Authors Note: This is my first Warriors fan fiction, I really hope you like it! This happens in-between "Sunset" and "The Sight".
Disclaimer: I do not own/have any rights to any of the Warriors franchise, which is owned by Erin Hunter and various companies.
Prologue:
Leafpool was walking by the lake as stars shone brightly on her tabby fur. All was calm and quiet, with the occasional movement of prey as they rustled through the grass. She knew she was dreaming, as her paws carried her across the path with an ease not found in walking.
Closing her eyes, breathing in the clean night air, she found herself walking across the log that led to the island. This was where cats of all clans met under a sacred truce every full moon.
In the center of the clearing sat Spottedleaf, a tortoiseshell she-cat. Moving her tail up and down, she signaled Leafpool closer. Leafpool bounded forward happily. Starclan had not visited her dreams in awhile. "Spottedleaf!" she exclaimed with pleasure. "It's good to see you again!"
The past Thunderclan medicine cat smiled. "It's nice to see you too." But her smile seemed…forced. Leafpool stared at her for a moment before realizing something. How could she be so stupid? Starclan usually visited cats when something was wrong.
As if reading her thoughts, Spottedleaf sighed sadly. "I wish I could come telling you all is well. But that would be a lie." Leafpool took a deep breath, trying to prepare herself for bad news.
"A great danger is coming to all the clans", Spottedleaf began. Leafpool couldn't help herself. "But we've already been through so much!" she exclaimed. Spottedleaf sighed again. "I know. But a world with only peace does not exist." She glanced at Leafpool. "May I continue?" Leafpool nodded. "Yes, I apologize."
"There is not much I can tell you. Cat's secrets will fall into the open, an evil will reveal itself, and loyalty will be tested to it's depth…" Spottedleaf finished her sentence suddenly, as if there was something she wasn't saying. "However, there is always hope, even in the darkest of times."
"What can we do?" Leafpool asked. "Moon and Star will come…." Spottedleaf whispered, her pelt beginning to fade into the night. "Wait!" Leafpool called. "Stop! Moon and star? What are you talking about?" But Spottedleaf was gone.
Chapter 1: Discovery
Leafpool woke up with a start, the light of sunhigh shining through the opening of the medince cat den. Her dream troubled her. If she could only she had a mentor to discuss these things with it…She blinked sadly, trying to wash away the memories of Cinderpelt's death.
She walked out into the clearing. It seemed peaceful enough. Her father, the leader of Thunderclan, sat outside his den, talking with his mate Sandstorm. Her sister Squirrelflight was dragging a vole over to share with her mate, Brambleclaw, and Daisy was watching the kits play outside the nursery.
There's no need to trouble them all right now, Leafpool decided. Perhaps after thinking the dream over a little more it would make more sense. Besides, tomorrow was a gathering, and she could meet with the other medicine cats and see if they had heard anything similar.
"Hey!" Squirrelflight mewed brightly, bounding up to her. "Why the long face?" Leafpool shook her head. "It's nothing." Squirrelflight narrowed her eyes. The two sisters had a special connection, and could sometimes tell the other's emotions or whereabouts.
"When you're ready to talk about it, let me know, ok?" Squirrelflight urged. She grinned and ran back to Brambleclaw. Leafpool looked after her, smiling to herself. She should've known she couldn't hide anything from her sister.
Grabbing a mouse off the fresh-kill pile, she padded back to the medicine den. Noticing she was low on a couple herbs, she quickly consumed the mouse and decided to head out of camp. This was also an excuse to help clear her brain.
Heading through the trees, she walked the paths of her new home that were slowly becoming familiar. She wondered to herself, not for the first time, why things couldn't have just stayed the same. Why the Clans couldn't have just stayed in the forest, why lives couldn't have been saved…
A worried mewling broke her thoughts, stopping her feeling sorry for herself. "Who's there?" she called. The scent she smelled was not familiar and she followed it through a nearby bush. Her gaze fell upon a she-cat with bright silver fur, pushing two kits in front of and her. She stopped dead in her tracks when sighting Leafpool.
"Are you…are you a warrior cat?" she asked. Leafpool nodded. This cat didn't seem dangerous; she smelled of strong fear-scent. Plus she wasn't built like a warrior. Probably a kittypet from the looks of it. The silver cat glanced at her kits. "I have heard…stories of your kind. How kits have came here, safe from housefolk."
Housefolk? Leafpool wondered. Oh she must be talking about twolegs. She nodded. "Thunderclan will not turn away a cat in trouble." It was a pretty true statement, and many kittypets had joined the forest, Firestar himself used to be one. Now he was an respected leader of her clan.
"I live…in the barn, where Daisy used to live? She came here, correct?" Leafpool nodded. "Yes, she now stays in the Thunderclan nursery." The silver cat blinked. "Thunderclan?" She shook her head. "That's not important now. Anyway, could you please take them back with you…my kits?"
"That's quite a serious decision", Leafpool mewed. "You may never see them again, unless you came to live with the clan, and I'm not sure everyone would be too happy to see another kittypet-"
"No, this life is not for me," she interrupted. "But I want my kits to have a better future." She licked one of them, up and down, for what she considered the last time. "This one is Moon…and this one…" she began to lick the other one, "Is Star."
A chill went down Leafpool's spine. "Moon…and Star?" she repeated. Her thoughts went back to her dream the night before, where Spottedleaf had said, "Moon and Star will come…"
The mother of the kits nodded. "Yes, I named them this because of marking on their fur." She stopped licking them. "Anyway, I want them to know their mother. Tell them…" her voice broke off a little in grief. "Tell them my name is Sky. And please, make sure they have time to visit me, alright?"
With a last glance at her kits, Sky ran away before Leafpool could say anything. The kits mewed loudly, confused at the absence of their mother. Leafpool leaned over them, looking at the strange markings Sky had mentioned. One of them had a white spot on their forehead that resembled a star, the other a moon.
"It's going to alright now, little ones…" she murmured to the kits. Delicately picking them up, she began the walk back to the Thunderclan camp.
Authors Note: What did you think? Please review and let me know!!! I will probably only continue if I get at least one review. :-)
Special thanks to a great source for the descriptions of the cats, things I forget, etc.
