Truth be told, Leopardpaw had been a bit eager for his Moonstone - not because he wanted to talk to StarClan, although he was certain they would only have good things to say about how great he was, but it was yet another excuse to get out of the camp and away from his annoying Clanmates. Sure he would be stuck with Adderpaw but...Eh, she wasn't so bad. While the traveling herbs hadn't been super pleasant, the walk had been in silence and he respected that - no need for small talk between the two. It had been a...Little nice to get to see the other Clans territories - even if it only made him certain how stupid they were, mostly WindClan.
Who the frost wanted to live in such an open area? What was even nice about it? It was boring, plain and empty. The only thing of real notice was the mountain in the distance as the two slowly approached and entered the dark tunnel. His whiskers twitched as they brushed against the walls. He had jolted the first time Adderpaw had called out to him but slowly they found a rhythm to keep tabs on each other and finally they entered the cavern. He completely froze at the sight, mouth falling open as he stared at the glowing stone. That was...Something. He flickered an ear as Adderpaw spoke up, giving her a look. "...Alright," he said slowly, padding over as he laid down. Just...Touch his nose and he would wake up in StarClan? Because that didn't sound ominous as frost. But he guess he didn't have much of a choice and so he leaned forward, touching his nose to the cold stone. He was surprised as the wave of sleepiness overtook him and he quickly drifted off into the darkness.
Soon enough, he was blinking open his eyes. He was...Out at the flooded banks. It was full of puddles as he stood up, padding over to the nearest one as he peered into the water reflection. He saw himself but also stars - but to his surprise, his own reflection didn't hide the stars that glimmered in the surface of the pool even as he tried his best to block them - as if it wasn't actually reflecting the night sky but the stars were...In the water? It was weird and he was tempted to raise a paw and send a ripple across the surface but before he could, his ears perked at the sound of pawsteps as he turned to see who was approaching.
Behind him stood a large gray warrior, a mask of lighter fur outlining his dark blue eyes. The two stood there in a long silence, before Leopardpaw titled his head with a frown. "And...You are?" he questioned, lashing his tail as he eyed the older tom with a suspicious look.
The tom's face deflated at that, ears slicking back as he frowned. "...She didn't actually tell you about me, did she?" he sighed, giving his head a shake. "My name is Ashspark. I'm your father."
"Ashspark!" Leopardpaw perked up at the name, recognizing it easily...Before he paused, making a face as he stared at the tom. "Wait, what the frost are you on about? Mom told me lots about you, about all the great deeds that you did for the Clan!" he ushered, bouncing on his paws with a grin. "She told me all about how it was destined that I was going to be a great warrior like you were! And I am!"
Ashspark's face darkened as he gave a shake of his head, a heavy sigh escaping him. "No, she told you about my actions. She didn't tell you about who I was as a cat, what I looked like. She focused on only my actions and not who I was. I...Should have realized how blind she was, how shallow she could be."
"Ey! That is my mom you're talking about! And what does it even matter anyways, she remembers you for how great you were. Isn't that what matters?" he questioned, tilting his head as he sat down, waving a paw. "If you are the best, why does it matter what kind of cat you were? That isn't gonna make you the type of story that will be passed down for generations."
"...That is exactly why I am here," he said, his voice low as he took a step forward, towering over his son. "There is more than being a great warrior than being skilled, than being 'the best.' That will only get you so much respect. A true warrior, an honorable cat is kind. They do not think they are above everybody and work hard to protect their cats. They are the ones that are worth remembering, to show what a warrior should be."
There was a long silence as Leopardpaw pulled back, meeting his father's unwavering gaze. That...Didn't really seem to line up - he had heard plenty about respectable warriors who weren't...Kind. "...Right," he said, ears slicking back. "And where does being kind get me? I'm going to be the best - not everybody is going to like me being better than them so I don't see why I should be kind to them," he said. "I can get what I want just being me, I don't see any reason to soften my blows."
A long sigh escaped Ashspark as he sat down, raising a paw to his face. "Why did I expect anything else..." he grumbled, before he shook his head and glared back at his son. "I'm not asking you to soften your blows - I'm telling you to have a little heart, son. You think you can belittle and insult anybody because they are below you. If you do not learn your lesson, sooner or later, you will cross a line that you can't come back from. Nobody is lesser than you, Leopardpaw, even if you think you are the best."
Leopardpaw's ears slicked back as he stared at his father, bearing his teeth before he found himself hesitating. Slowly, his guard lowered and an almost...Helpless shadow crossed his face. "...But who am I if I'm not the best?" he questioned, giving his shoulders a small shrug. "Ever since I was small, Pearlwhisker told me that I was destined for greatness. I don't... I have to be the best," he said forcefully, squaring his shoulders. "And...And I have to make sure nobody doubts me."
"...Oh Leopardpaw," Ashspark sighed, shaking his head. "You can carry on how you wish to believe you must behave but you will only learn my lesson the hard way, there is no doubt about it. You might end up breaking your own heart if you aren't careful. You can only push so hard before somebody shoves back," he said, his voice low as he pushed himself to his paws. "I'm sorry I was not able to be there for you - I'm sorry you only had your mother's teachings to grow up on. She was so blinded by the idea of being great, she forgot to teach you how to have a heart..."
Leopardpaw bared his teeth, jumping up to his paws as his fur fluffed. "Yeah? A-And where did getting soft get you? You are the one who died and left us! M-Maybe if you were so focused on yourself a-and us you wouldn't have..." he drifted off, glancing away as a soft snarl escaped him. "You... I don't want to be like you if it means being soft. I'm going to be the best and everybody else are idiots if they don't see that. I'm not going to let my Clan down like you did!"
There was a long silence as Ashspark stared at his son, a broken expression on his face before he sighed. "...I'm sorry, Leopardpaw. I truly hope that however you learn your lesson, whenever it is, its something that you can recover from. I'll be watching, my son," he said as he turned and padded away.
"...I...No wait, come back!" Leopardpaw mumbled as he watched his father disappear from the clearing, slipping into the reeds that surrounded the Flooded Banks. "Don't leave me! Not again!" he cried, breaking into a dash as he tried to go after his father. But suddenly, his paws failed to hit the ground as everything suddenly went dark. He was falling, tumbling as he scrambled to figure out which direction he was actually falling. The world went cold, his fur prickling on edge... Then he woke up. He jolted, breath catching in his throat as he tried to calm himself down. He could still feel the sensation of falling as he slowly forced himself up to his paws. "...I'm done here," he meowed, trying to keep his voice calm as he turned to look at Adderpaw. "Let's go."
Tue Aug 04, 2020 5:32 am
