Winterhead scratched behind his ear, feeling like he was being watched. He peered around to a black muscular tom sitting with a tall and pretty white she-cat. The she-cat licked herself over, and over, and over again as her kits ran crazy over the place. Swandroplet, the neat-freak, kept licking imaginary messes off her pelt. The black tom was tearing a mouthful off of a lizard. “Disgusting. Have some manners.” Swandroplet hissed. “Oh, calm down Swandroplet.” Winterhead meowed. “Hmpm. Mouse-brain. Why don't you fix that mat you call a tail?” She hissed at him, her eyes blazing. “I’m your Leader. I don’t need to do what you hiss.” “And I'm a Queen. A VERY important part of this Clan. I'm just trying to make you LOOK good.” “Yeah!” Cried out one of her kits. “Hush!” “Don't tell me to hush!” A light brown and white tabby she-cat sat up. “You kits should listen to your Leader. You too, Swandroplet.”

“Not right now.” She huffed and shook her head. “Would you do this to Snowstar?” "Yes. I did too.” “What are you going to learn to respect your Leaders?” The brown and white she-cat mewed. “When they can look good enough.” She said slyly. The she-cat lifted her nose into the air. “Winterhead still needs to pick a new Deputy.” “I say it should be me.” Squeaked Featherkit. “Kits can’t be Deputy! Or Leader!” Squeaked Honeykit. “You all are annoying!” Prettykit turned to Glosskit. Swarndroplet hissed and swatted them all. “You just made my paw messed up. Go to the nursery. NOW.” The brown she-cat, Wild Speed, curled her long tail around Honeykit protectively. “Not your kit, Wild… Whatever your name is… My kits. Got it?” Swiftly, Glosskit, Featherkit, and Prettykit all retreated to the nursery. “Can I drop a rock on Swandroplet?” Whispered Snowstar. “Maybe later…” Wonderbird replied.

“Let's get her pelt muddy… Her white pelt won’t stand a chance against mud.” Snowstar snickered. Swandroplet’s fur was, in fact, white. A glossy white, as if pearls were made for her fur. “What are you going to do? Lead her to a mud puddle she’ll clearly see?” Wonderbird was keeping her eyes on the black tom. “Can you do it?” “Oh- Fine.” “Thank yooou.” The ginger she-cat rolled her eyes. The night rolled on, then years. Most of the Snowclan was dead- Snowclan was now Crystalclan. It was time for a Starclan gathering. Wonderbird was sitting around a pool, in the middle of a flat clearing on a tall mountain. “We need to talk about the kits of today,” Yowled out Leafstar, a calico munchkin tom. Meadowstar, a calico she-cat with green eyes, spoke. “What about them?” “Will they help bring back the cats?” “Like Emeraldspeck or Applestar?” “Yes! Who else? Us?” Leafstar shook his head. “Anyway, is this the only reason you called us here?” A black tom with white tabby stripes, and fish bones, as

asked. “We need to send out the omens. The stars have aligned.” Snowstar huffed. Leafstar looked at her, confused. “I don't think the stars really mean anything…. But we'll send signs.” Snailstar rolled his eyes. “Another sign? We’ve already given them two prophecies.” “Not like that.” Snowstar shook her head, “The two prophecies will turn into one. We need to give them a sign DIRECTLY, to the kits.” Wonderbird nudged in. “What would it even be about?” “Hm… Maybe we could uh…” Slippaw fidgeted, “Drop an emerald on a kit? To remind them about Emeraldspeck! And we could go into their dream! Boom! When they’re Apprentices, they'll want to stop all the emerald dropping, so they go out and try to find her and the others.” The Starclan cats stirred, “That's the stupidest idea ever.” Swandroplet scoffed, although dead, she kept licking herself. Wonderbird huffed. “You guys can settle this out, I’m going.” “You’re the only clever one here though.” Swandroplet blocked her way out.

“I’m sure you’re all smart enough. I have somewhere to be.” “Let her go,” Snowstar sighed. “Wonderbird. You may be free.” “Thank you, Snowstar.” The ginger she-cat nodded, walking away from the Pool, turning into a faint starry figure. The lush, forest filled with glowing slowly died off as she crept to the darkest place. The place with no love, or light left. The Dark Forest. The breeze was plagued with a chill to the spine and the smell of death and plague. Wonderbird quietly padded into the thick place of trees. The trees were hollow, dead. They were filled with dirt, mud, toads, and crowfood that didn’t look real. Jaggering and taunting magpies loomed overhead, cursing horrid squeaks. The clouds seem to thicken. “Dear.” Rumbled a voice above the Starclan Medicine Cat. The pretty she-cat turned her gaze upward. Pumashade smiled, his two different eyes glinting. He hopped down off of a rotting branch alive with worms. “My pretty bird. How are you?”

“Sort of annoyed.” She sat down. “The kits will be Apprentices soon, and all those Starclan cats want to do it send more Omens and Prophecies.” “Dang.” Pumashade wrapped her tail around her. “Want the Dark forest to help?” “No. Who knows what Starclan would do about that.” She closed her jaws as she heard a faint sound. “Is there a kit here?” “Why would you think that? It must be the weird mice here.” He whipped around and grabbed an odd mouse, picking it up and killing it. “See? All better now.” There was a small mew. “Pumashade, are you lying to me?” Wonderbird stood up. “You’re accusing me now? How dare you…” The Warrior tensed, and slashed his tail as the mewing grew more prescient. The ginger she-cat stood up, and began sniffing around. She parted the dark grass to find a small black tom with pink stripes. “What- Pumashade.” “Mouse-brain.” He knocked her over, banging her head against a rock. A sleek, large cat with glossy fur grabbed the kit, his eyes blazing.

“You weren’t meant to see that.” She hissed. With one more head-to-rock crush. Everything seemed to drizzle out for Wonderbird. She weakly managed to stand up. “What are you two doing with Plaguekit! That’s Jasperwhisker’s son! You have to give him to Starclan!” “He’s my kin! An asset to the Dark Forest!” Yowled Pumashade “An asset!?!? He’s a kit!” “Him being a kit means nothing.” The glossy cat slammed down Wonderbird. “He’s damned here forever.” The world began to faze out as more blows were shot. Wonderbird had to shield her eyes as a bright glow came on. Wild Speed had appeared, throwing fast blows at Pumashade and the glossy cat. The glossy cat, Glossyclaw hissed, and pummeled Wild Speed back, yowling with rage. “Run Wonderbird!” Wild Speed yowled, thrusting Glossyclaw backwards. The ginger she-cat took her advice, and began running back to Starclan’s territory.

Glossyclaw attempted to catch her, but was thrown to the side by another Starclan cat. Wonderbird didn’t stop running until she was far into Starclan’s territory, and sat down shaking. She was now with many warriors of Meadowclan. “Wonderbird!” Snailstar yelped. She looked up with wide eyes. “Yes?” She asked shakingly. “What happened to you?” “I was just… Visiting someone.” Shroompool, the first Meadowclan Medicine Cat, huffed. “They attacked you. You’re bleeding heavily.” “I’m fine.” Shroompool quickly healed the Medicine Cat. “No. What happened?! You smell like death!” Wonderbird sighed. “Fine… I went to see Pumashade.” The cats stared at her. “WHAT!?!?!" Yowled Snailstar, striking her with no claws, “WHY?!” Wonderbird winced. “Why is that your business?” “Because, Starclan is against cats like him.” He hissed, “Are you still in love with him?” “I know Swandroplet was his other mate, but it doesn’t mean I can’t see him. Plus, I found a kit.”

Everything From Warrior's Thunder:

Chapter 13:

Ty