Amberglow's Mistake

This story belongs to Stormy!
WARNING: Story is very old.
THUNDERCLAN: 
Leader: Mountainstar--brown tom with green eyes
Deputy: Jasmineleaf--strict silver she-cat with black spots
Medicine Cat: Amberglow--reddish ginger she-cat with amber eyes
Warriors:
Shadetail (apprentice, Redpaw)--black tom
Mistfang--gray tom
Ivyecho--silver shecat with green eyes
Jasmineleaf (apprentice, Strikepaw)
Creeklight--brown tom with blue eyes
Greenspirit--brown tom with green eyes
Moonfire (Apprentice, Darkpaw)--black tom with silver paws and ears, blue eyes
Violetpelt--silver she-cat with blue, almost violet, eyes
Lizardleap--black she-cat
Maplewhisker--tortoiseshell shecat
Gingerflood--ginger she-cat
Dustcloud--gray tom
Parsleyfoot--gray tom with green eyes
Lilysky--tortoiseshell she-cat
Pricklefeather--golden tom with yellow eyes
Queens: 
Willowsplash (Kits: Dotkit, Aquakit)--gray and silver queen
Daffoldildust--blue-gray shecat
Apprentices:
Redpaw (mentor, Shadetail)--ginger tom
Darkpaw (mentor, Moonfire)--smoky gray tom
Strikepaw (mentor, Jasmineleaf)--orderly golden she-cat
Elders:
Hollowbelly--cream shecat
==Prologue==
Several cats padded slowly down a path, where the Moonpool waited. One was twitching with excitement and apprehension as they quietly surrounded the Moonpool. Amberpaw had chosen the life of a medicine cat, to have moons of secrets passed down to her. Yet she was nervous. What if StarClan rejected her?
Her new mentor, Leafnose, motioned her forward. "Amberpaw, is it your wish to become a medicine cat?"
She swallowed. The medicine cats looked at her expectantly from around the pool. She scuffled her paws. Leafnose's face fell with disappointment and embarrassment.
"Er...um...It is," Amberpaw mumbled.
Leafnose relaxed, the light coming back to his eyes. "Now take a drink from the pool."
Amberpaw shuffled forward and lapped at the water. The reflection of the half moon rippled as she drank. It felt as if ice engulfed her body as she was swept into the world of dreams...
Starry warriors surrounded her.
"Welcome, Amberpaw," said a silver-blue she-cat. "You truly wish to become a medicine cat?"
"Yes, I do," she answered hastily. Slowly, more starry furred warriors surrounded her.
A pale brown she-cat with amber eyes stepped forward. "May we talk?" she said. Amberpaw nodded furiously. She would not disappoint StarClan! Or Leafnose, or her mother or anyone in ThunderClan! She let the she-cat lead her into the starlit forest. 
"You seem...awfully enthusiastic," the StarClan warrior said.
"Well, yeah, aren't I supposed to be?" Amberpaw responded.
The pale starry warrior shook her head. "Everyone is at first. My name is Leafpool. I was ThunderClan's medicine cat many moons before you. I was the model medicine cat...until I made a mistake." Amberpaw was now uncomfortable.
"Well, erm, don't we all, occasionally? I once accidentally fed Shadetail yarrow instead of borage-" Amberpaw stopped herself. Idiot! 
Leafpool purred with laughter. "Not that kind of mistake. A mistake that leaves its echoes many moons after. Just be careful who you give your heart to Amberpaw..." she trailed off. Why would this dead cat ever accuse her of being disloyal to her duties?
"I won't ever choose a mate! I will be a loyal medicine cat!" Amberpaw stalked away.
She woke up to the sleeping forms of all the other clans' medicine cats. Oh StarClan, is this the right path for me? she thought. What have I gotten myself into?
==Chapter 1Edit==
The sun had just risen over the ThunderClan camp. Moonfire stretched and yawned, trying to shake off his fatigue. Jasmineleaf was assigning patrols, with Mountainstar watching from the Highledge. 
"Moonfire and Violetpelt, you go on a hunting patrol."
Moonfire quivered with excitement. Violetpelt was his mate, and his schedule had been so busy that he barely had time to talk to her. Violetpelt looked the same. 
"Oh, and take Darkpaw with you," Jasmineleaf added. 
Violetpelt's face fell. Darkpaw obviously thought Moonfire and he were joined at the tail. And so did Jasmineleaf. 
"So, where should we hunt today?" Darkpaw meowed, bouncing up and down. 
"Hmmm. Let's try by the old Twoleg nest." Violetpelt mewed her agreement, and they set off. 
The leaf-bare wind buffeted Moonfire's fur. He shivered, and wished that new-leaf would come. And leaf-bare meant shortage of prey, so he had better get hunting. In the end, they were only able to catch one squirrel. But it was a good one. His belly rumbled. He looked down at it. Maybe they could just have a couple bites.
Violetpelt sighed. "You know you can't eat right now. You have to feed the Clan first. I'm sure Willowsplash would like it--those kits are a pawful, and she needs to keep her strength up!"
Moonfire purred. "You're right. I don't know what I was thinking."
There was a silent pause, well, except for the impatient scuffling of Darkpaw's feet. 
"If we had kits, what do you think they would look like?" Moonfire meowed. 
Violetpelt brushed against him. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe they would have black pelts and silver paws like you, and they would have my bluish eyes!" They started purring.
"Ahem--I'm still here you know!" Darkpaw complained, "If we don't get this prey back soon, it will get all frosty and Hollowbelly will claw my ears off!"
Moonfire sighed apollegetically, and picked up the squirrel.
==Chapter 2==
Moonfire winced with pain. He had picked up a thorn in his pad, and it seemed to be buried deep. He limped along next to Violetpelt.
"Lean on me," she purred.
"I don't need to," Moonfire said through gritted teeth.
Darkpaw snickered. I'll punish that cheeky apprentice later, he thought. Then he limped off to Amberglow, the hardworking medicine cat.
"I picked up a thorn," Moonfire said.
Fast as lightning, Amberglow was by his side, with a dock leaf. He had always admired Amberglow. She was so quiet, but she would put nothing before her Clan. She rubbed the dock leaf on his pad, and pulled out the thorn with her teeth. It was somewhat of a hasty job, and his paw still stung.
Moonfire opened his jaws, to ask for more dock, but Amberglow silenced him. 
"I, uh, have to gather some herbs." And with that, she rushed out of the den.
What had gotten into her? She would never do such a hasty job. She always would listen to him and never would rush out like that with so little notice.
Moonfire walked to the center of the camp. It was hard to believe that it had been so long since their stone hollow was discovered. Squirrelflight, the legend, along with Bramblestar, had been the first to set foot inside the rock walls.
Parsleyfoot was staring at Amberglow as she hastily padded out of the camp. Then Parsleyfoot stood up, and padded behind her. Amberglow veered to the right, obviously trying to shake him off.
"Hey, Amberglow, do you need any help collecting herbs?" Parsleyfoot forcefully asked. 
Amberglow glanced across the clearing, her gaze locking with his for a moment. She knew he was watching.
"Yes, that would be great," she murmured. Why were they acting so weird? 
Moonfire thought for a moment. Then he followed them out of the camp.
==Chapter 3==
They seemed to be attempting to collect herbs, but they obviously weren't at ease. Amberglow accidentally shredded some chervil root as she was digging it up. Parsleyfoot was just throwing random plants at her, like they were herbs. Amberglow hissed under her breath as Parsleyfoot kicked some deadly nightshade to her paws.
"Oh, stop avoiding it, Amberglow," Parsleyfoot said casually.
Amberglow rounded on him, fire in her eyes. "Avoiding what Parsleyfoot?" she spat. 
"I love you, and you know that. Why don't you love me back?" he whimpered.
Moonfire watched on with horror.
"Oh, I never said that I didn't. But you know this won't work. I can't see you anymore. I don't want to talk to you anymore, unless you have an injury or sickness."
"But Amberglow...." 
"What?" she snapped.
"Why can't we just make life worth it? You know I could never care for a she-cat other than you. You could have our kits--beautiful little she-kits with amber eyes."
Amberglow turned away.
Parsleyfoot would not be defeated. 
"Who cares about the stupid code or Clan? All that matters is us! I would trade the whole Clan for a couple of mousetails if I could just have you."
Amberglow's eyes burned even brighter. "No. this isn't happening. I will take these herbs back to camp, like this conversation never happened. And we will avoid each other."
"Oh, but this conversation did happen," Parsleyfoot said under his breath.
Amberglow was stalking away. To Moonfire, and Amberglow's, surprise, Parsleyfoot barreled into her. 
"What are you doing?" Amberglow hissed.
"You will not just walk away like that. We will be together. Or who knows what terrible things might happen to those kits of Willowplash's." 
"Leave those innocent kits out of this!" she growled. Amberglow adored playing with Dotkit and Aquakit, so she was like their second mother. She must want kits without actually having kits, Moonfire realized.
He felt as though he had to help Amberglow somehow. But if he burst out of the bushes, there could be serious consequences. 
With surprising strength, Amberglow pushed him away. 
"I'm sick of this, Parsleyfoot. I'm sick of you terrorizing me and threatening my Clan. I have to put an end to all of it," she mewed.
Parsleyfoot was about to hiss something out, but Amberglow shot forward with surprising speed. Before Parsleyfoot even had time to react, she bit down hard on his neck. Blood seeped from the wound.
And that was the end of Parsleyfoot.
==Chapter 4==
Amberglow casually washed the blood off her face. Then, to Moonfire's surprise, she made a messy wound on her flank with her own claw. She disappeared into the undergrowth.
Moonfire was about to follow her, but she quickly popped back out, with a stick smeared in fox dung. She was making it look like a fox attack! Moonfire quickly realized. Then Amberglow made a few more gashes along Parsleyfoot's flank. Moonfire looked away, disgusted.
He let out a little gasp as he trod on a thistle. Amberglow swiveled around. Oh no, she heard me! He thought to himself.
Moonfire filled up with dread.
"You can come out now, Moonfire," she mewed.
He realized there was no use in hiding. He slinked out of the bushes.
"I'm sorry!" He whimpered.
"Oh, it's all right. It's just all right. As long as you don't tell anyone," she mewed. Then she snagged her claw on her ear, making blood come out.
"Um, Amberglow..... You're a medicine cat. From what I've learned today, you have a mate. And on top of that, you just killed a cat!" He responded.
She tensed with anger. "All my life, I've been working super hard to become the perfect, loyal medicine cat! And you know it! So what if I made a mistake? Everyone makes mistakes. And if the Clan doesn't know, then I'm still their perfect medicine cat!"
"But I know you're not," Moonfire mumbled under his breath.
"You better keep this secret or else," she hissed, unsheathing her claws.
Moonfire saw what happened to Parsleyfoot. And then he heard Amberglow's voice in his head.
"Right after the fox had killed Parsleyfoot, Moonfire burst out of the bushes to help me. But the fox was too quick. I barely escaped in time. Such a tragedy."
Moonfire gulped.
"Oh-okay," he stuttered.
"Now go back to camp, like you were just out hunting or something. It would do us all some good if you caught more than that pitiful squirrel."
Moonfire nodded, and dashed off.
Only he wasn't going back to the ThunderClan camp. He was running away.
==Chapter 5 ==
He didn't know what Clan life was worth. He would miss no one. Maybe Darkpaw? He snickered. No. He wouldn't miss that pain-in-the-tail for an apprentice. Violetpelt? Maybe. But no matter what, Amberglow's secret would get him caught in a web of lies. He would get wound up in the sticky strands, with Amberglow, the spider.
So he exited the territory.
It was surprising how prey-poor the territory outside of Clan boundaries was, even for leaf-bare. He was able to catch a mouse, though.
He found a bush where he would be sheltered from the snow that was beginning to fall. He ate his mouse, and settled into an uneasy sleep, for the heavy snow could easily blockade him in.
It may be cold here, but it's serene and beautiful, he thought, And I can sleep as late as I please. Clan life sure isn't for me.
(Yeah. This chapter is so short. I might add to it later, if I have time.)
==Chapter 6 ==
He woke up to find that the snow had indeed barricaded him inside of his flimsy excuse for a den. Through the small gaps in the bush, Moonfire could only see white.
He couldn't be Moonfire anymore. That was his Clan name. He was Moon now.
Moon quickly groomed himself. Then he prodded at the snow to assess the situation. White chunks hurled into his den. If he pushed out, he could be buried. If he stayed, he could starve. He chose being buried, because that came with the possibility of getting out.
One....two....three!
He thrust himself out of the den, snow pouring down in him. It suffocated him, buried him. He pawed at it furiously, and squirmed in vain. Finally, his head broke through the surface, and he gasped for air. He pulled the rest of himself out, cold, and shivering. The snow half-melted on his fur, leaving damp chunks on his dark pelt. Fox dung, he thought as he groomed himself.
He hunted for a while, and all he came up with was a small snow-encrusted vole. He pushed through the snow, and finally found a little hill in the ground where he could eat without being suffocated by snow.
He bent down to take a bite out of his hard-earned vole...but a furry shape flew at him, hissing. He was knocked off of his paws, and went sliding down the hill.
The intruder was brown, with jet black stripes and a fuzzy tail. He was hungrily taking bites out of Moon's prey. Moon growled and ran back up to fight.
"That's my prey!" Moon spat.
"Not anymore, fox dung," the other rogue hissed.
Moon slashed him across the face. But Moon had been weakened by travel, and this intruder obviously had not been. He lashed out with his front paw, a blow that sent Moon reeling. Moon hissed threats as he scampered away shamefully.
==Chapter 7 ==
It had been about two and a half moons since Moon had run away from the Clans. It was the dead of leaf-bare, Moon was starving, and worn down with fatigue. Not to mention, there were other rogues to compete with, and foxes and badgers. He no longer had the support of a whole Clan and Moon didn't like it. And he missed Violetpelt dreadfully.
That night, snowflakes were raining down hard, creating a cold, crisp blanket. Finally, Moon decides that he would go back to the Clans.
No, Moonfire decided he was going to go back to the Clans.
It took a few days' travel, but he was back in ThunderClan territory. It brought memories rushing back. Could he keep the secret?
He planned to put that all behind him, have kits with Violetpelt, and maybe do a better job of training Darkpaw.
And with gusto, he strolled into the camp. Violetpelt was the first to recognize him.
"Moonfire?"
"It's me," he said sheepishly.
"We all thought you were dead!" Someone called out.
A crowd was filtering into the clearing.
"Silence, everyone!" A voice rang out from underneath the Highledge.
Jasmineleaf stepped out, sweeping her commanding gaze across the crowd of cats.
"Where's Mountainstar?" Moonfire asked.
"Mountainstar is dead. It is Jasminestar now," Jasminestar responded.
A new figure slunk into the clearing. It was Amberglow, obviously returning from the Moonpool. Her gaze bore into him, even harder than Jasminestar's.
He couldn't believe it. He was now back in ThunderClan, and everything would be okay.
But he soon found out that this wasn't the case.
"So this is what you do?" Jasminestar hissed at him, "Abandon your Clan in the worst leaf-bare since the time of Bramblestar? You should be ashamed. You are still a rogue, and ThunderClan no longer welcomes rogues!"
The whole Clan jeered. But Violetpelt looked down. From behind her, scampered three lively kits.
"Who's kits are these?" Moonfire asked.
"Violetpelt's, of course," Daffodildust responded haughtily as she slunk out of the nursery. 
"Is this true, Violetpelt?" Moonfire asked, trying to hide the the pain in his voice. 
"Yes, it's true. These kits are mine--mine and Pricklefeather's. Their names are Dewkit, Meadowkit, and Needlekit."
It felt as if someone raked their claws across his heart.
"Oh, and I'm deputy now," Pricklefeather bragged as he shoved himself to the center, "So leave, you worthless rogue! You can go live with Twolegs for all I care!"
But Moonfire wouldn't give up his loyalty to ThunderClan yet.
"Do you think all of this is true, Greenspirit?" he yowled. Greenspirit was his best friend, before he left, aside from Violetpelt. Just thinking about Violetpelt made him want to yowl with sadness. 
Jasminestar cleared her throat. "Greenspirit disappeared mysteriously, about a moon ago," she said. Moonfire gulped. Greenspirit was Parsleyfoot's brother, and close friend. Amberglow's gaze rested on him from across the clearing. Her claws dug into the dirt. 
Say one word, and you'll be sorry that you were born, her expression said. So Moonfire stayed quiet. But he still wouldn't give up.
"But--but Darkpaw! Remember how I was a good mentor, taking you out every day to practice your hunting and fighting skills!" he said to the smoky apprentice.
Darkpaw shook his head. "You only took me out because Jasminestar ordered you to. And when you did, you were always just distracted with Violetpelt. Creeklight is my mentor now, and he's a better mentor than you could ever be," he said. Creeklight nodded politely to him.
And with that, his last hope puffed out.
==Chapter 8==
He stalked into the forest that he knew so well, since he was an apprentice. 
He couldn't go another day without living in ThunderClan. 
"I'll tell Amberglow's secret," he muttered to himself, "Then they'll realized how loyal I am, and who the real enemy is..."
"But no you won't," a voice said. It was Amberglow.
"You need to keep my secret. You have to!" Amberglow cried, "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if my Clanmates found out about Parsleyfoot and Greenspirit! I just want to be a loyal medicine cat."
She let her head hang.
"Well, Amberglow, this secret is destroying my life! It is making me feel really bad! My Clan hates me now, and who knows how much they would hate me if they knew what I wasn't telling!"
Amberglow sighed. It was a sigh of sadness, a sigh of loneliness. "Then you leave me no choice." 
(I know people, another really short chapter! I may edit it later)
==Chapter 9 ==
And she attacked. Moonfire swatted her off. Living as a rogue didn't completely deplete his fighting skills. But she was ruining his life.
But when Amberglow lunged for his throat, Moonfire lunged for hers.
It wasn't a quick job, like the time Amberglow had killed Parsleyfoot. Amberglow lay on the ground, still breathing. And blood gushed from Moonfire's own throat.
"Moonfire.....you don't understand. Your mother died when you were an apprentice, so you were all alone....but I tried to help you....make you happy." She stopped to cough.
Moonfire looked down at his paws, horrifed by the bloodstains that were on them. He licked them off, hating the salty tang.
"And I hope that you were happy...." she continued. Moonfire looked down at her, sadness engulfing him.
"You still don't understand, do you?" she gasped, "I have tried to be a perfect medicine cat, but then Parsleyfoot came. He...." she coughed again. "He fell for me. But I didn't fall for him." She hissed scratchily.
"You still don't get it. Stupid furball. It wasn't Parsleyfoot that I fell in love with."
Moonfire looked into her eyes anxiously, waiting for the next part of her speech.
"Oh, please keep my secret, Moonfire. And this one too. It was you. I love you, Moonfire." And with that, she died.
"I love you too, Amberglow," he whispered to her as her soul slipped away.
==Chapter 10==
He decorated Amberglow's body with fern leaves and daisies of every color. Then he decided to flee ThunderClan territory, for he wasn't safe there anymore. Before he knew it, his paws took him to ShadowClan.
Soon a patrol stopped him.
"ThunderClan slime!" Nightsky, the ShadowClan deputy, spat. Along with her were Mallowleaf, Cloudgaze, and Spottedpaw.
"Wait a second," Mallowleaf said, "Isn't that the missing ThunderClan warrior? Moonlight or whatever his name was?"
"Oh yeah! Moonfire!" Spottedpaw said.
Nightsky sighed. "Come on. Let's take this wanderer back to the ThunderClan filth, where he belongs."
"Wait!" Moonfire shouted. He took a deep breath and said, "I'd like to join your Clan."
Nightsky and Mallowleaf looked at him skeptically. But Cloudgaze spoke up.
"We can't just leave him out here with a neck wound like that. And he may turn out to be a great asset to ShadowClan. And who knows what ThunderClan secrets he knows?"
Nightsky nodded reluctantly and began to lead him through the pines.
He was escorted to the camp, where he was greeted with the initial sound of sharing tongues, then round eyes and some hisses. And once he saw everyone, and he heard the first words of their leader, Sleetstar, he knew that ShadowClan was where his heart truly lay. And among the pine forest, he could keep his and Amberglow's precious secrets until he joined StarClan, then finally faded away into nonexistence.
Category:Stormy's Fanfics