| abstract
| - Leafstripe purred. "Look at her, Whiteflash, I told you our kits would grow up to be strong Mark holders. Don't you agree now?" Whiteflash nodded, "Sunpaw is extremely talented, indeed, but I fear for Moonpaw." Leafstripe sighed at the mention of her second kit, "You're right, without Sunpaw at her side, Moonpaw is forgetting her duty." "Should we send her a sign or something?" Whiteflash suggested, "After all, she needs to be prepared in case something happens to the Clan." Leafstripe shook her head, "You heard the Mark Spirits speak, Sunpaw and Moonpaw don't have anything to be afraid of. The only times they need their Mark powers are when they face the challenges, like the one Sunpaw had just faced. And we're not allowed to help them in any way. Shadowfire has already done her job, now it's up to the two of them to finish the tasks they've been given." The father nodded, "You're right...I'm just worried." "Don't fret too much," Leafstripe smiled slightly and leaned against her mate, "At least they're safe now..." "Well...they're safe for now," Whiteflash corrected, "Sunpaw must face yet another challenge now." Leafstripe waved her tail, "I know she'll pass with flying colors. That headstrong kit of ours can pass any challenge." "But Moonpaw..." Leafstripe's eyes flitted back to the laughing gray she-cat, "Sadly, her challenge is coming up soon. Shadowfire hasn't managed to teach her enough yet... There's a reason why Shadowfire wanted Moonpaw to be a medicine cat too. She hoped to encourage the gray she-cat to act like Sunpaw, but alas the Moon Spirit is not easily swayed." "Hopefully Sunpaw will be enough to take them both through." "You know Sunpaw isn't enough. Moonpaw must be the one to help Sunpaw get through it," Leafstripe reminded Whiteflash, "But I'm proud of her." "We both are." Leafstripe sighed as she stared at the tired, limp form of Sunpaw, "She'll find a way to succeed, I know she will." "Yes, the Sun Spirit will keep fighting..." It was nice and quiet in the area I was. I was crouched under a tree, breathing hard. It had already been five days since I had escaped from Zephyr's grasp. I stretched and stood up. My stomach was rumbling, and I needed to move around more often. I had often resorted to using my Sun powers rather than hunting like I was taught. I pinpointed a mouse and was just beginning to stalk it when I realized there were voices up ahead. Instantly wary, I drew back and quickly threw up my Sun Shield. "Aura, can't you at least stay still while we hunt? We'll never catch anything if you keep fidgeting and alerting them where we are!" "Sorry, Muyra, I'm just excited that you're actually teaching us how to hunt for once!" "Yeah, Aura and I have been waiting forever just to learn! How can you expect us to be quiet and still? This is way better than hanging out at the den with Oyt." "Don't be rude," the first voice chided, "Oyt is the one who raised you both with gentle care. Plus, Tress was the one who insisted on keeping you two away from the forest for awhile. She said it was too dangerous for young'ns like you." "We aren't that young!" I tensed up as I realized they were coming towards me. "Whatever you say, Aura," the voice - Muyra, was it? - sighed, "Now do you guys want to learn or not?" "Yes!" they chorused. Without realizing what I was doing, I let down my Sun Shield and crept closer. I was intrigued by these unfamiliar cats, and they sounded friendly. It also seemed like they lived together like the Clan did. A pang of loss hit me when I thought about the Clans. "Okay, what do you scent?" "Cats!" Aura declared. Muyra rolled her eyes, "Way to state the obvious, Aura-" "No, I scent another cat!" I stiffened, but it was too late. Aura parted the ferns and I jumped back, knowing they had spotted me already. "Hi," I muttered, "I'm Sunpaw." The tom - nobody mentioned his name - blinked, "Sunpaw? That's a weird name. I'm Soyrt. What are you doing here?" "Did you say Sunpaw?" Muyra frowned, "That's a Clan name, isn't it?" I nodded, "Yeah, I came from a Clan." Aura's eyes got real big, "A Clan? I've heard legends about them, but I've never actually met a real Clan cat before! That's so cool. Muyra, can she stay with us? She looks really tired anyways. I bet Tress and Oyt won't mind either." Muyra looked hesitant, "Alright, we'll let Tress and Oyt decide though, okay?" Aura let out a shriek of joy and she turned around and dashed away. Soyrt followed suit and soon I was left alone with Muyra. "Kits will be kits," she groaned. "My sister and I used to be like that too," I admitted, "We were overly excited about everything. My sister especially loved to play with the other kits." Muyra glanced at me, "I'm willing to let you stay, Clan cat, but I don't want you hurting Soyrt and Aura, you hear me? They're precious to me." "Are you...family?" Muyra shook her head, "None of us but Soyrt and Aura are related. They're littermates, but we found them in the wild. Oyt and Tress have been traveling together for a long time - they might be mates; none of us are sure. I joined them when my brother died protecting me... A few moons later, we found the two kits." "At least you have each other now," I supplied, "I bet your brother is in the stars." "Yeah, in StarClan, huh?" Muyra smiled faintly, "That is what you call the spirits in the skies right?" "Yeah," I laughed slightly, "You got that right." Muyra purred a bit and beckoned to me, "Come on, let's take you to Tress and Oyt before the two kits come after us instead." It was strange, for a moon, I felt as though I was free. I could do whatever I wanted without Sunpaw berating me for doing so. I didn't need to have her following my every whim, watching my moves as if I was always in danger. She had acted like a queen did whenever she was fussing over me. For StarClan's sake, she wasn't our mother. She was my sister. But that didn't change anything. Last moon was a paradise for me. Even my Mark had faded until it was barely there, releasing the pain I had felt when Sunpaw was still in the Clan. Yes, it was a shame my sister was suddenly gone, but at least I was free. But now... It was almost as if Sunpaw had returned. A steady pain aroused from my shoulder, and my Mark had brightened again. Shadowfire seemed even more nervous than she had been last moon, and was constantly telling Blueheart that I was needed for more important things. Blueheart, of course, agreed, so I had to deal with Shadowfire everyday. The freedom I had once felt had also disappeared, as if it was a free spirit and had a mind of its own. Something must have happened out there. "Moonpaw, concentrate!" I blinked and shook out of my stupor. "What are we doing today, Shadowfire?" The medicine cat didn't sigh or do anything that showed the irritation she must have against me. Instead, she looked me straight in the eye, "I need to hear your thoughts, Moonpaw. You must be prepared for the next event." I didn't understand what she meant, but I shrugged, "There's a lot of pain involved these days, and my Mark is back." "Yes," Shadowfire sounded somewhat relieved, "It is back. What do you think? You used to talk nonstop about how free you felt now that Sunpaw was gone. What made you stop? I want you to talk to me, Moonpaw, about everything you feel and think." I was a bit wary. Would Shadowfire reproach me after I was done? Was she looking for another way to remind me of my duty? Still, I opened my mouth and told her how I felt. "I feel like Sunpaw is back, even though she's not. The freedom I had once felt is gone now, and I feel empty and whole at the same time. There's intense pain on my Mark, and it's bright again. I feel like Sunpaw's Sun Spirit is hovering over my Moon Spirit again, and it's killing me. I want to do whatever I want to do, but I feel as though a sense of duty is weighing me down again. To sum it up," I let out my breath, "It feels as though Sunpaw has returned." Shadowfire frowned, "StarClan hasn't sent me any signs since Sunpaw disappeared," she admitted, "And you have yet to receive your first sign. But just last night, I received a message from Leafstripe. She told me that the next phase is starting." "So?" The medicine cat looked grim, "Moonpaw, this is serious. I need you to focus and follow that sense of duty you feel. It's very important. If you and Sunpaw want to make it out of this alive, you must be prepared for anything." I gulped but managed a nod. "Each phase only happens when both of you are ready to continue. That means Sunpaw is free of whatever had silenced and taken her away earlier. This is why you are training nonstop with me. I must prepare you for whatever is to come next." I wanted to reject it all. I didn't want this task or mission or whatever it was. Sure, I wanted my sister back, but I didn't want to be prepared to die for it. That was something Sunpaw would do. Before I could answer however, something jerked me away from the camp. I was floating, but I heard something that rooted me to the spot. "Moonpaw! Moonpaw!" "Sunpaw! Where are you?" I searched everywhere for her. But there's no sign of her. Where can Sunpaw be? I turned in a full circle, trying desperately to find my beloved sister. "Moonpaw! My mark, look! It's glowing! Its..." Staring around, I finally spotted Sunpaw with her sun mark. The sun mark was glowing brightly, and Sunpaw began to fade away. "Sunpaw!" I raced towards her, not knowing how to save her. "Moonpaw, try to find me! Please..." Then she was gone. Leaving me.... feeling elated. "Moonpaw, what's wrong?" Shadowfire shook me, "You suddenly blanked out and toppled over. What happened?" "I...I saw something and-" But before I could finish my sentence, I was whisked away again. "You left me there! How could you?" I stood back, staring at my bedraggled sister. "I felt free! Without the two of us together, Fate couldn't do a thing to me!" Sunpaw, the once beautiful Sunpaw, glared at me. "How could you just think about yourself? Think of the past. Think of what I did for you!" Shocked, I tried to think back. But the elated feeling was too overwhelming. "But it doesn't matter about you, life is about me." Sunpaw gasped. Her eyes glowed like embers, and her face was a mask of anger. Whispering, she mewed. "I thought you cared Moonpaw. I thought you cared..." Then she walked away. Shadowfire's face loomed over me again, "Moonpaw, I need you to tell me what happened. I feel something terrible rising. What did you see?" "I saw Sunpaw," I mewed, my mouth suddenly dry, "And she was..." "She was what?" Shadowfire sat back down heavily, "Did you see where she was?" "No," I shook my head, "It was all just darkness, and I could only see Sunpaw, well the second time I did. The first time I only say darkness and Sunpaw was calling my name and asking me to find her. The second time, she was snarling at me and asking why I left her there." Shadowfire frowned, "This is bad. You need to try to contact her back, Moonpaw. Use your Mark and search for hers." "I..." I shook my head, "I can't. She'll just yell at me again. I don't want that to happen again!" Shadowfire pressed a paw against my Mark, causing me to flinch, "You were given this for a reason, Moonpaw. If you want to save Sunpaw, you must follow my instructions, am I clear?" "Yes, Shadowfire..." But I couldn't bring myself to even try. "So she can stay?" Aura's eyes widened as she gazed up at Tress and Oyt. Both cats looked amused. They were mates (or something like that), but they were pretty young. Tress looked about 30 moons while Oyt was about 32 moons. "Yes, she can stay." I broke into a grin too as Muyra nudged me happily. The light brown tabby had grown fond of me in the short time we had talked, and she was probably only 18 moons old. The two kits jumped and yowled their joy. Aura was a light gray tabby she-cat with white paws and brilliant blue eyes. Her brother, Soyrt was dark gray and pale green eyes. The two of them were absolutely adorable and reminded me of Moonpaw when we were kits. "You're staying!" Aura squealed, pounding on my back, dragging me down. Soyrt pummeled my stomach while his sister swumg around wildly on my back. I purred and smiled. The rogues were really kind, letting me stay despite not really knowing who I was. I was grateful that they were giving me a home when I desperately needed it. I needed to rest up and recover my strength so I can find Moonpaw. "You rest for a bit," Tress ordered me, "Muyra will hunt for the rest of us today. Soon, you'll fit in our schedule too." I nod though I'm reluctant to make them do all the work for me. "I can hunt too," I insisted, "I don't want to a burden-" Tress shook her head and pushed me back down into my nest, "Please rest, Sunpaw." Sighing inwardly, I let myself relax. "Don't worry, we don't mind hunting for you," Muyra reassured, "You're part of the family now, and we wouldn't leave you to starve or to fend for yourself. You're under our care now." Aura curled up at my stomach, purring, "You're my big sister now." "And mine," Soyrt murmured quietly. He was crouched next to his sister, his eyes wide. It was obvious the the two kits didn't experience much love in their lives and this rogue group was their family - the only one they've had. "I'll do my best to be the best sister you've had," I murmured, wrapping my tail around them, "We'll be family." Aura snuggled in closer and Soyrt let out a sigh of acceptance. When I looked up, Muyra was crying. Tress and Oyt also had tears in their eyes. And that's when I realized how much family meant to them. ~ The two siblings were still asleep when I woke up and there were two mice placed in front of me. I can't eat this all, I thought when I gazed sleepily at the prey, Surely they don't expect me to- "Eat up!" Tress chirped, "You can have the bigger one while the kits eat the other," she smiled, "I hope you had a nice sleep." "I had," I said gratefully, "Thank you." I picked up one of the mice and laid it down in front of me so I could eat. I was starving, I realized, and I was grateful that they had hunted while I had slept. "I'll go hunt next time," I told them, "It's only right that I do." Muyra shook her head, "No need, Sunpaw, you're still recovering from whatever you came from. You're exhausted and you look like you barely got any sleep even though you slept the whole day away." "A day?" My mouth turned dry, "And the kits have been sleeping this long too?" "What? No!" Oyt laughed, "They woke up hours ago, but after some play-fighting, they got exhausted again and curled up next to you once more to sleep. They seem to like you, Sunpaw. I think you'd be a great mother, always protecting your kits." I smiled graciously and dipped my head, "Thanks, but you're too kind. I'm a bit too young to have kits," I added playfully. "Aren't we all?" Oyt joked. I laughed and I was happy to be apart of this group. With Oyt's humor, it was never bleak or boring in the group. Tress was like a loving mother, making sure that we never went hungry. Muyra was the strong and independent warrior who helped feed all of the kits. Aura and Soyrt were the group's future. A mini-Clan, that was what this was. And I felt apart of it. I laid awake in my nest, unable to fall asleep that night. Even though I hadn't been plagued with any more strange visions of Sunpaw, Shadowfire had tried to make me send a message to Sunpaw. It hadn't really worked. I mean, of course I didn't actually try, since I was afraid to have Sunpaw return. I relished the attention I got now that my popular sister had disappeared. What if she took all that away from me again? Like she had taken away my last chance to be the Adventurer. But it wasn't my jealousy of Sunpaw that was causing me to have trouble falling asleep. It was the fear that I would see Sunpaw in my dreams, calling to me, begging me to go find her. I knew I had to stop those from happening, because each them I received a message like that, it rendered me unable to lie to Shadowfire about what had happened. And if these continued, it would only be a matter of time before Shadowfire asked Rosestar if I could go on a mission to find Sunpaw with my Mark. Finally, I pushed myself out of my nest and hurried out of the medicine cat den, not bothering to check if I had woken up the other apprentices. I told the guard on duty - ironically Runningfire - that I just wanted to go and think for a bit and escaped out into the forest, breathing in relief. But it was only temporary, soon, I could hear pawsteps behind me and I braced myself to see someone I didn't want to talk to. "Hey, Moonpaw," a voice mewed, "Do you want to take a walk with me?" The refusal died at my tongue when I spun around to see Thornpaw standing there. "Um, sure," I muttered, my ears hot with sudden embarrassment, "Where do you want to go?" His smile was genuine, and I was reminded of the time when Sunpaw had been the Adventurer and Thornpaw had asked her if she wanted to hang out with him. The two of them had snuck out and spend the night out there and nearly got eaten by foxes. I wondered if this walk would be as romantic. "Anywhere," he gestured around with his paw, "I don't mind where we go." "I have a favorite place," I said shyly, "Perhaps you want to go to that place? We'll be nice and safe in there, and nobody will bother us. We can even have some sort of chat if you'd like." StarClan, was I nuts? But to my relief Thornpaw had nodded and the two of us strolled towards my favorite area. It was covered in walls of brambles with overgrown flowers all over it. It safely encased the area except for the small entrance. When we squeezed through, we were surrounded by a variety of colors. "It's beautiful," Thornpaw whispered, and for the moment I fantasized about him describing me as beautiful. "Blueheart showed me this," I mumbled, "When I first became an apprentice." "It would have been a nice place to show Sunpaw," Thornpaw mused, "When we were on our kit night out, don't you agree?" I froze and I gulped. "Y-yeah," I looked away, holding back random tears. Who was I to think that Thornpaw would love me? Thornpaw instantly wrapped his tail around me, his tone apologetic. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you missed your sister so much." Before I could tell him, however, a vision overtook me. I doubled over and I heard Thornpaw cry out in dismay. "Moonpaw!" Sunpaw's voice sounded near my ear, but I could only see darkness, "Why aren't you coming? I've found a few friends out here, but I don't know how to find my way home. My only hope is you, Moonpaw." "Where are you?" I whispered. Sunpaw sighed, "I don't know, Moonpaw. I can't pinpoint you with my Mark either. I need you to either try to contact me back or use your Mark to find me. If you focus on one of these messages, you can use your Mark to pinpoint my location." She could do that? When I didn't reply, Sunpaw added, "Try to do it right now. Channel your energy to finding me. Our Marks will react to our needs to find each other and you should be able to locate me!" I closed my eyes. I didn't want to do it. Exhaling, I told my sister. "I-I don't know how ot use my Mark." Sunpaw let out a frustrated growl. "I have to go fro now, but please just keep trying! If you can contact me, which I know you can, I'll be able to figure out where the Clan is. Then you don't have to venture out and find me instead." Before she could go, I asked her, "How do you know I can send you a message?" Sunpaw seemed to hesitant. Then she mewed, "I can feel your energy waves. I can tell you're not trying. Plus, if you ask Shadowfire, I know she can teach you how." Then she was gone. Someone was shaking me. "Moonpaw, are you alright?" Thornpaw's worried face filled up my vision. I let out a yelp and nearly jerked my head up. Thornpaw jumped back. "What happened?" He frowned, "You collapsed, Moonpaw, and you kept mumbling to yourself. I heard you say Sunpaw's name a few times, do you know where she is?" He sounded so hopefuly I cringed. "Can I ask you an honest question?" I looked up at Thornpaw's brilliant amber eyes. "Sure." "Do you love Sunpaw?" Thornpaw blinked and seemed to be considering his answer. "No, not in that way," he frowned, "I told her that while we were out in our 'walk' that night. She was okay with it, I guess; we decided to remain friends obviously. Why do you ask?" I closed my eyes. I hear you out there, Sunpaw, but I can't come for you. Not yet at least. I like the freedom I'm having and I don't want to let it go when you come back. I tried to channel my thoughts so it would be sent to Sunpaw. I opened my eyes again and breathed in deeply. "Because I think I'm in love with you, Thornpaw." The morning I got Moonpaw's message, I knew I had lost all hope in being rescued by her. But she had contacted me, so I could attempt to use her message to pinpoint where the Clan was. But I was also very ticked by her response. The weight in my chest didn't lesson as I helped my new companions with their daily routines of hunting. Day after day I wasted valuable energy helping them rather than trying to find my Clan. I realized that I didn't really want to go back anyways. I wanted to rest here and allow myself to live a free life. Plus, Moonpaw didn't want me back anyways. All my life, I had vowed to protect Moonpaw from the outside world and its dangers. But now, cast away from my Clan, I wanted to do the opposite. I wanted to stay in the outside world and dig out its wonders. And I had new friends who could help me accomplish such things. "Come with?" Muyra beckoned to me, "I'm going hunting." "Sure," I shrugged, standing to pad after the she-cat. I wasn't much in the mood to hunt, but I promised I'd make more of a contribution to them. "I've been meaning to show you something," I mewed quietly. I didn't know why but I was desperate to show Muyra, to stop hiding what I am. She glanced at me strangely, "It has something to do with that Mark on your shoulder right?" I jerked back, surprised by the mention of my Mark. "Yeah," I admitted, "It does." Muyra seemed fascinated and slightly terrified at the same time. But still, she lead me to a quiet area and waited silently, her eyes tracking my every move. "Don't freak," I muttered, "It's a bit much to swallow when you first see it." I concentrated on my Mark and decided to show her Clan life. I conjured a group of kits playing together and the elders sharing tongues. Warriors strutted around the clearing, holding their heads high while the playful apprentices pranced around. The leader lay lazily on the HighRock and its deputy sat beneath it. It was a perfect scene. Muyra gasped, her eyes wide. "What is it exactly?" "It's...magic I suppose," I murmured, "According to my medicine cat, there's some Sun Spirit inside of me. It forms who I am and gives me power. Before you found me, I was being forcefully trained, which is why I can do what I showed you. Apparently my sister can't..." "Your sister?" "Her name is Moonpaw," I nodded, "and she has always been quite reluctant to accept our Fate and what we must do." Muyra still looked shocked, but she also looked impressed. "Don't tell Tress and Oyt, or Aura and Soyrt. They'll probably freak out or something." I agreed. "Thank you for showing me," Muyra sighed, "That was pretty cool." "It's not everyday you see that kind of stuff," I laughed as we headed off again, "I just had to tell someone, and well, I trusted you to take the information well." "You're right about that." ~ I stayed with them for a moon. They grew to be my family and Muyra and I spent more and more time together. Sometimes she would even ask me to perform something for her. I stopped trying to contact Moonpaw, though sometimes I got messages from her. I ignored all of them, even trying to block Moonpaw instead. "Fox attack!" I heard Tress' alarmed cry fill the air, "It's trying to get the kits!" Fear shot through me. Aura and Soyrt are in danger. I raced towards the den, Muyra hard on my heels. I burst through the undergrowth, even shooting Sun power to clear an easier path. "Aura! Soyrt!" I shouted. Not even caring that Oyt and Tress were nearby, I shot a ball of energy at the fox. Both of the older cats looked shocked, but the fox was barely fazed. I continued to barrel forward, Muyra shouting at me to stop. I lunged forward, diving in front of the kits and protecting them as the fox's claws hit home. Pain flashed through me and I let out a soft whimper. Aura was screaming and I could hear Soyrt's sobs. "Sunpaw!" Muyra was at my side, tears filling her gaze, "Heal yourself of something. Use your magic! You can't go." I smiled slightly before shaking my head, "Sorry," I whispered, "But I loved being here with you guys. You made life worth living." "Sunpaw," Muyra blinked back tears, "Thank you." No, thank you.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)