COTS: Prologue

“This cat should never have been born!” A tortoiseshell she-cat stood on the edge of a bank, her fur bristling, making her look like a hedgehog, her yellow teeth bared into a snarl. Viciously, she splashed her paws through the water, letting out growls as hatred emitted from her. She almost fell in, yowling with alarm, until a reddish she-cat reeled her back with a lot of strength, making her rock back onto her haunches.

“Shadowed Flame, you need not act so angry. It’ll be the death of you some day!” Shadowed Flame swung her head to face hers, her ears pressed against her head as her tail lashed with fury. “Think aggression can solve everything? You need to stop acting so minnow-brained.”

“How can I not be angry, Ruby, when there is a cat that will doom the entire forest? I’m already dead. Have you forgotten already?” Shadowed Flame spat, her green gaze then clouding. “A rogue, maybe. . . Forget it. You obviously would not understand wild cat stuff. Once a kittypet, always a kittypet.”

Ruby hissed. “I was a loner before I joined your little group, and a River Cat before,” she corrected. “You’ve always been so arrogant. No wonder it was the first death of you, and now aggression will be the second death of you.” Her voice turned dark for several heartbeats as she looked malicious.

Shadowed Flame watched the she-cat as she padded delicately through the reeds, avoiding several wet patches of the ground. “Our time has passed long ago,” she went on. “Our descendants are as dumb as ever and can’t even read a single message we send them.”

Shadowed Flame snorted. “Maybe you should stop being so vague, Ruby, and flick them some more understandable messages. It’s simple yet I could not ask for more from a River Cat heart. You all think you’re so special just because you can swim. The Shadow is more powerful than your pathetic little rivers.”

Ruby sighed. “You Shadow Cats sure don’t change in death. You’re still the same old fire-mouthed cats who down every other cat.”

Shadowed Flame crouched. “We stalk the night shadows like birds,” she continued as if Ruby never spoke. “We strike fear into the hearts of the weak with our cold and hardened hearts. We honour things with pride and show mercy when appropriate. We, the Shadow, are more unique than any other Group. We are the wise, you’re all the lizard-brained.” She held her head high.

Ruby’s whiskers twitched with amusement. “What was that? Trying to convert me to the Shadow now?” she teased, giving the tortoiseshell a friendly nudge. “How typical of you to brag about your Group, Shadowed Flame.”

“I was not bragging, I was—”

Ruby silenced her with a flick of her tail, her tone serious. “We needn’t fool like apprentices and kits. We must discuss this horrible burden that shall approach the forest soon, but even then we do not know much of it.”

“Where’s Firestar when you need him? He's supposed to be great besides being a know-it-all. We must get that dumb ThunderClan cat.” Shadowed Flame seemed amused at mocking Firestar.

“He doesn’t walk these skies anymore,” Ruby growled. “Quit dithering and let’s get on with this otherwise a new generation will be born before we even start!”

“Oh yes, and we shall get them to figure this out for us, O Great Ruby Shiner,” Shadowed Flame purred. “As for this fur of destruction, well, we may as well hope it doesn’t come so soon. I want to bask in the Stars for a little longer.”

“Shadowed Flame!” Ruby growled. “Fine, if you want to be stupid, then keep acting like that. I’ll go somewhere else and think of the forest’s curse alone. I hope you’re happy now, you useless old she-cat. In fact, I hope a lopsided badger comes and sits on you!”

Shadowed Flame blinked. “There are no badgers in the Stars, just cats.”

“Then let’s hope some cat turns into a badger.”

“Whatever. You said we had to talk about this and now look who’s avoiding it. Shame on you, Ruby. You River Cats are such hypocrites.”