Hope gasped. She was on her side, panting. A small, round golden face was staring worriedly down at her. "Hope, you're awake!"

Hope blinked hard. "You're okay!" She yelped, scrambling to her paws to nuzzle Sun. She was alive- it was only a nightmare. That starry cat was gone, and so was Sun's bloody body. The scream still rung in her ears, and she got a strong feeling of déjà entendu.

"Of course I'm okay!" Sun breathed. "Are you okay?! I was about to come eat with you because you were back, but you passed out halfway to the pile!"

Hope huffed, deciding not to relay her nightmares to Sun. She didn't want her to freak out.

"Sorry, I've just been training hard with no break. I wish I was training with Hurl today instead! He wouldn't overwork me like that." She narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice, fearing a scolding if she talked about her opinion so openly.

Sun frowned. "I'm just glad you're okay. Should we get some fresh-kill? I'm hungry, and you probably need to eat, too." She blinked at Hope with wide blue eyes.

Hope glanced around camp before replying, letting out a low, furious growl when she saw Rosemary blabbering about something to Moon. That fox-heart doesn't even care! She made me faint in the middle of camp and didn't even bother to check up on me!

She quickly shook her head to clear it of the anger and frustration, smiling at her golden friend once more. "Yeah, let's go. I'm starving."

Nodding, Sun padded over to the fresh-kill pile with Hope. She picked out a plump kestrel for the two to share.

Hope dug in gratefully, scraping off feathers and spitting any she missed out of her mouth. It felt good to be eating with Sun again, and her mind was finally able to wander from how suspicious everyone had been acting.

A gruff mew startled her, and she looked up to where a large blue-and-white figure stood before her.

"Hope. Sun. I must speak to you both," Moon, their group's leader, said.

Hope noticed Sun's eyes going wide. They exchanged a confused glance, but stood up and followed him as he entered his den.

Moon cleared his throat. "You must be confused about why I've called you here, but listen closely: A broken hope is to be-"

Hope's absent green gaze, which had been fixed on the floor beside Moon moments before, snapped up and fixed itself on Moon's as she stood up, cutting him off.

"A broken hope is to be restored. What once was shall be a tale told by the flaming bird's own," she breathe, her shaky mew barely more than a whisper. "H-how do you know about that?!" She demanded, her tone growing louder.

Moon seemed almost as shocked as her. "How do you know about that?" He asked, looking up at her quizzically. "You're... you're not supposed to have heard that yet!"

Hope stared at him, and Sun seemed overall confused. "What's going on?" she asked uncertainly.

Moon sighed. "Sit down," he said, waving his tail at Hope. Hope did what she was told.

"I suppose I should get straight to the point. Our moons have been sent to deliver me a message- the prophecy you just relayed."

Hope's mind was reeling. Prophecy? Who was that cat? Why me?

Moon waited until she seemed to calm down before continuing.

"I've been told there's a strange force- not unlike the moons- that are demanding for their prophecy to be fulfilled. 'The shaded hope must return to the glade, the sun is sure to persuade'- myself, the advisors, Hurl and Bronze- because Hurl just couldn't keep his maw shut about it- have been trying to decipher this for the past half moon. We believe that you, Hope, are supposed to follow the sun to find this 'broken hope' and 'wave of memories' that must be uncovered. And in case we're wrong, we've decided to let you take Hope with you. It may very well be an endless journey, and you'll need a companion with you. I doubt Sun would let you go alone, anyways."

Sun nodded in agreement. She opened her mouth, as if to speak, but closed it again. She seemed to be as confused as Hope, a million questions most likely going through her head.

"What about The Rushing Fire of Dragon's Breath? You think I'll just... leave? And what's this 'wave of memories' you speak of? I haven't heard that one." Hope was still recovering from the news, struggling to decide how to react.

Moon dipped his head. "You have to. This sounds important, whatever it is. You must go as soon as possible."

"As in.. when?" Hope asked. "When is as soon as possible?"

Despite her question, Hope didn't hear Moon's next words. She was piecing everything together- why Rosemary was giving her fighting training, why her training had been so stressful and hard lately, why others were saying 'is she ready?' Why they were whispering to each other, throwing glances her way…

All she heard was "Next sunrise, at daybreak."

"Daybreak?! That's not enough time!" Sun cried. Moon glanced at her with sympathy.

"There's never a better time than the present."

"That's not true!" Hope growled. Moon glared at her. "We can't say goodbye to our friends? Our mentees? The younglings or the elder ones we've talked to? We're just going to up and leave tomorrow?!"

Moon sighed. "I'll give you an extra day. But you two better be prepared to go."

I am SO sorry. I uploaded the document yesterday, as per the schedule, but I forgot to publish it- whoops.