(A/N: I would like to thank all of my lovely reviewers: Mysticstar, Cryptic Feline of Eternal Light, Tall Star, and leafheart! You guys totally rock my socks off and into another dimension! (?))
Chapter Five: The Flower of the Night
Another yowl of grief rose in Nightflower's throat as she lowered her head to check if her beloved sister, Clovertail, was breathing. She could hear a faint wheezing and could see her flank rising and falling. Sighing with relief, Nightflower bent down to grab her sister's scruff and started to feebly drag her back to camp. She wished desperately that Eaglewing was there beside her in this time of need. For a heartbeat the fire of grief that burned inside her dwindled at the thought of Eaglewing's warm fur and soft words. But the scent of blood wafted to her nose and the fire raged more than ever.
To her relief, Eaglewing's lithe figure appeared through the undergrowth after many long minutes. She heard a gasp escape him. Nightflower flicked her ears telling him she'd explain later. Blizzardfur stayed true to his word, she thought bitterly as her eyes clouded more and more with sorrow and Eaglewing helped her to carry her bedraggled sister back to camp.
Once the three cats appeared at the edge of camp by the waterfall, a few caterwauls rose up from the surrounding cats. Pinefur, Clovertail and Nightflower's father, padded swiftly up to the three cats and demanded, "What could've happened?" His eyes were clouding with grief as he gave Nightflower's ear a quick lick to reassure her and, not waiting for an answer, set off to find Dewpetal. Ripplingpool also dashed up to Clovertail's side.
Eyes still big and shining, Nightflower sat down beside her grieving sister, when all of a sudden an image came to her mind as if sent by StarClan. She saw the dewy clearing, and in the middle, the sparkling purple blossom. The grey-blue cat's words rung in her ears: "The flower you see here holds power greater than StarClan. Only until the sun rises after StarClan calls shall it work. Use it well." The answer hit her like a heavy rock. After StarClan calls meant when a cat was ready to join StarClan. And the only power greater than StarClan's would be to reverse life itself and bring a cat back to life! Nightflower almost leaped with joy, but Ripplingpool's voice cut her off.
"Nightflower, I think her breathing is stopping!" she said in dismay. At that moment Dewpetal darted up with a pile of herbs in her mouth. She swiftly checked over Clovertail, and looking up, Nightflower say that her eyes swam with sympathy.
"I don't think that there is much I can do now," Dewpetal murmured. Her eyes shifted up to the steadily darkening sky, expecting to see an extra star tonight. I only have until sunrise! Nightflower thought, recalling the prophecy. She knew someone needed to come with her to find the flower. The first person to hit her mind was Ripplingpool, but she suspected that she was needed her, not only because of Clovertail, but because one of the queens had reported that she thought greencough had broken out in the nursery.
Nightflower's icy blue gaze rested on Eaglewing. Yes, she thought, I can completely trust him. Nightflower nudged him on the flank and motioned for him to come with her. She swiftly described her two dreams once they were in the fading shadow of the empty apprentices den. She took a deep breath as she finished and looked up to the newly appearing stars on the horizon. They didn't have much time. "Look," she started, "once no one is watching, we have to sneak out of camp. If I tell Shadestar, she'll insist on making more experienced warriors go. But they would never understand the dreams." Nightflower sighed and looked at the rising moon. "We have to go now—
Eaglewing brushed her jet black flank. "I understand," he replied softly. He got up and flicked his whiskers, a wild look in his eyes. "Race ya," he added, playfully.
Nightflower purred and swept her gaze across the clearing. "Now," she murmured as the cats of the Clan, especially Shadestar and Pinefur paid their last respects to Clovertail. They slipped out of camp behind the apprentice's den and Nightflower led the way in search of the flower. She guided him towards the surrounding mountains, near StoneClan's territory. In her dream, she remembered racing up a wooded slope, and spilling out into the clearing with the night blossom.
The stars twinkled overhead and the two cats carried on, panting from the steadily sloping ground. "How much further?" Eaglewing inquired.
"I'm not sure," Nightflower replied, a determined edge to her voice. The surrounding clouds gathered, shrouding the moon from the world below. Many minutes later, the clouds opened up to let out a shaft of moonlight, brighter than any she'd seen, leading to a gap in the trees just ahead. A gasp of excitement escaped her and she started running faster and faster toward the ray of light until she heard Eaglewing's yowl from below, "Slow down, Nightflower! It's like you're a SkyClan cat!"
"Sorry," Nightflower breathed as they neared the beam of moonlight. Finally, after a monotonous trip up the slope, the two cats stumbled into the dewy clearing. "Is that it?" Eaglewing breathed, flicking his tail towards the purple bloom in the center of the clearing. Her eyes, full of stars, answered by themselves. Nightflower slowly padded towards the sparkling flower. Reaching it, she stared into its center, and could see the white light of StarClan. She lowered her head and gripped the stem in her teeth, tasting stars, night, and evening breeze. She looked back into Eaglewing's amber eyes. He had a loving, but wild expression on his face that said I'm ready if you are! Nightflower gave him a nod, and they were off.
Emerging from the undergrowth, Nightflower and Eaglewing trotted straight to Clovertail's lifeless body bathed in watery moonlight. Nightflower sat down a tail-length away from Clovertail and gave they flower a shake. The flower spewed white, shimmering pollen, that looked as if they were they stars themselves. The star-pollen showered Clovertail's disheveled body. For a few anxiety thick moments, Nightflower thought that the flower hadn't worked and unease burned in her belly. But then suddenly Clovertail's body gave a shudder and her wounds started to heal. Nightflower gave a sigh of relief and darted to Clovertail, vigorously grooming her unkempt fur. Pinefur noticed the movement and gasped, yowling for Shadestar and Ripplingpool.
"How— Ripplingpool started, but once Shadestar appeared from her den and was sitting next to Ripplingpool, Nightflower explained her dreams, and the sneaking out of camp, and Blizzardfur. Ripplingpool looked awestruck. "But I thought only leaders and medicine cats get dreams from StarClan!"
Listening in on their conversation, Witherwind, one of the Clan's elders, meowed, "In one of the ancient Clans, I believe it was called ThunderClan, there was a young cat that came to the Clan and also received dreams from StarClan." Remembering the story that the elders told her and her sister on the day that they were apprenticed, Nightflower recalled a legendary cat named Firestar, the savior of the ancient Clans. "The cat you saw in your dream was probably Bluestar, the leader before Firestar." Witherwind added.
Scooting close to Eaglewing's mottled brown flank, Nightflower sighed with relief. She was glad that all of this was over. Suddenly the wind picked up and plastered her fur down. The steady gale picked the night flower up right off the ground and carried it to a far away place. Nightflower and Eaglewing both leaped up at the same time, and were about to chase after it when Ripplingpool's voice cut off their actions.
"StarClan is afraid that that blossom holds too much power," she interpreted with a dazed look in her eyes. Watching it go, Nightflower settled back down by Eaglewing, and stared with more and more relief at her recovering sister. The red fire of dawn was just starting to stain the edges of the night sky and looking up at the steadily fading stars, Nightflower knew that StarClan was balanced, and all was right with the forest of Clans.
Well, everyone, that was the final chapter of my story. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I'd really appreciate some good reviews and constructive criticism isn't bad, either, for future stories. Well, thank you all soooo much for reading!