[glow=red,2,300]Chapter One[/glow]
A pair of sunset amber eyes peered through the eerie sick light, two piercing orbs of power burning though a beautiful she-cat’s fur. Around her a dark forest stretched on as far as the eye can see, and father. The sky was pitch-black, and yet she was able to see. Terror surged though her as she looked quickly at the unfamiliar territory, then she looked at the watching eyes. She could see blood dripping from its mouth.
What did he do? She thought. Turning her head, she looked around. She spotted a lump of black fur. A familiar scent hit the roof of her mouth, and overlaying it, a scent that made the fur on her spine stand on end- death.
No! She nearly chocked in horror.
Not him! The silver tabby shrunk back, feeling her tail bristle, and bared her teeth. Fear pulsed through her veins, but something more overwhelming covered it- her instincts to protect her clan. Claws unsheathed, she leapt at the creature. It shrieked, unprepared for the attack, as she landed on its back, clawing out lumps of gray coarse fur.
You’ll pay for what you’ve done! The reek of blood hit the roof of her mouth as she felt claws rip down her ride. She cried in pain, and was easily shaken off by the attacker.
Oh no, she thought furiously.
It’s going to take more than that to get rid of me! Letting out a battle cry, she leapt up again. The attacker spun around to confront her. Snarling, he bit the wound he had inflicted on her earlier. The tabby felt blood spray from it. It felt as if it was on fire. She gritted her teeth, and twisted her neck. Her teeth met the cat’s shoulder. Hissing she bit down as hard as she could. She felt the scrape of bone on her teeth, and the gray cat screamed. Suddenly all of the air was knocked out of her, and she landed on the ground with a thud. Panting, she looked up, her emerald green eyes meeting his golden amber ones.
“Murderer!” she gasped, baring her teeth. “You killed him! You’ll pay for this!”
A hauntingly familiar voice came from the gray furred creature. “Oh will I?”
The silver tabby’s eyes widened in sheer horror. “No...”
“Yes,” he hissed, grinning. “Surprised, little one?”
She scrambled up, all pain in her side forgotten. “But-but why? What did he do?” She felt tears start to run down her face. “Why, brother?!”
“He never cared,” he snarled. “Not when I was a kit, not an apprentice, not ever. I dedicated my whole life to making him proud of me, but he frowned upon me, always! I was just a runt to him, a waste of his time!” The gray cat’s voice shook, and a silver tear drop landed on the ground.
“That’s not true!” she gasped. “He loved you! We all do!” Taking a tentative step forward, she pressed her fur against his. He was trembling, and his head was hanging. He made no signal for her to move. She licked his ear, trembling. “Come with me. I’ll take you home. I’ll help make sure no one ever knows about this. StarClan will forgive you if you dedicate your life to the warrior code.”
For a moment he was silent, as if wondering whether to trust her. After awhile he looked up, eyes watery, and relaxed. His legs were trembling. “I’m so sorry... I’m sorry... Oh what have I done?!”
He collapsed next to her in a frenzy. She laid down next to him, licking his ears. Terror filled her heart, but she couldn’t let down her littermate, even if he had done what he did. “Hush, brother,” she mewed softly, as he quieted down. “You know that I will always love you no matter what. We’ll get through this, I promise. I won’t tell any cat.”
The gray cat sat still for awhile, and his sister licked his ear again. “You stay here,” she mewed. “I’ll get you some water. Then we’ll figure out what to do.”
Getting up, she turned around. She felt him get up behind her, and turned around. “Oh, you want to come?” She cut off as her eyes focused. Something wasn’t right. His amber eyes were the same, but the familiar gray coat had been replaced with a dark tabby one. And instead of his eyes being sad, they were filled with menace. The silver tabby unsheathed her claws and snarled in fury.
“Who are you? What have you done with my brother?!” she hissed, lashing her tail.
“If he won’t kill you,” she spat. “Then
I WILL!”
The tabby leapt at the she-cat, claws extended, teeth gleaming. She felt the teeth meet her throat. Fire burned in her blood as the jaws crushed her throat. She dropped to the ground, gasping for air. Her vision started to blur as she saw that the tabby was gone, and her brother was back, covered in her blood. His eyes were wide in shock and terror. His cry was the last thing she heard, and the last thing she felt was his warm fur against hers. Then everything went black, and she knew nothing.
Shinespirit woke with a start, her heart pounding, and her fur bristling. She looked around frantically. Around her were the familiar pelts of her clanmates. Next to her was Wavemoon, and beyond him, Brookfeather and Eagleflight. She felt her muscles relax, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank StarClan. It was only a dream. She got up and stretched, and padded outside the den. A sharp pain hit her side, and she had to clench her teeth to keep her from screeching. She sat down, and licked her side. She felt no wound, but the taste of blood filled her mouth. She recoiled, terrified. Then realization hit her. That was where she had been wounded in her dream.
She gasped aloud, chills going down her spine. Her wound had gone from her dream into the real world. Could it mean that this was more than a dream?
No, he thought, shaking her head.
That would never happen. Trying to hide her pain, she padded to the fresh-kill pile. She grabbed a sparrow, and sat down. Taking a large bite, she looked around the camp.
It was just before dawn, and a few warriors were awake. Wildheart was guarding the camp entrance, and Cherrytail was grooming herself at the base of Rockstar’s den. Icepool and Nightflash were sharing tongues near the warriors den, and the queens were starting to emerge. Gulping down the rest of her sparrow, Shinespirit got up. Strangely the pain was gone, but the memory lasted all the same. Shaking her pelt, he padded to Wildheart.
“Good morning Shinespirit,” she purred.
“Morning,” she mewed, smiling.
“Going hunting?”
“Yeah,” she meowed, looking around the camp quickly.
“You want me to come?” she asked. “I’ll be off guard duty any moment now.”
“I’m sorry, but no,” Shinespirit mewed, looking away. She needed time alone to clear her mind.
Wildheart looked at her in worry. “Are you alright? You look like you just saw a StarClan cat!”
“I’m fine. See you later.” Shinespirit pushed past Wildheart. “See you,” she heard her call.
As soon as she was out of vision she broke into a sprint. She ran past the giant oak and the river. After awhile her legs couldn’t carry her farther, and she stopped, panting. Shinespirit sniffed the air. She was at the edge of her territory. She sat down, still panting, and closed her eyes.
The scent of mouse hit the roof of her mouth. She opened her eyes.
Well, fresh-kill for the clan can’t hurt. Crouching, she spotted the furry brown creature as it scuffled in the undergrowth. Shinespirit pounced, feeling her claws sink into the mouse. She leaned over to make the final blow, but as she looked closer, she realized that the mouse was dead, and crawling with maggots.
How is that possible?! It was just alive! The mouse suddenly vanished under her paws, and she leapt back in shock. Landing in the undergrowth, she gasped in terror.
Great StarClan! What’s happening to me?! Suddenly a dark, raspy voice whispered in her ear.
“Beware.” it snarled.
“There is no escaping the black fire.”Without warning, an invisible force hit Shinespirit, and everything went black.