Sorry I haven't updated in a long while but I have school and well lots of other things have been going on but I am hoping I will finish at least two chapters this weekend and maybe start a third. This chapter is going to start with well a lot of dreams from different cats' POVs. So…here goes!

Chapter 8: Part 1-Signs

In the dark, cold night, the soft breathing of many creatures stirred the spirits up above. The restless ghosts floated gently down like a ginger autumn leaf. They haunted the dreams of sleeping animals, whispering in their ears as softly as the dancing wind.

-Hawkpaw's POV-

I gazed up at the brilliant warrior that stood before me. His eyes burned like an everlasting fire. It was a StarClan cat. It touched its nose to mine and I retaliated at the cold shock that buzzed through my muzzle and tingled my whole body. In my mind flashed images; a downpour that flooded the ground, a blazing fire that seemed to touch the sky, and a hawk wheeling sharply through the foggy air, its wingspan touching the clouds.

"What has power over water and fire must earn his wings. Only then can the rain stop its flood, and the burning embers die," the cat spoke with a voice like ice. The images danced in my head again and then he was gone replaced with a starry feathered bird of prey diving towards me, its amber eyes glowing.

-Emberpaw's POV-

I opened my eyes to a nightmare. To shady creatures had him in a vice grip. They were going to kill him. I leaped forward ready to defend. Then suddenly I was back in the StoneClan camp. Hawkpaw and Rainpaw were there. Hawkpaw was looking at me and then Rainpaw and then back at me again. Tears spilled from his sapphire eyes. He looked at me, with his soft teary gaze and whispered, "I always loved Rainpaw, never you."

"What?" I gasped. It felt like my lungs had shriveled up. I couldn't breathe. My heart stopped for a second as I processed those words. Hawkpaw then yowled at me, bawling a long sad moan, "Can't you hear me, I never want to be with you Emberpaw! I love Rainpaw!"

"But what about our adventures, I know you so much better than her, you can't possibly be giving me up. I'm the best thing that ever happened to you!"

Time passed in my dream. It was painful to watch. I saw myself shredding my own arm with my claws, shedding my own blood, scarlet bubbling from the wound. I watched myself curled around a tiny rock with his picture engraved on it. I watched the tears sprawled delicately across my cheeks. There was nothing left to live for. Then it went to a confrontation with Hawkpaw. My dream self spat at his paws, "It's like being cut open every day that I see you with your back turned. I don't know how any of you fail to see the blood I've shed! I would die over this fate!"

Then my claws struck my own flesh right in front of him. He watched in horror as I reopened the old wound.

"Never let your flames die Emberpaw," a voice made me whip around.

A StarClan warrior stood before me in a glorious haze of light and stars. He emanated wisdom.

"Is this from the future?" I asked.

"You will have to wait and see, but remember, never let your flames die Emberpaw."

-Misty's POV-

When I awoke into my dream, Zahraer was sitting before me, rustling his majestic wings. I dipped my head in greeting. He did the same in return.

"You are close. Head due west and then south at the sight of the blue star. There you will find others of StarFire. They will lead you to me. Bring the clan cats with you," the hawk instructed.

"Yes Zahraer, my best wishes sent towards you," I replied.

-Russell's POV-

My dreams danced with the little amber apprentice. I liked her alright. She was curious and eager to learn but it was obvious that she was crushing on the other tom: Hawkpaw. She was twirling around in front of me, the wind lazily blowing the fragrant scent of flowers all around her. She came up to me.

"You are the brightest fire I've ever seen," I gasped.

"How bright?" she giggled.

"Brighter than the sun, the moon, and the stars put together."

Where was this coming from? Suddenly her pelt burst into flames and she lunged at me.

-Frozenflame's POV-

"Frozenflame, come back!"

"Shadowsoul?"

I turned to face him. His eyes were teary and he sulked. His fur was messy, she thought it was cute, but he was shaking from head to tail.

"I miss you," he whispered.

I narrowed my eyes and turned my back. This wasn't real. Then I felt his muzzle brush my side. He had caught up to me.

"I can't go back, everything will only get worse," I told him.

"When I become leader, I will bring you back and you will rule the forest with me!" he growled at an invisible enemy, "Just let any cats try to stop us and they will regret it!"

"Don't worry, I will come back!" I promised.

"I love you Frozenflame."

I whipped around but he was gone.

-StoneClan Camp-

FeatherClan warriors burst through the camp wall and filled the entire clearing. Fernstar stood at the front of the pack her eyes crazed. Ripplestar faced her, anger electrifying his yellow eyes.

"Get back to your own territory Fernstar!" he hissed.

"Never, FeatherClan attack!" the silver she-warrior yowled. Both sides surged forward. A gray tabby tom with a fluffy white tail landed in front of Rainpaw. She recognized him from Gatherings, his name was Thistletail. He lunged and Rainpaw was just quick enough to dodge his heavy clawed paw. He snarled at her but she didn't show fear. Then she swiped her claws down his cheek. Phantompaw appeared out of nowhere and leapt onto the great warrior's back. Thistletail body slammed into the ground, crushing the black and silver apprentice. Rainpaw heard the air rush out of Phantompaw and he struggled to breathe behind the thick fur that suffocated him. Rainpaw jammed into Thistletail, shoving him off. Phantompaw quickly got to his paws and slashed at the enemy. Blood leaked out of the wounds and the gray tabby tom writhed in pain.

A loud screech came from one of the caves and the cries of tiny kits split the air. Oh no! FeatherClan had reached the nursery. Rainpaw left Phantompaw to deal with Thistletail while she raced up the steep mountainside to the cave which held the nursery. Cheeryheart, and another warrior named Frostyclaw were pulling at the nursery wall. Cricketsong was defending with her life. The black and white she-cat wouldn't last much longer though.

Cheeryheart was battling with her while Frostyclaw untangled the wall of brambles and thorns. A queen's little gray kit slashed at Frostyclaw, and the large warrior sent him tumbling back into the den with a deft flick of his pure white claws.

Rainpaw didn't hesitate to attack but it was two warriors against an almost dead queen and an apprentice. Cheeryheart slashed at Cricketsong. The rocky mountain floor was pooled with blood and bathed in crimson. Cricketsong hurled herself at the enemy warrior but before she could attack Cheeryheart reached out and slit her throat. The black queen staggered on her white paws and then fell, her body ravaged and bleeding. Her eyes glazed over and she was dead.

Meanwhile, Rainpaw was tussling with Frostyclaw. The tom's claws were at least an inch long as they dug into her shoulders. The cuts seared like her whole body was on fire. Suddenly Cheeryheart attacked as well, pulling the blue gray apprentice off of her clan mate.

"She's just an apprentice, lets kill her now," I heard Cheeryheart's icy voice.

"Killing is unjust you mouse-brained pieces of fox-dung!" Briarleaf's angry voice cursed. The enemy warriors turned only to be bombarded by Briarleaf and Crimsonheart, both of which were very injured as well. Rainpaw escaped the cave.

Ripplestar was fighting the deputy of FeatherClan: Maskface. The leader looked beat, but he wasn't about to show that. His very old head wound had reappeared and was trickling blood down his face. Suddenly he collapsed on the ground. Rainpaw never saw the looming shadow of an enemy warrior looming over her. The cat pinned her to the ground and the last thing she saw before everything went black was Ripplestar yowling out, "We surrender!" before collapsing to the ground.

Chapter 8: Part 2-Captives

Rainpaw opened her sapphire eyes. The sun was glinting down through the trees that hung over the large camp wall. Suddenly, the pain enveloped her. Her body felt like it was frozen stiff and burning with blue fire at the same time. She couldn't move. She looked around the camp. The snow was red and a pile of bodies littered the center of the camp. Five of StoneClan and one of FeatherClan. Ripplestar was lying unmoving on the ground next to her. He wasn't breathing.

Meanwhile, Fernstar was pushing StoneClan cats into the large cave at the top of the mountain. Then something grabbed Rainpaw's scruff and dragged her over to the pile of dead cats. Thistletail of FeatherClan was the only dead enemy. The five from StoneClan were: Cricketsong, Ripplestar's mate, Sootkit, kitten of Dawnspots, Beetlefur, the oldest cat of StoneClan, Feathershimmer, a brave warrior, and Foxpaw, Crimsonheart's apprentice. The enemy warrior dropped her on top of the pile. They thought she was dead! She looked into the clouded dead eyes of her clan mates as she was set down upon them.

She stirred and the warrior jumped in shock and then carried her over to Fernstar. The silver leader was lean and fit, her fur was spotless. All remnants that she had just battled were gone except for the occasional fresh scar that lined her lithe body. Her leaf green eyes bore into Rainpaw and the apprentice wanted to cower in fear. Fernstar roughly pushed the injured apprentice to her feet and shoved her towards Maskface who was ready to lead her up the mountain. Maskface tossed her into the Gathering cave where she was forced to crawl through a tiny hole in a large prison. The rest of StoneClan was inside as well and FeatherClan cats were twisting thorns into an invincible barrier. Would StoneClan ever escape?

Ripplestar was thrown into the cell as well, his breathing ragged and shallow. He looked up. His head wound had closed from StarClan's magical ability but there were many more cuts. Every cat of StoneClan was losing blood very fast and it pooled at their feet. The stench of blood, sweat, and death surrounded the prison cell. This was a living nightmare. Rainpaw had never thought that another clan would be as ruthless to throw another clan into a prison where some would bleed to death, and others starve or get ill. It seemed like a work of the Dark Forest, but no. This time, the shadow warriors were another clan.

-The Next Day-

A scrawny squirrel and a half eaten mouse were shoved through the six inch thick bramble thorn prison wall to its captives, the cats of StoneClan. The FeatherClan cats would send in one other meal a day and of course the food wasn't enough to go around. The only good part about the jail cell was a small pool of water trickling in through one corner. Otherwise, the cave was disgusting and horrifically vile. Cats' pelts were slick with sweat and blood and the aroma of death filled their noses. The walls and floor of the cell were stained red. There wasn't enough to eat. Cats were going to die. Already some were sick, and wounds were infected. There were no herbs in the cave accept for a small pile of moss and water mint next to the tiny pond. Would life be this way forever? Would StoneClan ever be saved? There was no sunlight, only darkness. There was grief too. For the five cats that died in battle and the many more to come.

There leader Ripplestar had lost a life and his wound had reopened for a third time. Rainpaw could feel the lump of an infected scratch above her eye. Her fur was caked and matted with blood and pain washed over her in waves every second of the day. This was the worst way to die. She hoped that Hawkpaw would come back. If he was here, the fear would ebb away and she would die knowing that he was still her best friend.

Fernstar approached the prisoners.

"We have taken over your land and your borders. You all were foolish enough to challenge FeatherClan, and I, Fernstar, bringer of death, lord of battle, and scourge of enemies. Bow your heads at my glorious image. Soon I will rule the forest and there is no one here to stop me!"

What the crazed leader of FeatherClan said was true. StoneClan would be fighting against impossible odds to attempt escape, and FeatherClan was much stronger. Nothing would work. Resistance was futile. StoneClan would die here.

So this chapter is kind of why the story is rated T. Cause there is a lot of blood and violence, plus more to come so beware. You will notice that Frostyclaw is not in the allegiances but next time, unless I decide a different fate for him, he will be listed. So please review what you thought of the chapter. I worked really hard on it!