Violet Dusks

 Violet Dusks

 A Story By Coco

FANS!
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Chapter 1 Dawn
"Hey Rabbitpaw! Wake up, Rabbitpaw!" Milky dawn light filtered the apprentices' den as a ginger tabby tom shook Rabbitpaw awake.

"Would you let me sleep, Shrewpaw?" she grumbled back, rolling on the soft battered moss.

"Actually, Wingstar wants you." Shrewpaw walked away with a flick of his tail. Rabbitpaw groggily got to her paws, and trudged to Wingstar's den. The other apprentices looked up happily at her, smiling toothy grins. She was a popular cat, from being the oldest of the other apprentices. But instead of making her feel happy, it made her feel awkward and left out. Not to mention the young warrior, Dustybrook, mooning over her. It was a tragedy that having such a convenient place in SparkClan would make her feel so left out.

"Good morning, Rabbitpaw." Wingstar calmly greeted the brown she-cat. Her nest was already freshly made, and her fur was groomed and sleek. The leader always woke up before her own clan.

"Good morning," Rabbitpaw mumbled. Unlike every other apprentice, she thought waking up early was tiring and frustrating. Long naps and slumbering were more enjoyable than hunting and battle training. Of course, Wingstar probably wanted her to help train the other apprentices. One of Wingstar's favorite things to say to Rabbitpaw was, "You have potential, so why don't you use it?" It was often irritating.

"I would like you to take Mistpaw, Mintpaw, and Gorsepaw on a patrol with Dustybrook."

Darn, Rabbitpaw thought. Of course, Dustybrook would always have her give the other apprentices examples. She was always the brightest star, but didn't really feel like shining. Not to mention the fact that Dustybrook would spend have of his time praising her. But praise only embarrassed her.

Rabbitpaw yawned. "Alright," she mewed. "I'll get the others." Stepping off of the stone steps, she padded over to Dustybrook. His gaze lit up when he saw her.

"Hey, Rabbitpaw!" he mewed happily. She gave him the fakest smile ever. Though this cat could be annoying, she didn't want to hurt his feelings. Reputation was a very important, but also breakable thing in SparkClan.

"Hey, Dustybrook," she mewed, twitching uncomfortably under his enthusiastic gaze. "Wingstar wants you to take me, Mintpaw, Mistpaw, and Gorsepaw on patrol."

"Well, I'll go get the others." Dustybrook padded into the apprentices den, and a few seconds later, returned with the other apprentices. Their gazes were lit up with happiness and pride. They were glad to be on a patrol with Rabbitpaw.

"Hi Rabbitpaw!" Mintpaw cherred, rubbing her gray pelt against Rabbitpaw's. She looked up at her with bright eyes. "Will you teach me to hunt well like you?" she asked. "I'm not a very good hunter."

"Me neither!" Mistpaw meowed. "But Rabbitpaw still likes me best," he bragged, puffing his chest out in pride. Rabbitpaw sighed and rolled her eyes. ''Not another battle. ''

Gorsepaw glared. "No, Rabbitpaw is my best friend!" All of the apprentices glared at each other. "I was born two moons after her, so I'm the second oldest!" Rabbitpaw struggled not to scream in frustration. Having three apprentices fight over her was just plain annoying.

"I'm friends with all of you." Rabbit paw tried to settle things with her denmates. The quarreling gave her a headache. Mintpaw bounced on her paws.

"But you do like me best, don't you Rabbitpaw?" She giggled. Gorsepaw glared. She opened her jaws to protest, but Mistpaw spoke first.

"No, she likes me!"

"No, me!"

"Rabbitpaw only likes me!"

Rabbit paw flattened her ears and hissed. "Will you guys quit fighting? Of this doesn't stop, I won't like any of you!" She felt sick of the arguing. The younger apprentices were acting like fools when they fought over her. "Please, give me some peace. I can't take the quarreling!" She sighed wearily. Mintpaw stepped forwards.

"Don't worry, Rabbitpaw. I'll leave you alone." But Mintpaw gave a dirty look at the others.

Dustybrook, who felt awkward, piped up. "Why don't we go mark the borders?" He suggested. His paws shuffled the ground awkwardly.

"Yay!" Gorsepaw cried. He bounded off, tail waving in excitement. Rabbitpaw joined the little cats, and Dustybrook followed along. The sun's golden light slanted through the trees, and red and brown leaves speckled the ground. A crisp sky stretched above, but frost masked the bushes. Leaf-bare was close.

"Here's the border. Who wants to mark it?" Dustybrook asked. He walked along the edge of the border, next to AquaClan, fur gleaming in the sun.

"Ooh, I will! I will!" Mistpaw volunteered. She shoved past the others, and spreaded her scent along the border. She bounded around happily, waiting for the next order.

Dustybrook sighed. "How about some battle training?" He asked. Rabbitpaw felt annoyed. This will just make the others fight over me even more, Rabbitpaw thought, annoyed. She looked down at her paws. She knew that the others looked up to her battle moves.

Mistpaw grinned. "Sure!" With that, he leapt on Mintpaw, bowling her to the ground. The blue-gray she-cat let out an annoyed hiss, and flailed her paws. Her eyes gleamed with annoyance as she batted her hindpaws at his belly. Leaves scattered the ground, making crackling sounds.

"Let me go!" Mintpaw hissed. She rolled out from under him, causing him to fall to the ground with a thump. His fur brushed her belly as he leapt back up, eyes sparkling with excitement.

Dustybrook cleared his throat. "Well, I was going to teach you a new move," he meowed. Rabbitpaw's ears pricked. Even though small apprentices often annoyed her, learning new battle moves was enjoyable. Mistpaw and Mintpaw looked up from the ground, now paying full attention.

"Im going to teach you how to leap on your enemy's back." Rabbitpaw sighed. She had already learned this move moons ago! "Rabbitpaw, show them. You're really good at this," Dustybrook praised with a dreamy look in his eyes. Rabbitpaw rolled her eyes, and hopped squarely onto Dustybrook's back. His broad shoulders stood up evenly, even under her weight. "Got that?" He asked, nodding to the others.

"Got it!" Mistpaw mewed. He hopped onto Gorsepaw's back, causing the young tom to crumple to the ground. He glared at Mistpaw. His paws scrabbled at the ground as he struggled to get back up.

"Get off of me!" He hissed. He rolled on his belly, causing Mistpaw to be squished. The black tom flailed his paws, but Gorsepaw's weight was too much. He was trapped. A triumphant look gleamed in Gorsepaw's eyes. Finally, he stepped off of Mistpaw.

"Now you know not to mess with me!" Gorsepaw laughed. Mistpaw just glared. Mintpaw giggled as Mistpaw clawed the ground.

"Let's see if you can beat me, Rabbitpaw!" Gorsepaw laughed. Mistpaw's gaze turned shocked. No apprentice had ever challenged Rabbitpaw before! They only respected her. Rabbitpaw smiled a devilish grin, and pawed the ground. She knew immediately that she could beat any cat.

Without warning, Gorsepaw leapt on Rabbitpaw, knocking her to the ground. She quickly regained her balance, and shoved her paw against his belly. He fell back, and she lunged at him, wind catching her whiskers. The lithe tom quickly rolled out of the way, and all she landed on was a pile of leaves. Heart pumping with exhilaration, she kept fighting.

"Think you can beat me?" Rabbitpaw taunted, swiping her paw at Gorsepaw's muzzle.

He gave her an annoying smile. "With ease." With that, he ducked under her belly, forcing her into the air. She let out a yelp as she was flung into the air, and fell on the ground with a thump. The sun glimpsed through the trees as Gorsepaw darted towards her. Rabbitpaw tried to regain her balance, but she it was too late. Gorsepaw knocked her down, and pinned her.

Panting, she glared up at her den mate with a defeated feeling in her heart. All this time, she had taken her skill for granted, and there was a chance that her reputation might slip away. How had she lost the fight? "Y-you just won b-because I was tired," Rabbitpaw retorted.

Gorsepaw laughed. "Don't be jealous. Its just a game." Standing up, he stared at her with tantalizing eyes. Mistpaw suppressed a giggle, and Mintpaw twitched her whiskers. Even Dustybrook was trying not to laugh.

"Let's go, guys. I think we've had enough training for now." Dustybrook beckoned the patrol with a flick of his tail. Gorsepaw ran ahead, paws light and airy with excitement. Annoyed, Rabbitpaw hung her head. Mintpaw didn't even glance at her. She was too busy talking to Mintpaw. But still, how had Rabbitpaw lost a fight so easily? She was the best apprentice ever. But would that change?

Tired, she trudged back to camp. Her paws were sore, and her muscles ached. She couldn't wait to get back to camp. But all of a sudden, she heard a splash! Looking into the river, Mintpaw was thrashing her limbs weakly. Mistpaw jumped in to help, but ended up in the waters with her.

"Help! Rabbitpaw, help!" They cried. Rabbitpaw hesitated. She had no idea how to swim, and probably could not save her denmates. She looked desperately at Gorsepaw while the young cats struggled to breath. "Help!" She wailed.

Rabbitpaw shook her head. "I can't!" She cried. "Its too deep!" The blue water began to swallow up Mintpaw with vicious gulps. Now, she was gasping for breath. Mistpaw's head was barely above the surface, and Gorsepaw plunged in. But he was swallowed up as well.

Dustybrook hissed at Rabbitpaw, stunning her. "Give me that branch, and I'll hang it for them to cross!" He spat. But the branch was hanging on a high tree where the water was coming up higher. "Hurry! Now!"

"I can't!" Rabbitpaw cried. "It's too high!" Dustybrook gave her a nasty glare, and climbed the high tree. He grabbed the branch in his mouth, and bent low enough to where the little cats could reach it.

Mintpaw reached out her paw, gasping for air. Her fur was slick with water. Shivering, she jumped up again. "I can't!" She wailed. Her gaze was gleaming with dread. Dustybrook hesitated. The branch was beginning to quiver under his weight.

"You have to try harder!" He gasped. Rabbitpaw watched guiltily as Mintpaw struggled. Her eyes shone with do desperation iith each useless jump. There was low chance of survival for her. But luckily, Mistpaw hoisted her up with all the energy he could gather up. She leapt higher, and her claws scrabbled the branch. Flailing desperately, she finally got a firm grip on the thin piece of wood. Genuine relief pierced her gaze. Mistpaw and Gorsepaw jumped on the stick and got to land safely, just before the twig cracked.

Rabbitpaw gave a sigh of relief, but still felt guilty. "At least we're all safe...right?" She tried. Dustybrook glared. Mintpaw looked anxious, and Mistpaw and Gorsepaw were obviously upset with her for not helping. She knew that she should have, but she had been too scared! If she had tried, she would have likely drowned.

Dustybrook gave her an annoyed scowl. "Your denmates almost died!" He scolded. "What is wrong with you?! Why didn't you help?!" Rabbitpaw felt her pelt burn under the disappointed gazes of her friends. She knew they were right, but she was not the fearless cat they thought she was. "Why didn't you help them?" Dustybrook spat. All gazes burned into her fur, making her blush.

"I...got scared," She confessed. Just because Rabbitpaw was the oldest and most experienced apprentice in the den didn't mean she wasn't allowed to get scared! Everycat relied on her, but no matter what path she took, there was pressure. ''I am not the kind of cat with the big ego, and I choose to be safe then sorry. Is this so wrong? ''Dustybrook shook his head, disappointment in his eyes. Rabbitpaw padded back to camp, head low. She was on the verge of wailing in annoyance.

The ferns swung over her head as she entered her sister Twigpaw's den. Twigpaw had chosen to be a medicine cat, but the sisters still remained a close bond. When life got tough or stress weighed their shoulders down, a nice conversation was the best remedy. Rabbitpaw expected Twigpaw to greet her with a quiet meow, but this time was different. The small black she-cat was lying in her nest, tail twitching frantically. Her eyelids twisted around, but still screwed shut. Rabbitpaw backed away a bit, worry flooding like water in her stomach. Was her sister sick? ''Dead? ''With a slight moment of hesitation, Rabbitpaw prodded her sister awake.

Twigpaw jerked up, and blurted out, "Hope will shine brighter when the sky turns darker!" She spun her head around, in a daze. "Oh, hi Rabbitpaw," she sighed. "It's just you. Do you need anything?" Rabbitpaw scanned her sister's eyes, but there was nothing but shadow and worry. Her fur was still trembling, and there seemed to be a presence of eeriness. Something was up...something wrong. She could tell from the way Twigpaw looked uncertain, worried, and thoughtful. Worry grew in her stomach, as if she had swallowed stones.

"Is everything okay?" Rabbitpaw asked anxiously. Twigpaw hesitated for a moment, then invited her inside of the den. Once she got in there, the black she-cat wrapped her tail around her paws.

After taking a deep breath, Twigpaw began. "So, I decided to take a nap, since I was really tired from all of the work. So I went to sleep on the moss bed."

"Go on."

"But once I was asleep, I saw a huge storm of snow. It was awful. There was a blasting gust of cold wind, and sick cats were screaming. I couldn't help, and the sky was dark. There was no trace of StarClan. They weren't there to guide me...and it all was scary," Twigpaw finished. She looked dreadful.

Rabbitpaw thought about the dream, and then felt a pang of horror. Was this an omen or a sign? She wasn't quite sure...but it definitely meant something bad. Finally, she found her voice. "A-are you sure? Maybe it was just a bad dream." Twigpaw looked at her as if she were an idiot, but then looked down.

"I know for sure," the black apprentice said, shuffling her paws.

"How can you be so sure? It could mean nothing..." Rabbitpaw didn't want to think that bad times were coming for her clan...especially as bad as Twigpaw's dream.

Twigpaw finally looked up. Her eyes were clouded with dread. "I-i saw a d-dead kit in the snow."

Rabbitpaw gasped, knowing her sister had been right. This was no nightmare, it had to be an omen. If there was a dead kit, it had to mean something. StarClan wouldn't send Twigpaw a dream about a dead kit if it weren't for a sign. If StarClan was even there, that was.

But Twigpaw wasn't finished. She gulped sorrowfully. "And standing all alone...was a cat with tufted ears and spots."

With a sick feeling in her belly, Rabbitpaw padded to the water pool at the end of the den. Staring at her own tufted ears and spots, she felt her heart begin to pound. Staring at her sister, a glow of desperation lit her eyes. Was she in trouble?!

Twigpaw nodded softly. "I'm sorry, Rabbitpaw. That cat was you."

Chapter 2 The Meeting
Twigpaw cleared her throat, feeling sorry for her sister. Something dark would surely happen to the spotted she-cat. Rabbitpaw's eyes were screaming terror. She wasn't exactly the brave type...Rabbitpaw was dependent. Twigpaw would always try to be by her side, but who knew? Something was going to split them up. Twigpaw knew this, she could feel it in her bones.

While lost in thought, Sagepool suddenly entered the den. She greeted Twigpaw with a nod of her head, but then her gaze drifted over to Rabbitpaw. Once Sagepool has glimpsed the pool of dread in Rabbitpaw's eyes, she opened her jaws to speak. "Everything okay?" She asked Twigpaw curiously. "Is she sick? I could give her som-"

"No, she's not sick," Twigpaw interrupted. Rabbitpaw opened her mouth to speak, then thought against it. She stared at her paws, letting Twigpaw do the explanation. "Well, I got tired, so I fell asleep on the moss bed. I fell asleep quickly, and then I began to dream." Sagepool nodded. "Go on." Her eyes were swirling with an unknown expression of interest.

"And...I had a bad dream. Only it wasn't a bad dream. It was a sign. There were sick cats yowling in the cold snow, and the sky was completely dark. And...I saw a dead kit in the snow." Sagepool's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped.

Twigpaw went on."Also...I saw Rabbitpaw all alone in the snow. She was heading for the north, and I don't know why. Then, the prophecy. It rang in my mind...when the sky gets darker, hope will shine brighter. I don't get it." Twigpaw finished her story, leaving the cats next to her in a trance of shock.

Rabbitpaw was the first to speak. "I don't want to be part of the prophecy!" She cried. Her fur was standing on end, and her eyes were wild with fear. Even her tail was trembling. "Just tell StarClan to leave me alone!" With that, the spotted she-cat dashed off, paws pounding the ground.

Shaking her head, Twigpaw turned to Sagepool. "I have no idea what to do...I love my sister, and I have to save her! Not to mention whoever that dead kit was." She felt anxious. It was already obvious that Rabbitpaw was in trouble. And kits would die. A whirlpool of fears stormed in Twigpaw's mind, making her tremble. This was something that would devastate the clan...and there was so little that she could do to stop it. Whatever StarClan said was going to happen no matter what.

Sagepool thought for a moment, claw quietly working the baked earth. Twigpaw searched for any trace of result in her eyes, but found nothing. The narrow gap between the ferns and the den spread as Dustybrook padded into the den.

He gave the two medicine cats a look. "Why did Rabbitpaw run away like that?" He asked, taking a seat.

Twigpaw sighed, unwanting to explain her dream to another cat. Clouds danced around the nearby mountains, and the afternoon was settling into the sky. But frost blanketed a yellowing bush, spreading its crystal darkness to the plant. Leaf-bare was near, and her sister was probably going to die. She might as well tell him.

Explaining to Dustybrook her dream, she gave him a skeptical look. "You probably don't get it, do you," she shook her head. "You just don't get it." Twigpaw found it hard to believe that a young warrior like Dustybrook would understand a prophecy like this one. As it turned out, he didn't.

There was a long pause before the dust colored tom spoke. "What does it mean?"

Twigpaw withdrew her breath, and shook her head once more, displaying her clueluessness. "It means my sister and a kit will die," she put flatly. "Plus, we're probably all going to die as well, if we think about the prophecy."

"What was the prophecy?"

Twigpaw sighed, the warning prophecy still ringing in her ears. She knew that cats wouldn't pay her thoughts any mind.

Until it was too late.

"When the sky gets darker, hope will shine brighter," she meowed flatly. Sagepool turned, flames in her eyes. Her senses were probably struggling to decipher these words, but likely failing. Sagepool was the type of medicine cat who was easy and laid back when it came to healing and gathering herbs, but thoughtful when it came to prophecies. Now, she was obviously getting in touch with her inner desperation.

"I think we need to tell Wingstar," Sagepool gulped. "We need to warn all the Clan...let every cat know that hard times are approaching. We need to warn them!" Sagepool's voice was rising, power flooding her words.

Twigpaw remained silent, nothing to say. It was all a useless apprentice like her could do. "I guess so," she mewed half-heartedly. As a medicine cat, Twigpaw had an odd reputation with the rest of the Clan. They enjoyed battle and hunting, while she deticated her life to healing and StarClan. They thought that medicine cats tended to zone out, thinking nothing of importance. But they were all wrong. This was something they would probably never understand.

Dustybrook got to his paws, no sign of expression in his amber gaze. "Let's go."

They padded to Wingstar's den, prepared to give her the news. Stepping through the lazy ferns hanging from the roof, Twigpaw sat down first.

Wingstar looked surprised to see the medicine cat, her apprentice, and a young warrior. "Can I help you?" she asked, her gaze fixing on Twigpaw.

Twigpaw cleared her throat. Sagepool was about to speak, but Twigpaw silenced her with a glance. "We have some...er, news..." Twigpaw meowed awkwardly, not knowing where to begin. She decided to start with her dream. "So, I had a dream," she said.

"Go on."

She continued, confidence and fear rising in her throat at every word. Once she had explained her dream, she stared at Wingstar, waiting for a response.