Starlightlynxes: Stars in the Sky #1: Twilight

~Prologue~

It was twilight, and the light was dim because the sun had just set, but lynxes are usually nocturnal, so the camp wasn't completely silent. Most of the lynxes preferred to be awake during the day, because it is less dangerous. Their main predators were the wolves- that of which there were many.

Farther into the center of the camp, a young lynx- approximately twelve months old- padded around the fallen tree- the kit's den.

This lynx- Starlight- had been up all night because Holly had a stomach ache.

As a kit, Star had always preferred herbs over learning to hunt and fight, so she spent most of her time with Leaf, the herb trainer. She knew that eventually one of the elders would tell her to get some hunting and fighting techniques figured out or she'd be useless.

Holly was complaining again, so Star hurried to get to the entrance and give the herbs to the squealing kit.

"Thanks, Star." Branch- Holly's mother- purred. She took the herbs from Star's jaws and headed back into the den.

A few seconds later Branch whispered, "Star? Are you still there?"

"Yes, I'm here." Star answered and stepped into the darkness of the den. She could barely make out the other lynxes in the den, but she could see Branch's glowing eyes. It didn't take long to get used to the blackness.

Most of the lynxes were sleeping, and one of them was snoring. A few other kittens were up and staring at Holly.

"Holly doesn't want to eat the herbs you gave." Branch leaned over the nest to look at her kittens, their eyes were wide, especially Marigold's.

"Is Holly going to die?" She was obviously concerned for her sister.

"No." Star comforted. "Holly, eat your herbs."

"No!" Holly hissed. "I don't want to!"

Star thought for a moment, then came up with an idea. "But Holly, do you want Marigold to be stronger than you?"

"No, of course not!" Holly looked horrified. "She isn't, and won't!"

"Well, if you don't eat your herbs Marigold will eat them and she will get stronger."

The kitten didn't hesitate. She gobbled them up and gagged at the bitter taste.

Then Marigold was staring at her sister like she expected her to suddenly grow and become way stronger. "Can I have some herbs too?" She squeaked.

"No, sorry. It's winter, so all the herbs are dead. I only have the stuff Leaf and I dried during summer" Star meowed, giving Branch a quick amused glance. "But if you get sick I'll get you some."

Marigold turned to Holly. "Quick, give me your sickness before the herbs start working!"

Her sister eyed her teasingly. "Sorry, It's already gone, and I feel so much stronger already!"

"I'll show you who's strong!" Marigold leapt at Holly.

"Shh." Branch fretted as the two kits fought playfully. "There are other lynxes sleeping."

Star knew she wasn't needed here anymore, so she left, heading back to the trainee's den. She couldn't say it was peaceful, with half of the lynxes snoring. The only few who weren't were Storm, who wasn't sleeping, but rather staring at the sky, Frost, who was curled up in a tight ball, Brook, who was lying stretched out, paws twitching, and Robbin, who was staring at her, he knew what she had been doing, staying up all night to help a kitten.

Her nest was right beside his, so she climbed over all the sleeping lynxes and lay down, watching Storm sit up to look at them.

"Helping Leaf?" The light gray trainee whispered.

"Yeah. Sorta." Star mewed in a low voice.

"Okay. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." She curled into a cozy circle.

Suddenly she was in a forest. Mist swirled all around her, and Star could feel the tension thick in the air, making her pelt tingle. She saw a figure of a lynx.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" She called. The fur on her spine rose, though she didn't know why. Sharp pointed gray ears poked up from behind a bush, then disappeared.

Everything got darker, and the bushes shook like mad.

Starlight crouched low, shivering from fear and the cold. The snow wasn't deep, and she knew she should be able to stand on it, but then she was sinking.

The snow engulfed her as she struggled to get out, paws flailing.

Just as the darkness was starting to take over, she felt something solid beneath her, and she pushed up.

She broke the surface, gasping. The light was blinding.

Yowls and shrieks of pain cut through the silence, making Star's ears ring. Then what felt like a month later everything went silent except for a few voices.

She recognized Storm's voice. "Yes?"

Then River's. "We will find a way."

Then Moonsight's. "You have fought well."

Then... her own. "This is not over."

She sounded... older. All the voices did.

Darkness engulfed her again and she awoke, blinking, in the trainee's den that was almost empty.

Storm was looking at her with concern. "You okay?"

"Y- yeah. It was just a dream." It was just a dream... and yet it felt different.

The morning sunshine lit up the den,and Star pushed her thoughts to the back of her head.

She had better things to do today, and being lost in dream land- or nightmare land- was not one of them.