WARNING: this chapter is not for the weak-of-heart! Seriously! You have been warned…
Chapter 3:
Lionblaze; because when life gives you lemons… BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!
From Stereotype to Awesome
In the Power of Three Arc, there is only one cat in all of the clans that (due to the surprising lack of a main antagonist)strikes fear into the hearts and souls of warrior cats and readers alike: LIONBLAZE
After being introduced as the sort of ringleader/'genius' mastermind behind the epic suicide mission that he and his two siblings embarked on in The Sight, readers everywhere struggled to place young Lionkit's seemingly unoriginal personality, and eventually got so fed up as the book progressed that we simply marked him off as not having one at all.
Surprisingly, while his siblings had definite traits and characteristics that were unique and were easily placed within the first few chapters, it was progressively hard to place young Lionkit, simply because he had absolutely nothing going for him. He lacked his grandfather's do-gooder/ so totally not Mary-Sue personality, and didn't have his 'father's ' ambitions or his mother's spirit or stubbornness. He didn't have his brother's emo or non-racistness (thank StarClan) or his sister's… anything (proof that there is a StarClan.)
Basically, Lionkit/paw is just there in the first book simply to take up space and make sure that there are enough parts for the entire Power of Three prophecy.
By the time the second book came about, we were all pretty sure that Lionpaw was just your stereotypical character that had all of the same goals, dreams, traits, and characteristics as every single other apprentice in the series and was simply there to take up space.
And then, there was Dark River.
Surprisingly to the rest of the world, the second installment of the Power of Three arc seemed to be mostly centered around (you guessed it) Lionpaw. Except now, he had a personality and definite goals and traits that made him more unique and likeable. Now, instead of simply being an enthusiastic young apprentice determined to help his clan no matter what, Lionpaw was a confused, prepubescent, and ambitious apprentice determined to be the best warrior on the face of the planet.
Of course all apprentices claim that they're going to be the best warriors ever, and dream of being legends, and at first we wrote this off as normal apprentice stereotype. But in the next two books, we learn that he is actually completely serious about wanting to be the best of the best, no matter what it takes. Hmmm, remind you of any one? (*cough* Tigerstar *cough*)
His obsession ends up leading him to taking fighting lessons from his 'other grandfather' Tigerstar and his 'uncle' Hawkfrost in his dreams. No, seriously, that's actually what he dreams about at night. That's right, screw normal dreams that offer peace and rest from a hard day of battle training! Lionpaw trains during the day and in his sleep, proving him to be the most dedicated and determined apprentice IN THE WORLD!
Darn you normal apprentices, why can't you be as dedicated as Lionpaw? You don't see him complaining about something as trivial as battle wounds or utter exhaustion!
So, anyway, Lionblaze learns all about fighting from the best of the best, because instead of one mentor, he has three. So what if two of them are, oh, you know, completely EVIL. Lionpaw isn't about to let something as trivial as that stand in the way of the opportunity of a lifetime.
Lionpaw may have been the model apprentice, and turned out to be the greatest warrior in Thunderclan, just like he knew he would. Unfortunately, even though he made many outstanding achievements in his apprenticeship, it still took him half a series to become a warrior, so we can't name him a Super apprentice.
Instead, we'll just settle with calling him a BEASTLY APPRENTICE!
Hate Disguised as Love
In the second book, during the discovery of Lionpaw's new found personality, we learn that Lionpaw has a shocking secret:
FORBIDDEN LOVE!
That's right, Lionpaw, who is facing major emotional overload now that he actually has feelings, seems to have fallen in love with the WindClan apprentice Heatherpaw.
OMG! LION X HEATHER!
The pairing became probably the most popular pairing in all of Warriors fandom (except Jay X Stick of course, you can't get any better than that) after the release of Dark River.
The entire relationship all started when Lionpaw and Heatherpaw decide to become best friends even though the two know that they're from different clans, but of course that could never ever EXPLODE IN THEIR NAÏVE LITTLE FACES!
Why, Erin Hunter, do I sense a heart-wrenching plot twist about to take place here?
So, the two become friends, and decide that, since both are suddenly showing random signs of extreme impatience and the sudden need to be with each other every second of every day (oh you crazy prepubescent kids) that, instead of waiting to meet at the gatherings and actually following the Warrior Code, it would be a whole lot better and more convenient for a romantic FORBIDDEN LOVE story if instead they met every single night in secret. You know, because in no way possible is that impractical at all. There's just no arguing with that sort of logic!
So, eventually, the two develop feelings for each other (which we totally never saw coming) and eventually get to the point where Lionpaw suddenly realizes that he is in LOVE!
Yes folks, even though we saw it coming since the beginning of the second book, it took young Lionpaw almost till the end of Dark River to realize that he was involved in yet another sick and surprisingly convenient scenario of FORBIDDEN LOVE (yes, I will always put that in all caps!) thus proving that foresight is not one of Lionpaw's new found characteristics.
Much to the dismay of every FORBIDDEN LOVE crazed fangirl on the face of the earth and otherwise Lion X Heather supporter, toward the end of the book, the relationship takes a dark turn for our 'star-crossed?' lovers. Lionpaw realizes, shortly after recognizing his feelings for Heatherpaw that his relationship with her is taking is attention away from his ultimate ambition of being the greatest warrior of all time and existence and later role in his brother's new world order. So, Lionpaw decided to do what all great men of great roles of power do when faced with a difficult level of emotional stress and indecision.
He cut his losses and dumped her before things got even more complicated and stressful.
Nice job Lionpaw, I'm sure that the world will view you as a better character for your oh so subtle and considerate mannerism of handling this terribly difficult situation.
But, all you fangirls of the world do not fret! I am more than certain that, if fate (or the Erin Hunters, which ever holds more power in the universe) permits, we shall all see a new and improved Lion X Heather in the new fourth arc!(Because Starclan knows three arcs isn't enough to wrap up a plotline.)
So, what exactly is wrong with this pairing? It certainly has enough heart-break, tension, and FORBIDDEN LOVE to satisfy any romance fan (yes, I'm looking at you crazy fangirls of the internet.)
Well, out of all the Warrior pairings out there (and believe me, there are thousands!) Lion X Heather actually isn't one of the worst…but it certainly isn't one of the best either.
Let's take a step back for a second and take a look at the bigger picture that this relationship gives.
Basically, it's about a boy kitty and a girl kitty who meet and start out as friends, become really, really close friends, and then fall in love. But their love can never be (FORBIDDEN LOVE) because they're from enemy clans and it's against the Warrior Code. Where could we have possibly heard similar scenarios from before? (Gray X Silver, Crow X Feather, Blue X Oak, Crow X Leaf, etc)
But, instead of having a happily ever after where the two learn to work past their differences and conflicts…they don't!
Now, if we take a closer look at the characters themselves, again, they aren't too terribly unoriginal and or disturbing when used in this pairing, except for one minor detail…
In the book Eclipse, it is revealed that Lionpaw, being his now completely single self, has a dark secret about his feelings for Heatherpaw.
Lionpaw, it appears is attracted to Heatherpaw based off of two main things: her personality and disposition… and her BLOOD!
It is revealed in Eclipse that Lionpaw's interests have changed a little since he first started displaying them in Dark River. It is during this book, in the middle of an epic battle that will determine the fate of ThunderClan that will later lead to many plot twists and cliff hangers (oh Erin Hunter, you certainly know how to create a dramatic effect when you want one) that Lionpaw discovers his second greatest love in life:
THE BLOOD OF THE INNOCENT!
Why isn't there a pairing name for that I wonder…
**(BEWARE YE WHO ENTER HERE FOR THERE BE SPOILERS AHEAD)
Actually, the pairing now appears to be officially dead, since Erin Hunter is apparently leaning towards Cinder X Lion, though both of them are still naïve and blissfully unaware of their impending doom at this point…
A River of Darkness!
Lionpaw's role starts in Dark River; therefore, so shall we.
I'm going to be quick in my explanation of this book just because frankly it is for the best and I know that I can't make this thing too long because, in all honesty I have the attention span of a fruit fly and I know that most of you do too.
In a nut shell, Dark River is about how Heatherpaw and Lionpaw discovered a secret underground system of complex tunnels that run beneath the clan territories that, even though the clans had been there for several seasons, ABSOLUTEY NO ONE KNEW ABOUT!
So the two decide "Hey, instead of, oh, I don't know, telling our clan leaders about this awesome tunnel system that could be of some great use or overall importance to our clans, let's play and meet in secret here in an act of friendship that could never possibly cause strife or develop to a romantic level!"
Things go perfectly until a bunch of WindClan kits found the tunnels, got lost, and then caused clan wide panic that forced Lionpaw, Hollypaw, Jaypaw, Breezepaw, and Heatherpaw to risk their lives to rescue them and almost drown in the process which causes unheard of amounts of stress that later lead to Jaypaw being terrified of water and all three kits traumatized for life.
And all of this because Heatherpaw insisted on meeting in the tunnels that ABSOLUTELY NO ONE KNEW ABOUT.
On second thought is it really all that surprising why Lion X Heather didn't work out?
Of Fails and Plotlines
In the beginning of the arc, Lionpaw doesn't really play much of a role in the overall plotline except for his almost relationship with Heatherpaw and nighttime battle training sessions with Tigerstar and Hawkfrost. In fact, it isn't even until the third book that we learn what his power is. That's right, while it only took his smaller, blind brother one book to develop several superpowers, it took Lionpaw three books to figure out that he had one.
Oh well, you can't always have everything…
In the early plotline, we learn very quickly that Lionpaw has the ability to withstand entire nights of harsh battle training overload from his demented and slightly evil ex-relatives and still be able to be perfectly alert and wakeful during the day so that he can endure even more training, thus proving that Lionpaw is so awesome that he doesn't need to sleep, and his excuse to Heatherpaw about not being able to concentrate during the day because he was up all night with her was nothing more than a half-hearted attempt at finding a way out of a difficult situation without having to be frowned upon by society. Congratulations Lionpaw, your uncanny tactics and mannerisms are now equivalent of that of any great politician of the world. I'm sure that your family is oh so proud.
Unfortunately, while the ability to not sleep is both amazing and unnatural on many levels, it technically not a super power, which meant that Lionpaw was both powerless and ignorant since he still had yet to find out that he was part of a great prophecy that meant that he was more powerful that StarClan and therefore still living under his brothers emo and domineering shadow.
After the release of Dark River, Lionpaw left the world with some important, unanswered questions and internal dilemmas that made readers wand to rip all of their hair out and then shave their eyebrows in pure frustration and heart break.
The truth is people were still very much unsure of how to place dear Lionpaw. He certainly couldn't be ignored or marked of as a stereotypical character after his heart-wrenching non-affair with Heatherpaw during his prepubescent period, and he was part of the great prophecy for Starclan's sake! But, though Lionpaw did show some originality now, it was still almost impossible to place what his part was in the overall plotline and why he was special enough to be included in the prophecy, because it definitely wasn't for his political tactics.
It wasn't until Outcast, that the world found a new respect for Lionpaw, and surprisingly, not just for the fact that he had found his superpower after all this time. No, the world more respects andslightly fears Lionpaw because his new found ability was the ability to SLAUGHTER ALL WHO STOOD IN HIS PATH WITH EPIC MAD SKILLS OF FURY AND AWESOMENESS!
*Ahem*
It was in a would-be-epic battle to defend the Tribe of Rushing Water from a troop of unskilled rogues (because Starclan knows that it's the clan cats' job to fight battles for the tribe cats even though they're nothing but ungrateful little -insert curse word of your choice here!-s) that Lionpaw single handedly (does that expression work for cats?) defeated the rogues and came out without a single scratch and completely covered in the blood of his enemies, scaring the –insert word of choice- out of his sister Hollypaw.
As Lionpaw basked in his new found awesomeness, the world began to regard him as more of an individual than a clever plot devise and accepted him as the kick-butt sadist that he was becoming. Thankfully, the plotline begins to pick up for Lionpaw/blaze after this major turning point, and he starts playing more of an overall role in things. Now, instead of just simply being there, he actually does stuff too!
I think that it's safe to say that Lionblaze ended up much more awesome than we could have predicted from his failful kithood.
However, in the epic never-ending battle that is Eclipse Lionblaze discovers that his new powers aren't just for fun games, because his battle lust has become a constant torment, and he has to resort to trying to kill his already dead former relatives/secret mentors and attempting to murder Ashfur before Hollyleaf can beat him to it, which (very much unfortunately) is foiled by none other than Fire-freaking-star!
Don't worry Lionblaze, much revenge and laughter will be had at the end of the arc!
Also in Eclipse we find out that Erin Hunter isn't ready to give up on Lion X Heather just yet (STARCLAN WHY!) Seeing how the pairing is so popular, and yet was totally desecrated in Dark River when Heatherpaw decided that she hated Lionpaw with the burning power of a thousand suns, the Erin Hunters decided that to resurrect the relationship and make it the most successful pairing in Warriors history, they would try and take a page out of famous 'romance' author Stephenie Meyers books. Literally.
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOOO! WHY STARCLAN WHY!
As a result, along with his constant blood and battle lust, it's not just the blood of his enemies that Lionblaze is after. Nope, now he's pulled an Edward and is now completely obsessed with Heathertail's blood, bringing their non-relationship to a new level of ultimate failure. Now instead of dreaming about Tigerstar and Hawkfrost, he dreams about blood and death.
Well folks, I have a feeling that I know what the majority of your faces look like right about now:
0.o
You would think that a character this messed up and obsessed with chaos and destruction would show some reaction to the revelation that his life was a lie and his sister was dead. You might think, but you would be wrong, because, surprisingly enough, Lionblaze seems to care about the lies, chaos and strife of the twisting yet somehow mostly predictable plotline that is the Warriors series even less than Jayfeather!
Whoa. Now that takes talent!
In fact, he isn't even that concerned about the prophecy, just as long as it involves the death of millions and endless power in his frighteningly capable paws.
Well, I do believe that I can summarize Lionblaze in five words:
LIONBLAZE YOU SADISCITC POLITICIAN WANNABE!
As I said before: Flames welcome, and of course so are any other forms of reviewing.
Up next: Hollyleaf!