A/N: Welcome back guys! Here's Chapter 8, and Chapter 9 should be out relatively soon (probably in Poolpaw's POV since i like writing her perspective the most). Thank you all for your continued support! It's the sweetest thing to hear that y'all are enjoying this!

I'd like to give a big thank-you to Nightfeather777 and anonymous user LimaBean for all their reviews. You two are keeping my spirits up and inspire me so much to continue this story!

Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter (in skypaw's POV, now thats a first)~

Chapter 8: Disbelief

The world around him passed in a blur of colors, shapes, and sounds. Opening his mouth in a soundless wail of terror, Skypaw's ears were filled with the disembodied voices of other cats.

"Please, I know you have no reason to forgive me, but... try to understand why I did this. I-" A she-cat's quavering voice rose above the others, but try as he might, Skypaw could not locate the speaker among the jumbled mass of confusion that was currently his dream.

"Just surrender, and we'll spare you your life. You've lost this battle, admit it." This time the voice belonged to a tom, and his words carried a trace of deep-set exhaustion, as if just saying the words tired him.

"Lost? Lost?! Ha! No no no, you may have beaten me in battle, but the memory of my actions will-" The hysterical rant was cut off by many other voices, and soon Skypaw's head ached with the combined voices of cats the terrified young tom could not even see.

"What in StarClan's name is that?!"

"No, listen to me! You have to-"

"Please, please, please-"

"Promise me... promise me, you'll look after my kits,"

"I... I can't-"

"Oh, StarClan save us!"

"Run!"

"Why... why is this happening to us?"

"How dare you! You have done nothing but-"

"You-you have no right to complain about-"

"I-I'm... scared. Mom, please... why won't you wake up?! Mom? Mom!"

"Please, you have to- you have to live on! Run, get out of here, please!"

"Stay strong, for me, for mom and dad, for anyone! Listen, you're our only hope-"

"If you can't do this, who can?"

Groaning with pain as his ears were assaulted by the wails, whispers, and shrieks of unknown cats, some voices familiar, some not, Skypaw sank to his paws. Or, at least, he tried to, given the confused state that he was currently in.

The voices around him were suddenly drowned out by a deafening roar, similar to that of a wild storm's howling wind, and Skypaw gazed around dazedly at his still-spinning surroundings as his vision faded.

"I... what?" He managed to splutter out as he drifted out of the dream-world into reality.

Leaping to his paws with a yelp, fur a mess, Skypaw looked around at the familiar, comforting sight of the apprentice den walls. Most of his fellow apprentices were still asleep, flanks rising and falling rhythmically as their minds rested. Skypaw noticed that Poolpaw's nest was empty and cold, so she probably hadn't been in the den for a while.

In the nest next to him, curled up and sleeping peacefully, was Riverpaw. Strangely, Skypaw felt relieved that she was safe.

"Probably just an after-effect of that weird dream..." Skypaw thought to himself as he got to work grooming his clumpy fur. As early-morning light lit up the den cheerfully, Skypaw felt himself relax as his pelt was warmed.

Just as Skypaw was finishing his cleaning-session by washing his tail, Poolpaw squeezed through the den entrance. Regarding his sister's worried stance curiously, Skypaw got to his paws with a yawn.

"Alright, which elder have you irritated this time?"

Huffing, Poolpaw rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Ugh, that's not what's wrong. And hey, it's not my fault that Ashtail decided to lay his tail down exactly where I was walking!"

"Sure, whatever you say," Skypaw grinned as his sister sighed frustratedly. "Alright then, what's up for real?"

Poolpaw's mood changed from angry to nervous abruptly. Shifting her weight from one paw to the other, she looked around the den pointedly. "Well, it's... ah, it's something I'd rather discuss with you and Riverpaw alone. In private. Far away from these guys."

Suddenly apprehensive (hey, it's not everyday that Poolpaw acts so mature), Skypaw nodded. "Okay, I'll wake up Riverpaw then. Let's meet behind the Moss Rock." Skypaw whispered the last part as his denmates started waking up.

After Poolpaw nodded in agreement and left the den, Skypaw turned around to wake up his still-sleeping sister. Somehow, his short conversation with Poolpaw had erased almost all of his memories of his earlier dream.

"Hey, wake up! Poolpaw apparently has something important to tell us," Skypaw mewed as he prodded Riverpaw awake with his paw.

Riverpaw opened one green eye slowly, and when she saw her brother, she groaned.

"What did she do this time?" Riverpaw grumbled out as she rolled out of her nest.

"See, that's what I asked her! But she just did her little irritated Poolpaw huff and rolled her eyes at me, so I have no idea what's going on."

Nodding, Riverpaw yawned widely before settling down to groom herself quickly. "Well, if Poolpaw's acting mature, then something big must have happened. Oh, and did you apologize to her yet?"

"Uh... no?"

Giving her brother an exasperated look, Riverpaw padded to the den entrance. "Fine, get it done though. I'm not dealing with you two being stubborn mousebrains today."

Snorting, Skypaw followed his sister. "Oh yeah, we're going to meet her behind the Moss Rock. Apparently, what she has to tell us is so important that she doesn't want other cats to hear it." He murmured as Riverpaw narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"I swear to StarClan, if she is just going to beg us to protect her from Ashtail's wrath again..." Riverpaw said as she slipped out of the apprentice den.

Chuckling, Skypaw shook his head. "Nah, I don't think that's what this is about. If Ashtail was mad, he'd have already asked us where Poolpaw was."

"True, true."

As both apprentices walked towards the center of camp, the world around them was bustling with activity. Most of the Clan had already woken up. At the entrance, Swallowpaw, Shinefur, and Sageclaw were leaving for the dawn patrol. Seedflight and Mistybird were leaving as well, and Skypaw guessed that his mother was finally getting back to her warrior duties, now that she didn't have kits to look after.

"I wonder if there will be any new kits soon?" Riverpaw mewed, glancing over to the empty nursery.

"I dunno, there don't seem to be any queens right now."

Specklepaw emerged from the roots of the medicine den, looking around wildly. Noticing Skypaw and Riverpaw, she ran over.

"Hey, have you seen Shinefur anywhere?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. She just left on the dawn patrol actually." Skypaw responded.

Sighing in irritation, the gray-brown she-cat shook her head. "Of course she did," She growled. "She's expecting kits, and if she wants to deliver them safely she'll need to stay away from patrols and hunting! Honestly, what is she thinking?"

Muttering curses under her breath, the medicine cat apprentice stalked out of camp, likely going to search for Shinefur.

"I know kits are a sign of the Clan's strength, but all I can say is that I feel so sorry for Shinefur's litter,"

Nodding in agreement, Skypaw chuckled. "Well, at least we won't be the youngest anymore,"

Shrugging her shoulders, Riverpaw continued on the path to the Moss Rock. Poolpaw's outline could be seen in the shadows cast by the massive boulder, crouched low to the ground and tail flicking back and forth nervously.

"Alright, so what's going on?"

Taking a deep breath, Poolpaw stood up from her previous position, but she still seemed on-edge.

"Well, uh... I had a dream last night... and I, um, kind of received a prophecy from StarClan,"

Staring at his sister in disbelief, Skypaw sank back onto his haunches.

"Wait, hold on... you're telling me that you received a prophecy? Not Morninglily or Birchstar?" Riverpaw said incredulously, looking just as confused as her brother.

Rolling her eyes in her signature way, Poolpaw huffed. "Yes, I did. I don't know why they gave it to me, but I'm pretty sure it involves us, so please believe me."

Skypaw narrowed his eyes, sharing an unimpressed look with Riverpaw. "Alright, I'd like to hear this prophecy before I believe it, then."

Stamping her dark gray foot in frustration, the fur along Poolpaw's spine lifted slightly. "Fine, since you two apparently can't seem to trust me: When the storm wreaks havoc upon the land, and three becomes two, the calming river and the splashing pool must join together to support the spirited sky if they wish to stop the approaching night. Only then, can the storm pass and dawn reach the Clans again."

Dumbfounded, Skypaw opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to find the words that seemed to escape him.

"W-well, I guess you weren't lying." Riverpaw's voice came out as a whisper, and when Skypaw looked at his sister, she looked extremely thoughtful.

"See!" Poolpaw cried out, looking smug that she proved her siblings wrong. "Anyways, I wanted to tell you guys, since I figured you'd be able to make more sense of it than me."

After the initial shock faded from hearing StarClan's message, the gears inside of Skypaw's mind started turning. "Okay, it's obviously giving us a warning about the future, and I'm guessing something bad is going to happen. What it means by 'the approaching night', I'm not sure though..."

Ears twitching, Riverpaw was about to open her mouth to reply when Ivyleg's voice came from behind them.

"Oh, there you are! Come on, we're taking you all out for some hunting lessons."

Suddenly flooded with shame, Skypaw remembered that he was supposed to meet Swiftfoot at dawn.

"Alright, we'll be with you right away!" Riverpaw meowed enthusiastically, but as soon as her mentor left, she turned back towards her littermates with worry filled eyes.

"Alright, let's discuss this more tonight. For now, we need to worry about being good apprentices, not deciphering strange messages."

"'Kay, makes sense to me! Oh, I can't wait to learn how to fish!" Poolpaw purred out in delight as she pranced out into the camp.

Shaking his head at his sister's antics, Skypaw followed his sister. He felt a little envious of how easily she could brush off the earlier conversation, if he were being honest with himself.

"Oh, and um, I'm sorry about last night... that was uncalled for," Skypaw apologized as they approached their waiting mentors.

"Ha, it's fine. Just don't do it again!" Poolpaw said as she flicked her brother's ear with her tail.

Purring, Skypaw batted at her shoulder with his paw. He could hear Riverpaw sighing with relief next to him, most likely because she was happy that her littermates had made up so easily.

"Oh, Poolpaw, did you know that Shinefur is expecting kits?"

"W-wha? She is?! What tom could stand her for that long?" Poolpaw cried out incredulously.

Glancing pointedly at Featherstep, Riverpaw laughed.

"Makes sense. They're both haughty enough to make that relationship work, I guess." Poolpaw meowed as they met their mentors at the camp entrance.

"Okay, gossip ends now. If I hear one more word about Shinefur while we're fishing, you'll be searching the elders for ticks for three moons." Birchstar huffed, flicking Poolpaw's ear with her tail.

"Okay, Birchstar..." The apprentices all said at the same time.

"Good, lets get to the lake, then."