Yes! 0^0 First story! –Wonderfully beta-read by Ultimate Jelly Sandwich, whom I thank with a very special cookie. *hands cookie* I advise you not to smell it. ._.
The lean, dark-furred tabby tom stalked along the dank, gray trees in silent frustration, his hefty brown paws making no sound as he traipsed along the vast, empty forest. He wondered how long this ungrateful she-cat would make him wait—other cats would leap at the chance to live a second life, but she didn't seem to care. Of all the heartless cats in the dark forest, why had she been the one he relied on so heavily?
The massive tom's thick tail lashed angrily at her absence. He'd be happy when this was all over. Putting up with this arrogant, temperamental rogue was pushing his own temper to its limits. Minutes passed, and there was still no sign of the dark tabby's alleged associate, and he parted his jaws to taste the damp air. Nothing. He would make her pay for this, one way or another. Every cat, dead or alive, knew that it wasn't smart to keep him waiting.
As he made his way to the sluggish river, its waters dark and lifeless, he plopped himself down on the bank, muttering insults left and right toward his absent cohort.
It wasn't long before the battle-scarred, golden tabby approached, her pace just as listless as the river. She seated herself on the opposite bank, inclining her head and waiting for the tom to speak.
"Took you long enough," he snorted.
The golden tabby merely brought her tongue down over her paw, washing her ears indifferently. Her tail flicked in acknowledgement, but nothing more.
The tabby tom narrowed his pale amber eyes inquisitively. "You act as though you'd prefer living in this dreadfully barren place," he meowed, surprised.
"I can assure you that I do not," she mewed back, casting an upward glance from her paw. "But you are in no position to be making demands. You summoned me because you needed me; I'll move as fast or as slow as I like."
The she-cat continued washing her ears as though they were finished conversing, and the broad-shouldered warrior took a threatening step forward. "You obviously doubt my power. I'm so dangerous I could—"
"Oh yes, I'm aware of what you can do, you useless lump of fur." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. "I am also aware of what Scourge is capable of, and I'm sure he won't be pleased at all when he hears of your threats, however shallow they may be."
The massive tom hesitated, unsheathing his claws and digging them into the bare ground underneath. This she-cat was cocky. Working with her was going to be a real challenge. "I've been to see Tarot," he reported, changing the subject evenly.
"And? Is she going to fix that split in your ear? Good riddance. I was growing tired of having to look at that poor excuse of an appendage."
"Very funny," he meowed dryly.
"I try."
The tom twitched his ear impatiently. "She says that your kit—"
"The gray one?" she let out a mrrow of amusement. "Are you telling me that mewling little good-for-nothing is of interest to you? Tigerkit, you really have hit rock bottom, haven't you?"
"Tigerstar," the warrior growled in retort.
"Well, Tigerkit," the golden tabby responded, swishing her tail uninterestedly. "Do whatever you like with the runt. He is of no importance to me."
"Gladly," he grunted back.
"Great. Then," the golden tabby meowed, getting to her feet. "I didn't care what you were planning to do with him; summoning me was a waste of my time."
"That's where you're wrong, Huntress," Tigerstar meowed. "You're the only cat who can convince him to carry out my plans."
The golden she-cat's ear flicked inquisitively. "And why would that be…?"
"Because you are his mother," he meowed. "If any cat were going to manipulate him, I'm sure you would have the least trouble."
Huntress curled her long, winding tail over her paws, mulling over what the dark warrior had just said.
"Your hesitance is foolish," Tigerstar meowed. "Surely you wouldn't pass up a second chance at life because of a petty quarrel with your kin?"
"That sniveling runt was nothing more than a burden. I'm here because of him," she snapped.
"And you'd rather stay here and sulk like a spoiled kit?" he retorted. "Think, Huntress. When I—we rule the forest, you can do away with the nuisance. He'll be nothing more than a tattered memory."
Her tail flicked once again as she pondered the offer, tossing the thought around in her once-beautiful head. "… I'll do it," she meowed, malice burning in her voice.
Tigerstar nodded, but said nothing. He crouched down, his muscled bunched, and lunged across the river and onto the tabby in a single bound, gripping her throat with his teeth.
Huntress gasped in surprise, her paws flailing helplessly on the lush grass that lay underneath—"Wha—? Grass…?" she rolled over and felt around the earth below, her tail flicking uneasily. The dark forest has never had grass. Nor did it have… sunlight?
The golden tabby raised her head to the beaming sunlight, narrowing her vivid green eyes as they adjusted to the sun's harsh glare. The land before her was abundant and gorgeous, the air crisp with wild smells. She could even scent the mouthwatering smell of prey—a scent that she'd almost forgotten in the seasons. "Tigerkit must have sent me back," she mewed to herself, looking down on her own frayed fur. It was thick now. Flourishing and consistent, the bare patches drowned in fur. Even her scars had gone. She had been restored to her former beauty. Never before had Huntress felt so happy to be alive. Though, one thought lingered in her mind. "I have to find Wolfpaw," she mused.
A wicked smile tugged at her muzzle as she unsheathed her claws. She'd have her revenge on BoulderClan soon enough…
And that's the prologue! ^.^ I also forgot to say that this is set between The Darkest Hour and Moonrise.
Next chapter's going to be a whole lot longer, and I apologize if this was too short. Reviews are appreciated.