Waterstar's Heart

Chapter 9

Waterpaw stirred from his sleep with a start, an unfamiliar scent hitting his nostrils. He opened his eyes to see a dark and eerie forest. The rotting trees were bathed in endless fog and shadow. It ground was mossy, and the grass under his paw pads were slick and wet.

"Hello?" The young tom called out, his fur prickling with uneasiness. Waterpaw turned, circling his surroundings. He was in a clearing, a hollow. It seemed similar to the Sandy Hollow, but it had a different feeling.

There was a ringing of laughter that echoed throughout the trees. "Hello?" Waterpaw called out again, turning to the noise. His brows furrowed.

The eerie laughter sounded closer this time. "Don't be afraid, Waterpaw." A voice rasped.

Before the apprentice could reply, he saw movement from the corner of his eye. Waterpaw twisted his head towards the figure. His eyes widened as he saw a muscular tom emerge from the shadows. He was a brown tom, with darker stripes. He had unruly spiked fur, and gnarly scars across his muzzle and backside. The tom had ripped ears, and a yellow, toothy grin.

As Waterpaw focused more onto the brown cat, he noticed that he was translucent.

"Who are you?" He asked, backing away.

The huge brown tom's ears twitched as he slowly padded forwards. "I am Cricketscream. I'm here
to teach you all you will ever need to learn."

"What? I don't know what I'm doing here- I..." Waterpaw began to tumble over his words. Turning away, the grey tom began to quickly pad away.

He heard paw steps, and before he knew it, the brown feline had stepped in front of him. He was enormous. "I've seen your frustration with your kin's death. I too, have dealt with the same grief you have." The tom's eyes softened. "I can help you transfer your grief into the energy to make you great."

Cricketscream turned to look into the forest. "Many cats are dealing with their own battles. You are not the only cat who's suffering. Some you have met as of recent."

Waterpaw couldn't think of what to do. Where even was he? Why was this cat in his dreams? How many cats were here? The grey tom's breath hitched in his throat as Cricketscream drew closer.

"Waterpaw...you have a destiny. Let me help you." He assured. The warrior raised his head, drawing in a long breath. "You could become the most influential cat in the history of ThunderClan— in all of the clans."

The apprentice glanced around more, and then looked back. He needed to know who this cat was. He narrowed his eyes. "Who are you? I know your name...but what happened to you?"

Cricketscream nodded, seemingly understanding Waterpaw's own confusion. "I was a ThunderClan warrior, just like you. I had kin, and I lost them, just like you." He let his tail gently swish the earth. He seemed to become less tense as he spoke, "Although, I handled my grief...differently. I made decisions that were not in StarClan's best interest. I am here to help you, Waterpaw, not go down that path."

Waterpaw began to piece the warrior's story together. This place was for cats who had made bad decisions. Cricketscream is dead...and he was put here.

"...When you say my destiny...what do you mean?" He pressed intently.

Cricketscream backed away, his paws leaving the faintest impression in the mossy floor. "You will begin the eternal blaze." He spoke slowly, and seriously. The scarred cat stared, a grin peeking on his muzzle. "You will make ThunderClan thrive."

"The eternal blaze?" Waterpaw repeated, heavily confused. All of his worries began to mold into confusion.

The brown warrior nodded simply, his red eyes gleaming. "If you do as I say, ThunderClan is flourish." He then turned away, his ears perked, "I'll visit you in your dreams again."