Warrior Cats: A Thunder's Echo #! Dark Thunder

Prologue

[AN: The picture is of Cougarstar! Picture is not owned by me]

A gentle breeze blew through the forest, carrying leaves through the air. A singular leaf, turned red by the leaf-fall chill, attached itself to a cluster of boulders. The wind tugged at the leaf desperately, winding its gusts through the atom-sized spaces between the plant and stone. After many moments of pulling, finally the wind won; or so it thought. Quickly, in one fluid motion, the red leaf got sucked down into a hole. Above it the wind growled angrily, getting stronger as its prey was lost.

The leaf landed in a cavern underneath the ground. All was silent here. The heavy winds were hushed by a long tunnel and multiple twists and turns. Deeper into the cavern led another, shorter tunnel. It was at the end of that tunnel where the leader had her den, Her silver and white flanks rose and fell as she breathed the soft air of sleep.

For now, she molly seemed peaceful. Her gentle snores echoed through the den's walls and seemed to envelope the leader. The silver and white figure was dreaming about catching a rabbit for the dwindling prey pile. It was a common dream and, though it seemed more vivid than usual, the molly didn't question it. However her ears perked up as she heard rustling in the bushes next to her. Then a voice spoke.

"Jaystar."

The named molly whipped around, her fur standing on edge. However, once she saw who it was, Jaystar's face lit up. "Cougarstar!" She meowed, rushing towards the former leader.

Cougarstar, a big brown and tan molly, merely touched her nose to Jaystar's head before backing up. "Listen, old friend." She murmured, swishing her lengthy tail to and fro."Remember how I gave you a life for compassion towards everyone; even outsiders?"

Jaystar's heart thumped madly in her chest. In her opinion, Cougarstar was always too welcoming to cats outside the Clan. It wasn't only cats either. Once, when the big molly was still Cougarfang, she had brought a baby badger home from a hunting trip. The badger remained at camp until it grew old enough to live on its own. Jaystar didn't remember much of that since she was a kit at the time. However, she did remember the rogues.

Jayflight, the current leader's warrior name, was old enough to know what was happening. She remembered the screams of terror as the evil rogues ripped away at Beachfur's eyes. The shrieks of the kits as their pelt was stripped off from the skin and their mothers' crying out in distress. Jaystar gulped as she envisioned her mate being slowly pulled apart by a white molly. The silver and white leader could still see the fear in Scarpelt's eyes as he took his last breaths. Cougarstar had even lost a life on that fateful day.

Shaking her pelt, as if to rid herself of intrusive memories, Jaystar blinked at Cougarstar. "Y-yes." She stuttered. She didn't like where this was heading and had to breathe deeply to avoid panic. Jaystar was well known for her former panic attacks.

"There will be a cat as white as the snow with stripes like the moon's glow. Let her in. She needs you, Jaystar. She needs the support of a Clan, a family, to get through this hard ordeal." Cougarstar boomed, suddenly much louder than before. It wasn't a prophecy, no. It was more of a plea for help. Jaystar shook her head violently, growling lowly at the former leader.

"I can't do that! Last time we trusted rogues many of us were slaughtered!" The smaller molly made sure to emphasize the words trusted and slaughter. There was no way she'd put her cats in harms way! Not after all they had been through the past few years.

Cougarstar narrowed her eyes but didn't argue. Her tan fur was prickling and her lips were drawn back in a snarl. But instead of yowling at Jaystar, she dipped her head slowly. "I cannot force you to do anything. Just remember why I made you my deputy."

Jaystar swallowed hard as she thought back to her deputy ceremony. The original second-in-command, Crushclaw, had been slaughtered in the rogue attack. Cougarstar said she needed someone smart enough to resist outsiders' charms... but also one that new when to let them in.

The leader sighed, about to dip her head in defeat. But, when she looked up, the huge cat was fading away. "Let thunder in." Her voice seemed to whisper, swirling around her.

"Let thunder in."