Chapter #25 The Dreams -

There was a clear view of the Thunderpath. Cedarheart stood in the center. His amber eyes connected with a young kit's in front of him. His large body towering hers. His pelt the same color. The kit's eyes were violet, but soon turned a maroon-red. Blood oozed from her face. Fangs grew in her mouth, her body reached his height. She now looked almost exactly like the dark warrior. Only slightly smaller, being female. His eyes soon gleamed red, too. The blood stopped flowing and scars were replaced. The black tom nodded.

"You are of ShadowClan. Do you understand?"

The she-cat nodded. "I'm with ShadowClan. But, father why--"

"I do not come from StarClan, I have done bad. I will visit you and your brother to join my old clan. I hunt with DeathClan now. You must understand that ShadowClan needs you."

"Brother?"

"Crowfeather, of WindClan. You may have noticed he looks like us. Here he is now."

A dark shape joined the dark queen. Crowfeather was older than her and bigger build, though sleek and skinny, like the queen. His eyes too, gleamed the same red.

"Father? Who is this?"

"This is your sister, Blackrose. Her mother is Mousefur, she is of ThunderClan."

"Oh, hi." He said slowly. Blackrose nodded.

"Cedarheart why have our eyes turned red?"

"It is a scar from me to you, of hate. You two will be joining ShadowClan, whether you like it or not."

"I'm a loyal warrior of WindClan!"

"As I'm of ThunderClan!"

"Whether you like it or not! Your eyes shall burn red until you join, I have passed the dreams of you two, to your medicine cats, dropping black roses and crow feathers here and there."

"But, what about my kits?" Blackrose asked.

"Who cares! They arn't half-clan, they are not much of my kin."

"I'm staying with WindClan, I'm not mouse brained!" The dark warrior spat.

"I have noticed you saved a ThunderClan medicine cat from falling to her death, and fell in love with her. You had also fallen in love with a RiverClan warrior, but didn't save her. Oh, so sad..."

"Damn it, Stop!" Crowfeather yowled. He leaped at his father, but went right through him. He got up, shook off the dust, looking bewildered.

"When you die, you can join me in DeathClan. We have powers StarClan only dreams of. I will be happy to welcome you two, when, you die of course."

"But what about the prophecy of The Black Rose."

"You believe in that fox dung?"

"It's true!" The queen shouted, "I have seen it. I've talked to other animals, I've even died before!"

There was utter silence. Cedarheart cocked his head.

"What do you mean?"

"I.. I was killed by a rat a while ago, I thought I passed out, but until now I noticed I would have been sleeping longer, plus my wounds healed, in hardly any time at all. And when other rats bit me I felt no pain. I haven't felt pain in a while now."

Cedarheart grinned, and lunged for his daughter's throat, totally taken by surprise he ripped it open. She lied on the ground. Crowfeather yowled out. Blackrose opened her eyes, clutched her teeth together, and the wound began to close. The blood returned inside and the cat got back up.

The two toms watched in silence. Blackrose didn't know she could do that. Her red eyes fixed on the toms.

"You cannot hurt me, and I will not join!"

"I may not be able to hurt you, but I can hurt others, I hope they are ready, I've already taken Smokeshade to kill your kits, But I guess they are still alive..."

"He broke Fogpaw's leg!"

"Oh, Fogpaw. She can join ShadowClan too, So can Dewpaw, he has bad blood."

"Smokeshade said that we had bad blood."

"It's true you have my blood, but your other kits have good blood, from that... Ravenwing? He needs to die. When your kin is ready I will unleash my evil upon them but, I won't if you join ShadowClan."

"Ready?"

"It's only fair, but they won't be ready for this at all, so when their warriors, after all their training, and hardship, they shall die!"

With that, the cat awoke. Feeling sick she walked out of the warriors' den and over to a small pool of water she licked a few drops. When the water stopped rippling, she looked in. Her scars a pale gray, her eyes, a bright red.

"Oh, no!"