Summary: There have always been three Clans in a forest far away from the original Clans. These Clans were far older than the others, and have lived for generations in a time of peace. But now one Clan grows stronger, and they seek more territory. But the only way to do so is by wiping out the enemy.


LeafClan

LEADER: Thornstar - black tom with yellow eyes

DEPUTY: Brightfur - speckled tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

MEDICINE CAT: Ruststripe - pale ginger tom with a darker ginger stripe going across his back; has green eyes

Apprentice, Sparrowpaw

WARRIORS:

Tawnywing - golden brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentice, Ghostpaw

Whitepelt - long-furred gray and white tom with dark yellow eyes

Birdclaw - dark gray tom with amber eyes

Apprentice, Willowpaw

Mistybird - pale gray she-cat with lighter gray tabby markings; has yellow eyes

Toadfur - light brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Poppyfeather - tortoiseshell she-cat with darker ginger paws

Whiskertail - long-furred tabby tom with blue eyes

Sootclaw - dark gray tom with pale blue eyes

Spiderfur - dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Redflower - reddish-brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

APPRENTICES:

Ghostpaw - pale gray, almost white tom with blue eyes

Willowpaw - silvery gray she-cat with dark blue eyes

Sparrowpaw - dark gray tabby she-cat with yellow eyes

QUEENS:

Honeypool - light brown she-cat with amber eyes, mother of Robinkit and Oakkit by Thornstar

Icefeather - long-haired white she-cat with green eyes, mother of Shadowkit, Patchkit and Winterkit by Toadfur

Nettlesplash - young tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes, expecting

KITS:

Robinkit - black and brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Oakkit - black tom with yellow eyes

Shadowkit - dark gray, almost black tom with green eyes

Patchkit - tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Winterkit - white tom with amber eyes

ELDERS:

Acorntail - golden brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Orangestripe - orange tabby tom with amber eyes, was once a kittypet

Owlfeather - silvery white tabby she-cat with bright green eyes


DuskClan

LEADER: Rainstar - pale gray she-cat with yellow eyes

Apprentice, Ivypaw

DEPUTY: Dustcloud - light brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentice, Wildpaw

MEDICINE CAT: Stonefang - dark gray tom with unusually long teeth; has blue eyes

WARRIORS:

Aldertail - black and white tom with green eyes

Speckledove - gray, and dark gray mottled she-cat with pale yellow eyes

Apprentice, Sunpaw

Rosefang - creamy brown she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice, Mothpaw

Kestrelclaw - brown tom with a white chest and white tail, has amber eyes

Apprentice, Snailpaw

Fogwhisker - pale gray tabby tom with yellow eyes

Timberstripe - silver-gray tom with green eyes

APPRENTICES:

Sunpaw - ginger tom with a darker ginger tail

Mothpaw - pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

Snailpaw - dark cream-colored tom with amber eyes

Ivypaw - creamy brown she-cat with amber eyes

Wildpaw - light brown tabby tom with blue eyes

QUEENS:

Daisytail - brown, white and black she-cat with a bushy tail, mother of Grubkit, Beetlekit and Lizardkit, by unknown tom

KITS:

Grubkit - dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Beetlekit - brown and black tabby tom with yellow eyes

Lizardkit - light brown tabby tom with pale yellow eyes

ELDERS:

Russetheart - dark ginger tom with white paws


PebbleClan

LEADER: Graystar - dark gray tom with pale yellow eyes

DEPUTY: Breezewind - black and white tom with green eyes

MEDICINE CAT: Embertail - pale brown she-cat with a ginger-tipped tail, has amber eyes

WARRIORS:

Magpiestripe - silver and black tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentice, Mudpaw

Cavestorm - light brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Squirrelfang - long-furred brown tom with amber eyes

Swanfeather - black and white she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice, Woodpaw

Pigeonflight - gray and white she-cat with blue eyes

Talonclaw - brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Loudstorm - dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

APPRENTICES:

Mudpaw - dusky brown tom with amber eyes

Woodpaw - mottled brown tabby tom with amber eyes

QUEENS:

Hazelwind - pale gray she-cat with green eyes, mother of Mistkit, Streamkit, Stonekit and Rapidkit by Breezewind

KITS:

Mistkit - silver tabby she-cat with green eyes

Streamkit - pale gray she-cat with green eyes

Stonekit - pale gray tabby tom with amber eyes

Rapidkit - black and white tom with green eyes

ELDERS:

Swampfoot - large dark gray tom with yellow eyes


PROLOGUE

The forest was eerily silent as a half moon hung over the trees. Shadows flickered across the undergrowth as lithe shapes moved forward. Beyond the forest was a ridge of mountains that tumbled towards a stream where predators and prey alike came to drink. The forest was a perfect place to live, if one was a predator. Of course, there were many predators in the forest.

Leaves flew across the air as a figure moved through the undergrowth. Muscles moved along with his pelt as each step was taken. The lithe shape stopped when a growl sounded in the distance. A pair of piercing green eyes gleamed through the darkness as the runner approached the source of the noise. Sure enough, another predator was waiting for his approach. This one was one of his own, and a friend that he knew well.

"Ruststripe, it is good to see you." A pale brown cat emerged from the thickly covered undergrowth. Her bright orange tail swished from side to side as she watched him cautiously. "Has your Clan survived this leafbare?" she asked when the pale ginger tom dipped his head.

"Life has gone well in LeafClan," Ruststripe replied. "Mistybird gave birth to her kits the other night."

"That's good to hear," the brown she-cat meowed. "I'm afraid to say that Robinstar died a couple of days ago. He was already old before his final life was taken by greencough."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Ruststripe murmured. Robinstar had been leader long before he himself was born. The PebbleClan leader would be greatly missed. "Has Graystar done well during his short time as leader?"

"Instead of chatting about the Clans, why don't we head over to the Moonstream," another voice snapped.

Ruststripe's ears pricked forward when a dark gray cat emerged from the ferns. His frosty blue eyes gleamed as he glared at Ruststripe. The two had never been close as medicine cats could be. Part of that was due to the fact that he was forced to become a medicine cat when he was a warrior. Ruststripe had helped the dark gray tom to recover from a strange growth in his teeth several seasons ago. The dark gray tom—known as Stonefang—had been forced to change his position as a warrior after discovering his problem.

Silence fell upon the three of them as they traveled through the forest. Ruststripe narrowed his eyes as the Moonstream stretched before them. It was a vast stream that fed into the creek that PebbleClan cats fished from. Embertail—PebbleClan's medicine cat—was watching where she kept her muzzle.

She would have made a good warrior, Ruststripe thought as they approached the Moonstream.

The trees suddenly gave way to open grassland when they stopped at the edge of the Moonstream. This was where DuskClan cats spent most of their time. Ruststripe had often seen them competing with the PebbleClan warriors for fishing spots. The two Clans had always been bitter rivals since they'd formed.

"Let us wish for peaceful dreams and hope for the future," Emberheart murmured as she leaned forward.

The LeafClan medicine cat nodded in agreement as he followed her lead. Once a drink was taken from the Moonstream, he felt icy claws grip his shoulders. As if on cue, a sense of wariness took over. His eyes drooped for one heartbeat before sleep took over.

"Welcome, Ruststripe." The pale ginger tom opened his eyes to see a line of cats sitting in front of him. All of them looked pleased to see the current medicine cat. "It is good to see a friend of ours, especially one who's pawsteps are closer to us than usual."

"I hope that everything is fine with StarClan," Ruststripe meowed after dipping his head respectfully.

A silver she-cat with darker gray splotches suddenly shook her head. A look of anxiety made her eyes cloud over as Ruststripe met her gaze. "I am afraid that peace does not last long, even during the beginning of newleaf," she murmured softly.

"What does that mean?" Ruststripe's fur was beginning to fluff up as he wondered what could be happening to his Clan.

"Trouble comes from within…you will have to find out for yourself where this trouble comes from though," a dark brown and white tom replied. "I hope and prey that you find out before it happens."

The StarClan cats were already fading by the time Ruststripe tried to piece what they said together. Ruststripe's mouth opened and closed as the field around him began to fade away. Already he'd returned to the waking world.

What am I supposed to do with such useless information? Ruststripe wondered as he shook his head. The others were beginning to wake up as well. Ruststripe watched Emberheart as she rose to her paws. Her gaze was filled with worry as she met his gaze.

It seemed like Emberheart had the same dream. Only Stonefang looked pleased as he left them to return to his own Clan. Emberheart's tail flicked from side to side before she too left Ruststripe behind. He knew that she'd received bad news. What he didn't know was how devastated both LeafClan and PebbleClan would become because of the news.


A/N: So this is a bit of an experimental story. Not sure where it will go, but it should be a fun ride. One chapter will be posted for this once a week and another for New Dawn another day. Next week I won't be updating as much, so you'll not have time to read this and the new chapter. Anyways, hope you enjoyed it, and please send some feedback ^^