Here it is! The prequel to NightClan! If you had not read The Beginning of NightClan, it's okay. This story only precedes it, so you get super secret insider knowledge! :O nah, not really, but it's not required for you to read the other one before this. I don't own, R&R, and I'll cya at the end!
Chestnut woke to the sound of his mother screaming.
Chestnut was barely seven moons old, and he lived with his mother, father, and two siblings in the abandoned Twoleg Den. Spot and Mist (his parents) had found each other six seasons ago, running away from their respective Twolegs. A few moons later, Mist gave birth to Hawk and Berry. A few seasons later, Mist gave birth to Chestnut, and the whole family was happy.
Mist was a beautiful silver she-cat with darker tabby markings around her eyes. Spot was a black tom with a white underbelly. Berry looked just like Mist, and Hawk looked like Spot. Spot always claimed that Chestnut looked like his father, though Mist argued that Spot's father was not that shade of ginger. Chestnut didn't mind being different.
Blinking awake, the young ginger tom lifted his nose only to smell smoke. He searched the small den for his family, but to no avail.
"Mist? Spot?" he called, racing out of the den, keeping his head low. "Hawk?" Chestnut jumped into the nearby pond, spinning around, trying to find his family. "Berry?" He rushed towards a clump of ferns on the other side of the pond.
He curled up in a ball, too tired to keep searching, his lungs burning from the acrid air. Please let them be alright...
For the next moon, Chestnut scoured everywhere for his family. The den was destroyed. It had been made of wood, so it burned quickly. However, Chestnut was alone for the first time in his life, and it scared him.
One day, while searching for his parents, he came across a strange scent. It smelled like a wild dog. He remembered Mist telling him about foxes, and how they kinda smelled like that. Something stirred inside him, causing his paws to follow the scent.
He heard screeches coming from ahead.
The young ginger tom raced forward to find a horrifying sight. A large russet dog, which Chestnut assumed to be the fox, was attacking two cats. The gray tom jumped on the fox's back, trying to distract it. The white she-cat slashed at the muzzle of the beast, her eyes wide with fear.
The fox saw the fear, and snatched her up in it's jaws.
With a mighty yowl, Chestnut rushed forward, running his claws along it's flank. The fox howled, dropping the she-cat. The gray tom leaped off fox, grabbing it's tail with his teeth, while Chestnut continued to slash at it's muzzle. The fox, knowing it was beaten, whimpered in defeat, rushing off.
"Thank you," the gray cat murmured, exhaustion evident in his eyes. "You saved all three of us."
"Three?" Chestnut exclaimed. He turned towards the white she-cat, noticing for the first time the scrap of black fur cowering in the roots of a nearby tree.
The gray tom raced to the she-cat's side, licking her wounds furiously, while Chestnut slowly approached the small kit.
"Hi, I'm Chestnut," he mewed softly, crouching down. "What's your name?"
The black kit eyed him wearily, his little blue orbs narrowed. "I...I'm Moon. Is Star okay?" the kit squeaked, peering over Chestnut's shoulder at the wounded she-cat.
"I don't know," Chestnut confessed. "Let's go see." He nudged Moon up, guiding him over to Star, making sure that the kit did not see its mother's wounded backside.
"Sky, is Star alright?" the kit asked the gray tom. Sky looked up, and Chestnut could tell that he was Moon's father by the shade of blue eyes.
"We'll see, Moon," the large gray tom answered.
"I'm Chestnut." The ginger tom stepped forward, dipping his head in respect. "If you want, I can go hunting." Sky nodded, relief in his eyes.
Chestnut returned later, with a thrush, two mice, and a rabbit. He noticed that the trio had retreated farther into the woods, sheltering under a large hazel bush. He crawled under to join them.
"Sky, the new cat is back!" Moon exclaimed rushing forward. Chestnut noticed that the little tom's tail was pure white, kind of like his mother's fur.
"Thank you," the gray tom muttered, not taking his eyes off his mate. Chestnut laid down the catch, beckoning Moon to follow him outside. The little tom followed on stubby legs.
"Come on, I'll teach you how to hunt." Chestnut told the kit, watching his eyes widen with excitement.
A few sunrises later, Star passed away from her wounds. Chestnut watched as Sky and Moon mourned for her, thinking of his own family. Part of him wanted to go find them, to never stop. But, seeing Sky and Moon like this, he knew that he couldn't leave now. He had to help them.
Forgive me, Spot, Mist, Hawk, and Berry. I will find you one day... he vowed silently, curling up next to Moon while Sky buried his mate.
There you go! The prequel begins! I know it was short, but I might expand it later, when more inspiration comes. I don't own, R&R, cya next chapter, and Happy Halloween :D