The future's in your paws. Shape it well.Roleplay in a cat Clan of warriors. Based off the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. Takes place in an AU before the cats in the books existed.
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Greenleaf is finally here, and the clans all feel the effect of rising temperatures.
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It seemed when one apprentice was ready for their moonstone journey, another was not far behind. Wolfstar padded toward the apprentice's den before dawn's rays had even started to lighten the sky, ducked into the den and gently nudged Firepaw's shoulder with a paw before retreating. "Morning Firepaw, it's time for your moonstone journey!" She mewed, nudging a small bundle of herbs toward him. "You should eat these, they'll give you strength... They taste terrible, I'm sorry." She had the displeasure of eating her own herbs in the medicine den and knew how most apprentices tended to react. She couldn't blame them. Once the tom had eaten the herbs, she was quick to lead him from camp. There was little time to waste.
---
"Stick close, the tunnels are narrow and will be too dark to see most of the time. When we get to the moonstone, touch your nose to it and lay down. I'll be here when you wake." They had made good time, the night sky just beginning to show the first stars as Wolfstar led her grandson into the dark tunnels that led down to the moonstone. The stone was dazzling as ever, but to Wolfstar the soft light that radiated from it seemed colder than ever despite the greenleaf heat.
Firepaw was roused by a familiar voice, the cheerful tone itself an indicator that nothing was inherently wrong this time. He blinked the sleep from his eyes and lifted his head warily, yellow gaze fixed on Wolfstar as she nudged a stack of herbs towards him. He'd rarely had need of herbs, so the pungent tang made his nose wrinkle as he sniffed them reproachfully. "Don't worry gramma." He meowed. "I don't really mind the herbs." He supposed they'd be necessary to keep him strong during the long journey, but why did they have to smell so offensive? Despite the distaste written across his face, Firepaw kept his complaints to himself and simply nodded and lapped up the leaves with little more than a twitch of his whiskers.
Thankfully, Wolfstar didn't waste any time and led him out of the den and then, out of the camp. It was strange that Thymelight wasn't taking him to the Moonstone though, now that he thought about it. Perhaps she'd realized that he was onto her and that there was little point in trying to convince him to believe any foolish lies about their so-called clan in the sky. Still, he couldn't very well refuse to go, especially with Wolfstar leading the way. So, Firepaw swallowed his annoyance at the pointless trip, and padded after his grandmother in silence.
--- (Timeskip) ---
By the time they reached Mothermouth, the sun was setting, and stars were beginning to twinkle in the sky as darkness approached. It was a monumental waste of time, in his opinion, to have come all the way out here, but who was he to complain? No cat took the beliefs of apprentices seriously. And despite being kin, he doubted Wolfstar would take very kindly to his blatant disrespect to that which she held dear. Or at least close to her heart. He hummed in acknowledgement of Wolfstar's command and descended into the tunnel after her. Perhaps, when he was a warrior, he would tell her what he really thought of this StarClan nonsense.
Maybe, when he was grown, she and some of the others would be more likely to take him seriously. That thought alone was enough to get Firepaw through the rest of the night and, as they squeezed through downward-sloping tunnel, he began to wonder what exactly he'd see when he slept. Finally, they filtered out into a cavern, the stone walls bathed in a soft blue light. The Moonstone was impressive. Beautiful, really, but by no means was it worth all of this fuss. With an unimpressed flick of his tail, Firepaw padded forwards, his eyes glinting in the dim light.
He was really supposed to sleep here and just...what? Expect StarClan to really come to him in his dreams? What a joke. Huffing, the tortoiseshell tom settled down on the ground, his paws tucked comfortably beneath him, and rested his head on the ground, nose pressed to the cold Moonstone. He felt nothing. Not sleep calling to him and certainly not the presence of any undead cats. Despite that, Firepaw did eventually begin to drift off until, finally, sleep claimed him.
---
It was chaos. Firepaw was back in SkyClan's camp, the ground scuffed, red, and covered in clumps of fur as his clanmates screeched around him. He couldn't pick out anyone in the fray, their bodies and faces blurry and out of focus as dogs bayed and snarled, darting in and out of the throng with snapping jaws. The stench of death washed over the camp and Firepaw stiffened, a sob building in his throat. Graywind was sprawled out on the far side of the camp, eyes cloudy and unseeing as a massive dog stepped away from her still body. Firepaw was frozen. He didn't know what to do or how to help! His clanmates were all dying around him, and he was helpless!
Suddenly, a great beast of a dog lunged for the apprentice, and he cried out, claws sliding uselessly for purchase on the wet ground as he tried to scramble away from the foul creature. It was useless, he realized. He couldn't run, could hardly lift a paw in defense. However, he didn't have to. A familiar cinnamon pelt streaked across the camp, pawsteps so light he didn't notice them, and before Firepaw knew it, Blazepaw was between him and the dog, all teeth and fury.
It ended all too soon, though, and before Firepaw could join his friend's side in battle, the dog's teeth sank into him with a sickening crunch and tossed him aside like crowfood. Suddenly, Firepaw was at Blazepaw's side, eyes wide with horror. A scream ripped from the tom's throat as the scene began to fade away. The metallic tang of blood vanished and the sounds of chaos slowly trickled into a whisper before going away completely. Sobbs ripped through Firepaw's body as he crouched on the ground, ears pinned back and heart racing like a monster on the Thunderpath. The forest that now towered around him, tinted blue and glimmering, offered little comfort.
BLAZEPAWi can't be who you need me to be he/they - skyclan apprentice - 11 moons at death
Blazepaw hadn't been a StarClan resident for long, but he spent most of his time watching over SkyClan. Firepaw, in particular. He'd left him much too soon. The hardest part of dying was how much he missed his best friend. The pain, the longing, the love - they were all brutal even compared to the violence of his death. But he waited and waited for his friend's Moonstone journey, holding faith that even though Firepaw hadn't been much of a believer in StarClan, he could still see him one last time. And hopefully say what he needed to say - what he hadn't realized until it was too late, and what had even then been drowned out by the chaos of battle.
But he hadn't expected Firepaw to appear before him like this. Not in this state - hunched over, his entire body wracked with sobs, his shoulders shaking with every breath. In a blink, Blazepaw was at his friend's side. His heart rate quickened. He didn't think he'd be staring back into those familiar sharp yellow eyes so soon. But the expression itself was unfamiliar, Firepaw's dark pupils narrowed into slits as his gaze burned with fear, panic, and grief. Blazepaw wrapped his tail around the broad-shouldered tom and rested his chin on the top of his head. For a moment, he was silent. The only sound between the two toms was Firepaw's gasping breath. Blazepaw closed his eyes and breathed him in, the familiar scent of the forest and something uniquely Firepaw mingling pleasantly in the air. It felt like an eternity that he'd been torn away from him - and, at the same time, it felt like it'd been just yesterday.
"It's okay, Firepaw. You're okay. I'm here." The flame-furred tom murmured soothingly. He opened his eyes again to look at his friend, and love and affection were all that could be found in his amber eyes. Then, the slightest hint of mischief. Death had perhaps made Blazpeaw a bit more somber, a bit more nostalgic, but it certainly hadn't changed him that much. "You do remember me, don't you? Or have you found a new best friend and replaced me already?" Blazepaw teased gently. Then he pressed his nose to the soft fur of Firepaw's cheek. "What's wrong? You're breathing like you've just run the entire forest and back."
The tortoiseshell tom laid there for a moment, shoulders hunched, and paws planted shakily beneath him as his chest heaved. When Blazepaw first died, he spent every night alone in SkyClan's territory. And, with no concerned, prying eyes, he would cry. Every night. Of course, the tears dried up eventually, but the pain never subsided. He'd simply learned to live with it. Now, though, it was like that wound had been torn open all over again to spill every ugly, heartbroken emotion out before him. It was disgusting, almost, that he mourned Blazepaw more than his kin.
Then, a familiar smell cut through the air, instantly quieting the violent whirlwind of Firepaw's mind. Just as he'd begun to think his heart might just explode, it calmed, and he stopped breathing altogether. Silence. He didn't move a muscle as a painfully comforting scent bathed over him - alive - for the first time in moons. A fluffy tail curled around the tom's shoulders, and he lifted his head slowly, terrified of what he may, or may not, see. But as yellow eyes met amber, everything seemed to melt away. All of Firepaw's worries, fears, guilt...all of it vanished at the sight of Blazepaw before him. He was real, he was here...wherever here was, anyway.
Firepaw stared for several long moments at his best friend in the whole forest - who looked very much alive and healthy - and didn't so much as blink as he spoke. Just the sight of Blazepaw was enough perhaps the most tempestuous of panic attacks the apprentice had endured yet. And yet...he wasn't really here, was he? For just a moment, though, Firepaw allowed himself not to care - to fall paws over head into this sweet, beautiful dream he'd found himself in. "Blazepaw." The name little more than a breath from Firepaw's jaws.
His friend continued to speak, and a small, uncertain smile forced its way onto Firepaw's face. Dream Blazepaw was just like the real thing. Sucking in a long breath, Firepaw shook his head and pressed himself into Blazepaw's side. "Never. I could never forget you...much less replace you." That much was certainly true. There wasn't a single cat Firepaw had grown even half as close to since his friend's death. Regardless, he grinned and try to fight back tears at ease of slipping back into conversation with Blazepaw. It was almost as if he'd never left.
Maybe, if he kept his eyes closed forever, he wouldn't ever have to leave. Firepaw took in another deep breath, savoring Blazepaw's scent on his tongue, and allowed himself to relax. Possibly for the first time since loosing Blazepaw. "Don't worry, it was just a bad dream." Eyes still stubbornly shut, he added, "I like this one much more."
BLAZEPAWi can't be who you need me to be he/they - skyclan apprentice - 11 moons at death
Though the affection in his eyes remained, Blazepaw's smile faded a bit. So he believed this was a dream. Firepaw had always been cynical. Was it so hard to believe his best friend really stood in front of him once more, that he was really speaking with Blazepaw again? Perhaps he hadn't put so much faith in StarClan either; when Firepaw had told him it was all a lie, he'd gone along with it. But deep down... clearly, he'd believed it. Or he wouldn't be here again - he wouldn't have woken from his horrible death in this hushed, glowing, sleepy forest, he wouldn't have watched over his friend as he mourned him each and every night, he wouldn't... be here at all.
Fear seized him, suddenly. If Firepaw never found his faith, would he ever see him again? He'd always hoped they would reunite in death - not anytime soon, of course, but eventually. But if... No. He had to believe that he would see Firepaw again, even after this. This couldn't be the last time they ever stood face to face. It couldn't be the last time they ever spoke.
Blazepaw purred softly as the tom pressed against him. Stars, he'd missed Firepaw. The warmth of his pelt, the smell of him, the sound of his voice. His doubts washed away as Firepaw breathed his name, almost reverent. "Ah, I know. I'm just teasing you, silly goose. There's nobody here half as interesting as you, y'know. I..." He stopped. His face fell for a moment, and then another smile - a sad smile, this time - tugged at the corners of his lips. In an instant, his eyes filled with regret, almost gleaming with the same tears he saw in Firepaw's gaze. "I miss you."
His smile twisted into a soft frown as Firepaw squeezed his eyes shut. Though the tension in his shoulders seemed to ease, in a way Blazepaw hadn't seen in moons, Firepaw seemed to refuse to look at him. As Blazepaw felt the few precious moments they did have slip by, his friend kept his eyes closed. Sure, he could stare at Firepaw all day, but he did prefer making eye contact. He'd seen him for so long as a mere apparition that it was just nice to be seen by him again. "Hey. Look at me." Blazepaw urged. He fought the instinct to brush the tom's chin with his tail. No, he'd freak out."Firepaw... this isn't a dream. You know that, right? It's really... it's really me." His voice faltered for a moment. But, no, it was, he needed to know the truth, he needed to listen to him.
Blazepaw sucked in a breath. He could do this. He could say it aloud. He had all those moons ago, when his life had been brutally ripped away - Firepaw just hadn't heard him. He could say it again. Right? He took another breath, then felt his anxiety melt away as he watched Firepaw chest rise and fall with each breath. Fondness blossomed beneath his pelt and warmed him. "Look at me." Another pause, another shaky breath, and he finally found the strength to speak. "I love you. I love you so much, Firepaw. Every day I'm here, and you're not... it's torture. I'm so lucky to have called you my best friend. To call you my best friend." Blazepaw's voice was tight as he spoke, emotion thickening it like honey. Though he wavered, he kept going, determined to tell him this time. How Firepaw interpreted it was up to him. "You're the strongest cat I know. Every day, I watch over the entire forest, and you're still the strongest cat I know." Tears burned at his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He had to be strong. For Firepaw, if nothing else anymore.
