"The Willow, Part 1: WindClan"
Rated M
Allegiances:
WindClan
Leader: Sunstar – yellowish ginger tom
Apprentice, Branchpaw (brown tabby tom)
Deputy: Rabbitclaw – white tom with grey spots
Medicine Cat: Leafstem – all-black fluffy she-cat with green eyes
Apprentice, Wingedpaw (grey tortoiseshell she-cat)
Warriors: Barkscratch – light brown tabby tom with amber eyes
Redlily – russet-colored she-cat
Apprentice, Shortpaw (dark grey tom with a bobtail)
Blizzardpelt – pure white she-cat with blue eyes
Nightfur – black she-cat with grey paws
Apprentice, Beepaw (pale yellow ginger tom with black stripes)
Roughedge – tan tabby tom with amber eyes
Spikedclaw – striped, grey tom with a white tail
Apprentice, Nimblepaw (long-legged tortoiseshell she-cat)
Swiftear – black and grey she-cat with blue eyes
Rosethorn – pinkish she-cat with amber eyes
Apprentices: Branchpaw – brown tabby tom
Wingedpaw – grey tortoiseshell she-cat
Shortpaw – dark grey tom with a bobtail
Beepaw – pale yellow ginger tom with black stripes
Nimblepaw – long-legged tortoiseshell she-cat
Queens: Flowertail – light brown ginger she-cat
Snakefoot – black and grey she-cat with a dark brown feet
Elders: Raggedeye – tabby tom with untidy pelt
Petalstride – white she-cat with black patches
Badgerleap – fluffy white tom with one long black stripe and unusual storm-grey eyes
ThunderClan
Leader: Eaglestar – brown tabby tom with white underbelly
Deputy: Crookedfang – white she-cat with slightly crooked teeth
Medicine Cat: Bristleheart – light brown she-cat with blue eyes
Warriors: Strawtail – tannish brown she-cat
Apprentice, Pinepaw (smoky grey tom)
Foxclaw – russet-colored tom with black paws and tail tip
Greyshadow – dark grey tom with amber eyes
Sharpthorn – light brown ginger she-cat
Apprentice, Skypaw (light grey tom with blue eyes)
Nightsky – dark grey she-cat with black patches
Smokestripe – smoky black tom with grey stripes
Apprentice, Rockpaw (boulder-colored she-cat with white patches)
Queens: Brackenstick – golden brown she-cat (mother of Emberkit, Blackkit, and Shadekit)
Brindlefall – tan ginger she-cat
Elders: Blueface – blue-grey tom with blue eyes
Clawscar – white tom with scars all over
ShadowClan
Leader: Pantherstar – short-haired all-black she-cat
Deputy: Stormpelt – grey she-cat with green eyes
Medicine Cats: Yellowfur – ginger tom
Brownthroat – brown she-cat with darker paws and muzzle
Warriors: Nettleclaw – black and white tom with brown chest fur
Addertail – white tom with black stripes
Duskfoot – grey she-cat with black paws
Heronfeather – dusty brown tom
Apprentice, Frogpaw (white and brown tom with green eyes)
Goldtooth – golden she-cat with amber eyes
Firesky – orange ginger tom with amber eyes
Lizardpounce – black she-cat with brown patches
Apprentice, Grasspaw (tortoiseshell she-cat)
Ashpool – dark grey she-cat with green eyes
Queen: Amberwing – grey she-cat with white underbelly and amber eyes (mother of Stonekit and Quickkit)
Elders: Morningleaf – black and grey she-cat
Ravendot – black tom with blue eyes
Shrubfur – brown ginger tom with amber eyes
Dusteye – brown she-cat with white paws
RiverClan
Leader: Echostar – white she-cat with a grey tail
Deputy: Oatstorm – brown she-cat with blue eyes
Medicine Cat: Sparrowflight – light brown tom with darker patches
Apprentice, Rookpaw (grey and white she-cat)
Warriors: Vulcherfang – dark brown tom
Apprentice, Darkpaw (dark grey she-cat)
Otterclaw – pale grey tom with two back white paws
Thickettail – ginger she-cat with a thick pelt
Apprentice, Stempaw (pale brown tom)
Stormwater – grey and brown she-cat with amber eyes
Troutleap – black tabby tom with a white tail
Shimmerscale – dark grey she-cat with black stripes
Apprentice, Rushingpaw (white tom with brown spots)
Queens: Sparklefleck – all grey she-cat with blue eyes
Volefur – black and brown she-cat (mother of Frostkit)
Elders: Saltwhisker – grey tom with white flecks all over
Leapingpounce – brown and white she-cat with green eyes
Cats Outside Clans: Night – black tom with green eyes (kittypet from Twolegplace)
Jaguar – black and white she-cat with amber eyes (kittypet who lives with Night)
Summary: Many generations after the Great Battle, a kit from Twolegplace may face a greater destiny than even those of the Great Journey, The Three, and the Dark Forest.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Warrior Cats series or any of the original characters from the books. Erin Hunter (all 6 of them LOL) is entitled to her work, setting, plot, and storyline. This story contains many OC characters that I have created myself, and the plot will take an AT spin down the line.
WARNING: This story will contain gore and blood, cursing, sex with both genders and hetero, and lots of awesome. If you are appalled by any of the former, you have a back button. Do use it.
Prologue:
– *In a Basement; Twolegplace*
A black and white she-cat writhes in pain. Her mate, an all-black tom, rubs her belly with a paw, his eyes filled with anguish. He hopes her yowling will wake up their housefolk soon; she'd been carrying on for what seemed like forever.
The sound of heavy footsteps distract him from his mate's peril. He looks up at their two male and female housefolk in front of them wide-eyed before yowling in distress and circling his mate anxiously. They cry out and run over just in time to see a tiny black and white shape slide out of the she-cat with one last wail of agony from her…
– *Near a Shallow Pool of Water; StarClan's Hunting Grounds*
"Has the time come yet, Slashstar?"
An old tom carefully picked his way across a clearing to stand by a greying she-cat who was staring into a shallow pool of water, unblinking.
"Almost, Redwing," the old leader replied. "The Willow is almost with us."
Redwing nodded. "And when she is?" he asked. "When will we tell her?"
"Patience," Slashstar murmured. "StarClan will only know when the time is right."
The tabby lashed his tail. "I miss the old days," he grumped. "When even my leader couldn't tell me off."
Slashstar, far from being angry at her former medicine cat, cast an amused glance at him. "You should be used to the vagueness of StarClan by now, old friend," she teased. "You had to be sometimes told off by our ancestors themselves!"
Redwing just grunted. "That's what my former apprentice, Leafstem, keeps telling me."
"But now," the former leader meowed, the amusement fading from her eyes. "The time has come to do our duty." Her eyes glazed over for a heartbeat, and seemed to reflect SilverPelt in them before she dipped her head. "When the time comes, you will tell The Willow of her fate."
"What? Me!" Redwing exclaimed.
Slashstar didn't respond, just returned her gaze to the pool.
Redwing thought a moment, then went on. "Will WindClan be OK once we pass on the message to The Willow?"
"Our former Clan will be fine," the WindClan leader responded. "For now, I must pass on the message to Leafstem while it's fresh in my mind." The leader rose to her paws, stretched, and rested her tail on her old medicine cat's shoulders. "Your message will be given at a much later time, my friend. But still remember the ancient words."
Redwing nodded to the old she-cat, and as she padded away, the Prophecy of The Willow rang out and around in his head.
The Willow faces a dark but glorious Path, flowing with Blood. Her Path will be glorious only if she makes the right decisions. Her choices and changes will be great and drastic. At the end of the Path awaits even more trials, but The Stone will guide her through it all. Cats of all Clans will answer her call. The Willow's Journey begins in Blood, is paved with Blood, and ends in the Jungle, where an old Clan becomes new, and a new Code shall rise.
Almost no cat within the Clans – including StarClan – knew what a jungle was, but Redwing knew he still had to deliver the message when the time was right. He glanced down at the pool, and saw a tiny black and white kit in the paws of her parents and Twolegs.
"The Willow has come…"
– *In a Living Room; Twolegplace*
A tiny kit has just been born. She stands on her hind legs, wriggling about as she tries to play with imaginary prey – even though her eyes haven't even opened yet.
"Look at her!" purred the she-cat, who nudged the kit back onto all fours. "She looks like a dancing willow tree!"
"Then that's what we'll call her," the tom murmured affectionately. "Willow."
"Oh, Night! That's a perfect name!"
"Perfect. Like you, Jaguar."
The mates and newly made parents moved as one as they nuzzled each other, gazing proudly at their kit.
– *The Moonpool*
Leafstem gazed around at her fellow medicine cats. Her green gaze burned into theirs; this was only her apprentice's second time to the Moonpool.
"Leafstem, I'm scared," Wingedpaw murmured with a look of fear in her eyes.
"Don't be, little one," the medicine cat murmured back. "Just have faith in our warrior ancestors like last time." She gave her a comforting quick lick over her ears before touching her own nose to the Moonpool.
StarClan's hunting grounds loomed in front of Leafstem. Usually, she'd have to wander around for a bit before some cat found her, but this time, a cat came out of the heather and straight for her.
"Slashstar!" Leafstem exclaimed. She happily trotted over to greet her former leader, but Slashstar stopped her with a raised paw.
Leafstem halted in confusion.
"I'm afraid I have no time for greetings, Leafstem," the WindClan leader began. "I have a prophecy for you, and it's a long one."
The medicine cat's eyes got as huge as moons and almost as bright. She had many questions, but her shock kept her silent as Slashstar continued.
"It is the Prophecy of The Willow," Slashstar meowed. "The Willow faces a dark Path…"
End.