Crossing Skies
Chapter 1
Written by: UKEagleclaw
Edited by: UKEagleclaw, Aspenflame (BC) & Flameshine01 (DA)

A sinister, unfamiliar breeze unsettled Ash's dark gray fur, forcing it to whip and lash in the wind's powerful current. Vicious swirls of darkness short-sighted his vision. Rain flowing like a river started to drop from the sky, flicking into his face and dampening his fur. Suddenly thunder erupted, making Ash jump like a terrified newborn kit. Ash was used to harsh, freezing winds in the mountains, but this land was different. Bare grassland that was sparse in the mountains covered the vast space. There wasn't any bright white snow, which he'd been accustomed to seeing it ever since he ventured out of the Tribe's cave. Never before had he seen this place or imagined anything like it. For some mysterious, unknown reason, he was here. Had the Tribe of Endless Hunting sent him?

Ash's bright orange eyes flared like a flame, and like a sharp-eyed eagle he inspected everything around him, desperately trying to find something that resembled the mountains. He hoped that something would be recognisable through the twisting darkness.

Nothing.

Ash double-checked. Nothing.

He checked one last time. Nothing whatsoever.

All of a sudden, a new scent struck his nose. He hadn't smelt this strong sensation before. Straight in front of him, a tiny green stem grew from the ground. It blossomed into a wide, waxy, green leaf that possessed a strong tangy scent.

Pure darkness poured over his vision like a gushing waterfall, threatening to blind him. No time was given for Ash to comprehend the meaning of the herb. He couldn't believe what was happening. His heart was thumping in his chest. What is this place? Terror gripped him. His fur was spiked up and bristling. Above him, the sky rumbled violently. A fresh volley of rain lashed against his pelt. However, unlike previously, it made the darkness disappear. The wind instantly dropped, and bright sunshine began to wash the grassland.

Looking forward, Ash noticed that there was now a large red and white cave. Curiosity made his whiskers twitch. Like a mouse, he quickly scurried up to its entrance and leaned his head forwards. The cave's wide entrance hung open. It felt as though it was inviting him to look inside.

Intrigue got the better of him. Fragments of yellow grass were etched around the floor - some in larger bunches, others scattered randomly on the cave's ground. Ash sniffed the weird-smelling air. A new scent appeared. Some cats and a slightly different cat smell. It took him a few heartbeats to remember the scent. It was the scent of warm milk that filled his nostrils. This rushed back memories of being in the nursery with his mother, Petal and his sister, Gust. There must be a kit-mother somewhere in here. Their scents were completely different to Tribe smell - he hadn't smelt anything like it before. Ash narrowed his eyes, searching every bit of the cave. He was unable to detect them among the dense yellowy undergrowth. If they were there, he failed to spot them. There's no point looking for them, Ash considered, they must want to remain hidden. He turned towards the cave's entrance, preparing to leave.

Darkness reappeared, as he exited the cave. Panic swept over him, and he threw his gaze around the surrounding space. Never-ending shadows had once again covered his vision. Alarm returned to his mind.

Maybe I should try to re-enter the cave? Ash reflected.

He returned his gaze towards the large red-and-white den and gasped in shock. It had gone. Had the darkness consumed it? Just like it had consumed the grassland?

Ash blinked in confusion, wishing this bizarre dream would end.

A different sight was now before him, the darkness was replaced. Far expanses of bare grassland stretched the landscape to each of its sides. Every so often a tree or a bush would litter the ground. Ash stood on the border of a knot of dens. In front of him was light brown stone, and it seemingly kept some brownish creatures behind it. Gazing through the gaps in the stone, Ash looked them up and down. Their legs were small and narrow, and they possessed a stump for a tail. Shades of brown and white masked their pelts. They looked harmless enough, but then he spotted their pointed snouts, and their eyes which were engulfed with malice. They were further entrenched with gaping abysses of terrifying black. On their heads were unbreakable looking branches that looked like they could penetrate a cat's flesh. Dread raked his fur, causing him to shiver.

His vision sparked like fire, he saw a ginger tabby face. Like a burn, it scarred him. At that moment, he knew he wouldn't forget that face. The tabby's face was round and soft. One of its ears had a slight tear. Its bright green eyes were as bright as leaves, knowledge existing within. Ash could feel it, there was something about this cat, something that had to be important. Before he could think any further, his vision changed again.

What's the point in this if I don't even have time to think about each sight that I witness? Ash thought, bewildered.

His heart relaxed when he saw his next sight. He stood on a ridge that overlooked a limitless, gleaming pool of water. A half-moon overwatched from above, covering the land in a radiant, shining light, making the water sparkle like stars. An island covered in dense trees was positioned to the side nearest to where he stood. A great fallen oak tree appeared to grant access to it. The land on the far side of the lake was decorated in trees of different variations. To the north-west were pines and marshland. On its eastern border were oak trees and dense undergrowth. To the south-west there was a beautiful river that flowed through, supplying the lake. The entrancing current of water reminded him of the waterfall that had diligently guarded the Tribe's cave for seasons upon seasons. Knots of trees were dotted around the river. Nearest to him were nests that reminded him of what he had seen earlier, they had the same light brown stones but none of those vile creatures. To the east were vast rolling hills that stretched over short grassland. Suddenly he felt a sharp, cold wind slice through his fur.

Ash was now watching over a pool that resonated never-ending starlight. He was stunned by the beauty of it. The pool had a gold and silver tinge. It shone tail-lengths more than the lake Ash had witnessed heartbeats ago.

"I hope StarClan will share something with us."

Startled at hearing a voice, Ash backed into the safety of a bush that lay behind him. From his new found positioning, he overlooked a sandy hollow. Sitting down in a comfortable position, he ignored the nettles that stung his fur and gazed out of the gap that he had used to enter.

A small white she-cat was padding alongside a light brown tabby tom. "I'm sure they will, Whiteberry." His amber eyes shone with concern.

Whiteberry? What a strange name! Why would any cat be called something like that? Ash thought, amused.

The two cats had now started walking towards the pool from a sandy trail which was embedded with ancient looking pawmarks. Whiteberry's blue eyes shone with resiliency. She kept on coughing, but with the light brown tabby tom's help they reached the centre of the clearing. They settled down, Ash noticed that Whiteberry's tail was lashing ferociously. What had angered her?

"The other medicine cats better not take too much longer," Whiteberry remarked. "They should be here already. If I can make it here in my condition and they cannot, StarClan condemn them!" Whiteberry hissed the last bit, spitting as she did so.

A few heartbeats passed, and another barrage of coughs erupted from Whiteberry's mouth.

"Maybe you should have stayed in camp?" Compassion was clear in the light brown tabby tom's eyes.

"Enough of our Clanmates have died already," Whiteberry growled. "We can't afford to lose anymore cats. I think StarClan might be the only ones who can save us now. We've both tried as many herbs as we can, and I've even tried mixing up new ones in a poor attempt to stop it, but this disease is too strong. Perhaps it's unstoppable. Eventually it's claimed all the cats it's affected. StarClan may be the only cats with the answer."

"Yes, but I'd struggle to handle the Clan without your guidance," the light brown tabby tom admitted sincerely. He continued, before he could be interrupted by Whiteberry, "Every Clan needs as many medicine cats as possible to fight it. Our Clan has got two. The other Clans only have one full medicine cat. ThunderClan is the most fortunate of all the Clans, and I'd rather that continued."

"Don't worry, Bramblegaze. I'm planning on being around for more seasons than you can count," Whiteberry reassured, flicking her tail against the younger cat's flank.

Bramblegaze looked like he was about to say something else, but mews echoed from towards the top of the trail.

Four cats were grouped together in a tight cluster, as they walked down the dusty trail. "Why didn't you wait," a husky voice challenged.

"Have you realised how windy it is?" Whiteberry snorted. "We didn't want to wait in case any of you didn't show."

Bramblegaze nodded reluctantly, agreeing with his mentor.

"I would never abandon my faith in StarClan," a large brown she-cat hissed, stepping forwards from the group. The same huskiness gritted her mew. Her muscles ruffled her short fur, as she moved towards the light blue pool.

A tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat padded calmly towards Whiteberry. Due to the sharp wind, he smelled a unique flavour on her fur. It was the smell of fish. His mouth became to water, and his stomach growled. Ash remembered his father, Sleet, bringing back a small gray scaled fish from a hunting patrol. He remembered loving the chewy texture of the fish, and he had preferred it to any birds or land prey the patrols had commonly brought back.

"I'm disappointed that you'd think so little of us," the tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat admitted. "We owe StarClan our lives, and we all took vows to protect and heal cats regardless of Clan. I trust every cat here still believes that." She quickly swept her head around the sandy hollow, looking at each cat in turn. And before any cat could interject, she declared, "We must keep our faith in StarClan, if we want to help every Clan and cat prevent this vile disease." Despite her strong tone, Ash spotted doubt flicker in her mew.

Whiteberry shrugged. She obviously didn't care a great deal for the criticism from her fellow medicine cats. Nearer to the pool, Bramblegaze and Moorsky were already exchanging friendly greetings.

"Greetings, Whiteberry," welcomed a brown tom. His ungroomed brown fur was flowing in the howling wind.

"Greetings, Wildpelt," Whiteberry replied. Noticing the cat beside him, her whiskers quivered. "Is this your new apprentice?"

A fluffy black-and-white she-cat stood next to Wildpelt. Her features had been partly hidden by Wildpelt's shadow, and she was much smaller than Wildpelt. "Yes," she gasped. "Wow, the Moonpool is wonderful." Amazement brightened her face, making her jaw drop.

She waggled her haunches, readying to lunge towards the Moonpool, but Wildpelt held her back with his tail. "This is Frogpaw. Quite frankly, Olivestar advised me to start training an apprentice. Luckily for ShadowClan, Frogpaw showed an interest," Wildpelt answered.

Frogpaw's tail drooped against the sand spread ground, and she stared up at her mentor with wide eyes. "But-"

"Don't worry. I'm happy you're my apprentice," Wildpelt interrupted, lightly touching Frogpaw on the nose with his tail.

Frogpaw bounced back, making Wildpelt and Whiteberry chuckle in amusement. "I can see where she gets her name from," Whiteberry purred. "I'm sure she's going to be a great medicine cat," Whiteberry added, dipping her head.

"Thanks," Wildpelt responded.

"Anyway, we haven't got all night," Whiteberry snorted, she was staring upwards at the dark night sky.

Clouds where dotted across it. It is beautiful, marvelled Ash. Unlike the darkness earlier, breathtaking bright starlight shone in every direction. For some reason, Ash felt comforted, knowing that they were watching over him. Calmness reached over his pelt, he felt much better than he had at any previous stage in his dream.

Lowering his muzzle, he realised that Whiteberry, Wildpelt, and Frogpaw had joined the rest of the assembled medicine cats. They all stood next to the lapping pool water, waiting patiently.

Wildpelt faced Frogpaw, a proud expression on his face. "Are you ready?" Wildpelt questioned.

"Of course!" Frogpaw mewed instantly, eyes glowing with excitement. Her chest was puffed out, showing her eagerness. Pride glossed in her smooth black-and-white pelt, overshadowing her mentor's ragged appearance. Her tail was upright. "I can't wait," Frogpaw breathed in awe of the starry pool.

The other medicine cats broke out in laughter, and their whiskers twitched in amusement. A large grin covered Wildpelt's muzzle.

"Frogpaw, is it your wish to enter the mysteries of StarClan as a medicine cat?" Wildpelt asked. Ash was sure that Frogpaw's answer was fairly obvious.

"Yes, I do!" Frogpaw exclaimed passionately.

"Then come forward," Wildpelt invited, pointing his tail towards the pool's edge.

Frogpaw edged closer to the pool. The other medicine cats parted, allowing her a small space in the middle.

"Warriors of StarClan, I present you with this apprentice. She has chosen the path of a medicine cat. Please grant her your wisdom and insight so that she may understand your ways and heal her Clan in accordance with your will." As Wildpelt spoke, Ash felt a peaceful aura surround him.

Questions were whizzing around Ash's thoughts. What's a warrior? What's a Clan? What's a medicine cat? What's StarClan?

Wildpelt settled down, next to his new apprentice, gently touching her back with his tail. "You will meet StarClan, but don't worry. I will be beside you."

The rest of the medicine cats dropped down onto their bellies, stretching their muzzles so they touched the pool's edge. What are they doing? Water began to lap against their muzzles. How feather-brained. What can pool water do? Ash frowned, tail quivering in amusement.

As the medicine cats touched the lapping pool water with their muzzles, Ash could feel a wave of peace wash over him, making him feel more relaxed than ever before. He realised that there was nothing to be afraid of here - no crumbling cliffs, no avalanches, and no eagles that could pluck you out of the sky without warning.

Tiredness like water drained over him. Ash hadn't felt tired, but his eyelids mysteriously closed, and a yawn escaped his mouth. Blackness swamped his vision.

Ash's eyes sprang open. Darkness greeted him. Not again. As he blinked, he realised with shock a cat stood over him. The cat's amber eyes, like a shoot of water, surged through the shadows and were directed downwards in Ash's direction. The shadowy cat towered over Ash. He could feel the cat's burning, blazing amber eyes on his fur. It made him feel uncomfortable. His fur was spiked up, similarly to when a snowstorm roared through the Tribe's territory. He trembled. Whoever this cat is, I bet he can smell my fear-scent, Ash despaired. He could feel his tail shaking, like a leaf in the wind, and his paws were twitching. Nervousness clawed his heart.

Forcing himself to unsheathe his claws, Ash growled as threateningly as he could, "Who are you?"

Mist began to ascend from the floor. His eyes had now adjusted to the small amount of light, but the sudden mist had dulled the clearing. The amber eyes had vanished.

"Where are you?" Ash yowled, frustration stretching his mew. "What is this? What am I doing here?" The mist offered no response. The silence was beginning to greatly irritate Ash. "Tell me!" he cried.

His vision swirled. He was still in the clearing filled with mist. Pure blackness remained, gripping the air. Ash felt his breath getting hoarser and hoarser. He tried to move forwards, but his paws shook violently from underneath him, making him sink further into the shadowy mist.

Cats appeared before him. He was unable to see them in detail, as their features were invisible among the darkness. "Help-" Ash rasped, throat suddenly dry.

They didn't move a whisker, and they didn't call out. Instead, they stood motionless like stones.

Ash's body heaved, stealing all his energy. His heartbeat increased rapidly, causing Ash to drop with a thud to his flank. What's happening to me? Ash attempted to stretch out a paw towards the gathered cats, but he felt no movement. He was frozen like ice.

Yet again, the mist began to swirl, and it ruthlessly encircled him. The shadowy cats had disappeared as quickly as when they had arrived. Still on the shadowy ground, he stared up, seeing the mist whip and tear the sky above. Ash felt his breath slowing, making it impossible to breathe. Blood like a river started to plunge from his mouth. Ash coughed, turning his head to his side. He wrenched, as an endless stream of dark crimson blood poured from his mouth. The swirling mist had turned blood red. Weakness had overloaded his limbs. Fear flooded his senses. Am I dying? Pain clutched his limbs, refusing to let go. He groaned as darkness consumed his senses.

Ash blinked, flicking his eyes open. He was panting heavily. Relief comforted him. He was lying in the to-bes' den. Its solid stone roof hung above him. I guess it was just another bad dream. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his littermate, Gust. She stood, looking at him. Anxiety clearly edged her blue eyes.

"Are you okay, Ash? You were shaking and crying out in your sleep," Gust's mew was gripped with concern. "You can tell me… you know… if anything's wrong. After all, you're my brother."

Her worried stare made Ash feel uneasy. Worry overcame him. Unknown to Gust, he'd been having terrible dreams like these since he was a kit. They had gotten worse every moon. The dreams had reached a stage where every moonrise, he dreaded drifting off to sleep. He was often told by the senior cave-guards and prey-hunters to go to sleep instead of staying up. His mother, Petal, was often urging him into the to-bes' den at night. Even so, he tried to keep chatting with the other to-bes for as long as he could until sleep claimed him. Eventually, a point came where he was unable to stay awake, and unintentionally against his will, he uneasily fell asleep.

"I'm fine," Ash snapped. "It was just a bad dream." His voice trailed off towards the end.

Secretly, Ash could feel his heart pumping in his chest, still unsettled from his nightmarish visions. However, he didn't want to share his nightmares with Gust. She would just become more worried and more protective over him. Why did she always have to stick her nose into his life? Ever since they were kits, he'd always been jumpy; startled by the slightest noise. Cats were always awkward around him. They all felt the need to look after him. I'm a to-be now. I'll prove that no one needs to look out for me. I'll become the best prey-hunter the Tribe has ever known! Despite his confidence, Ash could feel anxiety grip his stomach, dislodging his positive thinking.

Gust was staring back at him unsurely, but lowered her gaze. "Fine." She shrugged. "If you say so."

She quickly curled back into a tight black ball of fur and swiftly drifted back to sleep. Her breath growing smaller and smaller. Ash sighed, feeling jealous. Why can't I sleep as peacefully? What's wrong with me? Ash dropped his muzzle onto his paws. He hoped that he wouldn't fall asleep as easily as Gust did.

Then, he thought about the wide space of the mountains, and the fresh air that would reinvigorate his fur, washing the tiredness away. Carefully he tip-toed out of the to-bes den, and side-stepping the nests of his two other older denmates. He tried to be as silent as possible, touching his paws down as quietly as he could manage, using his prey-hunter training to full effect. The waterfall's relaxing noise travelled back to him as he exited the to-bes den's entrance.

A slight shade of darkness submerged the insides of the cave. His orange eyes darted around the small sleeping hollows that nested on each side of the cave. No cat stirred. Mild snoring made his ears prick timidly. Determined, he realised that he could reach the cave's waterfall entrance which would allow him to embrace fresh wild air. Not wanting to fall back into a fearful sleep, he crept as carefully as possible towards the waterfall. He felt relieved, the sound of water droplets crashing against stone would hide any sound he'd made as long as he wasn't too loud.

Soon enough, he reached the waterfall. Thuds of water clattered against his fur, as he looked out at the pitch-black hills and ridges that were hardly visible ahead of him. A small wind touched his fur, reminding him of the vast open spaces beyond the cave's interior. Then, Ash remembered his dreams of undiscovered faraway lands, and he knew the star covered lake and pool would remain in his mind. He embraced the frosty cold air as he trotted out of the cave. Water pellets washed through his fur as he journeyed beyond into snow-covered Tribe territory to unravel his varying emotions.

Author's Notes:

We welcome one of our protagonists, Ash. Who is revealed to be suffering mysterious, deadly visions. What do they mean?

The medicine cats return in the vision as well. I love them all so far. Frogpaw is a pretty nice character to write as well. I could basically complement each one of them. ^Good character development, if I can say so myself.

Please comment any thoughts. I hope you enjoyed it. Make sure to watch my page to keep up to date with Crossing Skies. Thanks! :D