A bit of a longer lapse in updating this time, sorry!
Recap: Snowpaw talks to Ratpaw, and he asks her what's going on with her and Frostpaw, who conveniently walks in. Frostpaw demands what's wrong and why Snowpaw isn't talking to her, and if she did something wrong. Snowpaw coolly replies that nothing's wrong and leaves. Later, she has her warrior ceremony, and becomes Snowcloud. As she sits vigil at camp, ShadowClan sets off for the Gathering. Snowcloud falls asleep, and in her dream, she is talking to a cat, who tells her that Frostpaw is destined to bring the Clans to destruction and that the only way to stop her is by killing her before she gets her medicine cat name. After some hesitation, Snowcloud agrees. She wakes up and decides that she has to stop her sister.
Yee!
Chapter 16
Survival
[Willowfall]
Willowfall silently walked through the snow, following after her Clan as they headed through RiverClan and towards the island for the Gathering. She stayed at the back of the crowd, alongside Frostpaw and Cedarpaw; the tom was staring at the ground, ears flattened a bit. She wasn't sure if it was such a good idea to bring the tom, but it hadn't been her decision. Even Frostpaw, she noticed, seemed a bit upset, though she couldn't imagine why.
In front of her, she spotted Ratpaw; the tom glanced over his shoulder and gazed at her for a moment, amber eyes glowing with an emotion that was hard to read. The medicine cat flinched a bit and looked away. He hadn't left her mind since last night, when she'd accidentally blurted out that she'd been the one who'd killed Graystar. She regretted it every moment, because she thought that it had been a secret that she'd finally managed to erase. But he wouldn't tell anyone, right?
...What if he told his sister? Olivepaw already seemed suspicious of her, as if she knew things about her that even Willowfall didn't know.
It seemed as if her past had been haunting her constantly these days. Blacktail. Badgerkit. Graystar. And now even Emberheart was threatening her, even though she was dead. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but what the spirit had told her when she'd gone to the Moonpool had consumed her every moment of every day. When she went to the stream, she'd think about how she'd dumped Emberheart into it. When she went to bed, she'd think of Emberheart before she'd finally sleep and dream of her somehow hurting her or her kits or Blacktail. StarClan, why did she keep thinking about Blacktail? She almost wished that she wasn't going to the Gathering, because she knew she'd seem him there. And she knew that seeing him would only set off that string of emotions that she'd always feel whenever she thought of him.
She clenched her teeth together, trying desperately not to think about it- but she knew that it would only do her any good until she got to the island and the Gathering began.
She decided to distract herself by talking to Frostpaw. "I'll have to introduce you to the other medicine cats," she mewed, walking mechanically.
Frostpaw smiled slightly, though it was forced and her eyes gleamed with something like sadness. "Yeah, I'd like to meet them. I already met Onespot."
"Onespot's a good friend of mine," Willowfall murmured. "Before you became my apprentice and I saw him at half-moon, he talked about how skilled he thought you were. He really thinks highly of you." When Frostpaw didn't reply, the medicine cat frowned and said, "Is something wrong, Frostpaw?"
The apprentice blinked and glanced at her mentor before letting out a short sigh.
"It's Snowpaw," she muttered. "Er, Snowcloud. She won't talk to me. I tried asking her if something was wrong, but she wouldn't tell me. If she's mad at me, then I don't know what I did wrong."
Willowfall blinked softly, realizing that this was the first time in a while that a cat actually opened up to her.
"Just give her a bit of time," she said. "She's probably going through things that you don't know about. She's still your sister, and she still loves you."
Frostpaw lowered her head, nodding a bit.
"I hope so," she muttered. Willowfall didn't reply. Instead, she glanced over at Cedarpaw, who seemed lost in his own little world.
"Cedarpaw?" she mewed softly. The tom looked up at her, amber eyes sparkling. The medicine cat blinked; this apprentice always made her feel a bit uneasy, for some reason. She'd kept a close eye on him ever since his father had died, and ever since he'd almost murdered one of RiverClan's she-cats. She knew that there was more to the tom than most cats knew, but she also knew that she'd never know exactly what that was.
"How are you doing?" she asked him. He turned his head away and looked in front of him, frowning, not responding. Willowfall sighed.
Before long, the island came to view, the tall trees outlined against the dark blue sky. Willowfall swallowed, feeling nervous.
ShadowClan came to the log bridge, and cats began to make their way across. The medicine cat listened for any signs of other Clans that were already there, but she heard nothing. Maybe they were the first.
She made her way across, shivering as she jumped down and landed in the snow. The Clan had turned silent as they gathered together, and Minnowstar counted her Clanmates before nodding, turning and vanishing into the undergrowth. The crowd began to follow her, and the medicine cat, saying nothing, lowered her head and did the same.
Willowfall was wrong; they weren't the first ones there. WindClan cats were gathered close together, their ears flattened, their eyes widening slightly as they raised their heads to watch ShadowClan arrive. None of them said a word, but Willowfall immediately knew that something was wrong. On closer inspection, they all looked terribly skinny, and there were far fewer than usual; only six, not including their leader. She noticed that Greenstar was sitting with his Clan instead of on the huge tree in the center of the island. His pale orange fur had seemed to grow even paler, and was ruffled and sticking together in some places, as if he were sick.
As Minnowstar led her cats forward, the WindClanners' fur rose as they stared at them uneasily, looks of fear in their eyes. ShadowClan cats murmured to each other in confusion.
"Hello, Greenstar," Minnowstar called as her Clan settled down. "How have you been?"
The tom eyed her, green eyes glowing, a frown on his face. His Clanmates glanced at each other, whispering. ShadowClanners glanced at each other and at Minnowstar, but they didn't say anything.
Just a moment later, the all too familiar scent of RiverClan wafted past. Willowfall stiffened and lifted her head, as did the others; there was silence as the snowy bushes rustled and the familiar face of Blossomstar appeared, mismatching eyes glinting brightly. The medicine cat froze when, a second later, Blacktail appeared beside her, standing tall, chest puffed out slightly.
They came forward as more cats appeared from the undergrowth, following after their leader and settling down as a group. They all had a confident air around them; some of them were smirking as they looked at ShadowClan and WindClan and whispered to each other.
"Greetings, Greenstar and Minnowstar!" purred Blossomstar, grinning widely as he tail twitched happily. "Good to see you two again."
Minnowstar narrowed her eyes, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she turned and headed towards the large tree and climbed up, taking her usual spot on a branch. Blossomstar smiled and trotted after her, climbing up and sitting on a higher branch, head raised in satisfaction as she looked down at the other cats.
"What are you doing, so high up?" Minnowstar growled, obviously irritated. "Come further down, you look ridiculous."
"I rather like the view up here," mewed Blossomstar, tilting her head as a smile broke from her lips. "But thank you for the offer, Minnowstar."
The ShadowClan she-cat narrowed her eyes, lips pulled back.
Harestep and Blacktail took their seats on the tree's roots; Barkfall, WindClan's deputy, remained in the crowd. Willowfall tried not to stare at Blacktail, but he caught her glance and her ears flattened, looking away.
"What's going on here?" demanded Minnowstar. "Greenstar, Barkfall, why don't you take your places?"
Greenstar frowned and opened his mouth to talk, but Blossomstar cut him off.
"Their places are right where they are," she said swiftly. "They won't be laying one claw on this tree."
"What in StarClan's name are you talking about?" growled Harestep, getting to his paws. Blacktail watched him quietly, flicking an ear.
Blossomstar smiled, not seeming to mind the deputy's hostility.
"You'll see once the Gathering begins. It seems like ThunderClan's late, again. Not surprising, considering their new leader hardly knows what he's doing."
Cats blinked and murmured to each other in surprise. Willowfall knew that everyone thought the same thing, but hearing another leader say it out loud was different. She glanced back at Blacktail; she wanted to ask him what was going on, but she didn't know how.
Cats were talking to each other in low voices, but everyone remained within their own Clan. Willowfall spotted Forestwind, WindClan's medicine cat; the tortoiseshell she-cat's ears were flattened and she was looking around with worry and fear.
Swallowing, Willowfall made her way over to the group. Forestwind looked up when she saw her. The ShadowClanner beckoned her with her tail; she got up and glanced around before she hesitantly took a few steps forward.
"Forestwind," Willowfall whispered, shaking her head softly. "What's going on?"
The she-cat frowned, looking away. Willowfall noticed how thin she was.
"...They have Jaguarpaw," she whispered.
Willowfall blinked at the mention of the WindClan medicine cat apprentice.
"What are you talking about?" she rasped quietly. "Who-"
"They captured him," Forestwind murmured. "He's at their camp now."
"RiverClan's...?"
The she-cat nodded, looking down at her paws as she softly shook her head.
"I let him down," she murmured. "I'm supposed to be his mentor but I can't even protect him...!"
Willowfall stared at her, nonplussed.
"What do you mean? They're holding him hostage, or...?"
The she-cat nodded, her eyes closed. When she opened them, they were sparkling with fear and sorrow.
"That's why we have to do what they say," she whispered, glancing around as if she was afraid someone would overhear. "If we don't, they'll... They'll kill him."
Willowfall's eyes widened, and she glanced up at Blossomstar, who was grooming herself on the tree branch.
"In exchange for his life, we had to give them more land," Forestwind whispered, trembling a bit as she looked at the other medicine cat desperately. "Our food has run out. More and more cats are dying every day. At this rate, there won't be anyone from WindClan left, and..." She broke off, unable to continue. She buried her face into Willowfall's shoulder, ears flattened as she shook. Willowfall frowned and comfortingly wrapped her tail around her, but she didn't know what to say or do. But when she looked up at Blossomstar again, her eyes narrowed. Was she trying to completely wipe out the other Clans?
A moment passed before heads began to raise at the sound of bushes rustling. Willowfall pricked her ears, glancing over to see Bumblestar appear from the undergrowth, his Clan following behind him. He blinked a few times as he looked around, tail twitching.
"Look who's late?" mewed Blossomstar, examining her claws. She looked up, eyes flashing. "The new leader of ThunderClan, Kittystar."
A few RiverClanners snickered at this. Even a couple ShadowClan cats seemed amused, but they made an effort to hold back their laughter. WindClan remained silent.
"I'm sorry," Bumblestar breathed, ears flattened, eyes widened, light brown fur dotted with snow. "I thought we'd be on time..."
"We told you this would happen!" hissed a cat- one of his cats, a black she-cat named Darkfeather. A few cats muttered in agreement. Spotfur was clearly trying to get everyone under control.
"What's this?" purred Blossomstar as she peered down from the branch. "It appears that not even cats from his own Clan like Kittystar."
"Enough!" growled Minnowstar, eyes narrowed to slits. "We've delayed long enough. Now that everyone's here, let's begin the Gathering."
Blossomstar snorted, whiskers twitching. "Very well. Minnowstar, would you like to go first?"
The ShadowClan leader glared at her, but she said nothing. ThunderClan's cats hastily settled down, and Willowfall recognized Russetpaw, the she-cat she'd caught with Ratpaw. The tom had apparently spotted her as well; he was looking at her, amber eyes round with worry.
Bumblestar made his way up the tree with some difficulty, nearly losing his grip and falling several times. Cats from RiverClan snickered and grinned to each other.
"Finally," Blossomstar sighed once the tom had taken his seat on the branch a bit lower than Minnowstar's.
Minnowstar cleared her voice, eyes narrowed, a stern frown on her delicate features.
"Despite the harshness of Leafbare, Lightstream has recently given birth to two healthy kits. Also, Snowpaw had her warrior ceremony, and is now known as Snowcloud. She is sitting vigil at camp and is not here today." A few cats who knew her murmured excitedly.
"However," continued Minnowstar, her voice growing cold, "We are also facing hard times. Emberheart drowned in the stream a few weeks ago, and just yesterday, Owlwing's life was taken from us by the claws of Blossomstar herself."
Everyone was silent. ShadowClanners' heads were bowing regretfully. RiverClan cats' tails twitched impatiently. The WindClan cats glanced at each other sadly before lowering their heads, and ThunderClan just looked on wordlessly.
"They've taken land from us in exchange for the life of one of our apprentices," Minnowstar growled. "But we did not resort to murder as they did, and for that, we know that StarClan blesses us."
"Oh, but let's skip all this drama, shall we?" sighed Blossomstar in exasperation. "Our cats were starving, and we needed land. This is what Leafbare is about." She paused to let her gaze rest on the crowd, a tiny smile coming to her face. "Survival." She flicked her tail, straightening up. "If you're done, Minnowstar, than I shall go." She gave her no time to respond before mewing, "I'm here to talk to you all today about some... changes that are occurring. Changes that will benefit each and ever one of you. Changes that will forever rewrite the story of the Clans."
Cats stared up at her, silent, waiting. Willowfall's ears flattened; what was she going on about?
"We have talked with WindClan," Blossomstar continued, head lifted high. She looked down at Greenstar, who flinched and looked away. Blossomstar grinned before looking back at the crowd. "Greenstar and I have come to an agreement that we decided to wait until tonight to announce to you all. Because of our growing Clan, and because WindClan has the largest territory, despite it being the smallest Clan, we came to a decision that will help all of us survive." She paused again; there was tension in the air as no one dared speak. She clearly loved it. "Each and every cat in WindClan will give up its title as a WindClan cat and shall join RiverClan under my rule."
There was a shocked stillness in the clearing. Willowfall's jaw dropped slightly, eyes wide. What was going on?
"What nonsense is this?" hissed Minnowstar, finally breaking the silence. "Are you proposing that WindClan disappears altogether? That there are three Clans instead of four?"
Everyone quickly discussed this, a frenzied air surrounding them. WindClan said nothing.
"WindClan's cats are clearly starving," Blossomstar mewed. "Many of their cats have died just within this moon. Joining with me will benefit them, as they'll share our land with us." She glanced down at WindClan, a look of blatant disdain on her face. "However, Greenstar and his deputy will have to give up their positions of power, for they will now be cats of RiverClan, ruled by me. Greenstar and I have already discussed this."
Minnowstar stared at her, actually looking more shocked than angry. She turned to Greenstar, a look of disbelief on her face. "Greenstar? Is this true?"
The pale orange tom flattened his ears, looking away.
"But this is against the will of StarClan!" Willowfall pricked her ears when she heard the voice of Onespot, who had stepped forward and was looking desperately at Blossomstar. "There have always been four Clans. There cannot be three! It's not how things are supposed to be! Look up at the sky. StarClan is already beginning to show their fury."
Cats raised their heads; indeed, a few clouds were starting to form, drifting quickly overheard. This made a few murmur quietly in concern, but Blossomstar lashed her tail, looking bored.
"This is for the good of all of us," she announced. "If RiverClan hadn't extended its kindness, then every WindClan cat would have died, anyway. We're saving them." A sly grin appeared on her face. "And speaking of which, there is something else I would like to discuss with you all. I am extending this offer to anyone- and I mean anyone- who would like to join RiverClan as it grows and becomes the biggest, most glorified Clan of this forest. Would, perhaps, anyone from ThunderClan wish to join us...? Sagewhisker, Lilytooth, Flaxclaw, and Waspfang already have."
Willowfall glanced at Forestwind, whose ears were flattened as she stared at the ground, trembling. Willowfall swallowed and narrowed her eyes, though anxiety swelled through her body. Blossomstar was trying to create one huge Clan that she could completely rule. Already, WindClan had joined, and four of ThunderClan's cats as well. Before they knew it, ShadowClan and its name would be at risk of being wiped out forever.
"Stop!"
Cats raised their heads to see Bumblestar sitting up on his tree branch, eyes wide, a desperate look on his face.
"I... I know that not everyone is happy with my sudden leadership," he admitted, looking over the crowd. They listened quietly. Bumblestar swallowed and continued. "...It was all so unexpected, and Clan life is still somewhat new to me. But I'm making the biggest effort I can to-"
"If you aren't used to Clan life, then you shouldn't live in a Clan," Blossomstar interrupted, licking a paw. "It will only get harder from here. Leafbare is the harshest of all seasons, and if you're so inexperienced as you even admit to be, then aren't you just putting your own cats in danger?"
Bumblestar stared at her desperately.
"N-No," he stammered. "I care about ThunderClan more than anything. Don't you all remember Honeystar?" ThunderClanners' ears pricked at the mention of her name. "I'm doing this for her. I know that she'll watch over us all and help us make it through Leafbare. We can do this-"
"They can," Blossomstar mewed, "but you can't, can you?"
"Shut up, Blossomstar!" growled Minnowstar impatiently. "Let him talk!"
"I think that he's talked quite enough," replied the RiverClan leader, lashing her tail. "I should think that the cats of ThunderClan should decide for themselves whether they wish to continue living under this inexperienced kittypet's rule who will drive them all to starvation." Her eyes gleamed as she turned to the ThunderClan cats. "Well? Would any of you care to join us and leave Kittystar behind?"
A few ThunderClan cats murmured to each other quietly, talking it over. The other Clans watched silently, not daring to say anything as they waited for their answer. Willowfall swallowed.
"...I will join RiverClan," came a voice. A cat slowly stepped forward; he was a ginger tom who was quite small, probably an apprentice.
"No!" cried a voice, and heads turned to see Russetpaw standing there, green eyes wide. Willowfall glanced over at Ratpaw, who was now staring at the scene in alarm, ears pricked as he got to his feet.
Russetpaw opened her mouth again, calling out, "Flamepaw, you can't!"
The tom, apparently named Flamepaw, turned and looked at the she-cat, green eyes narrowed.
"Can't you see what's happening, Russetpaw?" he demanded, shaking his head. "What's happening to ThunderClan? It's the same thing that happened to WindClan- we're beginning to starve, and if we continue living like this, we'll all die."
"We can't leave ThunderClan," Russetpaw rasped, taking a step forward. "Our parents never would have wanted this."
Willowfall blinked a few times; were these cats siblings? She looked over at Ratpaw, but he seemed just as surprised as she was.
"Our parents never would have wanted us to die, either," Flamepaw growled. "We have to go, Russetpaw. We have to survive. We can't end up like they did."
Russetpaw stared at her brother, eyes wide, ears flattened. Finally, after what seemed like years, she muttered, "Alright. I'll go with you."
Hesitantly, she took a step forward, meeting with her brother. Flamepaw nuzzled her, saying nothing.
"We're going, too," murmured a voice. A silver tabby tom stepped forward, a black and white she-cat at his side. "If sticking with Blossomstar is our best chance, then that's what we'll do. We want the best for our expected kits."
Cats muttered to each other before a few more stepped up- a golden tabby tom, a gray tom, a white and tan she-cat, and Darkfeather, who was herding forward her son, an apprentice.
"Stop!" cried Onespot pleadingly. "You can't! Look up at the sky! StarClan is furious!"
Willowfall lifted her head; the clouds had grown thicker, and were now threatening to cover the moon and block its light.
"It's too late," purred Blossomstar, who turned her gaze on Bumblestar. "Well, well, Kittystar. Looks like your Clan doesn't have faith in you after all." The tom turned away, closing his eyes and murmuring a prayer beneath his breath.
Spotfur remained where he was on the roots of the stump, and there were a handful of cats who chose to remain in ThunderClan; they were all crowded around Onespot, who was worriedly talking to himself.
"Thank you to all those cats who chose to join RiverClan," Blossomstar mewed, smiling widely. "We welcome you and we hope to ensure the prosperity of every single cat in our Clan." She now turned to Minnowstar, who met her with a glare. "Well, Minnowstar? Do any ShadowClan cats wish to follow WindClan and ThunderClan's example...?"
"No," she said coolly. "We will do no such thing."
Blossomstar's whiskers twitched, looking mildly disappointed. "Very well." She turned to the crowd, tail lifted high. "To those cats who didn't decide to join RiverClan, then I wish you the best of luck in surviving this season. Because this Leafbare, things will be different. This Leafbare, my Clan will fight to survive, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that we do. Anyone may join us at any time. And as for the rest of you?" Her mismatching eyes glinted in the fading moonlight. "By the end of this season, you'll all be dead. I guarantee it." There was a brief silence that hung painfully in the air before Blossomstar lashed her tail again, a low growl of thunder sounding in the distance. "This Gathering is over."
Hmmm. Hmm. Well.
Lol I never have anything to say at the end of my chapters I feel awkward talking about my story for some reason.
But anyway, tell me what y'all think :) Bumblestar plushies? Eh?
Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing, y'all rock my world. (:
TNT,
Pearls