Well, I had some extra time, so I actually managed to write this in, like, two days. I'm actually really worried and depressed right now, but... Yeah, anyway, hope you enjoy, read and review, yadda yadda.
Of Cats And Blocks
Deadpaw was woken up by a paw poking his side. Smokypaw was staring at him. "Ivyfrost wants to know if anything else happened tonight." Deadpaw looked at his tail again, and tried to move it. It twitched. "No. I slept."
Smokypaw shrugged. "Ok then. Be careful." Deadpaw gritted his teeth. He had been perfectly fine until the monster had come. His name had been Foxpaw. His whole life- even his name- had been ruined by the silver monster that deadened his tail. Now the entire Clan wanted to stare at his tail more.
Deadpaw stretched. He padded out of the den, and was surprised when nobody rushed over. He looked around, puzzled. No cats were in the camp. Then he recoiled as a scent hit his nose. It was musty, with a reek of Carrionplace. Deadpaw's fur bushed out.
ShadowClan was attacking!
He ran to the entrance, and was horrified by the scene that greeted his eyes. Yellowstar was grappling with Troutclaw, and RiverClan warriors fought ShadowClan's, fighting desperately. Palestar rolled by, engaged with a dark gray tom. She clawed at his pelt, and he spun away to fight another opponent.
Palestar glanced at Deadpaw. "Help Troutclaw! He's outnumbered!" A black she-cat leaped on Palestar, and RiverClan's leader was enveloped by the battle. Deadpaw looked back to Troutclaw, who was pinned on the ground, struggling against the leader of ShadowClan.
Deadpaw leaped and landed behind Yellowstar. He caught Troutclaw's attention, and Troutclaw continued fending off Yellowstar. Deadpaw crouched behind Yellowstar, and Troutclaw nodded.
Deadpaw leaped onto Yellowstar's pelt, and dug his claws in. He twitched his tail, and started ripping fur off. Yellowstar rolled over on his back, and all the air flooded out of Deadpaw's chest. Troutclaw ran at Yellowstar, but the leader of ShadowClan was ripped off Deadpaw by another cat.
Deadpaw leaped up, and turned to look at his rescuer. His mouth dropped open. The cat shook his head and turned, flying at the ShadowClan invaders.
Yellowstar had a wound in his shoulder, and he limped, heavily favoring his left forepaw. "ShadowClan, retreat!" Yellowstar and the rest of ShadowClan ran back to their territory.
The ShadowClan deputy, Redclaw, turned and hissed at RiverClan, and ran away. Deadpaw was still standing, his jaw hanging loosely, staring at the strange cat.
The cat looked at Deadpaw. "I'm sorry." Palestar padded up behind them, looking at the cat. "Who're you?" The cat winced.
"Silver."
"Well, Silver, are you a loner?" Palestar looked at Silver the way a enemy looks at someone proposing a peace treaty. Silver nodded. "Yes, if that's what you call cats who aren't in Clans."
Palestar flared her nostrils. "You helped us fight, and for that, I thank you. Come to our camp." She said it politely but fiercely. Silver dipped his head to Troutclaw, and followed Palestar across the river. Deadpaw walked to the camp, still staring at Silver.
What does this mean?
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Ivyfrost was walking around, tending to everyone's wounds. She stopped by where Silver and Deadpaw were sitting frequently to "check on their wounds". Deadpaw knew she was really just looking at his tail, and twitched it whenever she came by.
Deadpaw was still amazed that Seto- Silver, whatever was called in this world- had managed to find him, and knew everything. Silver sat with Deadpaw and told him everything quietly. "After you opened Sky's door, I used a...spell...that I shouldn't use. I thought it would be Sky at the door, but I was wrong. The...spell blasted you across the room and hurt your leg badly."
Deadpaw looked at his tail.
"I went and found Sky, but the spell wasn't over yet, and it...hit him. I got in a car, and drove to the hospital. You and Sky were unconscious, and last time I checked, you were in a coma. Well, your human body. I don't know how the, um, spell did this, but..."
Deadpaw looked at Silver, and smiled. "It's okay. I have one question, though. My tail muscles started working for the first time in two moons, and it just happened to be on the day you show up. I don't think it's a coincidence." Silver shrugged. "I don't know." Deadpaw believed Silver's explanation... kind of. But he stopped questioning Silver about it.
()
Skypaw yawned sleepily. He was traveling to the Moonstone, but Rabbitear had woken him before the crack of dawn. Cedarpelt and his apprentice, Bluepaw, were going with them, but they hadn't woke up yet. Not even the dawn patrol has woken up yet!
Skypaw looked up as Sunpelt, the medicine cat, came toward him with two sharp-smelling bundles in his teeth. The medicine waved his tail at Skypaw, and mumbled through the leaf-wrapped herbs. "These herbs are for Rabbitear and you." He deposited a bundle at Skypaw's feet. "Eat them. They're bitter, but they'll help you traveling to the Moonstone." Skypaw nodded at Sunpelt, and gulped down the herbs. They tasted like the brussel sprouts that Calamari had tried to cook once... Skypaw shook his head to clear the thoughts of his other life.
Rabbitear came up, and sniffed the herbs. "Nothing like a trip to the Moonstone to make you hungry, but luckily we have these herbs." He ate them, grimacing. "They still taste horrible, though."
Cedarpelt pulled his head out of the apprentices den, with Bluepaw close behind. Sunpelt dropped the herbs at their feet.
Bluepaw sniffed the herbs and drew back. "These smell bitter!" Cedarpelt ate the bundle and spat out the leftover leaf encircling the herbs. "Yes, but we need them to travel to the Moonstone."
Rabbitear started toward the exit to the camp, beckoning Skypaw with his tail. Bluepaw and Cedarpelt followed him. Rabbitear raised his paw, and pointed to Highstones on the horizon. Skypaw looked at them. Highstones loomed over everything, even Tallrock.
Bluepaw ran forward, her paws full of energy. Skypaw followed, jumping at a butterfly as it passed. Rabbitear smiled and said to Cedarpelt "Isn't it amazing how they run? I wish I had that energy."
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Skypaw looked up at the huge gaping mouth. Mothermouth. It led to the Moonstone, but cats had to walk through the full darkness of the tunnel. Bluepaw flicked her tail, and looked at the moon. "It's almost moonhigh!"
Cedarpelt purred. "Well then, we'd better go in, shouldn't we?"
Skypaw bounced on his paws, excited despite the long journey to Highstones. I can't believe I'm about to see the Moonstone! Rabbitear walked into the long tunnel, and Skypaw followed him
The darkness pressed down on the four WindClan cats, who were used to the wind ruffling their fur. Skypaw saw a glint of light ahead. "The Moonstone!"
Skypaw ran to the cavern, lit by the light of the moon igniting the Moonstone. Bluepaw and Rabbitear followed, then Cedarpelt. "So we touch the Moonstone with our noses, right?" Cedarpelt nodded at his apprentice. "Yes, and StarClan will show you something." Rabbitear nodded. "Don't forget, you can't tell anyone about what you saw."
Skypaw lay down, and touched the Moonstone with his nose. His world was cast into darkness.
Skypaw woke in the same cave he'd been in before. Disappointed, he looked for Rabbitear- but Rabbitear wasn't there!
Cats with stars dancing through their fur appeared along the edges of the cavern. StarClan! Skypaw looked around, his mouth open.
A StarClan cat stepped forward. "Skypaw. You walk a path different than your Clan. You are not controlled by StarClan, and your true form is not a cat. We do not know what your true form is. A visitor will come to the Clans, and he is the one holding your destiny. Your destiny, and another's."
Skypaw tilted his head. He understood what they meant by "you walk a different path", and the other's destiny, that was obviously Deadpaw, but who was the visitor?
"W-wait. I need answers! Why am I here? What happened?" The StarClan cat murmured "StarClan does not know all..."
The starry cats faded away, and Skypaw woke up. Rabbitear, Bluepaw and Cedarpelt were staring at him. "Skypaw, are you ok?"
Bluepaw stared at him curiously. "You were thrashing around in your sleep." Skypaw shook his head.
"No, I'm fine."
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The cats returned to WindClan at daybreak. The sun was just rising, and Skypaw saw the dawn patrol heading to the RiverClan border. Bluepaw headed to the den, Cedarpelt blinking tiredly and unable to keep his apprentice from sleep.
Skypaw looked questioningly at Rabbitear, who nodded and let him go to the den to sleep.
Skypaw yawned and buried his head under the heather.
{}
"Attack on RiverClan! There was an attack!" Skypaw snapped awake at the cry, racing outside, his fur bushed.
Icepaw, who had been on the dawn patrol, was telling the whole Clan what they had seen. "ShadowClan swarmed across the river, and RiverClan rushed out to meet them! Then a strange silver cat with brown splotches ran from the edge of RiverClan territory, and started fighting with Yellowstar!"
Skypaw came and joined the silent crowd listening to Icepaw's story.
"Yellowstar had that apprentice with the broken tail pinned down, and was choking him." Skypaw drew back in horror. Deadpaw? "The silver and brown cat ripped Yellowstar off the cat with the broken tail, and Troutclaw kept swiping at Yellowstar, and the other cat was fighting like a StarClan cat!"
Skypaw's head spun. Was this silver-brown cat the visitor StarClan had told him about?
Skypaw looked at Stormstar, who came quietly out of his den with the rest of the dawn patrol.
"All of you know about ShadowClan's attack on RiverClan, thanks to Icepaw here." Icepaw smiled sheepishly. "We fear ShadowClan may attack us next, and so therefore, we are taking extra precautions."
Skypaw raised his hackles. What was going on? Who was the silver cat? Was he... No. It couldn't be. But... It was. The cat who had saved Deadpaw- Skypaw knew it was Seto.
Stormstar hadn't finished his announcement, though.
"We will take these precautions by attacking RiverClan, and taking their territory. We attack at dawn!"
Skypaw recoiled in horror.
Attack RiverClan?
Well, didn't expect that, did you now? I didn't either. Evidently, RiverClan is attracting trouble... Why?