&&follow.your.heart [open]

The day had been tiring. She had only recently received her nine lives, two days prior to be exact, and the duties of leader were already beginning to wear on her. She would never let the clan see that. She would never show weakness, especially not so early in her leadership. She knew there were cats waiting to pounce on any weakness she showed and exploit to everyone. She had to stay strong and be on her toes for at least a moon or two. Until everyone's eyes were turned to something else. Thank God that Maplestar had died in such a way. If there had been anything even remotely suspicious about her death, Ivystar knew she would have been blamed. Just like she was blamed when Heronstar died. With a massive sigh she plopped down in her nest. It was soft and fresh - one of the apprentices must have changed it for her. The things they do for the leader. As a previous warrior, she was used to having change her own nesting. She liked all the pampering, all the power. She loved her position. It gave her a name in the forest, and that was what she wanted above all else. For everyone to love - or fear - her just as much as she loved herself. Which very few knew was much more than she loved anyone else.

She did love her clan though. It could not be said that she didn't. She wasn't a complete monster. Just a greedy, self-centered, temperamental monster. The tuxedo she-ca closed her green eyes and tried to calm herself. Here she was, alone in her den, and all she could think about was being leader. She needed sleep, and she knew it. She hadn't been sleeping well, being in the den that her closest friend had died in and all. She knew that Maplestar was happy to see her succeed her as leader, but Ivystar just wasn't feeling it yet. There was uneasy feeling in her stomach that made her feel unwelcome here. Maybe not by Maplestar, but she did feel something. Or maybe she was just over imagining things. Being the emotional fur ball she was, that wouldn't be too far off target. She took steady, gentle breaths that slowed her heart rate down and allowed her to fall into the relaxing lulls of sleep.

Or at least, what should have been the relaxing lulls.

She found herself in what she thought to be the misty Starclan forest. She looked around, but all she saw were the trunks of trees emerging from the mist. She started to pad in the general direction of a light she thought she saw in the distant. She couldn't quite make it out, but she was sure that that was where she was supposed to go. She started out simply padding, but when she heard the bushes behind her rustling and the breathing of something more massive and mean than a dog, she broke out into a run. Whatever it was, it ran with her. It's pounding steps made the earth shake and crack and shift. She ran faster, running faster than she ever had in her life. She would survive. If it was one thing this she-cat was - it was determined. She could see the light getting brighter and bigger. She knew that was where she was supposed to be. Her long strides had her practically jumping from place to place very quickly. She could feel the monster's drool dripping on her tail. She could feel its breath on her back. It was so close, close enough to grab her if it wanted to. She was just about to give up, to let the monster win when she thought of something to do. She stopped midair, dug her front claws into the ground to anchor her down and then swung around underneath the massive horse dog mix with horns. She bounded into a run as soon as she had cleared the monster's stomach. She began running in a wide circle heading back towards the light. The move had bought her a little time, seeing as the monster was less agile than the significantly smaller she-cat. She was out of breath and tired and just wanted to give up. She slowed down. The monster scooped her up and threw her high into the air. She could feel its horns penetrating her back when she woke up.

When she opened her eyes she was drenched. She was sure that someone must have heard the horrid dream, but she hoped no one would say anything about it. She heaved herself out of her bed, wondering why she was being tortured so. Her tail dragged along the cold stone wall, eyes searching for an answer that would never appear.