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Post by stray on Jun 26, 2020 19:58:15 GMT
all my canon stories/one-shots will be posted here, in one thread. ✪ table of contents ✪ ➛ breakout - rainier and jay have a conversation after a training session.
➛ ascendant - aspenbreeze receives his nine lives. |
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Post by stray on Jun 27, 2020 0:56:18 GMT
〘 breakout 〙
INT. VALLEY OF SPIRES - DAY
Rainier - 14 moons
➼ A screech, a thud, a barking laugh.
"C'mon, you gotta do better than that if you're going to be the leader of the Bluebloods, mouse-for-brains." Jay lazily inspected his claws as his friend struggled to get back to his feet. "I'd almost think you were one of those dopey house cats that sleep in the sun all day with the way you tried to dodge that."
Rainier gave the lanky brown tom a withering glare and shook off the dust that had accumulated on his pelt. The rush of the waterfall near them should've been loud enough to drown out any more of Jay's blistering remarks, but Jay was one who made damn sure he was heard. It's been like this all day. At this point, he wondered if he really was learning anything from Jay, or if Jay was just taking him out here to ruffle his fur without getting yelled at by Snippet.
"You'll shut your mouth if you know what's good for you," Rainier retorted, knowing it was a weak comeback. Not like anything worse he said would faze Jay, but he couldn't let him have the last word.
"And what will you do if I don't, prince?" Jay asked mockingly, stretching as Rainier got ready to spar again.
"I'll drag you to the pool and let the waterfall bash your head against a rock."
As Jay laughed, this time with no rudeness in his heart, Rainier couldn't help but let his lips curl up in a smile. Sometimes he wondered how he ended up befriending Jay - up until a couple of moons ago, Jay didn't have any respect for authority and some of the Bluebloods would often report that a certain spotted tabby tried to brawl with them on their territory. Not to mention that Rainier wasn't just any member of some ragtag gang - he was supposed to lead. He was supposed to continue the Bluebloods' reign over the land.
Rainier's thoughts were cut off when Jay was suddenly upon him, claws unsheathed and teeth bared. Rainier jolted out of the way, Jay's claws barely snagging his thick coat. No more thinking. It was sparring time now.
Jay was still adjusting from his first missed pounce. With a growl, Rainier twisted around and reared on his back legs, ready to slam down on Jay's back, but the tom exploded up from underneath him and sent Rainier tumbling back. The breath was knocked from his lungs and, ignoring the screams from his muscles telling him to slow down, Rainier wasted no time getting back up. Jay was skinnier than he was, from his moons of living alone rather than with a colony, but somehow he matched Rainier in brute strength.
Snippet was the one who, at first, taught him to fight. She was a skinny thing, whose short fur made her seem smaller compared to his father, but she had shown Rainier that none of his opponents were to be underestimated. She would weave around him, easily ducking under his paws every time he went to bat at her, evading him with elegant movements he would probably never be able to replicate. Jay had more or less the same body shape as his mother, so Rainier only assumed he'd adopted a fighting style similar to hers. He found out pretty quickly that that was not the case, and the fact was reinforced as Jay crushed him against the ground and forced him to tap out.
The sun hid behind the towering cliffs around them and the shadows of the rock formations grew. Rainier left the valley with Jay falling into step behind him. Normally, with what Rainier has heard coming from Jay, he had almost expected his friend to berate him for calling it quits so soon. Surprisingly enough, when he explained that his sister Oriole would need a health check-in soon, Jay was agreeable. And, he had to be honest, that relieved him. He could do without being gently bullied, even for just a minute. With Jay overpowering Rainier in their last fight, the grey tom now had a quarter moon's worth of Jay's work to do alongside his normal day-to-day routine. And, alright, it wasn't the most ideal situation for Rainier to be in. However, he would just blame it on the fact that he hadn't picked up any of Jay's moves yet; he was still new to Jay's technique. Yes, that was what it was. He would learn it all soon enough.
"So what are your plans?" Jay asked after several moments of silence. Rainier glanced behind him, throwing his friend a quizzical look. What other plans aside from hunting for his family and training under his parents could he have?
"What do you mean?"
"I mean whenever your 'rents step down. What're you gonna do then?" Jay said matter-of-factly, as if it should've been obvious. He caught up to Rainier, his long legs easily covering the distance between them in a couple strides.
"I don't... aren't I already technically leading the Bluebloods alone?" Rainier wrinkled his nose. Alastair and Snippet still made all of the important decisions - whenever they had to be made - and discussing between themselves alone, but for the most part Rainier had been organizing hunting parties and handling claims to their territory alone. The daily affairs of the Bluebloods were in his paws and his alone. "They're focusing less and less on leading everyone."
"Sure." Jay didn't look at Rainier, but kept walking forward, apparently having caught the scent of prey on the wind. He sniffed, then furrowed his brows as the scent faded away. "Maybe you are. But you already know news travels fast. When all the rival gangs hear that the powerful monarchs of the Bluebloods are stepping down, and that their only son is in charge now? A son as young and inexperienced in political affairs as you? Oh, they'll try to snap you up in an instant and take all your land as fast as their greedy paws can."
Rainier set his jaw, listening to Jay with narrow eyes. Certainly he could've said all that in a less demeaning way, but... in a sense, he was right. The transfer of power could be shaky and there were more than a few older leaders who would exploit that given the chance. But with everything he has been taught so far, everything he was still learning, surely he'd be ready by then? His parents weren't as active anymore, but they still listened to his reports and acted on whatever sounded most troubling. They weren't stepping down any time soon. So...
"Why are you asking?" Rainier tilted his head ever so slightly, his tail held lower than usual. "What are you trying to say?"
Jay sighed and rolled his eyes, returning the glare that Rainier was giving him with a smirk of his own. Rainier resisted the urge to pull back his ears and growl.
"All I'm saying is you could do with surrounding yourself with a handful of strong cats, you know. Like maybe when your sister heals up, we could train her into a fighter like Snippet. Or I could get some of my old pals from the Hidden Hills to strengthen your numbers. If you got strong cats to be your fighters, your warriors, then no one will lay their paws on your claims."
"We're strong enough already, though. Look, Jay, I know you lived alone, and this is how things were for you growing up," Rainier said, his voice tinged with annoyance, "but it's not just about being the biggest gang. We have family we have to take care of."
"The weak will slow you down. Family's important to you, I can see that, but--"
"There are no weak cats within the Bluebloods," Rainier hissed, his fangs bared. The two cats stopped in the middle of their path, eyes locked onto each other. "Just because they don't match your definition of strong doesn't make them weak. Our best connections come from the cats you call weak. We have our way of life and you have yours. If you can't respect that, then I'll chase you out of our territory, friend or not."
Rainier stalked past Jay, who stared at him in disbelief. The skin under his fur was hot with anger and something else - it felt weird to snap back at Jay, but he stood by what he said. He would not go against his own moral compass and his lifestyle for one cat, and for no good reason at that. Rainier didn't look over his shoulder to see if Jay followed, but from the quiet crunch of pebbles he could tell he was behind him. He spoke one more time before letting the uneasy silence around them settle.
"I hope you don't bring this back up again, Jay. Do not forget who you are talking to."
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Post by stray on Jul 26, 2020 3:56:56 GMT
『ascendant』
INT. THE STAR CLIFFS - NIGHT
Aspenbreeze - 24 moons
➼ He never dreamed this would happen, not in a thousand moons. But here he was, looking down into a completely still and shimmering pool, preparing himself to stand before his ancestors as the leader of his clan.
Aspenbreeze sucked in a breath, glancing briefly over his shoulder at the path he had just walked from. A burly, golden-brown Tribe cat stood guard at the entrance of the cave, though she made a point to look down and away out of respect for the clan cats' sacred ceremony. Doeskip sat near him, her small frame dwarfed by his own mass of fur. He knew how these things went, or were supposed to go - he'd heard enough stories from his clanmates, and he could remember his trip to the Moonstone as an apprentice as clear as day. And yet... this was so much different. This was not the place he grew up in.
Aspenbreeze held his breath before he dipped his head and briefly touched his nose to the water. It smelled strongly of salt and he recoiled before committing to the act. He held the pose for a couple heartbeats until he was suddenly awash with a heavy sleep, his eyelids struggling to stay open. This was it. As his vision blurred, for a moment, he swore he could see starry reflections in the pool's surface standing beside his own. He sighed, a slow, light exhale, as he settled on the stone ground and let his body instinctively curl itself in before he fell asleep.
When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in the same field he now called home. But there wasn't a miserable heat beating down on his back; there weren't any fierce winds that kicked up dust from the valley. There was only a gentle gust that stirred up the tiny stars laying around his paws. Clearly, Starclan had already made themselves comfortable.
"Hi, Aspenbreeze!" A cheery feminine voice from behind him made him turn around. It was a little black and white she-cat, who was thin and short-haired and had a familiar narrow face. Oh, he knew this cat. He hadn't been surrounded by her scent since he was little. It took a moment for her name to rise up from the back of his mind, but he knew her. He had known her before he knew himself.
"Batnose," Aspenbreeze breathed out, rushing towards the she-cat and butting his head against her shoulder. It had been so long since he last did this. It had been so long since he last felt this safe. A surge of emotions threatened to burst from within him, but he forced them down and instead said in a shaky voice, "Batnose, I missed you. I missed you so much."
"Look at my son!" Batnose purred, leaning back and looking at the ginger tom with pride in her eyes. There were no scars on her pelt and soft starlight quite literally radiated from her. "My little leader is here with a clan of his own. He's much bigger than I last remember!"
"Batnose, so much has happened," Aspenbreeze said, taking a reluctant step back from his foster mother. His mother.
"I know," She meowed, "and you’ve done so well. You deserve to be a leader, Aspenbreeze."
A soft and sudden breeze around them heralded the arrival of the rest of the Starclan cats. Aspenbreeze watched in awe as their star-studded pelts surrounded him; for the first time in moons, he felt totally and completely safe. With a fond look in her eyes, Batnose straightened herself and beamed at her son.
“You know what comes next,” She said with a twitch of her ear. “Are you ready to receive your nine lives from StarClan?”
Aspenbreeze could only nod briefly in reply, a lump in his throat as Batnose stepped forward once more.
“With this life, I give you peace.” The black and white she-cat touched her nose to the top of Aspenbreeze’s head once he bent down for her to reach. A feeling of warmth spread through his body, gentle and soft like the sunlight warming the skin beneath his fur. It was a feeling he had long since forgotten. He wanted to bask in it forever, but he knew he couldn’t, so he simply closed his eyes and sighed in relief. “You have every reason to stay vigilant, but you must take the time to enjoy peace with your clanmates. You cannot lead if you do not rest.”
All too soon, Batnose stepped back and watched Aspenbreeze blink his eyes open. When he met her gaze, he saw something in her eyes that took him aback—a distant sadness.
“Take care of yourself, now,” She meowed quietly, dipping her head and slowly turning away, her tail brushing his paws. Her scent faded as she disappeared into the crowd. There was a thrum in his paws urging him forward, to follow her pawsteps, but he willed himself to stay put.
Batnose’s spot was replaced by a tall white and brown tabby. It was another she-cat, one he knew, but she appeared much different from what he remembered.
“Swansnap!” Aspenbreeze purred as he looked his former mentor up and down, “You don’t have any of your scars! And you look younger, too. Your fur’s a lot neater than before.”
The ValeClan warrior narrowed her eyes at Aspenbreeze’s remarks, but her lopsided smile betrayed her inner thoughts. Ah, he missed this. The swats on the head he received as an apprentice were worth the chance to annoy her.
“I always knew there was something different about you,” Swansnap mused, her head tilted to the side. “Aside from the obvious, of course.”
Swansnap didn’t wait for a reaction from Aspenbreeze. Instead, she continued the ceremony, her voice clear and strong.
“With this life I give you confidence,” She said, putting her nose to his forehead like Batnose had. An intense surge of energy exploded in his chest, a stark contrast to the life before it—it left behind a burning sensation that had Aspenbreeze reeling. And yet… in the middle of the pain, there was clarity. A feeling of assurance. “If you cannot believe in your own actions, then no one will.”
Another cat approached him as Swansnap padded away. It was an older tom that smelled vaguely of PeakClan. His thick blue pelt was not enough to cover the many battle scars he had received in his life, yet Aspenbreeze felt he didn’t mind it. There was an air of nobility around this cat, and Aspenbreeze willed himself to stand up straight in his presence despite the pain that was slowly ebbing away.
“I am Rainstar,” He said, “I was a PeakClan leader many moons ago, having risen to power at a young age like yourself.”
Aspenbreeze’s ears perked at this; he racked his brain for any stories the elders may have had, any mention of a leader named Rainstar. Unfortunately, having only been a PeakClan warrior for a few seasons before making the journey, he couldn’t remember anything. Not that he could take any more time to think about it, seeing as they had a ceremony to do.
“With this life,” Rainstar murmured, “I give you wisdom and farsightedness. Use it to forge a future for the cats in your control.”
This life was a deep, endless void, bringing back the pain of the previous one. It was full of dark memories, of hard decisions, of regret. Aspenbreeze sucked in a gasp and closed his eyes, the ground swaying beneath his paws. He had only received his third life and here he was, struggling to stand. How could he get through six more lives?
Rainstar had already left and taken his place among the assembled cats when Aspenbreeze opened his eyes. With a shuddering sigh, he steeled his nerves for his next life. He had to get through this.
This time it was a kit who greeted him, a little cinnamon colored tom, and with a pang of sadness Aspenbreeze realized what that meant.
“I’m Lizardkit!” He meowed, wide eyes filled with a bright innocence. He was almost vibrating with excitement, and Aspenbreeze couldn’t help but smile. “I’m from ValeClan! I have a life for you!”
“With this life, I give you forgiveness.” Aspenbreeze dipped his head low and let Acornkit press his nose against his own, rather than his forehead like the cats before. This wasn’t painful like Swansnap and Rainstar’s lives, but Aspenbreeze was overcome with crashing waves of anger, of sorrow. He grit his teeth and growled, but eventually the feeling gave way to resolute calm. Lizardkit gave him a solemn look, the excitement having faded away.
“It can be hard to forgive, but it’s more peaceful than vengeance.”
Lizardkit stumbled away to take back his place with the rest of Starclan, weaving between the legs of his older clanmates. Aspenbreeze was absolutely exhausted at this point. Would he be able to make the journey back home?
“You’re doing well,” said a feminine voice. A calico she-cat revealed herself to be the voice’s owner and offered a gentle smile as she stopped in front of him. Her scent was familiar, but unlike with Batnose, he couldn’t remember when he had known her.
“My name is Honeyflower. I was a queen when you were but a kitten. For your fifth life, I give you resilience. Use it to guide your clan in times of trouble, when you feel you have exhausted every other option.” And with the touch of her nose, Aspenbreeze felt his weariness ripple away. He blinked once, slowly, and let the rest of his tension melt with a deep exhale.
He could do this.
“Thank you,” Aspenbreeze said, meeting Honeyflower’s eyes with a steady gaze. She nodded, turning away to let the next cat approach, but not without calling to him over her shoulder.
“Good luck, Aspenbreeze.”
Like a second wind, Honeyflower’s life reinvigorated him. He could stand now without his legs wobbling and threatening to give out beneath him. And yet, anxiety tinged in his heart. Four more lives still faced him.
Next to greet him was a midnight-black tom with a greying muzzle. He strode towards Aspenbreeze with an impressive elegance, unwavering amber eyes boring into his soul.
“My name is Nightfern. I lived before you as a ValeClan medicine cat during a time when my clanmates were blinded by greed and power.” The black tom flicked an ear as he gave Aspenbreeze a once-over, something that all medicine cats seemed to have a habit of doing. “I give you a life for judgement. Use it to make sound decisions for your clan, especially when all seems against you.”
As Aspenbreeze received his sixth life, fire burned within him and he almost expected his pelt to be singed. Not even the desert got this hot, even with his thick fur. He swallowed the lump in his throat and dug his claws into the grass; after what felt like moons, the raging fire dulled to a low warmth. Nightfern’s tail waved lazily behind him, watching the warrior come to his senses.
“These are uncertain times, Aspenbreeze. Look after yourself.”
Aspenbreeze didn’t respond, couldn’t respond. He simply watched Nightfern slink away and exchange a nod with the dark ginger molly walking past him. Just a bit longer. Just a bit more.
“Chin up, warrior.” She smiled lazily at him, and in her eyes Aspenbreeze could see a spark of mischief. “Your whiskers are drooping.”
“Who are you?” He asked, the tip of his tail twitching.
“Redstar. I wasn’t ever a deputy; it was Nightfern who chose me to lead, without ever seeking the guidance of StarClan.”
“What happened to the old leader and deputy?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Redstar sighed, glancing briefly to the side. “I can’t tell you now even if I wanted to, anyways. I have a life to give and you have a clan to run.”
At this, Aspenbreeze fought back the urge to fold his ears back. He knew she was right, but to be fair it was kind of her fault for dropping a juicy bit of a story on him. And, well, there was something about her that reminded him of himself.
“With your seventh life, I give you the willingness to embrace change.” She stepped forward, placing her chin on the top of his head. Aspenbreeze almost missed the last couple of words she spoke, what with the rumbling in his ears. He knew he stood still, unmoving in the field, but there was air beneath his feet and a roaring wind swirling in his head. Redstar stepped back as Aspenbreeze’s hearing returned. “Don’t cling to the old ways of life if they aren’t working. It will only kill you and your clan from the inside.”
The ginger molly turned away from him without another word, rejoining the ranks of the ancestors. The willingness to embrace change… he didn’t have a choice in the matter, did he? Not with GorseClan.
“Just a few more moments with us and you can head home.” A voice from behind forced him to turn around, and he came face-to-face with a young colorpoint tom. His fur was poofy and well-groomed, free of stains or scars. He spoke with a lilting voice, light and dream-like. “How amazing is this! You’re a founder of a new Clan. To everyone who comes after you, you will be known as the first.”
“It’s a little terrifying,” Aspenbreeze replied hesitantly.
“Oh, but we both already know that,” The tom said dismissively. “Your name, along with the other three leaders, will be passed down for generations. That doesn’t happen to just any cat.”
“I guess so, but, like… it’s still terrifying. What’s your name?”
“Ivycloud, PeakClan medicine cat. And I think you should be more excited about this.” Ivycloud puffed out his chest and quickly but smoothly lay his chin on Aspenbreeze’s head. “With this life, I give you pride and honor.”
Aspenbreeze sucked in a breath to prepare for the pain he expected, but it didn’t come—at least, not how he expected it to. He couldn’t breathe. Panic bubbled in his chest as he coughed, straining to get enough air. As he struggled, there was a split second when he lifted his head and stood tall that he could breathe. Oh, it clicked for him alright, but he gave Ivycloud a glare as he straightened his posture and calmed down. Ivycloud simply gave him a smug look.
“Don’t look at me like that. Keep your head up, Aspenbreeze. It’s okay to be proud every now and then. Your clan needs someone who is proud of what they have built.”
Aspenbreeze wrinkled his nose as Ivycloud strut back to where he had been sitting before. He couldn’t help it when one corner of his mouth twitch upwards; Ivycloud had a point. And obviously, the other StarClan cats agreed, otherwise they wouldn’t have let the medicine cat grant him a life.
Speaking of. He had one more to receive.
“It’ll be from me, I’m afraid.” A stocky brown tabby stepped forward. He smelled of desert sand and smoky Joshua trees, of poppy flowers and salty rain. He smelled of ValeClan.
“Pikefur,” Aspenbreeze said in disbelief. “I—”
“I know that I may not be the cat you wanted to give you your last life,” Pikefur meowed. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be the father you and your sister needed.”
“It’s not… You did what you thought would be good for us. It isn’t your fault.”
“Isn’t it, though? Maybe you would have stayed in ValeClan,” Pikefur murmured, his tail low. He shook his head. “But I’m glad you found happiness in PeakClan. I hope you can be happy in GorseClan. That is all I wish for you.”
Pikefur didn’t give Aspenbreeze a chance to reply. He waited for Aspenbreeze to bow his head and pressed his nose into his forehead.
“For your final life, I give you truth. Do not take everything at face value, son. There are troubled waters you must calm.”
Instantly, he was plunged into icy shock—an infinitely deep pool of water, crystal clear and unyieldingly cold. He could see shadows dancing around the edge of his vision, tempting him further into the abyss. Within the depths, something yearned to be discovered.
Aspenbreeze gasped, being pulled out from the vision by the gentle touch of his father’s tail against his shoulder.
“Breathe, son. I’m proud of you,” Pikefur said quietly. Then he stepped back, standing tall and speaking both to Aspenbreeze and StarClan in a commanding voice. “I hail you by your new name, Aspenstar. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you the guardianship of GorseClan. Defend it well; care for young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with pride and dignity.”
“Aspenstar! Aspenstar! Aspenstar!”
It was with a burst of relief that Aspenstar realized that StarClan had erupted into cheer, realized that they fully accepted him as a leader. He felt dizzy from the amount of voices chanting his name, but all too soon the stars began to fade and Aspenstar awoke among the cliffs. Doeskip, who had waited throughout the ceremony, watched the ginger tabby rouse.
“Did it work?” She asked.
He rose to his feet, shaking out the stiffness in his body that had settled in his sleep. He looked into the pool. The stars looked back.
“Yes, it did.”
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