𝐋𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐧 - 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 | a warrior cats AU

prologue

A dense fog coated the forest as the warm air of green leaf wafted through the twoleg place. Smudge couldn't help but shiver, despite the humid air around him, his pelt prickling. I've never liked the forest; it's the home of foxes, and badgers and especially cults of cannibalistic cats. The black and white tom shifted his paws in discomfort, thinking about his old friend, who'd in fact been a victim to the forest cats. Rusty's been dead for at least twelve moons now, Smudge's heart ached at the thought of his friend being mauled by the monstrous cats. Yet I can't stop waiting, hoping he'll come back without a scratch.

The tom's sadness didn't last long, as a twig snapped in the distance. Smudge's head shot up, his fur standing on the ends. Could it be one of the forest cats?! Have they come to slaughter me too? Smudge's claws sunk into the wood of the fence as he watched a flock of crows on one of nearby trees fly away, screeching in fear of someone, Smudge shuddered, or something. As the crows quieted and settled, Smudge noticed, with a prick of dread that there was a cat, a large cat padding through the fog, as if he was floating. The tom gulped, peering forward. Could it just be one of the house cats that got lost?

Smudge's heart dropped as the cat came closer, and their very familiar ginger pelt was visible. His mouth dried up and the tom began to tremble, a million emotions racing through his his mind. "Rusty?!" Smudge shakily called out, his fur still bristling. The muscular tom halted at the tom's words, as if they'd lashed out at him, and after a few moments, the tom nodded. Smudge was purring so loud he was sure his whole body was vibrating. With a huff, the tom leapt off the shaky fence and bounded into the dark, misty forest, his eyes trained on Rusty. The house cat could feel the rain from the day before on the grass soaking his pelt and paws, but he couldn't have cared less. Rusty's really alive!

As he approached the green eyed tom, he slowed to a trot, nearly slipping on the slick mud under his claws. He was only a few mouse lengths from Rusty now, and he had to restrain himself from burying his muzzle into his friend's pelt and simply drinking in his scent. "Rusty!" Smudge exclaimed, nearly choking on his own purr, "It's me, Smudge! Oh Rusty, Princess will be so happy to-" 

Crack

Smudge let out a few ragged gasps as the ginger tom released his jaws from his torn throat, the fresh wound seeping with warm blood, dirtying the grass. With a thud, the black and white tom fell to the ground, his jaw open in a silent scream, and his eyes wide and glassy. After a few moments of choking and thrashing, the tom finally stilled, staring up at the starless sky.

Firestar licked the blood from his jaw, staring disinterestedly down at the dead tom. He turned behind him, beckoning with his tail. Many cats crawled out from the fog, most of their eyes glowing with anticipation. "That's how you are to kill the kittypets. Quick and efficiently. We don't have time to be sloppy, so kill any cat over three moons old, and if they're young kits, take them after killing the molly. Lostface should birth any day now, and she'll nurse them. We need more warriors anyways. "

Behind him, Gorsepaw, a windclan apprentice shifted his paws, his fur rising. "This doesn't seem like something Tallstar would do..." He whimpered, pressing against his sister, Nightpaw who was equally as terrified. A few tail lengths ahead of them, by Firestar's side, Onewhisker whipped his head around, hissing.

"I brought you two along so you could experience what real warriors do. We rid of impure blood." The tom narrowed his amber eyes at the two trembling apprentices, his hackles rising. "Like I stated earlier, if Tallstar hears a peep out of either of you, I'll make sure you two never become warriors, let alone have both your ears. Understood?" The two, scared stiff, nodded and huddled closer together, flattening themselves to the soaked grass.