"jud..."
"skeds..ski!"
A tumult of alarmed voices were shouting from somewhere faraway. They cut in sporadically, fading in and out of coherency, similar to the annoying buzz of flies zipping by. Foggy dullness coated her senses. She was adrift, floating along aimlessly down a canal of darkness.
"My stars... happen to her?"
"Mistpaw found...forest...thought she was dead."
"...isn't? I mean, just look at her!"
More shouting took place. Snippets of the hurried conversations flitted in one ear and out the other too scattered to track.
"W–...move her."
Agony beyond anything she'd ever experienced chose then to viciously sank its fangs into her flesh. Searing, blinding pain engulfed her in flames. There wasn't a single part of her free from it. Something between the screech of a hawk and mournful moan of a sagging oak split the air, soaring out into the heavens. It took Minnowpaw several moments to realize the crying was coming from her.
"Careful!" a sharp voice snapped. The force from it was emphatic enough that the owner's fangs physically knocked against the other.
"Sorry! I'm sorry," a panicked voice stammered in response.
"Instead of apologizing go and notify Leafwing! Hurry up!"
Pain was pulsating sharp enough to cause the interior of Minnowpaw's ears to ache. She panted, struggling to catch her fleeting breath. Each inhale incited another flare of anguish, leaving her unable to do little more than let out tiny whimpers.
"It'll be okay, Minnowpaw," a voice was murmuring close by her ear. "We're going to get you help."
If her focus wasn't overwhelmed as it was, she might've found the tone comforting. Instead all Minnowpaw could do was thinly hope the torture would swiftly come to an end and soon.
Once more, night staked its claim of the horizon, adorning it in a glittering backdrop of twilight. Below, long shadows cast by willows stretched over the underbrush in the form of silent sentries. It served perfect accompaniment to the carefully cultivated silence of the forest as one young apprentice made their trek.
Propelled by intuition more than memory, Minnowpaw traversed the woods, her paws retracing their way back through the brush. This marked her third–really second trip of the past three days. Thoughts quietly simmered in contemplation at what she may possibly face tonight before a strained gurgle gasped from below, disrupting them and causing a frown to form.
Most of the day's prior light elapsed without her having ate anything of substance. A combination of anticipation and nerves being largely responsible why. The days since her last, what most would probably consider a proper meal, were dwindling by faster than a dying ember in rain.
Hunger pangs gnawed at her insides, but she repressed the sensation. Minnowpaw needed a clear head for tonight. Any little distraction needlessly complicated things further and she wasn't in a position to risk it. Food could wait.
"Welcome once more, Minnowpaw." Smooth as the soil beneath her paws, the ever ethereal voice of the bird manifested.
She emerged into the clearing, ears immediately perking up at the flutter of wings from above. The bird soared overhead, a molted blue in the darkened sea of sparkling starlight.
"You greet me by name every time I show up here," she said, following its movements closely, "but is there a name I can call you by?"
"Whatever pleases you should be more than adequate enough."
Her tail flicked thoughtfully. "Does that mean you don't have one then?" she questioned.
"I'm whatever and whomever I need to be for your sake. Nothing more, nothing less."
"That's a roundabout way of not answering."
An airy chuckle blew off the walls of her skull, causing Minnowpaw to frown. "You're rather insistent for someone supposedly so shy and reserved. Good, more of your genuine self is resurfacing. I look forward to your eventual blooming. Now shall we proceed with tonight's encounter?"
Prickling bites caused her stomach to emit exasperated moans as an arid staleness invaded her mouth. It slathered itself all over her tongue nearly making Minnowpaw gag. She swallowed hard to force the taste away and breathed heavily.
"You appear unwell," the bird's curious voice prodded at her mind.
Alarm sprung from her like a stream. No space for weakness. She couldn't be seen as vulnerable and unfit, especially in direct view of the bird. It might suggest they postpone for the night.
"It's nothing," she gasped out, before giving herself a brisk shake. "I'm ready to go. Let's do it."
The bird swooped down to gently land on the ground before her. "A piece of info then that may serve to encourage you a bit more. Successfully complete this encounter tonight, and you may very well finally be ready to meet Applepaw again."
Every living part of her immediately jumped to attention. "You mean it?" she asked, unable to restrain the desperate plea laced throughout her voice. "I'll really be able to see her?"
"It'll largely depend on you to make it a reality."
"What're we waiting for then?" she urged. Unbridled excitement thudded in her chest, building. "Let's go!"
Paws were shuffling around her, forming a tight circle.
"We're going to try moving you now, Minnowpaw," a voice mewed from overhead. "It might hurt, but we'll do our best to be gentle as possible."
She could only emit strained whimpers in reply. Agony dominated every other available sensation. Just the sound of the cat's deeper tone caused her face and ears to sting from the reverberation.
"Brace yourself."
A tentative paw reached out and touched her flank. At once, searing spasms seized her body and Minnowpaw nearly blacked out in reaction. The pain was so overwrought, so oppressive in its dominance over her, she became incapable of even crying out again.
It left her physically exhausted, resorted to limply assuming the characteristics of a dying fish. Dimly, she seemed to register herself being lifted, jaws fixed on separate limbs holding her in place.
Arduously slow and creeping, their trek commenced. Each step, pivot, or bump on the earth sent another slew of convulsions through her. She desperately wanted to yowl at them to stop, to violently admonish them all for making her suffer, anything to make the anguish subside.
Why'd this happen? Better question, how did it happen? Minnowpaw's head swam with murky thoughts, cloying over any attempt at focusing. Not like she much wanted to at the moment. Numbness would vastly be preferred.
Over time her consciousness began to waver. The toiling pain grew faint, the presence of the cats carrying her null. With a welcomed relief that would make a weary queen jealous, Minnowpaw was able to finally slip away.
Minnowpaw opened her eyes to be greeted by a soft breeze caressing her cheeks and aromatic scent tickling her nose. She blinked repeatedly, dumbfounded, before directing her eye-line skyward.
Daylight–clear and serene daylight welcomed her absent of a sun. She blinked several more times just to confirm the sight true. The shadowed confines of the night were all but a remnant of the waking world, every last lurking trace having receded back into the recesses of their respective void. It was uncanny in a manner she couldn't fully rationalize, like fish incapable of swimming and drowning.
Pure light wasn't the only change to her surroundings, though. Leaning back on her hind-legs to balance, Minnowpaw rose to peer around the landscape, before swiveling her body around in a complete circle. Gone was the familiar canopy and trees of the forest, supplanted by spearing tufts of grass that surrounded her in every conceivable direction. This wasn't her homeland, wherever it was.
With little other inkling on what to do, she chose to move onward, periodically breaking the surface to survey her current location amidst the sea of green. Minnowpaw picked her way down to where the grass appeared sparsest, wading through the pillars of stalks, before eventually prying her herself free.
She stood in the open uncertainly for a moment, the sudden sheer exposure making her pelt itch. This amount of time transpiring without encountering another cat had never happened before. Left to only flounder aimlessly about, Minnowpaw found herself stumped for what to do next.
The possibility of calling out to the bird briefly crossed her mind before thinking better of it. Not only did she not have an actual name to attract its attention, but there was also the skulking paranoia that actively seeking out its aide would somehow prove she was unfit to see Applepaw again. Minnowpaw would need to succeed alone, despite it being easier said than done.
She glanced around again. Okay then, what now?
"Hello?" Minnowpaw called out. Her voice carried off into the blue sky, echoing back. "Can anyone hear me?" No response came, save for the playback of her own call. "Is anyone there?" she tried again, glancing around. "I'm meant to find someone here!"
"How goes it, 'meant to find someone here'," an amused voice cheekily replied. "I'm Harepaw."
Minnowpaw whipped around, eyes wide and rapidly scouring the tall grass in search of the source.
"You're getting cold, 'meant to find someone here'," the same amused voice teased. Faint laughter colored their tone now. "You might want a medicine cat to check your eyes."
Minnowpaw's pelt flushed hotly. "My eyesight's fine!" she huffed fitfully at the stalks of grass. Her whiskers crinkled tight with annoyance. "And that's not my name either. It's Minnowpaw. Now where are you, Harepaw?"
A patch of greenery located near her back left parted to pop out the head of a older she-cat with a mixed pelt of wavy white adorning her belly, framed by an outer coat the deepest shade of bark brown Minnowpaw ever saw. Her face was broad and open, eyes a impish yellow which gleamed bright as honey.
"Hey there," she mewed conversationally. The corners of her mouth twitched in what Minnowpaw suspected was her resisting a smile.
"Have you been there the whole time?" Minnowpaw demanded. Unlike Harepaw she didn't seem able to push down her emotions that easily.
The twitches bloomed into a full open smile on Harepaw's face. It shone, emitting warmth and joy the likes of Newleaf. "Maybe," she mewed with a wink.
Minnowpaw wanted so much to let her annoyance take hold and keep her spiteful towards Harepaw. The gleeful energy protruding the she-cat's expression proved too much for her to maintain. Heaving a sigh as though she'd just lost some game, Minnowpaw let the prior frustration pass. More important matters took precedent anyway.
She turned herself to fully face the she-cat, who's body was mostly still obscured by the grass. "Like I was trying to say before," Minnowpaw began, "I'm Minnowpaw and I've come here to help you."
Harepaw blinked and cocked her head to the side. "That's nice and all, Minnowpaw, but uh, what from exactly?"
Minnowpaw scanned the sprawling, lush field of the open meadow. Nothing but verdant grassland stretched on in either direction. Her ears and whiskers partially drooped.
"Uh, I'm not really sure." She looked back to Harepaw, expression hopeful. "Don't you know?"
"Do I look in danger?" Harepaw innocently inquired. Her yellow eyes held Minnowpaw curiously in place, as if examining her closely.
"I guess not," Minnowpaw almost reluctantly admitted after a pause, "but every other time I've come here there's been some sort of threat."
Harepaw extended a back leg through the stalks to scratch at an ear. "Seems plenty peaceful to me."
Minnowpaw scoured the empty field again. Hard to argue against her. What am I meant to do here then? She helplessly wondered. She couldn't aide a cat who actively didn't require any to begin with. What was the bird playing at by making them meet?
None of it made sense! Had it dangled the allure of getting to see Applepaw again as a cruel opportunity to heartlessly mock her attempts? What was the truth?
"Should I just wait here until something happens?" she muttered to herself. "It worked twice last time. Maybe–."
"Hel-Lo?" Harepaw's drawn out voice cut through her rambling. "StarClan to Minnowpaw. You still there or did a fox run off with your tongue and mind?"
Minnowpaw shook loose the hanging threads of doubt still sticking to her fur and refocused back on Harepaw. "Sorry," she mewed, offering a genuine apology to the she-cat. "It's just–," Minnowpaw heaved a heavy sigh to steady herself. Honesty couldn't hurt at this point. "I'm not sure what it is I'm suppose to do right now. I came here, but there's nothing else other than you and me."
"And that's a bad thing?" Harepaw mused aloud
"I'm not saying it's bad," she hastily replied, almost spluttering in her frazzled state. "Helping you means I get to see Applepaw."
Harepaw's eyes lit up like starlight and she leaned forward eagerly. "Oooh, friend of yours?"
Minnowpaw nodded fervently. "My best friend. I really miss and want to see her again." She paused and shifted from paw to paw before admitting, "I guess I'm feeling a bit desperate–no, I am desperate to talk to her. There's a lot I want to say and ask, probably too much, so I'm getting anxious I might not get the chance."
The words poured out from her in a torrent of complicated, messy emotions. Harepaw sat the entire while head cocked to the side, eyes narrowed contemplation, before suddenly her eyes gleamed, she smiled and nodded in earnest, as if having decided something.
"Let's go for a walk!" she abruptly invited. "Whenever my head's been overrun by bees, I'll roam around the territory to get rid of 'em."
Minnowpaw blinked repeatedly while swiveling her ears around as if to increase their range of hearing. "You want to go for a walk?" she asked slowly, verifying she'd heard Harepaw correct.
"Yeah, yeah!" Harepaw mewed excitedly, and the stalks of grass began rustling with her movement. "I'll show you around and everything. The best cure for a restless mind and heart is to get moving and burn it all away!"
To say this development was far from what she expected would be quite the understatement. Minnowpaw honestly wasn't certain how to even engage with this cat. Already her personality and behavior contrasted sharply with Dewpaw and Featherpaw. Every interaction so far was similar to getting pounced upon each time she let her guard down.
What other options do you have, though? Her thoughts pushed back at her reluctance. That was certainly true. Between the two of them Harepaw was the only one offering a solution to her current predicament. Sticking with her couldn't be a bad thing.
Minnowpaw made move to agree to Harepaw's invitation before stopping, mouth sealed in place, as the she-cat drew free of the grass. Out in the open the truth suddenly became distractingly apparent. An idea slowly dawned in her mind's eye at what possibility may be the reason behind her coming here. Where Harepaw stood were only three instead of the commonly held four legs.
Harepaw caught her gaze and grinned wickedly. "I know, I know. I look even more impressive up close."
Once Minnowpaw was given ample time to recover from her initial shock, despite constant teasing and snickers from Harepaw over it, they set off. While traversing, Harepaw animatedly recounted the, as she put it, triumphant tale of losing her front right foreleg.
Her expressions were lively and boisterous while going over in explicit detail her gallant escape from a pack of dogs who'd invaded their territory.
"Palepaw had just fallen behind," she told her in a low and ominous tone, eyes widening to enhance the tension. "Our patrol of warriors were scattered and too separated to double back and help, save for me. I could see her less than a couple of foxlengths away just as this massive, slobbering dog bounded close behind." Harepaw grinned at her, pausing for dramatic flare. "And there I was, leaping into action, spry as any squirrel, quicker than the fastest skittering rabbit. I knew only I could save Palepaw and intercepted the dog, zipping under and around it more dizzying than any fly ever could. Oh, and the stench of it was so gross! Imagine the foulest of crowfood drenched in bile and something overly ripe and sweet." Her face suddenly scrunched up, as if vividly recalling the scent in that instance, and stuck her tongue out in mock disgust.
Minnowpaw surprised her own self with a rather vocal giggle. It surprised her more at how genuinely good it felt to do. Harepaw was the most surprising thing of them all, though.
Despite the high energy and bravado in which she told her story, Minnowpaw could tell, just from a stray glance, the level of nimbleness Harepaw at one time must've possessed. Down to an uneven amount of legs she still walked with a steady gait, feather light and seamless in motion.
If not for the knowledge of her current situation, Minnowpaw wouldn't even notice she padded with three paws instead of four. The only other real indicator came from sound. Walking together, Minnowpaw's ears would wiggle at the off beat tempo of Harepaw's steps in comparison to her own.
"The dog was a total fleabrain. Couldn't tell its head from its hind and didn't have an idea on what to do with me," Harepaw bragged, rising her chin in the air as she did. "I kept it busy until I was sure Palepaw got away, then made for my escape." Her expression grew sheepish then. "I, uh, may have been a teensy bit overzealous. No ones perfect, though I'd like to think I make a pretty convincing argument for myself. I won't bore you with the details. There was a chase, some dazzling maneuvers on my behalf, a sliiight misstep in a situation where I should've dipped left rather than right, annnd." She made the motion of something closing shut with her jaws.
Minnowpaw reflexively winced, imagining the awful pain, and Harepaw playfully butted her in the shoulder. "Don't give me that look," she mewed lightheartedly. "Didn't hurt half as bad as you think, which according to our medicine cat was actually what saved my life. I kept running not knowing how bad it was and escaped. Afterwards, I got it inspected and treated, placed on nest rest, annnd then it got infected, the bone wasn't healing right, you can probably guess how this end...Oh!" Harepaw's ears and tail shot up. A heartbeat later she turned to Minnowpaw, who swore her face was glowing. "I know where we are right now. Come on, let me show you what's over here."
Without giving Minnowpaw a chance to respond, Harepaw immediately veered left, vanishing amidst the throng. She scrambled after her, plunging in and struggling to keep up through the foliage.
"How do you see or do anything with all this grass?" Minnowpaw complained, batting away some from her face.
Harepaw turned back and smirked at her. "You get used to it. A lot of cats in my Clan are pretty tall for one, but we also heavily rely on our other senses to get around. Even then, there are places where it's pretty tame." The area around them suddenly began to thin out as the ground sloped upwards onto a rolling hill. "Like here for example," Harepaw finished with a satisfied look.
Minnowpaw ascended the hilltop alongside her and looked out. It was her first clear view at the full scope of the territory, and she gaped, breath hitching at the verdant expanse.
Watching her expression, Harepaw's whiskers twitched with mirth. "Impressive, right?" Minnowpaw found herself nodding silently, which seemed to only heighten Harepaw's joy. "Look," she indicated with her nose to a patch of land several foxlengths away. "This was the best spot to hunt rabbits. There used to be a burrow nearby here they'd come jumping out of like frogs. I'd come here often with my friends."
Mention of that made Minnowpaw think of the treks to the lake she would sometimes take with Applepaw. They'd try catching fish or just explore the shore together, hunting for unique types of shells to adorn their nests with.
Harepaw rambled on excitedly, indicating every few heartbeats a different portion of the land and some shared experience with it. The perfect place to sunbathe, the best spots for playing tag, invaluable hunting areas, she drew on seemingly infinitely.
Caught in the pull of her aura of vivacity, Minnowpaw absentmindedly found herself joining in. In the quiet spots where Harepaw would pause to draw breath, she'd fill them with tales of her own about Applepaw and the sorts of things rare to RiverClan and its territory.
With little indication given, they slowly descended the hill together while still chatting. Neither were particular focused nor concerned by the direction they ventured in–more preoccupied with each other.
A part of her felt surprised but especially relieved at how easy Harepaw was to interact with. The she-cat exuded such a natural playful and infectious demeanor, it made her eager to want to bask in it. She couldn't remember feeling this way in some moons now.
At one point she noticed Harepaw's sides heaving deeply and looked to her in concern. "You doing okay?"
"Huh?" she mewed. Minnowpaw could hear the slight catches in her breath. "Oh, this is nothing. Just using up a bit more energy than usual. A benefit of being down one leg."
A pang of guilt bit at her. Is it my fault? She wondered worriedly. Getting swept up by everything, she neglected to consider how fast she'd been moving, which in turn probably forced Harepaw to overcompensate in order just to keep even pace with her.
"Why don't we rest for a bit?" she offered while beginning to slow her pace.
Harepaw opened her mouth to reply before abruptly shifting her gaze from Minnowpaw. She watched in real time as a shadow of tension darkened her expression. Minnowpaw turned, instantly bracing herself for danger, only to find nothing. No, that wasn't quite true. Blinking several times, her eyes swiveled around the unfamiliar setting she now resided.
The ground here lay flat, the grass a normal height she was more acquainted with back home. From what she could tell they were in some kind of camp. The general structure in comparison to RiverClan's is what gave her the idea. She could spot a variety of dens, most likely intended for the uses of warriors, apprentices, and such.
When did we come here? She genuinely didn't remember. Surely either she or Harepaw would've noticed such a drastic change in scenery?
Speaking of Harepaw, Minnowpaw turned back to look at the she-cat only to inwardly squirm at the grim look upon her face. The look showed more than it said. Minnowpaw hesitated, uncertain of how to proceed.
What just transpired to cause such a sharp shift in tone?
"This is my home," she quietly spoke after a prolonged moment. Her head turned slowly, appearing to take in every last corner of the camp. "I grew up here."
Something slipped into the air then. The feeling was different from the odd pressure, something that bit with sharper teeth. Harepaw padded forward, for the first time a bit unsteady in her gait. Minnowpaw watched her closely, watched as she obsessively absorbed in everything.
"I spent so much time here with everyone," she continued softly. "Laughing with them, believing in them, only for them to hurt me with their words."
There was a stir of something amongst them, making the fur along Minnowpaw's spine rise. The atmosphere seemed to swell then, as a mass whispering of voices over-layered on top of each other infused the air. Panic stricken, her eyes darted around the camp in sporadic bursts, unable to find a source for them.
The voices were incomprehensible, a mush of noise growing increasingly louder by the moment. She looked back to Harepaw, who hadn't budged an inch.
"They thought I wouldn't notice," Harepaw said aloud, apparently deaf to the sound around her. "I heard everything, and remembered every last word."
It's okay. A clear and kind voice spoke through the noise.
You'll pull through. A different, more encouraging one said.
We're all here for you. This one sounded the youngest, but most hopeful of the pair.
Rely on me for anything. A courageous, deep tone voiced.
Minnowpaw stared blankly at Harepaw. She didn't understand. The remarks weren't unkind. Anyone listening could hear how sincere they sounded. How could anyone be hurt by this?
This doesn't change anything. You're still you.
You ever want to go hunting together, just let me know.
Four legs, three legs, or none, I doubt anyone can match your spirit.
Each hopeful statement given only served to heighten her confusion and darken Harepaw's demeanor further. The smirking, free spirited laughter, and infectious vibe were gone, succumb to the grimness enveloping her. At the same time Minnowpaw started to catch whiffs of smoke.
"Harepaw?" she called out hesitantly. "What's happening right now? Who do those voices belong too?"
"Who?" Harepaw mewed, still not facing her. "They're my snake tongued Clanmates."
A Clan is only as strong as the support inside it.
Love you!
We care about you a whole lot, Harepaw.
"Liars!" Harepaw suddenly yowled out, and at once a burst of flames ignited between and around them, scorching the earth. Minnowpaw cowered back in a panic, barely missing being burned by flying embers. "You didn't care, none of you did!"
The flames rose higher, burning more of the surrounding verdant land in its wake. Minnowpaw struggled to get a grasp on her flailing emotions, knowing fear wouldn't help her here. She needed to focus. The prior two encounters had taught her this.
Confront instead of run. She told herself.
"What do you mean they didn't care, Harepaw? Every last voice I just heard says otherwise. They did."
The she-cat brusquely shook her head."They didn't. I know for a fact."
Minnowpaw was momentarily shocked into silence. She knows? "How, then?" she asked, pushing back. "Tell me that, at least."
"There was a fire," Harepaw began solemnly. "It spread through our territory before encircling the camp. Cats evacuated while others came to save me. The fire had spread too quickly though. There was too much smoke to properly breathe or even see. Realizing they couldn't get out alive with me slowing them down, they ran." Through the flames, she turned and stared at Minnowpaw hard, voice hollow, fire reflected in her eyes. "Their words didn't match their actions. I'm a part of the Clan until I suddenly hinder it." The heat from the flames amplified in intensity, causing Minnowpaw to physically have to turn away. Burnt fur clogged her nose and she coughed out. "See?" Harepaw bitterly mewed. "Even you can't stand it. Once the fire gets too hot, you'll turn and run, same as them."
I won't, were the words laying in wait to be shouted back, but never came. Minnowpaw knew she needed to speak, needed to say something, but Harepaw's story left her shaken.
The she-cat snorted disdainfully at her silence before angrily remarking, "I knew it. Your eyes are the exact same as theirs. Cats used to abandoning others always know how to look the other way."
Her words forcibly pushed Minnowpaw underwater and down into the depths where the images from the rawest and most painful of her memories resided. Eyes wincing at the sharp sting of rejection. Hope leaking from them. A shaky voice hastily trying to cover the pain. Solemn winds and sullen trees during a mild tempered day. Eyes averted, turning from the truth, running away.
With a horrified gasp, Minnowpaw resurfaced, trying desperately to extract herself from the haunted visions.
"I won't run!" she breathlessly exclaimed, fear scent reeking from every last inch of her. "I'm doing this for you and Applepaw!"
In spite of the heat, Harepaw's expression grew frigid. "Are you? You sure it isn't just about you? You're not just guilty?"
Guilty? The cruel sight of blood staining the roots of a large oak tree leapt out at her.
"I'm not!" Minnowpaw shouted back.
"You don't care about her or me," Harepaw challenged. "You just care about making yourself feel better. Admit it!"
"No!"
"Admit it!"
Minnowpaw felt herself split. "No!" They all shouted in unison. "No, I won't!"
Harepaw glowered at her, at all ten of her. "Fine, then," she mewed harshly. Burn."
A cascading wave of flames nearly swallowed them whole. At the last possible moment, collectively nine of the ten selves reverted into a singular ball of water and like a torrent blasted her backwards.
It wasn't a heartbeat too soon, as simultaneously the ball was hit and evaporated into a puff of steam and fire. Minnowpaw lay a few foxlengths removed, fur bristled and chest heaving hard, as it dawned on her just how close she'd been to being reduced to little more than that.
"Runaway, Minnowpaw!" she heard Harepaw taunt. "Run like you and everyone else is so used to doing."
She scrambled back to her paws, panting. Heat bared down on her to such a severe degree it literally felt as though she was being boiled inside her own pelt. Trails of fire blazed, creating a border of separation between her and Harepaw, as well as eroding every viable trace of life it could reach. Soon there'd be no viable escape for them if it lasted any longer.
Minnowpaw felt herself split again, this time amassing an array of twenty halves of herself. The fire's rampage needed to be quelled, and she possessed the means to do so. She willed ten of her selves in one direction and the other nine in another. They charged the flames in tandem before reverting to pools of water. If her thinking was correct, this would help lessen the danger.
Water splashed upon the flames, and for one hopeful moment regressed. An instant later they roared back to life twice its previous size and ferocity of heat. Minnowpaw could only stand in utter disbelief.
"You're wasting your time," Harepaw rasped, the combined heat and rising smoke making her throat raw. "Just leave, Minnowpaw. You'll burn otherwise."
Minnowpaw desperately looked towards her, where she stood alone secluded on a tiny island encased in ever encroaching flames. They'd reach her in a matter of heartbeats.
"Harepaw, if I leave now you'll die!" Minnowpaw cried out.
She slowly shook her head, face despondent. "I already died," she croaked painfully. "Doing it again won't change much. It's not like it matters."
'It's not like it matters'. Those familiar words made her heart skip a beat as the chillest form of dread filled it.
No. Not again! Not again!
She split herself once, twice, thrice, and over a hundred Minnowpaw's manifested before leaping forward and reverting into masses of water. The flames flared in challenge, meeting it head on, and with a whoosh and sizzle they still remained, burning defiantly as hot steam rose into the air.
With despair invading every inch of her body, Minnowpaw yowled out and sent wave after wave of her selves against the flames. Each and every encounter ended the same. The water evaporated while the fire blared in contempt. Every attempt proved fruitless. The fire stood unmatched.
She could see the flames flickering near the edges of Harepaw's paws, who stood resigned in the midst of the carnage. The posture reflected the final living visage of a ginger she-cat with a smile that didn't meet her eyes–the exact same one lurking behind her eyelids whenever she closed them.
Her body moved unconsciously. No other selves, no water. Minnowpaw charged straight into the waiting maw of the fire and leapt. An explosion of blinding, deafening pain swept violently over her left side with the tenacity of a charging badger. She emerged from the other side to land directly in front of Harepaw.
"Minnowpaw!" she mewed in sheer shock. Her eyes stretched wide, mouth hanging agape, and fur a disheveled mess. "I–no, you.. you shouldn't," she was a mess, incapable of finishing a thought.
Minnowpaw stood nose to nose with her, eyes alit with agony but even more so defiance. "I'm not leaving without you. Not now, not ever."
Harepaw looked from her, down to her own body, and back up again. Her jaw trembled. "I can't run."
"Doesn't matter," Minnowpaw said, drawing close. "I'll run twice as fast for both of us, so trust me."
Harepaw's eyes wavered with uncertainty, pain, and fear before closing them tightly and pressing her body into Minnowpaw's. Run! Minnowpaw thought. I need to run so fast that nothing could ever hope to catch or touch us.
She focused and felt herself split once, twice, thrice and hundreds of her formed amongst the flames. She urged them to run, quicker and faster than she ever had, faster than a cat physically could while creating more and more as dozens burned and vanished. She willed them to run fast and revert into water, swirling and whirling around in hordes until they spun into a spiraling vortex.
Water immersed the area in massive splashes of waves that poured down in the most dramatic display of rainfall imaginable. They collided with the flames, battling back and forth for supremacy, until finally the fire was forced to relent and disperse. Not even a flicker of dying embers remained in the aftermath.
Harepaw rose her head and stared out in disbelief. Her gaze went from the razed, sodden earth to her face. Minnowpaw gave a weak smile.
"It's an awful way to die, especially alone," she told her. "You didn't deserve to have that happen. I wish I'd been there for you."
Harepaw's eyes widened at her words before wavering again. An anguished yowl split the air in a mournful cry. It carried on until her voice grew too hoarse and raw to continue, dying out into a low whimper.
"It's okay," Minnowpaw mewed, pressing closely against her. "I won't leave you. I'm right here. You're safe."
She stood there consoling the grieving she-cat for several prolonged moments. After sometime Harepaw eventually pulled back, her face a weary mask.
"I'm sorry you got burned," she quietly apologized. Her voice barely rose above a whisper due to the hoarseness.
From the shoulder down to the beginnings of her hind leg, her skin lay exposed, furless and boiling red. Just contact with the air was enough to send insurmountable pangs pulsating throughout the rest of her body.
Despite the pain to her, however, Minnowpaw smiled big and wide. "Don't worry about it. What's important is you're safe. You were letdown once; I couldn't let it happen again."
Something between a cry and laugh came from Harepaw. "You're madder than a rabid fox covered in ants, you know that?"
"You're probably right," she admitted with a pained, rueful smile.
Minnowpaw was surprised she hadn't collapsed yet. The only discernible reason she could figure went back to this place being a dream, where pain and death didn't hold the same restraints on her that it did others like Harepaw. Thankfully, she could already start to feel her left side becoming numb, an effect of the world here. It wasn't the only thing currently in effect.
Translucency was beginning to take over Harepaw's body. She realized it a heartbeat after Minnowpaw did.
"You'll be alright?" Harepaw asked in a worried tone, as her form started to grow fainter. For some reason Minnowpaw could physically see the concern layered across her eyes.
"My wounds will heal up in no time," she said. "I can already feel it getting better."
"That's not what–" she began before stopping herself and saying instead, "thank you, Minnowpaw. I'm sorry for the awful things I said, and hope someday, somewhere else we can meet again on better terms when we're both better versions of ourselves. I mean it."
Minnowpaw's last image of Harepaw was her parting with one final wink before vanishing, once again leaving her alone without a companion. She briefly wondered what Harepaw had originally been about to say before declining.
"Burning yourself to save someone convinced they weren't worth it? Crude."
The bird's voice manifested inside her mind without warning. A vague air of disdain clouded its usually even tone.
Minnowpaw looked around in annoyance, as though expecting to see it and replied, "What else was I meant to do? I couldn't let her die."
"So your answer to easing another's pain is by inflicting twice the amount upon yourself?"
It wasn't vague anymore. Minnowpaw definitely heard the patronizing in its voice. "What's that got to do with anything?" she questioned. "I can't die here, she can."
"So the consequence of death not being present is the excuse for your behavior? I wonder," the voice mused snidely,"what would occur in a situation where this no longer proved to be true? Would you still act in the same tactless manner?"
"What're you trying to imply?" she angrily demanded. The bird's passive aggressive act had worn thin.
"What I'm implying, Minnowpaw," it snipped back,"is neglecting your well-being or killing yourself to show how much you care creates the exact opposite impression. It isn't courageous, endearing, or noble. To borrow a phrase, it's quite fishbrained."
Minnowpaw's hackles rose. "You can say whatever you want about me," she argued aloud, "but leaving Harepaw to that fate would just be cruel. I did the right thing."
A distorted, cackling laugh echoed throughout the area. Not inside her head, but the entire surrounding area itself. "Come now, Minnowpaw, you're not one who should speak about cruelty. Harepaw's words, while emotional, weren't wrong. You're not doing this out of the kindness of your heart. I see right through you. You want to alleviate a burden that's been at home inside your heart for three whole moons. Refusing to acknowledge the reality of a situation is the same as physically running away from it. You can lie to Harepaw, your Clanmates, even Leafwing, but you can't lie to me. And most importantly you can't lie to yourself."
Guilty. She was guilty of something. A something so callous and visceral it left her unable to properly eat. The mangled remains of a piece of prey was too similar to a certain sight. A sight she couldn't bear to relive.
Minnowpaw fitfully shook herself. "I don't care. Let me see Applepaw!"
"I'm not sure I should."
"Why not?" Minnowpaw demanded, stomping a paw. "I've done everything you asked for. Everything!"
"Because as you are now, I'm afraid you'll probably die."
Minnowpaw spat in outrage, literally spat. "You're lying! I know this is just a weird sort of dream. I can't die here, because there's no real danger."
"Not when it comes to Applepaw," the voice whispered. It actually whispered in her ears. "Confronting her means forcing yourself for the first time in three moons to confront reality. In reality there are consequences for your actions, Minnowpaw, and it's high time you learned to accept it."
Every bit of energy suddenly left her body and Minnowpaw crashed face first into the hardened soil, sending up a spray of ash. She couldn't move. Her left flank popped and sizzled as the raw flesh screamed out in inconsolable torment, bleeding profusely. Darkness loomed over, stealing her sight and overriding her fleeting consciousness.
"Return only once the message has fully sunk in," the bird stoically ordered, "and not a moment earlier."
And then she was gone.