Remorse and Rebirth

Remorse And Rebirth- Story By Cat
Listen to this at paragraph eight for feels: Link

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been countless moons since his death. The tom stretched his legs as he awoke, dim, green eyes opening fast. He groaned in pain as his back paw knocked into a sharp stick. "Curses!" He hissed, anger brimming. The tom, who appeared to be quite young, around the age of a new, youthful warrior, was brimming with anger this morning. The ground around him was dark, muddy and disgusting- the sky above was the same.

Soot growled as his paw bled from the stick, and padded slowly through the brambles and tendrils, grumbling about. He muttered angry words under his breath, and hissed at the sound of dead leaves, twigs and other things slapping the ground and cluttering. Let me out of this prison already. I hate it here, so, so much.

He sighed as he approached the mist, his dark mind flickering with thoughts of what would have been. He turned his thoughts into a bloody picture of Streamheart, and this satisfied him. The cat who he loved. The cat who betrayed him. The cat who killed him. He would never forgive her stupidity, anger... How could he forgive her, anyway? He padded a bit away from the barrier, and approached a patch of dead grass. He growled as he smacked his claws against the hard ground, scraping the dirt, rocks and brown grass. His claws were long, but not the sharpest, so he had always suffered a hard time with fighting.

But suddenly, his ears pricked at a noise. It sounded like a she-cat calling out. He followed it closer to the Mist, the barrier that separated the Dark Forest cat's from Starclan. He growled, his green eyes' pupils slits. Who's there? Is a filthy Starclan cat trying to get my attention? I'll teach them not to talk to me... I'll scare the soul out of them... He padded forward, only to see a silver she-cat with shimmering stars surrounding her, calling his name. She has darker gray spots on her forehead and legs. Filthy Starclan cat...

He ran over, pouncing behind a bush. The she-cat had seemed to spot him, and looked around his area. He scampered through the bushes slowly, not making much movement or sound. When the she-cat seemed to give up looking, he jumped out of the bush and let out a hiss, trying to spook her to get a good laugh. The she-cat jumped back in fright, but remained calm. "Hello, Soot. Trying to scare me?" She growled, blue eyes glaring at him. "What do you care, starry paws? What're you here for?" He hissed, anger bubbling. Nothing works here, not even a laugh for me.

The she-cat's fur bristled. "My name is Tidalpaw and I've come to deliver a message regarding... You." She explained, her eyes still glaring fiercely. "And? What would that be, mousebrain?" He growled, snarling in disgust. The she-cat sighed. "I've come to tell you that you've earned your chance-" "Chance? I don't get chances, they don't exist, really. It's either do good or never do it again. Simple. So, get out of my sight." Soot interrupted, his gaze filled with more anger. "Let me finish." She snarled. Soot grunted. "Why should I?" "Damn you Dark Forest cat's are stubborn. What I was saying was, that you've earned another chance to live. You get a second chance at everything, and this time, it exists. So shut your trap and let me tell you about this."

Soot grunted, claws unsheathed as he nodded. This is the best entertainment I'll ever get. Tidalpaw sighed. "So, sometimes, if the eldest Starclan cats agree, you can have a second chance. They can send you back in another form if you didn't finish your destiny as planned." She started, eyes brightening as her words gave way. "You deserve that second chance, Soot. This isn't who you really are. Please," She said, her words letting her say things that Soot didn't like. Soot flattened his ears against his head. Who you really are...? But this is who I am.... What... What does she mean...? Something was off, and he didn't like it. This, this mean evil cat had always been him, right? Corrupting lives, turning cats to the Dark Forest, being an angry, mean cat? Somehow, something sparked within him, and the crying face on a young apprentice filled his mind. It was him.

"I know that it's hard to remember after all these moons, but... You're a good cat and love got out of your paw, and... It hurt. I know it can hurt. It hurt me, too. You just... Loved too much, I guess, and... You didn't get that love back. I know it must be hard on you, but... I'm sure she forgives you. She's already done this, what you're about to do. Streamheart... She can forgive you, somehow, I know it-" "N-No. This... No. I can't forgive her. She... She..." Soot's mind flashed with blood, gore, hatred, everything he knew, everything he remembered.

"Streampaw!" He cried out, looking for his friend. He smiled as he approached. "There you are! I was worried that you didn't like me anymore, haha!" He said. Streampaw giggled. "Don't worry, you're my best friend. Come on, let's go hunt together!" Streampaw said, her dazzling blue eyes shining. The two padded to a river, where he took down a robin and she caught a fish. "Haha!" She exclaimed, and the two played.

Soot grabbed the ground beneath him. Tears drawn in his eyes, he stared at the ground, claws unsheathing. Tidalpaw, looking frightened, backing away a tiny bit. "Just... Just let it go... gather them up and let go. You... You deserve this chance, come... Come on..." She said, concern and fear in her gaze.

Him, looking frightened as Streampaw said he couldn't cross her territory, they needed to cut their friendship. He let out tears and Streampaw bared her fangs, eyes glimmering with anger. She hit him hard on the head, and he fell to the ground. She sliced his ear a little bit, and he cried harder. "W-Why...?" But what he didn't see as he turned away and ran was the sadness and regret in her eyes as he cried. "I'm sorry."

"I-I... No... No... I-I... I..." Soot started, eyes glimmering with insanity, fear, sadness, everything.

"This is what you get for the wrong you did to me." He growled as the black she-cat lunged for Streampaw, and Streampaw lashed back out. The two fought and he was filled with fear, his expression showing clear. "Wait... Wait... S-Stop..." Was what he whispered, fear in his eyes as Streampaw made a fatal blow on Dawn. Dawn licked her wound and ran off, fear and anger in her eyes. He saw Streampaw lunge for him, and anger mixed with sadness in her expression. He struggled to fight back, and she overpowered him. Tears rolled down both their faces as he was killed. Streampaw sobbed as she yowled, "This is not the rule I wish to live by!" And suddenly, it was black.  

Soot stared with fear and sadness as Tidalpaw. "Do it. Do it. let me start over... Please. Please. Please. P-Please!" Tidalpaw was still frightened. "Let loose your emotions and simply let go, and you'll fade into your new life. You will be a she-cat with a mottled pelt, born to Strike and Fawnleap. Go ahead..." She explained. Soot tensed. Oh great god. Strike? No... What have I done? I... I'll get a chance to start over... With... With two? This... I'll do it.


Soot let is all loose- the hatred filled and angry tom was replaced with the young, small tom he truly was. His soul began to turn to dust. "Thank you... Thank you so, so much, Tidalpaw... Thank you..." Tears streamed out of his face as he melted away to dust. The dust turned to stars as it glimmered and shown, the cascading stars shining. His faint, happy face shown quietly through the stars as he smiled like he did when he was young and happy.

Tidalpaw watched as the tenth cat she told to rebirth turned into dusty stars and drifted from silverpelt. She smiled. Job well done. He can be happy now, with Streamheart.

Soot, now a glimmering comet of stars, had no control of where he flew, but he flew down from silverpelt to a birthing Fawnleap. She was very pretty and could tell she was nice by her words to Strike as the last kit landed on the grass. He saw his old apprentice, Strike, and felt sad, for this was the cat he tormented in his bad form. He promised he would say sorry somehow. His stars shimmered and glowed as he sunk into the she-kit he was reborn into. "Mottle," Said Fawnleap as she guestured to Soot who took in Mottle's body. Strike smiled and nuzzled Fawnleap, and he could tell he was going to love this.

~~~

Moons later, as Mottlepaw was playing in the grass in Skyclan, she had flickered memories of happy, warm times in a field- this area- with other apprentices, laughing and playing together. She remembered the dark eyes of a warrior, and the warm ones of her sister. She remembered the fear in the area and the love in the area as an apprentice's mother babied her kit. She remembered everything.