WARRIORS - The Pony Prophecy

Chapter 8

Bubblepaw's POV (Pinkie Pie)

As the sun slowly fell out of view from the ShadowClan camp, the Clan leader, Ravenstar, leapt onto the branch hanging over her den. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Pinebranch for a clan meeting!" she yowled, her voice ringing out across the territory. Her deputy, Frostwing, jumped up beside her.

Warriors, apprentices, queens, and elders alike slowly filtered out of their dens and into the clearing. A sand coloured she-cat with a dark ginger chest and tail came to sit next to Spicepaw (Applejack) and I. She flicked her tail in greeting and I returned it. Ravenstar lifted her tail once everyone had gathered around her, raising her head to speak again.

"Frostwing and I have decided which cats will be attending the Gathering. We will depart once the meeting is over." She listed a series of warriors and apprentices and finally her gaze landed on myself, Spicepaw, and the sand coloured she-cat. "...Bubblepaw, Spicepaw, and Fernpaw."

The black she-cat leapt down and she, Frostwing, and the medicine cat, Oakwhisker, led the group out of camp and into the pine forest. We headed toward the RiverClan border, as the tree bridge that led to the island was on their territory. WindClan arrived at the same time as us and we crossed together. A small gray apprentice had trouble keeping her balance. I saw young tom smirk to himself and walk closer to her, until he suddenly pushed his way past her, causing her to lose her grip completely and fall into the lake.

I immediately jumped in after her. I knew she wasn't a part of my Clan, yet one look at her made me certain I needed to help her. I struggled to see through the water flowing all around me as I swam toward the WindClan apprentice. As I managed to grasp her by the scruff, I saw a dark shadow moving toward us. It swam underneath the gray she-cat and started swimming upward. Understanding and relief washed over me as I realized what the dark figure was doing, and I swam up as well.

We soon broke through to the surface and the figure, which I could now see was a dark blue-gray tabby she-cat with deep blue eyes, pulled herself up onto the island, helping me to do the same. We gently carried the gray WindClan apprentice to the center of the island, where several medicine cats gathered around her.

I stepped back, trying to keep out of their way. Instead I focused on finding the gray tabby tom who had intentionally pushed his own Clanmate into the lake. Eventually I spotted him sitting alone, glaring at the group of medicine cats. He noticed me approaching and let out a low growl.

"What do you want," he spat.

"I want to know why you pushed that she-cat into the lake." I meowed, my tone serious. "She's your Clanmate, is she not?"

The tom rolled his eyes. "That mouse-brain is no use to WindClan, she can't even hunt. She'll only get in everyone's way."

"That's no excuse for pushing her into the lake, Darkpaw," a new voice called. I looked behind me and saw a light brown tom with different coloured patches and yellow eyes. I knew at once this must be the gray tom's mentor. The dark blue-gray tabby who'd helped me rescue the WindClan she-cat apprentice stood beside him, and I realized that she told him what happened.

"Would it matter if she drowned?" Darkpaw meowed, taking no notice as several nearby cats turned to stare. "Featherpaw's nothing but a burden, an extra mouth to feed who can't even see straight. Even that timid cream coloured she-cat is less worthless than Featherpaw."

The tabby stepped closer, her fur bristling. She also began telling off the WindClan apprentice, and as she spoke, I realized her voice seemed familiar to me, and it wasn't long before I recognized her.

"Twilight?" I mewed quietly. She turned her attention toward me, but before she could respond, a series of growls and hisses came from the large tree where the leaders were gathered.

Staring calmly at all four leaders was a familiar dark ginger tortoiseshell she-cat.