'Do I have to go through with this?' She spat out at Brightnose, wondering if it was even worth it after all she's been through so far. Yes, it had been her dream to be a warrior before, but now it seemed like a dull mission that shouldn't be completed.
The apprentice didn't respond to the call, waiting in the Warrior's den for a response, and making sure to dig her claws into the ground till she got one.
Brightpaw thought viciously, "It's our destiny. Have you ever thought cats might die if we just ignore it?!"
Wavestar frowned and smiled at Brightpaw.
"We'll go with names then! Brightpaw, do you promise to... blah blah blah blah blah?"
Brightpaw nodded eagerly and mewed, "I do Wavestar!"
"I hope our..... warrior ancestors.. blha blah blah blah... I know give you your warrior name, Brightblossom."
Fawnpaw glared at Brightnose. 'Well? Are you going to respond or what? Wavestar won't wait all day.'
Brightnose stared down at her and her emerald green gaze softened.
"Fawnpaw, it's your destiny." the she-cat purred, then nosed her daughter gently forward.
Wavestar smiled down as the warrior yowled out: "BRIGHTBLOSSOM! BRIGHTBLOSSOM!"
"Now, Fawnpaw. It is our turn to receive your warrior name." the leader of Riverclan yowled, smiling down at the apprentice he watched grow and learn the warrior code.
Fawnpaw halted at the entrance and murmured,'What if my destiny isn't as I want it to be?' Her tail slid across the ground as she dragged herself to stand beside Brightpaw, looking miserable. This wasn't what she was hoping for, destiny and all.
Her bright green eyes seemed to be darker, worn back with thoughts and worry flcikering here and there. Fur was clean and shiny, but didn't have it's usual sparkle. Claws looked like a dull black, rather than hawthorn ready. Ah, if they could see her now.
Wavestar opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. His deputy, Photoflash nudged him but the leader of Riverclan shook his head.
"Fawnpaw is not ready to be made apprentice yet. She will receive her warrior name soon." the powerful Tom yowled and dipped his head to Brightnose, Brightpaw and Fawnpaw whose eyes didn't grow wide for they knew why he said that. Murmurs and snickers from apprentices and warriors slowly erupted, narrowing their eyes at Brightnose as if they disagreed she didn't call anything out about her apprentice.
Cacklepaw stepped out of the crowd with his soon-to-be-mate Steerlingpaw, a snarl on his face.
"I know you couldn't impress him with your tree climbing skills alone!" the nearly warrior sneered.
Fawnpaw didn't respond to the taunts, the snickers, the treachery to the apprentice of the clan. The lies and insults sinking into her like a moth to the flame. It just made her sink lower and lower into depression. Yes, you may call it depression.
She felt her life was already destroyed. Destiny wasn't even fulfilled. Was there anything left, but death? Maybe that came next. Brightpaw was to go along with the destiny, and Fawnpaw was the decoy until she was useless again. No, no, no.
The apprentice squirmed into the apprentice den, tail keeping it's former posture with her ears drooping and eyes holding their normal sad appearance. She went to her nest, pushing aside her sisters, since she wouldn't be sleeping there tonight. Or the next. Or the next, after the next.
Brightpaw unsheathed her claws and darted her eyes to watch Fawnpaw slip into the apprentice den. Padding out quickly the apprentice set her face back in a sweet smile and approached Cacklepaw and Steerlingpaw.
"You know what your warrior names should be? Cacklemouse and Steerlingbrain." the pretty she-cat snapped and flicked her tail so it hit the two 'paws across the muzzle.
Cacklepaw's frowned and opened his mouth slightly, the look he had when he was thinking. Steerlingpaw snarled as she realized what Brightpaw meant and hissed the answer in Cacklepaw's ear, a snarl spreading onto his face. When her tail flicked across his muzzle the apprentice tried to bite down but Brightpaw was too fast.
There was only so much Fawnpaw could take. A rising barometer that was slowly rising, up, up, up! It got hotter, and hotter, until finally it would explode. It wasn't that high yet, just a little angry that she hadn't been promoted. True, she didn't feel in the mood, but it was a plain out insult of Wavestar for him to do that.
The leader was probably willing to speak with her after the meeting, but she wouldn't allow that would she? Another talk about how she should brighten up and enjoy herself, no! She's had enough of it, she didn't know what she wanted, but she did know what she didn't want.
Fawnpaw curled into a ball, pretending to sleep to avoid further conversation with anyone.
Brightpaw strutted in and gazed sadly at Fawnpaw.
"Hey, I'm still Brightpaw. I told Wavestar I would accept my warrior name when your ready." the apprentice purred and pushed her nest back next to Fawnpaw's, smiling gently.
Fawnpaw's ear twitched quietly when Brightpaw entered inside the den, not lifting her head to give away her false signs of resting. It happened by surprise, but the she-cat ended up finding herself really asleep soon after. She didn't realize how tired she really was. Why would Wavestar do such a thing? The she-cat snarled silently in her dreams. It was in it's dark theme, the one Brightpaw had refused for her to do ever again.
Dark trees. No sunlight. No flowers. No butterflies. Nothing. It was the perfect place for her to scream out her intentions without a cackle from Cacklepaw or an irritable chirp for Sparrowpaw.
Brightpaw smiled and rested her head onto Fawnpaw's body, their usual position. Her green eyes slowly fluttered closed and she opened them brightly again, thinking maybe her sister would be dreaming about the Lust's. Snarling, the apprentice unsheathed her claws, disgusted by the sight. Firmly shutting her eyes the apprenitce imagined their favourite place, a forest lush with prey.
"You promised."
'Partially, promised.' Fawnpaw scolded with an angry glare, softening slightly when she noticed that it was just Brightpaw. The scenery changed with the anger and temperature, or the coolness and calmness, of her thoughts -- which changed it directly to a boiling pit of flames that lapped at their paws but produced no warmth.
'This is why I didn't want to come back. I knew this would happen.' She paced, her tail jerking back and forth with an angry glare at the flames.
Brightpaw's gaze softened.
"What would happen? That everyone would dislike you for being the best apprentice that even the elders have seen for moons?" the she-cat asked gently.
'No, for being the cat that ran. The one that doesn't speak. The one that gets bullied and taunted and looked down upon by many. You saw them. You aren't blind sighted by their approaches! Wavestar is becoming one of them.' Fawnpaw was on the verge of a yowl, her voice rising in volume till it became a rough argument. Against herself, or against Brightpaw? That stood to be confirmed.
Brightpaw shook her head slowly.
"Wavestar isn't. He knows that Starclan won't accept you as a warrior if you don't accept it yourself." the she-cat murmured.
'True. I don't accept it. None of it. I don't get why you do, either.' She kicked up some of the flames, sending sparks shooting out from her paw. 'You don't get how confused I am are you? I want things back to normal. I don't want to know that you're my sister, Brightnose, none of it! It changed things for the worst.' Oops, did she go a little too far there?
Brightpaw's gaze hardened and her mouth formed a straight line.
"I will always treasure having a family. I don't know about you." the apprentice whispered and slowly dissapeared.
'How can you treasure it, when it lied to you, and left you along for moons!' Fawnpaw growled, the atmosphere changing back into the darkened forest with no colors and no light. Announce the world your problems! Scream it into their ears, yet nothing they will hear. Ah, continued being harassed, it's perfectly normal. Go along like nothing happened, just pretend you don't hear them gossiping behind your back. Perfect plan, let's go through with it.
Fawnpaw woke up the next morning with a sneer implanted on her maw. The apprentice was awake before everyone else it seemed, and she took it to her advantage to get out of camp before anyone awoke.
Brightpaw was wide awake and slithered behind Fawnpaw, silently. Her grey pelt blended in nicely with the darkness, making her practically invisible.