Chapter 18 An Unexpected Dream
After the kits left the punishment den, night had fallen, the full moon rose, and Lightpaw fell asleep. When he woke up, he wasn't laying on his nest, but rather, he was in the forest. Lightpaw got up and looked around; it was nighttime, but he didn't recognize the area of the forest he was in.
"LIGHTPAW!" a voice yowled.
Lightpaw turned around and saw two cats approaching him. Both cats had stars glimmering their pelt, but one was a white tom with black paws, eartips, tailtip, chest, and blue eyes and the other was a white she-cat with emerald green eyes. Lightpaw realized he was in Starclan as he recognized the white she-cat as his grandmother and guessed that the white tom was his grandfather. He had never met him, but knew him from the stories the elders would tell, but how was he in Starclan? Then again, how were they both in Starclan? They had committed crimes against slaves and their own warriors, how could they possibly be in Starclan? Surely Starclan wouldn't forgive them for that, would they? Lightpaw unsheathed his claws and glared at them as he didn't want to talk to them.
"What do you want?" he snarled.
"Relax sweetie, we just want to talk." Snowstar meowed.
"Yeah? Well I'm not interested." Lightpaw spat.
"You will be when you here what we have to say." Pondstar sneered.
"Oh, and what is that?" Lightpaw asked.
"It's about the path you are taking, Lightpaw. Please, don't do this." Snowstar pleaded.
"How do you know what I'm up to?" Lightpaw asked confused.
"This is Starclan, Lightpaw. We see and know everything." Pondstar retorted.
"We need you to end your anti-slave ways, now. Please Lightpaw, before it's too late." Snowstar pleaded.
"Oh, so now you decide to tell me how to live my own life." Lightpaw growled.
"What does that even mean?" Pondstar asked appalled.
"You finally decide to tell someone how to live their own life, but what about Whitestar? You could've told him it was a bad idea to take over Darkclan, but instead, you let it happen. You know what, why even come to me if you just want me to give up something that is important to me. You both have committed crimes against slaves and your warriors, how are you even in Starclan?!" Lightpaw hissed.
"Lightpaw…" Snowstar meowed solemnly.
"That's enough you two." A voice meowed.
All three cats looked and saw a blue-grey she-cat with black stripes and amber eyes approaching them. Like Pondstar and Snowstar, the she-cat had stars glimmering on her pelt.
"Riverstripe, what are you doing here?" Snowstar asked.
"Riverstripe?" Lightpaw meowed confused.
"Making sure you two leave him alone, it's none of your business." Riverstripe snarled.
"None of our business?!" Snowstar yowled.
"Are you not concerned that Lightpaw is going down a dark path?" Pondstar asked enraged.
"A dark path?! Like the one you two took?! The one that made you kill your own warriors and slaves?! That dark path?!" Riverstripe hissed.
Before Snowstar or Pondstar could reply, Riverstripe motioned for Lightpaw to follow her and both cats walked away. As they did, Lightpaw wanted to confirm his theory.
"M-Mom?" he asked.
Riverstripe stopped and turn around; giving him a smile any mother would. Lightpaw was right, this was his mom. He was overjoyed and shocked that for the first time…he gets to meet his mom. Lightpaw ran up to her and buried his head into her chest. Riverstripe wrapped her paw around Lightpaw's shoulder and purred at the sight of her young son. For many moons, she could never be there for her kits. All she could do was watch over them, but now, this was her chance.
"Oh Lightpaw, I'm so proud of you. You've gotten so big." Riverstripe purred.
Lightpaw looked at his mom and saw sadness in her eyes. Riverstripe let go of him and backed up a bit.
"I'm sorry about Darkpaw, Lightpaw. He was good, loyal, and kind. It hurts me to see him die in fear and pain." She meowed.
"And at the paws of your own mate." Lightpaw murmured.
"I'm angry at your father for what he did. I couldn't believe he would do such a thing. I always thought he was different." Riverstripe signed.
Lightpaw couldn't blame his mom. He had always looked up to his father and always wanted to be just like him, but now, after losing Darkpaw, Lightpaw lost all faith, love, and hope in him. Riverstripe placed her tail underneath Lightpaw's chin and raised it up a bit.
"Come Lightpaw, we need to talk." She meowed.
Both cats started walking and as they did, Lightpaw admired the scenery all around him. Everything was beautiful; fireflies glowed all around, the stars sparkled like twilight crystals, and the full moon glowed like the milky way. Lightpaw was in awe of all of it.
"Darkpaw must love this." He thought.
Lightpaw's ears flattened and he looked down gloomfully. Any thought of Darkpaw at all brought Lightpaw into depression. If there was anything he could do to change Darkpaw's fate, it would be killing Moon when he had the chance. Lightpaw wondered if Riverstripe had ever visited his father or aunt Cloudberry's dreams. I mean, since Whitestar is her mate and Cloudberry is her sister, it only seemed fair, right?
"You know, Cloudberry misses you." Lightpaw meowed.
"I know, I miss her too. She's a wonderful medicine cat." Riverstripe purred.
"Hey mom, can I ask, how is grandma and grandpa even in Starclan?" Lightpaw asked.
"Trust me Lightpaw, I had the same question when I came here." Riverstripe meowed sternly.
Lightpaw just nodded. As the two kept walking, Lightpaw heard a couple of young voices laughing. He ran up to them and hid in the bushes. In a distance, there was Darkpaw; talking to other former slave apprentices and basically having a nice time. Lightpaw smiled as Darkpaw laughed at one of the apprentice's jokes; knowing that he was safe and at peace. Before Lightpaw could call out for Darkpaw and run up to him, Riverstripe stopped him.
"Not tonight Lightpaw, we don't have much time." She meowed.
Riverstripe led him ahead. As they kept walking, Riverstripe turned her head and saw Lightpaw in tears.
"Lightpaw, are you okay?" she asked.
At this point, he was in the verge of crying. Riverstripe walked over and let Lightpaw bury his head into her chest as she wrapped her paw around his shoulder.
"It's all my fault! I should've gotten that similar plant instead of him, I should've fought harder, I should've killed Moon when I had the chance!" Lightpaw sobbed.
"Shh. It's not your fault, you did what you had to do." Riverstripe comforted.
She let go of him as Lightpaw looked up; tears still swelling his eyes. Riverstripe gave a comforting smile.
"Now come, there's something I have to tell you." She meowed.
Lightpaw wiped off his tears and both cats continued walking. As they did, Lightpaw noticed his mother being serious about something.
"You see Lightpaw, Pondstar was not wrong. Not about you being an anti-slave cat, but the other path." Riverstripe explained.
"The other path?" Lightpaw meowed confused.
"The path you're taking will lead to very dangerous consequences, Lightpaw. Ones I know that…if someone finds out, it could destroy Lightclan." Riverstripe warned.
"Wait what? What kind of consequences?!" Lightpaw asked alarmed.
They stopped in a clearing where there was a stone platform with a large boulder behind it. Riverstripe got on the platform, sat at the edge, closed her eyes, then opened them; revealing all glowing white eyes. Light shined all around Lightpaw; making it harder for him to see.
"Light and Dark will come together to rule the forest, but if the White stone crushes the dark, then light will claw the White stone and choose the path of light or dark."