Dark Forest talks
Because of course we needed the obligatory Dark Forest chapter. Oof this one is the shortest chapter I've written yet for this fic so sorry about that. As always, I'd love to hear ideas on where to take Ignite.
Also I'd like to point everyone to my new AU Dump and check out Two Halves make One Whole! I'd really appreciate it if you all did.
Reviews highly appreciated!
There was nothing to the Dark Forest. No prey, no light, no clans, no friends. There was only misery, hunger, and darkness here. One could wander around aimlessly forever and never find their way out. If one knew where to look they could probably find the border separating Starclan and the Dark Forest, but only cats from Starclan's side of the border could go to and from the border as they pleased.
When you were sent to the Dark Forest, you stayed there.
Of course if one knew where to look, a cat could find one of the very few pools of water in the Dark Forest. They weren't for drinking, for they were much too dirty. They had a very different, specific purpose, and only the higher echelons of the Dark Forest could access them. These pools of dirty water were viewing pools- a somewhat decent attempt at mimicking the viewing pools of Starclan. It was here where the Dark Forest cats watched the living clans and pinpointed unhappy cats that they could swoop down and take for their own purposes.
Which is where a certain Dark Forest leader found himself right now. Tigerstar would have preferred not seeing how happy cat's lives were while he was doomed to eternal misery and starvation until he faded. He previously only came to the viewing pools to scout out foolish cats to help the Dark Forest gain victory over Starclan, but now there was something that gained his interest and attention.
The Thunderclan trainees had spun such a fantastical story about their kittypet leader that most Dark Forest warriors scoffed at them, deeming it untrue and continuing off to train. Tigerstar himself had been skeptical, the Thunderclan cats having a scared look in their eyes when they talked about their foolish leader. Wings? Scales? And claws that put his to shame? Their fear seemed genuine but even he couldn't help but dismiss the story.
That was until the Windclan trainees appeared to train in the Dark Forest, most of them looking rattled. Sunstrike and Harespring especially were off with their movements and techniques, so much that they were pulled aside and asked what the fox-dung was going on with them. Lousiness in training was unacceptable.
They told the same tale as the Thunderclan cats, of a winged- Firestar breathing fire over them in battle. Now there were two clans telling them the same story, so they pulled over the Riverclan and Shadowclan trainees for reaffirmation.
Tigerstar glared down at the image of a multiple-winged, black-scaled Firestar in his nest, hovering over Sandstorm protectively. Unbelievable, those cats were right about him. All around the viewing pool, senior Dark Forest warrior gazed into the pool with uncomprehending stares.
"How does something like this even happen anyway?" Brokenstar murmured.
"You mean how does something like this happen and not happen to you maybe?" Silverhawk snickered. Brokenstar growled at him. Tigerstar gave an inward growl, not wanting to admit that he did wish this had happened to him. Powerful wings, claws sharper than he could ever hope to have, a tail that could be used for attacking, sharper fangs, the ability to breathe fire, and to top it all off, Firestar was just as big as him now.
Such power...wasted on the kittypet of all cats.
His eyes widened as Firestar pricked his head up, giving out a greeting to a cat at the entrance of the leaders' den. Brambleclaw strode in, giving a report and asking for the kittypet's wellbeing. Why bother asking, the kittypet was clearly fine. He watched with sharp eyes as Firestar's tail snaked its way over to Brambleclaw and gently wrapped itself around Brambleclaw, pulling him into Firestar's body. He gritted his teeth as Brambleclaw seemed to melt into Firestar's embrace, the two cats beginning to share tongues.
"Traitor," Hawkfrost hissed frostily from next to him. He couldn't help but agree as he glared down at the image.
'I could have given you everything Brambleclaw. That could have been me down there, reveling in all that power and I could have been doing it all with my kits at my side. Instead you throw it all away for that kittypet.'
His absence hadn't done any good for him, and if anything it seemed like him being gone had only cemented and furthered Firestar's and Brambleclaw's bond with each other. It stung, knowing that his own son saw that mouse-brained kittypet as more of a father than his own blood father.
"How are we supposed to fight that exactly? I don't fancy being burned to death thank you very much," Mapleshade sneered.
Firestar's apparent transformation did throw a branch into their plans unfortunately. They didn't know how strong he was, and judging by the stories of the living trainees, he was strong, possibly stronger than him.
It was a hard piece of prey to swallow.
Thistleclaw laughed darkly, drawing everyone's attention onto him. "We may not need to do anything. Breezepelt has reported that Onestar seems to think the kittypet isn't actually the kittypet. Windclan is coming up with a plan to at the very least, drive out what they think is an imposter."
Tigerstar's pelt rippled with amusement and excitement. They didn't need to do anything; Windclan and Onestar would be doing the work for them!
"Really, Windclan is going to drive out Firestar, with Thunderclan behind him, all by themselves?" Mapleshade snorted.
"I managed to drive out Windclan," Brokenstar added in.
"Tallstar didn't have wings, or the sharpest claws you ever seen, or scales and the like when you drove out Windclan mouse-brain," Silverhawk commented lazily.
They were going to fail unless..."Perhaps we can get the Riverclan and Shadowclan trainees to convince their leaders that Firestar has got to go." All eyes were on Tigerstar now as he grinned. "It shouldn't be too hard. A comment or two about Firestar being the destruction of the clans as they know it and they'll be scrambling to come up with a plan to rid the lake of that pest."
"Perhaps even convince some of Thunderclan as well..." He held a tone of glee in his voice, wanting Firestar to feel exactly as he felt when he had been exiled from Thunderclan. He couldn't wait to see the look on the kittypet's face as he was betrayed by his own clan.
Cats around him started chattering and growling. "What of Brambleclaw?" Hawkfrost whispered in his ear.
Tigerstar gave a hiss. "He's chosen where his loyalties lie with. He's made his nest, now he can lie in it." Hawkfrost gave a nod at his words and stepped away to talk with someone else. He turned and glared at the image of his son and the kittypet being joined by the kittypet's squealing daughters. He curled his lip; no kits of his would ever act like those two disloyal she-cats; and yet Brambleclaw still held feelings for the ginger she-cat. They all piled around Sandstorm, Firestar spreading his wings to cover the cats around him. They looked relaxed and happy.
He hated their happiness. He smashed him paw into the dirty water, dispelling the image. He shook his paw of excess water, learning the hard way not to lick it dry. He stormed away into the dense, decaying foliage, intent on releasing his anger where no cat would see him in a rage.
He needed to be ready for what was to come.
Tigerstar getting his paws on the power of dragons? Not happening lol. There's only one stone and it's ingrained itself into Firestar. It's so entwined into his system that removing or breaking the stone(if possible) would kill him, or at the very least give Firestar permanent damage to his body.
The Dark Forest will be stirring up trouble oh noz.
Please check out Two Halves make One Whole. And while you're at it, Hungry_AloeLeaf made another mermaid au, Lake in the Woods that's inspired by my H20: Just add Cats! Check that one out too on A03.
Tell me how I did.