Chapter 8: Starclan's Request
I had just begun to settle into my nest for the night. Stonestep had created a temporary one for himself in the apprentice den. This wasn't all that strange. On occasion, mentors or parents would temporarily move into the apprentice den to support or develop a bond with an apprentice. The only reason this could be considered odd is because of how far along in training I am. Stonestep's excuse is to both help me deal with my nightmares and to work up the nerve to finally ask my father and dad out.
Squirrelpaw wasn't too far away. Given her excitable nature, I and any other apprentice knew sleeping right next to her was a bad idea. I tried it once, and she kept kicking me in her sleep until I moved my nest away. I always wonder what she's dreaming about when she gets like that. Not that it matters. I've never really experienced a pleasant dream. They're always either those nightmares or dreamless. It'd be nice if for once I got what others call a good dream. I let my eyes drift shut, gambling on whether tonight would be another nightmare, or I'd feel the morning sun warm my face.
I started to fall into the blackness of sleep when I felt something. It felt like something just shifted. I opened my eyes to see that I was no longer in the apprentice den. Instead, I seemed to be on some kind of moor. The grass was oddly more blue than green. Despite how bright the area seemed; the night sky stretched endlessly above. How odd. I also strangely felt lucid. I could think clearly, and my memory seemed to be in order. I was baffled. This had never happened before.
This plain was not as barren as I thought, because another cat rose from the grasses, except that wasn't possible since the grass hadn't been pushed flat until they started to emerge. The cat who stood up was a familiar one. It was my father, but something was off about him. He looked the same, but his familiar nub of an ear was replaced by a fully intact one, except it was a little off. It had a bluish tint, and I could faintly see through it.
"Father?" I queried.
He turned to me, making it clear that this was in fact my father. "Darkpaw, my son. I see that you were brought here as well."
"Where are we, and what's up with…?" I asked, gesturing towards the strange ear.
"This?" He asked, flicking the odd ear. "I did say I have a ghost ear. As to where we are, you've been somewhere similar before except not as pleasant. We're in Starclan. More specifically, we're in the endless moors. Despite how Starclan is widely presented as a unity of all clans in the afterlife, we all still have our preferred environments. This place happens to be where most of Windclan's spirits decide to reside. There's likely a reason we were called here. This place also happens to be one of the most remote places in Starclan, so it is also commonly used for secret meetings." He lectured.
"Giving your son the low down?" inquired a familiar voice from behind me.
I turned to see Mapleshade, who when visible against such a bright background had a bit of a dark aura tinged with red. A faint stink of what Father called sulfur seemed to lightly cling to her, always just a hint no matter how well she groomed.
"Mapleshade." My father greeted with a small nod.
"It really has been a while since you were called here, and subsequently I got to tag along to. Just as bright as ever. It kind of hurts my eyes." Mapleshade rambled.
Suddenly, four cats emerged across from us. Like Father's ear, they were also blue tinted and slightly clear. One older molly had the scent of ozone, and Father gave her a respectful nod. Another was a tom with a jaw that sat uneven with his face. He smelled of river water. A third was another tom with one of his forepaws twisted over itself. He smelled of sage grasses. Finally, was a final tom who smelled of swamp water and pine.
"Bluestar, I have missed you. See that Crookedstar, Deadfoot, and I'm assuming Raggedstar are also here. Usually, it is Spottedleaf or Redtail who calls me. This must be something big." Father stated.
Bluestar nodded at Father's words. "You are indeed correct Smudgefoot. As you've heard, the clans are about to undergo a threat beyond anything we've ever seen before. I am afraid to say, the forest will not survive. We do however have hope. A being exists that can direct us to the home of our ancestors. Their prophetic power surpasses our own. Thus, we have chosen one cat of each clan to undergo a journey to meet them. Their name is Midnight. Of course, this journey will not be a short or safe one. For that reason, we are calling upon you to take up your position as Guardian. You will be clanless, an unbiased member of the forest for the duration of the threat."
"And what does this have to do with my son?" Father queried back, catching wise that not everything had been said yet.
Deadfoot was the one who answered, clearly a very direct cat who wasn't willing to play Father's word games. "We wish to make use of Darkpaw's distorting nature. As was said, there will be danger on the journey. We sense that one of our chosen cats is destined to die, but we cannot allow that. All clans must be represented for such an important journey. Thus, our only option is to try and circumvent it with a cat who does not abide by destiny. We would send you, but the role of Guardian is too important right now."
Father let out a growl, his fur bristling. "And you wish to use my son as some kind of pawn? You wish to use him as some kind of sacrifice? Never! I'd rather erase you to keep the knowledge of my son's nature hidden."
Bluestar pushed Deadfoot back before gently trying to calm Father. "Easy Smudgefoot. We do not wish to sacrifice your son or anything like that. We're just working with what we got. Destiny says that one of the journeying cats is going to die, but destiny also said Stonestep would die by Tigerstar's claws. You changed that. Your son also has the same capabilities. We're not asking him to die in someone's place. We're just asking if he'd be willing to try and prevent the tragedy."
Father's fur flattened, and he sat straighter. Clearly, he still had a measure of hostility within him, but he was more willing to accept their suggestion. "Fine, but I will not force my son to risk himself. This is his decision, no one else's. I will not allow you to pressure him. I trust him to make his own decision and will support him regardless."
This was my choice? Could I really save someone from destined death? I felt a bit dizzy at the thought. On top of that, a lengthy journey would leave me without the support of my family. How would I deal with the nightmares? At the same time, how could I risk my own family by not going? They needed me to make the journey successful. As Bluestar said, the forest will not survive. If we remain, we will die. This wasn't just about me, but every cat in the clans. Could I really betray them simply because I have awful dreams? Could I even trust myself to prevent the death in the first place? It isn't like I am destined to save them. I only have the chance to, but it isn't guaranteed. I could still fail even if I took the risk. My eyes flicked to my father as anxiety flooded me.
He only said three simple words, but they solidified everything to me. "I trust you."
It was all that needed to be said. I hardened my resolve. I would make the journey. I would make Father proud. I would prove his trust was not misplaced. Maybe I'd even be able to rid myself of my nightmares by testing myself against the unknown.
"Alright. I'll do it. I'll make the journey and try and prevent the destined death. What I ask for in return is that you do all that you can to protect my family. If you must burn a miracle to save one of their lives, then you do it without a second thought." I answered, my voice firm and commanding.
"You have our word." Crookedstar mewed, clearly impressed by what he saw as bravery.
As our visit started to come to a close, a niggling thought couldn't help voicing itself in my head. Could I really trust myself on the coming journey or will the temptation of red drown out the Darkpaw that I am?