Chapter 58: Chasing Clouds

Time swirled all around her. No, not time, but noise. It sounded a lot like time. Or maybe time sounded like noise. Scorch was aware of the incessant noise that surrounded her head like a cloud of buzzing flies and filled her insides with inescapable pressure.

Darkness held her close, a thick black wing shielding her eyes from the world around her. Pain lanced through her face, her eyelids squeezed tight as if it would make the pain go away. But even without her eyesight there were other observations coming in from her senses.

She could feel her cheek laying flat again the ground in some sticky liquid that she could smell was salty; blood? And then there was the noise outside her head. The battle was still going on, high over her head she could hear the screeches of battle as she once heard the faraway screeches of seagulls.

But there was closer noise. She could hear a roar above her head and the sounds of blows being landed, the meaty thump telling her that claws weren't being used but pure power against a cat without a will or the ability to defend itself. What was going on? She wanted to call out, but pain kept her mouth shut tight.

Scorch tried to find her paws, but it was like trying to find the bottom of a dark pool of water. Finally she felt all four of her paws touch the ground and slowly she pushed herself up, rocking back onto her haunches and swaying as she lifted her head. There was no way to tell which way was straight up while the noise and pain made her nauseous, making it more difficult to stay upright.

A gurgling cry close to her ear startled her in her haze of pain and she jumped, nearly falling but managing to catch herself jerkily on the ground. By scent she recognized Pinefur, but only barely could she tell through the overwhelming scent of blood.

He has to be dying, I did cut his throat. But he got me too. She could feel his claws feebly pulling on her fur and she backed away, her paws trembling in uncertainty against the cold ground. "Scorch, are you okay?" the thumping blows stopped as the desperate mew sounded in her face. She could hear paws scuffling as if something were being kicked away.

She turned her face toward the voice, blackness still cloaking her vision. "Boulderfall?" her voice mewled like a pitiful kit and she heard his cry of dismay as he looked at her.

"Your eyes... oh," there was pain in his voice and Scorch felt hollow cold, knowing that it was for her.

"I can't see anything, I can't open my eyes," she mewed.

Boulderfall shivered beside her and she stiffened, "Scorch, your eyes are open."

"But I can't see anything!" she exclaimed, her lip quivering as heavy fear filled her.

"Just rest," Boulderfall sounded lost as he guided her through the darkness.

She sat down with her back to something hard and cold, a rock? Scorch couldn't see anything and she kept turning her head, searching for some light but nothing so much as flickered at the edges of her vision. "Is the battle almost over?" she asked Boulderfall who she sensed was perplexed and scared.

"No, but with Pinefur dead it's only a matter of time before-" his voice was broken by a yowl and Scorch flinched as gravel sprayed her face as some cat leaped down in between her and Boulderfall.

"Flameclaw!" Boulderfall's furious hiss reached her before the intruder's scent. Snarls erupted in front of her and Scorch got to her paws, padding clumsily along the wall of rock as the two rolled and thrashed about.

"You fox-heart, you killed Pinefur!" Scorch was helpless as the orange tom sprang on her back, rolling her over so that her belly was exposed and landing heavy blows on her aching face which she feebly tried to block with her fore paws.

"Where's Boulderfall?" she cried, trying to sniff the air for his scent.

"My friends are keeping him busy," Flameclaw snarled, he wasn't even trying to take pleasure over her defeat- he was raging.

His claws pressed into her soft flesh and she yowled in pain as he dug deeper, he really would kill her. Thrashing wildly, she tried to reach something that could help her. But she couldn't find a foothold and without eyesight she couldn't aim for his paws or block his blows effectively, they came and went in hissing darkness. She tried thrusting upward to headbutt him but he was much stronger and just sent her slamming back down again with a heavy blow.

"We may be going down, but I'm taking you with us!" Flameclaw snarled, his claws curling tighter until she writhed in agony, scrambling at the ground desperately and dragging her claws through the dirt.

Flameclaw pulled at her skin harder for a moment and then let go, his weight disappearing off of her and leaving her scratches oozing sluggishly with blood. Scorch shook her head, the noise had gone quiet. The distant growls of Boulderfall as he fought off what sounded like two opponents was still there, but there was no noise from Flameclaw, not even a breath.

Scorch winced as she pushed herself to her paws, a little surer now that there was less noise. Moving her head around she still couldn't see a thing and without a noise there was nothing to attract her attention. She took a deep breath, tasting the air for scents and felt her muscles instinctively clench up at the new one she caught.

Scrambling backward from the scent she tripped over something on the ground and fell backward, splaying out helplessly on her sides as she clambered back to her paws, whipping her head from side to side, twitching her ears as she tried to catch a sound. "I know you're there, Amelia," Scorch mewed uncertainly. She nearly reared in surprise as a scent wave of blood washed over her.

I didn't get hurt again did I? She could feel the wounds on her belly and on her face still, but no new pain shot up and she was still regaining strength from the initial shock. Nothing had happened to her, so where did all this blood come from?

She flinched away as a hot breath blew on her ear, Amelia's scent now overwhelmed her. "You should thank me for saving your life," the she-cat cooed.

Scorch blinked, cursing her lack of vision. "What do you mean?"

"Why, what else?!" Amelia cried in surprise, "Flameclaw lies dead at your paws and you ask me what I did?" the she-cat scoffed. "You'll never have manners, will you," the she-cat sighed expressively.

"I can't see him," Scorch defended herself, then bit her tongue and started backing away again, her paws sloshing in what she could smell to be blood, her lip curling in revulsion.

"Oh?" Amelia's voice sounded more interested, "Your eyes do look pretty messed up, all watery and glassy- reminds me of the look of a dead fish. Except there's more blood, lots of blood on your face, but it blends in with your red fur. It's a good look for you, really," Amelia mewed and Scorch could hear her voice getting closer even though she didn't hear the sound of accompanied pawsteps.

"Why did you come here?" Scorch mewed, trying to change the subject.

"Well, that's very simple," Amelia mewed, her voice halting its advance. "I didn't like Flameclaw- he was an insult to all spies, quite horrible, wasn't he? Getting found out and all- so when I saw him emerge from the ground like some kind of rabbit I hurried over as quick as I could. And by that time he was here and attacking you, so I put an end to him. He was a terrible fighter too, what a disappointment," Amelia sighed again.

But Scorch was confused, "If you were right there when he came out of the ground, couldn't you have killed him then?"

Amelia laughed lightly, her voice fading as if she were moving further away. "I've told you before, you're not the only cat that's special," now her voice was a hiss in her ear and Scorch shivered as if she were being stared at from all sides, completely vulnerable.

"What can you do?" Scorch choked out, turning her head toward where Amelia seemed to be standing.

"I can't just tell you that for no reason- do you have any sense of fun in mystery at all? Just know that I'm always, always, watching," and now Amelia's voice really was fading and Scorch could hear her paw steps retreating as well.

Scorch stood still for a moment, what did Amelia mean? What kind of power did she have? Time said there were only two of them- one now that Sonya was dead- but had he lied? Or was this something completely different? Or was Amelia just messing with her and she really was simply an incredible spy?

"Scorch! Scorch!" Boulderfall's shouts shattered her thoughts and she turned her head in his direction, still blinking vainly to try to see him. "Are you alright?" his voice was right in front of her, his panting breath making her whiskers tremble.

She sat back, using a paw to feel the wounds on her belly, they were still oozing blood and stung like fire. The pain on her face was subsiding, but it still felt tight and she still felt agony at any slight movement she made. "I think I can make it back to camp," she murmured.

"Then let's go!" Boulderfall chirped, sounding unexpectedly cheerful. "Pinefur's dead and WindClan and the black rogues are driving out the remaining enemies right now, we've won the Clans back!"

...

So much had happened these past four seasons. Scorch was now a full four seasons old. But she didn't ever get to see the height of greenleaf. For her first one she was just a newborn, and now she was blind.

The medicine-cats tried their best, for days after the final battle they tried everything they could to heal her eyes. Willowleaf even stayed behind to help after the rest of WindClan had returned to their home. But nothing could be done for the red and black kit and she knew it.

Since Scorch could no longer be an apprentice and the Clan wouldn't dream of kicking her out- since she was, after all, a member of ThunderClan- she was retired before ever achieving warrior-ship. That wasn't what bothered her, she had never cared about the honor of a warrior. What naturally bothered her was her helplessness and uselessness.

In the drafty, unkempt honeysuckle den which was called the elders' den and had been abandoned when Pinefur killed off the elders, Scorch did the only thing she could do on her own, sitting and staring into darkness for days and nights.

While the Clan was celebrating and telling stories of their battle scars to each other, Scorch sat outside the honeysuckle den, letting the sunlight soak her fur with heat as she sat alone like an outsider all over again. Not even Featherpaw visited her, for the ghost apprentice had vanished before they'd returned from the battlefield.

Of course Scorch was happy that Featherpaw had finally found her way into the stars, but she couldn't even look up and try to see her and without a goodbye from her friend she felt shunned. This, along with her unfortunate circumstances, made her feel rather miserable and she became miserable to be around.

Half a moon after the battle Scorch sat outside the honeysuckle den, sniffing at the dewy scent on the breeze and licking her lips since she hadn't had a drink of water in a few days. She smelled Wing walking closer to her. "How are you this morning?" Wing mewed awkwardly. The she-cat seemed happier since the battle, but she was by no mean friendlier, "See anything new lately?" the rogue mewed, the ground crunching as she sat down by Scorch's side.

Scorch didn't respond, a sharp retort forming on her tongue. However, she hadn't completely lost her friendly nature and she curbed her frustration at Wing's horrible joke. "Are you leaving today?" Scorch asked instead, wrinkling her nose as a distant whiff of skunk reached her.

"So eager to see me gone?" Wing joked again and Scorch growled. "Okay, okay, I get it," the rogue sighed. "Yes, I'm leaving today. Jet, Snake, and Slate are coming with me. I bet you know, but Crow and Rita went with the WindClan cats to the moor and thanks to your endorsement, Shade managed to get into ShadowClan, thought I don't think he was thrilled to live among the pines again. They got changed names too, but I didn't bother to remember them," Wing mewed.

"How polite," Scorch murmured, "And the others are staying here I guess?"

"Yeah, Leopardspot grumbled about that, but without us, you Clan cats wouldn't have defeated Pinefur," the rogue boasted.

"You're not wrong," Scorch grunted, shifting her paws. "So what are you going to do?"

"Leave, see the world maybe, then settle down and have a family. If I find the right cat, of course," Wing mewed, sounding more optimistic then ever before as she imagined her future.

Scorch could feel pangs of jealousy run under her skin. She would never see the world again, and how she longed to see something other than the darkness. "Well, I better get going," Wing mewed, getting to her paws.

"You're leaving right now?" Scorch mewed, surprised.

"Yeah, I want to be out of here before the sun fully rises. The others are waiting by the entrance. I guess this is good bye, Scorch. It has been... interesting to make your acquaintance. And I, uh, I wanted to apologize for the time when Nightwing almost killed you and I let him do it, that was... hard to watch," the she-cat's voice was thick with emotion and Scorch could feel deep regret emanating from her.

"I forgive you, and best of luck," Scorch mewed simply, pausing her thoughts to listen to the pairs of retreating pawsteps. No cat had come out to watch them leave, they had disappeared on their own and that was probably for the best.

Scorch blinked and turned her aching face to the cool morning breeze. Her wounds were healing so that they were only sore now, but what did it matter if they healed or not if she were helpless? She could barely navigate herself to the fresh-kill pile and back. And what's the point of my powers if I can only see what happened and what will happen in the camp? I can't see anything useful and I couldn't do anything about it even if I did!

Bile rose in her throat and she felt like crying for herself. After all, everything was over, right? She would never be able to find her parents now, never hunt with her friends, never explore or adventure anymore. Everything she had wanted had been stolen from her in a heartbeat. Had she done something so terrible? Did she deserve this miserable fate given to her at such a young age. She hadn't even reached her prime and now her life was confined to narrow quarters that she'd never escape from.

I can't even see Boulderfall anymore, he'll probably just forget about me and find new friends. After all, he hasn't even visited me since Skypool told him I was blind. Horrible thoughts ran through her mind, loneliness, countless days and nights filled with silent pain, and a useless life that no cat would ever share or mourn. Was death such a bad option? It wouldn't be difficult to do, she just had to go into the forest by herself, the creatures would do the rest for her. All she had to do was run into a fox or badger, an owl may even be able to fly away with her.

What am I thinking? Any life is better than death, at least I can hear Boulderfall and feel his presence. And Skypool said that it wasn't impossible for my sight to come back some day. "Do you want to go for a walk?" Scorch jumped at the voice by her side, she hadn't even noticed the cat's approach.

She stood up and turned toward Moonfrost, "Yes, but you'll have to guide me," she mewed, feeling awkward about her dependance. But Moonfrost quietly slipped her tail around her neck and led her slowly to the entrance.

"Wing and the others left today?" Moonfrost mewed.

Scorch nodded, "They left a little while ago, Wing said good bye to me," she mewed, stepping carefully through the grass, unsure of what lay ahead.

"There's a log just ahead, we'll go around it," Moonfrost mewed calmly, pulling her sidewise and through ferns, their soft leaves tickling her sides. "I don't think any cat was sad to see them go," the she-cat mewed.

"They did help free the Clans," Scorch defended.

"I didn't say the opposite. But they clearly didn't want to be here, every cat will be happier this way," Moonfrost mewed, pausing to nudge something out of the path.

"I guess," Scorch sighed, stumbling over a hole in the ground. She let out an irritable hiss as her claw got caught and she yanked it painfully out, "I hate being blind!"

I don't imagine that it is fun," Moonfrost commented coolly, "But you can't pick and choose your battle-scars, you have to learn to live with them. Yet, you don't need to feel like you have to do this alone, the Clan and every cat in it is here for you to lean on as you learn how to live with this. You don't have to isolate yourself in the elder's den."

"I wasn't the one who chose to move there! Sunstorm did," Scorch scowled. "And I feel so useless, what can I possibly do to help the Clan? I can't hunt, can't fight, I couldn't heal cats, I can hardly stay on my own paws!"

"You'll learn and be more sure pawed in time. Right now, the only thing you have to do is recover, and then I'm sure some cat can find you something to keep you busy," Moonfrost mewed.

Scorch muttered under her breath but didn't say anything, sitting down in the path and grumpily planting herself there. Moonfrost sighed and turned back toward the camp, "If you make it back on your own, great. If not, I'll be back later. You're within shouting distance of the Clan from here so don't hesitate to make a racket if you're in trouble," the she-cat mewed, her voice and pawsteps ebbing along the path they had just come along, going much faster than before.

I knew it, I'll just slow every cat down. Getting to her paws again she shook the dew off her fur and hesitantly started walking forward, moving one pawstep at a time as she gathered in what the terrain was and clumsily avoiding obstacles that she bumped into.

She hissed as something gripped her leg and pulled her to the ground. Getting to her paws she found that the more she pulled, the tighter the grip on her paw became. Where did this blasted vine come from?! Using her teeth, she tried to bite it off, but it was too thick. Now what?

"Scorch! Scorch! Scorch?!" Scorch flattened her ears at Boulderfall's calls, she didn't want him to see her like this, trapped by a stupid plant! Almost desperately she yanked with her paw, hoping it would break, but it only constricted around her paw even more.

"Here you are!" Boulderfall's mew was cheerful as he trotted up to her, his paws pattering across the ground toward her. "You've got your paw all wrapped up in the ivy," he mewed, stopping beside her.

"Thanks, I hadn't noticed," Scorch growled, glaring in his direction.

"Even though you can't see, your eyes are still so intense," Boulderfall mewed.

Scorch sighed and rolled he eyes, her paw was aching from the grip the ivy had, "You can help any time now."

Boulderfall's purr rumbled and she felt his claws working on untangling the ivy vine from her paw and in a minute she was free, testing her paw to see how it felt. "Is your paw okay?" the tom asked. Scorch nodded and slumped her shoulders as she let out a sigh. "What's wrong?" he asked as she started back along the path to camp.

"Everything. I can't see a thing! All the things I wanted have been stolen from me. My own future is bleak and dark," she complained.

"It will be if you keep up that attitude, you need to be more happy," he purred again, walking with a bounce in his step at her side.

Scorch bumped into him friendlily, "Well I can tell that you're bursting with happiness, think you can spare a bit?"

"The dawn patrol met the WindClan dawn patrol and told us that Willowleaf had visited the Moonpool and that StarClan has appointed a leader for them!" Boulderfall mewed excitedly.

"Who is it?" Scorch asked.

"Cavepath! Not that surprising, he had been leading WindClan for a while. He's Cavestar now and he appointed Frostshine as his deputy. But do you know what this means?" Bouderfall mewed, she could feel he was bursting with excitement.

"WindClan has leadership?" Scorch guessed.

"No! Well, yes, but that's not what I was talking about. It means that StarClan will appoint someone in ThunderClan to be leader! If they did it for WindClan, then they'll do it for us, I'm sure. Skypool already left for the Moonpool," Boulderfall chattered, he wasn't really talking to her, he was so excited he needed some cat to share it with and Scorch was happy to be that cat.

"Did you know that Wing and the others left?" he mewed suddenly.

Scorch nodded, "I was there when they left. I guess Clan life isn't for every cat." It certainly isn't for me, but now I'm stuck with it.

"Rogues don't belong in the Clans," Boulderfall declared.

Scorch nudged him sharply, "If it weren't for all those rogues, every Clan cat would still be under the control of Nightwing and Pinefur," she retorted.

"If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have been enslaved to begin with," Boulderfall mewed pointedly.

"If Clan cats are so much better, why couldn't they handle a paw-full of rogues without our help then?" Scorch shot back.

Boulderfall was silent as they padded slowly along the path. "I'll admit," he growled, "That those rogues were strong and they did show some good characteristics helping us out. And it is okay that some of them chose to stay with us. But there is a difference between the Clan life and rogue life. If we were to allow just any cat to join, then it would no longer be a warrior's life we led, but a warrior-like rogue life. These two lives have to remain separate, that is how we preserve ourselves."

"But is it fair to separate the cats as well? Shun any cat not exactly like you? Heck, you shun any cat not in your own Clan. Can you condemn a cat just because they live and think differently then you?" Scorch asked, what did he really think about her origins?

Boulderfall was silent again for a moment as he thought. "I think you can, after all, the rogues who chose the warrior life we welcomed. But I don't think it is possible for us to live that closely without conflict. We choose to live differently for a reason; a warrior that chooses to live like a rogue is a rogue, and a rogue that chooses to live like a warrior is a warrior, in the honorary sense anyways."

Scorch sighed, "You Clan cats make things too complicated."

Boulderfall nudged her, "You're a Clan cat too now."

"I never said I didn't make things complicated, but I want to be alone for a while. You go back to camp without me," Scorch mewed. The path was half familiar, not much further was the entrance, she could scent all the cats and even a faint hum of mews sounded through the trees.

"Alright, if you're sure," Boulderfall mewed, sounding a little sad and hesitant. But he continued on and Scorch sat down just off the trail in a patch of flowers.

"I know you're here, Time," Scorch mewed aloud. She had sensed his presence and even though she could no longer see him, she could imagine his shifting black pelt and glowing red eyes.

"Even without your eyesight you're still sharp," Time mewed, his voice coming from all around her.

"I wouldn't agree with that. But why are you here? You didn't visit me before when I searched for you," she mewed reproachfully. This was the first time she'd met him since the battle and she had called and longed to talk with him.

"I came here," Time's voice was hard, "To forbid you from using your future powers again."

"Why?" Scorch asked quietly. She didn't care, in fact, she was a bit relived to have an excuse not to search the future

"Do you know why you're blind?" Time asked instead.

"Because Pinefur practically clawed my eyes out?" Scorch mewed.

"Yes, but why would a dying, vengeful cat at your paws reach up and scratch your eyes instead of your throat?" Scorch was silent, what was Time playing at?

"He did it because he was, for the moment, being controlled. It was your punishment for changing the future. This is the fate you chose for yourself. And I warn you that if you see the future and change it again, it will kill you," Time growled.

Scorch was stunned. This was a punishment? From whom? Who had the right to blind her for saving her friend's life? "Time is not a thing to be tampered with," the ancient being growled, "When you attacked Pinefur to change the future, did everything stop? Time was in a flux since you had power over past and future so also for a brief moment did you have power over the present. But since you changed the future, your present was changed. That is why the foresight of the future is so much more dangerous."

Scorch remained silent and brooding for a second until she thought of something, "Did Sonya ever change the future?" Was it just a coincidence that the holder of the future had died of some strangely triggered illness at such a young age?

"She did," Time mewed and Scorch felt her belly lurch. "The first time she changed the future was to save her family. Her punishment was being exiled by them. The second was in service of you, she killed Nightwing when Sunstar should have been the one to die in that fight. She froze time there as well since while you were trapped in time, she had power over the past."

Scorch swallowed hard, so she was responsible for another of her friends' death. If only she'd never been born, how many cats would have lived full and happy lives? All I do is bring death, and now that's all I can do. " I won't look into the future again," Scorch swore, "I don't want to ever use my powers again, I don't even want to live."

Leaving, Scorch stumbled, bumped, and fell her way through the forest. It was slow going and the sun rose, the heat of the day making her feel clammy and uncomfortable. Eventually she stood on what she supposed was the top of some ridge, her front paw half dangling off a cliff. The stream that ran along the WindClan border rushed below, flowing down to the lake and she could hear it rushing wildly. It would be so easy to disappear. When you're dead, you don't have any worries.

But do you have regrets? Things you want to do in the future? Things you want to experience? And what about those around you, how hurt would they be to know that she'd given up so easily? This wasn't like her and just because she didn't feel like herself, that didn't mean she had to give up everything.

"Things won't go back to the way they used to be. You need to quit chasing clouds and find something real to grasp and hold in your life. What is most important to you? Picture it. Grasp it."

Scorch closed her eyes- though it made no difference- and an image appeared. Gray and fuzzy, blue eyes sparkling and smooth fur gleaming in the sun. She sighed, feeling calm flow over her anger, guilt, and fear. How could she forget in the face of her worries what was most important to her? Her friends were trying to help her, but she hadn't let them help. And one in particular caught her breath, the one she'd accepted this fate for.

Purring and brighter than she had been in days, she stumbled and made her way back toward camp. Scorch paused as pawsteps approached her rapidly, she tasted the air but before she could some cat exploded into her. She screeched but before she pulled out her claws she recognized the warm scent. "Boulderfall!" she cried when they stopped rolling. She was on her back and he stood over her, his front paws planted on either side of her head. "I'm supposed to be the blind one!"

Boulderfall chuckled apologetically. "Scorch, I was looking for you," he mewed.

"So was I!" Scorch purred.

"I wanted to ask you something," he started, she sensed nervousness like a coat of itchy dry grass encircling him. "Do you think," he broke off again, "That I'd make a good leader?" he finished awkwardly.

Scorch nearly purred. He was cute when he was shy, it was so unlike him. But she knew he wouldn't be the one to ask the question that she was sure had been on his mind for awhile. Leaning upward, she nuzzled his neck, "I bet you would be. And if you do become leader-" she paused, images flashing in front of her eyes.

Unlike last time, they weren't bloody and terribly, but now they were grand and majestic. She had broken Time's orders and seen the future again, yet this time she had no reason to want to change a thing. "When you become leader," she whispered to Boulderfall, "I want to be the one beside you."

"You really can read my mind sometimes," Boulderfall whispered in her ear. "You sure you want to be my mate?"

"I can't think of any cat else I'd want to love, and there's not another cat I can't live without. But I don't want to be a burden, I want to be your companion that supports you, and all I want is your support in return," Scorch mewed.

"I think I can do that," Boulderfall mewed.

...

The rest of that day they spent together, playing by the lake and rolling in the flower patches. Boulderfall didn't even bother telling the Clan where they were and decided that since it was the rich season of green-leaf, they could eat what they caught without contributing to the Clan just this once. They spent the night sleeping on the lake shore, Boulderfall counting the stars for her as she listened to the rhythm of the waves until they fell asleep, a heap of gray and black and red on the warm and moon bleached sand.

The next day dawned a lovely pale red sky tinted with gold and surrounded by a faint blue halo. That was how Boulderfall described it to Scorch, becoming her eyes that she saw through. "We work pretty well together," Boulderfall mewed, guiding her through the forest toward the camp.

Scorch was pressed to his side, her smaller form disappearing in his gray fur. "Had you forgotten? We did so many crazy things together before. We saved all four Clans together, remember?"

Boulderfall laughed and briefly touched the top of her head with his muzzle, "I do recall something like that happening."

"Do you think Skypool is back yet?" Scorch asked, stepping over a rabbit hole that Boulderfall pointed out.

"Probably, I wonder who the leader will be," Boulderfall mewed, excitement bubbling up in his voice again.

"Power really does excite you, doesn't it?" Scorch teased, flicking him with her tail.

Boulderfall coughed, "I don't think it's the power so much as the leadership and responsibility. It sounds hard, but I think it's invigorating."

She rolled her blind eyes, "You're so weird. But I guess I'd rather a leader who wanted the job than one who didn't," Scorch mused.

"Precisely," Boulderfall purred, flicking his tail over her ears before he laid it over her shoulders again. "The camp is just up ahead."

"It sounds buzzing already. I bet Skypool is back," Scorch mewed, sensing the waves of excitement rolling out toward them. She smiled, already knowing who the leader would be. Perhaps knowing the future was more trouble than it was worth, but right now, the sweet taste of anticipation was reward enough.

"Boulderfall! Boulderfall!" the moment the two stepped into camp, a mass of cats greeted them, cheering in complete ecstasy.

Scorch already knew what was going on and it took only a few bewildered moments for Boulderfall to realize what was going on as well and he shouted out, "I'm going to be leader of ThunderClan!" Scorch purred, she could picture his eyes glowing with life and love as he gazed at her; one image she would never lose.

You were right, Sonya. I shouldn't worry about chasing clouds, but loving the flowers down below.