Chapter 6 Part 2
Warning
This chapter includes spoilers for Crookedstar's Promise and from Into the Wild through The Last Hope by Erin Hunter.
Skip this chapter if you don't want spoilers!
Don't say I didn't warn you!
Dovewing saw herself in the heart of Shadowclan's camp.
The battle… Stormstar forgot all about his plans to attack Shadowclan! With the naming ceremonies and everything he got distracted! Dovewing worried.
She heard a yowl and spun around, seeing the attack unfold. She saw a Shadowclan cat fall under the paws of a Skyclan warrior. Blood ran to her paws. She then felt like she was drowning in blood. She gasped and heard Blisspaw's voice speak to her; "You may believe in war for peace, but Shadowclan's vengance will call you weak. You will be at crossroads, but the kin of Storm shall save you from this eternal war…" Blisspaw's voice faded into echoes and the blood flood flowed away. Four figures, one gray, one white, one crimson, and one white with black stripes.
Mistkit, Sugarkit, Firekit and Thornkit?! Dovewing was surprised.
But then the image flashed away and a starry path appeared from the nothingness. Dovewing followed the path up to a starry cloud. 4 cats were on the cloud. She looked and saw 2 cats crouched on each side of the cloud.
"This'll never be over! Firestar!" A dark tabby tom hissed at a bright flame colored tom.
"Tigerstar, you knew Bluestar would find out soon enough! But exile for your un-forgivable crimes wasn't enough, was it!" The orange cat, Firestar, hissed at the dark tom, Tigerstar.
"Crookedstar, you made a promise, and you DIDN'T KEEP IT!" An orange and white she-cat hissed over at a brown tom, Crookedstar, she called him.
"Mapleshade! When will you ever give up about this promise I made when I was a young cat?" Crookedstar tried to reason with the she-cat, Mapleshade.
"Tigerstar and Mapleshade are cats out for revenge, against certain leaders of certain clans." Blisspaw appeared next to her sister, Dovewing.
"Why are they out for revenge?" Dovewing asked her Starclan sister.
"Well, Mapleshade is after Crookedstar because of when he was a new apprentice, Crookedpaw. Mapleshade found him, and he thought she was a Starclan warrior. She asked him to make a promise; Put your clan above all else, put aside your own feelings and wants for the good of your clan." Blisspaw answered.
"But, what does a harmless promise like that affect Mapleshade going after Crookedstar?" Dovewing asked.
"Well, Mapleshade made it that any feelings that aren't for Riverclan as a whole, she'd never approve of. Crookedstar's mother, Rainflower, died because Mapleshade killed her by causing Rainflower to slip into the rapids of the river, hitting her head on a rock as she was trying to escape the dog. Then, Crookedstar's mate, Willowbreeze, died while kitting because Mapleshade wanted her to die. Only because she was part of Crookedstar's personal feelings, not general feelings. Then, even while he was leader, she still haunted him. She never would forget his promise. The reason in truth that she came after him? It was because when she died, she had been Shellheart, Crookedstar's father's mate, but he had told her she had his love forever, even if he was pure Riverclan, and she was pure Thunderclan. But, he then took a different mate, Rainflower, and had two kits, Oakkit and Stormkit. She hated Rainflower and Shellheart. But Starclan planned this, and Stormkit was destined for great things. She had so much hatred, she found a way to Stormkit, or Crookedkit." Blisspaw replied.
"Who is Stormkit?" Dovewing asked.
"Did you think a queen would name her kit Crookedkit originally? No, Stormkit and Oakkit had snuck out of the Riverclan camp and Stormkit was trying to cross the stepping stones back in Great Rock Place. But, Stormkit slipped and broke his jaw along the stones. His mother then ignored him, called him a disgrace, and asked Hailstar, the leader at the time, to rename him Crookedkit. And then he became Crookedpaw, then Crookedjaw, then Crookedstar." Blisspaw answered.
"But, why is Firestar and Tigerstar here, too?" Dovewing questioned her sister,
"Well, you see for quite a few reasons. One is that Mapleshade's a Dark Forest cat of Thunderclan, and so is Tigerstar. Also, because Mapleshade is from Thunderclan, Firestar is too. Then, Oakheart, Crookedstar's brother, had been mates with the Thunderclan leader, Bluestar, who is connected to Firestar personally because Firestar was her successor." Blisspaw replied.
"Why does Tigerstar hate Firestar?"
"Well, Tigerstar, back in this time, Tigerclaw, wanted power. So, when Bluestar had sent him, his apprentice, Ravenpaw, Firestar's close friend, and Redtail, Bluestar's long-time deputy, out for a border patrol Tigerclaw saw opportunity. When they encountered Oakheart, Crookedstar's deputy, on Sunningrocks, a span of rocks back in Great Rock Place, they battled. But, Redtail ended up killing Oakheart, but Tigerclaw killed Redtail. He wanted power, so what better way than getting rid of the deputy? But, Ravenpaw, covered in blood, Okaheart's, Redtail's and his own, but Tigerclaw was going to kill Ravenpaw if he told anyone. So, when Redtail's body was brought back, Tigerclaw thought Bluestar was going to pick him as deputy, but instead chose Lionheart. But, when Firestar, back then, Fireheart, found out and Tigerclaw's secret was revealed that he killed Redtail, Bluestar exiled him after Lionheart's death was also linked to him. Fireheart became the new deputy. But, he found a place in Shadowclan as the deputy of Nightstar. He then found the power he so was bloodthirsty for. Nightstar then lost his last life and Tigerclaw became Tigerstar." Blisspaw explained.
"But, why am I here?" Dovewing wondered.
"There are the four of Storm who will be targeted like Mapleshade and Tigerstar targeting Crookedstar and Firestar. But the mental and physical torture will be equal and the burdens unmatched. They do hold the power and might of Starclan in their young paws." Blisspaw said as her figure faded the cloud and the 4 cats faded.
As for Dovewing, who'd been floating in the air with Blisspaw, drifted downwards. Then the ground was fading too. Dovewing ran down the starry, crumbling path and found herself back in the ever familiar ravine. But her eyes snapped open, and lead her in a place otherwise.
She remembered she was inside of the Mooncave, and she stood up. He legs were stiff, and when she turned around, she saw that it was quarter until noonsky!
She ran out of the cave and onto the first stone pillar and made her way to the slope. She ran to the Thunderpath. Holding her breath, she checked the path. The coast was clear, and she bolted across the path and straight into Windclan's territory. She teared right through the golden grasses and across the hilly land. She could see the patch of heather and gorse that was in Skyclan territory. She was surprised that she didn't see a patrol approach her. She crossed the scent line and was into her own territory. She then felt the hunger pangs.
Good thing it's almost noontime. Dovewing smiled.
She saw the grass turn to gravel, and spotted the ravine. She yowled in happiness.
"It's Dovewing! She's back!" Mintfur cried out.
"Just in time…" Dovewing sighed in relief.