I thought I would gift you with another piece of story, because I got on a writing streak and went ahead and wrote it. It's pretty short, but it accomplished what I needed it to accomplish, so it shall be in all its shortness. Hopefully, the next chapter will be longer! This one was just pretty to-the-point. So, yeah :)

Since I just posted, I won't say more. Enjoy!

~Elsi

P.S. Minor character death. You've been warned.

Chapter 12: The Clouds Call

"StarClan…destroyed?" Birdpaw's words were sheer horror. "That's impossible."

"It's what I saw," Mountainpaw said hollowly. "Ivypool and I evacuated to StarClan, and that's what we saw. It looked like it was…dying."

"That's impossible," Skypaw found herself saying. She stopped pacing for a moment to look at the other four. Mountainpaw was hunched in the center of their little formation, hunched over, while Willowpaw, Littlepaw, and Birdpaw sat beside him, forming a half circle around him. And then there was Skypaw herself, pacing up and down in their small meeting space. "Something must have gone wrong. Maybe Ivypool brought you somewhere unexpected."

"She couldn't have," Littlepaw said suddenly. "I'm sure that Ivypool knows what she's doing."

"Just like we know what we're doing when we use our powers, right?" asked Birdpaw dryly. Littlepaw shrugged, but didn't seem any less convinced. He looked too grim for the moment. Skypaw sat down, unsure what to say but knowing that she needed to boost their morale.

"Mountainpaw, recap the conversation again," ordered Skypaw, and her brother quietly obliged. Listening to the dialogue again, Skypaw recommenced pacing, trying to keep it all straight.

"So, the Dark Forest cats had some sort of army, but it was destroyed, but Tigerstar referred to the earthquakes being from that army," summarized Skypaw. "And now, Tigerstar wants Hawkfrost to break through the barrier to StarClan, which is looking feasible now that StarClan is ignoring something about…their demise? I'll assume that's just Dark Forest point of view cutting through. Anyways, they think that StarClan is just going to get weaker and weaker."

"There was also the part about it all being over soon," added Willowpaw. "Is that like…you know, our prophecy? The land will shake to end it all and all of that?"

"Possibly," said Skypaw, taking this into account. "And what is this…shadow dust?"

"I assume it's what Tigerstar thinks is wrong with StarClan," said Birdpaw. "Of course, maybe it's just StarClan's paradise that's being manipulated by whatever the Dark Forest is planning."

"That's most likely it," said Skypaw, relieved at the quick solution.

"Or there's something seriously wrong with StarClan," Willowpaw suggested, but Skypaw shot her a dark look.

"Please, nothing's wrong with StarClan," she said. "That's not even possible. Cats are still dying and going to StarClan – I've spoken to Runningpaw myself."

"Me, too," added Birdpaw. "And yes, from what I can see, there's something wrong with StarClan's home. Not with StarClan themselves."

"Go on," Littlepaw urged, earning a surprised look from Birdpaw. "There's something more."

"I…well…" Birdpaw paused. "The members of StarClan I've spoken to always seem so divided. As if there are two different agendas that they're following. And then they always keep talking about someone coming to get them – a huge un-named they. Could that be the army the Dark Forest cats were talking about?"

"That sounds right," said Skypaw, meeting her littermate's green eyes. Hearing Birdpaw explain it so logically made her feel so much better. Maybe that was all it was after all – Tigerstar's revival had allowed him to sic an army on StarClan.

"But the army was destroyed, I thought…" said Willowpaw hopelessly.

"Well, what other explanation do you have?" asked Skypaw curtly. Willowpaw opened her mouth to explain something, but she was too hesitant. Under Skypaw's annoyed gaze, she shrank back and shook her head.

"I was maybe thinking…something to do with this shadowy dust…could be…I don't know, hurting StarClan warriors…the Dark Forest cats talked about StarClan cats wanting to get closer to the darkness…"

"But that doesn't make any sense," said Skypaw harshly, because it didn't. "How could StarClan be hurt? StarClan is pure and perfect. If they were dark, they would be Dark Forest cats."

"Skypaw, I don't know if – "

"Wouldn't they be in the Dark Forest if they were evil? That means they're good. That means they couldn't be 'corrupted' by a darkness or anything." She huffed quickly. "Birdpaw agrees with me, right, Birdpaw?"

After a long moment of hesitation, one that made Skypaw's stomach churn, she saw the medicine cat apprentice nod. Getting that support was important.

"I'm wondering what will happen if…" Littlepaw's voice trailed off suddenly as new voices entered her ears.

Skypaw, help! It sounded like Briarpaw. Wild, Skypaw got to her feet and looked around at random. Was another earthquake going to happen? What was going on?

Help me! The words faded off into a blood-curtling screech that Skypaw identified: Runningpaw. Her blood chilled as the screaming intensified, and both voices blended together with dozens of loud yowls of pain and desperation.

And then there was silence. Skypaw knew that some sound should have been entering her ears, but she was met instead with that buzzing, ringing silence that overpowered Littlepaw's words and Mountainpaw's exclaims. She met Littlepaw's eyes across the ring, saw the words leaving his lips, but heard nothing, until it reached her brain.

Then she felt a new presence rub into her mind, and Skypaw recoiled, screaming internally, as she felt Littlepaw's eyes within her mind. Was this how reading minds felt? No…she saw Littlepaw's eyes go blank as he saw through her eyes, thought her thoughts, felt the panic in her heart as his own. The feeling vanished, leaving Skypaw drained, but the world had restarted as if from the magical interaction.

"Skypaw!" Birdpaw came to one side of her, and leaned against her shoulder to stop her from falling. "What happened to her?"

Littlepaw's eyes were still holding Skypaw in place, and Skypaw knew that if she let her littermate's attention slip away, she, too, would vanish.

"Something happened, and Skypaw's magic trapped her," said Littlepaw in a quiet voice.

"Her magic…trapped her?" Willowpaw asked, a squeak. "How?"

"I…suspect that it was a call from N-StarClan," said Littlepaw. "And Skypaw's powers connect her to the spiritual world, so she got stuck in between."

"How does that happen?" asked Mountainpaw, horrified. Skypaw felt her strength return, and she managed to drop Littlepaw's eyes and pull herself together.

"I'm fine," she stammered. "It doesn't matter. I just…let's go for a walk, Littlepaw."

Her littermate nodded calmly, following her from their little hiding spot out into the main area of camp, where they headed towards the entrance.

"Hey, you, two!" Just in time – Rustfur. Skypaw turned around to see the red-colored tom heading towards them with a smile (forced) on his face. "Are you going hunting? Mind if I tag along?"

"No problem at all," said Skypaw, although she would have much preferred to just have Littlepaw's company. Maybe having Rustfur around and actually having to hunt would put her mind at ease, especially after all the screaming in her head. What about StarClan? Could she help Runningpaw and Briarpaw? They didn't seem to need her help anymore…

A few minutes later found Skypaw in an awkward hunter's crouch, trying to focus on the mouse she was stalking instead of the memory of Runningpaw's screams. Everything was proving rather difficult at the moment. She dived forward for the prey, skidding as she caught it and tripping on a harsh stone. Gasping in surprise, Skypaw spilled forward through the bushes and was hit with the overwhelming scent of Thunderpath.

"Skypaw!" She hadn't realized that she was so close, but there it was, with huge heat waves wiggling up towards the heavens every few seconds. Littlepaw abandoned his own search for prey in order to help her to her feet. "Are you alright?"

"F-fine," said Skypaw, but her focus was already being caught by movement on the other side of the Thunderpath. Two very familiar shapes, and undoubtedly those that had been haunting her all day.

Briarpaw and Runningpaw.

"Do not fight," Runningpaw said, and despite the distance, her voice carried across the huge black rock surface. "Please, Skypaw. Let what's going to happen happen."

"Hey, you, two, what's going on?" Rustfur poked his head out of the bushes behind him and jumped. "Get away from there! What do you think you're doing, playing so close to the…the…"

Skypaw opened her mouth in horror, realizing that Rustfur saw the spirits, too.

"Runningpaw?" Rustfur let the word slip out without permission, and then Skypaw knew what was going to happen in startling clarity. It seemed to happen in slow motion, as Rustfur took one step forward, and then another, and then…

He was running, a blur against the black of the Thunderpath. A colossal vibration pumelled through the earth, and Skypaw screamed her Clan-mate's name as loud as she could. The sound was detached, and she could feel herself moving, but Littlepaw's teeth had fastened in the scruff of her neck, and she was being pulled backwards, backwards, backwards. Something huge passed in front of them, a blur of metal - a monster, and then Skypaw was sobbing into the grass, afraid to look up, but she felt herself moving, being dragged farther and farther away…

She was floating, and when she opened her eyes, a golden-orange sun was painted against the backdrop of a lush forest. She made out two figures and two figures alone: Runningpaw standing on the crest of the hill and Rustfur only a few paw-steps before Skypaw herself. The light from the sun washed over the trees, shining directly into her eyes so against the brightness she could only see two silhouettes. The distance closed between Runningpaw and Rustfur, and then they were together, as they should be, and light faded entirely into Skypaw's vision as she fell back to the world of the living.

Littlepaw was stroking her flank gently with his tail when she came to.

"I called the others," said Littlepaw. "Lionstar will send someone to get Rustfur's corpse." Hearing the words, Skypaw stiffened, and a horrified cry escaped her jaws.

"Shhhh," soothed Littlepaw, crouching beside her. "Don't look. You've been through a lot today. Just rest. I'll make sure you get back safely."

Under the soft caress of her brother's tail, Skypaw let herself tumble back into unconsciousness.

So, what did you think? More death and destruction! Death and destruction is everywhere! And we haven't even gotten to the characters you've actually invested real emotions into yet...heheheheh. Oh, writing is wonderful.

Evilness aside, please remember to review/favorite/follow whatever you decide deserves it. Reading your comments really makes my day and reminds me to keep reading, so I really appreciate anything you have to say! I'm SUPER ahead of schedule now, so I wouldn't expect another chapter of this in the super-near future. I need to catch up on War of Shadows now...ha...

Elsi out!