Alrighty, I'm back. Once again, REALLY sorry for the hiatus. Life has just been getting in the way. I'll start updating a little more, because the school computers allow us to go into Google Documents, so I can work on the chapter in school and at home. Anyways, if you haven't read all of Eclipse yet, you may not understand a teeny-tiny part of Blackstar's dialoug, so get creative! Those of you who have read the whole book, wasn't it great?
Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.
Echostorm sighed as he watched the sun rise from the limb of a tree. Tomorrow night was the night he met with the other cats. The only problem was he hadn't picked the cat that would accompany him. Crystalheart or Mistpelt? Kin or love? Or should he think about choosing a different cat? He had tried to contact Blackstar in his dreams, but failed. It seemed as though StarClan was enjoying his torment when it came to a decision such as this.
He watched apathetically as the dawn patrol was walking back towards the camp. What's the point of patrolling the borders? he thought. They're all going to die anyway.
After a few more minutes, he scrambled down the tree and took the same path the patrol had to get back to camp. When the tom reached his destination, he looked around, noting how carefree his Clan mates seemed. His yellow eyes soon found Crystalheart and Mistpelt sharing tongues. The mere sight made him grow angry. Why can we only choose one cat?!
"Hello Echostorm!" Mistpelt's voice knocked him out of his thoughts. "You've been gone a while."
He shrugged. "I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep."
"That's weird," Crystalheart teased. "Usually you can't wake up!"
The tom merely snorted. "I'm going to go get something to eat," he threw over his shoulder as he walked off.
When he reached the fresh-kill pile, he selected a vole. He was hoping that the two she-cats would've said or done something that would show which cat he should choose. But, obviously, they were just saying the usual things; Mistpelt firing up a conversation and Crystalheart teasing him when she got the chance. Maybe I can just bring both of them, he mused. It's not like Blackstar can come down from StarClan and stop me!
Just as he said this, he noticed a flicker of white out of the corner of his eye. Turning around, he saw a ghost of his warrior ancestor. "Blackstar!" he breathed.
The tom just merely nodded. "I couldn't help but to hear about the solution to your dilemma," he rumbled.
"Well why can't I bring two?" he growled. "They're both capable warriors, so one extra wouldn't be much of a burden!"
"Think, Echostorm. If you wanted to bring two, then you would change your mind and want to bring three. Then four. Then eventually, the whole Clan."
"So?" Echostorm was quickly becoming frustrated with the ShadowClanner. "That's good! Then we could all survive!"
"I know that's what you want," Blackstar meowed, "but you must realize that StarClan doesn't want the Clans to be destroyed. If we could, we would use all of our power to stop it. But, cats are going to die, no matter what anyone says. It's better for only a select few to survive instead of everyone dying."
Echostorm stared at his larger reflection. "So, let me get this straight. StarClan saw all of the cats being killed and decided to spare two, but not the whole Clan? That makes absolutely no sense!"
The leader snorted. "You still aren't understanding."
"I think I am!" he protested. "You all are just picking favorites and watching the others die-
"Would you shut up?" Blackstar cut him off. "You're worse than a kit! StarClan saw the Clans being destroyed. But, prophecy or no prophecy, you would have survived. It's not my or any other cat's doing, it's just pure dumb luck! We are giving you a chance to save someone close to you! If you choose a cat and then leave by moonhigh tomorrow, you and that cat will survive!"
Echostorm paused before nodding. "I highly doubt it's 'dumb luck', but I suppose I'll go with it."
Blackstar growled. "You doubt StarClan?"
"Surely you've doubted your ancestors before!"
A strange light glittered in his eyes. "Of course I have." Before Echostorm could say anything else, he dissapeared.
"Blackstar?" he looked around. "Blackstar!" He scanned the area quickly, hoping the old leader had returned. No! Have I made him angry?
"Who in StarClan's name is Blackstar?" Crystalheart asked as she padded up to him.
"No one important." He quickly replied. Just a StarClan cat that told me my whole Clan is going to die except for me and another cat.
His sister stared at him, disbelief in her eyes, but just simply shrugged. "Alright, if you say so."
Echostorm nodded and turned to go to his favorite sunning spot. As he padded over to the outskirts of the camp, he froze feeling as if someone -or something- was watching him. Turning, his eyes locked with those belonging to an old gray cat. His hackles raised as he realized what that look in those piercing yellow eyes meant.
Silverleaf saw him speaking with Blackstar.
-------
"Why do apprentices have to do all of this?" Amberpaw grumbled as she shook a strand of moss off of her claw.
"Well, it kinda makes sense," Blackpaw reasoned. "After all, warriors are the ones that do most of the hunting and defending the Clans and things like that. We're just training."
"Still!" she protested. "It's not fair!"
"Are you two almost done in there?" Oceanspray meowed from outside the nursery. "I would like to go back inside sometime today."
"We'll be done in a minute!" Amberpaw snapped. She heard the she-cat snort, but Oceanspray said nothing.
The blue-ish she-cat had just recently moved into the nursery, and Leafstar gave Amberpaw and Blackpaw the "privlege" of having their first task of changing the bedding. Neither of them were happy about it, but of course, Amberpaw was the only one who complained about it in Leafstar's face. This earned her a clout on the head from Angerstrike. Now she was taking her anger out on the Oceanspray, Blackpaw, and the moss.
"Finally!" she growled as they walked away from the nursery. "I thought we'd never be finished!"
Blackpaw shrugged. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, this will be the only time we have to do it. I mean, by the time we get out of here and find a new home, we'll be warriors."
Amberpaw grunted her agreement. The tabby had done as Tigerstar said and picked a cat that wouldn't be a burden. Blackpaw was a excellent hunter and the two had slowly become friends. At first, he didn't believe her when she explained the prophecy and she was sure he still didn't, but he agreed to come and that's all Amberpaw(and Tigerstar) wanted.
"Blackpaw!" Icestorm padded up to the two apprentices. "Come. We're going to go practice some fighting skills."
Blackpaw's eyes immediately lit up as he nodded. "Bye Amberpaw!" he called back as he followed his mentor into the forest.
Amberpaw sighed. "Lucky..." she muttered. The only thing Angerstrike did with her today was take her on a patrol and yowl at her for being disprespectful to the leader. She merely shrugged, though. I'll be rid of him soon enough. The thought made her freeze. Was she just happy that her mentor was going to die?
-------
A dark tail could be seen moving through the heather as Cassie padded around the forest, still not checking for Clan boundries. "That Echostorm was crazy anyway," she told herself earlier. But, he had made her more wary of other cats.
She perked her ears as she heard the distant barking of a dog. "Just what I need," she grumbled, forcing her tail down as the dog's bark became louder and louder. She quickly scrambled through the heather until she saw a tree about five fox lengths away. Turning around, she saw a large black dog rumbling towards her. Cassie let out a hiss and dashed towards the tree.
As the loner steadied hersef on a limb, she noticed that the dog hadn't even seen her. "Dumb dog," she began to mutter, but stopped short when she saw about three Twolegs following the dog, yowling and whistling. In each of their large paws was a shiny metal stick.
"This should be interesting," she mused as she watched the Twolegs and their dog head towards a large meadow.
They dissapeared from her sight, so Cassie slithered down the tree and resumed with her walk.
Suddenly, there was a caterwaul, and loud explosion, and then all was quiet again.
Well, there it is! Hope you like it!
Keep your friends close but your enemies closer,
~AliKatNyah