A Spark in the Night, part one: The Spark Ignites

Chapter nineteen

Softcloud found herself waking up in StarClan. This is the second time in a quarter-moon, what's happening?? She glanced around, and saw mist in the distance. Isn't that the Dark Forest? I can spy on Leafclaw and Grasswhisker!! She started to run towards the mist.

Softcloud had been running for a little while at this point, and she saw Shinepaw, who glanced up, and meowed, "Softcloud! Don't go there- you're heading towards the Dark Forest!"

Softcloud didn't stop running. "Come on, we can spy on Grasswhisker and Leafclaw!"

Shinepaw rolled his eyes. "I guess I can't convince you not to," he meowed, and ran after her.

Shinepaw stopped and climbed a tree. "Here's a good place to watch them." he meowed.

Softcloud climbed up after him, and agreed. "Let's see what they're up to." she meowed.

Shinepaw nodded. After some waiting, Shinepaw pointed with his tail at the forms of Leafclaw and Grasswhisker fading in.

A gray and black tom approached them with a small bundle in his mouth. Softcloud heard Leafclaw's voice. "Badgerstrike, what's that?" Badgerstrike put the scrap down, Softcoud gasped when she saw that it was a kit, as a ginger and brown she-cat, resembling Badgerstrike entered the area, too. Badgerstrike looked at her. "Fernshade, tell them what they're doing."

Fernshade glanced at the kit. "You'll be practicing the killing bite."

Grasswhisker looked at the kit. "She's already dead." The kit rolled over, unaware of the danger, and Softcloud immediately recognized Dovekit. Leafclaw looked at the small scrap. "Do you want me to do it?"

Fernshade smirked. "Grasswhisker can hold her down."

The two toms nodded.

Softcloud helplessly watched in horror, as Grasswhisker put his paw on the tiny, squirming kit, and Leafclaw bit the back of her throat. Dovekit twitched once, and was still. Her form began to fade away, and Softcloud cringed when Leafclaw licked the blood from his muzzle, and asked, "Can we make this a usual?"

Badgerclaw smiled cruelly. "I hope so." he mewed. "We could summon cats here in their dreams."

"We'll also try to lure some young cats here, or take any nearby." Fernshade added.

It wasn't until she felt Shinepaw tense beside her that she realized what that would mean. She glanced at him, and he looked ready to jump out of his fur. "Run," she meowed, only loud enough for Shinepaw to hear.

He immediately leapt out of the tree, and without stopping, he ran as fast as a monster. She quickly dove down to follow him. They both ran as fast as they could until they were far enough to be sure they were safe.

Panting, Shinepaw glanced at her. "What am I supposed to do?" Softcloud paused for a moment, and responded, "Since you never finished your training, some cat here could help you."

Shinepaw nodded. "What about everybody else?" he asked.

"Same," she meowed.

Shinepaw nodded again. "I'll spread the word."

"Okay."

Shinepaw pointed with his tail at a small gray tom, sleek, like a NightClan cat. "That's a close friend of mine, Beepaw." Softcloud noticed that he was so small that he couldn't have been an apprentice for longer than two moons when he'd died. "Hi," she mewed.

Beepaw looked at her. "Softcloud, right?" Softcloud smiled. "Wouldn't you know?"

Beepaw nodded. "Shinepaw wanted to tell you something" she meowed. Beepaw looked at his friend. "What is it?" he asked.

Shinepaw started telling him about what they'd seen, and their plan to train, and Softcloud felt herself waking up.