Spottedpelt looks up, realizing she's in a sparkly, sunny field. "StarClan," She murmurs, knowing the place from her many visits. "I'm here! Is there a message for me?" She calls out softly. A shadow casts over her, and she turns to see a dark cloud forming above. "But if this is StarClan.. then how... how are there storms?" She whispered, frighteningly, outloud. The cloud bolted out a lightning bolt, and it stung into the grass.
Spottedpelt squeaked, jumping away from the yellow bolt. "Leopardstar! This isn't funny!" She calls out, voice cracking with fear. The cloud widened, and it formed all around her. Some of the center opened up, and Leopardstar- and Dapplesong!- stand in the cloud. "This isn't meant to be funny, sister." Dapplesong mews softly. Leopardstar nods, stepping forward. "Evil will rise, they will form together with other evilness, and strike unexpectedly like lightning."
Spottedpelt nodded, her gaze dazzling with wonder and fear. Leopardstar fade's away, but Dapplesong stays. She jumps down next to Spottedpelt. She licks the Medicine Cat's cheek, smiling. "We will meet again. And, Spottedpelt... Don't go looking for Thornheart. Its an impossible task." She nods to her ghostly sister. "What do you mean, meet again? And why not? How is it impossible?" Dapplesong gives her a stern glare. "Don't beg StarClan for answers; the answers will come in time."
Spottedpelt nods, smiling, and nuzzled her sister. "I miss you... Pouncetail, too." Dapplesong fades, and soon her dreams fade along.
Her eyes adjust, and shes in her den again. "Good," She mews to herself. "I hope we don't have any storms today... not like the dream.." She shivers, thinking about how she was deathly close to the lightning bolt. She looks up, outside the den, seeing the sun hardly over the hills of WindClan. She looks over at the nursery; some kits where already awake, beginning their care-free day. "I wish it was still that simple," She murmurs to herself.
Rising from her nest, Spottedpelt licks her ruffled pelt, making herself presentable. In the distance, she hears a pained yowl. She freezes, recognizing the yowl as Iceflurry's. She springs back behind her den, and spreads her wings apart. She flies to WindClan border, and looks for her half-sister. Moments later, she sees the WindClan patrol staring at Iceflurry. A badger lay limp in her paws.
Spottedpelt flew to the ground, and pushed her wings back in. Dashing toward WindClan border, she stops herself. Think, Spottedpelt: This could get you in trouble, and WindClan wouldn't want me invading with their privacy. She thinks, turning around. 'Go,' A voice, possibly Dapplesong's, whispered in her head. 'You're kin are waiting.' The voice jolted her onward, and she past the territory mark with ease.
Approaching closer, she saw the patrol breaking up. "Wolfmoon!" She hissed, quietly. The tom snapped around, seeing her. His eyes where filled with pain from the badger-battle, and eagerness to get away. He turned to Iceflurry and Tornear, who where also on the patrol, and muttered something unheard. Tornear dipped his head, and dashed back to camp.
Iceflurry and Wolfmoon talked a moment, keeping in hushed voices. Iceflurry glanced at her, and her eyes filled with excitement as she bounced over, Wolfmoon following. "Spottedpelt! Whats up?" Iceflurry mewed. "I heard the battle- are you two okay?" They nodded, eyes gleaming excitedly. "We must tell you something!" Wolfmoon mewed. Spottedpelt sat down, and curled her tail over her paws, ears pricked to hear what he'd say. The two did the same as her, and Wolfmoon continued.
He explained the other power they had; what an exciting thing! "Dapplesong would have loved that; flying, too." Spottedpelt mewed, quietly. She looked up quickly, and smiled. "Can I try it out on you, Wolfmoon?" He nodded excitedly. "Stay as stiff and stuck-to-the-ground as possible." She mewed, tensing her muscles. Iceflurry backed away a bit, and Wolfmoon tensed his muscles. His muscles rippled under his pelt, showing his true strengths.
Spottedpelt reared back, and came rushing toward him, slamming into his side. He fell over, grunting an oof! as he hit the ground. She gasped at the sudden strength. "Wow..." She muttered. "At the meeting tonight.. We should tell the others," She mewed quietly. "Well duh!" Iceflurry smiled. She pricked her ears. "Oh, StarClan! I'm supposed to be watching camp!" She scurried away, dashing away like lightning. "You WindClan cats are fast." Spottedpelt purred, jokingly.
Wolfmoon laughed. "Hey, Spottedpelt... Any news? From.. StarClan?" Spottedpelt nodded. "I'll tell you at the meeting, okay?" She paused, looking at her paws, then looking back up. "I think I found Dapplesong's replacement," She mewed. The tom looked surprised. "Really? We're eight again..?" She nodded. "Maybe. My friend, Fishwing, gave birth to her kit a moon ago. I don't know who the father is, and Fishwing won't say who, either." She said, going on. "Her name's Dapplepaw, named after our sister, and I think StarClan sent her."
Wolfmoon smiled. "Great! Maybe now we can find out what this prophecy means." Spottedpelt nodded. "I'll be glad when it's over. This prophecy worries me so much." "Me too," Wolfmoon said.
. . .
"Dapplepaw," A soft voice mews. Dapplepaw wakes up in the starry hunting grounds. "Hello, Dapplepaw." Says the StarClan she. "Hi! What am I learning today?" The starry cat purrs. "Not battle training, nor hunting. Follow me, Dapplepaw." The she cat sprinted into a lush forest, where many other starry cats where at. "Today, I have to show you something." Dapplepaw nods, following after her dream-mentor.
The lush forest and cats disappear behind them, and they come to a darker part of the forest. "We aren't learning how to night-hunt, are we? 'Cause thats too easy!" The apprentice says, smiling. "No," The starry she replies. "Sit, young Dapple." No one's called me that before, Dapplepaw thinks, sitting down. Oh well, I like the name! "What I tell you here in this forest, you must tell no one. Not your mentor, not Mistystar, no one." Dapplepaw nods. The starry she points her muzzle to the darker forest. "This place, is where evil cats go. This place is called the Dark Forest. Bad cats go there when they die. They are lost, wandering forever."
Dapplepaw's heart thuds with fear. As long as I'm with the starry she, I have nothing to fear.. do I? "But now, even after the battle from moons ago, they are taking revenge again. Trying, at least. They are taking regular cats from the Clans, and turning them into evil, blood thirsty killers. In the living cats dreams, they are taught how to kill, and they are taught un-regularly. Instead of keeping their claws sheathed, they train with unsheathed claws. Have you noticed anyone waking up injured?"
Dapplepaw shook her head. The starry cat sighed. "I'm taking you in there today, to show you some things. Here, Dapplepaw, roll in this mud. It will disguise your scent." Dapplepaw shakily rolled around in the stinky mud. She got up, and watched the starry she do the same. "Lets go. Keep low, and keep quiet."
Dapplepaw followed the she into the dark depths of the forest, drawing nearer to cats screeching. They soon reached a bush, where they could watch the training and see who was there. "So far," The starry she whispered. "They have few followers, but they're followers are growing immensely lately." Dapplepaw nodded, looking around. She saw a tigery-looking cat with ice blue eyes. He was launching himself onto another cat- "Clashswi-" The starry she shoved her paw in Dapplepaw's mouth. "Shh!" She hissed softly.
"What was that?" Clashswipe hissed, lashing his tail. The tom attacking him looked around, but Clashswipe took the advantage to kick him off, and launch himself onto the tom, and scrape his claws viciously in his flank. "Had enough, mentor Hawkfrost?" Hawkfrost smiled, blood running down his forehead. "Nope," He bat his claws at Clashswipe's head, knocking him over. He pinned him down.
Hawkfrost slashed his claws across Clashswipe's cheek. "Now, I think that's enough!" Called an older she-cats voice. Hawkfrost climbed off of Clashswipe. "What do you mean, Mapleshade?" Mapleshade hissed. "He's had enough for now. Bring him to the logpile. Hazefeather, Thornheart and Fireblossom are there with the others. We need you and Clashswipe to join; we're going to play a little... game." She smirked evilly.
Hawkfrost dashed away. "I'm on Fireblossom's and Hazefeather's team. You too, Clashswipe!" Clashswipe raced after him, and Mapleshade rolled her eyes. "Stupid toms." She darted after them.
"Lets leave, okay? You've seen enough." The starry she said, leading her away. Dapplepaw's mouth was agape as she followed her back. "Clashswipe's... evil...?" The starry she sighed. "I'm sorry you found out like this. But please, young Dapple... don't follow in his pawsteps." And Hazefeather.. I've heard that name before... but from where? She thought. I'll ask Spottedpelt. She knows, like, everyone!
~Dove