Okay, so three days since I last posted...but I promised I would post after I got 130 reviews and, well, I got more. It was weird, though, since there is like a page explosion of guest reviews.
Anyway, next chapter is an Ashpaw one, and it more back on track. I can't say this is the chapter I am most happy with, but it needs to be here so...It contains loads of flashbacks, but I had to rewrite some to make them in Dapplepaw's perspective.
Fact: Rainpaw had a whole story of evil planned for her, until it dawned on me how cliche that was and I decided to change her back to the way she was.
Dapplepaw blinked, her fur growing hot as she stared at all three cats, who looked back at her with shock. "Um...hello?" she asked, ears twitching. "Some answers please?" She glanced around. "What happened here? Did I miss a battle or something? Let me guess, DuskClan, right?"
Rainpaw lunged forward, nuzzling Dapplepaw with affection. "You're...alive! But how?" She stepped back, inquisitive.
Dapplepaw frowned, tilting her head. "I never died. I was never close to death, Rainpaw. I was in camp the whole time catching up on my sleep." She shrugged. "And I am supposed to be angry at you, right? Because you stole my squirrel, right? We can get past that, can't we?"
"What?" Rainpaw stepped back, puzzled. She glanced at Ashpaw and Rosepaw, who shared the look. "What? No. What's wrong with you?"
Rosepaw took a threatening step forward. "I killed you, remember? I sliced your throat and watched you bleed out. You were dead. It was you. I am positive." The white she-cat looked furious
Dapplepaw jerked backwards. What was with them. Did she look dead? "I wasn't even in this battle."
"Yes, you were." Rainpaw answered swiftly, her voice worried. "I saw you, and heard you, and smelled you. You were in the battle."
"I was not."
"I distinctly remember that yes, you were."
"I think I, Dapplepaw, would remember if I was in this battle."
"There's clearly something wrong with you," Rosepaw cut in between Rainpaw and Dapplepaw's banter. "I killed you. I watched you die, and here you are...alive." Her voice sounded bitter and a hint disappointed.
Dapplepaw rolled her eyes. "I don't like jokes. Where's Foxstep? I want to make sure he's alright. What would I do without him?" She brightened, imagining the ginger tom in her mind. He's perfect!
Ashpaw's eyes flew open. "Um, Foxstep? You...you do not like him! You find him annoying, even!"
Dapplepaw snorted. "Okay, I barely know you, aside from Gatherings. But you and Rainpaw can be happy. I get it, and I don't want to interfere." She turned to the white she-cat on the side. "Sorry, but you're sort of left out. Anyway, Foxstep and I are mates now." She frowned at the curious looks she received. "You know this, Rainpaw. We share everything. Of course I know you and Ashpaw had secret meetings."
Rainpaw blinked, speechless. Dapplepaw rolled her eyes and sighed, turning her head as the SunClan tom spoke. "No, Dapplepaw, something has happened to you! Your life is all...mixed up in your mind. You have it all wrong!" Ashpaw exclaimed, his amber eyes flashing with worry.
"That's right, you do," Rosepaw meowed, fluffing up her fur with pride. "Rainpaw and Ashpaw were never together, it was just me in the picture. You lived happily with Foxstep aside from your pesky sister Rainpaw trying to interfere."
Dapplepaw frowned. What? That's not how I remember it at all. I think I know who I am, for StarClan's sake! Dapplepaw turned away, blanking out for a moment just like she did when she was remembering Sweetpaw's past.
"Am I...dead?" Dapplepaw whispered, looking at the vast fields before her. "No. Rosepaw, she didn't kill me! I am not dead!" She got to her paws, glancing around. "Am I dreaming. This isn't StarClan...I'm not in StarClan. I am alive!"
"Oh, why must we keep meeting?" A voice made Dapplepaw jump. She whirled around to face a she-cat, who stared at her curiously. "This is the second time, Dapplepaw."
"What? Second time? What are you talking about?" Dapplepaw stammered, glancing around in confusion. She gasped as another figure appeared.
The she-cat glanced at the tom before turning to Dapplepaw again. "This is the second time you've died."
Died.
The word made Dapplepaw freeze. The first time was obviously when Sweetpaw died, but then she was just reborn as Dapplepaw. Surely she wouldn't be reborn a second time. StarClan may have power, but not that much.
"I wasn't ready to die," Dapplepaw whispered, shutting her eyes. She felt sad, sure, but wasn't panicking, as though she knew the feeling from some previous time. "I didn't say goodbye."
The tom spoke up, and Dapplepaw still had no clue who they were. "That's true. But Dapplepaw, you have to understand we cannot just simply give you another life." He sounded sympathetic. "But we all agree that you deserve to keep living the life you were living. You just started to find happiness."
The she-cat nodded her head. "You will return to your former body, alive. But there might be side effects. Such as confusion and other similar things." She dipped her head. "I'm Shadedpool, in case you were wondering. I was Sweetpaw's sister." The she-cat let out a mrrw of laughter. "I suppose my fate didn't end well, but yours can, sister."
Dapplepaw snapped awake, just like she had woken from a bad dream. She turned, seeing the three cats watching her suspiciously. "You were right," Dapplepaw meowed weakly. "I died." After that statement she gave Rosepaw a mean stare.
The white she-cat let out a hiss. "It isn't over, Fuzzy-fur. You will get what you deserve." With that very cliche speech, Rosepaw marched away, showing a slight limp in her walk.
Ashpaw stepped forward, almost ready to follow her. He paused. "So, you remember better now?"
"Wait, how are you alive?" Rainpaw cut in, her tone full of annoyance from being ignored. "You can't just say you're dead and not elaborate on it."
Dapplepaw turned to her sister. "I went to StarClan," she started, trying to recall her memories. "They gave me one last chance, saying that I was just finally finding happiness again before getting it ripped away from be. I think this is the last favor StarClan will do for me."
Ashpaw seemed pleased, relief written on his face. "As long as you're okay, Dapplepaw-"
"But I am still confused," Dapplepaw interjected, shaking her head. "I don't know anything about my own life. I assume my memories will flash back shortly-"
"How long have you been an apprentice?" Rainpaw asked, her focus on Ashpaw alone.
"Just a quarter moon," Dapplepaw answered for the SunClan tom. "Correct me if I'm wrong, though."
Ashpaw nodded. "Yep, a quarter moon. But judging by how Dapplepaw here has her kit fur, I'd say you're made apprentices today." He glanced at her, a smirk in his eyes.
"Kit fluff? Are you kidding me?" Dapplepaw gasped, looking at her fur. "It's naturally fluffy!" She lashed her tail, shoving him lightly.
"It looks like kit fluff to me. But hey, I'm not judging. Heroes don't judge."
"Heroes?" Dapplepaw exclaimed, eyes widening. "You hardly helped in that tree!"
Ashpaw rolled his eyes. "You never asked."
"Should you have to ask a hero?"
Ashpaw stared at her, curious then. "Congratulations. I've never had some cat argue with me for so long."
Dapplepaw snapped back to the present. She glanced at Ashpaw, who was watching her nervously. "We met at the Gathering?" she asked him, tilting her head to the side.
"Formally, yes, but we saw each other two times before that." The grey tabby tom answered, his voice full of hope. Dapplepaw guessed that he wanted her memories to flood back to her. She was just clueless. Everything was jumbled up in her memory. She was mixing up her past, making her not know what really happened.
Rainpaw squeezed forward. "I'll go and get Creampaw, maybe she can help." She darted away, disappearing into the crowd of cats who were waiting around while others got their wounds checked.
Ashpaw watched Rainpaw go, then turned to Dapplepaw. "We met in the apple tree, where you climbed it, which ruined the bark by the way. You were being chased by a badger, remember...?"
With her last burst of speed, Dapplekit flung herself on the tree, sinking her claws into the bark and pulling herself onto a higher branch, just out of the creature's reach.
It stared at her, black eyes on its target. Dapplekit pressed herself against the wood, trying to desperately catch her breath. She glanced down at it again, swallowing hard. "What even is it?" she managed to gasp out, but realized she was alone.
"I think it's a badger. I honestly thought they were bigger," a voice commented.
Dapplekit whirled around, her ears flat on her head. "Who's there?" she hissed, managing to find her voice. She dug her claws into the bark and fluffed up her fur.
"Mmm...just me. I know, I know. Such a disappointment." A grey and black tabby tom made himself visible from the tree branch just above her. He was a kit, maybe just a quarter moon older than she was.
"Who are you?" Dapplekit snapped, her ears moving forward.
The grey kit shrugged, his amber eyes calm. "Is that really important with that badger offspring clawing at my tree? I come here frequently, actually, and I don't want the bark torn off." His eyes narrowed as he stared at the shredded bits on the ground. "Oh, look, now you've done it. It's ruined."
"Who cares? We're trapped up here, can't you see that?" Dapplekit meowed, trying to force the fear from her voice. Who is this cat? Why was he so...brave?
The grey kit frowned. "Oh, yeah, then there's that. I'm blaming that one on you, though."
"Who are you?" Dapplekit growled, bunching her muscles and springing to the next branch. She barely made it, her claws scraping the bark. It took effort to finally pull herself up.
"So, not only do you ruin the base of this tree, but now you're determined to ruin the branches?" the grey kit meowed, sighing when looking at the claw marks. "I'm Ashkit, from SunClan."
Dapplepaw gasped, blinking as the memory faded. "I do!" Her voice started to get excited as she felt like she actually knew something about herself. "I remember meeting you, and getting my apprentice name. I remember Foxstep, and he was close to me. Why? You seem confused when I say that."
"Foxstep?" Creampaw asked, sliding forward. "Tell me this mouse-brained story is just something Rainpaw conjured up. You look fine." The tabby positioned herself beside the other two cats.
Dapplepaw hesitated, unsure. "It's true," she meowed at last. "What were you saying, though, about Foxstep?"
Foxstep sensed her mood and was quiet for a moment, but apparently the moment was too long. "Look, I get your mad at me. No, I know that you are mad at me, but I don't get it. I carried you down from a tree and wouldn't put you down! Is that a reason to dislike ever since then?"
Dapplepaw stayed silent, staring at her paws. There was no way she was answering that. She didn't want to, mostly because out loud it sounded silly.
"We were friends ever since I was an apprentice, and you were a kit! I am two moons older than you!"
"Does that make you automatically my friend? That you're two moons older than me?" Dapplepaw snapped, whirling around to face him. She lashed her tail, her eyes narrow.
Foxstep shook his head. "No, I just meant that our age isn't that far apart, so if we were ever to, you know, fall in love, it wouldn't be a problem."
Dapplepaw blinked as she saw Foxstep padding up to her. "Well?" he asked, his tail flicking and his voice sounding defeated. He gazed down at her, waiting. "It's been a half moon."
"Believe me, I know." Dapplepaw got to her paws. "Sorry, Foxstep. I just can't bring myself to care for you." She met his gaze evenly. "I think you will love a cat one day just as much as you loved Sweetpaw. But I am not her." Dapplepaw watched his reaction as she mentioned the cat he once loved, the cat that was her. She didn't feel right about lying, but what choice did she have?
Foxstep's eyes widened. "What?" he gasped. "You remember? You remember your past?" Excitement lit his face, making Dapplepaw wince as he continued, "You know you were once Sweetpaw?"
Dapplepaw's eyes softened. "No, Foxstep, I'm not," she meowed to him, almost sounding gentle, which was uncharacteristic of her. "I know you think Sweetpaw was reborn as me, but that's just not true." She tried not to flinch at her obvious lie, and actually managed to hold her composure.
"Never mind, I remember Foxstep." Dapplepaw got to her paws, feeling exhaustion weigh her down. "I don't understand. I don't want to go through this again." She grimaced, remembering the days when Sweetpaw's memories came back to her.
"It's better than being dead!" Creampaw snapped, rolling her eyes. "For StarClan sake, Dapplepaw! You get free lives every time you die and you aren't even happy?" The light colored cat got to her paws, slightly irritated.
Dapplepaw recoiled, eyes narrowing. "You don't know what's it's like, Creampaw. It's like I am not the same act anymore. Almost like I am living another cat's life. When I found out I was Sweetpaw I felt a bit lost. I asked myself if I was that cat anymore. I answered no. So does that mean I am not Dapplepaw anymore?"
Rainpaw shook her head rapidly. "No! You weren't reborn a different cat this time, Dapplepaw. You were given the same life back!" She glanced at Creampaw, desperately trying to earn the other's support.
Ashpaw nodded, taking a step closer. "Don't you remember all the times we had together? I told you I cared for you, and you told me the feelings were mutual. I still do, but I want to know if you do as well." His amber eyes were worried, but there was a spark of hope in them.
Dapplepaw shut her eyes. She didn't want to give a reply. She needed to remember more. She thought, prying into her memories.
Dapplepaw forced her eyes open to look at him. "It's hard, you know? It's not like we can actually be friends forever. Let's face it, we're in two different clans. It'll never work out." She turned to the ground, avoiding his stare. "Anyway, what were you going to say?"
Ashpaw was silent. "I was...never mind." He got to his paws, preparing to jump. He hesitated before sitting back down. "No, I'm actually going to say what I wanted to. Since we won't be meeting anymore, I might as well just speak." He turned and faced her, making Dapplepaw flinch. "I think I might care for you."
Dapplepaw dug her claws into the bark of the tree. Her ears flew up with surprise and her eyes lit with delight. She was happy for a split second before his words sunk in. Why did he have to say that? This is bad! She thought of excuses, just like she had done when Foxstep tricked himself into loving her. "I'm rude, selfish and not pretty!"
Ashpaw paused, then shook his head, meeting her gaze confidently. "No, Dapplepaw. You're bold, not rude. You recognize your importance, but not too much. And you are pretty, but I suppose you've never looked in a pond at yourself before."
Rosepaw had Dapplepaw pinned to the ground, her claws unsheathed. "What are you doing?" Dapplepaw gasped, squirming under Rosepaw's weight. "We're on the same side! Let me go!" She struggled to get air as Rosepaw pressed her weight against her.
"No, SunClan and DuskClan are on the same side. You and I? We're not. You stole Ashpaw from me. Don't even bother denying it. You are the reason he won't love me. So, seeing as we're in the midst of a fight and no cat will care, I'm going to...let's say, remove you." Rosepaw's voice was full of malice and enjoyment.
Dapplepaw tried to gather up her strength. She dug her claws into Rosepaw's side and tried to kick her off. And while that didn't work, it gave her a chance to take in a deep breath.
Dapplepaw turned to her side, wishing some cat would see this and help her. A spark of hope lit inside her when she saw Rainpaw, frozen to the spot tail-lengths away, staring at them. "Rainpaw! Help me!"
Her sister blinked, then turned away, pelting into the battle again. Dapplepaw felt a stab of betrayal before she faced Rosepaw again. The white apprentice smirked. "Looks like no cat is coming to save you."
Dapplepaw cringed away as Rosepaw raised her paw. In one swift movement her paw came down and darkness took over.
Dapplepaw gasped. She hated this. She hated these memories. "You let me die," Dapplepaw meowed slowly, turning to Rainpaw.
Rainpaw recoiled as though those words stung her. "No, I...I wasn't thinking. My mind was clouded. I'm fine now."
"I didn't ask you how you were."
"I just thought you would. It's the type of cat you are," Rainpaw meowed, concern flashing on her face. Well, it had never really left.
Dapplepaw snorted, turning away and hesitating to say one last thing. "Well, I don't really know the cat I am anymore."
Well...REVIEW?! I'm thinking 155-160 for the next chapter!
Next chapter: Ashpaw tries to cope with the recent changes in his life, particularly Dapplepaw's new self.
Question: Did you expect this explanation as to why Dapplepaw is alive? Yes? No? If not, what did you think?