ALLEGIANCES

RIVERCLAN

LEADER: Ivystar(brown and darker brown tabby she-cat with green eyes)

DEPUTY: Troutsplash(brown and gray tom with yellow eyes)

APPRENTICE: Dovepaw

MEDICINE CAT: Echoflight(long furred ginger she-cat with blue-gray eyes)

APPRENTICE: Forestpaw(calico she-cat with forest-green eyes)

WARRIORS:

Eagletalon(dark ginger and brown tabby tom with amber eyes)

Bluespots(dark gray she-cat with white spots and yellow eyes)

APPRENTICE: Graypaw

Darkshade(black tom with silver mittens and blue eyes)

Lightpool(cream colored she-cat with bright amber eyes and a white-tipped tail)

Owlscreech(large brown tom with blue eyes)

APPRENTICE: Ripplepaw

Dayrain(long-furred gray and white tom with blue eyes)

Silverfrost(petite silver she-cat with white tabby stripes and yellow eyes)

Wolfheart(broad-shouldered gray and brown tom with amber eyes)

Robinshadow(ginger she-cat with a stubby tail and blue eyes)

APPRENTICE: Adderpaw

Dawnleaf(pale ginger she-cat with one white paw and pale green eyes)

Smokefeather(gray tom with pale blue eyes and fur that sticks up in tufts)

APPRENTICES:

Dovepaw(white she-cat with silver patches and amber eyes)

Graypaw(gray tom with black feet and bright blue eyes

Ripplepaw(black she-cat with amber eyes and big paws)

Adderpaw(large black tom with green-brown eyes)

QUEENS:

Marshfang(brown and white bicolored she-cat with brown-green eyes)

Splashlily(light gray she-cat with white paws and blue eyes)

Cloudclaw(white she-cat with long limbs and pink eyes)

ELDERS:

Boulderstorm(large beige tom with blind gray eyes)

Redsparrow(ginger and cream colored tom with amber eyes)

Waterleap(long furred white she-cat with gray tabby stripes and blue eyes)

This is Petalwish's challenge, which I am doing, and so is Song of Falling Feather's, check her's out too. I think it's out. We just have to write Petaltail's history, and I got some GOOD ideas for you guys. I've been trying to find a lot of conflicts or threats to the cats, and I'm pretty proud of myself for this. I am in the process of writing the first chapter of this story, this is the prologue, so I should probably have the first chapter out later today! Hope you guys like it!

"Echoflight!"

A young tortoiseshell she-cat called her mentor's name in anxiety, springing from the nursery, where she'd gone to check on Splashlily. Echoflight, a pretty ginger she-cat, clambered out of the den, looking exhausted.

"Forestpaw... What is it?"

The younger tortoiseshell's eyes were wide with fright and excitement. "Splashlilly is kitting!"

The older medicine cat was awake immediately, and her blue-gray eyes narrowed. "Go get some raspberry leaves, borage, chamomile, and some juniper berries, and hurry!"

The two medicine cats hared away in opposite directions, Forestpaw back towards the den and Echoflight to the nursery, where the clear sounds of a queen in agony could now be heard.

"Splashlily!"

The gray she-cat lay on her side, heaving with effort for a gasp of air. Cloudclaw stood nearby, nervously glancing over her shoulder, but clearly frightened to move because of her own swollen belly. The only queen who truly looked relaxed was Marshfang, who sat at Splashlily's shoulder cooing calm words, her long tail blocking her own two kits from intruding upon the scene.

Upon Echoflight's arrival, the brown and white she-cat looked up. "Oh look," she mewed to Splashlily, "Echoflight is here, you'll be alright."

Echoflight thanked the older queen quietly, and then said louder, "Cloudclaw, watch Stonekit and Lionkit. Marshfang, go get Russetheart and tell him to get a stick, and hurry back."

"Why? Hurry back, I mean."

"I'm gonna need your help," the ginger she-cat mewed grimly.

At that moment, Forestpaw sprang into the den, holding the required herbs.

"Oh, good, Forestpaw, come here, you've done this before."

Forestpaw swallowed nervously, slipping past Marshfang on her way in. Seconds later, senior warrior Russetheart sprinted through the opening, knocking Forestpaw aside and scattering the herbs.

"Russetheart! Help pick those up!" Echoflight scolded her littermate, lying down next to Splashlily and feeling her belly. "Feels like a lot… Four, maybe."

The pretty queen took a deep gasp and her pupils dilated, and she managed to cough out, "Am… I… going to…. die?"

"Of course not!" Echoflight exclaimed briskly. "I've helped you through two, and you'll get through this one."

"It… might… be… my… last."

"Oh, it will be your last, but you're not dying."

Splashlily suddenly convulsed, and Echoflight gasped. "Russetheart, get a stick! Thick and long, no twigs, you remember. Forestpaw, chamomile!"

As the apprentice eased the plant into the queen's mouth, Echoflight mewed calmly, "So, what does chamomile do?"

Forestpaw groaned. Echoflight had done this during the last kitting too, Marshfang's. "Uh… Calms cats and gives them strength."

"Good, good."

Splashlily gave a desperate yowl as her belly rippled, and Echoflight gasped, "Russetheart! The stick!"

The ginger tom had arrived moments earlier, gasping, and now he pushed the stick towards Forestpaw, who eased it towards Splashlily's mouth.

"You know the drill, just bite down when you feel one coming."

Splashlily, too weak to nod, only groaned as a reply, but froze in the middle, panicked. Forestpaw stepped back quickly, allowing Echoflight to come forward again.

"All right… And… PUSH!"

The first kit slipped onto the moss, wet and shuddering. Echoflight nipped the sac and shoved it towards Russetheart without a word, and he promptly began to lick.

The silver queen heaved again, and the second kit slipped out. Echoflight was at Splashlily's muzzle, looking uncharacteristically nervous, so Forestpaw skidded forward and nipped the sac herself, giving the second kit to Marshfang to lick.

Marshfang's two kits, Lionkit and Stonekit, had tripped out from behind Cloudclaw and were frowning at their mother. "Are you getting a new kit, to replace us?" accused Stonekit, frowning.

Forestpaw hushed them. "Cloudclaw, keep them behind you."

Echoflight lifted her head and scowled at them. Lionkit bowed his ginger head abashedly, but Stonekit lifted his own brown one and frowned. "Is she?"

"Of course not!" hurried Forestpaw, pushing them farther away. "She's just helping with Splashlily's. Now hush, Echoflight needs to concentrate!"

Cloudclaw pushed the kits behind her own white pelt and apologized quietly to Echoflight, but the medicine cat shooed her away, preoccupied with the third kit, who had just slid out.

The sound of splintering wood could be heard, and Forestpaw noticed the stick crack, but the next thing she knew, a mewling kit was at her paws, and she began licking it's fur the other way to warm it.

The fourth kit slid out, and Splashlily relaxed with a great sigh, and Echoflight began licking the last for herself.

When all the kits were warmed, they were let go to go to their mother. The first and the third, a tom and a she-cat latched on and began suckling quickly, but the second and last, a tom and a she-cat lay limply, lifeless.

Echoflight bent to sniff the tom, a long-furred red cat, like his father. Splashlily looked on with anxious eyes, and Russetheart merely watched his paws, barely daring to breathe.

"Dead," Echoflight mewed quietly, and looked up at Forestpaw, who was the closest to the other. Forestpaw felt her heart drop into her throat, and bent to sniff the kit.

It smelled of memories. Days long ago in the nursery with her siblings, warm fur and downy moss and the reassuring smell of milk that curled around and relaxed like a mother's embrace. Alive, but… Dead. The small heart wasn't beating, the skin not warm.

Her eyes pooled with tears, and she whispered hoarsely, "I'm sorry, it's…"

A small gasp caught in her throat as the kit moved beneath her. It twitched, it turned, it struggled for air. Without direction, Forestpaw began licking it fiercely, and felt it warm beneath her. The heart started beating again. It was miraculous, impossible, but… Alive.

It found it's way swiftly to it's mother's belly, and began suckling, and Forestpaw looked on in amazement. Russetheart let out a small sob of happiness, and bent and licked his dead son one last time.

"You have three healthy kits," Echoflight mewed, emotionless. Forestpaw knew her like this. She was thinking, dead to the world.

"Do you still feel pain?"

Splashlily shook her head weakly, staring in wonder at her three kits.

"You should name them now," Forestpaw heard herself mewing.

Echoflight gave her an odd look, but Russetheart nodded slowly. "Yes, yes, we should."

The three, a tom and a she-cat, certainly were a handsome bunch. The tom was jet black, and strong; already little muscles rippled under his pelt, and he was large, for a newborn. The first she-cat, in contrast, was pure white, and small gray spots dotted her delicate body, and shifted strangely when she moved.

The third, the one that was dead but wasn't, was light gray, like her mother, with white tabby stripes. She was smaller than her littermates, and suckled calmly.

Russetheart said shakily, "The tom reminds me so much of those birds I would always see as an apprentice on the ShadowClan border. Ravens. I think we should name him Ravenkit."

Splashlily nodded enthusiastically, the strain of kitting overwhelmed by joy. "And the white she-kit with spots, I think we should call her Mistykit, because of the way her pelt ripples. It reminds me of mist."

Russetheart nodded. "Mistykit. That's perfect. And the last… The gray tabby… She looks remarkably like someone I used to know."

His eyes were foggy when he looked up at his mate, and they said together, "Petalflower!"

It was followed by a sad laugh, and Russetheart looked down at the mirror image of his sister. "Petalkit," he murmured. "It's perfect."

"Marshfang?" Lionkit had scrambled out from behind Cloudclaw and was pushing at his mother's paw. "You're not replacing us, are you?"

"Of course not!" Marshfang exclaimed, cuffing the young kit's ear. "Meet your new denmates!"

Stonekit looked concerned. "Are they gonna be irritating?"

"Stonekit! Don't say that!"

"Will they?"

"Of course not. This is Petalkit, Mistykit, and Ravenkit, but don't disturb them. They're not old enough to play yet."

Echoflight didn't hear the rest, as she had slipped out of the nursery and into the den. Forestpaw followed soon after. They both knew that Cloudclaw would most likely kit tomorrow or the day after, and were already exhausted from the battle against ShadowClan and everyone else that had required their services. The two left the new family to revel, and drifted swiftly into slumber.

As Echoflight slipped into sleep, dreams surrounded her, blanketing her conscience.

She opened her eyes in StarClan, where a cat stood in front of her. She frowned, blinked shook her head.

"Sunstar?"

Her father laughed. "Echoflight. I'm so proud of you. You really are my daughter. But it is not me you are here to see…"

"Who, then?"

"Her."

"Who's her?"

Another cat padded in behind her and cleared her throat. Echoflight whipped around. "Dapplesnow!"

The calico she-cat nodded. "Sunstar, you can not be here for this."

"I would like to stay," the golden tom contradicted.

"This message is for medicine cats only. You have never known that, though you tried, you did not channel the spirit of StarClan."

The dead leader's eyes darkened, but he nodded slowly and padded away, disappearing into the stars.

When they were surely alone, Dapplesnow bowed her head solemnly. "There is a prophecy."

Echoflight pricked her ears. "About the battle?"

Dapplesnow rolled her eyes. "No. That was just a battle, and shush. You're ruining my vibe."

Echoflight concealed a smile.

"Any more interruptions, or are you going to let me continue?" Dapplesnow mewed irritably, but amusement sparked in her amber eyes. Echoflight bowed her head mockingly and mewed, "Please, continue."

"Very well then."

The landscape around them darkened, and the always blue sky swirled into gray, thunder crackling behind them.

Dapplesnow's eyes grew bright, and Echoflight's long fur started whipping about in the wind, though her former mentor's remained perfectly still.

When Dapplesnow spoke, her voice was not her own. It was a collection of ancient voices, both male and female, low and high, grating and tinkly. Dapplesnow's warm amber eyes turned pure white, and she lifted her head.

"Dapplesnow!"

"The prophecy, Echoflight. This is the prophecy."

"I don't understand! What is the prophecy?"

Though Dapplesnow's mouth did not move, somewhere in the back of Echoflight's mind, her voice grumbled, Just shut up and listen! They're trying to tell you!

Echoflight sealed her lips and pricked her ears, waiting.

"Dead, then not. Rain, then drought. The battle is not done. Three, but one. Born on nights of the same moon."

Here, Dapplesnow paused, and the words began to come to life around them. All the greenery shriveled and turn brown, then flourished again, as if in rewind. The clouds above unleashed a furious storm that dried in seconds. The scent of dried blood filled the air, and then the shadows of three cats appeared in front of Echoflight.

The ginger cat gasped and stepped back. One shadow was a little bigger than the others, one a little smaller, the middle one a little darker, more pronounced, the small a little more faded. A full moon appeared above them all.

"Born on the night of the same moon," Dapplesnow repeated. "They shall save the Clans, but first they must choose.

"Cold or light, dull or bright. But this darkness, this battle, comes from the inside."

And with that, Dapplesnow fell to the ground. Her eyes faded to amber, and her ragged breathing was clearly once again hers.

To shocked to move, Echoflight only stood there until Dapplesnow clambered to her feet, groaning. "Thanks for the help."

"I… I don't understand."

"You're not supposed to. You relay the prophecy to the Three on the day of the last's apprenticeship. They are the ones who will choose who the One is."

Echoflight's blood ran cold, and the first thought to her mind slipped out of her mouth as a question. "Is this another Prophecy of the Three?"

Dapplesnow scoffed. "If this prophecy has a name, it is the Prophecy of Inner Darkness."

"Which inside? I mean... inside where?"

Dapplesnow's glance grew sad. "StarClan. The Three. All the cats in the Clans. This battle is not against the other Clans, but against oneself."

"But… the prophecy… I don't…"

"This prophecy, though given by medicine cats to medicine cats, is not for medicine cats. You must not dabble, Echoflight, or it will all fall apart. You have your own inner darkness to fight. In this battle, it's every cat for herself."

When the dream faded away and Echoflight woke, her mind spun even more. The words of the prophecy only rang in her head:

Dead, then not. Rain, then drought.

The battle is not done. Three, but One.

Born on nights of the same moon.

They shall save the Clans, but first they must choose.

Cold or light, dull or bright.

But this darkness, this battle, comes from the inside.

So there you go! What do you think it means? Some of it is easy and some is impossible unless you read the next few chapters... Hope you guys like it! REVIEW YOU BASTARDS

i mean... Review, pretty pretty please! I'll give you gumdrops and cookies! Or a shoutout, or something! Just review!