Cinder and Holly Book #2: Flames Rising

Prologue

Hello? Is anyone there? A pure-black she-cat laid with her whole body curled. Her paws twitched, and she felt a burning gaze shooting through her pelt.

She suddenly fluttered her eyes open, pain quaking in her paws. She scrambled to her paws slowly, and as she stood erect, she could feel the pain getting worse.

Where am I....? She wondered as she glanced around the dark void. She glanced beside her, then she'd glance behind her. Nothing.

She glanced in front of her, and suddenly, a misty blue-gray tom stood in front of her. She flinched in fright, her fur bristling. "You!" She hissed. The blue-gray tom stared blankly.

The pure-black she-cat stared at him with glared eyes. "How dare you! After all you've done—"

"Lightning. Come back," He suddenly meowed. "Please."

Lightning felt her whole body shudder with guilt. I can't forgive you. She thought as she glanced down at the dark ground. The blue-gray tom stared at her, waiting for an answer.

Lightning felt her left paw step back, and then her right leg. The tom frowned. "You...Don't trust me anymore...?" He asked. Lightning shook her head. "No." She hissed. "I—I wish I didn't have your kits."

Lightning spun away, padding down the dark void. I don't know where I'm going, just as long as he is away from me, and my kits.

Suddenly, as she halted, mist swarmed around her. She glanced at the misty-figures, and suddenly, they turned to a pale-gray kit, and a small black-and-white kit asleep, curled around each other for warmth.

No... She thought as she glanced at the kits. She gazed at the misty blue-gray tom, who was standing in the middle of the void.

"Leave my kits alone!" Lightning hissed out. She just wished she could go in there and grab her kits so they could be away from him. "Please! Stop!"

The tom frowned. "Lightning, I won't even sniff them." He told her. "I just want to say, your kits will have bad futures." He warned, a breeze sweeping through his fur.

Lightning gritted her teeth. "You don't know that!" She hissed. The tom furrowed his brows. "I know everything." He hissed, his claws flexing in front of the she-cat.

Lightning felt her whole body crumble with sorrowness. My kits...Will they have bad futures...?

"And," The tom continued. "I'm sorry..." Lightning widened her eyes with surprise. What? She thought with questions swelling in her mind.

"I'm sorry for everything I've done. But I had no choice. And I want what's best for our kits. I am just asking for you to take care of them."

"I...I'm sorry but...I don't forgive you."

The tom widened his eyes, it had sorrowness in them. His eyes suddenly drew to a glare. "Fine," He growled. "Have it your way."

Lightning glanced as he spun away and padded down the black void. Sorrowness was filled inside of her, and she could feel tears dwelling down from her eyes.

She shook her head, and the tears disappeared. "This is good for you," She muttered to herself. "You don't need that idiot anymore."

But as her paw took a step forward, she felt something wet drop on her back fur, and she quivered. She glanced up, and her eyes widened in fright.

A thousand large droplets of water fell from the sky.

She pinned her ears in fright. She darted down the void as fast as she could, and she heard murmurs ring through her ears. She glanced down, staring at the ground, And she noticed water filling up so quickly.

Within moments, the whole place was a flood.

The waves of the flood made Lightning move uncontrollably. She widened her eyes in fear, yowling out; "HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" But the waves were so loud, that even she couldn't hear her own voice.

She glanced around the flood, and spotted a branch laying in the middle of the flood. She kicked her back legs, and she lifted her paw forward. She was paddling down the flood, trying to reach the loose branch. As she reached it, she sunk her claws into the branch, panting heavily.

Lightning glanced beside her, staring at an island that was so close. But on top of it, the blue-gray tom sat down with an amused expression.

Lightning shot a glare at him. "YOU'RE INSANE!" She yowled. The blue-gray tom mrrowed with laughter. "Oh, Lightning." He meowed with amusement in his voice. "You should've forgiven me."

She watched as he spun away, and then padded down the island. Lightning stared at him with widened eyes, feeling sadness fill inside her body.

Suddenly, she couldn't feel the hard water anymore. She couldn't feel the branch that she sunk her claws in. She felt nothing.

The flood suddenly faded away, along with the branch and the island. She could only see the dark void.

"Mew!" A kit mewled. Lightning fluttered her eyes open with worry, and she immediately raised her and panted heavily.

She lowered her head, and drew her tongue over a black-and-white she-kit to comfort herself down.

"Lightning?" A she-cat meowed. Lightning raised her head, glancing at the den entrance. A golden she-cat padded into the den entrance, glancing at Lightning with worry.

"Goldenfeather!" Lightning squeaked in fright. Goldenfeather frowned with worry in her expression. She padded over to Lightning, and sat beside her.

"Are...You okay...?" Goldenfeather asked with worry in her voice.

"I'm fine," Lightning told her. "It was just a dream I had..."

"It's probably because of the new kits you have," Goldenfeather mewed. Lightning's claws fidgeted with a loose leaf on her nest. "I guess," Lightning meowed. "But...I saw him..."

"Lightning, you didn't," Goldenfeather meowed. "It was probably nothing."

Lightning pinned her ears. "How would you know that...?" She grumbled quietly. "You didn't have the dream..."

Goldenfeather laid beside Lightning. "I'm sorry," Goldenfeather murmured. "I'm new to this thing."

Lightning drew her lips to a smile. "I understand that," Lightning meowed. "I'm just happy that we get to spend time together."

Lightning and Goldenfeather then began to talk together, and Lightning felt happy talking with her daughter. She almost forgot about the dream she had because of talking with Goldenfeather.