The Secret of the Four

Cedarstar

     I headed back to TreeClan and climbed up the large cedar tree. Jesse stopped at the foot of my tree. "Cedarstar! A word?" I hopped down. "What can I do for you?" She looked at the ground. "I don't really belong with the cats... I belong with a pack! Deeper in the forest, I found a pack of dogs that asked me to join them! I said yes." I nodded. "Please, come by as much as you can. We'll miss you." She nodded. "Thanks. I'll tell Birch. Hopefully she'll be okay with this. I'm gonna miss that girl." And ran off to tell Birchwood.

     Plopping down on my branch, I quickly fell asleep. I woke to a creamy grey area. "No, not now! Please! I have to much to handle!" A familiar female fox padded up to me. "Cedarwing, we need to finish your training. I heard what you said. You cannot let your second clan know of this training. Mapletail is waiting for you." I bowed my head, tears falling. "Bluetail has powers too. Silvermoon can turn into a wolf. She's doing secret business with them. It is not loyal to our clan." Foxina sighed. "You shouldn't do anything about that until you do something about this." My glance shifted to the left, darting around in search of Mapletail. Swift appeared behind Foxina. "Do you wish to continue flying?" I looked at the ground. "I do." I say finally. She nodded. "Let's get to it then."

     "Now do you remember how to do it?" She asked. I sighed and kicked the ground with my hind legs, sending me into the air. But then I fell back down. What was strange was that I never seemed to stop falling. The setting blackened, and soon, my whole vision did too.

     "Wha... what's happened?" I asked, opening one eye. The setting around me was yellow. Yet I felt different. Like I was someone else. I rubbed my eyes with my paw, but noticed it was discolored. It was... green. Like a bright, grass green. I moved my tail into my vision and noticed that it too, was green. The underside was bright orange, and so was my belly and underside of legs. I heard someone padding toward me and I jumped into the air. I felt a growth in my back and felt something flapping behind me. My wings. Tears formed in my eyes. They were back. Foxina padded toward me, smiling. "Congratulations. You have finally shown your true self. Welcome, Kudzuwing." I gasped. "Who... am I? Where is Cedarstar?" I asked desperately. Foxing bowed. "Cedarstar is still within you. You can activate her at any time. Now, here in the Above, you are Kudzuwing." I smiled.

     "Cedarstar!" Mapletail over to me. "Why are you green and orange?" He asked suspiciously. "I... I'm not Cedarstar! Mapletail... meet Kudzuwing." He gasped and ran to my side, looking at the folded wings on my back. "Oh my gosh! You leveled up!" I laughed. "Yeah well, maybe I should have recruited a deputy like me!" He gasped. "Well, I thought I was good enough for you!" We both shared laughs on that. Then I remembered. "The hawk. It flew away because... I possess its spirit. It... respects me..." My heart thumped. I spread my wings like they were a normal limb, and flew away into the yellow light.

     "Cedarstar? Cedarstar!" My eyes fluttered open. It was Birchwood. "Cedarstar, why do you have wings?" I looked at my paws. Dark brown. Suddenly they started to turn green. Orange appeared over it. "What's happening?!" Birchwood asked, gasping. I hissed at my own mistake. "No! No, no, no!" I heard rustling in the bushes. Warriorheart leapt out. "Cedarstar!" He said, spotting me. He gasped when he saw my green and orange pelt. "What happened?!" I grinned. "You lost that battle." I said, laughing. He shook the thought out of his head. "Cousin, I wanted to apologize. Can CaveClan and TreeClan be allies again?" I thought. "How many times have we switched from not being allies, to being allies?" 
"Please! Strikestar is a dirty liar! I never should have worked with him!"

       Before I could reply, Strikestar crept up from behind a tree. "Well, well, well. Look who came crawling back to Cedarstar. That's too bad, I was really looking forward to you helping me kill her."
"Don't! I won't let you." 

"Ha! Like you can control me. Move out of my way, dog!" Then I remembered Warriorheart. He was half dog. Strikestar pushed him out of the way and leapt at me. He pinned me down, and I struggled underneath his grip.

      He thrust his head forward, and all I felt was pain. Warm, red liquid gashed from my neck, and I gasped for breath. Birchwood screamed and rushed to my side. I attempted moving, but couldn't. My body went cold, and I tried to move my paws, to feel the warmth of the blood on my neck. No use. My body went stiff, my muscles worn out. I sighed one last breath. This was my last life.

     "So... the mighty Cedarstar or, let me correct myself, Kudzuwing, has come to an end!" Mudheart, the deputy of LightningClan said to his leader. "Yes yes. Very good. Thank you. I have wanted to kill her the entire time I've been leader. You may leave now." Mudheart gaped at him. "What do you mean? I'm the deputy!" Strikestar laughed. "You've never been my deputy. Mudheart, you should have seen it. You're such a fool!"

     Bluetail padded over to the river. She looked at her reflection. "StarClan, I wish for you to approve my leading of MistClan." Nothing happened. Bluetail cocked her head. "I believe that I am Bluestar now!" Still nothing. Moon padded over, carrying Cedarstar's body in her jaws. She laid her down gently, then looked up at the stars. "StarClan, take care of Cedarstar and Kudzuwing. Please, for the sake of MistClan." Bluetail looked at the water again, and ice formed around her gaze. She looked at Cedarstar's body.

Her eyes snapped open.