Shadows of Maple Leaves [Closed]

Smokepaw found her paws taking her to the Highpine, again. It was late evening, when most cats were headed back to camp and ShadowClan was waking. Smokepaw quickened her steps, and finally caught sight of her destination. The Highpine. Golden rays of sunlight slanted over its branches, turning it into a tree of gold. Smokepaw sat down with a contented sigh. SkyClan was winding down for the day, and ShadowClan was barely awake- no other cat would be here. At least, she rather hoped so.

After a few minutes of admiring the sight, the light began to fade. Smokepaw looked around nervously. SkyClan cats should be asleep. There was no one to attack her if she climbed the Highpine… right? After a moment of hesitation, she sunk her claws into the bark. Looking up, she saw it was taller than it looked. Very tall. A fall from up there could seriously hurt her. But…

The thought of seeing the entire forest was too much for her to resist. Every fox-length of it that she wasn’t allowed to explore could be seen from this tree. (Maybe.) No SkyClan cat should be out right now- the golden light only hit the very top of the tree. Everything below was shrouded in darkness. With a last look around, Smokepaw began slowly climbing the tree. As she carefully climbed to the first branch, not even a fox-length above the ground, she wasn’t in a position to notice anything else.

Maplepaw was disenchanted with training yet again, and especially disenchanted with going to sleep. She welcomed the night like her mother once did, back before.. she doesn't want to think about it. The blanket of sleep that covers her clanmates seems to slide right off of her; she's more than active during the nighttime. That's just another reason she wants to move to ShadowClan.

Sneaking out of camp was easier than it should have been. No one even stirred as she got up and stalked away, not even onery Newtpaw. The whistling wood beckoned her nearer, and she followed blindly; the darkness and the silence made Maplepaw feel at home. She heard prey chittering and shuffling all around her, but Maplepaw made no move to pursue them- she would much rather just bask in the moonlight.

Maplepaw found herself coming to the border between SkyClan and ShadowClan often. Every time she came she willed for the strength to cross it, yet every time she never gained it; she was a coward, too afraid to do what she truly wants.

While wistfully staring off into the border, she heard a soft crack, startling the molly and make her swivel her head around frantically. Was someone there? Was it a patrol- they would find Maplepaw! The last thing she needs is to get in trouble right now..

"Who's there?" she called. "Where are you?"

With a startled yowl, Smokepaw lost her grip on the branch and fell to the ground, landing on her paws. She looked around wildly for a moment before realizing it was a solitary apprentice. Smokepaw let out a sigh of relief. If the apprentice was going to attack her, she could probably handle it. If not, well… Smokepaw was still really curious about SkyClan.

“Hello?” She asked, quickly looping around so she was on her own territory. Hopefully the apprentice hadn’t noticed her fall out of the tree or anything. She didn’t want to get in trouble, but her curiosity drove her to ask at least one more question.

“Erm- what’s a SkyClan apprentice doing out at dark? I thought you slept during the night. No offense, of course,” she added swiftly. She didn’t think that question was offensive in any way, but some cats could get riled up about anything.

Maplepaw breathes a sharp sigh of relief(she didn't want to be scolded by her mother yet again) before the realization sets in- this is a ShadowClan cat. This is perfect! Just what Maplepaw needed- she needed connections to ShadowClan. She needed friends to have in the future when she leaves all of her old ones behind.


"Hello." Maplepaw replied after a few moments of silence between the two, pretending to not have noticed the ShadowClan cat- she thinks she's an apprentice- fall out of a tree. She's not always this respectful, but she's trying extra hard tonight.

"I.. I like the night. It comforts me." Maplepaw wants to explain that her mother used to be in ShadowClan, but decided to save it for later. She didn't need to scare this apprentice away. "SkyClan sleeps at night, yes, but night is when I'm truly awake. I'm Maplepaw, by the by. What's your name?

“Really?” Smokepaw asked in interest. “I’ve always thought cats should be nocturnal. It makes more sense. Oh, I’m Smokepaw. Nice to, Erm, meet you Maplepaw. You won’t believe me, but you’re the fourth SkyClan apprentice I’ve met! You all seem nice.” Her tail was twitching- she was rather nervous. But Nightpaw, Bearpaw, and Bumblepaw had all been nice- surely they would have warned her about Maplepaw if she was mean. More questions trembled on Smokepaw’s tongue, but she hesitated.

“The night is a wonderful thing,” she agreed. “Some cats are scared of the night, but it’s like, like…” She struggled for a comparison for a moment. “You know what I mean.”

It was nice to meet a cat in another Clan who sympathized. “None of the other apprentices seemed to enjoy the night, at least not like a ShadowClan cat.”

"I agree- the night fits us much better than the daytime ever did." Maplepaw agreed. "I'm the fourth SkyClan apprentice you've met? You really get around!" Maplepaw didn't mean to sound facetious, she just did naturally. The other cat seemed nervous, which only fueled Maplepaw's confidance; someone had to be the calm and collected one here. Nervous, but kind, Smokepaw was.. something Maplepaw wasn't used to. She was comfortable around arrogant and snobby cats, all her family, not a simple friend.

This was new territory. Maplepaw wasn't sure how she felt about it.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. The night is a lot like the rain, I suppose- not many cats like it, but those who do find a certain comfort in it. The night is like our home." Maplepaw helped finish Smokepaw's comparison with a smile, one a bit to genuine for Maplepaw's liking.

"SkyClan finds home in the daytime. I'm just.. different, I suppose. I'm much more like a ShadowClan cat than most of my peers."

“You have a way with words,” Smokepaw mewed in surprise. “Something I rather lack.” Maplepaw felt like she was almost a ShadowClan cat? “You’re not alone, if that’s any comfort. I met an apprentice, Bearpaw, who felt much the same, although she didn’t express it with words. You two should talk. I mean, you probably have already.”

Smokepaw sat down, her shoulders losing some tension. “There’s no shame in being different. ShadowClan is a Clan of the different, if you think about it. We wake at dusk, unlike the others. We live in a place most cats avoid like the plague- and yet we find happiness. We have former Asylum cats, former loners, and yet all are loyal to a fault. ShadowClan strikes the perfect balance between the barely-a-Clan WindClan and the terribly strict SkyClan- oh, I’m sorry! I swear I mean no offense! You’re just nice, unlike the fearsome SkyClan cats the elders tell us of…” She trailed off, tail rapidly twitching. “It kinda feels like you’re a part of ShadowClan- I’ve never met a cat from a different Clan who appreciates the night.” She rose to her paws, biting her lip. She’d insulted Maplepaw’s Clan and had gushed on about her own. Oh, StarClan, this couldn’t end well.

Maplepaw laughs, dry and airy. “Why, thank you. Bearpaw? Of SkyClan? Ha, we do talk often; she’s my sister.” Maplepaw couldn’t help but find humor in Smokepaw’s words- Bearpaw is also interested in leaving SkyClan? How interesting, Maybe they should actually have a chat sometimes. Maplepaw was not as close to Bearpaw as she was to Newtpaw and Spottedpaw, but she was still her sister, and she was still worried about her safety. Maybe they could make the trek together, as to keep Bearpaw out of trouble..

Maplepaw took Smokepaw’s sitting as an invitation for her to sit as well, stuff and rigid as usual, but significantly more laid back than she is with most strangers. She likes Smokepaw. A lot, actually- maybe they could become good friends in ShadowClan.

Her story brings the brown tabby even closer to Smokepaw’s side, enamored; they had the same ideas, the same ideologies about the clans- her quib about SkyClan actually makes Maplepaw laugh out loud, something she rarely does. This only fueled Maplepaw’s desire to move further- it sounded like ShadowClan truly was her haven, her StarClan on earth, her.. her savior from what ails her. From her parents.

“You’re quite all right, Smokepaw. I appreciate you saying you find me familiar- I hope to be so one day, really.”

Oh, Stars. Maplepaw hopes the other Apprentice doesn’t read into that.

“Your sister?” Smokepaw asked, sitting back down. “Do you have any other littermates?” It was rather odd, her fixation on family, but after all, her parents had both died when she was young, a relatively common occurrence. She gave a big smile in return to Maplepaw’s laughter.

“You hope to be so one day?” She echoed. “I don’t quite catch your meaning… It’s probably perfectly obvious. Different worlds and all that.” Reclusive ShadowClan was quite different from SkyClan, which was the source of almost all drama recently. “I hope you are too- you’re nice!”

Smokepaw’s sharp eyes caught sight of a dove on a branch- if, for any reason, this proved to be a sensitive subject for Maplepaw, that would make an excellent distraction. She didn’t think so- the other molly seemed very nice indeed, but it was always good to have a Plan B, C, D, E, etc.

"Yeah, I do. I have three sisters and a brother." Maplepaw pondered her next words for a moment. "And a couple of half-siblings." Maplepaw wondered briefly why Smokepaw was so interested in her family, but decided after a moment not to ponder on it; it wasn't her business anyway. If she wants to hear about Maplepaw's siblings, that's fine with her. She loves talking about them.

Maplepaw blanched at Smokepaw's next words. She heard Maplepaw just fine, and.. what was she supposed to say? I'm clanhopping to ShadowClan! We should be friends! Maplepaw shuddered. How would she go about this? She appreciated Smokepaw saying Maplepaw was nice- she really wasn't, not really; she was a brat, an annoyance to SkyClan, but she knew how to make alliances.

This wasn't an alliance though. This was a friendship. It scared Maplepaw.

"I, well.. Smokepaw, I'm going to be frank with you. I'm joining ShadowClan soon. I'm leaving SkyClan. Don't tell anyone! It's a secret!" Maplepaw could slap herself with how angry she was at herself- how dare she reveal that to practically a stranger! Smokepaw was going to go and tell someone, like Flintstar, and her plan would be ruined.

Smokepaw blinked. Wait, what? “You’re thinking of moving to ShadowClan?” Ah, suddenly it made sense. She’d heard of Flintstar’s sister who had left to join SkyClan, but somehow she hadn’t connected it with any particular cat. “You must be one of Briarthorn’s kits. That makes sense- your father’s blood isn’t strong in your veins. Of course, I won’t tell anycat if you don’t wish. Do you, erm, have any sort of time scheme for this?” She was prying, a bit, but she had been let in on a secret and she didn’t wish to only know half of it. Maybe she wasn’t giving this the gravity it deserved, but it made sense to her. “I mean, this is a serious thing, but… it makes sense. I- thank you for telling me, it…” Smokepaw shrugged. It made her feel special, but she couldn’t say that. “Oh dear, I’m rambling. Erm- Flintstar will most definitely let you join, I think… you’re his niece, I think? Oh, and you’d better speak to Bearpaw and your other siblings, and and and…” Smokepaw’s tail began to twitch rapidly. Flintstar would most likely be agreeable, but SkyClan might attack if they lost some of their soon-to-be warriors. Smokepaw had talked exceedingly rapidly for a minute, and only now stopped to let the poor cat speak.