A black she-cat jumped at the sound of her name.

"Nightstar!" a strange voice called. A speckled gray and brown tom came into view. "Nightstar, there is a prophecy."

"Applebird?" wondered Nightstar. "What are you doing here? What is this prophecy?"

"Listen closely, do not forget a single word." he told her.

"On the outside they look different,

On the inside, much the same.

Beware for these

Will fulfill this prophecy.

Keep aware,

Of them, beware.

Much they have to give

Long lives to live

The destruction of your Clan draws near,

Nightstar, of these cats do fear."

Nightstar, frightened and confused, tried to grasp his words in her head, but they slipped away like water through an outstretched claw. "What do you mean?" she asked Applebird. But her words were heard only by a swamping darkness. Nightstar woke up, breathing hard.

"On the outside they look different…" She repeated to herself over and over. Nightstar thought she had a pretty good idea of who this meant.