MoonClan: WillowStar's prophecy

Chapter Three

WillowStar looked to the sky, it was already growing to a rose-pink color as the sun started to set and the moon was already a claw over the horizon. The stars shone down like an endless world of light and peace, but WillowStar had to talk to StarClan before the moon was to far. She raced to the cave where she could share tongues with her ancestors, the Shining Cave. It was made of the same smooth, gray rock as the Shining Rock, she knew the walls well and wouldn't get lost. The tunnel got brighter as she got to the center of the cave. It was lit up by a pool of water that glowed like a thousand StarClan warriors, and around the pool was frost. The cool of the frost was enough to freeze a cats paws in an instant, but the will of StarClan would never hurt a cat. The frost never melted, even in the hottest of greenleaf days. WillowStar padded to the pool and watched as it swirled in circles. Falling into darkness, WillowStar shifted to a corner of the cave and closed her eyes, letting the cold consume her. When she opened her eyes she was in a leafy forest. The bushes full of buds and the trees full of life, the scent of prey was every where and a small breeze ruffled her fur. WillowStar didn't know where she was, but she knew she loved it! WillowStar raced through the trees and pounced on a leaf that had fallen from a tree. "Well your not a kit. Why are you playing?", WillowStar turned around and saw a dark tabby tom staring and a glimmer of amusment shown in his brown eyes. Strangely they looked like MapleLeaf's eyes, and with a spark of hope, WillowStar thought it was ThornTail. "Who are you?" the tom asked in a deep mew. "I'm WillowStar." she replied; but didn't he remember who she was? "WillowStar? Doesn't ring a bell. I'm going to have to take you to out leader." he turned and waited for WillowStar to follow, then sprinted through the trees, just as she had done. But the leader fell and hit her head on a stone. When she woke up she was back at the FrostPool. She knew that a forest wasn't far from where she was, but she had no idea if it had enemies. She got up and stretched out her aching limbs then left the cave. The breeze of the early morning felt warm and cool at the same time as WillowStar stalked into the tall grass that surrounded the cave and scented for prey. Not to long after, she smelled the scent of mouse, and crept towards it. Hearing before she saw it, she pounced and killed it. Eating quickly so she could get going, WillowStar ran to where she knew the unknown forest was. The grass grew thinner and trees started to appear in the distance, more and more and more trees. She stopped at the edge of the forest and listened. It was quiet, even for a forest, too quiet. Then a bush right in front of her started to shake and a dark tabby pelt flew at her, knocked her on her side, and took her breath away. But this leader wasn't going to give up so easily. With all her might, she turned on her back and flailed her hind paws at the attackers unprotected stomach, her claws unsheathed. The attacker yowled in pain and a few other pelts appeared from the bush, but the attacker was already off her and she scrabbled to her paws, catching her breath. "What are you do....." the dark tabby had stopped mid-sentence and stared at WillowStar with wide, disbelieving eyes. "You're WillowStar. That's the cat I saw in my dream." his meow was deep like the tom's in her dream, he didn't look at the others when he said it. "Come with us." he turned and with the rest of the cats they circled her, guiding her through the forest all the way to a bramble wall. The camp! She pushed through the barrier and burst into a clearing. She could see so many bristling pelts and glaring eyes that chilled her bones. "I'm here to talk to your leader." she meowed bravely as the cats started to get closer. The patrol, she guessed that's what it was, crawled through the tunnel and stood in a circle around her. "He is in his den. Follow me." the tom from her dream padded to a small hole in a rock. It had bushes surrounding it and a drape of lichen, just like her den. It smelled of many new scents and the strong scent of cat spilled from it too. She respectfully followed the tom to the entrance," Come in." a voice sounded from in side. They slipped in and she could make out the shape of a well muscled tom sitting in the center. "Who is this?" he meowed in the same deep voice as the other tom. " ThornStar! This is the cat from my dream that I told you about." the tom dipped his head and left, leaving WillowStar with the leader. "WillowStar. I don't know why you have come to look for me. I left for a reason. I wont come back. I'm sorry.", WillowStar knew thats what he would think. "Well i'm glad you remember me ThornTai-...", she paused to correct herself," ThornStar. I have not come to take you back HOME. But I came because I miss you. So does MapleLeaf. Even though she never met you.", she sighed and let her head droop down. The ThornStar sat up and licked his chest fur, obviously he was a little nervous about hearing MapleLeaf. "H-how is she? And the clan? And our other kits?" he tried to change the subject. "Well. She is fine, and so is the clan. But...." she stopped to let him guess. "What?" he was getting impatient. "DewKit and BrownKit died not to soon after you left.". His eyes grew wide and he turned his head away, silently grieving for his kits. "That tom that brought me here....", "SharpNose." he answered, "...Well he obviously is yours. You found another mate, even though I'm not dead." she kept her gaze on ThornStar. "Yes. I did. And I'm sorry." he said as he bent down and licked his chest fur. "May I meet her? Who is the lucky she-cat?" WillowStar meowed. The sun was staring to set and the cold night breeze blew in, ruffling her fur. The sky was turning pink and yellow and ThornStar was in no hurry to answer. "Her name was SunFur." he started to grin. "She had golden fur with white paws. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of yellow." he started to calm down. "She took me in when I left the clan. She loved me, and she knew I was going to be the next leader.". WillowStar was confused about why her ex-mate fell in love with someone else. "Why did you leave?" she asked. "I had to. MoonFeather told me of a prophecy, one in which meant you to leave your clan to find me. One that I thought would bring you AND MapleLeaf. I thought wrong." he stood up and headed for the opening. " How did she die?" she spat out, she didn't want him to leave yet. "She drowned." he meowed in reply. The drape of lichen was pushed out of the way as ThornStar left the den. WillowStar followed close behind and they sat on a big fallen down tree trunk. Inside the trunk was hallow, "You will stay here tonight. I will have FalconPaw get you some bedding." he trotted off and soon after a young she-cat came with fresh moss. "Hi. I'm FalconPaw. I hope you stay here. We need new warriors." she turned around and sprinted across an opening in the center of the camp and went to chat with some other apprentices, her black fur almost blending with the shadows that spilled into the camp. WillowStar took the moss and patted it down until it was a make shift nest. She closed her eyes and the darkness grew to light. She opened her eyes and she was back at her clan's camp. MoonFeather was frantically searching for something, then turned and looked at WillowStar. "MoonFeather? Is that you? I thought it was rare to meet in dreams." she whispered, remembering her meet with SharpNose. "I have to talk to you!" the medicine cat raced to her leaders side and sat down. Her fur was all fluffed up and she looked worried. "It's about ThornStar. He missed you. And I just put the pieces together." she meowed, calming down a little bit. "He left because of a prophecy. StarClan said that ThornStar had to leave so that you and MapleLeaf could fulfill your prophecy. You have to travel to a far away place. With ThornStar and MapleLeaf. Only two will come back. But one will always watch over, look to the sky for more answers." MoonFeather started to fade, and WillowStar was alone again.