Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors
some crazy girl who likes pie: Heh… Evil lessons… Hey, can I use that term? 'Cause it's really good.
Shandril Wielder of Spellfire: … You're right. The word Funkypelt completely ruins the mood, doesn't it?
Mintytooth: Well the difference between Crazy Bluestar and Pantherstar is that Pantherstar still believes in StarClan's teachings… or whatever you call that.
Little Black Inkblot: Dogpaw's story was completely necessary, but it was waaaaay too long. -sweatdrops- I originally intended Dogpaw's story to be only one chapter, but, as you know, it… sort of… evolved into three… -goes and sobs in corner- Dogpaw is nine moons old, which is one moon younger than Rainpaw, and two moons younger than Acidpaw. Mangledpaw and Rainpaw were really slow in that chapter. It took them a while to catch on.
ilovekataang: To answer your question, Dogpaw can communicate easily with Quietpaw because his sister, Maddie, was also mute. Seeing as Dogpaw was able to communicate with Maddie, it was easier for him to communicate with Quietpaw. Thanks for reviewing!
Moonstar of FireClan: -sweatdrop- Yeah… I never intended for Freddy's story to be that long. Oh no! Not snow cubes! -hides behind blender- wait, that makes it easier for you, doesn't it? Thanks for reviewing!
WolfSummoner93: Thanks for reviewing! :) You're right. It's kinda like the ShadowClan incident all the way back in book one. But not entirely the same…
Nightclaw: Thanks! :) The only thing with long chapters is that they take a while to edit and such… -.-'
A/N: I also plan my fanfiction in a separate document, like the allegiances of the beginning of book four… and I think some people might gasp if they saw the planning.
Chapter Seven
The Truth of Quietpaw, Final Evidence
"She says that when her sibling was stolen as a kit, she smelled CanyonClan."
Rainpaw stared at Dogpaw, then looked to Quietpaw.
First it was Mistypaw, stolen by Roaringbreeze during a badger attack, then the mysterious disappearance of Arcticpaw of PrairieClan's littermate, and now Quietpaw's sibling!
"Roaringbreeze…" whispered Rainpaw.
Silverdiamond gave her apprentice a strange look. "What?"
"I need to speak to Pantherstar!" replied the white-furred she-cat, dashing out of the Medicine Cat den.
Rainpaw skidded to a halt in front of the Treestump. She scratched on the bark near the entrance. There was no answer.
"Are you looking for Pantherstar?" asked a voice behind her.
Rainpaw jumped. "Oh, Hawktalon! Yeah, I'm looking for Pantherstar."
"She just went out training in the Small Woods with Stripepaw," replied Acidpaw's mentor, pointing with his tail out of camp.
"Thanks so much, Hawktalon," meowed Rainpaw, bowing her head politely before turning and racing out of camp.
The Medicine Cat apprentice burst into the Small Woods, lost in thought.
I can't believe my luck! Rainpaw thought, We can really prove it this time! We've gathered enough evidence!
"Watch out!" yowled a voice.
Rainpaw looked up, but too late. She collided with another cat.
"Ouch, Rainpaw! Watch where you're going, you crazy furball!" meowed the cat, rubbing her nose with her front paw.
"Sorry, Mistypaw!" replied Rainpaw.
Rainpaw suddenly realized that she should tell Mistypaw what she had learned from Quietpaw.
"Hey, you know Quietpaw?" asked Rainpaw.
The former CanyonClan apprentice nodded. "Oceanpaw came by and told me about her."
"Guess what? Dogpaw found out that—"
Mistypaw shook her head. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down! Who's Dogpaw?"
"The kittypet, you know, Freddy? He had an apprentice ceremony and he's staying in ForestClan. He's Dogpaw now."
Mistypaw put her head to one side. "Him? A ForestClan apprentice? But isn't he a kittypet?"
Rainpaw rolled her eyes. "Please don't tell me that you're one of those cats that don't accept non-Clan cats."
"It just doesn't seem right… He doesn't have Warrior blood."
"Lest you forget," Rainpaw pointed out, "I don't have parents in ForestClan. According to Silverdiamond, I'm the kit of a rogue." But Roaringbreeze told me that he knew my parents…
"You're an exception, because you were raised as a clan cat."
"Freddy—no, Dogpaw—has had a harsh past and he has the potential to be a Warrior, but as I was saying, he's able to communicate with mute cats and he found out that when Quietpaw was a kit in MountainClan," Rainpaw paused for a dramatic effect, "She had a sibling that was kitnapped."
Mistypaw's eyes widened. "You mean…?"
Rainpaw nodded fiercely. "That's right. She smelled CanyonClan."
Mistypaw laughed gleefully. "We can prove it now! Finally! I regret doubting Dogpaw! Without him, we wouldn't have been able to find out!"
"I know! I have to find Pantherstar to tell her! Come on, Mistypaw!"
The two she-cats ran through the Small Woods until Mistypaw finally caught Pantherstar's scent.
The Clan leader was demonstrating a defensive battle crouch to Stripepaw. He tried to attack her, but she dodged effortlessly.
"Pantherstar?" called Rainpaw, "Sorry to interrupt, but I've found out something really important. Could I have a word with you?"
The Leader nodded and told Stripepaw to go hunting, and she approached the Medicine Cat Apprentice. Rainpaw explained what she had found out.
"We'll reveal what they've done at the next Gathering. We can't be sure that it was always Roaringbreeze doing the kitnapping, but we can still accuse CanyonClan. But before that, I'd like to speak to Quietpaw, just to confirm."
Rainpaw followed Pantherstar back to camp. Mistytail had stayed in the Small Woods, saying that she had something that she needed to do.
Mistypaw watched Rainpaw and Pantherstar leave. She padded further into the Small Woods and reached the CanyonClan border, where the trees started to become fewer and fewer. The silhouette of a cat stood in the shadows.
"Tell me what's wrong," meowed Mistypaw, "You've been distressed for quite some time now."
"Quietpaw is innocent…" whispered the cat, his voice sounding crushed by guilt, "I didn't want to convict her… I wish my brother would just disappear!"
"You were the one who said she was the Curse-Carrier?" asked Mistypaw.
"Yes… I can't believe I let that filthy mangy furball control me like that… I hate him, Mistypaw," replied the cat, sounding like he was about to burst into tears, "I… I want him to die! But he said that—"
"Shhh…" soothed Mistypaw, licking his ear gently, "I know… It'll be okay. He can't hurt me."
The cat touched noses with Mistypaw. "Thank you. If you weren't around, I don't know if I could withstand the guilt."
"I'll see you in two sunrises, okay?"
The cat nodded and turned. "I'll see you then."
Mistypaw watched him go, her eyes filling with tears. She spoke once he was gone. "You're wrong… If I wasn't around, you wouldn't be in pain like this. I'm so sorry…"
ForestClan Medicine Cat den…
"So, Quietpaw. You're absolutely sure that you scented CanyonClan when your sibling was stolen, right?"
Quietpaw nodded.
"Perfect," meowed Pantherstar, "At the next Gathering, we'll bring both Quietpaw and Mistypaw and we'll accuse CanyonClan."
Quietpaw took a step back and shook her head fiercely. Pantherstar looked to Dogpaw for translation.
"She says that she can't go to the Gathering," meowed the new ForestClan apprentice.
"Why not?" asked the Leader.
Quietpaw scratched nervously at the ground and flattened her ears.
"She can't be around MountainClan since they drove her out," meowed Freddy, "Because they accused her of being cursed."
"Cursed?" Pantherstar looked puzzled.
Quietpaw nodded.
"She says that she was called the Carrier of the Curses. I don't know what that's all about…"
Silverdiamond, who was busy sorting herbs in the corner, looked up sharply. "Did you just say Carrier of the Curses?"
"Yeah."
"That's impossible. Quietpaw is not the Carrier of the Curses. The Carrier of the Curses died about nine moons ago," Silverdiamond looked at Quietpaw, "Your mother was called Puresoul, right?"
Quietpaw blinked in surprise, but nodded.
"Puresoul was the last Curse-Carrier."
"What's a Curse-Carrier?" asked Rainpaw.
"The Carrier of the Curses, more commonly called the Curse-Carrier, was a cat who refused to fight. They all had weak vocal chords and were mute. They were never apprenticed, they never became Warriors, and were too young to become Elders. Other cats feared them, because it was said that wherever they walked, misfortune would spread. Most cats simply thought that they were going against StarClan by not fighting for their Clans," explained Pantherstar, "It was commonly discussed when I was an apprentice. But I thought the time of the Carrier of the Curses was over…"
Silverdiamond nodded. "It is. It ended with Puresoul breaking the tradition of no conflicts that her family had kept for many seasons. She had not fought a single cat until her mate was killed in a fight against a mountain lion. After that, she went one-on-one against the beast and killed it only hours after her kits were born, but she was severely injured and started seeing illusions. Everyone she saw was an enemy. She attacked her mate's brother and killed him, thinking he was a mountain lion. She died soon after from her wounds, her fur red instead of its original white."
Quietpaw tilted her head to one side.
"She says that she was told that her mother died giving birth," meowed Dogpaw.
Pantherstar frowned. "That's what I was told too."
"That's understandable. Only the Medicine Cats knew about it because MountainClan feared that since the Curse-Carrier tradition was broken by a very violent cat, then the curse must be evolving into something worse. Nothing bad has happened to MountainClan since Puresoul's death, at least nothing I know of, and Scarletleaf nor Mangledpaw have mentioned it. I trust that you will tell no one."
Everyone nodded.
"Good."
"Back to what we were saying before, if Arcticpaw of PrairieClan is at the Gathering, we'll have all three sources of evidence and we'll be able to prove that CanyonClan is guilty," meowed Pantherstar, "What we should do is have two Warriors with Quietpaw and Mistypaw waiting in the shadows of the trees and when the time is right, we'll give them a signal and they will come and we will accuse CanyonClan."
"Sounds alright," Silverdiamond nodded.
Quietpaw nodded in agreement, though she was shaking in fear.
"I'll ask Mistypaw if she's alright with that," offered Rainpaw.
Pantherstar nodded at her. "Good. I'm counting on you. But tell her in the morning. It's nearly dawn now, and everyone should get some sleep."
Rainpaw nodded and turned out of the Medicine Cat den.
"Dogpaw, go with Rainpaw. I asked Acidpaw to make a nest for you earlier," meowed Silverdiamond, "I'd like Quietpaw to stay in the Medicine Cat den for another night… after that…"
The Medicine Cat glanced at Pantherstar.
"We'll see," was all the leader said, "Now good night. The night training with Stripepaw has left me tired."
"Come on, Dogpaw," meowed Rainpaw.
The new ForestClan apprentice nodded and followed her.
As Rainpaw and Dogpaw entered the Medicine Cat den, Rainpaw noticed that Acidpaw was tossing and turning in his sleep.
The Medicine Cat apprentice frowned. It wasn't like Acidpaw to have nightmares.
Suddenly, the black-furred apprentice spoke in his sleep.
"No… I don't understand… who are you? There's… no such thing… as Three Red Suns…"
Mountain Lower Territory…
A long-furred white cat made his way through the woods of MountainClan territory with a large crow in his mouth. Leaf-bare was harsh, and he was lucky to have found such a large piece of prey.
He made his way through the snow. This kind of weather didn't really bother him, since he lived in the mountains. Though, the forest terrain was unfamiliar to him, even if it was in his own territory, and he actually found the forest quite creepy.
He knew he would receive a 'Mangledpaw, what were you doing out there?' from Hawkheart, a newly named Warrior. He was an arrogant cat, only became a Warrior a few sunrises ago, already had an apprentice, young aggressive Clawpaw.
Mangledpaw approached the base of the mountain. He was about to take the Spiral Path up to camp, which was located in a cave. He suddenly heard voices.
"You called me out here, Hawkheart?"
Mangledpaw rolled his eyes. Speak of the devil.
"I did."
Mangledpaw frowned. What business could Hawkheart possibly have with the deputy, Flameshadow? The white-furred cat hid in a bush nearby.
I can see why ForestClan likes this terrain. It's convenient if you want to eavesdrop… thought Mangledpaw.
"See… there is a plot in progress."
"A plot?" Flameshadow sounded confused.
"Yes, with MountainClan's ally, Roaringbreeze."
Mangledpaw's eyes narrowed. Since when was MountainClan allied to Roaringbreeze?
"When did this happen?" asked the deputy, voicing Mangledpaw's thoughts.
Hawkheart smirked. "A while back, actually."
Flameshadow growled. "Why wasn't I informed?"
"I don't know," meowed the brown tom innocently, "But…"
"But what?"
Hawkheart's eyes glinted maliciously. "I know that you're in the way!"
The brown tom leaped at the deputy, plunging his fangs into Flameshadow's throat. The black and ginger tom had no time to react and was knocked over easily.
Hawkheart tore his fangs across Flameshadow's throat, creating two deep gashes.
Mangledpaw suppressed the urge to run out there and help him.
No, he told himself firmly, I'll wail until Hawkheart leaves, and then I'll help him. I'm a Medicine Cat.
Blood gurgled out of Flameshadow's mouth. Mangledpaw winced. Hawkheart had probably severed some vocal chords.
Hawkheart stood over him. "I'll tell you what's going to happen in MountainClan…"
The brown tom leaned next to Flameshadow's ear and started whispering. The deputy's eyes widened, then narrowed.
"Don't underestimate me!" rasped Flameshadow, kicking Hawkheart in the gut and forcing him backwards.
"Still got some fight left, old foxdung?" hissed Hawkheart, "I'll put an end to your life!"
"You're many seasons too young to be fighting me!"
"We'll see about that."
Mangledpaw squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them, Hawkheart was gazing down on Flameshadow's still body.
Hawkheart looked like he was thinking hard, then bent down and dragged his fangs along Flameshadow's stomach, creating two more deep wounds, and did the same to the deputy's side.
Mangledpaw held back tears of rage. Leave him alone… He's already dead…
"Stupid old furball," muttered Hawkheart before biting into his own shoulder, making a small wound. He broke into a run towards camp.
When Mangledpaw was sure he was gone, he crept out of the bushes towards Flameshadow and gasped.
The deputy was lying in a still-spreading puddle of his own blood. Flameshadow's eyes fluttered open.
"Flameshadow! You're alive!" purred Mangledpaw.
"Listen well, Mangledpaw," meowed Flameshadow, his voice hardly above a whisper, "Hawkheart will try to overthrow Silverstar by allying himself to CanyonClan. Please… don't let that happen… He's going to—"
"Going to what?" asked Mangledpaw.
But Flameshadow's breathing had stopped. Mangledpaw snarled.
"Hawkheart… you horrible cat…"
In the distance, he heard Hawkheart's cries of "Badger attack! Badger attack! Flameshadow was killed!"
Mangledpaw dug his claws into the ground. Hawkheart was covering up a murder that he had committed himself.
"Horrible cat," he repeated, before backing away, picking up his piece of fresh-kill, and returning to camp using the North Path, which was another way into camp.
As soon as Mangledpaw entered camp, he put his crow down on the fresh-kill pile and returned to the apprentice den. It was past dawn now, and he was tired. He drifted to sleep immediately.
"There are three: one who watches them as a star,
The others do not know who they truly are.
The one of scarlet knows nothing of the diamond breeze,
The one of blazes fled far from the trees."
Mangledpaw raced after the former ForestClan deputy and his mate.
"Lizardfang! Flowerheart! I don't understand! What are the Three Red Suns? Geez… I feel so naïve…"
But the StarClan cats were fading away…
Mangledpaw was prodded awake. His sisters, Hazelpaw and Mosspaw, were standing over him.
"Come on, Mangledpaw," meowed Hazelpaw, "Silverstar is announcing the new deputy."
Mangledpaw heaved himself onto his paws. It was only sunhigh. He must've only had a few hours of sleep.
He followed his sisters, yawning, along the Spiral Path.
"Clan meetings are such a pain!" complained the white-furred tom.
"Makes you tougher," growled Hazelpaw, "You're in the Medicine Cat den most of the day, so getting out more would be good for a fatty like you."
Mangledpaw cringed. His sister was a scary cat.
Mosspaw came up behind him and whispered in his ear.
"Don't mind Hazelpaw," she reassured him, "She's just a bit sore that she hasn't been made a Warrior yet."
Hazelpaw had been the first born out of her siblings, and was jealous that Hawkheart, the second one born, had been given his Warrior name first.
MountainClan meetings took place on the Halfpeak, the second highest point on the mountain. The territory above Halfpeak belonged to mountain lions and lynxes.
When Mangledpaw arrived, he noticed that most of the Clan was already there.
Silverstar stood on the Halfpeak, looking down at them.
"I speak these words before all of StarClan, and for they to look down upon us and approve of my choice. I hope that my departed brother and deputy, Flameshadow, also be proud of my decision. The new deputy," Silverstar paused, "Will be Hawkheart."
Mangledpaw's eyes widened, and Hazelpaw dug her claws into the ground, growling.
Mosspaw, out of courtesy, was the first one to step forward and congratulate her brother.
To the side, Mangledpaw saw Hawkheart's apprentice, Clawpaw, bragging to his brother and other apprentices how his mentor was Clan deputy.
Most of the senior Warriors hissed at Hawkheart and turned back to camp before Silverstar dismissed them.
As Mangledpaw returned to the apprentice den, he thought back to what Flameshadow had said.
Hawkheart planned to overthrow Silverstar and take his place as leader. Mangledpaw was just a Medicine Cat. There was nothing he could do. Mangledpaw's brother was truly a horrible cat.
ForestClan Apprentice Den…
Rainpaw lay awake in her nest. Dogpaw had fallen asleep quite quickly.
She didn't wake Acidpaw when she heard him talk about the Three Red Suns. She would ask him when he woke up. Rainpaw didn't want Dogpaw to get involved in the prophecy in case that the meaning was dangerous. She didn't want Dogpaw's life to end, now that he had finally been accepted into the Clan.
On top of that, Rainpaw had to think of an excuse to leave camp in three sunrises to meet Mangledpaw and figure out the prophecy. Rainpaw wondered if Acidpaw had any luck coming up with answers to the Three Red Suns.
Rainpaw decided that since she couldn't sleep, she should work on the prophecy.
Maybe there'll be a fire in the Clans' territory… and the moon will shine red… and the sun is reddish… that would make three red suns… but that completely disregards the rest of the prophecy. 'One who watches them as a star…' Maybe that's the Sun itself… But how could the earth and the moon not know who they are? They're not actually alive are they? 'The one of scarlet knows nothing of the diamond breeze…' and 'The one of blazes fled far from the trees…'
Rainpaw's tail flicked angrily. She flailed her paws, frustrated. She heard a quiet snicker in the corner.
One acid green eye was open. "You look like you're having a seizure."
"Shut up, Acidpaw," hissed Rainpaw quietly. She decided to bring up the prophecy, "It's not like you're having an easy time figuring out the meaning of the Prophecy of the Three Red Suns!"
Acidpaw's eyes widened and he padded over to Rainpaw, grabbed her by the scruff, and dragged her out of the apprentice den.
"You kitnapper!" growled Rainpaw, twisting in his grasp.
Acidpaw brought her into the nearby forest.
"How did you know that I know about that Prophecy?" he snarled.
"Well, seeing as you talk in your sleep…"
"Don't be stupid! I don't talk in my sleep!"
"Yeah? Then how did I know that you knew about that Prophecy?"
Acidpaw hissed furiously.
They were silent for a moment. Then, Rainpaw spoke up.
"So… did you figure anything out?"
Acidpaw glared at her from the corner of his eye.
"What did you figure out?"
"What the—? I asked you first!"
"Just spit it out, stupid furball."
"Fine!" Rainpaw's pelt burned angrily, also in embarrassment. She knew that her idea on the Prophecy was completely wrong, "W-well… I thought maybe that it could be a total end-of-the-world sort of thing… Like maybe the moon would turn red… and there would be fires in the Clan territory… total apocalypse…"
Acidpaw blinked.
What he did next surprised Rainpaw. He started laughing. Really hard. Rainpaw swore that she saw tears in the corners of his eyes.
"You stupid furball! Apocalypse? You actually thought it was talking about the sun?! Like the sun in the sky?!"
Rainpaw felt her ears redden. "W-well… What else could it be?"
"You daft furball! It means 'son', as in kin, not 'sun', as in the one in the sky!"
"H-how would you know?!"
"You got the hint about my father as well, right?"
"Saying that Silverdiamond was his mother?"
"Yes."
"Weird… that makes Silverdiamond your grandmother…"
Acidpaw growled. "You're getting off-topic. We were told that Redstar was Silverdiamond's son. That should've clicked in your head immediately."
Rainpaw winced. How did she not notice that?
"Meaning that there are Three Red Sons, not Three Red Suns?"
"That's right," Acidpaw nodded.
"So, smart one, who are the Three Red Sons?"
"One of them is obviously Redstar. The others, I hate to admit it, I don't know," Acidpaw paused, "But if you think about it, the two other Red Sons probably don't know either."
"How would you know?"
"It's obvious, no? The others do not know who they truly are."
Rainpaw looked away. Great StarClan, I feel so mousebrained… "Did Redstar tell you anything else?"
Acidpaw blinked. "Redstar? Redstar came to you?"
"Yeah… Didn't he come to you? Or was it Flowerheart and Lizardfang?"
"Neither of them," meowed Acidpaw, "The cat who told me the Prophecy was a black she-cat with green eyes. She smelled like PrairieClan."
"Well… what's her name?" asked Rainpaw.
"She won't tell me."
Acidpaw was silent.
"In any case, I got back from the Medicine Cat meeting really late, so I'm going back to sleep," Rainpaw turned to leave. She stopped, "Oh, right. Do you think you can sneak out of camp in three moonrises? I need to discuss the Prophecy with Mangledpaw, and maybe you'll be able to figure out more."
"Sneak out?" asked Acidpaw.
The Medicine Cat apprentice nodded.
Acidpaw smirked. "It would be my pleasure."
Rainpaw nodded her thanks before turning back to camp.
The black-furred apprentice watched her leave, then concentrating on remembering that strange dream with the strange she-cat that always came to him, telling him the Prophecy.
Flashback
"… Acidpaw… Acidpaw…"
Acidpaw blinked his eyes open. A black she-cat stood over him.
The ForestClan Apprentice scrambled to his paws.
"Who are you?" he questioned, "How do you know my name?"
The she-cat laughed. "I know many things," she turned serious, "But now's not the time for jokes."
Acidpaw snorted. "Who's laughing?"
A faint trace of a smile tugged at the she-cat's face. Her green eyes glowed with joy… and sadness. Acidpaw wondered how a cat could look so sad and happy at the same time.
"I see you've inherited your grandfather's sense of humor," she remarked. She added so quietly that Acidpaw could hardly hear her, "I hope you haven't inherited any of his other traits…"
Acidpaw glared at her, making her laugh again.
"You've got the same blazing fire in your eyes as your father," she meowed, "That, I'm glad to see."
"Cut to the chase, StarClan cat," snarled Acidpaw, "Why have you come to me?"
"Acidpaw," replied the she-cat, "I've come to tell you of a Prophecy. If not solved… peace might disappear like a rabbit dashing into its burrow."
"So tell me, then."
"There are three: one who watches them as a star,
The others do not know who they truly are.
The one of scarlet knows nothing of the diamond breeze,
The one of blazes fled far from the trees."
Acidpaw looked lost in thought.
"I'll give you a hint, Acidpaw. Redstar is the son of Silverdiamond."
The black-furred tom's eyes widened. "What?"
"It's the truth," now the black she-cat was behind Acidpaw and whispering in his ear, "But there is a greater truth that needs to be uncovered. Farewell, Acidpaw, and good luck…"
The she-cat licked Acidpaw's ear softly.
Acidpaw blinked in surprise and shook his head wildly. "I don't even know you!"
"… Are you sure about that, Acidkit?"
Before Acidpaw could reply, the black she-cat had disappeared.
End Flashback
That was the first dream he had about the Prophecy, about a moon ago. Acidpaw's eyes narrowed. That she-cat was familiar, but he just couldn't remember… She had called him Acidkit, but was that really worth anything? Any cat could've easily guessed that an apprentice named Acidpaw was once called Acidkit.
The black-furred tom kneaded the ground in frustration. Next time she comes to repeat the Prophecy, I'll ask her who she really is.
Acidpaw also headed back to camp. The dawn patrol had already left, and no doubt Falconbeak was looking for him.
Lower MountainClan territory…
"I trust things are going well, Hawkheart?" asked a cat. The smell of sand clung to his fur.
The cat in front of him nodded. "Yes. Flameshadow is dead and I am MountainClan deputy. Silverstar is as soft as a fresh-killed fawn."
The other cat grinned. "Excellent work, Hawkheart."
"I've accomplished my task, so please tell me what the greater part of the plan is."
"I thought you'd never ask," purred the cat, "When the plan is played out… let's say… Silverstar will be victim to a little… accident."
"Good. I anxiously await that day," meowed Hawkheart, his eyes glinting with malice.
"I must return now," the other cat turned to leave, "I have patrols to organize. And so do you. We'll meet again soon."
Hawkheart bowed his head. "Very well."
Twolegplace…
It was dark. A black she-cat looked around wildly, her icy blue eyes wide.
"Who are you?" she called, "Why do I keep seeing you in my dreams?"
Another black she-cat appeared in front of the first. "Lapis… Do you remember?"
The cat called Lapis blinked. "What are you talking about? Why do you keep saying the same thing? Who are you?"
"I am long forgotten, Lapis… but you and another must remember…"
"Another? Who's 'another'?"
But the black she-cat was gone. Lapis continued looking around.
"Lapis!"
Lapis sprang awake.
"What? What is it?"
A black she-cat with pale grey eyes stood in front of her.
"You overslept, Lapis. I had to hunt today, even though it was your turn."
Lapis gasped. "I'm so sorry, Ebony! I-it won't happen again!"
"It's a good thing Sable didn't find out. She would've torn your ears off. You heard about what happened to Jet, right?"
Lapis gulped and nodded. Jet had annoyed Sable and as a result, Jet was now missing an ear.
"Be careful, Lapis. I can't protect you forever."
"I know…" muttered the blue-eyed she-cat.
"Is something troubling you, Lapis?" asked Ebony.
Lapis was looking up at the grey winter clouds.
"I… need to remember something…"
A/N: … I think I just seriously broke some people's brains. Hopefully, no one is too confused. I'm not entirely pleased with this chapter, because I made Rainpaw sound stupid, which wasn't my intention. It should be fairly obvious who the cat that Mistypaw was speaking to was, and if it isn't, then yay me, I didn't make things too obvious. I have chapter eight written, it just needs to be edited, and chapter nine is halfway there. It shouldn't take so long for me to upload the next few chapters, and sorry for the wait for chapter seven.