Hello, and welcome to another chapter of Lucky! :3
I'm gonna welcome two guests to this chapter: Snowwhisper and Timberpaw! ...But they're only here to help answer Sapphire's review xD
...I don't really have much else to say, so let me get straight over to the review replies!
Lightningstar-of-NightClan: Huh, you got one of the QOTD's right! :D ...I'm not saying which one though, sorry xD And Snowwhisper, this next one's for you!
Snowwhisper: Well, I just want to help ;A; Mapleshade told me all about the future, and it doesn't seem nice, so I'll do the best I can to change it.
Timberpaw: And this next one's for me, right? :) Well, Nightpaw's been recovering faster lately, so he's doing fine! :P Hehe, thanks for asking. I'm glad you like him!
Leafy: Yeah, I love Foxleap too! :D And the dark brown tom actually doesn't have anything to do with the Dark Forest, I don't think xD He's just some rude rogue… as of now :0 As for Part 2, we'll see…
And yes, Snowwhisper wasn't there at all xD That was something Mapleshade told him… and thank you! :D
Oh, Timberpaw asks Firepaw to meet with him in this chapter xD You're really perceptive tbh ~ And, about Qatil, yes, he's going to show up again :0
WyldClaw: I recommend reading the rest of the chapters for the Snowpaw question! And for Timberpaw liking Firepaw like that, you'll have to read this chapter :)
Well, that's it for the review replies! So, without further ado, here we go! Chapter 17!
Chapter Seventeen
Firepaw's eyes widened, and she took an involuntary step back. Murderers?
Whispers spread through the clearing, and angry murmurs drifted from ThunderClan and ShadowClan. Firepaw glanced over at Timberpaw, but he was gazing at the ground thoughtfully, not paying attention to anything. She frowned, but before she could meow about anything to him, Bramblestar's hiss brought her back to attention.
"Excuse me?" the dark brown tabby asked, gazing at Rowanstar pointedly.
"You heard right," the dark ginger tom hissed back, his fur bristling. "Your Clan is full of murderers, Bramblestar—and I bet you're the one who told them to kill those cats, too!"
Firepaw's father's eyes narrowed. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by Mistystar stepping forward. "Wait," she meowed, glancing at Bramblestar. Then she slowly turned to Rowanstar, who was glaring at her. "Please explain."
"Gladly," Rowanstar growled, lashing his tail. "Scorchfur woke me up one day to tell me that Tigerheart and Ratscar were dead."
Shocked murmurs spread through the clearing, but the ShadowClan leader silenced them with a single flick of his tail. "There's more," he meowed irritably. "There was ThunderClan scent all over them!"
The ShadowClan cats looked confused for a moment, before scowling and throwing accusing glares at the ThunderClan cats. They just hissed back at them, their pelts bristling. Firepaw flattened her ears, switching her gaze between the two Clans. There was no way someone in her Clan murdered Tigerheart and Ratscar… right?
Bramblestar curled his lip. "Okay, let me humor you Rowanstar. Even if one us did kill them, wouldn't they have to be on our territory? I'm sure you'd notice if we snuck into your camp."
The ginger leader snarled at him. "It was still obvious that ThunderClan killed them. Your scent was all over them! I don't know how."
"Is there any evidence?" Mistystar asked, twitching her whiskers.
"Of course," Rowanstar scoffed. "I would've brought their bodies, but that's too far-fetched. So I brought the scraps of fur I found in-between their claws." He looked down at his dark gray deputy, and added, "Scorchfur, show them the evidence."
Scorchfur looked around for a moment, and then spotted what he was looking for. He picked something up between his teeth, and then jumped up to a higher branch where all the leaders and deputies could see. He placed the object down, and Firepaw's eyes widened.
The evidence was a scrap of pure white fur.
She glanced at Timberpaw again, and saw him glaring at something. Firepaw followed his gaze and saw Snowwhisper, his fur ruffled in discomfort. There was something akin to fear in his dark amber gaze, and the ginger tabby she-cat frowned in concern. What's wrong with him?
"Whoever has white fur did it," Rowanstar meowed smugly, smirking at Bramblestar. The dark brown tabby retaliated with an amber glare.
"There are quite a few cats who have white fur in ThunderClan, no?" Onestar interfered, his tail twitching in the breeze. "I don't know how you could narrow it down."
"It doesn't matter," the ginger tom meowed. "Then all the white cats in ThunderClan are suspects."
"What?" Firepaw heard Amberheart's angry hiss. "That isn't fair!"
"No cats in my Clan had a motive," Bramblestar growled, his neck fur bristling. "Even if you claim that ThunderClan murdered Tigerheart and Ratscar, that doesn't deem it true."
Rowanstar stepped forward, his claws sliding out dangerously. "You're just hiding the murderer," he snarled.
"What makes you so sure?" Bramblestar hissed, stepping forward as well.
Tension stirred in the air, and the ThunderClan and ShadowClan cats started to bristle, hissing at each other. The other Clans shied away from them, but their fur was sticking up in hostility. Firepaw just watched with wide eyes at the scene unfolding in front of her. This was all wrong—this was supposed to be a time of peace!
Just as Rowanstar looked as if he was about to lunge at Bramblestar, Mistystar stepped in. "Stop! StarClan is angry!"
Sure enough, when Firepaw looked up at the full moon, there were dark clouds covering the moon. She shivered at how ominous they looked.
"This Gathering is over," Mistystar continued, glaring at Bramblestar and Rowanstar. "Bramblestar can say his report at the next Gathering."
Rowanstar's eyes widened in disbelief, but then he grumbled in slight annoyance. With a flick of his tail, he jumped off of the Gathering Tree, the rest of ShadowClan starting to follow. But Timberpaw didn't move, instead turning his gaze to Firepaw.
"Why aren't you going with them?" the ginger tabby she-cat asked, watching as the ShadowClan cats moved swiftly in the background. "You're going to get left behind if you don't go."
"I'd say the same for you," Timberpaw replied. Firepaw blinked, just now realizing that the other Clans were leaving the island as well. But before she could reply, the gray tabby and white tom continued on. "But, I just wanted to ask you something."
"Oh… what is it?" the tabby apprentice asked, looking at him curiously.
"Do you… wanna meet with me tomorrow night?" he asked, suddenly looking embarrassed. He shuffled his white paws, and his whiskers twitched anxiously.
"Meet with you?" Firepaw asked in surprise, her golden eyes wide. Why does he want to meet with me? ...Does he...
"I know our Clans aren't really on good terms right now," Timberpaw meowed, still looking flustered. "But… um… I just…"
The ginger tabby stared at him for a moment longer, before smiling at him. She pressed her nose against his before pulling away, blinking fondly at him. "Sure, I'll meet with you," she purred.
Timberpaw's green eyes widened. "W-What? Really?!" His eyes started to sparkle with an excited light. "Wow! Thanks so much Firepaw!"
"Of course," Firepaw meowed happily. "Tomorrow night?"
The gray tabby and white ShadowClan apprentice nodded swiftly, smiling brightly at her. "Yep!" He bounced on his paws for a moment before meowing, "Well, I have to go, but I'll see you tomorrow," he purred. With that, Timberpaw dashed off.
Firepaw felt a warm feeling spread through her as she watched him run back to his Clan. But there was something else, an odd sense of foreboding that just wouldn't go away. The tabby shook it off, masking her thoughts with a smile. I have to think of the good things—I'm meeting with Timberpaw!
With that thought, Firepaw padded after her Clanmates, that smile still on her face.
"What were you so worried about earlier?"
Snowwhisper turned around quickly, his dark amber eyes wide with fear. But he calmed down when he realized it was just Firepaw. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice jumpy.
"At the Gathering," Firepaw meowed, flattening her ears in irritation. "You seemed scared when Rowanstar announced that Tigerheart and Ratscar were dead."
"Can't we talk about this tomorrow?" Snowwhisper asked, nervously avoiding the problem. He stepped towards the warriors den, his tail twitching. "I'm tired."
The ginger tabby she-cat glowered at him, narrowing her eyes. The white warrior twitched under her gaze every so often, and he seemed even more nervous than usual. Firepaw frowned. Something's going on here… but what is it?
"R-Right, so… see you tomorrow!" Snowwhisper sped off.
...Is it just me, or was he in a hurry to avoid any questions?
Maybe Snowwhisper had something to do with Tigerheart and Ratscar's deaths. But… how? He couldn't possibly have killed them. He's too loyal for that. ...Right?
Shaking off her thoughts, Firepaw opened her jaws to let out a yawn. Well, the Gathering does make you tired…. She padded off towards the apprentices den, settling into the single nest in the whole den.
But just before she drifted off into sleep, she suddenly jolted awake, her golden eyes wide. Wait a second! Snowwhisper—he's the deputy of the Dark Forest!
How could she possibly have forgotten? He had to know what happened to Tigerheart and Ratscar! There's no way he's fooling her—Snowwhisper either knows the murderer, or is the murderer.
Firepaw swallowed nervously, going with the former. Snowwhisper would never murder anyone.
With those thoughts, the ginger tabby rested her head in her nest again, falling into a soft, dreamy slumber.
Firepaw opened her eyes, and was startled to see a field in front of her. She looked around, seeing stars dancing on the tips of the grass. She had to admit it was pretty… but where was she?
"StarClan, again," a voice behind her meowed, and she whipped around. Firepaw's eyes widened at who it was, and her tail twitched happily.
"Dewpaw!" she exclaimed, pressing her nose against his.
The dark gray apprentice purred happily, blinking at her fondly. "Hi, Firepaw," he responded.
The ginger tabby pulled back, her eyes filled with wonder. "What am I doing here?" she asked. She took a quick glance at her pelt. "I'm not dead, am I?"
Dewpaw looked like he had choked on a laugh, before giving her a small smile. "No, of course not," he meowed. "This is a dream. You've been here before, y'know."
"I know," Firepaw responded, puffing in slight annoyance. "I just thought something would be different this time." She paused for a moment, staring at the stars dancing in Dewpaw's dark gray pelt before she added, "Well, what is it?"
"Oh, right." Dewpaw looked around the field for a moment. "Nightpaw was here… he said he had to tell you something, but he seems to have run off." Firepaw blinked in confusion, but before she could say anything, the dark gray StarClan cat continued. "But I had to tell you something too, and I couldn't have Nightpaw around, so it was sort of a win-win."
"...Okay," the ginger tabby meowed carefully, looking at him quizzically. "So what do you want to tell me?"
Dewpaw stood still for a moment, before taking a deep breath. The stars in his fur seemed to brighten, and he twitched his whiskers. "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 froze, her golden eyes wide.
"Don't you see, Firepaw? The fire in the prophecy—that's you!"
"M-Me?" the ginger tabby stuttered, taking a step back. "In… a prophecy?"
Dewpaw stepped forward. "Yes, you! Firepaw, you're destined to save the Clans."
"How could I possibly save anything?" Firepaw cried, startling the dark gray tom. "Tell me Dewpaw, how could I? I couldn't even save you!"
"My death… wasn't your fault," Dewpaw meowed quietly. "Oh, Firepaw… did you think it was? It was my fault, and mine alone."
"But I feel like it was," the ginger tabby murmured, her eyes stinging.
"Don't," the dark gray tom breathed, pressing his nose against her's. "Don't ever. It wasn't your fault, and it never will be."
Firepaw sighed, pulling away from Dewpaw and looking down at her paws. She was still upset about that day. There's no way she could forget something like that….
"But Firepaw, there's a difference between my death and saving the Clans," Dewpaw meowed softly. "My death wasn't destiny. Saving the Clans is destiny. And only you can do it."
The ginger tabby's breath caught in her throat, and she could only stare at her dark gray friend. Is… is it true? Can I really save the Clans?
She took a deep breath, and then meowed something that would seal her fate. "...Okay Dewpaw. I believe you…. I'll save the Clans."
The dark gray tom's eyes sparkled, but before he could voice his gratitude, a voice interrupted him.
"Firepaw! There you are!"
The two cats turned around to see Nightpaw running towards them, still carrying those herbs. Except this time, they were tucked under his chin. The black and white medicine cat apprentice skidded to a halt, hastily dropping the herbs and flashing Firepaw his best smile.
"Hi Nightpaw," the tabby she-cat meowed, her expression curious. "Dewpaw said you had to tell me something… what is it?"
"Oh!" Nightpaw's dark green eyes sparkled. "I heard about you and Timberpaw meeting tomorrow. I just wanted to tell you congratulations!"
Firepaw flattened her ears in embarrassment, while Dewpaw looked at her curiously. "Yeah… thank you," she purred softly.
"No problem," Nightpaw chirped, blinking at her. "Now, you'd better be careful with my brother, okay? And make sure Thrushpaw doesn't ever find out, she'd throw a fit." He snickered. "She's so attached to the warrior code."
"I thought Firepaw was, too," Dewpaw muttered under his breath, making the ginger tabby flinch slightly.
Nightpaw didn't seem to hear. "Well, goodbye and good luck!" The black and white tom picked up the herbs—in his mouth this time, Firepaw noted—and then sped off.
"...What does he carry around herbs for, anyway?" Dewpaw asked, watching him leave. "It's not as if he can bring them back to ShadowClan when he wakes up."
Firepaw shrugged, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. She glanced at the dark gray tom and saw his eyes narrow slightly. The tabby she-cat looked away, shuffling her paws on the starry grass.
"I should probably get going," she meowed softly. "It's about sun-high now, right?"
Dewpaw frowned slightly. "Actually, it's dawn," he corrected. "But I could send you back to another dream."
"Yeah," Firepaw mumbled. She paused for a moment, before adding, "Dewpaw, I promise I'll save the Clans."
That got the dark gray tom's attention. He smiled brightly at her, and then purred, "Thank you. Now, I'll see you later."
With that, the image in front of Firepaw grew distorted, and then it all faded away into darkness.
End of Part One
… This is one of the shorter chapters, but it has enough information for people to talk about, I suppose xD The next chapter is where things start building up… well, Part Two :0
I still don't have anything to say xD So, that's the end of Part One, and the end of chapter 17! I hope you liked it!
;; Orangeflight of ShadowClan