Echopaw woke up with Breezepaw and Moonpaw looking around with confusion. The echoes and the seemingly perfect world were obviously the fundamentals of a dream. "Why are we all here?" Moonpaw whispered. "I thought we all had seperate dreams. How?"
Echopaw saw Snowstar running from a direction to the three apprentices. "I can tell you are all confused on why you're hear and not in the waking world," she meowed softly.
All of them nodded in accord.
"I have placed you all in a dream because I have left for IceClan and halfway through the journey back, I realized that you haven't gotten any battle training. Needless to say, you all won't need too much training because you all have gifts. Special powers."
Echopaw, Breezepaw, and Moonpaw began talking to one another with excitement.
"We have super powers?!"
"Ooh! I hope mine is speed!"
"Why can't we use them?"
Snowstar held a paw up for silence. "The reason you don't have your powers is because you need to clear away whatever is blocking you. However, I can train you three so then this part of unearthing your abilities are easier, and you don't have to take this challenge." She looked at both Echopaw and Breezepaw in particular.
Oh, no! What have we done wrong? Echopaw thought in alarm.
"First, I will tell each of you what abilities and powers you have," Snowstar instructed. "Breezepaw, I will start with you first."
Breezepaw came closer to the white she-cat, eager and excited.
"You have the power to run as fast as the four winds, able to dodge anything that comes your way."
Snowstar gestured to Moonpaw.
"Moonpaw, you have two, actually: your pelt can glow, and you have the power to control the night and whatever happens during that time."
"And Echopaw," Snowstar meowed briskly, "you have multiple, and you have the most important powers of all. Make sure that you use them wisely."
Echopaw waited patiently for her unknown powers to be revealed, unlike Breezepaw's and Moonpaw's eagerness.
"You have something unique. Echopaw, you have skills to defeat any opponent in battle, you can hear things from even miles away, and see things that no one else could see besides the Peacemakers. As a descendant of the original Echo, you have inherited all of her abilities when you were born."
Moonpaw and Breezepaw gasped in awe.
"And I will give you a gift of my own, Echopaw," Snowstar added. "I am giving you a portion of my ability to see into the future. I trust that you will use this wisely."
"Now that you know your abilities, and I have enabled them, let's see how you use them." She turned to Echopaw first. "Echopaw, fight me."
Remembering some tactics that her mother showed her, Echopaw pretended to look bored. Then, suddenly, she lunged at Snowstar, attacking as hard as she could. However, Snowstar already expected the move to come and whipped to one side swiftly, with Echopaw hitting the ground hard. With her breath knocked out of her, she gave up. "Okay," Snowstar mewed. "Moonpaw," she instructed as she turned the time to day, "turn the time from day to night."
Moonpaw closed her eyes carefully and focused in deep concentration. Echopaw and Breezepaw turned to the direction the sun was at. At first it was still, but a few heartbeats later, it started moving. Surprised, Echopaw turned to Moonpaw in awe, but something weird was happening. A silver swirl that looked like smoke surrounded her. She rushed to her friend's aid, but Snowstar stopped her. "Don't disturb her concentration," she ordered.
It was beginning to become sunset, but Echopaw could see the strain on Moonpaw's face. The silver she-cat concentrated for a few more seconds, but let go and it went back to about noon. "Okay, now it's your turn, Breezepaw," she stated. "Now, I want to..."
Echopaw ran to where Moonpaw lay on the grass. As she came closer, Moonpaw's crestfallen expression showed that she was disappointed and embarrassed. "It's okay, Moonpaw," she meowed gently. "I didn't even touch Snowstar, and I bet that Breezepaw will fail too."
"I know," she sighed, and pulled herself up. "I am just sort of mad that I couldn't get it right." As Moonpaw began to say it, she began to become angrier and angrier. "I can't do anything right!" she cried. "I can't even hunt properly!"
Echopaw realized that the silver swirls surrounded her once again, and Moonpaw seethed as she continued, "I...just...want...to..." She stopped. The sky became darker and darker, and night was approaching. Fast.
Her pelt began to glow. First her silver accents, and then it became white. The blindingly bright light made it hard for Echopaw to see, but somehow she could see the outline of the silver she-cat. Now by that time Snowstar and Breezepaw stopped what they were doing, and came to watch Moonpaw. The light became brighter and brighter, until...
Boom. Crackle. Light exploded everywhere, and for a few seconds, everything blacked out. As Echopaw recovered from the explosion, she saw Moonpaw lying on the ground, her pelt glowing white. The time was midnight.
Snowstar approached Moonpaw slowly. "Great job, Moonpaw," she congratulated. You got it right!"
Moonpaw raised her head weakly. "I-I did?"
"Yeah, of course you did," Breezepaw mewed. "It's midnight."
Moonpaw looked rather pleased of herself, and her sapphire eyes glowed brightly, too.
Snowstar's gaze faced Moonpaw's with approval. "To truly unlock your power, Moonpaw, you had to feel anger. I knew by making you frustrated, you would be able to change the day to night."
"Now, Breezepaw," Snowstar continued, "Since Moonpaw was able to activate her gift, let's see if you can. Run to that tree across those seven hills, in the distance."
Breezepaw's eyes widened with confusion, but obeyed. He sat down and focused intently. A seemingly strong breeze began to develop, and with a flash he was gone. In the distance, Echopaw saw a brown shape yowling. It was Breezepaw. "Yes! I got it!" Echopaw heard the tabby tom cheer.
Snowstar had an amused expression on her face. She's up to something...
"Breezepaw!" She yowled back. "Come here!"
Another strong breeze developed, and with a flash he was back. But something changed. His pelt was caked with mud and other sorts of filth, and his paws and face drenched. "Wh-why did I change?" he meowed innocently.
Echopaw, Moonpaw, and Snowstar laughed. It was really funny that Breezepaw seemed so sure of himself before, and was humiliated by his own power.
"Echopaw," Snowstar mewed. "Your power will come to you during your final battle. However, you still have heightened senses."
"So...when will our powers come to us?" Breezepaw asked.
"I just wanted to test them out, see if they worked," Snowstar explained. "Before you return to IceClan, you both will have complete control over your powers and inherited them."
"Now," she meowed crisply, "I will teach you three some battle moves: the front paw blow, belly rake, leap-and-hold, play dead, and the duck and twist. First, we will work on the leap-and-hold."
As they began practicing with Snowstar for the last time, Echopaw thought she heard something. But perhaps it was just only an echo.
