Tigerstripe remained frozen as he watched the lightning fade from the sky, its horrific appearance being replaced with the large boom of thunder echoing ahead. Tigerstripe could feel every piece of hair on his body stand up, and a shudder passed through him.
Turning to Jetfur, he noticed fear flashing in her green eyes. She too seemed frozen, jumping as another flash of lightning streaked the dark sky.
Gathering courage, Tigerstripe shouted, "We need to get out of here!" Wind had now picked up, and the tiniest bit of rain began dripping down from the sky. Unfortunately, they were in the middle of a giant clearing with not a piece of shelter in sight.
Jetfur nodded in a frightened manner, and Tigerstripe took off across the field as fast as his legs could carry him. He turned back, relieved to see Jetfur quickly following after him. Unfortunately, her pace was much slower, and Tigerstripe feared she'd fall behind.
"Come on!" he shouted, watching as she picked up her pace.
The rain was coming down harder now, and the wind blew the ice-cold droplets against Tigerstripe's pelt, soaking it. Tigerstripe shivered but continued to run, desperately looking to the forest ahead for any type of shelter. As he ran, however, it seemed that the field just continued to go on forever, and he felt as if he were trapped in a maze of golden grass.
Turning back once more, Jetfur was still following behind him, though not as quickly. Tigerstripe, nervous, trusted she'd continue running and hurried through the field as thunder rumbled in the sky above him.
He jumped as lightning flashed and struck a pine tree behind him. Not wanting to get distracted, Tigerstripe continued to run, the rain blinding him now as he desperately searched for a mere rock for him and Jetfur to crawl under as the storm passed.
Thunder echoed throughout the clearing again, chilling Tigerstripe to the bone. Up ahead he could finally see a distant clump of trees, and his heart lifted. The storm had not ceased but was only becoming increasingly worse, and he wanted to escape.
"Jetfur!" he called, turning around to tell her the exciting news.
When he turned around, however, he froze in place, his heart beating rapidly. The jet black she-cat was no longer behind him. In fact, it seemed she was nowhere to be found.
Tigerstripe, his heart now pounding from Jetfur's disappearance rather than the running, glanced around. The rain blinded him, but he just had to find the dark she-cat. She couldn't be too far behind. He'd seen her only a few minutes before.
"Jetfur!" he called, glancing around. He leapt into the air as lightning lit up the field again. Even with the light from the bolt, however, he still could not see his friend anywhere. It was as if she'd completely vanished.
"She must've gotten lost," he muttered, still hoping to find her.
Turning around, Tigerstripe began to run back in the direction he'd come from, this time the rain being thrown at him in an opposite, even worse, direction. He was soaking wet and exhausted, but he couldn't just leave Jetfur behind.
"JETFUR! JETFUR!" he called, frantically looking around for the black she-cat. He paused for a moment and glanced around like he'd done earlier, but he still was unable to find the she-cat.
A sudden fear gripped hold of Tigerstripe. She couldn't be dead, could she? He was unsure how she could die in a mere storm, but he had visions of her collapsing in the field or perhaps being struck by lightning, not that he had ever seen more-or-less heard of a cat being struck by lightning before.
Stopping in his place and panting, out of breath, Tigerstripe glanced around and headed in an entirely new direction, knowing it was more important to find Jetfur than seek shelter. He couldn't leave her out in the storm alone.
But what if she's found shelter, he wondered. He shook his head, knowing it didn't matter. He just had to find Jetfur, regardless of how long it took.
"JETFUR!" he screeched desperately as he ran through the never-ending golden grass that was now soaked with rainwater. Mud had gathered on Tigerstripe's paws, and bits of grass clung to his wet pelt.
As he continued to run and frantically search for the she-cat, he could feel himself growing more tired, and it seemed as if his energy was slowly dying out. He found his pace slowing down, and he stopped for a moment to catch his breath before seeking the she-cat again.
When he started up his run again through the field, he felt his legs grow heavy, and in a few moments, he had collapsed on the damp grass and felt the world fading from his view. The only sound he could hear was the distant rumble of thunder and the clamor of rain hitting the floor.
Tigerstripe opened his eyes, expecting to be dead or still laying in the storm-infested field. Instead, he found himself not in a clearing but an entirely different forest. He froze and slowly stood up, glancing around.
This was not like any forest he'd seen before. No sunlight peeked through the leaves of the trees, and a darkness had settled around him. Dark trees loomed in front of him with dark clumps of moss hanging like vines from the sharp branches of the trees.
I'm dead, Tigerstripe guessed, at first believing he'd found himself in StarClan. Instead, however, he knew that this forest had to be the Dark Forest. And that meant…
"I've died and gone to the Dark Forest!" he exclaimed, pacing around frantically. Jetfur was probably still out in the storm while he'd gotten himself killed and landed in an unfriendly eternal home.
A shadow lingered in the distance, which caught Tigerstripe's eye. He froze and spun toward the direction he'd seen it, calling out in the bravest voice, "Who-who's there?"
From the darkness he could only make out a pair of glowing red eyes that were all too familiar to him. A moment later, a sleek figure crept out of the bushes. Tigerstripe felt his heart beat rapidly as the figure emerged.
It was a sleek and petite silver-blue she-cat with emerald green eyes. Tigerstripe squinted in the dim light, gulping as he caught sight of the light reflecting off the she-cat's sharp claws.
He knew this cat all too well. It was none other than the former leader of MoonClan and his mother, Moonstar. He believed he had been free from her powerful rule when she had died, but he knew this was no longer the case.
"What are you-" he began, only to be silenced by his mother.
A cracking sound came behind Jetfur, and he spun around.
"Jetfur?" he asked, glancing around. But the sound never came again, and it seemed like no cat was there.
"Tigerstripe," Moonstar said, causing Tigerstripe's attention to return back to his mother.
"I'm dead, I'm dead," he muttered, beginning to pace around.
"You are not dead," Moonstar replied in a growling manner.
Tigerstripe froze, relief flooding over him. He hadn't completely abandoned Jetfur. He was still alive, which meant…Jetfur was still stuck in the storm, and he had failed to find her.
"Send me back then!" he called desperately. "Oh, please, send me back! Wake up, wake up! I need to find Jetfur!"
Moonstar only rolled her eyes and growled slowly.
"Don't go after Jetfur," Moonstar warned. "She never meant anything to MoonClan, and she will never mean anything to you."
"Don't tell me what I should believe!" Tigerstripe hissed, unsheathing his claws.
"She never did anything for MoonClan!" Moonstar growled.
"So what if she's an 'embarassment?'" he replied angrily. "She's not under your control anymore!"
"Tigerstripe, do you really think I'm an embarassment?" a quiet voice muttered behind him. Tigerstripe spun around, watching as a familiar black she-cat slid out of the dark bushes and into the light.
"Say yes!" Moonstar hissed, her eyes brightening with a chance for pain to be felt.
"She isn't!" Tigerstripe hissed at his mother, defending the she-cat.
Moonstar growled. "How dare you, you ungrateful tom!" she spat.
Tigerstripe ignored his mother and glanced over at Jetfur. "Jetfur, what are you doing here? Why are you in the Dark Forest?" he wondered. Was she dead? Or was she too having a dream?
Jetfur did not say anything but instead stared blankly at him. Tigerstripe eagerly awaited an answer, but the silence was suddenly interrupted by a loud hissing sound that rattled the trees and shook the ground.
A whisper began to echo throughout the clearing where Tigerstripe, Jetfur, and Moonstar stood. Then, a luminous figure began to slither out of the shadows, the hiss growing louder as it came nearer. Barely able to make out the shapeless figure, Tigerstripe felt his heart rate grow quicker as the figure's eyes glowed amber and a pink forked tongue slipped out.
Noticing it coming for Jetfur, Tigerstripe leapt in front of the she-cat, growling at this unknown creature.
"Don't touch her!" he hissed, wanting to protect his friend with all his might.
Jetfur stood frozen like a statue. The shape slithered over the she-cat, opening its mouth to reveal sharp white fangs.
"Jetfur, get out of here!" Tigerstripe screeched as the creature came closer. He launched himself at the figure of darkness and clawed at its rough skin, hoping he'd buy some time for her to escape.
The dark shape fled from his grasp and dropped down on the she-cat, enclosing her in a prison of teeth. Jetfur remained motionless, as if she felt no pain at all.
"Jetfur!" Tigerstripe screeched, his voice hoarse.
The thing flicked its tongue, a splash of liquid landing on Tigerstripe. He knew immediately this was venom, as it began to sting on contact.
Jetfur, now aware she was trapped in the sharp prison of teeth began to scream loudly. The monster closed its mouth, causing Jetfur's scream to die away. The figure then lifted its head, its amber eyes turning toward Tigerstripe with an evil glow.
"Jetfur!" he screamed, the pain becoming much worse. He knew it was useless calling for her. She was gone, and that was that.
The figure slithered once more and approached Tigerstripe, this time whispering a few words.
"Your love isss no more…I am the cobra. Beware Tigersssstripe," it spoke in a whispery and cold manner.
Feeling himself losing focus of the world around him now, Tigerstripe watched as the shadow-like figure opened its mouth, Jetfur's scream echoing from inside of it. Then, the scream broke apart, and Tigerstripe lost consciousness with the glowing amber eyes still in his mind.
Tigerstripe opened his eyes to find sunlight beating down on him. He stood up suddenly, a sharp pain running down his back. His pelt was dirty and coated in grass and mud. His fur was matted and tangled from the mud and water that had clung to it.
Despite this pain he felt, relief suddenly fled through him, and he sniffed the air. It had all been a dream. Jetfur could still be alive! He had to go find her!
"Jetfur!" he called.
He froze suddenly as a voice spoke beside him.
"Are you okay?"
He turned, his eyes falling on a tabby with a ripped ear sitting beside him, her eyes full of concern.