Brisk winds blew across the white-capped waves of the sea, carrying the unmistakable tang of salt with them. The waves lapped at the sand sluggishly, despite the fact that the wind was quickly picking up speed. A long stretch of beach shone a whitish-silver color under the light of the half moon; a crab scuttled hurriedly along the sand, disappearing into a small hole further up the shore. A row of palm trees stood poised at the edge of the sand, back by other varieties: lychees, their bumpy red fruits shining in the moonlight, and taller, more intimidating needle-clad trees seemed to sprout shadows from their trunks. Fern plants and ginger bushes grew wild, thick, and tall, forming a slight barrier between the beach and the towering forest.

For a moment, it looked as if a shadow had detached itself from the underbrush, sliding stealthily out onto the sand, until its form could be better recognized. It was a tom cat, dark silver with bold black spots and stripes dominating its pelt. Small and lithe, the cat crept out from under the tree cover, glancing nervously over his shoulder. Finally, upon making it out onto the beach, the cat relaxed visibly, tail no longer stiff, eyes shining with excitement. Giving a little skip and a mew of happiness, the cat made its way towards the waves, letting his paws wander into the edges of the waves. The silver and black cat made its way down the beach now, towards a group of rugged gray-black rocks, where the waves crashed loudly against their sides, spilling up and over the edges in some places. The cat jumped up to examine the rocks, peering down into one of the newly formed pools nestled into a naturally formed indentation in the rock. A small fish, made prisoner in the pool by the strong waves, swam around in panic in the unknown waters. A dainty silver paw reached out, deftly hooking under underside of the fish, and flung the creature away, back into the vast ocean with a slight smile. Then, the cat turned and jumped back down into the sand; as soon as his paws hit the ground, a huge yawn split the silver and black jaws. The cat took a few steps further up the beach, to get some distance from the waves, and then settled down in the sand, drawing his long tail around his body. Slowly, green-eyes eyes closed to barely open slits, gaze directed up at the stars. Then, the lids fell entirely, the cat's flanks gently swelling with relaxed breaths as he drifted off into sleep.

But sleep would not last.

Heartbeats later, a loud sound broke the quiet, like the sound of thunder, followed by the roar of a flaming lion. The cat jumped to its paws, no longer drifting in the half awake state of barely entered dreams. A flash of light lit the sky, overpowering the soft glow of the moon, and the noise increased. The cat craned its neck, looking around wildly. Suddenly, the source of the light and sound appeared overhead: a glowing orb, surrounded by white hot fire, trailing a long, sparking tail. With a gasp, the cat tore his gaze away for a heartbeat; the white hue of the flames surrounding the orb was the exact same as the stars watching the scene unfold in the inky black sky.

A falling star. A warrior of Starclan, hurtling out of the sky.

With a cry of anguish, the cat threw itself to his paws, kicking up sand as he ran, eyes glued to the falling star as it hurtled toward the ocean. The star seemed to hiss as it fell, overpowering the crackling of the flames. It almost sounded like the hissing of angry cats. Bits of the star seemed to break off as it neared the ocean, and one of them struck the cat, burning fur and skin. Finally, the star reached the sea, impacting with the cool blue water. The hissing intensified as the ocean water bubbled madly, screeching as if in pain. A spout of water erupted from all around the impact zone. The cat flinched away, expecting to be soaked to the bone. However, time seemed to slow. The cat, as if suspended in sticky, slow sap, turned his gaze back to the water. Waves reared up high, cresting over into white foam at the top. The hissing turned to whispering, definitely feline, and the cat felt pelts brush against his own, warm but fleeting. The whispers grew louder, evolving into harsh, guttural growls. Many voices came together: the young squeak of a new-born kit, the cracking voice of an elder, the deep grunts of a fully grown warrior, and the shrieks of a kitting queen. Together, the voices assaulted the cat's ears, his legs crumpling beneath him.

"Beware, Shadespot. Pure blood mixed with filth, unbeknownst by all. Secrets that murder, revenge that kills. Chaos will erupt like the magma of the volcano, burning all in its path unless those born of treason can overcome the wrath of the Stars."

As the last word was uttered, the massively building waves finally crashed onto the shore, seeming to bring time back to normal. The water rushed up and over the silver and black tabby, who howled in pain as the salt water burned the wound left by the burning star piece and flooded his mouth, nose, and ears. Flailing his legs, the cat managed to fight his way back to dry ground as the waves receded. The cat, Shadespot, was shaking uncontrollably, his green-yellow eyes fixed on the spot where the star hit the water, almost as if he expected it to reappear, or for the terrible voices to come back.

Without a doubt, this terrifying experience was a sign from StarClan. But Shadespot had never experienced anything like it. Fear gripped his heart like icy, needle sharp claws. Normally visions and warnings from his heavenly ancestors were mysterious and vague at the most. This one...seemed hateful.

"Shadespot!" The silver and black tabby's thoughts were interrupted at the sound of his name being called. Still trembling, he turned and watched as a huge white tom burst from the undergrowth, sand flying from underneath his paws as he skidded to a stop at the edge of the tree line.

"Saltclaw," Shadespot meowed in surprise, padding unsteadily towards the tom, "did you see-"

"Turtlefur is kitting!" the other cat hissed angrily, moving to the tabby's side. Saltclaw roughly pushed Shadespot, his eyes wide, angry, but most of all, scared. "Run, Medicine Cat. Run as if all of StarClan were chasing you." Another push, and Shadespot was off with a yelp, surprised at being roughed up again, and with Saltclaw's choice of words. Yet, he ran, paws drumming and skimming lightly over the forest floor. Saltclaw was at his shoulder, breath coming roughly through his parted muzzle, teeth bared.

Soon, the two reached camp. Cats were out in the open, milling about in the center of camp. They should have all been asleep. However, a wail rent the silence; it came from a stump, hollowed out to serve as a den for the Clan's queens. Shadespot hurried towards the den, Saltclaw right on his heels. Moonlight filtered in between gaps in the layer of ferns that served as a roof to the den, casting an eerie glow on everything it touched. A pretty calico she-cat lay near the back of the den. A tabby she-cat trembled off to the side of the wailing calico, her tail wrapped protectively around herself, belly bulging out widely as if she needed to protect her unborn kits from the noise.

"Oh, Shadespot! Help her!" the tabby queen begged. Eyes narrowed in concentration, the silver and black tabby tom bent down next to the kitting queen, placing a paw lightly over her stomach. It convulsed under his paw and Turtlefur let out another cry of pain.

"Saltclaw!" the medicine cat said, not taking his eyes off his patient, "go to my den and fetch some chamomile; green stemmed, with white and yellow flowers." Without a word, the big white tom whipped out of the den.

"Sh-Shadespot," the calico queen gasped. Concern darkened the medicine cat's eyes.

"No, Turtlefur," he mewed, "brushing his tail gently over the she-cat's muzzle, "save your strength. Your kits are coming, and I need you to help me as much as you can. When I tell you to push, push like you never have before, okay?" The she-cat looked like she wanted to say something, but she merely blinked in acknowledgement, gritting her teeth as another convulsion hit her. "Alright...ready Turtlefur?" The medicine counted down, and urged the queen to push. A kit slithered into the moss, its dark fur wet, mouth parted to reveal a bright pink tongue. Shadespot picked up the kit and placed it down next to the tabby queen. "Lick its fur, Palmfur," he ordered quickly, before returning to the kitting she-cat's side. He placed his paw over Turtlefur's stomach once more. "Okay, just one kit left, Turtlefur. I need you to push one more time. Now!" Another kit, this one a light cream color, came wailing into the world. Shadespot picked the kit up, placed it next to Turtlefur's stomach, and began licking it's fur the wrong way to warm it up, and to help its tiny heart get blood flowing. Palmfur had abandoned her nest for the moment, Turtlefur's other kit held lightly in her jaws. She placed it down next to the other. Once the medicine cat was finished with his kit, he straightened, and examined the kits. The first-born was a tom, all black except for the grey fur that surrounded his neck and chest; the other was a she-kit, with light creamy fur highlighted with slightly darker stripes.

"Two beautiful kits, Turtlefur," Shadespot purred, as he looked to the new mother, who had grown quite silent, "You should be very pr-" The words died in his mouth as Turtlefur's chest began rapidly rising and falling, like she was running as if a horde of monsters were chasing her.

"What in the name of StarClan have you done to my mate, medicine cat?" Saltclaw was finally back, the chamomile left abandoned at the big white tom's paws.

"I-I-I..." the silver tabby stuttered, his eyes growing wide as the she-cat's breaths began coming in shorter, more violent gasps. Blood seeped out onto the moss nest Turtlefur lay in. Her body began shaking, and the kits let out scared mews, churning their tiny paws in the air. "I didn't do anything!" Frantically, the medicine cat set his paws on the she-cat's stomach, working them back and forth quickly as he tried to figure out the problem. Suddenly, Turtlefur grew silent. Her eyes rolled back to meet Shadespot's for a moment, surprisingly bright green and warm. Then they flickered to Saltclaw, growing dull and distant. "Salt...claw," she whispered. The tom hurried to his mate's side, shouldering Shadespot aside roughly.

"Yes, dear?" Saltclaw meowed roughly, crouched down close to the she-cat's side. His pink nose gently brushed against her cheek, and the tom looked as if he were about to shatter into a million pieces. "I'm here, Turtlefur. You're not going anywhere, stay here with me and our children. Please."

Turtlefur shook her head slightly, letting out a low keen of pain. "I...I can't, Saltclaw. I'm...I feel so light. Take care of the kits..."
With a last, sighing breath, Turtlefur's body relaxed completely, going entirely limp. The last of the light faded from her green eyes; the kits, as if sensing something were dreadfully wrong, picked up their chorus of loud wails yet again. Saltclaw went rigid, the fur rising along his spine. He turned stiffly to face Shadespot, his eyes distant and dark as he looked at the medicine cat with unconcealed rage.

"You." He growled, prowling across the den towards the silver spotted tabby. "You let her go! What kind of medicine cat are you?"

The kits cries grew impossibly louder as Shadespot packed up towards the edge of the den. "No, no, Saltclaw!" he cried, "There was nothing I could do to save her, I've never seen anything like it. I...I'm sorry!"

"Your apologies mean nothing to me, you worthless piece of mousedung." Saltclaw's ebony claws, sharp as thorns, slid out, digging into the mossy floor as he closed the distance between him and Shadespot. "You deserve to die for what you did tonight!" A big white paw lashed upwards, nearly impossible to see. Claws ripped skyward, catching the medicine cat in the chin, slicing easily across fur and skin. A long wound opened up along Shadespot's face; his vision went red as blood poured into his eye from the injury as he screeched in pain and terror. Saltclaw jumped on top of him, his claws digging into the silver tabby's pelt like ice. The tom's breath was in Shadespot's ears, whispering the worst curses he had ever heard. Then suddenly, Saltclaw's massive weight was lifted off of him. The Clan leader stood over him, a paw clamped firmly against his chest. Cardinalstar, her fur fluffed up angrily, looked almost as big as Saltclaw himself.

"Enough!" she growled, voice low and quiet. Outside the den, muttering whispers could be heard as the rest of the Clan gathered to listen to what was happening inside the nursery. "I understand your pain, Saltclaw, but that gives you no reason to attack your own medicine cat. Pull yourself together! You have two kits here who still need you."

Slowly, Cardinalstar backed off of the tom, who shakily got to his paws. His green eyes instantly locked onto Shadespot. They were empty, devoid of any emotion, even the ferocious anger he had possessed mere heartbeats before.

They scared Shadespot to his very core.

"Yes, Cardinalstar. I acted unreasonably, and I apologize."

The she-cat nodded. "Good. We'll give your kits to Palmfur to nurse; for now, let's get Turtlefur out of here, so she can be mourned properly. Shadespot," she said, turning to the silver tabby. "Go get yourself cleaned up. Perhaps bring Palmfur some herbs to help her along?"

Shadespot nodded numbly, watching as his leader and Saltclaw lifted Turtlefur's body gently, and then took it out of the den.

He felt rooted to the spot, hot blood dripping onto his paws, and his own life leaked away onto the floor of the den, mixing with Turtlefur's. His eyes wandered over to the edge of the den, where Palmfur was placing the two kits next to her belly so they could begin nursing. Shadespot winced as his gaze settled on the black tom and the creamy she-cat. Voices came to him again, like they had on the beach, whispering and squeaking and growling and yowling in his ears, angry and loud. With a shudder, the silver and black tom slipped out of the nursery, heading off to his den to heal his new wound, the sound of the voices trailing him as he went.


Author's Note: So, while writing the first chapter of this story, I realized I made a mistake that, without fixing, would screw up the outline I have written already. Sooooo I made a small edit that's pretty harmless, and made Palmfur a pregnant queen instead of one with already-born kits, making Turtlefur's older than her own. Sorry for any confusion!