StarClan's Secrets: New Beginnings(Warriors fan-fic)

Chapter Thirteen

   She fell and fell.  Lilypaw screeched, for there was no end of the falling in sight.

   What's going on! What did Spottedleaf do to me! I'm flailing in the darkness with no way out. It's like I'm in a loophole! Am I going to be stuck here forever!? Lilypaw thought frantically. She tried to tuck her paws to her chest for comfort, but the force of the fall was too much. Instead, Lilypaw fell like a starfish, her claws unsheathed. 

   "Star and fire will save the Clan. They will come together to form a power that will save the forest and the Clans hereafter." Something that sounded like a pack of cats whispered. The familiar words looped around her head. 

   "Ha! Not on my watch they won't!" A cat cackled. The whispering cats hissed and disappeared almost as quickly as they came.

   "Who are you?" Lilypaw asked.

   "What an interesting question! I could be anything. I could be your savior or your worst enemy. It's up to you to decide."

   "I'm confused."

   "Don't be! Just follow my words, and no harm will come to you or your Clans. Make me the savior!"

   "And how do I do that?"

   "Just let me into your head. Let me take you as a vessel for my greatness. Wonderful things will happen if you do!"

   A vessel? That doesn't seem right. There's something fishy about this cat, I just know it. But it could be for good...no! Don't give up your will on a cat you barely know! But she threatened to harm my friends if I denied her wishes...Lilypaw reasoned.

   "Foreststep! Leave this ThunderClan apprentice alone!" Thunderstar appeared in the darkness.

   The speaking cat appeared in a swirl of shadows, a snarl on her face. Foreststep was named correctly, no doubt about it. Her ivy green eyes gleamed maliciously as she mewed, "Now why should I, Thunderstar?" Foreststep licked her dark bracken-colored fur.

   "You have no business in the Clans anymore! In your lifetime, you chose to meddle with the decisions of a Dark Forest cat! If you listened to me, you could've been this apprentice you see before you. You could've been blessed with the powers of StarClan!"

   Foreststep hissed, "Do not believe him, Lilypaw! StarClan wants nothing from you but pain and suffering! Give me your body, and we can work together to make a better life for the Clans!"

   "How do you know my name?" Lilypaw asked.

   "The Dark Forest has more knowledge than you think. I'll explain more if you bow to my wishes." Foreststep twisted her tail.

   "Please, I need you to trust me, Lilypaw. Do not do anything she says!" Thunderstar pleaded.

   Lilypaw thought long and hard. Why was this so confusing! 

   "No. Leave me alone, Foreststep." Lilypaw decided.

   Foreststep snarled. "You chose the wrong path, Lilypaw. You have made me your enemy. If you had listened, I could have made it easier. A good Clan life will come the painful way. I have another vessel. Someone broken, you could say, from ShadowClan. He will rule this new world with me instead of you."

   "What is she talking about, Thunderstar?" Lilypaw asked. But Thunderstar was gone.

   "Ha! The traitor! See what I mean? StarClan doesn't help. They let their family suffer! Before I leave, let me give you a taste of what your punishment is going to be." Foreststep laughs and leaves in another swirl of shadows.

   Excruciating pain comes across Lilypaw. The pack of cats starts whispering the prophecy again. Lilypaw curls her tail and puts her paw on her chest. Blood stains her paw.

   More and more blood.

   It seeps out of her ears, her back, and it gurgles in her throat.

   Lilypaw screams, and choking on her blood, she fell unconscious. 

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   "Lilypaw, wake up."

   Lilypaw groaned.

   "LILYPAW!"

   Lilypaw jolted awake and leaped to her paws. Her claws were still unsheathed. Firepaw stood in front of her in the medicine den back at camp. Spottedleaf stood in the corner wrapping something gingerly. Lilypaw let out a shaky breath. Minus the trauma she now had, everything was pretty much back to normal.

   "I thought you were training. What are you doing here sleeping in the medicine cat den?" Firepaw asked.

   "Spottedleaf asked me to."

   Spottedleaf padded over to Firepaw to hand him the leaf wrap. Firepaw took it gratefully. "I did ask her, and she will be out with you in a moment, Firepaw."

   Lilypaw's brother nodded and left the den.

   "So, tell me, how do you feel?" Spottedleaf asked.

   "I taste blood."

   "What?! Why?!"

   "Someone named Foreststep gave me a visit."

   "Foreststep?! StarClan told me this was going to be a normal dream! What did that wretched Foreststep do to you?"

   Lilypaw stayed silent. Talking about the dream made her brain go nuts.

   "It's alright if you don't want to talk about it. I've had a few Foreststep dreams myself, and they are not pleasant."

   "Agreed." Lilypaw mewed.

   "Here. Take some poppy seed to calm your emotions." Spottedleaf grabbed some poppy seed and placed it in front of Lilypaw. She lapped them up gratefully.

   "All I can tell you now is to get some rest. Relax your mind."

   Lilypaw nodded and walked out of the den to a worried Firepaw.

   "What happened?" He asked.

   "I don't want to talk about it. I'm going to go sleep at my willow tree spot. Let Bluestar know, would you? And tell her that Spottedleaf ordered me to."

   "Got it. I'm going to go hunt to get that foul mouse bile taste out of my mouth!" Firepaw licked Lilypaw's ear and ran away. Lilypaw trotted out of camp, her tail dragging behind her. The sun was warm, but it did nothing to heat the chill of her soul. Reaching her willow tree spot, Lilypaw drank some water from the stream and curled up by her favorite willow tree.

   Lilypaw batted at the curtains of leaves. Stupid dreams. I wish it would just all go away! Why did I have to be the star cat!

   She closed her eyes and attempted to fall asleep. Lilypaw tossed and turned, but could not stop thinking about Foreststep's dream.

   Crack!

   Lilypaw flinched and lifted her head to see a snarling fox charging straight towards her.