"Duskfang, you know our rules! And yet you continue to skirt them, if not outright break them- and then to bring another cat into your rule breaking- This is unacceptable!"
There was silence. Not even the wind blew. Duskfang stared straight ahead at the black and white molly who was snarling at him, and her three friends. "I wouldn't have done it without good reason," he said, calmly as he could, even with the note of anger brewing under the surface.
"We planned for this," one of the molly's friends said, a golden-brown tom. "With or without your interference- and it should have been without- everything would have been fine."
"She is my kin! You would expect me to stand to the side and do nothing when the daughter of my own daughter suffered?" Duskfang snarled. "Eagle, Butterfly, I would never do that. Not ever."
"We know," one of the other cats, a blue tabby, said gently. Her voice was sad. "We know how much your kin means to you, Duskfang. But you know why we have these rules. You've heard the stories. You know exactly why this isn't allowed."
"My death was long after those atrocities," Duskfang said. "And frankly, Deluge, I don't care. Oriolepaw would never have ended up-"
"Like Sparrowheart," a new voice mewed, dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, Duskfang, how could you ever become like that horrid Juncoflower." Duskfang curled his lip at the white and black molly stalking towards him through the grass. "Anything at all like me."
"Stay out of this, Juncoflower," Butterfly snapped. "You lost your right to these counsels long ago."
The last cat, a ginger tolly, the one who hadn't spoken, muttered, "I don't know why you're even here," and flicked their orange tail.
"I go where I know I'll be talked about, Dust Strider," Juncoflower said.
"The situations are different!" Duskfang mewed over them all. "Sparrowheart and Oriolepaw have nothing at all in common, Starclan guide be damned-"
"Oh, certainly," Juncoflower drawled. Butterfly flashed her a rage-filled look and she shut her mouth, though the mutinous look on her face remained.
"Everything for Oriolepaw was worked out long ago, Duskfang," Eagle said.
"Worked out? The visions still take her!" Duskfang snapped.
"We couldn't stop them, no, but we prepared for them. We sent down the power to stop them, to free her- And they met. You see that. That was all we could do," Eagle mewed.
"She and Marigoldpaw would have met with or without your help, Duskfang. You should have stayed out of it," Dust Strider mewed.
"Never," Duskfang mewed. "Punish me like you punished Juncoflower, but I refuse to regret helping her."
A huff came from Juncoflower. "Stick to your convictions," she mewed, disgust lacing her tone. "We'll see how your precious, special granddaughter turns out."
Duskfang turned a cold stare on her. "Your mistakes are not mine," he said. "And Sparrowheart's will never be hers." She curled her lip at him, clearly not convinced.
"Both of you, leave," Butterfly hissed. "The rest of us will decide the punishment. And Duskfang. No more contact. She has her tether. You're no longer needed." Duskfang spat, just once, and then he whirled around and raced away, disappearing into the grass. Juncoflower took a different path, stalking away more sedately.
Deluge sighed. Her line of sight drifted to the pond. "No leniency," she muttered to herself, though she knew the other three were listening. "Though.. I cannot help but wonder.." The swirling in the pond stilled, clearing into the image of Oriolepaw and Marigoldpaw. The other three looked with her, and then Deluge broke the image, scattering it into ripples with a single swipe of her paw.
Batstar swept his tail around his paws. "And you're sure about that, Marigoldpaw? There's no skill you were on the track for in Cliffclan you'd like acknowledged?"
"There was," she mewed. "But I don't want it. Marigoldpelt is what I want."
"Okay," Batstar mewed. "And Oriolepaw?"
"I've thought about it," Oriolepaw mewed. "And I think it's a good idea, the name change."
"Then it's settled," Batstar mewed. "Let's go start the ceremony then." He paused, ear flicking. "I'm proud of both of you," he added, walking away. Behind him, Marigoldpaw and Oriolepaw exchanged a pleased look before following him.
Batstar lead them down the tunnel that grew darker and darker. The air grew heavier, stifling her breathing just the slightest, but Oriolepaw's presence kept Marigoldpaw grounded. She followed them both, hearing the soft sound of her pawsteps echo off the cave walls, the noise mingling with that of the cats behind them.
She felt when they left the tunnel and stepped into a wide, yawning cavern. She wasn't surprised; Oriolepaw had warned her of what would happen, and of the need to be perfectly silent.
Batstar left them in the middle of the cavern. Marigoldpaw heard the faint sound of him scaling a ledge before the minor rustling of the rest of the Clan spreading throughout the cave drowned it out. She didn't sit down; Oriolepaw didn't, after all, and she, at least, knew the ceremony.
Soon enough everything stopped moving and silence reigned. The quiet pressed in on her, laying across her pelt like an old friend. The faint, familiar sound of a whisper drifted by. She strained to hear it, searching out the sound, but it was gone. She felt Oriolepaw's tail brush against her own as they waited in the darkness.
Batstar spoke. "Your Clan's hearts beat with your own," he mewed, voice a breathy sigh. "Listen. Hear your Clan in you."
And Marigoldpaw heard it. A thrum, in time with her own heartbeat, pulsing around her and welcoming her.
You, voices whispered over the thrumming, layering over each other. She almost thought she recognized one of the voices. Us, they told her, and then, We.
Yes, she thought back. Us.
"Your name," Batstar mewed, and she wasn't Marigoldpaw anymore. There was a moment's pause, only the whispering, soft and indistinct, and he mewed, "Marigoldpelt."
"Marigoldpelt," the entire clan whispered at once. The sound made her jump. Oriolepaw pressed at her side, calming her.
"A change," Batstar whispered. "Anew. Your name. Farsight."
Marigoldpelt swallowed. The Clan obviously wasn't expecting Oriolepaw to receive a completely new name. One heartbeat too many went by before the Clan whispered, "Farsight," together, still on sync, but late, though Marigoldpelt thought that maybe there were a few less voices in the mix.
"Rejoice," Batstar mewed, and Marigoldpelt could swear she heard whispers speak it with him. There was a small thump as he jumped from where he was, and then the Clan was moving, leaving the cave, back up to the surface. The darkness grew lighter, and she was just about to make out the sight of Farsight's face.
"Marigoldpelt," Farsight mewed at her side, testing the name out.
"Farsight," she said back, smiling in the soft light.
Together, they headed back towards the antechamber.
"Caveclan has two new warriors to announce," Batstar said from atop the Palerock. "Marigoldpelt and Farsight!"
The Palegrounds erupted with cheers from the Caveclan cats assembled, but there was silence from the other Clans, besides a general, confused murmur.
"Farsight?" Merlinstar repeated. "Batstar, that is not a typical name."
"Farsight is not a typical cat, Merlinstar," Batstar replied. He flicked his tail, and Farsight stood up, walking forward to stand beneath the Palerock. "She has a gift," Batstar continued. "Farsight has been granted the gift to see the future."
"What?" Cloudstar mewed. "That is ridiculous. Do you.." And she stopped as Farsight did he trick of saying exactly what she was going to say. "Have any proof to back that up?"
"This is ridiculous," Merlinestar and Farsight said together.
"I think you'll find that it isn't," Brightstar and Farsight said together. Brightstar didn't seem surprised as Farsight spoke with her. She might have been surprised if she hadn't.
"It isn't baseless," Farsight mewed. "It has come into play many times."
"What's the point then?" Cloudstar growled as the assembled cats murmured to each other. "To lord it over us? What will you do with a cat with powers like that?"
"You misunderstand," Farsight mewed. "We're not telling you so you'll fear us. I will not abuse my power like that. No. If anything bad is to happen- to any of the Clans- if it is major enough, I will give you the information you need to stop it. Make no mistake- I am not going to help the littlest of issues." She turned in a circle, sweeping her gaze across the entire Gathering. She caught sight of Marigoldpelt in the crowd, staring at her with wide, gleaming eyes. Farsight fought down a smile at the sight of her. "But I will help. I don't know why I've been given this power. I'm not sure there is a reason, that it wasn't just a fluke, a mistake Starclan is unable to correct.
"But I will use it as best I can," she continued. "On that you have my promise."
"And how do you expect to do that?" Merlinstar asked, doubt in her voice.
Farsight smiled up at her. "Let me tell you," she said.
And so she did.
"You did a good job today," Duskfang mewed. "I'm proud of you."
"Thank you," Farsight mewed. The pond and the grass spread out around them, but Farsight held no worry for the water behind her.
"This is the last time I can see you. They'll be mad for it, but I had to say goodbye."
Sadness crossed Farsight's face. "Thank you for all you've done."
"It wasn't much," Duskfang mewed.
"To me? Scared and alone and confused? It was more than enough, grandfather."
"We'll see each other again someday," Duskfang mewed. "Give my regards to your mothers and Marigoldpelt. Good luck, Farsight. May the water be clear."
The corner of Farsight's mouth twitched. "Goodbye, Duskfang."
The scene around him began to fade, blowing away on the wind. "Of course," Duskfang mewed, voice growing fainter. "If I happened to be here as you dreamt.."
"That'd be no one's fault," Farsight agreed, face lighting up in a smile. Duskfang grinned back, and the scene disappeared, and Farsight awoke in the warrior's den with Marigoldpelt.
"Alright?" Marigoldpelt mewed sleepily.
"Alright," Farsight agreed, and that was that.
AN: This chapter contains references to stories I planned to have eventually written; the one about Juncoflower and Sparrowheart, and an origin story for my Badlands Clans, with Eagle, Butterfly, Deluge, and Dust Strider.
Unfortunately, I don't think either of those stories will ever see more than the couple thousand words I collectively wrote for them.
There's one more bit to this story left, though.
