The Rising Storm

Chapter 4: Changing

        Stormpaw made his way to his den. As he walked he found himself looking in every direction making sure that there was no blood or any possible recent injuries. When he had reached the den he practically collapsed, when closing his eyes the vision of him being in that bloody clearing would return. He could feel his claws unsheathe at the memory of his wounded clanmates, as well as when he walked through the puddles of blood. He tucked his face into his paws, misery coming off in him in waves. What is happening to me... Why did that strange tom appear in that weird vision, and who was that white tom... He squeezed his eyes shut even more as the vision of the white demonic tom flashed into his mind. Is he the cat who killed Honeypaw? If so, then there is no way my clan can fight them... He shivered, the dread inside him growing to the point where he felt like he could no longer contain it. Suddenly the urge to confront the tom arose and he stood up, just as he was about to exit the den and enter the forest his leaders orders echoed in his ears. He sighed and half growled in frustration, for he needed to know what had just happened to him and he knew that there was only one cat who could tell him. He began pacing around the den trying to sort out all his thoughts, when he began to grow weary he slid into his nest and began trying to sleep.

        In his dreams he kept finding himself in his camp, the scent of blood everywhere. All around him were the angry or sad stares of his dying clanmates, every time he tried stepping towards them he could hear a hiss far off in the distance, giving him a sense of being unwelcomed. Whenever he would turn the same white tom would be before him, the demonic eyes would stare at him as though he were a piece of prey that needed to be killed. Whenever Stormpaw would try to leap at him the white tom would seem to have moved away, always staying out of reach, and every time he would be the laughing. Stormpaw yowled in rage but as he tried to leap at the tom one more time he found himself in a different clearing with thunder and lightning filling the air. There was rain coming down in showers everywhere. Shaking his head he began walking, somehow knowing where he was going. He suddenly stopped when he scented blood in the air, and lots of it. He raced towards the scent, for there was something about this strange scent that compelled to rush forward. When he had reached the scent he stopped dead, the air around him seemed to freeze as though it itself needed a moment to understand what had happened. Before Stormpaw was the body of a beautiful black and white she-cat with a soft face. Curved around the dead she-cats body was a small kit, nothing more then a scrap of fur, it was crying out for milk that is could not recieve. Just as he was about to instinctively reach out for the kit and dead she-cat, he looked up sharply and saw a pure white tom with eyes the spelled death, he yowled with rage and grief but before he could make a move against the white tom a splitting sound filled the air. Stormpaw covered his ears as the splitting sound seemed to tearing apart his very brain, he began tumbling and falling in his desperate attempt to get away with this strange noise. He could feel his head pounding and giving off heat, his heart beat quickened and pain overwhelmed every edge of his body. He wailed out in pain for help that would not come. He collapsed as the pain grew too strong for him to bear, as his eyes began to close and darkness overwhelmed him he found himself looking at the same black tom he had kept seeing before. Unable to speak the world around him became a black haze as everything seemed to fade.

        Stormpaw suddenly woke with a start, his heart and head were still pounding. Every corner of his being felt like it was burning and he was still unable to move. He slowly started looking around and began to notice that he was no longer in the apprentice den but was now inside the medicine cat den. He groaned as another wave of pain seemed to seize hold of his body, he became vaguely aware of the presence of the medicine cat and could hardly hear her voice when she spoke. When the pain finally started to subside he could clearly see the pale ginger medicine cat, her green eyes were soft with worry. "Are you feeling alright Stormpaw? Flamepaw found you whimpering in your nest and your were burning hot!" Stormpaw blinked at her dully, just barely understanding what the medicine cat had said, he slowly nodded and when he meows it sounded rough and hardly used. 

        "Yes Milkshade, I am fine... I.. I don't know what happened..." he looked around confused. He did not know how he had gotten to the medicine den, he looked at Milkshade confused. "Who brought me here and do you know if I will be okay?" There was hope in his mew for as he spoke his voice became tense as he felt another wave of pain spread throughout his body. 

        Milkshade looked at him with worry "I don't know Stormpaw, I have never seen someone have the same symptoms of you so I do not know how to treat it." Her mew was apologetic, she bent over and scooped something up in her paws, on her paw was poppy seeds. "Eat these, they will help you sleep and relieve you of some of your discomfort" Stormpaw watched as Milkshade leaned over once again and this time he felt something wet touch his nose. "Here Stormpaw, when you feel thirsty, it is important to keep yourself hyrdated when you are ill." She gives Stormpaw the poppy seeds then gives him the soaked moss for him to drink. Once Stormpaw had drank all he could Milkshade to the moss ball and replaced it with another soaked wad of moss. 

        Stormpaw began to drift into a deep sleep and scents from the forest began to enter his nose. When he opened his eyes he found himself in a large clearing with birds singing everywhere and the sun just warm enough for comfort. He looked around half expecting a starclan cat to come and save him from all the pain he felt when he was awake but when no cat came he just sat down and frowned. As the sun began to pass over the horizon he felt himself beginning to get drowsy, he yawned and laid down, wondering if this was something like a dream within a dream. When he opened his eyes he was back in the medicine den although this time he could move. He got up and stretched and looked around, he saw Milkshade sleeping in the far corner where her nest was. Walking over to her he could hear her gentle snoring as if everything in her world was perfect, he sighed wishing that his world could be perfect as well. Suddenly a voice spoke behind him, it was low and strong, yet familiar all the same.

        "Wishing is an illusion." The tom stood beside Stormpaws nest, his eyes were not full of sorrow this time, but hope, a strong hope that almost left Stormpaw breathless. 

        "Wh-who are you, why do you keep popping up everywhere I go!" cried Stormpaw, he stared at the tom intently, waiting for an answer when his gaze drifted towards his nest. In his nest he saw his body curled up. He gasped "am I dead?!" He looked at the tom with pleading eyes, wishing for an answer.

        The tom just shook his head and when he spoke, there was almost joy. "No Stormpaw, you are not dead. He looked at Stormpaw with proud eyes. "You are changing."