Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors. If I did, I'd be making a fortune. Unfortunately, I'm sort of lacking in the money department.
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Prologue
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Gingerstar yowled, trying to get the attention of the cats below him. As the mews halted and the cats looked up towards the tree he was standing on, he began to speak. "The gathering has begun. Today Runningstar would like to speak first."
Gingerstar nodded to Runningstar, beckoning the clan leader to begin his speech. Runningstar obligingly stepped forward. "Yesterday ShadowClan had uninvited guests arrive. The foxes killed two of our elders. We have lost Quailfur and Tallfoot."
The mass of cats yowled their dismay. Swiftstar stepped forward. "We grieve your loss," the WindClan leader meowed softly. Seastar and Gingerstar nodded.
Runningstar continued, "ShadowClan are pleased to announce the births of four kits. They are very healthy, and will grow to be formidable warriors. Also, today we greet an apprentice as a warrior. We welcome Nightsteam as a full warrior of ShadowClan. He fought bravely against the foxes, managing to kill one himself."
Cats craned their necks to stare at Nightsteam, and the new ShadowClan warrior kneaded his paws in anxiousness. Recognising the embarrassment, Swiftstar stepped forward. "WindClan is doing fine. Recently we have also had kits born."
Swiftstar glanced at Seastar. The RiverClan warrior dipped his head and pulled himself up to his full height. He surveyed the cats below him with gratitude. "All RiverClan has to say tonight is they appreciate the help of ThunderClan in saving one of our kits."
RiverClan murmured approval, while the cats of ThunderClan sat a little straighter, happy that they had been recognised.
"But," Seastar mewed, "We wish to know which ThunderClan cat saved Lilykit."
Gingerstar nodded, understanding, and padded forward to meet the black RiverClan leader. "That is what I was about to say." Seastar inclined his head and stepped back.
Gingerstar looked at the cats below him. "Two moons ago ThunderClan allowed a cat to join our clan. This cat was not a rogue, nor a kittypet."
Mews and angry mutterings arose between the cats. A warrior called out, "Why did you let the cat in your clan?"
Runningstar glanced down and growled, "Be silent Lightstorm. Let Gingerstar tell his story." Lightstorm dipped his head in acceptance.
Gingerstar continued, "She saved my life, and the life of my deputy, Lightningfur. We welcomed her as a full warrior of ThunderClan three nights ago, after she rescued the kit of RiverClan."
Proud calls came from the ThunderClan warriors below. Gingerstar's ear twitched in amusement before stepping back.
Lightstorm's friend, Darkhope, growled, "What is this cat's name?"
Gingerstar's eyes gleamed in the moonlight. "Her name is-"
"-Wait," Lightningfur mewed. "Wait until the next gathering."
Gingerstar narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "All right. Next gathering, you shall know the name of the cat."
Seastar crouched down, and jumped from the branch he had been standing on. "RiverClan, follow me," he called, then looked back. "We look forward to next moon's gathering."
Swiftstar called his warriors over, and they ran out of the clearing without another word. Runningstar glanced at Gingerstar once, and then padded over to his cats. Soon, all that was left in the clearing were the ThunderClan cats.
Gingerstar took a second to glance at them all. Dawnfrost, Lightningfur, Silverleaf, Snowfrost, Scarletpelt and Smokestorm stared back at him, some with amusement in their glowing eyes.
"Let's get back to the rest of ThunderClan," Gingerstar mewed.
"No," Snowfrost almost growled. "Not yet."
"Why in StarClan not?" Scarletpelt snarled.
Dawnfrost nudged Scarletpelt gently with her paw. "Mouse-brain," she whispered. "Snowfrost is getting a message from StarClan."
Indeed, she was. As the medicine cat, Snowfrost always seemed to get grouchy just before an important message from StarClan came.
Snowfrost's eyes glazed over. To Gingerstar's horror, Snowfrost's brown eyes turned a shade of bright yellow, seeming to flicker and shine in the moonlight. "Snowfrost?" he questioned cautiously. Snowfrost turned.
Despite the fact that her eyes were glazed over, the yellow pierced through the night, seeming to pass right through all the cats watching.
Snowfrost opened her mouth, and spoke in a voice that sounded like everyone that Gingerstar had ever met, yet at the same time sounding ;like absolutely nothing. "Thundering paws will save, and paws dipped in darkness will destroy. It is the warring storm that will cease to bear witness to the horrors approaching. Fire will tell all. The stars will fade as the night nears."
Snowfrost toppled to the side. Silverleaf rushed over to her, leaning against her to keep the dazed medicine cat upright. "Are you okay?" Silverleaf questioned.
Snowfrost glanced at her, brown eyes almost invisible in the darkness. "I-I'm fine."
"Do you know what that meant?" Gingerstar asked.
"No," Snowfrost replied. "But bad times are coming, Gingerstar, and there is nothing we can do about it."
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Leafpool ran over to Firestar, worried and scared. Firestar was sitting next to Sandstorm and Graystripe, mewing away happily.
Leafpool skidded to a halt in front of the trio, gasping for air that she didn't actually need. After all, when cats reached StarClan, they did not need air. Firestar looked up, alarmed. "Leafpool, what's wrong?"
Leafpool opened her mouth. "The…the…StarClan didn't…I didn't…"
"Didn't what?" Graystripe asked, concerned. Sandstorm gazed into Leafpool's eyes, trying to understand what was wrong.
Leafpool tried to speak again, but all that came out was a strangled whisper. A whisper that, fortunately, the trio could hear. "ThunderClan received a prophecy after the gathering."
"So?" Graystripe growled.
"Why wasn't I told?" Firestar questioned.
"Who sent it?" Sandstorm mewed, dipping her tail on Firestar's head and calming him.
"I don't know," Leafpool stated.
Firestar, although knowing what Leafpool was about to say would be bad news, beckoned her to continue. Leafpool took a deep breath.
"StarClan didn't send it!" she cried.
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He blinked.
He glanced around, almost cautiously, hoping against hope that this was all real. He hadn't seen the ground in so long. He closed his eyes, sniffing the air around. He could smell life, something that he hadn't smelt in years. In fact, he hadn't smelt anything in years. Everything had changed since then.
The lake was still there. It still was as bright and glistening as it was the first day he had seen it. The island used for the gatherings was exactly the same. And yet, he could tell there was something wrong. He blinked again, surprised at the smell of blood when there was none. He gave a snort of frustration; he must've been having another of his annoying dreams, even though that was what he had been reduced to.
The tangent aroma of blood seemed to creep closer, and he stepped forward confidently to greet it. The blood was going to be his greatest ally on the living plains, he realised. The blood was what was going to lead his followers to victory. He yowled his challenge to the sky, knowing that soon the sky would respond. Soon…
Soon, the stars would wither in fear and the sun would be covered by night. Soon.
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A/N
Hi all! Hope you enjoyed the start of my new story. I do appreciate reviews, so please, please review. It'll make me happy. And I know this chapter is short. I'll make sure future chapters are longer. And better written. Usually the first chapter of stories I write are the worst, 'cos I have to find a new way of writing- more so in this case. This chapter is short because I didn't want to have this as a point of view chapter- I'm usually writing longer chapters with point of views, but since this is the prologue, I couldn't do that.
Please tell me if you like it so far!