Crystalpaw's POV

  Crystalpaw waited impatiently, kneading her forepaws against the floor. "Where is Pebbleshine and Robinstripe?" she complained. "I don't want to wait so long!"

  "Peace," Dawndrop told her. "We've only been waiting for two minutes, Crystalpaw. Perhaps they have some urgent business."

  "But I'm tired!"Crystalpaw wailed, flopping down onto the grass. "I want them to hurry up!"

  "Hello, everyone!"

  A voice interrupted Crystalpaw's moaning and she looked up to see Pebbleshine, the gray tom and Robinstripe, his apprentice. Robinstripe cast an amused eye at Crystalpaw. "What do we have here? A sloth?"

  A surge of dislike shook Crystalpaw as she glared at the reddish-brown tom. Fortunately, Larchpaw stood up for her, saying,"We're all tired. Besides, it was you who kept us waiting. What took you so long?"

  Pebbleshine grimaced. "Poor Fallowstrike got slashed by some thorns and showed up right as we were preparing to leave. We had to cure her first."

  "Oh, is she all right-"Lilyrain started, but was interrupted by a growl from Snakefang.

  "For StarClan's sake, are we arriving on time or not?"he snapped, tail tip twitching irritably. "Remember, it's Crystalpaw's third time to the Moonfire. Let's not make her late."

  He stalked off into the bracken, and the others followed, Crystalpaw feeling put out he had been so blunt with her.

  At that moment, Dawndrop popped her head out of the bracken. "Do hurry up, Crystalpaw," she called, sounding impatient. "We others are waiting for you."

  Crystalpaw followed her mentor through the tight bracken tunnel, trying not to feel panicky as the walls seemed to close in around her, suffocating her. No matter how much Crystalpaw tried to deny it, she had claustrophobia, and she began to squirm in the tunnel. "Let me out!" she gasped in fear, clawing vainly at the walls. "Let me out!"

  Larchpaw, who was a little ways in front of her, stopped and picked her way back to Crystalpaw. "Calm down,"she instructed gently but firmly. "Don't think of this tunnel. Close your eyes and think of a safe, happy memory."

  Crystalpaw stopped struggling and shut her eyes tightly, feeling the bracken scratching her right flank but Larchpaw's soft pelt on her left. She concentrated on Larchpaw's warm flank, imagining she was a kit again and back in the nursery, nestled in Coral's belly whilst Shadowkit slept on her own. Crystalkit had smirked smugly then, loving the attention and fuss her mother gave her.

  Now she recalled the soothing memory, and slowly, her breaths started coming more easily and naturally. "You're doing it,"Larchpaw encouraged as they trod through at a steady pace. "We're almost at the end of the tunnel."

  A few heartbeats later, Crystalpaw saw the darkness getting thinner, and the walls starting to give way. With a loud yowl of triumph, she hurled herself through, thankfully gulping in the fresh night air. Larchpaw emerged a few moments later, eyes gleaming with pride.

  They headed down into the valley, aiming for the cave at the far right. As they walked, the medicine cats struck up friendly conversation.

  "I say, you're Shadowpaw's sister, aren't you?"Larchpaw meowed suddenly, stopping and staring hard at her. "I didn't come last time, I had a cold-this is the first time I've seen you. Your mother is Coral, correct?"

  Surprised, Crystalpaw nodded. "How did you know?"

  Larchpaw started walking again. "Last Gathering, Shadowpaw told me. She's really nice," she went on awkwardly, halting to give her chest fur a few licks. "Friendly and open, but I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of her."

  Crystalpaw squirmed. Shadowpaw wasn't who Larchpaw thought she was-she was a traitor, a manipulator, a liar and a murderer. "Don't let her fool you,"she snapped, jealous Shadowpaw seemed to have made such a good impression on Larchpaw. "She's a fox-heart!"

  Larchpaw whirled around to face her. "Shadowpaw isn't the fox-heart here!"she exclaimed. "You are! You whining, pathetic excuse for a medicine cat! I know exactly what you have been doing!"

  "What have I been doing?"Crystalpaw asked, bewildered and taken aback.

  "You took advantage of Shadowpaw and bullied her!"Larchpaw spat, tail lashing from side to side. "You use everyone and take advantage of your position as medicine cat to make everyone respect you! Shadowpaw was right-I only helped you because I thought I must give you a chance- I regret it now!"

  Snarling, she stormed off, deliberately whipping her tail into Crystalpaw's face. She stared after Larchpaw in confusion.

  Shadowpaw! Crystalpaw suddenly realized it, and like a bolt of lightning had struck her, she understood. Shadowpaw told Larchpaw lies to turn her against me!

  Dread chilled her to the bone. How many other cats knew?

  They arrived at the cave. The cave was made of dark gray stone, towering over Crystalpaw. The entrance was half shaded by ivy, and Crystalpaw brushed a few strands aside so she could enter.

  "We're right on time,"Robinstripe breathed as they gazed upon the beautiful, serene scene.

  The cave was wide and shady, the stone walls of the cave slanting upwards until it opened up into a large gap where the moonlight shone through. The silvery beams fell on the ghostly-white pieces of logs scattered around the cave floor, pale in the moonshine, a silver aura surrounding them.

  Right then, the moon reached its highest point and the white light grew brighter-and with hissing noise, something at the center of the logs began to flicker. Slowly but gradually, a blue non-luminous flame flared skywards, releasing plumes of thin smoke. Gently, the mist enveloped the cave in its smoky, indistinct arms, and Crystalpaw began to feel woozy.

  Stumbling blindly forwards in the smoke, Crystalpaw lay down and touched her nose to one of the silver logs, shivering at the coldness of the wood as she drifted off to a deep sleep.

  "Crystalpaw!"

  At a familiar voice, Crystalpaw raised her head, blinking her eyes open. As she took in the scene, she immediately sprang to her paws, dipping her head in respect as an unknown StarClan cat bounded forwards and touched noses with her. They were in a green meadow dotted with flowers, and prey was scuttling about.

  Crystalpaw stepped backwards slightly, surveying the StarClan she-cat. Behind her there were two more cats, a black tom and a ginger and white she-cat. The she-cat who had touched noses with her was a tall cat with silver fur and green eyes, a muscular build to her body.

  "Greetings, Crystalpaw,"the silver she-cat meowed, her whiskers twitching. "My name is Flowerstar, and I was the LeafClan leader before Dapplestar and Whisperstar. This-" she gestured with her tail at the tom"-is Darkspring and the she-cat is Featherblaze."

  "I'm honoured to meet you all,"Crystalpaw meowed. 

  Flowerstar acknowledged her with a nod. "Come with us,"she ordered, leading them to a cave.

  Inside was an exact replica of the Moonfire, only there was no smoke, only silver flames. Crystalpaw caught her breath in awe. "Why have you brought me here?"she whispered softly. 

  "Look into the fire,"Featherblaze mewed for the first time. Crystalpaw looked up and stared intently into the flames, seeing nothing. "What-"she began, but was interrupted by Darkspring. "Wait,"he murmered, and Crystalpaw obliged.

  As they waited patiently, Crystalpaw began to see images surfacing indistinctly in the fire. There was a cat rearing up on top of a rock, addressing a band of cats around her. The gathered cats looked very hostile, with bristling fur and unsheathed claws. Then another image appeared- A tom with dark brown fur and a gray she-cat crouched together, eyes staring into the distance, obviously afraid of something.

  Suddenly, a cat emerged from the shadows and leaped at them. With a yowl, the tom leaped in front of the cat, defending the gray she-cat. The two tussled for a while, before the tom's neck was snapped. With a shriek of horror, the gray she-cat turned to flee, but the other cat leaped at her and sank long claws into her throat. As the gray she-cat fell, the vision changed again.

  Two figures were circling each other in some dark woods-a tabby she-cat and a tortoiseshell she-cat with blood-matted fur. The tortoiseshell pounced at the tabby and she rolled out of the way. She grabbed the tortoiseshell's leg, causing her to fall on top of her. The tortoiseshell clawed the tabby's muzzle but she escaped, leaping on top of the tortoiseshell, and the two fought savagely. At last, the tortoiseshell won, and she let out a yowl of victory.

  Everywhere in the silver flames, cats fought and tussled, blood splattering the dirt. Cats with wild, insane eyes slashed throats ruthlessly, whilst the cats on the other side fought back without fatally injuring the insane cats.

  "This is the final battle,"Flowerstar said as the flames sputtered and died down. "It is the War of the Stars and Darkness. This is the future we cannot prevent."

  Crystalpaw gasped and turned horror-struck eyes onto the three. "That is the future?" she breathed, at a loss for words. "But- but so many cats are dying! How-when will it happen-"

  Darkspring shook his head. "Even StarClan cannot see the future so clearly,"he admitted. "I am sorry, Crystalpaw. But even StarClan is powerless to stop fate from taking its course."

  Featherblaze let out a sympathetic purr. "Do not worry yet, dear one,"she meowed soothingly, stroking Crystalpaw's shoulder with her silver tail tip. "We have come to tell you that we will be here with you, always. You can always depend on us for help."

  "Yes,"Flowerstar added. "When you need us, we will be there. When you need us, look up into the skies of Silverpelt and trust in us. Do not worry;we will never turn our backs on the clans."

  Slowly, the StarClan cats started to fade, and Flowerstar's voice echoed in Crystalpaw's head, an ominous warning of the future yet to come.

  "The War of the Stars and Darkness is coming..."

Hmm...Guess who the cats fighting in the vision are????