Hello, and welcome to chapter ten of Lucky! :3 Today is Valentine's Day, and I said on DeviantArt that I would update, so I am! In this chapter, we learn what happened to Firepaw after Blossomfall attempted to drown her! Now, on to the replies~
The Golden Compass: Thank you! And here's your update! ^^
Frostfall37: Lol, it's okay! And thanks! ^^
Leafsplash-Of-ThunderClan: Thank you so much! And yeah, Blossomfall is a bit conflicted because of her experience in the Dark Forest, and it's changed her a lot… I actually really feel bad and angry at her at the same time, although I think she starts getting a bit nicer… not really sure if she will, but I'll see! And I really ship Toadstep and Blossomfall as well, and they really need more fanfics about them ;-; Here's your update, and I hope you like it!
WyldClaw: You'll see :3 And thanks for all of the reviews! ^^
Alright, now on to the chapter!
Chapter Ten
Firepaw stared into churning water as it roughly splashed along in huge waves, sweeping off things on the shore. Her reflection flickered and grew distorted as she continued staring, and suddenly, the dark water splashed at her paws. The ginger apprentice let out a startled yelp as she flew into the water.
Bubbles swarmed around her, seeming to close in on her. Firepaw struggled to get back to the surface, but it seemed like something was pushing down on her. The apprentice flailed, spreading even more bubbles around her. She lost consciousness, sinking down into the water's dark depths.
…
Firepaw was in a forest, running along a dirt path as sunlight streamed her ginger pelt. Her paws suddenly skidded to a halt, kicking up dust. She swung her head around, looking for prey. She spotted a swaying fern plant, rustling every now and then. She lowered herself to her paws, stalking forward. A bird tweeted from inside the ferns, and Firepaw smiled. She leaped, catching the bird within her claws.
The bird squawked in surprise, trying to twist out of her grip, but Firepaw's hold was firm. She pushed the bird down to the ground, digging her silver claws into it. The bird's cries became weaker and weaker until it went limp.
"Great job!" a voice exclaimed.
Firepaw turned to see who praised her, but suddenly a wave of dizziness crashed into her and everything disappeared in a swirl of black.
…
"The fire has been quenched by water!" a loud, distressed voice exclaimed.
A bright white light enveloped Firepaw's vision, blinding her for a moment. When she could open her eyes, she was met with a starlit field. She was surrounded by millions of starry cats all looking up at a tall rock. Firepaw lifted her golden gaze, and saw a blue-gray tabby she-cat sitting on it, seeming a bit transparent as stars lightened her pelt.
"The fire shall never be quenched!" another voice argued. Firepaw searched for the source of the voice, but no cat looked like they had said anything.
Firepaw looked down at her paws and nearly yowled in surprise. Stars glistened around her paws and she could see the grass through them. Was she dead?
"The fire will save the Clans!" another voice announced, and a huge, ginger tabby tom stalked forward, his yellow eyes narrowed. "I've seen the future. Fire will not be quenched!"
Firepaw's ears twitched slightly in annoyance. Why were all the cats talking about this "fire" in a royal sort of way? And why didn't she know who this "fire" was?
Suddenly, one of the cats, a spotted gray tom, turned to her. But his blue eyes didn't have pupils. They just glowed ominously in the dim light.
Firepaw tried to take a step back, but her paws wouldn't move. The tom's blue eyes seemed to be pulling her in, drawing her even closer…
She took a step forward without even realizing it, and another, and another…
Her vision flashed sky blue, swirling around like puffs of clouds. A new wave of dizziness swept along her, but before she lost consciousness, a voice whispered dramatically.
"The fire will blaze through the Clans, leaving a trail of secrets behind. The darkness will rise, and only the light of the crackling fire can stop it…"
…
Firepaw snapped awake. Sunlight streamed through her eyelids, blinding her for a few moments. When she could finally see, the first thing she realized was that the moss under her was soaking wet. And her pelt felt as if it had been licked, but she didn't remember anything of the sort.
What happened?
Suddenly, everything came back to her. The "important place", Blossomfall talking about Toadstep, and how her mentor had pushed her into the lake and held her underwater. A flash of anger swept through her but it was immediately replaced with a small breeze of cold. She coughed, curling her tail around herself in an attempt to warm herself.
As she laid shivering in her nest, her dreams started to fill up her mind. They were all muddled and confusing, but the last one stood out the most.
The fire will blaze through the Clans, leaving a trail of secrets behind. The darkness will rise, and only the light of the crackling fire can stop it…
Why did that phrase seem so familiar? Firepaw wracked her brain for any clues, but couldn't find anything.
Firepaw sat on the water-soaked moss bed, contemplating, so she didn't even notice when Lilypaw came padding in, a bundle of herbs in her jaws. But as soon as the dark brown she-cat noticed her, she let out a meow of surprise, dropping the green plants.
The ginger tabby apprentice jumped, swiveling her head towards the source of noise. When she saw Lilypaw, her eyes widened. "Umm…" she mumbled, not knowing what to say at all.
"You're awake!" the medicine cat apprentice exclaimed, ignoring her awkwardness and rushing towards her. "Jayfeather said you were going to die, but I didn't believe him! Jayfeather, Firepaw's awake!"
The irritated gray tabby tom came lumbering out of a small patch of ferns inside the medicine den. "What do you want?" he asked in annoyance. But he then sniffed the air. His sightless blue eyes widened in surprise, and then turned his head towards Firepaw. "You're awake," he breathed.
"Um, yes," Firepaw meowed, slightly creeped out that Jayfeather knew exactly where she was sitting. Another shiver passed through her fur, reminding her of her chill, and sneezed.
"Oh, you need tansy, don't you!" Lilypaw exclaimed, picking up one of the flowers by her paws. "Here. Luckily, I just brought some from the forest!"
"Great observation, Lilypool," Jayfeather commented, a rare small smile plastered on his face. "Give some to Firepaw and I'll prepare poppy seeds for later."
The dark brown and cream-furred she-cat nodded to him as he disappeared farther into the den. She picked up one of the tansy flowers and then padded towards Firepaw. "You'll need these to relieve your cold," the apprentice meowed.
Firepaw wasn't listening though. "You got your full medicine cat name?" she asked, surprise edging her voice.
"Of course! Weren't you-oh, right." Lilypool looked down at the tansy flower laying at her paws, watching as a small breeze ruffled its petals. She then returned her gaze to Firepaw, her blue eyes void of emotion. "You should probably eat the tansy," she muttered, and then turned away, padding outside of the den.
Firepaw stared after her, confusion clouding her golden gaze. How had she been able to get her medicine cat name? It hadn't been that long… had it?
Deciding to ignore the dilemma for now, she crouched and chewed on a tansy petal. It was sweet on her tongue, calming Firepaw and relaxing her now bushy fur. She swallowed, the small bits of leaf sliding gracefully down her throat. She still shivered occasionally, but most of her cough had gone.
Firepaw wanted to settle down and do nothing all day, exhaustion weighing her down, but then realized her moss was still wet. Probably from when I was dragged out of the water, she thought, but then confusion hit her like a monster. Wait… who did save me?
She struggled to her paws, dizziness sweeping through her before she could even take a step. Firepaw blinked her gold eyes, trying to keep her balance. After a moment, she was finally able to get outside of the medicine den. She flinched at the bright sunlight as it shined down on her, brightening her tabby pelt to a bright fire-like color.
When Firepaw could finally see, she saw cats moving about normally, except for Snowpaw, who kept glancing at the apprentice's den with his usual nervous expression.
Firepaw squinted. Wait...
His usual nervous expression?
Before Firepaw could investigate this even further, a loud yowl of surprise reached her ears. She turned her head to the source and saw Squirrelflight racing towards her, her green eyes wide with relief.
"Firepaw!" she cried, nuzzling her daughter. "I thought you were dead when Blossomfall brought you here!"
"I'm fine, Squirrelflight," the ginger tabby apprentice purred, managing to miss her mother's last words. "I'm sorry to worry you."
The dark ginger deputy pulled away, her green eyes scolding. "What were you doing in the lake, anyway?" Squirrelflight tsked. "You couldn't have just walked by there and fallen in."
Firepaw stared at Squirrelflight seriously, frowning. The apprentice caught her reflection in Squirrelflight's green eyes, noticing her weary and frazzled appearance. Seeing this, Firepaw faltered, her gaze losing her serious look and being replaced by sadness and disappointment. "Squirrelflight, I… I can't tell you. I'm sorry…." she meowed, guilt welling up inside of her.
"You can tell me!" her mother meowed, a demanding tone edging her voice. "I need to know why you were drowning in that lake! Why were you near the lake? Were you even with Blossomfall?"
Firepaw remained silent, staring at the ground. She wouldn't-no, she couldn't-tell Squirrelflight. If Blossomfall found out, it would mean big trouble for her. Maybe nearly drowning her was her warning, of sorts. Who knew what her mentor's real attack would be…?
"Firepaw," Squirrelflight growled, but before she could finish speaking, Bramblestar's loud yowl interrupted her.
"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the High-Rock!"
Cats came out of their respective dens, all of them looking at least a little surprised. In a way, Firepaw was too. What would there need to be a meeting for? Unless something happened while I was unconscious… The tabby apprentice looked around, but no one around her had a look of understanding on their face. ...but I highly doubt it….
Squirrelflight glanced at Firepaw for a moment before padding away into the crowd. The apprentice gazed after her, still silent. Tension was prickling within her pelt, and she dug her claws into the ground in slight frustration.
"Firepaw!" a voice cried out in excitement. The tabby apprentice turned around to spot Dewpaw, running towards her with Snowpaw and Amberpaw in tow. Amberpaw was following behind him at a steady pace, but Firepaw could see the excitement in her gaze. Meanwhile, Snowpaw looked extremely nervous, but he attempted to at least catch up to his littermates.
"Hi Dewpaw!" Firepaw meowed, trying to mask the worry swirling within her about her true fate.
"We were worried about you!" Dewpaw exclaimed, skidding to a halt in front of the younger apprentice. The dark gray apprentice leaned in closer, and as he said his next words, his breath brushed her muzzle. "Snowpaw especially."
Firepaw flinched back, and then glared at Dewpaw as his amber eyes brightened in amusement. "What? Just telling the truth," he purred, just about literally basking in his "victory".
"Whatever," Firepaw scoffed, feeling a small wave of dizziness hit her. But she shook it off as soon as she noticed Amberpaw approaching with Snowpaw trailing behind. "Hey, Amberpaw!" she exclaimed, blatantly ignoring Snowpaw.
Amberpaw just smiled calmly, her gray and white fur sticking out in a few places. Snowpaw stopped next to his sister and gazed at Firepaw, nervousness sparking off of him like electricity. He gave the younger apprentice a small smile… well, tried to anyway. It came out more like a grimace.
A silence persisted for a few moments before Dewpaw spoke up again. "Well, I'm going to sit next to Seedcloud," he meowed, looking distracted. Firepaw followed his gaze and saw the ginger warrior talking to Rosepetal and Mousewhisker. Before the ginger apprentice could question his motives, the dark gray tom had already headed off towards the group.
Amberpaw followed her brother with her deep amber eyes, and then looked at Firepaw. "He's convinced that Seedcloud likes him," she meowed, annoyance lacing her tone. "I might as well go with him to make sure he doesn't make a fool out of himself."
"Alright, bye," Firepaw meowed, mentally making a note of what Dewpaw thought. It could come in handy one day.
When Amberpaw had walked away, the apprentice turned to Snowpaw, seeing that his dark eyes were huge with apprehension. He immediately jumped to his paws once he caught her gaze. "I-I… um, I should leave, shouldn't I? I have places to be, meetings to-"
"Snowpaw, shut up," Firepaw muttered, turning away from the white apprentice. "You can sit here if you want."
"R-really?" Firepaw had no idea why he had stuttered there, but she really didn't want to turn around to find out. "Th-thanks, Firepaw…."
Snowpaw settled beside the she-cat, and by then, all the cats had gathered, clustered around in a huge group. Bramblestar looked around for a moment, and then took a deep breath.
"I'm sure you're all aware of what happened with Firepaw?" the dark tabby leader meowed, his eyes catching his daughter's. He smiled at her, but then frowned, his eyes holding a strange emotion. It was something that Firepaw couldn't see from her distance.
Low murmurs erupted through the Clan, some exchanging looks at Firepaw.
"Well, we have no idea why she was near the lake!" a voice called out. Firepaw recognized it as Toadstep's. "Blossomfall said that she wasn't with her at the time."
Firepaw immediately bristled, trying to spot her mentor's tortoiseshell pelt in the crowd. That's a lie! She finally saw Blossomfall, sitting next to Lionblaze, Cloudtail, and Cherryfeather. She gave her the best glare she could, but her mentor wasn't paying attention. She was eyeing Toadstep.
Firepaw sighed, only bringing her attention back to the meeting when her father spoke again. "Yes, great point, Toadstep." Bramblestar turned his amber gaze to his daughter, looking at her carefully. "Firepaw… tell the Clan why you were by that lake."
Firepaw was speechless. First, she was terrible at proving a point when there were a lot of cats around. And second, she couldn't just tell the truth! She turned to Blossomfall, and saw that she was looking at her pensively, although she managed to look angry at the same time. Firepaw gulped, remembering what she had told her a few moons ago. She couldn't tell the truth. Not at all. She dug her claws into the ground, her thoughts flashing back to her near-drowning experience.
Firepaw swallowed nervously, digging her claws deeper into the dirt. While she couldn't tell the truth, she couldn't make up a lie on the spot either. "I-I… umm…" she stuttered.
"What's wrong?" yelled an irritated voice, and the apprentice recognized it as Spiderleg. The black and brown tom looked angry, his fur bristling and his tail lashing. "Out with it, already!"
"I agree!" Thornclaw yowled. "She's going to have us here all day if she takes this long!"
Mumbles spread through the Clan like wildfire, but this only succeeded to make Firepaw more nervous. She looked down at the ground, her gold gaze dim.
"Hey, don't let them get to you," Snowpaw whispered before sending an angry look at Spiderleg and Thornclaw. "Leave her alone!" he hissed. "She can't talk if you're yelling at her!"
Firepaw blinked, shocked. Snowpaw never stood up to anyone. Maybe he wasn't back to normal yet…
"Oh yeah, apprentice? You can't tell me what to do!" Spiderleg retorted.
Snowpaw's fur bristled, and his dark eyes flashed with so much anger that a fox would've backed away from him. Firepaw could only watch with wide eyes. It was as if a brave cat suddenly got sucked into his body! "You're one to talk, Spiderpaw!" he sneered.
"Why I oughta-"
"Stop!" Bramblestar yowled, interrupting Spiderleg's words. "Spiderleg, you're a warrior! Show something good to the apprentices, not a fight! And Snowpaw," the dark brown tabby leader turned towards the now confused apprentice, "you and Spiderleg will both be checking the elders for ticks for a moon!"
"H-Huh?" Snowpaw stammered, his eyes huge. "B-But I didn't-"
"Anyway," Bramblestar interrupted, "Firepaw, tell the Clan what happened."
Firepaw took another deep breath. "Alright…" After thinking for a few moments, she decided she would just jump straight to the point instead of making up some insane story. "I was walking by the lake when a huge gust of wind blew me into the water."
The Clan was silent for a moment. Blossomfall glared at Firepaw, as if daring her to change what she had said. After the silence, Molewhisker spoke up. "Is that all?"
Firepaw nodded, trying to seem serious. "Yes."
Another moment of silence ensued, before Molewhisker burst out laughing. "W-Wow!" he sputtered, breathing heavily and trying to control his laughter. "I had no idea you were that clumsy!"
"I-It wasn't clumsy!" Firepaw shot back, embarrassment washing over her. "The wind caught me off guard!"
Molewhisker only laughed harder.
When the laughter finally ceased, Bramblestar spoke up again. "Well, I suppose leaf-fall is coming in a few moons…. For now, do not stray too close to the lake." He stood up straighter. "Spiderleg and Snowpaw, remember your punishments, and meeting dismissed!" He headed back into his den.
Snowpaw was still distraught at the whole situation. "F-Firepaw, what did I do?" he asked, seeing Spiderleg approach him.
"That's what you get for causing an argument," Firepaw muttered, whisking her tail.
"Come on, apprentice!" Spiderleg growled when he was in front of Snowpaw. He shoved him with his shoulder angrily. "Let's go."
Snowpaw looked at Firepaw nervously before following the black warrior to the medicine cat's den to get mouse-bile.
Firepaw couldn't help but ponder about Snowpaw's seemingly new personality. He was shy and nervous one moment, and then brave and angry the next. And he seemed to forget ever being angry about anything when he was shy again. The only positive thing about that was that he was now somewhat not bothering her anymore. But….
She watched as Snowpaw and Spiderleg exited the medicine den with the mouse-bile. Snowpaw seemed out of it and Spiderleg looked as if he would kill someone at any moment.
Maybe this change wasn't good at all.
I think this chapter is insanely long now so I'll end it here…. I was going to do a Valentine's Day special but I got lazy at the last minute :( So, I guess this is all I'll give you. At least the chapter's really long (I think so, I didn't count the words xD).
Anyways, how'd you like this chapter? Good, bad, okay, weird? Tell me in a review! :3
~Orangeflight of ShadowClan