Warriors: Ashfur's Insanity

Chapter 35

Ashstar woke up, gasping for air. The grass around him was lit by stars. A pale gray she-cat stood in front of him, her green eyes glowing. A white and golden she-cat sat beside. A gray tabby she-cat stood beside her, her blue eyes reflecting the stars. A small white she-cat stood beside her, her green-blue eyes glowing with happiness.

"Softpaw?" Ashstar gasped as he saw his daughter. 

No cat moved from the ranks of pale pelts. 

A flame-colored tom pushed to the front, his green eyes reflecting the starry sky above.

Ashstar recognized Firestar, ThunderClan's past leader. But back then, Ashstar was so ambitious, he had killed Firestar to become leader of ThunderClan. 

"Ashstar, you have just lost a life. Take some time to rest," Firestar meowed. He sat down, his tail curling around him paws.

Ashstar got to his paws, looking at all the she-cats behind Firestar. "Brindleface, Brightheart, Millie, Softpaw," He breathed out their names.

"You can't talk to them," Firestar meowed. "You need to rest. You can't waste your breathe," He meowed, blinking.

"If you're upset with me, that's why I can't talk!" Ashstar meowed. "I know I killed you in the past. But that was in the past. Can't you just get over that and forgive me?" Ashstar asked. "You must be mad that I ruined everything in your family. But Squirrelflight is still alive!" He meowed. "But I'm sorry."

Firestar looked up, blinking. "Shh," He meowed. "I'm not mad at you. I  just don't want you to waste your breathe," He meowed. 

Ashstar sat down, sighing.

"We're about to send you back," Firestar meowed. He padded up to Ashstar and touched his nose to Ashstar's nose. "Have strength."

Ashstar was sleeping in darkness. He felt pressure sweeping over him. He blinked open his eyes. He was still in the water. But energy surged through him. Ashstar slowly swam up, trying to get out of the darkness that threatened to pull him back down. He unsheathed his claws, trying to climb upward. A pale glow was coming through the water as Ashstar swam closer to the surface of the lake. He finally broke out of the water, coughing and panting. He was slightly close to the land. He started to swim towards the land, fear tugging at his pelt. What if he drowned again?

It was very dark. The moon floated high in an endless stretch of black sky that was drowned with white stars. They twinkled and flashed. 

Ashstar felt the cold water tugging at his pelt, but he knew that with every heartbeat, he was closer to the land. His claws stretched out in desperation to grasp for the sand that lead up to the land. He watched as ripples spread out around him, getting farther and farther away. 

"Bunnypaw!" Ashstar called out into the night. He hadn't seen Bunnypaw yet. Fear gripped him like icy claws. What if he drowned trying to save me? Ashstar didn't want to think about it. He swam faster. Finally, his paws hit the soft sand. He climbed the sand and pulled himself up onto the land, panting. I feel like a RiverClan cat!

He pulled himself farther up onto the land, not wanting to feel the cold touch of water. Ashstar felt tired. His eyes were beginning to close. 

Ashstar woke up. He got to his paws. The sun was high up in the sky, the clouds were passing over it. 

Ashstar began walking. Maybe Bunnypaw went home. Or maybe he went to RiverClan.