I padded through the forest. In contrast to the hectic chaos of clan life, this was silence like I had enver heard it before. There was no buzz of life- not even rustling trees or chirping birds. Every cat, was silent with anticipation as they watched my final stand. No, I told myself. I shouldn't think like that. This is not my final stand. I'll show them, I'll fight them off, I'll kill them, whatever it takes to be free. I might have been half-clan but I wasn't ready to join Starclan yet.
"As you all know by now, these cats are not cats at all." the massive tom standing over the clan was saying. I growled under my breath. Not cats at all! That was rich coming from this piece of crowfood.
"They are half-clan abominations, no better than kittypets or rogues. What loyal cat would betray their clans and take a mate from another clan? I ask you, what sort of cat would do that?" his eyes directed straight at Leapardfur, as if daring her to contradict him.
"Ugly ones? Well they must have been, if that grey she-cat is their daughter." I almost smiled at Blackfoot's attempt at a joke. However, I could see how much he was upsetting my littermate and would have torn his throat out if I had the chance. Great Starclan, I would have been more than willing to tear his throat out anyway.
"So, Stonefur. I now speak to you." his amber gaze met mine. I did not look away. There was no way I would back down now. Just because I was given as many rights as a piece of prey didn't mean I didn't have more fight in me than a piece of prey. I must keep my head up high and rise above the prejudice raging through these forests. Dignity was all I had left and I intended to fight for it with all my power.
"Are you loyal to me?"
In your dreams, Tigerscum.
"I am loyal to Riverclan." I anwsered coolly, though my heart was beating fast. All that was dear to me was endangered now.
"Then you must prove yourself. Your mother was a traitor but you can still prove yourself." I closed my eyes and felt myself being taken back to a kithood memory.
"You must behave now. Stonekit, that means no fighting with unsheathed claws. That was a bad thing to do. Mistykit, no teasing your brothers- yes, even if they started it. We are going outside to meet a very special cat and I want no naughtiness." Mother was talking to all of us, but whenever she mentioned the word "naughty" or "bad", her eyes drifted to me. Strange, I know.
"Outside? In the cold?" Mosskit wailed. (A/N- Mosskit is a tom is this story. Deal wiv' it XD)
"Yes." her voice was scratchy and hoarse. She really needed to see a medicine cat. I mean, everyone knew where the medicine cat den was. Even Mosskit, and he was REALLY stupid.
"Let's go now." we trod out into the freezing world of outdoors.
The cold wind blasted into our faces. We seemed to walk for moons. Only our conversation distracted me.
"Nah nah nah nah nah, you're a kittypet!" chanted Mosskit, teasing Mistykit as best he could.
"Well, that's a bit mousebrained. I'm already a warrior, and I'm the deputy of all the clans. I'm going to be called Mistystar." Mistykit protested.
"Well I'm going to be called LionTigerLeaopardStar. So there." Mosskit boasted.
"Quiet, my children. We are here." Bluefur hushed us.
"Bluefur, that's the river. The river is for smelly Riverclan cats." had she forgotten? My pelt wasn't keeping me warm any more, I might as well have been standing in the frozen river right now. Why weren't we going home?
"Bluefur." a deep, gruff voice sounded. I looked up, scared in case a Riverclan warrior had come to kill us.
"Here they are." she said, then noticed Mosskit wasn't there. He was lying on the floor a couple of rabbit lengths back.
"Mosskit!" I screeched. Racing over to my brother's unmoving body, I looked in disbelief at my mother, who collapsed on the spot. Cold, bleak thoughts rushed into my head. She killed Mosskit. She was a murderer.
She let this happen.
My mother was a traitor.
"Stonefur!" Tigerstar roared. I snapped out of my daydream.
"I offer you a choice. Do you want the best for Riverclan?" what did he want me to say? No?
"I value that above all. Every breath I draw, every piece of prey I hunt, every drop of water that touches my tongue... I would trade it for a heartbeat if it made my clan safe."
"Then kill those two apprentices." he gestured to Feathertail and Stormfur. I gasped.
"Don't worry, Feathertail. I've got your back. We can kill him easily. Don't worry, don't worry." I heard Stormfur mew reassuringly to his sister.
"Hurry up! What are you waiting for?" Blackclaw growled impatiently.
"Kill them!" various cats called out, and soon the whole Tigerclan took up the chant.
"Kill them! Kill them!" I couldn't believe it.
"Leapardstar, how can you allow this?" she turned her head away. Well, I thought. Looks like I'm on my own then.
"No, I won't!" the chanting stopped abruptly.
"Traitor!" shrieked Darkstripe, looking at Tigerstar for approval. Leaopardstar wouldn't meet my eyes. This was not the leader I knew. I knew she didn't like this but she wasn't going to help me. Coward.
"Kill him!" the mighty roar almost shook the whole forest. He was lucky the fish didn't swim away. A dark, striped warrior approached me and I almost gave uo to the sight of his sleek muscles.
"I'm with you." it was a familiar voice, but I couldn't quite remember how I knew it. I was too tired, too shocked to care. I felt the power of Starclan surge through my veins as I fought him off. It was a Starclan warrior's voice, that much I knew. But who? Maybe Greypool.
"You're fighting like a kittypet, Darkstripe!" howled Tigerstar, summoning Blackfoot . He pounced on me, and I rolled away, but he had been expecting that. In one expertised leap, his teeth were at my neck. I could hear his heart beating faster than normal.
"Half-clan scum. You're so filthy worms will feast on your dead body. I wish I didn't have to dirty my claws with your blood." Ah, the last friendly words I'd ever hear. As my throat was ripped out, I heard the Starclan warrior screeching.
"Mosskit! Mosskit!" she wailed. And in that moment, I knew who it was.
Starclan
"Stonefur!" I saw a familiar cat greet me.
"Mosskit?" he was twice the size of me now.
"Actually, Mosspelt now." he announced proudly. I purred in amusement.
"So not LionTigerLeapardStar then?" I couldn't believe it. I had met my dead brother and we were talking as casually as we had as kits!
"Ah, those were good days. I miss being alive." his face darkened when he realized what he'd said.
"So... we're dead?" I guessed.
"Yes, my brave son." Bluestar. She was the Starclan warrior who had fought with me till the end. She wasn't a traitor.
"You have journeyed long and hard, my son. Now it had come to an end. Stonefur, you honoured your clan truly in life. Despite misgivings and hardships, you rose above cowardice. Do you wish to take your rightful place in the ranks of Starclan?" it was Oakheart who spoke.
"Yeah, that'd be great... uh... I mean, yes, Oakheart. That is indeed my wish." I could have clawed myself for being so stupid.
"Very well. Welcome, Stonefur." the whole of Starclan took up the chant. They didn't seem to mind my slip-up.
"Now we'd better go and see Mistyfoot." Mosskit... I mean, Mosspelt, told me. As we went, we talked about everything we'd ever wanted to talk about.
"Will Mistyfoot die?" I asked.
"It depends if Firestar realizes something's up. I'll send him a dream." Mosspelt promised.
"We can send dreams?"
"Yeah! I love sending confusing ones that make no sense. I keep sending Tigerstar a dream he is a worm and Firestar is eating him. Don't tell anyone, or I'll be in trouble. We're not meant to do that." Mosspelt checked if anyone was listening.
"I won't tell. But can I go and see Mistyfoot? As a ghost?" I had to tell her something.
"Sure. Just jump and say her name." so whenever I jumped and said someones name, I would see them? That didn't sound promising but I did so anyway.
"Mistyfoot." and jumped. To my surprise, I landed by my grieving sister as she looked in horror at my bloodstained body. Stormpaw and Featherpaw cowered behind her, quivering.
"Thankyou, Stonefur." I heard Featherpaw mew softly. Stormpaw echoed her. Mistyfoot was in shock, barely able to speak.
"What am I going to do, Stonefur? If you're up there, somewhere, help me. Please." she stuttered, not caring who heard.
"Mistyfoot, run!" I couldn't believe she was hanging around, waiting. Was she going to meet Firestar or not?
"Stonefur?" she squeaked.
"Mistyfoot, go! There's nothing you can do for me now. Starclan has already claimed me. Go."
"Stonefur, I could have stopped him. He was right next to me. I should have saved you." what was she saying? In case she hadn't noticed, her life was in danger. Mistyfoot could not risk the two apprentices for her own grief.
"Mistyfoot. I will protect you always. I would give my life for you. But you have to move on. Did you kill me? Are your claws stained with my blood?" Mistyfoot looked down at her paws, as if to check.
"No! It wasn't me, I swear. It was..."
"Hush, then. It was Blackclaw who killed me, not you. So don't feel guilt. I will not let anything hut you. I will do everything within my power to save you. Do you want my death to be in vain?" She shook her head numbly.
" Then go. I will not let him kill you. Not for all the stars in the sky..."
MOSSPELT
"You need not look so pleased with yourself. Your brother is dead." Oakheart reminded me coldly.
"Yes, Oakheart." I longed to tell him that after spending so long with my tediously protective parents, it was like a breath of fresh air to have my old playmate back. But I didn't dare.
"His place in Starclan was secure. But you let him, willingly LET him break one of the most important rules." my heart plummeted.
"So you know?" I shouldn't have let him go down to Earth. But I wanted my sister to live so badly.
"Every cat knows. If he is cast into the Place of No Stars, it will be your fault." Bluestar glared at me. I felt both guilty and rebellious. I shouldn't have let him go to the living Clans, but Bluestar had no right to hate me for it. She had let me die, and Stonefur would still be alive if she hadn't taken us to Riverclan. I'd told her I forgave her but I lied. I hated death. I hated it so much. You couldn't take a mate here, everyone kept your their relationships and I hadn't had one.
And there was been one living cat that I loved above all.
Goldenflower was doubtlessely the most beautiful cat that ever lived. No, more than beautiful. The word beautiful was an insult to the sight that met my eyes whenever I looked down on her. She was heart-stoppingly stunning. Prey probably froze whenever it saw her.
But Goldenflower was more than pretty on the outside. She was warm as greenleaf on the inside and was ferociously loyal.We had known each other as kits and I remembered her gentle humour that made my heart skip a beat.
But she had taken the cat that had the darkest heart of all, and was now a queen with two kits. That was part of the reason I missed life. I loved her but I was dead. And Tigerstar had stolen her heart. I hated that arrogant tyrant more and more every day. If only I was alive I would have sunk my teeth into his throat without thinking twice.
There were other things, too. Like the feeling of prey within your claws, freedom in your limbs, fight in your heart, friendship surrounding you. A Starclan warrior was meant to be sinister and composed, peaceful and elegant. All I wanted was to be me as I should have been. A scruffy, sharp-tongued fighter with a mate and friends. But here I was.
"Mosspelt! Stop daydreaming. You're on Dreampatrol. Take Stonefur and Swiftpaw... I mean, Swiftfoot. You can choose a third warrior. The code is FIRE." announced Yellowfang, gliding past me. I blinked my gratitude. I loved Dreampatrol. You could send dreams to any cat you liked and I had a lot of fun with that. But today, I was going to be serious. This time I would finally pluck up the courage to visit Goldenflower.
"Um... Runningwind? Fancy Dreampatrol?" I suggested. He purred.
"Finally!" it looked like I had made a good choice.
"I'll get Stonefur. He's with Oakheart." Swiftfoot suggested, bounding off. He returned a minute later with the dishevelled looking grey warrior.
"Thanks a lot." Stonefur hissed. I purred in amusement. Whoops.
"Sorry..." I guess it had been a little foolish.
"It's no big deal." he shrugged, and I couldn't agree more.
"Let's do this, then. What you do, is think of the cat you want to visit, and say "dream patrol" so Starclan monitors know you are on Dreampatrol. They will ask for the code, and you say FIRE. Okay?" Stonefur looked confused.
"Watch me." I stood up straight and thought of Mistyfoot. Immediately, a vision of Redtail came to mind.
"Hey, Mosspelt. I guess you're on Dreampatrol?"
"Dreampatrol. FIRE." I confirmed.
"Good luck!" he said cheerily, and vanished. I felt a rush of adreline as I shot down to earth and began Mistyfoot's vision.
"Mistyfoot!" I hissed, leaping in front of her so she wouldn't miss me.
"Mosspelt!" she screeched.
"Quiet, young one. You have yet to escape the boundaries of darkness that confine you to the tiger's lair." in other words, you still have to escape, mousebrain!
"The tiger's lair?" she repeated. I rolled my eyes. Well, that's what I'd said, wasn't it?
"But remember, although the stone has... uh... rolled away, the storm rages on and the feather floats through it." I improvised.
"Why have you come?" she whispered, her eyes shining.
"I have visited you from the depths of Starclan to say 'hi'." I gave up on my dignified composition as I faded away.
"Would you like a second visit?" Redtail asked. I thought of Goldenflower.
"Dreampatrol FIRE." I instructed, and sped toward the Thunderclan camp. Goldenflower was asleep, so I entered her dream. My heart plummeted. She was dreaming about Tigerstar.
"Goldenflower." I whispered. She looked at me.
"Why did you wake me up... oh, Stonefur? What are you doing here? This is Thunderclan territory!" she raised her hackles.
"I'm not who you think." my heart was breaking all over again.
"Mosskit?" she gasped. I sensed kithood memories soaring through her mind.
"Mosspelt, now. You're dreaming." I informed her.
"Mosspelt! Why are you here? What's wrong?"
"Why would something be wrong for me to have to visit the prettiest queen in the nursery?"
"Go away." she snapped. I was confused. We'd always been friends, when we were kits in a nursery. I closed my eyes and felt myself being taken back to a hazy memory of my life.
"Mosskit smells like a Shadowclan warrior." Stonekit announced.
"Stop it, Stonekit. You smell worse than a Riverclan warrior." Goldenkit squeaked.
"Yuck! A Riverclan warrior!" he mewed in disgust. I purred. Goldenkit was always there for me.
"You needn't think I'm going to help you ALL the time!" she added, leaping on top of me. To my horror, she had caught me off-guard. The two of us play-fought on the nursery floor. I was winning, when Mistykit decided to join in and the two she-kits both tried to pin me down.
"You can't catch me, I'm Stonestar, leader of all the clans!" Stonekit yowled for attention, and Mistykit went to wrestle him, but Goldenkit wouldn't leave me.
"Won't you leave your mate alone, Goldenkit?" Frostkit teased. I looked at her nervously. How would she react? Would she be disgusted at the thought?
She purred. She purred. SHE PURRED.
"No, so stop being jealous just because I love the bravest warrior in the forest!" teased Goldenkit. My eyes grew large.
"Really?" I gasped.
"Well... the bravest warrior apart from me." she purred. I felt like I was flying.
"We'll see about that..." I was going to jump on top of her, when Mother walked in, and rushed to Mistykit's side. She was bleeding badly; Stonekit had cut her on the shoulder.
"You must behave now. Stonekit, that means no fighting with unsheathed claws. That was a bad thing to do. Mistykit, no teasing your brothers- yes, even if they started it. We are going outside to meet a very special cat and I want no naughtiness." I was not excited to care. When we got back, I was telling everyone that Goldenkit loved me. Then I noticed the snow outside. The thought of touching it made me shiver.
"Outside? In the cold?"
"Yes." I sighed. It looked like I was going to freeze, then.
"Let's go now." we trod out into the freezing world of outdoors.
I could hardly stand for the cold. It chilled me to the bone.
"Nah nah nah nah nah, you're a kittypet!" I sang, trying to distract myself.
"Well, that's a bit mousebrained. I'm already a warrior, and I'm the deputy of all the clans. I'm going to be called Mistystar." Mistykit looked proud, as if it was true.
"Well I'm going to be called LionTigerLeaopardStar. So there." I had heard the stories from the elders about the old clans, but I couldn't quite remember the name of the fourth clan. Luckily, Mistykit didn't notice. Stonekit looked too shocked to care. I was suddenly very, very tired. Quivering, I let myself lie on the floor for only a second. A second was enough. It numbed me, made me feel dead. And then everything blacked out...
"You're going to go away again. I loved you once. But you left me. You left me!" Goldenflower's eyes were full of betrayal and sorrow.
"I died. I loved you. I still do." I whispered.
"Don't tell me that! I'm not your love. You didn't stick with me. You went away. You left me alone" she accused
"Do you think I wanted to die?" I whispered. How could she hurt me like this? I'd loved her since the day I had laid eyes on her. Hadn't she felt the same? Had she lied the whole time? I couldn't believe it. I'd thought I knew her.
"You're the most selfish cat I know. I died as a kit, and all you can think about is yourself. While you live a luxurious life as a queen, I've been stuck in the clouds all this time. You took Tigerstar as a mate even though he tried to kill my mother and almost suceeded. And you blame me! So go back to feeling sorry for yourself." I turned to stalk away.
"Don't go!" she called, but I was already gone.
MISTYFOOT.
There was nothing left for me. My mother? Dead. My father? Dead. My littermates? Dead. My best friend? Dead. My clan? Gone. My leader? She wasn't the same cat.
But I had to go on.
"What will happen to us?" Featherpaw whispered.
"We'll be okay. Firestar will come and kill Tigerstar. All his alleys will run with fear as we chase them away. Leapardstar will remember herself and make me deputy. Then, when you are old enough, I will choose one of you as my deputy. Then, when I die at a ripe old age, one of you will make the other their deputy. You will both be leaders at one point- Featherstar and Stormstar. We will go to Starclan and be happy forever more." I murmured a story as we raced to meet Firestar. Feathertail's eyes lit up at the thought.
"In your dreams, scum." Jaggedtooth hissed. I was going to reply when I saw a black cat with the scent of Riverclan approach. I almost purred. Had my mate come to save me? Then I remembered Stonefur and I felt guilty for my joy.
"Tigerstar wants to see you." the warrior told Jaggedtooth, who raced away. It wasn't Blackclaw.
"Who are you?"
"Call me Ravenpaw." RavenPAW? How was this muscled cat an apprentice?
"I left the clans when I was young. Now, go." he led the way. We were weak but kept up well. It was only when we reached the stepping stones that the Tigerclan cats realized their mistake.
"Get them!" Firestar and Greystripe were there, helping us. I jumped and made our way across the river. My heart was pounding. The fit, strong Tigerclan cats were gaining on their weak prisoners. With every well-timed leap, I was concious of Stormpaw struggling behind me. My hope for survival was high, till I heard one word that made my heart freeze.
"Help!" Featherpaw cried. She had fallen into the river. Featherpaw was going to die.
Greystripe
I watched helplessley as the small silver she-cat fell to her death.
"Silverstream!" I howled, forgetting everything in my panic. I was taken back to a horrific memory.
"Silverstream, don't go don't leave me." I begged.
"Goodbye Graystripe. I love you. Take care of our kits..."
"Silverstream, don't go! Don't leave me!" I mumbled aloud, diving into the stream. I didn't care about getting wet. All I wanted was to save my daughter. My strokes were strong but now strong enough. If only Silverstream was here, she could have saved our daughter in a heartbeat. If only Silverstream was here.
"Featherpaw." I dragged her across the river. I was barely concious of our patrol chasing off the Tigerclan warriors. All that mattered was my kits. I promised Silverstream I would care for them. How could I bretray her? How could I betray them?
"Father?" Feathepaw choked on water. Her bright blue eyes fluttered open.
"Graystripe." Silverstream choked on air. Her bright blue eyes stayed shut.
"Featherpaw!" I cried, licking my kit. She squirmed weakly.
"Silverstream!" I cried, licking my mate. She didn't move.
"Don't worry, my kit. I will care for you, like I promised your mother. I will not let anything help you. Not for all the stars in the sky...
MOSSPELT
I watched with satisfaction as Mistyfoot and the apprentices made it back to the Thunderclan camp. I hadn't been there myself in moons, but it was strangely familiar. My heart burned with guilt as I recollected all the bad things I had done to get here. I was so desperate to feel alive, that I'd broken every law I knew. But no cat had noticed yet.
I had been warned several times not to talk to any live cats unless I was on Dream patrol, which I wasn't. So I went with the next best thing. Silently stalking among the forest floor, I caught a mouse and pinned it down.
"Listen, mousie. I'm not going to eat you. Unless you do what I say." I hissed. The mouse nodded, his beady eyes full of fear.
"Go and bite Blackfoot really hard." I was so proud of myself for coming up with that one.
"Mosspelt, we're not meant to do that." Stonefur frowned.
"Says who?"
"Mosspelt, are you ever going to accept that we are Starclan warriors? You've been here so long but you're acting like a naughty kit. We're meant to be wise, and dignified..." Stonefur began. I growled. He'd completely gone over to the dark side.
"Why should we? I didn't want to die! It isn't fair that I have to give up being myself because of something I didn't want to happen. You go ahead and be a tedious snob. See if I care." I turned to walk away.
"Hey, that's not fair..."
"What IS fair in this stupid, stupid world? Life isn't fair, death isn't fair, love isn't fair... what IS?" I roared.
"Mousebrained kit."
"Stuck-up snob."
We both growled, eyeing each other.
"You're acting like a spoilt kit..." I pounced. I hated this sinister stranger who used to be my littermate. The two of us fought with all our strength. I was so full of anger that it scared me. I wanted to rip his throat out but I couldn't, and that made me even more furious.
And at that moment, Firestar walked in.
"Starclan help us... no, not even Starclan. Even our dead ancestors are being torn apart by hate. Is this a sign? Oh, Spottedleaf. Where are you?" he murmured. I felt guilty. I was scaring the poor cat beyond belief. Stonefur was right, I really was just a spoilt kit.
"I'm sorry." we mewed in unison.
"Oakheart is going to kill us." I added.
"Too right!" behind us stood an entire clan worth of Starclan cats.
"What did you think you were doing? Coming down to the clans, FIGHTING your littermate, sending a false omen, Mosspelt lying to me about going on Dream patrol... what have you done, Mosspelt?" Bluestar was too disgusted to be angry.
"I have had a report that a Thunderclan patrol scented you and came to see what was happening. Meanwhile, a Tigerclan group came and killed Whitestorm. If the patrol hadn't scented you, they would have been able to save him." Yellowfang couldn't even look at us.
"You have used the arrogance of a kit, the hate of a Dark Forest warrior, the foolishness of a mouse. So you will be treated that way. You will roam the Place Of No Stars in the form of a kit, and will turn to mouse form every full moon." Oakheart informed me.
"Why?" I screeched. I knew why, though. I, Mosspelt, was responsible for a death.
"You lied that you were on Dream patrol, and stole the code from Brindleface. You came to the clans without permission and sought to haunt your killer. You threatened the living with death and directly influenced it. You spoke freely of the Warrior Code and acted in an arrogant form. You attacked your littermate when he was on Dream patrol, who came to warn you of your sins as oppose to visiting a living cat. You sent a fake omen. Whitestorm died for your foolishness. What law didn't you break?" hissed Bluestar.
"I wanted to feel alive." I protested.
"And how many cats could have died for it? Listen Mosspelt, you are as bad as Tigerstar. Both were desperate to achieve a goal, and only followed rules to your own convenience. You killed a cat. You KILLED him." I know, I know. Don't rub it in.
"When may I return?"
"When the next warrior enters the Place Of No Stars." I knew I deserved to stay forever. I could not believe myself. I was a murderer. Whitestorm never got to fufil his destiny. And why? BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE ALIVE. A cat lost so many moons of life so I could have half a minute of life. Well done, Mosspelt. Well done. (A/N: for those of you who don't get sarcasm, ignore the underlined bits in the last paragraph XD)
Plus, that mouse never did bite Blackfoot.