Prologue

A blue-gray she-cat pushed her way through thick brackens, the stars reflected in her silver pelt. Her paws made no sound as she walked through the twinkling ground; she looked almost like she's floating. She didn't stop until she reached a clearing. Sitting down, she watched as the stars descended into the ground, turning into cats.

"Cats of StarClan!" She called out as the last cat touched the ground. "I have seen it in the stars. The ancient secret will stay no more!"

"Bluestar, do you mean NorthClan?" A black tom asked.

Bluestar fixed him with a steady gaze. "Yes Nightstar. NorthClan have lived many uncountable moons of suffering in the cold. The North is going to get much worse. The cats must move and reclaim their rightful place in the forest. Same goes to AuroraClan."

Ripples of unease passed through the group of cats. A beautiful silver she-cat stepped forward. "You're right, Bluestar. But they will cause chaos in the forest. Four Clans are existing in uneasy harmony. What will happen if another Clan joined?"

Cats murmured their agreement but Bluestar flicked her tail to silence them. "You have a point there, Silverstream, but how would you feel if you lived countless moons in the cold? NorthClan cats are dying; they have to return to where they rightfully belong. There's no wrong in that." The once noble leader of ThunderClan met the she-cat's gaze steadily.

Silverstream dipped her head respectfully.

Bluestar passed her gaze over the starlight warriors. "If no one else objects, then it is decided. NorthClan will return."

&&&&&&&&

Leafpool found herself in a place she had never gone to before. It was vast, with not a single tree nearby. Above her, a star glinted and descended. Leafpool leaped back, trying to yowl, but she seemed to have lost her voice.

The star soon took a shape of a cat, a familiar cat. Leafpool relaxed as she recognized the tortoiseshell fur and gleaming amber eyes. "Spottedleaf!" she meowed, regaining her voice.

Spottedleaf purred and padded closer. The younger medicine cat realized she was dreaming. "Leafpool," the she-cat murmured. "I have come to warn you. NorthClan is returning… you must be ready for them."

"NorthClan?" Leafpool echoed, a shiver running down her spine at the thought of another Clan. "Is that a new Clan?"

Spottedleaf did not answer. Instead, she began to walk away.

"Wait!" Leafpool yowled. "Don't go!" Her surroundings began to swirl and Leafpool felt dizzy. After a while, everything stabilized and she found herself in an unexpected place. White. Everything was white, except a bunch of trees nearby. The blanket of snow stretched out far into the distance. The cold was almost painful, twice or maybe thrice as cold as a normal leaf-bare in her own forest. "What is this place?" she wondered aloud. Suddenly desperate to see if StarClan was still there, she lifted her gaze fearfully, as if afraid there wouldn't be a single star.

What Leafpool saw in the sky took her breath away. Even though it was night time, the sky was lit up with the colors of the rainbow and more. Beautiful strings of colorful lights danced in the sky, its faded effect casting a wonderful image in the sky. It was the most beautiful thing Leafpool has ever seen, even better than the Moonpool. She gasped aloud in awe, almost forgetting to breathe.

"Look into the forest, young one." Spottedleaf's voice sounded somewhere close. Leafpool gazed into the single clump of trees. She padded closer and saw that the trees were unique. They had long spiky leaves, pointing out in a uniformed way. It was triangular, with the snow balancing on the leaves. As Leafpool pushed in between the trees, it began to snow.

"Spottedleaf, I'm lost!" Leafpool cried out desperately. Every tree seemed to be the same.

"No, I'm with you. Follow me."

Relieved, Leafpool staggered clumsily after the scent of the medicine cat. After moments of walking, she came upon a small frozen lake. Spottedleaf did not stop. She swerved around the lake and continued on. Panting and shivering, Leafpool gazed around in awe at this mystical place that was shown to her. Suddenly, Spottedleaf's scent stopped abruptly.

Leafpool's gaze darted around and stopped at a clearing. Trees and bushes protect this clearing, and it seems to be slightly warmer than outside. Her fur was dripping wet and the cold nipped at her ribs. But then she saw something familiar.

Cats were gathered in a circle, and when she got closer, she saw a frozen body of a dead cat, sprawled out in the middle. A dark gray cat howled his grief to his sky at the loss of his friend. A majestic cat with paler fur appeared. His accent was strange, but she caught some of his words.

"I'm sorry… partly by cold… partly by artic wolf…"

She couldn't understand much but she understood enough. The dead cat was killed by the cold and a creature. They need help!

As if responding to her thoughts, Spottedleaf meowed, "They need help. They can survive no longer in this cold, they will return to where they rightfully belong, in the forest, with all the other Clans. It is the duty of the four Clans to prepare for their place in the forest."

With that, Spottedleaf's scent faded, so does the scene in front of her. Leafpool was dragged down to darkness.