Rise #2100 || Emberglow || DNP

[I Like Bees]

Username;; I Like Bees || Cat Name;; Emberglow
Gender;; Female || Age;; 30 Moons
Clan;; PetalClan || Rank;; Warrior

Introduction
Day 1 Part 1 || Day 1 Part 2
Day 2 Part 1 || Day 2 Part 2
Day 3 Part 1 || Day 3 Part 2
Credits
Relationships
History
Explanation

Rise #2100

[I Like Bees]

You sit down on your couch, immediately reaching over for the remote. As soon as you turn the tv on, a boring, sloppily-made logo appears.


You shrug. It's probably better than one of those shows where you can't hear anything over the noise of the fake audience laughing.

When the excessively long intro at last draws to a close, the screen changes to one of the studio's cameras, which should have been in front of the newscat's desk in The Desk Room. Instead, it is being frantically pushed through hallway after hallway as the cameracat tries desperately to reach the right room.

The camera turns a corner, the sound of claws scrabbling on polished floor behind it. There's a loud "oof" as the cameracat falls, leaving the camera to continue its journey to The Desk Room alone. The camera spins out of control down the hallway, showing nothing but a blur of walls, walls, and.. is that spilled coffee?

By some miracle, another of the studio's staff opens the door to The Desk Room at the perfect moment for the camera to roll through. The spinning slows, and the camera ends up directly in front of The Desk itself, whiskers away from a shocked calico sitting in The Chair. Her coffee falls to the floor.

"Are we live?" she whispers, looking slightly to her left. A muffled voice calls out a "yes." The calico briefly glares in the direction of the voice, then smiles at the camera and awkwardly pushes her chair back a few tail-lengths so the camera can see her better.

"Welcome to Clan News!" the calico declares cheerfully. "I'm Fallowbreeze, your new host. Applelight… retired. We're going with she retired, right?" Another muffled "yes" from the side.

"Anyways," Fallowbreeze continues, "after three and a half years of silence, Clan News is back with a new, slightly-better-built studio, a less-damaged chair, and camera cats with kit-claw-proof armor. Thank you all for your feedback regarding which improvements our channel needed most!

"As you may have noticed by our new name, we've also branched out. We will no longer merely be following the journey of KelpClan; we will now follow the life any Clan who won't sue or attack us for setting paw on their territory! Today, our story will cover..." Fallowbreeze pauses for dramatic effect. "PetalClan!"

Fallowbreeze freezes, smiling widely at the camera. After a moment, she stands up and walks away, grumbling about spilled coffee and clumsy cameracats. Shouldn't the camera have changed by now? A mud-colored tom appears on the screen, fiddling with something on the side of the camera. "Come on," he mutters. "Switch already. Work you horrible piece of machiner--"

[I Like Bees]

"-- Doveflame and I'm here with Ember, PetalClan's newest visitor!" a white she-cat exclaims. A small purple flower is tucked behind her left ear, and she's wearing an uncomfortable-looking, patched-up, blue jacket with "NEWS" written sloppily on the sleeves in permanent marker.

"Ember," Doveflame meows, "what are your thoughts on PetalClan thus far? You've been here since..." The she-cat pulls a notebook out of a very well-hidden pocket. "Precisely four minutes ago; ten if you count the walk to camp."

The brightly-colored she-cat sitting in front of Doveflame nods in agreement with the time measurements. "Well..." Ember pauses for awhile, clearly thinking her answer through carefully. "My first thought, when I saw the insane, chaotic explosion of colorful flowers in your territory was, 'Whose wild idea was this?!'"



"Interesting," Doveflame comments. "May I ask why?"

"Of course!" Ember answers. There's an awkward silence as both cats wait for the other to speak.

"Oh.. you.. want me to ask," Doveflame mutters. Louder, she asks, "Why was your first thought, upon seeing PetalClan territory, 'Whose wild idea was this?!'?"

"I'm glad you asked!" Ember replies. Doveflame rolls her eyes. "Well, where I come from, cats believe in The Great Four. They're a flock of four giant, magical eagles who created our world and designed every part of it, including your flower-filled territory. When I saw your territory, I was wondering which of The Great Four was responsible for creating it. It seems like a Dama thing -- she's the eagle who makes everything beautiful -- but it also could have been Tut, who's responsible for everything weird and chaotic. He made thunderstorms." Ember shivers. "I hate thunderstorms."

Doveflame, who had been scribbling notes into her notebook, looks up and frowns. "You don't believe in StarClan?"

"StarClan?" Ember asks. "Is that another Clan? You have neighbors?"

"No.. It's.. You should probably ask Sorrelstar later; she'll explain it better than I can." Doveflame turns the page in her notebook, scribbling down more notes. "Since you haven't been here long enough for most of these questions to apply yet," the reporter meows, "tell me about yourself."

Ember's tail taps thoughtfully. "I'm not sure where to begin," she finally answers.

"Hmm." Doveflame flips through the notebook, finally settling on some of the last pages. "How about I ask you a bunch of quick questions, and you answer them?" Ember spends a moment thinking, then smiles and nods eagerly.

[I Like Bees]

"What's your favorite food?" Doveflame begins.

"Mouse," Ember responds, nodding confidently. "It's simple, delicious, and available everywhere."

"Favorite color?"

"The calm, light blue of the sky on a clear, sunny afternoon."

"Favorite kind of water?"

Ember stares blankly at Doveflame for a moment, seeming confused by the question. Eventually, she seems to decide not to question the question, and responds with, "Cold, running water." Doveflame nods and writes this down.

"Favorite season?"

"Golden-leaves," Ember replies, "because of the bright, multi-colored leaves everywhere. I also love that the weather is a bit chilly, but not quite cold enough to be uncomfortable."

"Golden-leaves..," Doveflame murmurs. "Oh! Leaf-fall. Okay. Next question... Favorite flower?"

"Marigold, because of its healing properties and gorgeous, sun-like petals." She taps her tail thoughtfully. "And because of my mother, whose name was Marigold."

"Favorite animal, not including cats and prey animals?"

"Hedgehogs!" Ember exclaims. "Their little waddling walk is adorable, and they have the sweetest little faces!"

"Favorite game as a kit?"

"Hide and seek," Ember replies, "though I was never very good at it. My fur's a bit too bright to hide easily."

"Favorite scent?"

Ember smiles. "Grass, specifically after it rains."

"Favorite word?"

"Flutter."

"Favorite memory?"

Ember shies backwards, seeming physically struck by the question. "Next question, please," she whispers. Doveflame looks up from her notebook, takes note of Ember's fear, and moves on.

"Describe yourself in three words."

Ember pauses, seeming uncertain how to answer. "Nice, I guess?" She seems as if she has more to say, but Doveflame cuts her off, likely counting the "I guess" towards Ember's three words.

"What three words would your friends describe you with?"

Ember brightens. This is a question she seems more prepared to answer. "Thoughtful, polite, and observant."

Doveflame nods. "That's all the questions I have; let me just finish my notes..."

"May I ask you a question?" Ember asks.

"Sure," Doveflame replies, still scribbling some final notes down. "Ask away."

"Have you ever wondered why your jacket has all those patches on it?"



Doveflame looks down at her jacket. There are an awful lot of stitches in the fabric. She frowns. The stitches on her shoulder look oddly like claw marks... She lifts her front leg, studying the side of the sleeve. Bite marks?! She'd heard stories about what had happened to previous reporters, but she had never thought might be true!

The white she-cat looks back up at Ember. "No," she replies. "But I'm beginning to think that I should."

A moment later, Doveflame finished up her notes and returns the notebook to her pocket. "Thank you for your time, Ember. We'll speak more tomorrow," the reporter meows with a smile. Ember returns the smile, then stands up and trots off.

"Thank you for watching," Doveflame chirps to the camera. "And don't forget to tune in again tomorrow! There seems to be an.. issue.. involving cameras.. in the studio, so we'll be cutting straight to the field report next time. You won't want to miss a second of it. Be sure to turn your tv on at exactly 11:30 AM!" Doveflame smiles and waves goodbye.

The annoyingly long intro plays again, but this time in reverse.

[I Like Bees]

When the intro finishes, the camera zooms in on a sleeping cat. Despite the darkness, Ember's bright fur is easy to make out.

Doveflame sits down next to Ember, smiling at the camera. She's still wearing the patched blue jacket. "Welcome back!" Doveflame exclaims loudly. Ember jumps awake, hissing, her tail and back fur puffed up in terror.

"Oh.. It's just you." Ember sits down, grooming her tail fur back into place. "You startled me," she mutters.

Doveflame ignores Ember's shock, and, to the camera, explains, "Ember has agreed to stay with PetalClan for a few days before resuming her travels. Today, she's on the dawn hunting patrol, with me and Frostwish."

"Frostwish and me," Ember mutters, correcting Doveflame's grammar.

"Hm?" Doveflame asks.

"Nothing," Ember mutters again. She's clearly not a morning cat.

"Alrighty then." Doveflame seems very cheerful in the morning. "We'll be waiting by the camp entrance whenever you're ready." Doveflame skips out of the den, but the camera stays.

Ember stretches, then tilts her head at the camera. "Shouldn't you be following Doveflame?"

"I'm supposed to keep you within the camera's view the entire time," a voice behind the camera explains. "Boss's orders."

Ember frowns, then trots out of the den. The camera bumps up and down rapidly as it is rolled across the canyon floor.

Ember and the camera arrive at the camp entrance, where Frostwish and Doveflame seem to be having an intense debate about whether or not Doveflame's jacket will make hunting more difficult. Doveflame turns to face the camera when it arrives, while Frostwish turns to Ember and gasps.

"Oh, my StarClan! It's true! You are a pseudo merle!" he exclaims.

Doveflame rolls her eyes. "Come on; we better go before he starts ranting about 'genetics' or whatever it is he's always going on about." The white she-cat trots out of camp, Ember following closely behind. Frostwish walks directly beside Ember, poking at her fur and commenting in weird, fancy terms neither the she-cats nor the cameracat understand.

"Wait a second!" the voice behind the camera calls out. "I can't push this thing up that tunnel!" The warriors and Ember turn around, then disappear behind the camera. Doveflame and Frostwish audibly grumble, but Ember stays quiet.

"Three, two, one, push!"

--

"I knew we should have asked for the smaller camera," Doveflame mutters, lying on her side. "Stupid thing must weight as much as a whole forest."

"Come on," Frostwish calls, already heading into the colorful field of flowers. "It wasn't that bad. Hurry, before all the prey wakes up fully!"

Ember appears on the right side of the camera, following Frostwish. "They're tired too," Doveflame mutters to the camera. "They're just too warrior-y to admit it." A quiet "uh huh" sounds from behind the camera, earning a glare from Doveflame.

[I Like Bees]

"Alright," Frostwish whispers. "Doveflame, you can go around the other side, and drive the rabbit towards Ember and... Where's Ember?"

Doveflame slowly lifts her head above the flowers to look around, trying her best to not startle their prey. "Ember!" she whispers through clenched teeth. "What are you doing?"

The camera lifts above the grass and flowers, showing Ember climbing onto a small rock nearby. "Ember, get back here!" Doveflame calls again. Her voice is too quiet for Ember to hear her, but if she increases the volume much more, the rabbits will hear her.

Doveflame ducks below the flowers again, while the camera stays above. Frostwish and Doveflame can be heard arguing below the camera, while Ember can be seen crouching on top of the rock.

Suddenly, angry yowls erupt from all across the field. The argument below the camera comes to a halt, and the rabbits look up, startled. Doveflame and Frostwish's heads pop above the flowers as they scan the field for intruders.

The yowls sound again, this time coming only from the left of the rabbits, opposite to Ember. The noises move closer to the rabbits, who begin charging towards the waiting she-cat.

"Is she doing that?" Doveflame asks, puzzled.

"That doesn't make any sense," Frostwish murmurs.

Ember leaps off the rock, landing on top of one of the terrified rabbits. The angry yowls stop, and the rabbits flee from the visible predator. The camera moves higher, showing Ember chasing after a second rabbit. No, not chasing. Hopping, maybe?

Ember hops above the flowers, and another yowl sounds in front of the rabbit. It turns tail and flees back towards Ember. The poor rabbit is so confused and shocked by what must seem like teleporting cats, it stands no chance.

When Ember finishes off the second rabbit, Doveflame and Frostwish rush towards her, leaving the camera cat to move the camera alone.



"How did you do that?" Doveflame asks, eyes shining in awe.

"Oh.. It's nothing, really. Every cat can do it." Ember begins grooming her chest fur; it must be a nervous habit.

Frostwish shakes his head. "Not here. I've never seen a cat hunt like that." He pauses. "Where did you say you were from again?"

Ember, likely for the sake of brushing off the question regarding her past, addresses Frostwish's first two sentences instead. "We call it booming. Every cat learns it where I come from. The prey here.. they haven't adjusted to the tactic yet, so they're very easy to catch." She licks her chest again. "Typically, I'm lucky if I catch one animal."

Doveflame bounces up and down. "Ember, that was brilliant! Could you teach us? Oh, Sorrelstar will be so excited! This will be amazing for leaf-bare hunting!" The she-cat stops bouncing and spins in a circle in excitement instead.

Frostwish's reaction is much calmer. "Could you really teach us?" he asks, wide-eyed.

"Oh, but I haven't.. decided to stay yet. I'm just visiting, remember?" Ember scratches at an ear, while Doveflame and Frostwish murmur apologies. Ember closes her eyes. "Alright," she says, "but we'll only have time for one lesson today."

Doveflame jumps up and down eagerly, while Frostwish politely thanks Ember. A voice behind the camera asks, "Could you teach me too?" Ember nods, and the cameracat -- another mud-colored tom -- appears in front of the camera.

"Oh!" Doveflame exclaims, turning to face the camera. "Thanks for watching, and don't forget to tune in again tomorrow!" she says with a smile. The white she-cat trots to the other side of the camera, presses a button, and the backwards intro plays.

[I Like Bees]

"Welcome back to Clan News!" Doveflame, still wearing the jacket, announces with a smile.

"As you may have noticed, we've cut out the intro. We received a few.. strongly-worded.. complaints about it, and we decided to remove it.

"In other news, Ember is officially joining PetalClan!" Doveflame fishes her notebook out of her pocket. "She said, and I quote, 'Well, the prey's easy to catch here.. and I do rather enough your [Frostwish and Doveflame's] company. I suppose I could stay.'"

Doveflame looks back up at the camera. "Ember's warrior ceremony will begin in just a moment." A muffled, off-camera voice calls out something. "That's Sorrelstar calling the meeting; come on!"

As the camera bumps over the rocks, rolling behind Doveflame, the white she-cat explains, "Sorrelstar has even agreed to change the ceremony a bit, to take into account Ember's different beliefs."

Doveflame settles down at the back of the gathered Clan, likely so the camera wouldn't block everyone's view.

"Ember, step forward," Sorrelstar calls. The brightly-patterned she-cat walks to the front of the gathered cats, and Sorrelstar leaps off of her perch on the ledge above.

"I, Sorrelstar, leader of PetalClan, call upon my warrior ancestors and The Great Four to look down on this cat. She has traveled far to be here, and is more than worthy of joining us as a warrior.

"Ember, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Ember nods, then manages a soft, "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan and The Great Four, I give you your warrior name. Ember, from this moment onwards, you shall be known as Emberglow, in honor of your glowing pelt and the bright future you have here with us. Welcome to PetalClan." Sorrelstar leans forward, resting her muzzle on Emberglow's head.

The newly-named Emberglow licks Sorrelstar's shoulder, and cheers erupt from the gathered cats. Emberglow smiles, closing her eyes and absorbing her new Clan's acceptance in silence.



As the Clan disperses to return to their daily tasks, Doveflame bounces excitedly towards Emberglow. "Congratulations!" she cheers. "I'm so glad you agreed to join! I promise, you won't regret it!"

Emberglow smiles at the younger she-cat. "Thank you. For inviting me, I mean."

"You are very welcome!" Doveflame turns to the camera. "And thank you, dedicated audience, for sticking with us through three days of getting to know PetalClan's newest warrior, Emberglow!"

[I Like Bees]

"And there you have it, folks! Emberglow: the PetalClan cat with a love of" -- Fallowbreeze pauses, squinting as she reads from something off camera -- "mice, sky blue, running water, leaf-fall, marigold, hedgehogs, hide-and-seek, wet grass scent, and the word flutter! Who describes herself as 'Nice, I guess?' and is described by others as 'thoughtful, polite, and observant'! The pseudo merle cat with a religion involving some magical eagles! The morning-disliking warrior who hunts through 'booming' and may or may not have a troubled, hidden past!

"If that isn't all you ever wanted to know about a cat," Fallowbreeze meows, lounging backwards, "I don't know what is." She smiles, and her chair proceeds to fall over.

"KEVIN THE SECOND, YOU HORRIBLE CHAIR--"

The camera quickly clicks off, leaving the screen blank, and you wondering why you actually bothered to watch all of that.

[I Like Bees]

DIRECTOR:
Fallowbreeze

FIRST ASSISSTANT DIRECTOR:
Y'all Think We Have The Budget For That?

SECOND ASSISSTANT DIRECTOR:
Why Would We Even Hire One?

CAST:
Amberstrike …… Amberstrike
Cindersong …… Cindersong
Doveflame …… Doveflame
Emberglow …… Emberglow
Fallowbreeze …… Fallowbreeze
Frostwish …… Frostwish
Mudflake …… Mudflake
Owltalon …… Owltalon
Pinestep …… Pinestep
Snailheart …… Snailheart
Sorrelstar …… Sorrelstar

ADDITIONAL VOICES:
Cat Who Holds Papers With Script

STUNTS:
We're Supposed To Hire Professionals For This?

CREW:
"A" Camera Operator …… Splat
"B" Camera Operator …… Splatt
"C" Camera Operator …… Splatte
"D" Camera Operator …… Karl
Lighting …… The Ceiling x Mother Nature
Special Effects …… Mother Nature
Electricians …… Wires 'N Stuff
Dolly Grips …… What Does That Even Mean
Costumers …… The Closet
Makeup Artists …… Nope
Furstylists …… Our Tongues
Medics …… Leaves Or Something
Catering …… We Catch Our Own Prey x The Coffee Machine
Script Writer …… Cat Who Holds Papers With Script
Credits Writer …… Fallowbreeze

SPECIAL THANKS TO:
EveryOne, Inc.
NoOne, Inc.
Fallowbreeze, Inc.

IN MEMORY OF:
Kevin the First
You were a wonderful chair.


Clan News takes no responsibility for any cats harmed in the making of this film.
Clan News is aware that news stations shouldn't have movie-style credits, but felt it made the show seem more professional.
Clan News is confused as to why you are still reading the fine print.


While this obviously a work of fiction, if you remove the unrealistic aspects (cameras, a news studio, jackets, etc.), these events did actually occur in PetalClan.

[I Like Bees]

"Amberstrike's a bit mean, to be honest. I'm always worried that I'll say the wrong thing, and she'll just.. snap. I don't think she'd physically hurt me, though; just mentally."
- Emberglow

"Emberglow's cool. I'm probably a bit too harsh on her, but it's not my fault she's stealing all of the glory when it comes to hunting! 'Booming' really isn't as easy as she claims it is."
- Amberstrike

"Cindersong is the kind grandma I've always wanted -- no offense to her age, of course; she has plenty of seasons left in her yet. She tells great stories, and she always knows when I need someone to talk to or a shoulder to lean on."
- Emberglow

"Emberglow is one of this Clan's most responsible and respectful younger cats. She's always bringing me the best prey, even though I'm not an elder, and actually listens to my advice. PetalClan needs more cats with her politeness."
- Cindersong

"Doveflame is that annoying little sister you didn't want at first, but have grown to love and appreciate. Her enthusiasm is infectious, and she's always a joy to be around."
- Emberglow

"Emberglow is awesome! She has the coolest hunting technique, and even though she could keep it to herself and stay the best hunter in the Clan, she's actually willing to teach us! Well, willing to try at least. No one's caught on quite yet."
- Doveflame

"Frostwish is... This is going to sound really rude, but I promise I don't mean it that way. He's that weird older cat who acts polite and nice, and is polite and nice, but is always staring at you creepily. Except he's younger than me."
- Emberglow

"Emberglow, as a cat, is great. Great personality, great hunter, yadda yadda ya. Emberglow, as an example of a pseudo merle, is magnificent! I've only ever heard stories of the patterning before, and it is absolutely astounding to see with your own eyes!"
- Frostwish

"Mudflake seems angry... all of the time. He's obsessed with dogs; it's all he ever talks about. He'd be interesting enough to talk to, if he was willing to consider another conversation topic. I'm sure he has a good reason for his hatred of dogs, though."
- Emberglow

"Emberglow is one of the few cats in the Clan who doesn't outright mock me for being aware of the danger dogs pose to us all. I respect that."
- Mudflake

"Owltalon, despite his somewhat-scary appearance, is just a big softie. Don't tell anyone else I said this, but he's the only cat who's showing real potential with learning my hunting technique."
- Emberglow

"I'm almost certain Emberglow is an angel sent from StarClan. She's an incredibly patient teacher, and I might finally learn to hunt because of her! I honestly can't express how gratefully I am to her in words; I'm considering catching her a mouse instead."
- Owltalon

"Pinestep is very difficult to get along with. He's overly critical about everything, and always openly criticizing everything I do. I'm sure he has a good reason for it.. but it's still incredibly annoying."
- Emberglow

"Emberglow.. I don't feel she's pushing herself to her full potential. She could be so much better at fighting if she was just willing to try. As it is, she's going to be useless if BloomClan attacks."
- Pinestep

"Snailheart is so quiet, I sometimes forget she's there. She seems as though she might have had a.. difficult start, like me. When she's willing to talk to me.. I think we could be good friends."
- Emberglow

"Emberglow is nice, I guess."
- Snailheart

"Sorrelstar seems like a respectable leader. I appreciate her honesty, however harshly direct it may sometimes be. She seems like the perfect cat to hold this Clan together."
- Emberglow

"Emberglow is a fine warrior, and I look forward to seeing how her unique hunting skills will benefit PetalClan."
- Sorrelstar