Heeey! I hope it isn't too much of a shock to see me :') It's your good ol pal Orange here with another Lucky update!
It's my birthday once again, so you know what that means! Yep, a chapter! Sorry for not doing that Lucky Fridays thing. Just let me leave my update schedule as mysterious as possible. xD
Anyways, two chapters are coming today. One, right now, and another one after I go to the movies for my birthday. So stay tuned!
Let me move to the review replies!
Guest: You're Sapphire, right? I think I remember you writing this review on a joinme xD
Well, you're half-right about the Snowwhisper thing xD Both answers, actually. I changed it up a little and let him talk to Firepaw this chapter, so yay! The bird flower was just a symbol. It's a little important, but then again, not really if you don't know what it means xD And yeah, you're kinda right about that :( More right than you know.
InkblotLeaf: Thanks! And yep, Snowy's a-ok :) … I can't really say that about Brackenfur and Molewhisker though…. Oops… :(
Oh well. As great as FirexSnow is, somehow I don't think it will happen xD But I do really like it too. And actually, both! A small earthquake happened and a tree fell. c: And well… it isn't April. It's July. I hope you can forgive me for being slow xD
Nightbird1648: Oh, hey Night! :)
Your questions can be answered this chapter xD It really explains everything. Not in detail, but good enough. And thanks! I hope you enjoy this chapter c:
BlackFeather: Oops, sorry for disappearing like that :( FirexSnow... I'm not too sure yet. I really like the two of them together, but it might be impossible due to future plots. Thank you! I'm glad you like the story, I hope you like this chapter too! :)
To the chapter!
Chapter Twenty-Three
Mapleshade weaved around Snowwhisper expectantly, her green eyes glinting in the darkness. "Oh, my dear deputy, it's almost time," she purred sweetly.
The white tom paled visibly. "Y-You mean—"
"No." Mapleshade suddenly stopped, her tail lashing. "Unfortunately, that isn't anything I have power to do. I'm talking about Qatil's destiny…." Her smile suddenly became cruel. "Your destiny."
Snowwhisper's expression changed to fear immediately. He took a step back, his paws shaking. "I-I… I won't do any of that! You can't make me!"
"Oh," Mapleshade narrowed her eyes, flashing an emotionless, toothy smile, "but I can."
.
..
…
A tense silence filled the forest.
A low sound, like rushing water, coursed through Firepaw's head, disorienting her. She still felt as if the ground was vibrating beneath her and trees would fall around her at any moment.
Through her hazy vision, she spotted the flower she had been transfixed by dancing in the breeze she couldn't feel. It still glowed in some sort of special way, almost like the full moon.
Unsteadily, Firepaw tried to get to her paws, but stumbled back down onto the ground in a few seconds. Why am I still so dizzy? she wondered, closing her eyes tightly.
"F…."
Huh? Firepaw tried to lift her head, but the dazzling light of the sun made her mind spin even more.
"F…ire…."
...Fire?
"Firepaw!"
Without warning, Lilypool was on top of her, and herbs fluttered in her line of vision. "Thank StarClan you're okay!" the medicine cat exclaimed.
"Of course I am…." Firepaw blinked dizzily, still trying to figure out just what was going on. "Lilypool…? What happened?"
"Oh." Lilypool got to her paws, shaking out her pelt. After a moment's hesitation, she pulled Firepaw to her feet as well. "There was a small earthquake, and I think a tree fell over." She frowned.
Firepaw blinked past the stars in her vision, just barely managing to comprehend what Lilypool had said. "An earthquake? … That explains the shaking."
"Ah…." Lilypool opened her mouth to say something, but then thinking better of it, changed the subject. "... But anyway, we got the herbs. It's time to report back to camp."
"That's it?" Firepaw shakily leaned down to pick up an herb. "We aren't going to investigate it?"
"I'm a medicine cat's apprentice, not a warrior," she replied, picking up the rest of the herbs. "It's the warrior's duty to tell Bramblestar."
"There aren't any warriors here," Firepaw meowed, stopping short. "So we have to tell someone, you know."
"Someone will find it on patrol," Lilypool explained, flicking her tail in a direct manner. "You know me, Firepaw. I really do want to check out what happened, but I know it isn't in my job to know. So we can find out later, alright?"
Firepaw gave her a dejected frown. "Oh, okay. Whatever you say." She picked up the herb and began to (still unsteadily) walk back to camp with Lilypool in tow.
Once they reached ThunderClan camp, Lilypool steered Firepaw towards the medicine den, eager for her to rest once again.
"I'll take care of the herbs," the dark brown medicine cat apprentice meowed. "You just rest. I didn't want you to strain that much today."
Firepaw gave a small scoff when Lilypool vanished inside of the herb store. She personally thought that she was fine. Sure, the scratches on her back would scar, and it still hurt when she moved a specific way, but she'd be fine.
I bet I could go back to being a normal apprentice right now!
"Oh, yeah." Black poppy seeds were suddenly dropped in front of Firepaw's paws. "To help you sleep," Lilypool added.
"Sleep? But I—"
Lilypool stuffed two seeds in Firepaw's mouth without a second thought.
The ginger tabby angrily chewed as she watched the apprentice's retreating form. Sleep is for the weak. And I'm not weak!
Firepaw continuously thought this, even as she fell into a deep sleep.
.
..
…
"You know, you're beginning to become famous around here."
Firepaw looked up, recognizing the starlit grass as StarClan's territory immediately. Dewpaw's shimmering form greeted her, a humorous smile on his face.
"I'd imagine," Firepaw purred, touching noses with her old friend. "What does StarClan want from me now?"
And just like that, Dewpaw's smile fell away like crumbling bricks. "Actually, they don't want anything," he confessed, a serious look glinting in his dark amber eyes. "I'm the one with a message."
"You?" Firepaw frowned, looking him over. "Is it about Seedcloud? She's fine, y'know."
The dark gray StarClan cat shook his head vigorously. "No, it isn't about Seedcloud. It's about Snowwhisper."
Firepaw suddenly tensed, eyeing him more fiercely than before. "...Oh."
"Mapleshade's power in the Dark Forest grows stronger and stronger," Dewpaw meowed quietly. "And as her power over darkness grows, so does her power over Snowwhisper."
"Her power… over Snowwhisper?" Firepaw stared at him, confused. What exactly was that supposed to mean?
"Yes." His eyes narrowed. "If her power over Snowwhisper grows… then that means she can start controlling him."
"Controlling him?" It felt as if a stone had dropped in her belly. Snowwhisper was his own cat! Mapleshade couldn't destroy that….
"You see, Mapleshade can control darkness to her will," Dewpaw explained. "It's a special skill you must have to become Dark Forest leader. And with that darkness, she can control other cats' bodies and use them however she wishes."
Firepaw swallowed. "O-Okay…." she meowed.
"Snowwhisper is her deputy… which means Mapleshade would want to control him first. It's only reasonable." Dewpaw fluffed up his pelt, his eyes blazing. "Which is why I want you to help him. A little bit of compassion can hold off the control, but it won't be enough. If you're there, though…." He stopped short, holding his breath.
The ginger tabby didn't respond for a moment. Snowwhisper needed her help. Without it, he'd be subject to Mapleshade's dark rule, doing her will without even wanting to. If there was even one way Firepaw could stop this…. If she knew how….
No cat deserved to not have freedom.
"I… I'll do my best," Firepaw affirmed, narrowing her eyes. "Snowwhisper… no cat… deserves that kind of ending. And if you say I can help him, then I'll try."
"Oh, thank you Firepaw!" Dewpaw's eyes brightened. "I knew I could count on you!"
"Of course." She smiled. "Helping is my specialty."
Dewpaw mumbled something under his breath, but a smile was on his face so she didn't question it. "You're actually pretty lucky that I told you," he meowed.
"Lucky? How?"
"Well, because—"
Suddenly, bursts of starlight swarmed around Firepaw, covering her in a cloak. "W-What? What's happening?" she asked, staring in surprise.
"Uh… I think someone's waking you up. I can't tell who it is, though." Dewpaw squinted.
Firepaw frowned. Just as the light consumed her, she thought she could see Dewpaw glaring in a different direction.
.
..
…
Firepaw opened her eyes groggily, taking in her dark surroundings. Huh? Why would someone wake me up at night?
"Firepaw!" a voice hissed.
She jumped up to her paws immediately, whirling around to come face-to-face with—
—Snowwhisper?
The shadows covered his pelt like stars in the night sky. He narrowed his eyes slowly. "... Remember earlier today, when I said I wanted to talk?"
"Um, y-yeah," Firepaw stuttered, the memory of talking to Dewpaw still fresh in her mind. Had he changed his mind about talking tomorrow instead?
Snowwhisper crouched into a sitting position, curling his tail around his paws. "Well, this is it," he meowed. "We're going into the forest." He frowned. "You're okay to go, right?"
It wasn't as if it was against the warrior code. "Yeah, let's go." Firepaw lifted her tail in a leading gesture, stalking out of the medicine den.
Snowwhisper didn't particularly lag behind, though. He immediately cut in front of her, lashing his tail briskly. "I'll lead the way… if you don't mind," he added softly, lowering his ears slightly.
Firepaw blinked. "Yeah, sure." Under normal circumstances, she would have been mad, but tonight was different. She had to start trying to fulfill Dewpaw's wish.
But how? she thought, staring at the back of Snowwhisper's head. Their friendship had never been perfect. It had too many rocky turns and almost no bridges to mend them. And even now, she wasn't as fond of Snowwhisper as she could've been. So saving him… would she have to change her views on him? Or was there some different way?
"We're here."
Firepaw almost ran into Snowwhisper. She backtracked immediately, fluffing up her pelt. "StarClan, you could've warned me earlier," she hissed.
The white warrior frowned. "Well, don't think so hard then. Anyway, look around."
Firepaw glanced around, surprise immediately dawning upon her. Flowers danced in the moonlit air, casting a glow everywhere around them. The bright moon showered everything a beautiful pure white color.
"Is this…?"
"Yeah. It's the flower field that you found me in a few moons ago." Snowwhisper eyed her almost shyly, shuffling his paws. "I wanted a perfect spot to talk."
"Well, now you have my attention," the tabby meowed, lying down and getting comfortable. "So tell me. Why did Qatil spare you and not Brackenfur and Molewhisker?"
"Well… I'm important—"
"Not really, compared to Brackenfur and Molewhisker, but go on," Firepaw cut in, ignoring Snowwhisper's irritable tail flick.
"I was going to say I'm important to Qatil. His cause goes paw-in-paw with Mapleshade's goal, so he figured he wouldn't kill me." Snowwhisper narrowed his eyes angrily. "He may as well have. It would stop all of this immediately."
"...Mapleshade…. What's her goal?" Firepaw almost felt afraid to ask.
Snowwhisper frowned, his features becoming tense. "Mapleshade always told the Dark Forest that her goal was to control the Clans. But that isn't true. Do you want to know Mapleshade's true goal?" His fur began to bristle. "Her goal… is to enshroud the Clans in total darkness. They'll listen to her no matter what she does, they'll follow her every order…. It's the only thing she wants."
Firepaw stared at him, her claws unwillingly digging into the soil. "E-Enshroud the Clans in darkness…" she repeated, her voice quivering. "All of the Clans…. I-I can't…."
"There's a way to stop her," he continued, his dark amber gaze suddenly turning grim. "The Clans have to fight back, like they did many moons ago. But the Dark Forest is much stronger now than before…." He trailed off, looking at her expectantly.
"So we need more help," Firepaw realized, anxiousness brewing inside of her. "But non-Clan cats… would they really help?"
"It's up to interpretation," Snowwhisper responded. "But of course, there is another easier solution."
"Really? What is it?" Firepaw looked at him eagerly. She almost felt as if it was her duty to know. If she did, she could kill two birds with one stone by defeating the Dark Forest.
"The other way is a tiny bit… brutal," the white warrior meowed, looking at the ground. "But I'd do it myself if I could."
"It can't be worse than losing more Clan cats than I can count to the Dark Forest!" Firepaw replied, glaring determinedly at him. "Now, tell me Snowwhisper. What's the other way?"
There was a silence. The white warrior shifted slightly, pinning his ears to his head. "The other way…" Snowwhisper whispered quietly.
"The other way… would be to kill me."
Whoa, end of chapter :O I'll just leave you to your thoughts for the chapter and go to the QOTD.
QOTD #1: Does Mapleshade's goal sound familiar? If so, from where? ;)
That's it! See you later tonight in the next chapter! :)
;; Orangeflight of ShadowClan