being safe! Yeah, Swiftpaw died. Whiteshadow's doing his best, lol. Forestclan pals are also doing their best, hopefully we'll get to check in with them soon after this particular arc. You are totally allowed to call them by their nicknames in reviews. We got raindrop, Brother Blue, Flarekitty, Sootboi, Sagebro, Blue Berry, Windy, and anything else you guys can come up with haha. Second review: Huh, that's an interesting backstory lol. Only one problem, there is no way possible for a kittypet to find a way to the clans. One because a twoleg-place isn't entirely close by (not counting the City that's abandoned), and two because even if there were and kittypets were around, they would not be allowed into the clan under any circumstance. If a warrior- especially a High Rank- were to fall in love with them or befriend them or whatever and vouch for them, then the warrior would either be imprisoned or kicked out with the kittypet. Third Review: Imma let you in on a little secret; even though I've been on this website for… a while? (I was 13 when I joined, I'm 21 now. I can't do math XD.) That is… certainly frustrating though. I know you can report reviews, but I don't know if you can report entire stories and/or users. It would drive me crazy too. I guess having a lack of creativity breeds laziness and unoriginality in a lot of people :). (Don't mind me, I'm very passive-aggressive if you let me.) Team Flarepaw is coming together everybody. Cheer-Up-Flarepaw-ers XD That's the best title ever. CEO is a chief executive officer, which is the highest-ranking person in a company. Do with that information what you will lol. Can confirm Mr. Redstar is a (secret) member of Team Flarepaw.
Rainbow Badge (Guest)- Yup, new Flamepaw lore dropped indeed. I find your ability to make an emotional chapter hilarious rather charming XD It's your superpower. It was not my intention to remind you of Frozen (now I can just imagine Flarepaw singing Let It Go. What a queen). If anything is my main priority when making and fleshing out characters, it's to try and make them as realistic as possible. My parents, thankfully, are not abusive to me (physically, I do think they're emotionally/mentally abusive- mostly my mom), so I do try to tread carefully when it comes to this because I just don't have the personal experience of it. If I've learned anything myself, is that there will always, always be a part of me- despite it all and despite my frustrations- that will always want approval from my mother. It's infuriating, but it's always going to be there. Standing up to parents, or abusers in general, is probably the most terrifying thing in the world (but also the most liberating, in a lot of cases). Yeah, always writing the scenes with Flarekitty arguing or physically standing up to herself against Wildfire makes me equal parts uncomfortable but proud for her. Run away random fictional kid XD. I saw the opportunity for a pun, and though I don't usually take it, I just had to. It was Flarekitty who made the pun btw. Don't mind me, just driving the fear train right now. Next destination: Paintropolis. He should totally do that. All of life's problems would be solved. Alright Sagepaw, time for you to get buff. Great resume, it's perfect. Whiteshadow is impressed, especially with your amount of suits. Sadly, I must confirm your fears: math is mandatory in college. BUT, the good news is, if you're like me and major in something that doesn't use a lot of math, you really only need to take like… one math class. I think I only took one my entire college life, so that was one. You take classes and try not to die, that's what you do in college XD. Funky fresh dude is back. Oh no. You've figured out Bluepaw's secrets. He's been exposed, now he's coming for you XD. I got chills writing that part. I saw the opportunity to do it and I'm like yes, I'm doing this and I did it. I won't say raindrop's murder times are done entirely (especially not with what's coming for them) but she is not lost completely, so there's hope for her, I suppose. (Rainkit says a shy hello in return.) NOT mountain dew XD Morning, MORNING, I said MORNING dew XD. I feared that I made that typo, but nope, you're seeing things lol. (That would have been hilarious though and you completely caught me off guard there. Congrats.) I… That's the best story I've ever heard. Little kid logic always prevails. You never question it.
FrostedShadowx- It's all good, review when you can :). Wildfire is great at stirring up drama. Come now, I'm not about to make my story that predictable, am I? No offense taken, I accept all constructive criticism (as long as you're not a jerk about it). Technically, the mini-arc is only now officially starting, everything before this was led up and bridging the gap between the two. Action is coming, never fear, and as for The City and Forestclan… I really do wish that I can include them more somehow. I have played with the idea of having four perspectives per chapter just so we can touch in with everybody each time, but be that as it may- I don't have enough time (nor ideas) to constantly be having everybody included. And also, it can get pretty jumbled if there are too many perspective changes, I'm already pushing it with two. (You want action? You'll get it.) I get it, compared to the last few things with the final rogue attack and the deaths and whatnot, these last few chapters have been rather slow. But I hope you can find importance in them. Things are going to be picking up again. Hopefully, these next few chapters can satisfy you :), I am rather excited for them personally. If all goes according to plan, I'm predicting the next backstory to actually be Sagepaw, but we'll have to wait and see.
Someone (Guest)- Don't worry about it XD Only review when you can, no biggie. Yep, Flamepaw was the more dominant (and "important") of the two, and Flarepaw was only supposed to be there to make him look better, essentially. I'm glad you guys are having your own opinions of certain characters compared to those presented by other characters. I suppose it wouldn't be too far off to say that Flarekitty viewed her brother through rose-tinted glasses and only ever hyper-focused on the good things he did for her. And when surrounded by so much bad, she was going to take what she could get out of him and not complain. (She just wanted her brother's love.) They are two sides of the same coin. Nature versus nurture. I'll throw my two cents into that argument and say that I completely agree with you. A person's character is shaped by their surroundings and everything they go through (I won't say genetics has nothing to do with it, but it plays very little importance in most matters). Rainkit's not 100% back completely, but she has made an appearance so that's a step in the right direction, I suppose. I would say that it had to do with trauma. Remembering anything of before she was taken opened up a can of worms she didn't want to open (and it made her terribly miss everything she didn't even know she was missing and she didn't like that confusion). Yes, we are officially in the Stormclan arc now. Let the madness begin. Those are some pretty great labels XD. Whiteshadow would gladly punt Wildfire off a cliff if he was allowed. Your younger self definitely knows their priorities haha. Ooh, that's an interesting question you brought up. Of the entire cast… if any of them were to wake up in a brand new random world, I would say that Sootblaze, Flarekitty, Wildfire, Emberpaw, Hollypaw, and a few others would do everything to try and get back to his/her old life; Whiteshadow, Leafstar, Gingerpaw, Rowanpaw, Willowflame, Redstar, and others would accept their new life. I wouldn't say it's a good or a bad quality, so long as it makes them happy I guess. Thanks for the possible questions, it definitely helps haha.
Snailpaw (Guest)- Hallo! Happy to see you again :). There are definitely supposed to be huge parallels between those two relationships, and I will say that if Redstar knew about it, he would see similarities. Glad you've been enjoying all the conversations! I know it can tend to drag on a little, but I do think it's important to slow down every once in a while, catch your breath, before our next sprint. Strange memory, but it is rather nice haha.
reading at 3am is normal- I'm on the quarter system and I've found out that I don't have a midterm for one of my classes, so I'm having a great time with that XD. Gotta love having so much work, huh? (Time to cry.) Yeah, headaches suck, but whatever. Gotta deal with them. I'll definitely say that the characters go through growth, each in their own way, but as to how much they do, I honestly can't say. To some, it might seem drastic, but to others, it might seem small so I guess it's just a matter of personal interpretation. (Personally, there are a lot of characters that go through a drastic change or have already gone through a drastic change, and then there are others who don't change.) English is stupid, that's confirmed XD. I hate English so much, why does it exist? I'm glad you enjoyed their interactions, and especially Sagepaw's characterizations. I was hoping it made sense to people. We are seeing them falling out for the first time, the 'argument' that they had that was mentioned every now and then but never went into full explicit detail before. I could totally see Wildfire as the kind to just sit in the bushes for hours until the right moment, he's a bit of a creep. Healthy sibling relationships! We got the effed up ones and the healthy ones and the ones somewhere in between effed up and healthy. That… sounds like a scary nightmare.
Thanks to everybody who reviewed and followed!
Let's get started!
…
Blazeclan
…
Solo border patrols were the most boring thing in all of existence.
Sootblaze huffed as he did his best not to slip and slide along the ever-melting snow, cursing it every time he stumbled and nearly fell into a snowbank three times already. Border patrols weren't bad on their own, sure, but when he was alone?
He hated them.
He didn't like being alone. Especially in the cold.
(Leaf-bare was another thing he didn't like in all of existence.)
Alas, duties as a warrior now involved them, and despite how much he begged Ravenflight to take his patrol for him- with the promise of not bugging her about Swiftleaf for at least half a moon- she would not take the bait and thus, here he was. Walking the Forestclan border. All alone. In the cold.
I wish Flarepaw was here.
After he visited the graves, he went back two more times. Once to see if he can handle being there alone- he couldn't- and another with the other Commoners to dig makeshift, official graves for Bluepaw and Shrewpaw beside them. He had cried then too, but it wasn't… entirely painful. It hurt, it hurt so much he couldn't breathe which probably wasn't a good thing, but it didn't feel like he was dying so he supposed that was progress of some sort.
And ever since then, he had been steadily- with a great deal of both caution and enthusiasm- trying to make things right with her. It was made significantly easier now that she often spent as much time with the Commoners as she did with the other ranks; so now, he could push the boundaries just a little and actually be with her while in camp and not just have to sneak around after it. Flarepaw kept a strange in-between state when with them, in the middle of pure relaxation and unguardedness and ever-present professionalism.
(Part of the reason he didn't like solo border patrols was because they often occurred right when he was in the middle of a conversation with her.)
Being with Feathersong and the kits, while he hated to see it as such and it mildly felt like he was using them, gave the perfect excuse for him to unabashedly show his obvious affection away from the prying eyes of the clan and for her to let down all of her walls and civility. They teased and bantered and he was convinced they were starting to annoy the Queen with their presence (but if she really was, she said nothing to get them to leave and always invited them back).
But between all that, they hadn't talked talked. She never explicitly invited him back into her den and he was never brave enough to ask if he was allowed to sleep by her side again.
He felt a bit like a coward.
But they weren't quite there yet, so he would take whatever progress they did have.
(She waited for him and now he would wait for her.)
His paw slipped in the frost and he squeaked, somehow managing to catch himself before he collapsed onto his side and stopped from his idle wandering that was supposed to be a focused patrol. Golden-yellow honed in on the snow around him and he scowled.
"Stupid snow," Sootblaze grumbled, turning his gaze up toward the cloudless sky. The sun was out today and he took that as a good sign that it would be any day for Leaf-bare to vanish away. He was really tired of it. "Stupid weather, stupid-"
"That would have been a spectacular fall."
"Gah!" The Commoner yowled, jumping at the sudden voice and nearly slipping again, but a last-minute hop in the opposite direction saved him and he really wanted to thank Flarepaw for helping him train his reflexes. His heart raced in his chest at the surprise of it all, eyes lifting this way and that and quickly catching sight of someone sitting across the way, on the other side of the Forestclan border.
Light amber eyes against a backdrop of black fur gleamed with amusement, "Nice save, Sootpaw."
"It's Sootblaze now," he corrected instinctually and wondered when it had become so easy to admit that. To accept his name. He shook his head, "Uhh, hey, Nightpaw."
"Nightstone," the Forestclan tom remarked with an aloof shrug. "Seems we've both become warriors. What a surprise."
"Yeah…" his ears flattened uncomfortably and he had the strange desire to run the other direction, but he held his ground and swallowed thickly, shuffling the weight on his paws nervously and keeping his mouth shut.
"Make no mistake, this is not an act of goodwill. This is just to make them feel better about themselves."
Sootblaze felt sick to his stomach. In his recent throes of grief and agony and fury, he had recalled Nightstone's words to him at the last Gathering over and over and over again. They made sense to him then; and when he had been allowed out of the Prisoner's Den, while half of him had wanted nothing more than to hunt down Ignis for everything he had done, the other had the strange desire to seek out the Forestclan Commoner and assist him in his twisted idea of a rebellion.
He had been angry. It was strange and terrifying, just what could seem right to you when you're angry. How horrible things could be justified with a hint of hunger for vengeance.
All Sootblaze had wanted was to fight. To fight and win and do something to release that fury and the violence had scared him sometimes.
(He felt like asking Nightstone if he was angry all the time, because surely that was the only explanation for his urgency toward a rebellion, but he was kind of afraid to hear the answer.)
"How're things going on your end?" Nightstone asked and Sootblaze didn't know why his words, his voice, his tone made him so tense. With a tilt of his head and a darkening of amber, his next question came out a bit more bitterly, "Is your effort for peace going the way you want it to?"
Most definitely not. All peace had gotten him was more pain, the wounds left behind by the death of his mentor and friend perpetually festering. Not as fresh as before, but still there. Always there.
Part of him felt like lying, pretending. That's what he was good at, wasn't it?
"No," he found himself admitting instead, his shoulders drooping and an ache blossoming in his chest like the sharp-thorned roses Flarepaw carried in her scent. "Things have been… really bad."
"Oh? Do tell." Sootblaze couldn't quite place that tone anymore. It wasn't entirely gloating or taunting or antagonizing, but it wasn't pitying or apologetic either. Mostly curious, if anything.
"My friends are gone. The ones you met at the Gathering," he let out a sharp breath, shaking his head. "My mentor too. Rogue attack."
"Hmm," Nightstone hummed, "I take it that's not the full story."
He didn't want to divulge all of what had happened with Wildfire. With Redstar choosing the High Ranks over the two Commoners, of choosing to let them die instead of making the attempt to save them.
That would only prove Nightstone right.
"Nope," Sootblaze shrugged, "but that's all you're gonna get."
"I know we got off on the wrong foot," the Forestclan tom sighed, his tail flicking behind him in agitation, "And while I don't agree with your ideas of peace, I will say that I'm sorry for you losing your companions."
"Thanks…" He eyed the opposing tom warily, "So, is that the only reason you're here?"
"Is that so hard to believe?"
"Absolutely."
"Well, you're not wrong," Nightstone huffed before suddenly standing up, and Sootblaze tensed up even more. His nerves prickled and he wanted nothing more than to bid farewell and leave, but something kept him there. Maybe it was the intensity of light amber eyes as they bore down on him. "I wanted to give you another chance to join me. You can't have a rebellion without numbers, and Foxtail and Rowanstripe told me to extend an olive branch in your direction."
Foxpaw and Rowanpaw. Well, it looked like everybody was growing up now, didn't it?
But still…
"An olive branch with a parasite on it?" Sootblaze countered, raising a brow, and part of it was in jest and part of it was in challenge.
Nightstone blinked at him, a curl appearing at his lips that made Sootblaze even more nervous.
"So you did listen to me. I'm surprised, you seemed so adamant that you wouldn't-"
"I'm not going to help you."
And just like that, whatever glimmer of joy or relief that had been sparking in Nightstone's eyes withered away like smoke on the breeze. His face went blank, registering Sootblaze's words, before a brand new fire began to appear in light amber. Anger. (Maybe Nightstone really was angry all the time. He wondered who at.)
"What?" the black-furred tom breathed out in disbelief, and Sootblaze tried to not let it deter him as he took in a steadying breath, steeling himself for whatever outburst was building behind that calm persona.
"I already said I don't agree with your idea. It's never going to work and you'll get a lot of us killed in the process," his ears flattened, his gaze hardening. "I tried fighting and they still died."
His claws remembered the instant he had sliced at Redstar's muzzle- and his body remembered the pain of being tackled aside and dragged away and tossed into the Prisoner's Den. Because of his anger, no matter how justified it might have been, he had missed out on his opportunity to say goodbye, to bury them, to mourn with the others.
He had to do it all alone.
He was tired of being alone.
"It can work," Nightstone snapped back immediately, insistent, taking half a step forward and forgetting that they were right at the edge of the border. Golden-yellow drifted down to the space of land between the two, wondering when it was considered Blazeclan territory and when it was still neutral ground. "They just need to be weakened, and when that happens, we can-"
"We can what, Nightstone?" Sootblaze scoffed, "Be just like them? How is that winning?"
"I would call it a victory," the tom quivered with suppressed rage, his teeth gritting together. "To make them feel what they put us through every single day of our lives. Don't tell me you've never wanted to."
"I have. I won't lie," he admitted, his claws sheathing and unsheathing in the snow below his paws, hidden by the white frost. "But I'm not going to contribute to that cycle of hurt."
"So, given the opportunity, given the chance," Nightstone took another step and Sootblaze subconsciously felt himself slowly going into a fighting stance. "You're telling me you wouldn't hurt the High Ranks who hurt you and your friends."
His instincts screamed yes. That's all he wanted from the very beginning. To make Ignis and Redstar and Wildfire feel the pain they had inflicted upon him. But…
But the others?
The rest of the High Ranks who weren't like them? (The rogues he cared less about. Flame was nice, he supposed, but he was still untrusting of him.) Not all of them were the same, just like not all Low Ranks were the same.
There were good ones in the mix of all the bad. They just needed a chance to shine through- just like Flarepaw, just like Whiteshadow, just like Sagepaw. And others too. Shadepaw wasn't terrible, Emberpaw was okay, Hollypaw and Roseberry were friends. Maybe they could convince the others too. (Stars, even Rowanpaw was slowly starting to come around.)
If he treated High Ranks the way they treated the Low Ranks now, clumping them all together- a Low Rank is a Low Rank- then by that logic, what if he put someone he actually liked as the hypothetical cat he would have to hurt?
Flarepaw, Sagepaw, Hollypaw, Whiteshadow…
Would you want to hurt them the way their rank hurt you?
"No." Anger had nearly driven him to do just that, pushing Flarepaw and everyone else away when they just wanted to help, and the guilt he felt now was insurmountable. And to put them through what he went through? "Because I know how much this hurts, and I wouldn't wish it on anybody."
"You're just a saint, aren't you?" Nightstone scowled at him, "More like a lost cause."
"I'll admit…" Sootblaze smiled sadly, "I'm tired of running headfirst into battle. So now…"
His thoughts drifted to Lilykit and Thistlekit. To Feathersong. Thornblaze's family that he would never get a chance to defend and protect and grow old with.
But Sootblaze was here.
He would do it for him.
"So now, I'm going to defend," he finished resolutely, meeting furious light amber as calmly as he could despite his nerves. "Don't be trying to drag me into your mess. You can do whatever you want… but I should warn you, you're only going to make things worse for you and the others. Take my advice and don't do anything rash, it's never worked before."
He should know. Sootblaze was an expert on rash decisions that left him hurt by the end of it.
"I've already started," Nightstone said in a chilling tone, a semblance of a smirk pulling at his lips. "I've spread my message to the others, and what do you know? The Artisans in my clan are quite… hurt. Just like me."
Ah. So, he's starting to gather the troops. Sootblazed thinned his lips and swallowed down the bile. Darkpaw was in Forestclan, as was Flarepaw's Crippled friend, Berrypaw, and they were going to get caught in the middle of this.
And Sootblaze couldn't do anything about it.
"What have you done, Nightstone?" He had to know, even though a part of him truly didn't. The truth scared him.
"The High Ranks are so willing to jump at the chance of making us hunt for them," the black-furred tom sighed, in parts for dramatics and obvious fatigue. Regardless, his smile was wicked. "And the Medicine Cat is very pleased with the help."
"What have you done, Nightstone?" Sootblaze repeated in a sharper tone, anxiety sitting nicely in his throat like it was its home.
"It's fascinating to me how many different herbs there are that can make one ill- or, dare I say, crippled," the Forestclan Commoner mused ominously, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. "Perhaps in a different life, I could have been good enough to be a Medicine Cat."
He's making the High Ranks sick…
He's… poisoning them.
Slowly but surely.
"...they are fallible. They can be hurt, broken…"
"One mistake is all it takes for them to fall. We don't have to kill them. Not immediately, because yes; they are stronger than us. But they can be weakened… Weakened enough for us to conquer."
"You're sick," Sootblaze's lips curled into a distasteful scowl, "You're sick, Nightstone, and I really hope someone helps you realize that."
"I will have my triumph," the tom took another step forward, "I will have my victory. One way or another."
Another, and it's then that Sootblaze had enough.
"Careful now," he warned, his head jerking to motion to the ground that was growing smaller between the two. Nightstone was getting too close to crossing it. "You don't want to start a fight between our clans. Wouldn't that ruin your perfect plans?"
It was an obvious taunt and a part of him almost wanted Nightstone to indeed pull the trigger and attack him. If there was conflict between the two clans, would that give him enough time to tell someone of this? To warn Forestclan? To stop Nightstone?
Alas, the black-furred tom would not take the bait.
Instead, his eyes fell to the ground between them before he grunted, backing up a few steps, back to his side of the border.
"No, I wouldn't want that," he murmured, scoffing. "That's more Stormclan's way of operating. I can't be taking their fun now, can I?"
This is bad. But what could he do?
It was clear Nightstone was not going to listen to reason. He had stopped listening long before they even met.
Who in Forestclan would believe him? Would they even trust the word of an outsider over their own clanmate?
And telling someone from Blazeclan was just as useless. Flarepaw would only worry because, for all her strength and standing, it was doubtful the Forestclan High Ranks would listen to her. This was a wild and baseless accusation that he had no definitive proof on, and even if he could bring himself to tell Redstar… Well, the mention of a Low Rank rebellion, even in another clan, would be a spark of concern that he didn't think anyone could deal with at the moment.
Once again, he was backed into a corner and Nightstone had all the advantage.
"I'll be on my way now. Foxtail and Rowanstripe will be disappointed to hear you still haven't changed your mind."
"Do they know what you're doing?"
Nightstone chuckled, "Who do you think is helping me hunt for our dear High Ranks?"
Great. And if what Nightstone said was true, then he also had the Artisans to back him up.
"You're making a mistake," Sootblaze called after him, wanting to chase him and beat the sense into him, but the border prevented him from doing so. He would not be the reason for a battle between their clans.
Sootblaze was done being the first to charge into battle. He'll let others do that first, and now…
Now, he was going to stay back and defend those who needed to be protected.
Come what may, Sootblaze would be their shield.
He just hoped he would be able to last long enough to win...
…
Stormclan
…
Something was different.
Windpaw could sense it hovering over every interaction she had with Rainpaw now, and initially, it had worried her. Confused her. Three days after whatever conversation she had with her brother, there were instances where the blue-furred Royal was… different.
Different, different. That seemed to be the theme recently.
And she tried to be okay with it. Because different was good, wasn't it?
(She ignored the fact that anything different recently had been nothing but bad.)
But be that as it may, there was always a layer of something she couldn't quite place. Couldn't quite describe. She had seen that shining gaze before, that honest smile, she's heard that tinkling laugh many many many times before. In her dreams, in her nightmares; in the past, in the future.
Hoping, hoping, hoping.
She never knew how to make sense of it all. Windpaw was scared to jump to conclusions with the truth because the truth hurt even if it was real or not.
Because Rainpaw looked at her- at times, not all the time, but sometimes… Sometimes, Rainpaw would look at her and everything was infinitely brighter and all of the world's problems were gone and each and every time she wanted nothing more than to ask what do you see when you look at me?
But she's scared of the answer too, so Windpaw must be a coward.
A coward with a lot of hope.
What a strange paradox.
So, despite her countless questions and rising wishes and dreams just within reach, Windpaw accepted it all and left herself open for more. Whatever conversation the siblings had together, it helped and Rainpaw was healing and that was all Windpaw ever wanted. (It hurt a little, that Rainpaw could not find that healing in her, but as long as she found it in someone, Windpaw was more than happy.) Three days and it was almost as though Rainpaw didn't just experience countless horrors far away from home.
If it wasn't for the thin layer of cobwebs still covering her wounded eye- Rainpaw had requested to keep it there- nor the rest of her scars, they could convince herself she never went in the first place.
She wanted to ask if it was true. If what she saw… if… if…
She didn't even want to think about the possibility. (The one she thought was lost forever, here she was. And the first time Windpaw saw her, truly saw her, she had the strange desire to say Hello again, I've missed you. She bit her tongue to keep it in, but with the way Rainpaw smiled at her- familiar, familiar, familiar; she knew that smile and she knew it well- something told her Rainpaw heard the words anyway.) It scared her to want to ask… because what if it went away? What if it stopped altogether? What if Rainpaw wasn't aware of what was happening, and as soon as Windpaw pointed it out, her love would do everything to stop the past from returning?
Windpaw didn't think she could handle saying goodbye again.
So, she kept it to herself. Stewing in silence.
It was, admittedly, driving her a little crazy.
Crazy; just like the way everybody was currently looking at her love as Rainpaw threw all caution and propriety to the wind to play with the kits. Anybody who caught Windpaw's chilling glare quickly pretended like they hadn't been staring and went about their business. Laughter and giggles filtered through the air, and despite the strangeness- and the tension of seeing Rainpaw, killer and murderer and unstable Rainpaw, with the clan's kits- the general mood in the air seemed to ease. The Artisan apprentices had somehow been dragged into the game as well, and despite her reluctance, so had the Noble apprentice, Creekpaw.
"Why so grumpy?" A voice at her side nearly made her jump, but thankfully, she managed not to be so startled and simply turned her eyes for a split second to see Bluepaw beside her, a gentle smile to his lips as he watched with her. "I thought you'd be happy."
"I don't like the way everyone is looking at her." Like she's a second away from turning on them.
"Ah," the tom wrinkled his nose, turning his head in the other direction and perhaps scaring off someone else with a glare of his own and Windpaw liked to think they made a pretty good team. (Not that she would ever admit that to Bluepaw.) "Me neither, but… What can you do?"
"Claw their eyes out so they'll stop looking."
"Let's maybe not," Bluepaw chuckled, unphased by her apparent grumpiness, before he spoke in a quieter tone, "Seriously though, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Windpaw shuffled the weight on her paws, the tension leaving her body for a moment when she heard Rainpaw left before it returned when she saw another eyeing the Royal distrustfully. "I just… something's different."
"In a good way?" His smile returned and that was different too. How easily his smiles came to him nowadays. It was a far cry to the brother who had feared his sister.
"In the best way," Windpaw sighed, the warm feeling fluttering in her chest and the bright light of hope keeping her energized. Aware, awake. Wanting, wanting, wanting. (Hoping, hoping, hoping.) Her ears twitched to fall flat and she whispered in a terrified tone, "I just don't want it to go away. So, nothing is wrong- because I don't want to talk about it."
I don't want to be the reason she disappears again.
"You've overthinking things," Bluepaw sniffed and she scowled, instinctual, and turned her glare to him next (playfully, of course. They, too, had grown past the stage of perpetually hating each other just to hate each other).
"You're one to talk," she shot back and Bluepaw scowled back. Their eyes met, copper and dark green, and there was a spark of understanding and, dare she say, fondness that filtered between the two. Respect. "Speaking of talks…"
"Very subtle," he snickered, "I thought you didn't want to bring it up?"
"I'm dying here," Windpaw scoffed, eyes darting over to where Rainpaw was and back again, getting as much information as she could with that single glance alone. Her love was fine, just pretending to be a badger for the kits. No big deal. "I won't ask about it, but nothing's stopping you from speaking."
"That is the most indirect way I've ever heard you ask me for something."
"I didn't ask," she corrected, "I'm just saying that you like to blab your lips and I'm the unfortunate one who always has to listen to you."
"Now just for that, I won't blab my lips anymore."
"Bluepaw," Windpaw definitely did not whine. She wasn't one to whine. (She kind of did.)
"There's not much to say," he finally relented with an amused laugh, shrugging nonchalantly. (As if matters about her love could ever be taken in such a way. Preposterous.) "We talked, I apologized. She cried, I hugged her, we cried together, we moved on. We're here now. The end. Happy?"
"You are a terrible storyteller," Windpaw huffed, "Remind me to warn the future kits not to ask you for stories when you're old and wrinkly."
"We both know you're more creative than I am."
"What's this? Bluepaw-" she gasped dramatically, "admitting I'm better than him? Mark the day, this is a cause for celebration."
"I see you're still the same annoying brat as before," Bluepaw rolled his eyes, turning to gaze off into the distance as the kits were being called for a meal and the fun was coming to a stop. Icekit and Ripplekit didn't want to go, but Rainpaw nudged them in the direction of their mother, taking a step back and sitting down innocently. Showing she was no threat to anything. "I think she's finally getting better. She… told me the names. I think she was trying to scare me away with them."
That was certainly a step in a direction. Whether or not it was the right path was still a bit of a mystery, but Windpaw had hope. (She did nothing but hope nowadays.)
Sixteen names. Rainpaw repeated them often, and sometimes, Windpaw would hold her as she quivered and sobbed them over and over and over again after a particularly harsh nightmare.
Windpaw knew them too.
And some were new. Added on from her recent adventures.
Twist, Amber, Oak, Marsh, Venom.
Dapple, Quill, Sky, Smoke, Bristle.
Flint, Blink, Leo, Sun.
Sora, Umbra.
The repetition was… something. At times, it was haunting, and at others, it was soothing. She didn't question it, she never did, and there was once when Rainpaw was too choked up by her own fear that she couldn't speak. So, Windpaw had said them for her, whispered against her skin. A haunting lullaby she crafted and she almost wanted to take it back, but it had calmed the blue-furred apprentice down enough to breathe.
"That… sounds like something she would do," Windpaw said, and despite wanting to ask questions, for more, for everything, she kept it to herself and hoped Bluepaw heard them anyway.
He did.
"Instead of running, I hugged her. Told her I loved her, and she was crying," his ears flattened and he swallowed lightly, glancing down at his paws. "She said she was scared. And she was asking for help, but I don't know what for."
Hearing that just made her want to run over and hug Rainpaw now, but she kept it together and looked at the tom beside her out of the corner of her eye, inconspicuously flicking her tail in his direction and 'accidentally' laying it over his. A small gesture of comfort and the only thing allowed between them.
"So, yeah. The end, that's all."
"Better," Windpaw sighed, ever dramatic, "I suppose that'll have to suffice for now."
"I don't know what else you want me to say," Bluepaw huffed, both a breath of aggravation and a puff of laughter, "That's all that happened. You'd have to ask her for the rest."
I can't. She was dying to hear the rest of the story, but fear stole her words from her before she could ever ask Rainpaw. How would one even ask?
Hey, love, can you tell me the truth- is Rainkit really back? Or is it a trick of the light?
She might die either way.
(Or Rainpaw would put a stop to her return and then where would they be?)
(Back to the beginning.)
"I can't ask her," she murmured. It was better this way. Windpaw, stewing with her question; and Rainpaw, gradually getting better.
"Coward," Bluepaw snorted before he stood up, glancing at her over his shoulder. "Now, come on. Didn't we have to go hunting today?"
"Can't you just do it for the both of us?" she put on a winning smile that held just a hint of its usual sharpness, "While I keep an ever careful watch over your sister?"
"You mean while you be all gross and cuddly with her? Fat chance, get up, lazy."
"Oh, you poor foolish tom," Windpaw pushed herself to her paws, walking past him with a wink. "Is cuddling all you think we do? Because let me tell you-"
"Nope!" Bluepaw barked before hastily walking off, expecting her to follow. "I don't want to hear it!"
"We do a lot more than cuddling."
"Gross! That's my sister!" he called out, picking up the pace to seek salvation with the camp's entrance, ignoring the strange looks thrown in his direction. "I don't want to think about you two like that!"
"You asked."
"I did not!"
They would probably get scolded by Cloudstar for being so immature in the middle of camp, but Windpaw couldn't find it within herself to care as she snickered to Bluepaw's retreating back as he fled from that particular conversation. Honestly, he was so easy to mess with. She chuckled to herself, "gets him every time."
Windpaw paused right at the entrance of camp, the pull on her being giving an urging tug as she shifted her focus back in the direction of her love. Rainpaw was already looking her way, having initially moved from her position by the center of camp and somewhere near the Grand Royal apprentice's den. Probably for a nap or something of the like, and if not that, then at least to get away from all of the attention she no doubt garnered.
Across the clearing, their eyes met. Nervous copper and equally nervous light blue. Rainpaw's ears were flattened for a moment before she shook her head, sending a smile her way and perking up, beaming. There's that look again. Windpaw felt the air in her lungs wither away to blissful nothing, light replacing the blood in her veins, and she couldn't help but return the smile. Hello again, it's been a while.
There you are.
I've found you.
Again, time and time and time again, Windpaw bit her tongue and swallowed back the words, taking in a steadying breath and giving a playful bow of her head that made Rainpaw giggle before she turned and entered the den at her back. The grey-furred she-cat watched her disappear, the ache in her chest doubling and stealing her air even more, but she turned away as well and left the camp. (Lest one of her mentors get on her case… again.)
There would be time later to talk.
They had all the time in the world now.
…
Now, Windpaw wasn't the best when it came to hunting. Of the three- well, two now… Between her and Bluepaw, he was the better tracker and hunter, while she was better at combat (and overall being a jerk, according to him).
But she definitely blamed missing this next vole, not on herself, but one particular annoyance that came in the form of one particular cat whose existence she tried to ignore.
She had been doing a good job, too.
Apparently, enough was enough for her- supposed- sister.
"You know, the point of being sneaky is to actually be sneaky and not scare off my prey."
What a great start. (This is why it should have been left up to her and not this new apprentice.)
(Perhaps she should take lessons from Sagesplash when it comes to avoiding someone. He was an expert on it, after all.)
She turned baleful copper to scan her surroundings before easily spotting a poor attempt of a calico pelt hunkering down against the frost, partially covered in the white snow but not enough to hide the specks of color. Windpaw almost felt like laughing but held it in, annoyance and trepidation rolling down her spine as her lips pulled back in an aggravated scowl, shifting to properly face the distraction.
"Come on out. I don't bite," she clacked her teeth together, putting on that aggressive persona that always did wonders to scare off everybody she didn't want to talk to. It always impressed her how easy it was to make others hate you. Maybe it would work with this one too. "Not unless you give me a reason to, of course. And right now, your chances aren't looking so bright."
She could see a flick of a tail, swaying back-and-forth, indecisive, before the perpetrator who made her lose water vole for Rainpaw she had been searching for. Dark blue eyes regarded her warily and Windpaw raised a brow as the she-cat approached with all the caution in the world. (She didn't know if it was a sad thing or a good thing that they were so scared of her already. And they hadn't even had a proper conversation.)
"Care to tell me why you've been stalking me this entire time and scaring off all of my prey since we left camp?" Windpaw said through gritted teeth, tilting her head with feigned innocence, a flash of anger within copper. She had noticed it from the very beginning, a poor attempt at stealth following after her, and as soon as she registered who it was, she was just hoping to ignore them even more.
"Umm, h-hello. I'm Drippingpaw," the she-cat blinked before her ears flattened, grumbling, "although, from your attitude, I-I think you already know that."
Windpaw snorted, shaking her head and biting her lip for a moment, jumping straight to the point, "You know you better get rid of that stutter. Don't want dear old dad to hear it now, do you?"
She took half a step forward, rejoicing the fact that she was taller than the other she-cat, her sister. It gave her the perfect chance to stare down at her, "Do you want to know what he does to those who stutter? Believe me, it's not pleasant. I had to learn very quickly to stop."
"I don't want to talk to him," Drippingpaw, to her surprise (or her relief, she couldn't quite tell), glowered. A flash of steel glinted in dark blue and her ears flattened.
"Ooh~" Windpaw cooed, grin sharper, "perhaps you're not a lost cause after all. Who would've thought?"
"I-I just wanted to introduce myself," the calico continued, a frown curling at her lips as she eyed the grey-furred apprentice. "Without my mother realizing it."
"Ah, does mother dearest not like me?" She wasn't surprised, honestly. On votes alone, between Bluepaw and Windpaw, it was clear to her she would not get chosen. Possibly. Maybe some of them, though they hated her attitude, admired her tenacity to not take anybody's dirt. "That's the best news I've heard all day. I won't lose sleep over it."
Splashstorm was the least of her concerns.
"She blames you and Fernclaw for dad's obsession over having a son."
"I don't see how that's our fault," Windpaw snorted, "Sagesplash just has the misfortune to have only she-cats, apparently."
With one noticeable exception, of course. But nobody knew about that.
(She was almost tempted to tell Drippingpaw, but held her tongue.)
"Besides," the Grand Royal apprentice continued, "If your mother really wants him, she can have him. I certainly won't fight for it, and neither will Fernclaw for that matter. Keep him, he's all yours."
"You've been avoiding me," Drippingpaw murmured, eyes going downcast, dejected, and Windpaw almost felt bad. "I didn't even know you were my sister until I overheard it from somebody. Why-"
"Because I don't want you," Windpaw cut her off, the words cutting her own throat too, and she did her best to hide her own pain. "I don't want anything to do with him anymore, least of all any of his future offspring. I'm not your sister, and if you want to survive in this world of ours with that kind of father… Well, you better learn to accept the fact you're an only kit. Because you don't have a sister, and neither do I. Are we done here?"
Silence reigned over the world after her words that weren't even an outburst. She had kept her tone strict, professional, biting. It was meant to feel like a victory as Drippingpaw flinched at her words, cowering away, but it left a bitter taste on her tongue. She swallowed and could've sworn there was blood, the harshness of her tone ripping her apart from the inside, but experience alone kept her face neutral.
Windpaw didn't know why she was trying so hard to push the potential of a sibling away.
But ever since hearing about Gale and everything going on with her love and the upcoming war looming over them-
It scared her. The possibility of anything good, just like that. Dropping into her life like she had done anything to earn it yet.
And when she was scared, she tended to lash out.
Drippingpaw was just on the receiving end of it. Maybe later, maybe in a different life, Windpaw would apologize.
"You sound just like him."
Or maybe not.
"Oh…" Windpaw breathed out, a dangerous calm before the storm, brewing with all kinds of emotions she had been dealing with as of late. She took another step forward, threatening, but to her surprise- and delight- Drippingpaw held her ground. Frightened and afraid, obviously, but she held her ground until the Grand Royal apprentice was towering over her. "You don't want to go there."
"I get it," the calico spoke through a clenched jaw, and Windpaw should not have felt this happy at someone standing up against her. No, of this one particular cat standing up against her. Perhaps she had underestimated Drippingpaw. "You hate him, you don't like me. I hate him… and I was really hoping I could at least like you, but apparently, I was wrong."
"Apparently," Windpaw echoed in agreement, her grin broadening. "Is that really so surprising?"
"He would have wanted this," dark blue eyes brewed with anger of their own, and Windpaw, despite herself, leaned away. Listening. "To pit us against each other. For us to hate each other as much as we hate him. He would have wanted us far apart- because at least that way, it would be easier for him to ignore that we exist."
Drippingpaw relaxed, shoulders drooping from their previously tensed state, the fight seems to leave from her system, and Windpaw almost wanted it to stay. "He triumphs when we look at each other and all we can see is him."
"You're surprisingly nothing like him," Windpaw found herself admitting, catching her own mistake quickly, and Drippingpaw jumped at the chance. (Just like she would have.)
"And that is the nicest thing you've ever said to me so far," the calico grinned, satisfied, "So, thank you for that. Because I would hate to be like Sagesplash- and so, despite knowing where you stand with me, I am going to make it my mission to like you and to get you to like me. I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt because everybody deserves it."
Windpaw couldn't help herself, amusement curling at her lips as she interrupted with, "Everybody? Even him?"
Drippingpaw paused in whatever rant she was about to go on, mouth open before she shook her head sharply and scowled, "Everybody but him."
"I suppose I don't get a choice in the matter," she groaned and the young Royal huffed.
"Nope. I'm going to do whatever it takes because I know there's good in you. I've seen it."
"Wow, you really are a stalker, huh?"
Drippingpaw ignored her, "So, you can hate me, Grand Royal Windpaw. But I'm going to do my best to make you... not hate me."
"Is that a threat?" She chuckled, "I feel like that's a threat."
It certainly felt like one. As non-threatening as a threat could be, at least.
"It's a promise," Drippingpaw grunted before she suddenly stood up, turning on her heel and beginning to walk away. "So, give me your worst. I can handle it."
"If you want to know a secret," Windpaw called out to her leaving form, "Nobody can handle me. Certainly not you. This is a useless endeavor!"
The calico halted just before entering the treeline, turning her eyes over her shoulder to the Grand Royal apprentice, regarding her with an expression that could have been smug if it lasted long enough before she said just loud enough to be heard, "Rainpaw."
Windpaw's breath hitched and all the amusement drained from her body, fur bristling as she made to follow after her, a growl in her voice, "Do not bring her into this. If you hurt her…"
"I won't," Drippingpaw squeaked, recognizing the threat, her defensiveness, before the younger apprentice blew out a slow breath, glancing off to the side and back again. She cleared her throat and continued, "I was just going to say I saw her by the river. We aren't supposed to be so close to them, right? Because of the thaw? I was just giving you a heads-up and maybe you should go check on her."
The she-cat- her sister- jerked her head in a seemingly random direction, a frown to her lips, and as dark blue met copper again, her body seemed to soften. "She's important to you, isn't she?"
You have no idea.
"Thanks," Windpaw grumbled, accepting her defeat with grace, and turned to run off in the direction Drippingpaw had pointed to before stopping, scowling over her shoulder. "Wait, when did you have the chance to see where she went?"
Drippingpaw blinked at her before grinning again, that satisfied smile from before, only brighter and wider (similar to Windpaw's) and she winked. "Guess I am good at stealth, after all."
She was tricking me before.
That little-
"See ya around!" And with that, her sister was gone and Windpaw was left glaring at the space where she was. With a huff of breath that was most certainly not a laugh, she rolled her eyes and turned to run off.
Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all.
…
"Wind- oomph!"
In a heap, she collided head-first into the mass of a surprisingly strong body, the two falling into a pile of limbs and fur, and she growled. Well, tried to growl. The collision knocked the wind out of her and it hurt to breathe- especially with Bluepaw laying on top of her like that.
"Off!" she managed to get out through gritted teeth, shoving the tom away and pushing herself to a sitting position, doing her best to catch her breath. "Why were you running?"
"Why were you?" he groaned, falling to the ground.
"I asked first."
"I asked second."
"Bluepaw," she snapped before pushing herself to her feet, shaking out her pelt and reorienting herself to her surroundings to get the right direction again. "I don't have time for your stupid games, we have to find Rainpaw."
"That's what I was going to tell you about," Bluepaw managed to say after standing up without being dizzy. "She was supposed to be at training with Pikeheart but he said she didn't show up."
"My-" she cut herself off and grunted, "Drippingpaw said she saw her by the river."
"The river?" Bluepaw furrowed his brow before his eyes widened, "She's not supposed to be there!"
"I know, thanks for stating the obvious, now let's go," Windpaw shoved his shoulder before taking off ahead of him, leaving it up to him to follow and Bluepaw did not disappoint. He was a blue streak at her side and she was certain she was only a blip in his radar. Both of them focused on one cat and one cat only.
Perhaps they were freaking out for no reason.
But Rainpaw being alone was never a good thing in the first place. And being alone next to a dangerous thing they were told to steer clear of until the waters calmed, well… It made them even more afraid.
She's getting better. Maybe she had a reason for going there? What reason did anyone have for going by the rivers during this time?
Though Stormclan were the best adept at navigating the currents, that's not to say they were immune to the uncontrollable floods that always tended to occur at the end of Leaf-bare. When the thick layers of ice all began to melt with the incoming Newleaf season.
Some took the sweltering rivers as a good sign. Rushing water brought fish, fish meant prey, prey meant survival. It was a lucky charm, essentially. Good fortune.
Unless someone fell into it. For all of their skills with swimming and diving beneath the water and learning how to control their breathing and innate fear, it would take a miracle to save someone from the rushing waves. Nobody wanted to test their might against it willingly and it was a virtual death sentence to go in.
So imagine their surprise when they burst through the treelines, panting and searching desperately by the river's edge, and saw Rainpaw jump in with hardly a flicker of hesitation.
"Rainpaw!" It might have been her or it might have been him or it might have been the both of them, panic exploding within her chest, and she was moving before she could stop herself. She was faster than Bluepaw, her longer legs helping her to clear the distance faster, and her mind raced just as swiftly as she did.
A single glance, take in as much information as she could. The thaw had only just begun in certain parts of the river, so the waters weren't too out of control here compared to what they could be. But still, it was chaotic; froth and foam spitting against the mud and dirt of the shore, the roar of the currents as they ran free from so long of being frozen in time, the movement of the water rushing by her. A flash of blue.
Windpaw hardly thought about it.
She saw that blue pelt and she jumped for it and it was as instinctual a decision as breathing, as blinking. Nary a thought needed. Breathe, blink, fight the currents. Breath, blink, try not to drown. Breathe, blink, don't panic, don't panic, don't panic.
Breathe.
Blink.
Save Rainpaw.
Chaos and pandemonium tugged her every which way, shrouded her, pulled her in many different directions- but by some form of miracle, she was able to reach Rainpaw. Another instinctual reaction; grip onto her scruff and haul her back in the vaguest direction she remembers shore being. Away, away, away from here.
Out of the water, they had to get out of the water.
Water was supposed to mean life- the soul and blood of Stormclan, their greatest strength- but right now, water meant death and Windpaw loathed it like she had never loathed anything before.
At first, Rainpaw tried to pull away from her, which was to be expected honestly. If someone she didn't see grabbed her from behind and began to drag her away, Windpaw would try to fight back too. She could feel her jerk against the restraint, trying to go forward, trying to get away, and if they had a moment to actually speak, maybe Rainpaw would tell her to let her go and Windpaw wouldn't listen.
After the briefest of struggles, Rainpaw began to follow as well, perhaps registering it as Windpaw here and wanting to save her love as much as Windpaw herself did. They fought the currents together, a team-up neither had worked with in quite a while and despite their situation, Windpaw felt a part of her sigh with the familiarity. Partners.
They broke the surface together, Rainpaw gasping for air and Windpaw willing to suffocate for a while longer just so she could focus all of her attention to not letting her go. Something grabbed her from behind, pulling and helping the both of them out of the water and onto dry land, and right about then was when Windpaw started thanking the world for Bluepaw's existence. (She'd never tell him that.)
An eternity later and with crippling exhaustion leaching into her bones as much as the cold, they were on solid land. Bluepaw helped deposit them on the ground, immediately circling so he was nearest the river instead of them and crouching to assist Rainpaw, and it only then does Windpaw somehow find the willpower to release her grip, jaw aching. She curled into the smaller body of her love, not entirely sure if she was trying to warm her up or be warmed first. Not entirely sure if she was trying to convince herself she had made it on time or convince Rainpaw that it's okay, I'm here, we're safe.
Her breaths came out in shuddering bursts and she gritted her teeth, butting her head into the back of Rainpaw's gently and just relishing in the way Rainpaw instinctively leaned back into her, her tail curling around one of Windpaw's legs involuntarily. She was wet and cold and miserable but triumph and victory had never felt so good before because screw it all, Rainpaw was here.
She was here now, and-
"Why," Windpaw managed to get out, breath shaky and she didn't know whether it was from the cold, from her breathlessness, or her lingering fear. "Why would you jump in there?"
"I didn't do it on purpose, I-"
"Oh really?" Normally, Windpaw never cut off Rainpaw, but right now… Right now, she couldn't bring herself to care, heart pounding in her throat and making it all the more difficult to swallow and breathe. (Breathe, blink, hold her tighter. Breath, blink, don't let her go.) "Because from my perspective, that's what it looked like."
"No," Rainpaw mumbled, coughing once and trying to pull out of her grip, doing her best to sit up, but Windpaw kept her hold on her and would never admit to whimpering. She could sense Rainpaw's gaze on her but couldn't bring herself to meet it, and within seconds, it was gone again. "No, I saw something. I saw someone in there. I… I was trying to… help."
Her voice died down near the end, and at last, Windpaw peeked open her eyes to look at her. There was a doleful aura surrounding her, shoulders sagging and ears drooping, a thousand-yard stare in her single eye.
"There wasn't anybody," Windpaw breathed out, pushing herself to sit beside her, leaning over to brush her muzzle into Rainpaw's shoulder, squeezing her eyes shut. "There wasn't-"
"Windpaw…" It was Bluepaw's voice this time and she had nearly forgotten him there. Her copper eyes opened, peeking over her lover's shoulder, and she frowned because he wasn't looking in her direction, but off to the side instead. "I think there was somebody…"
"What're you-" Her voice stopped working as she turned her eyes off to the side, following his dark green gaze.
And there, washed up along the shore… a body.
One that looked oddly familiar the more she stared at it, and for a while, the three of them did just that. Stare; blinking in astonishment- Rainpaw murmured a quiet, "Told you so."- and Windpaw was wondering if it would disappear if she just blinked enough times.
Breathe. Blink. Blink again.
It's still there.
Bluepaw was the first one to move, walking with cautious steps, and though this was no time to laugh, Windpaw wanted to do just that because what can a dead body do to you, coward? She kept it to herself, pressing her muzzle firmer against Rainpaw and trying to warm her up, jolting when the blue-furred she-cat began to follow after her brother, sending her a pleading look. (The cobwebs covering her eyes were gone, swept away by the water, and Windpaw tried very hard not to look at the scars. She only partially succeeded.)
Bluepaw circled the body, nudging it, and as Windpaw approached, she could see various claw marks along the length of their pelt. White fur stained with red, black speckles-
Wait a minute.
"It's Specklepaw," Bluepaw gasped, stumbling back a step, his eyes going wide. "It's…"
Indeed. As Windpaw did her own inspection, the resemblance was uncanny. And unless someone had cloned the Royal apprentice, it was indeed Specklepaw.
Her first thought was Cloverpaw's gonna be so mad.
Her second was How did this happen?
And the third-
"Rainpaw," the blue-furred tom murmured in a quiet voice, his eyes lifting from the body slowly up to where his sister was standing across from him, staring with wide eyes and holding her breath. Windpaw turned her eyes to him, not liking the frown on his face, the way his ears fell flat, nor the tone of his voice as he continued, "I'm not judging. It's an honest question-"
"Bluepaw," she growled in a rumbling voice, but he didn't hear her.
"Did you do this?"
"Bluepaw!" she snapped at him and he only spared her a small glance, keeping his eyes on his sister. The nerve of him. Windpaw was torn between wanting to get closer to Rainpaw and hold her or wanting to rip Bluepaw apart, and her indecision made her stand somewhere in the middle, above Specklepaw's head.
"As I said," Bluepaw pressed on, his tone surprisingly gentle, concerned. But not for them, not for anything, just Rainpaw. Only his sister. "I'm not judging. You can tell us if you did and we'll… we'll figure something out, alright?"
Like what? Did he plan to hide the body if it was Rainpaw so nobody would find it? (Windpaw… didn't know what she would do, honestly.)
And the fact that Rainpaw didn't answer immediately made her nervous, her eyes turning to her after a solid minute of nothing.
Light blue gazed down at the deceased Specklepaw with an unreadable expression, a distant look, a thoughtful frown to her face. It almost looked like she was trying to remember if she did or not.
"Rainpaw," Bluepaw spoke up again after another minute of silence, his voice wavering, "Was this you?"
It couldn't be. (Could it?)
"For once," Rainpaw whispered eventually, so difficult to hear over the roar of the river right next to him, her ears falling flat. A pained look flashed over her features and she looked… sad. "It wasn't. I swear it wasn't. I… I would remember."
Of course, she would. Rainpaw remembered all of them.
(Twist, Amber, Oak, Marsh, Venom, Dapple… Quill, Sky, Smoke, Bristle, Flint, Blink… Leo, Sun, Sora, Umbra.
Not Specklepaw.)
"Okay," the tom muttered, nodding absentmindedly before clearing his throat and sending her a tight smile. "Okay, it wasn't you."
Windpaw still didn't forgive him for asking in the first place, and with a tightened glare in his direction, she walked over to stand by Rainpaw and let a soothing purr rumble in her chest as her partner immediately leaned against her, tired. She wanted to ask what Rainpaw was doing out here in the first place, instead of being at training or in Windpaw's den, but she decided that could wait for later.
Because now…
"This isn't good," she murmured, the river casting a background song of trepidation and impending doom. "Everyone's going to blame Rainpaw."
Everyone was scared enough, after all. The unpredictable apprentice who held darkness behind her eyes and wickedness in her grin. (She wondered if the others noticed the recent light behind those eyes, the softness in that smile.)
"We don't even know who did this in the first place," Bluepaw grumbled, taking a step closer and sniffing at the body, frowning. "I'm guessing she's been in the river for a while, there's hardly any scent, even her own."
"I would say she just drowned, but those wounds…" That was not of somebody who 'just drowned.' The river had rocks in it and you could cut yourself if you weren't careful, but nothing that would cause these. These… These were intentional.
Someone had attacked Specklepaw, killed her for whatever reason, and threw her body in the river.
"Could it be the rogues from before?" Bluepaw tilted his head, and it was then that Rainpaw finally spoke up.
"Ignis likes to gloat," she murmured distantly, a harsh scoff coming from her mouth. "He would be waiting in the shadows for us to take the bait- and even then, he wouldn't hide for long. He's not patient, none of them are."
"Okay, maybe we should leave this up to the expert then," Bluepaw decided with a heavy sigh, standing back and glancing in the general direction of camp. "We'll take it to Ripplewave, I'm sure he'll figure it out."
"Did you not just hear what I said?" Windpaw wrinkled her nose, "If we walk in with a dead body, with Specklepaw, everyone is going to blame Rainpaw."
"Lucky me," Rainpaw sighed through her teeth, her body tensing for a moment before she shook her head. Her ears flattened briefly, contemplative, and then she turned her head to meet Windpaw's eyes with a weak attempt at a smile. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."
"Do you have a better idea?" Bluepaw questioned, his tail flicking with agitation. "I'm all ears."
Windpaw groaned. She really didn't. Half of her just wanted to toss the body back into the river and leave this mess up to someone else, but… Well, even if she wasn't friends with Specklepaw, even if she didn't particularly like her, she was still her clanmate. The dead deserved more respect than that, and Windpaw could put up as many appearances as she wanted or wear as many masks as she could, but at the end of the day, she was never going to disrespect her dead clanmate.
"Fine," she murmured, a bitter defeat, looking between brother and sister and relenting, "This is a terrible idea."
"It's the only one we have," Bluepaw shrugged before beginning the tender process of positioning Specklepaw onto his back, murmuring quiet words to the dead that Windpaw made no effort to try and hear. It sounded like an apology of some kind.
Instead, copper eyes turned to Rainpaw, who was now staring off into the river and across the way into Blazeclan territory. Perhaps even past that, perhaps deep into her memories. Second-guessing herself.
"Hey," she muttered as calmly as she could, drawing her gaze back to her, and she stepped forward to nuzzle her. "Please don't scare me like that again."
The image of Rainpaw jumping into the raging river was going to play on her mind on repeat for the rest of time.
"I'm sorry," Rainpaw mumbled in return.
"I know," she sighed, leaving a tender lick to her cheek before motioning for her to follow as Bluepaw began taking the uncertain lead. "No matter what happens, don't leave my side. I won't leave yours."
"I know you won't," Rainpaw smiled and Windpaw didn't see it because her back was turned, following after Bluepaw and speaking over her shoulder.
"And no matter what anybody else says, I believe you."
"You always do." There was a distinct softness in her voice that made Windpaw's chest ache. And her next words made her absolutely freeze. "You're my soulmate."
And when she turned to face Rainpaw, it suddenly didn't matter that Specklepaw was dead and that there was a chance that the entire clan might turn against them as soon as they got there.
Because she knew that look. She knew that look.
It was in her dreams; it was in her nightmares.
In the past, in the future.
Right in front of her.
Right here.
Hello again. It's been a while.
I've missed you.
Rainpaw blinked at her, and the scars on her face didn't matter anymore. She smiled- familiar, familiar, familiar- before stepping closer and brushing her pelt along Windpaw's as she walked by. And on the whisper of a breath, she purred, "You've found me."
I've found you.
At last.
It was entirely unfair to expect her to keep moving, to keep functioning after that, and it was almost as if she was walking in a dream as Windpaw could do nothing but follow at the end of the line. Bluepaw at the very front, a blur in her vision that hyper-focused on the she-cat in front of her.
And maybe she wasn't here to stay forever. Maybe she would only appear sometimes- but Windpaw would take anything.
Though something terrible was fast approaching…
This felt like a victory.
And she was going to revel in the triumph.
…
A/N: Whoo, guys. It's gonna get tense these next few chapters. Next chapter is also our official 100th chapter! That's wild. Anyway, for those of you wondering what our 'friend' Nightstone has been up to, there we go. He's a lil crazy and unhinged, in case you couldn't tell. And as for our Stormclan buddies… Well, so many things. Banter, sisters meeting for the first time, and a dead body! Hooray!
Prepare yourselves. It's gonna get messy.
…
Question of the Day
(Question submitted by reading at 3am is normal. Thanks for the help haha!)
Are you sunrise, daylight, twilight, or night? Please share why you picked that time of day.
(I said I was daylight cause that's when I function the most XD I'm most productive then and I think I'm at my best then as well.)
…
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Thank you and peace out!
~Wolfcreations21