Chapter 1. The Prophecy
Whitestar's P.O.V
It was dark, and he was alone. Whitestar looked around him into the pitch black nothingness that surrounded him. Suddenly, a light shined above him, Whitestar snapped his head up and saw a bright star. He swallowed nervously, then the star began to glow brighter and brighter. Whitestar looked down and closed his eyes to avoid the burning light in his eyes. Then the light faded behind his eyelids and reopened them. To his shock, he was at the Fourtrees, but he wasn't alone. He looked and saw the other leaders of the clans and their medicine cats.
"Whitestar?" A small voice mewed behind him. He turned and saw Cinderpelt, the young she-cat looked just as confused as him. Then the other leaders and medicine cats also began to voice their concerns. Whitestar sighed and made his way to the group of cats.
"Blackstar, Leopardstar, Tallstar." Whitestar acknowledged as he and Cinderpelt approached. The others looked at him.
"Starclan seems to have brought us together." Tallstar responded solemnly, "It must be important"
Leopardstar's tail lashed, "Then where are they?"
Just then the scenery around them changed, the hollow was now filled with cats. Upon the Great Rock were three cats that Whitestar had never seen before. A yowl grabbed the attention of all in the hollow. Entering the Fourtrees was a large group of cats, among them were kits and elders. Leading the group was a pale gray tom with white patches and stunning light blue eyes. He stopped just before Whitestar and the others in front of the Great Rock.
"Cloudstar." A dark ginger tom mewed from atop the Great Rock, "I wasn't sure Skyclan would come, due to the Twolegs in your territory."
"That is why my clan is here, Redstar, Skyclan's territory is being destroyed by Twolegs. We plead that the other clans give us some of their territory so that Skyclan may live. Please, we don't have anywhere to go. The Twolegs have destroyed our camp and prey has fled from our territory." Cloudstar pleaded, the leader dipped his head towards the others.
"Shadowclan refuses." A beautiful cream-brown she-cat snarled. "Leafbare is almost upon us, we can't share any part of our territory."
"Windclan refuses as well. Our territory can't sustain cats made for the forest, we also can't let your clan take fresh-kill that rightfully belongs to Windclan cats" a dark gray tom added.
Cloudstar turned to the last leader, Riverclan's, "Please Birchstar, Riverclan only uses the river to hunt."
Birchstar gave a pitiful look to the leader, "I'm sorry Cloudstar. But Riverclan will also have to refuse."
Anger flashed across Cloudstar's, "So you all are condemning a clan to death? There has always been five clans!"
The Shadowclan leader shook her head, "Look around us, Cloudstar, there are only four trees not five here at the gathering place. The sky above us is clear, Starclan have voiced their opinion. Maybe there was only ever supposed to be four clans."
"Your excuse for this is based on the trees?" Cloudstar responded in disbelief. He looked around to the other leaders and clans, horror in his eyes. The Skyclan leader's fur began to rise as his clanmates begged for the other clans to not force them out.
In a rage filled voice Cloudstar spoke again, "Fine. Skyclan will leave the forest, as the rest of you have wronged us." He paused, "Don't forget Redstar, a large portion of Thunderclan's territory was Skyclan's, Darkstar was a coward for giving it to your clan."
The Skyclan leader spun and motioned for his clan to follow, but before they could leave a medicine cat from another clan rushed forward.
"Cloudstar wait!" It was a dark tabby tom. The gray and white leader paused before glaring at the tom.
"What is it Kestrelwing?" Cloudstar growled, his eyes dark.
The medicine cat froze momentarily before speaking, "Your kits are too young to travel, Cloudstar, and you know it. Let them stay here, Thunderclan will raise them, they will be safe and fed during Leaf-bare and they won't be at risk of dying on a journey."
Cloudstar turned to face the medicine cat completely, but before he say anything a she-cat stepped forward, behind her was a warrior who was guarding two small kits. The kits were no more than a moon old.
"I doubt Redstar would let a Skyclan cat join his clan." The she-cat spat, her tail was lashing.
Kestrelwing dipped his head to her, "I don't agree with Redstar's choice, and I doubt Starclan agrees. But, Redstar would understand and give shelter to you and your kits, Birdflight. I promise that you and the kits will be welcomed in Thunderclan."
Birdflight looked at Cloudstar with worry, "He's right, they'll never make the journey."
Cloudstar nodded before touching noses with his mate, "Then I'll wait for you until we meet again."
As Cloudstar and Birdflight gave their goodbyes Kestrelwing and another Thunderclan warrior took the kits and motioned for Birdflight to join them. She took the kit Kestrelwing was carrying and followed the Thunderclan warrior towards the other Thunderclan cats.
"May Starclan guide your path and follow Skyclan to your new home." Kestrelwing mewed, but Cloudstar only growled.
"StarClan may go where they please. They have betrayed SkyClan. From this day on, I will have nothing more to do with our ancestors. StarClan allowed the Twolegs to destroy our home. They look down on us now and let the moon go on shining while the clans drive us out. They said there would always be five clans, but they lied. SkyClan will never look to the stars again." Cloudstar swore before leaving the Gathering, his clan following
The cats then disappeared and Whitestar and the others were alone again. Whitestar glanced at his fellow leaders and the medicine cats, they all had the expression of disbelief and shock. Whitestar couldn't believe it, the clan he had sworn his life to had helped to condemn an entire clan to exile and subsequently death. He looked at Cinderpelt again and saw that she was shaking, whether it was from anger or disbelief he couldn't tell. Then the scenery around them changed again. It was now Sun-high but they still remained in the hollow. There were now five cats that Whitestar had never seen before standing on Great Rock but this time they were looking straight at Whitestar and the others.
"Its upon the clans" a black she-cat with green eyes stated.
Leopardstar leapt forward, fur bristling, "What do you mean, 'Its upon the clans'?"
A silvery-gray tom stepped forward, Whitestar could tell instantly that he was Riverclan.
"Step down, Leopardstar, for we are the founders of the clans"
They all looked at the cats with disbelief, these were the first leaders of the clan? That would make the tom Riverstar. He looked down upon them, wisdom in his eyes. Then a bulky orange tom came forward.
"The punishment for abandoning a clan has come to the remaining clans." The tom spoke, "The Twolegs will take from the clans just as they did Skyclan. Nothing will stop them."
"There were always supposed to be five clans, and now there will be again." A lithe brown she-cat mewed.
"When the Twolegs come and prey kills its devourers, follow the river to it's beginning and there the clans will reunite with Skyclan." The black she-cat stated.
Then a pale gray tom with clear blue eyes moved forward, "My clan no longer holds hatred to the other clans. Ever since they learned to live in their new territory the hatred and rage they held towards the other clans faded. They are hesitant. My clan fears being forced out of their territory again. This is the clans chance at redemption, to undo what the old leaders did."
"Look for the cat who's pelt burns like fire and eyes like the forest."
The ground underneath them began to shake and the Fourtrees disappeared. Whitestar looked around to the others. They were surrounded by darkness, then Tallstar stepped forward. "Theres a cat I once met who matches that description."
"What do you mean, Tallstar?" Mudfur asked, the medicine cat was looking at the Windclan leader with confusion. The old leader sighed and motioned for them all to come closer. They settled in a circle and gave Tallstar their attention. He glanced at Barkface for a moment before speaking.
"Many moons ago when I was still an apprentice my father Sandgorse was killed in a collapsed tunnel because he saved a loner that was apart of a group that visited Windclan during Green-Leaf. At the time my clan thought that the loner shouldn't be blamed for Sandgorse's death and the loner, Sparrow, and his group left. I was among the few in the clan who believed that Sandgorse would have still been alive if it hadn't been for Sparrow. At the time I was considered as an outsider in my own clan. Shortly after I became a warrior, I left my clan to get revenge on Sparrow." Tallstar paused to take in a deep breath.
"When I came to the Twoleg Place, I didn't know how to survive outside a clan. I managed to catch a rat but became ill after eating it. I collapsed and when I awoke, I was in a Twoleg den trapped inside a cage. But there was another cat there, Sunblaze. I was confused as to why he had a warrior name but then he told me that he was from a place called Skyclan. He got me out of the cage and told me that if I could take him to the river in clan territory that he would help me find Sparrow. I agreed and we spent several moons together, it was during this time did Sunblaze teach me how to let go of my anger towards Sparrow and in the end I didn't kill him. We returned to the forest and I offered Sunblaze a place in Windclan with me. He refused saying that he was born to be a Skyclan cat, not a Windclan cat. Sunblaze asked me to not tell any cat that he had met me or about Skyclan. But, he did say that if I wasn't allowed back into Windclan that I would just need to follow the river and he would be there. I never saw him again and I kept my promise… until now." Tallstar finished, he was looking at his paws.
Whitestar was in shock, not only had Tallstar planned to kill a cat but that he had left his clan to do it. He wondered how Tallstar even became deputy or even leader, but then realized it was probably allowed by Starclan to establish a connection between Skyclan and the other clans.
Blackstar spoke up then, "You said that he matched the description, correct?"
Tallstar nodded, "Sunblaze was a fiery ginger tom with green eyes. But, the question is, do we leave before the Twolegs come or wait?"
Whitestar pondered before Runningnose voiced his opinion.
"I would try to convince the clans to leave before to avoid unnecessary danger. But, they might refuse if there's nothing to flee from. Also, the black she-cat said that we would leave when the Twolegs come and prey kills it's devourers." Runningnose mewed, the wet-nosed tom was right.
Leopardstar stepped forward, "If we order our clan to leave then they'll have to. After all leader's word is law."
Whitestar shook his head at the dappled Riverclan leader. She shot him a glare but Cinderpelt cut her off.
"Ever since Tigerstar and Brokenstar cats have been wary of leaders who try and force them to do certain things. Leaving the forest would be one of those." Cinderpelt explained, Whitestar agreed with his medicine cat.
Ever since the war between Lionclan and Bloodclan, the clans have been suffering even after Tigerstar's death and Bone's demise after being swarmed by apprentices. Whitestar shivered, the Bloodclan leader had taken his first life, by the time he had been sent back by Starclan apprentices from almost every clan had attacked Bone at once. When the warriors had managed to pull the apprentices off of the tom there was just a mangled body. Whitestar could still remember the words of Onewhisker, Gorsepaw's mentor. He claimed it was his revenge for Bone being the one to kill Tigerstar and not Gorsepaw. Whitestar couldn't blame the apprentice at the time, Tigerstar had murdered Gorsepaw's mother in cold blood.
But, even after Bone's death, Bloodclan cats still attacked clan patrols and stole prey. They had managed to drive the fake clan out time and time again but it was taking its toll on the clans. Whitestar stood, the other leaders looked at him in confusion.
"When the Twolegs come, we'll be ready. All the clans will leave but until then prepare your clans. If we aren't ready for when they come, we're good as dead." Whitestar said strongly. The other leaders and medicine cats nodded and got to their paws. But Barkface looked around confused.
"We're still in Starclan, usually after Starclan's done speaking we awake." Barkface muttered worried. They then realized that the Windclan cat was right. But then they heard a snort. Whitestar turned and saw nothing until.
"Look up you fools." A voice called from the trees. They looked and there in a tree laying on a low branch was Cloudstar. He looked much healthier than he did when they saw the memory of Skyclan's exile. The blue-eyed tom stared at them before saying,
"Wake up."