A New Life (Warrior Cats)

Prologue

The air was warm. Scents wafted in the gentle breeze. The dark tabby stepped through the grassy, flat, open area. He'd been here before. It was where the great battle had taken place - BloodClan against the Clans. It had been a terrible, bloody battle. Darken remembered it well, all too well. Every moment the tom could recall. But instead of a fight unfolding, and blood being shed, it was peaceful and calm. And then, he saw Aurora, his dear friend. "Aurora!" he yowled, but the feline could not hear him. She did not respond. He once again called, but the she-cat would not answer to him. She faded, seemingly disappearing, and Darken witnessed the battle all over again, but he could not do anything. It was just as if he were watching, hovering over, spectating, no way to do anything at all. Then Thistle was there; he could see him. Just him, walking away, disappearing just as Aurora had. "Wait! Wait, Thistle! Wait!" Darken ran and ran; he sprinted, his paws slamming hard against the ground. But he was getting no where.

Thistle was gone, and so was every cat.

"You're a disgrace!" Stream spat.

"Get out! I told you, never come again!" Flint shouted.

"I can't believe I raised you," Rose sighed.

Darken was submerged into darkness, whirling, spiraling, down and down...

He was yowling very loudly, screeching as loudly as he could, for anyone at all to come help him. Darken was falling rapidly. Then he felt a strike of pain, claws and bites, cats hurdling at him and attacking. Big, intimidating cats. Darken felt like a kit. They were Clan cats, and none of BloodClan was there to help him. They all had fled. The pain felt so vivid, so real.. There was no hope for him; surely, he was dying. Then Darken's eyes opened. He staggered to his paws, breathing heavily, warily gazing around. He sighed, realizing it was a dream. It was all just a dream. He shut his eyes and got to his paws to sit. Once in a while, Darken had the dreaded night terrors - the dreams, no, nightmares, that seemed so real. So real. Everything haunted him. He shook his head, taking in another deep breath, then exhaling it before standing to his paws. "I'm fine," he told himself firmly. He said it aloud, his voice steady. Then, the familiar hunger rippled along his stomach and it made a growl-like noise. Darken padded out to the middle of the alley sadly. A huge gust of wind made its way throughout the alley, nearly knocking him over. He flinched, his teeth chattering. I've never experienced a winter alone, he looked down at his paws. Alone, outside..

The tabby gazed up at the sky; its color was a depressing gray. Clouds stretched across it, and he could see some snowflakes flitting down, gently swaying in the wind as they slowly reached the concrete ground. He shivered, forcing himself not to violently shake. Darken was so cold. So, so, cold... He became lost in a daydream - one that consisted of himself, curled up beside Stream. The fire crackled as he imagined the warmth...

He was interrupted by yet another gust of wind. Darken ran toward the dumpster, sheltering himself off from the wind. He shut his eyes, wishing for it all to go away. He wanted his old life back. He wanted his family again. They just don't understand! Darken felt a pang of hunger in his stomach. The dark tabby got to his paws, trembling. I guess.. since I was a kittypet, and I never experienced a winter outside, I have to get used to this weather.. His icy blue gaze shifted around the motionless alley. Frost lay over the concrete. Maybe the entire alley would eventually fill up with mounds of snow... Darken drew in the chill air. He scented nothing. In the desolate alley, no form of life could be seen, which was strange to the tom. It was once full of cats, full of BloodClan. I'm so hungry. Will I die of starvation? All of my former Clanmates, too. They were fighting for land and prey; will they starve like me? Where are all of them? Did they return home or travel away?

So many unanswered questions...

But he knew StarClan had to be real. After all, the ginger tom came back to life after being killed by Scourge. He saw it with his own eyes. The tom's breath came out in white fog as he exhaled deeply. "What will I do now? And how can I move on.. how can I redeem myself after knowing what I've done? I've wasted my life. I fought against cats who were innocent, simply defending their land."