Warriors: A shadow in the light

Prologue

In the darkness, a forest, black with ash and rotten without sunlight. A great dark warrior, a cat seeking revenge. A pitful apprentice, no more than a kit, trapped by himself. 

Smokepaw let out a cry of pain. Scarlet blood spattered onto the grass. The black cat could not bear to look at the ragged body of his littermate, Icepaw. Smokepaw stumbled blindly until a huge tom put one paw on his neck, hissing. 

"Now, do you see what happens to the cats who disobey us?" Smokepaw did not reply. 

"They stand no chance," Darkstar continued. "Every breath they take is mercy from me!"

Smokepaw looked up at the Darkclan leader with great blue eyes, wishing his legs would stop shaking. "Y-you said we were a clan," The apprentice stammered. "Clanmates don't kill..."

Darkstar spat at him. The huge tom slashed at Smokepaw's neck. Smokepaw let out a small gasp and felt something wet and sticky flowing down his shoulders. 

"Your sister was a traitor. Icepaw said that the warrior code makes the clans strong, yet, it is the only thing keeping these mouse brains from growing stronger. Now, isn't that what you would have wanted?"

No, Smokepaw thought. No.

"Are you loyal to your clan or not?" Darkstar screeched. 

He knew the answer. 

Smokepaw looked at his sister's body.

"Do you see what happens to the cats who disobey us?"

And then he ran.

Smokepaw didn't look back. He ran, ran away from his home, away from everything he knew for his whole life. He could hear the Darkclan warriors pounding after him. Growls as loud as dogs. Snapping teeth like badgers. But he didn't stop. 

He didn't know how much time passed until he collapsed onto a mixture of sand and pebbles. Gazing around with blurry eyes, he scanned his surroundings. Light. He could see light. 

But that didn't last long, because his eyes rolled up and his vision faded to empty blackness.

It was all over now. 

Or was it?