Leafshade's Revenge

Chapter Eleven

         Leafshade blinked away the dark clouded spots that covered her view, and she shakily got up, feeling hard dirt beneath her paws scrape against her. She stared around. The sky was dark with no stars, and the moon was hidden out of view. Dark, leafless trees stood tall around her, their bark as black as the night sky. The sound of owls hooting made her fur stand on in, and she pressed against one of the trees, her heart beating rapidly. Where am I? she thought. Is this StarClan?

"Leafshade," a voice meowed, sounding like multiple cats together. "We welcome you. The Dark Forest is your home now, and you will live forever with your blood-soaked memories." The voice faded as it spoke, and Leafshade twitched her tail in annoyance.

I'm not in StarClan. The first thought entered her head, and then she let out a low growl. But I've entered another place...someplace with other cats like me, who've felt pain and betrayal. She felt a surge of triumph. I am home now.

+++

Leafshade padded through the Dark Forest, her fur bristling in the breeze. The sky grew lighter, but only to a dark, ominous gray. She sniffed for prey. There's nothing here, nothing, and I'm hungry. She felt her belly growl with hunger...but she didn't hate the pain. She relished it.

She heard a twig snap behind her, and she spun around, her eyes narrowing as a flame-clored tom with ginger stripes padded towards her. She flicked her tail. "Who are you?" she demanded, sliding out her claws and dragging one slowly across a small flat rock beside her.

The tom sat back, curling his tail around his paws. "My name is Flamestripe," he told her, his voice cool and smooth.

Leafshade looked at him through narrowed eyes. "What makes you think I want to talk to you?" she demanded, her voice cold. To be honest...I am kind of lonely. She pushed the thought out of her mind, focusing on him.

He shrugged. "I've been here longer than you can imagine," he mewed slowly, "so I know how lonely it is after a few days here." He blinked, flicking his ear. "So, who are you?" His eyes followed her as she sat down by a tree.

She paused. "Leafshade," she meowed slowly. "Why are you here?"

Flamestripe blinked at her. "Same as you, killed a couple of cats." He shook out his fur, stretching. He licked his front paw, running it over his ear a couple of times. He tilted his head at her.

Leafshade flinched. I didn't want to kill Squirrelkit. But I had to. And I hope Skystar's dead, he deserves to die. "They deserved it," she gritted out, her voice tight. She lifted her head.

"I'm sure they did," Flamestripe responded smoothly.

"Shut it," she growled.

"I was agreeing with you."

"Sure."

Flamestripe's eyes glimmered with amusement. "Okay, okay." He got up, walking closer to her. "I'll leave you alone, if you really want...but I know more things about you and about here than you can ever imagine."

+++

Leafshade padded beside Flamestripe, her pace brisk and her gaze glued to the large pool of dark water ahead. I can travel to the real world from there...I can see my precious kits. She halted as she approached it. 'To remain unseen by certain cats, only focus on the ones you want to be seen by. And remember, they can't hurt you; but you can hurt them' Flamestripe's voice echoed in her head, and she turned and gave him a nod before leaping into the black water, swimming down. Her lungs burned, and she wondered if she could die two times as she felt herself getting dizzy.

Suddenly she dropped with a thud onto the ground of the BirchClan camp. Is this where everyone just teleports to? She wondered, shaking out her fur. Never mind. I just need to find my kits. Leafshade bounded over to the Nursery, where her kits played in the corner of the Nursery...alone. She hissed. Why were they left alone? And where's Cloud and Bramble?

She gasped as she saw Thornfrost padding over to the Nursery with Waspsting. Her belly was swollen and she hobbled a little as he let her move into the Nursery. "I'm fine, Thornfrost," Waspsting mewed, licking his shoulder. He's mine. Thornfrost's mine!

Thornfrost purred. "Our kits will be so beautiful," he told her softly. "I'm sorry I chose Leafshade over you," he added in a murmur, too quiet for anyone else to hear. Leafshade growled in fury. Does he really think that? She thought, her heart aching. Did he never love me?

Waspsting looked affectionately towards him. "I really don't need to stay here. I'm still fit—"

"Thornfrost!" Nightkit mewed, pouncing on his tail. "Play with me! I want to play."

Thornfrost nudged his kit to the side. "Not now," he growled. "Go over and play with your siblings." He flicked his tail, staring at Nightkit until he stalked off, going over to sit with his siblings. Leafshade gaped in disgust at him. You aren't who I thought you were.

Leafshade watched as Thornfrost left the Nursery, and Waspsting curled up to go to sleep. She padded over to her kits, focusing on them. Please let them see me, she pleaded silently. "Tawnykit? Nightkit? Willowkit? Brightkit? Wolfkit? Can you see—"

Wolfkit leaped onto her, purring loudly. "Leafshade!" he mewed, pressing his head into her fur. His siblings ran over to her, bouncing excitedly. Nightkit stood on his hind paws, his small front paw on her side. "We missed you," Wolfkit squeaked. "Thornfrost doesn't like us anymore. He only likes Waspsting." His eyes glimmered with hurt and confusion.

Leafshade let a low growl escape her throat. "He is not who I thought he was," she told them angrily. She looked at them seriously. "I need your help, my kits. Will you help your mother?" she waited, her tail twitching with nervousness and fury.

Tawnykit and Willowkit nodded eagerly. "Of course, Leafshade, we'll help you!" The other kits nodded, though a bit more hesitantly. Leafshade's heart warmed, and she licked them each on the head.

"When you are apprentices, I need you to do everything you can to non-suspiciously make your father's life miserable." Her fur bristled, and she let out an angry hiss. "And..." she paused. "Well, I'll tell you later, when it comes closer. But I will visit you more, and you have to tell me around the time Waspsting's kits will be born. Okay?"

Tawnykit nodded. "Ok," she mewed, and Willowkit, Nightkit, and Brightkit nodded. Wolfkit looked hesitant, but eventually nodded. Leafshade scooped them closer, curling her tail around them.

"I love you, my kits," she whispered to them, and then slowly faded away.