Well, writing this chapter was a struggle. For a while, I kind of hated it. The problem was that I wanted a decent sized chapter, and I felt like I didn't write enough, but didn't know how to add onto it. But I took a step back from writing and thought about what I wanted, and by morning, I knew what I wanted to add in. So I guess I'm good now? Writers block really sucks.
I did say that I was bad with the inbetween stuff lol
I hope the next chapter I have planned will be decent sized without any trouble.
Reviews are appreicated!
Firestar was beginning to notice that he was acting strange, even stranger than usual. Which was saying a lot, since he had scales, wings, horns, and the most unholy claws he had ever seen, as well as acting overly protective in regards to his mate, his daughters, and Brambleclaw. Everyone else was treated with wary caution at best. So for him to admit that he was acting even weirder than he already was- it was saying something.
He trudged through the entrance and gave an irritated hiss as his horns scraped themselves along the roof of the fox den he was using. His new horns had grown in, and now he found another set of stubs on his head, ready to grow into more horns. He noticed that his scales were snaking up onto his shoulders and onto places that didn't have scales before.
He had never hit the roof of the den like he had now before. He was met with the startling realization that he was getting bigger.
While the physical changes did freak him out, he was more concerned with his increasingly weird behavior. Recently he had been on the lookout for a new den. He had gotten it into his head that he needed a place with a big den, plentiful prey, a water source, and he wanted it away from the Twolegs. This shouldn't be strange to him- all the things he listed were what a clan needed. But he wasn't supposed to be looking for a place for a clan; he was supposed to be looking for a place that could fit him and only him.
No, he needed a place that was big enough for his mate and hatchlings as well- and that's what scared him.
He wasn't going back to Thunderclan and take them away! It wouldn't be right!
The stone had other ideas as it pulsed again and showed him another vision of what could be. He took in a few deep breaths, trying to resist its influence. He wanted what was best for his treasures, and if staying within Thunderclan was what was best for them, then so be it.
He couldn't provide for them anyway at the moment- he still hadn't found a good place for them all.
No that wasn't it! Thunderclan needed them! He curled up tightly into a ball, wishing that he had someone to talk to. Life away from the clan was lonely. He closed his eyes and slipped into the world of dreams.
He snapped his eyes open to see the cats he wanted to see the least, their pelts speckled with starlight. They were giving him concerned looks, but he didn't want their pity.
"My clan will always be there for me huh? Well look how that turned out," he muttered bitterly. "Bet you couldn't predict that at all, could you?"
"Not everything is set in stone Firestar. All we can do is adapt to the situations that are thrown at us," Bluestar meowed.
"Sure, like how Tigerstar betrayed the clan and you started calling everyone a traitor was apparently you adapting?" he spat out. "At least you weren't driven out for no good reason."
"Don't speak to her like that," Yellowfang scowled. "We're doing our best to help you."
He gave a dark laugh. "Right. Help. I suppose this dream is some kind of intervention then? You're going to stop me from doing something drastic?" He wondered how much they knew exactly, of his hidden desires to return to Thunderclan in order to fetch his treasures.
They were silent, glancing at each other worriedly, silently asking each other who would speak up.
"You must return to Thunderclan," Bluestar spoke. He stared at her, incredulous. He must return to Thunderclan?
"Why?" he asked bluntly. They all looked unprepared for his blunt answer, and he felt a wave of irritation go through him. Did they think he was just going to return, no questions asked?
"You are still needed as its leader," Tallstar said bluntly.
"To what? Fight your battles for you?" he snarled. The stone was giving out short, angry pulses. He didn't know why he was so angry.
Do not trust, do not trust, do not trust, do not trust, do not trust, do not trust, do not trust, DO NOT TRUST
He gave a pained hiss as the command ingrained itself into his head. The Starclan cats gave him surprised looks, wondering why he was acting like this. That's right, he couldn't trust these cats; they lied to him! They always lied to him!
They noticed the stone's angry glow from where he was crouched down. "What is it doing to him now?" Tallstar asked, disturbed. Seeing Firestar writhe on the ground in pain, trying his best to shake out unwanted thoughts was heartbreaking.
"Firestar-" Bluestar began, before Firestar silenced her with a snarl, his eyes flickering to red. His body gave off an intense heat, the starry grass around him bursting into flame. The Starclan cats gasped in shock before trying to stumble backwards, but was met with a wall of flames.
Roar.
What...?
Roar. Prove to them that you don't need them anymore.
He... didn't- didn't want to-
He let out a pained moan as the heat rushed through him. Bluestar raced up to him, wishing that she could ease her former apprentice's pain. "Firestar, please fight it! We're only trying to help you!"
"Argghh- LEAVE ME ALONE!" he screamed. Flames erupted from his body, pushing Bluestar away, and his eyes snapped open to stare off blankly into the darkness of the fox den. He felt the stone give off what felt like a pleased pulse, before dying down. He felt fleeting worry for Bluestar; was she okay?
Why? Why couldn't he bring himself to trust Starclan?
He knew why. They lied to him. The only thing they were good for was giving out useless advice and giving false comfort. They couldn't do anything to help him.
He wished he was back in Thunderclan, with his treasures. Everything was going wrong without them by his side. How did the stone have so much influence over his emotions and mind?
They wanted him to return to Thunderclan to be its leader? He sighed heavily; he kind of figured that Starclan wouldn't recognize his weird exile as genuine. The other clans might have chased him out, but that didn't mean he still wasn't leader. He stamped down the wave of possessiveness that began to rise up as he thought of his clan.
"Go back to Thunderclan huh?" he muttered.
'Why bother? It's not like they want me anyway.'
The stone be trying to push more instinct into Firestar, like making him scout out a good place for a family maybe?
Also the stone doesn't like having its host's mind invaded- Starclan subverts this by entering dreams, not necessarily entering a cat's head. But the stone doesn't like Starclan anyway. So now Firestar can't trust Starclan- maybe they can convince someone else to help them. HhhMmmm
Firestar is getting bigger? Slowly but surely. The growth is somewhat slow. But he's getting big enough that soon the fox den he's using won't be a good place to stay anymore.
Tell me how I did.