Is This Really It...? - A Warriors Fanfic - Comments Welcome

[Knalriki]

Welcome~ I must say that you're in for an...interesting ride if you read this. This story was inspired by many of the things I've run into over the course of this week, and I warn you: this will not be like other Warriors fanfics. It's set in the future of the four Clans (Thunder, River, Wind, Shadow) and is still set at the lake, but the cast is pretty much all new characters. Enjoy~

What's Going on Right Now?

Life in the Clans is pretty easy and breezy this late Leaf-fall, and manny are looking forward to the upcoming Gathering. For now the Clans by the lake are at ease, and tensions are low, but trouble is brewing in the afterlife...

Announcements

• Alliegances complete! You may notice a few you recognize~ The prologue has been started, too.
• Chapter 1 is posted, incomplete.
• Chapter 1 complete~

ALLIEGANCES

ThunderClan

Leader - Dovestar - A pale, smoky she-cat with pretty blue eyes and wild, windblown fur

Deputy - Foxwhisper - A large, ginger-furred tom with cinnamon points and bright green eyes

Medicine-Cat - Laurelcatcher - A small, snow-white tom with icy blue eyes; deaf (Apprentice: Owlpaw)

Warriors

Icefeather - A black she-cat with amber eyes and a long, white tail
Hazelfoot - A sandy tom with blue eyes, long legs, and a white underside
Eagleroost - A muscular black tom with gray flecks in his fur and brilliant amber eyes
Willowshadow - A slender silver she-cat whose face is entirely white, along with her forepaws; green eyes
Gingertail - A broad-shouldered red-brown tom with green eyes and a white-tipped tail (Apprentice: Moonpaw)
Thrushwing - A somewhat large dark tabby she-cat with white paws and amber eyes
Skyflight - A dark ginger tabby she-cat with bright yellow-green eyes (Apprentice: Quickpaw)
Squirreldance - A small gray tom with black paws and bright amber eyes
Cragfur - A large gray tom with bright blue eyes and faint silver points
Greenshine - A brown tabby she-cat with brilliant green eyes and white legs
Adderstripe - A sandy tom with dark brown tabby marks and bright amber eyes
Bramblescratch - A small, lean white tom with brown points and blue eyes; his shoulders bear many scars

Apprentices

Quickpaw - A sandy tom with paler points and underbelly; green eyes
Owlpaw - A white she-cat with black spots and stunning amber eyes
Moonpaw - A silver she-cat with white points and blue eyes

Queens and Kits - Note: Kits are listed under their mothers.

Quietstep - A dainty silver she-cat with black paws and pretty blue eyes
• Mintkit - A gray-and-white she-cat with blue-green eyes

Elders

Ivytail - A lean, green-eyed she-cat with dark red fur
Cinderheart - A dappled, fluffy gray tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes


ShadowClan

Leader - Tigerstar - A muscular, dark-furred tabby tom with amber eyes

Deputy - Oakwind - A lean, dark brown she-cat with bright amber eyes (Apprentice: Brightpaw)

Medicine-Cat - Pineshade - A black tom with bright green eyes and a twisted forepaw

Warriors

Lizardflash - A dark gray tom with strange splotches of white in his fur and green eyes (Apprentice: Darkpaw)
Wolfshadow - A gray tom with black paws and odd eyes; the left green and the right blue
Lilywhisper - A pale tan she-cat with a large splotch of black on her back; blue eyes
Whitespirit - A snow-white she-cat with amber eyes and a nasty scar on her back
Blackstream - A jet-black she-cat with silver around her ears; blue eyes
Iceshard - An all-white tom with faint, pale gray on his back and tail; icy blue eyes
Shadowfrost - A black she-cat with white paws, muzzle, and tail tip; amber eyes
Stolentail - A muscular gray tabby tom with amber eyes; his tail is but a tiny stump
Redtalon - A lean, pale-furred tom with red points and blue eyes

Apprentices

Brightpaw - A cream-furred she-cat with pretty blue eyes and white paws
Darkpaw - A dark brown tom with amber eyes and white forepaws

Queens and Kits Note: Kits are listed under their mothers.

Owlsong - A brown mottled she-cat with bright amber eyes
• Deftkit - A small gray tom with a long, skinny tail and playful green eyes
• Bluekit - A blue-gray she-cat with white paws and green eyes
• Shiningkit - A pale she-cat with splotches of brown and black in her fur; green eyes

Elders

Tawnypelt - A totishell she-cat with ragged fur and green eyes
Toadfoot - A brown tom with tired green eyes and ruffled brown fur

RiverClan

Leader - Otterstar - A sleek, dark brown she-cat with bright blue eyes

Deputy - Pebblefoot - A gray-furred tom with mottled fur and blue eyes

Medicine-Cat - Violetwish - A black she-cat with vivid blue eyes

Warriors

Ravenfoot - A black tom with a patch of white on his chest; amber eyes
Ferndapple - A light gray she-cat with black and darker gray spots in her fur; green eyes
Larksky - A small brown tom with gray paws and green eyes
Weaselstripe - A dark brown tom with a stark white underbelly and tail-tip; amber eyes
Sootwhisker - A smoky gray tom with paler paws and amber eyes
Rainfeather - A pretty gray she-cat with bright blue eyes (Apprentice: Coldpaw)
Flamewatcher - A daze-d looking ginger tom with white ears and paws; green eyes
Riverspots - A gray she-cat with shite flecks in her fur and a completely white tail; blue eyes
Crookedmoon - A black tom with an odd white streak over his back; green eyes (Apprentice: Silverpaw)
Whitedrop - A snow-white she-cat with beautiful blue eyes
Morningdapple - A pale she-cat with tortishell markings on her back; amber eyes
Toadthicket - A mottled brown tom with odd long legs and green eyes
Runningstream - A small silver she-cat with black points; blue eyes
Brackenleaf - A brown she-cat with white toes and tail-tip; amber eyes

Apprentices

Silverpaw - A pretty silver she-cat with clear blue eyes
Coldpaw - A white she-cat with brown forepaws and tail; green eyes

Queens and Kits Note: Kits are listed under their mothers.


Elders

Beetlewhisker - A brown and white tabby tom with green eyes

WindClan

Leader - Heatherstar - A pale brown tabby she-cat with heather-blue eyes

Deputy - Sunstrike - A tortishell she-cat with a large white mark on her forehead; blue eyes

Medicine-cat - Snakesight - A pale, dappled brown tom with brilliant amber eyes

Warriors

Birdseer - A lanky dark brown tom with amber eyes
Featherstare - A pale gray tabby she-cat with bright blue eyes
Dawnpetal - A light brown she-cat with blue eyes
Redwhisper - A dark ginger tom with white forelegs and amber eyes
Shadepath - A jet-black tom with icy blue eyes
Wildthicket - A massive brown tom with amber eyes and a white blaze-like mark on his muzzle
Birchleap - A mottled brown tom with short legs and a long tail; blue eyes
Weaselwind - A black tom with white forepaws and green eyes
Snowripple - A very pale gray tabby she-cat with icy blue eyes
Mistyshadow - A silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes
Specklestone - A small gray tom with amber eyes
Brindlemark - An all white tom, save for the brindle pattern on his tail; amber eyes
Windpoppy - A cream-furred she-cat with red points and bright blue eyes

Apprentices

Harepaw - A white tom with long legs and a short tail; amber eyes
Lostpaw - A smoky gray she-cat with blue eyes
Tallpaw - A white and brown tabby tom with long whiskers

Queens and Kits Note: Kits are listed under their mothers.

Goldwhisper - A slight golden she-cat with white paws; blue eyes
• Tanglekit - A brindled she-cat with white paws and muzzle; blue eyes
• Jaykit - A pale gray she-cat with icy blue eyes

Elders

Emberfoot - A gray tom with darker gray paws and fiery amber eyes


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PROLOGUE

The cold air of leaf-bare snakes through the forest, stirring the starlit surface of a pool, nestled in a worn bed of stone. The clouds obstruct some of the stars, and the surface of the pool trembles, as if frightened.

At the edge of the place, whispering growls and mews can be heard, as ghostly as the wind in the bare branches of the trees.

"Are you sure this is the place?" one whispers.

"I'm certain of it. I've followed her here enough times to know." The reply is confident, a hint of malice at the mention of her.

"Then we will attack tonight, right, sir?" another voice asks the second. The question sends a hushed murmur rippling through the darkness; suddenly, the shadows are alive, staring at one another with glowing eyes in the darkness. Each pair of eyes reflects confidence or fear, but it is clear that all present know of the attack.

The second voice pauses before responding. "It is still too soon to strike."

[b]"Wise words from a great leader,"[/i] a fourth voice growls. "Perhaps we ought to weaken them first? We lost before because too many believed."

"All too true. I have a plan. One that will work this time."

The darkness seems to writhe for a moment, and then the shadowy form of a broad-shouldered tom steps into the clearing. His blue eyes chips of ice, he glares at the pool.

"Quickly," one of the spectators urges. "Your father will be furious if he finds out."

The shadowy figure just nods, then reaches out and places a paw into the pool. He stays there for a moment, then vanishes, almost as if the wind had swept him away, leaving the forest empty of life again. The pool has stopped rippling; it does not move at all. Around the edges, menacing claws of ice slowly reach out, and as the pool freezes over, a silent cry of pain echoes through the forest.

-------

Days pass, and the pool stands frozen, untouched. It has been seven sunrises since the shadows had appeared, and now, a lone, starry-furred cat tiredly slips into the clearing. As he walks, the stars sprinkle from his fur, fading into nothing before they reach the earth.

"By the stars..." he swears, weary blue eyes gazing at the pocket of ice before him. He winces and collapses, his breathing growing ragged. He stares upwards, as though pleading. More stars fade from his pelt, and his form begins to fade, slowly.

He knew what was happening. He could feel it. Still, it baffled him--How could he be dying when he was already dead? "Mothflight..." he whispers, desperate to have her hear his words--She was the only cat he ever trusted, the only one he ever cared for. "Save....." He drew in a ragged breath, his form fading more; he was barely visible now.

"Please...Save....Save my Clan...."

A chill breeze whips through the empty clearing, yet the air there does not stir. It remains where it is, dead. Empty.

In the sky above, a lone star twinkles, sputters. It falls, much like the star one might make a wish upon, and then disappears, leaving behind an empty, unlit space in the sky.

Anothe breeze blows through the forest, and brittle branches creak and scrape.

The sound is haunting, and beneath it, laughter echoes, maniacal and sinister.

-------

AN:

And thus, the story begins! Many of you may be wondering who the black-and-white fellow might be; here's a hint: he was the first to consider catmint as a possible cure to Greencough and Whitecough.

Very short chapter, but there wasn't too much to be covered in this one~ Updates may be added later. Feel free to critique and ask questions! Also, if you notice any grammar errors, point them out~

I told you this wasn't your typical Warriors fanfic.

[Spyralin]

Very interesting, Woodyard, very interesting. I am curious to see how it unfolds Hey, something happens to Antpelt in the fourth book - might want to revise the alliances. And i recognized several warriors/ elders, good way to weave in familiar characters. Like i said, can't wait to see how it unfolds.

[Knalriki]

ARGHHH! WHY, Erin Hunter, WHY?! I'll have to fix things right away...

[Knalriki]

CHAPTER 1

"Come on, Bluekit, you're not some WindClan scaredy-cat, are you?"

Bluekit glared at her brother, but stayed where she was.

"Watcha' waiting for?"

"Oh, that's it!" Bluekit snarled, leaping at Deftkit. Her brother ducked, then rolled away. "You are SO dead when I get my paws on you! Get up and fight like a warrior!"

Deftkit stuck his bright pink tongue out at her. "And what will you do if you can't catch me?"

"Don't worry," Bluekit retorted darkly. "I'll catch you. You can't slip and slide around like a fish forever, you know."

Shiningkit sighed, rolling over onto her backside. The spectacle looked funny upside-down, like her siblings were fighting in the sky. The air was a little cooler today; perhaps leaf-fall was finally on the way. Recently, the days had been agonizingly hot; she and her siblings had to stay in that stingy nursery all day. Now that they were outside again, it seemed like their emotions had become super-charged. Bluekit was really grumpy, Deftkit was running all over the place, causing tons of trouble for the Clan whenever their mother wasn't around.

Shiningkit didn't feel different today, not at all. It was just another day of trying not to get trampled by the quarrels of her brother and sister. She wondered if this was a bad thing, but she didn't think too deeply about it. With a quiet grunt, she rolled over again, shaking damp earth from her splotched fur.

She stretched her legs, trembling slightly, and gave her pelt one more shake before trotting off to Pineshade's den. Cautiously, she poked her head inside, the familiar scent of musty earth mixed with herbs greeting her. "Pineshade?" she called. She got no answer. Cautiously, Shiningkit pulled her head away and glanced around camp. He wasn't outside, so he must be in there...

Shiningkit pushed aside the lichen curtain that hung over the mouth of the den and slipped inside. It was even cooler within, and it felt nice. Like home. She nosed around the den, careful not to disturb any herbs in her search for the old medicine-cat.

"Pineshade?" she called again. "Are you in here?"

The lichens at the mouth of the den rustled. Shiningkit's heart jumped, pounding in her chest. If Pineshade caught her in here without his permission, she'd be in big trouble. Desperately, she looked around the den, then dove for cover in a darker part of the den. Water from the pervious night's rain dripped down onto her forehead. She shook the droplets away as voices approached. Shiningkit strained her ears to hear them.

"Are you sure of what you saw?" Shiningkit recognized Tigerstar's deep mew. She thought he sounded...excited? Pleased? Some emotion was out of place in his voice, but she ignored it and kept listening.

"I'm certain." Pineshade's dark pelt wobbled into view. The tom's shoulders drooped as he sighed. "One of the stars, close to the moon, fell. It..died, almost like an ember going out..."

A chill swept over Shiningkit. A dying star? But that was StarClan, wasn't it? Was something happening in StarClan? Was there fighting?

"I see." Why was Tigerstar's mew wavering?

"Tigerstar, I understand that you do not worry so much about StarClan as I do, but I'm afraid that the falling star was an omen."

Tigerstar nodded, his dark bulk barely visible through the brambles. "If you see anything else, tell me as soon as possible."

"Of course."

The was a second of silence before the ShadowClan leader slipped out of the den. Shiningkit held her breath, watching Pineshade closely as he hobbled about the den on three paws.

He stopped and flicked his tail. "You can come out now, Shiningkit."

Ice gripped her heart. Mouse-dung. What would she say? What would she do? With a sigh of defeat, she came out of hiding.

Pineshade turned to her, his green eyes disapproving. "Why did you come in here?" Cold. Angry.

"I wanted to ask if you need help with anything." A quiet mumble. She didn't look at the medicine-cat; she couldn't.

"I don't."

Shiningkit could hear the dismissal in his mew. Nodding, she turned and trudged outside. She padded back over to the nursery and plopped down outside of the mouth of the den, staring at the camp enterance. She was almost six moons old now, and if Pineshade was angry with her, he wouldn't bother to choose her as his apprentice. But she knew she was a worthy medicine-cat...right?

Her mind drifted to other things. What did the falling star mean? Was it a sign from StarClan? With a groan, Shiningkit dropped her head onto her paws and closed her eyes, welcoming sleep.

-------

It was the cold that awakened Shiningkit. She shivered and opened her eyes, slowly. "What's going on...?" she mumbles, seeing only darkness. Warm bodies pressed in around her, and she glimpsed dull light outside. Finally, the soft din of rain reached her ears, and her eyes adjusted to the gloom of the nursery.

She felt a lick over the top of her head. "Hush, dear. It's only the rain." Shiningkit recognized her mother's reassuring mew, and she rested her head on her paws again.

She could tell now that Bluekit was to her left, and Deftkit to her right; even in his sleep, Deftkit bothered her. His paws dug into her fur. "Ow..." she grunted, swiping away his paws.

"Shiningkit." A quiet warning.

With a little sigh, Shiningkit returned her gaze to the rain outside. She could smell it past the scents of the nursery. Beyond that....What was that smell? It was salty, almost, but it smelled of something else. Above all, it smelled wrong. Fear gripped her stomach. What was happening?

Was that a distant howl she heard through the rain? Shiningkit shivered again.

She forced her eyes closed, but all she could think about was whatever was happening outside. She sat in the darkness, awake, alert to any sounds. She noticed her mother's breathing slow as she fell asleep. Now that everyone else in the den was sleeping, Shiningkit felt more alone than ever. She thought she heard another yowl.

The tension was unbearable; she got up and carefully slipped outside, without disturbing anyone.

The rain battered her pelt relentlessly, and in heartbeats, Shiningkit was chilled to the bone. Casting a quick glance around camp, Shiningkit darted for the camp enterance and slipped out into the forest. It was very dark among the pines; mud clung to her paws and welled up between her toes with every step. She didn't know what was guiding her, but she trusted it, navigating through the pine forest on well-worn paths that weaved in and out of the trees like snakes.

The rain continued to pound on her splotched fur, but she fought away her fear and pressed on.

"...thing's up." Immediately, Shiningkit recognized the mew of Oakwind. She could just make out her rain-soaked form, and she saw that she was speaking with someone. She dove for cover under a tree root, trying to ignore the mud that gripped her belly.

The cat Oakwind was speaking with was larger than her, and though the water made it appear darker, Shiningkit could see that the other she-cat's fur was gray; her eyes were a bright green.

"Something has happened in StarClan," the gray she-cat said. "We need to find out what; has Pineshade mentioned anything?"

Oakwind shook her head.

"Then try to speak with him as soon as you can. We must take every precaution against Tigerstar. If he learns of this..."

Some unseen understanding passed between the two cats, and then the gray she-cat bounded off into the forest. Oakwind looked around, as though she had just committed some crime, before slipping away, right past Shiningkit.

Shiningkit trembled. What were they talking about? What were they going to do to Tigerstar?

Shivering, Shiningkit pulled herself out from under the tree's root and turned back the way she had come. Or was it...the other way? Shiningkit stared around, realizing the cats had met at an intersection of many paths. Which one had Shiningkit taken? The she-cat struggled to remember, then set off down the one she thought was the right one. It was freezing, and being alone only made the cold feel more intense. The shadows of the trees pressed in around her, and strange rustlings whispered in the shadows.

Snap.

What was that? Shiningkit whipped her head around towards the source of the sound. Blood roared in her ears, and each raindrop felt like a needle. She shook her head and struggled to focus on getting home; it was probably just a frog. Or something. Hopefully.

The rain finally began to let up, and Shiningkit began to realize that she had been outside of camp for far too long. Shouldn't she be home by now? She heard the soft murmur of water, kind of like the small stream in camp, only...different. Bigger. In the misty light, she could see some strange, dark expanse beyond the trees; it loomed like an ominous storm cloud before her. Shiningkit shivered again and turned away from it. She began along yet another path, feeling worse with every passing moment. If her mother found her, she'd be in huge trouble...

Then again, Shiningkit was beginning to hope that someone would find her, anyone. She stared around the forest. Were those pawsteps she heard? She turned just in time to see the amber eyes of Darkpaw. He called over his shoulder, "Hey, I found her!" There was a big rustling and crackling of pine needles as Shiningkit and Darkpaw were joined by Oakwind, Brightpaw, and Wolfshadow.

"Oh, thank StarClan!" Brightpaw cried dramatically.

"You should have stayed in camp," Wolfshadow mewed seriously. "What if you had gotten hurt? You're probably cold."

"Let's go home," Oakwind snapped. What was that in the she-cat's eyes that Shiningkit glimpsed? Was it fear? But it was gone in an instant, and Shiningkit scrambled to keep up with her Clanmates as they made their way back to camp.

-----

AN:

What do you think so far? Oakwind's awfully suspicious, don't you think? Chapter 2 will be posted later.

[Spyralin]

staying away from thunderclan? good - that'll give us a bit of insight on the other cats. I actually think that would be a good place to stop for the chapter, but it was good anyway. Sry about Antpelt, btw - you could add him into the dark forest cats or something.....

[Spyralin]

again, very nice lots of rain... good grief! hey, i posted on wild wings again