Chapter 15

Crazypaw closed her eyes and tried to ignore the stiffness and pain in her legs. Keep swimming, just a little farther.

For a moment, she was too weary to continue on. She lost her grip on Stonepaw's neck. The WindClan apprentice hadn't helped at all, hanging limp and unconscious from her jaws the whole time. Her head sank beneath the water and Crazypaw closed her eyes, resigning herself to drowning, as she slowly drifting towards the bottom of the lake.

She was surprised when after she'd scarcely dropped beneath the water's surface, her paws touched a solid surface. The lake bottom! That means I'll be able to stand in a few moments!

With one last burst of energy, Crazypaw pushed her way back up to the surface. She grabbed Stonepaw, who still hung lifelessly in her jaws. After a few long tail-lengths of water, her paws touched the rocky lake floor. Her legs trembled and she staggered forwards a few steps before falling onto her side. No! I've made it this far! I can't bring him all the way to shallow water only to be too weak to drag him onto the shore.

Suddenly, she felt warm fur against her side, gently helping rise to her paws and then supporting her. C'mon, Crazypaw, a voice, definitely a she-cat, hissed. You can do this.

"Who are you?" she whispered, fearing she was imagining the whole thing. "Are you from StarClan?"

There was a brief hesitation before the response. I am from a time before StarClan. I lived and died before Thunder was born, the voice was soft and persuasive. I will help you as long as you heed the warning I bring.

Time seemed to slow down. "What is it?" Crazypaw asked.

There was another hesitation. Your nighttime mentor's old grudge puts ThunderClan, StarClan, and all the other Clans at risk. Thunder's desire for vengeance for the wrong deeds of his father is a danger, and believe me, he will do anything to achieve his goal, the cat answered. And the cat he intends to use to accomplish this is you, Crazypaw. He has twisted the words of an ancient prophecy to suit his own dark purposes. Be warned, young apprentice, when the day comes that he asks you to betray your own Clan, you must answer no!

"But Thunder isn't like that!" Crazypaw protested. "He wouldn't intentionally do anything to harm the Clan!"

You are truly foolish if you believe that, the she-cat hissed back. Thunder would do anything to strike out at his father, Clear Sky.

Crazypaw panted heavily. She was near collapse once more. "Please just help me make it to shore," she pleaded.

As you wish, the feline replied, with a noticeable note of disappointment in its voice. I am simply a messenger trying to convey the truth to the cat of the prophecy. And you must be assisted, so that you may survive to achieve your destiny.

Stonepaw's weight was suddenly lifted from her jaws. With a powerful tug, the invisible she-cat pulled him onto the lakeshore, where moist golden sand glistened in the moonlight as waves gently washed over it. Crazypaw staggered weakly over to where his body lay, and feebly clawed at his beautiful stone gray fur, trying fruitlessly to wake the WindClan apprentice. He looked so calm and peaceful, laying lifelessly in the sand, unmoving and scarcely breathing. Crazypaw sank onto the ground beside him, feeling his warmth seeping into her fur. Her eyelids closed and she fell into unconsciousness.

The same voice of the she-cat whispered, "I know you don't believe me. Perhaps you will believe me if I let you watch what is happening in StarClan right at this instant."

The darkness rippled. A hilly landscape appeared, with a familiar golden ball of flame rising on the pink horizon. A few small silver clouds drifted harmlessly across the sky. Crazypaw was watching a large, muscular brown-furred tom that paced back and forth below the branches of the oak tree in which she was seated in. "Bright Stream, always trying to make my intentions sound evil!" Thunder snarled and Crazypaw assumed Bright Stream was the she-cat who rescued her. "I am no warrior of the Place of No Stars! But the Clans would be better rid of Cloudstar of SkyClan's blood!"

"You have potential ever yet, Thunder," an amused high-pitched voice declared from the bushes behind the ancient leader.

Crazypaw had to focus a lot to see the cat. He was smaller than the average apprentice, with neatly-groomed black fur and piercing blue eyes. A purple thing with teeth and claws embedded in its soft material hung around the tom's neck. The elders had told her that Twolegs, creatures that walked on their hind legs, had hardly any fur, and pink skin, put objects called collars around a kittypet's neck to show ownership of it. But this cat's eyes looked cruel, sinister and calculating, nothing at all like a tame creature. Was it possible this cat was a Twoleg pet?

The cat's image seemed to flicker, as if it were having trouble appearing in StarClan. There were brief moments when he couldn't be seen at all. Even when he was visible, his fur looked faded and partially transparent.

Thunder backed away nervously. "Scourge," he identified the newcomer. "It is dangerous to deal with you. You must leave."

Scourge looked bored and unafraid. He sat down on the grass, calmly raising a small white paw and licking it. "You wish to destroy SkyClan's blood in ThunderClan? You understand this means...um, 'getting rid of' Cloudstar, Honeywhisker, Liontail, Cloudheart, Rainfoot, Smallkit, Graykit, and Sootsplash?" he asked.

Crazypaw's jaw dropped in shock. Does my mentor really want to kill all those cats? Please say no Thunder!

Thunder unsheathed his claws and approached Scourge. "I'm not stupid, and I will send you back from the place where you come from," the StarClan warrior warned. "Don't treat me like an ignorant kit."

The small black-furred tom glared at him for a moment before continuing. "If you want to know the answer, as you simply can't defy the will of the majority of StarClan, especially as a deceased warrior...well, I have the perfect plan," Scourge meowed, grinning evilly. "But you see, I can't just tell you information at no price. If you wish to know this solution, then we must make a bargain. You must do something for me. One favor."

Thunder glanced warily at Scourge, as considering the offer and how to respond. "What favor?" he asked finally, suspicion glinting in his eyes.

Scourge met his gaze once more. "Kill Firestar," he replied, saying it as calmly as if he was saying, "I caught some fresh-kill."

Kill a legendary, ancient leader who defeated the evil Tigerstar?

"How can I trust you'll give me the information if I do it?" Thunder demanded.

Scourge rose to his paws. "Why I'll give it to you before you do it!" he declared. "But if I tell you and then you don't accomplish the task, I'll spread the word to all of StarClan about your plans for the future and they'll kill you!"

Thunder studied Scourge's expression. "I can't kill Firestar, he's a warrior of StarClan and a great former leader! And he's famous!" the first ThunderClan leader complained. "For StarClan's sake, there are so many nursery stories about him, but hardly any about me!"

"He recreated SkyClan," Scourge offered that helpful information.

Thunder's eyes hardened. "Very well, Scourge," he replied coldly. "Tell me this plan."

Scourge's eyes glistened with anticipation. "The prophecy of that apprentice you train," he began.

"Crazypaw," Thunder interrupted.

"It says, "the splash of murder and betrayal." That must be SkyClan and SkyClan blood! Crazypaw could become a strong, well-trained warrior, and she trusts you! You could send her to kill the cats with SkyClan blood and then send her on a journey to SkyClan!" Scourge explained rapidly. "She could kill the leader, the deputy, and the medicine cats, and then the Clan would dissolve into turmoil once and for all!"

Thunder's eyes gleamed. "That's brilliant, Scourge!" he shouted. "SkyClan could be destroyed!"

Scourge glanced expectantly up at Thunder. "Now, now, time for you to honor your part of the bargain unless you want your plans revealed to the whole of StarClan," the small cat insisted.

Thunder's eyes darkened. "How can I trust that you won't tell them anyways?" the leader demanded.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that! It'd be wonderful if you succeed! How lovely! Deaths and the destruction of an entire Clan!" Scourge laughed. "But it'd also be fun to watch if you fail! Now, now, good luck with your plan! It's getting difficult to remain visible in your world! May StarClan crumble to dust one day!"

With one last sinister cry of laughter, Scourge disappeared in a silver cloud of smoke and Crazypaw's dream faded at the sound of a threatening warning.

"Who dares trespass on RiverClan territory?"

A/N: I really was going to update this Saturday, but I got sick and didn't write anything for like, five days. At any rate, even though that's not my fault, I apologize anyways. Please comment and tell me what you think of this chapter, this chapter's dream scene is very important to the plot. Sorry for the spoilers on Dawn of the Clans!