A Twisted Fate (Warrior Cats)

Chapter 24

Had to take a break from writing because I went on a trip and some stuff came up. ^^; But voila! This is a short chapter, but we're coming to a close real soon. Probably only a few more (3-4?) chapters, and then ATF is going to be marked "Completed" for good. GET PUMPED. 

Birdpaw found herself in an unfamiliar clearing.

She was surrounded by everyone she knew and loved. Her parents, her clanmates, her friends...

Until one by one, they started to disappear before her eyes.

"Wait! What's going on?" 

Birdpaw was frantic, trying to find a way to make them stay. 

"Please, don't leave me!"

They were vanishing faster now, so fast that she was barely able to keep track of what was going on. The most frightening part, though, was that whenever she tried approaching one of them, he or she would erupt into flames before her eyes. Birdpaw didn't know what to do; any moves she made only made the situation worse. Trembling with fear and helplessness, she remained rooted in her spot. 

Until finally, she was alone. 

"...and suffer a fate that's worse than death..." A voice sounded from behind Birdpaw, who whipped around only to find that no one was there. Even though she wasn't in a cave, the words echoed in a way that sent chills down her spine. Something about them sounded oddly familiar. Where had she heard something like that?

Suddenly, everything went black.

Birdpaw woke up with a start, heart pounding and fur standing on end; she was so overcome with bewilderment and terror that it took her a few moments to register where she was. Birdpaw looked down at her paws, and felt soft moss. The moss that only her nest at home would have. Feeling a little flutter in her chest, she staggered upright and looked around; only then did she realize that this wasn't a dream. She really was back in Shadeclan's apprentices' den. She really was home. 

She was home. 

Safe.

Falconclaw must have helped her back somehow.

Maybe they ran into a border patrol, and they helped carry her back to camp.

The Rogues.

They were coming.

Nightpelt.

Nightpelt had sacrificed himself to save them.

Birdpaw was flooded with an overwhelming wave of guilt that seemed to cling onto her like a dark cloud that would hang above her head wherever she went. But then again, should that feeling go away in the first place? His death was partly her fault anyways. 

Hers.

The word felt final. 

Birdpaw was suddenly reminded of all the cats she knew who had joined Starclan. First was her mother, Willowleaf, who was killed when she was barely young enough to remember. No cat had dared to tell her the truth, but Birdpaw overheard her father discussing it with Blacktail one day. Willowleaf had not died of greencough like her clanmates told her; she was slain by the Rogues. 

Next was Eagleflight, the young Fireclan warrior who was killed during the Test of Faith. Although Birdpaw had not been very close to him during the short period of time that they traveled together, Birdpaw still always secretly felt that if she had been able to intercept Hawk's blow sooner, or fought of the gray tom with the belly scar a little bit faster, she could've saved him.