"For sixteen moons you have hidden behind her shadow, done what she told you when she told you with no argument. It's not who you are. It's not who you're supposed to be. How long has it been since you last felt remorse? Two days or two moons? We can hardly recognise you anymore. Does that bother you?"
Her tail tip flicked with irritation, ears lay flat against her skull. Shame and anger flitted across her narrowed gaze as her lip curled to bare pointed teeth. "You know I have no control over it. As much as I dislike myself when her mind-control takes over I cannot stop it. I have tried desperately to free my mind but to no avail; inside I know that my mind will only be freed when she is dead but on the outside I hope that I will one day be strong enough to pry her claws from my mind."
A low chuckle filled the translucent forest that wavered and flickered like a living flame. It was a bright, warm forest compared to the one that grew darker with every passing day. "For sixteen moons you have given us that same excuse but we have seen no progress from you in the direction of finding a way to expel her hold over you. All we have seen is you running rampage throughout the Clans, killing at your own will for the fun of it. How many families have you to blame for the loss of loved ones? Even kits, newborn kits that have barely begun to live, have fallen under your claws. You are the definition of a coward, Tornheart, and we want nothing more than to smite you down. But we cannot because the fate of the Clans – and this world – rests in your paws. We cannot change your fate. You will become an Upholder and you will be forced to repent your sins!"
Tornheart found herself forced to her knees in a bow, faced towards the four Upholders that stood before her. Fate had been quickly replaced after his sudden death by the some unknown cat. Their usual calm presence had become stormy and filled with rage. Inside she was a raging mess of anger, humiliation and shame. How dare they? How dare they call her, their saviour, a coward!? Oh how she wanted to do nothing more than rise to her paws and strike down the three remaining Upholders and claim their power for herself. But with a low hiss Tornheart recalled their promise to free her mind from Crimson's influence. She would be free to make her own choices; free to pursue the life she had always wanted.
Over the past sixteen moons Tornheart had watched Clan after Clan fall into a restless silence beneath Crimson's iron rule. Cats that had only just begun to live struck down by sharp claws. Families torn apart to become nothing more than a reminder of the dark times the Clans had fallen into it. A blood red moon constantly hung suspended in the sky, even when the dulling golden rays of the sun warmed the ground, making sure no cat forgot who now ruled them.
"I apologise for the heinous acts of crime I have had to commit to remain hidden from Crimson's suspicions. But there is nothing I can do about it now. It is in the past." Tornheart's voice was low and grated, filled with seething rage as she glowered from her bowed position at the four translucent Upholders.
Change snorted. "You apology is nearly as clear as a small brook. But it will have to do. We have a mission for you, Tornheart of Rogues. An extremely important mission that you can tell no one of as when you accept this mission – which you will – the fate of all six Clans and the world will rest in your paws. If you die so will this world."
The weight of the fate of the entire world suddenly weighed on Tornheart's shoulders, pressing her chest against the ground. She took a heaving breath to settle her racing heart and fraying nerves but it didn't really help. What would happen if Crimson found out? Tornheart had a feeling her pathetic life might come to a rather sudden end if her 'friend' found out. "What exactly is this mission?" she asked with narrowed eyes. Surely it would be easier just to let Crimson's rule run its course and eventually fizzle out?
"We have chosen five to save this world from Crimson and her growing armies. You are to find these five and guide them along their incredibly dark path to where the sun sets lower with every passing day. It is their destiny – their fate – to chase the sun and return it to its rightful spot, perched high in the sky for the rest of eternity. They must be the ones to make this journey and they must be the ones to work out all the troubles they face. You cannot do it for them. You will merely be their guide. Do you understand?"
She nodded her sleek black head, "mostly. How am I supposed to find these five cats? I assume they are from the Clans but if they are then why aren't there six cats?"
"Two Clans have never looked to the stars for their ancestors so we refuse to acknowledge them as a Clan. However within one of them we have found a cat whose heart and mind has yet to be tainted by the darkness of unbelief. So only one Clan will not be giving a member for this cause."
Destiny raised her triangular, pointed head to share a quick glance with Time. The glance sparked a flicker of curiosity within Tornheart. "Five have been chosen; born in the darkest of times; blessed by the purest of hearts; soiled by the harshest of lives. They will cast out the shadows and bring back the light. Bt not without hardships, for all victories must be won with loss. Look for the mark on their shoulder; a scar where no fur has grown. All five will have it and all five will loath it."
Tornheart's eyes widened considerably as a sound of disgust worked its way from her throat. A prophecy!? "I cannot believe this. The world is teetering on the edge of destruction and the only thing you're going to do is send a stupid prophecy!? You know what? It's really starting to look like you don't have as much power as you are claiming to have!"
A roaring sound like thunder rippled through the gray expanse of colourless trees and grass, forcing Tornheart to her knees once more. She gritted her teeth against the excruciating pain in her eardrums as the roaring grew louder and pressed harder against her delicate hearing. Through the thunder she heard a mix of all four Upholder voices; whistling like the wind. "Underestimate our power and we will make you understand your distrust of us and we understand your disbelief regarding our way of dealing with this situation but we have faced worse than this. We know what to do, so listen to us and do what we tell you!"
Silence replaced the roaring sound so suddenly that it left an uncomfortable ringing sound that refused to stop in Tornheart's ears. In an attempt to quieten the ringing she flattened her ears against her head but the ringing did not stop; instead it worsened. A warm, sticky liquid began to dribble down her cheeks from her ears and panic set in. Surely the Upholders weren't going to kill her? Hadn't they said that they needed her? "Stop!" she begged. "Stop, please! I'm sorry for not trusting you! It's hard to trust any cats nowadays! I swear I'll try harder to find and guide these five cats just make it stop!"
Murmurs reached her ears through the painful ringing and for a frightening instant Tornheart thought that they were going to let her die; that they were going to kill her. The ringing died down slowly before it vanished entirely and Tornheart took a deep breath, letting it out in a long sigh of relief. "You have one moon to find the Chosen and set them off on their journey. If in one moon the Chosen have not been found then Crimson will learn of their fate and kill them; thus ending this era in a tide of blood."
"When you find them tell them of four keys that they will need."
Tornheart rose to her paws unsteadily, breathe coming in rasping gasps, "one moon to travel to the Clans and find five cats!? It'll take me almost half a moon to travel there! What keys!? This journey you're planning on sending these cats on is starting to sound rather impossible."
"Then you'll have half a moon to find them. They have been chosen because we know they can do this. We believe in them, as should you."
"I never said I didn't believe in them," Tornheart hissed, "I just don't want to trust them with saving the world before I've met them but that's probably just my own trust issues. Somehow I'll make it down to the Clans and find them within a moon but after that it's up to you. I can't keep risking Crimson finding out. It'll be better for me and for the Clans if I stay with Crimson, pretending that I'm still under her mind-control." A small wave of sadness and guilt washed over Tornheart. "I regret the things I have done but I don't regret the path I have taken. My destiny, my fate – whatever my path is – hasn't been a necessarily good one but it is my own and I suppose I should thank you for it. I mightn't ever see you four again before you fade away and I replace you so I guess this is goodbye?"
Of all the Upholders it was Change that stepped forward to press her –surprisingly – cold but solid nose against Tornheart's cheek. "We've been with you since you were born, Tornheart. We do not wish to never see you again and we will miss you as much as you will miss us. We are part of each other, now and forever. Don't forget that, dear. Don't forget that you aren't unwanted no matter what other cats will tell you. You have been wanted since the day you were born, just not by the cats you wanted to be wanted by. Fate and Destiny still have some twists left to add to your life as have I but they are good twists; ones that we have added in the hope that you will be given the chance to have a decent life before you begin your second life as the Supreme Guardian. Good luck, Tornheart of Rogues, good luck and goodbye."
Before Tornheart could reply the world pitched out from beneath her paws, plunging the young she-cat into an abyss of blackness that surged up to greet her with icy claws. Cold wind whipped at her pelt and she truly felt as if she was falling.
She gasped as she sat upright in her nest and stared absently at the moss, bracken and feathers that were now scattered throughout her small den. A trickle of pale dawn light shone in through a crack in the wall, allowing Tornheart to vaguely smell the crisp air mountain air that filtered in. Claws clicked against the stone outside her cavern den and black fur that stood out against the pale gray stone walls shifted into view. Blood red eyes glinted at Tornheart from the darkness, blood red eyes that were usually narrowed with malice were instead widened with uncertainty. It was unusual for Tornheart to see her leader wandering the halls of her mountain palace much before sunrise but it was even more unusual to see her leader standing hesitantly outside her den as if she was waiting to be invited in.
"Crimson?" Tornheart called quietly.
The red-eyed she-cat looked up from her paws and extended her head into the small cavern, shifting aside the hanging moss that hung lazily from the roof of the cavern. "M-may I speak with you?" Crimson asked meekly.
Her tone, her personality; all of it was so out of character. Crimson was acting like a shy little kit that had just been scolded or an apprentice that had been rejected for love. It was a first for Tornheart to be able to say no to her leader but then she remembered that she had to pretend to still be bound to Crimson and being bound meant saying yes. "Of course," she answered patting a second nest next to her with her tail. Why Crimson had ordered two nests be constructed within Tornheart's den still remained unknown to the future Upholder. "What do you want to talk about?"
"I want to tell you something and then I need your advice. There was no way Jinx could be trusted with this information without using it against me, Frozengaze would just silently judge like he always does and none of the rogues that have joined us would care. You're the only one left, Tornheart, even if your mind is slightly warped. Maybe that tiny bit of your mind I left free will be the one to give advice." Crimson almost seemed to sneak over to the second nest, her paws making little sound on the stone floor. For once her claws were sheathed and her fur lay flat against her body instead of bristling with anger or annoyance. It made her look beautiful and almost normal, such a strange look for such an intimidating being.
"Go ahead, I'm all ears." Tornheart wiggled her ears for added amusement and found Crimson smiling slightly. Something strange is going on.
Crimson shifted in the nest, flicking her tail over her paws in an attempt to make herself comfortable. "I've been having such awful dreams lately. The Clans, they turn on me. They send five cats to kill me and somehow they do! My head….they cut it off! Every night I see the same thing, it never changes and I'm starting to fear that I am somehow seeing my future. I've been trying to see what these cats look like but it's so hard to see past the blur of my dreams but I'm getting there. Soon I hope to be able to see them entirely and then kill them before they can kill me." Her eyes iced over slightly with what looked to be fear. "But I'm afraid, Tornheart. I'm afraid of who I'll hurt if I do try to kill them.
"But you don't care about anyone in the Clans? Why does it matter to you if you harm a few Clan cats? You've never really cared much before."
The black furred she-cat gently shook her head, "the cats I'm afraid to hurt aren't in the Clan." Then she leant over and whispered in Tornheart's ear a secret she had been hiding from all of her followers.
It was in that moment that Tornheart realised exactly what she was dealing with and how hard the following moons were going to be.
"I'm pregnant..."
disclaimer: broke swyfte's heart