"Bramblestar's lives were ripped out, just like that?" Slatekit gasped. Her amber were were wide.

Coalkit stared in shock at the elder as she nodded. He couldn't believe it.

"The clans were weak!" Ironkit, Coalkit's brother, sneered. "They were defeated by rogues!"

The elder, Oceanclaw, nodded. "That is why Squirrelstar overpowered them easily."

Shardkit, the youngest and weakest kit, sighed. "BoneClan's rise was so bloody," she murmered. Ironkit whacked her upon the ear, making her flinch back.

"Mousebrain!" He growled. "Of course it is! Blood is what BoneClan is all about!"

Shardkit whimpered and backed away. Cold claws clamped over Coalkit's heart as he looked over the scars that cross the young kit's face. She was weaker than most kits, so that means she was the center of all bullying.

Coalkit left the elders' den and padded out into the clearing. He felt sick as his eyes scanned over all the bones that littered the sandy camp. They were only prey bones, but it was still horrid. And he seemed to be the only cat in BoneClan who thought so.

The clan's leader, Houndstar, sat atop the Bonehill, her deputy Clawfoot beside her. Stories have been told of the Bonehill, most consisting of it's origin, back when a rogue clan called BloodClan took over the old four clans. But that was decades ago.

BoneClan has ruled all around the lake for eleven seasons. They had taken over when Squirrelstar, the first BoneClan leader, overpowered her own clan, ThunderClan. She then took over the other three clans: ShadowClan, WindClan, and RiverClan.

Love was forbidden in BoneClan. According to the stories, love was what blinded all the clan cats. It had made Bramblestar oblivious to what was going on around him.

Coalkit jumped as a yowl sounded from the entrance. He turned to see a group of cats dragging a small black bundle of fur into the clearing. The bundle thrashed and kicked, but was no match for the four warriors holding it down.

Nightscar, a lithe black shecat, through the bundle onto the ground, and Coalkit saw it was an old cat. He snarled and started to get up, but Nightscar held him down with a paw, hissing a threat.

Houndstar and Clawfoot hopped down from the Bonehill and padded up to the elder.

"An intruder," Houndstar observed. Her muscles rippled under her sandy pelt, and the elder whimpered, but still glared up at her.

"What is your name and why are you here?" Clawfoot snarled.

"Breezepelt. You have no right to keep me here!" Spat the elder. He bared his teeth, and Nightscar dug her claws into his back. Breezepelt cried out in pain.

By now a crowd had gathered. Some cats spat insults at the old tom.

Houndstar held Breezepelt's gaze for a moment, before turning to a large tabby tom.

"Snakeheart," she meowed. Snakeheart looked up, eyes glinting with excitement.

"Yes, Houndstar?"

"Do you consider yourself a good fighter?"

Snakeheart nodded. "Of course!"

"Prove it."

Nightscar released Breezepelt, who got up and brushed down his pelt.

Houndstar turned and faced Coalkit, who flinched under her fiery gaze.

"Kits must know the ways of the clan," she meowed softly. "Come, Coalkit."

Coalkit shuffled forward, standing next to Clawfoot, who looked down at him with disgust. Houndstar nodded at Snakeheart.

And the fight began.

Snakeheart leapt at Breezepelt, who slithered out of the way with surprising agility. The old tom yowled and leapt at Snakeheart, catching him by surprise.

The two toms rolled around, and cats leapt out of the way to avoid them. Coal kit had to admit that Breezepelt was putting up a pretty good fight.

However, all fights come to an end. Some more gruesome than others.

Snakeheart finally pinned down Breezepelt. He looked up at Houndstar, who nodded. The black tom raised his paw, claws glinting in the sunhigh sun. Coalkit turned away.

The bloodcurdling shriek echoed through the trees.

•¶•

All the kits talked about the fight. A move one of the toms made, how Snakeheart was Ironkit's new idol, how Breezepelt was stupid to enter BoneClan territory.

Coalkit didn't listen. He covered his ears, ignoring the excited mews of the other kits. He soon fell asleep.

Coalkit was walking through a large, beautiful meadow. At least, it would be beautiful if the world wasn't gray and bleak.

Pale colored rose petals fluttered in the wind, old and withered. The leaves were dropping off of trees. The grass was crunchy and dry underpaw, and hurt Coalkit like nettles.

Up ahead, two cats were sitting at the top of the hill. Coalkit trudged harder until hr was at the top.

The first cat was a large brown tabby. His amber eyes seemed to glow in the gray world. Beside him sat a smaller ginger shecat, tail flicking back and forth.

As Coalkit approached, the brown tabby turned to face him.

"Hello." His voice was deep and warm.

"H-hi," Coalkit murmered. He looked up, meeting the sharp emerald gaze of the shecat.

"Who are you two?"

The brown tabby purred. "I am Bramblestar, and this is my daughter, Sparkpelt."

Coalkit stared in shock. Bramblestar was the last leader of one of the four clans. He was Squirrelflight's mate. So, if he was here, then this must be....

"Is this StarClan?"

Sparkpelt rolled her eyes. "Honestly. Are kits these days this mousebrained?"

Bramblestar purred. "If I remember correctly, there was a young kit who was just as curious and mousebrained." Sparkpelt scoffed in frustration.

Coalkit spoke up. "So, am I dead?"

Bramblestar shook his head. "No. Only dreaming."

"Why have you called me here?" Coalkit asked as he say beside the old leader.

"We have a prophecy," Sparkpelt meowed. Coalkit looked up in surprise.

"A prophecy?" He repeated.

"Coal will rebel, and the alder tree will grow strong. The true hero must fall at the enemy's claws for the stars to rise once more." Bramblestar spoke, though his voice seemed to echo with hundreds more.

"Wait... What?" Coalkit was confused.

"Coalpaw." He looked up to meet Sparkpelt's pleading gaze.

"Y-yeah...?"

"Find my brother for me."

He suddenly realized that he could see the ground through Sparkpelt's and Bramblestar's paws as they faded.

"No! Wait! Tell me what it means! Who do I find?"

"Remember, Coalkit!" A new voice echoed in his mind. It was a shecat, but not Sparkpelt. "Only coal can plant the seed of the alder tree!"

"No!"

"Coalkit! Coalkit!" Voices yowled in his head.

"Coalkit!"

"Coalkit!"

"Coalkit! Wake up!"

Coalkit suddenly woke up, gasping for breath. His sister Shadowkit was standing over him, looking worried.

"S-sorry," he stuttered, standing up. Shadowkit stepped back.

"You were yowling in your sleep," she whispered, glancing over to Graydawn, the clan's caretaker. The old shecat was still asleep.

"Bad dream," Coalkit whispered back. Shadowkit hesitated for a moment more, but decided it wasn't worth loosing sleep, and padded off to her nest.

Coalkit sighed and thought over his dream. "Coal" must be him. But alder tree? True hero? Stars will rise? What does any of it mean?

And what was Coalkit destined to do?