Chapter 27

She looked at the slain bodies, wondering who could have ever done such a terrible thing. Between his claws were patches of white, brown and black fur. She could tell the enemy was a tortoiseshell, certainly not the loner Archer. She didn't know what to feel as she tried to fight back the sorrow that threatened to overwhelm her.

Anger…. No, she felt no anger. She felt pity for her fallen mate, and for Mousekit. Both would have joined the ranks of StarClan.

Willowcloud shook her head in frustration as she heard the sound of Embertail's pawsteps approaching. She looked up and felt the fur along her spine ripple.

"What in StarClan's name?" Embertail's voice was stiff with shock when she saw the bodies. "What happened?"

"Some rogue must have found them…." Willowcloud realized that her own voice was difficult to find. It cracked with grief.

"I should have come sooner!" Embertail began to tremble. "If I had come sooner maybe…maybe I could have saved them!"

"Mousekit's wounds were too deep." Willowcloud nosed her fallen son, aware of the bite wounds around his neck. Whoever did this knew the death blow, something that had never been taught to cats in LeafClan. She looked over her shoulder to see that her other kits were peering out of the cave. "Keep an eye on them, I need to…say something to my kits."

Embertail seemed to understand where she was going with this. Willowcloud padded over to the cave. Petalkit's large blue eyes were wide in terror as her mother leaned forward to nudge her gently. Even Badgerkit was unusually quiet.

"Are they coming back?" Mistkit was brave enough to ask the question.

"I'm…afraid not." Willowcloud's shoulders shook with grief. "I'm sorry, Leopard and Mousekit went on a journey."

"They'll come back won't they?" Petalkit sounded terrified as she asked the question.

"They won't." Willowcloud gave her daughter a comforting lick.

All three kits exchanged horrified looks. She was surprised that Mistkit had accustomed herself so well to her surroundings. The tiny kit was a moon older than her siblings. She had done well over the past six moons, and it was time she became an apprentice. But now was not the time for ceremonies.

"Now we must sit vigil over their spirits." Willowcloud choked on her words as she herded her kits out of the den.

At least they will be safe in StarClan, she added silently. Little Mousekit, and my dear LeopardI wish you were with us now.

She was relieved that Embertail had cleaned the blood with wads of moss. The pale brown she-cat was standing beside Leopard. She had her head bowed as she spoke in low whispers. Willowcloud wondered if she was praying that Leopard's spirit would reside in StarClan.

"StarClan guide their paths," Embertail was whispering.

Willowcloud looked up at the darkening sky. All she had done was hunt for the day. Had she been around she could have helped defend him. She could have scolded Mousekit and shooed him back into the den. Everything had changed once the rogue came upon them. And she would never forgive herself for what had happened.

. . .

Morning had arrived by the time her kits fell asleep. Willowcloud couldn't blame them for sleeping during the vigil. They had all been awake for as much as they could, but even Badgerkit toppled over his paws. She would let them rest for the day. Today there was something she needed to do. And that involved dealing with her fears.

Embertail was still crouched on the ground, her head bowed and her ears flat against her skull. She looked up when Willowcloud placed her tail on her shoulder.

"I need to see the Moonstream today," Willowcloud explained. "Would you mind…." She didn't need to finish the sentence.

"I'll keep an eye on them, but you should consider burying the bodies," Embertail replied with a nod.

Willowcloud felt her throat tighten with grief as she picked up Mousekit by the scruff. His body had turned cold as ice by now, which felt unusual to her. She was thankful that Embertail had taken Leopard's body. She would bury their bodies where she and Leopard had spent their first night together. That sunset was the first one she had seen as a loner as well.

Once the job was finished, Willowcloud nodded goodbye to Embertail. The medicine cat simply waved her orange tail goodbye before going back to the cave. This time she kept an eye on the kits, in case they decided to slip away unnoticed.

Amusement flashed within Willowcloud's eyes. It was the first time in days she had actually felt happy about visiting StarClan. Maybe she would see her former Clanmates. Cats who had died in the past were always coming and going during those visions. The last cat she had seen was her father, Boulderstar, and Thornstar. Both had told her that she needed to stop Ghoststar before everything went into ruin. But by the time she had her kits it was too late.

She shook her head as she followed the same path she had taken before she turned her back on StarClan. Maybe if she was lucky she would meet Fang again. The old cat had been fascinating to listen to, and had information about Leopard and his past. If Fang knew about Leopard or his mother and father, maybe the rest of StarClan knew. It was only a matter of time before word got around.

By now the sunhigh had arrived as she crept along the river's edge. It had swollen to twice it's size because of the melting snow. She was worried that one of her kits might fall into the river. Such a thought sent shudders down her spine. She knew that she was over-worrying, but she had every right to after what had happened to Leopard and her little Mousekit. Her ears flattened as she tried to push the thoughts aside.

Soon the Moonstream came into view. The gnarled and twisted trees that surrounded it were still there as well, much to her relief. She was afraid that leaving StarClan behind would ruin the place. Or worse, Ghoststar himself might destroy the sacred area.

Even he is afraid of StarClan's wrath, she thought.

Willowcloud leaned forward and lapped at the water. Instantly a cold chill swept over her body, causing her fur to stand on end before she collapsed to the ground.

. . .

Willowcloud found herself standing in the same clearing once again. This was where she had first seen her father. The other StarClan cats had hidden themselves unless their voices needed to be heard. She blinked in confusion as she wondered where those same cats were. The clearing was empty, and the trees and lush undergrowth that surrounded it were as well.

Where are they? she wondered as she looked around for signs of life. An eerie silence filled the air. No cat answered her thoughts. She was alone, in the vast territory of StarClan.

"You are welcomed here, young one." Her fur stood on end when she heard a sharp voice speak in the distance. "Travel where ever you like. Just don't stray too far from our hunting grounds."

Her eyes widened in shock when she realized she was given a choice. She could keep moving forward, or go back to her own dreams.

She chose to keep moving forward. It meant that she had the freedom to choose who ever she spoke to. The thought sent thrills of excitement through her. She could meet with cats who were seasons older than her father or Silverleaf, maybe even older than Fang.

The undergrowth brushed against her belly as she ran along an unseen path. She could pick up traces of scents in the air. There were cats around, either hunting or just sleeping. She spotted several cats sleeping together in a pile of leaves and moss. Their ears flicked from side to side when they heard her pawsteps.

She ignored them and avoided the area. Soon she found herself in the open as the trees began to part. A stream ran along a small hill where shrubs and bushes grew. Cats were running over the hill, chasing what appeared to be rabbits or mice. One of the hunters had stopped chasing a rabbit when they spotted Willowcloud.

Her heartbeat quickened when the cat approached. "Who are you, and what right do you have in wandering around?" he snarled.

"Calm down Lightningwhisker." A black and white she-cat with yellow eyes approached him. "She was invited, remember?"

The pale ginger tom flinched under her fierce gaze. "Fine, just don't bother me while I'm hunting." With his ears flattened against his skull, he bounded away.

"Don't mind Lightningwhisker, he just has a few problems of his own to worry about," the she-cat purred as she watched him leave. "My name's Patcheye by the way." She turned around to face Willowcloud.

Her name is understandable, Willowcloud thought with a purr of amusement. Her right eye was covered in black fur, while the other side was white. She'd never seen such an unusual appearance before.

"Have you seen a cat named Silverleaf, or Boulderstar around here?" she asked after trying to remember why she was in StarClan in the first place.

Patcheye tilted her head to one side. "Silverleaf is probably with the other medicine cats," she meowed. "They're always together, muttering things about omens and prophecies. As for the leaders, they sort of do their own thing."

"Do you know where I can find them?" Irritation was beginning to claw at Willowcloud's fur.

"Oh that!" Patcheye sounded surprised when Willowcloud narrowed her eyes. "Well, the medicine cats are probably hiding in the clearing with that strange pool." Her tail pointed towards the hill where the stream branched off in different directions. "As for the leaders…. I'm not sure where they disappear to."

Patcheye abandoned their chatter when a cat yowled to her. Willowcloud shook her head in frustration before she followed the path the black and white cat had pointed her.

The grass underpaw felt moist with dew as she padded across it. Several cats had stopped hunting or grooming when they noticed her appearance. Some glared at her while others just looked confused. She looked back at Lightningwhisker. The pale ginger tom was speaking slowly but surely to a dark brown tom. Both cats nodded to some kind of agreement.

Soon she found herself surrounded by trees once more. These trees were different from the ones she had first found herself in. They were much taller, and had a sinister appearance to them. Broad leaves reached towards the moonlit sky. The ground itself was covered in mostly dirt rather then grass. She looked down to see that the soil was rich in moisture.

No wonder the trees grow so well, she thought. They must love it here.

"Willowcloud, you are welcomed here." Her eyes widened in disbelief when a blooming voice echoed around the trees. She looked around warily, wondering who had spoken. No cats were around. "Come forth, and you shall find what you seek."

She did as the voice commanded, though she couldn't figure out why. Her paws moved of their own will.

When she finally reached the clearing where the pool that Patcheye mentioned was, her eyes narrowed into tiny slits. Sure enough, cats were gathered around the pool. She immediately recognized Silverleaf. The silver tabby's piercing green gaze was unusually dark. Her heart dropped with sorrow when she saw Ruststripe sitting with the group. The newly arrived medicine cat seemed oblivious to her sorrow as he whispered urgently to a dark gray tom with white paws.

"We were wondering when you would arrive," the dark gray tom meowed.

"It's not like you gave me an easy way to get here," she growled as she approached them.

"Yes…. We apologize for that, but it had to be done." Ruststripe spoke this time, and his voice was filled with guilt as he met her gaze. "We needed to ensure the cats of StarClan that you were the One."

"What do you mean by that?" Willowcloud felt her fur bristling defensively.

"We mean what we say," Silverleaf replied. "You are the one who will take Ghoststar down. He does not have nine lives like he originally stated. Each of his lives were stripped away when he tried to visit StarClan. Now is the time to strike, when the Clan is in a state of chaos."

"Why put me through all of this? I've already lost my mate and one of my kits!" Willowcloud spat the words out.

Silverleaf's gaze darkened with sympathy. "I am sorry for your loss," she murmured with a bow of her head.

No you're not, Willowcloud thought bitterly.

"We must talk about the future," the dark gray tom meowed calmly. "The future of StarClan and the Clans themselves are at stake. Ghoststar will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He will continue traveling until he has sought out every known Clan."

"So you want me to kill him…my own brother," she whispered.

"He is not your brother!" Silverleaf spat. The venom in her voice was obvious, and even the other medicine cats looked at her in concern. "This…. This is your brother." She turned to reveal the pool they were gathered around.

Willowcloud looked at the others questioningly, wondering if it was safe to move forward. When the others nodded in agreement, she approached the pool.

Shock spread through Willowcloud's body when she saw the tiny form of a kit in the still water. Pale gray fur gleamed with starlight, showing what her brother really looked like. Yellow eyes stared back at her blue eyes, telling her that he shared his mother's look.

Anguish made her legs tremble as she lifted her muzzle from the pool. The medicine cats were beginning to break away from the meeting. Ruststripe, Silverleaf and the dark gray tom remained as she tried to piece together what this meant.

"If this is my brother…. That means I will have to kill him, no matter what!" Panic made her voice crack as she met the gazes of the medicine cats.

"By killing Ghoststar you will save your brother," the dark gray tom murmured reassuringly. "Ghoststar has always been a threat to the forest, and to StarClan. With starlight guiding your path, you will be the one to stop him permanently."

Silverleaf flinched as though someone had swiped a paw at her. "I could have stopped him," she whispered. "But…. He went back to the Place Of No Stars."

"Yes, that was rather unfortunate," the dark gray tom replied. "But this time it won't happen. We will not allow survival to happen for his spirit."

So it's suddenly my job to take care of a cat that has haunted StarClan for generations, Willowcloud recalled. Why is it that StarClan needs living cats to do their bidding? Why must they rely on me? I have my own life to live, and they need me to live their own lives.

The slightest flicker of doubt gleamed within her eyes as she met Ruststripe's gaze.

"I should have killed the kit when I heard him scream," was all he said. "It would have saved us all this trouble."

"What's done is done," the dark gray tom announced. "Now, you must awaken. The time to kill will come, but not now."

He took a step forward and pressed his muzzle against her forehead. Willowcloud flinched when she felt a burst of energy rush through her veins. She knew who this cat was. Shadefur, the first medicine cat of LeafClan, had seen what Ghoststar was capable of. And now he was asking her for help.

A/N: Bwaha! So everyone was shocked by what had happened. Surprises are always fun to write about, especially when they mess with your head. Only a few more chapters are left after this one. It's kind of saddening to know that the story is almost over, but at least you'll have Storm's Cry to look forward to. I'm not planning a sequel to this anytime soon (maybe after Storm's Cry), so that's not something to look forward to I suppose.

Anyways, thanks to ImXDragon and String of Pearly for reviewing! You've all earned Ruststripe plushies :P Not the best, but at least it's something!