ERMERGHERD
230 REVIEWS.
WUT.
GUYS, thank you! I want to like, climb through the screen and hug your face.
ANYWAYS…
REVIEW ANSWERS:
Grayfur of Windclan- (Chapter 8 Review) Oops 0.0
Silkbreeze-Of-ThunderClan- Whoop! :D
Silverwillow1209- Interesting response… *strokes chin thoughtfully*
Moonbeam141- Oh, she'll be seeing them again in later chapters, I'm sure c;
RainwishAndSunwishOfShadowclan- I am! And true, true… :3
Bringer of Dreams- Hey there :D TORTURE. Whoop, getting 'em back! Lol, same xD
jaywhisker- Maybe c:
ScipioPB- Thanks :P
12scorpio (Guest)- Maybe cause they were smarter back then? Idk xD
HakubaRyu- Okay, good xD thanks
Snowfeather4876- Yeah, plot twists trip me up, too!
XxLightsunxX (Guest)- Review #1 (for chapter 4): Oops, must have been a typo ^^ Review #2 (for chapter 8): I luv that song!
Fluffyunicorn (Guest)- I have a cruel mind xD but thanks!
Carifoo2001- I SHALL NEVER TELL xD
Darkstar of Hidd (Guest)- No way! Thank you so much!
LoSt KiTtEn Of ThE JuNgLe- WAT xD
Redstorm of Scar Pack- Thank ya
ON TO THE STORY…
Twist hesitated. The border was right before her twisted paw.
Her still twisted paw.
With a pang, she realized that the paw still limited her mobility. Would they accept her?
Maybe they'd realize that, if she was strong enough to survive without the protection of her Clanmates, then she must be strong enough to contribute to the Clan.
Drawing in a breath, she crossed out of the trees and into the grasses. How different would things be when she made it to the camp? She trekked across the territory until she found the heather-bound hollow. There, she could make out the minor shufflings of many cats. She drew in a breath, then circled to the front.
There was the entrance, looming before her, dark and foreboding. No guard was on duty, as the dawn had just surfaced. She took a deep breath, and entered.
Before her was an explosion of activity. Cats laughing, eating fresh-kill, playing, changing moss, basking in the sun, rolling in the yellow grass… She sighed.
Suddenly, a gaze turned to her. "Hey! Somebody's here!"
Twist froze as the Clan's eyes turned to her. She tried moving her twisted paw behind her other leg in her embarrassment.
Two cats poked their heads out of a far den. Their eyes lit up, and they rushed to her. "Twistedpaw!" the larger one shouted.
Twist almost didn't recognize them until they came close. Featherleaf and Snowpaw! "Twistedpaw, it's so good to see you!" Snowpaw crooned.
Featherleaf nuzzled Twist. She nearly flinched away, not used to these cats anymore. Staying where she was, she allowed the cats to poke and prod her.
"You're so healthy!" Featherleaf exclaimed. "Very strong-looking. And see how you've grown!"
She blushed, shy. "I… yes, I've grown." She looked at Snowpaw. "How are you, Snowpaw?"
The white she-cat grinned. "I'm Snowfeather now."
Twist blinked. "Guess I've missed a lot more than I thought."
Six scowling cats padded up to her.
The apprentices.
"Twistedpaw?" one sneered. "Why are you here?"
Twist didn't even flinch. To her surprise, she realized that she was a bit taller than this she-cat. "Stripepaw. Pleasure to see you again."
Stripepaw almost looked disappointed at Twist's bravery. "It's Stripetail now."
Twist blinked. Another cat walked up to her, standing beside Stripetail. He was the same size as Twist. "Bad idea to have come back, Caboosepaw."
Twist huffed. "And what's your new name, Stormpaw?"
"Stormfang," he declared.
Mistfire's kits bounded up. Stripetail spoke for them. "Meet Grassleap, Rabbitflame and Haretooth."
Twist sniffed. "Hello, there," she responded coldly.
"So, Twistedpaw—,"
"It's Twist," she interrupted. "Myname is Twist."
The apprentices looked at each other.
She smiled deviously. "Looks like we all got new names." She stretched. "I picked it up while living as a loner."
Stormfang hissed. "That's such a pointless name! No glory." He licked a flexing paw. "All you did was chop off half of your name."
"What's going on over here?"
All nine cats—Twist, Featherleaf, Snowfeather, Stormfang, Stripetail, Grassleap, Rabbitflame and Haretooth—turned to see two approaching toms: Flightstar and Whirlpelt.
Stormfang stepped forward. "An intruder, sir." Twist narrowed her eyes.
Flightstar pushed him out of the way, growling. "Step forward, trespasser!"
Twist emerged from the small crowd. "Flightstar."
Flightstar looked shocked. "Twistedpaw?"
She stood still, meeting him eye-for-eye. To her satisfaction, they were the same height.
He huffed. "You survived? How?"
Twist frowned. "I can survive just as easily as anyone else in this Clan." She realized that her voice was deeper and more solid, so she made a better impression.
Flightstar looked her up and down warily. "Not true. You have many more challenges."
"Still with this paw thing, Flightstar?" she countered. "Let it go."
He growled. "I banished you from our land. Begone!"
To Twist's surprise, Whirlpelt tapped his leader's shoulder. The deputy spoke. "Flightstar, she survived the elements outside the protection of Clan boundaries. She must be strong enough to contribute to our Clan."
With a growl, Flightstar began to pace. He paced in circles again and again until he finally stopped. "Prove your worth, then I shall assume judgment." With this, he stormed into his den. Whirlpelt followed.
The cats crept away. "We'll see," Stormfang growled. "We'll see." They all entered the warriors den, and didn't come back out. The only two to remain we Featherleaf and Snowfeather.
Snowfeather nudged Fatherleaf away. "See you soon, Twistedp—," she paused. "Twist." The two disappeared into the medicine den.
Twist was in utter shock. Now what? Was she allowed to go into any of the dens? Would someone come guard her or something?
She sat, confused, when her gaze caught two cats. A black and white tom and a brown tabby she-cat.
Her parents.
She went to them, slowly, doing her best not to limp. She realized that they had been watching the entire time. "Runningshine. Swiftbolt."
Swiftbolt frowned at her. "Why are you here, Twistedpaw?"
"My name is Twist," she corrected warily. "And I'm here because this is where I
belong."
Runningshine looked at her paws. Swiftbolt huffed. "No you don't."
Twist was unnerved. She had been through too much to be hurt by a sharp remark. "And since when do you get to decide?"
He licked a single black paw. "I'm your father, so you have to listen to me."
Twist felt ready to shred his ears, but instead threw back her own remark. "And I'm more mature than you are, so you have to listen to me."
He paused, looking at her with shocked green eyes.
Runningshine looked up, her two yellow eyes glowing with surprise.
Twist grinned inwardly, feeling satisfaction at their defeat. That cold feeling crept up on her again. She licked her fangs. "Now show your daughter some respect." She flicked her tail, then turned around, and walked away.
Stretching as she made it to the Tallrock in the center of camp, she heard a voice.
"Twist."
She turned around. Nobody was there.
"Twist."
"What?" she replied to the voice.
"Go outside. I must speak with you."
Twist huffed, doing as she was told, and passing through the entrance.
Outside, she looked around in confusion. "Hello?"
"Twist."
"What is it?"
"Twist!" A cat appeared behind her.
"Ah!" She jumped and spun around. "Phantomstep!"
Phantomstep grunted.
"Don't scare me like that!" She licked her shoulder in embarrassment.
He began to pace, ignoring her demand. "Now, to do as I instructed."
Twist watched him, sitting down. "What do you—,"
He cut her off. "Shh! They can't hear me, but they can hear you." He stopped. "Come." Phantomstep headed for the ThunderClan border. With a sigh, Twist followed.
When they made it to the stream that marked the border between WindClan and ThunderClan, he again began to pace. Twist blinked. "What are you trying to figure out?" she asked the Dark Forest warrior.
Phantomstep shook out his pelt. "We must avenge the wrongs that scarred you," he declared.
Twist was confused. "How?"
Phantomstep gave a devious grin. "You'll see."
She shuffled her paws. "All I need to do is convince them that I'm a worthy warrior, and I'll be one of them, like I want to be—,"
"Forget that!" he hissed. "We must first exterminate those who hurt you."
"Exterminate?" Twist echoed. "You mean, get rid of them?"
He laughed. "What else does exterminate mean?"
Twist gaped. Phantomstep grinned even wider. "We begin soon." With that, he vanished into a cloud of black dust, and then completely disappeared.
She gulped, and headed back.
Passing through the heather entrance, wary eyes scored her pelt. She suppressed a growl of utter frustration. Idiots.
She halted at the warriors den, then began to go inside, when a cat jumped out at her. It was a gray tom with a white blaze down his face. He bared his teeth, trying to look intimidating.
"What is it, Stormfang?" Twist asked, unfazed.
To her amusement, he looked somewhat disappointed at the fact that he could no longer scare her. He hissed louder. "You didn't finish your apprenticeship!" he spat. "You're not welcome in the warriors den!"
Twist stretched, shaking off some of the spit thrown on her by Stormfang's gnashing jaws. "But, I basically did finish all my training by being out in the elements. I learned how to hunt, how to fight, and how to survive."
He growled even louder, trying with all his might to terrify her. "Go away!"
"Make me," she replied, her face straight.
With a yowl, he jumped at her. Twist raised a brow, and sidestepped. Stormfang crashed into the ground face-first. "Agh!"
She leaned down and whispered, "Just like when we were kits, eh, brother?"
He growled, struggling to his paws. "Where'd you learn that? It's a Clan move!"
She huffed. "Loners aren't idiots." She threw a glance at the fresh-kill pile. "It's not special to be able to sidestep."
Once to his paws, he flattened his ears. "But I should have an edge! I'm the one who got extensive warrior training, and you've lived as a rogue for the past few moons!"
Twist licked a paw and drew it over her ear. "And I found a group of cats who also work in training."
Stormfang showcased a gaping frown. "Then why'd you leave?" He turned his head away as though disgusted. "You were better off there."
At this, Twist dug her claws into the dirt. She saw Stormfang suppress a look of fear. She looked at her paws. "I didn't."
He looked back at her. "So you're going back soon?"
"No," she hissed. "I was banished."
The tom blinked. Then, after a while, he laughed. "Again?" He shook his head of the laughter. "What'd you do? Act too worthless?" He shot a look at her twisted paw.
She wondered what to say. How could she explain how she was banished? Then, she grinned, coming up with a terrifying lie. "I killed someone."
Stormfang froze, his eyes round with horror. He took a cautious step away. "You what?"
She sniffed. "He deserved it. He insulted my paw too much."
Her brother's eyes flashed with terror. Twist knew that he was remembering how many times he had made fun of her paw. "That's terrible! How could you kill him?"
Twist sat, and pondered whether to tell the truth. Then she chuckled. "I'm kidding, Stormfang."
He growled. "That wasn't funny!"
"Was all the times you told jokes about my paw 'funny'?"
Stormfang backed away, then asked again. "Then why were you banished?"
Her playful look vanished. "They accused me of a crime I didn't commit."
With that, Stormfang vanished into the den. Twist shrugged, then padded over to the fresh-kill pile. She frowned. All there was were rabbits. She had grown so used to mice and rats that she had basically forgotten what a rabbit tasted like. She nudged her nose through the pile. There had to be at least one piece of fresh-kill that wasn't hare!
"What are you doing?" a voice said from behind. Twist turned to see Haretooth. "Pick a rabbit and shove off!"
She growled, and turned back to her nosing. Suddenly, fangs gripped her scruff and pulled her away. Haretooth revealed himself and grabbed the first rabbit he saw. "Way too picky," he commented. He padded to the warriors den with his kill. Twist sighed, and finally found what she was looking for: a fat, juicy shrew.
Laying down in a patch of dirt, she nibbled on the rodent. All of a sudden, fur brushed her side. She turned to see that Flightstar had accompanied her. He was gnawing on a rabbit.
"So, you've returned," he commented. "Why?"
She tried not to look disappointed. She didn't want to sit next to him! He'd banished her! "I belong here. In WindClan."
"Despite harsh criticism?"
She huffed. "Criticism my tail. I've been through too much to be harmed by stupid remarks anymore." She ripped into her shrew with irritation.
Flightstar turned back to his rabbit. "I saw how Stormfang attacked you." He swallowed a piece of the rabbit. "Where'd you learn to sidestep?"
She groaned. "Anyone can sidestep. It's a novice move."
Flightstar shook his head. "Not unless you practiced."
She raised a brow. "You're saying I never fought an occasional rogue while I was out there?"
"Ah," Flightstar suddenly said. "I see."
Twist stood, finishing off her rabbit. "So, what are you implying?"
Flightstar looked at her. He stood. "Fight me."
Twist blinked. "Why?"
"Do it," the WindClan leader commanded.
Twist shrugged, crouching. She looked into the leader's eyes, still confused. His green gaze shone with wonder. Suddenly, Flightstar jumped at her, and she did the same sidestep that she had done to Stormfang. As he flew past her, she threw a blow at his flank, claws sheathed.
"Impressive," he leapt to his paws. "Let's see how I retaliate!" He made a large circle to her backside, quick as a flash, and jumped on her back.
With a growl, She flipped onto her back, crushing him against the ground. She stood, and before he could get his bearings, pinned him. She swiped her paw down his belly, pretending to tear it open. He beat at her stomach with his hindlegs, and threw her off.
She tumbled, rolling across the dirt. Standing, she was only upright for a half-second before he jumped at her, knocking her down again. She aimed a blow at his face, causing him to shake his head in pain. She took the distraction as a moment to get out of his grip, then knocked him down, and held him by his throat. "Surrender?" she asked.
"You win," he croaked, then stood and brushed himself off. "You've learned much."
She nodded, panting.
"Then my decision is made." Flightstar jumped onto the Tallrock. "May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Tallrock for a Clan meeting!" Twist narrowed her gaze. What was he doing?
"We all know that Twistedpaw was banished near the middle of apprenticehood." The Clan nodded. "Then let the ceremony commence."
Twist's eyes widened.
"Twistedpaw," he paused, "or, as she renamed herself, Twist, has proven capable of the activities of that of an average warrior."
Twist blinked.
"So, I say we welcome her into the Clan with her right of passage." Twist caught sight of Stormfang and Stripetail, both gaping in shock and fury. She smirked.
"Though she has been gone, and has not done her contribution to our Clan, I expect she will with the following ceremony. Her name will bring the honor of responsibility with it, which I hope drives her into the thought that the Clan comes first. Twist, step forward."
Twist was shocked. Her first day back, and she was getting a ceremony? She did as she was told. Her gaze briefly skimming the crowd, she saw someone.
Someone from her past.
Rainfire.
Twist's former mentor stood tall. Twist could see that she longed to slump with guilt, but tried to put on a proud face.
I learned how to hunt and fight without you, Twist suddenly thought. I didn't need you. Stop feeling as though you made me into this cat.
"Twist, do you promise to uphold the warrior code," he paused, and leaned in, looking as though he may topple off of the Tallrock. His gaze narrowed, and his face became serious. "even at the cost of your life?"
Twist almost felt angry. Did he think that she would break the code? "I do." There was a pause, and she used it. "With all my heart and soul."
Cats muttered.
"Then, from this moment forward, you shall be known as…"
Twist gulped. She looked at her siblings. They'd surely shred her after this. Her parents were lost among the crowd, though she was sure that her mother was only looking at the ground while her father scowled disapprovingly. She held her breath. Though she knew what her name would be, she was still excited.
"… Twistedfoot."
The she-cat was surprised at what little she felt. She'd known from the beginning that this would be her name, so it was nothing special. She dipped her head. "I accept this title."
Flightstar leapt down from the Tallrock to set his chin on her forehead. Only so she could hear, he whispered softly, "I know this is difficult, but you must work hard, and earn the loyalty of your Clanmates. Understand?"
Though Twistedfoot's only reply was a sigh, he nodded, and stepped away. A few cats weakly cheered to be traditional, but only Featherleaf and Snowfeather chanted for real. She turned and faced the cats around her. The chants died quickly. She looked in the WindClan cats' eyes, reading their expressions:
"How dare she come back, and suddenly be accepted with her warrior name? She did no work!"
Twistedfoot forced back a growl. Because you never gave me a fair chance.
The new warrior dipped her head, then padded to the entrance to sit vigil.
"Hey!" someone shouted. Twistedfoot turned around. It was Haretooth.
"She shouldn't sit vigil! She just got back! She might let somebody in the camp!" He frowned. "We can't put our trust in her so soon, Flightstar."
The Clan murmured their agreement while Twistedfoot stood, expressionless. Flightstar nodded. "Fair enough. Twistedfoot, you will not be sitting vigil tonight."
Twistedfoot gave a slight nod. She honestly didn't care. It was still morning anyways, not even noon. As the Clan shared a few shocked looks then dispersed, she went and sat by the fresh-kill pile.
A voice whispered in her ear. "We're getting closer."
She huffed, and responded back in her mind. I don't want to be here.
Phantomstep gave a laugh. "You will. You'll see."
WOOO
Now before any of you say it went too fast.
I understand that most people like a story to just get to the good part.
Did y'all really want ten thousand chapters about her journey back? I don't think so.
Anyhoo, sorry I've been so inactive! I took a break from this chapter right at the part where it says, "Twistedfoot forced back a growl. Because you never gave me a fair chance." xD
Well, hope you enjoyed!
See y'all next chappie!
