The vast, open moorland rolled into proper view as Fairystar entered the terrain. Her pawsteps glides across the familiar territory. She cast a gaze around the area. Nobody. Where was she? Was this Starclan?
Then.
Pawsteps.
Behind her.
She whipped her head around.
A calico tom stood there, fur blowing in the cool breeze that the wind had to offer.
"Pumpkinleaf!" She exhaled in relief.
"What's going on? Why am I in Starclan...?"
Pumpkinleaf lowered himself to sit on his haunches. He inhaled slowly, before talking.
"Sit. I must tell you of what is to come for Windclan." Fairystar sat on command. "Like... A prophecy...?" She asked. PumpkinPatch nodded.
"A gift shared by two will not be shared in heart— where one stands steady, the other will shift the waters.
One will carry the truth… and one will shape it."
Pumpkinleaf finished, looking at Fairystar with his emerald gaze.
"What does that mean?"
Fairystar questioned.
"I cannot say anymore."
"Then why tell me anything at all!?"
"I had to—"
Fairystar stood, and with a swish of her grey tail, she turned on her heel and padded away.
She continued wandering. Her body still must've woken up. She growled. Prophecies were stupid. She decided that Starclan should let her lead her clan her own way!
An unfamiliar scent stopped her in her tracks. She opened her jaws slightly, letting the smells flood the scent glands on the roof of her mouth. It was another cat. But they smelled nothing like starclan. Or... Any clan, that Fairystar knew.
She spun around, and a smaller than expected, dark brown tabby tom sat there.
"Who are you!?" She hissed angrily.
"Your a feisty one. I thought leaders were supposed to be kind." The toms voice came out more... Bubbly... Than she had expected.
"Wh-... What's your name..?" She asked the tom. "My name is Bear." He purred.
"Why are you here?" Her tone softened at his words.
"My friend told me I have to talk to you."
"Your... Friend..?"
"Yeah! His name is Treestar!
Fairystar paused at the familiar name. Treestar was a former leader of Shadowclan. But... He was dead. She cast a quick, nervous glance around. "Where is he?"
She ordered.
"He's in the Dark Forest."
Fairystar growled. So Bear was just one of his lackeys. A mindless servant. Yet... He didn't seem the type to be like that.
"I've had enough of you dead cats for today!"
She hissed, turning away, and storming off.
"But I didn't even get to tell you what I was here for... An-And I'm not dead..!" Bear stammered after her. His pleas fell of dead ears as Fairystar wandered away.
The Windclan leader padded through the long grass, it's blades swishing against her legs. An idea finally made it's way into her head. She started into a canter, running until she eventually made it to a clearing of thick, oak trees on the Riverclan border.
The grey cat took a few subtle steps back, before ramming her head at full speed into one of the trees. Stars danced in her vision.
"I've got to wake up..." She muttered, sharing tongues to nobody. She backed up again, and repeated the action. A familiar voice made her stop after the fourth hit.
"Wow, at this rate, it's like your trying to lose all of your lives."
She spun around, ears pinned flat against her head. It was Bear.
"What do you want!?" She retorted.
"Just... Checking on your wellbeing."
"Pshh!? You? Care about MY wellbeing!?"
"Yeah. Sorta.
"Weirdo."
The two bickered for a moment, before Fairystar turned back to he tree, slamming her head into it again. She felt dizzy. Hopefully her body was starting to wake up now. She went to do it again, but Bear called out to her.
"Wait!"
She turned. The tom looked desperate now. "What?" She snapped, thoughts racing. Bear sat, gazing directly into her eyes. "Y-You..."
"I can't what!?" Fairystar interrupted his stuttering. "I'm sick of you all thinking you can tell me what to do! I'm a leader! Let me lead my clan by myself, you mousebrained fool!"
Bear flinched at her harsh scolding, but didn't back down. "Please..! You can't wake up yet..!" Fairystar sighed.
"Fine. Tell me why your here then. Make it quick."
Bear cleared his throat and puffed out his chest,seemingly trying to act like an experienced warrior.
"A gift, shared by two—"
Fairystar cut him off.
"I've already been told." She remarked sharply.
"Wha!? You have?" He sounded genuinely confused now, replacing the desperation in his voice formerly.
"Yes. Now, if you'll excuse me—"
Bear cut her off now.
"You know you can just... Wake up... Right?"
She paused, optics narrowing.
"Huh?"
"Just... Close your eyes. A-And think really hard about waking up! It works, I promise! I do it all the time!" A smile crossed his maw. None of deception and lies. Instead, a genuine warm smile, of happiness.
Fairystar mumbled something under her breath, but took his word for it. She lowered herself to lay on the soft grass. A few of it's blades painfully poked her forearms as she layed. She rested her maw on the grass below, shutting her eyes.
Now what..? She thought stubbornly. She squeezed her eyelids, hoping to wake up. "It's not working-' She opened her eyes. Her den came into vision. She had finally woken.