Before you read any further, know that this is a sequel to my other story, "Don't Be Afraid to Fly". Just clearing up any confusions in case you didn't know.

PROLOGUE

The moon casted an eerie glow on the surface of the shimmering pool. Next to it, trailing its leaves in the water, the Tree of Promise sat stone-faced and hunched. The beautiful azure glow that had serenaded it was gone, and now the branches were as brittle as twigs. The leaves seemed have lost their glossy appearance, and despite the strong gusts of wind, it lay limp and almost lifeless, like an old woman hunched up in her shawl.

As the leaves dragged on the surface of the water, the Moonpool rippled, as if asking what was wrong. The Tree was silent, outlined by the silver moon.

Two feline shapes slinked out of the shadows and paused to crouch down next to the Pool, staring at their reflections in the calm waters. They were quiet, and glanced at each other, as if daring the other to speak first.

Finally, the ginger tom opened his mouth.

"The Tree is dying," he said, and the she-cat shivered, for she knew it was true.

"How can it be," she whispered. The Moonpool rippled again.

The ginger tom, with eyes as green as Newleaf, stood up and traced the bark with his paw. He lifted his head up and closed his eyes. "The stars have foretold it," he meowed. "A storm will come. A storm greater than any other, with lightning crackling in its belly and its claws as powerful as the winds."

"And this storm?" the other cat mewed. Her blue-grey fur caught the light of the moon so that the stars in her pelt glimmered like fish scales. "When will she come?"

"Soon," Firestar replied. "Very soon."

"And Shadefrost? Don't tell me you've forgotten about her?"

Firestar blinked. "Of course I haven't forgotten. How could I? But this storm…may be even greater than her."

And the Moonpool rippled once again, and it seemed to shiver.

OooOoooOoooooooooooooooooooOOOoOoooOOOOooo

By the light of the half moon, the medicine cats were making their way to share tongues with StarClan. Aspenheart lagged behind her mentor, pausing every so often to stare in fascination at a firefly or a cricket.

Willowshine stared fondly at the stars. "Mothwing loved the stars," she mewed. "She would stare up at them every night, after that battle with the Dark Forest, so long ago."

Kestrelflight blinked at her fondly. "You still think of her." He turned his head back and called, "Aspenheart, hurry up! Pick up the pace!"

The lush grass wavered in the calm, summer night air. The skies were clear.

"Have you had that dream?
"What dream?"

"That dream where…"

"That dream?"

"The storm with lightning in its heart…"

Suddenly, without warning, a figure darted out from the bushes. The cats immediately arched their backs and hissed, unsure of what to make of this sudden intruder.

The shadow shifted, and a thin and wiry vixen stepped into view. A limp rabbit dangled from her jaws.

"Great StarClan, Ember!" ShadowClan's medicine cat, Brokenwing, fluffed up his fur. "You gave me a fright!"

"What are you doing out of the ThunderClan borders?" Aspenheart asked curiously.

Jayfeather rolled his eyes. "I doubt it would matter. Ember's not really a cat, so the warrior code might not apply to her."

The fox's fur began to bristle dangerously. "I am a ThunderClan warrior!" she growled.

"Alright, alright, keep your fur on," the tom grunted.

Ember glared at him and picked up the rabbit she had caught, and then started off down the slope of WindClan territory, toward the direction of ThunderClan.

OooOoOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooOOooOOOoOOoOooOOOoOooO

The kits were begging to hear a story.

"Please?" Silverkit whined. "Just one more before we go to bed?"

"Just let me sleep," Frostfire grumbled. "Purdy, you deal with them." The grumpy elder shifted so that her back was toward them.

Purdy chuckled, his whiskers short and bristled and his fur as tangled as ever. "Don't mind her temper, kits. And, in fact, I do have a story to tell to a lot like you."

Scorchkit's green eyes were large and round. "Really?"

"It's about Shadefrost."

Silverkit squealed. "The Guardian of the Lake! Tell us about her! Please, oh please!" Her blue eyes glittered with excitement as she pressed closer to the elder.

Wolfkit, the oldest and most mature one, nodded as well.

His voice was old and cracked. "A long time ago, a black cat suddenly came to ThunderClan. Nobody knew who the young un was, or where she had come from, only that her name was Shadefrost. She trained to be a warrior, and she was powerful too. She could kill an adder with a single swipe of her claw. She could take on a badger three times as big as herself." He puffed out his chest and batted at the air, aiming at a make-believe enemy. "And she was a hero, too. You ever heard of heroes? They've got hearts of gold, yes they do. She saved the Clans. She did. And to this day, her name still rings around all four of the Clans. Legend has it, the day she left, a tree grew next to the Moonpool. The Tree of Promise, to mark her legacy so that she lives forever."

"Come now, Purdy, it wasn't that long ago." The kits turned around with a gasp of surprise to see that Dewstep was sitting near the entrance with his tail curled around his paws. "You tell her story as if she lived a lifetime away."

The elder stared at him sleepily out of half-closed eyes. "It certainly seems like a lifetime ago." He chuckled, and yawned. "Who knows if…the young un will ever come back."

Dewstep's amber eyes flashed. "She will come back! She promised me!"

"Keep yer fur on, youngster," he said good-naturedly. "I'm sure she will. StarClan knows, maybe I still remember what she looks like with this old brain of mine—"

Silverkit gasped in wonder. "You met the great Shadefrost?"

"Of course I have," Purdy mewed. "But no one knows her better than Dewstep and Ember, and what was that other cat's name? The un with the spots? Spottedblaze, that's right."

The kits immediately scrambled over to Dewstep.

"You were friends with Shadefrost?" Scorchkit asked in awe. "Wow."

Dewstep ducked in embarrassment.

The crunching of approaching pawsteps could be heard, and then Ember leaned into the den with a rabbit hanging from her jaws.

"Ember!" the kits mewled with glee, and she nuzzled them.

"I thought you might need something to eat before you go to sleep," she explained.

Scorchkit pouted. "But we're not even tired!"

Ember raised an eyebrow and pointed to Wolfkit. The pale grey she-kit was already snoring away in the corner.

Silverkit shrugged. "Not that tired, at least," she muttered. She yawned, and the fox began herding the kittens back into the nursery. Purdy was already snoring loud enough to wake the dead. His old bones rattled in his sleep.

Silverkit murmured sleepily, "You think that I could meet Shadefrost one day?" She said the name carefully and with wonder, as if it was a prized and valuable jewel.

Dewstep replied, "Maybe one day, you will."

He looked up at the night sky studded with white stars, and wondered if Shadefrost could be looking up at them right now. His amber eyes narrowed, and then he lumbered off into the warriors den.

Note: Silverkit, Scorchkit, and Wolfkit are not Dewstep's kits. He doesn't have any kits right now.

Hope you enjoy the rest!