Chapter 9, the dream of energy
Moonhowl gave a startled yowl and sprinted across the clearing. Grassfoot squealed with fear, and shook his head, trying to dislodge the cat.
Thornclaw came sprinting over, but Moonhowl got there first. She bowled him over and he rolled into the dust.
"Don't!" She spat. He looked up at her.
"I'm doing it for you," he meowed. "I want you to love me. What do I need to do to prove to you that I am a worthy tom?"
"Nothing," Moonhowl meowed. "I will never love you, because I love Ravenshadow."
He gave her a frustrated look, then narrowed his eyes. "Watch out, Moonhowl. Someday, something bad will happen, and you won't be able to stop it."
Moonhowl gasped and backed away. There was no time to say anything though. Brackenfur was leaping at more cats.
She grabbed a stick and sprang foreword, but Brackenfur whirled around and slashed his claws in front of her face.
A wave of crazy cats came up at her, and with terrified wails Moonhowl's Clanmates turned tail and fled. Several insane cats jumped on them and pulled them to the ground. In an instant they turned crazy, and leapt on the few remaining cats who weren't.
Thornclaw spun around and prepared to fight off the crazy cats. Sorrelstar clawed at the un-crazy cats, but Cloudtail sprinted around avoiding blows from the crazy cats.
"No!" Moonhowl butted Thornclaw hard in the shoulder, and ducted to avoid the claws of one of the cats.
She looked over at the nursery. A queen was attacked, and instantly she turned around and leapt at her three, wailing, cowering kits.
Moonhowl sprinted across the clearing and grasped a small dark grey tabby kit in her jaws. The mother snarled and leapt, but Thornclaw whacked it with a log. Over and over he whacked.
Moonhowl reached for the other kit, but suddenly the mother tried to attack her, but Thornclaw hit her, and the mother grasped the kit instead. The first was dead, and before Moonhowl's and Thornclaw's very eyes, she started tearing the second apart like a piece of fresh-kill.
Moonhowl kept the kit in her jaws firmly, and ducked out of the nursery. She sprinted across the clearing and out of camp, Thornclaw close behind.
Moonhowl lay down and let the wailing kit curl up beside her. She let out a deep breath.
She sat up suddenly. "We can't stay here!"
"Why not?" Thornclaw asked.
"We have to help the Clan escape!"
"She turned around and sprinted in the direction of camp.
Suddenly there was a screech and a flash of blood. A broken motionless body fell to the ground.
"Cloudtail!" Moonhowl yowled.
OoOoO
Demonshadow narrowly avoided the blow of a yellow paw. A few cats, Russetstar, Tawnypelt, Smoketail, and a couple others, were out of reach of the other cats, and dashing out of the camp.
Demonshadow leapt out of camp with the others close behind.
Three days later…
Russetstar beckoned the few cats who were not insane to follow her and she walked into the camp. The crazy cats were sitting around, acting strange, but not fighting each other.
Demonshadow watched Tawnypelt organize a hunting patrol, and she was fed up with waiting. She would kill Tawnypelt tonight, and become deputy.
The decision was made.
OoOoO
Moonhowl gave a yelp of fear.
"Father?" she asked, nudging the white cat.
His eyes stared blankly up into the sky. He did not move.
"Cloudtail! Father!" she cried desperately.
Brackenfur flashed past, eyes rolling, reeking of sickness.
Moonhowl gave up. Cloudtail was dead. She licked his pelt a couple times, then dashed around, helping get the cats out of camp who were not insane.
Most of the crazy cats stopped fighting and sat down, heads rolling, claws torn. They looked like dogs.
Sorrelstar looked at her, mouth opening and closing, then conked out.
OoOoO
Demonshadow fell asleep in the middle of camp, because the sickness had infested the dens.
She had a dream.
Yellowfang came to her. (AN: I chose Yellowfang because she has a strong temper, like Demonshadow.)
"Demonshadow," the old she cat meowed. She looked exhausted.
"From Storm and Talon an enemy will rise, it cannot be beaten, but a terrible future awaits the clans, if evil cannot earn respect."
Demonshadow gazed into her clear blue eyes. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked.
"You are StarClan's Chosen, Demonshadow. You want to kill Tawnypelt, I will not stop you. The way you run your life is your choice. I would rather you not kill Tawnypelt, but StarClan cannot control what you do. We are not the ones who control the forest; we cannot make battles not be fought. It is the choice of the Clans for that to happen."
"Thank you," Demonshadow said, and dipped her head, as the medicine cat began to fade.
"Beware of a RiverClan warrior…"
A whisper passed through the wind. Demonshadow whirled around and a young, handsome tom stood not far away. He was silver and white, with blue eyes and brown paws, tail and face.
"Demonshadow," he meowed, walking up to her. He stared into her eyes.
"What?" Demonshadow asked him.
"I am a cat." he said.
Demonshadow recognized him from somewhere, but she couldn't name it.
"I live on land, and I live in the skies."
Demonshadow looked at him. She put out a paw, and it slipped right through the silvery cat.
"On land I am whole, but in StarClan, I am only an illusion."
Demonshadow stared at him. She scooted closer, until she was only a mouse length away.
"Why are you here?" she asked.
"I summoned you. I need to tell you some things. I need to show you something."
"Why?" asked Demonshadow.
"To teach the Clans the art of energy," he said. "There is more to life then fighting and hunting."
He looked at her harder.
"But…we know that already. There is love." Demonshadow reasoned.
He dipped his head. "That is only a small bit in a huge amount. There is more…more…more…"
He moved his face right up to hers. "Do you recognize me from the land?"
Demonshadow just looked. "No," she whispered.
He nodded. "That is fine. I will speak to you another night. For now…"
He started becoming brighter and brighter until he became a ball of bright, white light. Then the light began to fade.
"I am just energy," he whispered.
OoOoO
Demonshadow awoke in the camp, thinking about the dream. A cat that was just energy…how strange.
She looked around and suddenly leapt on Tawnypelt. Tawnypelt sat up, and clawed at the black cat.
Demonshadow gave a surge of strength and pinned her down.
There was Tawnypelt. Limp, beneath her paws.
Demonshadow looked up, and right into the eyes of Russetstar.
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