The Special Clans: Book One: The Flaming Phoenix Takes Flight
Full Summary: The Special Clans seem to have lived in harmony for many moons. Elites and Magicals come and go without a complaint, and life goes on as normal. However, one young cat in PhoenixClan, Flamepaw, is about to find out how that life is really like. A mysterious cat is about to rise to power, with a promise that will destroy most of them…. unless the legendary Flaming Phoenix takes flight.
Hey! Welcome! This is my first fanfic! This is the prologue; I hope you like it! It's much shorter than Chapter 1, believe me! ;)
Prologue
"What can you see, Flameflight?" the StarClan warrior asked the other one. They were looking down into the depths of a shining blue pool, which was StarClan's Looking Pool for the spirit ancestors of PhoenixClan, UnicornClan, GriffinClan and DragonClan.
"I-I-I'm not sure. The dark puff of smoke is engulfing the forest," Flameflight stuttered.
"That's what I saw, too," the black-and-white she-cat meowed to the dark ginger one.
"But what could it mean, Nightpool?" Flameflight asked.
"I have no idea," Nightpool replied. Her dark blue eyes were deep in thought, and every step, every move that she made or would soon make was always thought out with careful precision. She was very kind and gentle and had never hurt any other cat except in the rare battle; the times that she lived in the Clans being very peaceful and solitary. Each Clan had always helped the other and there seemed to be a continual truce.
"Do you think it could mean Smokeclaw?" Flameflight continued, without acknowledging Nightpool's response. "He's been very suspicious lately. Jayfeather seems to think that he's rising to power, and I must say that I agree with him." The shy and confused cat that Nightpool had seen in the start of the meeting was now no more.
"Perhaps," Nightpool agreed, looking down at the pool thoughtfully. The scene was playing again. There was the forest and the lake, just as usual, but suddenly a dark puff of smoke rushed in from the direction of PhoenixClan territory, growing bigger and bigger until the whole forest was engulfed in it. A small wisp of dark cloud rose out of the pool, dissolving in a swift cycle of condensation. Then Nightpool let out a squeak of terror, for a sharp, hot-looking orange flame was rushing in from the same way that the smoke did! It slowly crackled and spread, but it never hurt anything around it except for the smoke. But doesn't fire endorse smoke? Then the vision was gone, and Nightpool was blinking awake on the edge of the pool.
Flameflight laughed above her. "I see that the great one was engulfed in the power of the vision!" she snickered. "O great warrior, what will I tell your little medicine cat friends now?"
"You wouldn't!" Nightpool gasped. This wasn't the first time she had been overtaken by a vision. A stupid little vision, intruding on her everyday life? I should think not. But still, she wasn't so sure. She was not that stable on her spiritual and magical power resistance side, which had made her a favourite target of one strong bullying Magical Elite tomcat, Clawpower. He had one leg missing from a fight with a badger when he was very young, and his tail was rather short, but he was so strong in his powers, that, when he unleashed them, all cats for fox-lengths around would feel the pain of stinging claws raking down their flank. Nightpool especially, for the simple reason that she couldn't stand up to it as well as the others. And one day, just a half-moon ago actually, she had died from it, and left two screeching, wriggling kits in the nursery. They had just been born the night before, and Clawpower decided to come and, as a joke, give Nightpool some of his strongest pain ever. That couldn't have been worse timing, as she was still weak from her earlier birth ideal, and, as a result, couldn't take the pain and had died from it. I hope you're happy now, Clawpooper, she thought sarcastically. Flamekit and Nightkit, as they had been cherished after she had died, Flamekit because of her bright orange fur and Nightkit because she looked just like Nightpool, had been very upset and Ferncloud had had to feed them instead. That made them feel a little bit better but she still wasn't their mother, as Ferncloud had been overheard, by Flameflight, saying to the leader, Brightstar. And Nightpool had to agree with her on that one.
"Nightpool? Nightpool? Are you awake? Huh, are you there?" Flameflight was shaking her awake again. Her eyes were twisted in annoyance. I must have fallen asleep in my memories. Nightpool shook herself and said to Flameflight, "Sorry, I'm awake now. What were you saying?"