Okay, so here's chapter 3. I hope everyone likes it. This is, obviously, back in Dappleleaf's perspective. I planned a pretty stable alternating pattern between the sisters, aside from the added in other perspectives. (Sigh)...it kind of makes me very sad that I don't get to write Creamstep anymore! I already miss her...WHY DID I KILL HER OFF?
Fact: Every character created by YOU all will be used in this story, don't worry. They won't all appear at the same time, obviously.
"Oh, I'm sorry, did you plan to catch that?" Rosethorn asked, a satisfied look coming over her face.
Dappleleaf flattened her ears and got to her paws, staring at the place where a mouse had been sitting before Rosethorn had scared it off. She turned and walked back to her patrol, trying to act as though the wind was the cause of the mouse suddenly getting skittish. It wasn't as though she could say that her former enemy, who happened to be Rosethorn, was haunting her.
"You haven't spoken a word to me all day," Rosethorn whined. "I get the feeling that you're giving me the silent treatment. How rude of you." She gave her white fur a couple of licks.
Dappleleaf tried to block out the constant chattering by focusing on her clanmates conversation.
"I heard a cat is accused of murder in LeafClan," Rustclaw meowed, shrugging. "I think the rumors are true. They say that new cat, the loner, killed the cat. Loners, you just cannot trust them."
Dappleleaf froze. What? A cat's dead and Sparrow is taking the fall for it? She glanced at the other cats, engrossed in Rustclaw's words. Seizing her moment, Dappleleaf slid away from the parol, hiding herself behind some nearby bushes, praying to StarClan that her escape had been subtle.
"Sneaking away?" Rosethorn asked, curious herself. She paced around Dappleleaf, kicking rocks around. "I'm amazed how stupid everyone. They never think about anything that I move myself. They assume it's the wind."
"Won't you ever be quiet?" Dappleleaf hissed, giving up and speaking to her deceased enemy. She lashed her tail and started walking, hoping to clear her mind, if that was still possible.
Rosethorn kept it pace with her, but surprisingly didn't answer. Dappleleaf wanted to ask her why the sudden silence, but decided she had better just be grateful for the little time she had without Rosethorn highly irritating voice.
Dappleleaf crossed the border on to uncharted territory without even thinking about her actions. She had just become so used to leaving the territories, it was almost habitb. She kept walking, however, not caring how far away from SunClan she was. Just being alone might help her clear her head.
The bush beside her rustled.
Dappleleaf tensed, noting that Rosethorn was beside her in the open. She stiffened, tasting the air and freezing. "A rogue," she whispered to herself. She hadn't even considered running into another cat. Loners had almost completely disappeared from the clan scene for a long time.
"Who's there?" Dappleleaf called out, her voice trembling. She took a wary step forward, preparing herself for an attack. "Come out slowly," she warned, unsheathing her claws.
A ginger cat slowly slunk out of the bush. He, too, was alert and ready to attack or defend himself if necessary. "Who are you?" he asked, glancing her up and down. "A clan cat, I presume?"
"Yes. And you are a loner, no doubt." Dappleleaf paused, relaxing slightly. This cat seemed okay and didn't have a threatening sense to him, but the again, neither did Rosethorn when Dappleleaf first met her. "What are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here?" The red cat asked in disbelief. "I think the more important question is what are you doing here!" He sat down, also relaxing. "I live here. As you said, I am a loner."
"Oh, right," Dappleleaf meowed, embarrassed.
"Not so smart now, are you?" Rosethorn taunted, giving Dappleleaf a light shove.
"Shut up!" Dappleleaf snapped at Rosethorn, who now sat beside her fiddling with a branch. Dappleleaf paused, realizing she spoke to Rosethorn in front of the loner. "I didn't mean that. I'm sorry, I haven't got enough sleep lately." She looked down, shuffling her paws with embarrassment. "It's nothing, really."
The ginger cat's eyes narrowed. "Nothing? Answer me honestly. Who's there?"
Dappleleaf's eyes widened. Wait, what? He knows...that's impossible. Unless...has it happened before? No, don't be silly. He clearly means something else. Despite her suspicions, Dappleleaf confessed the truth anyway. "Rosethorn...she's dead, though. I'm not crazy, I promise. I just see her...all the time. I sound insane, don't I?"
"Believe it or not, no. Actually, you may think this Rosethorn is one clever cat, but she's not. She didn't invent this trick. Cats from the past have done this as well. Is she your sister? You must have a strong connection, first of all."
"No way!" Dappleleaf spat, turning to face Rosethorn. "She is the most vile and disgusting cat I have ever known. She tried to take my life multiple times, and my sister killed her. I have never disliked anything as much as her."
The ginger cat nodded slowly. "So hate would be the connecting bond here. You must really hate her, though, and she must hate you as well. It takes a lot to do what she is doing."
"Which is what, exactly?" Dappleleaf asked, stepping forward. "I call it haunting, personally. She won't leave me alone, ever! She scares off my prey and torments me in my sleep!"
The loner paused. "Well, yes, that's basically it." He fell silent. "I had this happen before as well, you know. It was my mate. She died, but she found a way to appear to me. I loved her so much, and I welcomed her. However, her presence made me absent to the real world, the one I was supposed to be living in."
Dappleleaf leaned forward. "Did you make it stop? How? I can't live like this! I am trying, I really am! But it's so much...it's hopeless." She let out a sigh, shutting her eyes. Don't think like that. It is not hopeless. Hope is what keeps you strong. Be strong for yourself, and Ashfall.
"It's all in your head."
That phrase made Dappleleaf go rigid. "What? What do you mean? Of course it's all in my head, technically, but I can't make it go away!" She felt a hint of panic run through her. These symptoms...they aren't the same! What if he cannot help?
The rogue shook his head. "It is. She has gotten inside of your head, tricking you. It's okay, honestly, I suffered for a while too. Your mind is vulnerable, and that's why she can take advantage of it. You just need to work on your mental skills and learn how to block her out."
Dappleleaf snorted, turning away. "Believe me, strange and foreign cat, I have tried. I have focused to the limit, begging for her to leave. She won't...she can't. I'm stuck with her."
"You don't know what to focus on. If you're thinking about her, it empowers her. Think about something else you love. A cat, maybe? A memory, at least?"
Dappleleaf sighed. She was doubtful that this cat could help, but was willing to try anything. "Okay. Fine." She immediately thought of Ashfall, more specifically the time they had as apprentices after they first confessed their love for each other.
"It's so weird...saying that I care about you openly. I've been hiding it for some time now. It's like a weight has been lifted." Dapplepaw meowed, sliding of her branch and landing on the one below it smoothly.
"I know what you mean," Ashpaw said, copying her and dropping to a branch far below him. "See? I am so amazing at this game. You might want to forfeit now while you can still leave with your pride."
"Oh yeah?" Dapplepaw asked, rolling her eyes. "Watch and learn, amateur." She hopped up a few branches, careful of where she put her paws. The memories of her falling as Sweetpaw before she died were still vivid in her mind. She shook the thought away as she got high enough on the tree. Dapplepaw looked down at Ashpaw, who looked back up at her with a smirk in his eyes.
"Um...can you explain to me exactly what you're doing here?" he teased, shrugging. "Like I said, if you quit now then you can still have your pride. Sort of. But let's face it, no cat is better than I am."
Dapplepaw let out a small laugh. "Are you sure about that? Watch and be ready to be impressed." She crouched down, aiming for a branch below the one Ashpaw was sitting on. She slowly slid off the stick she was currently perched on.
As Dapplepaw fell, she felt herself gaining speed. A surge of fear ran through her, enough to make her heart pound in her ears. She immediately latched on to the branch, yet her claws still slipped and she barely clung on.
"Impressive. Your landing was a little shaky though," Ashpaw commented, jumping down. Dapplepaw nodded, climbing on the branch and positioning herself so she could see him. "What even was the point of this game again?"
"Oh, I see. You're pretending like you forgot because you cannot admit that you lost. Typical." Dapplepaw brightened, laughing. "It was a game to see who could fall the furthest. And I won."
"Sure you did," Ashpaw replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Dapplepaw gave him a serious stare, making him break down. "Okay, fine. You won. Don't forget that I let you win, though."
"Mmm-hmm. Sure you did."
Ashpaw batted at her with his paw, shaking his head. "Oh, whatever. This is like the first time that you have won. Remember the leaping contest."
"I won that too, remember?" Dapplepaw meowed, amused. "Oh, but you did win the trunk climbing one. I leap up, which is obviously why I won the leaping competition."
"Okay, there aren't really winners and losers here," Ashpaw started, ducking his head. "I think we all played fairly and we don't deserve to be labeled with those names. It's ruthless."
Dapplepaw rolled her eyes. "You were certainly willing to brand us with those names when you thought you were a winner. Sorry, but I like the sound of 'Dapplepaw the Winner'. It has a nice ring to it."
"It doesn't rhyme."
"Does it need to?"
"Obviously."
"Oh shut up! Neither does 'Ashpaw the Winner'!" Dapplepaw giggled, picking at the branch she was on. "Oh, I wanted to tell you something tonight. I...I love you."
Dappleleaf opened her eyes. She was happy, just for moment, in that memory. She could visualize how easy her life was back then. "I went to a happy memory...but I don't think it worked."
"Do you see her?" the loner asked, a proud expression on his face. "I don't think you will."
Dappleleaf glanced around, expecting Rosethorn to taunt her for even trying. However, there wasn't a white pelt in sight. "N-No...She's gone..." Dappleleaf felt a wave of glee hit her. "She's gone! She's really gone away! Thank you!"
The loner nodded, looking at his paws. "My name is Ginger, in case you were wondering. And I'm happy to help. I know what's it's like...sort of. My situation wasn't as bad, of course, but-"
"No! I am so grateful!" Dappleleaf couldn't contain how pleased she felt. Rosethorn was gone, she was actually gone! I don't have to deal with her anymore...my life is back together! I am free!
Well? I'm aiming for...45 reviews for the new chapter. Speaking of...here's the summary.
Next chapter: Rosethorn learns about the cat that is helping Dappleleaf to block her out as well as expose her plans. Desperate to be seen by another cat, she tries to enable her power on Ashfall so he can see her. However, she fails with consequences.
Also...Question: Are you happy that Dappleleaf FINALLY got rid of Rosethorn?