Authors note: It touches me seeing how no one wants Unknown Future to end…I'm glad you all really enjoyed Sparrowtail's and her kit's journey through the clans. Thank you Leoparddrop, Aduial Rana, and Ivytalon for reviewing, and here is the next chapter!
Ivytalon: Emails do not show up in reviews, so I'm sorry I have not been able to contact you. But if you would like, my email is on my profile page before I list all of my fan-fictions. Whenever you can, email me with more details and we can talk about me writing a fan-fiction for you.
Chapter Twelve: It All Tumbles Down
"We're there!" Redstar called to the band of cats that trailed behind her.
Skystorm sighed with relief, and shot a worried glance toward his sister. She huffed, and picked up the pace to stay next to Skystorm. The weight of her stomach was obviously troubling her.
Skystorm placed a gentle tail on her shoulder. "Take it easy, cats will understand if you fall behind."
Dirtspot looked over at him, and tried to fake being okay. "Don't worry, it's not bothering me that much." She mewed, but her pace did slow. Skystorm slowed down his pace to stay with her. She was going to need help getting onto the log that led its way to the gathering place.
Nearing the large log, Skystorm saw Redstar leap up onto it, followed by Whitepaw behind him. Her fur bristled with excitement, and Skystorm felt as if he could feel it come off her in waves. An apprentice ceremony and gathering in one day would a lot for a cat her age, even if they had lived in Riverclan.
"How did this place get here?" Whitepaw asked. Before Skystorm could answer, Whitepaw slipped on the wet mossy bark that covered the log. She yowled, and dug her claws down deep, hanging over the edge.
Skystorm gasped and jumped forward, grabbing Whitepaw's scruff in his jaw, and hauling her up over the log. "Be careful!" he growled at her.
The apprentice hung her head, and Skystorm noticed her legs were shaking. Sighing, he turned around and kept walking. "It was created in a fight between the clans, and Starclan sent down a bolt of lightning to this tree, and killed the tom that started it all. From then on, it's been used for gatherings as a place of peace during the full moon."
"Wow." Whitepaw mewed as they both jumped off of the log and into the large clearing. Skystorm paused, and saw that Thunderclan was already there, along with Windclan.
Skystorm's shoulders slumped when he saw that Shadowclan had yet to be there. He hadn't seen Smokeclaw since the night they had mated, and he wanted to talk to her about it, and see how she felt. He knew having a mate from another clan was forbidden, but maybe she could come join Riverclan…or him Shadowclan.
A small brown she-cat rushed over to them, and stopped in front of Whitepaw. "Hello! I have never seen you before."
Whitepaw was taken aback by the she-cat's forwardness, but soon replied, "I'm Whitepaw, and this is my first Gathering. I became an apprentice today!"
The brown she-cat's eyes gleamed. "I remember my first gathering! I like the name, Whitepaw. You sure are a pretty she-cat. I'm Lightpaw. I don't think my fur is as shiny as yours is, but it's much shiner than my brother's, Frogpaw. Oh! Speaking of him he's over there, the tom with the grey fur standing next to the tabby grey she-cat with black paws. That's my mentor, Ravenfeather. Come meet her!" Lightpaw gulped in deep breaths.
Whitepaw looked over at Skystorm, who nodded. "Okay." She mewed, and the both of them trotted away, all the while Lightpaw mewing "Ravenfeather says I talk too much, but how could I not talk so much when there is so much to say! Hey look at that star…."
Skystorm chuckled, and then noticed that Shadowclan had made their way through. Spiderstar made his way to the High Tree, when he took his place next to Brightstar and Redstar.
Brightstar stepped forward and yowled. "The Gathering will begin!" she paused, waiting for cats to turn their heads and listen. "Thunderclan is doing fine. Even though it is getting colder, prey still runs. We have a new warrior among us!"
Skystorm shut Brightstar out and made his way through the pack of Shadowclan cats. He search through brown pelts and tabby ones, in search for the bright sandy colored that his eyes knew so well.
After pushing between a brown tom and calico she-cat, he saw her. She was talking to a white she-cat that could only be her sister, who Skystorm only knew her as Snowpaw.
"Smokeclaw!" he called out to her.
Smokeclaw turned her head, and saw Skystorm standing there. Her eyes widened, and she mewed something to her sister before making her way over. "What is it?" she mewed, her eyes looking anywhere but at him.
"I wanted to talk to you. I missed you." Skystorm purred, licking between her ears. She didn't return the gesture.
"Yeah." Was all she said.
"How are you?" Skystorm asked. "I wish we could see each other more. Tomorrow night will you meet me by the border?"
"I can't. Dawn patrol." Smokeclaw snapped. "We shouldn't be meeting."
Skystorm heard Spiderstar step forward. "Shadowclaw is going strong!" he yowled out, but Skystorm once more ignored them.
"What do you mean?" He mewed, his heart stirring in fear. What was she saying? I love her.
"This is against the warrior code. I don't want anything to do with you anymore." She whispered once again, her voice shaking.
Skystorm felt his gut twist and tangle, like it was being filled with bones. She can't leave. "If this is about breaking the warrior code, you can come to Riverclan! It will be like at MysticMoon, we'll be together. If you want I can join Shadowclan. It will work out." He begged.
Smokeclaw shook her head. Skystorm tried to catch her head, but she turned her head and stared defiantly at the ground. As if the grass growing from it would fix everything. "I can't. Just leave me alone Skystorm. This should have never happened in the first place. It was a mistake."
This time it was Redstar you stepped forward. "Riverclan is healthy, with the river still swarming with fish. I am proud to announce that we have a new apprentice and new kits."
Skystorm felt anger swell up at her last word. Mistake? After all they had been through, he was a mistake? "Fine." He spat. "I ever trusting you was a mistake. If I leaving you alone is what you want, then that's what you'll get."
With that, Skystorm spun around and marched back to where he was sitting, on the other side of the clearing in the back of all the Riverclan cats, who were chanting out Whitepaw's name. "Whitepaw!" they called in support. Even Dirtspot.
Skystorm kept his eyes glued to the four leaders sitting on the tree branch. Heatherstar then stepped forward, not even nodding her head to the other leaders.
"Windclan has stayed strong through the leaf-fall. We have many rabbits on the moors, and we are training hard. We have a new queen, Leafshadow." Heatherstar mewed, and cats murmured their praise to a calico she-cat.
"But!" Heatherstar added. The word hung in the air as cats stood quiet. There was more? The Windclan leader continued. "My warriors have been finding cats that have been crossing our borders. All of these crossing, though, have come from Riverclan's side."
Redstar hissed. "Are you calling my clan trespassers?"
Heatherstar's fur bristled. "I'm implying that they're taking food. My warriors have caught them."
"Like the last gathering?" Redstar challenged, remembering how Windclan had accused Riverclan of the same thing before. "I see your warriors still look like plump kittypets! Are you sure they aren't taking our food?"
"We have more cats than Riverclan." Heatherstar simply stated.
"Then fight for territory! Don't be crow-eaters and steal food that's rightfully ours." Redstar growled.
Riverclan cats looked over at Windclan, seeing Redstar's words as right. Fur started to bristle, and claws slid out. "Mangy rabbit chasers!" a cat called out. Skystorm didn't look over to see who.
"Skystorm, is there going to be a fight?" Dirtspot asked, walking up close to him. Her tail wrapped around her belly.
"I don't think so, but stay behind me." He mewed. No cat would touch his sister.
Whitepaw came racing over. Her fur smelled of Thunderclan. "I'm here to help!" she growled, but Skystorm calmed her with the wave of his tail.
"Slimy fish-eaters!" a mossy colored Windclan tom called.
"I will not fight at a Gathering." Heatherstar mewed, as if to answer ever other cat's questions. "But if you want a fight over territories, you're going to get one. Windclan now declares war against Riverclan!" she yowled, and Windclan erupted into a frenzy of yowls and taunts towards Windclan.
Heatherstar jumped down from her perch in the tree, and Darkclaw sidled up beside her. They swiftly made their way to the exit and left the clearing, Windclan still hissing back at the other cats, before all of them were gone.
Redstar was left in the High Tree, Brightstar and Spiderstar staring at her. She looked over the rest of the shocked cats. "This gathering is over!" she called, and soon jumped down.
Riverclan followed her lead, and made their way to the crossing log. Skystorm made sure Whitepaw and Dirtspot were ahead of him, while he tried to look over at the flash of sandy fur he saw out of the corner of his eye.
-x-
"A war?" Spottedcloud gasped. "Why would Windclan start such a fuss over territory and prey? It's leaf-fall for Starclan's sake."
"They've had a grudge sense we beat them at the border fight. Then they attacked Bramblethorn. I think Heatherstar is letting being leader go to her head. She's getting power hungry." Skystorm mewed back. He looked around the medicine cat's den.
Spottedcloud started sorting out herbs, keeping them wet and fresh but placed water-filled moss over each group of leaves and berries. The only herb uncovered was these tangy smelling roots.
Spottedcloud nodded, and opened his mouth to speak, but Darkpaw came rushing in, his blue-black pelt almost blending in with the shadows. "Dirtspot needs numbing for her feet. The travel from the Gathering and back really wore her out. "
Skystorm noticed that Spottedcloud's eyes lit up at the sound of Dirtspot's name. But before he knew it, the flicker was quickly hidden and Spottedcloud was going through his stash.
There's something going on here. Skystorm thought, and wondered if Spottedcloud had a crush on Dirtspot. His min reeled back to Stormclaw. How she had just let him. How she- Stop it! Skystorm thought. She is of no use to you.
"Okay were going to need-"
"Goldenrod! Dirtspot can chew some to help with the stiffness and then drinking the juice will numb the pain. Some poppy seeds will help her sleep." Darkpaw yowled, and was out of the den, his mouth stuffed with herbs, before Spottedcloud could get another word in.
Spottedcloud purred. "Well he is right. I have never seen an apprentice train so fast. Before the half-moon I plan on sending him on a herb test, and if a passes he'll be a full medicine cat."
"That's great." Skystrorm said, but moved on. "Listen Spottedcloud, why I'm really here is to ask if you've heard anything from Starclan. Riverclan doesn't need a war, and with Dirtspot having kits I want her to be safe."
"I want her to be safe too, you know." Spottedcloud mewed defensively, then his eyes widened. "I, um, as a queen she should be safe. ANY queen should be safe, you know? Queens are important for a clan."
Skystorm just stared.
Spottedcloud cleared his throat. "Ahem. To answer your question, no I haven't heard-" He stopped, his eyes getting wide once more.
"What is it?" Skystorm pressed, moving closer to the medicine cat. "What do you know?"
"I did get a prophecy from Starclan last moon, but I didn't think it would have anything to do with this..."
"Tell me." Skystorm demanded, then realized his tone, and added, "Anything will help."
Spottedcloud nodded and closed his eyes, think. Finally he mewed;
"Wind will mix of those unknown, and River with drown without the aid of one of a tangled heart."
"Tangled heart….Tanglepaw. Tangleheart would have been his warrior name." Skystorm mewed. Somehow, in his heart, he knew that that's who Starclan was talking about.
"You think MysticMoon has anything to do with this?" Spottedcloud mewed.
Skystorm nodded. "I think they'll help us."
"Well who is going to make them do that?" Scoffed Spottedcloud. "No cat is willing to go anywhere near MysticMoon lives, even if it is on the other side of the mountains."
"I will." Skystorm mewed.
Spottedcloud's head popped up. "Seriously?"
Skystorm nodded. "I'll go tomorrow, and I'll come back with help. When Windclan attacks, we will be ready!"
Spottedcloud nodded in respect. "I'll come with you go tell Redstar of your plans."
They both left the medicine cat den. Skystorm looked over to where Dirtspot was lying down, her head rested between her paws, sleeping. Glancing over at Spottedcloud he noticed the medicine cat was staring at her too.
I won't have Stormclaw with me this tom. I have to go face my past alone. Skystorm thought. He growled. I can be strong, and fight without her. I can face MysticMoon, and Tangle. Mystic is dead, and gone. I killed him, and he isn't coming back. I'll be strong. Determined, Skystorm held his head up and walked into the leader's den with Spottedcloud, paws shaking.
Authors note: Short chapter, but a lot happened. Poor Skystorm! Anyways, please let me know how you like it. (: Review! Review! Review!