Prologue:
A hazy white mist floated just over the ground, shrouding the earth as the she-cat walked across it. The young queen was rather puzzled by the fact that everywhere was dark, the only colors being black and white. Anywhere the fog didn't touch was pitch black, having swallowed every last bit of color that ThunderClan territory would typically hold. With the unusual circumstances, she was cautious with every step she took, as she would be kitting in a few moons and didn't want anything to happen to the unborn kits.
"This must be a dream," she muttered softly, her blue irises shifting their focus to her white forepaws as she walked slowly.
"Now Brightmoon, why would lead you to think that?" A meow asked, its tone laced with sarcasm and a slight venom.
Brightmoon immidately stiffened, freezing in place. "Where are you?" She asked tensely.
The nearly-silent sound of beating wings echoed in the more or less empty space. Her heart beat quickened, her breath hitching in her throat. "What do you want now? Why won't you just leave me alone?"
Another wing-beat sliced through the wistful silence, only adding more anxiety. Suddenly, a hot, seething rage flushed through the pretty silver and white she-cat's heart, "answer me! Tell me your name, tell me why you keep tormenting me night after night and day after day! Tell me now!"
Brightmoon gave a shriek of surprise when another body slammed into her, knocking her right off her paws. Her eyes widened when she saw the familiar silhouette that had haunted her since her relationship began with Creekfoot, her mate. She flinched at the sight of the tom's bright green orbs as they bore into her. A light breeze ruffled her pelt when the tom gave his wings a small flap, almost as though he was warning her to keep her mouth shut.
"My, my, Brightmoon, your little heart is beating faster than I thought was possible," the cat began, his hot breath fanning across her face as he spoke, "am I really scaring you? Are you really this weak you pathetic she-cat?" The tom allowed Brightmoon to get up, which she gladly did. She scuttled away from the winged cat, pressing herself closer to the earth; her fury and frustration was long gone now.
He stalked towards her, his emerald colored eyes flashing with anger as he spoke, "answer me!"
Brightmoon straightened herself out, staring defiantly at her attacker. "No, you answer me! What do you want with me?"
The tom launched himself at her, throwing her off her paws once again. She landed with a soft thud. "I'm the one calling the shots around here. Now answer me."
"No, I'm no coward," Brightmoon began, shaking the grit out of her pelt, "but that doesn't mean that I don't fear for the safety of my kits-"
"There, you answered my question, and you answered your own question." He said some-what smugly.
"What?" Brightmoon asked, angry at herself for missing her opportunity.
He flicked his ebony tail in annoyance, "your kits."
"What about them?" She growled.
"My name is Emerald." Emerald said suddenly.
Brightmoon's eyes rounded in horror, "no… no you can't be Emerald! What does the Link want with me?"
"I would tell you, but Ruby wouldn't be very happy with me, why, she might even demote me, take my immortality if I told you." Emerald meowed, sitting back on his haunches.
The she-cat recoiled, her tail whipping around sharply, "why would you tell me that you know, and then say you won't tell me?"
"I am the futurist of the Link, this makes me wiser than you and all of StarClan even. If I tell you that you cannot know, you should trust me." Emerald hissed, his wings thrashing around, casting a more powerful wind towards the queen.
"Why should I trust you?"
"I just told you why!" He snarled, springing forward so he was just in front of Brightmoon's face. "Do you want your kits to keep their purity, their innocence, their hope that things can get better?"
Brightmoon hastily nodded.
His eyes narrowed into satisfied slits; he had her right where he wanted her. "Then you will make this Blood Promise with me, with the Link. If you don't make it, hope will be lost for the clans, ThunderClan in particular, and that would be on you."
Brightmoon shook a little at the proposal. "Why me?"
"It doesn't matter," Emerald said smoothly, "just allow me to draw you blood, and you can draw my blood, and the promise is made."
Her claws flexed and her heart raced at the thought of raking this tom, the one who plagued her thoughts for moons, to mere shreds. She gave a slow nod.
Emerald's eyes gleamed, his tail beckoning for Brightmoon to come forward. Without much hesitation, Brightmoon ran her silver claws down the jet-black tom's pelt, giving a slight purr as crimson bubbled up from the wound.
It was Emerald's turn to purr, lunging at Brightmoon without warning, slicing at her flank. Brightmoon wailed in pain, writhing around beneath the fog's cover as she oozed the deep red onto the black earth.
"And your kits' futures are sealed."