Blizzardstar's Choice

Chapter Twenty Two {Edited}

It was eerily silent in the Dark Forest as Blizzardstar carefully snuck back through the thorn bush. The vision pond on the other end of the clearing was deserted, not a single cat in sight.

Starclan did not have any means of looking down on their clanmates in the waking world, for now only the murky pond could answer Blizzardstar's questions. He quickly crossed the clearing, hoping no one would notice his white pelt through the gloom.

On the bank of the pond, Blizzardstar narrowed his eyes and peered into the depths. At once, he was presented with a vision of Spottedrose. She was resting in the BreezeClan nursery, her two kits were sleeping peacefully at her side.

I wonder if I can reach her at all, he thought as he dabbed his paw over the still water. Ripples distorted his vision of Spottedrose, but after a few moments it shone clear once more.

Taking a deep breath, Polarstar crouched next to the pond and touched his nose to the water's surface. It felt like his entire body was clutched with cold before his eyes closed and the forest vanished around him.
~~

Spottedrose had just laid down with her kits for the night.  Oakstar had insisted that she bring them out to show the clan even though they were still so small. Their rough and loud demeanor scared the kittens, giving Spottedrose a reason to return to the nursery after a couple of minutes.

She had almost grown frightened to take them around her clanmates. She didn't want any of their battle hungry thoughts to brush off on her innocent children.

Almost immediately Spottedrose fell asleep, her tail curled over her kits protectively. But just as quickly as she shut her eyes, she was opening them again to find she was standing in a dark, murky forest.

All around her, the scents and sounds of many cats drifted in the air. "Is this Starclan," she called into the mist.

"No, this isn't Starclan," a gruff voice responded.  Spottedrose jumped, whirling around to see who had spoken.  It didn't seem like anyone was around, but as her eyes grew accustomed to the dark she saw a figure.

"I don't know what I'm doing here," Spottedrose mewed, panic starting to creep into her tone.  The strange cat was inching closer to her, its eyes hard and cold with hate.

Surprisingly, the unknown cat jumped towards Spottedrose. It's paws were outstretched, long sharp claws extending from their sheaths.

"Help!" Spottedrose screeched as she bunched her muscles and shot away from the stranger.  But it wouldn't be that easy; she could hear the cat's labored panting as it gave chase.

On and on she ran through the fog, rotting toadstools and stagnant puddles of putrid water tripping her up almost constantly.  I'm going to die, she thought frantically as she dug her claws deep into the leaf mold.

In a blink, Spottedrose launched herself up a nearby tree.  The branches were brittle and bare, but she didn't think that the stranger would follow her here.  Thankfully, the strange cat padded away after several minutes of pointless yowling and hissing.

The forest creaked and groaned all around her, despite the fact that not even a light breeze blew through the trees.  "How did I even get here," Spottedrose hissed, looking down from her branch.

She didn't want to leave the safety of the tree if there were other crazy cats down there waiting for her.  With a sigh, she leaned her haunches back against the trunk and looked up through the branches. The sky was pitch black with not even a single star to share its light.

"Spottedrose," an achingly familiar voice called from somewhere close by.  All of her senses were instantly alert, searching the ground for any sign of a white pelt in the mist.

To her relief, Blizzardstar padded around an adjacent tree and looked up at her in the branches.  "What are you doing up there," he asked curiously, his tail kinked high over his back.

"Some mangy furball tried to rip my pelt off," she hissed as she slowly started to pick her way back to the ground.  When her paws were safely back on the slimy grass, she caught herself staring at Blizzardstar.

"You can't be here," she whispered, "that means that you're dead. You just can't be dead." Her voice grew frightened and desperate, her heart started to thump uncomfortably against her chest.

He padded close beside her, inhaling her scent deeply.  "I'm not dead," he soothed, running his tail along her spine.  What exactly was happening to him was very hard to explain, he didn't expect her to understand.

"I just had to see you," he breathed, nuzzling her shoulder with his muzzle.  Spottedrose relaxed against him, blissfully calm despite her surroundings.  It made her think back to the night she shared with him in his den, with the soft pitter patter of rain on the tree that they nested in.

"I've had our kits,"Spottedrose murmured, "the she-kit looks just like you."  She thought back to her kits, resting peacefully in the nursery back in BreezeClan's camp.

"Yes, I saw them," he meowed.  He didn't voice his fears that his precious she-kit would not be safe around Oakstar, not with the similarities that they shared.  He knew if Spottedrose didn't feel that they were in danger, then he wouldn't worry her.

"I was thinking her name would be Frostkit," Spottedrose continued.  She had been thinking of names for the pair all morning and evening; it wasn't a very simple task.

"I like Pinekit, for the male," Blizzardstar cut in.  Spottedrose purred, feeling her spirits lift for the first time since she was left back in her home camp.

"Frostkit and Pinekit," Spottedrose whispered, feeling her emotions swell as she spoke the names.  She twined her tail with Blizzardstar's, relishing the closeness after all the depression she had suffered. 

While Blizzardstar and Spottedrose were speaking, they hadn't noticed that a group of cats had appeared and were slowly stalking towards them.  To Blizzardstar's surprise, Mudstar was at the front of the small group.

"Is this Spottedrose," Mudstar rasped, letting his eyes comb over the slender calico.  He flicked his tail as a signal, for the others to advance.  The other cats skunk forward, sniffing Spottedrose all over.

She jumped back angrily, clearly not wanting the mangy flea bags to be that close to her.  "It's ok, Mudstar has helped me to survive in this evil place," Blizzardstar meowed to Spottedrose. 

"I've come to send you back to Starclan," Mudstar meowed, "you can no longer linger in this forest if you wish to return to your loved ones."

Spottedrose stood quickly, turning to Blizzardstar.  "Well, you heard him! Let's go so that you can leave this place," she mewed hastily.

The other two cats returned to their positions behind Mudstar, glaring angrily at Spottedrose.  "I never told you that you could shred her pelt for your nests," Mudstar growled as they started to bicker between themselves.

Blizzardstar dipped his head greatfully to his old friend, wishing that he would see him again one day in Starclan.  "This means goodbye, then," Blizzardstar meowed, "I will lead our clan onto the right path, so that our kin will never need to walk this forest again."

Mudstar purred, his tail waving in a large arc behind him.  "I believe in you," he meowed.

With that, Blizzardstar started to lead Spottedrose back to the thorn bush.  In a matter of minutes, they crossed back over to the mystical Starclan clearing. 

Blizzardstar turned to Spottedrose, noticing that her pelt was starting to sparkle and fade.  He looked up at the sky and noticed that streaks of sunlight were racing over the horizon.

"I'll see you soon," Blizzardstar breathed.  Spottedrose purred as her calico pelt finally vanished into the air.  Soon, I will be home with my family, Blizzardstar thought happily, nothing would stop him now.