Super Edition - Lightstar's Wrath

Chapter 8

"Honeypaw, is it your wish to be relieved of your current name in favor of the name Adderpaw?" Duststar mewed from the Cold Rock. Dawn was just slightly passed. 

Lightpaw brought his attention back to the ceremony. "It is," Adderpaw responded to Duststar's question.

"Than, from this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Adderpaw!" Duststar mewed.

"Adderpaw! Adderpaw!" The clan cheered. Adderpaw puffed his chest out proudly. 

"I expect all of you to respect Adderpaw's new name and pronouns. Dismissed!" The silver leader flicked her tail, and the clan dispersed. 

"Hey, Lightpaw!" A voice called. He turned his head to see Snowfeather approaching him, Adderpaw at her side. "I was gonna teach Adderpaw some battle moves. I thought it might be good for him to practice with you, so you could also get in some practice in for your assessment. So, wanna come?"

Lightpaw eyed his mentor and he gave a nod in agreement. "Sure!" The tabby mewed. The three of them ducked under the gorse tunnel and trotted out further into the moor. 

"Alright Adderpaw," Snowfeather started. "I want you to serve a mock battle with me and Lightpaw." She turned to the older apprentice. "Ready?" Lightpaw nodded, and the mock battle commenced. 

Snowfeather tried to leap behind Lightpaw, but Lightpaw managed to slip under her and kick her belly. She stumbled back but quickly regained balance. Snowfeather rolled out of the way of his next attack and pawed at his flank. He then leaped onto Snowfeather's back, holding on with his paws. She quickly dropped and half-rolled, throwing him off. Lightpaw was now on his back, his belly exposed. He went to scramble back to his paws, but Snowfeather pushed him back down, pinning his shoulders to the ground. She pawed at his chest before adverting her gaze to her apprentice.

"That's what a battle would look like," Snowfeather mewed, stepping off of Lightpaw. He felt a bit embarrassed to be beaten in front of Adderpaw, but Snowfeather was more experienced than he was. 

"One day I'm gonna beat you in a mock battle," He hissed to her playfully.

"Pfft. You can try." She purred back. "Now, Adderpaw, I want you to try a simple move. It's a forepaw slash." Snowfeather unsheathed her claws and swiped at the air in front of her in one powerful swipe. "Now, you try." Adderpaw lifted his claw and swooped at the air. He ended up losing his balance and nearly fell over. "Almost. Extend the paw you're swiping with more and keep your knees not so bent." 

"Like this?" Adderpaw extended his paw out more and bent his legs a bit, but it still lacked power. His swipe ended up being a little scratch. 

"Try moving your shoulder a little to give your swipe more power," Snowflower instructed. 

                                                  **************************************

After a bit of practice, Adderpaw began to get the hang of the simple battle moves. The three of them started to head back to camp. "Sunhigh already!"Snowfeather exclaimed. Soon enough, they reached camp. "Get some rest, Adderpaw. I'll fetch you at sundown so we can gather moss."

"Lightpaw," Thistlesong called from the distance. His face was covered in sympathy. Lightpaw padded over, confused.

"Is everything okay?" The tabby apprentice mewed.

"Listen," Thistlesong ducked his head and kept his voice low. "Duststar just told me that I haven't taken you out on enough sessions for you to qualify for an assessment."

"What?" Lightpaw hissed. "But I've been going out every day! I was just out helping another apprentice learn battle moves! I had a mock battle with Snowfeather! I was on the hunting patrol yesterday!  I was-"

"I know, Lightpaw," Thistlesong huffed. "But Duststar said that since I wasn't with you, I can't decide whether to assess you. I'm sorry." The grey patched warrior said softly.

"So all that training was for nothing?" Lightpaw hissed, the fur along his spine rising. "You're saying that all that work I had to do on my own was all just a waste?" He growled, anger flaring in his eyes. His pelt grew hot with frustration. How could his mentor do this to him? His assessment was less than a half-moon away, and now he tells him this?

"I'm so sorry Lightpaw, it wasn't my choice-" Thistlesong was cut off by Lightpaw's angry growl.

"You spent almost my whole apprenticeship on those kits! You barely even trained me! Now I have to wait longer for my assessment all because of you!" The tabby tom barked, the rest of his pelt spiking up.

"Well, I couldn't leave my kits alone!" Thistlesong retorted.

"They're not even your kits!" Lightpaw blurted out. He immediately clamped his jaws shut, his eyes widening. The whole camp went silent, adverting their gaze onto the arguing cats.

"W-what? How could they not be my kits? That makes no sense Lightpaw," The grey warrior snorted. "I know you're mad, but you can't just say stuff like that. What do you even mean by that?"

Lightpaw glanced over at Squirreldust. Anxiety was clear in her eyes. He turned his gaze back to his mentor. No turning back now. He thought. "At the beginning of my apprenticeship, when I was heading back to camp, I saw Squirreldust with another tom. She was talking about how their kits were growing up so fast." He huffed. Every word hurt his heart. "She said she was using you as a cover-up. Since medicine cats can't have kits," His eyes drifted to Stormshrew, who was wide-eyed at the mouth of his den.

"W-what? How?" Thistlesong's voice quivered. "That can't be true! Lightpaw, why would you make something up like that? Do you know how much trouble Squirreldust and Stormshrew could get in if you spread rumors like that?" The grey-patched warrior hissed, though he sounded as if he was trying to convince himself. "Squirreldust, my love, tell me that isn't true! Tell me that Lightpaw is lying!" His voice was frantic now and his own fur was spiking.

Squirreldust thought for a second before opening her jaws to respond. "I can't lie to you anymore," She huffed. "It's true. Stormshrew is my true mate and the father of my kits..." She kept her gaze on the ground, curling her tail around her front paws self-consciously.

"I..." Thistlesong was at a loss for words. His jaw was opened wide in shock. His legs quivered slightly. "No... You can't be serious..." He breathed. "You... you told me you loved me!" He hissed.

"I lied," Squirreldust replied, keeping her gaze on her paws. Thistlesong was almost as still as a tree. His eyes were still wide and his lips quivered. Lightpaw thought time stopped with how long the moment dragged on. Adderpaw, Leafpaw, and Flowerpaw all watched from a distance, in as much shock as Thistlesong. Stormshrew had disappeared further into his den, most likely from shame.

"You... You fox-hearted piece of crow-food! How could you?!" Thistlesong wailed before darting into the warrior's den. His cries and wails could be heard throughout the camp. The rest of the cats in camp seemed to stay frozen, still processing the scene that happened before them. They all glanced at each other before murmuring to one another.

What have I done? Lightpaw folded his ears back. Regret surged through him. The air felt colder around him. He thought his paws had frozen in place. He thought he heard Russetpaw talking to him, but he couldn't focus. All that was on his mind was the family he just destroyed.