Prologue
Three cats crouched around a pool of water, their fur shining with starlight. Their pelts bristled as they gazed at the still water. Colors flashed across the pool's surface, brief snatches of a battle yet to come. Faint sounds of fighting were carried on a breeze that ruffled the water, causing ripples to disturb the images below. After a moment, the pool faded to a normal pale blue-black, leaving no trace of the violence that had been shown upon its surface. The three cats were silent for a moment.
Then, a tom stood and twisted to smooth his ruffled fur. "Well," he meowed. "Do we know when this battle will occur?"
The cat to his left shook her silver head. "No, only that it is fast approaching."
The last cat, a slender black she-cat, rose to her paws and mewed, "Is there anything we can do to stop it? A battle like this will destroy the clans!" Her companions stayed silent, unable to answer.
The trio jumped as a new voice sounded. "There is a way," it said, deep and slow. The tom and she-cats turned to face the newcomer.
"Greetings, wise one," they murmured. The new cat, a tom, stepped into the clearing. His fur was midnight black, and he was only visible by the stars that outlined his form.
"Will you tell us how we can save our clans?" begged the silver she-cat. The dark tom was quiet for so long that it seemed like he would not speak at all. Then, he waved his tail at the pool, and a new image filled its surface, one of a cat whose eyes shone with a combination of love, pain, and a determination so great it seemed as if it would incinerate everything in sight. After a moment, the pool cleared with a splash of red and black.
The black tom sat and wrapped his tail around his paws. "This cat is the only hope of the clans. But such power comes at a cost. How far are you willing to go to save the clans?"
The three cats exchanged glances, and the black she-cat replied, "As far as we must."
The black tom's grey eyes flashed as he dipped his head. "So be it. When the time comes, this cat will be able to stop the battle." His voice shifted, and in a rasping, eerie monotone, he mewed,
"At the dawn of the full moon, one will be born who holds the power of life and death with the touch of her heart, but with such power comes a terrible price."
In a whirl of wind and motion, the black tom vanished, leaving the three starry warriors wondering, What have we done?
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I have published this story before, but in pieces and incomplete. I have dove back in to editing and writing, so I want to release a each chapter of the story individually, and eventually post the entire thing. Reviews are always welcome, and help motivate me to finish the story completely.