prologue;
It was dark, cold.
Then a small flicker of light on the horizon.
It shone down into a tiny pool of clear water.
A dark tabby with ragged fur looked down into the pool. "The dark forest is rising, we must act quickly to stop them," he said.
A blue she-cat emerged from the shadows. "I agree, send a message to all the medicine cats," she ordered.
The dark tabby stood up and said, "that might not be wise Bluestar."
"Why not, Raggedstar?"she asked.
Raggedstar looked deep into her blue eyes.
He said, "we cannot trust anyone, not even the medicine cats."
"WHAT?!" , hissed Bluestar, outraged.
Raggedstar rested his tail on her shoulder. "What do we do now?" she said like a scared kit.
Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes. A yellow tabby tom appeared from behind them.
"Hello, Thunder." they both said, lost in thought.
"I heard what you were talking about and I have an idea about what to do," said Thunder in a low voice.
" What is your idea?" said Raggedstar.
"When I joined Starclan, a long time ago, I made a friend. He was the last leader of Tigerclan," said Thunder.
Bluestar and Raggedstar looked at him with awe in their eyes.
"B-but how? Tigerclan is just a myth," Raggedstar said, confused.
Bluestar looked at Thunder like he had grown a second head.
Bluestar finally said, "how can he take on the dark forest alone?"
"He won't," said Thunder, looking at the rim of the hollow.
Four huge figures appeared,"Those are the four," said Thunder,"their spirits can take a smaller form, but there has to be living cats that are born with these spirits."
Bluestar looked at him with an unreadable expression,"there are no kits in Thunderclan and none will have kits,"
."They must be half-clan,"said the voice of one of the four, "they must have a father with the heart of a tiger, and a mother as peaceful as a dove,".
Raggedstar looked at the four figures in doubt "no, that will break the warrior code,"
"Do you doubt our judgement?" growled the darkest figure.
"I-I'm sorry, I will do as you have requested," meowed Raggedstar, obediently.
Thunder looked at the four "we must tell Dovewing to follow her heart always,"
"get Spottedleaf..." meowed bluestar.
"spottedleaf is dead" they all said to her
"yes actually get Feathertail, tell her to visit Dovewing," murmured Bluestar "her kits will be great,".
The tallest figure walked out of the shadows "I want the first born," he growled.
"Lightningstar," said Thunder others dipped their heads.