ωαяяισя ¢αтѕ // Mintpool's Promise

Chapter 8

Mintpaw felt panic rising up inside her like bile as the mist wrapped around her once more. Oh, no! Can't I just have one sleep without the mist? Her pelt pricked as she began to back away, but there was no escaping from the gray swirls, which seemed to advance even faster as she moved, wrapping around her, covering her completely. 

The tabby shut her eyes, preparing herself for the sight of Adderpaw and Snowfrost's dead bodies. At least she knew what was going to happen. Taking a deep breath, she blinked her eyelids open. As soon as she took in the view, confusion pricked her pelt. There was no sight of Adderpaw or Snowfrost, nor was there any of the dead bodies that normally would litter the ground. However, now, a forest surrounded her, its lush green leaves splattered with red. Beyond the trees, she could hear yowling. 

Suddenly, the bushes rustled, and Leafpaw jumped out. In her previous dreams, she'd barely taken in how Leafpaw looked. All she cared about was how her friend was doing. Now, it seemed impossible to look past his appearance. He was much larger, and his muscles were more developed. There was not a single wound on his pelt, much contrary to the roaring sounds of battle that rang through the woods. His green eyes were spiked with fear and anger. There was no joking or laughter inside them, which was what she was used to. The heavy emotion in his gaze sent a shiver down her spine. She'd never seen him like this before. 

Mintpaw shook her pelt as relief filled her. This is a different vision. I've never seen this before. Why's StarClan showing it to me? It doesn't matter, she decided, blinking at the EarthClan tom. All that matters is he's alive. She waved her tail, trying to catch her friend's attention, but he was staring right through her. 

A snarl formed on Leafpaw's face. "What are you doing here?" he demanded, his voice rough. "Where are my kits?"

Mintpaw's pelt pricked with surprise, and she whirled around, only to find her standing face-to-face with Cobrapaw. The FireClan tom's expressions were cold as he blinked at the tom, cold amusement sparkling in his green gaze, as though Leafpaw was just a mouse that he was playing with. He seemed to find the brown tom's fear amusing. 

Cobrapaw flicked his ears. He, too, was much larger, although he was the same as Mintpaw had remembered in her dreams. She supposed that because she'd first seen Cobrapaw in her dream as a new cat, she'd been more focused on his appearance than Leafpaw's, who she'd already met. "I don't have your kits." His meow was the same as his eyes; cold amusement, as though he was laughing at Leafpaw's fear with no sign of sympathy for the EarthClan tom.

Leafpaw glared up at Cobrapaw. Even though the larger tom loomed over him, he dug his claws into the ground, refusing to back down. "Mamba told me you did!" he snarled. "Give them back!"

Mintpaw pricked her ears at the unfamiliar name. Mamba? Who's that?

Suddenly, the bushes behind Leafpaw rustled. A tabby gray she-cat padded out. Her fur looked soft and was fluffed as she padded forward, looking very graceful despite the tension that hung in the air. However, her eyes were the exact opposite of her appearance. They were narrowed with hate as she blinked at Cobrapaw.

"What are you doing here?" the she-cat demanded with a hiss. "I thought you'd never come back!"

Mintpaw's pelt pricked. Her voice sounds familiar... Suddenly, realization shocked her from head to paws. It was her! In the future! Chills ran down her spine. She leaned forward, trying to touch her nose to her future self's pelt, but she completely stepped through the tabby she-cat. 

"I'll always come back," Cobrapaw meowed, his voice icy. "I need to get my revenge, don't I? I did make a vow. And I don't like breaking vows; it would be very selfish to do so."

"Innocent cats are getting hurt!" Mintpaw's future self shrieked. "How fox-hearted are you?" 

Leafpaw stepped forward, touching his tail-tip to the tabby's shoulder. "Do you have my kits?"

The older Mintpaw's eyes softened as she turned back to Leafpaw. "They're in those bushes," she meowed, waving her tail towards a patch of undergrowth. "I promised you I'd take care of them."

"Thank you," Leafpaw purred, his eyes flickering uneasily from Cobrapaw to her, whereas the future Mintpaw seemed to have no fear that the older tom was practically slicing them to pieces with his eyes. "I'm sorry that I had to put you through that trouble."

Future Mintpaw flicked her tail. "It's no problem." 

Leafpaw bowed his head, trotting hurriedly to the bush. As soon as he moved, Cobrapaw sprang, claws extended, landing squarely on top of the EarthClan tom. A shriek of pain pierced through the air as blood poured from Leafpaw's pelt and he collapsed on the ground. Life practically slipped away from him as his eyes went blank. 

At the same exact time, the future Mintpaw and present Mintpaw yowled the same thing. "No!" 

The mist swirled around Mintpaw once more, erasing the scene, leaving her trembling. What happened? That's not what I'm used to seeing! Her paws collapsed from under her as horror spiked each and every part of her body. That's so different from the other dream!

"This is what will happen if you follow your mind," the mysterious voice boomed. Mintpaw wanted to shout at it, wanted to bat it away, but she was shocked into silence, quivering. "But if you let your heart rule..."

The mist quivered, and it disappeared, introducing her to a different scene. Now, this was the one that she normally saw. Dead bodies littered the grounds, the earth soaked with red. Blood splattered the trees, and a thick scent of mint bathed in the forest. Adderpaw, Snowfrost, Echoleaf, Flowerpaw... so many bodies that Mintpaw was able to recognize, all dead. It seemed as though nobody was alive. The forest was deathly silent, although the tabby could hear the piercing shrieks that had already faded echo through the trees. Tears pricked at her eyes. Take me away!

Suddenly, the undergrowth behind her rustled, making her jump. A she-cat padded out, dragging Leafpaw's dead, limp body. The she-cat was slimmer and more lithe than Mintpaw's future self, although many of their other features were similar, including the green eyes and gray tabby fur. Is this Mamba? 

The she-cat spat Leafpaw's body onto the ground, watching it tumble down the hill with others. Cobrapaw appeared after her, his eyes glimmering with satisfaction. "Clans are weak," the she-cat spat. Her voice sent shivers down Mintpaw's spine. It sounded cold, manipulative, and evil. Everything she didn't like. "They preach so much about loyalty, but when it's actually time for that, they back down." She waved her tail. "That's how we defeated them."

Cobrapaw nodded, his voice deep and gruff. "That's true. And, now, we finally have our revenge."

Mintpaw felt frozen to the spot. Are all the Clans gone? Dead? The mist moved again, erasing the scene. 

"That's what would happen if you let your heart rule completely," the voice boomed. "But, there's a very small chance that it would happen." The voice paused. "It should never happen. If any sign of it seems like it will, we'll put a stop to it as best as we can."

Mintpaw looked up helplessly at the mist. "What can I do? What does this even have to do with me?" However, as she pricked her ears, desperately searching for answers, the dream jerked, and she was wide awake.

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Word Count // 1288

Edited

Hello! I know this chapter is pretty dark, compared to normal Warrior Cat books. But, now there's more information on the future! Any predictions, interpretations, or guesses? I'd love to hear them! Poor Leafpaw always seems to die. I had so much fun writing this chapter, I don't even know why- I think there's something wrong with me, LOL. The picture at the top is Adderpaw! Okay, goodbye!