Chapter 12- Troutleap

"Stupid! Changing yourself is stupid and useless, Dustypaw. I don't know what you did to your pelt but everyone knows you have brown fur. No matter what you do your pelt is really brown. You can cut out this fish-dung and turn back to normal. Dustypaw, I'm ashamed of you." Troutleap stood outside the leaders den. Rainstar was punishing her son once again.

"Listen Rainstar, I don't know what I did to make you hate me, maybe it was my brown pelt but I know that I am your son and I shouldn't be treated this way!" Dustypaw yelled and walked out heavy footed. He saw Troutleap standing there. He shook his head and ran off, his silver pelt fading back to brown.

Troutleap stepped inside Rainstar's den. "You okay?"

"I don't know what I did wrong. I tried not to treat him any different from Dawnstream and Ripplesong when they were apprentices. I didn't have as much time for him as I would have liked. I became leader when he was two moons old. Troutleap, what do you think?"

Troutleap sighed. "I don't know, Rainstar. I just don't know."

"I didn't ever let him go to the gatherings because I wanted to protect him as much as I could. It is because the Clan doesn't like his pelt, not because I don't like it. He has one of my favorite pelts in the Clan. I wish… Do you know who Dustypaw's father is?"

Troutleap looked at Rainstar confused. "It was Shadepool, wasn't it?'

Rainstar shook her head. "Shadepool was Dawnstream and Ripplesong's father, but Dustypaw's father was Shadepool's littermate, Barkclaw." Troutleap's silvery eyes widened. "Right after Shadepool died both me and Barkclaw were grieving. It just sort of happened. He doesn't know he is Dustypaw's father, and it needs to stay that way."

"I understand, Rainstar."

"Troutleap, Troutleap, where are you?" His head snapped up at the sound of Dawnstreams distressed call. Troutleap rose to his paws, as did Rainstar. Dawnstream ran inside the den. "The kits, all four of them are gone!"

Troutleap fell back, shocked. It was Rainstar who responded. "Did you check all over camp?"

"I didn't have to. They faded away. They vanished into the air." Troutleap's eyes were wide.

It was the Dark Forest, Troutleap. Feathertail appeared in front of Troutleap. Troutleap ran out of the leaders den and ran to his and Dawnstream's spot. Feathertail solidified in front of him. "The Dark Forest has your kits."

He started pacing, trying to figure out how to get his precious kits back. "I'll go there and fight for them back."

Feathertail shook her head. "They'll kill your kits. The Dark Forest knows how to get past cats with invincibility. You're the second one to have that power."

"Second?" His eyes brightened. "Who was the first?"

Feathertail pressed her nose to his and he was transported into a different world. He could see the darkness around him. In front of him was a handsome, strong golden tabby. He was with a beautiful gray tabby. The tom looked at the she-cat. "Follow me."

She just stared at him. "Is something wrong?"

The tom took a deep breath. "You have a destiny, just like every other cat. But you also have a choice." His voice was pleading now. "And so do I." The she-cat leaned forward to open her mouth but he kept talking. ""Our destinies guide our paws, but they don't shape every step. That's up to us. We walk the path we choose." The she-cat stood there looking at the cat with love and regret. "Whatever our destiny says, we still have to choose our own path, don't you see? We can walk side by side if we wish."

She finally spoke, her gray pelt was ruffling but voice was sad. "It's not that easy!"

He padded after her. "It is!"

"My head is so full of memories!" She wailed. Troutleap couldn't take his eyes off the pair. I feel as though there are two lives inside me, not one. How can it be my choice to make? Doesn't Cinderpelt have a choice? I can't make her be a warrior! She was a medicine cat!"

The tom pressed his muzzle closer to hers. His voice was gentle. "She chose you," he murmured. "She gave you the choice." The she-cat began to trmble. "You can only live one life, Cinderheart. It's your choice!" He was raising his voice now. "This is your destiny, not Cinderpelt's. She lived her own life."

The she-cat, Cinderheart, gasped then smoothed her pelt. "Then I choose the life of a warrior and I choose you." Troutleap then understood who the golden cat was.

"It's Lionblaze!" Behind Feathertail and Troutleap appeared two figures.

There was a fantastic golden tom and a beautiful gray she-cat. They look exactly as they did in the scene they just watched. "You chose this scene to show him invincibility?" Lionblaze's voice was threatening a laugh but the time was serious. Troutleap's kits were gone.

Cinderheart pressed her pelt to her mates. "Invincibility of the heart, love, is what I think she was trying to show. She is giving him strength, he needs it." Cinderheart paused. "Your kits weren't the only ones taken. Farryn and Farely are in as much danger as your kits and if you go after them then they are all doomed. We allowed Dustypaw to join the Dark Forest so he could save them."

Troutleap shook his head feeling defeated. "What can I do?"

Feathertail put her tail on his shoulder. "Have faith."

We are getting closer to the big fight between the Dark Forest and the Clans. Don't worry, it isn't in the next chapter, there is still a lot to learn about our ensemble of characters. How did y'all like Rainstar and that scene between Lionblaze and Cinderheart? That is one of my favorite scenes in the series. I am still looking for Dark Forest cats so if y'all want to PM me some. I need some soon. I must say I was disappointed in the number of reviewers in the last chapter. There was only one. (Thanks Talonpaw) but I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed my story.

~Songstar of MaskedClan~