Chapter 26: True Colors

So...my training continued normally. Hollystar had me attack her a few more times, then we sharpened up on proper hunting techniques. Then we went back to the Clan. Nettlepaw wasn't in the apprentices' den when I got there. The rest of the apprentices were, though, and already asleep. Her mentor probably pushed her a lot today, considering his deep feelings of hatred for me.

"Darkpaw..." A tom whispered. He had black and white fur. Dark brown eyes. He was small... Newly apprenticed? Or just a runt?

I glared at him, wanting sleep. I had been busy the last few days, after all. Plus, it seemed like everything was against me. I couldn't get a break! "What do you want?" I growled.

He flinched. Did I look that pissed off then? Once he recovered, he shifted on his paws and took a deep breath, "We were wondering if you would help us with our fighting skills." He asked quickly, "With you, you know, being a rogue and good fighter and all. We were hoping that you would help us. We could help our Clan better that way."

I narrowed my eyes. The apprentices wanted my help. Weren't they scared to death of me? Why would they possibly think I would just help them out of the blue like that?

He stared at me with worry in his eyes. All the other apprentices were watching him. Fear ran rabid through the den. I tilted my head. This would take some thinking. I mean, really, I didn't know anyone in the Clan. I doubt I would know everyone in a season. There were so many cats, and so many of those cats were afraid of me. They wouldn't approach me. If I approached them they would run away.

I looked into his eyes. Soul-searching stuff. He had never broken any rules, for fear of being punished. Hollystar had burned into him the fact that any rule broken would result in death. A great tactic, if you ask me. Though it also meant that you weren't able to live without fear. Fear is something that makes you stronger, yes, but living without fear is wonderful too. And once you discover something that you're really afraid of, you're truly free. You know what's right and what's wrong. You know what makes you...you. Your fears are you personality, in a way. They define what you can and can't do. If you have an overwhelming fear of spiders, for example, it means you probably won't be going into caves or really dense forests. You'll be constantly be looking for spider webs. You'll never take a chance to be poisoned by one.

"So...?" He questioned.

I blinked. No answer was required. He would want one, but no response from me was required. He knew. I would help him once he stopped fearing death and started fearing the things that actually needed to be feared. And I told him that with my eyes.

"Okay..." He squeaked, I was glad he was able to understand me.

Then he ran back to his nest and curled up to sleep. I did the same, wishing for sleep to come a lot quicker than it had the last couple of days. Luckily it did. I was welcomed to the darkness' spell of sleep the moment I closed my eyes.

I'm in some sort of cage. There's a crowed of cats around me, hissing and growling. Behind me, was another cage. Inside, was some sort of dog-like thing. But it had wings. Large white wings. It's eyes were blood red. It stared back at me, looking nervous. I walked toward it, it walked toward me. I snarled at it, it snarled right back at me. That's when I realized that...it was me. Behind me was a mirror. And I was a dog-like thing with wings.

"Everyone!" One of the cats yowled above the rest, "It's time for him to receive his punishment!" The crowd howled with delight. The growls and hisses grew. I couldn't help but wonder what I did to deserve this, "This wolf has broken several laws of ours. He must be punished."

What rules did I break? I haven't done anything!

"He's written his own story, his own destiny. He's cheated death multiple times. He's been reborn several times. He's even lived two lives at the same time."

I stood there, baffled. How could I have possibly done all these things? I mean, of course I write my own destiny. Who doesn't? But how have I lived two lives at the same time? It seems unreal. Then again, this is a dream.

"Do you think he deserves to die?" The cat asked. Everyone around me responded with yowls of agreement.

I looked at my reflection. I had wings. That weren't chained, I might add. I was stronger than these cats. Larger. Stronger. My claws were definitely longer. And I had the killing instinct. Or curse. However you want to put it. The leading cat came to unlock my cage. As soon as the door opened, I lifted my wings from my side and flew out as fast as I could. The cats howled and yowled and tried to come after me. A couple of them had wings as well. It was only then that I realized all of them sparkled with stars.

StarClan... The fated gods of the forest Clans wanted to kill me. Was this dream happening in real life? Was this simply a message, or a vision?

The time has come for fate to be undone.

I nearly stopped flying at the sudden voice. It was different. Calming. A voice that didn't sound like it meant to kill me.

Let the night's breeze heal you. Let the flaming blaze guide you. Let the nettle's thorns beside you.

Then I stopped flying. I fell to the ground. I looked up at the sky. The stars twinkled, and I felt my eyes bleeding. I felt the red color was fading. I was back in the cage. I was a kit again. Two moons old, right before I was cursed with this bloodlust. My eyes were bleeding. The red color was fading. I smiled. Looking right at my eyes. Once the bleeding stopped, they were back to normal.

One eye blue, and one...white.

I was back to being mother's little 'kit freak'.

I was almost afraid to wake up. If that dream was real, then my eyes went back to their original colors. It would mean I would be judged again. It would mean that Opin would have even more reason to hate me.

"Darkpaw." Hollystar prodded me with a paw, "Come on, it's time to start training."

I sighed, and hoped that my eyes had remained amber. I slowly opened them. Hollystar beaconed me like nothing wrong. I was glad. For once something good happened to me.

The time has come for fate to be undone. Let the nettle's thorns beside you. Let the flaming blaze guide you. Let the night's breeze heal you.

I scented her. Her. She was watching me. She wanted to kill me. Just like I killed her. Well...I wouldn't let her. I had just started my journey. And it seemed like I was finally started to see things the way I used to. In blue and white.

Broken of Towering Trees - Darkpaw would love to join Terror's blood-fest. And, Terror, I recommend that you let your owner go. And so you don't try to kill me too, here a cookie!

-Moon