Sorry it's been so long guys. I miss updating a lot, but I'm pretty busy. I don't want to bother you with my boring life, so anyway... This is only part one of the story. The second part will be told from the point of view of the cats in the prophecy. Once they're all born of course. I'm wondering if I should make that a separate story, or just write End of Part One, in this story, then continue. I'm thinking new story. When this one is over, look for Warriors: Daylight Part 2. Okay, enough of me blathering on, here's the chapter:
Chapter Twenty-six
Lionblaze drew a paw over his ear. It was almost time to leave for the Gathering. Jayfeather bounded over to him.
"Have you thought about the prophecy anymore?" he asked. Lionblaze shrugged. He licked some of his shoulder fur flat before replying.
"Haven't we all? The darkness has passed, but your troubles are not over. An old enemy will arise from the ashes. Four kits will be born the kin of gray and fire. They shall carry the destiny of the clans on their backs. I'll admit, I'm a little stumped by this part, but we'll figure it out. Oh, and the second part: Four cats, the four kits of thunder will save the forest, with powers beyond that of the three in their paws. So I'm guessing that Thunder will have four kits who hold powers that might be similar to ours, but maybe more powerful." Lionblaze meowed. Jayfeather frowned.
"I suppose, but-" he broke off as Flowerkit tackled him. Stormkit followed with Quickkit close behind. Lionblaze plucked Flowerkit off his back.
"Sorry, Jayfeather!" she squeaked. Jayfeather spit out a mud clod.
"I should hope so." he growled. "Go and find Dovewing." he mewed, drawing a paw over his whiskers. Lionblaze tried not to show his amusement as Flowerkit scampered away. Jayfeather sniffed, obviously annoyed, and continued grooming himself. Lionblaze picked at a shrew while he waited for Bramblestar to come and lead the patrol to the Gathering. After a while, Jayfeather looked up. Lionblaze met his blind gaze curiously.
"What?" he asked his brother. Jayfeather shrugged half-heartedly.
"I was just thinking about WindClan." Jayfeather said, and he continued grooming his pelt. Lionblaze stared off into the distance. Lionblaze hadn't thought much about WindClan in the past moon because so much had been happening, but it was strange how they hadn't attended the Gathering last moon. He tried to think if they'd encountered any WindClan cats recently, but his mind came up blank.
"Yeah." he said. "That is strange. After all, nobody really knows why they didn't show up at the Gathering last moon. I mean, we think that they didn't come because they had some dogs on their territory, but we don't know for sure. Right, Jayfeather?" Lionblaze looked at him. Jayfeather shifted uncomfortably. Lionblaze looked more intently at him. "Right?" he asked. Finally, Jayfeather leaned over. Lionblaze leaned in as well.
"Okay, fine. So last moon, I was walking in Onestar's dream." Lionblaze rolled his eyes at the way Jayfeather said he was walking in Onestar's dream so casually. "And," Jayfeather continued. "Onestar's dead." Lionblaze snorted, assuming Jayfeather was joking, but Jayfeather shook his head.
"Come on, Jayfeather. You can't honestly expect me to believe that Onestar died." Lionblaze said, sighing. "How'd he die?" he asked. Jayfeather leaned in again.
"No cat knows." he meowed ominously. Lionblaze stared at him incredulously.
"This isn't funny." he told his brother. Jayfeather jerked back, looking offended. He got to his paws angrily.
"I'm not joking around. Onestar was murdered, and no one knows how. There was no sign of a break in around the camp, so it had to be someone in WindClan!" Jayfeather stormed off, and Lionblaze instinctively glanced around to make sure no one heard their conversation. He noticed Ivypool making her way across the clearing.
"Ivypool!" he called. "Can I have a word?" Ivypool came over, tail flicking excitedly.
"Are we leaving for the Gathering soon?" she asked. Lionblaze shrugged, his thoughts were on bigger things than the Gathering.
"Sure, I guess. But, guess what else?" he said. Ivypool stared back, uncomprehendingly, so Lionblaze continued. "Jayfeather told me that Onestar was killed. By someone in WindClan!" Ivypool shook her head.
"No way." she said, rolling her eyes. "That is so not funny." she got up to walk away, but Lionblaze stood in front of her.
"I know it's not funny. I said the same thing, but he's serious." Lionblaze frowned. "I think." he added. Ivypool frowned too, and kept walking. Lionblaze stared after her. "Don't you believe me?" he asked. Ivypool glanced over her shoulder.
"I can tell Dovewing, right?" she asked. Lionblaze shrugged. He didn't see how it mattered, they would all find out the truth in a little while. Bramblestar bounded out of his den.
"Who's going to the Gathering, Bramblestar?" asked Daisy from the entrance to the nursery. Bramblestar padded to the center of the clearing.
"Lionblaze, Jayfeather, Ivypool, Molefoot, Shadepaw, Fernpaw, Blossomfall, Snowpaw, Amberpaw, Dewpaw, Icecloud, Thornclaw, Daisy, and Purdy." He flicked his tail, and the patrol assembled. Lionblaze fell into step beside Jayfeather. It started raining as they left camp.
"Hey, Jayfeather. I didn't mean to offend you or anything." he searched his brother for a reaction. "I'm sorry, but I told Ivypool, and she thought it sounded pretty far-fetched too." Jayfeather sighed.
"All right. Say whatever you want. But I know what happened." Lionblaze flicked his tail in annoyance.
"That's not what I meant." he said exasperatedly. "I just meant that it does sound weird. But I believe you." Lionblaze waited. Jayfeather was silent for a few heartbeats.
"Fine." he said. "I'm going to go talk to Icecloud." he said, bounding ahead. Ivypool caught up to Lionblaze, looking eager.
"What'd he say?" she wondered. Lionblaze shrugged.
"Nothing much." he said, crossing the tree-bridge in a few leaps. Ivypool ran across behind him, frowning. She shook some rainwater off her head.
"What do you mean 'nothing much'?" she demanded. Lionblaze frowned too.
"He said nothing we haven't heard before, okay?" he said, not wanting to get into it with Ivypool. Ivypool pushed through the ferns after him. She opened her mouth to say something, but Mistystar yowled to start the Gathering.
"RiverClan has been doing well." she called. "The fish are swimming well. Other than that, we have nothing else to report." Lionblaze thought he heard her murmur: "But some other Clans do." as she shot a glance at the other leaders. He squinted up at the tree. Bramblestar sat on a branch beside Mistystar. On a branch below them sat Rowanclaw, or Rowanstar, now, and next to him, sat a gray she-cat. Ashfoot? Lionblaze thought. Rowanclaw got to his paws on his branch.
"ShadowClan has a great loss to report," he mewed, bowing his head. "Blackstar is dead! I am ShadowClan's new leader. Rowanstar." There was a mix of cheering, and grieving murmurs. Rowanstar sat back down, and Bramblestar took his place.
"ThunderClan morns the loss of such an excellent leader." he mewed to Rowanstar, dipping his head. Rowanstar nodded. "There are a few cases of Greencough in our Clan, but most of our Warriors stayed healthy. We have two new litters of kits, and five new apprentices." Lionblaze heard some surprised whispers from other Clans, five apprentices was a lot. "Amberpaw, Dewpaw, Snowpaw, Shadepaw, and Fernpaw." he said. The Clans cheered for the new apprentices. Lionblaze spotted them all sitting tall and looking important. Bramblestar sat down, and Ashfoot leapt up.
"Onestar died." she said bluntly, lowering her head in sorrow. "I am WindClan's new leader, Ashstar." There were surprised murmurs, Onestar was healthy and young, and his death was a surprise. Reedwhisker, RiverClan's deputy, called from near Lionblaze,
"How did he die?" Ashstar stiffened. The question was repeated more quietly across the clearing, until Ashstar cleared her throat. Her expression darkened.
"The cause of his death is...unconfirmed." she meowed. "Do any of the other leaders have anything else to report?" she asked. The other leaders shook their heads. "Then this Gathering is ended." It was still raining, so the cats rushed to get out of the rain, and back to their camps. Lionblaze hurried to follow the patrol off the island. They ran back to camp, without talking. When they reached the tunnel, all Lionblaze wanted to do was curl up in his nest and go to sleep. But as they entered the camp, Lionblaze knew that wouldn't be an option. Dovewing and Cinderheart were bustling around camp, and Brightheart darted into the Medicine Den. Jayfeather ran into the clearing.
"What's going on?" Jayfeather asked. Brightheart faced him with a grave expression. Bramblestar flicked his tail before she could speak.
"It's been a long night. Why doesn't everyone go to their dens?" he said. Almost all of the cats dispersed into their dens. Lionblaze and the queens stayed. Bramblestar nodded to Brightheart. "Continue." he meowed. Brightheart took a deep breath.
"Thunder kitted." she meowed. Jayfeather leaned in.
"And?" he asked worriedly. Brightheart swallowed.
"Two kits. Both dead." she managed. Bramblestar dipped his head to express his sorrow. He padded towards his den.
"Can you take care of this, Jayfeather?" Jayfeather nodded, and stepped forward.
"Where's Thunder now?" Jayfeather asked Brightheart. Brightheart gestured towards the nursery and started walking towards it. Jayfeather followed. Cinderheart and Daisy looked up when he came in. Their expressions were full of grief. Thunder was standing in her nest, licking her chest fur. Jayfeather padded forward.
"Thunder, I'm so sorry" he mewed. She stared back at him for a few heartbeats, before nodding her thanks. "Where are the kits?" Jayfeather asked peering around. Cinderheart shifted to face him.
"Thunder, Daisy, and I buried them first thing. Thunder thought it would be best not to have a proper ceremony." Thunder nodded in agreement.
"Why?" Jayfeather asked. He searched the queen's face, but Thunder's expression didn't change. Jayfeather wondered why any cat would choose not to have a vigil for their deceased kits.
"Because I'm leaving." Thunder mewed finally. Cinderheart lowered her head, and Daisy gasped. Before anybody could ask why, she continued. "I'm a rogue, and I always have been. I thought it would have been nice for my kits to have a home, but since they're dead, I should probably go. Please relay my thanks to Bramblestar." With that, Thunder got to her paws, and bounded away into the darkness. Cinderheart got up to follow her, but Daisy held her back with her paw.
"If she wants to go, let her." Daisy meowed, her eyes brimming with sorrow and sympathy. Jayfeather remembered that Squirrelflight had once told him that Daisy had wanted to go back to the Horseplace, but her kits talked her out of it. Jayfeather stared out at the darkened clearing.
"I should tell Bramblestar what happened." Jayfeather said after a while. Daisy murmured something in agreement. Jayfeather slid out of the nursery and padded across the clearing. Lionblaze was sitting guard at the tunnel when Jayfeather walked by.
"How'd it go with Thunder?" Lionblaze asked, his gaze still fixed on the tunnel. Jayfeather sighed, not wanting to answer.
"She's, er, gone." He responded. Lionblaze leapt to his paws and spun around, his golden fur puffed out.
"You mean she's dead?" he asked, amber eyes wide. Lionblaze looked so funny that Jayfeather might have laughed, had the situation not been so sad.
"No, she left. She went back to being a rogue. Didn't you see her leave? She must've gone by you." Jayfeather asked. Lionblaze looked confused.
"I didn't see her go. No one went by me. I've been guarding the tunnel since we got back from the Gathering, and no one went by me except for you." Lionblaze told him. Jayfeather shrugged.
"Oh. Well she probably went out the dirtplace tunnel. Maybe she just wanted to leave without being questioned." Jayfeather said before padding up to Bramblestar's den.
"Bramblestar?" he asked quietly as he entered the den. Bramblestar sat up in his nest, amber eyes gleaming.
"Yes Jayfeather? How's Thunder?" he asked. Jayfeather remained standing in the entrance to the den while he relayed the news to Bramblestar.
"She thought it would be best if she left the Clan for good. She wanted me to give you her thanks." Bramblestar nodded seriously.
"If it's what she thought was best." He responded. "Well, Goodnight Jayfeather. Get some sleep, it's been a long night." Jayfeather heeded his leaders advice and crawled into his warm nest. Just as he was about to sleep, a sudden thought struck his mind like lightning. If Thunder's kits aren't the ones in the prophecy, then who's are?
Dovewing awoke and stretched. She glanced around the nursery. Thunder's nest was empty, and the moss was growing stale, so she scratched it into a pile and pushed it out of the nursery. By the time she came back, Quickkit and Flowerkit were already gone. Probably in the warriors den, or something equally as bothersome. She followed their scent trail to the warriors' den. Just as I thought. She confirmed by looking inside and seeing them creep through the sleeping warriors. Dovewing fought the urge to growl.
"Quickkit, Flowerkit, come here." She said severely. The two silver she-kits jumped when they heard their mother's voice.
"It was her fault!" they both squeaked simultaneously. Dovewing fought the urge to purr and glared at her kits.
"I don't care whose fault it was. Come here now, or I'll have to come get you. I'm going to count to three. One…" the kits didn't move. "Two…" Flowerkit twitched. "Three…" the kits were by her side in an instant. "Good." Said Dovewing, herding them back to the nursery. When she arrived though, Daisy was hissing with pain, and Dovewing shoved them right back out of the nursery.
"I thought we had to go back to the nursery." Quickkit exclaimed. Dovewing dragged them to the elder's den, circling back for Stormkit.
"You thought wrong. Just stay here until I come to get you." She snapped. "I'm sure that Purdy, Dustpelt, and Spiderleg would love to tell you a few stories." She then hurried to the medicine den, and found Jayfeather napping.
"Wh-what?" he mewed sleepily as Dovewing prodded him awake.
"Daisy's kitting." She snapped. He grumbled and got to his paws, shaking out his pelt. He began lazily pulling herbs out of his stores.
"Oh, is that all? That happens so often these days it's hardly a problem anymore." He said as he walked towards the exit to his den. Dovewing sighed and pushed past him. She took the lead on the way to the nursery.
"Really, Jayfeather, try to be a little more sympathetic." She insisted as she made her way to the nursery. Jayfeather caught up with her and slipped into the nursery. Cinderheart and her kits had left the nursery, so Daisy, Squirrelflight, Dovewing, and Jayfeather were the only ones in the nursery.
"Okay," said Jayfeather, finally losing his sarcastic tone and getting to work. "Has there been any bleeding?" he asked, shoving some raspberry leaves to the side. Daisy managed to shake her head. "Any pain?" Jayfeather asked, dropping a mouthful of dandelion leaves on the ground.
"What do you think?" Daisy hissed. Jayfeather shrugged and set a stick down next to her face. Dovewing sat next to Squirrelflight in the back of the nursery, to give Jayfeather and Daisy some space.
"You'll be fine, Daisy." Squirrelflight soothed. "Don't forget, you've done this twice before." Dovewing mewed encouragement as well, and within a few heartbeats, a kit was born, then another.
"Two she-kits." Jayfeather reported. "Take this borage to help your milk come, and everything will be fine." As Jayfeather left the den, Dovewing leaned over to see Daisy's kits. One was a soft cream she-kit, and the other was a light brown she-kit with a white marking on her forehead, and a white chest, belly, and paws. Dovewing watched carefully to see who came to congratulate Daisy on her new kits. She was still eager to find the father. Toadstep and Rosepetal came first, glancing at their new siblings. Rosepetal pressed up against Daisy.
"Good job, Daisy." Toadstep said. After he and Rosepetal left, Sandstorm and Graystripe came to admire the kits.
"They're so cute." Sandstorm sighed, and Dovewing knew she was thinking of Firestar.
"That one looks so soft." Graystripe commented, nodding towards one of the kits. Seedfall and Foxleap came in next. Dovewing suppressed a purr. Seedfall and Foxleap were surely going to have kits of their own one day. Lastly, Bramblestar, Purdy, Spiderleg and Millie came in.
"Oh they're great!" Millie exclaimed joyously. Daisy embarrassedly avoided Millie's face and licked her chest fur. Spiderleg stood awkwardly nearby.
"Nice kits." He meowed. Daisy nodded, not meeting his gaze either. Dovewing knew that Daisy's former mate wasn't the father of her kits this time. The way they communicated was stiff and reserved, like they hadn't spoken in a while.
"What are their names?" Bramblestar asked politely. Daisy examined her kits for a moment before answering.
"That one's Cloverkit," she said, pointing at the light brown one. "And the other one is Softkit."
Aww, Cloverkit and Softkit! How cute! Who do you guys think the father is? E-cookies and waffles for anyone who guesses right! Please R&R! I won't update unless I get ten more reviews. (I might, actually, but review anyway!)