Chapter 7

"The Flames Of Truth."

8/3/16

For the next few days, Foxpaw waited on Stealthpaw front paw to back paw.

He would bring freshkill to her and give her nest fresh feathers.

Seabreeze would also check on her, even Thornstar and Eaglecry checked in on her.

Flamepaw was sick of it. Cats like them are too soft, they practically worship the perfect little Stealthpaw like she was StarClan's gift to ThunderClan.

"Remember, Flamekit. Cats outside the Clans are a disgrace to the warrior code. Your mother was foolish to trust them, don't make the same mistakes she did."

Flamepaw knew his father was right. He could barely remember his mother, but Beetleclaw told him that Amberflower was trusting, too trusting with cats. And that's what led to her demise when Flamepaw was just a moon old. Beetleclaw died shortly after telling him.

"Do you think she's sick?" He heard Sweetpaw ask Rainpaw.

"Palewhisker said she's just tired. If she was then Foxpaw wouldn't be allowed to see her."

"I told you she'll never be one of us." Flamepaw said to them. "A true-."

"Warriors get sick and tired all the time." Rainpaw retorted.

"Flamepaw, have you ever considered that maybe Beetleclaw was wrong about rouges?"

White hot fury boiled inside Flamepaw.

"Of course he wasn't! Did you forget what happened to Amberflower?!"

"We were all born days apart!" Rainpaw exclaimed. "You don't even know what happened to Amberflower, but my mom was her best friend and said that she died doing what she wanted to do. Don't take your frustrations with the rogues out on Stealthpaw, she's innocent."

Flamepaw growled and stalked away.

Innocent! Beetleclaw would have been sickened by Stealthpaw!

His father, huge, and jet black with green eyes, curling his lip at Stealthpaw's meekness. Why, he would have cuffed his ears for losing to her - he had more fighting experience!

Stealthpaw wasn't so perfect, not by a long shot.

Flamepaw woke up in the middle of the night seeing two cats padding past his den, Seabreeze and Eaglecry. Curious, he quietly leaves the den and followed the two she cats to the medicine cat's den. He hides behind the den and listens in.

"... Doing out at night?" He heard Seabreeze.

He looks through the barrier and sees Stealthpaw trembling like a leaf. Weakling!

"Stealthpaw, you're not in trouble, but I need to know how you got so weak." Eaglecry said.

Stealthpaw laid her head on the nest.

"... I… I'm seeing a cat."

"A loner? Kittypet?"

"No… He's a cat from a different Clan."

Flamepaw's ears shot up.

"Stealthpaw," Eaglecry said sternly. "What your doing is strictly against the warrior code. Who is he, or she?"

Stealthpaw began to see the seriousness of the situation, and she lowered her head.

"He's...a leader, but he just wanted us to be friends."

"Crowstar actually said that?"

Stealthpaw's head shot up.

"How'd you know?"

"It doesn't matter how she got the information," said Eaglecry, although she was curious too. "Stealthpaw, why would you see him?"

"..." Stealthpaw said nothing. Eaglecry sighed. "I'm going to have to report this to Thornstar."

"Am I in trouble?"

Of course you are, squirrel brain! Flamepaw was disgusted with her.

"Yes. But everyone will understand that Crowstar took advantage of you. He's the leader, and you're an apprentice, it was completely cowardly to try to gain an apprentice's trust like that."

Seabreeze ran her muzzle on Stealthpaw's head.

"Sleep well. We'll talk more in the morning."

The two she cats left. Flamepaw was absolutely outraged that Stealthpaw was seeing Crowstar! He turned to go back to the den, but he heard Stealthpaw's nest rustle, and saw the golden she cat exit the thorn barrier.

Flamepaw silently follows Stealthpaw through the night, and she crosses the tree without fear or noticing the water below. Flamepaw hides behind bushes and saw her approach a black tom.

"Crowstar!" She called. The black tom gazed at her happily. "Stealthpaw-."

"Can it, Crowstar!" She spat. "Are you really my friend?"

Crowstar flicked his ear.

"Of course I am. Why-?"

"I know what you're doing now." Stealthpaw hissed. "You're just using me to get information!"

Crowstar's blue eyes became ice chips.

"Too you long enough to figure it out. Are all ThunderClan cats as stupid as you?"

"Don't talk about my Clanmates like that! Your nothing but a coward and a liar-!"

Crowstar suddenly swung his paw and knocked Stealthpaw down. He pinned her down on her spine and leaned in her ear.

"And you're an idiotic apprentice who was kept in ThunderClan out of pity!" He hissed. "You actually think cats will accept you? When morning comes you'll be even more hated than before! Just you wait!"

Crowstar raked his claws on her back and loosened his grip on her.

"Oh and Stealthpaw." He chided tauntingly. "Tell Thornstar that he has until the next full moon to give me the forest, or cats will die!"

Stealthpaw didn't look back. She shook her fur and lowered herself in the water to clear off the blood. Flamepaw strides toward her as she gets out of the water.

"So much for the Perfect Apprentice!"

Stealthpaw whirled around with wide yellow eyes.

"You followed me?" She suddenly grew angry and lashed her tail.

"You saw what happened! Why didn't you-?!"

"You got what you deserve!" Flamepaw taunted. "You're always padding around like some leader, and make every cat worship you like a StarClan cat…"

"I never did that!" She protested.

"But you did! Everyone has high hopes for you, but I know what you are!"

Stealthpaw's fur stood on end with intense fear flowing from her.

"You're a useless! Stupid! Dimwitted rogue!"

Stealthpaw's fur flattened with some relief, but she was more irritated.

"Why do you hate me so much? I've done nothing to deserve this."

"That's fox dung!" He hissed. "I know you rogues do nothing but laze around while cats do the work for you! You don't deserve to be a warrior, you don't even deserve to be an apprentice!"

"Do you just hate rogues in general? What did rogues ever do to you?"

"They killed my mother after she helped one of them!" He roared.

"Amberflower found a kit and nursed it back to health and sent him back to his group, and how did they thank her?! They ambushed her while she had her back turned and killed her in cold blood!"

Stealthpaw stared at him in dismay.

"Is that it? I wasn't even born when that I happened, you have no right to take it out me!"

"You're in hardly any position to boss me around." Flamepaw growled.

"And you're being a total jerk!" Stealthpaw spat. "I get that you're sad about what happened to Amberflower, but you can't punish every cat outside the Clan because of one group of bad cats!"

Flamepaw opened his mouth, but Stealthpaw used her tail to block any sound coming out.

"And maybe, if you didn't act so tough and push everyone away, you wouldn't be in so much pain and suffering!

Stealthpaw then curled her lip.

"But you know what, you're right! I'm just a rogue - what do I know?! So keep being a bully, or maybe you should think about what Amberflower would have wanted!"

Stealthpaw stalked away, leaving Flamepaw alone. He didn't want to admit it but Stealthpaw was right. He missed his friends, but he was so dead set against Stealthpaw that it caused a rift.

Flamepaw stared at the countless, unblinking dots in the nighttime sky.

Did you hear her, Amberflower? What should I do?

We get a look into why Flamepaw's such a bully toward Stealthpaw.

I might even do the backstory behind Sweetpaw, Duckpaw and Rainpaw's parents, but I don't have any ideas yet.

So yeah, Crowstar's a douche. Feel free to throw tomatoes at him if you like.

But will Flamepaw grow up? Maybe? I'm not sure, but you can give him the benefit of the doubt.

Also, if Chapter 6 is missing, don't worry. I removed it. It had the ThunderClan cats listed, but I remembered the Fanfic agreements and removed it. Can't take risks! Sorry!