CHAPTER 43-Pathway Between Worlds

In my dreams, I was being chased by a large, murky figure. It was bulky and thick, yet it was extremely agile and stayed right at my heels no matter how fast I sprinted. I didn't dare look back, but I knew that if I did, I would see a black, hollowed out shell of its face, a melted and sunken in surface with empty sockets for eyes. Its claws were as large as powerful as a tiger's, and it ran in long leaps and bounds. I tried desperately to lose it, but it just kept coming back. What did it want from me?

I woke up with a gasp. My neck was stiff and my body was trembling. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears beating a mile a minute. I tried to move, but realized that my legs were tangled in the tails of Snowstorm and Dewstep. As I stared at the peaceful expressions of their sleeping faces, I forced myself to relax. It was just a nightmare, I told myself.

Pip was nestled by my side, her breath whistling in and out with every intake of air. She stirred in her sleep. As the moon shone down from the sky, it glinted on her needle-like teeth as she softly snarled in her dreams.

I looked around the meadow. Starlight had collected on the plants and were now forming dew on the leaves. The night was still young, and I had to get back to sleep. However, I was far from comforted. My nerves were set on edge, and my hackles were rising. I didn't know why, but for some reason, I had the feeling of being watched. I peered into the shadows, but couldn't see a thing.

There! Something stirred in the undergrowth. Whatever it was, it was dark and murky.

I noticed the change almost immediately. The crickets stopped chirping. The cicadas stopped humming. Even the wind was gone. It seemed that the forest was holding its breath, listening, waiting, watching, willing the intruder to go away.

I knew this feeling. I had felt it before. I had even seen it, with Dewstep. It was the same, shivery feeling that seeped from the ground and nestled deep into the crevices of my bones. It chilled me to the very core.

The fear I felt was overwhelming as I quietly watched the shape flit swiftly over the cover of the darkness. It halted, paused, its claw hovering over the air, and then with a few flying leaps, it had bounded out of view.

Where was the Darkling going? I glanced back at my companions, who were snoring soundly, and hurried after it quietly. I had to find out what its intentions were. Even though I was afraid, I had to do it. This might be the only chance I would get.

The Darkling bounded energetically through the night with fluid motions, its pelt blending perfectly into the black background. It almost looked like a dark thundercloud gliding through the air. Its long claws clacked softly against the rocks.

I hurried after it a few paces behind, trying not to make any noise. I followed it over bushes and hills, clambering past boulders and slipping on wet mud. As I pulled myself up from a large rock, I paused in shock when I realized that I was at the Moonpool. The water swam and glittered with ripples as the moonlight shone softly on its surface, polishing it like a huge mirror. I furrowed my brow. Did the water seem diluted for some reason? I inched my way closer. The liquid was pale, as if someone had dabbed and mixed ink into it. It was now a shade of grey that matched the colors of the rocks surrounding it, instead of the brilliant sparkling blue that it used to be. But what was the Darkling doing here?

The creature crouched down and stared into the Moonpool, its face expressionless and its empty eye sockets scrunched up. As I watched, it dipped a sliver of its claw into the water. The Moonpool seemed to shudder and shiver at the touch, making thousands of ripples slide and disappear into its surface. The Darkling stood up and bunched up its hind legs. It suddenly leaped into the pool and disappeared into its depths.

There wasn't even a splash. It just seemed to float over the pond like a fog and dissolve into the water. Ugly, grey flowers bloomed up from underneath the Moonpool's silver surface, turning the water into an even darker shade. It was as if someone had poured buckets of ink into it.

I shrank back into my hiding place as two more Darklings appeared. They did the exact same thing and dove into the pool, vanishing and swirling into nothingness once they hit the water.

I held my breath and waited. A cold wind blew over the land, as if the forest had finally let out the breath that it had been holding. Slowly, the crickets and cicadas started humming again.

After nothing else happened, I stood up and shook my numb limbs, and then padded over to the edge of the Moonpool. I peered down at it.

It was now almost completely dull grey, except for a few shimmers of starlight that clung stubbornly to its edges. I crinkled my eyes. I knew for a fact that the Moonpool wasn't supposed to look like this. It was so thick and foggy that I couldn't even see my reflection in it.

What had the Darklings done?

Hesitantly, I drew out a paw and lightly trailed it over the water's surface. To my surprise, the Moonpool seemed to tremble slightly. However, after a little while, I felt it...relax. For some reason, in my mind, I heard a sigh, a sound so mournful and weary that it chilled my heart. I shook my head. I was only imagining things.

I slowly pressed my paw deeper into the water, trying to see what would happen. Instead of being thin and clean, the water was thick and churning like swamp mud. There was definitely something wrong with it.

At first, it was cold and clammy and seemed to swim away from my touch, but after a while, it appeared to grow slightly warmer. It swirled and circled my paw and felt like it was actually hugging it, wrapping its invisible arms around me. A gentle kind of warmth, subtle and vague, weakly pulsed against my limb.

I tried to peer into the foggy surface but couldn't see the bottom. How deep was the Moonpool, anyway? I leaned in closer.

The mud on the bank was smooth and wet and I suddenly felt myself slipping. With a soft cry, I quickly backed away and tried to pull myself out, but my hind legs went sliding out from underneath me. I only had a few seconds to hold my breath before I was dunked into the pool. Brown bubbles swam around my eyes like minnows. The slightly warm liquid circled me and seemed to be stroking me with its waves. It felt oddly comforting. For some reason, I felt myself growing sleepy. Unable to stay awake any longer, I closed my eyes to the gentle feeling of a warm, beating heart.

OoOooOoOoOOoOoOoOOoooOOOooooooooOOOo

When I opened my eyes again, I was jostled lightly by the fact that I was no longer underwater. How did that happen?

My fur wasn't even wet. I looked around at my surroundings in disbelief. Silver trees with starlit leaves covered every inch of grass. The round moon shone on the clearing with a soft white light, and tiny stars twinkled high up above. A shimmering, silver coat covered everything like a fine, soft dust, and it would have been peaceful except for the fact of one thing.

The thin, smoky fog that hung around the branches of the trees seemed oddly out of place. It diluted the bright sheen of the forest and choked out most of the rays of moonlight. It smelled dusty.

A few feet behind me lay the Moonpool. I crouched and stared at it, wondering if answers would float up on the surface. Was the Moonpool some sort of gateway, a door or portal to another place?

"What are you doing here?" someone sharply hissed. I whirled around, my fur bristling.

An ancient, shaggy dark grey she-cat was standing before me. Her face was covered with battle-scars and her amber eyes glared at me sternly.

"Yellowfang?" I breathed. The she-cat was surprised.

"Shadefrost?" she rasped. "Did you go through the Moonpool?"

Looking back at the water behind me, I replied, "Yes. I accidently fell in and ended up here."

I narrowed my eyes. "Wait...is this StarClan?"

Yellowfang dipped her head and croaked, "So you figured it out. The Moonpool is a portal between the existing world and the afterlife, a bridge between the living and the dead. That's why the Clan cats come here to speak with us. It's a connection between us and them."

An echoing howl shattered the stillness of this world. I hissed in fear. Far away, a Darkling was letting out its ear-splitting scream.

The old medicine cat's eyes hardened and she placed a ragged paw on my shoulder.

She growled, "It's not safe to be out here in the open. Quick, we'll have to hide. I'll explain as much as I can along the way."

She skirted around a bush and vanished, her tail streaming out behind her. Her fear scent was strong. It sent my nerves spiraling into a frenzy, and after another Darkling let out a high-pitched yowl, I quickly scrambled to my paws and dove after her.

Slightly limping, she led me to a crevice underneath a boulder. I squeezed in after her, wincing at the tight place I was in. Her amber eyes glowed ominously as she studied me. There was a silence as she narrowed her eyes and sniffed me.

"You're quite thin for a ThunderClan cat," she scoffed. "Not a single muscle anywhere in your body. How do you plan on saving the four Clans if you aren't even that strong?"

I stirred but didn't snap back at her with a sharp retort. It took a lot more than that to get me angry.

"So I'm supposed to save all four of the Clans? But from what?" I asked.

She heaved a tired sigh. "Make that five Clans, not four. You have to save StarClan as well."

My eyes widened in shock. StarClan, the heavenly Clan, the home and afterlife of brave leaders and noble warriors, was in trouble?

She continued, "I'll explain. Many moons ago, before you arrived into the Clans, StarClan has sensed the barrier around the Boneyard disintegrating and breaking down. That meant that all of the Darklings contained in it were slowly leaking out one by one into the forest. If enough of them escape, everyone will be doomed."

She broke off, as if listening to something far away. Our breathing was loud against the silence.

"You saw it yourself. You saw the Darklings jumping into and going through the portal in the Moonpool. And do you know where they end up?" she continued.

I gasped. "They cross the bridge between the living and the dead and find themselves in StarClan." That's how I had ended up here, after I fell into the water.

The medicine cat closed her eyes and nodded. "The Pool is a door, opening and closing only when it senses that the cat passing through is no threat. But sometimes, that door can be forced open, like in the case with the Darklings."

I wrinkled my brow. "What do you mean, that the Pool can sense things?"

"Oh, Shadefrost. You felt it yourself as you jumped through the portal. You felt its warmth trickling through your fur. You felt a deep pulsing humming in your ears as it opened its door for you. Don't tell me that you haven't figured it out yet."

I stared at her in disbelief as the realization dawned on me.

"That's right, Shadefrost," she purred softly. "The Moonpool is alive. It's got a heart and soul of its own."

I stammered, "But...but how...it...it's only water! How can that be possible?"

Yellowfang turned her head to lick the matted fur on her shoulder. "Not a lot of cats know about it. Not even Jayfeather. The Moonpool only shows its warmth and pulse to someone it can truly trust."

"Why does it trust me?"

"Because you are StarClan's chosen cat. You are the savior of all of us, for you are the one cat who shines brighter than any sun."

I felt a sense of gentleness stirring inside me. The Moonpool actually believed in me.

Yellowfang's tone grew grave. "But as more of the Darklings are escaping, they are forcing their way through that door. The Moonpool is growing weaker and slower. That's why it has lost its usual silver luster. If we don't stop it soon, it will fold in on itself, along with StarClan. Firestar must have told you that, a long time ago. Our territory is collapsing, and the spirits of the ancient cats with it. Our connection to the living is growing more and more distant. Soon, we will only be a faint dream of things that used to be, and we will be unable to communicate with the living Clans. We will disappear forever."

"But why are the Darklings doing this?"

"They are smarter than you think. They know what they are doing. They have their own evil plans."

I stared down at my paws, my heart troubled. "And if StarClan vanishes, the Clans will have nothing to look up to. They will disappear along with you."

I flinched. The Darklings weren't only a threat to ghosts, but to the living as well. They had almost killed Dewstep. And I couldn't forget what they did to the Ancients.

I peered out of our hiding place and gaped in shock at what the world suddenly looked like. The trees and grass were grainy and blurred, as if it was a black-and-white photograph. "What's happening?" I whispered. Even my voice seemed hollow and empty.

Yellowfang rasped mournfully, "That is what the Darklings are doing to this place. They are tearing it down with their claws and distorting it and shaping it into something sinister. That's what the shadows can do."

"How can I stop it?"

Time seemed to stop as she peered sadly into my eyes, her expression melancholic and full of woe.

"I don't know," she murmured quietly.

I clawed at the ground in frustration, leaving thin marks in the dull earth. "But surely you must have an idea. There must be a solution."

Yellowfang placed a paw gently over mine, pressing it softly. When she looked at me, her eyes were old and tired. "Stop the Darklings, Shadefrost," she murmured. "Find a way to get rid of them forever. I'm not asking you this time. I'm begging. Please save us."

I clenched my teeth as I stared back at her sorrowfully. I didn't know what to do.

Trying to change the subject, I peered out of the hiding place. "Where's everyone else?" I asked.

"They are all dead or in hiding. The Darklings prowl in StarClan's territory frequently. They kill anyone they see."

I gazed at her questioningly. She smiled gently. "Oh, don't worry. Every StarClan cat that you know are still alive: Bluestar, Lionheart, Firestar, Feathertail, Hollyleaf, and all the rest. They're only hiding somewhere."

Out of the corner of my eye, the Moonpool glistened quietly.

"I'd better get going now," I murmured. I felt uneasy in this place, where every StarClan cat had to hide in order to live. The Darklings might know that I was here.

Yellowfang poked her head out and looked around, her gaze flickering uneasily. "I don't see any Darklings right now. Just start running and don't look back. Jump into the Moonpool, and it should be able to lead you back to the Lake."

I nodded, thanking her. Right before I left, she licked my shoulder fondly and muttered, "Whatever happens, know that you are a brave warrior of ThunderClan. And a ThunderClan warrior never gives up."

I blinked at her warmly. Sucking in a deep breath, I leaped to my paws and sprinted away, keeping my stomach close to the ground. The Moonpool glimmered in front of me, only a few yards away.

Suddenly, something huge and dark was charging up behind me. Its presence chilled me to the bone, and even without looking back, I knew what it was.

Almost there! My paws flew from underneath me as I kicked the ground and soared through the air. I splashed into the Pool and felt its waves engulf me.

Closing my eyes, I could feel its subtle warmth gather me tight into its arms. The dull, thudding beat of something ancient was amplified louder by being underwater. The Moonpool murmured quietly. I felt its warmth flare up for a moment, almost to the point of boiling. I clenched my teeth and tried to endure it.

This wasn't just ordinary heat, I realized. It was love. The Moonpool was bursting with it as I sank deeper into its depths, feeling its warm rays sooth me. The Moonpool loved me. Its affection bubbled up toward me and lifted me up, heating up my bones and making my fur sizzle.

Before I knew it, I was coughing and sputtering up at the surface, back in ThunderClan territory.

The waves gently lapped at my heels as I pulled myself out, shivering. The sun was starting to break over the horizon.

I shook my fur, drying it out the best I could, and hurried back to the meadow. Before I left, I threw one quick glance over my shoulder. The Moonpool lay still and silent, and in my mind, I heard it sigh.

This time, I knew that I wasn't imagining it.