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Post by Willowleaf on Jul 31, 2013 21:46:17 GMT -5
Best game ever.
SN: Willowleaf NAME: Starblaze DESCRIPTION: Starblaze was once a twoleg, named Star. She was lived with her aunt and uncle and sister because her real parents mysteriously disappeared while they were in the nearby forest when she was seven. Star had learned to hunt from her parents, she knew where all the secret pathways of the forests were, where the good prey was, and how to communicate with the forest's resident animals. But she still lived with her aunt and her uncle because her sister, Moon, was trapped in their house by them, forced to do every little task they wanted.
One night, she had a strange dream. She was in a forest clearing, with shining fireflies and soft green grass all around her. There was a mysterious breeze, and a silver cat formed out of the wind! The cat smiled when he saw her, and had whispered, "The star that shines brighter than any other will come and be the light that defends the Clan from mad power." The cat then pressed his nose to her forehead, murmuring, "I have a gift for you." And she woke up. Startled by her dream, she dressed and looked into the mirror. And gasped. On her forehead, precisely where the cat had touched her, was a gleaming jewel that reflected every color! In the light, it glimmered pink, scarlet, orange, yellow, emerald, cerulean, and a deep violet the color of her eyes. Also, around her neck was a lovely necklace, made of a thin chain of glinting and gleaming silver attached to a beautiful, iridescent gemstone that felt warm to the touch.
That afternoon, she was hunting in the forest to bring back some meat so she and Moon could have something to eat, since her step parents never gave them any food. Suddenly, she heard a rustling noise. Quickly, she climbed up a tree, and spotted four cats hunting. There was a light gray one, a golden colored one, a bright, fiery red tom, and a dark tabby. The bigger cats were talking. She climbed down the tree and called to them. They looked surprised to see her, but strangely enough, they didn't flee. The red one gasped when she saw her, saying something like "A star!"
Star greeted them with a cheerful, "Hello!". "A twoleg that can talk!" the gray cat gasped. "We should take you to Rainbowstar." The cats led her deep into the forest. And along the way, she got to know the cats. The fire-orange tom with bright orange eyes, filled with knowledge and understanding, was named Flameheart, and was very excited to meet her. He was really nice and sweet and funny.
The big golden tom was Lionclaw, the gray one was Grayback, and the dark tabby as Tigerfang. Tigerfang, unlike Flameheart, was silent, and glared at her. Once, he even spat at her when she tripped, muttering something about clumsy twolegs while the kind Flameheart helped her up. "Oh, don't listen to him. Tigerfang's been a deputy for a few moons, and now he's as grumpy as the elders," he joked.
Soon, they reached the camp. There, Star met Rainbowstar, who was standing on the tall rock in the middle of the camp. Rainbowstar was a white she-cat with blue eyes and red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple splotches and speckles in her fur. She called, "Let all cats old enough to hunt gather beneath the Skyrock!" and cats in all shapes and colors came out from all around her. The space under the rock was soon filled.
Suddenly, the warm sunlight of midday seemed to grow brighter. Star felt the warmth from the necklace intensify, as a multi-colored light poured from it. The clearing was blinded by brightness as something incredible began to happen. The cats around her watched and gasped and fell silent.
All of a sudden, the light stopped. Star felt... different. She looked down at herself and gasped. Long, elegant, bright silver-white fur covered her from head to toe, shimmering softly midnight blue. Periwinkle, teal, aqua, gold, and lime shone through thin lines in her pelt, like highlights. Something else felt different, too... Star craned her head around, and spotted a proud, erect tail. She had become a beautiful, sleek but slender cat!
Star padded over to a nearby puddle and gazed at her reflection. Staring back at her were bright purple eyes, deep with emotion and knowledge, laden with bright flecks of blue, silver and gold. The jewel embedded in her forehead glowed softly the purple of her eyes, and Star's necklace was brighter and more beautiful than before, shining with multiple colors. Her long whiskers stretched outwards, and she could smell everything. All the different cat scents in the camp spoke to her, and beyond that, she smelled the scents of voles and rabbits and birds. She could hear really far, of all the mice scurrying underground, and the robin's song twittering a mile away. She got up and stretched in the sunlight, sending a kaleidoscope of colors through the air. The cats oo'd and ah'd. Flameheart ran up to her and murmured in a quiet voice that felt full of something, "oh, Star! You look beautiful!"
Rainbowstar looked stunned, and said, "This Twoleg has been blessed by StarClan!" The cats cheered! "We must accept her into our Clan. StarClan's wishes rule over all." Rainbowstar crouched down, ready to leap from the rock and greet her.
"Wait!" The cats gasped, and the crowd parted. Star narrowed her eyes as she spotted Tigerfang. "She may have been touched by StarClan, but she's still no warrior! She's as small and as skinny as a kit! She'll be dead in a day, whether it's by thorns or by claws!" Star watched him calmly and coolly, thinking. "I might have been a Twoleg," she said, choosing her words carefully, "but I am not weak! I hunt in this forest every day. I can climb trees and I have caught thousands of deer! I can beat a mouse-brain like you any day!"
"Oh really, well then let's see if that's true!" Tigerfang launched himself at her, paws outstretched, and long, hooked claws glinting in the sunlight. Star watched the deputy carefully, noting how as he leaped, one side was clumsily lowered. She sidestepped his assault easily, and he fell clumsily onto the ground, yowling in pain. She clawed him fiercely with her razor-sharp, shining gold claws, piercing through shadowy fur like it was butter. Tigerfang twisted, trying to snap his teeth into Star's side. Star gracefully dodged him and flanked him, slicing his side. Tigerfang shakily got up, before growling and trying to lunge at her again.
Same old tricks, she thought, easy!
Star leaped high above him, causing Tigerfang to look upwards in confusion. She landed on his back, and pushed him to the ground. Tigerfang screeched and tried to squash her under his body as he flipped over. Star leaped off, as quick as lightning, and slashed his exposed belly. Tigerfang bolted up, yowling in defeat, and ran away.
The Clan gasped! There were wild cheers of amazement. Even Rainbowstar looked stunned! "From all my years as a leader, I never have seen a cat so powerful and coordinated as you!" she said, "I have come to a decision. If you would like, you may join our Clan as an apprentice. Would you?"
Star knew exactly what she wanted to say. It was so obvious! "Of course I will!" she exclaimed.
"Great!" Rainbowstar meowed. She began to speak loudly again, "Cats of DarkClan, this newcomer has decided to join us as a Clanmate. She will be joining us as an apprentice. And I will mentor her."
Every cat, except for Tigerfang, cheered!
"Also," Rainbowstar continued, "because of his reckless and hostile actions, Tigerfang will be suspended from his deputy duties for three moons." Rainbowstar set her blue gaze onto him. "You must learn that every warrior must show acceptance and respect. So you will be helping out in the nursery. Perhaps that will teach you to be kinder!"
The deputy's eyes widened in outrage. He began to speak, but Starpaw cut in. "Rainbowstar, maybe three moons is too much. How about just one moon?" Rainbowstar looked at her, and sighed with affection and happiness at the kind Starpaw's thoughtful words. "Very well," she said, "Tigerfang, due to the forgiving tolerance of Starpaw, you only have to serve for one moon." She then turned to Starpaw and said, "Our training will begin tomorrow, at dawn."
Tigerfang hissed ungratefully at her, and still looked incredibly angry. The deputy spat and stalked off to the nursery. Starpaw watched his retreating form, hoping that something would change him to become a kinder cat.
Starpaw heard the soft sound of paws hitting the ground, and turned. Flameheart and two other apprentices, one a brown tabby, and the other a pale cream, smiled back at her. "That was amazing!" they said. "Can you show us your moves? They were so cool!"
Starpaw smiled. "Of course I can show you. It's a good thing Tigerfang will be serving the kits for a while. I hate bullies," she said, remembering her aunt and uncle. The apprentices led her to a sandy area, and watched in amazement as she did twist after kick after claw. Slowly, the apprentices began to tire, and went back to their dens to rest. But loyal Flameheart stayed. He watched her with warm, clear amber eyes, full of affection and joy. Starpaw finished one last battle move, and Flameheart stood up. Shyly, he walked up to her.
The looked into each other's eyes, Flameheart's warm, kind amber eyes into her deep, multicolored ones. He asked softly, "Hey... Starpaw... would you like to go on a date with me?" Starpaw gasped with joy, "Of course!" She couldn't believe it! Flameheart had just asked her out!
They walked to the edge of DarkClan's territory, a grassy cliff that overlooked a gleaming blue ocean. Starpaw looked at Flameheart, noticing his long, luxurious bright sun-red fur, and the lean, hard muscle beneath it. His orange eyes were shining and bright, unclouded by a single speck of dust. They reached the edge of the cliff and watched the setting sun together. The sun left a brilliant reflection of fiery red light on the surface of the water, streaked by paths of orange and yellow. It looked to Starpaw as if there was a path from her through the water to the sun. The two cats snuggled up to each other as the last traces of flame-light faded into shiny stars, bits of light in the cold, dark sky.
The day passed quickly.
The next morning, Starpaw woke up a little before dawn. Flameheart was awake, and he purred softly as he saw her. Starpaw purred back and they walked through the forest, catching two voles, three birds, two rabbits, and four mice. They were carrying them back to camp when Starpaw heard yowling.
"My kits! They're gone!"
Starpaw dashed back into camp, gracefully leaping over roots and stones. She quickly found her way back to camp through the large forest, and gasped. Frostshine, a blue-eyed queen, was sobbing. Larkwhisker, the silver tabby beside her, who had sweet features and a sleek body, was trying desperately to console her.
"A fox must have taken them!" Frostshine said.
"A fox couldn't have got in," Starpaw said, "the brambles are much too thick and sharp."
The hysterical queens nodded, grateful for Starpaw's intelligent and thoughtful comment. Starpaw continued, "It must have been someone inside the camp!" Suddenly, she gasped. "Have any of you seen Tigerfang?"
The queens glanced at each other before Larkwhisker spoke up, "We left the den to get some prey, and that was when our kits disappeared, as well as Tigerfang!"
Rainbowstar, who was watching the exchange, suddenly talked. "Starpaw, you have shown yourself to be an extraordinary apprentice. Will you go hunt down Tigerfang?"
"Of course I will!" she said. Starpaw turned, and dove out of the gorse entrance. She used her keen sense of smell and sight to search for him. There were tufts of tabby fur scattered all around the brambles and thorns in the forest, all that smelled of Tigerfang. She tracked him for a long time. After a while, she spotted him! He was standing next to a hole in the ground, dangling the kits by their scruffs in front of it. He muttered, "Come on, come on!" Starpaw sneaked up behind him, paws gently touching the ground, and leaped! She hit him in the back, using her sun-gold claws to slash through his thin, patchy fur. He yowled before clawing at her face, and a rumbling noise emanated from the hole. Starpaw valiantly ignored the pain and sunk her teeth deep into his flesh. Tigerfang tried to claw her off, but he was useless against her tight grip. All of a sudden, the growling stopped, and an enormous badger stomped out of the hole! It lunged at the kits, crushing them under its ferocious weight.
"NOOOO!!!" Starpaw screamed. She swiftly leaped onto the badger's back and clawed its neck. But Tigerfang cowardly fled at the sight of it, leaving his Clanmates to fight off the raging badger. The badger roared angrily and tried to raze Starpaw with its claws, but she leaped out of the way again kicked a powerful hindleg at its face. The badger moaned, but wrenched its head behind its back and sunk its teeth into Starpaw's leg. Starpaw screeched. The pain was excruciating! But she dug her claws in and swiped her paw at the badger's forehead, causing a long stream of blood to leak into its eyes. The badger thrashed around blindly as blood covered its vision and as Starpaw slashed it again and again, across its back and along its sides until it gave up and rushed back into it's den. Starpaw stood, panting. She had won! She beat a badger! Proudly, she returned to camp.
The cats cheered when she burst into the camp. They had all heard the results her valiant fight against the badger and Tigerfang. Rainbowstar leaped onto the Skyrock and shouted, "Today, due to the actions of a particularly brave and skilled cat, a new warrior will be made!" Starpaw listened, awed. Rainbowstar couldn't be talking of her, could she?
"Starpaw has tracked down the traitor Tigerfang and defeated a badger that threatened DarkClan. She will now be made a warrior!"
Starblaze gasped.
"I, Rainbowstar, leader of DarkClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Starpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
Starpaw smiled. "Of course I do!"
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Starpaw, from this moment you will be known as Starblaze. StarClan honors your strength, intelligence, honor, bravery, agility, gracefulness, cleverness, nimbleness, beauty, hardiness, good-heartedness, dexterity, virtue, kindness, gentleness, fierceness, battle skill, adeptness, positiveness, loyalty, and brilliance. We welcome you as a full warrior of DarkClan.
Starblaze felt the praises of DarkClan warm her pelt, but remained modest and took them in proudly, but not showing off. The crowd cheered so loud the forest shook! Starblaze noticed Flameheart was cheering especially loud. She smiled brightly at him.
Over the next few days, Starblaze excelled at hunting and fighting. She caught the most prey out of the warriors, and won the most in their practice skirmishes. And one rainy day, Rainleaf, DarkClan's medicine cat, beckoned to her with his tail. Starblaze approached, curious. Rainleaf glanced around furtively, and whispered, "Have you noticed the amount of ill cats around the Clan recently?"
Starblaze nodded. "Of course I have. Thorntooth was coughing this morning, and Deerspots looked a bit green."
Rainleaf glanced at her, impressed. "Yes," he said, "They have greencough."
Starblaze gasped! As a twoleg, she had helped the village doctor with his work, and had learned about the deadly greencough, as well as many other diseases and their herbal treatments, since there were only herbs nearby, no modern medicine.
***FLASHBACK*** Star stood in a snowy field, desperately digging with her bare hands, feeling for the soft, furry texture of catmint leaves. Half the village, including her sister Moon, were sick with greencough, the deadly disease that had plagued the lands in the middle of winter. She recognized it when she first saw the patients- sickly green colored, and coughing up their pain. She also knew that the treatment was exceedingly rare. And so she was searching the snow for the precious herb.
After a few minutes of searching, Star realized that her efforts were useless. She closed her eyes and lowered her head in defeat, when she felt something. Something in her that said there was catmint here. She just had to search a little more...
Star moved in a dreamlike state, feeling nothing and hearing nothing. Her feet moved on their own accord, traveling towards a seemingly nonexistent destination. Slowly, she bent down, and began to dig with her eyes closed, until she touched something soft. Star opened her eyes, and gasped! Right below her hands was an amazing shrub of catmint, enormous and delicious-smelling. She pulled it out by the roots. There was enough to cure the whole village! Holding her precious cargo under her thick, fur-lined jacket, she began to trek back home when she saw the hare.
It was an enormous white specimen, barely visible to anyone except for Star's keen vision. It was right next to her, only a few steps off. Star picked up a nearby, sharp gray stone and sneaked softly towards it. She had learned how to hunt from her real parents. Star lunged forward, but the hare began to dash off. Star chased after it, easily overtaking it with her long, slender legs, and stabbed it in the neck. Smiling, she returned to the village, confident and hopeful, with herbs and prey. ***END FLASHBACK***
"We need catmint, fast!" she said, "I promise I'll find some!" Rainleaf nodded and replied, "Thank you. I asked you because I knew you were strong, fast, and dependable." He melted back into his den. Starblaze dashed off into the rain-soaked forest.
She sniffed around for the catmint, hoping and wishing as she searched through the dewy undergrowth. All of a sudden, the strange feeling took hold of her. There was something useful in the brush... but this time it was different. An inherent tinge of blood filled her, shockingly dark. Ahead of her was someone with intentions to kill... and yet, there was something hopeful too. Starblaze walked forward slowly, waiting, knowing.
A ear-splitting screech suddenly split the air, and a shadow hurtled towards her.
Starblaze turned faster than humanely (or felinely) possible and slashed her attacker in the face. He yowled and fell onto the damp forest soil, wriggling pathetically in a useless attempt to fight back. Of course, he could have just gotten back on his feet, but Starblaze's amazingness prevented that. Starblaze angrily stalked up to him, and gasped. It was Tigerfang! And right next to him was an entire pile of freshly-picked catmint!
Tigerfang growled and his eyes suddenly flashed red. The downpour grew heavier and lightning flashed as sickly purple tendrils of darkness arose from his paws and wrapped around the herbs. Starblaze watched in horrified amazement as the catmint withered into dead, black shoots. The traitor deputy threw his head back and laughed, "Muahahaha! Now DarkClan will have no protection from greencough!"
Starblaze was enraged. "How did you become so cruel as to want to destroy helpless kits and elders?" she shouted.
Tigerfang smiled meanly. "I was always this cruel, kittypet." He leaped away from her, shadow tendrils trailing by his paws, and ran into the forest.
"No!" Starblaze screamed, chasing after him. Branches tore at her face as she raced through the undergrowth, but she didn't slow down. All she cared about was getting Tigerfang, for the lives he had doomed, for the misery he would cause. His retreating form flickered in front of her and she followed, bursting into an open clearing, the-
DarkClan camp
A shudder ran through her pelt. Her paws flew across the ground.
But it was too late.
Tigerfang stood in the middle of the camp, grinning insanely, shadows crackling and hissing around his feet. He stood over a flame-colored tom, whose now-dulled eyes were once clear and as bright as the sun.
She stood, stunned, as Tigerfang escaped.
The Clan watched her in a haze of gray, individual cats melted into the driving rain. She padded up to Flameheart and sunk her muzzle into his rapidly cooling fur, breathing in the last traces of his scent. All of DarkClan yowled in despair at the sight of the lovers, creating a cacophony with the sound of rain pounding on stone. Tears fell along with the rain.
Suddenly the stormclouds broke and a spiraling ray of light fell upon Starblaze and Flameheart. A quick gale swept past the clan, and a silver cat was formed from the wind. It was the cat from her dream! He smiled kindly and gently when he saw her, and touched his nose to her forehead gem, murmuring, "I see you are in great turmoil right now, Starblaze. Do not give up hope, for hope -light- is the tool of the good and the kind. As his nose touched her, her gem flashed a million different colors, blinding the forest in light. Starblaze felt light touch her soul, and she manifested it into life.
Somewhere in the dark shadows, Tigerfang shrieked as goodly light washed over him. He gathered his shadows closer around himself but the light separated and fragmented them. Still, he resisted and the darkness inside him grew deeper.
In the brilliant light, Starblaze felt growing, sprouting from her shoulders. Something unearthly, something beautiful. All of a sudden, the light stopped and Starblaze felt a breeze stir the something on her back. She turned. On her back was a pair of large, feathery wings, pure white and gleaming in the beautiful daylight. She flapped them experimentally and rose up into the air. Laughing joyfully, she winged her way around camp, testing out her new, wonderful wings. The silver cat watched her happily, delighted that he had been able to help the most amazing and graceful Starblaze.
But all of a sudden, Starblaze remembered about Flameheart. She landed in front of the silver cat and looked at him, grief and sadness in her eyes. He was so touched by her feelings that he started crying. "I'm sorry, Starblaze. Not even the me, Silverstar, the great leader of StarClan, can bring back the dead. But, I can show him to you one more time if you would like."
Starblaze nodded before Silverstar finished talking. "Yes. Even if its just one more time, I still want to see him."
"Very well," was the reply. A sudden flame crackled in the center of the clearing, burning away to reveal none other than Flameheart! Starblaze padded into his strong, comforting embrace and they stood together.
"Stay strong, my love," Flameheart whispered into her ear.
"I will, always," she promised him.
All of a sudden, the two StarClan cats began to fade away. Silverstar whispered to her before he left, "Use these powers you have been granted wisely, Starblaze. Use them to save DarkClan from mad powe..." His voice faded away with the wind.
Starblaze raised her head to the newly-cleared sky. She spoke clearly and loudly, so all the cats could hear. "StarClan has granted me a new life, a new power, and now a new pair of wings. I will use these gifts to rid DarkClan of the evil that has plagued us for so long. The darkness will never rule over us, for light is the true ruler." And with that, she leaped into the air, searching for any sign of Tigerfang.
~~~
In the dead of night, Starblaze was following a trail. The footprints were fresh, with no sign of Tigerfang even trying to hide them. She glided along the path, sure she was going to catch him this time and bring him to justice for all the crimes he committed. The trail was leading out of DarkClan territory, into a vast area of Twolegplace, one she had never seen before due to it being far away from her home. But her acute sense of direction never failed her, and even when she had to track him over stone, she never lost his trail.
Inside the Twolegplace, it was dark and foreboding, more so with night. Tall buildings loomed over her, dark and distant and gray. But Starblaze radiated an aura of good, and she felt confident and powerful as she stepped through twisting gray alleyways. After a few minutes, she reached a clearing in the metal trees, where a great chunk of stone rose from the ground. Starblaze approached the rock, but then she noticed something. Tigerfang''s scent doubled backwards! He wasn't in the clearing, but he was a few minutes ago. She was turning to leave when she heard a voice, as cold as ice and as sharp as a knife.
"Stop."
Starblaze turned. A black cat with one white paw stood on the stone. Around his neck was a blood-red collar, with long dog's teeth poking out of it. His eyes were as cold as his voice- fierce, frozen ice as beautiful as it was lethal. The cat jumped down from the rock and landed less than a whisker away from her. His eyes traveled down the length of her body, from her lovely shining gemstone to her silky multicolored fur to her luxurious angel wings. He growled, a gentle sound that seemed more like a purr than a growl of anger, "You are beautiful."
Starblaze looked back at him. His body was lithe and thin, his eyes sharp and beautiful. She felt so attracted to this wonderful, mysterious stranger, but forced herself to hold it in. But his eyes... they were so alluring, deep and crystalline and glinting so bright against his fur. He watched her with the same intensity, and he asked, "What is your name?"
"Starblaze," was her reply.
"And I am Scourge," he said. "You are a very beautiful cat," he repeated, "Would you like to stay with me in my domain? I rule over Twolegplace- it is my home, and it is my kingdom."
Starblaze hastily agreed, not being able to take her eyes off of this gorgeous Scourge.
He led her to the top of the rock. "From here, you can see all of my lands," he told her, "From the edge of the forest to the mountains where Twolegplace ends, this is all mine." Starblaze could only nod, amazed.
Suddenly, a pair of cats burst into the clearing. One was a dark gray tabby she-cat with a green collar full of dog teeth, the other was a dusty ginger tom, with an orange collar. They were holding a third cat between them, a ugly ash-colored she-cat with eyes the color of dirt. "Leader Scourge," they chorused together, "We found this cat stealing food from the Prey Storagehouse."
Scourge's eyes narrowed into chips of ice. "Why were you stealing my prey?" he asked the ash-colored cat, his voice dangerously low.
The she-cat merely spat at the ground.
Scourge growled menacingly, but she didn't respond. "Kill her," he told the two guards. They nodded and unsheathed their claws.
"Wait!" Starblaze shouted. All the cats turned to her. Starblaze abhorred killing unless when it was absolutely necessary. "If you kill her," Starblaze chose her words carefully, "Then I'll leave you forever." Scourge's eyes widened.
"No," he whispered. He hastily turned to the guards and said, "Spare her." They nodded and dragged the cat away. Scourge turned back to her and said, "Starblaze. Please, never leave me. I know I have only met you for a few hours now, but..." Scourge stared into her eyes, "I love you."
Starblaze gasped for the fifth time that day. But it wasn't a complete gasp. She knew that in her heart, she loved him too. And so what better time would there be to say,
"I love you, too."
Scourge's eyes softened. He padded up to her and rested his head on her shoulder. Together, they watched the sun rise. But all too soon, it was time for Starblaze to leave. Scourge pleaded for her to stay, but she knew she couldn't. "I have to stop Tigerfang," she told him, "My Clan will be vulnerable without me."
"Then let me come with you," he replied, "Please. We could rule over the lands together, with your forest and my Twolegplace."
"Yes, together," Starblaze agreed. They walked through the alleyways regally, continuing out of Twolegplace and into the forest.
They heard the screams long before they reached DarkClan's camp.
When Starblaze heard them, she flew. Her paws never touched the ground. Scourge dashed after her, not far behind.
They soon reached the camp. Starblaze first noticed quiet sobbing in the bushes by the camp, clear to her acute ears. She pushed aside the bushes, revealing gentle Frostshine. The white cat formed barely coherent words when he saw her, babbling in grief-filled agony. "Tig-tigerfang... h-h-he killed... Rainbowstar!"
Starblaze let out one of her characteristic gasps! She dove through the walls of the camp, ignoring the brambles that tore at her fur. The scene burst out to her eyes in a gruesome painting of death. Rainbowstar lay crumpled in a heap, and several other warriors littered the ground in piles of gray, golden, white fur and blood. Tigerfang was towering over a silver tabby, his teeth long and fortified with horrible shadows.
Starblaze lunged at him, claws outstretched. But her legs didn't comply with her actions, and she was too slow, too helpless to do anything but to watch Larkwhisker's throat being torn out by unnatural teeth. As her bloodied body sunk to the ground, Tigerfang turned to her. His voice was hissing and cruel, like a snake, and while he spoke, shadows pulsed around him. "So, Starblaze, you've finally decided to show up. But why are you so late? It's almost over already."
Starblaze growled back, "You killed Rainbowstar, you killed my Clanmates! Leave now, or I will kill you in the name of justice."
Tigerfang smiled back, his eyes crazed with blood. "Very well, Starblaze. But I will be back!" He turned and bounded away.
The sickly, cloying scent of blood and death stained the camp. Starblaze felt sickened by the gore. Her legs shook underneath her. Scourge pressed against her side. "You should rest, my dear," he counseled.
"Yes," Starblaze replied. Her mind felt dulled from grief, and she let Scourge lead her to the Warriors' Den. She sunk into a nest of soft moss and closed her eyes. The last thing Starblaze saw was Scourge, his icy blue eyes sharp against his pelt of night, before falling asleep.
She awoke in a dream land.
Starblaze stood on a cliff overlooking an enormous valley. Fierce gales howled around her, throwing up pebbles and charging at the ground. All of a sudden, they converged at a single spot in front of her, forming a gray cat with ruffled, unkempt fur and bloodshot eyes. Starblaze sighed in relief, "Silverstar, thank StarClan you're here! Tigerfang killed Rainbowstar and a bunch of other warriors and he's going to attack us again and I know I need to kill him but I don't know if I have enough power-"
She was cut of by the sound of bitter laughter. Silverstar chuckled, "Oh, Starblaze. You never really knew, did you"
Starblaze was confused. "What do you mean?"
"Starblaze, Starblaze. Did you know that every light has a shadow? No matter how high a flame grows, it cannot outrun the darkness it casts. Everything I have given you- your body, your powers, your wings, your love- all took my light power. But with this focused light I have created you with, there must be shadows to balance it. And there are. In Tigerfang, a cat who was once light, until a brighter star outshined him and casted her shadow over him. So he turned to the new power in darkness, and chased after his own dreams with them. But the path from light to dark had changed him, and now he chases after new dreams, ones that are nightmares to other cats."
"But you, Starblaze. I gave you a prophecy, and the light power to fulfill it. And you called on that great power not to save DarkClan, but to give yourself the appearance you desired, the popularity you desired, and wings you desired." Silverstar dissipated back into wind, his voice full of anger and regret.
And when Starblaze awoke, nothing had changed.
It was like she had never slept. Her head ached, and she trembled uncontrollably. Starblaze steadied her nerves and stood up.
Scourge slipped into the den. "How are you, my love?" he asked.
"I need to save DarkClan from Tigerfang," she meowed, "I need to rally the cats."
Scourge nodded, "Of course."
Starblaze exited the Warriors Den, Scourge by her side. They climbed up onto the high peak of the Skyrock. Starblaze proclaimed, "Let all cats old enough to hunt gather beneath the Skyrock!"
A handful of cats emerged from their dens. Among them, Starblaze recognized Frostshine, a queen, and Rainleaf, DarkClan's medicine cat. Starblaze took a deep breath and began to speak.
"Tigerfang, once our deputy, has turned traitor and murdered Rainbowstar and countless other good DarkClan cats. I need to bring him to justice for his crimes. But, I can't do it alone. He has grown much stronger by dark means. But, together, we can drive back his mad power. Together we can live in the goodly power of light. Together, we can become BlazeClan, where no darkness can overcome our blazing light. Now who's with me?!" Starblaze smiled out to the crowd, waiting for enormous cheers like when she became a warrior and defeated the badger.
But none came. The cats just stared back with empty eyes.
The silence was broken by a harsh chuckle, not unlike Silverstar's. The cats parted to reveal Rainleaf. He looked up at her with cold green eyes and chuckled, "So, the great Starblaze accuses Tigerfang of killing innocent cats after she did so herself, and now she wants to rename DarkClan after her own name?" He threw his head back and laughed.
"What do you mean?" Starblaze demanded.
"What do you mean? Have you forgotten Thorntooth and Deerspots, the two cats who were sick with greencough? You promised to find catmint for them, but you ended up finding Tigerfang instead. Even after that, you didn't see if any of the catmint was left. No, you just went on a wild goose chase after Tigerfang without thinking about the consequences!"
"But-"
"And did you know that Thorntooth and Deerspots died? They passed when I had to go search for catmint to save their lives. And you know what? I did find catmint. Right under a pile of withered, black shoots where a battle had taken place between you and Tigerfang. If you had just examined the catmint that Tigerfang supposedly destroyed, you would have found the cure to Thorntooth's and Deerspots's deaths."
Rainleaf turned away, his eyes narrowed in grief and anger. Many other cats stared in horrified disbelief. They turned to Starblaze, hoping, wishing.
Starblaze tried to speak, but no words came out. Her legs began to tremble again, and this time, when she tried to stop them, they didn't. Hoarsely, she croaked, "That is but one mistake. If I didn't try to stop Tigerfang then, he-"
She was cut off again, this time by Frostshine. The white queen glared at her, hackles risen. "Just one?" she screeched, "Don't you remember how you left my kits to die from that badger? You were too busy squabbling with Tigerfang to even try to save my kits! And now you are too late to save the rest of DarkClan, too."
Now all of BlazeClan was arguing amongst themselves. Starblaze heard their dark words and felt pressure pushing on her mind from all sides, squeezing and crushing her brain. She shut her eyes and wanted to scream in pain, but she had to do something to get the Clan back together. Scourge pressed encouragingly against her side, whispering into her ear, "You can do it, Starblaze. Don't let them get to you. You need to show DarkClan the light, the good."
That's it! I need to show them the light! Starblaze opened her mental connection with Silverstar, searching for any last scraps of light, of power she might have left behind. And in her mind's eye, she saw it. A radiant sphere, small, but concentrated and clear. It was light as pure energy. In great haste, she reached for it, hungrily seeking it to fuel her last wish. First the sphere recoiled from her grasp, but slowly, slowly she drew it in. Right as she touched the sphere, it felt as if something exploded inside her. The oppressive wall against her mind broke apart as radiant energy filled her mind and cleared her soul. When she opened her eyes, they were glowing white. The DarkClan cats stopped fighting and watched her in awe.
She spoke in a powerful voice, elegant and clear. "Look upon me and you will see light! While the night is dark and full of terrors, the blazing stars overhead illuminate it, for light is the true power. Light is the power of creation, and I, with it can create life!" Starblaze drew on the sphere, molding it with her mind into the shape of a small, furry rodent with long whiskers and a tail. Then she blew the last fragment of her light into its soul. The mouse twitched its whiskers as it came alive, and, seeing all the cats, darted around frantically, trying to look for an exit. An astonished brown she-cat pinned the mouse to the ground with her paw and quickly bit its throat. The mouse squeaked and died. The rest of the cats watched Starblaze, amazement filling their eyes.
Starblaze smiled down at the cats. "But darkness has always oppressed light. Darkness strips away the wonder, stealing it for itself in greed. And that is why I need to stop Tigerfang. He is the dark that is stealing away your Clanmates, your light."
Every BlazeClan cat stared at her. Their awe surpassed their anger at her, their dreams surpassed their want for retribution. They must be on my side now! Starblaze thought, they must be. The adrenaline from the last of the light was leaving her quickly, and the headache and tremors began anew in her, pounding harder than before.
Suddenly, a dark tabby burst into the clearing. The DarkClan cats bristled around him and unsheathed their claws. As her mind clouded, Starblaze smiled. Now DarkClan would defeat Tigerfang and his darkness. She unsheathed her claws as well and bent into a battle crouch.
But Tigerfang wasn't alarmed. He merely smiled and cooed, "The witch has finally shown her powers." Several of the cats stared at him quizzically, which made his smile even broader. "So, you have seen Starblaze's light. Her power. Of course, she must have used these great powers before. And when better than for her adventure through DarkClan? Or as she calls it, BlazeClan. She has created her face, her wings, all the prey she caught, all the straw-cat problems she faced with light. And why shouldn't she? But that's not all she made." "Starblaze made you."
The DarkClan cats gasped. "No!" a brown cat exclaimed, "I am my own cat! I'm not just another mouse made from light!"
Tigerfang continued, "But you are. We all are. We were all created from Starblaze's wishes and her light. She gave the most important ones she made powers and faces and personalities. But not us. We are the forgotten ones, the ones not good enough to receive minds or pretty pelts. We are here only to cheer and to worship her. Many of you don't even have a name. You don't believe me? Fine, then tell me your name. Say it out loud. Tell the world who you are."
The brown cat spoke loudly. "My name is-" But then she stopped. Her eyes grew as large as moons. "No..." she whispered, "I am not no one. I cannot be no one. I must have a name. I must be someone." Around the clearing, other cats tried and failed. In the end, only two cats could name who they were. And together, they stood tall. One was a white queen with blue eyes, and the other was a gray tom with green eyes.
"I once was Frostshine," the white cat said. "And I once was Rainleaf," said the other. "We were once close to Starblaze, close enough to earn our names and ranks. We were more than you at one time. But then we learned the truth about the light she created us with. We have seen the shadows that her blazing light left. And we have chosen to leave the false world she created, to enter the darkness that was always the truth. Now, we are free. Now, we have true names. Now, we have personalities. And they are ours to control."
The white cat closed her eyes. "I am not Frostshine anymore. I was never the gentle cat Starblaze made me. I am Cloudclaw, warrior of DarkClan."
The gray cat did the same. "I am not Rainleaf anymore. I was once forced into the path of a medicine cat. But I now understand that that was never the path I was meant to travel. I am Ashwhisker, warrior of DarkClan."
Starblaze watched in horror. "No! Do not listen to the shadows! They are trying you turn you against BlazeClan!"
The brown cat glared at her. "BlazeClan? Can't you see? We have always been DarkClan, and we always will be. You may have created me, but I see now that you were never cared for any of us. All you ever wanted was your own power, your own dreams."
Starblaze desperately called out, "Wait! I can give you a name! How about... Branchtail?" She shouted the first name she could think of.
The she-cat snorted. "Too late, fox-dung. I have learned the truth, and I will never be content with your meaningless praises again. I am Thurshfeather."
"I am Foxtooth!"
"I am Stormbolt!"
"I am Moonrise!"
Tigerfang continued his speech above the din of every cat naming themselves. "The cats who I have killed are all Starblaze's closest creations! They have lost all their independence, up to even their actions being chosen by her! Rainbowstar was one; who'd ever heard of a leader who would make an apprentice a warrior after one day? And Flameheart, a mate she created for herself. He had never picked her- it was his destiny, created by Starblaze, right from the start!"
DarkClan yowled their agreement, their voices combining into a symphony. Unsheathed claws were turned to Starblaze, hissing faces and narrowed eyes aimed at her. Several DarkClan cats- Cloudclaw, Foxtooth, Thrushfeather, Rainleaf- rushed up the Skyrock. She tried to dodge them, but Foxtooth was too fast. With her ginger pelt shining like a brand of fire in the sunlight, she ripped one of the wings off of Starblaze's back, and dropped it over the edge. Starblaze screamed. Head and back in agony, horrible, horrible pain clawing at her insides, burning them away, an invisible weight, her legs nearly giving out beneath her, Starblaze backed onto the edge of the rock. She glanced wildly around and suddenly spotted Scourge beside her. He was watching her with ice-cold eyes, narrowed and sharp against his shadow fur.
"Together, we will live or die," she said, one last shred of hope giving her energy.
"I'm surprised you haven't succumbed to the poison yet," Scourge said. He charged at her, claws outstretched, and pushed her poison-weakened shell of a body of the edge of the Skyrock.
"No!" Starblaze screamed as she fell, "Silverstar, help me! The mad power still lives in Dark-" Her voice was cut off as she hit the ground.
Only one dark tabby had last words for her.
"How could she still not understand? The mad power was always hers."
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Post by Shadowstalker on Nov 8, 2013 14:13:24 GMT -5
So it's not as long as Willow's, but hopefully it's disgusting enough to win. ^^
SN: can't you look at it? >_> NAME: Flawlessbeauty DESCRIPTION: Meet Flaw. Of course, her name makes absolutely no sense. How could anybody think she was flawed? The very idea disgusts me. But you're not here to listen to me, you're here to listen abut Flaw! When she was little, barely a few days old, her father was run over by a monster, and a few minutes later her mother died too, seemingly from no cause. But anybody who knew them would know otherwise. They were each others true loves, you see, the purest of magics, and her mother was so madly in love with her mate that she literally couldn't live without him. Their souls were intertwined. Which made Flaw the product of absolute love and magic.
Any kit would have died within hours, just from the cold, but miraculously she survived, the newborn dragging herself all the way to her uncle's. He was a ferocious, horrible tom, with crooked teeth, mad eyes, matted fur, and wicked thoughts. He raised his niece as his own personal slave, forcing her to fetch and carry, groom his coat, do all the hunting in the dirty brick alleyways where they lived behind the dumpsters. It was he who gave her the incorrect name "Flaw". But she never complained, not once. She tolerated all his beatings and cruel nature, never once even crying and she was so strong and steadfast! *sighs* Such a role model. She never complained about how her pristine paws were dirty.
Oh! Her looks! They were dazzling. They always looked like the sky. If it was a cloudless day, she would be a soft baby blue. If it were storming, you could see the storm clouds rolling off her pelt. On clear nights, her fur would sparkle with countless stars that formed heart constellations. Her eyes, oh her eyes....they resembled sunset over the ocean, rich rose colors, vermillion, and summer suns blended together in breathtaking beauty around that small circle of aqua that rimmed her pupils. It was easy to look into her long-lashed eyes and feel forever like you were falling, falling into a tropical paradise. Her fur was the silkiest in the world, softer than even a chinchilla. It was long, but not too long, and was always just the right length, never a millimeter too long. Her whiskers were groomed thrice a day, so never a tat formed between. The claws that graced her dainty paws were razor sharp, sharper than a chef's favorite knife, were well manicured and painted different colors that would normally clash but looked stunning on her. Even her cherry-tip nose was perfect in ever aspect. Flaw had curves in all the right places, was perfectly symmetrical and held herself with the grace of a righteous queen.
Eventually her uncle died mysteriously, from and unknown cause, as he vanished in the night. He deserved it. I swear I had nothing to do with it. Though she never had trouble feeding herself since she was the perfect hunter, she found herself lonely and so joined a twoleg's household. They were millionaires and fell completely in love with her perfection. Flaw was then given her own room, the largest in the house, and it was designed for her pure entertainment. She had a king-sized bed all to herself, and the best window view onto the acres of land that she claimed her own. Even during meal times, the perfect she-cat was granted to walk along the fabulous display of food on the grand table, getting to choose the choicest bits of food. And though she ate much, she was always slender. And every night she would hunt, then bury the food and offer it up to StarClan.
In ThunderClan, a patrol was sent out to the border. There they stumbled upon Flaw. She had just fought off a badger single-pawed and didn't even have a speck of dust on her fabulous fur coat. The patrol leader, upon seeing her, gasped at her raw beauty and aura of power. The entire patrol fell on their knees, and chanted in perfect union, "Hail, Flawlesstar, leader of ThunderClan." They immediately escorted her back to camp, ready to fight to the death if something attacked, or even groom her less she got a grain of dirt on her pelt. When they entered camp, everyone fell upon their knees in awe, struck by her pure perfection.
Suddenly, a warrior named Ratscar, the deputy, sneered at her. This cat was grotesque, with warts all over her, matted fur, missing an ear, tangled whispers, chipped teeth, broken claws, and smelled like she lived in a sewer. She was jealous of Flaw and her infinite beauty. "What's your name?" she asked the newcome arrival.
"Flaw," she mewed.
Ratscar attacked. Immediately rabbits and birds moved to defend her, but Flaw shook her head no and easily defeated Ratscar, and again not a speck of dust to be seen on her. Ever merciful, she chose not to kill Ratscar, because killing was wrong and she'd get blood on her paws. "Your name is no longer Flaw, but Flawlessbeauty, for that is what you are. Total perfection without a single flaw," said the leader, Rootstar. He resigned, backing down from his position, saying Flawlessbeauty would be the completely perfect leader. Everyone loved her, and toms knelt before her confessing their love, but she couldn't decide who to pick, so she was mates with them all!
At that moment, StarClan themselves descended from the heavens, saying she was far too perfect to have to traverse all the way to Moonstone. They then gave her ten lives instead of nine, and the last one would last forever. They tried to give her the name Flawlessstar, but she refused kindly, saying she wanted to be like everyone else. Nutters, of course, she was too beautiful and perfect to be like everyone else.
At the next gathering, she proposed a plan that StarClan told her: they must all join together under her leadership to form KawaiiClan. Everyone immediately agreed. Flawlessbeauty then lived at Fourtrees, in a spacious den. She became complete mates with Hotstar from WindClan, and they adopted all the orphaned kits in the world. Since she now had true love, and she was the product of true love, she cast a magical spell over the territory to always keep out danger, surrounding their land in a pink aura.
And so Flawlessstar lived happily ever after.
What happened to her old housefolk? They killed themselves, of course, because they couldn't bare living without their precious darling.
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