A strange cat stepped out of the bush it had been hiding in. "What is this place?" asked another cat that was standing in the shadows.
"Hello," the strange cat replied. "Welcome, Darkpaw."
"Why is everything so dark? Who are you?" the apprentice muttered.
"I am Witheredface," it mewed. "Welcome to the Darklands."
"What is that?"Darkpaw whimpered.
Witheredface hissed startling Darkpaw. Darkpaw's ears flattened and his lips peeled back. He turned around expecting to find a cat there but nothing appeared. Witheredface coughed and he brought his attention back to her.
"I apologize for hissing, let me continue," Witheredface straightened up.
"Allow me to show you what the Darklands is," Witheredface beckoned with her tail for him to follow.
Darkpaw hesitantly padded after her, the fur on his back rose. His instincts screamed at him to run away but he stayed put only because he had nowhere to go in the shadowy forest. As he padded after the she-cat he peered into the shadows and as his eyes adjusted he saw that other cats were watching him and Witheredface. Suddenly a big blast of light shot through the thick canopy, he squinted up at it. It looked like the sun but half of it was covered in a dark oval-like shape. He quickly pelted after Witheredface fear jolted through him. He felt a little bit more comforted near her for some reason. He was curious about the big oval-shaped object in the sky. Witheredface was a few feet away standing with another cat, whispering intently to it. The cat stood up and called Darkpaw over. He nervously padded to where the two cats stood. Darkpaw took the time to look around. The place had what looked like a Thunderpath. Its long pavement snaked along the ridges and hills in the far distance. Twoleg nests were held everywhere but they seemed abandoned. All he smelled were the musty scents that the cats all carried. It smelled something like a foul rat and poison. Despite the rancid smells, the cats looked fine and seemed healthy. Cats were talking in the shadows and eyes scorched his fur often. He guessed that every cat was gossiping about him. Bored, he looked over to where the stranger and Witheredface were still muttering. An owl screeched overhead and a shadow swooped through the thick and foggy canopy. Holding his breath he waited to see the owl attack him but it didn't. After waiting for a couple of heartbeats, he relaxed his alert crouch. Weariness made his bones ache and his shoulders slump. Finally Witheredface looked at him and narrowed her eyes. She nodded and signaled for Darkpaw to come. He reluctantly padded forward and stood in front of her and the cat who appeared to be a tom.
"Hello, my name is Darkfire and I would like to ask you for your assistance," the black tom purred. "After all we are made of the same things,"
"W...W...Wh..What do you mean?" Darkpaw quivered.
"Oh well have you ever heard of Scourge or of BloodClan," Witheredface put in.
Darkpaw shook his head and felt frightened. But when he took a quick glimpse of Darkfire's eyes he automatically felt reassured. "I will obey you," Darkpaw hissed, as he was hypnotized.
"Very well," Darkfire obliged.
"Witheredface can help train you in case you battle, you will be helping us take over the world after all," he murmured.
"Thank you Darkfire," Darkpaw purred.
Then Witheredface and Darkfire walked away, swallowed by the darkness.
Darkpaw nodded quietly and turned around he staggered a little but he was so happy so he didn't care. He glanced back at where Witheredface and Darkfire had vanished. Blurriness crossed his vision and he slumped down as everything turned black. When it cleared he saw Witheredface, Darkfire and every cat turn to bones:
"Cats of bone, Will come for the throne, Two cats of youth. Must find the hidden truth. The countdown has already begun. When the sun turns dark you will know it has come," hissed a voice.
Suddenly Darkpaw fell into darkness. He yowled for help but fell deeper and deeper and deeper. When he awoke he felt his life feel like it was ebbing away. He screeched in horror and blacked out once more.
After regaining his consciousness, Darkpaw looked at his foreleg which had two bones that crossed each other. He didn't understand what it meant. Metal rails imprisoned him and he noticed he was in a cage. It smelled so much of Twolegs. Darkpaw explored his cage which had two bowls. One of them had water which smelled foul and the other one had food. He sniffed it carefully before gulping down a few. They tasted bland against his tongue but his stomach felt unusually warm. The apprentice walked around in a sleeping circle and lay down. He placed his head on his paws but felt uneasy. So he rolled over until his belly was exposed. He sighed with relief and snoozed off into a nice slumber.