Prologue -
Night lay across the forest. There was no moon, but Silverpelt glittered over the trees. At the bottom of a rocky hollow, a pool reflected the pale starshine, and the air was heavy with late greenleaf scent.
Wind sighed through the trees and ruffled the surface of the pool. At the top of the hollow, the leaves parted to reveal a cat; her blue-gray fur shining as she stepped from rock to rock, down to the water's edge.
Perched on a rock that jutted over the pool, she raised her head to look around. As if on cue, more cats appeared, slipping into the hollow from every direction. They padded down to sit close to the water as they could, until the lower slopes were filled with the lean shapes looking into the pool.
The cat who appeared first rose to her paws. "An omen has come!" She meowed. "A doom that will change everything has been foretold in the water.."
On the opposite side of the pool, a tomcat bowed his great, bracken-colored head. "I've seen it too. There will be hardship, and a great doubt." He agreed.
"Shadows, wind, river, and thunder will come together, and shake the forest to it's roots." The she-cat went on. "Nothing will be the same, nor will it ever be again."
"A terrible storm is coming. The sky itself will fall." Meowed another voice, and the word 'storm' was taken up, echoed and taken around the circle until it was like thunder rumbling through the swath of watching cats.
As the noise died away, a lanky cat with a glossy black pelt spoke from the water's edge. "Will nothing change what's going to happen? Not even the courageous spirit of the bravest warrior?"
"The end will come." The blue cat replied. "But if the Clans meet it as warriors, they might survive." Lifting her head, she let her gaze travel around.
"You've all seen what is going to befall." She meowed. "And you know what we have to do. Four cats must be chosen to hold the future of their Clans in their paws. Are you ready to make your choices before Starclan?"
As she finished, the surface of the water shuddered, but there was no wind to disturb it. Then, it was still again.
The bracken colored tom rose to his paws, the stars turning the fur on his shoulders like silver. "I will begin." He meowed. He looked to the side to meet the eyes of a light-colored tabby with a twisted jaw, his brother. "Crookedstar, do I have your permission to speak?"
The tabby thought for a moment, then shook his head, standing to come to the other tom's side. "We will both speak for Riverclan." He said, and the other cat nodded his agreement.
"Then I bring you all to see and accept our choice."
The two stared down into the water, as silent as the rocks around him. A slight gray blur appeared on the surface of the pool, and every cat leaned forward to see more clearly.
"That one?" Murmured the blue-gray molly, staring at the shape in the pool. "You're sure, Oakheart? Crookedstar?"
The tip of his tail flicked back and forth. "I thought you'd like our choice, Bluestar." He meowed, teasing in his tone. "Don't you think she was well mentored?"
"She was." The fur of Bluestar's neck rose as if he'd said something to challenge her, but then it lay flat again. "Do the rest of you agree?" She asked.
Murmurs of assent rose from the cats, and the gray shape thinned out and vanished from the water, leaving it empty once more.
Now, the black cat stood up and padded to the water's edge. "This is my choice." He announced. "See it, and accept."
This time, the shape in the pool was tawny and lean, with strong, well built shoulders. Bluestar looked down at the visage for some heartbeats before nodding. "She has courage and strength." She agreed.
"But Nightstar – Does she have loyalty?" Called another cat.
The black tom's head whipped around and his claws flex into the earth in front of him. "Are you calling her disloyal?!"
"If I am, there's good reason!" The answer shot back. "She wasn't born in Shadowclan, was she?"
"Then that could very well make her a good choice." Bluestar said calmly.
"If the Clans can't work together, then they'll be destroyed. Maybe it's going to take cats with a paw in two Clans to understand what needs to be done." She paused for a moment, but there were no more objections. "Do you approve?"
There was a bit of hesitation, but it wasn't long before soft mews of agreement came from all the cats. The surface of the water rippled, and when it stilled once more, the tawny shape disappeared.
Another black cat got up and went down to the water's edge, limping on one twisted paw. "My turn now." He said, voice slightly rasped. "See, and approve."
The grey-black cat that formed in the water was hard to make out against the reflection of the night sky, and the cats stared at it for quite some time before anyone spoke.
"What?!" The bracken tom exclaimed at last. "He's an apprentice!"
"I noticed, thank you, Oakheart.." The black tom meowed dryly.
"Deadfoot, you can't send an apprentice into a danger like this." Another cat called from the back of the crowd.
"He might be an apprentice," Deadfoot retorted, "But he has tenacity, and skill to match a warrior. One day, he might even be leader of Windclan."
" 'One day' is not now." Bluestar pointed out. "And the qualities that make a leader aren't necessarily those that our Clans need now. Do you want to make another choice?"
Deadfoot's tail lashed in anger, and his fur bristled as he glared at Bluestar. "This is my choice." He persisted. "Do you – Or anyone else – Dare say he isn't worthy?!"
"What do you say?" Her eyes went around the ring of cats. "Do you approve? Remember that all will be lost if even one of our chosen cats should fail."
Instead of sounds of approval, the cats muttered at eachother in little groups, casting unsure glances at the shape in the water and at Deadfoot.
He stared back with fire in his eyes, his fur fluffed so he looked twice his size. Obviously, he was ready to take on any naysayers.
After some time, the muttering died off and Bluestar asked again, "Do Starclan approve?" The agreements came, but it was slow and reluctant.
And a few cats didn't even speak at all. Deadfoot let out a sour growl as he turned and limped back to his place.
"If it is to be my kin, then it can be his kin." Crookedstar said.
"Yes, but what if both your choices cost them dearly? Both of your affections cloud your judgement. The rest of us have family too, you know." Some other cat said in a hushed voice.
"It is out of our paws. The stones have been cast." Was all the tabby said in reply, and Deadfoot snorted his agreements.
When the water cleared yet again, Oakheart meowed, "You haven't made your choice for Thunderclan, Bluestar."
"No, but I'm ready now." She replied to her mate. "See, and accept my choice." She looked down with pride, as a dark tabby shape appeared in the depths of the water.
Oakheart stared, and stretched his jaws in a soundless mew of laughter. "That one? Bluestar! You never cease to surprise me."
"Why?" Bluestar's tone showed she was ruffled. "He's a brave young cat. He's fit for the challenge this omen will cause."
Oakheart's whiskers twitched. "Did I say he wasn't?"
Bluestar held his eye, not looking at the other cats. "Do you approve, Starclan?" She questioned. When the agreements came, with certainty, she gave Oakheart a smug flick of her tail and looked away.
"Starclan." She meowed, raising her voice so they all could hear. "You've made your choice. The journey will soon begin, to meet the great terror that will be released on the forest. Now go to your Clans, and make sure your cats are ready."
She paused, and her eyes blazed with a unearthly light. "We can pick a warrior to save them. But beyond this, we can't help them. May our spirit, as their warrior ancestors, go with our cats. Wherever the skies and the stars lead them.."