Chapter 2: Like Father Like Son

I had just gotten back from my hunt with my family when I noticed Squirrelpaw looking more upset than usual. She was always a bit easy to upset given her tendency to butt herself into other cat's issues and subsequently being snubbed, but she usually wasn't this upset. I decided to check on her.

"Hey Squirrelpaw. What's got your tail in a twist?" I asked nonchalantly.

"That stupid Bramblebutt! I know he's hiding something from me. He's been walking around all day looking lost in thought. I wanted to help him out, but he called me just an apprentice. Ooh! Where does he get the nerve saying something like that?" She ranted.

I tipped my head as I gave her a kinder rebuttal. "Well, we are still apprentices. There are some things we just aren't equipped to handle yet, but you may be onto something if he isn't informing anyone else. Want me to sic Father on him?" I responded.

"No. I want to deal with this. He can't keep putting me off like this. I need to prove to him that I'm not just some apprentice. He'll have to tell me then." Squirrelpaw replied.

"Ok. Just know the offer still stands if you change your mind. I'll be in the den if you need me." I stated, beginning to turn away.

"Wait! I just got a great idea. I heard him muttering something about Fourtrees tonight. How about we stalk him?" Squirrelpaw proposed.

"I don't know. Sneaking out to Fourtrees seems like something Father would want to hear about." I answered, not totally onboard with her idea.

"Come on! It'll be easy. If anything bad happens, we'll just sprint back here and let Firestar know. I can't do this without my best friend." Squirrelpaw whined.

That tone was my weakness. It always hurt my ears when she whined like that. I'd usually just give in to her idea when she'd whine. Today was no exception. "Alright, fine! Just knock it off with the whining. You know it hurts my ears." I begrudgingly responded.

Squirrelpaw gave a small happy jump as she heard my response. "Yes! Let's do it! Remember, tonight!" Squirrelpaw squeed.

She took off into the apprentice's den to catch a nap before our outing. I decided to catch one as well, despite how I knew it would wreak havoc on my sense of time tomorrow. Whatever Brambleclaw was up to, I could feel it was important.

As I drifted off into a nap, I felt a strange sensation of falling come over me. It made my eyes snap open, but I wasn't in the apprentice den anymore. I was in some sort of strange dead forest. The mud that I found myself standing in reeked. It reminded me of that time I found a rotten bird egg. I scrunched up my muzzle in disgust. How could anyone stand this place? It was as I was reeling my head back, trying to clear my nose of that nasty smell that I caught sight of a rather large and intimidating tortoiseshell molly. She was lounging on a branch above me, looking upon me with curiosity. She caught that I spotted her and leapt down to meet me.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't little Darkpaw. I always wondered if you'd wander in here. Taking a better look at you, you are so much like your Father." She mewed, brushing past me and smacking me in the face with her tail.

"Who are you?!" I growled, sinking into the battle position Stonestep taught me.

"I'm surprised Smudgefoot didn't mention me after all we've been through. Oh, woe is me?" She theatrically decried, clearly messing with me. Cats usually don't talk like that unless I was missing something. That had to be it. I had all the pieces to figure this out, but what was I missing? I fell asleep and ended up here. There are no tracks, so I wasn't moved. I highly doubt that this is Starclan given this place's desolation. Thus, there was only one answer. This place had to be the Darkforest. And if this was the Darkforest and Father had some relation to this molly, then this cat must be the dark queen Mapleshade.

"You're Mapleshade!" I answered quickly.

Mapleshade let out a loud laugh at my response. "Yep. Exactly like him. You amuse me kit,"

"Did you call me here?" I asked.

"Sort of. I was meaning to get Smudgefoot, but I got you instead. You two are really similar. I must have grabbed the wrong one, but this does present an opportunity. I'm going to pass on a warning I meant to give to your Father. Something big is about to go down. I'm no Starclan cat, but even here I can feel the incoming catastrophe. Smudgefoot is going to have to keep busy helping his clan, but I believe you could do something about it. You've got that same darkness as your father. Fate and prophecy ripple in your wake. I'm going to offer to do something I did to your Father long ago if you are willing. I can bind myself to you, acting as an invisible guide when you need it or simply keeping in touch with your Father. Are you willing to accept?" She offered.

I froze for a moment, processing her offer. Every cat knew the story of Mapleshade, the vengeful queen, but I also had Father's words. He described her as an ally of opportunity. She definitely wasn't a good cat, but Father described his bond with her as something similar to a heavy rock. She was like a branch, easily getting swept away in the currents of a stream, but the rock created a wake that she could comfortably sit in to keep there. In essence, he gave her access to the living world, even if she was intangible. The real question was if I could trust her. She didn't seem hostile to me, but that could be because she was manipulating me. Who knows if she really grabbed the wrong cat or was just trying to lure me into a trap. She was far larger than me and could easily beat me in a fight, but I also knew this was a dream. I probably couldn't die here. Ultimately, I decided to accept her offer. If the clans were in as much danger as she said, I'd need all the help I could get.

"Fine. I'll let you attach yourself to me." I answered, still on guard in case she decided to jump me.

"Don't worry. I'm sure it'll be less disorienting than when I did it to your Father. You'll feel a bit dizzy when you wake up. That's normal. Also, don't freak out when you see me there." She answered, pushing her forehead into mine.

It felt like the world was spinning as I somehow felt in the depths of my soul something binding itself to me. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it was definitely strange. I closed my eyes, to try and combat the nausea. Then I felt a shaking.

"Dakrpaw! Wake up. Brambleclaw just left." Squirrelpaw mewed, forcing me out of my slumber.