A/N - to people who rated: Thanks for commenting on the Prologue! :D Just so you know, I already have up to the third chapter written, so it should keep you busy for a little while at least. X3 I need to finish chapter four.

The thing we're voting on this week is: Who should die in the final battle? Dark Forest, StarClan, and Clan cats are all fair game. I have not yet decided if the tribe and/or SkyClan should join in on the fight, so give me your opinion!

Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, the characters, ect. They belong to Erin Hunter. The plot alone is mine.


Chapter One

Hollyleaf

Hollyleaf jerked awake, her vision still haunted by the dark shadows of the tunnels, stretching endlessly into a black void, two bulging, sightless eyes burning into her pelt. The prophecy ran through her mind. There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the stars in their paws.

She shook herself. Stupid. You're not even part of the prophecy. Get over it.

As she padded out of her nest and into camp, the weight that came upon her every day sat its self on top of her jet-black shoulders. Her legs nearly buckled. You killed a cat. You robbed him of his life. You deserve to walk in The Place of No Stars.

Hollyleaf sighed, wishing she had never come home. Too many bad memories plagued her. She bristled as Leafpool came over towards her, waving her tail in friendly greeting. Hollyleaf turned away, anger searing her pelt for the cat who had lied to her and her siblings. She's not my mother!

Hollyleaf spotted Brambleclaw in the clearing, organizing patrols as she walked towards the fresh-kill pile. She felt an unexpected rush of affection for the dark tabby, how he lied for her, his fake daughter. She never thought he would do such a thing. The black she-cat wondered if he saw her killing Ashfur that fateful night. She shuddered, recalling the sensation of warm blood rushing into her mouth, the scary feeling she felt after his life wooshed out of him, triumphant, proud. Hollyleaf tasted bile in her mouth. If Brambleclaw saw that, he knows the monster I really am.

"Hollyleaf. Hollyleaf!" She snapped out of her dark thoughts. Lionblaze was padding towards her, his whiskers twitching in amusement. "You were staring at that vole as if it were the most fascinating thing you've ever seen! You've been really out of it lately, what's up?"

Hollyleaf looked around, embarrassed. "You know, just the...goings on lately. I've been having bad dreams about the tunnels...and...yeah." She finished lamely.

A flash of alarm flitted through Lionblaze's amber eyes. "You haven't been training with—"

"No! Of course not! I would rather die, and you know that. How could you suggest such a thing?"

The golden tom shifted his paws uncomfortably. "Well...I can't trust anyone at this point."

"I understand." Hollyleaf laid her tail comfortingly on his broad shoulders, soothing him. Inside she was uneasy, her head buzzing with questions, and her stomach churning with fear. Has it really gotten that bad?


Hollyleaf breathed in deeply the smell of the forest, her ears pricked for scurrying prey. The black she-cat had been back in ThunderClan for nearly two and a half moons, and she could almost imagine being an apprentice agin, before the prophecy, carefree, only worrying about being the best warrior ever. Her nostalgia for the past was poisoned with a sense of dread of the future, making fur on the back of her neck raise.

Her worries were forgotten when she heard the scratching of a squirrel's claws on the forest floor. Hollyleaf open her jaws slightly to let the mouthwatering scent flood her mouth, making her salivate slightly. The bushy-tailed brown creature was nibbling on a nut, completely oblivious to the creeping cat, about to pounce. Hollyleaf crouched, preparing to make a swift kill, when a ginger streak shot out of the brambles and jumped at the squirrel, paws flailing, and landed with a THUMP! Cherrypaw raced up the oak tree after the panicking squirrel, as fast as the wind on the moors. Hollyleaf craned her neck, trying to see the apprentice as she got higher and higher in the tree. She shook her head at the young cat's impulsiveness.

Foxleap appeared out of the foliage, panting. "What is she—"

He was interrupted but a cry of fear. Hollyleaf and Foxleap looked up, searching for the distressed apprentice through the swaying boughs. By that time, the rest of Hollyleaf's hunting patrol had heard the ruckus and come to investigate.

Dovewing gasped. "Cherrypaw!" she said in horror. Hollyleaf caught a glimpse of the ginger she-cat hanging my one paw on a branch high above the staring cats.

Lionblaze nodded grimly at Dovewing. "How did she get up there? Did anyone see?"

"I did," Hollyleaf mewed. "She was went after a squirrel I was stalking and got carried away when it went up the tree."

"Don't just stand there gossiping! Do something to save my kit!" Poppyfrost wailed, her face a mask of terror.

"I will!" Foxleap yowled, puffing out his chest. "Hang on Cherrypaw, I'm coming!" The tom clawed up the tree, his muscles rippling under his tabby pelt. After what seemed like ages, the warrior reached the branch where Cherrypaw was hanging by a claw. He stepped gingerly onto the creaking bough, and grabbed Cherrypaw's scruff. Suddenly, there was a loud crack, and the limb sagged, pitching the two cats off the tree, and onto the forest floor with a sickening thump. Poppyfrost wailed and raced to her kit.

"Dovewing! Go get Jayfeather!" Lionblaze yowled. Dovewing raced off, her paws pounding the ground.

Hollyleaf padded next to the two injured cats, and when Poppyfrost bristled, she meowed comfortingly, "I have a little medicine cat training, remember?" She crouched by Cherrypaw, and observed her body, marveling at how small she looked. "She's unconscious, but alive." Poppyfrost breathed a sigh of relief. Hollyleaf turned to Foxleap, and drew back, her stomach heaving, at a gash in his shoulder. "I-I can't..." she trailed off. "Wounds make me sick. I'm sorry, but..." Poppyfrost gave her a hard stare. "I apologize—"

"What happened?" Jayfeather had arrived. Hollyleaf felt relief wash over her. Lionblaze explained the situation and the medicine cat checked the unconscious cats over. "They're badly injured, but they'll live."

The whole group relaxed.

"We need to get them to the medicine den. Lionblaze and Poppyfrost, help carry them gently."


The sun was going down when Hollyleaf returned from border patrol. Her muscles ached from helping Jayfeather in the medicine cat den, then from marking borders. WindClan was still proud and hostile as ever. They're getting as bad as ShadowClan! Will they ever learn? Hollyleaf thought tiredly. She was about to go into her den, when she heard urgent whispers coming from the medicine cat den. She crept closer, pricking her ears.

"Ivypool's hiding something. I think it's getting worse in the Dark Forest, but she's keeping it to herself. We need her to tell us!" It was Lionblaze.

"Calm down, calm down," Hollyleaf could almost see Jayfeather's whiskers twitching in exasperation at his impatient brother. "She'll tell us when she's ready. We have no idea, it might have gotten worse since you've...visited. Who knows? We could have Dark Forest spies in out Clan this very minute, and she can't talk to us because of them. And Hollyleaf, I know you're out there." The eavesdropping warrior started with surprise, and padded into the medicine cat den.

"What all did you hear?" Jayfeather asked angrily. "You have no right to go around listening to private conversations!" Hollyleaf lashed her tail. What happened to us never keeping secrets? She thought indignantly. You started it, The annoyingly reasonable part of her brain retorted.

Jayfeather seemed to feel her anger and sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just so hard with the prophecy and...you know...everything." Hollyleaf could tell he was hiding something.

"What is it? You know you can trust me! We're siblings!"

Jayfeather and Lionblaze exchanged looks. "Well, we'll explain it all in the morning. It's very complicated and I'm sure you're tired." the blind medicine cat mewed.

"Okay." Hollyleaf said reluctantly. "I just want it to be the way it used to be. But I guess that's impossible now. The code and and the Clans seem like they're close to falling apart."

"Yeah. We know. Darkness is rising, and we must keep it at bay." Lionblaze laid his tail of her shoulders and guided her to her den. The black warrior curled up in her den, laying her tail over her nose, trying to block out the fear and guilt that descended upon her every night like a shadow. Her eyelids started to droop and she began to fall into a thin veil of sleep.

"StarClan, no!" A wail cut though the night like a claw, jolting Hollyleaf out of her sleep. The pure anguish in the yowl sent chills up her spine, and Hollyleaf hoped beyond hope that it was part of her nightmare.


A/N - Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed, and don't forget to R & R and give me your suggestions! It's called the Fan's Version for a reason. Although I am the ultimate decision maker, because part of the plot has already been decided. (: