Remember last chapter when I said that this chapter would be about Bluestar? I lied. I was starting one of Bluestar then I had an idea for Blackstar's chapter and I got carried away. So here's a chapter about Blackstar...
Guilt
The large white tome stared into Tigerstar's eyes. The white cat's claw stuck out of his jet black claws as he prepared to attack a Riverclan warrior. Tigerstar sat upon Bonehill, staring at Darkstripe and Stonefur fight. The large tom had ordered Stonefur to kill two half-clan apprentices to show his loyalty, but he refuse. Darkstripe attacked, but he was losing. Blackfoot waited for Tigerstar's order.
"Finish it." His leader ordered. Within a heartbeat, Blackfoot sprang forward and pulled Stonefur off of Darkstripe. Darkstripe got up and held Stonefur down as Blackfoot finished him off by cutting the blue-gray tom's throat.
Blackfoot stared at the young tom's eyes. Stonefur's dying cry was cut short. An eerie silence followed after the Riverclan tom's last wail. Stonefur's eyes remained open, staring right at Blackfoot. Suddenly he though he heard the blue-gray tom speak.
"You did this to me…" Stonefur whispered.
Blackstar's eyes flew open. He was first confused but then realized he was in his den. His heart was beating fast and he was panting.
"A nightmare." He mumbled to himself. He remembered that eerie silence and the frightening, lifeless stare of Stonefur. A chill ran through his body as he remembered the Riverclan tom's eyes.
The large, tired tom yawned and settled back down. He could hardly get anymore sleep. A moon after he became leader, he started to have the same haunting dream over and over again. The image of Stonefur's lifeless eyes kept on appearing in his dreams.
"He was half-clan!" Blackstar reminded himself. "I only did what I was told." He mumbled. Still, he knew it was wrong to have killed an innocent cat. Stonefur was a hero and Blackstar was the murderer.
"That was the past. This dream is all just a piece of fox-dung." He ranted angrily. The large white tom closed his eyes once again and tried to sleep. This time he dreamed of nothing.
The next day he went off to do some hunting with Tawnypaw and his deputy, Russetfur. Tawnypaw spotted a mouse and went after it, Blackstar and Russetfur stayed together. The dark ginger she-cat noticed something was troubling Blackstar.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Blackstar didn't feel like responding. He thought if he told her that he was afraid of the dream he kept on having, he'd seem weak. "Nothing." He meowed simply.
"There is something wrong with you. Now tell me." She said with a firm voice.
Blackstar knew if he didn't tell her, she'd be nagging at him all day. "Fine." He grunted. "I've been having this dream. Remember a few moons ago when Tigerclan was formend by Tigerstar?"
Once he said Tigerstar, Russetfur flinched. She twitched her tail irritably as she remembered the tom whom she never trusted, Tigerstar. "Yes, I remember."
"Rememeber when he told me to finish off that Riverclan tom?"
Russetfur nodded. Blackstar took a deep sigh and closed his eyes. He could see Stonefur's scared eyes staring right back at Blackstar's eyes. But he coldly slit the blue-gray tom's throat without hesitation. Awhile after, he felt no sympathy, until now.
"I keep on having dreams about that tom I killed. It's always the same. I'm ordered to kill Stonefur and without hesitation, I did it. Then I'd see Stonefur's wide, lifeless eyes staring at me. Then he'd whisper something to me, then I'd wake up." Blackstar explained.
Russetfur remained silent at first. "You didn't have a choice." She said with a whisper.
"I did! I could've turned on Tigerstar and refused to kill that innocent tom! But I didn't because I'm a selfish fool!" Blackstar finally admitted. Suddenly he realized that he had shown weakness and guilt to his deputy. After that outburst, he straightened up again and hid his weak, scaredface.
Russetfur stared at him with pity. "That was the past. But you're nothing like Tigerstar, and I know you won't do anything like him." She tried to reassure him and make him think positively.
Blackstar sighed but did not answer. Before he could say anything more, Tawnypaw came back with a mouse in her mouth.
"Good job!" Russetfur mewed proudly. Blackstar remember that Tawnypaw was originally from Thunderclan. She didn't even have any Shadowclan blood in her, and she proved to be a loyal Shadowclan cat.
Blackstar looked back on that grim day when he had killed the Riverclan deputy. The two apprentices Stonefur stood up for were half-clan cats. Blackstar remembered the fear he saw in their eyes after he killed Stonefur. Why did he kill Stonefur? There was no reason, at least not a good one. He tried not to think of it for the rest of the day.
"Finish it." A large brown tabby tom ordered. Without any hesitation, Blackfoot sprang forward and threw Stonefur off of Darkstripe. Suddnely he heard Mistyfoot yell her brother's name. Blackfoot turned towards her then towards the two half-clan apprentices. They stared at him with harsh, cold eyes.
"You're a murderer!" the silver apprentice meowed.
"He may have been half clan, but he proved he was loyal. You killed him for no reason!" the other one cried.
Blackfoot looked down on his paws and saw that they were covered in Stonfur's blood. "No! Wait!" he yelled. "Make this dream stop! Make it stop!" he yelled out furiously.
Blackstar's eyes flew open. It was still dark outside, every cat in the clan was sleeping. Blackstar lifted himself and stretched his legs. Then he settled down at the entrance of his den and stared up at Silverpelt.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have killed you!" he cried out weakly. Fortunately none of the cats were awake so they couldn't hear their leader pleading for forgiveness. He didn't want to show his clan that he was weak. He may have a tough exterior and showed no mercy, but on the inside he felt guilty and upset.
"Please forgive me Stonefur…please." He begged. There was no sign, no response…nothing. Blackstar wearily went back to his den and hid in the shadows for the rest of the night.
A dawn approached, Blackstar went to the apprentices' den to fetch Tawnypaw. He nudged her with his nose. She woke up and stared up at him with eyes still half closed.
"What is it Blackstar?" she asked.
"I've decided to take you, Cedarpaw and Rowanpaw to go see the Moonstone. Russetfur is coming too." Blackstar whispered to Tawnypaw. The young she-cat sprang up excitedly. "Wake up the others, I'll get Russetfur. Meet me at Runningnose's den so we can get some herbs and seeds."
The five made their way towards Mothermouth. Once they arrived they stopped at the entrance.
"It's dark so be careful. Stay as close to me as you can. Once we enter, we cannot speak." Blackstar explained. "Russetfur," he started, then he noticed the nervousness in Rowanpaw's eyes. "…Rowanpaw, you two should stay out here and guard." With a twitch of his tail he led the two other apprentices inside.
They didn't say a word. The two apprentices just stared at their leader as he approached the Moonstone. He settled down and pressed his nose on their, pretty soon he was asleep. The two young cats watched form a distance and sat down to wait for their leader to wake up.
Blackstar opened his eyes and all he could see was darkness. Suddenly he was a bright light moving towards him. The light transformed into a large tom. Blackstar gasped. He recognized who this tom was.
"Stonefur!" he gasped.
The blue-gray said nothing. All he did was stare at Blackstar sympathetically.
"I'm so sorry." Blackstar lowered his headin shame. "I don't know why I killed you, I was just following orders. I'm foolish. I shouldn't have killed you. I just didn't want to look weak and disloyal in front of my clan-mates. But that still didn't give me a right to kill you."
"You did an awful thing that day. But I forgive you." The ghostly tom meowed.
Blackstar looked upin surprise. "You what?" he could hardly believe what he had just heard.
"I forgive you. I know you feel guilty and you regret what you did. Just do me one favor." Stonefur meowed with a firm, strong voice.
Blackstar was a bit intimidated. He slowly nodded his head.
"Never kill a cat cold-bloodedly ever again." Blackstar lowered his head once gain.
"I will never kill a cat cold-bloodedly again." Blackstar repeated. "I promise you."
Stonefur gave me a brief nod and turned away. I still couldn't believe that he forgave me. I could feel my heart beat faster and faster, my toes tingling and my whiskers twitch as Stonefur gave me his forgiveness. I promised him I would never kill a cat with cold-blood again. I plan to keep his promise…
I'm not like Tigerstar. I want to act friendlier to other clans, yet I don't want to show weakness. I feel like I need to be more intimidating and act strong, so others will look up to me as a strong, brave leader.
After that day, I didn't have anymore bad dreams about Tigerclan. I felt better and relieved.
The hero I killed forgave me…I shall never forget that. In return, I shall keep my promise.
Everyone knows that Blackstar is a big softie on the inside, right? He may have a tough, intimidating exterior, but I think he soft and fluffy on the inside. I tried to keep him in character for this chapter but I don't think it worked out too well. I mean, he feels guilty and upset...so yeah. Don't you think he's is cute? Yeah, I'm a Blackstar fan! Woot! Anyways the next chapter will definitely be about Bluestar! I promise!