I Desperately Need You (CLOSED)

Ashstar sprinted across the territory at full speed, paws flying across the hard-packed ground, late evening sun shining on her back as it set across the moors behind her. Her fluffy gray tail streamed out behind her as she ran, her spring green eyes narrowed in concentration. Her mind was racing as fast as her heart, full of tumbling thoughts and questions. She couldn't make sense of all the recent occurrences, though she knew they were all connected somehow. First, the Tribe of Endless Skies showed up, most of them joining SkyClan- though a few decided to take her offer and join WindClan. Everything was fine and starting to calm down when, somehow, Rockthorn (she believed) set fire to the entire forest. ThunderClan was burned down to the ground. The fire didn't do much damage to the wet territories of RiverClan and ShadowClan. WindClan and SkyClan, where the fire should have done as much damage as it did to ThunderClan, were saved by a mysterious mist descending from the skies. Everyone assumed it was sent by StarClan, and WindClan life continued. But now that same mist had stolen Raccoonfang, a WindClan warrior and Mottleheart's daughter. And, if Ashstar's assumptions were correct, it had been stealing cats from every other Clan but SkyClan. What was going on? Did StarClan really send this mist? If not, who- or what- did? Where did it come from? What did it want? Why was it taking cats? How could it take cats? These questions and more were swirling inside her head, but the leader knew one thing for certain. If anyone was going to hold answers to this predicament, it would be StarClan. Their warrior ancestors always held the answers. Surely they would know what had happened to Raccoonfang- and what in the name of the Dark Forest was going on!

As Highstones appeared on the horizon, rapidly approaching as she ran ever faster, the WindClan leader felt a little strange. She hadn't been to the Moonstone since she had gotten her nine lives. She had lost three of them- one to grief for her dead friends, one to Lionfur, one to a pack of dogs on WindClan territory. All of those seemed like they had been a lifetime ago. Throughout all her leadership, she had never needed to go directly to StarClan for guidance. Until now. Now, she needed their help more than she needed food, more than she needed water, more than she needed air. She needed their counsel. For her sake, for Mottleheart's sake, for the forest's sake. She couldn't fail. She wouldn't fail.

The gray-furred she-cat slowed down as she reached Mothermouth, the yawning black gap that was the entrance to the caves where one could commune with StarClan. Taking a deep breath, she plunged into the caverns, ignoring the feeling of wrongness as the little light that was left was swallowed up in the infinite darkness behind her. She threw herself from tunnel to tunnel, searching for the cavern in the middle of it all that held what she was looking for, not quite certain where she was- only where she was going. Finally, somehow, she reached the Moonstone, a towering monolith of sparkling crystal. The newly risen, almost-full moon shone a silvery light on the multifaceted stone as Ashstar lay down by it, more than a little daunted at what she was about to do. What if this was nothing to be worried about? What if StarClan didn't want to see her? Should she have sent Sagepaw instead? Shaking it off, she quickly touched her nose to the cold surface of the rock, falling almost immediately into a deep sleep.

The WindClan leader opened her eyes on a flat, grassy plain under a wide, starry sky, in which no moon could be seen. It looked like it had just rained, with crystalline drops of water on each blade of deep green grass. The occasional puddle reflected the bright pinpricks of light in the sky above. There was no other cat but her. Where was StarClan? Ashstar took a deep breath and began to speak into the empty silence. "StarClan. It's me, um, Ashstar. But I think you knew that." Get it together, you mousebrain. "I.... We have a problem. There's this mist that's been taking cats from all the Clans- I think. It took Raccoonfang. But it also saved us from the fire." The confusion, frustration and helplessness she felt was evident in her tone. "What is this Mist, StarClan? Did you send it? If not, who did? What does it want? Where is it from? Why is it taking our cats? How- how can I stop it? Please. Please, help me. I, I don't know what to do, and I'm so afraid...." The she-cat's voice faded into the unforgiving darkness, hoping against hope for an answer. A single tear of desperation slipped out of one spring green eye and wound down her cheek. A hoarse whisper found its way from her heart to her lips. "Please."

"Ashstar." From behind Ashstar came a voice, soft but commanding as a dark grey tom was suddenly there. His yellow eyes flickered with wisdom, full of life despite three clean scars that ran down the left side of his face and crossed over one of those eyes. His body was covered with dark markings that circled around his body, his legs however holding white markings instead. He stood at full height, his gaze careful as he studied the she-cat.  There was a long hesitation of silence before the tom, Stormeye - once leader of WindClan - spoke again. "We understand your fears of what has transpired the last few moons...But I am afraid what I have to say will not ease your fears Ashstar," he sighed heavily at that, almost wincing before he cleared his throat. "We cannot give you the answers you seek for..."

Another bout of hesitation. "We do not know. In the last few moons, four cats have joined our rank all claiming death by a strange fog...This 'Mist' you speak of." He titled his head, a worried flicker flashing behind his bright yellow eyes. "But we cannot see this Mist. It is clouded from our sight. Cats from each Clans have gone missing and we do not know their fate. Only that they are alive - having not joined our rank. We do not know the answer of any of the questions you seek." Another long bit of silence before the tom sighed...Something flickering in his eyes, something unnatural for a StarClan cat...Fear. "I'm sorry Ashstar."

A bubble of hope inflated inside Ashstar as the StarClan tom appeared, but burst immediately at the words he spoke. She dropped down onto her haunches in shock. Disbelief filled her round eyes, staring dumbstruck at the gray tom. What? They don't know? How do they not know? What is this Mist?! What was she supposed to do? What could she do? WindClan was alone. The forest was doomed. No one could help them now. A disturbed laugh threatened to fly from her lips as her mind raced, faster than ever. This was hopeless. The Mist wasn't from StarClan.... For all she knew, the malevolent force was from the Dark Forest. When the leader spoke again, her voice was set on a higher pitch and even more desperate. "It's- it's killed cats? Are any of them WindClan cats? Can- can I speak to one of them? Maybe they know something!" But even as she spoke the words, she knew they would probably do no good.

There was a gentle shake from the tom's head as he did his best to give her a simple, but calm look. "When it comes to WindClan, only Raccoonfang has been stolen from our sight. None of our Clan have joined StarClan's rank..." but then he drifted off at her panic plead to speak to one of the killed cats. There was almost an annoyance look that flickered across his face before it was gone within moments as he turned toward the open fields that surrounded the two WindClan cats. "Poppypaw? You are needed," he called out, swishing his tail. While he wasn't sure what knowledge the ThunderClan apprentice could share, he saw fit to try to do what he could to ease Ashstar's worry. The Clans needed her to have a clear head if they were going to solve the answer of what was powerful enough to hide from StarClan's sight.

"And what makes that I would know anymore than Stormeye does?" Came the soft answer, the true conviction of the emotions hidden in the words hardly discernible. "Just because I just so happened to be killed by the Mist does not mean I know anymore than the rest of StarClan does." Poppypaw continued quietly, slowly striding towards Stormeye and Ashstar, a frown evident upon her face as she gazed at the two WindClanners. The calico she-cat paused a short distance away from the pair, maintaining a comfortable distance as she continued to stand there- she didn't want to participate in this conversation, not for WindClan's sake anyways, but she knew better than to refuse Stormeye's plea. "There's not even much I can remember." Poppypaw admitted softly, feeling her fur begin to bristle slightly as the slightly foggy memory filled her mind.