A/N: As they sleep, two kits' souls wander into a strange place by mistake, and find someone waiting for them with a story. AU story about a certain someone's crime (you know, the one that got her into the Dark Forest), and the trap she springs even after she's dead. In this story, she is insane. With a capital I. She is a ginger-and-white she-cat, as said by Warriors: Omen of the Stars: Night Whispers
Disclaimer: Erin Hunter owns Warriors
*Cat speaking*
Can you hear that? Close your eyes, and let your senses roam. Can you hear that? The hoot of an owl, the chirp of the crickets, the prey rustling in the leaves? Those are the sounds of the forest.
Pull your senses in now. Observe your home. Can you hear that? The rustles of moss on a warm den floor, the mews of warriors sharing tongues, the happy squeal of kits? These are the sounds of Clan life.
It wasn't always like this. The forest used to be quiet. Still. For whichever small animal that dared to break the silence was swiftly dealt with, with sharp hunter's claws. The forest protested at first, but silence came, thick like fog, and the forest was smothered. It used to be eerily still.
Silent.
Your Clan never noticed this, not until a kit like you saw that her namesake wasn't singing. The whole forest seemed to be holding its breath. The jay above her head, the one that loved to make noise, even it was silent. Everything was silent. Someone had entered the forest, someone the forest feared. The kit felt the fear, too, but she was too stupid to stop. Instead, she turned and ran, and stepped on a twig. The noise of it shattering seemed louder than anything, louder than a battle raging on Clan borders, louder than twolegs' monsters speeding down the Blackpath, louder than thunder.
It shattered, just like the silence that had reigned over the forest moments ago.
Although it made no sense, the kit seemed to understand that she had crossed the line, for the fear was suddenly so intense that it locked her limbs in place, and she froze. She was fearful. Afraid. Very afraid.
And she had a good reason to be. For the next day, Jaykit was gone. Vanished.
Do not be afraid, little kits. This is my home, and I know it very well, for I have been here for longer than you know. Those shadows are harmless, really. They are here every day in this dark forest. Relax, and let the story go on.
I was a young warrior at that time. I still remember when Jaykit was found murdered in the shade of a maple tree. One medicine cat had screamed that it was a sign, a sign from StarClan, but no one believed him. Every cat thought he was insane.
I'm glad that rumor was spread. If not, they would've noticed the similarity between that location and someone's name.
But they didn't.
From then on, the Clan was aware of the silence. No one dared break it, for whoever did would be found dead in the exact same spot as Jaykit the next day.
Soon, the maple tree and the area its shade covered became known as 'The Blood Tree'. And although the warriors and apprentices of the Clan dared not break the silence when it came, blood was still spilled there.
Usually kits, naïve kits who didn't know of the silence were victims, but the 'insane' medicine cat was one of the first to go, even though he didn't break the silence. Everything was easier after he was gone.
How do I know this, you ask, how do I know. How I know? Its because I know her - yes, a she-cat commited these crimes. I know her better than anyone else in the world. Even StarClan. I know everything about her, from her first breath as a kit to her last dying scream. I know all the reasons, however insane, for commiting the crimes she did.
I know her better than anyone else in the world.
Silence.
She loved it.
Silence.
It seemed to follow her everywhere. Kits stopped their playing and stared as she walked past. Birds fell silent when they saw her. The entire forest was still as she entered it. No one, not even the prey, dared make noise, for whichever one dared break the silence was swiftly dealt with.
It was completely silent.
Until one fateful day, a certain kit broke it.
She had been strolling through the forest, enjoying the silence, when a twig snapped. Then, the silence, the silence she had worked so hard to build, it was gone. The real forest sounds started creeping in. she was shocked, terrified even, when it reached her ears. She didn't know that the world could make so much chaotic noise.
Noise.
How she hated it.
You see, silence was her friend. Her only friend. Everyone else despised her, or hated her. Silence was her only friend.
Noise was her enemy.
Silence listened to what you had to say. Considered what you had said. Let you speak. Noise just drowned you out, ignored you, treated you like you didn't matter.
She hated that.
And now, all her precious silence had been broken, replaced by the horrible noise. She couldn't hear herself speak, couldn't even hear herself think. She only knew one thought.
Whoever broke the silence would pay.
Watch.
And wait.
Those were her skills. Her only skills, apart from making silence. Used to hunt and slaughter prey. She would watch her prey, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Sometimes it took planning. Vile planning. But that was no problem, for foul play made up who she was.
Watch.
And wait.
It takes patience, which she had slowly mastered.
Watch.
And wait.
Sometimes, the prey was clever. And careful. Sometimes, she had to manipulate it into making a fatal mistake, which led to a perfect chance to strike. She would watch and wait, assessing the prey's strengths and weaknesses, its feelings and doubts. Sometimes she would exploit its weakness, cause it heart-stopping fear. She loved to see the terror flash in its eyes, loved to prey on its paranoia. It was delightful.
She couldn't ask for a better chance. The prey, a terrified she-kit, it was no problem. Fun. She briefly remembered the kit's name. Jaykit. But soon Jaykit would not be Jaykit, just a corpse.
Watch.
And wait.
Now, she observed the kit, its soft gray fur fluffed out in terror. She sensed fear. A lot of fear.
Good. This would be satisfying.
She grinned savagely, then purposely stepped on a twig, causing it to snap. She knew that the kit, in its paranoia, would leap back, anticipating an enemy. She also knew that there was a bramble bush behind the kit, with sharp thorns ready to snare soft kitten fur, and hold it captive. Hold it captive until the predator came. The trap had been set.
Now she watched. And waited.
The kit, already unnerved, leapt back just as predicted. It tumbled into the bramble bush, and was quickly tangled up, its kitten fur snagging on the thorns. The kit was a captive now.
Perfect.
Then she lunged and grabbed a terrified Jaykit and ran off, her ginger and white pelt bristling with the excitement of the hunt. She was soon swallowed by the darkness of the forest, concealed. There, the crime was commited, and the last noise the forest knew was the last, sharp scream of Jaykit.
That's her first kill. Once it was commited, there was no going back. Her soul was stained with the blood of poor Jaykit, an innocent kit. She was marked as a murderer in the stars' eyes, forever. There was no going back. And somewhere in her crazed mind, she knew this, for she showed no signs of hesitation, of regret. Why stop if it cannot be reversed?
You are clever, little kits. Yes, I was with her. But she operated alone, and I hated her. Even regretted for her. Am I her mother, little kits? Why do you ask? Is it because I look identical to her? No, I am not her mother. Mother dear is in StarClan, watching helplessly as her daughter's soul grows darker and darker, watching helplessly as two new kits are about to be sacrificed.
I am exactly her age. I am not a second older or a second younger. You could say that I was her clone, her.
It's said that even after she died, She still lured kits into her trap, using pretty words and interesting biographies.
Hee hee...
Why are you running away? Come back! There's nothing to fear, really! Nothing to fear, yet. The shadows can be merciless to one's soul, staining it black with hatred and insanity. Come back. It's safer here.
Good kits. You know what's good for you. Don't worry, you'll be safe, really safe... when your in StarClan.
At least you will go with souls bright and untainted by murder or insanity. At least you will go as yourselves, unlike she did. Unlike Mapleshade did.
It was Mapleshade.
This was why the kit was found in maple's shade. Perhaps the 'insane' medicine cat was right, because I don't remember putting it there.
I don't remember putting it there. I hid it under a boulder. Yes, that's right. I killed it.
I
Killed
Jaykit.
I killed them all.
I am Mapleshade.
I'm tired of lying. I lied to my Clanmates, my family, my friends. I lied to myself when regret plagued me. But the hunt was too thrilling to ignore, and the silence too precious. There was no room for regret. So I lied. And I'm tired of it. So, I want you to know the truth. Take it to StarClan for me!
Watch and wait... NOW!
Then she lunged and grabbed the terrified kits and ran off, her ginger and white pelt bristling with the excitement of the hunt. She was soon swallowed by the darkness of the forest, concealed. There, the crime was commited, and the last noise the Dark Forest knew was the last, sharp screams of the lost kits.
Mapleshade strikes again.
A/N: This was something I dug up, so it has a slightly different style than my other stories. It does share the weirdness, though.