Gone

The following story is rated Worse.

For Intense Blood, Gore and Violence.

This page contains a fanfiction written by Shigura, Aqua, and Heartsky. This page contains the opinions of the original author(s), and is not patrolled for factual accuracy. Remember that this story is non-canon. It may contain false characters, plots, or locations. Responses, comments & other feedback should be made on the comments section below.

Blurb

Two will bring light into a Fallen World.

Back at ShadeClan, Owl, another Prisoner, manages to escape with the aid of her enemies. Forced to rely on them for safety and food, Owl and the group find a bunch of Wild cats that call themselves ForestClan. Owl must help these cats, together with her worst enemies, in a desperate struggle to survive against the Forest's biggest threat...

Prologue - Runt

I yowled in surprise as he clawed my shoulder. Defeated, I threw the mangled, dirty mouse at Fallen, and limped over to my small part of the prison pit- the Rock-Den. I groomed the dirty wounds that Fallen had inflicted on me, and sighed. I had been so excited when the guards began to talk about the prisoners that escaped, but I had just lost all my hope, once again. I was stuck in ShadeClan, and I knew there was no escape.
You must be wondering who I am. Obviously, you know that I'm a prisoner of ShadeClan. Well, I'm Owl, and I've been in ShadeClan for twenty-one moons. Stuck in the dirty, disgusting place that was full of cruel, dark cats.

I looked up at the tall, un-naturally straight rock walls that kept us in this pit. According to the Guards, the prison pit was once the camp for a Clan named ThunderClan. I growled, knowing these cats were just as evil as ShadeClan.
"Hey, runt!"
I groaned, and looked over at Fallen and his gang of prisoners. Phoenix often recruited the strongest, and most powerful prisoners to join his Warriors. And Fallen was determined to get there. I unsheathed my claws, and glared at him.
"Come any closer, Fallen, and I'll claw your pathetic white face off." I snarled, scraping my claws against the rock floor.
Fallen looked back at Lilith, his mate and the second most powerful in his little group. She smirked, and the group burst out with laughter. I thought then, perhaps, it wasn't the best idea to annoy the most powerful prisoner in ShadeClan. Although I had been around for less time than him, I had been to all three parts of ShadeClan. I knew many tricks, and I was strong. Unlike the other two leaders, Phoenix made his prisoners fight for food. Countless battles had made me very strong, but I was now afraid that, perhaps, Fallen was stronger. After all, he had injured my shoulder pretty badly...

"Come get the mouse, runt!" Claw, another one of Fallen's followers, grinned, "I bet you can't even get up your lazy paws to get it. You're used to getting food from Silver, right? Oh, wait, Silver's dead!"
"DON'T TALK ABOUT SILVER THAT WAY!" I yowled, lunging at Claw. Although the pain in my shoulder was digging into me, I fought with all my strength, before being pushed away by Fallen. I wasn't strong enough to get to my paws, now. I looked up at Claw, who's face was covered with blood and cuts. Fallen picked up the dirty mouse, which he had dropped when I attacked Claw, and his group padded away. I hissed with pain as I struggled to get to my paws, and stalked towards my den. As I entered the den, the smell of Crow-food hit me, smack in the face. My den was full of rotting herbs, prey, and even a few bodies. In this part of ShadeClan, the Prison Pit was huge. There were many dens, but each one was poorly-constructed and full of rotten objects. To Phoenix, the fight for food and a den was a game to him, so he allowed the prisoners to fight over dens and everything else.

I was too weak to fight for a decent den when I first arrived at the camp, so I was stuck with the Rock-Den, the smallest and the most disgusting den in the entire Pit. I hissed, stepping on the face of a gray tabby tom, who's eyes were lifelessly staring up on me, and continued to the back of my den. There rested a small patch of moss, which wasn't that comfortable. I settled down, and prepared for another day of pain in the morning.

I awoke, a faint beam of light radiating from the entrance of the den. I stretched, feeling a gooey substance with my paws. I sighed, and padded out of the den. I was used to the strange things that were in the Rock-Den. Calmly I made my way over to the small stream that made it's way through the pit. It was sort of fit to drink, but it was tinged brown. I placed my paw (which was covered in some kind of orange gunk) and watched as it washed away. Suddenly, there was a roar of excitement coming from the entrance of the Pit. I gasped... probably Fallen picking on some innocent prisoner. I darted towards the source of the cries, and parted the crowd. Fallen was there, just as I had predicted. I watched, horrified, as Fallen clawed the backside of an-already scarred brown tabby tom, who's eyes were wide with fear and pain. His mouth was open, but nothing came out. Fallen repeated the process, raking his claws down his back, over, and over...
"Get away from him, you beast!" I snapped, stepping out into the part which was encircled by the Prisoners.

The crowd oohed at my outburst. Fallen pushed the tabby cat away, and looked at me, a sick look on his face. His amber eyes glimmered in the sunlight, and so did his claws. I unsheathed my claws, before noticing that right behind Fallen was two of the Guards, Quinn, and Natasha. They seemed to be amused by the fighting. Well, I wasn't gonna let them down. I was gonna claw Fallen's fur off.
"So the runt's come back for more, eh?" Fallen snorted, taking a pawstep forward, "Well, today's the day you learn not to mess with Fallen."
"Bring it." I taunted. Fallen darted forward, lunging at me. Unlike the day before, I was refreshed and full of energy. I easily jumped out of the way, but Fallen was coming back before I could pull off a Counter-Attack. This time, he managed to land a blow on my muzzle. Blood poured out of it, dripping onto the cold ground. I backed away, looking over at the tabby worriedly. He wasn't moving, and that was scaring me. Was he dead?

During the brief moment I was looking at the cat's corpse, Fallen tackled me to the ground. I hissed, struggling to get up, but Fallen was too strong and big for me. I closed my eyes, feeling his head get closer to my neck. I knew Fallen was going to kill me, but I was ready for it. Suddenly, all of Fallen's weight disappeared. Wondering if I was dead, I opened my eyes. No, I was not dead... but where did Fallen go?
I looked over, and gasped. The scarred tabby tom was attacking Fallen! With grace, he managed to leave a few good marks on the side of Fallen's face. Defeated, Fallen ran off, not even bothering to part the crowd. I got to my paws, the wound in my shoulder now re-opened. I limped over to the tabby tom, suddenly noticing that the crowd had dispersed.
"Thanks." he meowed to me. I held back a grimace- the cat's face was grosteque, full of scars and missing bits of fur, "I'd be dead if it weren't for you."

I tipped my head in respect. "Same here... just curious, but How did you do that? You, like... attacked Fallen..."
The cat laughed. "Trust me, I've had experience. Say, may I know your name?"
"Owl. Not my birth name, of course, but that's what you can call me. Can I know your name?" I replied, resisting the urge to look away.
"My name is Leafheart." the cat replied, looking at the ground, "It's a strange name, I know."

I nodded. "Nice to know you, Leafheart. Say, are you new around here? I haven't seen you before..."
Before Leafheart had the chance to reply, two guards approached him. I didn't know who they were, at first, but then I realized that these were two of the Leader's elite guards. Leafheart gave me a desperate look, before being wordlessly dragged away by them. I looked away, letting out a sigh. For a brief moment, I had thought that maybe Leafheart would be my first friend.

Chapter Two - Blossom

I opened my eyes, the familiar scent of the rotting objects filling my nose. I let out a sigh, and crawled out of the Rock-Den. It had been nearly half-a-day since I had met Leafheart, but that didn't matter now. All that mattered was the Moonly Fight. Phoenix, being the cruel leader he is, had constructed another giant pit by his den. Two cats would be thrown in this pit, and would have to fight until the death. Prisoners were forced to watch, as well as the guards (But they enjoyed it much more). If you didn't fight, then Phoenix would throw a couple of guards in to rip you to shreads. I let out a sigh, and realized only the strongest cats were chosen. After all, I had been a Prisoner here for nearly eight moons, and hadn't been chosen once.

I watched, as a guard threw a few mice into the clearing. Luckily, I was close to the spot they landed in, and snatched one. Before any cat could get to me, I devoured it, throwing the remains towards Lilith, who was glaring at me.
"That was good stuff." I taunted, flicking my tail as I went over to the stream to clean myself up. That had to be the easiest prey I had ever eaten. As I groomed myself, I suddenly noticed the reflection of a tortoiseshell she-cat behind me. Turning around, I spotted a tiny tortoiseshell she-kit, her eyes as wide as the moon.
"I... I didn't get anywe prey... does you have anee?" the she-kit squeaked. My heart panged for the tiny, starving kit, and I knew I had to do something.

"Don't worry, kit. I'll get you some prey to eat," I meowed, eyeing Fallen, who was taunting the other cats with a plump mouse, "Stay here."
I bounded over to Fallen, who then turned to me. He waved the prey in front of my face, a big smirk on his ugly face. I snarled, and unsheathed my claws. Wordlessly, I launched myself at Fallen. Easily grabbing onto the prey, it tore in half. I bounded over to the kit, dropped it by her feet, and turned around, knowing they'd be after me.

"Stealin' Fallen's prey, eh?" Thunder, another one of Fallen's cats, approached me, "Don't ya remember that lesson from yesterday?"
I snarled, and briefly turned around, relieved that the kit was eating the prey, not looking at the fight that was about to happen. I stood my ground, and glared at the cats in front of me.

Fallen took a pawstep forward. It was then, for a few heartbeats, that his face was in the sunlight. I noticed the countless scars that decorated his face, realizing that this cat was even more powerful then I had thought. But I knew what was coming; even if he was extremely powerful, Fallen always used the same tactics. Easily, I rolled out of the way. I was faster than the day before, plus the thought of a kit's life on my shoulders made me fight harder. I pounced on Fallen, biting into his neck. Fallen screeched, and threw me off with ease. Landing in the stream, a splash of water went everywhere. The kit, who was now grooming herself, screeched as the water hit her. She darted away, crawling into my den. Now that she was safe, I focused on fighting Fallen.

"You fight like a Kittypet!" I snorted, shaking the water from my fur. Fallen was now enraged. Just what I wanted.
Fallen charged towards me, but his giant body was not fit for speed. Calmly, I stepped out of the way. Fallen screeched to a stop, and turned to face me. He approached me, no aggression on his face. The second I let my guard down, Fallen attacked. Knowing my shoulder was my weak spot, he clawed it, re-opening the wound. Again.

"Come on, Fallen! How many times do you have to do that? You know that only makes me angry!" I meowed, counter-attacking with a blow to his face. Fallen staggered back, and shook his head. He glared at me, then sheathed his claws. He looked at Thunder, then at Claw, and the three were padding away, towards Lilith and a few other she-cats. At last... I thought to myself. I padded towards my den, slowly poking my head in.

"Kit?" I meowed, quietly. I listened, but there was no reply. But I knew she was in there, her fear-scent was very strong.
Taking a small pawstep in, there was a frightened squeak from the corner. "I... is the wet monster... g... gone?"
I purred. Spotting the kit hiding in the corner, behind the corpse of a black she-cat, I picked her up. Although she had attempted to groom herself earlier, bits of prey and other things were tangled in her fur. Knowing that the kit's mother was probably dead, I took the kit outside, and set her down beside the stream. I placed a paw in it, and groomed her with my paw and my tongue. Although she strongly disliked the water, the kit did not argue.

"Th... thank you for savin' me from that icky wet monster..." the kit meowed to me, when I was finally done cleaning her messy fur, "And thank you fer getting me some prey... I was thinkin that I'd never get any prey again!"
I wondered if this kit knew about their mother. I couldn't resist the urge to ask. "Kit, where's your Momma?"
The kit glanced at the ground nervously. "Momma's at the Fluffy nest. She's happy there, she told me she would be."
Poor kit... I can't believe it.... I knew that the kit's mother was dead. The Fluffy nest bit was only a scheme to stop the kit from worrying. I looked at the kit, and tipped my head.

"What's your name?" I asked. The kit beamed with pride, and answered me without delay.
"Blwossom."

I licked Blossom with pride. I was a mother, now. But then I froze, hearing a yowl from above the pit. Watching the guards as they prodded the prisoners into a line, I knew what was happening. So I picked up Blossom, and got into the line. I only wished I could protect her from the horrors known as the Arena.

Chapter Three - Boulder

I took a deep breath, and marched forward. Ignoring the cold, hard gazes of the guards, I held my head high, and left the prison pit. As usual, guards lined our path. Any sudden movement was taken as an escape attempt. Any sneeze, any whisper, any unpredicted movement would result in death. Making sure I did nothing but walk, I sat beside some other prisoners, and set Blossom down at my paws. Gazing down into the deep prison pit, I sighed, and wondered who would be put to death today.

"What is we doing here?" Blossom asked curiously. I closed my eyes, pitying the poor little kit. Quietly, I bent down, and whispered in her ear.
"We're going to watch cats perform for us, Blossom." I whispered, licking her forehead as I slowly got up. Opening my eyes, I sighed quietly in relief as Blossom turned her attention from the Arena, to me.
Just as I was about to speak, came the roar of many cats in harmony. I watched, as a gate retracted from the ground, and a large ginger tom stepped out from the tunnel behind the gate. His blue eyes twinkled in anticipation, as he looked for two worthy fighters. I held my breath as Ginger's gaze swept by me briefly, then relaxed as it settled on the cat beside me- Coal.

Coal had been my friend for many moons, although he acted as if he were not. In fact, he rarely spoke to me- the last time he did was when he needed aid in washing a wound on his backside. I purred, knowing that Coal would be able to hold out against any opponent they threw at him. He looked at me, no emotion in his golden eyes, before closing them.
"You there! The black cat! You shall fight against a cat that has held my attention for many moons!" Phoenix, the ginger tom yowled. My eyes widened. Surely, the cat he was referring to couldn't be-
"Fallen will fight against this black cat! Give your attention to them as they fight to the death!"

Before anyone could say anything, Coal was pushed into the Arena by a large, brown tabby tom. Eyes widened, claws unsheathed, Coal stood only a few fox-lengths away from Fallen's big, bulky white figure. I gasped- the only one who could easily kill any tom was Fallen.
I closed my eyes, and quietly listened to the yowling, the sickening rips and tears... and eventually, Phoenix's cry that signalled the winner. It was over. And Fallen had obviously won. Opening my eyes, I watched in silence as Coal's lifeless body was dragged into the tunnel. I watched Phoenix follow after them, then I watched the gate shut. It was all I could do- watch.
Blossom poked at my paws, but I was too stunned to react to anything. Now Fallen was a guard- if I tried to fight him, I'd be killed in a heartbeat.

Without a word, I picked Blossom up and got into the line without a word. Silence fell over the prisoners as they marched back into the prison pit, and followed them as they went to their dens. I immediately went to mine, setting Blossom down on a tiny rock covered in moss. Sorrow taking hold of my heart, I sat down beside her, and slept.

As I awoke, I realized that I wasn't alone. No- I could smell nearly seven different scents, aside from Blossom's. I opened one eye, and froze- immediately I recognized the scarred paws of Fallen.
"Get up." his hot breath on the back of my neck caused me to jump- "Or you'll be dead before you can say 'help.'"
Slowly, I got to my paws, and turned around, claws still sheathed. There was a reason that Fallen was here- if he wanted to kill me, he would have done it while I was still asleep. Fearlessly, I looked into his amber eyes, but I saw no bloodlust or evil. But I did see a flicker of hope before they returned to normal.
"Why are you here?" I whispered, hoping Blossom wasn't awake. Fallen glanced at the ground, and took a deep breath before answering.
"When I was in the arena, I saw a tunnel. But a rock was covering the majority of it. I could push the rock, but I need someone small to dig beneath it. That's why you're going to help Lilith, Thunder, Claw and I escape. If you don't- then you die." Fallen explained, a sudden anger appearing in his eyes.

I growled quietly. "And how do you presume we're getting out of the Prison Pit, genius?"
Fallen looked around nervously, then purred. "I mated with Quinn so she'd help us escape. Don't tell Lilith, though..."
I rolled my eyes. Before I could pick up Blossom or do anything else, though, Fallen herded me out of the den, into the empty prison pit. Well, empty besides the escapees waiting outside the gate.
I followed Fallen outside, and breathed in the fresh air. It smelt not like the typical ShadeClan air, but clean, and fresh. I savoured the brief feeling before we arrived at the Arena pit. Fallen pointed a claw at the large boulder a few fox-lengths away, and we slid down the Arena walls, and got to work immediately.

Quietly, I slid my paws beneath the rock and began to dig. If Fallen was correct, and there was a tunnel behind the rock, we'd be free.
Well, they'd be free, anyway. I thought to myself, before feeling the rock move. Fallen was pushing it!
I gasped, as a tunnel opened up before us.
The tunnel that would lead to our freedom!

Author's Note

Aquamarine1212 has adopted this story and is now writing the rest. *Aquamarine1212* _{Purr like you mean it!}

Another Author's Note

I talked with my sister and she had kindly decided to let me help her out with this story. She will be doing more of the writing and I will do more planning out in the story, but I will still do some writing. Thank you, Aqua! Suilad mellon^{Greetings, friend} 23:35, December 12, 2010 (UTC)

Chapter 4- Escape

Fallen rushed ahead with Claw, Lilith, Quinn, and Thunder. But I raced back to the Prisoners Pit. I grabbed Blossom and dashed for the entrance. "Huh?" she said as she blinked open her eyes. I didn't reply. I ran into the tunnel, but unfortunetly, one of the awakening Shadeclan guards spotted my tail. "Prisoners! They escaped!" They yowled, and then a huge thunder of rushing feet coming down into the tunnel.

I finally caught up with Fallen. "Great genius! Now we've got all of Shadeclan running after us!" Fallen growled. I tried to say, "Look, I had to get Blossom!" but Fallen couldn't really hear me, with my mouth full of Blossom fur. I sounded more like, "Wuff, I have tuf got Bwossumf!" "Well, how are we gonna shake them off?" Fallen asked. "I know! When we get out of here, you, Lilith and Claw go right, and me, Thunder, Quinn and Blossom will go left!" I said, again with all the fur in my mouth. I saw the entrance up ahead. "Here we go!" I yowled. Then I burst out into the light, and ran left.

I breathed hard and looked back. It worked! The guards had gotton confused, and had no idea where we were! Finally, my group and Fallen's group met up. "Thanks for almost having us killed!" Fallen growled. "Well, sorry!" I sassed back at him. "Hey guys, cut it out!" Lilith argued. "We need to calm down, or they'll hear us!"

As we sat catching our breath, Quinn smiled at Fallen. She walked over to him and started to purr, nuzzling him. Lilith saw this right away, and said, "Hey, back off! Fallen is MY mate!" Quinn gave her a nasty look and said, "You? Are you kidding? Fallen would never mate with an ugly she-cat like you!" Lilith's mouth fell wide open, and for a split second, I thought she might actually be crying. But suddenly her face became angry and she hissed, "HOW DARE YOU!" and ran full speed into Quinn and began scratching her face.

Quinn screeched, "No, your ruining my beautiful FACE! Get off!" Lilith stopped clawing her and sat down. Quinn saw a puddle nearby and ran to it, looking at her reflection. "AHHH! YOU RUINED IT!" There was a big scar across her face. "You.....you.....YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!" Quinn launched herself at Lilith and pinned her down. She attempted to bite Lilith's neck, but Lilith pushed Quinn away with her paws. "HELP!" She screamed.

Fallen quickly pulled Quinn off of Lilith and said, "You will never be my mate! Lilith is my mate. How dare you attack her! Go. NOW!" Quinn's eyes were filled with terror. She ran off, back towards the camp.

Now there was no doubt about it. Lilith was crying. Tears streamed across her face. "Fallen.....I....I'm so....sorry! I shouldn't have.....exploded at Quinn like that. You......you really like her better, don't you? She so much more beautiful than me...." Fallen's eyes got wide. "No! I never liked Quinn. I only said I'd be her mate so she would help us. I love you, Lilith, and I always will. And you are not ugly. I think you are much prettier than Quinn." I could see love and regret shining in his eyes, and Lilith's too. I couldn't believe it. These two cats, who had been so cruel and mean to me and everyone else, could have such deep feelings. Maybe they weren't all bad....maybe they might even change.....

I walked away with Fallen, Lilith, Claw, Thunder and Blossom. I looked back, but Quinn was nowhere in sight. I sighed. Well, at least we had her to help us escape.

"Now, guys, since I'm a guard, I get to run the expedition." Fallen said. "Wait a minute! You're not a guard anymore! You're at the same rank I'm at. A normal cat. You ran away from Shadeclan, and that means you're like every other cat in the forest, you don't have a higher rank!" I said. Fallen's mouth gaped. Hah! I thought. For once I'm right and he's wrong! And he can't boss me around!

I trudged along. "Are we there yet?" I asked, muffled by Blossom fur. "Calm down your nerves! We can't just sleep anywhere!" Fallen said. I looked around the forest. The trees rattled, and dead leaves fell down. I shivered. "What do you think lives around here?" I asked. "I don't know, snakes, bears, eagles...." Claw said. "Maybe we were better off in Shadeclan." Lilith shivered. "Claw!" I growled. "What? You asked me! And it's a logical answer." I sighed. Claw never knew when to shut his mouth.

"We're sleeping here for the night." Fallen said. I looked down. I saw a dirty, grubby ditch. "Eww! That's almost as bad as the Rock-Cave!" I said. "Would you rather sleep on thistles?" Fallen growled. "No" I grumbled. I walked down a dug a ditch to sleep in. "Owa? Can I come in too?" Blossom asked. Her big eyes stared at me. "Come on in. There's plenty of room." I purred. "Fanks. You're so nwice." she said as she snuggled deep in my fur. I purred and went to sleep. I hoped my little child would do well in this journey. She was so little. She might not survive.....

Chapter 5-A Changed Heart

I shivered. The wind was blowing hard, and I had no shelter. I was hiding in a forest, hiding from ShadeClan. I knew that if they found me I would be punished, probably killed. When I thought about what I had done I shivered. I had been a monster. I had killed so many innocent cats. Before now I had always put myself first. But now, looking at Wild's dead body, I knew I could never be happy if I put myself first. I would watch those I love die and I would live in agony.

But who did I love in this world? Who was there to love when everyone was so cruel, and my little daughter had died? Then I knew the answer. Streak. My mate. My love. He was still in ShadeClan. Even if he was a warrior, I knew he hated it. He hated the clan. I had to help him escape. But how?

As my thoughts drifted, my vision blurred and I became surrounded by darkness.

Suddenly I was in a strange, starry field. I saw a cat walking towards me. I wondered who if it was a ShadeClan warrior, if I should run, but then I recognized her.

It was Wild. She was alive! My heart leapt, and I ran as fast as I could towards her. "Mother," She said. Tears began to run down my face. "You know?" "I figured it out when you sobbed over me at the battle." Wild replied. "Oh, Wild..." "Mom, I'm Wildsoul now. I joined ForestClan, and in ForestClan you have two-part names. And now I am in Starclan." I purred. "Oh, I'm so proud of you. I'm sorry. I'm the worst mother ever." I didn't know what else to say. "Syl, err, mom, you need to join ForestClan. You can help them defeat ShadeClan." I nodded. Wildsoul was right. "I have a favor to ask you. I promised Mirror that if she died, I would protect her family. I'm afraid that I have failed her. But I ask you to please try to rescue them. I owe Mirror that much. Her family is Ink, Relic, Wish, and Skull. Please help them." I agreed. I could tell it was almost dawn, and Wildsoul turned to leave. But I still needed to say one more thing. "Wildsoul?" Wildsoul turned her head. "I love you" She smiled. "I love you too, mom." Then everything faded.

I woke up to sun shining on my face. I had to find ForestClan. But first, I needed to bury Wildsoul. I dug into the ground and buried Wildsoul.

I wandered for several hours. Then, I heard some other cats. Without thinking, I ran toward them. When they saw me, they looked horrified. "We're being attacked by ShadeClan!" They yelled, running to their camp. "Wait!" I yowled. They paid no attention. I ran after them, right into their camp.

A gold she-cat immediatly pinned me down. "Where are the others?" She asked.

Then I yowled at the top of my lungs, "I AM NOT PART OF SHADECLAN ANYMORE!"

Everyone stared at me, shocked. For a few minutes, no one spoke. Then I said, "Wildsoul was my daughter. When she died, I knew I could not serve ShadeClan anymore. I want to join your clan."

The cats were clearly skeptical. A muscular white tom eyed me and said, "And how do we know this isn't a trap?" I sighed. I had no answer. Then the gold cat yowled, "Everyone, gather at the Highden. We are having a clan meeting." Everyone gathered, the gold she cat was sitting on one of the dens. The gold cat said, "Cats of ForestClan, a former ShadeClanner wishes to join our clan. I would like to ask each of you whether you think we should let her stay." Three of the cats said no right away, but then a black tom said, "I saw this cat during the battle. She ran away from her fellow ShadeClanners. If she returns to Shadeclan, she will be killed. I trust her." The remaining four cats agreed, so it was decided that I would join the clan. "Well then, I have a question for you. Do you know how to fight and hunt?" I nodded, explaining that since I used to be a leader, I had fought and hunted very often. The gold she cat smiled. "Then we shall have your warrior ceremony right now. Syl, do you promise to uphold ForestClan's code and protect this clan, even with your life?" I solemnly said, "I do." Goldstar smiled. "Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. From this moment on, you shall be known as Violetmoon." I purred. What a beautiful name! Then Goldstar called a small ginger she-cat foreward. "As many of you know, Emma is old enough to become an apprentice. Her ceremony will take place now." Goldstar said. "Emma, you are ready to be apprenticed. From this day until you recieve your warrior name, you shall be known as Gingerpaw. Your mentor was going to be Wildsoul, but as she has joined Starclan, I have decided that her mother, Violetmoon, shall train you." I couldn't believe it! Goldstar was trusting me with a lot, to let me have an apprentice!

I touched noses with Gingerpaw. I was part of ForestClan. What would the future hold for me?

Chapter 6- The Message

I woke up in a silvery, misty field. It didn't seem like the sun was there, yet it didn't seem cloudy either....This sure is a strange place....Why am I here? Last I remembered, I was in a dirty ditch with Blossom. I saw a vague silhouette out in the field. "Hello! HELLO!!" I yowled. "Do you know where I am? HELLO??!!" The silhouette came closer. "HELLO!!?? CAN YOU HEAR ME??!!" I yowled again. The silhouette was silent. I sighed. "You don't need to yell for me to hear you." A voice said. A calico she-cat appeared from the mist. "Oh, hi. I was wondering if you knew where we are." I asked politely. "Your dreaming, and this is Starclan's field." "Star-who?" I asked, confused. She laughed. "You have a lot to learn." she exclaimed.

In the past hour (I think. I'm not sure how long I was there.) she explained to me about Starclan, and how there used to be 4 clans around the lake that had a noble code and weren't anything like Shadeclan. I listened intently, for this was great news to me. Then came the part about Forestclan.

"What's Forestclan?" I asked. "Forestclan is a clan deep within the forest you are wandering through. They are not like Shadeclan; they will welcome you. They are in need of strong, brave, kind and clever warriors. They are planning to defeat Shadeclan." she said. I gasped. "Defeat SHADECLAN?!? How?!? The Leader is so big and strong from what I've heard!" I said. "Ah, but sometimes enemies are defeated bit by bit. First you get one section of the clan, then you get another, and when it comes to The Leader, a whole clan is attacking him, not one on one. ForestClan needs to gain more warriors. They need to grow strong to defeat Shadeclan." she said. I thought about it for a while. Now it made sense! "Now, it's nearly dawn. I must go. But first, I need you to tell this to the others: they must go in search of Forestclan, and help them." the calico she-cat said. "Wait! I don't even know your name!" I said. "Wildsoul." she answered quickly and surely. Then she stepped into the mist, and suddenly everything began to swirl around and mix, as if it were being spun around and around, then blended together.

I woke up to sunshine flooding the ditch. Blossom gave out a big yawn. "I'm hungwe." she said. "I'll go see if I can catch a mouse. Stay here." I said. I ran off into the woods.

I snuck under the bramble, keeping my eyes and ears alert. I heard a rustle and crouched down low. It was coming from a pile of dead leaves. A tiny nose poked out. I snuck up closer. One...Two...Three! I pounced and dug my claws in as hard as I could. I looked down. Yes! I caught a mouse! I crouched down and listened to see if there were anymore. I heard several mice! This is paradise! I thought. Then I dashed off to catch more mice.

I came back to camp with 3 mice. Everyone was up and washing. Fallen was talking to Blossom.

"Where is Owl?" he asked. "She went owt to cwatch a mowse!" she chirped. "I'm right here!" I said.

Fallen looked over. "Whoa, Owl!" Fallen said. "We each get 1/2 a mouse." I said. I split them in half with my claw. The cat's formed a line, and Fallen, of course, budged and went in the front. He carefully examined each 1/2 of a mouse, and then he picked out the fattest piece. Claw growled, "Thief." in a low voice so Fallen couldn't hear. One by one, everyone got their share. I slid one piece over to Blossom. "Fanks!" she said, then began to devour the mouse. If Blossom is going to go on this journey, she's going to have to get healthier. I worried about my little adopted child. "Come'on, we have to keep moving." Fallen said. I gave myself a quick wash, then did the same to Blossom. Then I caught up with the others.

I stared at the bushes. That eerie feeling from yesterday was coming back. I shivered. The trees looked so tall, and sad, and dead. They shook in the wind and made rattling sound. Leaves blew across the path. I felt like someone was watching us. "Fallen? Do you think someone's watching us?" I asked. He glanced at to the side. "I've got a feeling someone is." he whispered. I glanced to the side. "Did you have a dream about Forestclan?" I asked him. He nodded. I looked in the brambles. I saw a pair of curious blue eyes staring at me. I screeched. Fallen ordered us to make a ring around Lilith. Me, Fallen, Claw and Thunder surrounded Lilith. She was shaking and was very scared. A little brown she-cat dashed away. "Follow her!" Fallen yowled. The chase was on.