"Welcome, Nightheart."
The black she-cat opened her yellow eyes, gaze sweeping the clearing around her. She breathed in the sweet scent of stars around her, and knew at once she was in Starclan. Her eyes fell on the only other cat there, a translucent tom with amber eyes. Stars danced around him, giving him an otherworldly look.
"Rabbitfoot," she called, padding over to greet him. "It's been too long."
The tom, Rabbitfoot, purred. His light tabby pelt shimmered slightly as he gave Nightheart a lick on the cheek. "Indeed. And I wish… I wish these weren't the circumstances that called for our meeting."
"What?"
"Nightheart, Rainclan is in danger," Rabbitfoot said, padding towards the tree line. He flicked his tail, signaling that Nightheart was to follow. She did, yellow eyes worried.
"What's wrong?" she asked, worry lacing her meow. "The prey is plentiful and the clan is healthy."
Rabbitfoot sighed. "It has been moons since my death," he said. "I have learned many things from my time here. Things I could never have possibly known before I joined the ranks of Starclan."
Nightheart was silent, considering the words of her old mentor. "I suppose that's true," she said. "I hope I won't learn these things for a good while yet."
"Of course not," Rabbitfoot purred. "You have a long, wonderful life ahead of you, serving your clan as their medicine cat." His amber eyes grew serious again as he drank in the sight of his apprentice. "But I'm afraid that may be challenged by fate."
"What do you mean?"
"Nightheart, I'm not supposed to say anything to any cat about this. The clans aren't ready to know." He gave her a pointed look. "I need your secrecy."
Nightheart gave Rabbitfoot a hard glare. "Anything you tell me that threatens Rainclan is my sworn duty as medicine cat to report to Snowstar."
Sighing, Rabbitfoot continued walking in the dense forest. Nightheart followed, black pelt blending into the shadows. They were silent a long time, but the air was thick with unvoiced concerns and tension. From the corner of her eyes, Nightheart thought she saw other Starclan warriors, but whenever she turned to look, they were gone. Her hackles rose, and her muscles tensed from nervousness.
Rabbitfoot suddenly stopped, turning to face Nightheart. His amber eyes glowed with stars and knowledge. Nightheart opened her jaw to speak, but was quickly cut off by her old mentor.
"Darkness will tear the clans apart before they can rise to a new dawn." His eyes flashed a brilliant amber, and Nightheart blinked uncomfortably. Suddenly, the forest melted before her, and she was swept away. Something filled her nose and mouth, choking her. She surged forward, swimming to what she hoped was shore. Clambering onto the bank, she gasped for breath and spat out the water.
No, not water. Too thick, too sticky. She gasped in shock, backing away quickly. Blood. It's blood! She gagged, the stench overwhelming her. Her wet, sticky, red paws slipped on the rocks beneath her. No, not rocks. Bones. Cat bones. She ran blindly away, the crunch of bones and stench of blood sending a jolt of fear through her whole body.
A flash of lightning illuminated the sky, showing the bones and blood and bodies strewn about. Thunder boomed overhead, as a torrential rain began to fall. Blood rain. Nightheart stopped suddenly, looking about wildly. Masses of shadows swarmed by her, the warm, live pelts flowing like a raging river all around. Some bore the stench of blood and battle, while others were uninjured. Terror was everywhere.
On the edges of the clearing, two cats stalked around each other. Only their silhouettes were visible, but one had bright, white eyes, the color of stars, and the other had deep red eyes, like the blood that poured down from the clouds above.
Silence. The red-eyed cat leapt forward, claws extended and dripping with blood. The other jumped to meet it, and the two wrestled in the air.
"Darkness will tear the clans apart before they can rise to a new dawn."
Everything began to turn a brilliant white, blinding Nightheart. She tried to yowl, but found that she was stuck, unable to move. The cats continued to fight in pure silence, although Nightheart's ears were now ringing. With a sudden force, she collapsed on to the blood-soaked earth, her vision glowing white.
"Darkness will tear the clans apart before they can rise to a new dawn."
When everything around her had become the all-consuming, glowing white, Nightheart let out a yowl of terror, before the world around her became black.
"Darkness will tear the clans apart before they can rise to a new dawn."
"Gah!" Nightheart's yellow eyes flew open, her mouth gaping open. She panted heavily, gasping for breath. Slowly, her heart rate decreased, and she closed her eyes again, the images of her latest vision dancing behind her closed lids. What does it mean?
And then there was Rabbitfoot, the loyal medicine cat, asking her to lie. Or, rather, hide the truth. She shook the cobwebs from her mind. There was no two ways about it. Even though Rabbitfoot was a good medicine cat, and a good mentor, and part of Starclan, she couldn't renounce her sworn duty. Standing stiffly, she stretched, yawning loudly, before heading out of the den.
Cool night air ruffled her fur as she padded along the sandy bottom of the camp. Nightheart sucked in a slow, deliberate breath. The half moon was still out, with no clouds in the sky. Stars winked at her from above, her long-dead ancestors watching over her. Nightheart sighed. How could she betray everyone no matter what she did?
The breeze blew past her again, stronger this time. Nightheart continued her lonely trek, paws leaving prints in the sand. The wind whispered in her ears, winding its way around her, wrapping her in a cool blanket.
Nightheart pricked her ears. She could make out words in the wind, words spoken at a hushed whisper. Straining to hear, Nightheart began to trot through camp.
"Darkness will tear the clans apart before they can rise to a new dawn." She froze, listening. Nothing more. Just a solemn reminder of the importance of the information she had been asked to keep in close confidence. I hope I'm not making a terrible mistake.
The light breeze continued around her, but Starclan was silent. She felt them around her, weaving in and out of the waking world and the land of stars, but they said nothing, did nothing. Pelts brushed against her own, the masses of Starclan with her always. Rabbitfoot's scent found her nose, and she breathed it in.
"We are with you."
And then they were gone, vanished. The sudden emptiness and loneliness brought Nightheart to a standstill, eyes gazing longingly at the stars above. It was decided then. With new energy flowing through her veins, Nightheart sprinted as fast as her legs could carry her to Snowstar's den. She clambered up the rock pile, pausing at the entrance.
"Snowstar?"
"Who's there?" Snowstar called, her voice hoarse from sleep. "Nightheart, is that you?"
Nightheart entered the den, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the dim light. Snowstar's white pelt practically glowed in the dark den, her muzzle agape in a huge yawn. Her green eyes were half lidded, lids heavy with sleep.
"What do you need, Nightheart?" Snowstar asked, slightly grouchy.
"Starclan has sent me a vision," Nightheart responded, voice level. Inside, she quivered in fear of what was to come. She knew, deep down inside her, that there was no way she could make any cat understand the horror of what she knew.
Snowstar sat up quickly, blinking the final traces of sleep from her eyes. "Go on," she said.
Nightheart took a deep breath. In a soft, slightly shaky voice, she retold everything. She started with Rabbitfoot's words, and ended with the feeling of Starclan's pelts around her. Snowstar remained calm, although her eyes grew wide when Nightheart mention the river of blood and bones.
"'Darkness will tear the clans apart before they can rise to a new dawn'?" Snowstar repeated, a slight question in her words. Nightheart dipped her head in acknowledgement. "What could it possibly mean?"
"I haven't the faintest idea," Nightheart replied. "I've been pondering it this whole time."
Snowstar paced her den quietly, green eyes narrowed in concentration. Her tail flicked back and forth in frustration when she turned up a blank time and time again. "Has Starclan given you any indication of who these cats could be?"
Nightheart shook her head. "No. Prophecies and visions don't work that way."
Snowstar huffed in annoyance. "They could have been a little more clear, don't you think?"
"You're a young leader," Nightheart said calmly. "You haven't dealt with Starclan like this before. We're lucky to have gotten any warning, no matter how cryptic."
"How can I be the best leader of Rainclan with this," she gestured around her with her tail, indicating the words of the prophecy, "hanging over my head?" She kicked sand around, making ridges all around her, messing up her paw prints.
Nightheart glared at Snowstar. "You can't. You just have to wait and see what happens, how everything plays out. We just have to be ready."
"Be ready? Our clan will be more than ready. The prophecy said 'clans'. Rainclan will stay strong while the others are washed away. We will train harder and faster, stronger, better. We will be prepared."
"Snowstar, while stepping up training is a good idea, we can't be foolish about this. We-"
"Nightheart, this is the way it will be. You can go." She nodded to the opening. "It's almost dawn. Preparations start now."