Darker chapter
"Opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat."
-Napoleon Hill
Third person's POV
Jioveheart walked slowly among the clouds, her heart beating faster than crickets could chirp. She suspected what would happen, and tried not to cry with StarClan cats watching her above.
Her fur tensed and she flinched as she saw Lionblaze with stars in his pelt, but his eyes were hard to read.
Next came Jayfeather, now with eyes that can see but still maintained their perfect blue shade. And finally Dovewing, her fur wispy like the dove's wing.
The three cats looked at Jioveheart, sadness and pain in their gaze.
"Wait! Don't look at me like that!" Jioveheart protested. "It was an accident! I swear!"
"But it'snot something you could escape from." Jayfeather reminded her.
"Nor was it an 'accident'" Dovewing growled. "You knew exactly what you were doing."
"Please!" Jioveheart pleaded. "Fix this!"
"We are not capable. Out of all the things StarClan can do, this is too major." Lionblaze explained.
"You had nontransferreable powers, all three of them." Jayfeather hissed. "You were to be responsible, yet you threw it away."
"I did not! I still have them!" Jioveheart retorted.
"They are no use now, the Prophecy is broken." Dovewing hung her head and covered her eyes with her paw.
"No! Not true! It'sjust going to be a lot harder!" Jioveheart protested with a crazed smile. "Cats have accomplished so much under hard circumstances!"
"This would be impossible, and dangerous to them." Dovewing snarled. "No she-cat in their right mind would do that. We'refinished here."
"NO!" Jioveheart yelled. "Please!"
The three cats disappeared and Jioveheart caught sight of other StarClan cats looking downat her with sorrow. Not for her, but for all the Clans.
"Stop it!" Jioveheart snarled helplessly. "Stop looking at me like that!"
Everything around her began to blacken until she was back into the stronghold of sleep.
Morningpool was frantically sorting her herbs with Rowanpaw anxiously helping where ever he could.
Ever since Jioveheart barged in the medicine cat's den after the Gathering, the medicine cats were shaken. Morningpool even more so.
"This is terrible!" Morningpool sobbed. "The Prophecy is ruined!"
"Maybe if the threat takes longer-"
"What if it doesn't?!" Morningpool demanded. "She'd make a terrible-"
"Morningpool." Rowanpaw whispered firmly. "The patrols are starting, cats can't know this yet."
Morningpool looked outside and saw her Clanmates, happy and eager, unaware that everything was about to change.
Redblossom's POV again
I woke up and saw the patrols and cats casually getting into patrols, the next thing I saw was my energetic apprentice Petalpaw.
"Redblossom!" Petalpaw purred. "What're we doing today?"
"A hunting patrol and we rest before your battle training." I explained. "Ready?"
"Definitely!" Petalpaw purred, running ahead.
"She's quite the high-spirited one." Flyfur meowed beside me. "If only I had her as an apprentice."
"You and Birdpaw will eventually reach even ground I'm sure." I reassured him. "I mean, we've only been training them for barely more than two sunrises."
"Yeah, true." Flyfur agreed, looking up at me. "Th-thank you."
"Of course." I purred, feeling warm. "Shall we get going on that patrol?"
"Oh, right." Flyfur whispered, he stopped looking into my eyes and nervously groomed his shoulder.
I froze briefly when I felt another presence on my other side.
This is Ivypool, Redblossom. Everything is about to change, we need you.
"You alright Redblossom?" Flyfur whispered, nuzzling my head softly.
"Yes, it was just a chill in the wind." I replied, jokingly mimicking a shiver.
"Good." Flyfur purred.
"Redblossom." Haytuft meowed. "We need you on the patrol with your apprentice, you too Jioveheart."
"I...think I ate something bad last sunfall." Jioveheart coughed. "You guys carry along."
"Nonsense, just-"
"She needs to stay here." Rowanpaw growled at Haytuft.
"Whatever." Haytuft growled. "But next time she's going. We need all the cats we can for this leaf-bare."
Rowanpaw narrowed his eyes and whispered in Jioveheart's ear. She nodded and they walked into the medicine cat's den.
"Incompetent mouse-brain." I heard Splotchstar growled. "Thinks she can get out of doing anything because she's part of the prophecy."
I looked away to see Marshmouse leading Amberfern out of the Nursery and the kits scrambling out in the open.
I was about to watch over them instead when I saw Voletooth and Songpool walk out of the warrior's den and smile at the kits.
I gave a smile, and nuzzled Flyfur's cheek before me and Petalpaw joined the patrol.
"That was great!" Petalpaw purred with three small fish in her mouth. "Hunting fish is lots of fun!"
"I'm glad you enjoyed it." I noticed Flyfur looking at me intently and I walked over to him.
"Yes?" I asked.
"Well, I've been wanting to ask you this for several moons." Flyfur chuckled nervously as we headed to the corner of camp. "Well...will you be my mate?"
Time froze as soon as the words escaped his mouth. I never thought he would ask then, but I already knew what I would say.
"Yes-"
"JIOVEHEART!"
Flyfur's excited grin disappeared as we both jumped in our own pelts at the vicious yell.
Brownpelt and Spidermoon, who became mates a half-moon ago, joined us and so did Voletooth and Songpool as we looked at Splotchstar, Rowanpaw next to her as she cornered Jioveheart outside the medicine cat's den.
"I think you have something to confess to the whole Clan." Splotchstar snarled, unsheathing her claws.
"I ate something bad last night, so what?!" Jioveheart protested, her eyes watering.
The Clan gasped when Splotchstar slapped Jioveheart's face with an unsheathed paw, spraying blood on Jioveheart's pelt.
"Rowanpaw told me, so tell the truth!" Splotchstar screeched.
"Fine! I'm expecting kits!" Jioveheart cried.
I felt silence hit the Clan hard, and my paws felt wobbly, with only Flyfur to help me from falling over.
"But she's part of the prophecy!" Weaselberry gasped. "She can still complete it! She has to!"
"It would be really dangerous for the kits she's carrying." Morningpool growled. "That would be very bad."
"WHO'S THE FATHER?" Splotchstar roared, her sharp amber eyes scanning the toms in the Clan. "I'LL KILL HIM!"
"He's not in this Clan." Jioveheart hissed. "You'll never know who he is."
"Please, it's Sandytuft from ShadowClan." Voletooth told the whole Clan.
"Voletooth!" Songpool gasped.
"What? She deserves to lose her mate for breaking the Prophecy." Voletooth growled.
"I'm sending a patrol to-"
"You're not killing Sandytuft." Dad ordered.
"You're not leader." Splotchstar retorted.
"But you'll be breaking the code, ShadowClan will take even more territory." Dad explained.
"...fine. But see him again, and I'll wipe the dirt with your entrails." Splotchstar snarled at Jioveheart.
"Someone's going to have to tell him." Songpool raised her voice from her normal whisper.
"I will."
The whole Clan looked at me unexpectedly.
"I'll go with." Flyfur added quickly.
"YOU!"
We froze again when Weaselberry stomped over to her daughter.
"WHY DID YOU DO THIS?!" Weaselberry screeched. "I RAISED YOU ALONE FOR THIS! I INVESTED SO MUCH IN YOU! AND YOU GET KNOCKED UP BY SOME STUPID SHADOWCLAN TOM!"
Weaselberry broke into loud sobs, crying something about the broken Prophecy.
Jioveheart looked expectantly at Willowtail and Honeybreeze.
"We followed the cat of the prophecy, not some knocked up disappointment." Willowtail growled, Honeybreeze nodded and the two she-cats walked away.
"Jioveheart." I meowed.
The crying and hurting she-cat looked at me.
"Going to push me even further into this hole I'm in?" Jioveheart sobbed.
"No, we want to take you to Sandytuft to tell him the news." I explained. "I'll tell him, but you can be there for it."
"Thanks." Jioveheart muttered, trying to wipe her tears. "We should go before Splotchstar notices."
Flyfur looked at me like he had a lot to say but I looked away from my newfound mate and at my sister.
"Alright, let's go." I agreed.
We headed near the half-bridge, where it stank of ShadowClan scent.
"Seems like they've taken a liking to their new territory." Flyfur growled.
"We just need to get Sandytuft." I reassured him. "I'll go into the camp, you watch my sister."
Jioveheart coughed and fell over, still grieving. I nodded at Flyfur and took off.
I walked into the camp and saw the big leader Shallowstar quickly leap to in front of me and narrowed his eyes at me.
"Here for revenge?" The tom snarled, unsheathing his claws. "Well-"
"I'm here for Sandytuft, I need to talk to him." I explained.
"Trying to take out one of our best hunters?" Shallowstar asked.
"No, it's very important." I reassured the leader.
"...very well. But if anything happens to him, ten cats will be on your pelt faster then a twitch of the mouse's tail." Shallowstar replied, puffing his chest. "Sandytuft!"
The orange and skinny tom trudged out and looked warily at me.
"This ThunderClan warrior wishes to speak with you." Shallowstar explained.
"Privately at the half-bridge." I added.
Sandytuft narrowed his eyes but nodded, he joined me as we headed to the half-bridge.
He saw Flyfur and Jioveheart and ran towards the latter, rubbing against her.
"My dear feather, why the crying?" Sandytuft whispered. "We were supposed to meet this half-moon, so why early?"
"She's expecting your kits." I answered delicately.
Sandytuft looked at me briefly before turning back around and licking up his mate's tears.
"Why would that be bad?" Sandytuft asked.
"She's part of a prophecy." Flyfur growled. "She can't complete it if she's expecting kits."
"As soon as she has them, she could." Sandytuft suggested.
"She's a Queen, she can't." I reminded him. "And our leader forbid that she ever see you again."
Sandytuft stopped and slowly looked at me.
"No."
"Excuse me?" Flyfur growled.
"I said no." Sandytuft hissed, rubbing Jioveheart's head with his. "We will not."
"Splotchstar will tear you a new one if you keep seeing her." I warned him.
"She can try, but now it's more important than ever that we keep seeing each oth-"
"REDBLOSSOM!"
Brownpelt, Spidermoon, and Songpool sprinted to us, horror in their eyes.
"Go back to your territory." Spidermoon growled at Sandytuft.
Sandytuft looked spooked at the look in her eyes and took off. Jioveheart reached a paw out but then stopped.
"What is it?" I asked quickly to my friends.
"You need to see this." Songpool whispered. "At the island."
Me, Flyfur, and Jioveheart followed our friends over the tree-bridge and my heart was beating quickly.
"I'm so sorry." Spidermoon whispered to us in advance.
I was very worried until in shade of the trees, I finally saw what it was.
Weaselberry's dead body.
"What?" I stammered. "How?"
"Look here."
Spidermoon carefully parted the claws on Weaselberry's paw.
"Splinters, and that could only mean that she leaped off the tree." Songpool whispered.
Jioveheart looked shocked and broken looking at our mother's corpse.
"She killed herself?" Jioveheart whimpered.
"Appears so." Brownpelt replied. "We're going to be spending the night here for vigil, if all of you want to."
"I'll go get Voletooth and Stonewater." Songpool meowed, walking onto the tree-bridge.
Flyfur looked at me with pleading yellow eyes and I gave a small smile and walked over.
"Could we talk in private just for a little bit?" Flyfur whispered softly.
I got up and followed, he lead me deeper in the trees till he turned around and shuffled his paws.
"We didn't even get to do anything after you said yes." Flyfur explained.
"No mating." I replied.
"I'm not going to mate with you fox-lengths away from your mother's corpse." Flyfur chuckled. "I'm not that crazy."
"So...what are you referring to?" I asked gently.
Flyfur licked my pelt gently and his fur was tense. I began licking his pelt as well. I nuzzled his nose.
"Sorry that it's been very hectic." I purred. "But we need to go back to our friends."
Flyfur nodded and we headed back to the area of the vigil.
Also, I'm not sure if Weaselberry should be in StarClan or the Dark Forest. Thanks for reading and please review :)