Challenge: Trail of Lightning
Word Count (min. 200): 867
Rating: K+ for mild injuries
The Tiger's Demise
A small orange tabby tom ran around the forest smelling every tree and looking under every rock. He bounced around on the fallen leaves and he chased every beetle that he found.
It was his first time out as an apprentice.
"Calm down, Tigerpaw," a larger and more muscular brown tom purred. "You'll scare all of the prey from here to the Mooncave away."
Tigerpaw looked down at his paws sheepishly. "Oh, I'm sorry Barkfang. It's just that I never thought that the DawnClan territory would be so exciting!"
He purred and leapt at a small yellow butterfly. The creature took flight and Tigerpaw found himself chasing after it gleefully.
"Anyone would think that I'm taking a kit, not an apprentice, on a walk around the territory borders," Barkfang remarked.
Tigerpaw stopped chasing the poor butterfly and stood up indignantly and puffed his chest out proudly. "I'm not a kit!" he retorted. "I'm an apprentice!"
He pawed at the butterfly that had landed on a bright flower petal. "It's just that I can't wait to see everything! Everything is just so interesting and new! I can't wait to start hunting and fighting for my Clan! I'll be the best warrior, Barkfang, I promise!"
He started to walk more 'apprentice-like' and tried his hardest to impress his mentor. He didn't want Barkfang to ask Kestrelstar for a different apprentice.
"Don't worry about being the best just yet," Barkfang smiled. "Have a bit of fun now. We start to get serious tomorrow."
With a squeak of happiness, he leapt towards a little red beetle. He growled at it, pretending it to be a fearsome DuskClan tom, ready to rip him to shreds.
"You can't get me, DuskClan filth!" he cried dramatically, "For I am Tigerpaw!"
The beetle lifted its wings and flew away.
Tigerpaw jumped after it. "You coward!" he yowled.
In the background, Tigerpaw could hear his mentor yelling something. He couldn't quite catch most of what he'd said, but he was sure he said something to do with 'slow'.
"You're right, Barkfang!" he answered. "He is a bit slow compared to me!"
As he turned around, he noticed that the brown tom had started running towards him.
He's joining my game! Tigerpaw thought happily.
Running faster, he suddenly noticed that the ground started to get harder and harder. The smell of the forest had suddenly been drowned out by the sickening smell of… of… He couldn't quite figure out what it smelled like.
Then, all of a sudden, the grass turned hard and black.
The beetle flew away from Tigerpaw's grasp into the forest on the other side of this long black path.
The Thunderpath!
He let out a whimper. He'd been told stories about the Thunderpath… And none of them had a happy ending…
"Tigerpaw!" he heard Barkfang yowl. "Tigerpaw quick! Come this way!"
Shaking, he turned his head to the sound of his mentor's voice. He tried to lift his paw, but he was frozen in fear. He couldn't move!
"B-Barkf-fang," he whimpered. "I-I'm s-sc-scared."
"It'll be okay, Tigerpaw," Barkfang purred calmingly, yet Tigerpaw could hear his voice shaking, "Just take a step this way…"
The ground started shaking and it was as if a thunderstorm had just started up. Tigerpaw looked up and saw a shiny monster quickly making its way towards him.
He tried to get out of the way, but his mind was so scrambled from the fear that he didn't know which way was safe. The smell and the sound of monster confused his senses, leaving him practically useless.
He glanced at his mentor… He had let Barkfang down…
"I'm sorry," he meowed.
The last thing he saw was the shocked look on the brown tom's face before he heard a screech and a snap.
Pain shot up his back leg and darkness invited him into its grasp, promising him safety from the excruciating pain.
Trying to stay conscious, Tigerpaw struggled against it. He would be okay. He needed to show Barkfang that he'd be okay. He needed to be a warrior! He needed to stay and fight for his Clan.
But the pain was too much and exhausted, he finally gave in and everything went dark….
.
The fat orange tabby lazily flicked his ear as a fly buzzed around him and landed on his food.
With a huff, he laid his head on his front paws. When he was a kit he would probably chase it away or something, but times had changed.
He had changed.
He glanced at his back leg. Twisted and mangled, it didn't do much anymore. He couldn't remember the last time he had actually gotten up and walked on it.
"Flamey!"
He turned his head at the sound of the Twoleg kit's voice. Letting out a purr, he watched as the kit let out its own kind of purr.
Yep, times had changed.
No longer was he an excitable apprentice, chasing butterflies.
The accident was the best thing that had ever happened to him. He'd learned from his mistake. He'd found a new and better home.
He was a kittypet now, and he wouldn't change what happened to him.
This was his life now.