Thank you for waiting for SO long guys! I hope this was worth the wait! =D ~Snowstar
Discovering Powers
Part 1
It Snows in New-leaf
Brokenkit nodded vigorously, while Icekit stared at me like she couldn't understand what I was saying.
"Well come on!" I said, and ran across the hollow to Earthpaw's den. As I ran, I could only hope that Earthpaw would be there. If he wasn't, I didn't know where he could be.
He's going to be there, he's going to be there…
But he wasn't. I only remembered that he had left earlier when I saw the empty nest.
I turned around to see that Brokenkit and Icekit were in the exact same spot I had left them.
"Why didn't you follow me?" I demanded, "Don't you want to figure this out?"
"Well, yeah," Brokenkit replied, "But…I'm afraid I'll burn something."
I sighed, "Good point." I looked at Icekit, "What about you?"
She just stared at me, a confused look in her eyes.
"Icekit! Hello! Can't you hear me?" I yelled.
She still didn't answer. She only stared at me, looking confused and sad at the same time.
"That was so cool!" It was Blackkit, entering the hollow after he had mysteriously left with Earthpaw. "I can't believe I was able to move-"
Earthpaw cleared his throat, as if warning him to stop. He exchanged at warning glance with Blackkit, and then looked to me. "Oh, Snowkit, were you-" He stopped mid-stride, and stared at Brokenkit. His eyes widened. "Brokenkit," he said slowly, "what a- happened?"
"Um," Brokenkit mewed, the flames on his pelt flickering, "I caught on fire."
"Yes, we already know that," I said dully, while Blackkit peered around Earthpaw's shoulder to stare at Icekit.
"Guys," He said slowly, "not to scare anyone, but there's a fox in the hollow."
"We know," I replied. "The real problem is to figure out how to change Icekit and Brokenkit back."
"Change them back?" Blackkit asked. "You mean that fox…?"
"Yep, that's Icekit."
Blackkit looked a little more relieved now that he knew it was only Icekit, but kept his distance. Meanwhile, Earthpaw had stepped closer, and was staring at Icekit, looking amazed.
"Wow, I understood that we could control different elements, but this…this is amazing!" Earthpaw mewed.
Icekit just stared at him.
"What? Control elements?" I asked, "What do you mean?"
Earthpaw didn't seem to hear me.
"Earthpaw, do Icekit and Brokenkit-?" Blackkit asked.
Earthpaw nodded, "Yes, I think they do. They have powers."
Oh sure! He hears Blackkit! Wait, powers?
"Yay! That means that we're all part of the prophecy!" Blackkit exclaimed.
Earthpaw nodded, "Yep. C'mon, Brokenkit, Icekit, I've got some explaining to do." He turned, and led the way out of the hollow. Blackkit followed, flicking his tail happily.
"Do you think the den's dried out yet?" He asked as they left. Brokenkit followed tentatively, careful not to brush against any of the plants as best as he could. Icekit looked confused, but saw that everyone else was leaving, and decided to follow. Before she disappeared, Icekit looked back at me sadly, as if to say, "aren't you coming?"
I shook my head, and sat down.
Icekit turned sadly, and followed Brokenkit, Blackkit, and Earthpaw.
I looked around the empty hollow.
Empty. It's such a lonely word. But I'm only empty and alone because I'm different from them. All they want to do is leave me. They don't care what I do! They wouldn't care if I was still at Twolegplace! They probably want me to be there! Rusty wouldn't have done this to me, he would've stayed even if he had found out that he was able to turn invisible! But NO, I'm here, alone!
And with that, angry thoughts racing, I ran out of the hollow. I went all by myself, which is something that I would never have dreamed of, but I went anyway. At first, I had no idea just where I was going, but then I made up my mind. I only knew of one place to go, so I went there, the only place I could feel calm at beside Twolegplace.
River, here I come!
… … … … … …. …. …. …. …. …. …. ….
"Blackkit, where are we going?" I asked.
"To Earthpaw's den," He replied, looking straight ahead.
"But, isn't Earthpaw den…in the hollow?"
"Yeah, the one he shares with Tigerpaw is. But he has another one, out here, that's warmed and since he has Earth powers, he needs to be warm, and-" He continued to ramble on about powers and Earthpaw and more stuff about powers.
Okay then…
"Okay, we're here," Earthpaw announced.
I looked around. We were standing next to a steep outcrop, that I soon realized was the back of what bordered the hollow.
"I'll check and see if it's dry!" Blackkit called, and raced into the den. A moment later there was a splash.
"What was that?" I asked.
"Just the water inside the den," Earthpaw replied, peering inside. "Darn, I thought that it would be dry now! Especially since Blackkit brought it out earlier…Come on out, Blackkit, I think I have an idea!"
For a moment, I heard Blackkit splashing around inside, but then a moment later he was outside again.
"What's your idea?" Blackkit asked.
"Well, I thought, maybe Brokenkit could step inside, and the heat from the flames would dry it out," Earthpaw answered.
"Me? But I don't know what to do!" I protested. "I don't even know what's going on!"
"Brokenkit, calm down. I'm going to answer all of your questions in just a second," Earthpaw said. "You don't have to do anything, but walk into the den."
"Okay…," I said, and took a deep breath.
"Don't worry, Brokenkit; this is normal," Blackkit coaxed. "Earthpaw will explain some stuff, and then everything will be fine."
I nodded, and padded closer to the tunnel entrance. I paused for a moment, and peered into the darkness. "It's dark," I murmured.
"It'll light up when you go inside; you do have flames on your fur," Earthpaw mewed. "Don't be scared, Brokenkit. We'll be right behind you."
"Okay," I felt a little better now. I took a step inside, paused for a moment, and then dashed the rest of the way through.
Once I was inside, I saw sandy walls, and a damp sandy floor. I circled around, looking at each wall of the den. As I moved, I realized that the dampness in the floor disappeared.
"It's dry now!" I called, but Earthpaw was already coming through the tunnel.
"I know," Earthpaw replied, stepping out of the tunnel. He looked around for a moment. "Great job, Brokenkit!"
"But I didn't do anything! All I did was walk inside!"I replied.
"I know," Earthpaw repeated. "But that's enough."
"Awesome, you did it!" It was Blackkit, who was just coming out of the tunnel.
"Did you get Icekit?" Earthpaw asked.
Blackkit nodded, "I think so, but I don't know if she understood me."
Suddenly Icekit was there, her orange scruffy fur tinted golden in the light of my flames. She looked at Blackkit with an annoyed looked in her eyes.
"Okay, we're all here," Earthpaw mewed, sitting with his tail curled over his paws. "Now, questions?"
"Well, for starters," I began, "why am I on fire?"
Blackkit giggled. "Because you have powers, silly."
"Fire powers, to be exact," Earthpaw added.
"Okay…," I said, thinking it over, "So we all have powers?"
Earthpaw nodded, "I have Earth powers. That means I can control the ground. Hence the underground den, hence the rock in the river, and yeah."
"What powers do you have?" I asked, turning to Blackkit.
"Storm powers," He replied. "I can make it rain, and can make lightning, and tornadoes, and all of that stuff."
"Wow," I said, "So we have Fire, Storm, and Earth powers. What about Icekit?"
Earthpaw stared at her. "Well, I think she has shape-shifting powers. Although, I'm not sure that she'll be able to shape shift into just anything."
"Can she understand us right now?" I asked.
Earthpaw shook his head, "I don't think so."
"Then how do we get her to change back?"
"I'm not so sure of that either," Earthpaw admitted.
"Earthpaw," Blackkit began, changing the subject, "I just realized something."
"Yes?" Earthpaw asked, turning his head to look at Blackkit.
"Well, we have Storm and Fire already, because I can make storms, and Brokenkit can make fire," He said. "And I'm pretty sure Icekit is Fox, because, well, she is afox right now."
Earthpaw nodded. "Yep. We almost have a complete prophecy."
"There's just one more cat to find," Blackkit mewed.
"Who?"
"Snow."
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
I sat and purred; I had made it to the river, all by myself.
Since I had gotten here, I'd walked up and down the shore, staring into the water. I wasn't looking for something; just enjoying the water's presence, and hoping something would come up to brighten my spirit. After pacing a few times, I padded back to a place with lots of reeds, and had sat down. That was where I sat now.
Gazing back into the water, I caught sight of something through the reeds. It was a small, silvery shape, gliding under the surface of the water.
Can it be? It that…a fish?
I'd never seen one before, but I remember one time Rusty had mentioned it before. I closed my eyes, and remembered.
Star had gotten to eat a sharp-smelling meat of some kind. When Rusty had asked what it was and why only she had gotten to eat it, Star had replied, "It's fish, and I only get to eat it because I'm the one that works all day to take care of you. Now stay back and let me eat."
Rusty had jumped back in shock at the harshness in her tone; she wasn't usually like this, not at all. Star went back to eating, and Rusty huffed back over to our corner. (This was before he and Princess got the idea for the kit clans.)
"I wish I could have some fish!" He had whispered angrily. "But, noo! I'm stuck with regular old milk, or that hard stuff that Mama's Housefolk put in the dish!"
I had giggled, "You made a rhyme!"
Rusty had paused for a moment, and purred, "Yeah." But then he had grown angry again, "Why can't I have any? You know, Snowkit, if I was a Warrior out in the wild, then I'd be able to catch one, and we could share it."
"Fish? We could eat fish?" I had asked, eyes wide.
Rusty nodded, "Yup."
"Well, that might be nice, but I'm good with your Mama's milk, if that's okay," I had replied.
Rusty purred, "You know, Snowkit? That's just fine."
I opened my eyes, a happy purr still rumbling in my throat from the memory.
Wait! He said something about…catching a fish…to eat!
Then it hit like a bolt of lightning.
I'll catch it!
But…how?
"Use berries," A voice spoke in my head. I jumped back.
"Whoa! Who's there?" I thought I had heard the voice in my head, but I had to be sure that there wasn't another cat around.
When there was no answer, I relaxed.
What berries?
"In a bush," The voice replied. This time, I recognized it, but I wasn't sure of who it could be.
I whipped around, scanning the line of bushes. None of them seemed to have berries growing just yet, and for a moment, my hopes faded. I kept looking for a moment longer, and on a bush a few fox-lengths away, I found some dark purple shapes, growing fat and juicy in the early New-leaf sun.
Thanks, whoever you are.
As I padded towards the bushes, the voice didn't reply, but I didn't mind at the moment. I carefully plucked at few of the berries with my teeth off of the bush. One of them was squashed in my mouth, and for a moment, I got to taste the sweet juices.
Carrying the berries carefully, I ventured back over to the river, hoping that the fish would still be there. When I peered through the reeds again, I saw that it was, and prepared to drop the berries in.
Wait, won't they flow down in the current? I found myself hoping that the voice would reply again. Even though it was creepy, it seemed to know things.
"Yes. Go upstream a little."
I flicked my tail happily, and went up stream a few paces. For a moment, I peered over the edge of the stream, and looked for the fish. I could barely make it out, even though it was still fairly close. Carefully, I dropped the clump of berries into the water. They sank for a moment, then rose back up to the top, and then began to bob up and down as they flew down the current. I follow the berries through the reeds until I came to the spot where the fish was. I watched the berries float right over the fish, and for a moment, I stopped in despair.
"Why didn't it work?" I asked myself. But I had spoken too soon.
The fish caught sight of the berries after they had passed it, and then the chase began. The fish swam after the berries, and I ran after the fish. The fish reached up to the surface of the water, trying to grab the juicy treat. That was when I knew it was my chance.
I got closer to the shore, and reached down with a swift paw, throwing the fish out of the water, and onto the shore. Excitement surging, I bounded over to the fish, and gave a blow to the neck, killing it in that one blow.
I did it! I really caught a fish!
The voice didn't reply, but I didn't worry about it. Instead, I bent down to take a bite.
As soon as I bit into the smooth skin, flavor washed through my mouth. It had so much more flavor than the silly mouse from before, and it just tasted better. I enjoyed the fish for a few more bites, but then something weird began to happen.
I started…vibrating.
At first it was just a slow, steady vibration, but after a few bites, it got faster.
Is this….supposed to happen? Meh, maybe it is.
But it's not like I could go to anyone and ask; they left me behind.
With bitter thoughts racing, I finished the fish.
When I was done, I felt like I was about to explode, and the bad thoughts about my family dissolved.
"Wha-what's happening to me?" I asked, knowing that no one would answer.
Just as the words escaped my mouth, a cold wind rushed by the river. It swooped in low, and swarmed around me. I stood up, scared out of my wits, but also too curious to run away. After a few seconds, I began to relax; the cool wind was relaxing. It had begun to feel a little too hot for my liking, and this wind was just what I needed.
But leave it to me to like something right before it goes away.
Right as I had closed my eyes, and had begun to enjoy the wind, it stopped suddenly. I opened my eyes, wondering where it had gone. I looked up to the sky, and caught sight of something. It was a small white shape, fluttering down from the sky, ever so delicately. I watched it, and it fluttered down, right onto my nose.
"It's a snowflake," I whispered, and watched it. I expected it to melt, but it stayed right there on my nose, unmoving.
Suddenly, the wind was back, and it came carrying millions of snowflakes. They all fluttered around, covering the ground. At first there was only a light dusting of snow on the ground, but soon there were piles surrounding the banks of the river.
I looked around in awe; this was amazing! I bounded around, lading in the piles of snow, leaving paw-prints everywhere. I rolled around, letting the snow cover me, cool me, soothe me.
Worn out just a little, I lay on my back and looked up at the sky. I sighed happily, and stretched out my front paws through the snow.
Why haven't I ever felt like this before?
… … … … … … … … … … … …
"But isn't it obvious?" I asked. "All three of us have powers, except for Snowkit, well, seemingly. Snowkit has 'snow' in her name, and seems to be the only one out of our litter who doesn't have powers."
Earthpaw nodded, "I should've seen that. And here we left her all alone…"
There was an angry grunt. I turned, and saw that it was Icekit. She had been silent through our conversation, seeing as she had no way to communicate right now. She was staring at Earthpaw with an angry look in her eyes.
Earthpaw looked at her, and purred in amusement, "Okay, Icekit. You didn't forget about Snowkit."
Icekit nodded abruptly.
"I just can't believe that I did…," Earthpaw trailed off.
"But then what are we waiting for?" Blackkit asked. "We need to go back and get Snowkit. She does have powers, just like us."
"Well," Earthpaw began, "we're not completely sure about-"
"Let's go," I urged, and led the way out of the den.
We raced back around the hollow, and burst inside.
Snowkit was gone, but Bluetail was there.
Bluetail stared at us for a moment, and then relief flooded his eyes, "Thank goodness. You were with them, Earthpaw. I thought that they'd all- never mind. Well, I'm going hunting. Watch your brothers and sisters." And with that, Bluetail walked by all of us, and out into the forest, not even saying goodbye.
"Um…he didn't notice Icekit was a fox?" I asked, looking at Earthpaw in confusion.
Earthpaw shook his head, "Bluetail…doesn't notice some big things like that. It's not like he isn't smart, or strong, he just tends to…be caught up in his world, and not ours."
"Oh," I said, not really understanding him.
"Where's Snowkit?" Blackkit spoke up, looking around.
Earthpaw sighed, "When we left her alone, she probably got mad, and went somewhere by herself. It's all my fault…she could be lost, or hurt, and we wouldn't know. I don't even know where she would go!"
There was a sudden scraping noise, as if someone was scratching their claws on the ground. I looked around, until I noticed that it was Icekit who was scratching.
"What is it?" Earthpaw asked, looking at her intently. "Do you know where Snowkit is?"
Icekit nodded.
"Then lead the way!" Earthpaw encouraged, and Icekit bounded out of the hollow. I followed right behind her, wondering how Icekit knew where Snowkit was.
Icekit led us through the trees, not stopping once. She just kept running. As we ran, I came to recognize the path we were on. It was the path to the river!
Of course! It's the only place that we've gone to since we came to the forest!
I quickened my pace a little, determined to get to my sister.
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
I sat up, and watched the bushes.
Something was coming.
I stood up, not moving my gaze from the bushes.
"Snowkit!" I screamed as my name was called. I stepped back, wanting to get away from whatever was coming. Terror gripped me when I realized there was no ground beneath me. I screamed again as I began to fall.
NO! Not in the river!
I fell back, but not into the water. I landed against something soft and warm. Suddenly it shook, and I realized whatever it was, was laughing.
"You okay, Snowkit?"
I relaxed when I realized it was only Earthpaw.
"Yes," I said, sighing in relief. "I'm fine now." I sat up, and turned around to face him. "But why are you here? I thought you were busy with everyone else."
I saw a glint of guilt flash through his eyes for a moment, but it was gone as quick as it had appeared. "I'm sorry, Snowkit. I just got caught up in everything. You see, we all are a part of something huge, and I was so excited to show your littermates when I realized their part in it all. I didn't stop to see that you were a part of it too," As he spoke, I saw true guilt and sorrow in his face, and I couldn't help but forgive him right away.
"It's okay, Earthpaw. I know that everything was exciting. I mean, Brokenkit caught on fire, and Icekit turned into a fox. I can understand what you were feeling," I said.
Earthpaw smiled, "Thanks. Now, Snowkit, I have some explaining to do."
"Yeah, is she in for a surprise!" I jumped when I heard Blackkit's voice, and again when I heard Brokenkit laugh. I spun around, to see all three of my littermates sitting there, looking at me with warmth in their eyes.
… … … … … … … … … … … … …
"So…we're all part of a prophecy?" I asked. Earthpaw nodded.
"And we're all supposed to have powers," Blackkit added.
Earthpaw glanced at him, then back at me, "Yes. And we're going to wait until yours show up. We're not going to leave you again."
I purred, "But they already have showed up."
"They have?" Earthpaw stood up. "That's great!"
"Yay!" Brokenkit purred, "Now we all have powers!"
"Let's see yours," Blackkit mewed.
"Okay!" I stood up. Then I looked at Earthpaw, "Um…I'm not so sure how to do this."
Earthpaw purred, "I thought you might need help. Okay, so just concentrate on coldness. Think of anything cold; that will help you to make snow."
I nodded, "Thanks." Then I closed my eyes, and thought of the swirling wonderland I had created just moments before.
"Ah!" I opened my eyes when I heard Brokenkit squeal.
"What?"
"It's- it's, putting my fire out!" Brokenkit was dancing around, trying to avoid the snowflakes that were now swirling around us.
"So what? A few snowflakes?" Blackkit was pretending to act cool.
I snorted, "Well, watch this." I concentrated once again, and a huge pile of snow flew down, covering Blackkit completely.
"Hey!" A muffled cry broke through the snow. Suddenly snow was flying everywhere, and Blackkit appeared once again.
I giggled, "Still think it's a, 'few' snowflakes?"
Blackkit rolled his eyes.
"Brokenkit!" It was Earthpaw, trying to calm Brokenkit down, who was still dancing around. "It's okay! Just stop!"
Brokenkit did so, and saw that everything was fine. "Oh. So it's not going to put my fire out?"
"Not if you don't let it," Earthpaw replied. "Just stand still for a second."
"Earthpaw?" I asked, "How do we…um…stop using our powers?"
A look of realization swept across his face, "Oh yeah…forgot that little detail. Okay, it will get easier later of course, but for now, think of the opposite of your element."
"You mean I have to put my fire out?" Brokenkit asked, looking crushed.
"I know it seems unfair, but we do have one rule about our powers. We don't show them to other cats. It's very dangerous. Some cats could become jealous, or want to capture us, and use our powers to destroy other clans. You've got to tone it down, at least for the night," Earthpaw replied.
"Okay," Brokenkit said, hanging his head. "But there aren't any other cats around here!"
"We don't know that," Earthpaw replied, "There are rouges everywhere in this area. I would know…I met one once…" He trailed off, then seemed to remember something. "I almost forgot. Never show your powers to Twolegs."
"But, Earthpaw…," I said, "We've never actually seen Twolegs before."
"Well, yes, but if you ever do," Earthpaw replied. "Never use your powers in front of them."
"Why?" Blackkit piped up.
Earthpaw sighed, "You'll just have to trust me on this one. Twolegs are…unpredictable."
Blackkit nodded, "Okay."
"Okay, good." Earthpaw looked over us. "Back to the opposite of your element."
I took a deep breath. "Okay."
I closed my eyes, and concentrated on heat. I felt a surge of power flash its way through me. When I opened my eyes, all of the snow was gone, replaced with an uncomfortable warmness. My pelt felt like it was crawling with ants!
"Earthpaw! It's so hot!" I complained.
Earthpaw looked away from Brokenkit, and met my gaze, "It's okay, Snowkit. It's going to get hot, but you're going to have to learn to accept the heat."
I sighed, "But I can't!"
"It's not any different than it was before you found your powers," Earthpaw pointed out, "It hasn't gotten any hotter. Just take a deep breath, and relax."
I breathed in deeply, over and over again, but I still felt so hot, and it was freaking me out. "It's not working Earthpaw!'
I have to make it snow again!
"No! Don't do that! We have to protect our powers!"
It was the voice again.
How do you know about my powers?
"Because I have them too."
Who are you?
"Icekit of course! Who did you think it was!"
Well, I don't-
"ICEKIT?!" I yowled.
Everyone stared at me.
"Um…," I felt my cheeks get hot. But this was no time for embarrassment; Icekit had spoken to me through her mind!
"Snowkit?" Brokenkit was staring at me, his flames now lowering down. "Did you hear Icekit talking to you?"
I glanced over at Icekit, silently asking her to help me out here. Icekit nodded.
"Yes," I replied, "I heard her voice in my mind."
"Wow," Earthpaw padded closer, "I didn't think that this would happen."
"What?" I asked.
"The communication between minds," Earthpaw replied. "That's something that Snowy told me about. She had the same connection with her brother. Whenever they'd think about something, the other would hear it."
"Oh, so I'm not going crazy?" I asked.
Earthpaw shook his head, "Of course not. It's just something that comes with your powers."
"Oh, good," I said, relaxing.
"And this is great because now you can talk to Icekit, and we'll be able to change her back!" Earthpaw said, the usual light in his eyes looking even brighter.
"Yes! I'll be able to be myself again! C'mon, Snowkit! Let's get me back to being Icekit!
Discovering Powers
Part 2
Goodbye, Tigerpaw
"Ah," Icekit said, closing her eyes, "Much better."
Icekit had just managed to shape shift back into herself, with Earthpaw's help, of course. Earthpaw stood watching her proudly.
"Well done, Icekit," He praised. "You've done well."
Icekit sighed, "That was a lot of work."
"But you only shifted three times," I pointed out.
She looked at me, fury in her eyes, "That's four, Brokenkit, and for your information, that took a lot of my energy." She turned and stomped off towards home, Snowkit scampering after her.
I watched them leave, wondering just what I had done to provoke her sudden outburst.
Blackkit sighed, "Don't be too hard on yourself, bro. Icekit's tired, that's all."
Earthpaw padded up, "Yeah. She must be frustrated because her powers work differently. Instead of being able to just concentrate on, say, fire, she has to think of different stuff. Some stuff that I can't help her with, and she'll have to figure out on her own. But I don't doubt her. She'll have figured out her powers in no time. But for now, she's going to be a bit…edgy. So don't get too upset if she blows up at you, okay?"
I nodded, "Can we go home now?"
Earthpaw nodded back, "Sure. Is your fire out?"
"I think so," I replied. Earthpaw inspected my back, and then pulled back, looking satisfied.
"You're good," he said, then looked to Blackkit, "You ready to go?"
"Yep, I'm exhausted after today. So much happened, Earthpaw," Blackkit said. "So much that tells us who we're supposed to be."
Earthpaw purred, "Yes, Blackkit. I'm glad that you'll get to share my destiny with me." He began to lead the way home.
I followed after, "But what is our destiny exactly?"
Earthpaw looked back at me for a moment, "I'm not so sure, Brokenkit . All we know is that someday, we're all going to do something great with our powers. We didn't just get them by accident; we're meant to do something."
"I just wish I knew what," I said.
"It will be revealed in time," Earthpaw replied. "All in time. For now we just stay here, and obey Bluetail. He will keep you all safe, and someday, you'll both become great Warriors."
Blackkit was next to me now, "But, Earthpaw? What about my prophecy?"
"Well, earlier we determined, who Mud, Earth, and Storm were, right? That talks about you and I coming together, and realizing that we all have powers. In your prophecy, it talks about you, Brokenkit, Snowkit, and Icekit," Earthpaw explained, "And the part about 'training to be faithful fighters…' I'm guessing that's saying that you'll be great Warriors."
"Really? It actually proves that we'll be strong?" I asked.
"Yes," Earthpaw said. "But that's just the beginning. You'll still have your destiny ahead of you."
"So…being a Warrior isn't our destiny?" I asked.
Earthpaw shook his head, "I don't think so. There wouldn't be two prophecies about the same thing. It doesn't mean that you won't be a Warrior, it just means that…well…you might do something more important than that."
"What about Snowkit and Icekit? What's 'the flaming, and the flying'?" Blackkit asked.
"I dunno," Earthpaw said, as we neared home. "But all of this will be revealed in time."
When we stepped into the hollow, Bluetail was pacing back and forth. When he saw us, he dashed over.
"Are you okay?" He asked Earthpaw, examining all over him. "Did anything happen? I've been worried; you've been gone for so long!"
Earthpaw sighed, "Dad, I'm okay. Stop this, you're acting like a Queen who's lost her kit. And last time I checked, you're not a Queen, and I'm not a kit."
Bluetail sighed, and backed away.
"Nothing happened to us. The kits and I were- just at the river, playing," Earthpaw said calmly. "And if you want to worry about someone, you might wanna' worry about Tigerpaw. He isn't even here; probably off with his 'rogue,' friends."
Bluetail didn't looked one bit surprised. "Earthpaw, Tigerpaw's fine, and we both know that. Disobeying me is his choice, and no one else's. I don't care what he does, as long as he doesn't find out about your-" He side-glanced at Blackkit and I, then leaned closer to Earthpaw.
"They know about the powers, Dad."
Bluetail backed away again, "They do? Earthpaw! That's completely against everything that I have-"
"They have them too."
"-Even if they have them too, you are never to- Wait, what did you say?" Bluetail's anger melted away completely. "They have powers?"
"Yeah!" I spoke up, and Bluetail looked at me in shock.
"What can you do? Can you do crazy flips and jump, and make earthquakes just like Earthpaw?"
I shook my head, "Not yet. Right now, all I can do is catch my fur on fire."
"And I can make it rain- right above my head!" Blackkit said.
"And Snowkit can make it snow, and more than just a few snowflakes-"
"And Icekit can shape-shift!" Blackkit finally said proudly. "We're going to be strong, and Earthpaw's going to teach us how to use our powers!"
Bluetail just stood there staring at us. "But…I thought Earthpaw was the only one with powers."
"Dad, we've already established this," Earthpaw mewed, "They have powers too. Not just me."
Bluetail looked at Earthpaw, "And you're really going to teach them?"
"As best as I can," Earthpaw replied. "Don't worry, we can make this work. I've already explained to them about hiding their powers, and stuff."
"Even from Tigerpaw?"
"We have to keep them from our brother?" I asked.
"It's not like we talk to him a lot," Blackkit said, shrugging, "Shouldn't be that big of a deal."
"Yeah, but he's still our brother," I said. I didn't know why I was so upset, but I was. It didn't seem fair that we would keep the best thing about us a secret from our own brother.
"What Tigerpaw doesn't know, won't hurt him," Earthpaw said, stepping into our conversation. "It's okay, Brokenkit."
"Now, it's time for you two to get some sleep," he said, "Go into the den with Snowkit and Icekit."
I sighed, "Do we have to, Earthpaw?"
He nodded, "I'm sorry, but your powers drain your energy like crazy. You may not notice it right now, but once you lie down, you'll be out. Just look at Snowkit and Icekit."
"Okay, Earthpaw," Blackkit said, then he looked at me, "C'mon, tomorrow we'll get to do more stuff with our powers."
I nodded slowly, starting to realize how tired I was. I followed my brother to our den, past my snoring sisters, and into my nest.
Right as I laid down, my true exhaustion showed itself. I closed my eyes instantly, hoping that I would never have to wake up.
The next morning, I opened my eyes, and discovered that I was the first one awake. When I peered outside, I saw even Bluetail was still snoring in his den. I purred, happy to have some time to myself. I swerved back around, and climbed along the path up to the ledge at the top of the tree.
I sat there on the ledge, and let the rising sun warm my face. I felt so tall up here, so strong, and yet also at peace. I sat for a while, just watching the sun rise, and watching the colors in the sky turn. It started as a dark blue, and went to gray, and purple, and then to orange, and pink, and eventually back to bright blue.
The sun rose completely above the horizon, blinding me. I closed my eyes, and turned to keep the sun out. After a moment, I looked down into the hollow, and saw Bluetail looking up at me. He flicked his tail in greeting, then turned to the sandy area where he buried prey.
I watched him dig up his morning meal, and then went back to watching the sky.
"Hey Brokenkit!"
I looked down again and saw Earthpaw looking up at me.
"Hi!" I called down.
"You want me to show you a fast way to get down from there?"
"Sure, but how do you know-"
"Planned it last night," he explained.
"Oh…," I said, wondering why and how he would plan a fast way to the ground.
"Be right up!" Earthpaw called.
A moment later, he was standing next to me.
"Okay, now…I'm fighting everything inside of me to not make this look really complicated…But I could add some cool flips…and spins…and-" He shook his head. "Okay, concentrate…" He stepped back a bit ,then ran forward, and jumped off of the ledge. For a split second he was falling, but he flexed his paws, and suddenly clouds of earth formed around his paws, pushing him slightly upward. Then he let himself drop down a little, and flexed his paws again. Then he dropped almost all the way to the ground, catching himself right before he hit the ground. He turned around and looked up at me. "Now your turn."
"But…how?" I asked.
"Just jump," Earthpaw encouraged.
"But I'll fall! I dunno how to catch myself like you did!" I looked down at him, feeling bewildered. How could he expect me to just jump without reassurance that I wouldn't end up flattened on the ground.
He look me straight in the eye, "Just trust me, Brokenkit. I didn't have to think about it, so neither do you."
"But you have more experience!" I insisted, "You know what do to!"
"You don't have to do anything. You just jump, and your instincts take over," He replied calmly.
I took a deep breath, and tried to calm myself down. "Okay," I finally said, still a little unsure. Bracing myself, I jumped off, stretching my front paws out so that they would touch the ground first.
You're gonna be okay…You're gonna be okay…
And that's when the fire engulfed me. I gasped, and looked around. All around me, all I could see was fire. It didn't burn me, but felt good against the bottom of my paws. Suddenly the fire turned clear, and I could see through it. I was hovering just above the ground.
Okay, I thought, now….snow….
The fire disappeared, and I was on the ground, standing next to Earthpaw.
"How did I do?"
Earthpaw looked at me, looking surprised, "That was amazing, Brokenkit."
I beamed. Earthpaw was proud of me. That was the best feeling in the world. It felt warm like sunshine.
Suddenly I felt a spark ignite on my back.
"Hey…I didn't want to start a fire," I mewed.
"That's normal, Brokenkit. When you first get your powers, strong emotions can trigger them," Earthpaw explained. He laughed, "I remember once when I was your age…I caught my first prey, and suddenly I was underground."
I laughed. "Well, at least I can only catch on fire and not end up underground."
"Hey Brokenkit!" I turned around to see Icekit calling me from the top of the ledge. "I thought I heard you up here! How'd you get down so fast?"
"Earthpaw showed me," I replied.
"Show us, Earthpaw!" It was Snowkit, she, along with Blackkit, had just climbed up behind Icekit.
"Okay," Earthpaw meowed. "Concentrate on your element and coming down at the same time, and soon you'll be down here."
They nodded.
Blackkit went first. I saw him close his eyes for a moment, and then he was suddenly floating on top of storm clouds. They rained down onto the ground as he lowered himself down.
When Snowkit went, she did something similar to me. But instead of fire, she was inside a ball of snow. It looked like a giant snowball at first, but then it cleared up, and I could see my sister again. She floated down gracefully, and placed her paws gently onto the ground.
"How'd I do?" She asked.
Earthpaw's mouth was gaping, "Great."
I looked up at Icekit. "Your turn!"
Icekit backed away from the edge a little, "I can't do it."
"Yes you can," Earthpaw replied. "Just because your powers are different doesn't mean you can't come down from the ledge.
"But what do I do?" Icekit called down.
"Turn into a bird," Earthpaw said. "If you can do a fox, you can definitely do a bird."
"Can I turn into a hawk?"
"Sure. Whatever you want to do. Do you know what to do?
Icekit nodded, "I think I can do it."
We all watched silently.
"Icekit?" I called up.
Suddenly there was a huge caw, and a huge brown bird flew off of the ledge, and rocketed up into the sky. Icekit rose until she was a tiny speck.
"Can she get back down?" Snowkit asked worriedly.
"Snowkit, this is Icekit you're talking about. I think that she can handle herself," Earthpaw replied, still watching the sky.
Relief flooded Snowkit's face, "Of course."
Suddenly the speck began to get bigger. Icekit was coming back!
"Here she comes!" Blackkit called.
Icekit kept soaring towards us, and right before she hit the ground, she swerved upward and flew around the hollow a few times. Then she landed, and stood in front of Earthpaw.
"Well done, Icekit!" Earthpaw praised.
Icekit just stared at him.
Earthpaw looked to Snowkit, "Mind delivering that message for me?"
"Sure," Snowkit replied. She stood silent for a moment. Then realization flooded Icekit's face.
Suddenly there was the sound of thundering paws coming towards us. Bluetail screeched to a stop in front of us. Icekit shifted back to herself just in time to hear him.
"What were you thinking?" Bluetail screeched, "What if Tigerpaw saw? Do you know what he would do?"
"Oh…," Earthpaw seemed to realize something. "Sorry dad; but at least he didn't see any of it."
"Who didn't see what?" It was Tigerpaw, coming into the hollow, holding a mouse.
"Um," Earthpaw said, turning around to face him, "It was nothing."
Tigerpaw rolled his eyes, "Right." He looked to Bluetail. "What was going on here?"
Bluetail met his gaze, showing no emotion, "Nothing, Tigerpaw. Nothing was happening. Now, bury the mouse, and get some rest."
Tigerpaw looked at him like he was crazy. "No. Not until you tell me what was going on. I just heard you talking about me."
"Nothing important," Bluetail replied. "Now, to your nest."
Tigerpaw took a deep breath, as if he was trying to hold in his fury. "Dad. I need to know."
"Know what?" Bluetail asked. "Nothing happened."
"Yes it did!" Tigerpaw lashed his tail. "You just don't want to tell me because I don't matter to you!"
"Guys, go to the den," Earthpaw whispered. I stood up immediately and scampered to the den. I wasn't about to get in between Bluetail and Tigerpaw when they were both mad. I bounded to my nest, and closed my eyes, wishing that I could block out the sound as well. Giving up, I peered out of the den, watching my father and brother.
"Tigerpaw, it was something private," Bluetail said, his eyes closed.
"Yeah. 'Private,' that means everyone can know but me," Tigerpaw said angrily. "I just don't get it, Bluetail. What did I ever do to you? I may not be Mr. goody two-paws like Earthpaw, but that doesn't mean you can hate me."
Bluetail whipped around. "Hate you? Hate you? I don't hate you Tigerpaw. I can't believe you would say that."
"Well its true. Everything has always been about Earthpaw. You taught Earthpaw how to hunt. You told Earthpaw how special he was. You always cared about Earthpaw!" Tigerpaw snarled.
Bluetail stood up and padded towards Tigerpaw, bristling. "How dare you accuse me of that! Leave Earthpaw out of this! He has nothing to do with why you are acting like a kit!"
Tigerpaw didn't even flinch. "Well, if you ask me, you're being the kit, Bluetail. And Earthpaw has everything to do with this!"
Bluetail crouched low, hissing. "It's not Earthpaw's fault that you disobey me, are rude, and don't do anything to help this family! You wanna' be a Warrior? Well you're not going to be a good one the way you're acting!"
Tigerpaw met Bluetail in the same crouch, his fur puffed up so he looked huge.
Through all of this, Earthpaw had sat there watching in horror.
"Well, I don't want you to give me my name anyway!" Tigerpaw threw himself at our father, knocking him over. Bluetail screeched in alarm, but managed to throw Tigerpaw off. They both crouched again, and started circling one another.
Earthpaw stood up, "Stop it guys! Tigerpaw!"
They both ignored him, and threw themselves at each other again.
Tigerpaw lashed out scratching Bluetail's face, but it looked like he hadn't even felt it. Bluetail kicked Tigerpaw off, and sent him flying.
While Tigerpaw was still on the ground, Bluetail padded up to him, a low growl rumbling in his throat. Tigerpaw scrambled to his paws, and stood facing him, fear flooding his eyes. For a moment, he laid his ears back, as if accepting defeat. Then his eyes flashed, and Tigerpaw lashed his tail.
"Back off," He growled.
Bluetail hissed in reply. "Never."
Tigerpaw backed up a few paces, and ran into the line of bushes. He turned his head, trying to find an escape. But it was too late.
Bluetail looked really mad now. He stared at Tigerpaw, fury flashing through his eyes. He raised his paw in Tigerpaw's moment of weakness, and sliced his right ear, completely splitting it in half.
Tigerpaw yowled and ran off towards the entrance of the hollow. He whipped back around, hurt sweltering in his eyes, and blood running down his face from the cut in his ear.
"Get out," Bluetail snarled.
Tigerpaw's eyes widened with shock. "What?"
"Get out!" Bluetail repeated "No monsters are allowed here."
Suddenly Earthpaw charged forward, and stood between them. "Dad, no!"
Bluetail looked at him. "Earthpaw, it's for the good of our family."
"Dad, don't do this! Tigerpaw's your son, and my brother! You can't kick him out!" Earthpaw wasn't angry, or desperate, only defiant.
"I wouldn't care if he was a helpless kit!" He spat. "He's leaving now."
"No! Please, you can't do this!" Earthpaw pleaded.
"You stay out of this!" Tigerpaw hissed. "This is none of your business Goody goody! Besides, we don't want 'wittle Earthkit to get himself hurt."
Earthpaw stared at him infuriated, "Fine. Don't take my help, Tigerpaw. I've never done anything to hurt you, but all you can do is call me names and hate me." Lashing his tail, Earthpaw turned and padded towards our den.
"Oh yeah!" Tigerpaw mocked, seeming to ignore what Earthpaw had said, "Go to the kits' den! That's where you belong!"
Earthpaw ignored him, and came to sit beside me, muttering, "Good riddance."
I turned back to watch outside. Bluetail and Tigerpaw still stood there, staring at each other.
Bluetail flicked his tail. "Go."
"Oh, so that's my goodbye?" Tigerpaw asked. "Lame."
Bluetail hissed and unsheathed his claws. Tigerpaw squealed and ran into the trees.
Discovering Powers
Part 3
We "Join" Shadowclan
How could he do that?! Where's Tigerpaw going to go now?
"Icekit?" It was Snowkit. "Are you okay?"
I looked around and found that I was lashing my tail. "Oh, er, fine. I'm just upset that Tigerpaw's gone now."
Snowkit shrugged, "He'll be fine. It's not as if he's around here a lot anyway."
I sighed, "I guess."
I turned back to the entrance of the den and watched Bluetail, tail lashing, pad back to his den.
"I didn't think Bluetail would go that far," Earthpaw said.
"Why did Bluetail do that?"Brokenkit asked, frowning.
Earthpaw sighed. "He just has a short temper with some cats. One of those cats just happens to be Tigerpaw."
"Oh," Brokenkit said, looking at the ground.
"It's okay, Brokenkit," Blackkit stood next to him. "Tigerpaw can take care of himself. He'll be okay."
"Yeah, but Bluetail just kicked him out! That wasn't fair!" Brokenkit replied.
Earthpaw sighed, and rested his tail on Brokenkit's shoulder. "Blackkit's right; he'll be fine." He gazed over use all for a moment, looking a little sad. "Well, Bluetail will probably be moping around in his den for a few days, so I probably need to hunt. You guys be good, okay? No trouble. Bluetail's really upset with Tigerpaw, so he might blow up at you."
I nodded. "We'll be good, Earthpaw."
Snowkit nodded. "Yeah. We'll stay right here."
"Yeah," Blackkit repeated.
Brokenkit stayed silent, but nodded solemnly.
"Okay. I'll be back soon," Earthpaw said, looking us over us again. Then he padded out of the den. We all watched him leave, huddling together. For a moment, I felt scared. Bluetail was angry enough to tear someone's eyes out, and Earthpaw was leaving us alone with him.
Blackkit groaned, "What're we supposed to do now?"
I shrugged, "Do you have to be doing something all of the time?"
"Well, yeah!" Blackkit replied. "Earthpaw didn't say we had to sit here and do nothing."
"He also told us to stay here," I retorted.
"So? Earthpaw's my brother; not my boss," Blackkit mewed, standing up. "I'm going to have some fun."
Holding his tail high, Blackkit strutted out of the hollow. I rolled my eyes, "You're gonna get in trouble!"
"No I'm not!" Blackkit called before he disappeared.
Brokenkit scowled, "Now what? Everyone's leaving us!"
"I dunno," Snowkit shrugged. "I could freeze stuff randomly."
"No!" Brokenkit shrieked, "That's boring…and kinda weird…"
Snowkit scowled at him.
"Still bored here!" Brokenkit whined.
"Brokenkit, calm down. We'll find something to do," I said.
"Like what?" He demanded.
"Um," I couldn't think of anything, so I stood there saying 'um,' until Brokenkit finally cut me off.
"See? Even you can't think of anything, Icekit. Face it. This is just a boring place," Brokenkit hung his head.
I sighed. "Brokenkit, you get way too worked up about stuff."
He lifted his head, his green eyes blazing, "I do not!" He turned around, and faced the wall, refusing to look at either of us. Snowkit and I exchanged glances, and I wished that I could talk to her without Brokenkit hearing.
Wait, I can! Now…what to turn into…?
I concentrated hard on a fox cub, and when I opened my eyes, I found Snowkit staring at me with wide eyes.
"What are you doing?" I could hear her thoughts in my head now.
I wanted to talk to you privately.
"About what?"
We need to find something to do; fast. Brokenkit's about to explode with boredom.
Snowkit sighed. "I know. But what can we do? Earthpaw told us to stay here."
Blackkit left, I pointed out.
"Yeah, and Blackkit's gonna' get himself in big trouble," Snowkit retorted.
We could go, as long as Earthpaw and Bluetail don't find out.
Snowkit sighed. "Okay, but this was your idea, okay?"
Okay. Let's go. Follow me, and get Brokenkit.
"Okay. Wait, where are we going?"
A sly look crept onto my face. You'll see.
I paused at the entrance to the den, making sure that Bluetail was still in his den.
For a moment, I listened to Snowkit and Brokenkit jabbering. It frustrated me that when I shifted, I couldn't understand them anymore. Snowkit was my only connection to the rest of them.
Snowkit? Is Brokenkit coming?
"Yeah. He says he'll come. You can lead the way," She replied.
I looked back at them for a moment, then turned and dashed across the hollow as stealthily as I could. Snowkit and Brokenkit followed after me, but made no effort to be quiet. They both banged around like badgers. I let out a low hiss.
Snowkit! Quiet down!
"Sorry."
Once they had caught up to me, I led them out of the hollow, and paused for a moment.
I need to shift again to see where we're going.
"Okay, go ahead."
I shifted into a robin, and flew up high into the treetops. I circled around, looking for a place that could be a Clan territory. Nothing stood out in such a way. Finally I spotted a place in the distance. Most of the trees were Pine, and I could see marshes and mud all over the place. I had found ShadowClan.
"You're taking us to ShdowClan?"Snowkit asked, exasperated.
"Yup," I replied. I had shifted back into myself so I could talk with Snowkit and Brokenkit. I could only hope that I wouldn't wear myself out before we got there.
"Cool," Brokenkit said. "How far away is it?"
"Pretty far," I replied. "If we walk, it could take us a few days."
"Well, so much for that," Snowkit said, turning to the hollow.
"Where are you going?" I demanded. "Who says we have to walk?"
"Oh yeah," Brokenkit said, "We're flying."
I nodded, "I can shift into a hawk, and you two can use your elements to help you fly. Just use the same thing you did when came down from the tree ledge."
Snowkit looked unsure. "But I don't know if I can fly that far, Icekit."
"We'll find out, then," I said. "Snowkit, we're never going to get stronger if we don't test our limits. I've already shifted three times today, and am about to again."
"And you don't feel tired?"
"Nope, not at all," I said. "So I'm sure you and Brokenkit can fly a little ways."
"Okay," Snowkit said, "Let's do it."
"Whoa! It's amazing up here!"
I know! See, isn't flying much faster than just walking?
"Yeah, but still kinda scary…"
I looked over at Snowkit, who was flying beside me. Snow was shooting from her back paws, keeping her propelled in the air somehow. I didn't exactly see how this was possible, but that didn't matter; we were cats with powers, and when you're a cat with powers, anything goes.
Brokenkit was flying next to her, fire blazing from his paws. He was looking forward, his eyes fixed on the trees I had pointed out as ShadowClan. With every minute, the trees got closer.
"We're almost there!"
I know! Are you excited?
"I…I don't know. What are we going to do there, exactly?"
Huh. I didn't think of that…
Snowkit laughed. "Well, I guess it's better than sitting at home, doing nothing."
Yeah .C'mon, let's land.
I dived down towards the ground, preparing myself to face upward again to stop. I stopped for a moment, waiting just above the trees for Snowkit and Brokenkit.
Suddenly I heard some yelling behind me. I turned, and Snowkit tumbled towards me. I cawed and lashed out, fighting to stay up in the air. I managed not to fall, but Snowkit continued to tumble towards the ground. She landed with a thump, and didn't get up.
Snowkit! Are you okay?
She didn't reply for a moment. I landed as quickly as possible, and probably shifted back before I had touched the ground. I ran as fast as I could to my sister.
"Snowkit, wake up!" I cried out.
She sat up, "What? Come to knock me down again?"
I stepped back. "N-no. What's your deal? I know your hurt, but you don't have to be rude about it."
"Yeah, Snowkit, lighten up," Brokenkit said.
She glared at him, then at me, "I will not 'light up.' Do you think I feel good right now?"
"No, but stop acting like a newborn kit!" I said.
"I'm not," Snowkit snarled. "Now leave me alone!"
"Fine," I said. "Guess you don't want any help."
"Um, guys," Brokenkit spoke up. "You might wanna' take a look at this."
"You never watch where you're going!"I suddenly exploded.
"Oh, so now it's my fault," Snowkit said. "Wonderful. Blame it on the one who fell on the ground."
I hissed at her. "I can't believe you! I was waiting for you! If we had just charged inside the territory, do you know what would've happened?"
"I don't care." Snowkit said. "Why do you always have to know everything? You only make the rest of us look like mouse-brains! I've had enough of it!"
"GUYS! LOOK!" Brokenkit screamed.
I looked over and saw a group of cats. They were all staring at us, scowling. Thick muscles rippled beneath their pelts.
"ShadowClan," Snowkit breathed.
"Yes," The cat who spoke was a dark black tom, and his green eyes pieced into ours. "And do you know where you are?"
"Um," Brokenkit gulped. "ShadowClan territory
"Very good!" A tan she-cat meowed sarcastically. "These Thunderclan bozos actually know something!"
"Thunderclan?" I asked. "Wait, you think we're-"
"Oh, we know you are," The black tom replied. "Do you know what you have done?"
"Trespassed on your territory?" Snowkit asked nervously.
"Yes," the black tom answered "And do you know what we do to trespassers who try to steal our prey?"
"Well, technically, we haven't trespassed. The border's between us," I said. "And we haven't stolen any prey. We don't even know how to hunt."
"Don't lie to us!" the tan she-cat screeched. "Now answer the question."
"Um," Brokenkit meowed "I'd rather not answer that question."
"Fine," the black tom said "Skip the questions. You're coming with us."
"You can't make us," Brokenkit meowed.
"Um, we kinda can," the black tom smiled evilly.
"But we haven't done anything-"
"And you think I care? Warriors, surround them. We're taking them to camp. Brokenstar can deal with them."
As soon as he gave the word, the patrol of cats surrounded us.
"Now, march!" They all pushed us forward, deeper into ShadowClan territory.
What are we going to do?!
I watched Brokenkit and Snowkit padding in front of me. Brokenkit had his ears down. He looked so scared. He glared back at me, as if he was saying, "How could you do this?"
I just frowned back at him, feeling ashamed. I had brought us into this danger, and now we would probably be killed. Even if we did manage to get away from this, Bluetail would be furious.
After a moment, Snowkit looked back at me. I was surprised when I realized that she wasn't glaring at me. She was trying to tell me something. I leaned in as close as I could.
"Shift. Get away from here," She whispered.
"But-"
"Hey, stop talking!" One of the Warriors bellowed.
This is the only way, Icekit.
I stopped walked, causing the ShadowClan Warriors to ram into me.
"Hey! Keep walking!"
"No."
"What did you say to me?" The Warrior was right in my face now.
"I said 'no,'" I replied. I smirked at him, and shifted into a hawk again. The Warrior stared at me in shock.
Snowkit, fly. Go.
"No, I'm not leaving without teaching these ShadowClan cats a lesson."
But we're not supposed to show them our powers!
"Well you already have!"
Fine. Go.
Snowkit suddenly lashed out, freezing every one of the ShadowClan cats.
Yes! That was amazing!
"Thanks."
"Whoa!" Brokenkit exclaimed. "Why didn't we think to do that earlier?"
I shrugged.
I turned around, and suddenly fell down. When I sat up, I saw that my tail feathers were frozen under the paw of the Warrior who had yelled at me.
Snowkit, a little help, please?
Snowkit looked over at me.
"Sure," She turned to Brokenkit.
"Can you unfreeze Icekit over there?" She asked
"Sure," He replied. After setting himself on fire, he began prancing around, singing, "la, la, la, la, la!"
This, of course, set everything around him on fire, the trees, the blocks of ice Snowkit had created, and finally, I was free. But so were all over the other cats.
"BROKENKIT!" Snowkit shrieked. "What did you do?"
"What does it matter?" Brokenkit shouted. "Run!" He charged away.
No, don't run! They'll be able to catch us! Fly!
I heard Snowkit shouted something, and I saw her and Brokenkit take off. I lifted off of the ground right after them, hoping that I could catch up.
"Wha-what?" I heard a ShadowClan warrior say as I rose. "How do they-"
I turned around and stared at them, and watched the fire spread all throughout the pine trees.
"Guys, our territory is on fire!" One of them finally pointed out.
Then they all ran away, screaming.
I laughed, and followed my littermates back home.
"Didn't expect that to happen," Snowkit remarked.
No. I thought that…I don't know what I thought would happen, actually.
"Well, plans can go wrong sometimes, but that doesn't mean we need to give up."
I smiled. Thanks. We flew in silence for a moment.
"Icekit?"
Yeah?
"I…I'm sorry about before. I freaked out. I was just mad because I ran into you, and then ended up on the ground."
It's fine. I understand, Snowkit. I didn't move out of the way!
"That doesn't matter! I was rude to you when you wer only trying to help me!"
Snowkit,let's just forget it and move on. We're sisters! We can work it out!
"Okay, thanks,Icekit. Hey, what's that down there?"
I looked down into the forest and saw a small gray shape.
It's Earthpaw! I replied.
"Oh no…if he knows it's us, we'll be in big trouble…"
Oh great…
When I looked back down, I saw that Earthpaw was getting closer. He was flying up to us.
What do we do?
"We broke the rules, Icekit. We're just going to have to face it."
I sighed.
Earthpaw eventually was flying next to me. He smiled at me, then flew ahead to Brokenkit and Snowkit. I could hear them murmuring to each other.
"He wants us to land."
Fine.
I swerved down as fast as I could, and then waited for my siblings on the ground.
I shifted back to myself right as they landed.
"Where were you guys?" Earthpaw didn't look mad at all.
"We…um…went to ShadowClan," I said quietly.
"You-" He stared at us wide-eyed. "And you showed them your powers."
I nodded. "But it was the only way! They would've taken us a prisoners!"
"You wouldn't have been prisoners if you hadn't left the hollow in the first place," Earthpaw's scolding made me ashamed, but I could tell that he was more worried about us than mad.
"We're sorry, Earthpaw," Brokenkit said right away. "But we're okay."
"I know. But you could've really gotten into trouble there," Earthpaw said darkly.
"We know," Snowkit said solemnly. "But we got away. And don't worry, Earthpaw. Everything will be fine."
"We'll just have to hope they don't recognize you when we go to ThunderClan," Earthpaw said, standing up. "Now, let's get back home; it looks like it's going to rain."
"Recognize us?" I asked. Earthpaw turned back to me for a moment.
He sighed. "Don't worry about it, Icekit. Just don't go back there, okay?"
I nodded. "I'm sorry we didn't listen to you. We were bored."
"It's okay, now, get inside," Earthpaw said softly.
When I walked back inside the hollow, Bluetail was still inside his den, snoring.
"He didn't even know we were gone," I murmured.
"Or care," Snowkit added as she padded beside me.
"Snowkit! That's rude!"
"Well he didn't," She replied innocently.
"Bluetail is our father, and we need to respect him," I said. "No matter what he is like. Snowkit, he cares about us. He really does."
She snorted. "Where's your proof?" She padded to our den before I could reply.
I looked at Brokenkit who was sitting and waiting for Eathpaw. He shrugged. "Hey, Blackkit!"
"He's not here, remember?"I said.
"Yeah…but where did he go?"
Discovering Powers
Part 4
The guide
I padded through the forest, watching everything around me. It was beginning to warm up, and it was getting just a bit uncomfortable. I created a storm cloud, and had it rain on me as I walked.
I kept walking, not really caring or knowing where I was going.
Why did I leave and disobey Earthpaw? It's not like you had anything planned.
For a split second, I thought about turning around. But something told me to keep going. After a while, I came upon a tree. It looked ordinary; just like any other tree. But something kept me standing there next to it.
"Blackkit," The voice was coming from inside of the tree. When I padded closer, I discovered an opening in the trunk, sort of like my den at home. I went inside, disappointed to find it empty. I'm not sure what I expected, but I know that I expected something.
Suddenly, the inside of the tree started glowing, and a cat appeared. He looked transparent, but still colored at the same time. We examined each other for a moment.
He was a white tom with black paws, ears, and a spot on his side. He looked over exactly like me.
"Finally, you are here," He said.
"You've been waiting for me?" I asked.
The tom nodded. "Many moons. But finally, you have been born, and are old enough to break the rules."
Guilt filled my stomach, "I-I was going to go back!"
The tom smiled, "I know, Blackkit. I know more about you than you do."
I stepped back. This was starting to get a little scary. "How?"
"I am your guide, Blackkit."
I stared at him.
He sighed, "You don't know what that is, do you?"
I shook my head.
"Earthpaw hasn't been doing his job…," He muttered, "Need to have a talk with Snow…" He turned back to me. "A guide is a cat that's usually dead. They pick out their…ur…match, I guess, and help them throughout life. I'm here to help you through anything you need, Blackkit."
"R-Really? You're a dead cat, that I can talk to, and you can help me? You're like my side-kick!" I exclaimed happily.
"Yeah…er…side-kick," The tom said half heartedly.
"Okay, okay, not side-kick. We can just stick with Guide," I said.
He smiled at me. It was a warm smile, one that made you feel good inside. "So…what's your name?"
"Harry," He replied. "And yes, it's a Kittypet name. I lived with Housefolk, but I still belong in Starclan. I'm still meant to be a Guide; I'm your match."
I nodded. "Okay. So…wait. I've heard your voice somewhere!" I thought vigorously for a moment. "I heard your voice in my prophecy!"
"Smart kit," He remarked, then nodded. "Yes, I was one of the voices in the prophecy. That's another thing I'll help you with. From now on, if you need a message from Starclan, I'll make sure it gets to you."
"Cool!" I said. "So…everyone has a Guide?"
Harry nodded. "Yes. But everyone finds theirs at a different time. You're the lucky one; the first of your littermates."
"Really? I was also the first one to find my powers," I said proudly.
Harry laughed, "I know, Blackkit. Remember? I know everything about you."
"Oh yeah…" I said.
"So, nothing's confusing you too badly?" Harry asked.
"Nope. I think I've got it," I said. I dipped my head to him. "I'm honored to have a cat like you as my Guide."
Harry smiled again. "Thank you, Blackkit. Now, you should be getting back to the Hollow. Your brothers and sisters will be missing you."
"Okay," I said, dipping my head again.
"Eager to go?" Harry joked. "I thought that you liked me."
"I do," I replied. "But I know that as my Guide, you know what's best for me."
"Smart kit," Harry said again. "I'll see you soon, Blackkit."
"Bye, Harry!" I called, and dashed out of the tree.
As I ran, my heart soared. I had a Guide! And not only that, but I also had amazing powers! Right now, nothing could hurt me. I was Blackkit, the invincible!
I can't wait to tell Earthpaw!