1. Awakened

...

PoX's Note: Yay! A new story published! Now that means . . . I have ten uncompleted stories. Sigh . . . whatever. I just felt like publishing something, and because I have left this chapter uncompleted for a while, I decided to finish it off and let you readers enjoy the story! Well, I hope you like it; this was a story in the list of future stories I may write (in the poll), and the food fight Oneshot won first place, so I'll be writing that soon. Anyway, the main point about this is for you to enjoy. If you don't like it, then don't read it (which also means that you can't flame on it either). So, enjoy!

...

"You're hunting skills are improving by the heartbeat!" Cinderheart praised Lionblaze as they deposited their load of prey onto the food pile. Lionblaze glowered with praise; it was nice to hear that the she-cat he crushed on had complimented him. But the only reason that they had so much prey lately was that Lionblaze was working hart to impress her. In fact, you could say it was working, because Cinderheart was growing closer to him, and their relationship could expand.

"Thank you," Lionblaze replied. "It's nice to see that the Clan is being well-fed now. I guess our warriors have to put a lot of effort at this state."

"With you helping, I think we'll get past leaf-bare without any deaths," Cinderheart meowed cheerfully. Lionblaze nodded, satisfied with Cinderheart's nice comments, and they settled down to eat, a chaffinch and a mouse to share. As they gobbled up their meal, Cinderheart asked, "You know, I've been wondering . . . do you want to hear it?" she added when she saw Lionblaze finish off his meal.

Lionblaze looked surprised. "Of course," he answered. "Why not?"

Cinderheart purred, then continued, "Well, seeing how contented the Clan is now, and . . . umm . . ." Cinderheart flushed. "I don't think I have the courage to tell you right now." She turned her head away, and Lionblaze could sense embarrassment flooding around her. "C . . . could I tell you another time?"

"I wouldn't mind," Lionblaze mewed back, although his paws were itching with curiosity. What was it that Cinderheart wanted to tell him? Judging by how she turned her head and the ways she spoke, Lionblaze guessed it was something about him. Now he was 100% sure it was about him. Something positive, probably. But what was it?

Heading to the warrior's den alongside Cinderheart, Lionblaze sensed someone staring at him. He turned around to see Jayfeather standing outside his medicine den, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the golden tabby warrior. Lionblaze knew that Jayfeather wanted to talk to him. He turned to the she-cat warrior. "I need to go and see Jayfeather," he meowed. "My stomach seems to ache." It was a blunt lie, but it was better than nothing. He saw Cinderheart purr with amusement.

"Too much food in your stomach, huh?" she meowed. "Well, you better hurry up before it gets any worse." Lionblaze nodded thanks to Cinderheart and bounded off to where the ThunderClan medicine cat was sitting. He gestured with his tail for the warrior to enter his den, and they hurried in. Lionblaze could feel Jayfeather's fear rising. Something was definitely wrong.

Once inside, Jayfeather stopped and waited impatiently for Lionblaze to settle down. I'll take my time, thank you! Lionblaze thought as he sat. "What's going on with you?" Lionblaze asked curiously when there was a moment's pause.

"I had a dream," Jayfeather answered simply. "From StarClan."

"But don't you always have dreams from StarClan?" Lionblaze meowed, his ear twitching. "And why bother asking me, anyway? It's not like -"

"But StarClan has told me that someone in ThunderClan has – or will be - receiving an omen saying that they would disappear very soon!" Jayfeather interrupted. "I don't know when, but Bluestar added that they would have to complete an unfinished tale...although I don't know what she was even meowing about." He sighed, annoyed. "Sometimes StarClan pretend that they are so mysterious when they too, are helpless to do anything."

Lionblaze didn't understand. "Why did you even call me anyway?" he demanded. "What am I even doing here? How about you go and talk to Firestar this?"

Jayfeather shook his head. "I don't think Firestar would do anything about it except wait until it really happens." He glanced at Lionblaze. "The reason I called you...I thought that you would have received the omen that StarClan was prophesising about. But Bluestar said or will be, so maybe you could receive the omen."

Lionblaze snorted. "My part in the Clan is to be in the Three. I don't need another role. StarClan must have chosen another cat that refuses to tell anyone about the prophecy. It was like us, remember? We didn't tell anyone that we were part of the Three." He was still confused. Why was Jayfeather worried that Lionblaze would get the omen? Being part of the Three was enough, anyway. Or did Lionblaze's own littermate not trust him entirely?

"We couldn't, anyway," Jayfeather argued. "If we told everyone too early, then we'd have raised more suspicion on us when the Great Battle commenced." That was true, Lionblaze reflected. More suspicion could mean being driven out of the Clan.

After another awkward silence, Jayfeather meowed, "You'd better go now. After all, it's way past sunset already." Lionblaze was surprised. Time did pass quite quickly. He and Cinderheart returned from hunting at sunset. But now, seeing as leaf-fall had only just begun, it wouldn't be of shock that the days were passing by quicker than usual. And that would also mean small meals in each cats' stomach. Nodding, Lionblaze exited the den and padded over to the warrior's den. He saw Cinderheart curled up in a ball near the entrance, and next to her there was an empty patch of moss. Deciding to sleep there, Lionblaze circled the nest and then flopped down to sleep.

Awakening, Lionblaze found himself surrounded by trees. The forest did not look familiar in any way, yet how could Lionblaze feel as though he had been there before? Padding around the forest, he realised that wherever he went, the forest looked the same all around him. This is weird, he thought, panic rising from his chest as his walking pace began to quicken.

Somehow, the ThunderClan warrior sensed the presence of another cat near him. Whipping around, his eyes darted everywhere in search for the cat. He could see none. Finally, after a few heartbeats of checking around and failure, he called out, "I know you're there. Come out!" There was a pause before there was a bush shivering very violently. Lionblaze immediately stiffened and slid his claws out, wary as the dark brown tabby tom emerged from the greenery. His amber eyes flashed and he seemed to look faintly amused.

"Are you surprised to see me?" Tigerstar asked, his eyes focused on Lionblaze.

Lionblaze knew that he couldn't show fear in front of the former ShadowClan leader. And why should he? He was part of the Three, and nothing could stop him. And he couldn't die now, not with Cinderheart waiting for him! He lifted his left paw, which was still unsheathed. "If you want to attack me," he growled, "I'm ready."

Tigerstar looked faintly surprised himself. Then he purred. "Oh," he meowed, "I'm not here to attack you. I just merely want to . . . chat. Yes, to chat." Lionblaze didn't believe him. The way this vicious cat spoke: calmly and showing no signs of deadliness, meant that Tigerstar was waiting for the right moment to strike the death blow. "I've been watching you ever since you left Hawkfrost and I," he told Lionblaze. "And I heard of what Jayfeather has told you."

Lionblaze held his breath. Watching him? What was he, a stalker?

"You're the one, aren't you?"

Instantly Lionblaze's eyes narrowed and he drew back, his lips curling into a snarl. "H-how do you know?" he hissed. It was easy enough to fool Jayfeather, although he didn't know how Tigerstar knew of it. Was it because of the fear in Lionblaze's eyes when he woke up?

"Oh," Tigerstar meowed, amused. "I just do. It's not that StarClan can keep all of their secrets. Sometimes the cats of The Dark Forest can uncover them with skill." He glanced at the forest before returning his gaze to the golden tom. "Why did you lie to your own littermate, Jayfeather?" Tigerstar kept his voice steady, which frustrated Lionblaze all the more, because he could not read the former ShadowClan leader's expression. It was impossible to.

"Why should I tell you?" Lionblaze snarled. "I kept it from Jayfeather for a reason which I would not tell. And if I'm hiding it from a cat so close to me, why should I spill it out to a stranger like you?" he spat the last words out with disgust. He used all his anger about Tigerstar back to him. It was time that someone had faced this deadly cat with courage and determination.

Lionblaze was surprised when Tigerstar started howling with laughter. "Good reasoning, Lionblaze," he purred after his fits. "But you're going to have to tell someone, do you not?" Suddenly, his calm face abruptly fell into cold anger. This time Lionblaze's bravery immediately faltered, and he could feel himself slightly trembling. In the middle of nowhere, only having one cat and him in a vast forest, no one to cry out for help. Was this truly the end? Lionblaze prayed silently to StarClan that this couldn't be. It shouldn't be, if the prophecy was given to him. He couldn't die so soon!

Tigerstar growled, "That prophecy . . . I need to know about it entirely. That blind brother of yours didn't say entirely everything about the omen, didn't he? Because if you weren't the one, then why bother telling you everything about the omen?" He took a step forward just as Lionblaze took a step back, whose ears flattened defensively.

"What's it to you?" Lionblaze snapped back. "What's it going to help benefit for you in the future?"

"Everything," Tigerstar replied. "All I have to do is find out what the prophecy is and then make The Dark Forest rise. The prophecy would be a useful tool to regain power and take over all the Clans, including the all-innocent StarClan." He then added, hissing, "Now tell me. What did they say?"

"I won't say a word!" Lionblaze yowled back in reply, backing away. He was poised ready to flee, but it seemed that Tigerstar wouldn't let him. The ShadowClan leader unsheathed his claws and placed his right paw threateningly in front of his other. Lionblaze knew that if he didn't say anything, then it meant death. But still he refused to talk. Even thought Lionblaze didn't really like StarClan himself as much, he'd rather StarClan over The Dark Forest, and that was final.

"Tell me now," Tigerstar snarled, "unless you want a ripped throat."

Lionblaze didn't reply; instead he turned tail and fled into the woods. His heart began to beat quickly when he realised that the dark brown tabby tom was following him! It was quite obvious that the former ShadowClan leader was gaining up on him. The screeches of anger were growing louder in Lionblaze's ears, and that meant danger.

It wasn't long when Tigerstar managed to outrun Lionblaze, and the dark brown tom whirled around before pinning the ThunderClan warrior down on the ground. Lionblaze struggled to get back up, but Tigerstar still refused to move. What did this mean? Only one word: death. But even if Tigerstar killed him . . . even if he did . . .

Lionblaze craned his neck to see Tigerstar staring at him triumphantly, as though he could finally kill him. "Even if you kill me," Lionblaze spat, "you will still not get to hear about the prophecy. Killing me would be for nothing, then!" He saw Tigerstar stop staring and narrowing his eyes, as though thinking deeply. Seeing this as a chance, he flung himself up and managed to swipe an unsheathed claw at Tigerstar's flank. The tom yowled furiously and tried to return the scratch, but Lionblaze managed to leap away.

Tigerstar opened his mouth to speak, eyes dark with hatred, but the words that came out was not his voice. It was the sound of a she-cat. "Wake up!" it meowed. "Are you OK? Hurry up, wake up!"

Quickly Lionblaze flung open his eyes. He wasn't lying down in his den next to Cinderheart anymore. He glanced around himself. The scenery was quite splendid. There was a waterfall with glistening water pouring down into a lake that had fish swimming in it. Behind him was a forest, and you could hear the prey scuffling about. There was a silver tabby she-cat with shining blue eyes standing over him. Her eyes were wide with panic.

"I-I'm glad you're safe," she meowed, "but we're in serious danger! We must flee!"

...

PoX's Note: Was it good? Or does the story need a bit more improvement? Please tell me your opinion on this by clicking the 'Review' button below if you have the time to spare. If not, I do not mind either, but it'd be really good to get an opinion. Anyway, please note that the second chapter of this story will be updated soon, but the rest of the chapters . . . maybe. Anyway, thank you for reading this and . . . yeah! *smile*