Chapter 28: Just a Crazy Vision-Like Dream

I'm in the cage again. The stupid freaking cage. There's no mirror this time. I can't see if my eyes are red, or their original colors. It's night. No angry cats are here. No crowds of hissing and spitting and growling. I paid more attention to my surroundings this time. Without the crowd, it's a lot easier to focus. There's a bunch of trees, bushes, and dens around the cage. I'm guessing some sort of main base. I can see faint outlines of sleeping figures in the dens. And everything's also covered in stars. Peaceful. Probably won't be when they wake up. They'll see me and go into a frenzy again. I just have to wonder why I'm here in the first place.

"You want to know why you're here?" A voice asks, "I can tell you, for a price."

I spun around, looking for the source of the voice. It was deep. A tom. As I thought about it, the more I realized it was the voice from my dream where I was in that clearing with the star-covered pool. The same exact voice. What was he doing here?

"Cat...I thought you would be better than this." He mewed sadly. Then he appeared in front of me, just outside the cage. He was a brown tabby tom. With amber eyes like mine.

"Who are you?" I growled.

He smiled, genuinely smiled, then growled, "You're here because you've failed in your quest to rise above evil, by being evil yourself." His eyes narrowed, "But you've gained more kindness than I can allow you to have. I'm stripping you're cat-body cover, and you'll return to being what you truly are. A sly fox-hearted wolf."

I was in absolute shock. I wasn't supposed to have kindness in me? But then...why would everyone be practically fighting to be my close acquaintance? That makes no sense. I'm supposed to be kind. I'm sure of that.

A break of metal broke my thinking trance. The tom was now with me in my cage. His eyes stared deep into mine. It was like he was trying to kill me with just eye contact. I know some say that looks can kill, but it's not actually true. Believe me, if it were everyone would be dead.

"H-how?" The tom stammered, backing away, "How can you have such a barrier?"

The time has come for fate to be undone.

He stared at the sky, at the voice who conjured those nine words, "No! That's not the prophecy, that's a myth!"

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

I watched the tom growl and hiss at the sky. A badger appeared next to me. I was too frozen in fear of the sudden appearance to move. Even though I was a cold-hearted killer, I was still scared of badgers.

"This life not die, Bramblestar." The badger growled. It's voice was raspy and old. I was just surprised it could speak cat, "This life too valuable to die. Wolf counterpart live to. You not interfere." It looked at me, giving me what seemed to be a sad smile, before turning back to Bramblestar. The badger walked over to the tom, giving a stern glare.

"I thought you were on my side! You helped me with so many things!" He threw himself on the badger, attempting to claw its fur.

In turn, the badger quickly shook Bramblestar off, "I am helping." It growled.

Bramblestar hissed, then ran off. The badger then turned to me in triumph. I was still sort of cowering in a corner.

"Cat get up now." It ordered, "You want me give answers, yes?"

I nodded.

The badger gave off a sound that was like a laugh, but also a dying cat's yelp, "Okay. I tell you story." It grunted as it sat down, "Long ago, seasons back in cat history, Dark Forest attacked. Once battle finished, Clans won, they wished for no more aim for attack. StarClan decide to make special cat with love for blood only. Cat would send evil soul to Dark Forest, then StarClan send evil soul to prison-like place. At death of Opin, most evil of all, StarClan decide to send message so Opin make work less. Opin make ShadowLands, where bad cats go for punishment.

"At death of Joann, Opin find chance to attack you. She has most hate for you, yes?" It laughed again, "Joann change name to Frost, for meaning, and decide revenge is best choice. She follow Opin now. With lot of hate.

"And you. You gain kind heart. Bramblestar does not like. He think all should go his plan. He think new prophecy has no value. It has most value. Most important prophecy received. Fate of entire world, rests in your paws."

The badger's voice stopped. I glanced over at it. It's eyes were closed.

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

The badger's eyes opened, "Stars say you are on right path. Keep up good work. Don't listen to stupid tom. He might have been wise before, but he not at all now." It laughed, and everything went black.

I was jolted awake. The moon shone into the den, it's light settling on me. I slowly got up, shakily because of my dream. I couldn't make sense of what happened. How was I supposed to save the entire world? I could barely keep my anger under control. It was absolutely hopeless. I walked out of the den, my legs feeling foreign on my body. I saw Fogstep at the entrance of the camp. Guarding, I guess. Making sure we got a good night sleep. He was a good choice for that, despite his little anger problem. As I got closer to Fogstep, his eyes focused on me.

"Ahh!" He yowled in alarm when he saw me, "How did you get in here, wolf?"

What? Wolf? No...no no no no no no. Please, no. I don't want to be a wolf in my real life too! That was just some crazy dream! That stupid, weird, strangely spiritual badger wasn't real, Bramblestar wasn't real, nothing in that weird mindscape was real! Crap...

Fogstep had woken up the warriors in the camp by then. All of them frightened of my presence. I needed to say something! But my voice wouldn't work. Everything I said ended up being a growl in another language I didn't understand. I couldn't comprehend. No one would be able to comprehend it. Then they started to attack me. I stood still. I let them attack me. I wasn't about to kill anymore of my new Clanmates.

"We'll kill you, you little savage!" A tom yowled.

"You're a no good fiend!" Another growled.

They slashed at me, growling and hissing. I did nothing to stop them. It wasn't worth the deaths to fight them.

Blood was seeping out of my body like a waterfall. I felt no pain. I was losing sight. And I actually was glad. No one else would be hurt.

"STOP!" Everyone paused. They backed off, and let Hollystar through. I glared at her. Didn't she see that I was completely okay with dying? But she just looked at me, with a strange expression, "I see that the curse has finally begun to fade." She mewed, "I knew Opin wouldn't let you live this long."

HELLO FRIENDS! I'm so sorry I didn't respond to you're lovely reviews last chapter. I wanted to upload the chapter before I went to sleep that night, and I completely forgot I had people who loved my lovely story and reviewed. So here's the reviews:

Shademoon the Forgotten Soul - Why thank you! I'm actually thinking of writing a story that will be published in the near future

Broken of Towering Trees - Broken...I think you may have a little problem. Terror and Darkpaw might have a tiny inkling to kill you.

Timbermist - I love your declarations of 'nice chapter'! They warm my demon heart.

So now that's out of the way, I have an announcement to make! I've come up with the idea of a new story to write! What I want to know is if you want me to work on both Life of Cat and new story at same time, or finish this and then work on new story. It will all count on the votes.

-Moon