Omen of Echoes

"The following story is NON-CANON, an AU, and is rated MODERATE AND/OR WORSE.""theres also probably a couple of typos here and there sorry in advance""also these are my ocs! yeehaw" "This story was once meant to be written in the style of a Warriors book, but is now a series of oneshots in chronological order (will be updated as written.) "

Characters
"See Here"

Just to Feel the Heat
Lightning cracked across the sky. It struck right in front of Dustfeather, on a tall length of grass in front of the fresh-kill pile. She stepped back as fire overtook the blade, too large for her to stomp out. She yowled and rushed around, tucking her tail under herself and running to the base of the Lakerock. It was spreading fast, already burning the little prey inside the hole.

"Fire!" she screamed, "Fire!"

The cats looked around lazily, though quickly woke and started to get out. Mistblaze, Acornstripe and Featherpaw were helping the elders up and out. Smokewing was helping his very pregnant sister.

The flame nipped at Driftskip's white tail and Dustfeather rushed over to her father, cuddling into his downy chest fur just as she had as a kit.

"Where's your mother?" he mewed, a note of worry in his voice. "And Newtspots? And Redstrike, and Hawktail and Rosewind?"

Dustfeather shook her head as the fire spilled out onto more grass.

"Come on, let's go check the dens."

Newtspots popped out of the medicine den, dazed Larkpaw in his jaws. Lionstripe rushed forward and grabbed his son, rushing out.

Cats were pouring out of the clearing, some even using the apprentice log to get out. Dustfeather didn't catch Spidersting. After the three finished their rounds, half the camp was engulfed in flames and it was spreading fast. The thistles of the camp entrance were caught, and for a second, the log was the safest thing. Flames quickly climbed up the walls and caught the above bushes alight too.

Driftskip swallowed hard and, legs shaking, started to climb up the log. Newtspots and Dustfeather close behind. Newtspots' expression was unreadable, but Dustfeather was hoping no cat was left behind. Before they could escape, a cat jumped in front of them, a few tail lengths away. The log cracked and threatened to fall. Dustfeather locked in her claws and fell onto her elbows in terror. She looked through Driftskip's fuzzy legs and could barely make out a short, fluffy yellow spotted tabby.

"Thistlespot!" Newtspots mewed, voice loud over the crackling flames.

"Thistlespot," Driftskip breathed, a growl rising in his throat.

Thistlespot flattened her ears to her head and bared her teeth. "That's how you greet me after all these moons, Driftskip?" he hissed, not acknowledging Dustfeather or Newtspots.

"You expected anything else?" he spat back. Dustfeather had never heard him so angry.

Thistlespot didn't answer. "I believe we have some unfinished business, Driftskip!"

Driftskip pressed his ears to his head. "Thistlespot, please! Let my kits go, we can talk when their lives aren't-"

"No," she snarled. Dustfeather felt her heart leap at her aunt's sudden hostility. "You say that like you care for them."

"More than you do, clearly."

Thistlespot looked like she wanted to rip his throat out at that very moment, but she restrained.

"You aren't leaving here until you tell your kits what you've done."

Dustfeather felt her heart catch in her throat. Driftskip was the sweetest cat she knew, he could never do anything bad. Driftskip bristled. Newtspots already looked ready to kill, right beside his mentor.

"Kids," he mewed, "Before… you both were born, Spidersting asked me to be your father. You don't… share my blood. And I understand if you never see me as a father again, but you'll always be my kits."

"No!" yowled Thistlespot, "You  hurt  her!"

"I did  not!" Driftskip yowled back.

"You did!" Thistlespot was seething in rage, "You  forced  her to have your kits! How else is Dustfeather the same color as you! She's my sister, she'd never lie to me!"

"You'd be surprised!"

Suddenly, behind her, Dustfeather heard the faint sound of stone against stone. She wobbily stood back up and strained to look over Driftskip. Spidersting! She was knocking down a thistle bush with a rock, flames slowly coming to the edge of the bushes on either side. Thistlespot looked behind her.

"Spidersting!" she cried, but before she could continue, Spidersting stood, half on the log and half on the bush.

"Let. My kits. Go," he snarled.

"But-!" mewed Thistlespot, shocked, " He  harmed you!"

"He did not," Spidersting retorted.

"... what?"

"He isn't their father," she confirmed, "Not through blood. They're a loners. She's long gone from the territory."

"She?  Loner?" Thistlespot spluttered, uncertain which she was more upset about. "You… you've betrayed our blood!" she screeched, gaining her barings.

"You mated with a kittypet," Spidersting mewed, "At least loners aren't pampered pets!"

That was the final straw. She turned around fully and stalked toward Spidersting. She looked calm as ever, and looked quietly up at Driftskip.

"Run," she mouthed, "I love you."

Thistlespot pounced on Spidersting, and Spidersting easily rolled her over and off the log. Thistlespot screeched as the two mollies fell. Dustfeather felt her mouth dry up as the two were lost in the flames. She didn't have time to grieve yet, as Driftskip yowled.

" Run!"

The bush Spidersting had stomped down was gathering flames close to either edge. Dustfeather didn't need to be told twice to bolt through it after Driftskip. She felt Newtspots' angry breath on her tailtip. She heard Driftskip mumbling to himself as thunder rolled and rain fell down too late.

"Oh, Starclan, oh Starclan….  Ohhh,  would they go to Flameclan? Or the clearing? Or the island?" he hissed to himself and turned, Dustfeather and Newtspots in tow. He stopped at a holly bush tunnel and panted for a moment before letting out a loud yowl and heading down it.

Dustfeather followed, uncomfortable and anxious and praying Spidersting and Thistlespot be alright. She didn't expect either turn, but eventually made it out and into Flameclan's camp.

Flowerpool, looking more old and tired than Dustfeather had ever seen, came close and started to run her paws and muzzle over each of their pelts in turn. Dustfeather was too shocked to explain. As Dustfeather concentrated on the crowd, she caught Redstrike and Hawktail, being groomed by Rosewind. Willowstar, Dapplefoot, Chivefoot and Cypress-star emerged from the Highledge and jumped down in turn. As they all reached the ground, the rain let up.

"Are any of you hurt?" called Willowstar. Driftskip shook his head, his eyes still wide. "Oh, Starclan, I'm sorry. It was such a rush I'd though you were in the crowd- we've never- the camp…" he sputtered. Frogflash sat up from in front of the elder's den.

"Where are Thistlespot and Spidersting….." Frogflash asked softly, as if he already knew the answer but couldn't bare to hear it. Driftskip shook his head. Frogflash let out a high-pitched wail, trying to streak past Driftskip to find the two golden she-cats alive and well, but Driftskip caught him before he could.

"Th…" he gulped, "They're gone, Frogflash."

For a moment Frogflash was frozen, staring at the gazes of Spidersting's kits. Dustfeather looked just as distraught as her father, but Newtspots looked like his mind was already on the warpath. Shaking and sobbing, Frogflash fell onto the tom's shoulder.

"They're dead…." Frogflash sobbed into his shoulder, his muffled cries the only sound in the clearing, " She's  dead…."

Driftskip looked at his kits sympathetically. "I'll explain to you in the morning," he mewed, "Get settled in."

Cypress-star, not paying attention to their drama, stepped closer and led Dustfeather and Newtspots with a flick of his tail next to Redstrike.

"We weren't expecting guests," he mewed, "We don't have the room to keep you in all the dens. I know you like Redstrike's company, Dustfeather," he headed off with a nod and Dustfeather settled down while Newtspots stormed off past Driftskip.

Redstrike didn't say anything, just laid down and opened her paws for her to muzzle into her chest and neck. Dustfeather not-so-happily obliged.

Honeycomb
Frogflash sat in the middle of the training hollow. Featherpaw was stuck in camp all day after they'd gotten in a skirmish with Flameclan over a sparrow. And Blizzardwing's kits weren't old enough to be out, still. The leaves from the two tall trees dappled sunlight across his pelt, and yes he was warm but he couldn't be more unhappy.

Two moons ago his mate Thistlespots died. Two moons ago his  former  mate died, they'd split long before her death. He sighed to himself, closing his eyes and remembering every cruel moment.

It started half-way into their apprenticeship. Thistlepaw told Frogpaw that she was so deeply in love, she wanted to be together and have a family as soon as possible. And Frogpaw agreed, and as soon as he got his warrior name, five moons after Thistlespots, they were mates. And what a wonderful mate Thistlespots was.

It all came crashing down when they and some friends were talking about their ancestry. Swallowwhisker elbowed him and told him he was the one who held his scruff and carried him home from the starving kittypet.

Thistlespots got an evil glint in her eyes, and that same night, yelled at him about lying to her, despite him not remembering himself.

A few moons later Thistlespots and he made up, and they were back to being mates. But Thistlespots used his blood against him every chance he got, and it stung terribly, but he let it happen because he loved her so blindly.

Then Thistlespots got pregnant. Frogflash was ecstatic, and deflated the moment Thistlespots announced it wasn't his and she'd be raising it alone. No, not his, another kittypet's- another kittypet's while they were still mates. Frogflash still couldn't guarantee he was over that one. As soon as she gave birth, she banned Frogflash from seeing the kit. As karma would have it the clan forced her to suckle Swallowwhisker's kits after his mate had died.

Dawnstar, out of sympathy, made Lionkit Frogflash's first apprentice. He loved Lionpaw just like the son he should have been. Thistlespots was out of all of the kits lives the second they could eat fresh-kill, but that didn't stop her from shooting foxtrap teeth at he, Lionpaw and Dawnstar every chance she got, and Frogflash wondered why he still loved her.

Then Spidersting, Thistlespots' sister had kits. Kits purely of Ivyclan. That was, up until recently. Thistlespots had always seen the mate Spidersting claimed, Driftskip, as an evil tom. She believed he'd forced Spidersting to have kits with him.

The night she died, the camp caught on fire. She blocked the way for Driftskip and his kits and Redstrike, his daughters mate, to escape, questioning why he would do such a thing. Driftskip and his kits were speechless. Spidersting confronted Thistlespots, and after Thistlespots said she'd never let such a terrible cat go, Spidersting revealed they weren't his kits. They were a kittypet's.

That drove Thistlespots mad. She leaped at Spidersting, knocking her off the log and into the flames, never to come back up. As soon as Frogflash heard the news, he almost ran into the camp, desperate to find them chatting happily over a mouse like they used to, but Driftskip stopped him before he could, and he spent the night sobbing into his chest in Flameclan's camp.

Frogflash sighed and shook, sobs threatening to take hold of his body again. He'd sworn to himself so many times that he no longer loved Thistlespots but there was always a voice in the back of his head that cried  never!

Almost as if the thought of a plumey, white, soft-as-down chest summoned him, Driftskip slowly padded into the clearing.

He smelled of rosemary and lavender, a few springs sticking out of his pelt. In his jaws he held a neatly-wrapped lead package, being suspended by a few willow leaves.

Driftskip placed it at Frogflash's paws and laid down across from him, purring. As Driftskip unwrapped the gift, Frogflash felt an all-too-familiar strain in his chest. He felt as if his ears caught alight, so red-hot he could've sworn Driftskip could see them. Time seemed to slow as the thought back.

His chest ached everytime Driftskip held him close, soothing his nerves, and assuring him he'd be alright. Every night he woke up in a panic, cuddling up next to him unknowingly because he made him felt safe. He recognized it. And he hated that fact.

He was just an apprentice again. Curled up next to a cat confessing their love to him, asking to start a family, and Frogpaw waiting with baited breath to agree.

Love.

He'd fallen in love with Driftskip.

He was brought back to the present by a light cuff on the ear. In front of them sat a honeycomb, dripping and the same gold as Thistlespots' pelt.

"Featherspots and Silverflash took out a bees nest," Driftskip informed, "Squirrelbreeze said honey goes bad quickly and gave a bit to Blazekit. Now he's let us all have our share. I didn't want you to miss out."

Frogflash felt his stomach fill at the sentiment. "Thanks," he said simply, softly.

"Are you alright? You love honey."

Frogflash didn't know how to tell him. It was such a rush. One thought of his former mate being terrible, crash into another crush.

He nodded, licking at the liquid-filled holes. Driftskip followed, their noses touching for the entirety. Frogflash almost had to force himself to eat the honey, Driftskip's presence was sweet enough as is.

Driftskip sat up licking his lips, followed by a light burp, then a chuckle, then an apology. Frogflash paid it no mind.

"Hey, so, I've been meaning to ask you something."

Frogflash felt his heart shoot up to his chin. It… it couldn't be, could it?

"Shoot."

"Well, um, I know you're probably still upset over Thistlespots, but um. The nights after she died, when we were in Flameclan's camp, and you couldn't stop crying against me. I-I felt something. I figure," he chuckled lightly, "You know just what that feeling was."

Frogflash blinked slowly. He tried to think back of Thistlespots, yelling at himself that he didn't love her anymore. The fighting voice wasn't there. Could it be? The fighting voice was not speaking about falling out of love with Thistlespots, but, falling out of love forever.

He sighed and smiled, his eyes watery. "Oh, Driftskip," he said airily, "I think I'm falling in love all over again."

"...with me?" He asked, hope edging his voice.

Frogflash nodded shakily, plunging his head back against his shoulder, purring. Sobs tugged at him, not not of sadness, of… happiness.

Driftskip laid his head atop his back in a hug like they'd done so many times before.

"So…" he asked, not moving, "mates?"

Frogflash whimpered hopefully, to which Driftskip chuckled.

"Mates… I'm mates with Frogflash," he muttered, almost cheekily, "I like the sound of that." He leaned back and met Frogflash's eyes, he'd quickly followed after feeling Driftskip stir.

"And I like the sound of  you,"  Driftskip purred, lowering his voice and pressing their noses together.

"I love you, Driftskip…" Frogflash murmured before Driftskip could. His voice was still shaking and full of emotion and he got the twisted feeling it wouldn't be going for a long time.

"I love you too, my honeycomb."