Swiftstar's Prophecy - Unofficial version

Chapter Twenty-eight

The words that came out of Baydawn's mouth made Swiftpaw's fur spike up. Instantly, a cold breeze blew by, the calls of the animals in the forest all halted. His words made it seem like everything stopped and became cold and serious.

"An illness that is infamously ancient has already touched a willing victim, and it will stretch its claws to consume the four Clans. Only the spill of pitied blood can stop it, and arise! Arise will be the dignified, born of a lame and a corrupt, the peace maker of the sick and the scarred!" The gray medicine cat meowed, his blue, foggy eyes narrowed. His smaller paws extended to unsheathe his claws, before he let out a screech of pain. "Baydawn!" Swiftpaw ran over to him, letting his body fall against hers. Mousetail stood up, her tail lashing disapprovingly. "Baydawn! I had warned you before not to tell it!"

"What's happening to him?" Brookpaw asked, her voice shaking in fear. Blizzardtail replied sharply, "Whenever a medicine cat receives a prophecy, they go into pain to endure the information they were given. Baydawn.." The mottled tom narrowed his eyes, "He shouldn't have accepted the prophecy..."

The medicine cats get harmed? Swiftpaw thought in worry, before gently setting the tabby tom down, sinking her teeth into his scruff to set him down. "Will he be alright?" The calico apprentice asked, flattening her ears to her head. The wind blew harder, making the grass sway uncomfortably and the trees drag their leaves. Mousetail's blind eyes glinted in the fading sunlight, as dark grey storm clouds covered the sun. The skies called out to them, rumbling in warning and anger. Rain drops began to fall unto the cats, soon drenching all of them. "He will be fine, but you," Mousetail rasped to Swiftpaw, "You must put a stop to the illness!"

"What is the illness?" Once Swiftpaw asked, a bright line struck from the dark clouds, striking off into the distance. The lightning boom made her jump, and her fur spike up more. "We don't know, but it is dangerous!" the elder called over the pouring rain, her cracked, yellow teeth showing. 

Everything is happening so fast... Swiftpaw felt dizzy, her amber eyes widening up at the skies. The prophecy...an illness... as dangerous as the last leaf-bare... The apprentice almost felt like fainting, before another beam of lightning struck. She leapt up in the air, before shaking her head, sending droplets everywhere. Get your head together, Swiftpaw! 

Blizzardtail's teeth bit into Baydawn's scruff, and he hoisted the tom over unto Swiftpaw's back. "Take Baydawn back to camp. I'm sure you both need some thyme," her mentor spoke, calmly analyzing the gray skies above. Mousetail ducked her head, using her muzzle to raise up Baydawn's chin unto Swiftpaw's head. "What about you?" the elder asked.

"I need to catch some prey, to throw off the others to think Swiftpaw and I were hunting before we encountered you three. Swiftpaw!" he meowed, his shredded tail lashing. "Yes?" Swiftpaw looked up, struggling slightly under Baydawn's weight. 

"No one should know of the prophecy, do you hear me? We don't need any panic to arise," Blizzardtail growled, before the large tom dove into the tall stalks of grass, disappearing under seconds. Swiftpaw gulped, tell no one? Not even Stonepaw... 

Brookpaw began to pad towards the direction of camp, "Come on, you two, let's hurry," The medicine cat apprentice meowed, and Swiftpaw began to move her paws after her. Mousetail trailed behind, but Swiftpaw's tail lifted to touch the elder's nose, using that to help lead the blind elder back to camp.

In silence, the three she-cats made their way back, their furs drenched, their whiskers drooping, and mud on their paws. The silence broke when Brookpaw murmured to Swiftpaw, "You were very brave, speaking up to Redstar like that."

"It was nothing," Swiftpaw replied, her amber eyes lifting up to the apprentice. But the brown tabby tilted her head, "I admire how you would just speak up for yourself and Blizzardtail. You're just like Echoflower!" Brookpaw's throat rumbled out a purr. Mousetail chimed in, "You indeed look like your mother, very beautiful. But it was shame that your legs are so muscular,"

"Hey! What does that mean?" Swiftpaw felt rather attacked at Mousetail's remark, but the two other she-cats began to chuckle. The calico apprentice then let out a chuckle, as well. Her heart then felt at ease, her fur laying flat. It's like they know how to comfort me, almost like if they're kin... Swiftpaw gently gazed at the two she-cats. They're both very charming. 

Swiftpaw opened her mouth to speak, until her eyes inspected the swaying willow trees above. This storm is going to be a wild one... The leaves and the branches were drifting to one direction wildly. I wonder if Blizzardtail is okay... 

"Brookpaw! Mousetail! There you are!" 

From another willow tree, behind came out a small patrol, consisting of Splashfur, Whitefish, Hailfrost, and Mosspelt. That must be a search patrol, Swiftpaw breathed in relief, seeing the four warriors dash over to them. "What happened to Baydawn? Give him here," Hailfrost meowed to Swiftpaw, his teeth sinking into the medicine cat's scruff. 

"Baydawn is just very dehydrated from working, w-we need to hurry, quick!" Swiftpaw lied to the warrior, staring into his green eyes. Her heart paused slightly, wondering if her lie worked, before Splashfur waved his black and white tail, "Then we must hurry back, then. This rain won't help him; Swiftpaw, can you fetch some fresher water?"

"Willow water, actually," Brookpaw interrupted, her blue eyes narrowing at Splashfur. Swiftpaw nodded, before she bounded off, relieved to know that her lie worked, at least Splashfur.

As the apprentice slipped and slid in the wet grasses, bounding away from the patrol, her eyes narrowed in worry, her mind drifting back to the prophecy. It made Swiftpaw chilled to the bone, and her shiver in fear. Born of a lame and a corrupt, huh? They weren't wrong, but the spilling of pitied blood... It made her paws numb, and she was about to halt by a small brook, but her paws slid in the wet grass, making the apprentice fall to her side. 

Mud covered her flank, and she held in a sigh, heaving herself unto her wet paws. Who has to die? She thought, before a feeling of regret poked at her stomach. What is this uneasiness I feel? And why does someone have to die? Swiftpaw thought, slowly padding up to the brook, hanging her head low.

The apprentice was near the border between BoulderClan and TideClan, and she raised her head to stare into the aspen forest. I want to tell Stonepaw, but... Blizzardtail told me not to. Her heart ached, and it made the apprentice wince slightly.

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Lol, just making Swiftpaw slide in the mud reminded me of that Sol Warrior Cat Map, one of the beginning scenes where Sol falls in the rain. Hehe.

-Morgan