Dawnblaze's Prophecy: After the Last Hope-Part 1

Chapter 1
"The dawn light must choose to brighten the world or cover it in darkness, for no one can control the dawn's power over the world but itself." Bluestar flicked her tail at Dawnkit and then disappeared.

Dawnkit cocked her head in confusion at this strange cat that just appeared, said weird words, then completely disappeared.

A little frightened, the dark golden kit bounded back to the nursery, where Cinderheart was just waking.

"There you are!" Cinderheart purred,, licking Dawnkit's ears. "Oh, you're eyes are open!"

Ivypool stirred from the nest beside Cinderheart's. "Good, we've been waiting moons!"

"I'm that old already?" Dawnkit asked, confused once more.

"No!" Ivypool's whiskers twitched in amusement, "It's sarcasm. It's only been about two weeks.

"Weeks?" Dawnkit asked.

"You'll learn other words soon enough." Ivypool laid her head back down.

"Well I guess since your eyes are open now I can give you a tour of the camp? Unless you want to go with an apprentice," Cinderheart mewed.

"No, I'll go with you," Dawnkit pressed close to her mother as they walked out of the bramble nursery.

Cinderheart led her to a small cave backed into the stone camp-wall. "That's the apprentice's den, where you'll be in 5 moons!"

Dawnkit peeked her head in, and heard a few light snores.

"Morning, Cinderheart." A large dark tabby appeared behind Cinderheart.

"Morning, Bramblestar. Have you seen Dawnkit?" Cinderheart stepped aside to reveal a tiny dark golden kit.

"Hi, Dawnkit!" Bramblestar greeted. He picked up his head and looked back at Cinderheart, "Is Squirrelflight awake yet? I was going to give her a piece of prey."

"I don't know, ever since she moved to the nursery two moons ago, she's been quite the sleeper!" Cinderheart mewed.

"Okay, thanks. I'll go wake her anyway, it's not like Squirrelflight to be lazy!" Dawnkit watched Bramblestar pad over to the fresh-kill pile, then disappear into the nursery.

"Over here's the medicine cat den. But don't go in there, Jayfeather is always cranky! But he's your uncle, so if you see him anytime soon, be nice!" Cinderheart joked, pointing to a small slit in the rock-wall covered by a bramble screen.

Dawnkit's paws were already beginning to ache from just a small trek across camp.

"Lionblaze!" Cinderheart whipped her head around at the sound of her mate's yawn.

Dawnkit followed her mother as she bounded forward and rubbed against a huge dark golden tom.

''Hey, he looks like me! Wait, I've heard his voice before, he's my father!''

"I see Dawnkit's out," Lionblaze purred proudly.

"Just opened her eyes this morning," Cinderheart mewed.

"I see that, she looks like me!" Lionblaze mewed a bit kit-like.

"Yes, she only has gray on her ear-tips and tail-tip," Cinderheart said, the slightest disappointed.

"Is there a cat here named Bluestar?" Dawnkit asked.

"Bluestar?" Lionblaze said, surprised.

"Yeah. I was out of the nursery this morning and she spoke to me."

"What did she say?" Cinderheart asked, ears pricked.

"She said '  dawn light must choose to brighten the world or cover it in darkness, for no one can control the dawn's power over the world but itself.  '" Dawnkit answered.

"Uh....okay...It seems like some kind of prophecy. What do you think, Cinderheart?" Lionblaze swung his massive golden head over to his smaller mate.

"Sounds like it to me. How about I give Jayfeather a word about it? Dawnkit will come too, she'll tell him what Bluestar said," Cinderheart answered.

"Good. I've got to go, patrols need organizing!" Lionblaze mewed, dashing off as warriors started spilling out into the camp from their den.

Cinderheart led Dawnkit over back to Jayfeather's den. She peeked her head in and called the medicine cat's name, to which he answered grumpily.

"Need herbs?" The gray tabby asked. Dawnkit found it a bit odd to stare into plain blue eyes with no pupil or anything.

"No." Cinderheart answered.

"Then the medicine den serves no use to you," Jayfeather began to turn tail until Cinderheart stopped him, "You didn't let me finish, Jayfeather. Dawnkit here met Bluestar, and Lionblaze and I think she gave Dawnkit a prophecy."

"What did it say?" Jayfeather asked.

Cinderheart flicked her tail at Dawnkit, " the dawn light must choose to brighten the world or cover it in darkness, for no one can control the dawn's power over the world but itself. "

"That does sound like a prophecy, and it mentions dawn which can refer to you, Dawnkit," Jayfeather mewed, turning his head to Dawnkit, as if he could actually see.

"A prophecy about Dawnkit? But she's not even a moon old!" Cinderheart burst.

"It's okay, whatever it is, Bramblestar or I will figure it out. Now go back to the nursery." Jayfeather dismissed them with flicks of his ears and then turned to the other corner of the medicine den.

''A prophecy? What's that? Why did Cinderheart get so mad about me being involved in a 'prophecy' or whatever it is?''

Chapter 2
Three moons passed, and while Jayfeather had been working hard on contacting StarClan in his dreams, there had been no luck.

"Hi, Amberpaw!" Dawnkit called to the pale gray she-cat.

"Oh, hi Dawnkit. What's up?" Cloudtail and Brightheart's daughter bounded over to greet the kit.

"Nothing much. I heard Lilypaw and Seedpaw are getting their warrior names today?" Dawnkit asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure Brackenfur and Sorreltail will be proud. StarClan I can't wait to get my warrior name! Then Cloudtail and Brightheart will stop fussing over me doing my apprentice duties!" Amberpaw mewed.

"You'll still get fussed over by the clan leader." A lithe black she-cat appeared behind Amberpaw.

"Hollyleaf!" Dawnkit yowled, barreling into her aunt.

"Whoa, Dawnkit! Don't mess up my fur! I'm going to the Gathering tonight!" Hollyleaf purred, shaking Dawnkit off.

"Where's Lionblaze?" Dawnkit asked.

"He went on patrol with Foxleap, Lilypaw, Mousewhisker and Poppyfrost. He'll be back soon. Anyway, I'll see you two later." Hollyleaf flicked her tail at the two younger cats as she padded away.

"Dawnkit!" Cinderheart's voice called from Jayfeather's den.

"What?" Dawnkit yowled back, "I'll talk to you later," She added to Amberpaw, who acknowledged her with a flick of the ear.

"Jayfeather may have found something about that prophecy you had a while back ago." Cinderheart led Dawnkit back inside to the medicine den, Dawnkit easily squeezing past the bramble screen.

Jayfeather was sitting against the stone wall, obviously in deep thought. His blind blue eyes were lost in thought and his ears twitched.

"So," He mewed, getting up, "I had a dream about StarClan and Firestar told me it had something to do with ' the dawn in ThunderClan ', so I'm guessing it means you, Dawnkit."

"Me? But....Well okay, though I still don't know what the prophecy means!" Dawnkit said.

"Neither do I, really. But we'll have to wait and see what happens in the future. I'll continue looking for strange signs in my dreams or omens. Go now," Jayfeather assured, ushering Cinderheart and Dawnkit out.

Dawnkit bounded ahead of her mother to the nursery. She leaped inside and sprang on top of Stormkit, who was washing his ears beside his brother, Rockkit.

Yowling, Dawnkit sprang on him, batting at his just-cleaned ears.

"Hey!" Stormkit yowled, whirling back onto the golden she-kit.

Then Squirrelflight, who was laying down in another nest, gave a call of distress and pain.

"Get out!" Cinderheart ordered, pushing Dawnkit out of the nursery.

"Why?" Dawnkit asked, seeing the other kits being taken out with their mothers and Jayfeather rushing to the nursery.

"Squirrelflight's having kits. You don't want to see it!" Cinderheart warned.

Just when Dawnkit thought all was going to be boring, she saw Lionblaze appear from the thorn tunnel, followed by Foxleap, Lilypaw, Mousewhisker and Poppyfrost.

"Lionblaze! Cinderheart says Squirrelflight is having kits and I can't go in the nursery!" Dawnkit mewled.

"It's best you stay out," Lionblaze mewed, flicking Dawnkit's ear with his tail as he walked past and greeted Cinderheart.

Then during all the happy chaos the clan was going through, the air seemed to go still, and Dawnkit spotted that blue-gray cat-Bluestar-again.

"What now?" Dawnkit complained, "Another prophecy?"

"No, I came here to warn you." Bluestar mewed in a smooth voice, "To warn you about your future actions. You have to choose the right path, Dawnkit. Your clan depends on it, all the clans depend on you."

That's it? Dawnkit thought, seeing Bluestar disappear again and everything became normal. I am choosing the right path. -

After what seemed like ages of waiting, Dawnkit was finally called back to the nursery.

"Just be careful not to hurt them, okay?" Cinderheart warned, pointing her tail to three kits nestled beside Squirrelflight's belly.

"New kits! When can they play?" Dawnkit asked rather loudly, bouncing on her paws.

"Soon, now be quite." Cinderheart curled up again in her and Dawnkit's nest.

"What're they're names?" Dawnkit asked, peeking over the bracken nest to see a glimpse of the new arrivals.

"This dark tabby she-kit is Shadekit," Squirrelflight said, nudging a dark tabby she-kit. "This black and white she-kit is Wolfkit, and this dark tabby tom with the white underbelly is Hawkkit."

At the mention of Hawkkit's name, Dawnkit had a very weird vision, almost like a flashback. In the blink of an eye, a cat that looked just like Hawkkit-only older- flashed a snarl in Dawnkit's face, then unsheathed blood-stained claws. Even the scene around Dawnkit changed to an instant very dark forest, with thick, clumpy grass and mud. The sky was jet-black.

Dawnkit gave a yowl of fear.

"What is it?" Squirrelflight's ears perked, alert.

"I-I saw this weird cat....He looked just like Hawkkit, only he was a full warrior. And he snarled at me and he had blood all over his claws..." Dawnkit was aware of Cinderheart picking her up by the scruff and placing her in the nest as she spoke.

Squirrelflight's green eyes darkened, and she glanced down at Hawkkit, who Bramblestar was admiring as well.

"You've had a bit of surprises today. Why don't you take a nap? It'll do us all good," Cinderheart suggested.

"Okay." Dawnkit lay her head on her small paws and breathed out, falling into a restless sleep.

Chapter 3
Dawnkit blinked her eyes open to the dawn light that began to pour into the nursery. Last night was special, Lionblaze had decided to be with Cinderheart and Dawnkit in the nursery for once. Dawnkit felt safe with her father around, it made her feel well watched over. She stifled a purr of laughter as she squeezed out between her parents, and Lionblaze rolled onto his back with his golden tail in Cinderheart's face.

"Hi Lilystorm, Seedflight." Dawnkit called a greeting to the newest warriors who were just beginning to leave their vigil.

"Hey," Seedflight mewed, dipping her head to the little kit. Lilystorm brushed past Dawnkit on her way to the warrior's den. Feeling bored, Dawnkit scampered to the elder's den, where Graystripe, Sandstorm, Dustpelt and Purdy were basking in the morning sun.

"What's up, Dawnkit?" Sandstorm greeted.

"Can you tell my about Firestar?" Dawnkit asked. All she knew about the so-great leader was that he was her great-grandfather, and died only a few moons before she was born.

"Firestar? Sure thing! Well, the most amazing thing I think he did, was he rebuilt the long-lost SkyClan. And I went!" Sandstorm started.

"You're always bragging about that, Sandstorm," Graystripe interrupted gruffly.

"Stop interrupting me, furball!" Sandstorm snapped playfully, "Anyways, Dawnkit. He also killed the BloodClan leader, Scourge, who was a very vicious rogue. He had dog claws attached to his claws-!"

"And his collar." Dustpelt added.

"Dustpelt..." Sandstorm glared at the dark tabby tom.

"Sorry."

"And when WindClan was chased out by Brokenstar, who was the current leader of ShadowClan, me and Firestar- Fireheart at the time -went to find them and bring them back home," Graystripe put in. Dawnkit spotted dark sorrow in his eyes, and she knew he and the fiery former ThunderClan leader had been best friends. She just couldn't imagine Graystripe as young anymore, though he was funny.

"Yes they sure did," Sandstorm mewed, "He also sent Tigerstar back to the Dark Forest during the battle between StarClan and the Dark Forest. Only, he ended up dying shortly after, his wounds had taken the toll on him."

"What was it like?" Dawnkit asked, "Seeing his death, I mean."

"Terrible. He was my mate-"

"And my best friend!" Graystripe interrupted once more.

"Graystripe!" Sandstorm snapped. "But I guess everyone has to die sometime, huh? I'm feeling close to that age, I'll be ready to see Firestar again, though."

"Sandstorm, you've still got plenty of moons of being an elder ahead of you. In fact, I don't know why we even stepped down from our warrior duties after the battle. I still feel young enough to claw somebody!" Dustpelt mewed.

"Maybe I just wanted apprentices to do my dirty work. Now go on, Dawnkit. I'm sure the nursery has lots planned for you." Sandstorm flicked Dawnkit's ear with her pale ginger tail.

Dawnkit bounded away, paws skidding to a halt in the dirt when she saw warriors begin to stream from the den. Cloudtail, Whitewing, Toadstep and Icecloud all appeared at the thorn tunnel, blood dripping from their fur.

Shrieking with fright at the scene, Dawnkit hared away to the safety of the nursery. Lionblaze burst from the tight bramble entrance, neck fur bristling.

"What's going on?" Cinderheart yowled from the nursery entrance, blue eyes wild with confusion and fear.

"ShadowClan invaded!" Cloudtail answered, panting as he plopped onto the dirt ground.

"ShadowClan? Dawnkit get into the nursery, now!" Cinderheart ordered.

Bramblestar slid down the Highledge, rocks tumbling to the ground as the dark tabby skidded along.

"Lionblaze! You take a large patrol of cats to the west side of our territory. Berrynose! You take a large patrol to the east. The remaining warriors will defend camp and I will find Blackstar, if he's with them." Bramblestar called out the orders.

Dawnkit peered from behind a loose bramble in the nursery to watch the chaos that raged within camp. Lionblaze had gathered Icecloud, Snowpaw, Birchfall, Amberpaw, Poppyfrost, Mousewhisker, Spiderleg and Hollyleaf, and were now racing out the thorn tunnel.

Berrynose was calling Sorreltail, Thornclaw, Brightheart, Brackenfur, Foxleap, Lilystorm, and Bumblestripe to him. And they too streamed out the thorn tunnel.

Dawnkit tucked her head under Cinderheart, afraid ShadowClan would manage to reach the camp. With only the four warriors that called the warning, and a few others, ThunderClan remained defenseless at the heart of the territory.

"It'll be okay, Dawnkit," Cinderheart reassured. Though Dawnkit could scent worry coming in waves off of her pelt.

Blossomfall and Toadstep's daughters, Leopardkit and Nightkit, were standing beside their mother-fur bristled as though they were already warriors. Dawnkit wished she had that much confidence.

Then the sound of a rallying yowl echoed through the camp, and Dawnkit spotted a large ginger tom sprinting through the thorn tunnel, with a patrol of warriors at his paws.

"Rowanclaw!" Cinderheart hissed. She, Blossomfall and Ivypool darted out of the nursery, snagging their fur on the brambles. Only Squirrelflight, Dovewing and Daisy remained, along with a pawful of kits.

Dawnkit felt so helpless. Her father was out of camp fighting ShadowClan, and now her mother had left her too, clashing with ShadowClan's deputy.

StarClan save me!

Chapter 4
Snarls erupted from outside the nursery, and Dawnkit could barely make out her mother's screeches of rage.

"Stay by me," Dovewing mewed. She grabbed Dawnkit by the scruff and hauled her over to her nest. Dawnkit lay between Stormkit and Tigerkit.

"Will Cinderheart be alright?" Dawnkit asked worriedly.

"Of course! I've never seen a she-cat or queen that fights better than fiery Cinderheart!" Squirrelflight answered from the other nest, "Trust me, Dawnkit, your mother will be fine."

Then Dawnkit spotted a dark brown muzzle poking it's way into the nursery entrance. With a yowl, Squirrelflight lashed out, her claws raking the intruder's muzzle. But it didn't seem to work. The intruder popped itself into the nursery, followed by a light tabby tom.

"Toadfoot! Owlclaw! Why is ShadowClan here?" Squirrelflight hissed, fur bristling.

"We need more territory!" Toadfoot snarled before he leaped at the ginger she-cat. Dawnkit watched as Daisy snatched up Hawkkit in her jaws and Dovewing took up Shadekit and Wolfkit.

Terror filled Dawnkit as Owlclaw began to attack Daisy, and eventually the nursery became too chaotic for Dawnkit to bear. Without thinking, she darted out the nursery into the whirling battle. She raced for the Highledge, even though she wasn't allowed in Bramblestar's den without permission.

She could hear heavy steps running towards her. Turning, Dawnkit spotted a large dark tabby tom.

''Hey he looks like Dovewing's kit, Tigerkit! Is she related to this cat?'' Dawnkit thought, thinking maybe this warrior could be friendly.

No.

The warrior snatched Dawnkit up in his jaws, and she squeaked in pain. The tom skidded to a halt, which caused Dawnkit to bang against his chest, and then he began to dash the other way, towards the thorn tunnel. Hoping Cinderheart would hear, Dawnkit began yowling out.

"Shut up, scrap!" The dark warrior spat, muffled from kit-fur.

"Who are you?" Dawnkit asked curiously, to at least know who her stealer was.

"Tigerheart."

Tigerheart burst into the forest, and Dawnkit immediately spotted ShadowClan warriors mixed in with familiar ThunderClan warriors. Tigerheart didn't get very far before he was tackled to the ground and the breath was knocked out of Dawnkit as she hit the ground when Tigerheart fell.

"Leave my kit alone, Tigerheart!" A large golden tom had pinned Tigerheart to the ground, claws digging into his fur.

"Lionblaze!" Dawnkit purred happily as Lionblaze sent Tigerheart rolling with a powerful blow.

"What are you doing out of camp?" Lionblaze asked, "Come on!" He swiped her up in his jaws and Dawnkit experienced the same bumpy ride home.

"Where's everybody at?" Dawnkit asked upon arrival of the thorn tunnel.

"ShadowClan's gone." Bramblestar appeared from atop the Highledge, dark tabby pelt looking ragged and torn.

"Good," Lionblaze mewed, "I found this one out of camp." He set Dawnkit onto the ground, and she shook out her fur.

"What did ShadowClan want anyway?" Berrynose asked.

"I don't exactly know. Prey, territory, extra kits, who knows?" Bramblestar said.

"Anyone badly injured?" Jayfeather called, weaving his way from the medicine den.

How does he navigate through camp like that?

"I have a gash on my flank," Foxleap mewed.

"Sliced ears for me," Toadstep said next.

"Come on," Cinderheart fetched Dawnkit.

Dawnkit lay in her nest, feeling more secure and comfortable now that ShadowClan was gone. But the threat of them still lurked about.

Chapter 5
Three moons later.

Excitement fizzed beneath Dawnkit's pelt. Today was the day she would be made an apprentice.

''I hope my mentor's Cloudtail! I highly doubt that...He and Brightheart are getting up there in moons.''

"Could you sit still for a few heartbeats?" Cinderheart asked impatiently, attempting to groom Dawnkit.

"Sorry! I just can't wait!"

"I can tell," Cinderheart mewed, licking Dawnkit's fluffed fur down.

"Are you ready?" Lionblaze asked, appearing at the nursery entrance, pride glowing brightly in his amber eyes.

"Yeah!" Dawnkit mewed, pulling herself away from Cinderheart.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Highledge for a clan meeting!" Bramblestar's yowl rang throughout the camp.

Dawnkit squirmed with excitement once more. Leopardpaw and Nightpaw appeared beside her, as they were getting their apprentice names also. Stormpaw, Rockpaw and Tigerpaw had been made apprentices almost a moon ago, and their mentors were Mousewhisker, Poppyfrost and Spiderleg.

"Dawnkit, Leopardkit and Nightkit have reached their 6th moon, and it is time for them to be apprenticed," Bramblestar started. Dawnpaw spotted Lionblaze and Cinderheart sitting next to each other proudly.

"Berrynose, you will be mentor to Dawnpaw. You are a strong, capable warrior and I expect Dawnpaw to turn out the same," Bramblestar announced.

''Berrynose? Okay, he's fine I guess...'' Dawnpaw padded forward to touch noses with the large cream-furred warrior.

"Leopardpaw, your mentor will be Bumblestripe. He's a loyal warrior able of teaching the skill of battle, listen to him well, for he is young still, but wise." Dawnpaw watched the dark tortoiseshell apprentice rub noses with the sturdy pale gray tabby tom.

"Lilystorm. Nightpaw will be your apprentice. Foxleap taught you well and I expect you to pass on those skills to Nightpaw." The black-and-white she-cat touched noses with the dark tabby she-cat.

"Dawnpaw! Leopardpaw! Nightpaw!" The clan cheered.

Dawnpaw could feel her chest swell with pride as the clan cheered. She would be the best apprentice ever! -

"You train hard and obey my orders, we'll be totally fine," Berrynose mewed as he and Dawnpaw padded out of the thorn tunnel, "Right now we're going to go see the territory."

Dawnpaw followed the cream-furred tom over to where tall bramble thickets were circled. Peeking over the edge, she glimpsed a large grassy clearing. "Is that the clearing where apprentices train?"

"Indeed it is, is it that easy to notice?" Berrynose joked. He led her deeper into the forest than she had been to.

Dawnpaw breathed in the scents of fresh-air mixed in with leafy-forest scents. She loved the soft ground beneath her paws, not the hard camp-ground. She felt open in the forest, not enclosed by tall stones everywhere. And the tree branches shielded her from storms. She began to slow as Berrynose approached a stream that ran into open moor.

"This is the border between us and WindClan. You can put your paws in it, it's allowed, though WindClan doesn't like ThunderClan putting our filthy paws in it," Berrynose mocked.

"Sounds just like WindClan," Dawnpaw joked. Then with a surge of happiness, she remembered something. I can go to Gatherings now!

"When will my first Gathering be?" She asked Berrynose as he began to pad downstream.

"Tomorrow, actually. I've already spoke to Bramblestar, he agrees with it."

"Really? Thank you! For getting into his mind, I mean," Dawnpaw mewed.

"Get into his mind? You could put it that way, I guess." Berrynose continued downstream, forest trees just two away.

"What's that stench?" Dawnpaw asked, wrinkling her nose. It smelled of crow-food!

"It's ShadowClan, don't worry, you'll never get used to their smell!" Berrynose mewed with a purr of laughter. "I remember when I took Cherryfeather-Cherrykit then-on a walk in our territory. She could scent ShadowClan from the clearing!"

"They do stink," Dawnpaw agreed. -

Rounding the RiverClan border, Berrynose and Dawnpaw began the trek back home. Dawnpaw's paws ached terribly, and she was hungry. Her spirit rose when she spotted the thorn tunnel just up ahead.

"Can I go?" She asked Berrynose, anxious to get back to camp.

"Sure," He mewed, nodding.

Dawnpaw hared away, spraying dirt into the air. She raced to the thorn tunnel, and was surprised to see it was harder to fit through than the other few times she had been out of camp. She managed to squeeze herself through it, leaving a few tufts of fur on the brambles.

Settling down at the fresh-kill pile, Dawnpaw felt pride rush through her-I'm an apprentice!