Summer Gathering Fanfiction/Fanart Contest

Jetclaw’s entry for the fanfiction contest:

A/N: I was very excited when I read the prompt and quickly devised a plot I immediately fell in love with while I was at work today. Except, once again it decided to become extremely long and had to be written in under a day. I’ve managed to succeed. And I hope you all enjoy 😀

Jetclaw yawned stretching her jaws open wide tongue sticking out a little before the yawn ended and she closed her mouth rasping her tongue over her muzzle afterwards as she refocused on the shapes of Flowerpaw and Robinpaw sparring in the training hollow in front of her. The sunlight filtering through the leaves of the trees around them, a gap illuminating the two training apprentices. Jetclaw focused on the bright light trying to awaken her fuzzy mind. She didn’t remember having trouble sleeping last night, and Flowerstream hadn’t mentioned anything when they got up that morning…
“Rough night?” Sundance asked the ginger she cat sitting beside Jetclaw under the tree, Jetclaw’s apprentice Fallenpaw looking up from where she’d been tracking a beetle at the edge of the hollow.
Jetclaw sighed pawing at her right eye, “Yeah, must not have gotten much sleep last night…” She muttered shaking her head to focus on Flowerpaw and Robinpaw; Flowerpaw having almost gotten Robinpaw pinned when the gray and russet apprentice managed to slip free of Flowerpaw’s grip.
“Their form is getting a lot better,” Jetclaw glanced towards Sundance who nodded.
Rustling from Jetclaw’s side heralded Fallenpaw, who came trotting over after the beetle she’d been chasing escaped into the bushes nearby. Jetclaw turned her head partially towards her apprentice “Once they’re done I’ll take you through some moves and then you can try your paw at taking on Flowerpaw,”
Fallenpaw looked up at Jetclaw excitement glittering in her eyes, “Okay!” She meowed before refocusing on Flowerpaw and Robinpaw who had separated and were circling each other in the hollow.
Sundance purred about to comment, when a caterwaul interrupted the pleasant scene. Jetclaw and Sundance bolted to their paws, Jetclaw’s ears swiveling around for any traces of sound. Sundance beckoning the 3 apprentices close Robinpaw and Flowerpaw obeying and moving towards her, Fallenpaw staying frozen by Jetclaw looking around wildly for the source of the sound.
“Was that camp- “
Jetclaw’s claws unsheathed as her ears pricked forwards detecting running paw steps and breaking branches and twigs heading right towards them. Jetclaw crouched ready to spring, when a familiar voice cried.
“Help!” Then Stoatpaw exploded out of the bushes her tan tabby fur bushed out to the point she almost looked twice her size. Her eyes were wide and wild as she looked around wildly before spotting the shocked Jetclaw and Sundance rushing over to them, “Help! Camp-Something, Everyone-I-Chasing-Help!” The young she cat meowed quickly her whole frame trembling unable to form a complete thought.
“What-“ Sundance meowed looking to Jetclaw, who tensed.
“Get them back something else is coming!” Jetclaw ordered shoving Stoatpaw back as she saw a flicker of movement beyond the gap Stoatpaw had made in the shrubbery surrounding the hollow. Jetclaw stalked towards the small gap tail up and eyes narrowed back arched.
A moment later a blur of black and white leapt at Jetclaw. Jetclaw didn’t have a chance to get a good look at the cat as the cat lashed out at her with sharp claws, slicing into Jetclaw’s cheek.
Jetclaw hissed blood beginning to drip down from her cheek, but she didn’t hesitate in retaliating. Before the cat could move again she grabbed onto the cat’s shoulders and shoved the cat into the dirt and bit down hard on the cat’s shoulder shifting to begin clawing the cats side digging into the black pelt underneath.
The cat beneath her screeched and rolled squashing Jetclaw underneath but rather than let go, Jetclaw adjusted her grip to keep clawing at the cats back and sides with all four paws her jaws remaining gripped onto the cat’s shoulder. She could taste the iron taste of blood across her tongue, but Jetclaw didn’t let go.
The thrill of battle was pulsing through her, her heartbeat pounding through her ears as she and the other cat struggled. The sound almost drowning out the voice of Sundance who was screeching something.
Jetclaw didn’t know what could be so important that Sundance was going to try and talk to her when she was in the middle of dealing with a threat. The black and white cat finally moved off Jetclaw ripping free from the grip Jetclaw’s teeth had in their shoulder. The cat staggered back a few feet and Jetclaw quickly recovered her feet and glared at the cat, who glared back with bright lime green eyes. Jetclaw barred her teeth bunching her muscles about to spring when teeth grabbed onto her scruff and yanked her back.
Jetclaw twisted about to lash out with her claws, freezing when she saw it was Sundance who was pulling her back.
“What are you doing?! The enemy’s over there!” Jetclaw yowled struggling trying to break free from Sundance’s grip without hurting her.
“That’s not an enemy!” Fallenpaw cried, Jetclaw turning her head towards the small cat who was looking wide eyed at the snarling black and white cat Flowerpaw standing beside her ears pinned back as she looked wide eyed at the black and white cat. “That’s Icy!”
Jetclaw blinked and turned her head and blinked eyes widening when she realized she was right. In the heat of battle, she hadn’t recognized the black she cat with the white belly as Iceflower. But to be fair, the Iceflower snarling at Jetclaw bore little resemblance to the friendly and cheerful Iceflower she was most familiar with.
Iceflower’s black fur was puffed out, eyes glaring daggers at Jetclaw, then she let out a laugh, “What’s the matter? You all out of steam?” She asked curling her lip at Jetclaw.
Once Sundance had pulled Jetclaw back to the point she was a tail length and a half away from Iceflower; the ginger she cat released Jetclaw and came up beside her to look at their vicious clanmate in confusion. “Iceflower! What’s gotten into you?! It’s us! Sundance and Jetclaw! We took the apprentices out- “
“Yes, trying to steal away our apprentices, we’re aware,” Iceflower meowed sharply eyes narrowing. “Did you really think we wouldn’t notice,” Her black tail lashed behind her, taking a step towards them Jetclaw tensing and arching her back hissing.
“What-? No! We’re your clanmates, why would we take apprentices from BlogClan?” Sundance protested eyes wide, “Iceflower what’s wrong with you?!”
Iceflower chuckled, and Stoatpaw let out a soft whimper as shadowy wisps flickered around Iceflower’s eyes before they returned to normal. “I’ve been enlightened like the other senior warriors, we’re going to bring about big changes to BlogClan, starting by enlightening every single member.” She meowed Jetclaw and Sundance’s ears swiveling around detecting multiple pawsteps advancing towards their location.
“Hmm, obtaining enlightenment huh… Maybe that isn’t such a bad idea.” Jetclaw mused sheathing her claws. Fallenpaw gasping and Sundance looking at Jetclaw like she was insane. Iceflower’s ears pricked forwards and she drew herself up looking satisfied. It was in that instant that Jetclaw moved. With the speed, some might say was reminiscent to that of her namesake, she crossed the gap between her and Iceflower raising one of her sheathed forepaws and bringing it down hard on the she cat’s head.
Iceflower let out a gasp, before crumbling to the ground from the blow. Jetclaw drawing back, making sure Iceflower was down for now before turning towards the others.
Sundance and the apprentices were looking at her wide eyed, and Jetclaw flattened her ears.
“Well don’t just stand there!” Jetclaw cried the approaching pawsteps drawing nearer and nearer pounding like the pounding of the tan and black she cat’s heart. “We’ve got to move!” Jetclaw meowed darting forwards tossing Fallenpaw onto her back and snatching up Stoatpaw’s scruff and taking off out of the hollow. Fallenpaw squealed and flailed on her back, almost sliding off completely, before the apprentice dug her claws into Jetclaw’s fur hanging on tightly as Jetclaw bolted.
Racing pawsteps and quick breathing on her tail made her glance back; Stoatpaw squeaking and curling into a ball covering her eyes from the jerky movements. Jetclaw let out a breath of relief as she saw Sundance, Flowerpaw and Robinpaw following after her. Just barely able to keep up.
“What are we going to do?” Sundance asked glancing back towards the way they had come.
Jetclaw focused ahead, “Run,” She ground out around Stoatpaw.
Sundance nodded picking up her pace so she was a tail length behind Jetclaw but already she was starting to breathe hard. Jetclaw’s ears swiveled around as the forest blurred past them, the trees starting to thin a little.
‘If we carry on in this direction the cover will get poorer and poorer,’ Jetclaw thought narrowing her eyes as her gaze swept over the area as she ran. ‘We’ve gotten a pretty big lead on our pursuers, and if we keep up at this pace Sundance and the apprentices are going to fall too far back and be easy pickings. We need a hiding place,’ Jetclaw thought glancing to the right where the forest was still fairly thick, and she nodded her head in that direction. ‘We’ll look there,’ She hooked her tail in that direction to signal to Sundance, Flowerpaw and Robinpaw where they were going.
Jetclaw adjusted her trajectory beginning to cut right still heading to the border of BlogClan but the foliage began to thicken around them once more.
Soon they were jumping over the roots of a tree that they used as a marker for their territory leaving BlogClan territory completely, and it was here that Jetclaw began to slacken her pace and slow down. She came to a stop when she spotted an old fox set that they could try to use to hide if they needed to. Breathing a little hard and fast, Jetclaw set down Stoatpaw who was quivering and still had her eyes covered. Jetclaw lifted her head to turn it and pull Fallenpaw off her back when her neck twinged making the she cat wince. Her neck aching from carrying Stoatpaw all that way.
Fortunately for Jetclaw’s aching neck, Fallenpaw was able to jump/slide off Jetclaw’s back and land with a thump on the ground. Sundance and Flowerpaw came up after her panting hard.
“So-so fast,” Flowerpaw dropped onto the ground flanks heaving.
“We had to move fast,” Jetclaw meowed, “They were practically right on our tails,” She moved to a tree with a few low branches and jumped onto the tree trunk and clawed her way up to the branch and peered out into the distance, ears pricked towards the territory. She couldn’t see or hear any of their pursuers… yet. “But at least now we have some distance, and this abandoned fox set should do for a hiding place if they do come this way.” The tan and black she cat jumped down from the branch and landed with a soft thud. “Also, I can smell the BlogClan markers so the wind’s changed and we’re downwind, so unless they’ve summoned Cloudtail from the books we should be in luck,” Jetclaw meowed, noticing Sundance looking around.
“That’s all well and good,” The pale ginger she cat retraced where they went putting her forepaws on a boulder to boost her height and look around, “But I think we’ve lost Robinpaw,” She meowed ears lowering.
“What?!” Jetclaw meowed eyes wide she turned towards Flowerpaw who’s ears were lowered and her two colored eyes wide, “What happened to Robinpaw! She was supposed to be right by you and Sundance!”
Flowerpaw looked down scuffing her paws in the dirt, “She-she was right behind me, I-I-I thought she was still with us-“
Jetclaw growled shaking her head and turning back to the territory, “Fox Dung! I have to go back for her!”
“Wait!” Sundance jumped in front of the tan and black she cat stumbling from getting her weary muscles to move so fast. Jetclaw stopped to keep from ramming into her friend. “You don’t know what you’re getting into! If you barge in you could get taken over by whatever has affected our clanmates too! Then what will we do?”
Jetclaw narrowed her eyes, “They’re affected by some sort of thing that they’re calling ‘enlightenment’, I don’t know what it is, but all I know is Robinpaw’s stuck back there along with who knows who else.”
“But we have someone who might be able to tell us more,” Sundance reminded her turning her head and nodding towards Stoatpaw who was beginning to recover from being carried so roughly.
Jetclaw let out a sigh tail lashing, before heading over to Stoatpaw, “Stoatpaw, I need you to tell me everything you know about this, what happened before Icy started chasing you?”
Stoatpaw shivered sitting up and wrapping her tail around her paws. She looked down a moment, mouth opening and closing before she looked up at Jetclaw. “There was… I don’t know a darker feel to the camp. Like there was something ominous going on. The deputy didn’t come out to set up patrols so some cats took it upon themselves to go out and start hunting, patrolling and training,”
“Yeah, Owlwater was quickly snagged by Frostfeather to go on patrol,” Flowerpaw meowed nodding. “It’s why I had to come with Jetclaw and Sundance,”
“But after most of the patrols, and groups left, the remaining cats started acting… weird.” Stoatpaw meowed ears lowered. “Some of them wouldn’t wake up, while others were kind of wandering around kind of dazed and confused,”
“When did Iceflower start chasing you?” Jetclaw asked.
“Well… things started going bad when Cakestar and most of the older senior warriors called out all the cats, and said we had to… accept enlightenment,” Stoatpaw meowed shaking her head ears lowering, “I was sitting by Winterpaw at the time, and he said something…mouse brained,”
“Typical Wint,” Jetclaw muttered ear twitching. “So Wint put his paw in his mouth and questioned everything that was going on, and then enlightenment was exposed as a bad thing,”
Stoatpaw nodded shivering, “It got to the point where all the ‘enlightened’ cats had shadows around their eyes which freaked everyone out, and then they said that since we couldn’t accept enlightenment quietly… We would be forced to,”
Jetclaw and Sundance exchanged looks, as Stoatpaw shivered, “Winterpaw and I were sitting in like the second row… and when the others tried to get us, they ended up crashing into cats in the rows closest to the front instead. Shiveringrose made a concerted effort to get to Winterpaw, but Lionpaw and Gladepaw jumped on her and tried to fight her…” Stoatpaw bowed her head, “I-I didn’t see what happened to them because Winterpaw and I were shoved out of there by Wavesplash and Sapphireheart… Wavey took Wint, and Sapphireheart tried to stay with me… But she got tackled by Flame and shouted at me to run, and that was when Icy chased me to you guys,” Stoatpaw finished her whole body shaking. “It was the worst!”
Jetclaw’s eyes narrowed and she began to pace, “That means there’s patrols out there that might not be affected by enlightenment,” She mused.
“And Robinpaw!” Flowerpaw cried.
“So, what are we going to do?” Sundance asked glancing back in the direction of the clan territory.
Jetclaw’s eyes narrowed. “The apprentices should stay here, and you should stay close by. Stoatpaw is there any way to find out if they’ve been… enlightened?”
Stoatpaw shook her head, “Besides them acting different than they’ve acted before and the shadows around their eyes? No, not really,”
Jetclaw nodded, “All right, I’ll make it work,” She stopped pacing and turned to Sundance, “I’m going back to find whoever I can and send them back over the border, the apprentices should hide here while you keep an eye on the border and check for any cats I send your way.” Sundance opened her mouth to protest but Jetclaw turned away before the ginger cat could get a word in, “Look for the ones scared out of their minds, those are the ones most likely to be ‘unenlightened’.” Then the tan and black she cat turned and left.
“Jetclaw!” Sundance called after her, the ginger she cat making an attempt to give chase but her exhaustion from trying to chase Jetclaw last time had clearly tired her out. “Ugh! StarClan save you Jetclaw!”
Jetclaw gave a flick of her tail to signal she’d heard Sundance before she disappeared into the foliage heading back towards the BlogClan territory.
She slowed down as she neared the border, ears pricked and mouth open for any scents, she was still downwind from the border and any cats on that side of the border, but that could change in a moment. She paused to make certain and then nodded to herself, there was no one ahead in the immediate vicinity but once she crossed the border she’d have to-
A twig cracked behind her, making Jetclaw whirl around to find herself face to face with Fallenpaw.
“Fallenpaw!” Jetclaw hissed, “What are you doing here?” She demanded.
Fallenpaw lowered her gaze and shuffled her paws, “I want to help Robinpaw and the others,” She meowed lifting her head and looking Jetclaw dead in the eyes, “And you shouldn’t go alone, you carried me out of there, at least let me fight alongside you,”
Jetclaw sighed her ears lowering, “Fallenpaw, don’t be like me, I’m brave to the point of being a mouse brained, I want to get every cat out that I can. An effort that will likely lead to me succumbing to whatever got the others,”
“Then you shouldn’t go alone,” Fallenpaw meowed puffing up her chest, “I know you’re really brave and probably not scared of anything, but I don’t want you to be alone. And I-I can be another set of eyes and ears, and my stalking has improved a lot! And- “
“All right, all right you can come,” Jetclaw muttered shaking her head as she looked towards the border, “But from this moment forwards talking is to a minimum and you do everything I say no questions asked, understood?” Fallenpaw nodded the black she cat shivering with anticipation. “All right, time to pull a jail break.” Jetclaw meowed before slipping across the border, Fallenpaw a black shadow trailing after her.
///—///
They didn’t encounter any patrols or any other cats as they went through the territory, and they also encountered surprisingly little resistance on their way towards camp. But once they got close, was when it got dicey.
There were guards and it took every ounce of Jetclaw’s skill to get her and Fallenpaw past them and into the inner boundaries of camp. And it was there that Jetclaw found out why the territory was so empty. She and Fallenpaw were forced to climb a tree to avoid detection as Jetclaw told Fallenpaw (the best hiding places are up, you always forget to look there). From their viewpoint in the tree they had almost a bird’s eye view of the camp.
The majority of BlogClan was surrounded by a group of cats that were acting like a bunch of zombies, their eyes focused straight ahead towards the cats they surrounded.
“Why are they doing that?” Fallenpaw asked Jetclaw, the tan and black she cat narrowing her eyes as she peered into the group of cats. Her heart sinking as she spotted Robinpaw amongst them.
“I don’t know, they’ve got them all corralled with their enlightened ones acting as the corral,” Jetclaw muttered, unnerved by how the group seemed so lifeless. Like all personality had been removed and their whole mission in life was to pen in their clanmates. There was shifting from Cakestar’s den and Flowerstream and Emberdawn emerged guiding Rosefur who’s eyes had flicks of shadows flickering around them, the she cat’s head bent low and her whole-body language looking like a cat who’d had the worst day ever.
Jetclaw narrowed her eyes at Rosefur, as Flowerstream leaned in and whispered to Rosefur’s ear and Rosefur straightened up the shadows fading from her eyes replaced by a blank look and then the cream colored she cat moved and became a part of the corral as Flowerstream and Emberdawn moved towards the cluster of cats trapped in the middle.
“What did they do to Rosefur?” Fallenpaw asked quietly.
“I don’t know!” Jetclaw hissed back tail lashing, as Flowerstream and Emberdawn pulled Witchheart from the group and brought her towards the den. “I’d need to get closer to find out.” She cast a look around. “There’s no way we can jump from tree to tree without attracting attention, I’m no SkyClan cat,”
Fallenpaw looked around, “We could try sneaking up on them, I might just be small enough I could squeeze through those close gaps.” She meowed nodding to the bramble bushes and barrier that protected the camp.
“Yeah but you won’t be able to get close… They’re on the lookout for anything, and you’d have to get down from this tree and get over there without being seen. Things would have to go from zero to chaos really fast,” Jetclaw meowed peering down at the corral cats. “IT’s obvious the corral cats know they’re supposed to keep cats IN but what I could do is jump down and force my way in and break the line. There’s a lot less cats by the bramble barrier, if enough cats force through it can be broken. Plus, it’ll give you the chaos needed to find out what’s happening.”
“But what about you?” Fallenpaw asked
Jetclaw turned to Fallenpaw her ears twitching, “Focus on getting the info, that’s what’s important Fallenpaw, find out how they’re doing this, or what is ‘enlightening’ our clanmates.” Jetclaw meowed. “I’ll do what I do best,” Jetclaw meowed moving to get in a good position to drop down on the corral from above. “I’ll fight for what I believe in, and run like the wind,” She meowed, she glanced back at Fallenpaw who moved to the trunk of the tree to begun descending, “Once I drop, you get moving, whatever you do-don’t get caught, StarClan be with you Fallenpaw,” She meowed before shifting her focus back onto the ground below.
Fallenpaw dipped her head, “And with you Jetclaw.”
Jetclaw nodded sparing one last glance back at her apprentice, and then the tan and black she cat dropped from the sky.
Jetclaw dropped down and landed on Shiverfur, the pale grey tabby unable to react as Jetclaw practically smushed her into the ground with her landing. Jetclaw didn’t give her body a chance to settle fully before she leapt onto the next cat in the line pushing their muzzle into the dirt before whipping the cat next to them in the face with her tail.
For a moment everyone was just confused, then Wavesplash seized control of the situation as Jetclaw ducked a clumsy swipe from Blitzpaw and knocked the apprentice back with a kick to the belly.
“Scatter!” Wavesplash yowled, “Apprentices, run, warriors break the lines!”
At her words, the corralled cats bolted outwards. Some made for the gap Jetclaw had opened, others crashed into the cats who had been corralling them. The cats coming to life and fighting against those unfortunate ones.
Some guards headed in the direction of Jetclaw but Frostfeather and Frostflower came in and used their shoulders to knock a smaller cat flat on their back. The two Frosts continuing on, the cats behind them jumping over the fallen cat like gazelles over a fallen log.
Wavesplash launched herself onto Russetfeather knocking her down, with Winterpaw jumping in to assist by cuffing the russet cat’s ears.
“Look I’m helping!” He meowed before he delivered a solid blow to Russetfeather’s head that made her go limp under Wavesplash.
Wavesplash winced and looked towards Jetclaw who was moving fast to take out the sluggish corralling cats, she darted around swipes delivering trips, kicks and distractions as she weaved around them using every bit of speed she possessed she paused when she began to tire and most of the corral cats were hitting themselves trying to get to her.
Then she spotted Wavesplash standing near the defeated Russetfeather with Winterpaw sitting on the downed she cats head. For a heartbeat, the tan and black she cat feared the russet she cat might’ve died, but a second later and teeth in Jetclaw’s shoulder from her pause (which was from Lionpaw who Jetclaw knocked off with a swift buck and kick combination), confirmed that Russetfeather’s chest was still rising and falling. But Wavesplash and Winterpaw were still not moving.
“Get moving you two!” Jetclaw hissed darting over to them and grabbing Winterpaw’s scruff and getting him off Russetfeather’s head, so he didn’t wind up squashing her skull or something on accident. “It’s only a matter of time before they- “
Yowling sounded as Flowerstream and Emberdawn erupted from Cakestar’s den, Jayfrost, Iceflower, and Shiveringrose joining the two along with several more guards and the newly converted Witchheart.
“Uh, yeah that’s definitely our cue to skedaddle!” Winterpaw meowed, Jetclaw headbutted him forwards before she did the same with Wavesplash.
“You two get moving, I’ll get as many out,” Jetclaw barked glancing around seeing several small clusters of cats escape out of the camp.
Wavesplash blinked, “Are you- “
“Mousebrained? Yes, now go!” Jetclaw snapped before twisting and darting towards some of the stragglers who were still in the corralled area. The senior warriors were leaping into the fight and taking down some of the stragglers already. Jetclaw had to find Fallenpaw and get her out before it was too late. Jetclaw ducked letting Flame sail over her as she rushed in the direction of Cakestar’s den. She spotted Fallenpaw who was stumbling away from the den eyes wide fur bushed out like she’d seen a ghost.
Unfortunately, Jetclaw wasn’t the only one to spot Fallenpaw, Kat was barreling towards the apprentice and Jetclaw realized what she had to do. There would be no more running, it was time for battle.
Jetclaw yowled and rushed in Kat twisting to look at her just as Jetclaw came in at her side. The two colliding and rolling into Fallenpaw sending all three of them crashing through the bramble barrier just behind Cakestar’s den. They fell apart into a heap, brambles scattered around them, Jetclaw shoving Fallenpaw back before leaping towards Kat, realizing too late she might’ve miscalculated her attack.
Kat remained on her belly, and utilizing the move Bluestar used on Firepaw, caught Jetclaw in the chest with all four paws and threw her back. Jetclaw hit the ground and rolled back onto her paws wincing from the impact shaking off the dust, fighting back a sneeze.
“Jetclaw I know what it is! IT’s the Dark Forest!” Fallenpaw cried. “They’re entering our clanmates minds and breaking them down inside until they’re nothing but empty shells,”
“Oh, I’m far from an empty shell,” Kat hissed rearing up over Fallenpaw, Fallenpaw’s ears flattening eyes going wide as she looked up at Kat.
“Well you’re about to be shell shocked!” Jetclaw snarled forcing her weary limbs to move rushing in and jumping a crazy leap of faith over Fallenpaw and slamming into Kat’s stomach, Kat coughing from the blow. The two falling together, Jetclaw pressed her legs into Kat’s belly to jump off her, but a flailing paw from the large white cat caught Jetclaw in the head making the tan and black she cat see stars. Jetclaw hit the ground a half tail length from Kat who squirmed to recover her paws.
“Jetclaw!” Fallenpaw cried darting over to Jetclaw only to freeze as Jetclaw turned and fixed her with a glare.
“No! Fallenpaw you need to run!” Jetclaw hissed.
“But I can’t leave you!” Fallenpaw protested.
“Wavesplash and Sundance need to know what they’re up again, you’re the only one who know and I trust them to be able to fix this.”
“But we need you!” Fallenpaw cried legs shaking as she shot furtive glances towards Kat who was groaning and beginning to pick herself back up again, “You’re strong, smart and brave. You’re tough and stand up when we need you,”
“Any cat can be smart, strong and brave.” Jetclaw meowed, “Wavesplash and Sundance can be that, and so can you. But you can’t be that if you stay here, then not only will we lose this fight, we’ll lose the war. If you leave, I may lose this fight, but you’ll win the war. I need you to win the war for me. Can you do that for me Fallenpaw?” Jetclaw asked pushing herself up as Kat began to move towards them.
“Enough talk!” Kat snarled bunching her muscles and she leapt at Fallenpaw.
“Fallenpaw use that dodge skill Robinpaw and Flowerpaw were practicing! Dart under her before she hits the ground! You’re faster go!” Jetclaw hissed her legs shaking and head throbbing, her vision beginning to get foggy.
Fallenpaw nodded and rushed forwards Kat was beginning to come down from her leap the she cat shifting her weight forwards to try and come down on top of Fallenpaw. But Fallenpaw used her momentum and slipped onto her belly sliding on the flattened grass, moving like a worm slipping out from behind Kat just as Kat came down on bare earth instead.
“Go Fallenpaw!” Jetclaw yowled as Fallenpaw shot a furtive glance at her mentor narrowly ducking in time to avoid Kat as she twisted around trying to swipe the black she cat. “Just run!” Jetclaw cried, grunting as a cat jumped onto her sending her crashing into the dirt. “Go!”
Fallenpaw darted away from the senior warriors that were now heading towards them, she looked back one last time. Then the young apprentice’s eyes hardened and she nodded taking off, “I will make you proud,” The young she cat vowed as she ran as fast as her little legs could carry her.
Satisfied her apprentice would get away Jetclaw shifted her focus back onto the fight going on around her. She forced her paws back underneath her, grunting as the cat on top of her tried to force her muzzle into the dirt and smother her. Black was beginning to swallow her vision and her head was swimming, but she’d be darned if she went down without a fight.
She managed to force herself up an inch before another cat dropped down onto hind quarters and Jetclaw looked up just in time to see Flowerstream’s cold eyes boring into her soul before the silver gray she cat brought her paw down on Jetclaw’s head and sent the tan and black she cat into darkness.
///—///
Jetclaw opened her eyes to a dark forest wreathed in shadows, fog seemed to coat every inch of the place, it had a wet musty smell to it, and no sunlight could pierce through the thick canopy of leaves above Jetclaw’s head.
Jetclaw grunted shaking her head, pushing herself up. Her wounds for the most part forgotten, the she cat turning to the source of the sound of pawsteps a familiar ragged and scarred tortoiseshell she cat with amber eyes stalking out from the shadows and glaring at Jetclaw.
“You let her get away!” Mapleshade hissed stalking towards her. “You let so many of them get away, victory was within our grasp,”
Jetclaw snorted drawing herself up, “Oh please, if it was that easy it wouldn’t be any fun.” Jetclaw retorted shaking her fur.
Mapleshade barred her teeth and curled her lips, “We had an agreement,”
“And I didn’t violate it,” Jetclaw meowed, blue eyes flashing as she slashed her claws across the ground dark and dusty leaves getting flung up from the action “If you can recall what it was exactly we agreed on,”
Mapleshade growled, her tail lashing, circling Jetclaw. “I haven’t forgotten,”
///—///
/Flashback/
Jetclaw blinked in confusion when she found herself in a dark and shadowy forest. She craned her head back and peered up at the sky, shivering at the sight of the dark and impenetrable leaf canopy above.
“So, this is what the dark forest… They weren’t kidding about the dark part,” Jetclaw muttered ears lowering tail flicking side to side as she glanced around.
“Oh, it’s not the shadows of the forest you need to fear,” A sharp voice broke through the din and gloom of the forest. Jetclaw turned towards the source and spotted blazing amber eyes peering at her through the darkness, “But the darkness of those who lurk in the shadows,” A very familiar ginger and tortoiseshell she cat emerged from the shadows her eyes glittering when they moved over Jetclaw considering the tan and black she cat.
Jetclaw blinked and drew back a step, “Mapleshade,” She meowed. “I’d say nice to make your acquaintance, but I’m getting the feeling you’d sooner eat me than have a civil conversation,”
Mapleshade scoffed, “What, I’m not allowed to speak with someone who understands?” She asked walking to stand beside Jetclaw who drew back ears now flattened and eyes wide as she looked at the Dark Forest she cat. “Who understands the desire to punish those who have wronged the innocent?”
“You took it too far,” Jetclaw meowed simply, “Ravenwing and Appledusk deserved retribution I will grant you that, but Frecklewish was grieving her brother and you took advantage of that. However inadvertent it was,”
Mapleshade curled her lip then she sighed, “Yes, I suppose I did take it a little too, far. But I didn’t bring you here to talk about me,” She rested her tail on Jetclaw’s flank Jetclaw flinching at the contact, “Let’s talk about you a moment,”
“What’s there to talk about?” Jetclaw asked.
“You have so much ambition, so much potential. But all of it is boxed away to stay on the straight and narrow,” Mapleshade meowed. “You’re a warrior but you let others pull you back and keep you from using your claws,”
Jetclaw shook her head, “Sure, I wouldn’t mind being able to cut loose sometimes… But it wouldn’t be worth it. Hurting those I care about, and hurting those around me just because I couldn’t control my frustration and anger,”
“So instead you turn those painful emotions on yourself,” Mapleshade meowed tsking, “You should just cut loose, I could show you how. I could show you how to achieve greater power, greater freedom, greater satisfaction than you’ve ever felt before. Tell me Jetclaw what have you always desired?”
Jetclaw blinked slowly, “I- “
“Close your eyes, and envision your biggest dream,” Mapleshade meowed.
“I’m not making any promises with you,” Jetclaw eyed Mapleshade shifting back.
“I ask no promise from you, just tell me what you desire,”
Jetclaw’s tail twitched and she glanced away looking into the distance and she took in a deep breath her eyes slipping closed. “I dream of being important, I dream of doing something that makes others say ‘Jetclaw you really helped, you made a difference, you’re my hero.’” Jetclaw whispered her eyes opening, “I want to make a difference in my clan,”
“You want to be their hero,” Mapleshade meowed brushing her tail along Jetclaw’s flank.
“Well, maybe not their only hero, I just want to be known for making a difference in BlogClan and being an integral part…. Where if I was suddenly gone, I’d be missed,” Jetclaw meowed glancing down the shadowy fog seeming to move in by her vision and starting to obscure her view
“Oh Jetclaw,” Mapleshade purred lifting Jetclaw’s muzzle with her paw. “I can give you that opportunity, you just have to help me, I’ll make sure that your clan recognizes just how important you are,”
Jetclaw nodded for a moment before she shook her head her eyes narrowed, “No, evil always fails, but… I can get the best of both worlds,” Jetclaw meowed the tan and black she cat beginning to pace missing the gleam in Mapleshade’s eyes. “I can get the ball rolling, set everything in motion, and then as things begin to go wrong. When BlogClan is in danger, I’ll come in as the first wave to give them hope. Hope that we can triumph. I’ll be seen as their fallen hero when the second act comes around,” Jetclaw mused nodding her head. “Then in the second act, I’ll be just another puppet being yanked along, a victim subjected to your whims, making me innocent of any crime I commit,”
“Indeed, Indeed,” Mapleshade meowed stalking towards Jetclaw blocking her path. “So, does that mean you’ll help me?”
“I’ll help you, I’ll get you your foothold into BlogClan,” Jetclaw meowed, “But I’m not doing all the work for you,” Jetclaw said. “I’ll lead you into Flo’s dream, she was enjoying a nice dream about Rockwell I think,” At Mapleshade’s perplexed she elaborated, “Word through the forest is it’s a rock she draws for the clan to enjoy,”
“How does that help me?” Mapleshade asked.
“Well I was dreaming about you and your story when I went to sleep,” Jetclaw said, “I’m guessing you need some know-how of what I’m dreaming to get in. So, I just gave you the key to Flo’s dream. From Flo, you can get your claws into the other senior warriors, but if you’re going to get BlogClan that’s on you. However,”
Mapleshade sighed, “what?”
“Some get to escape, and they escape with me,” Jetclaw meowed. “I want an opportunity to play the hero to the fullest, before I am able to enjoy this whole being a villain shtick to the fullest,”
“Done,” Mapleshade growled, “Anything else before we get the work started?”
“Yeah, I don’t remember any of this when I wake up. As far as I’m concerned once I wake up I know nothing about any of this when things start happening. The only time you reawaken my memories is when we meet again, only after I’ve fallen to your forces,” Jetclaw meowed.
Mapleshade rolled her eyes, “Also done,”
“Then let’s go get this hostile takeover of BlogClan started,” Jetclaw purred barring her teeth, Mapleshade chuckling the shadows swirling around the two she cats ensnaring them completely in darkness.
/End Flashback/
///—///
“You’ve now facilitated what could bring about our plan’s failure!” Mapleshade hissed getting into Jetclaw’s face amber eyes blazing into bright blue.
“Oh, your plan’s going to fail,” Jetclaw meowed impassively sitting down and wrapping her tail around her paws looking around the dark landscape around her. “It’s just a matter of time, see, I know evil never triumphs, good always does… eventually. Oh, evil might have its day, but it never lasts. It’s basic storytelling, you have your acts that build up to the climax before everything falls into place. We just completed the first act where I fell from being the hero BlogClan needed to being amongst the corrupted,”
Mapleshade growled, “This isn’t some story for you to tell,” She meowed warningly
“Ah but the second act is the most fun, what happens next is out of my paws,” Jetclaw meowed sitting down and holding up her forepaws, “Either the BlogClan cats I’ve left behind will rise up and take back their clan, or you will lead the corrupted BlogClan members to defeat them and take over BlogClan. I’m curious to see which one will happen, but what I’m looking forwards to is either way I win. You win, I get to be chaotic and enjoy true freedom for a while longer, they win, I am welcomed back a hero for my efforts but I still get to have had my fun. I win either way,” Jetclaw said lifting her chin blue eyes sparkling
Mapleshade glared at her growling lowly, the forest seeming to grow even darker around them. “Enough chatter, there is work to be done to gain back the ground you lost us,” She meowed heading deeper into the dark forest, Jetclaw hesitating a moment before she rose to her paws and moved to follow after her.
‘But the reality is the real victory will be in seeing who’s going to rise up from this conflict. Who will grow to become the hero this conflict needs to be resolved, Fallenpaw? Wavesplash? Winterpaw? Sundance? The possibilities are endless and I look forwards to finding out which one it’ll be. But every good hero, needs a good villain. Now it’s time for me to play the part of an excellent villain,’ Jetclaw thought chuckling as the darkness of the dark forest swallowed her up as she followed after Mapleshade.

(I hope this didn’t cut anything out it was 13 pages long XP and some credit due to my friend ShadowofheartsXIII for the idea of the dark forest’s ‘corruption’ being considered ‘enlightenment’ from the DF)

Wait, where’d my story go? I know I uploaded it.