Laurelpaw brings back toys for Dappledkit and Owlkit.
Laurelpaw and Owlkit have an enlightening conversation, leaving both cats with a new outlook.
"Laurelpaw? I have a question." Owlkit blurts out.
She tilts her head curiously. "Yes?"
"Are we still Cotton Clan?" He asked hesitantly, avoiding her gaze. The question takes her aback.
She takes a deep breath in, fighting away the happy memories of her days in the clan, wanting to give an honest answer. "I don't think we are. Cotton Clan was destroyed, disbanded. We're just loners now."
"But we still follow the warrior code, doesn't that make us warriors?"
Laurelpaw was surprised at his response. He was smart for his age. "I never finished my training. The warrior code is just an old habit of mine." She licks her paw, drawing it over her ear.
"What about Starclan? We can't turn our backs on them!" He protests. His voice was fueled by passion, and there wasn't a trace of doubt to be heard.
"Starclan has abandoned us, Owlkit." Surely if Starclan cared, they wouldn't have let Cotton Clan be destroyed. Even if they couldn't stop it, they wouldn't have bothered following three cats to the mountains when they have the other clan to look after.
"Brackensun would never leave us!" He lashed his tail, bearing his tiny teeth.
She was stricken into silence. "W-Well..." She started, breaking off. She wasn't sure what to say. "Even if we are watched over by Starclan, what are we? We can't be Cotton Clan anymore, and we don't quite have a future involving the clans."
"Then we can be a new clan! We'll be the strongest warriors in the mountain!" He exclaimed, voice bright with optimism. Laurelpaw let out a purr of amusement, choosing not to point out they would be the only warriors in the mountain. She decided she'd humor this.
"Alright, Owlstar. What will our clan be called?"
"Hmm... How about Laurelclan? Since you're the oldest and all that. You can be our leader! And I'll be your deputy!"
"He'll be our medicine cat!"
"Idonwannabemedicinecat...iwannabeleader..." The kit in question mumbled sleepily. Laurelpaw and Owlkit shared an amused look. She wasn't quite sure whether or not Dappledkit was awake or not, but he clearly heard them.
"We should probably go to sleep too. We need our rest if we want to lead Laurelclan tomorrow." She winked. This would be a fun little game, and it'd keep them from asking about Cotton Clan.
"Mmm.. Ok." He murmured, laying his head on his paws. She wrapped her tail around the two kits, allowing herself to fall into slumber.
Laurelpaw had an odd dream.
"Where am I?" She looked around, confused. She was in a colorful meadow, the stars bright above her.
"Brackensun? Ghoststar?" She gasped at the two cats in front of her. There seemed to be stars embedded in their fur, but what took her most aback were the glowing of their eyes. Was she dreaming?
~"нєℓℓσ, ∂єαя."~ Brackensun purred, thrusting her muzzle into her daughters pelt.
"Mother!" Laurelpaw exclaimed, touching noses excitedly. She hesitated for a moment. "Where is this? Why am I here?"
~"Tԋιʂ ιʂ Sƚαɾƈʅαɳ, Lαυɾҽʅραɯ."~ Her mother drew away, standing next to Ghoststar, who was quiet.
"You mean... am I dead? What about Dappledkit and Owlkit?" Her eyes widened in horror, stumbling back.
Brackensun purred in amusement, brushing her tail along Laurelpaw's flank. ~"Nσ, ɱყ ʅιƚƚʅҽ ɯαɾɾισɾ. Wҽ αɾҽ ԋҽɾҽ ƚσ ԃҽʅιʋҽɾ α ɱҽʂʂαɠҽ."~ She assured. The living cat looked around in shock as she saw more cats appear in the mist. She recognized many of them, such as her father and old mentor. But many of them were unknown to her, and some of them seemed to be fading.
Ghoststar stepped forward, gently touching her nose to the apprentice's forehead, and the young cat was reminded of her apprenticeship ceremony. When everything was still so bright and hopeful. ~"Sƚαɾƈʅαɳ ιʂ ɯαƚƈԋιɳɠ σʋҽɾ ყσυ, Lαυɾҽʅραɯ. Aɳԃ ɯҽ αɾҽ ɯαƚƈԋιɳɠ σʋҽɾ ყσυɾ ƈʅαɳɱαƚҽʂ αʂ ɯҽʅʅ."~ The deceased leader spoke, voice heavy with the same wisdom she lead her clan with when she was alive.
"My clanmates?" Laurelpaw tilted her head curiously.
~"Oυɾ ƙιɳ. Yσυ αʅʅ ɯιʅʅ ƈαɾɾყ σɳ Cσƚƚσɳ Cʅαɳ'ʂ ʅҽɠαƈყ ɯιƚԋιɳ, ҽʋҽɳ ιϝ ყσυ ɳσ ʅσɳɠҽɾ ʂҽҽ ყσυɾʂҽʅϝ αʂ σɳҽ σϝ υʂ. I ƙɳσɯ ɯԋҽɳ ƚԋҽ ƚιɱҽ ƈσɱҽʂ, ყσυ ɯιʅʅ ʅҽαԃ Lαυɾҽʅƈʅαɳ ɯҽʅʅ."~
"What?! But- we aren't a clan! We're just three cats! Laurelclan was just a joke!" She blurted without thinking, wincing at her own words to her former leader.
~"Iƚ ιʂ ყσυɾ ԃҽʂƚιɳყ, Lαυɾҽʅραɯ."~ She responded calmly.
"I-" She started, about to protest.
And then she woke up. Was she really meant to lead? How could they possibly be a clan when there were only three cats?
She shook her head, scolding herself. It was just a dream. No matter how real it felt. It made sense for her to dream about that, considering she had been discussing Starclan and the fictional Laurenclan before going to sleep.
Still, she couldn't quite shake the dream off, no matter how much she rationalized it. She sighed, standing up. She should be hunting prey for her little siblings, not thinking about some weird dream. She cast one long look at their warm, sleeping bodies before stepping out of the den, going out for the day. She didn't like leaving them alone for so long, but it was what had to be done.
LAURELPAW: 9 MOONS
DAPPLEDKIT: 4 MOONS
