|
| Firefly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Starts With Goodbye |
Bring Me to Life | Succeded by: Gives You Hell |
- How can you see into my eyes like open doors?
- Leading you into my core where I've become so numb.
- Without a soul, my spirit's sleeping somewhere cold.
- Until you find it there and lead it back home.
- Wake me up inside, wake me up inside
- Call my name and save me from the dark!
- Bid my blood to run, before I come undone,
- Save me from the nothing I've become!
Chapter 1 - The Dark[]
Would you believe me if I told you I was afraid of the dark?
I mean, my name is Firefly. I should be some metaphorical light, leading those I love out of the dark and into the light of my own personal awesome.
Unfortunately, fireflies happen to be usually small and weak. And that's how the dark makes me feel- a dark, pressing thing that only stops when it squashes you flat like a bug. When it has swallowed everything that you love and left you alone, trying to find your way back to what you once were.
I learned to adapt. Coming from a world of dark alleys and shadowed corners and the deepest of black nights, I had to.
But there is something harrowing about standing in front of your best friend and realizing through the darkness in his eyes, once a shade of blue that sang in my head for days and now a shade of orange that makes me want to run, that he wants nothing more then to kill me.
I'm not alone though. Thorn has tumbled to the ground next to me, his ginger coat filthy, but his eyes sharp as he glares at Cobweb with a special hatred.
I can remember a time when they were both Drakon's lackeys- Thorn had been Drakon's best Hunter, Cobweb his only son. They both dreamed of escape- Thorn to the mythical Clans and Cobweb simply searching for a way to escape the destiny he had always had laid before him.
I had been forced to run away with Thorn, deserting my best friend and letting him become this.
But that's not him, I remind myself, Cobweb is dead. And this is Drakon, Emberstar, a ghost.
"Get out of the way," I growl, unsheathing my claws.
Cobweb tips his head. If I can pretend his eyes are blue he would look normal, handsome even.
Thorn crouches beside me, "She said move."
Cobweb flicks his orange gaze to Thorn dismissively, "Oh hush, you'll be back in your dumpster before you know it."
Thorn's tail lashes and I stalk closer to Cobweb until we're practically nose to nose. He smells different. Like blood. The thought chills my own blood and I struggle to keep calm- a difficult feat when you're trying to escape from enemy territory with one of their prisoners when their leader is standing in front of you.
"I would rather not hurt you," I meow, "But I will. So move."
Cobweb is considering. I can practically see the wheels turning. But he never looked this...calculating. Cobweb was smart, sure. But he wasn't cold like he is now.
I suddenly wish Drakon was alive again so I could kill him. Cobweb beat me though.
Thorn is tensed and I wonder how long I should wait before I'm forced to attack Cobweb. He's not going to make the first move. And he's obviously not going to just let us-
Cobweb stands aside.
Thorn's jaw practically hits the ground and, not wanting to miss this lovely opportunity to get the heck out of there, I pad past Cobweb, watching him carefully. Once Thorn has padded past as well, we both race for the border.
I risk a glance back. Cobweb is sitting by the dumpster, his tail curled neatly around his paws. His orange eyes burn into me and he gives me a cool nod.
I shiver and turn, running back to RiverClan.
Chapter 2 - Note to Self: Avoid Sparking Wars[]
"Well," Jinx drawls, "What did you expect to happen when Emberstar had an army of rogues marched into the forest? That we would all be friends and barf rainbows?"
Someone snorts quietly but Silverstar's eyes are livid. "What I'm saying," she growls softly, "Is that we could have had a chance to work out peace. But now we get to fight. They'll come tomorrow, if we're lucky. Maybe tonight."
Thorn looks at his paws uncomfortably. I don't blame him- Silverstar is talking as if we should have left Thorn to ShadowClan and Cobweb.
"Now, we have to fight." Silverstar continues. "We have to fight against cats who we've never fought against before and who outnumber us." she looks each of us in the eye, "Cats are going to die. Lots of them."
"What about ThunderClan and WindClan?" someone calls out.
"ShadowClan will attack any messengers," Silverstar meows. "But if anyone volunteers..." In twoleg-place no one would have, but a few tails shoot up and Silverstar nods and they pelt out of her den.
"Now," Silverstar turns back to the rest of us, "Thorn, you know these rogues. We need to discuss battle tactics."
Thorn looks at Jinx, his lieutenant, "With all due respect Silverstar, Firefly knows Cobweb better. She would be more help. I'll be glad to do whatever needs to be done, but you really need to talk to her," he nods to me and I blink in surprise.
Silverstar grits her teeth, obviously still upset with me for the umber of occasions I have screwed up in my very short time here, "Alright. Firefly, what should we do?"
I close my eyes, "Cobweb has the ShadowClan cats who know the forest well...they'll try to get ThunderClan and WindClan to join them before completely annihilating them. Like they will us, unless we think of a plan."
Jinx looks at me with something like...non hate. Which is a change. "What do you suggest?"
"Cobweb is cocky," the words burn in my mouth, but I keep going, "He'll expect us to be hiding out, waiting for him to come to us. We need to take the fight to him. Right now. Besides, there's a chance he has scouts looking out at the territory now. And hi full force might not be all the way here yet, some might still be in Twoleg-place. It's out best shot.
Silverstar nods and there's a general murmur of consent. "Alright Firefly," she meows tiredly, "Lead on."
We stand on the edge of the Thunderpath. Almost all the warriors in RiverClan- including all of Thorn's cats.
He stands next to me, green eyes narrowed, ginger fur blowing in the slight wind. I told him to stay behind and rest, he laughed at me.
Oh well.
"I could get them all killed," I murmur, so only he can hear. "For a supposed princess, I'm not really much of a leader."
He shakes his head, "You are smart, tough, the bravest she-cat I know, and amazing. Even if you killed everyone today, I wouldn't care," he tips his head, "Well...actually I might care a little."
I'm touched. To be honest, though Thorn is probably the cat I'm closest to now, I've never really considered us good friends. We've saved each other's lives before, but-
He's still looking at me.
Why...?
Oh no. Oh no...I'm just-
He looks away and I heave a small sigh of relief. But somewhere in me a small flower of curiosity blooms.
"Firefly?" I look over to see Silverstar. "Shall we move this along?"
"Yes," I nod, "Let's go."
We pour into the marsh and my heart hammers. For more then one reason.
Chapter 3 - Blood, Blood, Everywhere[]
The first guards we come across are barely inside the ShadowClan border. Jinx and Thorn take them down without so much as a second glance before they keep padding on. I notice a few of the Clan cats staring in slight horror and almost feel a stab of pity. But this is a different kind of war then they've ever faced- they'll have to toughen up at some point.
There are some more guards, but I can tell what I said about Cobweb was right. He was arrogant enough to assume we wouldn't come for them. Or smart enough to know we would be stupid to.
We reach the camp and I take a deep breath.
"Charge," I whisper.
All hell breaks loose as the cats coast down the small ravine. ShadowClan cats are in their camp- which will only need one or two cats to bottleneck it- and the rogues are camped out nearby. Thorn sends Jinx and a tom over and I turn away, ignoring the shrieks. Kits' shrieks.
When you were a kit you saw much worse then a few scary RiverClan cats, I tell myself, hurrying along. The shrieks continue to pierce my ears.
We wash over the rogues, a few prepared by the ShadowClan's yowls, but most still scrambling out of their dens.
I fall on a dappled brown she-cat. She howls in pain as my claws draw blood and for a moment, I hesitate. I have never hurt a cat before. For all my tough talk, I am about as prepared to fight as an apprentice in their first battle.
Blood washes over the clearing, splashing from throats, dripping from wounds, falling from claws and teeth. It's horrific. I stop still for a moment, the battle raging all around me but letting me contemplate it's terrible casualties.
Thorn appears back next to me, his fur speckled with blood, "Emberstar and Cobweb are here. We need to take the fight to them."
I nod, my mouth try. A burly tom barrels towards us and Thorn shoves him away, where he crashes into Silverstar and gets pummeled. I watch, entranced.
"Come on!" Thorn calls, weaving through the warring cats. Taking a deep breath, I follow him.
Chapter 4 - Embers[]
Thorn and I weave through the fray until we get to where Emberstar and Cobweb stand back to back. Emberstar slashes at RiverClan cats and Cobweb is lazily slicing into an unmoving pile of brown fur.
Thorn lunges for the rogues' leader and I head for Emberstar. She doesn't expect me, which works out well since I'm pretty sure she's a better fighter. We tumble into the dirt and she claws at my fur. Her blood makes my claws sticky and I fight the urge to vomit. That would be a winning battle move- vomit all over your enemy.
Great ancestors I'm morbid.
Emberstar throws me off and I land on the ground, my back aching with the impact. All the air in my lungs rushes out of me and I let out a small gasp.
Emberstar stands over me, claws sparkling in the sunlight. She sneers and I close my eyes, wondering how long it will take, if it'll hurt. I hope Thorn makes it out okay. I hope that Silverstar and, ancestors help me, Jinx do too. They deserve to. Maybe I deserve this, for not being able to save Cobweb.
Emberstar let's out a shriek and I open my eyes. Thorn has tackled her off of me. He stands above her, growling.
Where is...
Cobweb re-enters the picture, bleeding slightly. Thorn is too focused on Emberstar and by the time I cry out a warning, Cobweb has come up behind him. He shoves Thorn off of Emberstar, a wide gash of red opening up on Thorn's side. The ginger tom doesn't get up, but neither does Emberstar.
I am alone, facing Cobweb.
"Come on, Firefly." Cobweb grins, "You can fight me, like you said at Carrion Place, right? Here, I'll give you first shot."
He stands, claws sheathed, purring. I want to hit him, I do. But it's not like when he was lunging for me when the rogues entered the forest. I know he's just toying with me.
So why can't I hurt him? He hurt Thorn. He hurt my parents, he hurt me. And me more then anyone.
Cobweb's whiskers twitch, "Thought so," he pads closer and I flinch instinctively. "You may pretend to be all tough and fiery, but you're still a scared little she-cat, a bug trapped under my claw. And you're just waiting for me to squish you."
He pads over to where Emberstar lays sprawled, breathing heavily. Casually, as if he's reaching for a mouse, he covers her mouth and nose with his paw. She starts to twitch, fighting for breath. I watch in horror as the spasms slow, then stop altogether.
"You-you-"
Cobweb's new orange eyes are infuriatingly amused. "Now," he smirks, "You have to fight me."
He brushes past me, arrogant and proud, and I stand, shaking for a moment.
Emberstar is beyond saving. But Thorn still struggles for breath and I race over to him.
"It'll be okay," I mutter, "We'll get him."
I pick him up by the scruff and drag him, as gently as I can, back towards where Silverstar is yowling for us to retreat.
Chapter 5 - Light[]
"Firefly,"
Thorn's voice calls me back from my daydreams. Or daynightmares. Whatever you want to call them.
Silverstar blinks at me, "Did you hear the question?"
The amount of warriors in our little meeting has shrunk considerably since the battle. Thorn is breathing a little quicker then everyone else, a long swath of cobweb down his side. Jinx is absent- her eye was taken out by a rogue. I've been avoided the medicine den for that reason- according to Silverstar Jinx has been swinging between inconsolably sad and utterly furious. She hates me enough already, I really don't want to walk in on that.
I shake my head. "N-no..."
Silverstar sighs, "Everyone clear out and get some sleep." the RiverClan warriors stand, grimacing. "Except for you Thorn."
He sits back down, puzzled green eyes on mine. My ears feel hot and I turn away again.
Silverstar waits until everyone leaves before she sighs again. "Firefly, I said are you ready to lead us?"
"Isn't that your job?" I meow absently, not ready to admit that I haven't paid any attention.
Silverstar rolled her eyes. "We need you though. The Clans see you as... the anti-Cobweb, the exotic she-cat who will light our way to driving out the rogues."
"But I'm not-" I stammer.
"Obviously I know that." Silverstar snorts, "I've watched you wake up the camp before dawn enough times because of your nightmares to know that. But the Clans need a strong figurehead. Rest assured, all the rational and able bodied cats will be behind you to do the real work."
I look at Thorn, then back to her, "What do I...do?"
"You just be yourself and let your natural charm inspire everyone." I can't tell if that's sarcasm or not...hrm. Not a good sign. "Just lead the charges, help us out with whatever rogue opportunities you can, and..." she trails off.
"Silverstar?" Thorn prompts.
"It would probably be for...the best, if Firefly were the one to apprehend or kill Cobweb." the RiverClan leader meows, looking at me shrewdly.
I feel cold, but I look at Thorn. "And what do you think?"
Thorn shrugs, "I hate Cobweb as much as the next cat. But I know this will hurt you..." his green eyes are worried. "But you also need to have something important in your life again. So maybe...we can see where this goes?"
I close my eyes and think for a moment, then open them again.
"Alright, I'll do it."