Echostep: Sorry for the wait. I like cliff-hangers. Your prayers have been answered and your next Chapter has arrived. ;) Enjoy!
Echokit: :D Read and Review, pleaseeee!
After he had talked to Spottedkit, they walked back to the cave together. Their nests were close by each other, so they groomed each other until they fell asleep. Echokit tossed and turned until he found a good spot, and finally dreams fell upon him.
He was in a lush pasture, with leaf-fall leaves scattered across the floor. The trees were fiery orange and red and leaves fell with every gust of wind. He leaped up to catch leaves but he paused when he heard a crackling sound. He looked around curiously and cautiously but didn't see anycat. He started to walk away slowly…he felt like he was being watched.
He bumped into something. He looked up and saw a figure of a cat. "Echokit?"
"How do you know my name?" Echokit leaped back. He hadn't gotten a good look at the cat, and he saw that it was Angelsong. "Angelsong? What are you doing here?"
"I… I was just walking around here. I didn't see anycat so I decided that they would come to me. I sat there for a bit, but no cat came, so I walked around. And here I am. It's very beautiful here, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is," Echokit mewed softly, calming down. He felt safe around Angelsong, but he didn't know why. Was it because of her confidence that made him feel secure?
"I've been here before," Angelsong meowed. Her bright yellow eyes scanned the area cautiously, like she was looking for somecat. "I always feel like I'm being watched and hunted here. I don't like it, and it feels like the calm, pretty trees are just a distraction."
"You are absolutely right," A voice came from behind the two. "But don't worry. I'm not one of the dark cats." Angelsong and Echokit turned to look at the cat that had surprised them. It was an orange cat, with white spots and white paws.
"I've lived here for many moons now. Do you recognize me, Angelsong?"
"Autumn? Is that you?" Angelsong stepped forward and touched noses with the fiery cat. It finally hit Echokit that this was the orange fish. "I see that the little one has figured out who I am, as well."
"This is Echokit. You may know his mother, Cloud. Does she roam in these forests as well?" Angelsong meowed with sympathy. Cloud and Angelsong were the best of friends, and Angelsong grieved more than any of the Clan when she had passed.
"No, she is with the other stars. Have you told your Clan about StarClan yet?"
"StarClan?" Echokit repeated.
"Where do I start?" Autumn sighed. He padded towards the small kit and sat down in front of him. Angelsong sat next to the orange tom, flank-to-flank. "StarClan is the sacred place where… dead cats go. It's a vacation area, away from life. They who have died may talk to other cats from all over the world that believe in Clans and they can watch over their own family. The most high ranked StarClan cats have a meeting every moon to discuss prophecies and if a cat should be reincarnated. Echokit, they have discussed you before. And they already know your destiny."
"What is it?" Echokit perked up. He wanted to know what his rank would be in his Clan.
"It wouldn't be much of a destiny if you already knew, would it?" Autumn smiled.
"If this isn't StarClan, because my mom isn't here, then what is this place? And why are you here?"
The look in Autumn's eyes showed pain and sadness. "This is the place where the high ranked StarClan cats choose whether the cat is good or bad and should let them proceed to StarClan. The good cats, obviously, are let into StarClan. The bad cats, sadly, are banished to another place. I will not tell you of it yet, because it would be too hard to explain. As for me… I'm stuck here because they cannot decide my path. I roam this place and greet newcomers and dreamers like you two. They can't decide on me because I didn't believe in Clans, or haven't heard of them yet, but I was a good and loyal cat. They were surprised that they found me here."
"I'm sorry, Autumn." Angelsong sighed and put her tail tip on his shoulder as a sign of sympathy. "It's ironic how this place resembles your name."
Echokit thought for a while. "Wait," He mewed. "Are you sure you aren't chosen as a Guardian of some sort? Have you ever been invited to the meetings of the high ranked StarClan cats?"
"I have been," Autumn meowed. "I never attended though, because I have not been able to get inside."
"Are you sure they didn't make you a Guardian?" Echokit looked up at the husky tom. Autumn looked down at him and blinked curiously. "You told me that you greet newcomers and dreamers, so maybe this is your job."
Autumn's eyes were so confused-looking it made Echokit laugh. Echokit learned that Autumn wasn't all that smart: brawns but no brains. They bid their goodbyes and left the dream.
The next morning, Angelsong ran up to Echokit with happiness in her eyes. "Echokit! I have something amazing to tell you!"
Echokit tilted his head and followed Angelsong to the main cave. "Remember what you said last night to Autumn? You were right! He was asked to be the Guardian of Leaf-Fall."
"Guardian of Leaf-Fall?" Echokit mewed. "Is there a Guardian for the other seasons?"
"Yes!" Angelsong ran outside of the cave and skidded next to the pond. "Look!" There were two more fish added to the pond. A blue and white fish, a yellow and white fish, Cloud, and Autumn filled the pond.
"Watch," Angelsong pointed to Autumn's fish. It swam around in a circle and popped its head out of the water. The other fish popped their heads out too, and they winked at Angelsong and Echokit.
"Whoa!" Echokit meowed. "Which one is which?"
"Autumn told me that the blue one is for New-Leaf. The yellow one is for Green-Leaf, and your mother Cloud is the Guardian of Leaf-Bare." Angelsong meowed. "Echokit, how old are you now?"
"Five moons." Echokit meowed. He sighed and remembered the age he had to be to become an apprentice. He wanted to cheat the system so badly though! "Well, Echokit… I know you like herbs and learning about StarClan. Gingerleaf has accepted you. I will announce your apprenticeship to the Clan right now."
Angelsong ran inside of the main cave, once again, and called the Clan to a meeting. "Everyone, I have an announcement. Actually, two announcements. I'm making four kits apprentices today. Echokit, Petalkit, Sweetkit, and Spottedkit, please step forward. Now, as the starry cats and Gingerleaf have told me, Echokit is made for herbs and helping other cats. Echokit, from here on until the starry cats choose your new name, you will be known as Echopaw. Your mentor will be Gingerleaf, and I trust her to teach you well about the world of herbs."
Echopaw beamed and ran over to Gingerleaf. She touched her wet nose to his, a sign of trust and honor.
"As for Petalkit, Sweetkit, and Spottedkit, you have all matured well. I believe you all want to be warriors, and that is what we will train you to be. From here on, until I give you your new name, you three will be known as Petalpaw, Sweetpaw, and Spottedpaw. Petalpaw, your mentor shall be Oakfall, and I trust him to teach you well about the powerfulness in hunting. Sweetpaw, your mentor shall be Snowcloud, and I trust her to teach you well about stealth in hunting. Spottedpaw, your mentor will be Whisperheart, and I trust her to teach you well about swiftness in hunting."
The three new apprentices touched noses with their new mentors and they sat next to each other to hear the last announcement.
"As for the next announcement, the starry cats are known as StarClan. They are… rested cats that watch over us. They told me that our Clan needs a name, such as StarClan. They gave me three suggestions and told me to share these among ourselves and vote to see which one will be our Clan's name. Choice one: HiddenClan. Choice two: LostClan. Choice three: SoundClan.
"Raise your tail for HiddenClan. Sit down for LostClan. Remain standing for SoundClan." Angelsong raised her tail. More than half of the Clan raised their tails and the rest sat for LostClan.
"Well, by majority rule, we shall be known as HiddenClan!" Angelsong exclaimed. "Thank you for listening to the meeting. You may now return to your daily activities."
The cats went off in their own direction. Echopaw ran over to Gingerleaf and meowed, "Gingerleaf, I have a question to ask."
"Sure, ask away!" Gingerleaf meowed.
"Do you ever get dreams from StarClan? Last night, I had a dream about Autumn, and Angelsong was there with me. I think we somehow connected dreams and came into one dream."
"Yes, I most definitely get dreams from StarClan. I'm actually best friends with the high ranked StarClan cats, known as the Council. And I know all about Autumn and the Guardians of the Seasons. I've had these dreams ever since I was a little kit. And, as for your dream, it is rare but not impossible for two cats to link dreams."
"Thank you, Gingerleaf." Echopaw meowed. He was glad he could talk to her about these things. Angelsong was still adjusting to this whole StarClan thing, so he couldn't quite ask her complicated questions like these.
Gingerleaf was quiet for a while. Finally, she meowed urgently, "Echopaw, follow me right now!" She sprinted through the caves that led to the back-end of the cave, where the medicine den was. Echopaw kept up with her, right at her heels.
"There's someone in the medicine den!"
Echostep: Hehe, I like to make cliff-hangers and not upload my next chapter for a week. I'm the devil. *rubs paws together and giggles evilly* Review, please! :D