Warriors Cats Fanfiction: Darkshade's Insanity Pt.2

Chapter Four

Darkpaw crept quietly to the stack of boxes beside the wall of the alleyway, leading up to the rooftop. She landed lightly on each box with ease as she swiftly and silently made her way to the top. The wooden shingles of the roof creaked under her paws as she slowly stalked across the roof.

She walked over to the edge of the roof and sat down, tucking her small, white forepaw's under her chest. She neatly wrapped her white tipped tail around her paws and stared out at the wonder of blinking lights, roaring monsters and sirens below her. Darkpaw slowly blinked her dark amber eyes and stared up at the moonlit sky. Her eyes twinkled with the glint of Silverpelt shining into her amber gaze like a shining lake in moonlight.

Are they still watching me up in StarClan? She thought as she closed her eyes. A small, misty blue tear tolled down her face as she thought of her past life.

No... She thought. Like Tess told you, the past is the past. Live up to your future. She sat for a while and thought what she would do with her life while she stayed with Tess in twolegplace. She stared back out at the dark thunderpath as monsters rolled past with the speed of a blazing star. The roar of the large, metal beasts made her shudder as memories flood back into her head. The pain of the impact of hitting the monster with such great pressure. The wounds, the betrayal...

She looked down at her scars. She pictured the he long, thick trail of bare flesh and scars along her shoulder as painful, bloody wounds again. Feeling the burning sensation of the deep gash every time her nerve would even make the slightest twitch. She quickly blinked away the memory and sat up.

She outstretched her claws and made her way back down to the alleyway, careful not to wake Tess. She climbed back into the soft, cushiony bed and lay her head on her paws. She blinked a few times before everything went dark.

Darkpaw woke up to find herself in a new place. Instead of being back in te alleyway, she was in a forest. She sniffed the air. She smelled cats. In the distance, she noticed a crowd of cats studying two cats fighting with each other. Their paws flailing in air, rearing up on their hind legs, bringing their outstretched claws down on each other's bodies. She quickly turned away before waling further into the deep, gray forest. Darkpaw came across a patch of tall grass.

Maybe there is some prey hiding in here.. She though as she quickly went into the hunting position. She leaped out at the tuft of grass and lost control of her paws. She tumbled onto the ground with a thump. She lifted her body off the ground and shook her head.

"I've seen a kit hunt better than you." Sneered a low, slightly gruff voice. Darkpaw turned her head to find a gray and white, muscular tom sitting a tail length or so behind her. His tail was tucked neatly around his paws as his green gaze burned into her eyes.

"Wh-who are you..?" Darkpaw questioned the tom, completely aware she'd never met nor seen him before. The tom looked at her with the same expression. Then he stood up and circled Darkpaw. Her eyes followed him as he wound around her small, tabby body.

"Well, since you'd like to know so badly, my name is Thistleclaw. Darkpaw's fur stood on end. This was the ThunderClan tom whom mentored her father. The cat her father lied about.

Darkpaw stared blankly at the gray- white tom, paws tremblimg. Thistleclaw flicked his ear and spoke again. "

There's no need to be afraid of me, little warrior. He meowed calmly.

"What do you want from me?" Darkpaw hissed, backing a few pawsteps away from Thistleclaw.

"We are only helping you to become a better fighter. You want these cats to be proud of you, right? We'll with out help, you'll get all the strength you need to stand up to these cats." He purred. Darkpaw slowly stood up and cautiously took a few steps towards the tom. She gave Thistleclaw a curious stare. Thistleclaw raised an eyebrow and asked her simple question.

"Well, aren't you going to tell me your name?"

Darkpaw gave Thistleclaw a smile. I can trust this cat. He wouldn't do anything to hurt me. She thought looking into Thistleclaw's curious stare and smiling. "My name's Darkpaw." She meowed.

Thistleclaw gave a nod and whisked his tail around her thin and meowed menacingly, yet calmly. "Well, Darkpaw, welcome to the Dark Forest." Darkpaw met his gaze and looked at him like he had grown two tails.

"Whats a Dark Forest?" She asked Thistleclaw. Thistleclaw gave a purr of amusement.

"Your elders certainly haven't told you the tale of the Dark Forest Warriors now, have they?"

Darkpaw shook her head. Thistleclaw spoke again.

"The Dark Forest is a place where forest cats and rogues go that aren't accepted into StarClan." He said. Darkpaw stiffened with fear.

"S-so this isn't a dream?" She stammered. Thistleclaw looked at her a replied.

"You think a place this realistic was a dream?" Then he paused and continued speaking. "Well, you are dreaming actually. You'll be coming to the Dark Forest each night in your dreams so we can train you up to be a better fighter." He meowed.

Darkpaw nodded. "Ok. I understand Thistleclaw." She said in a happy mew. Then she remembered. Her father. Maybe he came here instead of StarClan.

"Thistleclaw?" She asked in a quiet voice. Thistleclaw looked at Darkpaw. "Yes? What is it Darkpaw?"

"Is Tigerstar in the Dark Forest?" She asked. Thistleclaw nodded and sniled grimly. "Ah, yes. My former aprentice. Yes, Darkpaw. He's one of the best fighters in the Dark Forest she froze.

"Where's my father?" She asked in a meek voice. Thisleclaw softened his gaze. "Ah you're his precious little daughter, right? No wonder you've come i the Dark Forest." He meowed calmly. Darkpaw gave a small nod. Thistleclaw stared at her with sympathy in his soft green gaze.

"Follow me, little one." He said as he flicked his tail and gave a deep mew to tell her to follow him. She did so and the two cats approached a crowd of boulders.

A group of six cats stood around the dark gray mounds of rock. The cats leapt from rock to rock. Few missed and half slid half scrambled off the side, their claws making screeching sounds as they tried digging them into the rocks before falling off. One tom, a young, dark brown tabby with a white underbelly looked up at the boulder with annoyance. His Icy blue stare burned into the cat's that threw him off the side of the rock. He leapt up and grabbed the light brown tom by his scuff and batted at his face, sending a jet of blood sraying the side of the boulder.

Darkpaw then recognized the dark tabby. It was Hawkpaw. He was training here too.

"Well done Hawkfrost..." Darkpaw looked at half brother. He must've earned his warrior name not too long ago. She thought. She turned her head to the deep growling voice that said her brother's name. Darkpaw froze next to Thistleclaw, trembling. The cat who spoke Hawkfrost's name was Tigerstar.