Warriors AU: Sandstar's Quest

Chapter 35

The three cats waited silently in the wash of moonlight. Wind swept over the surface of the Skyrock, pressing their fur close to their pelts. "Close your eyes," Sandstar whispered.

At first there was only darkness, and he was conscious of Poppystorm shifting restlessly by his side. Gradually she grew still; Sandstar's heartbeat quickened as he felt cold creeping over her, until she might have been a cat made of ice. The sound of the wind died away.

Sandstar opened his eyes. The Skyrock had vanished; instead, bleak moorland stretched around him, fading into the mist on all sides. No stars could penetrate the cloud, but the mist on all sides. No stars could penetrate the cloud, but it shimmered with a pale glow, as if somewhere overhead the moon still shone.

On the other side of Poppystorm, Echosong blinked and raised his head, then rose and arched his back in a stretch. His gaze, full of wonder, met Sandstar's. "Where are we? It's like the place I dreamed of the night I slept on the Skyrock."

"This is the moor where I saw the fleeing Skyclan cats." Sandstar stood up, working his claws into the tough grass.

Echosong turned to look down at Poppystorm, laying one paw gently on her shoulder. The she-cat didn't move.

"She feels so cold," Echosong whispered. Bending down, he breathed softly into Poppystorm's ear; it didn't even twitch. "Sandstar, she's not dead, is she?"

"No," Sandstar reassured him. "Something like this happened to me. I think her old life is being stripped away so that she can receive her nine new ones."

Echosong still looked worried. Sandstar guessed that his paws were itching to help Poppystorm, but there was nothing he could do.

It might have been seasons or only heartbeats before Poppystorm sneezed and opened her eyes. Her jaws stretched wide in a huge yawn. Then she seemed to become aware of her strange surroundings; she sprang to her paws, staggering a little.

"Sandstar, what's happening?"

"It's okay." Sandstar rested his tail tip on her shoulder. 'This is where you will meet with Starclan."

As if his words were a signal, the mists swirled in front of him, and the light brown tabby Skyclan ancestor stepped into view, Droplets of water glittered like stars on his fur. "Greetings," he meowed. "I know why you have come."

"Greetings," Echosong replied. His eyes were brilliant as he stood face to face with a Starclan warrior for the first time.

Sandstar padded forward to meet him. "I'm glad to see you again," he meowed. "I've brought Poppystorm. She is the cat you wanted, isn't she?"

"Yes." The former Skyclan leader dipped his head. "Thank you, Sandstar. You have done all you can to rebuild and protect Skyclan once more. Now it's up to the new Skyclan cats."

Sandstar took a deep breath. "But how can Poppystorm receive nine lives if you're the only cat here?"

The light brown tabby cat raised his tail commandingly, and Sandstar fell silent. He watched the Skyclan ancestor step lightly over the moorland grass to face Poppystorm.

"Do you believe in what is about to happen?" he asked her.

Poppystorm's panic-stricken gaze flew to Sandstar and back to the Starclan cat. "I... I think so," she stammered. "At least, Sandstar says you're going to give me nine lives, and I believe him."

A flicker of sadness passed across the warrior's face. "That will have to be enough," he mewed. "Come, and I will give you your first life."

Poppystorm took a step forward so that she stood right in front of the Skyclan ancestor. He bowed his head and touched his nose to hers. Poppystorm stiffened and flinched away, then deliberately moved back so that the Skyclan cat could touch her again.