Dead of Night ~ Book One of a Warrior Cats Fanfiction

Dead of Night ~ Prologue

  At this hour during green-leaf, the glow bugs were busy out in the meadow.  They were called glow bugs because, well, there is no other way to describe them.  I mean, they fly, there're bugs, and, if you're lucky, you can see them shine their lights.  On and off.  But never for a long time.  That's what brought the curious she-kit here.  She has every right to return home to the Clans, but also every right not to.  I came to help her, and I know that she is the only one who will convince the others to understand.

  The first time we told her the message, she stopped dead, pricked her ears and listened.  I could tell she was confused, but as the it continued, the little kit saw.  She saw the glow bugs fly toward one another and merge together to create the basic shape of a cat.  The glow-bug-cat flick its tail and prance around the meadow with much grace, considering it was a thousand glow bugs controlling the cat.  It continued dancing around until I began reciting the message from StarClan to the kit watching with awe from her spot on the grass.

  "At night, everything receives a dark cloak that hides you from those you fear, but also hides those you fear from you." I meowed, and the glow bugs moved their cat to a sitting position.  They drew its tail over the two front paws, and the bugs open its mouth for a huge yawn.  And I then continued, with the little cat's full attention.

  "Darkness is sly, it can be a comfort, wrapping you up in its warm cloak and worries get carried off in a soft night breeze.  You can close your eyes and rest until the sun greets you again in the morning."  The glow-cat went from awake to asleep on the soft meadow grasses as I spoke.  Now, the glow bugs controlling its flank rose up and down and up and down, as if their cat was breathing.  And once again, I continued.
  "And as you get sucked into the protective cloak of darkness, your fears resist.  They then use the sly night to stalk about until they find you.  It all happens quickly: the dark lets go, and in the confusion of it all, fear takes its hold."  And it did happen quickly.  The cat's ears pricked, and then it stood up quickly, looking ready to bolt into the forest.  The glow bugs moved in sync and as "fear took its hold", all the lights on the glow bugs died out and the cat vanished.  I saw the kit cower in fear, and was about to rush out and bury her in my fur when I remembered the message.  And I spoke yet again.
  "But not every force is against you at night.  The moon stars provide a light for those who just need a little help getting to their feet.  Fear preys on the weak, and all you need to learn is how to be strong.  And the strongest out there aren't all muscle no fat, but will protect those they love with their life time and time again."  I breathed in before adding my own part to the message, something I learned from living my life as a Clan cat.  "And sometimes, it's that fear that makes us strong."  My voice shook un-StarClan-message-like at the end, but I didn't care.  Because the truth is strong, too.

  I watched the special she-kit tilt her head in confusion, and then she squeaked, "Please finish, whoever you are.  I know there's more ."  I shone off my unease from before and gave the warning part of StarClan's message to the eager kit who would live and die upon these words:

  "Those who prove this true will be the ones to survive this terrible new danger.  Everyone else will most certainly come face-to-face with death itself.  Some will fight for their home against impossible odds, some will betray those who raised them to save themselves and sit pretty on the other side of the 'impossible' odds.  But some will use what they know best to escape... or so they think."

  The kit came back every night, and every night I have her the message.  She listened.