Lightkit padded warily into the woods. The ground was boggy, and a slimy river flowed by. Even though it was night, it seemed as though the light never shined in this place. Although it was a forest, Lightkit could not detect the tell-tale signs of prey. He looked into the bushes, searching for something, anything, that was familiar. He noticed the shape of prey, but there was no clear form, just a shadow in the always dark forest. A giant, dark tabby tom cat stepped out from the shadows as though he was made of air. His tabby fur was as thick and dark as the muddy river, and his amber eyes gleamed with an anticipation that was unknown to Lightkit. Lightkit, feeling intimidated, looked down and immediately regretted his mistake. The claws this tabby cat possessed were giant , almost as long as Lightkit himself. He glanced up quickly, trying to get the image of the claws out of his head. It seemed like the darkness was all gravitating toward the cat. Lightkit shut his eyes tight, thinking of his parents, of ThunderClan, of the nursery, and of his litter-mates. He couldn't picture a wonderful thing, just the dark tabby. He opened his eyes, and jumped back, surprised. The cat had advanced. Lightkit shivered in fear.
"Hello, Lightkit. I have been watching you since you were born. I saw how the sky heaved and the ground shook, and all light disappeared. I saw you playing with your siblings, Streamkit and Stripedkit. You are a natural leader, a cat destined for power". Surprisingly, the tabby's voice was calm, natural, even comforting.
Lightkit stood up tall and puffed out his chest at the praise, but then, as the cat raised his paw to take a step, claws flashing with an unseen light, Lightkit fell back and shivered, whimpering. "Who-who are you?" Lightkit mewed.
"Oh, of course," the tom cat meowed, "I haven't told you my name. Where are my manners? I'm Tigerstar, great leader of the Dark Forest, where you are now".
Lightkit gasped, and was plunged into a memory. Lightkit, Streamkit, and Stripedkit were in the nursery. Their mother, Dovewing, had promised them a story. They settled down in the warm nest, and Dovewing piled moss and feathers around them. "Now, this is the story about Tigerstar," Dovewing had then had proceeded with the story of Tigerstar: the cat who lied and murdered his way to leader of ShadowClan, the cat that had brought BloodClan to the forest, almost destroying the other clans, but which ultimately only brought him to his death, the cat that lives on in the Dark Forest, plotting his revenge."So, if you EVER go in the forest as kits, or just not do as your told, Tigerstar will get you. But if you are nice, kind, sweet kits, which I know you are, you will be safe from Tigerstar,"The kits had fallen asleep, and Lightkit had woken up here, in the Dark Forest.
Tigerstar looked down at him, a worried expression on his face. "Don't worry," he meowed in a kind tone, "I'm not here to get you. I'm here...to TRAIN you. You want to be the best warrior, yes?"
Lightkit nodded.
"Well, I'm here to help you. Consider me...your mentor," he mewed, approaching Lightkit.
Lightkit looked shocked, them mewed, in a kind, yet very naive voice, "That's ok. Firestar will choose my mentor. I don't need extra training to be great. I just need to work hard," he blinked at Tigerstar kindly.
"Firestar," scoffed Tigerstar. "Well, let's see what the great leader Firestar thinks about this," Tigerstar leaped at Lightkit, and the kit fell limp. His breathing grew shallow, and a red pool formed around him. A misty shape, Lightkit's soul, rose up from the tiny, broken body.
Lightkit wailed. "Why? Why did you kill me? You-you said you weren't going to!"
Tigerstar backed away from the angry kit. "Well," Tigerstar meowed smoothly, "one thing the great Firestar doesn't know is, I don't always keep my promises," he grinned and padded away into the shadows, while Lightkit lay there, staring at his body and crying.