Warriors #3 - Revenge of Darkhaven

The Phantom

'Skyfire!!!' Heathersun's scream tore across the night air, "Skyfire, help me!!!"

The she-cat writhed on the ground, the acrid tang of blood mingling with the sickly sweet scent of poppies.

'No.'

'No, no, no, no... Heathersun!!!' Skyfire scrabbled at the thorns that threatened to drag him down, to leave him with the needles biting at his skin while he watched his mate in agony.

"It's too late for that." a chilling voice echoed across the clearing, every syllable audible despite Heathersun's agonized screams.

"Who are you-" Skyfire whipped around, snarling with anger and desperation, but the words got stuck in his mouth when he saw a ghostly white cat staring at him expressionlessly with cold, glittering eyes.

"I can help you prevent that from happening, you know," the cat meowed silkily, his mew overpowering the dying she-cat's shrieks.

"Skyfire!!!" Heathersun clawed at the petal and blood-strewn ground desperately, yet it was no use; the thrashing form of the she-cat sank into the shadows, a ringing silence echoing across the void-black clearing.

"No!" Skyfire screeched with anguish, teardrops making his Kyberclaws sizzle.

"Pull yourself together, Skyfire." the white cat stalked over silently, curling his tail neatly around his paws. "I repeat, this is only a nightmare, one you can prevent if you listen to me."

'A nightmare?'

"It's an omen, isn't it?" Skyfire mewed huskily, not looking away from the place where his mate had disappeared.

"Heathersun's going to die if I don't do anything."

"Search through your mind... How many more lives that are important to you must be lost?"

"Surely you don't want another scene like Mistymoor."

Skyfire felt his fur stand on end.

"Never." he bared his fangs at the white cat, looking at his face for the first time.

A jagged scar ripped across the right side of his face, and two orange eyes stared into his own blue eyes calmly.

"You're a Darkhavener, aren't you?" Skyfire backed away, unsheathing his Kyberclaws once more, hissing.

"To be honest, yes, but I am long dead, as you can see." the cat meowed evenly.

"You must help me, Skyfire... we can help each other!"

"I was once the most powerful cat in the Galaxy, and I could have been so much more, but all my potential was locked away by another cat called Plagueshadow-"

"Get out of my head, and stop tormenting me with these omens!" Skyfire snapped at the smaller cat angrily. "I will learn how to prevent my mate's death by myself."

"Plus, you can't trust a Darkhavener."

"Ah, the typical seducements of Dawnclan." the cat sounded amused.

"They think everything is evil if it doesn't match their beliefs."

"Well, in a way-"

"Seriously, Skyfire, what harm can I do?" the cat snorted. "I told you, I'm already dead, and I will be staying that way and eventually fade away if nobody remembers me."