Chapter Four

She stood in complete darkness. The only source of light came from the distance, but it wasn't fluent. It came in bursts of vibrancy, and at uneven times. The black she cat stood in silence as she stared at the figure before her, and she was trembling horribly. "Well?" He asked with a slow blink.

Vigorously, she shook her head. "I-I can't! I don't even understand!" She exclaimed as her tail flicked nervously behind her.

"It's simple. You are dead. Will you be my apprentice?" He asked with a cock of his wide head.

"I-I can't!" She repeated urgently as she backed away; giving him a tone that would suggest his madness.

"I see," he paused as he closed his eyes briefly. "You're still adjusting to the fact that you have died. I will allow you some time. I'll escort you back to your realm, where you can see for yourself what has happened."

"My realm?" She echoed him in confusion.

"Come," he stated as his fur blazed in blue. The tom extended his enormous wings and she hesitantly stepped forward. "Stay close to me, not all Messengers in this realm are welcoming of newcomers."

I'm so confused, her head screamed at her. This tom must be madder than a hare. Even the mention of the creature she tried to make her prey made her wince. The tom braced her with his extraordinarily long tail. He was able to wrap it around her belly tightly, and with that, he took several strides forward. Her paws scrambled to keep up, but the tom just strode on with ease. "Hey! Slow down!" She wailed as her paws started to trip up.

The tom grumbled something under his breath and with ease, lifted her off the ground. Her paws were flailing at this point, unable to get a grip on anything but empty air. A bright green light flashed in the distance, making her eyes slam shut from its intensity. A mere moment after, birdsong met her ears. She opened her eyes slowly and she saw the familiar territory of her Clan. "I'm home! This must have been a horrible dream!" She exclaimed, but she felt a tail unwrap from her belly and instantly horror filled her.

"I'm afraid not. We passed through realms is all, and now we are in the territory of the Southern Clans. Let's go," he stated with a flick of his tail in the direction of the WillowClan camp.

Nightpaw swallowed hard and followed slowly with her tail dragging in the dirt. In the distance, she could hear wailing and yowling. Her ears flattened against her head when the tom vanished through the entrance of the camp. She took a deep breath and followed slowly. The thick bracken of the barrier didn't even disturb her fur as she crawled through the entrance, which saddened her more. Once inside, she could see her body lying in the center. Her body was clean of blood but deep gashes along her spine and belly were fleshy and pink. The smell of decay was coated by the lavender and mint she lain upon. Her eyes were open and the dull amber spheres once so bright and full of life were not staring at nothing. Her tail curled under her legs, and when she tried to spot the white messenger, he was no where in sight.

Beside her sat a ragged creature. He was hunched over and his fur was dirty and fluffy up in places. It looked as if he hadn't bathed in a moon. When she saw the emerald gaze she knew so well, it was now dull with sadness and slightly wild with anger. Panthertail, her father, sat beside her mother, Spottednose, who was sobbing into the black toms fur. His amber eyes were glossy and a frown was clearly visible on his muzzle, and it made her heart ache to see her father so torn. Ravenpaw, her brother, sat next to Spottednose, with his fur fluffed up defensively. His eyes were just as glassy as Panthertail's but without warning the tom stood. He opened his jaws and began to shout at her body, "Why were you always so reckless?! Because you didn't believe in StarClan, I'll never see you again! You foolish, foolish mouse heart!"

Spottednose instantly cuffed the tom harshly across the ears, making a small amount of blood splatter across the grass before her. "Do not speak to your sister that way! She tried her hardest, Ravenpaw!" Spottednose wailed helpless as tears ran down her muzzle and dripped onto the floor.

"Clearly she didn't, otherwise she'd still be here! Why, Spottednose? Why did this have to happen?" he cried as he burried his nose into her pelt.

The spotted black she-cat wrapped her tail protectively around him and was whispering to the tom to calm him. "You are all fools," a sudden, errie whisper interrupted the family.

Nightpaw turned to see Foxtail standing raggedly before her body. "She was the smartest cat I had ever known!" He snarled with his breath coming in short gasps. "Her disbelief in the putrid existence of StarClan was possibly the only thing that saved her. At least she knew she was dying and would expect nothing to happen afterwards. You are all fools!"

His voice echoed through the camp and several cats were bowing their heads in shame. "We have no proof that StarClan even exists! All we have are the distasteful words of our leader, who has locked herself away in shame!" He howled to the sun.

"Foxtail," she whispered in horror.

He would never display this type of behavior before when she was alive. He had snapped. Redrose sat before the leaders den and stood with her tail flicking wildly and sent a warning echoing through the camp, "Know your place!"

"He's right though."

"What proof do we have?"

The sudden eruption of whispers and doubts crowded the cramp. "Silence!" Seedpelt, the medicine cat snapped.

The brown tabby tom with yellow eyes made his way to her body where he closed her eyes with his pads. "This is no way to speak in front of a warrior apprentice on her way to StarClan, or whatever you might believe. Foxtail, you need to come see me immediately. I do not care for your outbursts, but you are not well," he growled as he lifted the remaining mint and lavender that laid beside her.

"You don't know anything! None of you did! None of you even knew Nightpaw! I did; I loved her," His statement ended in a mere whisper as his ears flattened against his head.

Nightpaw could sense that the tom had changed, and not for the better. The air was thick with tension as he was escorted away by Tigerjaw and another pale ginger she-cat warrior. "Do you see? This is very real," a voice from behind her sounded.

She whipped around as her throat began to tighten. "Why did you show me this? To torture me?" She wailed desperately.

The white Messengers blue gaze gave no emotion still, no sympathy for her or even sadness. Just empty blue spheres. "Of course not. My duty is to help those who may not understand and to guide those who need to pass on. However, since you have chosen to live your life with StarClan in the shadows, your destiny is unclear. I have seen from the very moment you took your first breath of air, that you will be known as one of the greatest Messengers of all time. It is your duty to tread this path, Nightpaw, accept my offer," Whitespirit stated with an even voice.

Nightpaw looked at at her family as they all huddled together to comfort each other. "If I deny, what will happen to me?" She asked with a glance back to him.

He cocked his head and paused for a moment. He blinked slowly, and meowed, "You will never see your family or friends again. You will be sent to another realm where those who do not believe in a higher power go."

"I don't understand, Foxtail doesn't believe either, wouldn't he be with me?" She asked with a slight cock of her head.

Whitespirit briefly closed his eyes as her took a deep breath. "No, his destiny is different from yours. I cannot say more," he stated plainly, which caused her to shake in her place.

"You're running out of time, Nightpaw, accept my offer or decline," he repeated again, his tail flicking with annoyance.

Nightpaw's mind was full of questions, but if she didn't accept this role, she would see her family again. Perhaps she could even travel to see them, just as Whitespirit had taken her to this realm. "What is a Messenger, exactly?" she asked the tom.

Whitespirit's eyes flashed a blue light when they landed on her. "A Messenger is a Spirit Guide; a Realm Runner in some cultures. Our duty is to lead the souls of the dead to their place of resting, based off their life decisions. If an animal were to commit crimes such as murder or deceit, they would be banished to Hell, or in your Clan's case, the Dark Forest. Their are also realms that belong to the living, like your realm; we are forbidden to travel to the realm of the living unless our duty pulls us there," he responded.

"I-I," she stammered; her mind dancing with confusion.

Her legs shook with fear and the tom wrapped his tail around her once more. She took a deep breath and couldn't help but close her eyes. By the time she opened them again, she was back in the darkness. Before her stood Whitespirit, but he was not alone. Behind him stood several figures of cats, all with glowing pelts of different colors and wings varying in different sizes. She trembled as Whitespirit's eyes glowed. On his forehead appeared a symbol that she could see was a circle with a smaller one inside. Below his eyes were three distinct stripes that flowed down his jaw and onto his chest. They all glowed a faint blue as his jaws opened. "I, Whitespirit, current Messenger of the Unknown, call upon all Messengers before me to look down on this dying Spirit. It is my judgment that she has passed to become the next Messenger in my place. Nightpaw, former apprentice of WillowClan, do you accept my official offer to train as the next Messenger?" His voice came as thousands.

How can I accept this offer so blindly though? She had no idea what the duties of a Messenger had in store, nore did she know what would possibly happen to her family in the seasons to come. Her tail was curling tightly around her legs. I almost do not have a choice, she thought. Either accept, or fade into the grave.

Each figure behind him followed his exact words. One in particular stood out on the side, she was quite small, and her fur was brown with pale ash grey and dark shades of brown. Her eyes were large and golden, almost unblinking, and her wings were almost twice the size of Whitespirit's and oddly similar to that of an owl. Nightpaw swallowed hard as the she-cat narrowed her gaze suspiciously at her. That must be one of the spirits Whitespirit was speaking of. "I do," she replied, narrowing her amber gaze back at the she-cat.

The brown cat curled her lip as Whitespirit continued, "Great Spirit, grant this cat with your wisdom and power, for I have deemed her my apprentice!"

With that, the tom leaned forward and gracefully grazed his nose to her. It felt as if lightning flashed through her. She wanted to shriek in fear and pain, but her voice came as a whisper of a thousand voices. Her heart throbbed against her chest as her eyes snapped open. They glowed a vibrant, vicious blood red and her pelt beamed a pure white light. Her back felt as if it had been clawed open in two places as wings sliced through her skin. The area around her grew thick with a white fog and the air was instantly icy. Images flashed before her eyes of dying warriors and kits, all who have suffered horrendously or those who died with honor. The wails of the dead echoed in her ears for what she felt like would last an eternity. What have I just agreed to? Her mind screamed. When Whitespirit finally bestowed his power to her, and pulled away, the pain had faded. She felt strong and powerful, with a level head, and she felt as if she had total control. She took a deep breath as a cloud of fog billowed out from her jaws. "Welcome, the Spirit that comes at Night," the ancient voices of Whitespirit came as a roar all around her.

She turned to look at her back and could see the shimmering black wings that cascaded down her back. Her white flecks glowed like the stars against the midnight sky; twinkling with no rhythm. Her pelt glowed brilliantly as the fog lingered around her paws. When she turned her head back to the Messengers, only Whitespirit stood. His eyes now danced with excitement, which weirded Nightpaw out immediately. "This is going to be so awesome!" He exclaimed with a flick of his tail. "I have never had an apprentice before!"

"Shut up, you old fool!" Came a voice behind him.

Nightpaw angled her head around to see a long haired brown tom. His pelt was ragged and he was tiny. His eyes were a blazing yellow and two small teeth jutted out from his upper lip. "Snakespirit!" Whitespirit exclaimed sheepishly.

Whitespirit instantly bowed his head in shame as Nightpaw cooked her head to the side. Was this the same cat she had been with before? He was unusually happy now, instead of solemn. "You're a Messenger for our sake! Act like one! It's still astounding you've made it this far!" The small tom known as Snakespirit snapped.

"Are you a kit?" Nightpaw suddenly asked.

The small tom's fur bristled, making him look like a furious ball of fur. "Listen here, Missy! I may be small but I am no kit! I'm probably one hundred times your age, if anything you're the kit!" Snakespirit spat viciously at her with his yellow eyes full of frustration and annoyance.

Nightpaw inclined her head in shock, but she definitely didn't feel frightened. He was definitely a kit, with the spirit of an elder. He was frozen in time, and that saddened Nightpaw. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," she meowed with a bow of her head in apology.

The small tom gave a curt nod. "You're Damn right! And Whitespirit," He snapped with a sharp glance at the white tom. "Show a little restraint! You were my apprentice, you know better!"

Within that instant, the small cat vanished into Whitespirit. The white toms eyes were emotionless again. "I'm sorry for losing my composure. I'm just not use to this," he murmured as he padded past her. "Come, we begin your training now."

Nightpaw sprinted after him, walking on an endless tail engulfed in darkness. "Wait! How can you just act like that didn't just happen?" she asked with a look at the mysterious white tom.

He stopped abruptly and stood before her. He was slightly taller than her, and his eyes held a seriousness that made Nightpaw shift her paws. "Your first lesson as a Messenger is to control your feelings at all times. We are simply not allowed to express out sympathy to those who have died. It may only cause problems for us and for you," he meowed with a serious face.

"I don't understand, why?" she asked as he tried to continue on.

Whitespirit visibly rolled his eyes. "If you want to make it in the Unknown, having control of your emotions is very important. It may not seem like it, but if you were to meet a spirit that had committed a horrible crime, and it angered you; you could destroy the entire realm itself. As Messengers, we hold a lot of power. We are not welcome in most realms, Nightpaw, and we experience a lot of scrutiny. StarClan, for instance," he meowed, and this made Nightpaw's ears prick. "They hate Messengers, typically they forbade us from entering their realm, but according to my visions of you, you will mead that relationship."

"Me? But I never believed in StarClan to begin with," she meowed with a cock of her head.

Whitespirit sighed and gave a shake of his head. "There is a lot you don't understand, Nightpaw, but you will learn in time. For now, just watch as I do," he meowed then flicked his ears. "Do you feel that?"

She sat down and straightened her back and strained her body. He moved behind her and placed his long tail over her heart. "There," he whispered.

Heat over came her, but she could identify what he was describing. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Images of a pale ginger she-cat flashed in her mind. "How can I see this?" she whispered back, clearly amused.

"With our power, we can peer into all realms. When an animal has passed on, we go to them," he answered as he padded around to face her. "Focus on where; the surroundings, the smell, the taste, the feeling. Imagine the creature, and run as fast as you can. The Unknown is a realm created by the first Messenger, it is made to bend to our will."

"Our will," she murmured as she closed her eyes briefly. She could see the she-cat lying in a barn. Kits pawed blindly around her belly as a tom cat stood over her with his tail flicking nervously. The barn was old and broken down, with boards missing from the walls and roof. Rain from outside was leaking in and dripping on their pelts as the hay crunched under paw. It smelled of musk and prey. "There," a voice in her head whispered.

She snapped her eyes open wide and looked at Whitespirit in horror. "What was that voice?"

"The elders, our ancestors. Listen to them closely, they will guide you," he whispered as he turned and started to run. "Let's go! Our window is closing!"

Nightpaw once again envisioned the small family. She started thundering after Whitespirit, but soon enough a light flashed and he was gone. "Faster," another voice whispered.

She obliged instantly and started running at her fastest speed. She could see in her open eyes they she-cat laying in a pool of her own blood as her body convulsed rapidly. I'm coming, I promise! Her mind shrieked. Within moments, a hot white light flashed before her eyes. She blinked a couple of times and saw Whitespirit standing over the ginger she-cat. He gave her a curt nod of approval. "Rosey," a voice whispered.

"Her name?" Nightpaw asked the voice, but it didn't respond.

"A lonely life."

"Love."

"Him."

"Death by kitting."

The voices erupted in her mind, making her want to cuff her ears. "Spirit Isle," one voice spoke loud and clear.

Nightpaw stood tall as she padded beside Whitespirit. "What did they tell you?" he asked with his vision clear and emotionless.

Nightpaw looked at the family and saw the she-cat snuggle for air. Within moments, her yellow eyes dulled and a rapid breath exited her jaws, causing the tom to howl to the roof for his mate. The kits laid in the nest, pawing blindly. They would never meet their mother. Would they even survive or would she be back to fetch them as well? Sadness clouded her mind, and with that, the storm outside the barn raged. "Nightpaw!" Whitespirit shouted as thunder cracked in the sky.

Lightning struck the ground outside the barn, causing the kits to squeal and the tom to huddle close to them. The barn creaked as the wind shook the walls violently. She looked at him with glossy eyes and bowed her head. How can he be so calm? How can he do this? "I can't do this!" She wailed; it reminded her of her death and now eternal loneliness.

Whitespirit slammed his body against hers, causing her brain to think about him instead of the suffering family. She looked at him with shock and saw his gaze full of slight horror. The storm outside eased up as Nightpaw focused on her mentor. "You cannot let your emotions get the best of you, Nightpaw. For now, but keep touching my fur. I will get you through this. I shouldn't have taken you here so soon; I'm sorry," he meowed.

Nightpaw bowed her head as she struggled to clear her mind. She saw Whitespirit lean down and touch his nose to the dead she-cat's body. As he pulled away, a long white stream flowed from the she-cats eyes, nose, and mouth. It quickly took shape of a cat and when it blinked its eyes open, sorrow instantly filled them. The she-cat wailed loudly, but in a tongue Nightpaw did not recognize. Whitespirit looked at the she-cat and spoke to her in the fluent tongue she used so elegantly. The she-cat seemed to calm a little bit as she glanced at her mate and kittens. "Come on, she is ready for guidance," he meowed as he flicked his tail to the both of them. "This time, think of the Unknown, getting back there is much easier than leaving."

She shook her head as Whitespirit and the she-cat known as Rosey vanished into the air. How can I possibly do this? If my emotions get the best of me, I could lose all sense and completely destroy an entire realm? She threw one last glance at the family, and saw the tom moving the kits away from the body of their mother. He was whispering to them in that unfamiliar tongue, which intrigued Nightpaw. They were both cats, so why couldn't she understand them? So many questions buzzed in her head as her surroundings flashed into darkness.