Fading Peace

The tribe is living peacefully, until strange incidents start to happen...cats are acting weird...something is coming...something bad...

Author's Note - HiddenSun =]
These cats have not been created by me. See The Character Page to see who is the original creator of the Cat is. I will not be accepting more characters for the fanfics-but if you haven't got one alredy and you really want one or more in my story just tell me and I will let you. If your character doesn't make an appearance right away, don't worry - They will appear in the books. Tell me what you think on the talk page.

Enjoy!!!

Hiddensun♥

Prologue - In my head - A Mystery Cat
I don't remember what had happened very well. Everything was now a blur and each time I tried to remember, I felt this huge pain. I only had the faint memory of hunting along the forest but now I lay down, tearing apart a rabbit and eating it. Eating it with so much anger, but yet happy revenge.

But I wasn't eating.

My body was eating, not my mind. I didn't want to eat it.

I tried to move, but I couldn't. It was as if my mind couldn't control my body any longer.

Then I suddenly felt a presence in me. In my body alongside my mind.

Someone, or something was here.

It was controlling my body, manipulating my very actions. Not letting my think clearly.

What's going on? I asked with my mind, for I couldn't move my lips.

No answer came. I felt so alone, but I knew there was something with me in this body. Something that scared me. I had a bad feelign about this, and I wanted to fight it but I couldn't. I felt weak and lost.

My body stood up and smiled.

''Scared are you? ''The voice in my head made my heart stop.

''Don't be afraid - we won't hurt you. You won't even have to watch, you'll just fade away. Leaving me in control.''

My body started padding deeper into the forest. Heading into a land I had never been to before. I felt another presence with us, but outside my body. More then one, I heard their pawsteps.

My mind was too scared to think. And the only thing that went through it was; Leaving me in control.

Chapter 1 - Accident- Flash Of Lightning At Night
I padded around the prey-hunters looking down at the valley. It was huge and full of life, but it wasn't going to last since leaf-fall was on it's way. We were on one of the rocky mountains that sourounded it. It was a great honor and really awesome to be hunting here.

There hadn't been any sign of danger in moons, and there was no reason why there would be now.

"I think we should start heading back. We've caught enought prey for today," meowed Silver Star That Shines at Night.

I looked up at her and nodded, but Adder flicked his tail stopping me from turning around.

"We must wait for Wolf and Ice to come back," he meowed in his deep voice.

"Why did they even had to go wandering by themselves? I thought we had to stay together? Kind of the point of hunting in groups," I complained.

"Flash, you know how Wolf is, so stop complaining like a kit and start being more understanding." Adder That Strikes At Moonhigh meowed.

Wolf That Howls At Dawn was a very solitary she-cat that always kept to herself and prefered to hunt alone when no-one was watching. Adder wouldn't let her go alone so he told Ice That Covers Soft Ground to keep her safe, and apparantly they had become very good friends.

"I think his head is still in the to-be process." meowed Dove mockingly.

"Yeah, and that's coming from the clumsiest cat in the tribe!" Isnapped at her.

"Ok enough! Let's go find them and - " Adder started but Wolf's call interrupted him.

"Adder!! Adder!!" Wolf came running calling his name.

Dove and I turned to face Wolf and Addder ran up to her.

"What's wrong? Wolf where's Ice?" Adder asked Wolf witha worried face.

"She..We ..Well I was hunting and then she fell off and landed on a rock. She's bleeding really badly and I panicked but this rogue came and he was trying to help her- but..but...Just follow me!" she meowed as she rushed through the rocky surface.

Adder didn't waste any time and followed her signaling us and the other prey-hunters to follow.

"That rogue better stay away!" Dark Cloud That Covers Moon snarled as he ran.

Dark wasn't very keen to anyone, and surely not non-tribe cats.

"No need for violence. From what Wolf said he wasn't doing any harm so hold your claws Dark!" Dove meowed losing her valance as she tripped over a rock.

I laughed a bit but kept running throught the small amount of trees, eager to find out what was going on with Ice.

"She's here!" Wolf meowed pointing down at where a pile of rocks where. I looked down to see Ice covered in blood and a gray tom with dash like stripes covering his body and putting some herbs on her and doing something else that I couldn't clearly see.

"Let's go!" I said.

"Dark! Leaf! Stay here!" Adder ordered.

Dark looked anoyed, obiously looking for a fight, but Leaf that Twists in Breeze just nodded.

I carefully climbed down the rocks, making sure to see where I was stepping so I wouln't fall.

"Ice!" I heard Dove's meow.

"Who are you?" Adder asked the rogue.

When I finally reached where they were I hurried towards Ice and saw the injuries taht she had. Her pelt was badly scartched, but she was still breathing. She had some gray hairs on her pelt that didn't match her blue-gray pelt-they must be the rogue's. He was putting herbs on her injuries.

"I'm Raindrizzle. I was looking for prey but I saw her fall and I just couldn't levae her there. I gave her some herbs that I thought would help her." he meowed, looking at all of us and now I could see his dark blue eyes.

"Well thanks you for that." he meowed.

"Adder!! We need to get her back to camp!! If we dont she migth bleed to death!" Ddove meowed desperately.

"Ok! Let's go!" Adder meowed as he grabbed Ice. "Flash help us!"

I padded towards them and helped them carry Ice back to the valley.

"Can I come with you? I have admired your tribe and I wish to join it." Raindrizzle meowed.

"Just what we need! Another mouth to feed!" Dark meowed.

"Well I think it's for Starwtacher to decide. Follow us." Leaf meowed as he followd us back to camp.

Chapter 2 - Injured - Call Of Graceful Dove
"Leaf! Get Starwatcher ready!!" Adder meowed.

I saw Leaf rush towards Watcher Of The Glinting Star's den.

Adder, Flash and I padded inside where we saw Starwatcher as he signaled us to carefully put Ice on the moss taht was already there.

"Is she going to be alright?" Wolf asked.

"I'll do all I can, but I can't make any promises." Starwatcher meowed and signaled us once again to get out.

"I'll go talk to the rogue-I mean Raindrizzle." Adder meowed padding towards him who was sitting at the entrnace with everyone's stare on him.

"He looks weird, I wonder if he saw exactly how Ice fell. I mean, she's one of the best cave-guards here. She couldn't have posibly fallen down by herself, she's" I meowed but got interrupted.

"Just calm down, accidents happen! You shoudl be more worried about your to-be! Seriously you shouldn't even be a mentor!" Flash meowed as he padded to teh cave-guards den.

I looked at my to-be, Stalk Of Hidden Lynx, sitting and staring at Raindrizzle just like the other to-bes. I walked towards her.

Maybe she wanted to do some traning.

"Lynx!" I called, but she didn't look at me.

I looked at her gaze and tried figuring otu where she was looking, but her gaze was just lost.

"Lynx!" I meowed a little bit louder.

She jumed and looked at me.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. What happened to Ice?" she asked.

"She fell and landed on a sharp rock. That rogue found her and was giving her herbs to help her-" I started.

"That rogue!! I don't believe any of it! And neither should you!" I heard Ash Of Black Fame meowed showing his bad temper as he padded out of the to-bes den.

"We don't know anything about him, so keep quiet Ash!" Lynx meowed to him.

"Whatever! If I didn't know any better I'd say that he caused her accidentaly incident!" he spoke a higher tone when saying he and accidentaly.

"What would a rogue want with Ice?" meowed Rain that Falls From Sky comign towards us.

I couldn't help but to be suspicious about Raindrizzle. It just seemed a bit odd.

"See? No reason, so stop blaming others. You're just a to-be." She meowed when Ash didn't answer.

Rain stood up and padded to the fresh-kill pile.

"You're just a to-be." Ash mimiced her when she was far enough she couldn't hear him.

"You're so imature." Lynx meowed to him.

"You better rest, tomorrow we'll go training." I meowed to her, laughing a bit at the two to-bes.

The truth was that I wanted to ask Wolf some questions and then just lie down and sleep until tomorrow. Today had been a long day even without including Flash and Ice's accident.

Let's see what Wolf has to say.

I padded up to Wolf almost tripping over my feet, who was impatiently waiting infront of Starwatcher's den.

"Hey! Wolf!" I called. She looked at me, and I saw her teary eyes.

"Oh..hi Dove." she meowed sadly with her solf voice.

Sometimes I wondered why she was called Wolf-she was nothign like one.

"I just wanted to ask you what exactly happened today. While you and Ice were hunting. Would you mind telling me?" I told her as patiently as I could, but I really wanted to know.

She nodded.

"She was keeping and eye one me, though...I wasn't realy looking at her...I was just trying to hunt...She was sitting on the rock calmly..I ventured..myself a little bit farther when I..I heard her scream."

"Her scream?" I asked.

"Yeah, I guess when she fell, she must have screamed..You know she feel from a very high distance, I heard some murmurs from her and then when I came near her she...she wasn't moving." I saw Wolf's teary eyes and now her voice was cracking with sadness.

''They had become such good friends. Ice was something Wolf needed, she had made her a better cat-less shy. If it wasn't for her, Wolf wouln't be talking to me right now. She would just go to teh prey-hunters' den and stay there without talking to anyone, being consumed by her own sadness.''

"She's going to be ok. Don't worry about her." I tried soothing her, but I doubted thet Ice would make it.

Her injuries were very serious, and Starwatcher wasn't very experienced. He had become our healer only a few moons ago, but there hadn't been any dangers so he wasn't used to healing such bad wounds.

Wolf just looked at me and said nothing. Her face only showed disbelief and sadness.

She doesn't believe me.

I just looked down, nnot knowing what to say. It was clear that Ice and Wolf's friendship was very strong. Ice was outgoing and Wolf was the exact opposite, shy. They made a better cat out of each other, and with Ice's possible death, Wolf would just go back the way she used to...or worse.

"Maybe you should go rest?" I said, hoping that rest would make her fele better.

"You go, I'll...I'll...stay here.....until I find out if...if..I'll just stay." she meowed, her voice as solf as ever.

"Ok..." I meowed heading towards the cave-guards' den to rest. I didn't really felt liek doing anything else rather than sleep. I looked around, the clearing looked so depressing. Cats were eating, and not talking their usual gossip. It's like Wolf's pain afected all of us. One cat's pain, was all of ours as well. We were one as a tribe.

"Dove!1 Wake up! Wake up!" I heard a voice shouting my name from the entrance of the den.

I moved a bit, and meowed something that I hope would turn out to be 'Shush, I'm tryign to sleep'. Aparantly it didn't turn out teh way it was as I heard teh same voice again.

"What? Nevermind that you have to see this!" I opened my right eye and saw the brown tabby pelt taht belonged to Eagle That Perches On Ledge. He nudged me.

"What? Come see what?" I asked.

"You've got to see this!" Ledge said and Ii could see that his face was not very exited but worried and realived at the same time. This was weird since he didn't usually show his emotions, and tried to be cool all the time. I got up, stretched really fast and followed him out to where he was leading me.

"What happened?" I asked, since he clearly hadn't ansered my other question.

"It's amasing! I never thought she would live but now she's just...look at her." he meowed.

''She? Live?''

Only one cat came in mind. Ice. But how? Her injuries were very severe and no cat could've survived it, well at least not thet I knew of. I figured otu taht he was leadign me to Starwatcher's den, so I just huried and went inside. I heard many meowes, which surprised me that there were so many cats inside.

At the very end of the den, being the center of attention was Ice with Wolf at her side. But seeing Ice alive wasn't what everyone was so surpirsed about. Looking at her silver pelt were the noticable injuries that marked her skin. They were huge and the blood in some of them hadn't dried yet.

Anyioen would think that she would be weak, but she looked as alive as ever, smiling at everyone in the den. I saw taht not very far away was Starwatcher, lookign as proud as ever and I saw Wolf beside Ice, and to my surprise she didn't look very happy...the look in her face wasn't sadness any more and she only looked pleased.

I heard many gasps and whispers from everyone.

"Did you see her scars?"

"I can't believe she's alive!"

"I bet Starwatcher feels awesome!"

" Look at her injuries!"

Everything was passing around.

Chapter 3 - Weird - Trot Of Silent Fox
I padded to the clearing, getting tired of being in Starwatcher's crowded den. Everyone was making too much of a big deal about Ice's injuries. When she had seen hers he had been surprised to see how such big injuries wouln't leave a cat at least weakened other than dead. But Ice had just been acting normal. Weird, I thought.

The clearing was empty for the exeption of White Cloud Beside Sun and Gorge With No Bottom. It was nice and sunny, and the camp was a conforting warm.

"Heyy!" I meowed in greetings as I approached them. "Hi Fox!!" meowed Cloud, but Gorge just nodded and kept eating his squirrel.

I lied down, enjoying he warmth of the sun on my fur. Winter was coming so there wasn't much warmth anymore, so I better enjoye it while it lasted.

"Fox!!" I heard my mentor, Heavy Fall Of Water call me. "Want to go hunting? The weather is really nice!"

Yes! I thought. My mentor always knew what to be and when to do it. Why waste such a beautiful day?

"Sure!" I meowed exitely as I got up. Water nodded and padded to the cave-guard's den to get a cave-guard to protect us. I padded to the camp entrance, where I saw Wolf and Ice getting ready to go hunting.

"Wolf! Ice!" I called as they turned around to face me, "I see you're going out hunting. Mind if we come with?"

"Uhh...You know Fox, we were hoping to go alone. You know, after all that has happened. Hope you don't mind." Ice meowed really fast, while Wolf just looked at me not saying a word.

"Sure, no problem!" I meowed, a little sad that they wouln't join us. After all, I still wanted to know exactly what happened to Ice.

I turned around to see Water and Path Way To Frozen Star coming towards me. Path was a very friendly she-cat who had always supported me and was very friednly towards others. She even had once been a In-Command before she gave her spot to Adder.

"Heyy Path!" I meowed happily to see that she was going to join us.

"Hi Fox! Ready to go hunting? I can't wait to see how you've improved! Water says that you're a great hunter!" she moewed.

"Yup! Let's go!" I meowed.

The hunt had gone well. Path was really imprsed by my imrpovement since she had last seen me. I had always gotten along with her, she had been an old friend of my mom's, and I was really fond of her, specially during my mother's death. Lynx had acted really strong through it but I hadn't been able to hide the pain and Path really had helped.

I padded to farther into the forest being led by my nose, "I'll go this way, I think I smell rabbit!"

I saw them nod and padded faster. There had been a vast amount of rabbit these days, and she wasn't going to waste the opportunity. When the strong smell filled her nostrils she slowed down, getting into a hunter's crouch. Then she spotted it. Bouncing arund, sniffing the air and as fat as ever, was a rabbit. She slowly got near it, tucking her flowing tail below her her so it wouln't give her away. I was about to leap at it, when I heard a scream. I looked around, seeming no-one. As I turned around to where the rabbit had been, I saw the rabbit stared at me right in the eyes with it's dark eyes and jumped at me. I jumped back in surprise and looked at the rabbit that had scratched my cheak.

"What the-?" I meowed as the rabbit ran away.

What had just happened?

"Fox? Fox are you ok?" I heard Path meow as she approached me in a hurry.

"I'm fine. It's just that this rabbit surprised me by attacking me before I could." I meowed embarrased.

A rabbit attacked me? That would truly be the rumor around camp.

"Don't worry, and besides I think it's time to get back to camp. C'mon, let's go."

We enterred the clearing and I quickly padded to the prey-pile leaving the two squirrels and vole I had caught.

Embarrased I just sat on the clearing not talking to anyone, and groomed my long fur. I remembered how much I hated my tail when I was younger. When I tried hunting it would always stick out and give me away. I couldn't belive I used to be called teh worst prey-hunter, but now I was the best. (One of the best)

I looked around, the clearing seemed pretty normal. Th eprey-hunters dropping their prey. The cave-guards either talking to them or resting. And the kit-mothers, River That Reflects Moon and Orange Sky Before Dawn, playing with their kits. They looked a little tired even. I looked at the kits, seeing how cute they looked and hoping to have some of my own some day.

I looked at the entrance of camp and Saw Wolf and Ice coming in. They looked happy and I smiled.

It was nice to see them happy again, especially Wolf. Both she-cats padded to where teh kit-motehrs and their kits were. Wold saying 'hi' to me as she passed by. Wow, she never spoke to anyone if she ddn't have to. Maybe Ice was making her a better cat?

"Hello Moon! Hello Dawn!" Ice meowed happily.

"Hey!" Dawn meowed.

"Hi Ice! Hi Wolf!" said Moon.

"Hi. We saw that you seemed really tired and we thoguht we coudl take care of your kits for the afternoon. You obiously need a walk and rest." Wolf meowed as confident as any cat coudl be, which surprised me.

Those she-cats had never taken care of kits, especially Wolf.

"Oh no, we couldn't. They are very active and they would tire you out." Moon meowed.

"And besides you just went on patrol!" Dawn objected.

"No problem, we feel as active and full of energy as ever!" Ice said.

Dawn looked at her kits and smiled. "Sure, why not. I'll be sre to return the favor."

"Oh and why don't you take Feather? She's close to kitting and a walk would do her good." Wolf requested.

I looked at Dance Of Falling Feathers, she was lying down looking at them.

"Ok." she meowed calmly and stood up. Her belly was huge! "Good! Ok kits let's go inside!" Ice meowed happily and smiled as the three queens left. The kits followed her.

"Let's play some games!" wolf meowed as she enterred the nursery.

Don't miss Little Murderers, the next book in the Taken Over Series!!