The World's End

|| CHAPTER ONE ||

The old tom opened his milky eyes, only to realize he could see.

"Sight? This isn't right..." He thought out loud, looking at his new environment.

The thickly laced oak trees, standing mixed with others reminded him of Shrieking Eagle's Description of MapleClan territory. He glanced around, slight fear in his bristling pelt.

"There's no need to be afraid, love." A familiar voice sounded from behind him, and the cream tom turned around calmly.

Recognition flew through his milky eyes, and he bounded over, knowing the she-cat in front of him by sight.

Her silvery-grey pelt sparkled beautifully in the sunset, her kind Hazel eyes loving.

"Shrieking Eagle, is it really you?" He purred, stopping right in front of his deceased mate.

"It is, my love. I have come to give you a message." She mewed, her brownish green eyes suddenly growing serious. "Go, be with her."

"Henna?"

"Yes. She is the key to your fate. You might not love her, but raise her family. Create new generations."

"Why, Shrieking Eagle? I don't want her kits, I want ours!" The old tom complained, wanting the feeling of his two kits back at his side.

"They are here, and they agreed to come see you, they will arrive soon." She mewed, purring.

As if on cue, two cats, a tom and a she-cat, pushed through the brush, their nearly identical pelts blending with each other. Their distinct smells have them apart, though their cream and silver tabby pelts were nearly the same.

"Crouching Bush, Leaping Bear, you've arrived!" The cream tom purred, running to his two beautiful kits. "I love you."

"We love you, too, father. But we're dead. Move on from us." Crouching Bush, his daughter, mewed. "Go, have new kits. Give them life. Take back your life."

"Do it, father. For us." His son, Leaping Bear, mewed happily. "Please. The fate of the Clans depends on you. We love you, but you must continue. Please."

The cream tom nodded reluctantly.

"I will speak to Henna. But that does not mean I will ever love her. We will have kits, to restart the Clans, that it all." He growled, his stubborn personality showing.

"Yes, start the Clans. Keep their memories in your kits." Shrieking Eagle encourages. "But learn to move on from the past. You'll be fine."

The old tom nodded, but internally promised himself that he would never love Henna for as long as he lived. He only had one true love, and even if she was deceased, she was his.

"I love you. I'm waking up now, goodbye, my love, my kits. I'll miss you." He mewed, giving them one last goodbye.

--

His milky eyes snapped open, this time to darkness. He could hear the distant meow of Henna, and the reply of someone else.

Suddenly, Leaping Willow snapped up, his ears pricked. Yes, there was the gruff mew of a tom, and the slightly higher voice of a she-cat.

'Two cats?' He thought, padding into the pine clearing.

"Henna?" He mewed, scenting the newcomers.

The light brown tabby she-cat turned her head, matching her gaze to the blind tom's.

"Morning, Leaping Willow. We have some guests." She purred, turning to the two loners. "This is Thistle, and this is Gemma. Oh! Sorry! The tom is Thistle, and the she-cat is Gemma."