Chapter 4
Shadowkit awoke to the sound of Sonicwind calling a clan meeting. Sonicwind was only the deputy! He wasn't the leader! Yet... Shadowkit got up and ran out to the clearing to hear what he had to say. He found himself sitting next to Goldenpaw again. She was looking up at the Skyrock with excitement. Shadowkit wondered again what the fuss was all about. Emeraldkit walked out and sat on the other side of Shadowkit. Now, he felt really awkward. Two of his closest friends in the camp and they were both she-cats and were sitting on both sides of him. He didn't dare move.
"Is your throat feeling better?" asked Emeraldkit.
Shadowkit tried to mew a reply. The reply came out as a croak rather than a meow. It was also really painful still. Goldenpaw looked at him with concern.
"What's wrong? What happened?" asked Goldenpaw.
"A full-grown warrior was putting all of his weight down on his throat to try and suffocate him. Metalclaw is who did it," Emeraldkit explained.
Goldenpaw pressed up against him again. She licked his ear which made him feel really awkward. Emeraldkit looked at Goldenpaw. Her expression was pure envy and jealousy. She got up and walked away without another word.
"What happened to your friend?" asked Goldenpaw as she looked off in her direction.
'Gee..., I don't know...,' Shadowkit wanted to answer sarcastically. He'd have to talk to her later. He looked up at the Skyrock to find Sonicwind giving him a look of understanding. They both were being terrorized by two she-cats. Shadowkit suddenly felt a wave of respect for the warrior. He understood almost everything he felt even when it came to she-cats.
Sonicwind cleared his throat. "Cats of SunClan, today is a very special day. Dawnkit has reached six-moons and can begin his training as an apprentice! Knucklestar chose me to do the ceremony because he can't physically be here at the moment. The training of our apprentices must go on. I shall be doing the ceremony today. Dawnkit, will you come here please?" asked Sonicwind to the tabby kit in the back. Dawnkit strutted through the clearing and jumped up onto the Skyrock.
"Dawnkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Dawnpaw. Your mentor will be Acorntail. I hope Acorntail will pass down all she knows on to you," Sonicwind told Dawnpaw.
Dawnpaw jumped off of the Skyrock with a quick thanks to Sonicwind. The entire clan chanted Dawnpaw's new name.
Dawnpaw! Dawnpaw! Dawnpaw!
Dawnpaw raced over to Acorntail. Shadowkit nodded his approval. Acorntail will be a good choice for him. He needs a patient mentor who has great concentration and skills. He left and thought about who his mentor would be. Roseheart? Nope. She's not his type. The spies can't have apprentices... Jetstorm? Hopefully not... He then thought. Could the leader an apprentice? He knew Sonicwind could become his mentor. It would make sense.
"Shadowkit! Can you believe it?! I'm finally an apprentice!" Dawnpaw said running up to him excitedly.
Shadowkit nodded. A pang of envy stabbed his heart when he realized that he had to wait two moons more before he could become an apprentice... He watched Dawnpaw race after Acorntail to get shown the territories. He walked back to the nursery. He could see Emeraldkit sitting in the corner with her head down. Her tail twitched when he approached to apologize.
"Look, I know you like your friend more than me. Just go hang out with her already!" she snapped.
Shadowkit shook his head. He may not be able to talk but he could at least try to explain that he didn't mean for anything to happen. He knew she could be stubborn at times, however.
"It's just that nobody likes me. Just leave me alone," she said.
Shadowkit hissed at her. He shook his head at her again. She got the message that he was trying to give to her. Emeraldkit was silent. Even though they've only known each other for a moon, they were really close friends. She knew some of his darker secrets. She knew them all except for him and his weird connections with StarClan and his other hedgehog self.
Goldenpaw isn't going to replace you. Never. You are my friend and you always will be.
Shadowkit wanted to tell her this. He turned back around to leave her alone.
Shadowkit walked over to the medicine den. If he couldn't be very productive with friends, he could check on Knucklestar and asked Cosmicleaf if there was something that could be done for his voice. As he walked into the medicine den, he saw Knucklestar. His conversation with Sonicwind came back to him. He tried to act like he didn't know when he went over to Cosmicleaf who was placing herbs on his wound along with cobwebs and poultices. Shadowkit tried to recognize them. She was using cobwebs, marigold, and horsetail. She was doing a great job with Creampaw racing all of the herbs over to her mentor. She looked up at Shadowkit.
"Hi, Shadowkit! Is there anything I need to get you?" asked Creampaw.
Shadowkit tried to answer but his throat only let out a croak. She gave him a concerned look and talked to Cosmicleaf.
"Shadowkit is having trouble with talking. Can I take over doing what you're doing while you help him?" asked Creampaw with hopeful eyes.
"You know what to do?" asked Cosmicleaf.
"Yes."
"Okay. You take charge while I help Shadowkit," she told her apprentice. She raced over to Shadowkit. "So, what's the problem, mystery of StarClan?"
Shadowkit tried to explain but couldn't. Cosmicleaf looked surprised. You aren't sounding so good... Show me what happened."
Shadowkit sighed. He didn't want to pantomime everything. He hissed and raised his fur. He pretended to be fighting.
"Yesterday when you were fighting with the MoonClan cats...," Cosmicleaf started.
Shadowkit straightened himself up and tried to make himself look like Metalclaw. He pointed to Sonicwind outside and impersonated Metalclaw.
".you started fighting with Metalclaw..."
Shadowkit started fighting the fictitious Metalclaw. He pretended that Metalclaw was holding him down by the throat.
"Metalclaw was putting all of his weight on your little throat causing you to nearly suffocate?!" demanded Cosmicleaf suddenly worried.
Shadowkit nods. He was glad that Cosmicleaf knew what to get. She said that he shouldn't even have survived at all. She also said that his throat was just a little sore right then. She brought back something that Shadowkit didn't expect to see. Honey.
"Drink that. It'll soothe your throat," Cosmicleaf explained.
Shadowkit lapped up as much as he could. He got an unexpected surprise. He couldn't taste it! He forgot that all cats have no taste buds that detect sweetness. The honey just felt good when it ran down his throat. He was starting to feel better already.
"Now, go get yourself some water to drink. It'l help. Try talking again once you do," Cosmicleaf explained to him. She went back to Creampaw. She nodded in approval.
"Good job Creampaw! You did everything perfectly!" she praised.
Shadowkit drank some water from a small puddle in the camp. He tested out his voice. "Testing... Is my voice going to work for me? Testing...," Shadowkit was pleased with the results. He was back to normal!
He raced back into the camp. and saw the medicine cats walking out of the den. Cosmicleaf and Creampaw waved to him. Shadowkit joined up with them again.
"Hi, Shadowkit! How's the treatment working?" asked Creampaw.
"It's great! I can speak! That's definitely an improvement," Shadowkit answered them.
Cosmicleaf nodded. "I knew it would work. Come on! We've got no time to waste if we're going to be back by tonight!"
"Where are you going?"
"Where are we going, you mean. We're going to the MoonCliff," Cosmicleaf explained.
Shadowkit was confused. The half-moon was yesterday! Were they allowed to share-tongues with their warrior ancestors a day after? Creampaw was able to read his expression.
"We still have keep our communications with StarClan. They may have something to tell us that's really important that can only be shared at the MoonCliff! Cosmicleaf old me everything about you and how you will be joining us on our expeditions to the MoonCliff. We've told Knucklestar everything and he approves. Let's go!" she chirped.
Shadowkit followed next to them. The territory was so unfamiliar to him. He only dared to come out of camp twice. It wasn't like he knew everything very well. He made sure to keep his eyes on them to not get lost. A fog began to roll in as they approached the forbidden part of the forest. His fur prickled as he walked through the trees. The road split in two at one point. One road led to the MoonCliff and the other led to the Lake of the Lost. Shadowkit's ears twitched. He heard something down the path to the Lake of the Lost.
"Who's down that way?" asked Shadowkit looking down the other trail. Creampaw jumped in front of him and hissed.
"Don't listen to them! They'll try to draw you in! They'll try to pull you into the lake! Those who go in never come out!" Creampaw hissed.
A piercing yowl rang through the air. It sounded like a young cat. An apprentice. Shadowkit took a step towards the path as if he were going to save the cat that let out the shriek. Cosmicleaf stood in his way this time.
"Don't do it. The members of the Valley of Lost Echoes might be trying to lead you there with the sounds of an apprentice. Come with us before it gets to you!" Cosmicleaf snapped.
Creampaw looked to her mentor. They exchanged a glance that gave away that they knew something he didn't. Shadowkit decided not to question it. They continued on towards the MoonCliff. The cries disappeared behind them as they moved along. They made it to the small pool at the MoonCliff and the three of them waded into the pool and pressed their noses against the cold, hard, purple stone.
"Shadow, follow me," a deep pitched voice told him almost as soon as he made contact with the stone. He was pulled into a dream with the voice. He opened his eyes to find himself still standing where he was. A cat stalked up to him though. A starry warrior who he recognized. Shadowstrike.
"You want me to follow you?" asked Shadow in his regular hedgehog form.
"Yes. Though you are a hedgehog, I do find that you are worthy to know what I am going to show you. Follow me. The other cats don't know that I'm going to be showing you this," Shadowstrike explained.
They hurried through the trees and ran down the forbidden path to the Lake of the Lost. Shadowstrike didn't hesitate so Shadow didn't either. Shadowstrike stopped Shadow before they burst into the clearing. There were a bunch of cats at the lake! Both living and dead. The dead cats were reflected in the water from the depths where they lived while the leader of MoonClan was looking into the water with two cats next to him. Shadow recognized Metalclaw but not the other large black tom. The black tom look exactly like him only with gray stripes rather than red stripes. It then came to him. Mephiles the dark. His shadow.
"Pay attention. Don't speak. If you speak, we're done for. Just watch," Shadowstrike explained.
Scourgestar bowed smirked at the dark figure within the rippling water. Metalclaw and the cat who Shadow knew as Mephiles didn't move. "I say, you are raising quite the army Oakstar. We've been training our warriors so that they may one day join you in your unstoppable army."
"Bring us more... We need more... Shadow will ruin everything if we don't do something quick," the dark ripple known as Oakstar (Dark Oak from Sonic X) replied. Scourgestar ripped at the ground.
"My patrol wasn't big enough! I sent my best warriors with the patrol to cause the distraction! I have learned from my defeat. What shall I do to kill the little scrap known as Shadowkit?" Scourgestar questioned.
"Don't do it while he's a kit. The clan will be watching him closely. We need to wait for him to become a warrior so we can force him to join us. Cosmicleaf stood up for him about a moon ago when I tried to lure him here. Until he becomes a warrior, continue training. Bring an apprentice to us every moon to join our ranks so we can become stronger. Don't let us down...," the voice commanded.
Scourgestar bowed again to the ripple before it disappeared. He flicked his tail to Metalclaw and the cat form of Mephiles. They began to walk away from the lake. Shadow wanted to speak but Shadowstrike flattened his ears at the hedgehog to indicate that he should continue to be silent. A cat-like figure hopped up from the lake and looked directly at them.
"Your presence has been sensed. Come out," the figure hissed.
Shadowstrike gave Shadow a glare and he padded out into the clearing and stopped in front of the dark, shadowy warrior. "What?"
"You shouldn't have been spying. You have crossed our borders. Leave this place!" the warrior hissed slashing at Shadowstrike's pelt. Shadowstrike hissed when the warrior's claws made contact. He nodded and turned around.
"Fine. There's nothing you need to worry about because we already know your plans...," Shadowstrike stated as he left with a shrug.
"You're hiding something."
Shadowstrike didn't stop. He continued to walk away. "Yeah. I'm hiding a lot of things."
"The hedgehog in the trees."
"What? I didn't hear you," Shadowstrike said with a hint of amusement in his voice.
The dark figure sat on the ground and licked its paw. "What about Brightleaf?" It laughed when Shadowstrike finally froze in his tracks and turned around with his lips drawn back in a snarl.
"What about her?"
The dark figure stood up. "I know where she is. There's only one problem. She's falling in love with another cat."
Shadowstrike clawed at the ground. "How do you know?"
"We've been following around the hedgehog and we saw that he's made friends with a little friend you know about. The reincarnated Brightleaf named Goldenpaw."
Shadow had enough. He ran out into the clearing. "I didn't do anything! Shadowstrike, don't listen to him. He's trying to turn you against me!"
"I already know that... It's just that... Silverflight...," Shadowstrike hissed.
Shadow looked at the warrior with a confused expression on his face. "What does Silverflight have to do with anything?"
"He's my son. He killed her and is responsible for everything!" Shadowstrike growled.
"How?!"
The stars on Shadowstrike's pelt began to melt away. They were replaced with shadows. His eyes turned a milky white and he began to lose all emotion as he remembered his hatred. Silverflight must've done something. Silver wouldn't do anything against anyone! Or would he?
"Join us and he will never be able to harm you or Brightleaf again...," the figure said.
Shadowstrike turned around and shoved his paw into the lake. Suddenly, his eyes returned to normal. He gasped almost in terror at what he had done. A dark claw raked through the surface of the water and clamped down on Shadowstrike's paw. It pulled him down as Shadowstrike resisted.
Shadow couldn't move. He could only watch the gruesome scene being played in front of him. Shadowstrike looked to him with a desperate glare. Shadow couldn't meet it. The force of the lake made it so he couldn't move.
"Shadow, listen!" Shadowstrike desperately commanded. Shadow listened.
"2-9-14-0!"
The prophecy flew through his head and repeated again and again. Shadow trembled for a second. Shadowstrike continued.
"Once you figure it out, SAVE ME!!" cried the warrior as he was pulled into the water with a piercing yowl.
Shadowkit woke up beside the MoonCliff. Cosmicleaf and Creampaw were giving him a worried glance. Shadowkit sat up shakily. His eyes were really distant.
"What's wrong Shadowkit?" asked Creampaw.
"He's gone...," Shadowkit said.
"Who's gone?!" demanded Cosmicleaf.
"Sh-Shadowstrike...," Shadowkit squeaked.
Cosmicleaf's gaze clouded. She looked up to the sky. Night had fallen fast. She remembered Shadowstrike. When she was a kit, she would often talk to the warrior. She remembered his crestfallen face when he remembered his past and his stern glares at Silverflight. Even though he was a tough cat, he was also nice under all of his toughness. "How is he gone...?"
"Th-The lake..."
Creampaw gasped in horror. Cosmicleaf ruffled her fur. "I'm not allowed to ask this, but what happened?!"
Shadowkit forced the story out of his mouth. Cosmicleaf lowered her head for the warrior. She then looked up. "What did he mean by, 'once you figure it out, save me'?" Cosmicleaf asked.
Shadowkit couldn't stop shaking when he remembered. He felt more like a kit than ever. He wouldn't be this scared as a hedgehog, but he wasn't a hedgehog. He was a kit. He told them the prophecy. "2... 9... 14... 0...," Shadowkit told them.
"What?" asked Creampaw.
2 cats loved...
9 lives earned...
14 lost...
0 learned...
Those who were lost,
will in turn,
take you down,
to be burned...
Creampaw and Cosmicleaf looked at each other. They were thinking about what it would mean. Creampaw spoke up about one part.
"I know nine lives earned means that someone is going to become leader and get nine lives. Every clan leader gets nine lives. The rest I don't know...," she said.
"I may know something. Two cats loved. Sonicwind knows a lot about this...," Cosmicleaf said giving Shadowkit a sly glance. Shadowkit shook his head awkwardly.
"You mean that Shadowkit has to cats loving him, or the other way around, or both?" Creampaw asked.
"I don't know. We must get back to camp, though. It's getting darker. Let's go!" Cosmicleaf commanded as she dashed through the trees. Shadowkit forced his paws to run behind them.
1 lost.
13 more.
There's a cost
for deaths galore.
Better run while you can
Or the future will say that to doom you ran.
"Leave me alone!" Shadowkit cried as he ran through the trees. He didn't want any more prophecies! He didn't want anything to do with anything! It was right then that he realized just how dangerous the Lake of the Lost and the Valley of Lost Echoes were.
ZairaDrayan: Sorry that this chapter was a little darker than the others. It's because I have to show just how dangerous the enemy is. So powerful that they can turn a StarClan cat evil. Thanks for reading and for hanging with me so far!
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