Thick, dark clouds hung in the air, cloaking the glittering stars in a blanket of everlasting dark. Muffled rumbles thundered from their interior, signifying the oncoming storm. A warm breeze fluttered through the stiff and rigid trees, their bark shriveled and dry from excessive heat. Even the bare grass had grown needle-like, the water drained leaving it with an unpleasant crunch when stepped upon. Now you could clearly hear this sound, the sharp echoes floating through the barren forest like a drone march. Each step crisp and clear as if multiple figures walked as one. Subtle breathing was masked by the crunching, hot breath puffing into the equally warm air. A jerk in noise from the heaven's above distilled the march, scattered snaps scuffling for the next few seconds while bearings were gathered.
The march again resumed, though it was in agreement that each step was tense, as if waiting for another angry cry from the dark shadows. Several rumbles were evident as the anticipation grew, all ready to expect the same white-blue scar strike down. The conjoined figures remained in silence, stalking through the humid night air as small droplets were released from the sky. The former silent figures recoiled as the drops fell upon their pelts of often ginger, black, brown, tortoiseshell, and tabby, offering up several dismayed hissing to prove their discomfort. The hissing dissolved into a low murmur, grumbles echoing around all agreeing about the rather foul approaching weather.
The night air was no longer silent, overcome by the mutterings of the strangers and the rumbling of the quickly advancing disturbance. Another few bounds ahead the flat earth turned jagged, a swift drop leading to the next flattened out patch of dried grass. Feline figures halted at the edge, the stray bits of moonlight reflecting off their glowing orbs. The broad shouldered tabby at the head took the lead down the drop, finding the previously used ridged trail that gently sloped towards the base. One by one, the shadowed felines slipped into a single file line and stepped gingerly down onto the bumpy ground. The rainfall had already considerably increased, noted by the quickly forming puddles in the dips in the earth.
The hollow itself was home to the puddle laden ground, as well as a large oak with thick branches. Surrounding the large clearing was a tall, jagged barrier of stone which shielded it from the outside. The remaining cats streamed in over the rocks, settling in the muddy earth with disgusted snorts as they struggled to find a dryer place to sit. The rain continued to beat down mercilessly against their cold, shivering bodies, increasing in power as darkened, mud stained felines crawled out from a small tunnel at the far end of the clearing. Rather than the disgust that the latter had, these cats seemed to welcome the harsh rain with relieved sighs. A pretty silver tabby delicately poised herself on one of the higher branches of the oak after a set of graceful bounds. She was joined by the broad shouldered black tabby within moments, giving a curt nod to her companion as she relished in the falling rain.
Down below, a small scuffle broke out among the mingling cats. Two small cats, slightly larger than a kit, had charged ahead from their group and ended up sliding head first into another apprentice which caused the three to clash in a muddy dip. There were startled cries and sharp hissing, three muddied felines struggling to crawl away from the overly moist dirt. Some were laughing, grateful to have something to take their minds off the bitter chill that followed the harshly falling droplets.
Another large group slipped into the hollow via the trees, their entrance masked by the downpour. Wordlessly, a slender white tom sat perched next to the black tabby, offering an almost unseen nod in greeting. More cats down below the large oak were continuing to mingle, their voices of bitterness, irritation, warmth, and laughter echoing around the circular hollow.
"You wouldn't be laughing if you were the ones soaked with this foul stuff!" spat the apprentice who had been knocked in- a dark reddish she-cat with a lithe and nimble frame, her black paws covered by the darkness of the night. Her dark amber orbs flashed with hostility, scooping up a mound of the sloppy mush with a dainty paw and hurling it at the nearest feline; a dark gray tom who was also one of her clanmates. The mud struck his muzzle, most of his face splattered with the brown substance.
"Oh calm down Flarepaw," spoke a voice through the almost blinding weather, the tall frame of an orange and white tom padding closer and offering the she-cat help. "You needn't throw mud at your clanmates. You've got to work on that temper of yours."
"Temper shemper!" roared the reddish feline- Flarepaw by name, as she was nudged away from the dip. "Those flea-pelts threw me in!" She thrust a paw forward to a small gray she-cat with a white blaze on her chest and a darker, almost black tom. The two visibly recoiled in fear, the unusually small she-cat throwing out harsh insults without batting an eye.
"No need to be nasty either," sighed the orange and white tom, his companion- a fluffy cream tom- offered a silky purr, "Fallenpaw's right. Besides, mud on your pelt makes you look so much prettier." Even through the downpour, many could see the lustful glint in his mossy green orbs. The mud stained she-cat however, wouldn't fall for his antics once she snorted, lips curled back to reveal pearl white fangs slightly brown from the muddy water.
"Mind your manners, Wildpaw," the orange and white tom nudged the cream apprentice sharply. "And the rain should wash away the mud, Flarepaw. Calm down and listen up; the leaders are about to speak."
A blue-white streak sliced through the sky, setting cats on edge with fearful yowling that barely was heard over the spattering rain. A louder, ear-splitting yowl came from the silhouette of the oak tree, to signify the gathering's start.
"Cats of all Clans!" bellowed a tom's voice, either the black tabby's or the white tom's. "Look to the sky! Can you see the moon?"
This was a certainly peculiar way to begin the gathering but never the less, all the heads of the gathered felines tilted upwards to gaze at the inky sky, met with a cascade of droplets staining their faces. Many were still confused. What was the point?
"You do not see the moon, correct?" cried another voice from the branches of the oak, this time it was the silver tabby's. "It is a sign! Whitestar, Darkstar, and I have consulted each other and have come to conclude: StarClan does not want there to be a gathering tonight! The moon has been covered by clouds since the moment any of us arrived!"
"Because of this startling news, the gathering is over!" the final leader's voice cut through the roar of the precipitation. Shocked murmurs echoed through the swarm of cats. Never had a gathering been canceled like this. Once or twice the clouds had covered the moon but never had the Clans had to end their sacred meeting without it even starting. To make matters worse, another bolt of blue-white shot from the sky, snarling with ferocity and rage of a great TigerClan warrior. The panicked felines scurried around one another, desperately searching for their clanmates so they could leave the hollow and escape to their warm dens.
A terror filled screech echoed from the stone ridge, the lithe white shape of BlizzardClan's leader tearing up grass to climb back down into the hollow, a huge tidal wave nipping at his paws. Just as the terrified leader leaped, the wave surged into the hollow, colliding with the fleeing felines. Fear stricken pelts crashed through the surface as the hollow continued to fill with a huge amount of water. Yowling in terror, they frantically leaped for the great oak, taking refuge high above ground with shivering bodies.
The giant wave subsided, falling victim to the cracks near the clearing base as well as the tunnel. The water was soon filtered out, leaving nothing but drenched earth and puddles behind. A cautious mew came from the tree's interior.
"MagmaClan, are we all accounted for?" the broad shouldered tabby mewed, sharply coughing after speaking.
"BlizzardClan? What about you?" Whitestar feebly glanced around, light green eyes still round with terror.
"And OceanClan," came the silver tabby's quivering tone. "Seafoam, are we all here?"
A agony filled yowl came from one of the tree's inhabitants. A dark gray she-cat frantically wailing and shaking her head. "No! No no no no no! They're gone!"
Much better...For those who don't know what I'm talking about, I had originally posted this first chapter at almost midnight. I was rather tired and extremely not in a writing mood. So despite my better judgement, I posted it. And boy was it god awful! I couldn't bear to live with such a terrible prologue and I had to have it changed. And this is the final product. Hope you like it. Oh, and this was also adopted by Kira-QueenOfDarkness. I own the cats and Clans but not the plotline. Be sure to read, review and tell me what you think of the revised version.
-Snarky