Moonrise

Moonrise
Author: User:Shadewing
Status: Under Construction
Series: Rising Thunder Series
Allegiances: Rising Thunder Series/Allegiances
Preceding: None
Succeeding: Dawn and The Battle: Maplewind's Secret
Spellcheckers: None
Maplewind has been revealed as traitor and has left StoneClan to join Sun Rogues. Thundersong is now a warrior, and has a new mate, Icefeather. But just as her life begins to settle down, new dangers arise that could put Thundersong, StoneClan, and the others Clans, at serious risk...

Prologue

The sun was setting, sinking slowly beneath the clouds as a small, sandy-colored tom was padding through the Sun Rogues territory. He paused and sniffed the air.

"Smoky?" He called tentatively.

A huge, smoky gray tom stepped into the dim light from the suns vanishing rays. When he saw the tom, he dipped his head.

"Greetings, Dusty. Good to see you're faring well after the rat attack," he mewed, his yellow eyes glowing.

"It was nothing. Where is Storm?" Dusty asked.

"Unfortunately, he was killed when we attacked StoneClan. I am the new leader now."

"Congratulations. Is Maplewind doing well?"

Smoky simply nodded.

"Now, what have you come here for? Is something wrong?"

"I thought it would have been obvious," Dusty said. "I have come for your answer."

Smoky's head snapped up.

"Maplewind and I thought it over carefully, and discussed it with the others. We will join Moon Rogues, and eliminate the Clans."

Dusty nodded.

"Excellent."

And turning, he set off into the shadows cast by the setting sun.

Smoky hesitated, then headed back to his own territory.

And, in a tall patch of grass, a cats head slowly emerged, and then anothers.

"What does it mean, Sunstar?" The first one, a dark gray tom, asked.

"It means, Emberwind, that Moon Rogues and Sun Rogues are trying to take the Clans down. Now come, and we will share this news at the Gathering tomorrow," the other, a bright ginger tom, mewed.

Emberwind nodded and they set off.

Moonrise: 1

Darkness was falling as the cats crept through the forest. Their feet made no noise as they padded on, only stopping to gaze behind them to make sure no one had followed.

They were Clan medicine cats, and they had to go the Shining Stone, as always.

Finally, they reached their destination. A gray and black tabby she-cat took the lead, peering through the ferns blocking the Stone's light. She looked around for signs of intruders, then looked back at the other medicine cats.

"It's safe," she whispered, flicking her tail for them to go inside.

She held the ferns aside as the other cats padded through then, with one last backward glance, also went inside, allowing the ferns to drop behind her. The other medicine cats gave her a curious look as she completed the circle they had formed around the stone.

"What's the matter, Featherwish? You look troubled," Specklefur, a creamy she-cat, mewed. "Is something wrong in StoneClan?"

Featherwish looked up, and shook her head.

"No, no, everything is fine. It's just..."

She couldn't empty her head of the image of Maplewind, standing at the barrier, all of Sun Rogues behind her. His face had haunted her dreams, and she always felt as though he were there, watching.

"Well, if nothing's wrong, let us begin," Berrywillow, a light brown she-cat, mewed impatiently.

Featherwish nodded and watched as the other cats sat down and touched their noses to the stone. She hesitated, then did the same. She closed her eyes as she felt herself fading away...

Featherwish opened her eyes. She was in a moonlit meadow, soft grass brushing her feet. The moon rose high above her, casting its light all around.

Suddenly, a cat appeared. It was a huge tom, with bright white fur that shone with stars. Featherwish backed away as he turned his yellow gaze on her.

"Whitestorm? What is it?" She asked timidly.

Whitestorm ignored her. Suddenly, a voice whispered:

Sun and Moon shall join,

and the Clans will be swept into a great storm,

but in the end,

a great Thunder will save us all....

"What does it mean, Whitestorm?" Featherwish mewed, but he still ignored her. Finally, he spoke.

"You will find out soon enough, Featherwish. Now, it's time you returned..."

And he vanished.

Darkness washed over Featherwish. She could feel herself fading away....

She opened her eyes. She was back at the Shining Stone, the other cats all around her were also coming back.

Featherwish stepped away from the Shining Stone, breathing heavily.

"What's wrong, Featherwish? Has something happened?" Bluepaw, Specklefur's apprentice, asked, looking up at her.

Featherwish simply shook her head.

"Is everyone ready to go?" Berrywillow asked, looking around at them. The others nodded, and began to file out.

Featherwish hesitated, then followed. She was thinking hard.

Sun and Moon, now what does that mean? Sun Rogues and Moon Rogues! But wait, they'll join? That makes no sense at all! For as long as there have been fish in the river, they've never shown any interest in joining together! And a great Thunder...

Suddenly, an image of a tortoiseshell she-cat entered her mind.

Thundersong! Wait, that makes no sense! She's not even Clanborn! I'll just wait and see what happens, I guess, at the Gathering. I can't figure it out. Perhaps StarClan will send me another message soon...

Featherwish had reached her camp. She pushed through the barrier, and was surprised to find Thundersong sitting outside the warriors den. Too tired to say anything, Featherwish simply dipped her head before heading back to her den.

Moonrise: 2

Thundersong sat, still as a stone, outside the warriors den. Her green eyes were fixed upon the moon, and her fur blew in a gentle breeze.

Thundersong sighed.

She couldn't sleep. She couldn't think straight. All she saw in her mind was her father, Storm, dead on the ground, Maplewind's claws stained red with his blood...

Suddenly, a rustle in the trees made Thundersong whip around, bristling. But she stopped when she saw Featherwish, back from the trip to Shining Stone, wearily push through the barrier. Thundersong looked into the cats blue eyes, but didn't say anything. Featherwish simply nodded before padding away to her den.

Thundersong looked down at the ground, which was starting to sparkle with pearly dew.

I couldn't save him, she thought. I couldn't even fight off Maplewind without Petal's help!

Thundersong felt so useless. Her Clan trusted her now, but she still didn't feel like she fit in. At least she had Icefeather. The tom had gone out of his way to comfort her, but even that didn't shake the feeling that Thundersong didn't belong in StoneClan...

Thundersong sighed once more, then turned and went back into the den, careful not to step on the other cats. Settling back down into her moss bed, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, fearing what awaited her in her dreams tonight...

Thundersong's dreams were haunted by images of Storm and Petal, dead, while Smoky and Maplewind stood over them, their claws drenched in blood. Thundersong yowled out to her parents, but they did not answer, their bodies laying stiff on the ground, their glassy eyes staring up at the sky...

Thundersong sat up, breathing heavily. It was light out, and the warriors were beginning to wake. She must have been thrashing wildly, because moss had been thrown everywhere. Pausing only to give her fur a few licks, Thundersong crept out of the den into camp.

Before she even had time to look around, Icefeather appeared, his long white pelt brushing against hers.

"Hey," he mewed softly, licking her cheek.

Thundersong didn't reply, but simply buried her head in his fur. Beneath its warmth, she felt a soft purr.

"You seem troubled. Anything wrong?" he asked, his ice blue eyes burning with concern.

"No, nothing."

"If you're sure, then fine. Do you want to go see Cloudmist's kits? They were just born this morning."

Thundersong nodded, and followed him to the nursery. Tiny mewls echoed through its walls. Icefeather stopped in front of the entrance.

"Cloudmist? Can we come in?" he mewed, sticking his head inside.

"Of course," came Cloudmist's soft, gentle voice. Icefeather nodded, then walked inside. Thundersong followed.

Inside, Cloudmist lay on a bed of moss and feathers, two tiny kits sleeping next to her swollen belly.

"What are their names?" Thundersong whispered.

"This one," Cloudmist pointed to the little silver one with her tail, "is Stormkit, a she-cat. The other one, the tom, is Thornkit," she pointed to the sandy colored one.

"They're beautiful..." Icefeather murmured, his eyes soft.

Thundersong turned away, thinking.

Is this what they said when I was a kit? Did they moon over me, or did they cast me aside? She shivered, remembering Maplewind's cruel words that day at the warriors den...

Suddenly, Icefeather's soft fur pushed up against her.

"Cold?" he mewed cheerfully.

She shook her head, then turned and left, not wanting to stand there any longer. Footsteps behind her told her that Icefeather wasn't far behind. Soon, he caught up to her. Facing her, he stared into her eyes.

"Alright, there is something wrong. I can tell. Come on, let's go hunting," he said, already padding toward the barrier. "You can tell me everything while we're alone."

Sighing, Thundersong followed him into the forest, watching as he leapt into a clump of ferns. The cool air felt good on her pelt, and she found herself taking in deep breaths of it, inhaling the mossy scent of the trees around them. It blocked the images of Maplewind and Smoky, their faces contorted in snarls...

Suddenly, Icefeather appeared, carrying a large mouse in his jaws. Dropping it, he sat down next to her, rubbing his pelt against her own.

"Now, tell me what's wrong," he meowed gently, running his tail along her spine.

Sorry, I can't write anymore. Damn Wi-Fi. >.>