[ FROM THE INSIDE- A WARRIORS FANFIC ]

[ Prologue ]

A silvery cat slunk through the highest branches of the trees, moonlight scattered across his pelt like shattered glass. He paused, taking in the light, then continued. As he went on, the branches began to dense into grinning snarls and knots, blocking the safety of the moon.

Then, he was there. He looked down, through the thicket of dry rainforest, at an abandoned prayer temple. It's blood red roof seemed to slide shadows to pile up around it with its serpentine curve, and the bramble thicket was still, like a predator stalking prey.

The silver cat took a deep breath, wishing he was back in the shining comfort of the moon. Sighing, he leapt down to land in front of the temple.

Bramble brushed and scraped his pelt as if it where trying to latch it's tiny teeth onto him as he pushed forward, trying to salvage his groomed pelt.

"Kite? What are you doing here?" A squeaky voice asked. "Koi thinks you abandoned us!"

"Hush, Osprey," Kite hissed. "I've come to report back."

Osprey glanced around. "She won't be pleased... but whatever." He stepped aside, wincing as bramble pierced his flank.

His silver paws carried him forward despite himself, and when he looked up, he was inside. Kite looked around, confused. There was nobody there.

"So," a voice called.

Kite froze.
"You've returned to us." The voice mused.
The silence pressed against silver like walls closing in, as three cats stepped out of the shadows. In the middle, Koi. To the sides, shadow and shade.
"...I'm here to report."
Koi's blue eyes flashed with hurt Innocence as she tilted her head up, so she was looking down at the cat below her.
"Awww, that's no fun~ how about you tell us what's been taking up so much of your precious time?"
She asked, her voice mocking and sorrowful.
Kite didn't speak. He didn't know what to say.
"Spying- getting information- it takes longer then a moon-"
With a tiny flick of Koi's tail, the Rebound melted out of the shadows. Kite tensed. He didn't want to die here. He wanted to  watch the moon as it spun Dewdrops of light into his heart. He wanted to feel the warmth of a nightmare-less sleep. He wanted-

Plinggggg.

The sound echoed and rippled like a teardrop falling into the sea. On the ground, bathed in moonlight, sat a tiny, smooth, jet black stone.

Onyx.