Chapter Thirty: StarClan Dreamer

A/N: I apologize for the long delay in getting this chapter to you guys. But I'll try to update more often. I hope you like where it's leading... because sooner than you think, you'll be in for another shock...

It was a long, hard day for Lionpaw. After talking with the Clan, he left, and went to be alone in the den while warriors went out, searched the forest for Longfang. But the killer had disappeared, with no trace, leaving the Clan in a state of shock and terror.

They had barely accepted the truth- only because Snowstar believed him. Pebbleheart was alone, just like Lionpaw, in her den, refusing to see anyone.
Currently he was in the apprentice den. Cricketpaw, Buzzardflight, and even Rowanpaw had come to visit him, and Brightpaw and Frostpaw had almost refused to leave his side, but he made them all leave. He wanted time to think.

They all seemed so far away some how. He wanted to get a grip, and try to put it all behind him, but that was impossible.

He was finally able to put his mind to rest when darkness fell, and he dreamed.

At first, he was in a jungle, surrounded by darkness. He heard low voices, and as he crept through the ferns and trees, he saw three lions. One, tall and burning, facing a huge, dark lion. A slender lioness looked on, face twisted in horror.

"No, Firerunner... no..." she was whispering.

The scene changed, and it was abruptly beautiful. Lionpaw frowned and looked around. It was not the dark, somehow familiar landscape he saw when Firerunner visited him, but much lighter, much easier. The horizon blended into the lush ground, and as Lionpaw walked, stars followed his prints, glimmering on the grassy land like fireflies.

"Lionpaw," came a gentle voice.

He looked over, and narrowed his eyes at a slender, beautiful tigress gazing at him. Her dark stripes looked like she'd stolen the blackness of the sky and painted it on her pelt, and the fiery, dark gold pelt underneath burned with power. Yet there was a gentle, gracefulness about her as she loped towards him, over the soft, whispering grass. It was a lush, quiet landscape, about dusk, and white butterflies pattered quietly around them, everything seemed to sparkle dully like a dying star.

"Hello," he said quietly, slowly straightening as the tigress came to a stop by him. Her gate was unlike any other he'd ever seen; light and care-free, almost like she was on the edge of flying like a little bird. She looked happy, her whole body glowing, and her eyes sparkling like two pinpoints of cold light in the night sky, with more wisdom and peace he'd ever known.

"Are you another StarClan warrior?" he murmured.

The tigress gazed at him with a breathtaking mixture of love and sadness warring in her eyes. "I am a warrior of StarClan, but I am also a speaker for them. I come to the dreams of medicine-cats for WaterClan, but tonight we dream together, young Lionpaw."

Lionpaw gazed at her. She looked familiar, in a small, strange way, and he realized with a pang who this must be. "You're Littlecloud, Brightpaw's mother... aren't you?"

The sadness in her eyes stretched a little more as she bowed her beautifully striped head. "I am."

He hesitated, staring at her defiantly. "Why have you come to visit me, Littlecloud?"

Littlecloud gazed down at him, undecided for a moment, before finally grasping words. "You are in a great deal of trouble, Lionpaw. For being so young, so much has happened to you, and StarClan wishes things could be different. But we cannot change what is; and so, things must be done."

She began strolling away then, walking with that fascinating grace and lithe steps. Lionpaw felt clumsy as he padded after her. They were the same height, yet he felt strangely small and youthful compared to this queen who had an affair with Blackscar, and the product of that had been Brightpaw. Lionpaw thought back, to the early days of his apprenticeship, when

Brightpaw had struggled so much because of his birth. They were older now, and so much had happened, it was easy to think of just Longfang and not him.

"StarClan is busy, and do not always have time to see everything. You, however, saw something we gravely must admit. You see, Lionpaw, a murder is a sin against yourself. It hurts the soul of any Clan cat. When you murder, you take a star from the sky and forever silence it. This is unthinkable, and yet lions like Longfang do it for small things that do not exist in the second life. Greed, hatred, anger. It is sad, because it is the corruption and loss of a good soul."

Lionpaw listened to her words carefully, not sure why they had met, and not sure where she was going with this. But she had good things to say, and though it hurt to listen, it felt good to be away from reality, to escape into a stolen moment of dream.

"The fact that Longfang has done this changes his destiny forever, but his story also affects two other lions: Pebbleheart and Firerunner." Littlecloud stopped, and turned to gaze at Lionpaw, tail flicking, her eyes full of purpose.

Lionpaw read her expression with apprehension. "What is the truth between the three of them? I think that something happened that night that none of them will admit, and it is worse than that happened to Firerunner."

Unease crept into Littlecloud's eyes, further confirming Lionpaw's belief in his words. "Yes, Lionpaw... there is always more to the story. But StarClan knows only as much as you do; we cannot understand what is too dark for the stars."

Lionpaw looked at her, frustrated by her answers. "Look, if I can save Pebbleheart, I have to know everything. Why would you meet with me tonight if you only have broken half-answers in mind?" he growled.

Littlecloud shook her head. "All you need to know is that Firerunner was killed by Pebbleheart. It's not a lie, it's not a corrupted conspiracy. There are things that need to be left alone and forgotten."

Lionpaw instantly understood. "So you came here tonight to do just that? To make me forget?"

She sighed. "It was a horrible thing, what happened, and it needs to be left alone, buried in the past. Soon, Longfang will return, and he will be beaten. Pebbleheart will find her end, too. And the secret can be left in the past, where it belongs. I urge you to listen to me, young Lionpaw."

He shook his head. "I can't just grow up and forget about this, Littlecloud. It's... it's changed everything."

Her beautiful, devastated face gazed at him with a seeming sense of loss. He wondered if she saw her son in him, and knew she probably watched Brightpaw proudly yet sadly from the sky every night.

"You gave up everything for Blackscar," he murmured suddenly.

She looked a little surprised by the turn of conversation. But she replied, "Yes... I did."

"And why?" Lionpaw shook his head. "You gave up your family, your home, your reputation... your life... just for forbidden love."

Littlecloud smiled ruefully. "Because I was a young fool, and Blackscar and I thought the world of each other. But I was in love. And that changes everything."
Lionpaw thought of Pebbleheart, how she claimed to have been in love with Firerunner, and they were going to meet and run away together. If her story was real... was this how she felt? Torn, all the time, because of her betrayal, her affair?

"The Code isn't always right, you know," Littlecloud told him, eyes gleaming, as if she was reading his thoughts. "Love is right, and what I did with Blackscar changed the future... for the best, for the worst, you decide. But Brightpaw is alive because we broke the code. I think that's a pretty amazing thing." She smiled slightly, expression full of quiet love.
Lionpaw swallowed hard, and turned away. All these stories, molded into one, to make the big picture even more overwhelming. The world was a much bigger place than he'd ever imagine.
"It's time for you to leave now," Littlecloud murmured, gazing at something in the distance, her eyes narrowing, as if there was someone there, calling to her. "For it is almost moon-high. You understand what this means."

Lionpaw's eyes widened. "A new deputy?"

She nodded gently. "Snowstar will stick to the Code. He has rejected Longfang, and that lion is no longer deputy of LightningClan. But his choice now will be interesting; Snowstar feels he no longer has good judgment, and this deputy will say a lot about the future."

Lionpaw nodded deeply. "I understand. And... thank you."

Littlecloud bent over and rasped a warm tongue over his ear. "Take care, Lionpaw. You and my son are the two flames of hope for LightningClan; StarClan will never abandon you on this journey."

Everything suddenly grew blurry, and faded out. Lionpaw watched as her beautiful face faded last, her eyes shining like two cold stars in the night sky. And at last, the warrior was gone.

Lionpaw lifted his head, blinking the sleep from his eyes. He was in the apprentice den; surrounded by the sleeping bodies of his friends. It was quiet outside, the darkness rapidly fading as moonhigh crept upon them.

"All lions old enough to catch their own prey, gather here, beneath the High Rock, for a Clan meeting!" Snowstar roared.

Frostpaw sleepily stirred next to Lionpaw, and yawned, opening her eyes. Lionpaw gazed at her fondly and rasped a tongue over her ear. "Hey there, sleepy."

Her beautiful eyes opened wider, and she smiled, tail lashing.

"Hey there, beautiful," Brightpaw cooed mockingly, laughing as he jumped on Lionpaw and licked his cheek. Lionpaw laughed and shoved him off. Frostpaw giggled and fondly touched her tail to Brightpaw's flank.

"Come on, you two lovebirds," she sighed. "The new deputy's being chosen." There was sadness in her eyes as she said this, and Lionpaw, briefly distracted by his friends, came down to reality: that this was all happening because of Longfang. Because he was out there, somewhere, waiting for the chance to finish his revenge.

"Who do you suppose Snowstar will pick?" Brightpaw muttered as they made their way from the den. The Clan was already awake; elders, queens, and warriors alike all moved towards
Snowstar, standing on the Highrock, gazing down at them through dark eyes.

"He'll probably pick another murderer," came a sneer behind them. Lionpaw turned, and saw Cricketpaw walking with Rowanpaw and Buzzardflight, who'd padded over to join them. Rowanpaw's lip was curled as he stared at Snowstar.

"Shut up!" Lionpaw snarled, wheeling around and facing Rowanpaw. His hackles raised, and he felt very powerful; both of them had grown a lot lately, but Lionpaw was a good inch and a half taller than his Clanmate. Rowanpaw, noticing the difference, scowled and backed down.

"Easy, guys," Buzzardflight murmured.

"There's been so much fighting already. We can't fight among each other," Cricketpaw said quietly, gazing at her brother with distress in her eyes. Lionpaw held her gaze for a moment, then turned, and stalked away with Frostpaw and Brightpaw.

"One day, we'll rip off that brute's tail, and make him eat it, I promise," Brightpaw spat.

"Don't..." Frostpaw sighed.

Their conversation died down as they all settled by the Highrock's shadow, and a silence fell over the gathered Clan. Everyone nervously looked around and watched Snowstar for guidance.

"My warriors," Snowstar rumbled. "LightningClan has gone through a great loss of power. Because of secrecy and lust, our deputy is now dead to me. Longfang is no longer a warrior, but a traitor, a rogue, with nobody to protect him. StarClan has told me the time to choose a new deputy is upon us, and I must honor their decision.

"The choice to let Longfang become the past was a hard one. He seemed like the perfect warrior; but deceit was apparently not below him. I failed you. I failed my Clan." Snowstar's voice cracked, and he bowed his head, eyes sweeping over all of them, and pausing on Lionpaw. "For that, I am eternally regretful, and I know my bad judgment can never be forgotten. I know I surely have lost the trust of some of you. Some of you no longer see me as a leader, but as a fool," he went on, voice echoing powerfully around them. "I accept this, and I want only to have your hope and trust once more as I lead you all into a new time. And that time starts tonight. With a new deputy."

"He's good," Brightpaw remarked softly.

Lionpaw smiled sadly.

Snowstar gazed down at all of them. He looked beautiful then; his silky, white mane captured in the moonlight, he was a trapped god, gazing down at his wrecked kingdom, a look of devastation on his marble face. Lionpaw saw grief in his eyes, and knew that Snowstar would never forgive himself for trusting a murderer to be the future leader of his beloved Clan.

"And so, it is tonight, that I look to the stars, and ask our ancestors who deserves the power, the wisdom, of becoming my second-in-command. My choice now is not faulty, for the lion chosen tonight is one of the most outstanding warriors alive." With that, he lifted his head, and began to speak the ancient words.

"I say this before StarClan, so the spirits of our ancestors will hear and approve of my choice. Curlclaw will be the new deputy of LightningClan."

A delighted roar went up in the Clan, and LightningClan began calling Curlclaw's name.

"Curlclaw! Curlclaw got it!" Frostpaw beamed.

"I knew it!" Brightpaw grinned.

Lionpaw smiled to himself as he looked over the swarming bodies of his Clanmates, and saw Curlclaw sitting up, a look of pleasant surprise crossing his face. He was one of Snowstar's closest friends, and Lionpaw admired him for his wisdom and respect; he knew that Snowstar had made an excellent choice.

Once the calls died down, Curlclaw stood up, and gazed around at all of them before looking up at Snowstar. "Snowstar... I am more than honored. There has been so much grief in my Clan, and these are hard times for us all. I swear to you all that I will give my best to help this jungle."

Lionpaw smiled just slightly to himself, when suddenly, something brushed against him, and he looked over to see Amberpaw gazing at him, eyes wide and worried.

"Amberpaw, what is it?"

"I can't find Pebbleheart. She went into the forest awhile ago, and she hasn't come back," she whispered.

Lionpaw stared at her. "She'll be fine. I'm sure she just wanted some time alone..."

"Lionpaw," Amberpaw hissed. "Longfang is out there!"

"What's going on?" Brightpaw asked quickly. Frostpaw looked between Lionpaw and Amberpaw, eyes wide.

Before she could answer, Lionpaw's hackles rose as he sniffed the air. "DarkClan?"

"I smell them, too," Brightpaw snarled softly.

Snowstar, on top of the Highrock, sharply looked at the entrance of the camp, and everyone fell silent. They sensed the approaching DarkClan warriors as well. Curlclaw flattened his ears and cautiously stepped towards the scent.

Abruptly, a huge panther broke through the entrance; Lionpaw instantly recognized him as Coldstar, leader of DarkClan. Four muscled warriors followed in after him, and all eyes widened in horror to see two of them carrying a limp, bloody body.

Lionpaw, feeling dread pulse in his icy blood, slowly got up, trepidation in every move. As he stared at the approaching panthers, hisses and gasps coming from around him, he only had eyes for the dead body they carried, and felt sickness churn in his stomach.

Amberpaw's jaw slacked in shock. "Pebbleheart!"