Prologue

The crisp clean snow illuminated the pine trees like never before. Light filled every corner, no shadows littering the ground, hiding dangers and trespassers as they normally do. Only light was visible; warm, brightening, joyful light. Darkrain couldn't believe his eyes.

The grey ShadowClan medicine-cat gazed around the forest, his green eyes wide and full of wonder. His home had never been so, so … beautiful before. He twitched his ears as the sound of a purr broke the silence, shattering yet fragile and warm. He looked around to find a black she-cat jumping happily through the snow, chasing a butterfly. A butterfly? But we don't get butterflies in winter. Puzzled, Darkrain drank in her scent. She certainly smells like a ShadowClan cat, but I've never seen her before, not even in StarClan.

The she-cat drew closer to him, and he watched as she pinned down the butterfly, looking down at the creature with such compassion. Lifting up her paw, she sat gently on the snow and, wrapping her jet-black tail around her paws, she watched the butterfly glide silently upwards, hovering around the clearing. Twitching her whiskers, she turned and looked at him, blue eyes sparkling with recognition as she apparently recognized him.

"Darkrain!" She bounded over to him, purring richly. As she got closer, he noticed that the fur around her sapphire eyes was flecked with bright orange, intensifying her gaze. As he looked at her, puzzled, understanding flickered into her gaze. "Ah, I don't think we've met yet. I'm your Clanmate! Well …your future Clanmate." She purred again.

"Who are you?" Ugh, great question mouse-brain, and you call yourself a medicine-cat! He winced in his mind as he scolded himself for his idiotic question.

"Well, that's for you to decide in the near future, I've merely been sent to give you a message." She paused, looking deep into his eyes. "Don't worry, as a new medicine cat you probably haven't gotten many, but you'll get used to it … and by the way," she purred, mischief glinting in her eyes. "Asking who I am wasn't a bad question at all."

Alarm flashed in his eyes. "I didn't…um…didn't think-"

She brushed her tail across his mouth, silencing him. "It's alright, I understand. Anyway, your message," She straightened up slightly, her eyes intensifying with every heartbeat, until Darkrain felt as though he could not move a paw, she was so captivating. "Darkrain, we have been wandering through darkness for to long. Look around you! This is our forest brightened by the light that is long due for our Clan. It is now time for the ghost of our dreams to guide us through this, our time of greatest need. The ghost born of trees and night will spell the fate of the shadows." She blinked, and Darkrain gasped for air, shivering. The she-cat looked up and purred, closing her eyes. Darkrain gasped as he noticed that all of the fur on her eyelids was a brilliant flaming ginger. "I am afraid it is time for me to go, Darkrain. You to must go and bring me into our world."

As she finished speaking, an exploding white light that blinded Darkrain as the snow reflected its brilliance replaced the butterfly.

"Darkrain! Darkrain! Wake up!" The sound of huge crashing paws cascading into the den caused the medicine-cat to leap into the air, narrowly avoiding getting crushed by the massive ginger paws of Vinewhisker.

"What's the problem now, Vinewhisker?" Darkrain shook his head, trying to remember his dream from the night before. There was that she-cat, and that butterfly … ugh, stay off of the catnip and poppy seed experiments, Darkrain.

"DARKRAIN! MY KITS! MY KITS ARE COMING! NIGHTHEART! HURRY!" Vinewhisker loomed over him, anxiously kneading the ground, slicing his bedding.

"Oh, yes, the kits, I'll be right there." Darkrain stumbled into the medicine supply, collecting a few herbs. Ever since Whisperwind had retired to the elders' den, he had found it difficult to get into being the only medicine cat. He just hoped that he could find an apprentice to take the load off soon.

Hurrying to the nursery, he found Nightheart having her first litter of kits. The nervous she-cat was coping well, but was obviously getting tired. Darkrain breathed a sigh of relief as the first kit slithered onto the floor easily. Giving the kit, a tom, to Vinewhisker, Darkrain passed a few herbs to Whisperwind to help the pain. Within moments the second kit, a she-kit, joined her brother with Vinewhisker. Vinewhisker looked worriedly at Nightheart as pain made her stomach heave, but she gasped with relief as the third and final she-kit joined her sibling. Darkrain licked her fur and gasped as he saw the jet-black fur and the ginger eyelids. This can't be possible…

"Darkrain thank you," Nightheart was sitting up straight, her black fur plastered to her lithe frame. She was nuzzling her three kits lovingly, guiding them to her milk. "What shall we name them, Vinewhisker?"

The new father gazed down proudly at his kits as they nursed. "The tom's name should be Ripkit." The little tom growled, his black fur highlighting his red stripe running from his ears down his spine to the tip of his tail. "Ha! See, I think he likes it!" Vinewhisker licked his son between the ears, purring as he growled again.

Nightheart purred also, looking at the first daughter. "This she-kit, with the white spots and ginger rings. I think we should name her Snowkit." The dainty kit kneaded her mother's belly, drinking the milk she found there. "My little Snowkit." Nightheart purred again.

"Now, what about this little kit?" Vinewhisker looked down at the remaining she-kit, puzzled. "Love, have you seen her eyes?"

Nightheart stooped down and inspected her daughter's fur. "Well, that's certainly unique. I think it's actually pretty cute." Nightheart nuzzled her nameless daughter, purring as she sat down with a yawn.

"If I may …" Darkrain suddenly stepped forward, looking down at the young she-cat. "Can I suggest a name?"

Nightheart nodded. "Why of course, Darkrain. Anything." She blinked warmly at her brother, flicking his paw with her tail.

Smiling slightly, Darkrain straightened up. "What about Ghostkit?"

"Ghostkit…" Nightheart looked down at the tiny cat. Automatically, the kit lifted her head to the direction of her mother's voice. With a small mew, she lifted open her eyes. Sure enough, blue pools were under the flaming eyelids, and as she stared at her mother, her blazing rims an intense contrast to the cool depths, she twitched her whiskers and gave a tiny mew. Looking up, Nightheart purred at her brother and mate. "I think Ghostkit suits her perfectly."

A few weeks later, Darkrain still couldn't remember what his dream meant. He often pondered outside in the sunlight, watching the Clan go about its daily routines. He was growing particularly fond of Ghostkit, her blue eyes reminding him of something he couldn't quite place. Watching her throw a piece of moss at Snowkit, Darkrain couldn't repress a purr. Ghostkit suddenly looked back at him, her intense gaze locking him into place. She was replaced by an older but young she-cat, and as they eyes locked words from a familiar voice and face broke into her mind, bringing the dream crashing onto him like the currents of the river.

"The ghost, born of tree and night, will spell the fate of the shadows."