Hello, and welcome to the next chapter of Part Two c: I was going to upload it yesterday, when the sp00ky vibes were at their strongest, but oh well. I can deal with the day after Halloween. :)
This chapter introduces another new form of section—an italics part that has characters by name. If you see this happen along with the italics part with no character names mentioned, salsa's about to get real. ;)
Well, I have nothing else to add, so let's get to the review replies!
Lightningstar-of-NightClan: Oh, they were. :) And yeah, I won't reveal where those three went just yet c: I have to wait for the perfect moment, hehe…
Thanks! And Timberpaw isn't particularly evil, just really mean, as shown in this chapter. xD So that crazy idea can be thrown out the window…. Although, that does make for a nice AU idea. ;)
WyldClaw: We'll see!
Leafy: Hehe, I won't quite reveal where those three went and why yet. c: I'm hoping to build up some sort of suspense…. But I have no idea how. I hope I'll find out soon. xD
Yeah, I also feel bad for poor Seedcloud. :( About her finding a mate, we'll see. Anyways, thank you so much! -heart- I hope you like this chapter. c:
Lunastar of InfinityClan: Thank you! And Qatil/Firepaw? ...I won't judge, but they have a bit of an age gap. Not to mention Qatil is positively evil. xD Here's the meeting of Timberpaw and Firepaw! ...Although, the ship sank faster than the Titanic.
Well, that's it for the review replies! So without further ado, here it is! Chapter nineteen~!
Chapter Nineteen
"Ready?" Timberpaw turned towards the source of the noise, seeing Nightpaw staring at him expectantly. Herbs lay at his paws, as usual, and his dark green eyes sparkled in the darkness.
"Of course," the silver tabby and white tom scoffed, twitching his whiskers. He glanced around the apprentices den for a moment until he spotted Thrushpaw, watching them with narrowed blue eyes.
"You aren't doing the right thing," his sister meowed once his green gaze landed on her. The gray tabby and white-blotched she-cat slinked over, her tail twitching. "Did you once think about your future? You could get exiled for something like this!"
"Oh please," Timberpaw hissed back, his fur bristling slightly. "We've all listened to the forbidden love stories—are you forgetting Leafpool and Crowfeather?"
Thrushpaw frowned in disappointment. "This isn't about what you'll say to Firepaw," she murmured, although her tone of voice implied that that was exactly what she meant. "I mean, what if someone finds out that—"
"No one will find out," the gray tabby and white tom assured her, brushing his tail along her side for a moment. "It's our secret." Suddenly, he let out a snicker. "And Firepaw's, of course."
Nightpaw laughed along with him, filling the apprentices den with a chilled feeling. Thrushpaw backed away from them, her claws sliding out slightly. "Go, then," she snapped. "Go do whatever crazy scheme you're doing. And when you realize what you've done, then you'll never be forgiven."
Timberpaw just flicked his tail dismissively, walking out of the den with his head held high.
.
..
...
A gray tabby head poked out of the bushes almost immediately. Firepaw's eyes brightened as Timberpaw walked into the clearing, shaking red and orange leaves from his pelt. "Hi!" the ginger tabby purred.
The gray and white tabby tom looked at her excitedly, his green eyes sparkling in the light of the moon. "You came!" he exclaimed.
"Of course," Firepaw meowed, her tail-tip twitching happily. "Why wouldn't I?"
Timberpaw blinked, giving her a (very charming, Firepaw thought absentmindedly) smile. "Well, I suppose you have nothing else to do. Your life as leader's daughter doesn't sound that interesting," the gray and white tabby meowed teasingly.
Firepaw shoved his shoulder playfully, and the tabby tom burst into a fit of laughter. The ginger tabby puffed, but she had to smile slightly at Timberpaw's comment.
After the moment passed, Firepaw suddenly found herself confused. Wait... There has to be a reason Timberpaw asked me to come here, right? The ThunderClan apprentice opened her mouth to ask, but the words died in her throat once she met the gray tabby's dazzling green gaze.
"I have to show you something!" Timberpaw meowed excitedly, bouncing on his paws. The tabby tom started to walk off, his tail twitching excitedly for Firepaw to follow.
Oh, well that answers that question, Firepaw thought, marveling at the timing. She shook her pelt and then padded after him, wondering what he would show her.
The ginger tabby apprentice spotted Timberpaw sitting in another clearing. Fireflies danced around him, and flowers lit up in the glow. Firepaw stared, her eyes wide in amazement, but then shook her head quickly. She padded closer to him, and then realized he was sitting in front of a tree.
"This is a special tree," Timberpaw meowed, not moving his gaze. He stared at the tree for a moment longer before turning to Firepaw, an excited look in his eyes. "A very special tree."
The ginger tabby apprentice looked up at the tree curiously. The gray bark had been burnt off, and scorch marks decorated the bare tree. Firepaw gazed at the sharp, and probably prickly branches, which looked as if they could snap in the slightest breeze. Overall, she didn't see anything particularly significant about it.
"It doesn't look special," the ginger tabby meowed.
If anything, Firepaw's confusion only made Timberpaw more excited. "Legend says that last leaf-bare, before we were born, there was a powerful storm," the gray tabby and white tom exclaimed. "And in that storm, lightning struck this tree!"
"That sounds cool, but how does that make this tree special?" Firepaw asked, gazing at the scorched tree once again. She nearly shivered when a breeze swept through the weak, sharp branches.
"This tree burst into fire... The gray bark, the timber, was burnt off... and now this tree stands before us. Firepaw, don't you see?"
The tabby she-cat stared at him, her paws quivering slightly.
"This is our tree!" Timberpaw finished, his eyes glittering in the moonlight. "The fire burnt off the timber... It's almost like a prophecy, just for us!"
But this can't be a prophecy! Firepaw thought in slight panic, staring at the blackened tree in front of her. It can't be! I'm already in one!
"Isn't that cool?" The gray and white tabby tom leaned forward, a smile gracing his features. "It's almost as if we're being told we're destined to be together."
"I-I... guess so," Firepaw managed to stammer out, still not taking all of this in. This isn't a prophecy... It can't be...
Timberpaw stepped forward, pressing his nose against her's. Firepaw flinched, but she didn't pull away, instead staring deeply into his emerald eyes. The moonlight made specks of silver appear in them, and they glittered beautifully. Her breath caught in her throat.
"Firepaw, I have something to tell you," the gray tabby and white tom whispered.
The ginger tabby apprentice breathed in his scent, recognizing it as a sort of pine-like smell. "Yes?" she murmured, trying to keep from stuttering.
"I..." Suddenly, Timberpaw pulled back. His bright emerald eyes were dark, and his tail lashed behind him. He showed his teeth and growled, "...don't like you, at all."
Firepaw stared at him, her eyes wide. ...What?
The gray and white tabby tom stared at her, an annoyed look crossing his face. "I don't like you," he repeated, narrowing his eyes.
"What? But—"
Suddenly, there was a rustling above their heads. Firepaw looked up and saw an owl with its claws extended, staring at her quietly. The ginger tabby she-cat blinked at it, feeling a sudden chill.
Timberpaw smirked, flashing his teeth in the moonlight. "I've always disliked you—ThunderClan, I mean. I know Snowwhisper murdered Tigerheart and Ratscar. Your dumb kittypet friends can't hide it forever," the tabby tom hissed.
Firepaw recoiled, her golden eyes as wide as moons. "Snowwhisper? He didn't murder anyone! I'm sure he knows who did, but—"
"Did you see the evidence Scorchfur brought up?" Timberpaw interrupted, narrowing his eyes. "Did you see the way Snowwhisper reacted? How is it not obvious?"
Firepaw fell silent for a moment. He was right…. Snowwhisper had acted rather oddly after that was mentioned at the Gathering. And he dodged so many of my questions, too…. Maybe he….
"Even you see," the gray and white tabby meowed, narrowing his eyes. "He's a murderer, Firepaw. You should tell Bramblestar—he deserves to be exiled."
In that second, the tabby apprentice furiously shook away her misgivings about Snowwhisper. "He didn't murder anyone!" she hissed. "He's the most loyal warrior I know! If someone deserves to be exiled, it should be you!"
Timberpaw flashed his teeth, snarling. "This whole entire thing was just a dare," he growled. "I didn't want to come here. But no, Nightpaw asked me to do this whole facade. If anything, you should be exiled for coming here."
"You fox-hearted—" Suddenly Firepaw faltered, the weight of Timberpaw's words finally reaching her. A sinking feeling settled in the pit of her belly, and she stared into the tabby tom's eyes, hoping to find a trace of his usual joking attitude. But when there was none, she took a step back, her eyes widening. "You… you're serious…?"
"Of course, you thought I was joking?" Timberpaw scoffed.
"But… but Nightpaw said—"
"Nightpaw was just playing along," the gray tabby interrupted, lashing his tail in annoyance. "I didn't really want to see you. It was all part of a dare, like I said before. He wanted to see if I could get a she-cat from a different Clan to fall in love with me—and it worked, didn't it?"
Firepaw stared at him, taking another horrified step back. Suddenly, a loud screeching filled the air, and she jumped. The owl from before was glaring down at her, its round yellow eyes glistening in the moonlight. It shook its feathers, extending its claws menacingly.
Timberpaw smirked, his evergreen eyes glowing. "I can't believe you were so gullible, Firepaw. I thought you had potential, but I guess not." He looked genuinely disappointed for a moment before he continued. "Unfortunately for you, you've fallen into my trap."
"Your trap? What are you—"
Suddenly, the owl screeched again, and then jumped off of its perch. Firepaw's eyes widened in horror, realizing that the owl was heading straight for her, talons outstretched.
She took off at a run, watching as the pine trees became a blur around her and slowly turned into oak trees. But the owl was still right behind her, screeching and throwing its talons closer. They slashed her shoulders, and Firepaw let out a hiss of pain, gritting her teeth. She forced herself to run faster, trying her best to get back to camp.
Suddenly, the owl screeched in triumph. Firepaw let out a gasp, a sharp pain exploding in her back. She stumbled, falling to the ground.
The owl was ruthless, not even holding back as it dug its sharp claws into her back. It ignored Firepaw's screeches of pain, and so did Timberpaw, wherever he was. . . .
But in a flash, the pain disappeared. The owl's angry screeches dimmed in the background, and a soft, cold wind replaced it, stirring up leaves in its wake. Slowly, the hush of the forest was the only thing she could hear.
With the last of her strength, Firepaw lifted her head. She opened her mouth in surprise, seeing the owl hunched over in a pool of its own blood, twitching erratically. Standing above it, carefully licking blood off of his paw, was a black and white cat. After a moment, she realized he was the same black and white loner from before. What is he doing here?
The loner looked down at her, his stormy blue eyes narrowed. "That owl was pesky, all right," he scoffed, his personality seeming vastly different than before. "You shouldn't have ran from it. They get angrier when you run."
"I… didn't know…." Firepaw whispered softly, pain pulsing through her. "I-I…"
"Oh, don't talk!" the black and white loner exclaimed, rushing over. He settled down next to her, staring deep into her golden eyes. "I don't want you to lose your energy."
Firepaw blinked, looking away. She glanced at her legs, feeling numb as she saw blood drip onto the ground. She couldn't believe Timberpaw had tricked her like that...! She tried to hold back letting out a meow of sadness.
She felt the black and white tom's gaze on her, but she ignored it until he meowed, "...I remember you. Your name's Firepaw, isn't it?"
She turned in confusion, meeting the loner's eyes again.
"Yeah, it has to be! Your… your mentor, Blossomfall? I'm the one who stopped her from drowning you!" The black and white loner's eyes brightened. "I'm glad to see you in one piece! I mean…" He paused, looking at her back. "I guess."
Firepaw would have commented something about the last line if she hadn't been stunned into silence. Well, it wasn't as if she had been talking anyway. He's the one who saved me from drowning? ...It finally makes sense! I knew there was no way it was Blossomfall who rescued me.
The black and white loner stared at her for a moment longer before he suddenly gasped. "Oh! I forgot to introduce myself!" He straightened himself up, ruffling his fur to make himself seem imposing. "My name's Hurricane, brother of D—" Suddenly he stopped, his posture losing its regal look. "I-I mean… my name's Hurricane," he meowed quickly.
Hurricane? Firepaw looked at the loner, and noted his stormy blue eyes. It fits.
Hurricane sighed, settling back down again. "But I guess I should be focusing on healing your wounds, right? ...You wouldn't happen to have a fancy-named cat who's good with medicine, would you?"
Fancy-named cat? Firepaw inwardly snorted, but she nodded in confirmation on the outside. Jayfeather and Lilypool know how to heal better than Hurricane ever could.
But thinking about the medicine cats made her back start to pulse in pain again, and she suddenly became more self-aware of the amount of blood she was losing. Dizziness swept over her like a wave.
Hurricane blinked cheerfully. "Great! So, I can go get them and bring them back here. No offense, but you'd probably slow me down if you came with me. And I doubt another owl will attack."
Firepaw blinked at him, her vision swirling in colors. The grass blurred with the dark night sky, and all she could see was red. . . .
The black and white loner's eyes glinted in worry, and he spoke more quickly. "I know where your camp is, and…! Oh, whatever, Firepaw, stay awake please!" With that, Hurricane sprinted off.
Firepaw tried to do as told, but the red swimming in her vision wouldn't go away. She felt a cold trickle of blood run down her back, and it started pooling around her paws, drowning her in a sea of red.
Suddenly a calmness rushed over her, and her golden eyes closed peacefully.
The forest fell silent.
…
"This is it, isn't it?" A ginger tabby she-cat leaned forward, a mad glint in her green eyes. "It's finally over!"
"No," a tom sitting beside her meowed. "The cat spoke of in the prophecy isn't dead, not yet."
"What?" The she-cat whipped her head to look at him furiously, her claws sliding out dangerously. "What do you mean she isn't dead?!"
"StarClan will do anything to make that prophecy a reality," the tom replied. "And that means keeping the fire alive."
The ginger tabby snarled, baring her teeth. "And what are you doing?" she hissed. "I told you to get started, didn't I? You didn't take advantage of the moment you had!"
"Patience," the tom hissed. "Absolute patience. By the night of the claw moon, I will have started. But I cannot kill the prophecy cat, as I've told you. Only those few cats I have killed."
The tabby she-cat chortled, flashing her fangs to reveal blood-stained teeth. "Those few cats weren't needed. My trump card is still hiding, waiting to strike. You know…."
"Oh, yes." The tom's eyes glinted. "I almost forgot about him."
The ginger tabby she-cat rose to her full height, a maniacal laugh slipping past her lips. The lake in front of them froze over, distorting the image beneath.
"Firepaw will live, but when she least expects it, my trump card will come! My trump card will kill her!"
-shivers- ...Ooh, maybe the last part was too dark for me. I don't know, but I'll keep it… I can't keep my writing flowery forever.
Anyway, that's the end of this chapter! Timberpaw's motives are now known and Hurricane has made a reappearance! :0 ...Although, you do have to worry about Hurricane's brother, even though he's never mentioned as his brother.
I personally still kind of like Timberpaw. ;v; How about you guys?
Oh well. To the QOTD's!
QOTD #1: Why do you think Nightpaw made that dare with Timberpaw?
QOTD #2: What do you think of Timberpaw's surprise owl attack?
QOTD #3: How do you think Hurricane knows where the camp is?
Well, that's it! If you liked this chapter, leave a review! If you didn't, well… feel free to rant in a review too! xD
;; Orangeflight of ShadowClan