PROLOGUE
A cosmo shot across the starlit sky, creating a streak of bright white light to imprint on the inky surface.The night was warm, yet still held the chill of Leaf-Bare in its midst, not to mention the aftermath. Leaves still covered the ground, barely allowing any grass whatsoever to show through at all.A cat with eyes as blue as an oasis sat atop a small boulder, staring blindly into the darkness. This cat had a pelt as dark as a crows, and eyes that were clouded with a white veil.Jayfeather!" a yowl made the old tom turn his head and perk his ears, something was happening."What is it Mallowfall?" he meowed to a long limbed gray tom, with eyes of an amber shade that seemed to shoot through the darkness.
“It's Coldpoppy and Scorchcloud" he breathed quickly, "Their kits are coming!".Instantly Jayfeather shot his head up in not only panic, but surprise as well."It's not possible!" he called out loud enough for cats passing by to here, "Two queens just cant go into labor at the same exact time, you must be wrong young one."The old gray tom looked away, as Mallowfall approached.
"Then go check yourself Jayfeather" he meowed forcefully, "As Medicine Cat of ThunderClan its your job to help my mate give birth, now help her!"."Watch your tongue kit" the Medicine Cat snarled with a fury like a tempest, "Or I just might fix it for you."And with that, he padded into the Medicine Cat's den, A light brown she-cat helping him with words motioned silently that she would help.
"Jayfeather" she meowed as they entered the den together, "You can't just dismiss the fact that two queens are going into labor, I mean I guess it could happen.""Guessing isn't what Medicine Cats do Starlingsong" he meowed while looking at herbs, "And Mallowfall has bees for brains if he thinks I'm going to believe some stupid story like that".His apprentice sighed at the comment, and prepared to gather herbs herself if Jayfeather wasn't go to help. But then all at once, Starlingsong noticed that her mentor was staring out into nothing, like he was in some sort of daze."Hello?" she meowed cautiously, not knowing what to make of the situation, "Jayfeather?"."Two kits!" he meowed instantaneously, "Two kits with symbols!".And that was all the old gray tom said before he dashed out of the den, leaving a bewildered Starlingsong to follow.
"Jayfeather what are you talking about" she called as he entered the nursery, "Have you gone completely mental?". But her mentor was totally ignoring her, his sightless gaze was fixed on something else inside the den."They were born without your help" a snap came from Mallowfall who was crouching beside a white and tortoiseshell dappled queen, lapping three kits close to her belly.Another lay at the opposite side of the den, her pelt the color of a burning flame."The kits" Jayfeather meowed out of nowhere, "Two of them have symbols somewhere, check!"."What?" Scorchcloud gasped, wrapping her ginger tail around two tiny bundles, "What in StarClan's name are you talking about?". But before Jayfeather could say anything else, the ginger queens mate Burntpelt was crouching over the kits."There's something on Charredkit's tail" he meowed about his already named son.Starlingsong approached, glancing down at the tiny tail before her. Indeed a crimson spiral wreathed around the tip, looking almost like flames."And little Bluekit has a moon on her paw!" Coldpoppy meowed in shock, "A crescent moon!". All six cats in the room exchanged a glance, and then all moved to Charredkit and Bluekit.
What were they?
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"Here's some borage and some thyme Duskpetal" a sweet voice meowed, entering the hanging lichen of the bracken filled nursery."Thank you Scarletshine" a black she-cat spoke politely, beginning to eat the green leaf and the herb.The ginger Medicine Cat simply bent her head in reply, and exited the den. Duskpetal cast a quick glance down at the two squirming shapes next to her.One had a pelt as black as Midnight, but also a tint of umber surrounding his ears."Umberkit" she meowed with a smile, "We'll let your father name your sister". Duskpetal then moved her gaze to the nursing brown she-cat whose pelt looked almost identical to that of her mate Grizzlyfur's."Can we name her Hollowkit?" a voice meowed from the nursery, as a large dark brown tom entered, smiling at the two bundles before him.
"Of course!" she purred with a smile, "After your mother right? Hollowfoot?".Grizzlyfur simply nodded, as he pressed his muzzle into his mates black fur. It was silky and smooth like oil, and her eyes were almost as beautiful as the golden hued leaves they resembled.Duskpetal felt a nudge next to her, as shadows spread across the nursery."Umberkit?" she meowed suddenly, "Where's my kit!?".”What?" Grizzlyfur growled, searching frantically for his son.The kit had simply vanished into the darkness, he was nowhere to be seen! Duskpetal urgently looked behind and around her, but still nothing could be seen.And then as the moonlight began to flood back into the den, Umberkit appeared next to her once more, as if he never left his mothers warm belly."It's like he disappeared in the darkness" Grizzlyfur mentioned, lapping at his son now that he was found.But Duskpetal wasn't listening, something on both her kits had caught her gaze, "Grizzlyfur is that just me, or two those markings on the back of Hollowkit's ears look like eyes?".Immediately the brown tom moved forward, and gasped as he looked at his daughters ears."Your right, they do!" he exclaimed, with a little excitement and fear at the same time, "But what does it mean?".Duskpetal bent her head, "I don't know yet, but I have a feeling between these two, we'll find out soon enough. Cats moved around the clearing swiftly, some trying to take quick glances into the nursery. Most were buzzing about how two queens gave birth at the exact moment on the same night, it was quite remarkable!But some, mostly the elders were gazing up at the stars in the night sky, their eyes full of worry."I heard Sweetmallow's one kit has a leaf marking on her paw!" a fluffy white she-cat mentioned to another cat."Oh thats impossible Cottontail!" a small black striped tom hissed, "Goldgrass told me that Rosefern's kit had a lightning bolt on his ear! It's just stupid clan gossip if you ask me".The she-cat simply chuffed and turned to gossip with more cats, as a cat watched solemnly from its perch on a high mound of grass. This cat had fur as white as snow, and it was as long as a lions mane, resting on his muscled shoulders. "We need to stop this Sunstrike" he mentioned to a tortoiseshell she-cat with a large mark on her forehead, "Where is Kestrelflight?".The she-cat lifted her head to meet her leaders gaze, "Tawnywing told me he should be back any moment from the Moonpool, perhaps StarClan consulted him about this."
And then out of the darkness, an elderly mottled gray tom came padding towards the leader and deputy of WindClan, his eyes glinting of the lustrous rays.
"Kestrelflight" Thislestar bowed his head at the Medicine Cat, "Any news from StarClan?".
Padding to join the two cats, the mottled tom nodded.
"I have plenty of news from StarClan, but I think its best that I tell everyone at the same time. This isn't something that should be taken lightly" his eyes held a seriousness that made Thistlestar sigh.
"Alright then" the old tom got to his feet and jumped atop a large hill, the moonlight illuminating his long white fur.
"WindClan!" his voice bellowed across the WindClan camp, which was nothing more than large scoop out of the moor.
"As I'm sure all of you know, Rosefern and Sweetmallow have given birth to their litters at exactly the same moment" he began with a deep intake of air, "But Kestrelflight has spoken with StarClan, and he has something of grave importance, that I think all of you should hear."
Immediately silence fell onto the moor, as round eyes gazed up at the elderly Medicine Cat, who stepped atop the speaking hill.
"Cats of WindClan" he began with a raspy voice, "This has not only happened to our clan, but all four of the clans."
Shocked gasps enveloped the camp, moving from one cat to another as they soon began to gossip once more.
"But it seems that this is far beyond our control, StarClan has done this for the future of our clans. There have been eight cats born on this very night, and each of them holds great power. A power that can finally bring peace to the forest."
Kestrelflight rose his head to the moon and stars above, and whispered something to himself.
"If only all eight of you could help us" his eyes narrowed at eight shining stars in the sky, all illuminated more intensely than any of the others.
Let me through" a white spotted she-cat growled to the cats surrounding a small hollow. The water coming from the river lapped quietly at the shore, calming the sleeping bundles inside of the nursery.
"Whiteleopard!" a light brown tabby queen exclaimed with joy, her eyes shining brightly.
The Medicine Cat bent her head, and nodded, "Berryheart, Hollyherb" she added to another black and silver striped queen, "How are they?". She was speaking of the four kits each of them were nursing, two tucked in cozily next to their mothers belly.
"Otterkit and Dawnkit are fine" Berryheart meowed with a smile of pride, "They certainly are hungry though, I might need a nap later."
Whiteleopard nodded as she examined the two suckling she-cats, and then moved onto Hollyherb's litter.
"What are their names?" the spotted cat asked, checking both kits thoroughly.
Hollyherb wrapped her tail around them protectively, "The dark gray and white tom is named Rushkit, and Frozefoot named the she-cat Thunderkit."
"Good, Good" Whiteleopard meowed, "All four of them seem as healthy as possible, you should get some rest."
The queens meowed their thanks, and although they knew something was wrong, bent their heads to sleep. Whiteleopard exited the nursery, ignoring the curious gazes coming from most of RiverClan.
"Mallowstar!" she caught the pelt of her light brown tabby leader, who was entering the cave that was his den.
Whiteleopard padded swiftly to meet him, and the deputy Petalfur.
"StarClan knows about these kits" she meowed while keeping her voice low, "And its not only RiverClan who this happened to, all four of the clans have new kits."
The leaders eyes rounded, as he motioned for the two she-cats to enter his den. It smelled of fish and herbs, the elderly leader was sick with Green-Cough.
"Why have StarClan done this?" Mallowstar asked his Medicine Cat, "Why now, why so suddenly?".
"Because if they didn't we're going to kill each other" Whiteleopard meowed strongly, "Eight of them have been sent from the stars, with not only a symbol on their body to mark them as Zodiac's, but a power as well."
"Zodiac's?" Petalfur echoed as he moved into the moonlight, "What are you talking about?".
The Medicine Cat turned her head to look into the star-filled sky outside the den.
"Zodiac's, thats what StarClan call these eight cats sent to help us. Each of them have powers that either be used for good or evil, and when the time comes four of them will be left standing."
Mallowstar moved forward, "You mean four will be killed?".
Whiteleopard nodded, "By the full-moon next Leaf-Bare, the Four Zodiac's meant to help the clans will be alive. And the four who were cursed from birth shall perish."
And with that, the White spotted Medicine Cat stepped outside of the den. Her frosty gaze moved to the sky, where eight stars shone brighter than any of the others.
But four were flickering and fading from the inky depth already. And these eight cats only had four more seasons to hone their powers
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