Chapter Text
The forest was wet, and desolate. It's darkness stretched ahead for miles, with nothing but a single pathway parting its trees. The leaves above were bunched in together tightly, and you could barely catch any glimpses of the sky. There was nothing else but the scent of blood and fear. Sometimes you'd hear the faint wailing of another cat, a scream for help, but you'd never cross paths.
And Luckytuft knew all of this far too well. How long had he been wandering in this forest? He had no idea, but it was too long. For someone named Luckytuft, he surely couldn't be so lucky he'd end up here. How was he here? In a damp, shadowy forest which seemed to have no end. He couldn't remember how he'd gotten here, or why. But he knew one thing for sure: he was dead. Despite all the walking he did, his muscles never ached. He was never tired. Never hungry. Never thirsty. And only a dead cat could ever feel like that.
Days melted into each other, and after a while of being here he'd stopped caring about time altogether. He'd stopped caring about a lot of things, but it did not stop the dull ache of loneliness and longing in his heart, for something he could not remember. But on one particular day, someone finally joined Luckytuft on his walk.
She was an elegant she-cat, with wispy black fur, and icy blue eyes. Every step she took was delicate and graceful. At first they didn't speak to each other, continuing on the path in silence. Her presence irked Luckytuft. Why was she here, on his path? Was she even real? Finally, he dared to speak to her.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice surprisingly raspy, presumably from the lack of use.
The she-cat turned her head to him, and he swore he felt her gaze burning him from the inside out. "I am Rookwillow."
Rookwillow. The name sounded strangely familiar, but surely he would recognize her if he knew her, right? They continued on quietly for a few more heartbeats, before Luckytuft spoke again.
"Well, um... it's nice to make your acquaintance. I'm-"
"Luckytuft," she interrupted. "I know who you are."
He stopped dead in his tracks. How did she know him? Who was this cat? Rookwillow stopped as well, and looked over her shoulder with an amused look.
"Surprised, forest-dweller?" she snickered. "I think it'd kill you if you knew how much I know about you."
Luckytuft scowled. "Who do you think you are?" He moved towards her, claws unsheathing.
"I suggest you put those pretty claws away," she said, her voice lowering. "If you harm me, you lose any chance you have of getting out of here."
Luckytuft stopped. She knew how to leave this place? "You must be lying. I've been walking this path for what seems like moons. There is no escape here."
"If you follow me, I'll show you," Rookwillow mewed. Quickly, she turned and began padding away without a single glance back.
Luckytuft considered his options. Perhaps she was telling the truth, and he could really escape this endless forest and live out his afterlife someplace more pleasant. Or she could be lying, and she'd lead him to danger. But in his time here, he'd encountered no predators, and she was the first cat he'd seen in a very long time. Worst case scenario, he'd still be stuck in this forest, just with a new companion. And he found nothing wrong with that.
Luckytuft scurried after Rookwillow, and they continued on through the forest silently. A million thoughts ran through his head. Was he really trusting this stranger? Could she really be the key to escaping this hellhole? Why was she here now and not when he had first woken up here? Finally, they stopped.
They stood at a fork in the path. Two paths leading off into the unknown. Luckytuft stared, bewildered. When did this get here? He looked to Rookwillow, who stared back calmly.
"What is this?" he asked.
"What does it look like? You have a choice to make," she responded.
"Which path takes me out of here?" he hissed, growing impatient quickly. "You said you could lead me out."
"And I will, but first, you must choose," she meowed. "Only when you have the full picture will you be able to escape."
Luckytuft looked at her, bewildered. Was this a trap? Rookwillow's eyes bore into his own. It was clear to him that she was serious. None of it made any sense. He shouldn't have trusted this cat, he thought, but some part of him still believed in her promise. Looking back to the paths in front of him, he suddenly felt intimidated.
"Nervous, forest-dweller? Take your time deciding," she said. "Or you could turn back, but when you return to this point, you will have no more choices to make."
Luckytuft looked behind him, and for the first time since he'd appeared here, he felt weary at the thought of continuing an eternal march to nothing. No one waiting for him at a non-existent end. And as quickly as the exhaustion came, it disappeared and left room for fiery determination. At that moment, he made a decision.
He turned back to the paths and padded onto the one on the right. He felt Rookwillow's presence behind him. Surely this meant he picked the right path? It didn't matter now. He couldn't turn back. He picked up speed as he headed into the darkness, bracing himself for what was ahead. His heart pounded as he broke into a sprint, and he closed his eyes as the apprehension rose like bile in his throat. Did he make the right choice? He wasn't able to think any longer, and he felt his legs buckle underneath him as-
he held his paws over his muzzle, trying not to shake and jostle the leaves of the bush.
Luckypaw's eyes were filled with tears, and the scent of fox and blood was overwhelming. His mangled tail ached and the wound on his shoulder bled heavily. He could not do anything but watch.
The fox was bent over the body of his mentor. Olivedusk's sightless eyes were fixed on Luckypaw. Blood trickled from his mouth as the fox began to feast on him. If Luckypaw stayed, he would surely die, but he couldn't move from his hiding place either, for the fox would catch up if he tried to run.
His eyes were hot from the tears, and he fought the sob that threatened to tear its way out of his throat. Why? Why had this happened? He was only a moon into his apprenticeship. He couldn't do anything to save his mentor. Why had StarClan allowed this to happen? Why?
He was already beginning to feel woozy from the blood escaping from his wounds, when a patrol had caught the scent of blood and raced to investigate. They wrestled with the fox before it finally ran away, and Luckypaw huffed in relief, letting the tears fall down his face.
"Great StarClan, Olivedusk!" Brindleyawn cried. The patrol stared in horror at his mutilated body.
"Damn fox! We should find it and kill it!" Morningcry hissed. "It'll pay for even laying a claw on him!"
"Where's Luckypaw?" Weaselpounce asked, looking around. "Olivedusk had taken him out to train."
It only occured then to Luckypaw that he was still hidden in the bush. He slithered out into the open, the patrol turning at the sound of rustling leaves.
"Oh, dear!" Weaselpounce gasped, bounding to Luckypaw's side. "Are you alright? I-I mean, obviously not, but do you need help getting back to camp?"
"I- hh.. I-I'm sorry! I didn't kn-know how to fight it!" Luckypaw wailed. Despair washed over him. His mentor was dead and he did nothing to help him.
"Honey, it isn't your fault. Nobody expects you to be able to fight off a whole fox," Brindleyawn mewed softly. "Why don't we go back to camp?"
"No! What if th-the fox comes back and takes him?" Luckypaw cried. "We have t-to carry him- back to camp!"
Luckypaw stumbled over to his mentor's body, steaming hot tears streaming from his eyes. The scent of blood was stronger here, and he retched as it hit his nose. Still, he moved to grab Olivedusk's scruff and attempted to pull him towards the bushes.
A tail rested on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Weaselpounce. "His body is too damaged to be moved. He must be buried here."
Luckypaw had to dig his claws in the ground to keep from collapsing. He couldn't be buried here. He had to be buried with all the other bodies. He had to be buried with his Clan.
"Come on, Luckypaw, if you go without treatment any longer, you'll bleed out and die," Morningcry said. "And we need to tell Silkstar about the fox. You can return here for his vigil."
Luckypaw relented, letting go of Olivedusk's scruff. His paws felt heavy, and he leaned on Weaselpounce for support. As they began walking back to camp, Luckypaw longed to see his mentor one last time. But he couldn't bring himself to. All he had in that moment was his grief, and the crushing feeling of failure.
I won't let your sacrifice be in vain, Olivedusk. I'll become strong, and nothing like this will ever happen again.