Colorful Doom

Chapter 9

Nightfeather raced deeper into the murky forest, her breath coming out in heaving gasps and her eyes wide with fear. The moon, usually providing a bit of light in the Dark Forest, was nowhere to be seen. Voices rang in her ears, getting louder by the second.

"Come join us, Nightfeather. You can't run from your destiny forever. Join us, and get revenge on Rosefeather. Join us. You've already killed. You can't hide from yourself."

Nightfeather let out a screech. "No! Stop!" This same nightmare had been reoccurring for the past few days, but it usually ended long before this point.

A cat appeared in front of her, ginger pelt matted with blood. "Join us, or we will murder every one of your precious Clanmates. Join us, or we will tell them of Ashcloud's true death." She snarled.

Nightfeather began backing away, fur bristling. "No. N-no, please, you can't!" ShadowClan was her home, her Clan. It was all she had.

"It's simple, really." The she-cat drawled as she began to weave around the stunned she-cat. "Join us to get revenge on Rosefeather."

Nightfeather felt her paws itching for the chance to get revenge. Rosefeather deserved this. She was a murderer.

"So? Do you accept?"

Nightfeather swallowed and gave a nod. "Okay then. For revenge on Rosefeather, I'll join the Dark Forest."

》》》》》》》》》》》》

Nightfeather gave a gasp as she shot out of her moss nest. Foxfang was staring down at her, concern evident in her eyes.

"You're finally awake! Are you alright?" Foxfang whispered, getting up.

"How long was I out?" Nightfeather murmured, fur beginning to lie flat again.

"A day. You kept shaking, and screaming, and you wouldn't stop. We thought... we thought you were going to die." Foxfang observed her. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Nightfeather shook the medicine cat off and padded out of the medicine den, eyes narrowed. "I'm fine."

As soon as she entered the clearing, faces whipped around. Rainheart was the first to approach her.

"You're awake!" He meowed, voice laced with disbelief.

Nightfeather flicked her tail. Despite all the "sleep" she had gotten, she was more tired than she'd ever been. "Yeah. Where's Sparrowwing?"

Rainheart pointed towards the nusery with his tail. "He's in there, with your mother."

Nightfeather thanked him and sprinted towards the pine and bramble den, glancing at her mother's hunched shape. Her white-speckled fur was matted and ruffled. Sparrowwing was next to her, a tail laid gently on her back. Quiet sobs could be heard.

"M-my k-k-kit," came Fawnfur's gentle voice. "M-my last kit."

Nightfeather glanced at Leaftail's nest. Empty.

"Mom?" Nightfeather's voice cracked, and she swallowed in a feeble attempt to regain her composure. "Mom, I'm here. I'm okay."

Fawnfur didn't turn around. Nightfeather felt her heart begin to race. Sparrowwing turned around, however, his eyes glazed. They immediately brightened when he saw the black she-cat.

"Nightfeather?" He croaked, brown fur laying flat again. In a flash, he had pinned her down and began smoothing her fur, pure joy in his eyes. "I missed you so, so much."

Nightfeather suppressed a purr and rolled her deep blue eyes. "Relax. I was only asleep for a day."

Sparrowwing got off her and sat down, eyes focused on her. "It felt like an eternity."