Warriors: The New Era.
Chapter Twenty Three: Good Intentions
Fernsong didn't need to be a empath to feel the anger radiating off of Jayfeather. He stood against the wall, as Jayfeather stood in front of the door, lip curling. Fernsong's wrists were chained to the wall, and while he could easily break through, why bother?
"Your...father, was kidnapped by Mapleshade. Seeing as how your story checks out-"
Fernsong glared at Jayfeather.
"And that we are down a powerhouse, you will be the replacement. Once we find my brother, you will return here and-"
"Say it."
Jayfeather growled as Fernsong stood there, smugly smirking at his Uncle "Face it Uncle Jay, if it was up to you, you would have gotten that other guy. Tigerjaw could be of some use."
"The fact that you're from the future means you are more of a trustworthy ally, and less of a liability," Jayfeather responded coldly.
"I know. But I won't help until you say it."
"That I'm sorry? Yeah sure, I'm sorry, now let's get planning o-"
Fernsong gritted his teeth "Not that. Say you need my help."
"I DO NOT NEED YOUR HELP!" Jayfeather roared, eyes flaring blue.
Fernsong turned his head, refusing to look at his uncle.
Jayfeather growled "You know I need it so why bother?"
"I want to hear you say it," Fernsong scowled "I know you have good intentions locking me up in here. I know you're trying to protect your family. But you've been a dick to me since we met, and I demand some fucking courtesy. I saved your life. I except gratitude. You should be on your fucking knees and expressing your love for me! That's what I want Uncle Jay. I want to see you swallow that pride, get off your too high fucking horse, and grow a pair and ask. For. My. Help."
Jayfeather fumed, twitching in anger.
The silence was unsettling for the both of them. But neither backed down.
"I...needyourhelp."
"Louder."
Fernsong curled his lip as Jayfeather tried his best to not blow up.
"I...need...your...help."
Fernsong stared at Jayfeather.
He tugged the chains off the wall, ripping them off with minimal effort.
He grinned like a madman.
"Where do we start?"
Mapleshade looked at her unconscious captive. He was laid out on a gurney, in an abandoned hospital.
"It was reckless," The assassin snarled.
"It's clever. Now that we have their strength, they will rely on the stranger, whom we can use to our advantage. Remember, Rock is still out there plotting against us all. He seeks to activate the weapon that The Court of Miracles found. Once he gets the key-"
"The key is in a place that only Jack Graves knows," the assassin responded "And as far as I'm concerned, we should keep it that way. Let the boy hold his secrets. I doubt even Rock knows about the boy."
"True true," Mapleshade stroked Lionblaze's abs, getting wicked thoughts "A shame he was not on our side."
"He was on YOUR side for a while, remember?" The Assassin reminded "Brokenstar was very...persuasive, last I heard. Then we wake up in this...foreign future. One I am still not fully accustomed to."
"Tell me about it, last timeline I was dead," Mapleshade nodded.
"You still might be yet."
Mapleshade whipped her head back at the assassin as he held his hands in defense "It is no secret we were the worst of enemies in that timeline. That night in the belltower, I will never forget. Or forgive."
"Then why work with me?"
"Simple. I have a task, and you will help. I want vengeance, and while you were a capstone in my suffering, you were merely a pawn in a larger game. And so, I spare you, and you're lucky for that mercy!"
Mapleshade bowed dramatically, as she then began caressing Lionblazes muscles "Can I-?"
His response was automatic "No."
"Aw, you're no fun."
"Mapleshade is very theatrical, something her and Scourge used to share," Fernsong explained, as the crew stood in front of him, or sitting. He was in the living room, going over the strategy on rescuing Lionblaze "In my future, Lionblaze was killed farther down the line, after I was conceived, but if what I am to believe, my presence is changing things. Changes are happening closer and sooner then expected."
"So it's your fault?" Jayfeather snapped.
"Shut up, Jayfeather," Berrynose argued.
Fernsong growled "It's called a time boom."
"A what?" Dovewing asked.
"Okay, how do I explain this?" Fernsong rubbed his temple, and then grinned "Here, if your break the sonic barrier, there is a sonic boom. I broke the time barrier. Time Boom. Ripples of distortion across reality, making things change just a tiny bit, but enough to cause a completely different future."
Poppyfrost smirked "What about that Moonstone you have?"
"Yes, That's what I am going to use on finding Lionblaze," Fernsong grinned.
"Why not just go back and kill the capstones before they evolve into threats?"
"Because the world has this way of forcing you on the path. For example, Sleekwhisker was arrested, therefore she cannot kidnap Lionblaze, so Mapleshade took her place."
"Then why not just continue until the world gives in?" Poppyfrost asked "What would be the consequences of using that, since you are the only one who can use it."
Fernsong was about to explain, but Breezepelt's nagging made him cave "ENOUGH! Use the damn thing and let's go save our boy."
The golden boy agreed, and held his palm out, the moonstone materializing in his hand.
He closed his eyes as it began to seep it's pure knowledge into his head.
Poppyfrost took a step forward, closer to Fernsong.
Fernsong grunted, and began to nod "I can see it. He's...north...Near Skyclan territory..."
Poppyfrost was closer. Ivypool noticed this and raised a brow.
"He's...near the ocean...A HOSPITAL! He's..."
Ivypool watched with confusion as Poppyfrost snuck closer and closer to Fernsong, and when Ivypool traced her eyes, she immediately gasped.
Poppyfrost was staring dead at the Moonstone.
"Done! He's-"
"WAIT STOP!" Ivypool stood up and shouted.
Poppyfrost, as fast as a viper, shot her hand out and grabbed the Moonstone, wrenching it out of Fernsong's hand.
The result was catastrophic.
The room lit up with light emitting from the stone, and it shot our blasts and beams of energy, as the stone's temperature grew hotter and hotter. The crew was blinded by the light, and the entire house came alive.
The lights flickered, alarms blared, the tv erupted into static.
"STOP HER!" Jayfeather roared, feeling the Moonstone's power push him back. Eventually, he was knocked off his feet and flew through the sliding glass door, crashing past it.
Icecloud was on the ground, screaming and clawing viciously at her head.
Honeyfern and Cinderheart had been knocked back several feet, and Foxleap flew like a bullet at the wall.
Poppyfrost growled and screamed as the Moonstone burned her hand, her right hand burning up, the skin charring and becoming black and crispy.
Despite the pain, she let out one a plethora of screams and orders at the mystical artifact.
"TAKE ME TO WHERE IT STRTED! TAKE ME TO THE BEGINNING OF IT ALL! LET ME KILL WHO'S REPONSIBLE! TELL ME WHO THE TRAITOR IS!"
The moonstone grew hotter and hotter, as Poppyfrost would not relent, further burning her arm.
Eventually, after a burst of blinding light...the moonstone stopped fighting.
The chaos stopped.
Everyone looked back at the scene in horror.
The entire room was upside down, broken lamps, lights, walls cracking and splitting.
And Poppyfrost was gone.
Poppyfrost woke up to the bright shine of the sun on her face.
She immediately felt the pain in her right hand. She sat up, looking at the blistering charred hand as she held up the mangled limb, biting back tears and vomit at it's repulsive look and odor.
Poppyfrost looked down at the red dirt to see the moonstone, sitting beside her.
She looked back at her arm, moving her fingers and wrist, no matter the pain she was in.
Poppyfrost reached for her satchel, always having a first aid kit on her, something that her time as queen drilled into her head. She applied some burn ointment on it, and wrapped it in black gauze, making a glove, hiding the sight before her.
Now she began to stand up, and look at her surroundings.
She was standing in a desert, with red sand. Rocky mountains to the west, and to her east, more dunes and sand.
And it was hot as hell.
"Where the fuck am I?"
And so it begins. My development arc for Poppyfrost. This arc was one of the first things I had thought of when I started planning the sequel. And I will disclose no information on it. Just know, that We will not deal with Jayfeather and the crew at ALL during this arc. Only on Poppyfrost, and a special guest character, whom you HAVE seen before. Enjoy.
Funny, I wrote two curveballs in the chapter. Those of you who know me best (namely Res cause he's been dying to find out the assassin's identity, have noticed it, and are compiling the data. Enjoy where that calculator takes ya!
Adios.