I don't even know what to say right now. It has officially been over a month since I last updated. I am so extremely sorry you guys, but that won't make up for it. Life just got in the way and I got grounded again and ugh. I promise to never let you down like that again. I swear on my heart, hope to die. It has been way too long, if there are even any of you left to read this. I'm perfectly aware that a lot of you have probably lost interest and hope in this update, and I'm sorry. I am so so so sorry.
But can you believe it? For those of you still reading, I have over 630 reviews. I could not be more excited and guilty. You amazing people deserve better than I have been giving. This chappie is a little rough, but it turned out okay I suppose. Next one will be better. The whole story is going to move super fast after this, and unfortunately, we probably have like 5-7 real chapters left. I am so sorry. I can't believe it's going to be over. More on that later though, let's get going! On with the story!
Chapter 25
Featherpaw
"I hate waiting," Thornpaw growled impatiently, clawing at the ground. Featherpaw glanced at him, mildly surprised as she replied, "We all hate waiting."
Ravenwing and Leafstar emerged at last. Featherpaw watched their leader make her way to the gorse tunnel, admiring the way she moved with no limitations even after losing a life just days before. The usual thrill of excitement ran up her spine as she and the other ThunderClan cats made their way to the Gathering.
Thornpaw was still irate as they ran side by side through the dark forest. His ears were flat and his dark eyes gleamed angrily in the black night.
"Thornpaw, are you all right?" Featherpaw asked, genuinely concerned now. Since the battle, he and Rosepaw had been acting…strange. They were quiet and observant, saying little to anyone. The fellow apprentice glanced at her and visibly relaxed.
"Never better. Just worried I suppose, and I'm not used to going to Gatherings without Rosepaw is all," Thornpaw answered lightly. Featherpaw gazed at him a few moments more before nodding and turning back to the journey.
Shadowfur was a constant cloud over their heads. Featherpaw had returned once more to discuss the battle plan with Shadowfur. He was coming even sooner than originally planned. The ThunderClan apprentices had decided on their next course of action, modifying the plan a little so it fit the time frame. Anxiety gnawed at Featherpaw's stomach as she thought of her "father" invading the Clans, killing and enslaving at will.
She glanced at the black tom beside her, his one white paw gleaming in the darkness. "Thornpaw," she whispered, glancing around to make sure no other cats were around. He nodded, eyes still focused on the path ahead. "Do you really think we can beat him?"
Thornpaw glanced at her finally, and sighed. "Featherpaw, we'll be fine. Trust me."
Trust me, trust me. The last cat I trusted ended up dying because of it, Featherpaw thought, an image of her mother and Spot rising smoothly. Her heart ached as she thought of them. Looking back at Thornpaw, who was still watching her intently, she merely gave a small nod, lengthening her stride so she was ahead of him.
At last, they arrived at the great clearing. They were the last Clan to arrive. The other cats sat waiting, bathed in the silver moonlight of the full moon. As Leafstar gave the signal, Featherpaw felt her breath catch.
Pouring into the clearing alongside Branchfur and Mosspelt, Featherpaw looked around for any of her friends. She caught sight of Snowpaw and Runningpaw beckoning her. Bounding over to them, she glanced around for Thornpaw, whom she had lost in the crowd.
"Have you seen Thornpaw? I lost him," she murmured. Snowpaw flicked her tail to a few feet away, where Thornpaw and Dapplepaw were whispering intently. Pushing away the ferocious jealousy attacking her chest, Featherpaw turned to the other apprentices.
"Darkpaw wasn't chosen for this one, and neither was Blackpaw. Any developments?" Snowpaw answered her unasked question, settling down beside her. Quickly, Featherpaw told them all they needed to know.
"So, it's final, then?" Runningpaw rumbled. Featherpaw craned her head up to look at him, nodding. The tom gave a loud exhale. "This is some deep mouse-dung we've got ourselves into," the tom muttered thoughtfully.
"I think it's more like fox-dung," Dapplepaw mewed from behind him. Snowpaw purred with amusement and Thornpaw chuckled as he sat down beside Featherpaw.
"I told Dapplepaw all she needs to know," he meowed. Featherpaw nodded, deciding not to comment on their little conversation. If Thornpaw wanted her to know, he would have told her.
Featherpaw was surprised to see ShadowClan warriors glaring at them, as well as WindClan. "Snowpaw, what's up with your clan? They look murderous."
"Oh, you'll see," Snowpaw answered vaguely, sounding distinctly uncomfortable. Dapplepaw too looked slightly guilty, exchanging a few glances with her sister. Featherpaw was just about to ask something before a call from the Great Rock stopped her.
Spiderstar stepped forward first, reporting little of interest except for the birth of a litter of three kits to Birdwing. From the intense pride in his blue eyes, Featherpaw guessed they were his own kits.
Leafstar went next. Featherpaw tensed, glancing at Runningpaw who obviously knew what was coming from the reassuring glance he sent her back.
"ThunderClan does well. WindClan attacked a few nights ago, yet we remain relatively unharmed. No warriors were seriously injured and our claws-as well as our guards- are as sharp as ever, Cloudstar," the regal leader announced calmly. Cloudstar glared at her through piercing eyes but remained silent as Leafstar swept on. "We have nothing else to report."
Nightstar shouldered his way forward, orange eyes blazing.
"Oh StarClan, here we go," Dapplepaw muttered. Featherpaw barely had time to wonder what she meant before the dark leader began.
"Well, Leafstar, it seems your warriors have been busy. Fending off WindClan and hunting on ShadowClan lands."
Yowls of outrage burst from the ThunderClan cats. Featherpaw leaped to her feet with a spinning head, screeching furiously, "Mouse-dung! Prove it!" Shock coursed through her body and she snarled at a ShadowClan she-cat angrily.
Nightstar silenced the clearing with a sweep of his tail before continuing. "We found remains stinking of ThunderClan well in ShadowClan lands. Well, Leafstar," he meowed, turning to the serene silver she-cat beside him. "What have you to say to that?"
"Nightstar, the last time you accused my Clan of theft, it turned out to be rogues under Shadowfur's orders. Think before you accuse an innocent Clan," Leafstar meowed warningly.
"It cannot possibly be Shadowfur again. We defeated him!" Nightstar snarled. Leafstar acknowledged this with a dip of her head, green eyes gleaming thoughtfully.
"We defeated him," she replied slowly. "But we did not kill him."
A murmur of fear and anxiety rippled through the assembled cats, all remembering the ferocious battle. The younger apprentices glanced around warily, wondering what had gotten into their elders. Of course, they had heard the stories and some had even lost parents in the battle. But none truly understood.
Featherpaw glanced at Ravenwing, who sat stock still at her usual spot. Her eyes were wide with grief and immeasurable fury.
"She lost her mentor, apprentice, and best friend in that battle," Thornpaw murmured gently. Featherpaw glanced at him questioningly. She had heard of Robinpaw and Stonepelt, but who was her friend?
"Who was her best friend?"
Thornpaw looked surprised as he answered, "Lionclaw. I'm surprised the elders didn't tell you."
Featherpaw gaped at him for a second before turning away so he didn't see the expression in her eyes. The name of her long-gone father aroused emotions, the intensity of which she hadn't felt for a long while. Meanwhile, the Gathering continued in an uproar.
"Impossible, Shadowfur wouldn't come back a second time!"
"He's gone!"
"I thought we were safe!"
Cloudstar silenced the crowd with one thunderous caterwaul. Spiderstar seemed, as always, the calmest of the four leaders as he stepped forward.
"Let's not all jump to conclusions-"
"Unless your conclusions are correct."
Every cat spun towards Featherpaw, who had stood as she spoke. Her friends gaped at her and Thornpaw hissed, "What in the name of StarClan are you doing?"
She ignored them all, gazing up instead at the leaders on the Great Rock. Illuminated by the moon behind them, they were iconic. Even Nightstar's black pelt was bleached by the light and their eyes shone brighter than the stars behind them. Featherpaw shivered in the face of such power, refusing to back down.
"Featherpaw," Leafstar mewed warningly. "Think before you act."
Featherpaw gazed at her for a moment before dropping her gaze to Ravenwing, who was watching her intently.
Behind her, Dapplepaw growled, "I sure hope you know what you're doing."
Ignoring her too, the tortoiseshell she-cat stepped forward warily. She was keenly aware of the dozens of eyes fixated on her, their readiness to watch her humiliate herself irritating her. Fixing an image of Lionclaw in her head, Featherpaw squared her shoulders.
"Shadowfur is coming back. And I can prove it," she announced. Gasps of shock and cries of horror echoed in her ears as she waited for the leaders' responses. Leafstar blinked, eyes emotionless. Nightstar burst out laughing.
Featherpaw glared at him and forgetting he was a leader, snarled, "Excuse me, what is funny about that?"
"The fact that a mere kit is saying it."
Featherpaw growled low in her throat. Cloudstar moved forward, brushing past Nightstar and staring down at the young apprentice.
"Featherpaw, what is your proof?"
Featherpaw took a deep breath, thought of her mother, and launched into a description of her actual birth place. She embellished some parts and left others out; such as the fact she had been Shadowfur's assassin and had been sent to murder Leafstar. Not even Thornpaw knew the Leafstar part.
At the end, she described his plans and took a deep breath, waiting anxiously for the leaders' reactions. They all exchanged slow glances. Featherpaw searched Leafstar's eyes desperately, fearing the hate that would surely gleam in them soon.
When the leaders turned back, she found that her own leader's eyes were emotionless. "Featherpaw," Leafstar paused, the words heavy in her throat. "Are you certain?"
"More than I have been at any point in my life."
The leaders all blinked almost simultaneously. "So it has begun anew," Cloudstar murmured. Featherpaw took a deep breath and glanced at her companions. They all stared back, stunned by the turn of events.
"We must decide on what to do," Spiderstar announced at last, breaking the heavy silence. Not a cat had stirred, all shocked by the revelation. Shadowfur was coming back.
"I can help with that."
Snarls broke out and the cats parted to reveal a snow-white she-cat winding her way gracefully to the Great Rock. Featherpaw felt her eyes widen in recognition.
"Snowpelt," Leafstar called, eyes flashing. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Shadowfur wishes me to convey this message. He gives you three dawns to prepare your warriors to die."
The clearing was completely still. Featherpaw's head spun with disbelief at the forefront of her emotions. Snowpelt, of all cats, was a traitor? Thornpaw had stood and he glared venomously at Snowpelt.
"They're his kits, aren't they?" he called. Snowpelt turned to him, eyes cold and careless.
"Yes," she replied. "And they will someday be great warriors."
Featherpaw found that she had forgotten to breath. She opened her jaws to let air in, incapable of words.
"Snowpelt," Leafstar growled commandingly. "Are you meaning to tell me that you have mated with Shadowfur?"
Snowpelt held her head high, refusing to be cowed. "Yes. But I never betrayed ThunderClan. He tried many times to make me tell him our secrets, but I refused. The last time I met with him, he told me to give you the message and never see him again."
Featherpaw blinked. It sounded just like Shadowfur. Use the she-cat to his advantage and then leave her when she was no longer of use to him. She sighed, shutting her eyes briefly as dozens of emotions assaulted her.
Leafstar glanced at Spiderstar beside her thoughtfully. "Snowpelt, I will deal with you later. Now however, I suppose we do what we did last time."
The leaders all looked at her and Cloudstar dipped her head respectfully. "We fight," the white she-cat murmured, loud enough for the entire Gathering to here. The cats below the Great Rock were silent and their fear-scent surrounded Featherpaw, nearly choking her.
"Fight," she whispered.
Rosepaw
The ginger tom stared back with lifeless eyes. His throat had been torn open and whispers filled her ears. Evil. She could feel it all around, threatening to overpower her. Pure evil, as black and lethal as the shadows it manifested in.
"He's dead, silly kit. He never cared for you. He left you. Silly little she-kit, believing she could find love. Silly, silly," the smooth voice laughed as it tortured her. Rosepaw spun around, trying to find the voice, trying to keep her eyes from Gingerstrike's bloody fur.
"Rosekit. I never loved you," his voice suddenly whispered gleefully. Rosepaw stared at him. His eyes were still cold and dead, yet his mouth moved as he mewed, "Silly you. Useless little kit."
"Stop!" she screamed, the word ripping her throat apart. Gingerstrike laughed, his voice deepening as his body picked itself up from the ground. She was horrified, unable to rip her eyes from the grotesque scene in front of her.
"Silly little Rosepaw! Silly!" he laughed maniacally. Rosepaw screamed, near hysterics.
"Gingerstrike, please! Stop, just please stop," she whispered. His horrible laughter echoed in her ears.
"Rosepaw?"
The young she-cat jerked awake. The fear-scents of Featherpaw and Thornpaw hit her full force and she gasped. Standing on shaky legs, she took a deep breath. "Nightmare," she mumbled, stumbling out of the den. Outside, Gingerstrike seemed to be waiting for her.
"Good morning," he murmured, touching his nose to her cheek gently. She gave a soft purr, though she was unable to shake the dream from her mind.
When the Gathering patrol had returned the other night, Rosepaw had been both shocked and relieved when she heard what Featherpaw had done. Now, the Clan could be prepared.
As she and Gingerstrike made their way to the prey pile, she wondered at how he made her feel. When she was with him, everything was so clear and sharp and fresh. Her heart felt as though it could burst and she wondered if this was what love was like. Too bad I could only have three days to feel it, she thought mournfully.
Three days. Three days until the storm broke. The clearing was oppressive as cats muttered and whispered. Rosepaw felt a pang of pity for Snowpelt, who was sitting just outside the nursery. A circle had been created around the treacherous queen.
"Gingerstrike," she began. She felt the young tom turn to her, warm gaze settling on her lovingly. "Are you scared?"
Rosepaw could feel his surprise and worry as he answered, "Only of losing you. Promise me you'll be careful, during the battle."
She purred, brushing his flank with her tail teasingly. "It should be you watching out. I'll be fine."
Although it had never been admitted out loud, she knew he loved her. She was even sure that she might just love him back. The intensity of her emotions for the tom scared her to the point of mental instability. It couldn't just be love driving her insane, could it? The way he spoke, how he brushed up against her, it all made her tremble. When he touched her, electricity sparked through her body, making her feel alive.
They arrived at the prey pile and ate together, talking as comfortably as they could. The clearing was unnaturally silent. Ravenwing and Leafstar were holding a hushed conference in the leader's den. Every other cat was just terrified.
"It wasn't this bad last time," Fernstep whispered to Mosspelt. "Last time, everyone was making preparations."
Rosepaw stood and shook her fur out, tired of all the worry and anxiety. "Let's do something," she meowed loudly. The warriors nearby pricked their ears, eager to get their minds off the attack. They didn't seem to mind that she was just an apprentice. "Let's fortify the barriers and stuff. And the apprentices can have some battle training with the warriors. It'll be fun," she purred.
Gingerstrike, catching onto her plan, was quick to chime in. The warriors quickly weaved around each other, excited once again for the day. A few split off to work on the dens and barrier while the others gathered around Rosepaw and the other two apprentices.
Their mock fights were more intense and fast than ever before. Again and again the tackled and shoved each other. Warriors threw in advice and some volunteered to join. Few could best Thornpaw's strength and Rosepaw's cleverness. Featherpaw proved to be formidable, flaunting her superior agility.
Rosepaw wasn't certain how long had passed. Their cheers and hoots drove her to greater moves, quicker thinking. Soon, it was all she could hear.
After what seemed to be seasons filled with fierce battles and quick laughter, the warriors suddenly quieted down. Rosepaw spun to realize that Leafstar and her mother had emerged. She could feel their eyes warming her fur as she stammered, "Just waiting f-for you is all."
Ravenwing purred. Rosepaw sensed Leafstar's approval and relaxed. All the warriors relaxed as well. Leafstar ascended the Highrock proudly and Rosepaw glanced at her brother. Featherpaw took in a deep breath.
"ThunderClan, we are gathered to appoint three apprentices their long overdue warrior names. Rosepaw, Thornpaw, Featherpaw, step forward."
Rosepaw was barely aware of Gingerstrike purring with pride, or Ravenwing's warm gaze. As she drew near her leader and mentor, her head spun and all thoughts of the nightmare vanished. Everything she had dreamed of since kithood was about to come true.
Rosepaw was becoming a warrior at last.
So, I am perfectly aware that this is exactly how the last battle ended up happening in Raven's Wing. excuse my lack of originality, but I really wanted to do it this way again. For old times' sake I suppose. But I made the heroes much younger and much more vulnerable.
Anyway, aren't you excited! They are about to receive their warrior names! AHHHH! I'm friggin' excited, I can tell you that! And isn't Ginger adorable? I love him in this chapter. He's so sweet and genuine. Rose's dream took me a bit, but I loved how twisted and dark it was. I'm aware that Rosepaw's part may have been a little confusing, but basically she just helped the warriors get back into their old fighting spirit :)
Oh, and for those of you bemoaning the fact that there will not be a story after this, I mayy just do a bit on Snowpelt's kits. Still thinking though. Also, after this ends, one-shots will definitely be coming your way. After the epic ending I have planned, you're going to want 'em xD
~Adieu, Monkey!~
Coming back sooner this time, I SWEAR TO JESUS AND ALL YOU HOLD SACRED!