Warriors : Rise of the Weather [2] : The Brightest Star (OLD/DISCONTINUED)

Prologue

A black tabby tom approached a swirling pool of water, his fur prickling slightly. A dusty brown cat appeared from the shadows of the murky cave, glowing moss clinging to walls and shining down on his fur, reflecting off of it as he neared the other tom.

"How many clans do you think will be made from them?" The brown tom asked curiously, settling down next to the black tabby as he stroked the water with a forepaw. The black tom twitched an ear, concentrating on the swirling pool.

"Around five." He meowed plainly, his tail flicking across the brown cat's shoulder to catch his attention. "Springedjoint, look." Springedjoint, the brown tom, peered over the black tabby's shoulder, his eyes lighting up. As he placed a paw forward so he could lean closer to the water, stars bounced into the air before vanishing like dust.

"The territories are beautiful." He breathed in awe, his yellow eyes glittering in the darkness of the cave.

"It is. Isn't it?" The tabby said with a soft smile. The two went quiet, silence stretching onwards for a few long moments, before Springedjoint finally broke the silence with a soft meow.

"Darkblaze?" He questioned, tilting his head towards the black tom. "What do you think would've happened if we were still alive?" Darkblaze's whiskers twitched lightly, a look of unhappiness shadowing his gaze. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it once again, his brow furrowing.

"I don't know."

Springedjoint let out a long sigh at his brother's response, his head lowering to the pool of swirling water. He lapped up a mouthful, the water tasting sweeter than normal water, and quickly quenching the small bit of thirst that parched his throat. Darkblaze lowered himself next to his brother, his mouth parting to speak words of comfort, but unable to think of any.

The brown cat straightened himself once again, hunched a little bit in his sitting position, and Darkblaze rose with him. The black tabby's amber eyes flickered to the starlit pool, his mouth suddenly dry as he forced out a few words, thinking carefully of what he should say. "I believe it was our destiny to die." He said quietly. "We were meant to guide these cats to a better life. They needed us. StarClan needed us. Even if we are dead, we can still find happiness in these cats, watch them do what both you and I wished to have done before Pebblewing had stripped us of our lives."

Springedjoint breathed a long sigh, casting his gaze to the ground. "I suppose that's right." He mewed, the tip of his tail barely twitching.

Darkblaze blinked at his brother. However hard Springedjoint would try to hide it, Darkblaze still could tell he was frustrated. Gathering himself to his paws, Darkblaze slipped around the edge of the swirling pool, sitting back down beside the brown cat.

He leaned against his brother, their fur brushing. "I know how much you wish you were still alive." Darkblaze murmured, his amber eyes closing. "I know how it feels. I wish we never died. I wish we could still feel the warmth of the sun, still be in contact with the clans, even if we did want to leave." The tabby's voice was soft upon the still air, comforting and warm. Springedjoint self-consciously nodded, his muscles loosening.

"Yeah." He breathed sadly. "Living is far more preferable than the captivity in this spiritual life. But we can't change the past."

Slowly, the brown tom rose to his paws. Darkblaze blinked at him, his brow creasing together in a concerned frown. Springedjoint turned from his brother, and padded back into the shadows of the cave, his fur glittering in the glow of the moss, before fading into darkness. A sigh came from Darkblaze as he watched Springedjoint leave, wishing he had the right words to comfort him.

He caught the glimpse of white and gold patched fur out of the corner of his eyes, and turned to speak to the feline. Before he could do so, she vanished into the shadows of the cave, her tail swishing with stars swirling into the air.

Swallowing back the guilt that threatened to choke him, the black tabby turned back to the swirling pool of water. He touched his nose to it, and stars spiraled into the air, churning around him for a moment before he vanished, falling into the water without a splash to visit some cat in her dreams.