Omen of the Sun Book Three: Dusk

Chapter Thirty-Four

Sunpool

Sunpool called for a massive training day the day after they found everyone.

She had woke them all at dawn and they had travelled out into the forest together. Sunpool had found a big clearing, and she had decided to use that for practice. They had herself, Cinderstorm, Lightningfeather, Cheetahstar, Jayflight, Mistpaw, Snowfoot, Frogfoot, Storm, Bone, Wasp, Eagle, Enamel, and Fern, which made thirteen cats, which wasn't very many. Sunpool found herself wishing that more of FlowerClan had joined them. The more cats they had, the better it was for them. But then, she remembered, she could bring Goldleaf back. That would be good.

At the clearing, she had divided the cats up into pairs, and had called Cinderstorm forward. She demonstrated a move on her best friend, going through it in slow, careful steps, then showing it full-speed. It was one of her favorite Dark Forest moves, and she was planning to use it on Applestar.

It was the one that had almost killed her when she fought Applestar all those moons ago.

By the end of the day, they were all exhausted, but Sunpool was confident that they knew more battle moves now, and would be able to hold their own. She had decided to alternate between hunting days and battle days, until either she or Applestar attacked. She had heard the message Mistpaw had brought back the day before, and really, she wasn't interested, or moved. Applestar had been threatening to kill her since around when she had joined CloudClan. It was nothing new.

When she curled up in her nest, she had expected a dreamless sleep, due to her exhaustion, but when she blinked open her eyes, she was in StarClan territory. Cinderstorm, and Lightningfeather had both materialized next to her, and Frost, Lilycloud, Raintail, Doveheart, and Goldleaf were watching them. Goldleaf's eyes were glowing.

"We have enough life saved up for me to come back, " he announced before anyone could say anything.

Sunpool, Lightningfeather, and Cinderstorm were frozen for a heartbeat, then all broke into speech. Sunpool shouted, "You do?! YES! YES!", Lightningfeather said, slightly softer, but no less excited, "When are you going to be resurrected?", and Cinderstorm just let out a whooping cheer that sounded like a very long and drawn out "YYYYYEEEEESSSSSSSS!"

Goldleaf purred, and the corner of Frost's mouth quirked up. "I'll be able to come back in about half a moon. There's a few things we have to sort out before anything can happen, but when that's all worked out..." he glanced towards the ground, like he could see through to the land of the living below. "I'll be able to come back, and kill Applestar."

Goldleaf pushed his muzzle against Sunpool's, who let a purr rip out from her throat. Cinderstorm and Lightningfeather sat off to the side, their tails interlocked, watching Sunpool and Goldleaf conversing quietly, about the group of cats, Applestar's kits, everything that had happened on the ground that Goldleaf hadn't been able to find out about in the past while, since he had been searching for herbs. They all spent the rest of the night talking, even the StarClan cats, and when dawn came, they disappeared back to consciousness with a plan in mind and hope for the future.

Sunpool called a meeting at dawn, waking a few cats out of their sleep. Storm was already up, and Wasp and Eagle, but Enamel wasn't, so it was kind of funny seeing the pretty-she cat drag herself out of sleep, groggy and half-awake. Every cat eventually woke, though, and Sunpool brought them to the meeting point. Storm was still staying as far away as she could from Bone, but she wasn't telling any of them why. The only good thing was, she had started speaking slightly more to everyone. She had told Wasp that he was doing a move wrong, and had informed Enamel that she wasn't hunting as well as she could have been. Both were slightly rude, and Wasp and Enamel were both affronted, but Sunpool considered it progress. Especially when the matter was cleared by Sunpool showing them both how to do the move correctly.

However, Storm refused to speak to Cheetahstar. She was hardly in his proximity, but she watched him with her light blue eyes whenever she saw him, a storm of emotions Sunpool could hardly recognize swirling in them. Maybe grief. Maybe confusion. Maybe loss. Sunpool really had no idea.

When every cat had gathered, Sunpool opened her mouth and began to tell the story of Goldleaf. She spoke about Applestar, and Mint, and the kits, and reviving Goldleaf. Even Cheetahstar hadn't heard any of this before, and he looked at her in shock, his dark eyes wide. Sunpool could tell that none of them believed her, especially the rogues, who didn't believe in StarClan anyway.

"It's alright," she promised them. "It will happen correctly." She heard her voice crack and wondered just how long she would have to wait for Goldleaf to come back to her.

-=-

The days leading up to when Goldleaf could be brought back were slipping away quickly, and Sunpool found herself waiting in excitement and trepidation. Everything seemed to be going well, which probably should have been a give-away that something was going to happen.

And happen it did. Because two nights before Sunpool was going to set off to revive Goldleaf, Storm hurried into her den, eyes flashing dark blue in the half-light.

"Sunpool," she said, and Sunpool looked up. "Yes?"

"There's four little cats that are maybe a little older than kit age here, four she-cats, saying that they want to see you."

And Rainpaw, Briarpaw, Fernpaw, and Emberpaw filed into the den.

-=-

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