Prologue

Darkness glittered in the shallow pool of blue/black water. Dew lay on the grass and glowed like stars as it reflected moonlight. Yet the moon was nowhere in the sky, along with no stars, but still the blackness burned brightly. Sitting, shoulders hunched and head gazing intently into the pool's deep, dark depths was the silhouette of a cat. His gray, ragged pelt hung limply off his frame and his owl-like orange eyes were wide, unblinking as they remained focused on the pool.

He had been waiting and waiting; waiting for when he would see them. He had been waiting this intently for so long that as cats passed him by they didn't give him a second look. He was nothing more than background scenery to them. But after watching the pool for so long, he saw as it rippled delicately, the blackish blue water changing ever so slightly. His eyes widen and he took in a rattled breath in his excitement.

Lights and shapes began to shine through the pools icy water, shapes he had never seen before, yet knew they were right ones. The wind sighed through the reeds, whipping his raggedy fur to and fro. He could hear a faint voice carried on the wind, but knew only he could hear it, for only he had waited so patiently for this very moment. As the soft voice was gently carried away he stood, eyes bright.

Moving his muscles slowly, he heard his bones and joints pop and snap from moons and moons of neglect. His large paws left an indent in the earth and he had to make himself stretch before moving, afraid he might pull something. He shook a hind leg and tentatively leaped forward. He stumbled only slightly but managed to keep his balance.

The tom huffed. After so long, sitting by the pool, he had finally seen what he knew would happen, and received the prophecy the others refused to believe. He knew that they would believe now though. Starting at an easy trot he sighed as he worked his body for the first time in moons. He had almost forgot what it felt like to be alive. Then again, he wasn't truly alive was he?

The frosty looking forest opened before him and he let out a yowl. Slowly cats appeared from bushes and brambles, leaping elegantly from the tree tops and poking their heads from what looked like old rabbit burrows. Cats looked at him with both surprise, shock, and puzzled glances. Of course they were not used to seeing him move, as he had sat for lifetimes glaring into the dark pool. That's going to change now.

"Darkstorm, you have finally left your sentry. Tired of waiting for a prophecy that doesn't exist, eh?" The mocking meow came from a lean and brown tabby she-cat.

Darkstorm raised his head, he was much older and more experienced than Larkclaw. "You may think me mad, Larkclaw. But I have received a message, one that can change everything we've known."

The cats that had gathered let out excited and alarmed mewls. A few others however look skeptical, Larkclaw including."If you have finally heard the message,"She sneered."Than please share with the rest of us."

A low growl sounded from Darkstorm's throat."Only with Firestar, Heatherstar, Flametail, and Barkface. You've never believed me, so this is not for your ears."

Larkclaw narrowed her amber eyes to slits but said no more, and stalked away back into the brambles. Others followed her, cats Darkstorm knew didn't believe him, and cats that had no idea what was going on. After all, he had died many, many moons before most of them. Out from the clearing stepped three cats, three he knew well.

He had watched them from afar as they lived, for he had died long before them. Yet as they joined the stary ranks he had come to know them, and they him. Then, after the death of Firestar he had been given a warning, one he knew not. So he had waited by the pool until he had finally understood, and now the time had come.

"Yes Darkstorm? Have you finally understood your warning?" Firestar asked.

Darkstorm gave ThunderClan's legendary leader a nod."Yes, but I'm afraid it is not good. Very shady. Very.....troubling."

"How troubling do you mean?" Flametail asked wearily. "There won't be trouble for ShadowClan will there?"

Darkstorm felt with surprise a dark growl rise in his chest, and without his own consent a voice, dark and desolate, a voice that wasn't his spoke."Evil shall taint the four, and a new darkness will engulf them. Only from the Shadows will come victory, and it still needs the roar of Thunder to herald it's return."

Heatherstar, once a WindClan leader, bristled."The four clans will be tainted? Do you mean by kittypet blood?"

Firestar rounded on her, green eyes flashing dangerously."Are you saying I tainted ThunderClan by joining them? It was my destiny to be the fire that saved us!"

"Easy Firestar, we are all one clan here." Barkface murmured.

"The prophecy sounds like it is for just ThunderClan and ShadowClan alone."Flametail muttered, swishing his tail.

"It is for all the clans!"Darkstorm hissed, making the young ShadowClan medicine cat flinch."StarClan too!"

Firestar seemed to regain his temper, but his eyes still had a hostile glint in them. "Do you know, Darkstorm, how we can prevent this from happening?"

Darkstorm sank his claws into the peaty earth."It is unstoppable. Our Clans will be tainted by this evil and it may drag us under." For a strange reason he felt as if he had a hard time catching his breath, and his lungs constricted tightly in his chest. A tingling sensation tickled is his claws and his eyes began to glisten with something he couldn't distinguish.

"But I have finally been given my warning, and I know who will destroy, and save our clans."Darkstorm croaked, his voice becoming unusually faint. Maybe it was because he hadn't used it in such a long time.

"Who,"Firestar whispered. "Who are they?"

Darkstorm wanted to howl their names to the heavens he was so excited. He had waited lifetimes for this moment, for he knew it would mean he would have an actual purpose. He would actually be able to help his living clan mates instead of chasing dead hares and mice that didn't exist. He would be able to lead a chosen one on the path for victory, and when he eventually faded he could still at least live on in that cat's memory.

Darkstorm was puzzled when his voice didn't reach over a whisper.

Flametail gazed at him."Now tell us, which one of them will destroy, and which one will save us?"

The tickling feeling in Darkstorm's claws suddenly escalated into searing pain. He howled as it seemed his claws had been torn from his paws. The tightness in his chest swelled and every breath he took it felt like he was trying to breath in fish scales. Pain rippled across his spine and to the tip of his tail. It seemed his bones turned into scorching stone and his blood to liquid flame. Please no! No!

He knew what was happening. He was fading.

The grass around him went up in flames and he let out one more agonizing cry. Suddenly everything was gone, forever. Nothing swept him out into the darkness where no cat returned. He was forever gone, and nothing could stop it. He had the feeling he was being cheated. After waiting by the pool obediently for the prophecy this was his thanks? Then the rest of his mind, thoughts, body and soul disappeared.

Firestar, Flametail, Barkface and Heatherstar stared in horror where Darkstorm had been before he had faded. With feelings of dread they knew one day they would fade too, and it would be as painfully as Darkstorm's had. It wasn't just that what the four cats dreaded, for they knew which cats the prophecy centered around. They just didn't know which ones would save them and which ones would destroy them.

Somewhere far away, where an impossibly old badger sat and watched the stars, she saw one flicker, before completely dying out.

Muwahahhah I'm so evil! I kinda liked Darkstorm's character but I killed him off. Only for the stories sake though. :P
Please feel free to review and give me constructive criticism. I like where I'm heading with this story and plan on updating quick.