Darkening Horizons

Note: Darkening Horisons is the first book of a four book series called Rising Storm. It is about what happens after The Last Hope. So being, there are some origanal characters in it (Firestar, Silverstream, Jayfeather, ect.)

Chapter 1   The Chosen

Four cats sat around a pool. A bright ginger tom, a flame colored tom, a black and white tom with an over grown tail, and a shimering silver she-cat. The flame colored tom lashed his tail. "Where is Skywatcher?" The ginger tom meowed, "Calm yourself Flametail. I'm sure he's on his way. Look! Here he comes now!" A gray starflecked tom hurried up. "Greetings, Firestar, Tallstar, Flametail, and Silverstream. Sorry I'm late. Have I missed anything?" Tallstar shook his head. "No. Let us begain. Flametail?" The tom placed a paw on the pools surface, making two kits faces apper. "I choose Pinekit and Doekit from Shadowclan." Silverstream stirred the pools surface with her pad, causing two more likeness to form. "I choose Riverkit and Streamkit of Riverclan." Tallstar was next. "I choose Sweetkit and Swiftkit from Windclan." Skywatcher placed his nose on the crystal water. "I choose Mossykit and Nettelkit from Skyclan." Firestar was last. As his chosen came into focus, Flametail gasped,"Firestar! They arn't clan born!" Firestars eyes hardened. "Did that ever stop me? I choose Quickkit and Raven. Does anyone wish to argue?" Skywatcher looked flustered."I can understand Quickkit, but Raven? You know very well who his father is!" Firestars green eyes sparked anger."I have chosen the bravest of the brave Skywatcher. I refuse to judge them by their perents. Starclan chose Bramblestar, did they not? and look who his father is! I see no reason why Raven can't be the same." A few murmers were heard, but no cat openly complained. Tallstar nodded."Very well.Now. Which one shall be given the prophisy?" Silverstream laid a paw on Quickkits reflection. "This one." Firestar agreed. "She is the best chioce." Flametail nodded. "Even I can see that much." "She is strong." Tallstar meowed. "She must carry this." Skywatcher didn't hesitate. "She is the one." "Then it is decided?" Firestar asked. "It is decided." His Starclan companions chorused. All five cats chanted, " Pinekit, Doekit, Riverkit, Streamkit, Sweetkit, Swiftkit, Nettlekit, Mossykit, Quickkit, Raven!"

" These kits," Firestar proclaimed. " Are the clans only hope. They must fight an evil spurned by lies, hatred, and betrayal. They are gifted in their own ways, and they each will be tested. Some by love. Some by hate. Some by jealousy. Some by ambition. Some by fear. Some by doubt." "Can they pull through?" Silverstreams gentle vioce was conserned. "They won't be alone." Tallstar meowed. "We will fight for them. We will guide their pawsteps. They are the future." Flametail placed a paw forward. "For the clans." The other four Starclan cats placed their paws atop his. "For the clans!"

Chapter 2    Words From the Dark

Not far from Starclans looking pool, but in a quite different place, a musculer black tom sat grinding his teeth."Arrrge! Them and thier plans! Tigerstar was to weak! I was spurned on lies! But I am strong! They will not win! I will have my revenge!" He turned and ran deeper into the dark swampy forrest yowling, "Longfang! Gingerfur!" Two shadowy shapes slunk out of the trees, a broad shouldered tom and a lithe she-cat. The toms outline was so faint, you could see through him. He had dark tabby fur, long curled claws, and jutting, glittering, overgrown teeth that kept his expression an eternal sadistick smile. The she-cat was ginger colored, with a hidious scar running from behind her left ear to her nose tip. Both cats were angry. "What do you want Breezepelt?" The she-cat hissed. "Have eather of you seen Snowtuft?" Longfang, the tabby tom, snapped, "No, and why would you want to see that fool? What do you want with the senile old shade? I'll be happy when he fades away forever!" Breezepelt snickered, "Oh I just want him to do a little job for me. Once he's worn out his usefullness, I'll be happy to help him fade."

Breezepelt slunk off meowing, "Snowtuft, Oh Snowtuft, where are you?" A high pitched cackleing answered. "He, he don't try ta fool ol' Snowtuft Breezepelt, I know what ya want." Breezepelt was peeved. "Very well. Starclan has chosen new cats to protect the clans. You're going to go down there and find out who they are." The transperent cat cackled, "Yea right! Thats a fools arrend." Breezepelt lept on snowtuft, pinning him to the ground. "And you're a fool." The black tom unsheathed his claws, digging them into Snowtufts shoulders. "So how fitting for you to carry out a fools arrend. GO!" The white cat lept to his paws and pelted away as fast as posible. Breezepelt howled after him, "And if you don't, you'll wish I'd kill you, but I won't!!" As Snowtuft dissapeared, Breezepelt chuckled,"Go on you mad thing, You'll get the job done. Of course, if you happen to fail, I have many more to do my bidding, so it doesn't really matter. You're just a despensable pawn. They're all despensable pawns."

Chapter 3  Just a Kittypet

Flossie crept across her housefolks garden, ever so carefull, trying not to let her collars bell ring. She knew that one tiny tinkle would frighten the plump squirrle she was stalking. As she closed in on her prey, her mouth watered at the prospect of fresh kill. Suddenly, a big furless paw scooped her up. Flossie watched in disgust as her squirrle scuried up a tree. Stupid housefolk. Despite her protestes, she was swept into the house.

Flossie purred and rubbed against her housefolks legs, even though she was mad. The housefolk seemed angry when ever she hunted. Mabey it was because they thought she was unthankful for the food they fed her, but what ever the case, Flossie had learned not to press the subject. She padded to the living room. Her father, Oliver lay sleeping on the sofa and seeing as she had nothing else to do, Flossie curled up in her cat bed.

She sighed. The housefolk were kind, but they didn't understand her. Her father loved her, but he never really had time for her. She just didn't belong here, and deep in her heart, Flossie knew she never would.

Chapter 4  The Dream

Flossie yawned. She couldn't seem to get to sleep, so she gave up. As she opened her eyes, Flossie gasped. She was not in her cat bed at all! She stood by a pool smelling of ice, stars, and night. A wildness she had never known surged through her veins, making her want to run like the wind. Flossie noticed she was not alone. Standing on the oppisite side of the pool was a satiny black she-cat. Her fur glinted with many points of light, and her green eyes sparkled as she meowed, "My daughter!'

Flossie gasped. Her mother had left her with her father when she was less then two moons old. And yet this cat was indeed her mother. "You came back! I knew you would, but why did you stay away so long? I've missed you so much..." Tears shone in the black cats green eyes. "Oh my dear, dear child. You must be brave, for you will never see me in the wakeing world agian. I have joined Starclan." Seeing Flossie didn't understand, the black cat meowed, "I have died."

For a moment, nothing was said. Then a matted gray she-cat appered. "Hollyleaf! You are supposed to be giving her a message!" Hollyleaf flattened her ears."She's my daughter Yellowfang, and haven't seen her since she was one and a half moons old! Just keep your fur out of it!" The black cat turned to Flossie. "But Yellowfang is right. I was sent to you to tell you this. You must become a clan cat. Your paws posess the swiftness of Windclan, your pelt is that of Riverclan, but your heart belongs to Thunderclan, as mine did." Flossie whooped with joy. " I'm not a kittypet! I'm not a kittypet! I knew it! I just knew it!" Hollyleaf gave her daughters silver fur a gental lick. "No you aren't, and I'm glad." "But how do I reach the clans?" Flossie asked."You must go to the edge of  twoleg place, where you will find someone to help you. After that, follow your heart. Deep down, you know where to go" Hollyleaf purred as she steped back. "I love you, Quickkit." Then Hollyleaf and Yellowfang began to fade. Flossie looked down at her paws, and saw they were on her cat bed once again.

Chapter 5 "It's Bigger than I Thought it was,"

Flossie lept up and ran out of her twoleg nest. She jumped on the back yard fence and yowled her thanks to the stars. "Thank you mother! Thank you Yellowfang! I will go! I'll go now! I'm Quickkit! I'm Quickkit!" Quickkit lept from the fence and pelted across the neighboring yard. The little siver cat ran across yard after yard. It was only as the sun was setting that she begain to relize she should not have began this journy without a plan. What's more, she began to feel awful about not telling Oliver where she was going. He would have been upset, but he was her father, and he deserved to know. However, Quickkits most important worry was food. She was starving, but all she could manage to scrape up was a mangled sqirrle that had been run over. Cold and hungry, Quickkit curled up behind a trash can, and fell into a fitful sleep.

The next day, Quickkit was off again, still in search of the edge of twoleg place. She was begining to wonder if she was ever going to get out of this masive place, when she finally had a stroke of luck. She found a twoleg park that was bursting with prey. Rabbits, squirrles, mice and the like. She caught a fat rabbit, and ate some, but remembering how hungry she had been, saved some for the next day. Quickkit drug her prey under a bush, and scraped some leaves over it. Then curling up in a ball, fell asleep.

Chapter 4  An Unexpected Discovery

Quickkit wandered through mist searching for something, but not finding it. She wasn't even sure what she was looking for. "Yellowfang? Mother? Are you there?" Knarled, twisted trees rose high above her head, the ground was boggy underpaw, and the place stank. Surrly this wasn't Starclans hunting grounds? It wasn't at all like the pretty sparkling pool wher she had Hollyleaf and Yellowfang. Suddenly Quickkit heard voices of cats ahead, and was about to run twords them, when a whisper sounded in her ear. "Don't make any loud noises. Your life is at stake." Quickkit slowly turned to face the speaker. He was a flame colored tom with white forpaws and blue eyes. His fur sparkled with stars. Quickkit whispered,"Are you a Starclan cat?" He nodded. "I am. My name is Flametail. But now is not the time for talk. Quickly! Follow me!" As he spun about, he had the great misfortune of treading on a twig, which broke with a painfully loud snap!

"Whose there?" An evil sounding voice growled. Flametail yelped,"Oh, they've heard us! Run! If we make it to the Starclan border, we'll be ok! Follow me!" Both cats ran side by side, terror giving them wings. Quickkit could hear the paws of their pursurers getting closer and closer. Just when she thought these cats would catch them, she and Flametail lept over a ditch of muddy water, and landed panting on the other side. Flametail gasped, "Here Quickkit crawl under this bush! Now!" Quickkit crouched, terrorfide, as Flamtail began sniffing about. Just in time to, because their pursures skidded to a halt at the far side of the ditch. They were three large, menesing cats. The first was a black tom with a deep rip across his left shoulder, the second, a black tabby tom with jutting teeth, and the third a ginger she-cat with a scar across her face. The she-cat caught sight of Flametail and sneered. "Oh Him. All that dope does is mix herbs." All three cats turned and walked back the way they had come, disinterested.

Flametail continued his search till he was sure they had gone, then purred,"Well no herbs here. You may come out now, Quickkit." The silver cat came out of hiding, meowing, "Why did we hide from them? Aren't they Starclan cats?" "Starclan cats? Them? No, No! They're the leaders of Dark Forrest!" Quickkit wrinkled her nose." Dark Forrest?" "Aye, Dark Forrest." Yellowfang meowed as she slipped from the undergrowth. "It's where you go if Starclan won't have you. If your deeds are so evil, We can't exept you. The cats there are utterly evil, and now they want revenge. Revenge on starclan for not exepting them, revenge on the clans for things that happened in their lifetime. That is why we hid you. They wanted you, but we denied them that right." Quickkit gasped. "They wanted me?" "Oh yes," Flametail exclaimed. " You're very important, to them, and to us too." "You are destined to fight this battle, and we'll be by your side." Yellowfangs voice faded as she wispered, "Air, Water, Shadow, Sky, and Clouds shall come, two from each and every one. Five will unite, till all is set right, together the evil they must fight. This is the riddle that you must solve, Kin of the kin of the fire's kin. If you do not, both lake and gorge shall run read with the blood of the dead."

Chapter 5  Socks

Quickkit jolted awake under the bush, the dire prophisy ringing in her ears. "What does it mean? And how am I kin of a fire? And what about water and shadows and clouds? And blood of the dead? It doesn't make sence!!" She stuck her head out of the bush and found she was staring into the deep blue eyes of a gray tortishell she-cat. The young cat flicked her ears back and meowed, "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know this was your bush. I'll leave." Quickkit shook her head. "There's no need for that. I'm just passing through." The little tortishell mewed, "Is that your trash can, or can I dig in it?" Quickkit looked at the metal twoleg can and smelled the crowfood stench wafting out. She wrinkled her nose. "Ugg. No it's not mine. I wouldn't want it at all. Why do you want it?" "Well there's food there silly. When you're an alley cat, you can't be choosy." Quickkit was skeptickal. "When was the last time you ate?" She asked, notising how thin this cat was. "The day befor yesterday." The tortishell mewed dully.

Quickkit was shocked. She ducked under the bush and reappered a few seconds later, the rabbit in her jaws. She dropped it at the tortishells feet. "Here, eat this." The cat stared at Quickkit, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You mean that??" "Yes." The tortishell needed no furture convincing. She tore into the rabbit ravinously, eating like it was the last meal she'd ever eat. Quickkit waited untill the cat was finished, then asked, "What's your name?" The cat blinked, surprized. "It's been a long while since any cat asked me my name, but a long time ago, when I was only a tiny kit, my twoleg called me Socks. "Oh you had housefolk?" Quickkit asked. "Then why are you wandering around like this?"

Socks sighed. "Well when I was really small, I lived with a nice old twoleg and her other cat, a tom called Jeramy. Jeramy had it going with this she-cat called Pretty, who lived across a small thunderpath. He'd visit her every night, and one day he told me she was having his kits. Well he was over there more and more, but one time he crossed the thunerpath, and a really fast monster hit him. It killed him. My twoleg was upset, but Pretty was devestated. I felt bad for her, loosing her mate like that, so I'd visit her. The night her kits were born, I stayed with her, and the next day, when I tried to go back to my twoleg, she was gone. She'd been getting frail, but I didn't expect her to just vanish. I never saw her again. I lived with Pretty for a while, but then her twolegs left taking her and the kits with them. They never came back. So I've been living where I could ever since. What about you? Why are you out here? Oh and what's your name."

Quickkit looked down. "I'm Quickkit. Till two days ago I lived with a couple of twolegs and my father, Oliver. But then I left, and now I can't find my way back." Socks cocked an ear to the side. "You LEFT? Why would you do that?" "I had to. I had a dream, where my mother came to me and told me to find the clan cats. Thats where she was born after all." To Quikkits surprise, Socks didn't look scornful, just intrested. "What are these clan cats like?" She asked. Quickkit sighed. "I don't know much about them, just that they live in the wild, and are brave, noble cats that look after each other. They hunt in groups and share prey so no one goes hungry. They have adventures and dreams, protect kits and elders, and have a noble code that guides them."

Socks meowed, amazed. "That sounds wonderful. I'd have a real purpose there." She looked shyly to Quickkit. "Could I . . . mabey . . . come with you?" Quickkit was startled. "Well I . . ." Suddenly Hollyleafs words came ringing back, almost as if she was still speaking them. "You must go to the edge of the twoleg place, where you will find some one to help you . . ." Was it Socks? Well the least Qickkit could do was test her idea. "Ok you can come." Socks' saphire eyes lit up. "Great! I can get us to the egde of twoleg place. After that, you'll have to guide us." Quickkit purred. "I'll try. and while we're at it, let me teach you to hunt."

All the rest of that day, the two she-cats practised, and Quickkit had to admit, Socks wasn't half bad. As they settled under a bush that night, she began to realize how lucky she was.

Chapter 6  A Close Call

It had been nearly a moon since Quickkit had met Socks. They had become inseperable freinds, and the thruth was, they made a great team. Quickkit still felt awful about the way she had left her father, and all the worry she had caused him, but she knew she couldn't go back. However, as time progressed, she began to enjoy herself emensly. Socks was a great freind, and her hunting skills improved every day. Now as the sun rose, Quickkit poked the gray tortishell.

"Wake up sleepy head, time to great another day. We're getting close! I can feel it!" They ate the rest of last nights fresh kill and headed off. The stark walls of the twoleg place had long since been left behind, and now, the two freinds traveled through plesent woodland. It was near sun-high when Quickkit smelled something. After thinking long and hard, she relized it was a scent mark. Further envestigation proved there was a line of them, and Quickkit could tell they smelled vagely like Hollyleaf. The silver cat bounced with excitment. "I think this is it! The clan cat border!" Socks grinned. "Then we did it?" Quickkit lept in to the air. "Yes! Yes we did! Come on, let's find somebody!"

The two cats ran side by side. Because they were excited and happy, they didn't notise the stench on the air before it was to late. Socks stopped suddenly. "Quickkit, I smell something nasty." Quickkit sniffed the air. "You're right, and . . . Hey I know that stench! It's fox! Back up slowly, really slowly, before it smells us!" Socks turned around and muttered, "Well, actully, I think it's a little late for that." Quickkit wirlled about and gasped. Standing in frount of them was a huge, menensing dog-fox.

Socks arched her back and hissed at the fox. Quickkit gasped, "No! Don't do that! Don't threten him!" The fox snarled and swiped a massive paw at Socks. The little gray tortishell flew through the air, slammed against a tree, and crumpled to the ground. Quickkit slashed her claws deep into the foxes nose, hissing. The creature sat back on his hunches with a wimper, blood flowing from his muzzle. Quickkit used the distraction to sieze Socks' scruff in her teeth and run.

Quicksilver flew through the woods, wild terror driving her on. It seemed like she had been running forever, when she broke into a clearing with two cats, one gray, one yellew tabby. They had been sharing a vole, but lept to their feet as Quickkit dashed across the clearing, dragging Socks. They were surprized, but didn't have time to be, because the next second the fox lept out of some bushes, in hot pursuit. However they didn't hesitate to leap into the fray. Quickkit could hear the foxes yelps of pain in the distance, but she kept running. She never could say how it happened, but all of a sudden the ground simply stopped. Then there was a flash of pain and everything went black.

Chapter 7  Welcome to Thunderclan

It was the pain that brought Quickkit back to reality. Her whole body hurt, from head to tail tip. As she slowly regained conshisnos, she realized two low voices were talking. "Oh Jayfeather, will they be all right?" "I think so Briarlight. There's nothing broken, but they'll be sore for a while." Quickkit opened her eyes to see a black tabby tom and a gray tabby she-cat standing over her. "Where am I? Where's Socks?" She groaned, surprized at how raspy her vioce was. The black tabby laid some wet moss beside her. "Here, drink this. Your freind is fine, and you are in Thunderclans camp. Just a word of advice. You're soposed to come through the bramble tunnle, not over the edge of the quarry. I'm Jayfeather by the way." The she-cat purred "I'm Brairlight. What's your name?" "I'm Quickkit."

"That's a clan name." Brairlight meowed. "Where did you get it?" "My mother gave it to me." Quickkit replide. Suddenly, Jayfeather looked very intrested. "Do you know her name?" Quickkit nodded."Hollyleaf." Jayfeather purred "I thought so. you look very much like my sister."

"Quickkit! Hey Quickkit! Wake up!" Socks prodded her freind. Quickkit looked up. "Ok! Ok! What is it?" "Jayfeather says Bramblestar wants to talk to us!" It had been a week or so since the accident, and both cats were much better.Jayfeather padded into his den and purred, "Feeling better? good. because you two need to speak to Bramblestar. Oh and Quickkit, I'm sorry about removing your collar." Quickkit shrugged "I don't care." Jayfeather stared hard at her with blind blue eyes that seemed to see, then nodded. "Follow me."

As they followed the medcine cat into the quarry, Socks and Quickkit saw a muscular tabby tom with amber eyes. Socks whispered, "I bet that's him." Bramblestar turned his attenion to them. "You're right Socks." The tortishell blushed. " Er... Sorry." The toms eyes grew seriose. "Since you are nearly well, I must ask you, what are your plans?" Quickkit mewed. "Well Sir, we left home to find the clans, and well..." Socks gulped. "What we mean is, may we join Thunderclan?" Having spoken, the shy she-cats expression showed she wished she had not. Bramblestar blinked, his eyes unreadable. "You know there is more to being a clan cat then hunting and fighting. You must follow the warrior code. Not just when it's easy to do so, even when it's hard. You have to put your clan first. Before yourself, before other clans, before cats of other clans. This you must allways remember, If you will uphold these things, I will let you join us."

There was no hesitation in Quickkits ice blue eyes. "I understand what these things mean, and I will uphold them with my life." Socks nodded. "So will I" Bramblestars gaze hardened. "There is much responsibility in those words. Be careful what you promise." Socks stood her ground. "I know. But I also know this is the life I was ment to live." Quickkit blinked. "There is a restless spirit in both of us. We were ment to be wild, and we could not be kittypets again." Bramblestar purred. "I like you two. You've got pluck, both of you. Welcome to Thunderclan."