Nightpaw shivered in his den. It was moonhigh, but he couldn't sleep.
Guilt had overwhelmed him throughout the day. His exercises with Volepaw seemed blurry. At least the shy medicine cat apprentice didn't comment on his mental unconsciousness.
Stripepelt snored in a corner. Nightpaw closed his eyes, but sleep never came. The picture of Blossompaw alone at their meeting place, shivering in the snow and waiting for Nightpaw made him feel unresistibly guilty.
You're born to be guilty, remember? A voice spoke in his mind. Nightpaw would have jumped if it wasn't for the pain. "You." Nightpaw growled, not too loudly. "What do you want? Haven't you haunted me enough with nightmares?"
I'm you. I'm your true self, you know?
Nightpaw hissed a reply. "Get away from me, fox-dung. I don't know why are you speaking into my mind, but you are certainly not from StarClan."
Nightpaw... Do you know that you don't belong here?
"Stop that!" Nightpaw snarled under his breath.
You're destined to murder. The insides of you is cold with hatred. You cannot stop me. You cannot stop yourself.
"Why would I believe you?"
The voice didn't answer. Starry pelts flicker in front of him.
"You will restore our pride!" A voice boomed. Nightpaw was surprised that Stripepelt didn't woke up by the noise.
The black apprentice blinked. What was that?
Nightpaw suddenly saw pinkish-red eyes flash before him. Blossompaw! Nightpaw's eyes darted around. Could she really be here?
"Nightpaw!" A sweet but also strong voice meowed into Nightpaw's ear.
"Blossompaw!" Nightpaw gasped. "Are you really here?"
The SkyClan apprentice batted the black apprentice's muzzle playfully. "Of course, where else would I be?"
"Sorry for not coming." Nightpaw meowed, his head drooping low in shame.
"I figured something was wrong." Blossompaw kept her voice low so she wouldn't be heard. "So I came to check on you."
Nightpaw's eyes widened. "They'll find you!"
Blossompaw shook her head. "I covered my scent. Also, my pelt hides in the snow very well." She gestured to her white pelt with a flick of her tail.
Nightpaw sniffed her. "You smell like leafs." He commented, then he added teasingly, "And smart-ness."
Blossompaw placed her tail on his mouth. "Anyways, I have something to show you." The white-furred apprentice took out a leaf wrap.
Nightpaw stared at the package, wondering what's inside. Is it fresh-kill? Is it herbs?
Blossompaw's meow broke into his thoughts. "But first you have to tell me what happened to you." She stared at Nightpaw's pelt, worry reflecting in her eyes.
"It was something impossible." Nightpaw meowed. He shook his head. "I don't think you'll believe me."
The Skyclan apprentice looked hurt. "I thought you had faith in me."
"Of course I do." Nightpaw found himself replying. "It's just weird, that's all."
Blossompaw purred. "Don't worry. I've seen many weird stuff in my life before."
Hmm... Nightpaw started telling Blossompaw about yesterday's incident, just like how he told Dappleleaf. Eventaully Nightpaw even spilled his other incidents. The vole, the blueish-green fire. He was about to tell Blossompaw about his weird dream, the one about the gathering, but then decided that it was too weird.
"The blue flames." Nightpaw meowed. "Do you think that they're powers from StarClan?"
"Maybe." Blossompaw's eyes glinted with something. Jealousy? No. More like... curiosity. Nightpaw guessed.
The SkyClan apprentice spoke, "Do you know about..." Blossompaw didn't finish her question. "Who are your parents?"
Nightpaw blinked. Why did she ask that? "Moonheart and Ambershine."
"I don't know Moonheart," Blossompaw meowed. "But I know that Ambershine is your deputy."
Nightpaw nodded. "Why... did you ask that?" Then the young apprentice added hurriedly, "You can ask whatever you want."
"Just wondering." Blossompaw replied with a flick of her tail. "I just want to know if your parents have powers too."
"I don't think so."
Blossompaw's eyes dulled.
"Are you okay?" He rested his tail on her shoulder.
"I'm fine. Don't let what I just meowed bother you." Blossompaw let out a purr. The disappointment was replaced with light. "Remember the thing I was going to show you?"
The white-furred apprentice prodded the leaf wrap with a paw.
"What's inside?" Nightpaw's meowed edged with curiosity.
Blossompaw delicately unwrapped the leafs. Nightpaw's head strained forward.
Two shiny pebbles lay on top of the unfolded leafs. They glimmered with stars, shining. Their glow lit up the whole den. Nightpaw was too awestruck to check if Stripepelt woke by their blinding light.
"Wow." Nightpaw couldn't believe his eyes. He stared at it for a long moment, then turned to Blossompaw. The ThunderClan apprentice meowed jokingly, "Did you cut out a piece of the moonstone?"
"Moonstone?" Blossompaw looked puzzled.
"Back in Firestar's time," Nightpaw explained, "When Firestar was still Fireheart, the clans lived in a different forest."
"Not around the lake?" Blossompaw tilted her head.
"No." Nightpaw confirmed. "Instead of going to the moonpool, the medicine cats at that time goes to the moonstone to talk to StarClan. The leaders go there to receive their nine lives and get advice."
He gestured at the shining pebbles with his injured tail. "From how the elder's described, I think it looks like this. Except a lot bigger, I think."
"Uh." Blossompaw nudged one of the small rocks. "I found them inside a tunnel."
"Really? Where?"
"I don't remember." Blossompaw shuddered. "I was barely more than a kit at that time, and I almost got lost."
Nightpaw shifted closer to Blossompaw, until their pelts were touching.
"I'm sorry." Blossompaw suddenly meowed.
"For what?"
"For your injured pelt."
"It's not your fault, you don't need to worry about it."
Blossompaw purred in respond. The two apprentices stared at the wonder of the pebbles.
Nightpaw checked the time. The moon is going to disappear soon. "I think you should go back before they find out about us."
Blossompaw nodded. She wrapped the pebbles with leafs. "Bye." She meowed.
"Hope you don't get caught." Nightpaw knew that she wouldn't. He couldn't even smell her scent. A part of Nightpaw longed for the flowery smell.
"I won't." With that, the SkyClan apprentice slid out of the den.
YOU ARE READING
Clans Of Darkness: Power(a Warrior Cats fanfic)(Book 1)
Fanfiction//REWRITING// Nightmares. That was Nightkit's problem. True or not, they leads him towards his fate. As Nightkit grows up, his life unfolded out through bullies, battles, love, deaths, special powers, accidents, evil voices in his mind-which all of...
