Omen of the Sun Book Three: Dusk

Chapter Nineteen

Yellowheart

The moon was high in the sky as Yellowheart finally spotted Sunpool and Cinderstorm. Grumbling curses under her breath, she hurried towards them. "Finally."

"Sorry," Cinderstorm apologized, "nobody would get to sleep. We came as fast as we could."

"It was hard convincing Brackentail that I was asleep," Yellowheart snapped. If these cats aren't going to be here on time, then why am I wasting my time on them?

"We should probably just... get to... sleep?" Sunpool suggested hesitantly. She sounded nervous and unsure, which was just fabulous, Yellowheart added to herself.

"Yeah, we should," Yellowheart said. "We need to sleep next to each other. Follow my exact instructions."

She led them to the edge of the Starbrooke. "Lie down here, and dip your paw into the water." Then she noticed Sunpool going ahead and doing that too soon. "Not now!"

"Sorry," Sunpool muttered, stepping away. Yellowheart took a deep breath, and Cinderstorm stepped in.

"Alright, everyone. Yellowheart, explain."

"If we put our paws in at the same time, we'll fall asleep together and share a dream. Then, I can get in contact with StarClan and I'll guide you to whoever you need to speak to." She realized she didn't know something. "Wait, who are you trying to talk to?"

Sunpool and Cinderheart exchanged a glance. "Nobody in particular," Sunpool said finally, "we just need answers."

Yellowheart raised an eyebrow. "Answers to- you know, I don't want to know. Alright," she went on, "lie down and when I say to, dip your paw in."

Cinderstorm and Sunpool obliged and laid down where she indicated, shielded from the other medicine cat's views by a thick patch of ferns and clover. Neither of their pelts blended in, but hopefully, they'd be done before the medicine cats woke up.

"Now," Yellowheart hissed, and as one, they dipped their paws into the water.

-=-

Yellowheart woke in StarClan, right next to Cinderstorm and Sunpool. She knew it was StarClan, but she had no idea where they were. Sunpool seemed to recognize it, though, curiously; she blinked, and nodded.

Cinderstorm seemed to be at a loss, however.

Yellowheart turned, and saw a group of cats on the horizon, heading through the forest, farther than she'd ever been. Sunpool nodded. "We need to follow them."

"How do you know?" Yellowheart challenged suspiciously. Wasn't the whole point of this stupid trip because Sunpool and Cinderstorm couldn't get to StarClan in their nests? How does Sunpool know them?

"Because," Sunpool said, "I know them."

Yellowheart twitched her whiskers. "Oh?" Cinderstorm's mouth was agape.

"You never told me you knew anyone in StarClan! How did you meet them?"

"Dreams."

Yellowheart growled and smacked her paw on the ground. "The whole point of you bothering me was because you couldn't get to StarClan in your nests!"

"Well, I knew I could," Sunpool meowed defensively. "But I didn't know about Cinderstorm. Besides, I couldn't exactly count on the reliability!"

Yellowheart sighed deeply and rolled her eyes to the top of her head. "You know what? Whatever. I don't even care. The sooner we find these cats, the sooner we can wake up."

Sunpool led the way. Soon, she stepped out of the comfortable trot they were walking in to a jog, then to a run, then to a full on sprint. Yellowheart had no idea of the time or how long it took for them to finally reach them, but she didn't think it was a very short amount of time.

Finally, chests heaving, they stumbled up to the group.

The group, no, now it was pair, was comprised of a silver tabby she-cat, and a silver she-cat with dark brown patches. They turned to look at them as they approached.

"Sunpool!" They both said at once.

They were at a very odd place. The moon was oddly high in the sky, and the forest was cut off completely (Yellowheart saw dozens of half-trees) by a skeletal white border. Another forest was on the other side. It was as unlike StarClan's forest as it was possible to be; where StarClan had light, this forest had darkness. StarClan's forest smelled good, fresh, and like life; this forest smelled like nothing but death, and decay, and a musty smell of dead moss. Yellowheart wrinkled her nose. "What are we going here?"

The silver she-cat and the silver and brown she-cat exchanged glances. "Goldleaf," the former finally said.

"What about him?" Sunpool demanded. Yellowheart glanced over at her and saw that her hackles had raised, maybe unconsciously.

"He's..." the silver she-cat said, "well, we think he was taken to the Dark Forest."

"Why in StarClan would you think that?" Cinderstorm demanded.

The silver-and-brown she-cat quickly filled them in. She also made introductions, saying that she was Lilycloud and that the other cat was Frost. Yellowheart asked what a cat with a rogue name was doing in StarClan, and Frost replied darkly that she wouldn't like to know. So Yellowheart didn't ask any more questions.

Tensely they waited, until Sunpool and Cinderstorm seemed to remember what they had came for. "Lilycloud," Sunpool mewed, "Brambleflower-"

"Her." Lilycloud rolled her eyes. "I don't even know."

"She wasn't telling us something," Cinderstorm pressed. "I don't-"

"I don't either," Lilycloud meowed. "I have no idea. StarClan can only see and observe. We cannot interfere or see into the minds of cats. I'm sorry."

Yellowheart hissed. "So we came all this way for nothing?!"

She was looking at Sunpool. Sunpool backed up and flicked her tail irritably. "Don't blame me! I didn't know!"

"You could have gone there in your dreams!"

Cinderstorm, Lilycloud, and Frost swiftly stepped between them. "Whoa," Frost meowed. "Yellowheart, Sunpool, stop. Don't fight."

Yellowheart blinked. What had made her act like this? She didn't want to. She wouldn't have. Usually, she would have just said all the things she had in her head. What had possessed her to make her say those words?

"It's the Dark Forest," Lilycloud said grimly. "It's got a part in all this. It's influence is affecting cats."

"Why?"

"Because they are rising again."

Heeeeeeeeeey eeeeeeeey eeeeey eeeeey eeeeey

I'm not dead! :D

Okay yeah I'm an evil person because I didn't update for three weeks. Don't shout at me. Because I've had a FAB day (I hate soccer now -.-) and you will die with me having no regrets. 🔨

BYE

~✨🐱✨ Rainfeather ✨🐱✨