DISCONTINUED A New Dawn #2: Ashes (Warrior Cats Fanfiction)

Prologue

Butterflies flitted above tall green grass dotted with wildflowers, their bright wings flashing with the reflected light of the sun, which shone brightly in the blue sky, hovering above the leafy tops of the trees that bordered the meadow. A few mice moved in the grass, rustling its stalks and disturbing the insects that rested upon them. Squirrels and birds chattered and sung in the trees, and a few lazy clouds drifted across the sky. All seemed well.

A shadow stirred at the edge of the trees, bright eyes flashing in the darkness beneath the branches. It circled the meadow, eyes flicking warily as if searching for danger. Across the clearing, another beast moved just as cautiously. Slowly, the first came forward, lowering its head in a gesture of submission as it stepped into the sunlight: a white she-cat, her pelt sleek but thick, her pale blue eyes questioning as she approached the other feline, who paused before also stepping from the trees.

This one was a powerful black tom. He dipped his head as he approached the she-cat, who seemed to relax as she recognized the other cat.

"Yetu," she meowed, laying her ears back- though not in an aggressive manner- and bowing her head. "I thought I might find you here."

Yetu nodded, his gaze flicking across the clearing. "You were searching for me? Is there news?"

The she-cat paused, looking uncertain, then shook her head. "No. I came to tell you that I-I.... had a dream." She looked away, seeming self-conscious.

Yetu raised one eyebrow as he looked back at the she-cat. "Yes, Keyta, that tends to happen when one sleeps. I assume this one was special, or you would not be here."

Keyta nodded, still looking uncertain. "Yes. I.... dreamed of fire. And... there was a cat. A tom. He stared right at me. And I could see wings behind him, red wings of fire."

Yetu bristled slightly at her final words, turning to stare intensely at her. "Red wings?"

Keyta nodded. "I think he will come here, and I think he will herald the red wings. He will bring our salvation, as Enza's prophecy foretold."

Yetu's eyes flicked across the clearing for a moment while he remained silent, seemingly lost in thought. Butterflies still flitted, their wings shining in blues, yellows, and whites, but none red.

"This war will soon come to a close," he meowed. "A new sun will rise guided by red wings, and those once divided will again be whole." He repeated these words solemnly but almost without thought, as though they echoed constantly through his mind. Then, he looked to the she-cat again. "We cannot tell the others; not yet. If we do, the information is bound to slip to the enemy. We must be the ones to reach the sun first."

Keyta nodded, eyes wide as Yetu turned and padded towards the treeline from whence he had come. "Then what should I do?"

Yetu paused, thinking with his back still turned towards her. "Come to me if you have any more dreams. And keep watch for the tom from your dreams. We must find him before the others do."

Keyta dipped her head as Yetu continued on, his dark pelt fading into the trees. Then she turned and looked up, her pupils shrinking to slits as she focused for a heartbeat on the bright sun above. Softly, she let out a whisper.

"Soon."