This is a collaborated work between Kode and Snowy!
Prologue - Kode[]
Thistlefur curved his claws with impatience, shaking out his pelt. What was taking them so long to assign patrols today? Should he just take a few warriors and be done with it?
"Thistlefur! Please take Orangepelt and Quietwish and go patrol the border. We've been getting reports of ShadowClan scents on our territory, make sure they're where they belong." Tigerwatcher finally yowled from the fresh-kill pile. With a small huff, he beckoned for the two warriors to join him.
"Shall we hunt while we're at it?" Quietwish asked politely. "It's new-leaf, after all; we might as well take advantage of all the prey coming out again." Thistlefur widened his eyes in surprise. Why was Quietwish asking his opinion? Quietwish was the senior warrior in the patrol. "Er, it's up to you, Quietwish." He meowed, slightly put off.
He nodded. "Alright, I'll scent around while you two scent the border markings. Orangepelt?" He asked, tipping his head at the orange tabby, who twitched his whiskers.
"I'll set the markings, thank you." Orangepelt meowed with a nod. "I want to make sure ShadowClan knows that's our territory," He added with a growl, his claws sliding out.
"Alright," Thistlefur meowed, twitching his whiskers a bit impatiently. "Let's get on with it, then." The three toms padded forth in silence, Thistlefur wondering why Tigerwatcher had put him in charge of the patrol. He had become a warrior less than three moons ago, for StarClan's sake!
The border scents were as strong as ever, though Orangepelt let out a low growl when the stench of ShadowClan reached his nose. "Three moons!" He growled, flattening his ears. "How can they live in their own stink?"
Though Thistlefur agreed with him, he wasn't going to show it. Keeping his face expressionless, he renewed the scent markings.
As he finished, Quietwish disappeared, three sparrows in his jaws. "Wow," Thistlefur purred. "Good haul! The clan will be grateful." He felt a small twinge of jealousy at the sight of the plump avians; queens and elders had to be fed first, no matter how hungry the warriors were.
"Thanks!" Quietwish meowed around the birds in his jaws. His voice sounded morphed, deeper, and he seemed to realize this, flattening his ears in embarassment. "Let's head back. Tigerwatcher will expect us to be back soon."
"Yes, alright." Orangepelt meowed, twitching his ears in agreement. Thistlefur licked his chest fur quickly, rising to his paws. The sun warming their pelts, they turned and trotted back, running over the moors. Their muscles rippled over their frames, highlighting the speed of the three WindClan toms.
The WindClan camp was barely more than a circle of unkempt, wind-swept bushes. Located in a divot below the ground, the bushes protected them from weather, and it was barely noticeable.
Thistlefur pushed through the prickly fronds of bush that served as the main entrance for the camp, wincing as a thorn raked itself down his side. He sighed; he'd have to have Hollypaw take a look at that.
"Did you smell any ShadowClan on our territory?" It was Tansypaw, one of the clan's newest apprentices. She weaved around Thistlefur, her eyes bright and her ears pricked.
"No, Tansypaw, ShadowClan was exactly where they belonged. Excuse me," Thistlefur meowed, twitching his whiskers in amusement. Tansypaw scooted aside, and the warriors scooted back into the camp. Quietwish set his birds down on the fresh-kill pile; and they went their seperate ways.
"A bush of crimson berries will form a fire that will dispel the darkness and bring forth the light," A voice echoed inside the slumber of an apprentice not three fox-lengths away. Her eyes shot open, and she jumped to her paws. "Owlear!"
Chapter 1 - Snowy[]
Hollypaw sorted out the smelly moonberries that the RiverClan medicine cat, Gorserun gave them with the sticky cobwebs.
Suddenly, Thistlefur, burst into the den. "I got some scratches from thorns," He meowed, pointing to some shallow scratches.
She sighed. She grabbed some of the cobwebs she was sorting and some marigold. "There," She meowed, patting on it.
"Thanks," He nodded in gratitude, shouldering his way out. She glanced at her mentor, Owlear, who was eating a sparrow.
What does the prophecy mean? She wondered to herself, picking up the herbs and placing them in the correct holes.
"What are you waiting for?" Owlear asked. "You're going to get your full name tonight." Her voice snapped Hollypaw out of her thoughs.
"Uh...excuse me, but what did you say?" She meowed.
Owlear rolled her eyes. "You're going to get your full name tonight." She repeated.
Hollypaw was lost for words. "Thank....Thank you." She stammered.
"Go and get some food. You'll need to have energy, in order to get to the Moonpool." She gestured to the fresh-kill pile, which was awfully full, even though it was newleaf.
Hollypaw choked down a small rabbit. She wasn't hungry, but she knew she needed the energy. "Not feeling hungry, eh?" Asked Thistlefur, padding towards her.
She glanced down at her paws. "Yeah," She mumbled.
"It's alright," Thistlefur laughed. "Did you know that when I was going to become a warrior, I wasn't hungry at all! My mentor told me to eat up, so I hid the prey my mentor gave me under the fresh-kill pile , and told him that I ate it."
She glanced wide-eyed at the newish warrior. He was an honorable warrior, but she couldn't imagine him lying to his mentor! "Though I still miss my old mentor, Flutterwing," He sighed solemnly.
"Time to go!" Owlear called, pacing at the camp entrance. She hurried to her mentor.
"Welcome," Gorserun dipped his head while she and her mentor clustered around the pool.
“I, Owlear, medicine cat of WindClanClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help she will serve her Clan for many moons. Hollypaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between Clan and Clan and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?” Owlear meowed.
“I do,” She stammered, looking nervously at the other medicine cats.
“Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your true name as a medicine cat. Hollypaw, from this moment you will be known as Hollyflame. StarClan honors your healing and calmness, and we welcome you as a full medicine cat of WindClan!” Owlear declared, the other medicine cats chiming in.
"Now let's share with StarClan," The ShadowClan medicine cat, Vinestream touched his nose to the Moonpool.
Hollypaw, now Hollyflame, did the exact same. "Four cats from each Clan must come together to star anew," A voice whispered, slowly echoing the sentence.
"Wait!" She gasped, trying to catch up with the fading spirit. "I don't understand!" "Do not worry, Hollyflame. Hope will always light your path." The cat meowed, the fog swallowing the spirit.
She woke up panting, sweat on her fur. "You okay?" Owlear asked, standing up.
"I'm fine," She lied, the prophecy still ringing in her ears. Four from each Clan must come together to start anew...
Chapter 2 - Kode[]
"Hollyflame! We're leaving for the Gathering, come on!" Owlear meowed from outside the medicine den, located under a cluster of bracken.
"Coming, Owlear!" Hollyflame meowed, nosing the herbs she was collecting onto a large heart-shaped leaf. She rolled it into a tight bundle and picked it up in her jaws.
She squeezed out from under the bracken and shook out her pelt. The cluster of felines headed to the Gathering were gathered by the entrance to the camp, Owlear among them.
She padded forward, the herbs in her jaws. Thistlefur, who had also been chosen to go to the Gathering, slowed to walk side-by-side with her. His fur brushed with hers.
"Are you excited? Your first gathering as a medicine cat!" He meowed warmly, his eyes glowing slightly in the dusky glow of the sun. "I remember my first Gathering as a warrior. I was so excited!"
"Yeah!" Hollyflame chirped around the bundle in her jaws. "I'm so excited! My ceremony was terrifying; I'm glad that's over." She confessed, her pawsteps faltering.
Thistlefur nudged her warmly. "I'm sure it'll be fine. Besides, you're a full medicine cat now. You share paths with StarClan now. That must be exciting!" Thistlefur meowed eagerly.
"It is, but I'm afraid I'm not cut out to be a medicine cat! StarClan didn't exactly greet me at the Moonpool..." She meowed uncertainly, her eyes stinging.
Thistlefur twitched his whiskers into a frown. "Really? I can't imagine why not. What did they say?"
She made a face unhappily, shuffling her paws. "I don't think I'm supposed to say," She meowed nervously, pawing at the ground. "But I don't think it was good. I'm not sure."
"Oh." Thistlefur meowed apologetically. "You don't have to tell me anything, but it'd be nice if you trusted me. StarClan's secrets, I suppose," He meowed teasingly, his eyes glimmering brightly.
She batted him across the muzzle playfully. "Don't be silly," She purred. "It's... nothing, really, but okay - they said to me... 'A bush of crimson berries will form a fire that will dispel the darkness and bring forth the light'," She quoted. "I don't know what it means."
Thistlefur staggered on his paws. "Are you serious?" He asked her, his eyes wide as moons. "For real? It obviously means you! 'A bush of crimson berries'? Hollyflame! Holly!"
She stared at him. "Are you sure? I'm - I'm sure that it means something else!" She meowed around the herbs. She shook out her fur self-conciously, pawing at the ground.
"No, it's definitely you. Have you told anyone else?" Thistlefur inquired, tipping his head to the side. He would have said more, but the two were interrupted by Poppymoon.
"Get out of the way!" The irritable tom growled, squeezing between them. He flicked them across the nose with his tail. "You're holding up the whole clan behind you!" He gestured behind him, to the whole of the clan who were standing unhappily behind them.
"Sorry, Poppymoon, I didn't realize." Hollyflame meowed earnestly. He softened, but didn't speak anything. Hollyflame realized that they were at the tree bridge, and dug her claws into the bark.
"The Gathering is beginning!" Wavestar of ThunderClan yowled, just as RiverClan took their place in the hollow, settling into the shadows, their eyes on the majestic leader. "ThunderClan will go first."
"One of our warriors has news, if I may, Wavestar." Ivystar of RiverClan meowed in his deep voice. Hollyflame dug her claws into the dirt below her, surrounded by the medicine cats of the other three clans.
Wavestar scoffed but sat back, and Ivystar stepped forward. When he spoke, his voice was even, calm. "One of our newest warriors, Watercloud, has recieved a prophecy from StarClan. Watercloud, would you care to speak?"
"Yes, Ivystar." She meowed. She was a pretty feline, with a lithe frame and long forepaws. She had that odd RiverClan accent that Hollyflame sometimes heard in Gorserun's speech. "They said, 'A spray of droplets will form a cloud that will dispel the darkness and bring back the light'."
Ice rushed through Hollyflame, turning her blood to ice, and she rose like lightning had struck her. "I had a prophecy like that too!" She blurted out without thinking, her fur bristling like quicksand. "Except it was slightly different. Mine said, 'A bush of crimson berries' instead of 'a spray of droplets'."
Watercloud looked troubled. "I can understand why this message would come to a medicine cat, but why me? I'm not even originally from RiverClan!" She meowed.
"I had a similar dream." An unfamiliar golden tom from RiverClan spoke up. "M- Mine said, 'A tree of gold will quietly stalk and will dispel the darkness to bring back the light'."
Watercloud froze. "You, too, Aspencloud?" She asked, and her voice was barbed. "That's one of us from each clan, if you consider our birth clans. I'm from ThunderClan, you're from RiverClan, and Hollyflame is from WindClan, right?" She asked, looking to Hollyflame for confirmation.
"Yes, that's right." Hollyflame answered. "Then someone from ShadowClan and SkyClan should have gotten the message as well. Has anyone here recieved a similar rhyme in their dreams?" She asked, thrusting her head towards the ShadowClan and SkyClan cats.
"It was me." A gray-and-black patched tom stepped forward, his ice-blue eyes bright with fear and nervousness. "A splash of fur will form a stripe that will dispel the darkness and bring back the light." He meowed. "I'm the ShadowClan cat."
"Yes, and I'm the SkyClan cat, I think." Another cat meowed, stepping forward from the shadows. She was an attractive russet tabby with jagged streaks on her pelt. "A russet flame will form a streak that will dispel the darkness and bring back the light."
"This is one cat for every clan." Watercloud raised her head, her face illuminated by the light of the crescent moon and the stars. "But what does this mean? What is StarClan trying to show us?"
Chapter 3 - Snowy[]
Hollyflame trudged on with the rest of the patrol. "Uhggg....Why did Sootstar insist that we go away from the Clans to find our answers?" She grumbled quietly to herself. "Did he want us gone?" That thought struck her. Did he actually?
"What's wrong?" Splashfur asked, glancing at her.
"Nothing," She muttered, stopping to groom her wet fur.
At the head of the patrol, Watercloud slowly padded forwards, looking around for shelter; not knowing where to go. "Um....Why don't we stop there a bit?" Aspenstalk asked gently, pointing to a sheltered copse right beyond the fields.
She nodded, though stiffly. "You're right." She meowed, getting to her paws. "Come on!" She bounded away into the distance.
"I guess we should follow her," Flamestream from SkyClan shrugged, looking nervous, and followed the RiverClan questers over to the copse.
She looked at Splashfur. "Us too, I guess," Splashfur meowed, running off, Hollyflame at the tom's heels. Her pawsteps were heavy, and her bones already ached from exhaustion. They had been travelling the whole night and most of the day.
"Come on, you lazy frog!" Splashfur teased, looking back at her. She flattened her ears playfully. "Bet you can't catch me!" He sang, putting on a burst of speed with a laugh.
Her vision blurred, and she found herself in StarClan. A stoic gray tabby tom appeared to her. "You and the other cats must stop the battle, for as the stars will die," He meowed, mist weaving around his paws like strips. In an instant, he was obscured by the fog.
She jumped back from the encroaching mist. "What battle? Who are you?" She asked, panicked. The mist curled around her, and she let out a yowl of fear, only to be awoken by a meow from Splashfur.
"Are you alright?" He asked, putting a paw on her shoulder. "You collapsed during our race."
"Let's go hunting," She obfuscated, getting to her paws. "I was just tired, sorry."
Splashfur looked concerned, but he didn't get the chance to put in a meow in otherwise. A loud yell rang out from across the copse. "Help!" Aspenstalk screeched. "Flamestream's hurt!" The thought of battle flying out of her mind, she rushed over to where Watercloud was crouching over Flamestream. She was wincing in pain, cradling her left forepaw. Hollyflame checked all over her, then finally relaxed. "She's just got a sprained paw, that's all." She grabbed some comfrey, bindweed, and dock. "That's better. She'll just need to rest for a few days."
Watercloud and Splashfur helped Flamestream get to her paws, the she-cat leaning heavily on both of them. "We won't get far like this," Aspenstalk meowed grimly. "We'll have to stop and rest."
"Here." Watercloud meowed, thrusting her muzzle towards a large dip. It was between two large trees, surrounded by roots. It would be easy to stumble in and out of the hole, even for Flamestream.
"Good idea!" Hollyflame meowed, bounding over to the hole. It was much larger than she'd originally thought, though just as shallow and sheltered - perfect for Flamestream and her paw.
They filed in, each claiming a spot as their own unconditionally. "Nests." Aspenstalk proclaimed, scraping his claws on the side of the tree on the left of the dip. Rivulets of moss sprang down.
As they began to push the moss for their nests into place, a low drizzle began, masking any scents that they might have noticed earlier. Too preoccupied with Flamestream, Hollyflame didn't notice the blur at the edge of her vision.
Watercloud let out a low hiss as a splash of water hit her, and Aspenstalk stifted a snicker. "I may be RiverClan," She growled, "But I sure hate rain." Hollyflame nodded her agreement.
She curled up in her new nest, springy with freshness. The soothing sound of rain lulled her to sleep; but as she closed her eyes she could have sworn a rabbit or rat bolted in front of her.
She was quickly awoken by a yowl. It was still raining, except it wasn't drizzling anymore - it was pouring. "Rats!" Watercloud screeched, flinging one to one side and then clawing out its throat.
Hollyflame jumped to her paws clumsily. She wasn't a warrior, she couldn't fight or defend herself. My herbs! She thought, looking around. The bundle of herbs she had packed in preparation was lying at the paws of a rat. She flashed out a paw, hooking the bundle on her claws and drawing it back before the rat could bite her. "Run!" She yowled, leaping out of the dip.
Splashfur and Aspenstalk followed her, but Watercloud and Flamestalk couldn't. The surge of rodents only seemed to increase; the two she-cats were surrounded.
"Watercloud!" Aspenstalk yowled, leaping back down. He landed squarely under a rat, and it sunk below with a squeal. The flashes of battle raged before Hollyflame's eyes, but her brain was numb.
"Is this what you meant? Is this the battle?" She asked the sky with a sob. "It's my fault, it's all my fault!" She screamed. The rats froze at her voice, and she pulled up short.
A large rat, gray-furred, turned to face her, his beady eyes narrowed with fear. He opened his jaws and spoke raspily, as if he hadn't spoken cat for long. "You... crimson berries..." He rasped. He barked something, and the rats retreated.
Hollyflame froze, staring at the dip where the rats had been three seconds before. "What- What just happened?" She asked, her paws going cold. She realized she was trembling, quivering like a leaf in the wind.
Chapter 4 - Kode[]
Hollyflame curled up tightly, shivering and soaked. Rain was pelting down on them from above, drenching the five felines. She had clawed out a hollow dip underneath a scratchy pile of bracken, huddling under the shallow covering.
"Hollyflame! Over here!" It was a familiar voice, but did not belong to one of her questing companions. Thistlefur! Shot through her mind, and she leapt to her paws, splashing herself with cold rain in the process.
"Where are you?" She meowed loudly, but barely noticeable over the din of the rain. "Thistlefur! Where are you?" She asked more frantically, her claws sinking into sticky mud.
"I'm right here, Hollyflame!" The voice purred over the rain. She looked back, her eyes resting on a large briar. Underneath was the distinct shape of a feline; one she recognized.
"Thistlefur!" She yowled with relief, diving into the comfort and lack of wet of the briar. She pressed herself to him, relishing the warmth that was soaking through her bones. She shifted herself to get a better look at him. "What are you doing here?" She asked him.
"I couldn't let you just leave; what kind of a friend would I be if I did? Besides, there have been badgers near the border lately, I was worried." He meowed, shuffling his paws. His eyes glowed with warmth, but Hollyflame found herself being angry.
Indignation sparked across her pelt like flame, and she glared at him. "I can take care of myself!" She growled, turning away from him. "I don't need you to protect me!"
"I know you can," Thistlefur meowed gently. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Don't forget you're the only medicine cat here. What happens if something happens to you? Who's going to heal their wounds then, Hollyflame?" He asked her seriously.
Despite her aggravation at being followed for protection, and the fact that she was a medicine cat who could never take a mate, a twinge of pleasure shot through her when he said her name. She swept her tail to cover her nose. "Alright," She grumbled. "You can stay."
Her fellow questmates were less than ecstatic, however. "Another mouth to feed?" Aspenstalk growled, lashing his tail. "We've barely got enough as it is!"
Watercloud stepped forward, keeping a polite distance between herself and the golden tom. "I hate to agree with Aspenstalk, but what can he bring us?" She asked, staring directly at Thistlefur as she spoke.
"Hey!" Hollyflame said hotly, loyalty replacing her irritation at Thistlefur. "He's the best hunter our clan has got, and he's the only one we have right now! Flamestream's paw is sprained, Splashfur can't hunt because of his shoulder, and you two can't catch anything but fish!" She snarled at them.
They stared at her in silence for a moment. A smile flitted over Thistlefur's muzzle, and he leaned down. "I don't think they like me," He whispered in her ear. She stifled a giggle, batting at him gently.
Watercloud and Aspenstalk exchanged amused looks, and then quickly looked away. Hollyflame wanted to scream - StarClan above, those two were so obviously meant for each other, sometimes she wanted to send them back to resolve all of their issues.
Bemused, Flamestream let out a small hum. Her ribs were poking through her russet fur, and her eyes had a slightly glazed look. "If he can bring us food, let him." She rasped, her voice scratchy. "With my paw, I won't be able to hunt for days; we'll certainly starve by then."
"Then it's settled!" Hollyflame meowed confidently. "He'll stay with us. He'll bring us plenty of prey, you'll see." She meowed, licking a paw and dragging it over her ear.
"Alright, fine." Aspenstalk growled, turning away, clearly unhappy with the group's decision. To Hollyflame's surprise, Watercloud rested her tail-tip on his shoulder for just a moment, long enough to be comforting. Then she padded back under a wide-leafed bush, scraping the mud off her pawfur.
Splashfur nodded at Thistlefur before limping under Watercloud's bush, the rat wound on his shoulder looking smaller but still bad. "Here, let me help." Hollyflame heard from Aspenstalk, who pressed some chervil onto Splashfur's wound.
"Thanks." He meowed. "How did you know this would help? What is it?" He asked, sniffing the purple-ish burgundy root. "Smells tangy."
"Oh, this is chervil. Back when we were apprentices, Waterpaw spent a lot of time in the medicine den. The clan used to gossip that Gorsefur wanted her as an apprentice, but she had her heart set on being a warrior." Hollyflame pricked her ears, she hadn't known this!
"Best hunter in the clan, really?" Thistlefur teased, interrupting her eavesdropping. "I'm really flattered, really." He meowed in amusement. "You're really too kind, really."
She batted him across the muzzle playfully. "Oh, you know I had to exaggerate. Be glad that I didn't say biggest furball. And stop saying 'really'." She laughed with Thistlefur. "But really." She meowed, leaning against him. "It's good to have you here. I might have gone insane if I had to listen to one more argument between Aspenstalk and Watercloud."
"What's with those two?" Thistlefur asked, peering at them. Flamestream, obviously hoping to hear some gossip and being disappointed, limped into her shelter, a dip between the roots of a large tree. "They seem like enemies, but they're from the same clan."
"I heard this from Flamestream, so I don't know if it's true. Aspenstalk and Watercloud were in love, but Aspenstalk started padding after her sister, too. Then Watercloud started seeing a ThunderClan warrior, Timberfall. They drifted apart, and I guess with the prophecy and everything, they'll never be more than friends." Saying it aloud, the sadness of their relationship hit her in full force.
"Wow." Thistlefur whispered hushedly. "That's the saddest thing I've ever heard!" He meowed in surprise, pricking his ears. Hollyflame did the same, hoping to pick up a conversation between Watercloud and Aspenstalk.
"You're all set, Splashfur, you can go back to your shelter now." Watercloud meowed. Hollyflame's eyes widened in surprise, and she and Thistlefur exchanged a look. Watercloud and Aspenstalk were working together to heal Splashfur! "Thanks," The tom meowed gratefully, limping off.
"You did good," Aspenstalk muttered, barely loud enough for Hollyflame to hear. Watercloud hesitated, then meowed something. Hollyflame had to piece together what she said. "Did you ever regret it? That day by the lake; hunting with me?" She asked.
Aspenstalk didn't answer, looking away. "I don't know," He admitted. "I did, for a while. Back- Back when you were seeing Timberfall every night. But..." He shuffled his paws. "Now, I guess that I'm happy that I did, because I won't have to say it in the future."
Watercloud let out a small meow of surprise. "Aspenstalk, I-" She sighed. "I always regretted saying maybe. I didn't want to be friends; I'm sorry I hurt you. I loved you, Aspenstalk, but now I don't know how I feel."
Hollyflame flattened her ears. Overhearing this just felt wrong, it wasn't a conversation meant for her ears. It was intimate and private. "Hey, c'mon." She meowed, nudging Thistlefur. "Let's get some rest, we move on in the morning."
Chapter 5 - Snowy[]
Hollyflame dreamed. It was the same vision she received the night before, with the battling cats. She peered closely. It was cats fighting cats, not rats. "So this vision is different from the battle with the rats..." She murmured to herself, slowly waking up.
Hollyflame dreamed. It was the same vision she received the night before, with the battling cats. She peered closely. It was cats fighting cats, not rats. "So this vision is different from the battle with the rats..." She murmured to herself, slowly waking up.
Splashfur jumped to his paws, and she saw him wince in pain, but the determination in his eyes were stronger. "Really?"
"Really," She meowed confidently, seeing the shocked faces of Flamestream and Watercloud.
"So remember the time when Sootstar sent us on this journey," She began, Aspenstalk nodding his head. "He never told us where to go. He was trying to get rid of us, so then there would be less cats from the Clans, and Sootstar could easily win."
When she finished speaking, Splashfur growled, "Why would he want me gone? I'm his Clanmate!" Then his gaze hardened. He paced around the den, his fur bristling. "He wanted to get rid of me because there were two cats from RiverClan and he knew that-" Splashfur jerked his muzzle to Thistlefur. "-he would come. So then ShadowClan will have an advantage."
"But-" Thistlefur was cut off by Aspenstalk.
"You!" Aspenstalk growled accusingly. "Why did you come! If you didn't, then you wouldn't have caused this mess."
She was about to stand up for the kind WindClan tom before she realized that he had disappeared. She followed his scent trail until she saw Thistlefur sulking under a holly bush. When she was about to put a paw to comfort him, he mewed solemnly, "Nobody wants me here. They think I'm a pile of fox dung!"
"I guess you should g-" Before Hollyflame could finish her sentence, Thistlefur rounded up on her. He pinned her to the ground.
"You don't even want me here," He growled, sliding out his claws. "I came here to protect you, and you reject me. You're not the cat I once knew."
Suddenly, Hollyflame heard some paw steps, and she closed her eyes, ready for the cat she once liked take away her life. But before Thistlefur could do that, his weight suddenly vanished, with Splashfur above her, panting hard. Thistlefur was on the ground, glowering.
"Get out," Aspenstalk snarled. "I knew you were a fox-heart."
"I'll be back," Thistlefur growled, turning his head to stare at them. Then, he turned and fled.
Hollyflame trudged on with the patrol, recalling the same trees, plants, and flowers. Now, she regretted saying that Thistlefur should go, because now, they would have to find prey in this stormy day with one less warrior to help.
They trudged onwards, until they finally got the glimpse of a landmark Splashfur knew well. "Splashfur!" Sootstar exclaimed, bounding over to welcome them. He narrowed his eyes as she and the rest of the patrol came. "What are they doing here." He growled.
Splashfur began telling Sootstar about how he had sent them to a quest but no place.
Sootstar smirked. "Yes, yes I did," Then, Sootstar slashed his claws onto Splashfur's neck. The brown and cream tom crumpled to the ground, his blood still stained on Sootstar's claws.
"Come out here, you mouse-hearts!" Sootstar called, dropping into an attack crouch. Hollyflame nervously slid out of the bush, and then Sootstar launched himself on her.
"Get off of her!" A cat screeched, a piece brown fur flashed above her eyes as she fell into unconsciousness.
Chapter 6 - Kode[]
Thistlefur slammed into Sootstar and pinned him down., tearing at his black fur with viciously-aimed swipes, clawing at his muzzle and eyes. Hollyflame let out a moan, her eyes blurring with dizziness.
"Thistlefur?" She craoked, staggering to her paws. "StarClan were fools to make you leader!" Thistlefur yowled, swiping at Sootstar. He raked his claws down Sootstar's jaw and Sootstar jerked, wriggling out from under Thistleclaw.
"Psst! This way!" Flamestream murmured in Hollyflame's ears. She gestured to a large tree with extending roots. Flamestream and Hollyflame squeezed under a large root, huddling together.
"What's going on?" Hollyflame demanded. "Why aren't you fighting?" "The whole of ThunderClan is going against us." Flamestream explained. More and more cats seemed to pour into the clearing, claws unsheathed and ready to fight. "There's only four of us; five if you count Thistlefur. We don't stand a chance and we need to get back to our clans safely."
"Okay," Hollyflame nodded weakly. "Where's Aspenstalk? And Watercloud?" She slurred, her eyes shifting out of focus. "They're fighting." Flamestream gestured to the fray. "They're buying us time. Can you walk? How's your head?"
"I'm fine," Hollyflame nodded dizzily. "We need to go. RiverClan is closest, right?" She asked. Flamestream nodded. "Yeah. If we tell them about Sootstar, hopefully they'll heal us and send backup to help Watercloud and Aspenstalk."
"And Thistlefur," Hollyflame added. "Yes, and Thistlefur. Now c'mon," Flamestream meowed. Heavily leaning on Flamestream, the two she-cats limped away from the battle unseen. They arrived at the border shortly. "You'll have to swim," Flamestream yowled over the pounding of the river that served as a border.
Right!" Hollyflame meowed, determinedly plunging in. Her head throbbed, but she made it across quickly after Flamestream, her paws churning in the water as she scrambled to stay afloat.
"Hey! You're tresspassing!" Someone growled. Hollyflame whipped her head back. "Thank StarClan! A patrol! We're the ones that were sent because of the prophecy." She meowed quickly. "Sootstar attacked us and Splashfur's dead! Watercloud and Aspenstalk are holding the warriors off but there's too many of them!"
The speaker, a large gray tom, looked back at the warriors of his patrol. "Get Ivystar and as many warriors as you can. You two are coming with me back to camp. We'll get your wounds treated." He meowed gruffly.
Flamestreak nodded. "Thank you." Hollyflame stumbled after Flamestream and the tom, her breathing ragged. Every time she wanted to stop, she forced herself to think about Thistlefur's throat getting ripped out by Sootstar until adrenaline and fear fueled her pawsteps.
The RiverClan camp was large, and Hollyflame stumbled to a hault in front of the medicine den. Gorserun turned to stare at her, ushered her in, and forced her onto the floor. "Here. Eat these." He pushed three poppy seeds towards her, and she lapped them up without protest. She sank softly into sleep.
"Hello, Hollyflame." A pretty silver tabby meowed. She sat by a river, her position indicating that she was fishing.
"Who are you?" Hollyflame asked, getting to her paws. Her aching head pain was gone, replaced by a cool sense of security. She sniffed the air. "You're RiverClan, aren't you?"
The she-cat studied the water. "Yes, I was, a long time ago. Now I'm StarClan. Who you are doesn't matter here, nor what you are. Medicine cats can take mates, ThunderClan can be with RiverClan, there are endless possibilities here." She meowed.
Hollyflame took a seat next to her, staring at the water. Instead of peacefully babbling water, though, the rapids were churning fiercely. "Look." Hollyflame and the she-cat's eyes followed as flotsam floated down the river.
First a leaf. As they watched, it caught fire, though it was soon extinguished by the river, the ashes dispersed in less than a second. Then a clump of black fur. A sharp black claw hit it, and it was submerged with a splash.
A large golden leaf floated by, a faint mist trailing behind it. The cloud obscured the leaf and then dissipated - the leaf was gone, too.
Finally, a large pink flower floated down. Inside the bud were three glistening red berries. The weight of the berries was too much for the flower, and they both sunk into the river. The river slowed, and it was peaceful, nothing more than a brook.
"Is- Is this us?" Hollyflame's voice quivered. "Is this an omen? Do we die?" The she-cat studied the water, not saying anything. "Does Thistlefur die?" She still said nothing, peering at the water intently. Impatiently, Hollyflame made to turn away, but the she-cat stopped her once again.
"Hush." She pointed at something in the water with her tail. The brook had slowed down, and the holly berries and the pink flower slowly bobbed to the top. The fur did not resurface, but the cloud did, now golden. The gold leaf was nowhere to be found, but the ashes of the one that had caught fire swirled around the odd group for a moment, before drifting away.
Hollyflame gasped. The she-cat blinked warmly. "Do you understand now?" She asked softly, extending a paw and dipping it into the brook. "Yes." Hollyflame breathed. "Thank you!" The she-cat nodded, staring sadly at the water. "Keep this in mind when you return to battle." She murmured, before vanishing into a faint mist. Slowly, her surroundings dimmed, and Hollyflame was transported back into the RiverClan medicine den.
"Are you alright? How's your head feel?" Gorserun meowed when she stirred. "It's better." "Did StarClan come to you?" Gorserun asked. Hollyflame nodded. "I know what I have to do!"
Chapter 7 - Snowy[]
Hollyflame drowsily woke up. She could still hear screeches of pain of the cats from outside, and she realized her wounds were healed. "How long have I been here?" She asked, panicking.
"Don't worry, only a few days," Gorserun reassured her, bringing her a fresh hare. "Here, eat up. One of our warriors caught this just for you." He meowed, pushing it towards her.
"A few days?!" She shrieked, scrambling to her paws. Gorserun sighed. "I guess you can be helpful here, by healing the injured cats." She grabbed some beech leaves, put all the herbs in them, and rushed into the battling cats.
She saw Thistlefur, defending two apprentices from a big, bulking tom. "Fight someone your own size!" He snarled, slashing the tom's leg.
Her eyes darted to a unmoving russet cat, blood pooled around her, a cat looming over the body, triumphance in his gaze. "Flamestream!" She cried. She knew that it was no use. She grabbed some herbs and began treating the cats around her, tears blurring her vision.
After a few painful hours of battling and healing, RiverClan and WindClan finally won, sending ThunderClan and their ShadowClan allies fleeing into their own territory. "We did it!" Ivystar called, wincing from the pain from his scratches. So much death, so much carnage...
She lay still, not knowing what to do. She remembered it clearly. Hootstone, a ShadowClan warrior, had kicked her in the belly when she was trying to heal Swallowdawn.
Her own blood covered her fur, as if she was a blood-red colored cat. She noticed Thistlefur running up to every black she-cat, checking if it was her. She was too tired to even call out to Thistlefur saying that she was Hollyflame.
Thistlefur finally checked all the black cats, but couldn't find her. He traveled over to where she lay, and he immediately recognized her. "Hollyflame!" He gasped, bounding towards her. "Are you alright?"
She groaned. She knew it was her time. Her time to join the ranks of StarClan. When she couldn't handle the pain anymore, she let herself die, felt herself float up.
She saw the same gray RiverClan cat. "Are you here to bring me to StarClan?" She asked, seeing her fur was black again.
The silver she-cat shook her head. "You're not dead yet," She meowed, staring at her.
"Then why am I here?" Hollyflame wondered, peering into the trees to see if Thistlefur was here.
"You have a choice." The gray cat mewed. "You have a choice." Other cats echoed, though Hollyflame couldn't see them.
Suddenly, light flashed before her eyes, and she was back in reality, Thistlefur crouched over her, worry in his gaze. "Are you okay?" He asked, holding out a paw. "You weren't breathing!"
"I'm fine," She meowed, staggering to her paws. "No!" Thistlefur shouted. "You're not going to get hurt ever again." She smiled weakly. She knew that Thistlefur loved her.
She looked outside to see Watercloud standing on the leader's tree. "I have an announcement to make," Watercloud mewed, clearing her voice.
"All kits born in their own Clan must live there, but when they are six moons old, they can choose which Clan they want to be in-" She jerked her muzzle to a expecting queen, hidden in the grass. "-The kits need to know which Clan they were born in, or else, they will have no bond, no family,"
All the cats cheered, and Watercloud dipped her head. She jumped off the leader's tree and went to check on Hollyflame. "Come on, let's go home." Watercloud held out a paw, and side by side, with Thistlefur and Aspenstalk, they padded to RiverClan and WindClan territory, together.
Chapter 8 - Kode[]
Hollyflame's eyes widened; she felt a small tug on her pelt. "Come with me," A voice growled, close to her ear. Hollyflame tried to screech, but something, moss or lichen, was shoved inside her mouth. She tried to look around, but everything was dark. They must've covered her eyes with some sort of herb.
"You won't get away that easily," The voice snarled. She jerked upwards, hissing. "Who are you?" she demanded, looking into the blackness. The voice let out a scratchy purr that scent prickles up her spine. He stepped away from her, but suddenly, Hollyflame couln't move. Then, out of the inky blackness, she saw the face of the cat who had taken her. He seemed to be... inside the darkness.
"I," The tom said, with another malevolent purr, "Am Thistlefur. Or rather, I will be." Hollyflame's eyes widened. "What did you do to him? Where is he? Thistlefur! Thistlefur! Where are you?" She wailed, screaming into the darkness. The lichen was gone suddenly, though he hadn't touched it.
"Relax, he's not been hurt. Yet. I'll take his place, and Sol will take yours. Sol," He called, and a few moments later a wiry, longlegged tortoiseshell she-cat stepped into Hollyflame's line of vision. "Hello, Hollyflame," Sol purred, blinking at her through heavy lids. "It's been a while."
"I don't know you!" Hollyflame protested. Sol's lip curled. "No, but I know you. I've been watching you since your birth, watching you succeed, watching you fail. Wherever you were, I was always watching." Sol snarled.
Hollyflame's eyes narrowed, then widenedas the force of the situation hit her. "You're her," She gasped, thrashing in the empty space around them. "Of course I am, now," Sol said with a purr. "But not now." She took in Hollyflame for a moment, and then her eyelids drifted shut.
Slowly, Sol's pelt began to change, the furs elongating and growing darker. Hollyflame stifled a shriek of horror as Sol opened her eyes again. Sol looked exactly like her. "Surprised?" Sol asked, flicking her tail coyly. "You shouldn't be. I'm more powerful than you could ever imagine." She rumbled, her eyes glowing, leaving a faint trail of color that quickly dissolved in the darkness.
Hollyflame flinched back from the she-cat, her mouth open. No sound came out, only a hiss of fury that concealed her fear. The tom chuckled, then turned away from the two she-cats and plunged himself into the darkness. "Where'd- Where'd he go?" Hollyflame demanded in terror.
Sol made a pitying noise in her throat, reaching her muzzle over and curling her tail around Hollyflame. "Don't be scared," She whispered, and her words filled Hollyflame with so much courage that she jerked backwards, glaring at Sol. "I'm your friend," Sol continued, locking eyes on Hollyflame. She crouched down. slowly approaching Sol once again. "I want to help you," She whispered in Hollyflame's ear.
"Really?" Hollyflame whispered back. Sol nodded, her eyes warm. "Of course." Then her lip curled back, and before Hollyflame could stop her, Sol raised a paw and slit Hollyflame's throat. The warm blood gushed out. Hollyflame didn't look out; she knew she'd just cry at the sight of her blood.
"Sorry," Sol said without a scrap of apology in her voice. "But I can't have you ruining my plans, now, can I?" She threw back her head and laughed, before slowly, measuring each step, padding out of Hollyflame's line of vision
Chapter 9 - Snowy[]
(Sorry for such a short shapter D: )
Hollyflame woke up dizzily, not recognizing where she was. "Where am I?" She called, seeing the dead trees and bushes. There was a lot of fog, and darkness was everywhere.
"You are in StarClan," boomed a voice. She looked around frantically, not knowing who was speaking.
Finally, she gave up, and yelled, "Who are you? This can't be StarClan!" Sweating, she couldn't bear to live without Thistlefur.
Hollyflame trudged through the thick mud on the ground, pushing the vines away. StarClan isn't this cruel.
Hollyflame traveled until she met a gray she-cat. "Who-"
The gray she-cat cut her off. "I am Stormfeather, Watercloud's mom,"
Watercloud! She thought excitedly. "But, is this actually StarClan? Why is there darkness everywhere!?"
Stormfeather sighed, but Hollyflame could hint a snarl in it. "Two evil cats destroyed StarClan, and now we have to live in the Dark Forest, conquered by them."
Hollyflame noticed that Stormfeather said 'Two evil cats', and she wondered if they were Sol and the tom. Now she felt confident. She knew that Sol and the tom were the evil cats.
Sol!" She called. Suddenly, a clone of her stood right in front of her.
"What do you need," Sol snarled. Hollyflame noticed that her claws were always unsheathed.
Hollyflame smirked. With one swipe of her paw, Sol was choking on the ground, blood pooling everywhere.
Then, she glanced around, and saw the brown color of the tom's fur. "Caught you!" She meowed, slicing her claws across his throat. Same as last time, she saw a white thing float out of his body.
But when she saw Stormfeather's shocked face, she turned to her and meowed, "What?"
Stormfeather slowly gasped. "They weren't the impostors,"
"WHAT?!" Hollyflame was half-shocked half-regretting what she just did. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
Stormfeather curled her lip, and just how Hollyflame did to Sol and The tom, Stormfeather killed her. Hollyflame was swept into darkness, but this time, she never woke up......
The End! Sequel here: Away from Home