Destined To The Stars |•Book #1•| Fallen Wings

Chapter Thirteen

"Can you fetch some catmint for me?" BerryBush asked worriedly as they urgently sorted through some dock leaves, tail flicking. FatePaw, feeling a sense of bitterness and weariness, sat slouched in his nest, his head in his paws. He hauled himself to his paws at the sound of his mentor's urgent tone.

"Of course, BerryBush," he mewed, his voice nonchalant. Deep down, he always wondered... Why should he bother being excited over gathering herbs? It wasn't like the clan would see past the bounds of the words of the stars. They had never seen past the prophecy, and never had, always focusing merely on the words of the stars. They would never praise him for being a good medicine cat, anyways. All they had ever cared about was the prophecy. To FatePaw, the way the clan acted, and the words of the prophecy were mouse brained, to him. If you ask me, it's all a load of fox dung. All I'll ever be seen as is the clan hero. In the eyes of the warriors, all I'll ever be is a hero.

BerryBush, clearly ticked off at FatePaw's anger, merely rolled their eyes, "Are you really still sour about the prophecy?"

"Yes! Must we always be bound, and controlled, by the will of StarClan? I'm sick of being the cat to carry the sick burden of being "special", I'm sick of being destined to be the one to end the life of a "villainous rogue" that you've all carved out for him to be!" His tail lashed with a mix of anger, defiance, and tiredness.

BerryBush couldn't control the laugh that bubbled from their mouth, full of bitterness and pain. She curled her lip,

"You should feel fortunate, FatePaw, not many cats get to enjoy that kind of life. The life of a savior!" They chided, cuffing FatePaw playfully around the ear. FatePaw felt his anger rising, his glare intensifying as BerryBush seemed to dismiss his words.

Hackles rising, he spat, "Well, I don't! I don't feel fortunate at all!" His fur itched at the sound of BerryBush's angry, yet dismissive, tone. How dare they act like a prophecy foreseeing the death of his brother was some great reward? They don't understand! Ever since the death of GooseEye, bitterness had consumed BerryBush into an angry fit of stars and words, and FatePaw knew it originated from the fact that he disregarded the prophecy that had lost the life of a warrior.

"WoeSpring, my mentor, died because of that StarClan-forsaken prophecy! Do you dare doubt the words of my mentor?" Their voice was filled with raw emotion, their heart shattered to pieces because of the death of a cat they had cherished dearly. FatePaw jumped, caught off guard by the sudden outburst of his angry, fuming mentor. As he turned to face his mentor, he readied himself for the words he was about to yowl.

"You know what? Perhaps I do," he screeched out, emotion and anger swelling into his defiant tone. His claws raked the dirt, as he confronted his mentor, his tail lashing. BerryBush flinched as if she'd been struck by claws, and then she let out a furious yowl.

"It has to come true! Now, instead of sulking like a whiny kit, go get the catmint!" They screeched, the retort that had been building up in their throat releasing like a fiery rage. They breathed in, their eyes narrowed to slits as she stared at FatePaw. FatePaw could see a bitter tang of pain and loss welling up in her gaze. His mentor flinched away, before storming off.

It was around sundown. The sky, a deep mix of a hazy red and orange, reflected across the light pelts of ThunderClan warriors. The sun, low in the sky, glared a blinding light into the eyes of FatePaw, causing him to lower his eyes and stare at the amber-lit ground. Warriors, young and old, shared tongues.

It was... peaceful. He felt his muscles relax, as the light chatter of YewClaw, to her friend, ThrushFur, traveled across the clearing. Her voice seemed tender, as she looked at a tempered ThrushFur with a calmness. The brown molly seemed to relax a moment later, as YewClaw put her paw across ThrushFurs.