Warriors: Lost

Chapter 21

What am I gonna tell her? Why did I volunteer? Why!?

Nightpaw's thoughts were whirling like a storm inside her head as she stalked off to the apprentice den. "Star, I need to talk to you," she announced, interrupting Daypaw when he was about to give her a greeting.

"Oh, really? Okay!" Star trotted up to her with excitement glimmering in her forest-green eyes. "What is it?"

"Let's talk somewhere more private," murmured Nightpaw. Soon, they got to a private place guarded by brambles and stone to keep out of sight and earshot of any warriors, other apprentices, and kits.

"Why are you being so quiet?" asked Star. "Are you ill?"

"No. Look, Star, I'm going to tell you something- something that will change a lot of things for you. It'll change the way you see life in general. Are you ready?" asked Nightpaw.

"Of course I am. I didn't trek halfway across the territory for nothing." hissed Star.

"Good... you are—" Nightpaw stopped as white clouded her vision.

"Nightpaw, what's happening!?" Star screeched.

Nightpaw vaguely heard her as she heard herself thud on the ground. When she woke up, she was in a white-grayish void, with Star nearby.

"What happened? Where are we?" Star asked. "What were you going to tell me?"

Nightpaw couldn't find the words as she stepped backwards in shock from what happened. "I...um..." Nightpaw stammered. Suddenly, they were in a wave of memories. Star's memories!

"Is that me? Wow, these are all my memories!" Star yowled. "Wait... who's that... kit?"

Nightpaw staggered forward to see what Star was looking at. "Maybe concentrate on it. Maybe we can see what is happening in this." Nightpaw meowed.

"Memory...memory..." Star murmured. Suddenly, they were brought into the memory. She saw Poppyfall, a ThunderClan queen in which one of her  kits were kidnapped by an invasion by some rogue cats.

Nightpaw saw a younger version of Redpaw and Thrushpaw and Stormstar and Snowstar when he was deputy. They came in after a tortoiseshell Tom left.

"Poppyfall. Congratulations, old friend." Snowstar mewed.

"I hope this litter survives this time..." muttered Poppyfall. "If it doesn't, I'll move to the elders' den."

"Oh, no you won't." meowed another, far away queen. Probably Moonheart. "I need your help with rambunctious Redkit and Thrushkit. You ain't going anywhere, young lady."

"Try and stop me, Moonheart!" Poppyfall growled playfully. There were three kits in the bundle. One looked just like Star. "Me and Tallcloud have already decided names. Birchkit, Badgerkit, and finally, Runningkit. Runningkit is the dusky brown she-cat, Badgerkit is the tabby tom that has a stripe like a Badger, and Birchkit is the cream tortoiseshell tom."

"Runningkit... I'm Runningkit?" Star mewed.

"Keep watching, you might learn something useful," Nightpaw urged.

Time went on, and soon rogue cats were attacking the camp. One attacked the nursery, and they kidnapped one kit. "Runningkit! Oh, no! Moonheart, help me, please!" yowled Poppyfall desperately.

"Runningkit! Runningkit!" Badgerkit and Birchkit yowled desperately. "No!"

Nightpaw's heart stung as Badgerkit and Birchkit yowled desperately for their sister. They must've been close, and Star doesn't remember...

"Badgerkit... Birchkit..." Star muttered. "Of course...I remember them... they're such good brothers... I wonder how they are now..."

Or not.

Nightpaw's eyes tore away from the memory to look at Star with sympathy clear in her eyes. Suddenly, the memory changed. It was at a stony hollow. Cats were attacking cats. Nightpaw recognized the RushingWaterClan and the rogues who took Star from ThunderClan fighting each other.

Nightpaw also recognized a warrior creeping into their nursery. She and Star trotted up, eagerly waiting to see what the warrior would do. When getting a closer look, she realized it was the warrior she was fighting when she was first rudely welcomed. Scorchstream.

You better not do anything, you jerk!

"Mountainstar, over here!" Scorchstream meowed. "There's a kit that smells of the lake clan cats!"

"Those filthy kitnappers!" Mountainstar snarled. "Go back to the mountains and bring it over to one of the queens. They'll be able to take care of her."

Scorchstream nodded, grabbed Runningkit, and ran off.

"That's when I was brung to Tallfrost. I thought she was my mother, but... she wasn't..." Star meowed.

Nightpaw was hit with another wave of lightheadedness and she hit the floor with a thud, and woke up where they were last.

"I'm a ThunderClan cat!" Star yowled. "I- can I come with you on your journey? I want to see my mother- and my brothers! How are they doing? Are they okay? Are they playful as ever? Are they still kits or apprentices?"

"I don't know," Nightpaw admitted. "I'm ShadowClan, not ThunderClan. These are very two different clans. No need to ask Mountainstar if you can come; she already knows."

"RushingWaterClan needs me! Will Fish, Dark, Roar, and Night be okay without me?" Star fretted.

"I'm sure. She said they can spare the apprentice. I'm sure the kits are almost six moons old, anyways." assured Nightpaw. Star nodded, and then looked up to meet her gaze.

"Okay. I want to come with you." Star said. "Is Mountainstar talking to my mentor? I want to talk to Tallfrost first."

"Yes, she is talking to Brightfeather, and of course you can talk to Tallfrost." Nightpaw assured.

"Thank you," Star said, brushing her pelt against Nightpaw's and then bounding off towards the mountains. Nightpaw sighed of relief.

Thank you, EndlessHuntingClan!