Chapter 22

"Two Steps Forward and Back."

4/5/17 - 4/6/17

The warm, Greenleaf morning air blows through Morningpaw's thin fur coat. He follows Volefang as they head back to camp with a shrew in his mouth. Morningpaw goes into the gorge and checks on Acornpaw first thing. The brown she-cat recovered from her fever, and currently is on rest for Duskshade and Hailstone to make sure it stays down.

Morningpaw puts his shrew in the fresh kill pile before padding to the apprentices den where his brother, Featherpaw and Berrypaw were sitting.

Morningpaw and Fishpaw grew close to Featherpaw and Berrypaw in the past weeks. And Acornpaw made a comment about them having common ground with their littermates leaving them for whatever reason.

Morningpaw still can't understand why Nightpaw would suddenly leave, other than some of their Clanmates were making comments about her "being the next Lionstar" after harming Acornpaw.

"Wasn't it weird how Olivestar just came in like that?" Fishpaw asks Featherpaw. "I could have sworn she said that Daisypelt is moving."

"No way. My father told us that they took away her mobility so she wouldn't harm anyone else." Featherpaw replies.

"So, how do you explain why she's up and moving?" Fishpaw pressed.

Featherpaw frowns. "I don't know. You'll have to ask Windstorm or the Paws of Nature for that."

Morningpaw remembers the RiverClan leader looking tense with negative emotions when she demands to see the Paws of Nature for answers.

I can't imagine having a dangerous cat living here.

"Oh! Morningpaw!" Berrypaw said. "Did you hear?"

The silver tabby tom shakes his head, and Berrypaw smiles wide.

"Me and Featherpaw are becoming warriors!"

Fishpaw blinks. "Really? This is the first I've heard of it!"

Featherpaw nods, pleased to have moved on to a different subject.

"Darkstar told us and our mentors yesterday after our assessment."

Morningpaw purrs. "Congratulations. When is it starting?"

"In the morning." Berrypaw replies. "Our parents don't even know yet."

"What about Petalpaw?" Fishpaw asks.

Featherpaw frowns and said, "Oh… She's being held back again."

"Again?" Fishpaw echoes. "Isn't this the second time she's done this?"

"She keeps pulling pranks on her final assessments." Berrypaw said. "Even Whitefur is losing patience with her and she doesn't seem to care."

"She's been acting out so much. At this rate she won't become a warrior until Sweetflower's kits are apprenticed."

"May all cats old enough to catch their prey, meet me at Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

Featherpaw gets up with Berrypaw immediately cleaning his cream brown fur.

"It's time. Wish us luck." She said to Morningpaw and Fishpaw. Featherpaw pads to the Highledge, Berrypaw quickly smooths out his pelt and catches up with his sister.

Darkstar waits until every cat is present to begin his announcement, sitting underneath Highledge.

"I'm pleased to announce that two of our apprentices are ready to become warriors. Featherpaw, Berrypaw, would you please come forward?"

Featherpaw and Berrypaw pad toward their leader with high heads. Rosefoot blinks and looks at Windstorm.

"Are they getting their names?" She asks him.

"It appears so." Windstorm purrs. Rosefoot smirks. "Nice."

Whitefur gives Petalpaw a side glance. "See your littermates? That could have been you, but you chose to mess it up repeatedly."

Petalpaw didn't respond as she watches her brother and sister intently. Whitefur gives an irritated sigh. "I don't know what is going on in your mind, but it needs to stop. Now."

Once again, Petalpaw doesn't respond. She watches Featherpaw become Featherwing, and Berrypaw become Berryheart.

"Featherwing! Berryheart! Featherwing! Berryheart!"

She wanted to be with them, she really did. But there was one thing stopping her. Their vagabond sister, Snowpaw.

Where did she go anyway? I guess I should've asked her the day before. Speaking of which, I wonder if she found my ammunition in the bag?

Petalpaw purrs at the thought. She knows she is disappointing Whitefur, but if she did earn her name and Snowpaw returns from wherever she went, she would be the only kit in Rosefoot's litter left behind in the apprentices den.

Petalpaw heard the criticism from her Clanmates, she isn't going to let Snowpaw face it alone. After all, that's what big sister's are for ~.

"Dodge! Strike!"

Bearpaw's paw is knocked back by Silversnow's back paw, and the RiverClan deputy quickly pins Bearpaw down.

"No, no, no!" Silversnow snaps. "I just showed you how to flip your opponent into the water! Beechpaw would have gotten that move down pat!"

Silversnow swallows and turns around. "Let's just go back."

Bearpaw didn't respond as he follows his mother/mentor to the camp. All Bearpaw heard about is comparisons to his brother.

"Beechpaw was a great swimmer."

"Bearpaw! That is such a pitiful trout! Beechpaw would have caught a much bigger one!"

"I don't understand why Bearpaw is slacking. I know for a fact that Beechpaw…"

Usually Bearpaw doesn't mind being compared to his brother, but when Beechpaw left it was like Bearpaw is being used to fill the empty hole he left behind. Bearpaw can't even begin to describe how much this newfound pressure placed on his shoulders is affecting his life.

He never had cats put so much expectations for him and expect nothing but perfection. And apparently, by public opinion, Bearpaw is imperfect compared to Beechpaw.

Bearpaw waits for a chance to sneak off to the Greenleaf Twolegplace, the sun is at it's highest point. The black, dark brown patched tom stretches himself out and allows the sun to soak up his pelt.

The best nap I had in days ~.

Bearpaw curls his tail and rolls on his back.

"Those paths have rarely been used, so they are a little unstable."

"Unstable how?"

"Some rocks bigger than normal rocks fall. The stalactites in our entrance are also unstable, and can fall if applied enough weight."

"At we know that now. But hopefully we won't have that problem when the time comes."

Bearpaw's dark blue eyes snap open. His ears were pricked as he picks up a familiar voice with the two unfamiliar ones.

"I am worried for my prey-hunters. We aren't as strong as your Clans, and they don't have the strength to back themselves as the cave-guards do."

"Like I said, hopefully it won't come to that. Snowpaw has an idea for making the wolves fall back."

Beechpaw? Bearpaw thought standing up. I just heard him. Who were those other voices, though?

Bearpaw listens harder, but is met with the sound of chirping birds and the rippling waves. Only now did he become aware that the ShadowClan patrol might show up, and he rushes back home to avoid any ambushes.

"Bearpaw!"

So close. Bearpaw is immediately pounced on by Applefoot's kits. Heavykit jumps on his back, Frecklekit bites his tail and pulls him back. Otterkit joins Heavykit and lands on Bearpaw's hindquarters, making the black and dark brown tom fall down.

"We did it!" Otterkit cheers.

"We defeated the ShadowClan menace!" Heavykit chirps.

Bearpaw grunts and looks at the amused Applefoot. "A little help here?"

"Oh, no. I think you can handle a group of kits." Applefoot said, padding back inside the nursery.

"Where have you been?!"

Heavykit, Frecklekit and Otterkit immediately climb off of Bearpaw and edge away from him as Silversnow stalks toward him.

"I was sunbathing in the Greenleaf Twolegplace." He replies.

Silversnow's pale yellow eyes widen. "Are you insane?! ShadowClan is looking for an excuse to attack us, and you could have given them an opening! Why can't you be more careful?!"

Bearpaw feels irritated with Silversnow's attitude, but he forces himself to swallow it down.

She's stressed over this stupid war, and Beechpaw's absence. I hope that's why she's on my case.

He bows his head and endures Silversnow's lectures as he feels the stares of his Clanmates on his pelt.

The pregnancy of her mother came as a suspicious surprise to Mosspaw, but Heatherstar's announcement shook ShadowClan entirely. Not only is she expecting kits, but she's expecting the kits of a kittypet she was secretly meeting with since the beginning of the new sun rotation (new year).

Everyone was happy to have more ShadowClan cats, but they didn't like the kittypet part, and were conflicted about it because their leader broke the code.

I feel sorry for Heatherstar. Mosspaw thought. She saw Heatherstar inside the nursery before she left for patrol yesterday evening. The light brown tabby looked out of place and embarrassed, but she clearly had love for her unborn kits.

Besides the gossip, she and Swiftpaw enjoy poking fun at Patchflower - or Patchpaw as Swiftpaw put it - doing apprentice chores and cleaning out the elder's nests under Frostpool's watch, and Harewhisker was getting a kick out of tormenting Patchflower under the sly.

The only problem is sharing a den with her. Patchflower started complaining that "Heatherstar is too unfair" and "I can't believe I'm stuck with these kits."

(Swiftpaw noted that they should put fire ants in her nest in the future.)

The next morning, Mosspaw feels fur brush on her pelt. She opens her eyes and sees Dewpaw sitting way too close to her nest.

"Get off." She growls, pushing him away. Dewpaw sat back next to her like a stubborn burr.

"That's not very nice to speak to me."

Mosspaw looks around the apprentices den.

"Don't bother. Swiftpaw is on dawn patrol." Dewpaw sits in front of her with a pleased look. "We have much to discuss anyway."

"No, we don't."

"Yes we do." Dewpaw insist, a little coldly. "It's about our pairing. If you want to please Splashpelt you-."

"Excuse me?" Mosspaw demands. "Pairing? What pairing?"

Dewpaw looks even more pleased with Mosspaw's confusion.

"Splashpelt told me that she wants me to be your mate when we become warriors. She gave me full permission to try and get your attention."

Mosspaw's heart sank. Pairings weren't used commonly since the days of the ancient Clans, where parents agree to give their kits to the other parents kits as future mates.

"No way. I thought Marshfoot didn't agree with that sort of thing!"

"He doesn't know, neither does Frostpool. What's the problem?" Dewpaw scoots closer, Mosspaw feels herself hyperventilating and seething anger toward her mother.

A yowl suddenly rips through the camp. Dewpaw became distracted and Mosspaw quickly pushes past him to get out. Kestrelwing races out of his den and goes inside the nursery, Splashpelt moves out to give him some room.

Every cat looks at the nursery in anticipation for their leader's kits. Mosspaw finds safety with Ploverfoot and leans on her shoulder to calm herself down.

"Hey! You can't go in there - come back here!"

Mosspaw looks at the entrance and sees Longfoot chasing two cats in. One is a black, thick furred tom who's amber eyes searched through the camp and the other is a brown tabby she-cat with a white spot on her chest, a white back right paw, tail tip and pale green eyes.

"Where is she?" The tom asks, padding toward the crowd despite the glares of hostility. "Where is she?"

Mosspaw sees something wrapped around the tom's neck. A red tendril and a shiny, yellow stone dangling it, making a ringing sound.

He's a kittypet! She realized. Her Clanmates caught on, too, and hiss at the newcomers. The brown tabby hides behind the black tom, who is unfazed by the aggression as his eyes were elsewhere.

"You're doing great, Heatherstar, just keep pushing!"

The black tom looks at the nursery as his whiskers quivered. "Heatherstar? Heatherstar, I'm here!"

The ShadowClan cats immediately block the black tom from getting close to the nursery.

"Stay back, kittypet!"

"How dare you barge into our camp?!"

Patchflower even steps in. "Why don't you go back to your stinking Twolegs?"

Unfortunately for her, Frostpool hissed at her to stay out of warrior business, and

Patchflower winces and pushes back into the crowd out of shame.

Kestrelwing pokes his head out. "Excuse me." He said to the black tom. "Are you Coal?"

"Yes. And this is my friend, Gracie." He said, nodding to the scared brown tabby.

"Heatherstar is asking for you. The kits are coming."

Coal nods and pushes through the crowd and into the nursery, leaving poor Gracie to stand near the nursery as the crowd turns to her.

"What's the matter, kittypet, scared?" Dewpaw mocks.

Gracie tries to ignore the stares as she tries to listen in on Coal's voice inside.

She's so out of place.

Mosspaw stands up and pads to Gracie and sits next to her. The tabby kittypet glances at her and is relieved to see a friendly face. Heatherstar's cries made Mosspaw become uncomfortable.

I never want to have kits. Mosspaw sees Dewpaw staring directly at her, she glares at him. Feeling like the kitting lasted forever, Kestrelwing finally comes out with a simile on his face.

"We have two she cats and one tom."

The cats were murmuring and purring at the news of their newest ShadowClan members.

Heatherstar looks at her three kits with Coal gazing at them proudly. Two tan she-cats and one dark, red brown tom.

"They're perfect." Coal told her.

Heatherstar sighs. "You didn't have to come…"

"You should have thought about that before you told me." Coal teased her. The ShadowClan leader rolls her light blue eyes and looks down on the kits.

"I think the she-cats should be named Mallowkit and Juniperkit."

"Their both tan, though." Coal points out. Heatherstar shakes her head.

"No. Juniperkit has a white chest and paws, Kestrelwing said so."

Coal nods. He looks at his only son. "His fur looks like the chestnut tree in my garden."

Heatherstar smiles. "Then his name will be Chestnutkit."

Ten minutes later, Coal lets himself out of the nursery where everyone turned their attention to him.

Gracie said, "The next time you decide to have more kits with Heatherstar, leave me out of it! I'm happy for you and all, but I prefer not to be the center of negativity."

"We'd prefer it if you never came back at all." Marshfoot growls.

Coal glares at him before looking at Gracie. Coal and Gracie pad out of the camp without any acknowledgement to the ShadowClan cats' hostility.

Mosspaw frowns at the lingering uncertainty.

Those kits are gonna have a hard time growing up. I can tell.

"Cheetahpaw. From this day forward,you shall be known as Cheetahspots. May StarClan honor your bravery and skill, and we welcome you as a full member of WindClan."

Softpaw scrounges her face as everyone cheered Cheetahspots' name. The light brown, splotched she-cat puffs her chest, basking in all the praise.

Hollyclaw should have stuck to her promise. She thought.

Hazelheart pokes her paw on Softpaw's back. "You're scowling again." She reminds her apprentice. The fluffy pale grey and white she-cat lashes her tail.

"How can I not? Look at her."

Even now Cheetahspots is holding her head high as her parents, Falconwing and Sleetfrost, congratulate her, behaving like she was WindClan's leader!

Hazelheart frowns. "There's nothing we can do about that one except to pray."

I'll pray alright. I'll pray for her to get fleas.

Cheetahspots is nothing but arrogant and cruel, especially to Softpaw. Now that she's a warrior she will be twice as intolerable. What's worse is that Echokit and Brightkit are trying to imitate her, and as far as Softpaw is concerned WindClan doesn't need three Cheetahspots running around.

"Softpaw." Hazelheart said. "Why don't you visit Goldentail and her kits, take your mind off of things?"

By things her mentor means Cheetahspots. Softpaw pads into the nursery and sees Goldentail resting with her three, week old toms, Mintkit, Nutkit and Cricketkit.

"Hey, half-Clan!"

Softpaw looks in the corner and sees Violetbloom's two daughters.

"Yeah, you!" Echokit said.

"Why are you still in WindClan? Cheetahspots said you would kill us in our sleep!"

She said what?! Softpaw tries not to hold anything against the kits. They were just repeating what that stupid she-cat is saying to them. But Brightkit charges and scratches Softpaw's nose, a tiny prick that made her recoil.

"Take that!" Brightkit squeaks triumphantly. Echokit and Brightkit try to jump her again when a yowl stops them dead in their tracks.

"What are you two doing? How dare you attack a medicine cat?"

Hawkflight stalks toward the two with anger. Softpaw backs away from the kits and bumps into the smug Cheetahspots.

"Nice to know some cats know who not to trust." Cheetahspots flicks her tail and prances away from her.

"But Cheetahspots said-!"

"Cheetahspots is a mouse brained fool." Hawkflight hissed, cutting them off. "I don't know what made you think you could hurt a medicine cat, but I'm not tolerating any foolishness from either of you. And where is your mother?!"

From the corner of her eye, Softpaw sees Violetbloom leaving with a light blue tom who made her heart jump.

Sleetfrost?! Isn't he Falconwing's mate?!

Softpaw growls in disgust as she turns and to go back into the den when everyone gasps in horror. A large shadow looms toward Softpaw as a hawk sinks its talons into her back.

"Softpaw!" The medicine cat apprentice couldn't tell if it was Duskcloud or Hazelheart who screamed her name. Softpaw thrashes wildly to escape the hawk's grip when she feels the talons slip from her skin and hits the ground.

Duskcloud fastens her claws on the hawk's wings as it scores its talons into her face and chest. The hawk lifts Duskcloud into the air and shakes viciously with all its might, and Duskcloud loses her grip and falls down into the camp, hitting the ground with a sickening crack. The hawk shrieks and flies away in the distance.

Softpaw pads to her mother and sees blooding trickling down her mouth, and her green eyes glazed over.

"M-Mom?"

Softpaw prods Duskcloud's shoulder with her paw, but the black she-cat remains motionless.

Wake up, please! Spiderpaw needs to see you again! You can't leave without saying goodbye!

Hazelheart gently pushes Softpaw aside as she checks on Duskcloud, Creekstar and Brackenfall pad to her as the dark yellow she-cat looks at them.

"She's gone."

Softpaw bites back a wail of despair. She hears a quiet snicker and glares at Cheetahspots. She quickly hides the smirk that Softpaw sees.

"What?!" She snarls. Cheetahspots stares at her as she tries to look innocent. Softpaw bristles her fur. "You find this funny?! Oh, I get it! Duskcloud was a traitor, so it's fine for her to die without any sense of respect!"

Cheetahspots turns away, smirking from her reaction. Softpaw almost lunged at her when Hazelheart grabs her scruff.

"She's not worth it." She told her apprentice. Nobody says a word in Softpaw's defense, they just stare at her with sharp suspicion and she knew why.

Like I would kill Cheetahspots. How can they think that?!

Hazelheart makes Softpaw go inside the medicine cat den and glares at Cheetahspots, but Creekstar beats her to it.

"Cheetahspots, come here."

The splotched she-cat looks back and pads toward her leader.

"Yes?"

"You are stripped of your name. You are Cheetahpaw again and you are Hollyclaw's apprentice again."

Cheetahspots bristles her fur with fury. "What?! All because that half-Clan medicine cat can't take a joke?!"

"You call a death in the family a joke?" Hazelheart growls.

Creekstar narrows his eyes. "I guess you weren't ready to become a warrior, Cheetahpaw. Consider yourself the first warrior in WindClan to be demoted to an apprentice."

Cheetahspots - Cheetahpaw, growls as she tries to hide her shame under the snickering stares of her Clanmates. Softpaw grins to herself, but the grief for Duskcloud is still raw.

Looks like everyone in their Clan is having setbacks. Some bigger than the other.

Petalpaw is purposely screwing up her final assessments so Snowpaw wouldn't be left behind by her littermates. Bearpaw is feeling annoyed with his brother's accomplishments being compared with his smaller accomplishments.

Mosspaw is looking at a bad future with Dewpaw as a mate - thanks to Splashpelt's meddling - and Duskcloud dies, leaving Softpaw with no other kin except for Pricklefrost, her ThunderClan father, and her brother Spiderpaw, who is still in the mountains far away from her.

(Just for the record, I was planning on killing off Duskcloud after Spiderpaw left to begin with)

Cheetahpaw became a warrior - then was stripped of her name because she proved she learned nothing about her foul behavior. At least Patchflower still kept her warrior name, Cheetahpaw was just made from warrior to 'paw in what felt like six or five minutes!

And Violetbloom is up to her usual antics that put her in the nursery in the first place, with a tom who already has a mate and kit! That she-cat just looks for trouble, doesn't she?

Question!

How do you think the Prophesied Five will cope with the many changes to their Clans when they return to the lake? ~ Kyubi