Post by Dance on Sept 23, 2007 16:48:59 GMT -5
Title: Astray
Chapters: Unknown; at least 5
Author: Fernwhisker/Dance/Kest
Rating: PG/possible PG-13 (unfinished, so I'm not sure how violent it will get)
Spoilers: The Sight spoilers
Summary:
Warning: Major character death, violence
Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors. If I did, things would be a bit different.
Beta: Dreamheart
Cover: none yet
Author's Notes: Hollypaw turning evil...this is very fun to write, incidentally. I hope Hollypaw does turn out to be the villain.
That night, the dream came. As she knew it would--as it had each night.
Once again, she found herself in a dark, empty land; one that was cold and starless. The only light was the flickering, unearthly glow of the fungi.
Ahead, a black path wound out of sight.
In the past, Hollypaw had been cautious. She had lingered in the clearing until daybreak brought the end of the dream.
But tonight, she let recklessness take hold.
She padded silently down the path, tensing at each turn, her fur prickling at the silence. Every sense told her that this place was an unholy one, a world of nightmares. Fear grew in her heart as she walked, weighing her down, tripping her steps. She wanted the dreams to end, but she knew that they had hardly yet begun.
It was a long path, one she had to take to the end.
Suddenly, the air changed. She felt a new warmth, as if sunlight struck her black pelt--but no such light cut through the blackness.
She heard voices.
Hollypaw crouched, watching the glint of her claws in the sickly light of the fungi. The warmth was more comfortable than the chilly dampness a moment before, but she was afraid of whoever stood around the next turn of the path.
She would have crouched there forever, transfixed by her great fear, had not the voices spoke her name.
"Hollypaw. We've been waiting a long time," said the first.
"I was wondering when you'd decide to come here," said the second.
Hollypaw stood and pushed her way through the bushes, her green eyes wide.
In a second clearing stood two cats, so strikingly similar that Hollypaw knew they were kin. Both were dark tabbies, powerfully-built and bearing the scars of warriors. The smaller had eyes like chips of blue ice. The larger had ember eyes; it was on him that Hollypaw's gaze lingered.
She knew those eyes. She had seen them on a face she knew well, the face of her father, Brambleclaw.
"You had once aspired to be a medicine cat, Hollypaw," the smaller one said, his blue eyes flashing. "Are you so surprised to see cats of StarClan?"
Hollypaw started. "T-this isn't StarClan," she meowed, hearing the stutter of fear in her own voice and hating it. She wanted to sound brave.
She gathered all her courage, and managed to keep the stutter from her voice when she spoke. "You're Tigerstar. And…you're Hawkfrost."
Tigerstar chuckled. "Very astute," he growled. "This is not StarClan."
"Where is it?" Hollypaw asked, sounding very small, like a young kit.
"You are a curious cat, Hollypaw," Hawkfrost murmured, watching his niece carefully.
Tigerstar cast Hawkfrost an unreadable glance. "Curiosity is her birthright; it runs in her family...from her mother's side."
Her mother, Squirrelflight. And her father, Firestar, whose own curiosity had driven him to enter the forest as a kittypet.
Hollypaw waited, trying her level best to keep her face blank.
After a silent moment, Tigerstar answered, "It is called the Place of No Stars."
"Why did you bring me here?" Hollypaw's question seemed demanding and childish, even to her ears. She turned her face away from Tigerstar, counting tree branches, afraid to meet his gaze.
Her query was ignored.
"You are a curious cat," Hawkfrost repeated. "Your mind is sharp. And yet you have been given a mentor who does not equal your talent. Brackenfur is not the right cat; you will go nowhere."
Hollypaw could not help it; she glanced inquisitively at Hawkfrost and found she could not look away.
"Don't you want to be great, Hollypaw? To be…important?
To have the flawless respect of your Clanmates?"
An image jumped into Hollypaw's mind without warning; she could see herself standing proudly before her Clan. She was...being named deputy. Respect shone in her family's eyes; even Jaypaw bowed his head to her.
Hawkfrost's blue eyes burned into her, like ice against her skin.
"No," she said loudly, and with great effort wrenched her eyes away from Hawkfrost's.
The world leapt out of focus; one by one the lights died, until Hollypaw felt as if she was drowning in blackness.
Chapters: Unknown; at least 5
Author: Fernwhisker/Dance/Kest
Rating: PG/possible PG-13 (unfinished, so I'm not sure how violent it will get)
Spoilers: The Sight spoilers
Summary:
Warning: Major character death, violence
Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors. If I did, things would be a bit different.
Beta: Dreamheart
Cover: none yet
Author's Notes: Hollypaw turning evil...this is very fun to write, incidentally. I hope Hollypaw does turn out to be the villain.
Chapter 1
That night, the dream came. As she knew it would--as it had each night.
Once again, she found herself in a dark, empty land; one that was cold and starless. The only light was the flickering, unearthly glow of the fungi.
Ahead, a black path wound out of sight.
In the past, Hollypaw had been cautious. She had lingered in the clearing until daybreak brought the end of the dream.
But tonight, she let recklessness take hold.
She padded silently down the path, tensing at each turn, her fur prickling at the silence. Every sense told her that this place was an unholy one, a world of nightmares. Fear grew in her heart as she walked, weighing her down, tripping her steps. She wanted the dreams to end, but she knew that they had hardly yet begun.
It was a long path, one she had to take to the end.
Suddenly, the air changed. She felt a new warmth, as if sunlight struck her black pelt--but no such light cut through the blackness.
She heard voices.
Hollypaw crouched, watching the glint of her claws in the sickly light of the fungi. The warmth was more comfortable than the chilly dampness a moment before, but she was afraid of whoever stood around the next turn of the path.
She would have crouched there forever, transfixed by her great fear, had not the voices spoke her name.
"Hollypaw. We've been waiting a long time," said the first.
"I was wondering when you'd decide to come here," said the second.
Hollypaw stood and pushed her way through the bushes, her green eyes wide.
In a second clearing stood two cats, so strikingly similar that Hollypaw knew they were kin. Both were dark tabbies, powerfully-built and bearing the scars of warriors. The smaller had eyes like chips of blue ice. The larger had ember eyes; it was on him that Hollypaw's gaze lingered.
She knew those eyes. She had seen them on a face she knew well, the face of her father, Brambleclaw.
"You had once aspired to be a medicine cat, Hollypaw," the smaller one said, his blue eyes flashing. "Are you so surprised to see cats of StarClan?"
Hollypaw started. "T-this isn't StarClan," she meowed, hearing the stutter of fear in her own voice and hating it. She wanted to sound brave.
She gathered all her courage, and managed to keep the stutter from her voice when she spoke. "You're Tigerstar. And…you're Hawkfrost."
Tigerstar chuckled. "Very astute," he growled. "This is not StarClan."
"Where is it?" Hollypaw asked, sounding very small, like a young kit.
"You are a curious cat, Hollypaw," Hawkfrost murmured, watching his niece carefully.
Tigerstar cast Hawkfrost an unreadable glance. "Curiosity is her birthright; it runs in her family...from her mother's side."
Her mother, Squirrelflight. And her father, Firestar, whose own curiosity had driven him to enter the forest as a kittypet.
Hollypaw waited, trying her level best to keep her face blank.
After a silent moment, Tigerstar answered, "It is called the Place of No Stars."
"Why did you bring me here?" Hollypaw's question seemed demanding and childish, even to her ears. She turned her face away from Tigerstar, counting tree branches, afraid to meet his gaze.
Her query was ignored.
"You are a curious cat," Hawkfrost repeated. "Your mind is sharp. And yet you have been given a mentor who does not equal your talent. Brackenfur is not the right cat; you will go nowhere."
Hollypaw could not help it; she glanced inquisitively at Hawkfrost and found she could not look away.
"Don't you want to be great, Hollypaw? To be…important?
To have the flawless respect of your Clanmates?"
An image jumped into Hollypaw's mind without warning; she could see herself standing proudly before her Clan. She was...being named deputy. Respect shone in her family's eyes; even Jaypaw bowed his head to her.
Hawkfrost's blue eyes burned into her, like ice against her skin.
"No," she said loudly, and with great effort wrenched her eyes away from Hawkfrost's.
The world leapt out of focus; one by one the lights died, until Hollypaw felt as if she was drowning in blackness.
