Man, I've been on such a roll with my updating. I'm never this fast.

Recap: The ShadowClan cats discuss Emberheart's death, and Minnowstar says that it's likely that she was killed. She asks Willowfall to go to the Moonpool and ask Emberheart how she died, and Willowfall reluctantly agrees. The apprentices go and visit Cedarpaw, who has just woken up. He seems afraid of something, but he doesn't say a word. Later that night, Snowpaw dreams that she's standing in a forest filled with poppies. She sees Emberheart, who smiles to herself.

Chapter 10

Monster

[Willowfall]

"Oh, StarClan, what's happening to him?" screeched the ginger she-cat, green eyes huge, her body trembling as she stared at her son. "Willowfall, why is he wheezing like that!"

"Calm down, Emberheart!" came the low growl from her leader, Graystar. The old she-cat's eyes were dull with fatigue, yet still glowing fiercely. She was hunched over, her vertebrae clearly visible. She lifted her gaze, looking at the ginger cat. "Fretting isn't going to help. Willowfall has this under control. Don't you, Willowfall?"

"Y... Yes," the medicine cat murmured, her throat dry. She hoped that they couldn't see that on the inside, she was panicking. Something wasn't right. Badgerkit was lying in his nest, his tiny body twitching, and his conditions were getting worse by the moment. His eyes were wide as he gasped for air, and...

...Oh, StarClan.

"Deathberries," Willowfall breathed, frozen with shock for a moment. Graystar and Emberheart lifted their heads.

"What?" the leader hissed, tail lashing. "You said this was a fever!"

"This is happening too quickly for it to be a fever," Willowfall said, shaking her head in disbelief. How couldn't she see it before?

No. There was still time. Badgerkit wasn't dead yet.

"Yarrow," she whispered, whipping her head towards the back of the den. Where was it?

She hurried to the back, heart drumming against her chest. This kit's life was in her paws. And if she didn't hurry, it would be too late.

She found it. A small clump of white, dried up flowers. She grasped some with her teeth, but before she could do anything, she heard a loud, shrill shriek that made her jump. Emberheart.

Willowfall turned around, seeing the ginger warrior stare at her son in horror, eyes huge and mouth wide open. Badgerkit wasn't moving.

Dear StarClan, thought the medicine cat, stumbling over with the flowers and quickly chewing some up.

"Willowfall, he isn't moving!" Emberheart shrieked. "Why isn't he moving? Willowfall!"

Shakily, the gray she-cat placed some of the yarrow in Badgerkit's mouth.

"Swallow, Badgerkit," she whispered, but it was a half-hearted demand, because she knew that the kit was already dead.

"He... H-He's..." Emberheart's voice quivered violently, eyes glowing intensely as tiny squeaks escaped her mouth. Two seconds later, her legs gave out and she collapsed to the ground beside her son. "Oh, StarClan," she cried, burying her face into her son's fur. "Badgerkit... Badgerkit, sweetie, wake up... Badgerkit...!"

Willowfall felt a sharp pain in her heart, and she stepped back, shaking her head with horror and disbelief. Graystar was watching silently.

"Emberheart," the medicine cat murmured. "I-I... I'm so sorry-"

"How could you!" shot back the warrior, her voice a mix of a gasp, a growl, and a distressed cry. She shook her head slowly, uttering inaudible words before she lowered her head again, her entire body trembling, eyes clenched shut.

Willowfall let out a breath of air, eyes wide as she shook. She couldn't believe what had just happened. What she had just done. It couldn't be true. One minute, Badgerkit had been playing in the snow. The next minute, he was dead. It happened too quickly for it to have been real.

Shaking her head, the medicine turned, running out of the den.

...

"Willowfall? Are you alright?"

The medicine cat blinked and glanced over at Onespot, who was walking beside her. The black and white tom looked at her with a bit of concern.

"...Yeah," she muttered, looking away. "I'm fine."

It was half-moon, and just a few days after Emberheart's death. Each half-moon, the medicine cats from every Clan met and walked to the Moonpool together, where they could communicate with StarClan. Willowfall was traveling with Onespot, along with Forestwind and Jaguarpaw from WindClan, and Bluebird and Brightpaw from RiverClan. It was a clear but cold night, and the half-moon glowed brilliantly against the black sky as they trudged through the moors.

All she could think about within the past few days was Emberheart. And when she thought of Emberheart, she thought of Badgerkit... And when she thought of Badgerkit, she thought about how different her life had been before he'd died. Before he'd been killed, she corrected herself, remembering that someone had purposefully poisoned him. But who?

That was the least of her worries. Minnowstar seemed dead set on figuring out exactly what had happened to Emberheart. Yes, she had killed her, had slammed her head against a rock until she was dead. But it had only been self-defense... Right?

She blinked softly, realizing that this was the second life she'd taken just to protect her kits. Maybe Blacktail had been right. Maybe they should have ended it much sooner than they had. But what they had done couldn't be erased. They had kits together, and even though they would never know who she was, she still had the passion of a mother within her. That's why Graystar and Emberheart had ended up dead. Because they had known their secret and had threatened her with it.

She wasn't worried that anyone would ever find out about Graystar- not saying that it didn't nag at her in the corners of her mind, looming over her like a ghost every day, because it did. But she'd been dead for a year now. No one seemed to care anymore.

But Emberheart... What if they were to find out what had happened to her?

She only thanked StarClan that Minnowstar wasn't going to the Moonpool herself. At least Willowfall could make up a story, telling everyone that she had spoken to her and she really had just slipped and drowned in the stream. But would they believe that? What about those scratches? Maybe it had only been some brambles. Yes, that was it. Or a hare that had fought back.

But what if Emberheart appeared to Minnowstar in her dreams and told her the truth? Leaders always had a fairly strong connection to StarClan, and Minnowstar wasn't an exception.

...And what about Frostpaw?

She had been surprised when the apprentice had told her about her experience with Honeystar. What if she had an unusually strong connection to StarClan? What if she got some sort of vision?

And Olivepaw? Oh, StarClan, Olivepaw. For the past few days, Willowfall had noticed how strangely the apprentice had been acting around her. Was it just a coincidence that she had also happened to find her in the stream that night, unconscious? What had she been doing out there, by herself?

She hadn't seen her and Emberheart, had she?

Every time she thought this hard about it- which had been almost every minute of every day since the ginger cat had died- her heart would start racing and she would grow paranoid. But she swallowed, trying to act normal in front of the other medicine cats.

"Onespot, I'm sorry I couldn't be there last week when you were caring for Honeystar," she said quietly as they walked. In front of them, Bluebird and Forestwind were chatting away as Jaguarpaw and Brightpaw laughed and joked.

"Willowfall, don't worry about it," the tom murmured. "You couldn't help it that you had to care for one of your apprentices. And even if you had been there, I don't think she would have made it." He flicked his tail, glancing at her. "By the way, Willowfall, did I tell you how impressed I was with Frostpaw? She acted just like a medicine cat."

Willowfall smiled just a bit. "She told me that she knew what coltsfoot was, even though I hadn't told her."

Onespot nodded. "Haven't you been looking for an apprentice?" he asked after a moment.

She looked at him. "You think that Frostpaw could be my apprentice?"

"She's special," he said thoughtfully. He smiled slightly; "And she would have a great mentor."

Willowfall laughed lightly. "She's almost done with her warrior training," she said. "I think it's a bit too late."

Onespot shrugged. "Well, you never know. She could change her mind." Willowfall was silent.

"So, how's it been going with Bumblestar as leader?" she asked, tail twitching. "Has he picked a deputy?"

"Yes," mewed Onespot. "Spotfur is deputy. The Clan was at least happy with that decision. Spotfur is a respected senior warrior."

"It doesn't sound like Bumblestar is too popular, then," the ShadowClan cat murmured.

The tom shook his head. "He's never been, really. But now that he took Sagewhisker's place as leader... No one's happy. Not only that, but Bumblestar hardly knows what he's doing. He forgot to send out any patrols today, so Spotfur had to arrange them himself." He shook his head. "StarClan knows where this will lead."

The wind swept by the six cats, causing Willowfall to shiver in the cold. She would occasionally stop to shake the snow off of her paws, but it wouldn't really help.

They were getting closer to the Moonpool. The stream trickled nearby, the half-moon shining off of it. Willowfall could smell fresh water.

A moment later, they began down the winding slope that led to the pool. Imprinted in the path were the ancient pawsteps of cats long before them, before the Clans had even lived by the lake. Willowfall felt as her paws stepped over them.

Every since she'd killed Graystar, it was rare that StarClan communicated with her. And now that she had another cat's blood on her paws, she wouldn't have been surprised if they were to completely give up on her. Most of the time, she would have to lie and tell the other medicine cats that StarClan had come to her, just like they had to them. And no one ever suspected anything.

She blinked, suddenly wondering if Emberheart was even in StarClan. She'd threatened the lives of her kits and had even attacked her, after all.

Maybe she'd find out tonight.

The other cats settled down by the water as it lapped peacefully at the edges. It twinkled brightly with the light of the moon, almost relaxing Willowfall just the smallest bit.

Almost.

Sucking in a breath of air and trying to ignore the feeling of dread that had somehow taken hold of her, she leaned over and lapped up some of the ice cold water.

She felt drowsy right away, almost light-headed as she curled up into a tight ball, squinting her eyes shut. A second later, she was asleep.

...

She opened her eyes with a start, finding, somewhat to her surprise, that she was standing in a clearing, tall grass and red poppies surrounding her. The trees seemed to stretch up forever, their leaves dark green. The sky was white, and she had to squint her eyes and look away.

This was the first time in a while that she'd had a dream like this. She blinked; if this was StarClan, why was it so... empty? And something about it looked... different than the StarClan she remembered. But she was sure it wasn't the Dark Forest, either. She shook her head, dazed.

"Hello, Willowfall," came a low purr from behind her, and the medicine cat's fur stood on end. She knew whose voice that was. She swallowed, her heart drumming as she slowly turned around.

Emberheart was standing across from her, her fur blowing softly, a very faint glow around her. Her green eyes were sparkling with something that Willowfall couldn't put her paw on, and a small smirk lined her face.

"Emberheart," the gray cat murmured, taking a step back, eyes widening, claws digging into the ground in case she were to attack.

"Surprised to see me?" the spirit grinned, white teeth flashing as she took a few steps forward. Willowfall was frozen, unable to move.

"This... This isn't StarClan... Is it...?" the medicine cat spluttered, shaking her head, eyes big.

Emberheart chuckled, lifting a paw to examine her flexed claws before glancing at the other she-cat. "Actually, Willowfall, it is. Not that you would know. The spirits haven't talked to you since you killed Graystar, is that right...?"

"You know about that," Willowfall whispered, more as a statement than a question.

"That's one advantage to being dead, Willowfall," replied the ginger cat smoothly, smirking. "You know a lot more than when you were alive."

"But how are you here? In StarClan?" Willowfall rasped. "You tried to kill me, and you threatened to kill my kits-"

"But I didn't kill you," Emberheart grinned, clearly enjoying herself. "Or your kits. In StarClan's eyes, I've done nothing wrong." She chuckled, shaking her head in amusement as she smiled at the medicine cat. "It's too bad that's not the case with you, isn't it...?" She took another step forward, their faces now just a mouselength apart. Willowfall didn't dare move, and it took all of her will to keep her gaze locked with Emberheart's. She swallowed. "A medicine who's murdered two cats in cold blood," the dead cat said softly, shaking her head in mock sympathy. "What a shame that a cat like you will end up in the Dark Forest."

"It wasn't cold blood," Willowfall muttered, finally lowering her head and looking down at her paws. "If I hadn't killed Graystar, she would have killed my kits. And I only killed you in self-defense..."

"That doesn't matter," hissed Emberheart, eyes suddenly narrowing to slits as she pulled back her lips. "The fact remains that two cats are dead because of you. And one of them is me." She came even closer, their pelts almost brushing as she put her mouth to the medicine cat's ear. Willowfall flinched, but she remained silent and didn't pull away. "And just because I'm dead doesn't mean I can't do anything to you," the cat hissed in her ear. "In fact, you've made it much easier for me to do whatever I'd like. And as for you...?" She pulled back just slightly, their eyes meeting again. She was grinning. "...You can't do anything to me."

"I'm not afraid," Willowfall murmured. Emberheart smiled.

"Then why are your legs shaking...?"

The medicine cat blinked; she hadn't realized. She swallowed, narrowing her eyes as she looked at the cat. "If you do anything to me, then StarClan will know, and they'll banish you to the Dark Forest." She hoped that Emberheart couldn't hear her voice waver.

"They won't know," she insisted, casually flicking her tail. The corners of her lips raised into a smirk. "And don't worry, it's not you I plan on doing anything to. Not yet, anyway."

Willowfall let out a tiny gasp. "Emberheart, I swear, if you touch anyone in ShadowClan, or my kits..."

"Then what?" pressed the spirit, laughing lightly. "I already told you, Willowfall, you can't do anything to me. I'm already dead. And at least I don't live alone in the Dark Forest, like you will someday."

"Then why are you alone now?" growled the medicine cat. "Where's Badgerkit, then?"

Emberheart's eyes darkened and she pulled her lips back.

"Don't ever say the name of my son," she hissed, looking furious. A second later, her whole demeanor changed, and she smirked again, eyes flashing. "I'm afraid it's time for you to go, Willowfall," she said, licking a paw. She locked eyes with the medicine cat. "But just remember that even though I'm dead now, I'm not gone. Not by a long shot."

Willowfall didn't speak. She felt sick as the world around her began to fade.

"Oh, and Willowfall?" purred Emberheart. "You can tell Minnowstar that I drowned in the stream. I didn't plan on telling her that you killed me. Not yet, anyway."

The medicine cat made no reply. The woods spun around her until everything was white.

...

She woke up with a gasp, jumping to her paws, eyes wide as her fur fluffed out. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears, a perfect, unbroken image of Emberheart clear in her mind. She wasn't safe from her. And she never would be.

"Willowfall? Are you alright?"

The she-cat jumped at the voice, whirling around to see Onespot looking at her in concern. He had just woken up and was getting to his paws. The others were still asleep. "You look like you've seen a monster."

"I have," murmured Willowfall, but she wasn't sure if he'd heard her. The ThunderClan tom blinked in confusion, but said nothing else.

As the group finally returned home, she didn't say a word. She stared at the ground as she walked, and when it was time for the cats to separate, she found that she didn't want to walk back through her territory alone. Onespot agreed that he'd walk her halfway, alarmed by how scared she'd been acting.

When they got to the stream, the ThunderClan tom told her to get some rest before he made his way back towards his own territory. Willowfall watched him go, a frown on her face.

She turned and took a few steps towards the stream, looking down at the water. In the dimness of the night, she could see her own reflection peering back at her.

And as she locked gazes with the cat in the water, she murmured quietly to herself, "A monster, huh...?"

/chapter end

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TNT,

Pearly