For the monthly challenge at LawlClan. The prompt is 'The afterlife was not what the protagonist expected'.
As a kit, Silversky remembered how she would often beg her mother to stay up during the night, so the stars could shine their glory down upon her. Being that young, the stars seemed to be her greatest object of fascination. She was tiny and meek, while the galaxies were bright and bold, shining with such ferocity that they seemed to be calling to her. But, as always, her mother would coax her back into the nursery as the great sun sank below the horizon, and she would wake in the morning longing for something she couldn't reach.
When her age no longer became a factor, the she-cat learned that she was a star herself. Her father had always told her the same; that she was his shining little light, his only daughter destined for greatness just like he was himself. And she was, a path had been set for her long ago by her ancestors. Those points of light high above still called downwards, setting her paws upon a trail that had been tread by few, as it was only a direction that certain cats could walk.
For as many knew, only the greatest could walk a path of destruction.
The pawprints of so few that had walked the path before led her to darkness, a place of eerie light and wreaths of fog that trapped her slight feet where they stood. And through every step that she took, a single voice whispered in her ear, drawing her downwards in what she would later learn was her own demise.
Come on, dear Silversky. Wouldn't want to disappoint me, now would you? I know what you want, the glory, the stars. I can give that to you. You just have to listen to me..
When a cat tells you that they can give you everything you've ever wanted, your instincts take over. Everything else fades away like mist after a violent storm, and soon the only thing in your sights is that power, the stars that you've wanted for so long. Silversky was no different.
She acted as any other warrior would. Slipped out of the den at dawn to join a border patrol, hunted through the heat of sunhigh, and then she would return to her Clan and share tongues with the other warriors, before slipping away into the forest.
At first it was only to watch the stars; to listen to a voice that only seemed to exist in her head. He would whisper sweet nothings in her ear, tell her she would be the greatest cat in the dawn of the Clans. But this cat never materialized, instead stayed a shadow that lurked in the back of her mind.
Until, almost a year after she had become a warrior, a single cat met her in the spot that she sat alone in the darkness.
He had shaggy black fur, with three white paws that glowed under the light of the full moon. Scars that drew jagged lines across his pelt, one that slashed right through the place where his left eye should have been, leaving only one cold blue iris to stare at her. And his voice, quiet and dark, the same voice that haunted her brain and never seemed to leave her.
They sat together that night, watching the sky in silence. No words were spoken, but no questions lingered. Silversky trusted this cat, this cat who had no name in her mind, yet who would lead her to greatness.
Every night that she appeared, he did the same. But soon, in that same deadly voice she knew from her mind, he began weaving tales of death and destruction, telling her that he had been brutally murdered in cold blood, left to rot shortly after the Clans had been formed.
My death should not have happened, dear one. And you have to avenge me. You must destroy my murderer. And then I will lead you to your stars.
It's no surprise that queens still tell their kits to be strong and brave when faced with tough decisions. Naïvety was a factor in this story, the story of a young warrior who wanted the stars so badly she'd do anything to have them. The thought of killing was just like another training exercise, one step closer to where she wanted to be.
"Who do I have to kill?"
Thunderstar.
The ginger-furred leader, pelt like the sun's dying rays, the last of the founders of the four Clans. Shadowstar had died some moons ago in a battle she started with WindClan, followed closely by Riverstar. Windstar was next, to die peacefully in her sleep next to her mate.
The ghostly cat hadn't been lying. Thunderstar had killed him, torn his throat out when he had threatened to overthrow everything the Clans had worked for. And if there was nothing to stop a young warrior from getting what she wants, why should one life matter?
Silversky remembered his exact words, his instructions.
Thunderstar is weak, old. Only one life left Silversky .. and he certainly won't be prepared for your attack. All you have to do is wait for the right moment, where you can strike.
Even when he appeared before her, she never heard his voice out loud. Always in her head, quiet, like the whisper of a breeze that went in one ear and out only a second later.
Looking up, Silversky caught a glimpse of her leader perched on the Great Rock next to the new leader of WindClan, Gorsestar. Snakestar leapt up next to them a few moments after separating from ShadowClan, followed closely by Snowstar of RiverClan. Together the four leaders stood and padded to the edge of the rock, paws making little sound on the flat gray surface
"Let the gathering commence!" Snakestar called out, his voice ringing throughout the clearing. The cats below him shuffled around, struggling to find a seat as lithe shapes from every Clan packed together beneath the four trees.
Snowstar began with a tale of how two apprentices had successfully chased a fox from their territory, earning their warrior names, Splashfoot and Minnowleap. The two cats raised their head proudly only a few feet from Silversky, their eyes gleaming with pride.
I remember when I was made a warrior, she thought, voice going quiet as the calls of the two names died down. Thunderstar had stood before her, shoulders strong and eyes proud, giving her the name of Silversky for her gentleness, her bravery, and of course, for her love of the stars.
Lost in her thoughts, she had failed to notice that Thunderstar has begun to speak. His voice, although gruff with age, never wavered as he announced the birth of a new litter to their Clan. They were strong and Thunderstar was more than happy to show it.
"I wish to speak!" Silversky called out, rising to her paws. She felt the heat of a hundred gazes fall on her fur, felt shock ripple through the gathered cats as she took to her feet.
"What is the meaning of this, Silversky? This is not your place," Thunderstar demanded, his eyes narrowing as he found the slender silver warrior in the crowd.
"But it is not your place either, is it?" She demanded, eyes cold, "ThunderClan, we appear to have a strong and intelligent leader, one who has led us to greatness. But he is no better than the most foul rogue. Our leader is a murderer!"
Loud yowls broke out across the clearing, followed by a command from Gorsestar for silence. Thunderstar's amber eyes were filled with rage, his fur bristling across his spine. His claws scraped against the rock as he took a step forward to the edge, keeping his gaze on his warrior.
For a split second, Silversky's stomach was filled with something other than anticipation. A cold fear, a nervousness that set into the lining of her very being and threatened to push her back.
Don't back down now, darling. You're so close to greatness .. so close. Just do this for me, and I'll help you achieve even the brightest stars.
That voice. His voice. He had not a name or an actual being, but a single command from his voice told her what she had to do.
And so she leapt.
A caterwaul broke out as her back paws scraped the great rock, her claws crashing into Thunderstar's broad form as they met, before he toppled backwards from the force. His great feet pushed at her, teeth digging into her leg as he tried in vain to throw her off. He was old. He was weak.
Just like the mysterious cat, with his cold, pale blue eye, had said.
Before she could realize what she was doing, Silversky had buried her fangs in her leader's throat, tasting a fountain of blood as it spurted out from his soft flesh, his ginger fur fringing on a violent shade of red. His struggles grew weaker against the silver warrior, his paws going limp as his blood pooled on the stone beneath him.
Just as his struggles stop, sharp teeth met in her scruff before she flew through the air, landing on the ground below with a blow that knocked the wind from her. Blinking rapidly, Silversky had no time to react before a broad gray shape had pinned her to the ground, yellow gaze shocked. Owleyes.
"Why?" He whispered. Cats were milling around where she was pinned to the grass, her muzzle red with Thunderstar's blood.
"You don't understand! I had to do this .. I have to become great. He said I had to do this!"
Several more howls broke out, confusion and shocked filled voices that filled her ears, drowning out the satisfied purr that rang in the back of her mind from the cat she never should have trusted.
"She's crazy, she killed our leader! Owleyes, end it! We can't allow her to run rabid throughout the entire forest! She's a traitor and that's all she'll ever be!"
Silversky twisted her head, meeting the dark amber gaze of a monstrous brown tom named Rowanfang. His tail puffed out to twice it's normal size as her blue gaze fell on him, shock pooling within their depths.
"You can't kill me .. I've done nothing wrong!" She howled, struggling underneath Owleyes' grip. His paw slipped, sending him crashing to the side as Silversky slid out from under him, paws pedaling for a grip on the smooth grass. As she gained her footing the cats around her scrambled, either moving out of her way or attempting to block her. Pushing a skinny tortoiseshell out of her way, she dodged around the Great Rock, stopping when a single voice echoed in her head.
Goodbye, darling.
A great force hit her square in her spine, followed by splintering pain. And then nothing.
Her eyes flew open, a loud gasp escaping through her jaws as a dank, musty scent filled her nose. Darkness surrounded her, so black that she could barely see a tail-length in front of her. Putting a tentative paw forward, Silversky let out a sigh of relief as solid ground moulded around her foot. Rising to her paws, she let her eyes adjust to the darkness, blinking rapidly as she tried to make out the land around her.
Great trees towered around her, the foliage so dense that only tiny spirals of pale light circled into the clearing. The bushes and leaves around her appeared almost black, and when she took a step forward a trail of slime made her recoil backwards, stumbling onto her side as a tangle of brambles wrapped around her legs.
"You've arrived."
She jumped as a voice rang through the darkness. Picking her way out of the brambles, she made her way towards where the voice had come from, curiosity overcoming her.
He emerged from the underbrush only a few feet from her, ice blue eye glowing with satisfaction. He padded towards her, and as he got closer, something else entered his single eye. Lust. A hunger she couldn't quite make sense of.
"What is this place? I was in the clearing .. and I almost got away .. but then," Silversky trailed off, thoughts racing. The pain she had felt, crashing towards the ground amidst the caterwauls around her.
"I died," she whispered, voice trembling. The cat before her reached out his tail to rest it on her shoulder but she quickly stepped backwards, eyes wide. He said nothing, simply stood where she had left him, before drawing his tail back.
"I-Is this StarClan, then?"
The black tom snorted, rolling his eyes.
"StarClan, ha. Such a fool you are. But you'll have to do, I suppose. I've been here for so long .. and wandering for so many years can get boring without someone by your side," he said, glancing back to her once again.
Silversky stared at him for a few brief moments before padding a few steps away, peering through the trees at their surroundings. A sliver of sickly light peeked through the trees over her head and she looked up towards the sky, eyes widening in shock.
The stars were gone.
She whirled back around to face the tom, fur bristling. He simply stared back, tail flicking from side to side, with no emotion coming forth from his gaze.
"Who are you? What is this place?" Silversky demanded, her voice barely audible.
He padded forwards to meet her, coming so close that by the time he stopped, their noses were almost touching. His breath was quiet and no sound could be heard, not the lone call of a bird or the soothing sound of a stream running over rocks.
"My name is Nightscar. And this is the Place of No Stars."
I'm not a nice person to my characters.
I like messing with the canon, as you can see. It was never said how Thunderstar lost his last life .. so I thought why not? Working Silversky in was surprisingly easily, she was too trusting from the beginning. Her stars were too precious. How sad for her that she longed for them so badly and now has to live an afterlife without them. Being evil is fun, I must say.
In this, Nightscar was the first cat ever to enter the Dark Forest. And after so long of being alone, he needed some company. The ultimate manipulator. Silversky just happened to be the cat he chose.
Reviews are love.
- Rowan