Post by Riley on Jul 5, 2022 5:52:28 GMT
Juniper was dreaming. She knew it in the same way she knew the color of her fur, knew it in the same way she knew when a wound was infected or how to tell the difference between borage and bright-eye. She knew it in the same way she knew Burnet's fur and her father's voice, though he'd long since passed.
It was so different from all of her other dreams that she was instantly wary. Juniper gazed around her, staying seated with her plumy tail wrapped around her paws. She was in her pine forest, an area uphill from the marsh so all of water drained downhill and kept it dry. The pine trees around her were shrouded in fog, making anything beyond her immediate vision blurry and indistinct.
Pawsteps came toward her, directly in front of where she sat. Juniper watched and waited patiently, and slowly a cat started to form. She was all black and walked tall and proud, head all the way up. She steadily plodded her way toward Juniper, allowing her ample time to observe her. When she was close enough, Juniper realized small twinkling lights blinked in and out of her fur, like stars, and her edges were blurry.
Finally the dark she-cat stopped, and the two regarded each other in silence. Finally Juniper dipped her head and meowed, "Welcome to my subconscious, stranger. I'm not sure who you are or how you got here, but know I am not to be trifled with even in the dream realm."
Oddly that amused the she-cat. She chuffed lightly before taking her own seat, mirroring Juniper's position. "Peace, child. My name is Shadowstar. I was the founder and first leader of ShadowClan." If she was waiting for a reaction, she was disappointed. Juniper merely blinked at her. Even without a verbal response, Shadowstar knew Juniper didn't believe her. "You doubt me, child?"
Juniper nodded once firmly. "I don't remember all the cats I've ever helped. And there's been rumors abound of a group settling around the river calling themselves a Clan. It makes sense that I'd mix the two in my brain and conjure up some ludicrous hallucination. So no, Madame Shadowstar, I do not believe you."
Once again the two she-cats stared at each other, and to Juniper's shock Shadowstar threw her head back and started laughing. "I was warned you'd be difficult. Good thing I brought back up!" She turned her head away from Juniper and yowled. Another form started toward them from the fog, and Juniper's eyes widened as she beheld a familiar form, younger than Juniper had ever known him. "Believe me now?" Shadowstar meowed rhetorically.
Because it was obvious Juniper did. The newcomer was Cormorant, her father. His eyes shined with both love, pride, and grief. Slowly Juniper stood and walked toward him, and when his familiar scent hit her nose, lunged forward to bury her nose in his chest fur. "Father... I've missed you, so much." she choked out, not caring if Shadowstar was there.
Cormorant nuzzled Juniper's head like he'd done with she was young. His purr rumbled beneath her muzzle, and Juniper pulled back to look at him. He had much fewer lights in his fur than Shadowstar, and his outline was even blurrier. He was even partially see-through, a fact that distressed Juniper greatly. "I've been watching you, daughter. And I am so, so proud of the cat you've become. You've been chosen for a destiny that will shape the forest for generations to come."
Juniper stared at him, then narrowed her eyes at Shadowstar, demanding an explanation. Whiskers twitching, Shadowstar acquiesced. "The Clans must return to the forest, and you've been chosen to help restore ShadowClan. And to that end, I have a message." She locked eyes with Juniper and, when she spoke, it was the voice of every cat she had ever known. "βFind the stone that gleams and shines, the one that sits beneath the mines. Stars that die and stars that fall, they gather here and sing their call. Find the cats who number four and from the ashes Clans arise once more.β
Juniper stared. Stared. And stared some more. "What in the blazes is a mine?" she blurted out in confusion. Both twinkling cats laughed at her, and before her very eyes, started to fade. "Hey wait! We're not done yet! Come back!" she yowled, leaping for them. They faded completely before she could touch one of them, and the last thing she saw before startling awake was icy blue eyes, staring at her from the fog.
It was so different from all of her other dreams that she was instantly wary. Juniper gazed around her, staying seated with her plumy tail wrapped around her paws. She was in her pine forest, an area uphill from the marsh so all of water drained downhill and kept it dry. The pine trees around her were shrouded in fog, making anything beyond her immediate vision blurry and indistinct.
Pawsteps came toward her, directly in front of where she sat. Juniper watched and waited patiently, and slowly a cat started to form. She was all black and walked tall and proud, head all the way up. She steadily plodded her way toward Juniper, allowing her ample time to observe her. When she was close enough, Juniper realized small twinkling lights blinked in and out of her fur, like stars, and her edges were blurry.
Finally the dark she-cat stopped, and the two regarded each other in silence. Finally Juniper dipped her head and meowed, "Welcome to my subconscious, stranger. I'm not sure who you are or how you got here, but know I am not to be trifled with even in the dream realm."
Oddly that amused the she-cat. She chuffed lightly before taking her own seat, mirroring Juniper's position. "Peace, child. My name is Shadowstar. I was the founder and first leader of ShadowClan." If she was waiting for a reaction, she was disappointed. Juniper merely blinked at her. Even without a verbal response, Shadowstar knew Juniper didn't believe her. "You doubt me, child?"
Juniper nodded once firmly. "I don't remember all the cats I've ever helped. And there's been rumors abound of a group settling around the river calling themselves a Clan. It makes sense that I'd mix the two in my brain and conjure up some ludicrous hallucination. So no, Madame Shadowstar, I do not believe you."
Once again the two she-cats stared at each other, and to Juniper's shock Shadowstar threw her head back and started laughing. "I was warned you'd be difficult. Good thing I brought back up!" She turned her head away from Juniper and yowled. Another form started toward them from the fog, and Juniper's eyes widened as she beheld a familiar form, younger than Juniper had ever known him. "Believe me now?" Shadowstar meowed rhetorically.
Because it was obvious Juniper did. The newcomer was Cormorant, her father. His eyes shined with both love, pride, and grief. Slowly Juniper stood and walked toward him, and when his familiar scent hit her nose, lunged forward to bury her nose in his chest fur. "Father... I've missed you, so much." she choked out, not caring if Shadowstar was there.
Cormorant nuzzled Juniper's head like he'd done with she was young. His purr rumbled beneath her muzzle, and Juniper pulled back to look at him. He had much fewer lights in his fur than Shadowstar, and his outline was even blurrier. He was even partially see-through, a fact that distressed Juniper greatly. "I've been watching you, daughter. And I am so, so proud of the cat you've become. You've been chosen for a destiny that will shape the forest for generations to come."
Juniper stared at him, then narrowed her eyes at Shadowstar, demanding an explanation. Whiskers twitching, Shadowstar acquiesced. "The Clans must return to the forest, and you've been chosen to help restore ShadowClan. And to that end, I have a message." She locked eyes with Juniper and, when she spoke, it was the voice of every cat she had ever known. "βFind the stone that gleams and shines, the one that sits beneath the mines. Stars that die and stars that fall, they gather here and sing their call. Find the cats who number four and from the ashes Clans arise once more.β
Juniper stared. Stared. And stared some more. "What in the blazes is a mine?" she blurted out in confusion. Both twinkling cats laughed at her, and before her very eyes, started to fade. "Hey wait! We're not done yet! Come back!" she yowled, leaping for them. They faded completely before she could touch one of them, and the last thing she saw before startling awake was icy blue eyes, staring at her from the fog.
Juniper jerked awake, breathing deeply and staring at the wooden walls of the den she shared with Burnet. She glanced to the side, seeing his sleep undisturbed, and settled back down to wait for morning. They had a lot to discuss.