Chapter 24

"Jayfeather!" Jaysong yowled desperately, racing through the old forest where she had walked with Jayfeather once before. That time she had been intrusted to keep the secret about Cinderheart, but now Jaysong wanted answers and she wanted them now. Hollyleaf, couldn't have killed Ashfur, Jaysong thought repeatedly to herself, unable to believe that her clanmate, her idol, her friend could break the warrior code. She just couldn't have there must be some mistake. Jaysong's throat felt like she was going to choke and the golden brown queen shrieked, "Jayfeather! Jayfeather, where are you?"

"Keep your fur on," A voice behind her growled and Jaysong whirled around, claws unsheathed until she recognized Jayfeather's clouded blue eyes. Jayfeather wasn't alone however. Jayfeather was in between two other cats. One of them was a dark gray tom with a silver streaked muzzle. Despite his old appearence, Jaysong noticed a gleam in his pale blue eyes. The other tom had sightless eyes, twisted claws, and he had no fur except for a couple patches scattered across his body. Jaysong swallowed, fighting the bile that rose up in her throat. This cat was impossible to look at. Why was Jayfeather walking the skys with him?

As though he could see Jaysong's gaze on him, the tom hissed, "Surprised that a cat could grow so ugly? A cat needs sunlight to keep it's fur healthly and hunting to keep it's claws straight and battle ready. I don't require any of these things for I share dreams with other cats; when I walked the earth and now that I walk the skys." The cat looked Jaysong in the eye and the golden brown queen wondered if the old cat could see her, "I am proud to watch new cats settle the lake I once called home and I am grateful for the help Firestar lent the Tribe of Rushing Water for I knew this cats too."

"Are you a member of StarClan?" Jaysong asked curiously, but it was Jayfeather who answered. Shaking his head, Jayfeather meowed, "Rock is an ancient cat who has walked the skies longer than any cat can remember. He is older than the Clans and the Tribe of Rushing Water so therefore holds more knowledge than any of us will ever know." Rock dipped his head to Jayfeather and the gray cat continued, "Skywatcher, like myself, is a member of StarClan, but you won't know about him from any nursery story. Skywatcher was once a member of SkyClan, the fifth Clan of the forest. Firestar and Sandstorm helped rebuild the lost Clan many seasons ago. Before the birth of Leafpool and Squirrelflight."

"Why are you all here?" Jaysong questioned, wondering if she was allowed to ask her questions with the other cats there. Was that why Jayfeather had brought them? So she couldn't ask him any questions? His ear twitching, Skywatcher mewed, "To answer your questions. Some of those you wish to ask, not even StarClan know the answer too. Rock knows some of the answers as does Jayfeather. Between the three of us we should allow you to return to the waking world satisfied. Now which of the questions to you wish to ask first?" Skywatcher tucked his tail neatly around his paws as though preparing to sit for a while.

"Did Hollyleaf kill Ashfur?" Jaysong whispered, her throat closing up. To her dismay, Jaysong watched as all three cats nodded their heads. "But StarClan showed me that Squirrelflight killed Ashfur? Did StarClan lied to me? Or did they not know the answer yet? Why would Hollyleaf want to kill Ashfur anyway?" As Jaysong asked the question she already knew the answer. It was the same answer as before, but Jaysong just had the wrong cat. Squirrelflight wasn't trying to protect her secret by killing Ashfur, Hollyleaf was. Hollyleaf didn't want Ashfur to tell all the Clans that Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight weren't her parents.

"StarClan knew that Hollyleaf killed Ashfur the night it happened," Skywatcher meowed, "When StarClan sent you that vision of two cats fighting didn't you really look at Rosestripe. We allowed you to see Ashfur for a moment so you knew he was murdered by a ThunderClan cat, but we never affected how you saw Rosestripe. When you looked at Rosestripe, you only saw what you wanted to see. Rosestripe's eyes never turned green nor did her pelt turn the color of fire. From your knowledge of Ashfur and Squirrelflight, you presumed that the ginger warrior killed him. StarClan did not show you this."

Jaysong bowed her head and her head was still bowed when Rock began to talk, "I hope this answer we gave you satisfied your craving for the truth, but it's time we moved on to more important matters." Jaysong looked up in surprise and Rock growled, "Do you think the three of us entered your dreams merely to tell you stuff you could have figured you out on your own? Jayfeather and Skywatcher might have, but I'm to old and young cats who think they know everything annoy me. We are here to talk about a prophecy with you. A prophecy that we got wrong and now all the Clans will be veered off the course of their destiny."

"There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the stars in their paws," Jayfeather whispered, "Skywatcher gave Firestar this prophecy before his death and for many seasons, no cat knew what it meant, but then Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, and I came along. Firestar guessed that we were the cats who encircled this prophecy for he thought we were the children of Squirrelflight. He was wrong. StarClan was wrong. Only one of us three was in the prophecy. Hollyleaf removed herself from the prophecy when she killed Ashfur or so we think. StarClan doesn't know everything. I always thought I was part of the prophecy because of my power as a medicine cat, but then I died. That leaves only Lionblaze. For moons now we wondered who the other three cats were, but now they have been revealed. Two unborn kits, kin of Firestar, may fit the prophecy."

"Who?" Jaysong asked quietly, but then it hit her. She had been thinking about it that very day! Firestar's sister was Cloudtail's mother. Cloudtail's daughter was Whitewing. Whitewing was Firestar's kin and she was expecting kits. Jaysong's mind didn't stop to think why Applefrost and Ashpaw- Whitewing's other kits- weren't apart of the prophecy, but maybe they had different destinies. "It's Whitewing's kits, right? Firestar told me today that she was expecting again." All three cats nodded and Jaysong thought she caught a glimmer of sadness in Jayfeather's eyes. Was he sad that he wasn't part of the prophecy?

"You must return to the waking world now, Jaysong," Skywatcher meowed suddenly and Jaysong felt her dream, leaving her. The last thing Jaysong heard before waking up was 'the strongest of two will save the Clan.' The prophecy was still buzzing in her ears as Jaysong opened her gray eyes.