Chapter 4
Ravenkit blinked his eyes open to find himself in a musky, misty forest surrounded by the lush canopy of dark forest leaves, blocking out any starlight.
"Where am I? Is this StarClan?" Ravenkit whispered in a hushed voice.
He had never been to StarClan, but Bluestar had visited him on rare occasions.
"Hello, little one." An orange-and-white she-cat padded slowly up to him.
"Where's Bluestar?" Ravenkit asked warily.
"Around," the she-cat answered.
"Can I see her?" Ravenkit queried.
The she-cat purred. "She's busy," she told him.
"What's your name?" Ravenkit was so incredibly curious.
"Mapleshade," the she-cat mewed gently.
"I'm-"
"Ravenkit, I know." Mapleshade stroked his spine with the tip of her tail.
"Is this really StarClan?" he asked her.
But Mapleshade only looked at him with hungry eyes.
"I can give you anything you ever wanted," she whispered, circling Ravenkit. "All the power you've ever dreamed of. If you can promise me one thing."
"I promise!" Ravenkit mewled excitedly.
"Hush, little one. You don't even know what kind of promise you'll be making," Mapleshade cooed.
"What is it?" Ravenkit was dying to know.
"Do you promise," Mapleshade began. "That you'll be loyal to your Clan above all costs, no matter what you want?"
"I do! I promise!" Ravenkit's thrilled yowl echoed clear across the forest.
"Ravenkit!" Bluestar yowled.
Ravenkit twisted his head around and saw the blue-gray she-cat he always knew and loved.
"Bluestar!" Ravenkit was about to run up to her and greet her when Mapleshade grabbed his scruff and dragged him away.
"Ravenkit!" Bluestar yowled, but she, too, was dragged away by other cats, barely shadows outlined in the mist.
"Do you make that promise, regardless of your previous Clan?" Mapleshade whispered into his ear.
Ravenkit nodded determinedly. He'd never like those ThunderClan scums!
"I do!" he chimed.
"Good," Mapleshade meowed soothingly. "Now, go to sleep, and tomorrow night, I will help you fulfill your great destiny."
"I have a great destiny?" Ravenkit echoed.
Mapleshade looked surprised. "But of course!" she hissed calmly.
"What kind?" Ravenkit beamed.
"You'll find out soon enough," Mapleshade whispered. "You really do have a great destiny ahead of you."
"What kind?" Ravenkit repeated.
Mapleshade sighed. "Do you really want to know now?"
Ravenkit nodded firmly. "More than anything in the world!"
"OK, then," Mapleshade's voice hushed down to a soft murmur. "You will be the greatest leader the Clans have ever known!"
Ravenkit gasped in excitement. "Really?!"
Mapleshade nodded. "Really."
Ravenkit couldn't believe his ears! He was to be the greatest leader ever!
"Even better than Firestar?" he inquired the old she-cat.
"Ten times as better!" Mapleshade cheered.
"Even better than Crookedstar?!"
Mapleshade flinched at the name Crookedstar.
"Of course!" she hissed through gritted teeth. "Now, you'd better get some rest before you begin your training tomorrow night."
Ravenkit nodded sleepily, curling up into a ball in a patch of dark nettle, drifting into a peaceful slumber.
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"Who's he, Whitetail?" a small voice mewled.
"Hush, Softkit, don't wake him," a calm voice murmured.
Ravenkit blinked open his eyes, staring straight into the blue-green eyes of the small white queen he'd seen earlier. He was shocked to find that the she-cat didn't even twitch a whisker as she gazed into his molten-orange eyes.
"Ew, he's gross!" Softkit hissed.
"Softkit!" Whitetail gently swatted the sleek, light gray she-cat.
"I think he looks handsome," a light brown tabby queen purred.
Ravenkit was carried away in a flush of embarrassment.
"But he looks so ugly!" a ginger tabby tom-kit spat.
"Hush, Gingerkit," the light brown queen scolded.
"Heathertail, I don't want to!" Gingerkit wailed.
"Yeah! He's so bizarre!" a dark gray tom-kit criticized.
"If you're going to be that rude, Graykit-all of you-then no more mice today! Just milk!" Heathertail scolded the three kits.
Softkit buried her face in her mother's fur, while Gingerkit and Graykit just huffed.
"We're so sorry," Whitetail apologized.
"It's nothing, really," Ravenkit reassured the angry queens. "I'm used to it. Even though it is just my eyes."
The two queens exchanged worried glances.
"What?" Ravenkit asked, his heart beginning to pound. "What is it?"
Heathertail flicked her tail toward a small puddle dappled with silver-blue ripples.
Ravenkit gulped, padding warily over to the small pool of water. He peered at his reflection, gasping in horror as he saw himself; a black tom-kit with white chestfur, white paws, molten-orange eyes and... something new, something he hadn't noticed before, or might've always been there to begin with and he hadn't noticed it at first as he might've been too horrified at the color of his eyes for his mind to even care. He noticed two diagonal lines pass through each other, dark gray, across his black face, making it look like a furry, gray 'x'. Not only that, but one of his eyes was bright, molten-orange, and the other was a dark, fiery-orange color. Not able to take it anymore, Ravenkit rushed past the gathered cats to get away from it all, only to bump into Ashstar.
"Fitting in well?" Ashstar asked gently.
Ravenkit searched her clear blue eyes, looking for disgust and regret, but all he saw was soft kindess and understanding. Before he knew it, Ravenkit had burst into a series of tears as he sobbed in front of Ashstar, who looked at him with pity.
"I want to be loved! I want to be cared for!" he wailed aloud.
"Oh, Ravenkit, you are being cared for, right here right now," Ashstar soothed.
Ravenkit didn't believe it. He raced into the darkest, furthest corner of the nursery and sobbed there until night fell and he was bone-tired. Then, sleep washed over him like a soothing, cold wave.
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"Ravenkit!" Mapleshade's hiss startled Ravenkit awake as he blinked his eyes open to a dark, misty forest once again. His veins pumped with energy, which was unexpected since he fell asleep exhausted.
"Time to begin training!" The orange-and-white she-cat circled him impatiently. Without warning, she struck a blow to his face, claws unsheathed.
"Duck under!" she hissed. "Always be prepared! A warrior is always prepared!"
Ravenkit breathed in and out, looking at his mentor with anticipation.
"Are you ready for hard work?" Mapleshade hissed.
"I'm ready," Ravenkit breathed, steadying his paws.
"Good," Mapleshade whispered into his ear, smiling grimly.
They trained all night long, working Ravenkit until he felt as though he'd collapse.
"It's dawn," Mapleshade mewed.
"Let me get this move right first," Ravenkit demanded. "I'm still a kit, it's not like I have a dawn patrol to attend to."
Ravenkit leaped up in the air, twisting onto his back, feeling the thick mist dampen his fur. Then, claws unsheathed, he slashed at the waiting Mapleshade with his hind claws, landing with a thump on the ground. He was on his back as he hit the forest floor.
"Nice try," Mapleshade meowed quickly. "But I've got to go."
Ravenkit dug his claws into the soft soil as the world swayed beneath him. He didn't want to go! Too late, though.
"Ravenkit? Why are you covered in scratches?" Softkit mewled.
"There must be a thorn in my nest or something," Ravenkit mewed quickly.
"That's one StarClan cursed thorn," Gingerkit teased.
"Yeah, you look like a fox that just got beat up by a patrol of warriors!" Graykit taunted.
"He's a fox?!" Softkit gasped mischievously. "Run!"
The three kits squealed, racing out of the nursery. Out of boredom and hope that playing fox with his new Denmates would make them like him, Ravenkit gave chase.
"You're not supposed to follow us!" Softkit hissed at him. Ravenkit kept running after them anyway.
"Yeah, you're supposed to stay, scared, in your den!" Graykit wailed.
"You're no fun!" Gingerkit huffed.
"But you can attack me while I'm in my den!" Ravenkit squealed.
"I guess," Softkit mewled flatly.
Ravenkit crept back into the den, pretending to be asleep as the three other kits crept up on him. This was going to be fun!
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Mapleshade wore a smug smile on her face as she padded through the Dark Forest. She dipped her head to Antpelt as she passed him.
She had made Ravenkit accept her promise, and what a fool he was for not declining! Better for her, though. Ravenkit was unaware of the promise Crookedstar had made all those seasons ago, not knowing that he'd have to sacrifice every single cat he ever loved. Mapleshade nearly cackled out loud at the thought of Ravenkit wailing in pain as all his loved ones passed away. She'd make cats love him so he could feel the pain of losing someone.
Aha! Mapleshade thought as a brilliant idea seared through her mind. I'll make loads and loads of cats love him, and when he's finally leader, I'll kill them all! Mapleshade ran her thorn-sharp claws down the side of a tree trunk. She would do all she planned to Ravenkit! She'd keep her promise, she'd make him leader, the greatest leader ever! She'd make him lose all his loved ones, and he'd have no choice but to thank her for making him become leader! Then one day, she'd kill him! What a horrible life he'd live! And it was all because of Mapleshade! Mapleshade! Her gaze glittered wildly. She loved her name! She loved her life! And now it was time for Ravenkit to have a great yet awful destiny!
"This will be fun!" she whispered to herself.
This was his destiny, this was Ravenkit's destiny! And she'd make his destiny happen!