Chapter 5: Back With the Mortal Cats

Okay, with your (and my XD) newfound knowledge, let's get back to Dapple, Mountain, and Petalshine! And the rest. But remember Petalshine's giving birth? Here's where it gets so specific. I like my own writing, by the way. OH REQUEST! Out of five stars (halves count), how many would you give this story? *wrings hands nervously* What are my strengths? Weaknesses? Errors? *taps leg nervously* Yeep! I'm just going to keep writing now...be nice when you tell me.

ThunderClan—Dapplepaw

Dapplepaw twitched in her nest. She was fast asleep, but her mind was somewhere else.

She stared at the beautiful forest in front of her. It was like ThunderClan territory in greenleaf, but better.

Suddenly a pale gray and white she-cat padded out of a shadow of a tree.

"Hello," Dapplepaw mewed. If she lived her, she must be nice.

"I'm Ivylight," the she-cat informed her. "I'm here to train you."

Dapplepaw was puzzled. "Thorntail is my mentor."

Ivylight flicked her tail. "No, no," she mewed impatiently. "I'm here to train you in your ability."

"My...ability?" The memory of the fox attack was fresh in her mind, even after a day had passed. She winced. "I'm glad I convinced Runningpaw to leave. He and his brother got their warrior names yesterday: Runningstorm and Smokeshade."

Ivylight flicked her tail again. "Good. But that's not the subject. You can predict when cats will die, yes? That doesn't mean you can flip out and send a cat home. Some things must stay their course."

Dapplepaw stepped back, somewhat dazed. "Huh?" She was going so fast...

Ivylight paced in a circle; was she impatient? "Let life take its course," she repeated firmly.

"O-okay," Dapplepaw meowed uncertainly; then she blinked awake in her nest with the words Let life take its course ringing in her ears.

Star-ShadowClan—Birchpelt

Birchpelt padded silently through the ShadowClan camp. Sunpaw had been out late last night, so she was sleeping the day away. Nightfire padded towards the dirtplace; out of habit, Birchpelt swung out of his way. There really wasn't any need too: this was just a dream. Birchpelt slipped into the apprentices' den and curled up next to Sunpaw.

He blinked his eyes open immediately. Sunpaw was in a pine forest, hunting. Birchpelt, feeling rushed, scared away her lizard. Sunpaw rounded on him.

"Hey! That was mine!" Suddenly resignation flared in her eyes, along with guilt. Clearly she remembered him and her 'adventure' at the Moonpool. "Uh..."

Birchpelt wasted no time of formalities, getting straight to the point. "The time of Starflakes has come. The Fallen Stars will return to the stars. One from Thunder. One from Wind. One from Shadow. Two from River. One from Sky. They shall come together and bring the Fallen Stars home."

Then he was off before Sunpaw could ask any more.

Star-WindClan—Poppyflight

Poppyflight paced back and forth in the moorland grass. This was the WindClan section of StarClan. They had everything there, down to a camp. But she wasn't interested in chatting or hunting. Even here, she could feel the tug of StarClan blood in her veins.

Morningmist, a pale gold and pale blue she-cat with blue eyes, padded up to Poppyflight. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Poppyflight stopped pacing and started tearing up the grass. "I don't think I could wait much longer. I feel it, Morningmist. I feel StarClan blood among mortals. It shouldn't be there. That's why I conjured the prophecy. Every Fallen Star or Starflake in StarClan feels it. You were mortal, though. You can't feel it. But I can."

Morningmist placed a paw over Poppyflight's. "Is there anything I can do?"

Poppyflight shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'd tell you if there was."

Suddenly Asterpetal, a pale gray and pale ginger she-cat from SkyClan, and also a Fallen Star, rushed up to the two WindClan she-cats. "Bad news," she panted. "Petalshine has just given birth to three healthy SkyClan kits. It was a hard birth, but as far as I can foretell, they'll all live."

Morningmist was absolutely baffled. "Kits are a good thing!"

Poppyflight yowled at the sky. "More Fallen Stars!"

Asterpetal explained. "Petalshine is a Fallen Star. Now the tug will be even harder on Poppyflight. I feel it too."

Morningmist tilted her head. "Why not just go down and get the Fallen Stars, or wait until they die?"

Poppyflight clawed the ground again, frustrated. "We're their ancestors. We can't toy around with them. And if we wait, some cats might be driven mad from the pull. Also, they might have kits. Forbidding it isn't going to help at all. I'm already feeling...not in the right mind from sensing the pull for so long. I was the first, you know. And I hope that they return soon, otherwise I might go mad." Her head drooped and rested on her chest.

Star-SkyClan—Asterpetal

(Oh, I love her!)

Asterpetal stroked Poppyflight's shoulder with her tail-tip. "Don't worry," she soothed. "They may return soon."

Poppyflight rounded on her. "What if they don't? You don't understand!"

Asterpetal touched her nose to Poppyflight's ear. "Yes, I do. I feel the pu—"

Poppyflight flinched away. "You don't understand," she repeated. "Every day I feel the pull. Even when I'm asleep, I still feel it. I sense the Fallen Stars more sensitively than most mortal cats; their blood runs in my veins. It yanks on my mind, every single day. I feel madness threatening to overcome me. Oh, Asterpetal, what else could help?"

Asterpetal noticed the slightly crazed look in Poppyflight's eyes. What she said was true. If the Fallen Stars didn't return soon, Poppyflight and the other Starflakes would go insane. There was only one thing Asterpetal could do.

Summoning one of the powers at her disposal, she touched her nose to Poppyflight's forehead. "Sleep now," she murmured.

"No," Poppyflight protested. "Sleep offers no escape!" But her legs buckled, and she fell unconscious.

WindClan—Wildpaw

Wildpaw was wide awake.

She was hunting.

She smelled rabbit and followed the scent to a rabbit hole. Mouse dung! Now the rabbit could scent her, and it wouldn't dare come out.

Suddenly a pale brown tabby shape darted out of the hole. Wildpaw almost fell tail over whiskers down the hill. "Wah!"

The form moved behind her and steadied her. "Hush," it mewed.

Wildpaw turned around to see the form. It was a pale brown tabby she-cat with deep blue eyes. Heatherwing. "Oh, it's you."

Heatherwing blinked. "Yes. I'm here to help you hone your ability."

Wildpaw moaned. "I'm supposed to be hunting. What will Whitestripe say if I come home at sundown with two rabbits?"

Heatherwing flicked her tail, frustrated, but she saw the sense in the apprentice's words. "Very well. Take a walk tonight. I'll meet you here." She padded away.

RiverClan—Icepath

The RiverClan deputy paced by a stream. Something wasn't right here. She had felt it ever since she had become deputy: she didn't belong in RiverClan. True, she loved the water, and she was RiverClan through and through, but she felt...out of place. She didn't belong here! And every night, since she was just called Icepaw, she had stared at the stars. Once she had even climbed a tree to get closer to them. Now she felt the—how could she describe it?—the tug pulling her back to the stars. (Don't worry, I'd be appalled if one of my characters committed suicide.)

"StarClan help me!" she called. "I don't know what to do!"

Suddenly, a swirl of starshine appeared in front of her. She stepped back as it took the form of a silvery gray-blue she-cat with streaks of white in her fur. Her eyes gained their dark blue color in a dazzling spray of stars.

"Hello," the she-cat purred.

SkyClan—Mountainpaw

(Finally, we're getting back to him! I must admit that I read the argument below 4 times, at least. LOL)

Mountainpaw fidgeted in his nest. "I'm bored," he complained.

"Do your exercises," Mintpaw mewed around a mouthful of a sweet-smelling herb, not even looking up at him.

"I don't want to," Mountainpaw whined.

"Well, if you're bored, and you don't want to be crippled for life, do them." Mintpaw put down the herb.

"I don't have to."

"Fine. Just sit there being bored."

"You don't really care, do you?"

"I care if you interrupt my work."

"I wasn't being that annoying."

"Yes you were."

"No I wasn't."

"Was too."

"Was not."

"Mintpaw!"

The arguing apprentices looked up at Willowsky's meow. Her scorching dark amber gaze made the two younger cats advert theirs. "Sorry," Mintpaw muttered. She went back to her work, and Mountainpaw felt a bit triumphant that he didn't get scolded. The medicine cat came over.

"How are your legs?"

Mountainpaw tried to bend them, and found that he could bend all but one at the joint. Willowsky sniffed and prodded.

"Mountainpaw, most of them are healing nicely. But I think this one," she poked the unbending one with her nose, "won't heal correctly. I think you'll limp with this one."

Mountainpaw's belly lurched. "It'll never heal?"

"It won't heal properly," Willowsky corrected him.

"I won't be able to hunt or fight right. A crippled back leg in SkyClan? I won't be able to do anything but limp around using up prey and feeling sorry for myself."

Willowsky rested her nose on Mountainpaw's flank. "I'm sorry," she breathed.

SkyClan—Willowsky

Willowsky breathed in the dark gray apprentice's scent as she rested her nose on his flank. Even as she breathed an apology, she knew deep in her heart that there was one way to heal him. It was incredibly risky, and wasn't something encouraged by the warrior code.

Oh, Mountainpaw, she thought, how far would you go to have four working legs again?

RiverClan—Swanpaw

Swanpaw took a water vole from the fresh-kill pile and sat down next to Waterpaw to eat. The silvery gray tom was sweet, but somewhat full of himself. Even as she sat next to him, she scolded herself. You're a medicine cat! Don't think of a mate!

"Hi," Waterpaw meowed, sinking his teeth into a fish. "Feeling in the mood for meat today?"

"Yup," Swanpaw mewed shyly, shearing off the water vole's fur. She couldn't understand how the other Clans could stand having to eat through mouthfuls of fur or feathers. Fish scales were smooth and wet on the tongue. When the vole was reasonably de-furred, she took a bite of it.

She swallowed. Waterpaw was talking to her, but something was afoot. She sensed excitement coming off of Waterpaw in waves.

"What's up?" she asked slyly. "Something exciting happen today?"

"I passed my final assessment!" he burst out.

"That's great!" Swanpaw purred.

Just as she was swallowing the last of her vole, she heard pawsteps. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the Low-vine for a Clan meeting!"

The Low-vine was a vine on one of the trees. It wasn't actually a vine; it was a branch that had died when a thick vine wrapped around it. Shimmerstar leaped to a lower branch, then to the ground, meeting the gathering Clan.

RiverClan—Waterpaw

Waterpaw came forward, sitting back on his haunches by his siblings. Reedpaw's tail was twitching, betraying his excitement. Minnowpaw's gaze was resting on her mentor, a smoky black tom with ice blue eyes. Waterpaw sighed.

"Do you have to moon over Darkfeather now?" he hissed.

"As soon as you stop mooning over Swanpaw," she mewed from the corner of her mouth. Despite the undertone, he flinched. He didn't moon over Swanpaw...did he?

"We are here to name three new warriors," Shimmerstar began. "Silvercloud, has Reedpaw learned what is required of him as a warrior and memorized the warrior code?"

"He has," the pretty silver tabby with white markings confirmed.

"Darkfeather, has Minnowpaw learned what is required of her as a warrior and memorized the warrior code?"

Minnowpaw's gaze shone as her former mentor replied, "She has."

"Otterclaw, has Waterpaw learned what is required of him as a warrior and memorized the warrior code?"

The very dark brown tom nodded. "He has."

Shimmerstar lifted her gaze to the sky. "I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to honor your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Reedpaw, Minnowpaw, Waterpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan at any cost, even that of your own life?"

"I do," Reedpaw meowed.

"I do," Minnowpaw echoed.

"I do." Waterpaw put as much feeling as he could into those two words.

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Reedpaw, you shall be known as Reedstorm. StarClan honors your initiative and your agility, and we welcome you as a full member of RiverClan." Shimmerstar rested her head on Reedstorm's, and he respectfully licked her shoulder. The new warrior drew back and stood beside Troutsplash.

"Waterpaw, you shall be known as Waternose. StarClan honors your battle skills and your wit, and we welcome you as a full member of RiverClan." Waternose licked Shimmerstar's shoulder as her head rested on his. He fell back and stood next to his brother.

Minnowpaw suddenly looked small and alone in front of Shimmerstar. "Minnowpaw, you shall be known as Minnowheart. StarClan honors your kindness and your fishing skills, and we welcome you as a full member of RiverClan." When Shimmerstar rested her head on Minnowheart's shoulder, the she-cat licked her shoulder.

"Reedstorm! Waternose! Minnowheart! Reedstorm! Waternose! Minnowheart!"

Waternose pricked his ears. Even amongst all the other voices, he could hear Swanpaw calling his name. He purred quietly to himself.

After the cheers died down, Shimmerstar raised her tail. "Rapidheart has something she needs to tell the Clan."

The creamy white she-cat stepped forward next to her leader. Waternose thought she looked unsettled.

"I was hunting," she began. "I also was keeping an eye out for Icepath, because I hadn't seen her in camp since this morning. I went by the stream, and I smelled her scent. But, when I tracked it, the scent vanished."

Goldenray, a scarred golden elder, snorted. "Maybe the wind blew it away."

Rapidheart's mew trembled briefly. "That's what I thought, but I would have found it again. I sniffed all around the area. The wind wasn't high today. The scent wouldn't have gotten far. And," she continued, "Icepath had left prints in the mud. Right where the scent disappears, so do the prints!" Rapidheart's mew cracked near the end, and she didn't bother to stop it.

After she finished, she stepped back and crouched, trembling, next to her sister, Swanpaw. Waternose was slightly confused about this. Sure, the news was disturbing, but she looked as if she had seen StarClan come down right there and take Icepath away. And that was a frog-brained idea at best.

The rest of the Clan looked disturbed; they muttered back and forth. Shimmerstar raised her tail. "I will take a patrol and check it out. Rapidheart, you'll lead me to the spot." The she-cat raised her head and nodded. "In the meantime, Hollowfoot will act as deputy."

The dark gray tom nodded, looking pleased. He dipped his head to Shimmerstar.

Shimmerstar conversed with her temporary deputy as the Clan broke up into small groups, gossiping about Icepath and congratulating the new warriors.

ShadowClan—Starlingpaw

Starlingpaw peeled the skin off of her frog before tucking in hungrily. She had taken an assessment today—not her final, but close—and she was starving.

Beside her, Sunpaw gobbled down a fat mouse. Starlingpaw had killed that herself, but Sunpaw had set it up. The memory was fresh in her mind; she relished the sensation of hunting alone with her sister.

But lately, Sunpaw had been...distracted. She twitched in her dreams. Yesterday she had completely missed a mouse that practically ran over her paws. And she jumped at every rustle in the bushes. Once, when Sunpaw thought she had been alone, she exclaimed out loud, "I thought it was him." Was someone following her around? Was it the Dark Forest? Every apprentice knew the tale of the violent battle between the living and the dead; they didn't tell it to kits. Starlingpaw's claws twitched as she imagined them sinking into a slimy, scarred pelt.

WindClan—Sagepaw

Sagepaw buried the remains of her rabbit and sat down next to Wildpaw. Her half-sister was playing with the remains of her prey, trying to balance them on her head.

Sagepaw cleared her throat.

"Oh!"

Wildpaw's head shot straight up, and the ears toppled off of her head. Quickly, she gobbled them down and buried the remains of her rabbit also. "Sorry," she mewed, completely embarrassed.

"It's all right," Sagepaw meowed, placing one of her paws over her younger kin's paw.

WindClan—Wildpaw

Wildpaw gazed up at Sagepaw. She was bigger than her, but not by much, Wildpaw liked to think. Wildpaw was only eight moons old; Sagepaw would become a warrior soon. Wildpaw's pelt burned with embarrassment. Why, oh why, had Sagepaw caught her playing with the ears? That kind of behavior was for kits.

"It's all right," Sagepaw meowed again.

"Only kits do stuff like that," Wildpaw argued. Sagepaw shook her head, removed her paw, and yawned.

"I did a lot of hunting today," she yawned. "I'm going to sleep." She padded off to the apprentices' den. Several cats followed suit, retreating into their dens. Wildpaw headed for the dirtplace, hoping to kill some time.

After scraping earth over her dirt, she squeezed past Brackenpaw, her half brother, who was squatting over the ground, and exited the dirtplace. There were still too many cats to sneak out without being noticed, so she decided to be noticed.

"I'm going for a walk," she called, padding for the exit of the camp. No one followed her. Good. She headed for the Rabbit Hole Hill, where she had met Heatherwing earlier. The quarter moon rose higher and brighter, and Silverpelt blazed overhead. Just when Wildpaw wanted to curl up and sleep, Heatherwing appeared.

"I'm glad you came," she purred. "Sleep now, and I will help you with your ability."

That was awesome. Please review!