Bluestar x Oakheart - What Could Have Been

Chapter 4 ~ The Welcoming

Oakstar watched as the ThunderClan patrol left the RiverClan camp. Questions swirled in his head, one after the other: why had Bluestar brought an elder  to welcome him as leader? What had happened on the way to provoke Lionheart? More importantly - why had he acted so hostile towards her before they left? He didn't know where that colder side to him had come from - perhaps from her rejection all those moons ago? Her refusal to for them to switch Clans? He didn't know, and he didn't have time to find out. He had things to do.

Oakstar turned to Blackclaw, who had watched the ThunderClan patrol leave. The anger returned. "Blackclaw!"

The smoky black tom turned to his leader. Blood oozed from his injuries as he panted. Oakstar stalked towards him. "Why did you provoke Lionheart?"

Blackclaw looked up at Oakstar, eyes narrowed. A smirk played on the tom's features as he stood tall, shoving his face in front of Oakstar's. He could smell the warrior's fishy breath as he hissed, "All cats know ThunderClan's just a bunch of mange-pelts."

"That is no excuse!" The hot anger began to boil in his veins. "You're a pathetic excuse for a warrior," he snarled. Blackclaw didn't flinch. He watched his leader with a sly look in his eyes. 

"No," the black tom mewed. He stood and came close to Oakstar; so close Oakstar could feel the warrior's hot breath on his ear. "You're a pathetic excuse for a leader. If you were a real leader, you would have broken up the fight as soon as it started. You would have told Bluestar to leave and only return to welcome you with a proper patrol." Blackclaw stepped back. "But did you do either of those things? No." Lifting his head, the warrior gave a final, stinging remark: "Crookedstar was wrong to pick his brother as deputy," he snarled.

Oakstar was finding it extremely hard to not leap across camp and attack the warrior himself. Arrogant furball! Who does he think he is? Oakstar stood tall, tail lashing. Just as he was about to give Blackclaw his punishment, another voice joined their conversation. "That is no way to speak to your leader, Blackclaw."

Oakstar and Blackclaw looked at Leopardfur, who stood beside Oakstar. Her eyes were ablaze with a fire Oakstar had only seen in battle. "If you were a real RiverClan warrior, you would be showing him just as much respect as you showed Crookedstar. But here you are, openly disrespecting him!" She stepped closer to the black warrior. "Do you question StarClan's choice in giving him nine lives?"

"They shouldn't have," Blackclaw mumbled.

Leopardfur snarled, "I think that if you had been deputy, StarClan would have refused to give you your lives. You don't deserve them."

"That's enough, Leopardfur," Oakstar interjected. Feeling slightly smug, he mewed, "I'm sure Blackclaw will learn his lesson when he returns to apprentice duties for a moon."

"A moon of apprentice duties for attacking an enemy warrior!?" Blackclaw spluttered. "This is outrageous! I was following the warrior code!"

"You were not, in fact," Leopardfur mewed. Blackclaw snarled at the deputy, baring his teeth.

"Enough, Blackclaw," Oakstar mewed. Tilting his head to the side, he teased, "Don't you have some elders waiting for their ticks to be removed?" Mrrows of amusement rose from some of the cats who were watching. Blackclaw's ears flattened in embarrassment. He didn't say anything more as he stomped away to the medicine den.

"I think we handled that well," Leopardfur commented as the warriors began to disperse and continue their duties.

"I think we did, too," Oakstar agreed. For a few moments, leader and deputy sat together, watching their Clan. The memory of Bluestar standing with her patrol suddenly forced its way through his mind. Almost immediately, his paws began tingling. He felt the need to run.

So he did.

But before he left, he asked, "Leopardfur, could you watch over the camp while I'm gone? I just need to be away for a little bit after all that."

Leopardfur nodded. She murmured unusually compassionately, "Of course. Do what you need to do."

See Bluestar.

So Oakstar ran. He ran out of camp, through his territory, across the river that separated him and his Love; all the way to Fourtrees. When he stopped, he anxiously glanced around, looking for her. His instincts had told him to come here, but had hers?

A sudden crack of lightning jolted him. Looking up, he was surprised to see the once cloudless sky covered in dark, dark clouds. But when he looked down again, he saw he was on the edge of a cliff. Looking around, he realised he had no idea where he was, or what was happening. Suddenly, the distant sound of barking filled his eardrums, getting louder and louder, until they were right behind him. His vision blurred, and all of a sudden he was pelting through this forest that for some reason, he knew. He knew it like the back of his paw. Bewilderment and terror made his chest burn even more. What's happening? Am I receiving a sign from StarClan?

He tried to stop running, but he couldn't. It was like his body wasn't his anymore - it belonged to someone else. He felt dog teeth ripping into his leg. He screamed in pain; then terror as he was knocked off the cliff. He fell, faster and faster, until he hit the water.

No matter how hard he tried to swim, he couldn't. His body was tossed and turned by the waves. His vision blurred as he began to drown. He couldn't believe it. He, a RiverClan cat, was drowning. But as he concentrated harder, he realised - those were blue paws in front of him. His heart stopped. Bluestar? My sweet? My Love is... going to drown? But before he could comprehend this, the water became calm. It became much less, and Oakstar realised he was i the river on his territory. Climbing up onto the bank, he shuddered, coughing up a mouthful of water. His whole body shook at what StarClan had revealed to him. His Love was going to drown and die. 

But the horror wasn't over yet.

A rancid stench filled the air: the stench of blood. Looking ahead, Oakstar saw cats; cats battling. But they weren't just battling - they were killing each other. Water stained with blood surrounded the cats' paws, and cracks of thunder and lighting constantly filled the air and sky. Horror overcame him as the blood rushed around his paws, and began to rise. Oakstar immediately began thrashing. No. But just before it reached his muzzle, it stopped. 

A clear voice spoke: "Darkness will rise, and the blinded storm will find a place among the stars."

And just like that, the vision was over. It was over. Oakstar was left reeling, terrified; trembling. He'd not only seen how his Love was going to die, but received a prophecy. What does it all mean?

He knew he could only talk to one cat about this... but he didn't know how she would handle it.