Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, Erin Hunter does. However, I do own the plot and OC's
Prologue
The clouds covered the moon in a mournful way. The sky was gray, dark gray that was filled with a feeling that sent shivers down your spine.
The ThunderClan deputy, Flowersnow, looked up anxiously. "Sundapple!" She called quietly to the medicine cat. "Is this what you were worried about?" Flowersnow paused. "It looks like a claw cut the moon apart." She let out a small sigh and stared upwards.
"Omens." A sudden whisper sounded from beside her. "Dark omens." Sundapple repeated.
Flowersnow jumped. "What do you mean?" She demanded.
Sundapple shook her head and flicked her tail to be quiet. Her piercing green eyes bore into Flowersnow.
Flowersnow winced. "What do you mean?" She asked again, softer this time.
Sundapple didn't move, she only kept staring.
"Tell me."
Sundapple lifted her muzzle. "I don't have anything to tell."
Flowersnow flicked her tail irritably. "Is it bad for ThunderClan?"
Sundapple hesitated, and then she nodded.
"Then come on! We need to let Swiftstar know!" Flowersnow glared at Sundapple. "Come on!"
Sundapple turned and prepared to walk away. "Don't say anything. I've told you too much already."
Too much?Flowersnow growled at Sundapple in her mind, aware that she had already left. You've barely said a word!
Flowersnow glanced around. It was leaf-bare right now. All the cats were weak from the lack of prey. Fresh snow was falling into the camp. And now this? Flowersnow wasn't a medicine cat, but she could tell something unstoppable was coming. No matter what.
Flowersnow stormed over to Sundapple's den. Inside, Sundapple was sorting herbs with Petalpaw, Sundapple's apprentice, curled up and sleeping.
"I can't say any more." Sundapple mewed without looking up. Flowersnow fought hard to resist pouncing on Sundapple.
"I won't tell any cat." Flowersnow growled. "Just tell me what's going to happen."
Sundapple paused from sorting her herbs. "Haven't I made it clear yet?" She mewed softly. "Silverheart's kits."
Flowersnow flinched. Silverheart was her litter-mate. "What about them?"
Sundapple looked up. "One of them will…" Sundapple stopped, searching for the right word. "Harm ThunderClan."
Flowersnow narrowed her eyes. "Then shouldn't we give a warning to her?"
Sundapple shook her head, her eyes ominous. "I can tell you everything perhaps. But Silverheart must find out herself."
. . .
"How would that effect us?" Foxclaw growled. "We can use this as an advantage to attack the other Clans."
Birchstone shook his head. "Don't you see? This will make ShadowClan weak as well!"
Foxclaw lashed his tail. "ShadowClan is not weak and never will be! If all the other Clans are in chaos, then we should take some of their territory. They can't stop us because of all of their own problems."
"No!" Birchstone hissed at the warrior. "StarClan wouldn't approve of that."
"Oh," Foxclaw sneered. "Did StarClan tell you to spare RiverClan? Or ThunderClan? Or WindClan? I wouldn't dare try to disobey StarClan. Or most of all, the medicine cat."
Birchstone met Foxclaw's gaze evenly. "I've given my warning, and you keep that in mind. If ShadowClan is destroyed, I know who to look to."Birchstone whipped around, leaving Foxclaw behind him. Foxclaw padded after him.
"What do you still want?" Birchstone swerved away from him. "More tips on how to attack ThunderClan? Maybe RiverClan?"
Foxclaw stopped walking. "Pebblestar will agree with me. I'll tell her everything you've told me."
Birchstone whipped around. "I said no!" He snarled.
Foxclaw snorted. "Stop acting like a warrior. You'll never be one."
Foxclaw began to move towards the leader's den when Birchstone stopped him. "Don't. Say. A. Word."
Foxclaw hissed at him. "Did your precious StarClan tell you that?"
Birchstone glared at him. "Actually, yes. And you should listen.
Foxclaw paused. "Very well then. I just hope I don't regret this." He looked as if he still wanted to argue, but Foxclaw whipped around and went into the warrior's den.
Birchstone stared after him. Did I choose the wrong cat?
. . .
"No!" Bluespark wailed. "But they…" She trailed off as Sunfire gave her a meaningful look.
"You're having kits." Sunfire told her gently.
"I know. But my kits…" Bluespark whimpered. "Is it true?"
Sunfire nodded solemnly.
"All of them?" Bluespark whispered, leaning in closer to the medicine cat.
To her relief, Sunfire shook his head. "One kit." He told her firmly. "The rest will be fine."
Bluespark sighed. "But won't…" She drew in a sharp breath. "…this be my fault then?"
Sunfire looked at her. "Don't forget there are others too."
Bluespark nodded sadly. "I still just can't believe it. Can't we do anything?" She blinked at Sunfire pleadingly. "Anything?"
He paused. "No."
Bluespark winced. "You were the one who told me to never give up hope."
She remembered the day when Sunfire had decided to give up the role of a warrior and become a medicine cat. She had truly adored Sunfire and when he left her, he told her to have faith. That one day they still might be together. But that wasn't true; Bluespark had found another cat, Dewsplash.
"I did say that. But I also just said that this will happen no matter what. But you can still fix it afterwards." Sunfire murmured, clearly thinking of the same moment.
Bluespark turned her head away. "I'll try to do whatever I can to save the Clans." She broke off, her voice cracking. And to save you. She leaped out of the medicine cat den and left Sunfire alone.
"I don't know what lies for your future. Neither does Icestar." Sunfire whispered to himself. "Because I chose you."
. . .
"Shinewhisker!" Shadedust called to the medicine cat. "Leafsong is expecting my kits!"
Shinewhisker nodded slowly, her eyes round with worry.
"Shinewhisker?" Shadedust mewed to her. "Is Leafsong going to be okay?"
Shinewhisker nodded again. "But perhaps the kits won't be."
Shadedust leaped to his paws. "What does that mean?" He demanded.
Shinewhisker paused, and didn't reply.
"Shinewhisker?" Shadedust nudged the medicine cat.
"Come here."She mewed at last. "Let's go somewhere more private than the camp."
Without waiting for an answer, Shinewhisker began to pad out of the camp. Shadedust quickly scrambled after her.
"Well?" He asked again once they were both far from the camp. "StarClan has given me a warning." Shinewhisker seemed to hesitate, and then plunged on. "All of the medicine cats, actually. Three kits born to ThunderClan, RiverClan, and WindClan."
Shadedust felt himself flinch as she named WindClan.
"Look up at the sky, Shadedust. It was covered in clouds earlier, do you remember?"
He nodded.
"And now look at it. The sky is light as ever. Light even though dawn has just passed." Shinewhisker stared at Shadedust. "An omen." She whispered. "A dark omen. StarClan asked us to choose four cats to share this with."
Shadedust drew in a breath. "Why? Does Hollystar know?"
Shinewhisker paused then said, "Hollystar knows nothing of this. I...StarClan just told us to tell one cat for each Clan. To be honest, I don't know why. They gave us a prophecy. 'Three cats of Darkness, Dawn, and Light shall rise to the Clans. They will meet in a battle with the chosen Four. And out of all, only one will survive.' "
Shadedust looked at Shinewhisker fearfully. "Then is one of those cats me?"
She nodded slowly. "Yes."