A New Moon

Prologue
A small dark tabby with white paws and muzzle sheathed and unsheathed his claws. They shone unnaturally, glinting in the pale yellow moonlight lethally. The claws were enforced with dog's claws. He was standing in a dark alley that stunk of Twoleg and rot. A massive black tom stood at his side.

In the corner of a box lay a broad-shouldered orange tabby tom. Blood spilled from a wound in his ripped open throat, the scarlet liquid pooling around his motionless body. His green eyes were glazed and he stunk of death. The black tom flicked his tail at the dead orange tabby.

"Percy. Should we move him away? I enjoyed watching Lily wailing, personally. And we should attack soon, before they gain force against us." the dark tom growled. His voice was low and deep.

The small tom nodded. "A wise decision, Dagger. But you failed to kill the Clan cats." The small tom's amber eyes flashed, and he raked his claws across the black tom's face. The tom held back a shriek as warm blood ran down his broad face.

He dipped his head in submission. "I'm sorry, Blood." He backed away.

"We will attack in a quarter of a moon. Ready our cats."

A lean white she-cat with dark, dark blue eyes stepped out from the shadows of a building. She was young, but her face was lined with bruises and scrapes, and her tail drooped below her rangy limbs. Her brilliant eyes gleamed as dully as the sickly moon. She was clearly undernourished and expecting kits. Her thin muscles trembled as she padded over to the small brown tabby and bowed, her thin but bloated belly swinging with each unsteady step. She rasped her bloody tongue over his head, but her mind fought back fury to show affection to this killing machine. He purred.

"When do the kits come, Blue?" His voice was hard and uncaring. Like his former mates, when his mate gave birth, he'd kill the weak ones and save only a single. The sick white she-cat coughed, racking her body into a spasm of jerks. She shuddered and composed herself. "Maybe in a quarter moon, Blood."

His eyes flashed with malice. He was going to kill his kits, and take over the Clan cats. All was going well.

Chapter 1~ Nightfern
"Oakblaze! Oakblaze!" Nightfern howled. Her handsome reddish-brown mate was nowhere to be seen as she scanned the unfamiliar territory. Twoleg places loomed above her slim silver head as she yowled in terror. A thin white she-cat shrieked as a small tabby ripped open her throat in a corner, snarling.

Nightfern woke up with a start. Just a dream, she thought. But it had been scary. Who was the white she-cat? Not Snowsong, for sure. Her former apprentice was brave and well-fed, not thin and desperate. She remembered when she had told Snowsong how she felt about her friend Goldenflower's mate, Ravenfeather.

Snowsong had had a look in her clear blue eyes- hurt, was it?- when she told her that she didn't like forbidden relationships.

Strange.

Sure, her father was a loner and she had been a loner in kithood, but her mother had been captured and needed company. She was scared and lonely from when the Twolegs took her from ThunderClan. She couldn't blame her mother and father.

But Goldenflower had still been a ThunderClan warrior. Nightfern sighed. She was never going to fall asleep. Might as well take a walk to Twoleg place to see if the dream made sense. She stood up and brushed her tail gently across an unmoving cat sleeping next to her. Oakblaze, her loving mate. Nightfern pushed her muzzle into his warm fur and held back a purr as not to wake the others as his sweet scent wreathed around her. "I'll never lose you, Oakblaze. I promise." She padded halfway out of the den, watching Snowsong as her paws twitched in a corner. Eagleclaw and Birdsong, her siblings, were next to her. Her scent gave off bursts of distress.

Is she having a nightmare? Nightfern wondered. She softly prodded the beautiful white she-cat as she whimpered.

"Snowsong. Snowsong, wake up!" Snowsong opened her clear blue eyes and stared at Nightfern. "Wha- what happened?" Her voice was cracked with terror. Nightfern shushed her and rasped her tongue over her ear gently. Snowsong was a little kit again, terrified and innocent.

"Snowsong. Were you dreaming.... of Ripplepaw?" Her voice was gentle and understanding. Snowsong hesitated, and nodded, flicking her ears.

"He was drowning in the lake. I tried to save him. But... he... he was already gone." She stared up at her former mentor, grief clouding her gaze.

"It's not your fault," Nightfern whispered. "Come with me. I'm going for a walk."

Chapter 2~ Snowsong
Snowsong stood and padded after Nightfern as the dark-footed tabby made her way across the den. Nightfern's ears twitched and she stopped Snowsong with her tail. Snowsong spotted Mosspelt on guard duty. The blue-gray and white patched she-cat was tired, but not giving up as easily as Leopardfoot. The golden-brown tabby tom's eyes were closed, and his paws kept slipping on the rough grass.

"Some warrior..." muttered Nightfern. She walked up to Mosspelt, who regarded the silver tabby with alarmed blue eyes. "Why are you awake?" she asked.

"We are going for a walk. Let us through, please." Her voice was firm and commanding. Snowsong's eyes widened as Mosspelt nodded, seemingly in a trance, and stepped aside. Leopardfoot didn't do a thing.

"How did you do that?" she gasped as the two she-cats padded through the forest. Nightfern shrugged.

"When you're beautiful, smart, powerful, and have a voice like honey, cats will do what you want, sweetheart." Nightfern mewed. (lol)

"Fair enough." commented Snowsong.

"Wanna warm up?" asked Nightfern. Snowsong nodded. She really was cold.

Nightfern shook her head and sprang into a steady gallop towards Twoleg Place. Snowsong followed. The two she-cats merged, one pure white and one silver tabby.

Their pelts flowed, their eyes flashed, their ears twitched.

Beauty.

Nightfern stopped as the trees in the forest thinned out. "Entering Twoleg Place," she warned. Nightfern slowly walked out of the forest, poking her head out of the trees. "Safe." she murmured.

Snowsong padded along the hard black path, near white fences. Large Twoleg Houses loomed above her head. There were no stars. It was a silent night as the she-cats walked along the fence, thinking.

Chapter 3~ Nightfern
Nightfern was thinking about her dream. Snowsong was walking alongside her. She had to admire her former apprentice- she wasn't asking why they were in Twoleg Place. She sneezed as she passed a large, purple-leaved flower that reeked of sweetness. The ground was grey here, hard and strange under her dark paws. On the other side of the GreyPath was the forest. They were tall and bare. Snow heaped on top of the branches and an owl hooted.

They were stopped by a cheery meow. A unusual-colored she-cat was sitting on her fence, surveying the cats with interested light blue eyes.

"Hello! Where are your housefolk?" she asked. Snowsong stared at the she-cat. She was looked a bit like a tortoiseshell and white she-cat, but she was mostly white with clear black and gold patches. Very strange pelt color. She had a slender face and small paws.

"We don't have housefolk. We live in the forest." Nightfern snorted. The pretty she-cat looked at the Clan cats, and continued chattering happily.

"My name's Swan. Because of my pearly white pelt. See?" She turned around in the moonlight. It rippled off her pelt, showing her soft muscles.

This she-cat was very strange. Brain of cobwebs, no doubt.

"What does 'Swan' mean?" Snowsong asked. She tipped her head, puzzled.

"A swan is a beautiful bird. It's very large, and pure white, with a long neck and lots of shiny white feathers. They're stunning." she meowed.

Nightfern was about to take back her thoughts. She wasn't such a fluff brain.

Snowsong was looking interested. "Well, see you around, Swan." Snowsong called as she padded across the GreyPath towards the forest.

Nightfern thought about keeping on looking for a clue to her dream, but thought better of it and followed the ghost white she-cat into the forest.

Chapter 4~ Snowsong
When Snowsong had woken up a quarter of a moon ago, she had seen a terrible sight. Stormfall, the gray deputy, was sitting in the clearing. His amber eyes were filled with fury, like it was his fault he couldn't do anything.

He had been Ripplepaw's mentor, and taught him well. The beautiful white she-cat had play-fought with her best friend, and knew once he was a warrior he would be a dangerous opponent. But Ripplepaw's heart had lead him to kill himself, and his own worst enemy had been himself.

Snowsong still missed her best friend.

So, Stormfall was crushed that his lively apprentice was dead.

Now, as Nightfern and Snowsong's adventure of Twoleg place was over, Snowsong curled up in her moss bed and rested her head on her paws.

She had visited Bearclaw again in the last quarter moon, this time by the border of RiverClan. They had played in the water and slept together.

Tonight would be a Gathering- but since the moon was completely covered, it would be at the crack of dawn.

Snowsong sighed and closed her eyes again.

It was a while before they opened, but this time, she wasn't in her den. She was in a clearing, surrounded by sweet maple trees. The leaves were gold and red. The sun glowed in the distance, over tall mountains.

"Hello?" Snowsong called. "Where am I?" Her voice echoed through the clearing.

Her questions were answered.

"In StarClan." a deep voice mewed. Snowsong whirled around and fell to her belly with a cry. The cat who had spoken had a shining dark tortoiseshell pelt, and glimmering orange eyes.

"Please! Don't hurt me!" she begged Ripplepaw.

He stared at Snowsong with thoughtful eyes. "I would never hurt you, Snowsong." he whispered. Ripplepaw advanced towards her slowly.

"Why?" he asked. It was a simple question.

Snowsong couldn't answer it. "I... I don't know." she breathed. She slowly stood up, shaking her silky white fur. She was even more beautiful in StarClan then in real life, for her white pelt flashed with tiny golden stars and her blue eyes glowed with silver.

She turned and studied herself. Ripplepaw pushed his muzzle into her flank, shaking his head. She retreated, fear glazing her eyes. She watched the young tom warily, who gazed at her with such loving eyes.

Such grieving, love filled-eyes. Had Bearclaw ever looked at her like that? she wondered. She had a question for him.

"Why? Why do you love me?" she whispered. Ripplepaw lowered his head. "You were so kind and smart, and I thought you loved me too." he murmured.

"I would have been happy with you." she breathed. Her voice was soft, like the breezing willows.

"I know." said Ripplepaw. His eyes suddenly turned snow cold, flashing with fury. Snowsong scrambled back, bumping into a maple.

"I'm not mad at you right now," he growled. His white claws dug into the soft soil. He was distressed.

"But I do have a message for you." Snowsong listened.

"You're pregnant."

Chapter 5
Snowsong stared at Ripplepaw, horror clouding her gaze. Panic seized her. Her mind fought and whirled like a endless rainstorm, thundering and crashing and darkening thoughts.

"No! No, I can't have kits!" she screeched. "Please!"

Ripplepaw glared at her. "It was your choice. Every night you visited that... that RiverClan traitor, you betrayed your Clan." His voice was cold and harsh.

"What? How... how did you know about Bearclaw?" she whimpered. "I see you every night. Last night. The night before. Every single night, for a quarter moon." Ripplepaw said.

"But... but I can't... can't have kits. What will I tell the Clan?" She remembered the recent nights with Bearclaw at the RiverClan border and Gathering island. Snowsong looked down at herself. Ripplepaw was right. Her belly was swollen- the tiniest bit, but it was still rounded out in the sides.

"You figure it out. I can't help you." "But who will the father be?!" she cried. "I said figure it out. But I can tell you something important. DeathClan will come, and they will impact your life. Forever."

The forest around Snowsong whirled and turned, blurring into unrecognizable shapes, spinning and turning. Ripplepaw stayed where he was, as Snowsong's vision faded. He gazed into her eyes.

"It is time."

Snowsong gasped, and the world shook as she opened her eyes. She was back in the den. It was morning.

Light from the dawn sun burned into the room as she blinked and shaded her eyes. Next to her, Goldenflower stirred. "Oh, hi." She yawned, revealing small, sharp white teeth.

"'Good morning." Snowsong sighed. "Good dreams?" Goldenflower asked.

"If only."