WARRIORS - The Pony Prophecy

Chapter 18

Breezepaw's POV (Trixie)

Duskpaw's eyes widened and she tried to get up. Softpaw quickly stepped toward her and urged her to lay back down. "Where are Bubblepaw and Spicepaw?" Duskpaw asked.

"Spicepaw disappeared some point after you passed out," Dashpaw explained, "and Bubblepaw went looking for her as soon as she realized she was missing." Ashwhisker, Spicepaw's mentor, flicked his ears and I gave him a quick nod, understanding his concern. Suddenly he turned his head toward the tree bridge, his ears pricked.

Bubblepaw raced onto the island with two other cats following behind her. At once I recognized the tortoiseshell she-cat who'd shown up during the previous Gathering. The fur along her spine bristled and her amber eyes searched the island. "Where's Thistleclaw?" she asked.

Before I could ask who Thistleclaw was, a voice came from a group of elders sitting by a clump of ferns.

"That's who that gray and white tom was?" Yellowmoon asked the tortoiseshell. She nodded, and the old she-cat explained to me. "Thistleclaw was a dangerous cat. He lived in ThunderClan many seasons ago, long before the Clans lived here by the lake. He's a member of the Dark Forest, and he fought against the Clans in the Great Battle. "

I looked back at the tortoiseshell she-cat. "How do you know Thistleclaw?" I asked her. She hesitated, but finally she closed her eyes and answered.

"Because I'm also a part of the Dark Forest," she admitted. Her words were met with hisses and murmurs of shock from the cats gathered around. The tortoiseshell ignored them. "My name is Mapleshade." Mintfur leapt toward her but Bubblepaw and the other apprentice blocked his path.

"She helped us look for Spicepaw," the RiverClan she-cat meowed. Duskpaw tried again to get up but Snowpaw lifted her tail to stop her.

Turning to the apprentice, she asked, "Sweetpaw, did you three find her?" Sweetpaw shook her head and Bubblepaw explained.

"We followed her scent to the Thunderpath between RiverClan and ShadowClan territory, but it stopped there." she told us. Dashpaw stood up and lashed her tail.

"Well then what are we waiting for?" she hissed. "We have to do something!"

"We tried," Mapleshade insisted. "We did everything we could to find Spicepaw but there's no sign of her."

A heavy silence followed her words as no cat knew how to respond. Even the leaders stared helplessly at each other. Only Lightpaw broke the silence.

"So, now what do we do?" she asked, her voice barely audible. No one answered.

Shadespark suddenly stood up, her deep blue eyes full of certainty. "She will return." the WindClan she-cat meowed. Softpaw looked up at her.

"What do you mean?" But the medicine cat was already padding toward the tree at the center of the island.

"This is something I can't explain with so many cats here who aren't involved," she told the leaders, and then turned to the deputies sitting at the base of the tree. "The leaders and medicine cats will stay here, but I need you to take the rest of your Clans home. Dashpaw, Snowpaw, Duskpaw, Breezepaw, Lightpaw, and Bubblepaw, you stay here. Mapleshade," Shadespark paused, thinking carefully about her decision before saying it aloud. "You stay as well. This concerns you just as much as it does me or any of them."  

The tortoiseshell she-cat nodded, and Brackenstreak, Stonefoot, Sandtail, and Frostwing led the rest of the Clans away from the island. Shadespark turned back to her apprentice. "Softpaw, you remember the prophecy you received on the night you arrived in WindClan?" Softpaw nodded. Shadespark closed her eyes, preparing for what she was about to tell us.

"I believe, and Flashstar agrees with me, that the prophecy has something to do with the eight of you."