Prologue

The moonlight made the sleek, black-pelted cat stand out in the dark night, which they resented. Where is the cover of darkness? They looked around, their gaze covering every corner of the dense forest in sight. No one but them was there. The silence almost made the mission worse, more terrifying, more real.
They slid out from under the thorny bush they were hiding under, turning up to the moon. It was a perfect half moon, glowing white and beautiful. But the cat hated its glow. It illuminated the wonderful darkness, made things that were supposed to be secret so painstakingly visible. It was mesmerizing, too, with its shining pale rays casting down on the forest floor, creating a dim glow.
They shook themself, somehow trying to stop the moon from glaring with disapproval. They began to creep forward, hidden by the night.
Something rustled. Every muscle in their body tensed. “Who’s there?” They whispered threateningly, holding their breath, which seemed to grow louder.
“Nebula?” A familiar voice peeped out, and relief washed over the cat.
“Wish?” Nebula asked. The cat poked her head out from under a soft-looking bush and nodded. Nebula recognized their sister’s silver-gray pelt and deep blue eyes at once. “It’s me.”
Wish ushered Nebula in, waving her fluffy tail with urgency. “Is all going as planned?” She asked. There was a slight edge to her tone, as if she was stalling.
“Yes,” Nebula flicked their tail impatiently. “Where is the kit? We need to get them to safety.”
Wish looked behind her, and tiny, affectionate mews chirped sweetly. Her face was clouded, wistful, and loving. “You see…” She paused uncertainly. “There are two kits.” Her voice trailed off.
“Two?” Nebula lashed their tail. “But the prophecy! It told us the kit of our wish would have the power to save us!”
Wish brought her two kits forward with her tail, and Nebula studied them. One had a reddish-light gray pelt with green eyes. The other was darker gray, and the same intelligent green eyes.
Wish smiled at them, a worried but sincere smile. “This one is Rosemary,” She tapped the reddish she-kit with the tip of her tail, “And this is Sage.” She tapped the darker tom-kit.
Nebula fought between affection for their sister’s kits and alarm. “There is supposed to be one kit.” She insisted.
Wish glared at Nebula, and her eyes shifted to her kits protectively. “There are two, and I’m glad to have them both.”
“How will we know which kit is the kit from the prophecy?” Nebula paced. Their pelt bristled with anger.
Wish looked at the kits, and then up to Nebula. “One day,” She said simply. “One will display power as the prophecy suggests. For now, we must change the plan. They will be safest apart from our world, and apart from each other until one proves their power. But we cannot let the Watchers know. Rosemary will stay with me, and we will continue our simple lives. Take Sage to the twolegplace and leave him there. Tell them that all has gone as planned. Visit Sage often, but tell him nothing.“ She cast a sad glance at her kit. ”Goodbye, Sage.“
Nebula groaned, not feeling like sentiment. “This is not right. We must follow the plan as ordered! Or at least tell the Watchers!” They lashed their tail. “I…” They sank to the floor, knowing that nothing could be done. The Watchers would harm the kits somehow. Or Wish. And Nebula could not risk it. For the self-proclaimed saviors of the world, the Watchers were harsh. “Alright.” Nebula consented, drawing in a deep inhale. "For better or worse, we decide the fate of the world.”

Chapter One
The grass felt warm and soft against Sage’s pelt, all traces of its usual scratchiness was gone. The tom didn’t let his guard down, though. As always, his ears were pricked and muscles tense, ready to spring in case of an emergency. Sage knew an emergency would come one day, and hoped that by then his worries would be gone and he would be ready to face it.
Sage shuffled his paws about, unable to relax. What if… ? A million plausible but unlikely scenarios rushed through his head. He calculated their percentages of happening quickly. Luckily, none were high, but it wasn’t like Sage to ignore the prospect of anything dangerous.
He tugged at his collar. What if in an emergency it trapped him somewhere, or it suffocated him, or something else terrible he hadn’t imagined? He gazed down at it, craning his head uncomfortably to view it. It was a harmless-looking bright green color; it looked inviting and warm. It had silver jingle bells falling from it every one and a half or so inches, making ringing noises whenever Sage moved. It was annoying to never be free of the device, but it could also be used as a locator by the twolegs who took care of him, which he decided was a good thing.
He lifted his head, taking in his surroundings. Nebula wasn’t there. He sighed. They were late again.
A black shape shook itself out of the bushes. “Nebula!” Sage called, grinning. Nebula turned their head to look at Sage.
“Sage,” They sounded slightly annoyed. Sage knew not to take it personally, even though he always did anyway. Nebula was always annoyed about something.
“Nebula.” He tried to return the stiff, formal greeting. His paws tingled with anticipation for the day ahead. Nebula visited once a month, and for whatever reason always had. They would train Sage to do weird things, like catch mice with claws. It didn’t make any sense to do these things, even if mice were food, because kibble was vastly preferable. But it was fun, so Sage didn’t mention that.
“Ready to go?” Nebula was already impatient.
Sage grinned. “Yep!” He felt less anxious around Nebula. However gruff, Nebula was always protective.
Nebula turned away without another word. Their pelt was tense, Sage noticed. If Sage felt so safe around Nebula, why didn’t they feel safe with him?
He shook the thought from his mind. Nebula is Nebula, Sage told himself. And I’ll be me.
Nebula began to stalk forward, and Sage trailed them out of the cozy twoleg front yard. He gave the place a glance of goodbye and followed Nebula.
He followed through streets, over a fence, and into a forest. The trail was familiar. He and Nebula had come here many times before, when Sage had first learned to hunt and fight, all the way until now. Now, Sage was a great hunter. He had the patience and precision necessary to be one, and Nebula was impressed always though they tried to hide it.
Fighting wasn’t as easy. Sage didn’t like it, either. Why should he try to hurt another cat? It wasn’t an important skill! Cats lived in the twolegplace, with families that protected them, so why would Sage ever need to fight another cat? He hated trying to attack Nebula, even with his claws sheathed. It gave him a sickening feeling. He wasn’t good at it anyway; he would always try not to hurt Nebula, and even when he really attacked it was, to quote Nebula, pathetic.
“Can we hunt today?” Sage asked hopefully.
Nebula paused to turn around. “No. You know how to hunt.”
Sage was crestfallen. This conversation had taken place a million times, and each and every time, Nebula would get their way. “Okay, but can we explore?” He asked persistently.
Nebula shook their dark head again. “No. I’ve shown you all of the forest you need to know right now.”
Sage sighed. “Do we really have to-”
Nebula turned around, facing Sage. “Yes, we have to fight. You need to know how. It’s important, Sage.”
“Can you at least tell me why it’s important?” Sage asked. He paused. “You’ll never tell me why!”
Nebula shrugged indifferently. “Maybe I won’t,” They didn’t put much thought into the reply obviously. “Maybe I will.”
Everything about Nebula was constantly tugging at Sage’s mind, and it wouldn’t be long before he broke from the stress of it all. Why had they been visiting him ever since he was a kit? How did she know he would be there? Had he been born in the twolegplace, or somewhere else? How had he got there? Why did he need to know how to fight? “Please, Nebula?” Sage pleaded.
“No,” Nebula replied flatly, either not noticing or not caring about the emotion. they paused. A hint of feeling crept into their dry tone. “Fine. I’ll make you a deal.” Sage beamed. Yes! Finally!
Nebula smiled back, an amused, taunting smile. “All you have to do is win a battle.”

This is a beautiful story! I could imagine them in the forest! Great job!

This is really good! Can't wait for the next chapter!

Amazing, just as I expected. Your art, is awesome, now I just have one more thing to look up to you for!

So cool!

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER MAY SCARE YOUNGER VIEWERS

Chapter Two
Rosemary padded into the den, jaws full of juicy prey. She observed the new home she and her mother had found, an old fox den. Wish herself was laying in the center, resting. Rosemary rolled her eyes. “Get up, Mom!” She said loudly, without sympathy.
Wish rolled over groggily. “Rosemary?” She blinked open her bright blue eyes. “What’s the matter?”
Rosemary softened. “I brought you some prey,” She spoke quietly now, her voice gentle, which wasn’t something one would hear from Rosemary often.
Wish got to her paws and smiled gratefully at the young she-cat. Rosemary pushed a shrew toward Wish and selected a sparrow for herself. She glanced at the sparrow and inspected it. It was a good-looking piece of prey, though Rosemary thought she could have done better.
“This is good,” Wish commented with a mouthful of Shrew in her mouth. Rosemary beamed. If it was good enough for Wish to not want to wait until she could say it with good manners, the shrew must be amazing. She felt a hint of regret that she hadn’t chosen the shrew for herself, even though she knew it was selfish.
“I’m glad you like it, Mother,” She said halfheartedly, taking a bite of her sparrow. Suddenly, it didn’t taste quite so delectable.
Wish cut a piece of the shrew off with her claw. “Taste it,” She offered.
Rosemary grabbed at the shrew without thanking her mother and began to eat. Wish was right, it was good. “Mmmmm,” She mused. The shrew’s flesh was juicy and ripe, with the perfect amount of saltiness.
Wish smiled. “You’re a very skilled hunter, Rosemary.” She paused, and a twinkle flashed in her deep blue eyes. “And perhaps an even more talented warrior.”
Rosemary puffed out her chest at the praise but didn’t say anything. After a moment, she said, “I’m going to get some more food.”
Wish’s ears drooped. “Rosemary, we have plenty! You’ve hunted all day! What’s wrong?” She tilted her head sideways, tempting Rosemary to tell her everything.
But Rosemary gave her a quizzical smile of false confusion. “Nothing!” She lied, not giving her mother time to question her further.
“Alright!” Wish called from the distance, unconvinced.
Rosemary shook her head and looked at her paws. Soon, she was deep into the forest and she took a seat. The truth was that this life was boring. A life without problems. Wish always told Rosemary that she was blessed to lead a peaceful life, but sometimes Rosemary would hunger for battle, for struggle, for something to do. It got boring, just always looking for the next meal. There was an abundance of prey in the forest. Meals didn’t take long to find, and then Rosemary was left with her boredom.
Suddenly, a deep growl sounded in the distance. Instead of fleeing, Rosemary leapt confidently to her paws. Something exciting! Her mind surged with confidence and courage. Pricking her ears, she followed the sound through thick undergrowth. The closer she became, the more disturbing the sound was. The growling was dark, not like that of an ordinary animal.
Rosemary wasn’t frightened, though. She tensed with excitement, gathering power in her limbs as she began to sprint.
She pulled to a stop. The source of the sound was near. She sniffed the air, and instantly wrinkled her nose.
The air had a fowl tang, like a spoiled piece of poisoned prey being cut into, but so much worse. It filled Rosemary’s lungs, and she let out a small yelp. What could create such a dreadful scent?
The growling didn’t stop. Fear began to creep in to Rosemary’s confidence and excitement, and she didn’t like the feeling. She tried to push it away, to convince herself that she could take on whatever she was about to face.
She scanned the clearing around her. Something, the thing that had been growling was preparing to attack.
It seemed like a fairly peaceful-seeming clearing, a place Wish would enjoy if it weren’t for the smell, and… whatever else.
Rosemary tensed. The sound got louder, and louder, and Rosemary felt something pierce her thick pelt from behind.
She whirled around, and then she saw it.

Chapter Three
Sage jumped back, surprised, and alarmed. A fight? He took a breath. But… if it meant that he would get to know Nebula’s secrets about him, it would be worth it. He curled his paws, preparing to sabotage Nebula as they walked.
His stomach felt queasy. He didn’t want to attack, especially without permission. But the hunger for knowledge would tear him apart if he couldn’t pretend to do that to Nebula. He wouldn’t unsheath his claws; he never did with Nebula, but he could take her down.
Sage prepared to spring. He tensed his muscles and leaped forward. But he fell short and landed with a thud behind Nebula. Darn, Sage thought. I’m supposed to be on top of them.
Nebula turned around at the sound of Sage banging against the forest floor. “What, Sage?” They rolled their shining blue eyes. “Did you really try to attack before the battle started?” They actually had a playful hint in their usually annoyed or emotionless voice.
“Yeah,” Sage gave his chest fur an embarrassed lick. “I guess so.”
“Well, don’t!” The usual annoyance returned. “Especially if you’re going to do it hopelessly wrong!”
A faint growl sounded in the distance. Sage pricked his ears, but it was barely there. Nebula froze. “You have to go home. Now.”
Sage tipped his head quizzically. Fear. He had never seen this emotion from Nebula. “Huh?”
Nebula turned to Sage with an urgent expression. “Just go! It’s dangerous to stay!” Nebula looked so… terrified.
Sage shivered in fear, but he held his ground with a sudden burst of courage. “Tell me why!”
Nebula’s pelt spiked up as the distant sound got slightly louder. “GO!!” They insisted.
Sage didn’t see any reason in Nebula’s insane amount of fear. Why? Nothing was wrong… Was it?
Nebula sighed, turning to Sage. “Are you willing to risk your life for the sake of our world?”
The question seemed random, out of the blue. Sage didn’t know what to say, but he realized that he would never know the truth if he said know. In a burst of sudden confidence, he took a deep breath before he spoke the word that would change his simple life. “Yes?”
Nebula turned to him uncertainly before nodding, determined. “I can’t explain it all now. But there is a creature making that growl, and we have to stop it. It’s… well, hard to explain. You’ll see. But this is your first time, and you can’t get hurt. Sit and watch. Do you promise?”
Sage nodded. “But what’s happening?” Everything was happening so fast. “Where are we going?”
Nebula turned to him, face full of mixed emotions like Sage had never seen it. “We’re going to fight. But not you and me. Me and the Shadow Beast.”

YAY! NEW CHAPTERS!! THEY ARE SO GOOD!!

Chapter Four
It was twice the size of a fox, and completely black. The eyes glowed red, and it’s face was curled into a vicious snarl. Rosemary yelped in fear and surprise. On instinct, she raked her sharp claws down it’s muzzle. It growled in agony and surprise at the power of the young cat.
Despite the fear, Rosemary kept attacking. She sliced her claws in any place she could find, trying to destroy the thing. It attacked her too, giving her wounds all over her.
The thing reared up on it’s hind legs, preparing to crush Rosemary. She darted to the side frantically, and it’s paws made a deep hole in the rough ground, crashing through roots.
It blundered toward Rosemary. She quickly darted in and raked its underbelly before pulling out beside it. It whirled around, yowling in pain.
It whacked her with an enormous paw, and she flew in to a shrub. Luckily, the bush didn’t have nay thorns. She pulled herself out, limbs aching.
It advanced again. Rosemary leapt forward, new strength surging in her. She caught it by surprise, tackling the great monster with the force of her leap. Before it could retaliate, she delivered a swift killing bite before collapsing to the floor with exhaustion.
As if on cue, two cats ran into the clearing. A midnight-black cat with blue eyes just like her mother’s was in the lead. They darted over to where Rosemary sat, panting.
“What happened?” They asked fearfully.
Rosemary puffed out her chest with pride. “I killed it.” She told the whole story of the attack, where it had been, why she had found the creature. She learned that the cat’s name was Nebula, and they were travelling with a young tom named Sage.
“What was your name?” Nebula asked.
Rosemary shrugged. “I’m Rosemary.”
Nebula looked like they had had a panic attack for a second. “Is your mother… Wish?”
Rosemary hissed. “How do you know my mother?”
Nebula took a step back, and for a second looked lost in thought. “Then you must be the chosen one!” They sized Rosemary up, and she licked her bleeding fur self-conciously. “Do you have any powers?” Nebula asked it like it was a perfectly normal question.
Rosemary looked at her incredulously. “Powers are a myth.” She paused, reconsidering. “But… what was that thing?”
“A shadow beast,” Nebula’s voice was dark and grave. “They are very powerful creatures of the Dark, and to be avoided at all costs.” They turned to Rosemary. “Unless you can kill them.”
Rosemary grinned. “It was easy,” She lied. It hadn’t been easy, but she wanted to impress Nebula and Sage.
Nebula widened their eyes, as if they believed her. “Nobody else who has had an encounter with a Shadow Beast has ever survived, much less someone your age. I’d like to see you fight. That would be a useful superpower, supernatural battle skill!”
Rosemary stared at Nebula in disbelief. “Are you not going to let my wounds heal first?” She rolled her eyes. “I can’t fight properly yet!”
Nebula nodded. “Of course. May I come with you to see Wish? She is a talented healer.” Nebula’s eyes looked wistful, like this was something they had longed to do for a long time.
“Why do you want to see her?” Rosemary narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Why do you know about the Shadow Beasts? How do I know you aren’t working with them?” She hissed.
“I… know her. She’s a friend of mine.” Nebula didn’t sound comfortable calling Wish a friend, but there was something about it that made Rosemary sure Nebula wasn’t Wish’s enemy. “I'm glad you don't trust anyone, though.” They added after a moment. Their tone was dark and ominous. “A lot of friendly-seeming beings will turn out to be great enemies.”
“Come on then,” Rosemary meowed flatly. And so began the trek to a new world. But first, a trek to a den not so far away.

So good!!!! DD

Awesome

Chapter Five
Sage couldn’t take his eyes off of Rosemary, even though he had had plenty of time to lay eyes on her during the walk. Something about her struck him as familiar, but he couldn’t place in his mind exactly what. Had he seen her before? Not that he could remember. Her eyes matched his so exactly that it seemed almost impossible, but then again, to cats with similar eyes would be the least surprising surprising thing that had happened that day.
Rosemary was leading them, and Sage pressed closer to Nebula. “Who’s Wish?” He asked. “And…” He lowered his voice. “Who’s she?”
Nebula flashed Rosemary a quick glance. She was far ahead, probably not listening. “She’s… well, she’s a legend as of right now. Nobody else has ever survived a Shadow Beast encounter, let alone killed one of those creatures. And she didn’t even know what it was!”
Sage flicked his tail impatiently. “Yes, but who is she?”
Nebula bounced a bit from side to side self-consciously. “I don’t think I’m supposed to mention that.”
Sage shrugged, trying to hide his curiosity. “Who’s Wish then?”
Nebula winced at the question, as if it was not a terrible thing that Sage didn’t know about Wish. “She’s a friend of mine,” Nebula said flatly. “Now, let’s be quiet. We can’t have Rosemary become suspicious.” They obviously just wanted to end the awkward conversation.
What are you hiding, Nebula? Sage asked in his mind. He imagined the question coming from his mouth, but it didn’t seem right. Too accusatory. Nebula was about his only friend in the world, and he wasn’t about to lose them.
Rosemary turned around. “We’re here. Follow me.” She led them in to an old fox den. Sage sniffed the air. It smelled heavily of fox, as if the fox hadn’t been gone for much more than a moon.
“New den?” He blurted. The words were out of his mouth before he could consider them.
Rosemary turned to him. She looked like she was trying to hide her being impressed. “How did you know?”
Sage shrugged. “I have a good sense of smell.”
Rosemary nodded steadily. “Well, we shouldn’t waste much more time,” She remarked swiftly.
Wish padded through the doorway of the den and froze at the sight of Rosemary. Her eyes widened doubly upon seeing Nebula, and when her piercing blue eyes met Sage’s own, she collapsed.
Nebula ran to Wish’s side along with Rosemary. Sage just watched, perplexed. “Do I know you?” He asked.
Wish got to her paws, unable to contain her surprise. Her deep gaze followed Sage with a great deal of affection, more than Sage was comfortable with from this new and strange cat. She drooped with sadness, like a great burden that had been lifted was shoved back on to her shoulders. “No, I suppose you wouldn’t know me,” She sighed. The words were obviously difficult for her to push out. Her breath was heavy, but the surprise remained.
“Nebula, why are you here?” Wish asked. Her gaze flicked over to Rosemary and Sage. “How much do they know?” She looked specifically at Rosemary. “And why is my daughter covered in scars!”
Nebula exhaled calmly, but her words were dark and grave. “They know nothing. Rosemary killed a Shadow Beast.” She looked at Rosemary, who began to lick her chest fur. “I think she is the one we are looking for.”
Wish eyed the two uncertainly. “For sure?”
Nebula shrugged indifferently. “No.”
Wish inhaled a deep, long breath. “We have to take them both to headquarters. It’s time the Watchers knew. And it seems that Rosemary will protect us.”
Rosemary puffed out her chest with pride.
Nebula looked at Wish, deep fear in their eyes. “How much do you want to tell them about…” Their voice trailed off.
Wish’s friendly voice grew dark, like Nebula’s when they had spoken about Shadow Beasts. “Nothing more than is absolutely necessary for them to know.”

Chapter Six
More walking. Hunting, sleeping. Days and nights had blurred together until Rosemary, Sage, Nebula, and Wish had come upon the building. Not like a twoleg building, not at all, but different. The door looked like cats could open it, and the design didn’t seem senseless like a twoleg design.
“Where are we?” Rosemary asked as it came into view.
Wish eyed the grand structure with fear, hope, yearning, and so much more. “The Watchers headquarters.”
——————————————————

Rosemary learned a lot in the following days. The Watchers were a group of cats tasked with protecting the world, and the building was their headquarters. It was a nice building, and Wish and Nebula had seemed surprised when the group had been greeted with hospitality.
The adults had talked in hushed whispers in the other room for hours, and they were obviously distraught about what they heard. The cats they had met threatened them for something to do with lies and Nebula had said that they were the only one Sage trusted and the Watchers would accomplish nothing without them. The rest had been much too quiet for even Sage’s sharp ears as far as Rosemary knew.
Rumors about her and the Shadow Beast had spread like a wildfire through The Watchers, and all cats greeted her with admiring eyes and a salute. She talked to them and made fast friends, and almost all of the cats told her she was the one in the prophecy, whatever that meant.
Sage didn’t seem to be settling in quite as well. He was only spotted pressed close to Nebula’s side, and he shied away from any cats who tried to make his acquaintance. Something about his eyes made Rosemary drawn to him, as if she had known him in another life, but not this one. As much as she racked her brain, memory didn’t answer the call.
She sat in her room, something she had never had before. What kind of cat had a room? Well, whatever. Rosemary didn’t care. Twolegs were on to something, she decided. These ‘beds’ were even better than the softest moss.
Her fluffy tail was curled around her paws, and she could feel it twitching slightly. As nice as the place was, she had felt like a fire was ignited inside her when she had fought the Shadow Beast. It was flickering in her chest, growing and pushing her toward getting up. She was restless, and sitting here wouldn’t satisfy her. She had been looking for excitement, and as soon as she had found it she had become a hero confined to her quarters.
A knock echoed through the room. Rosemary learned that it came from something called a door, and you would use it to let cats in, or keep them out depending on your will.
“Who is it?” She asked, her voice dull. This phrase was something the Watchers told cats to ask before opening a door. It didn’t make a lot of sense, but oh well.
“It’s Venus,” The cat replied. Rosemary bit the string on the door, getting to her paws to pull it open. Venus was one of the Watchers. He was reasonably nice, but he didn’t have any real interest in other cats.
“What is it?” Rosemary whisked her tail back around her paws, taking her sitting position again.
“The Watchers would like you to be in attendance of a meeting, effective immediately.” He looked her up and down. “It concerns you, and you might never get another chance to hear this information.”
Rosemary pricked her ears. “Concerns me how?”
“It’s heavily classified,” Venus replied. “I’ll take you to the Meeting Chamber. Follow me.” Before giving Rosemary a chance to answer and continue to probe, he turned around and walked out of the room, leaving Rosemary with no choice but to follow.
————————————————

The Meeting Chamber was a large room with a fancy table in the center, complete with cat-sized chairs. Rosemary was ushered to a seat and sat down expectantly. Sage was to one side of her, and Nebula sat beside him. Wish was at her side, and she was glad to have her mother here. Where had she been the past few days?
“Watchers of The Stars, I welcome you to the one thousand, six hundred seventy-fourth meeting of the Watchers. May we learn from each other as we delve into the discussion in peace and harmony.” A cat sitting at the head of the table began. The phrase seemed customary, as if it had always been a part of Watchers meetings and didn’t mean much.
“Today’s discussion will center around the Prophecy of The One Kit,” The cat continued. “A few long years ago, one of our Seers received a prophecy. Our Interpreters believed it’s meaning to be that Wish would have a kit that would have a superpower, and that superpower would save our world from the creatures we have battled since the beginning of time. A new era would begin, one of peace, without Shadows constantly haunting us. We will finally vanquish the enemy.”
Rosemary listened carefully. How long had there been Shadow Beasts and whatever else? Since the beginning of time? How had nobody ever seen them? The most likely option was that they had… and hadn’t lived to tell the tale.

Chapter Seven
Sage turned pale underneath his pelt. It was evident that Rosemary had reached the same conclusion of how the Shadow Beasts had remained secret. Death. How had the she-cat managed to survive, let alone kill one?
The cat at the head of the table continued. According to Nebula, her name was Cypress. She was a high-ranking official, in charge of this particular base. The leader of the Watchers was named Haven.
Before Sage had more time for pondering, Cypress continued. “But Wish had two kits.” Her voice had a sliver of contempt as she spoke the next sentences. “She chose to hide this from us, not revealing it until a mere three days ago.”
Sage looked at Wish, whose face was buried in her pelt. He heard a faint sound like crying coming from her direction, and he felt a pant of guilt. But it didn’t linger, outweighed by shock and disbelief. “I’m Wish’s kit?!” He blurted suddenly. “Rosemary’s my sister?!”
Cypress’ gaze bored deep into Sage’s eyes, and he turned away. “Yes, kit. Wish is your mother, and Rosemary your littermate.”
Rosemary looked at Sage with narrowed eyes and an unreadable expression, as if she was summing him up and deciding if he was worthy of being her littermate. Sage felt his face grow hot and turned away.
“So? Who’s the kit in the prophecy?” Rosemary asked. Sage admired her ability to ask whatever questions she wanted to without worrying about how other cats would react.
Cypress frowned. “The Watchers are not fully sure, but based on most data gathered, it would be Rosemary.”
Venus cocked his head to the side quizzically. “Can you elaborate on this theory?”
Cypress nodded. “Rosemary shows all necessary qualities of a hero. She is brave, strong, fierce, and even without superpowers very formidable.” Cypress cast a guilty glance at Sage before her next statement. “On the other hand, Sage is jittery and scared of many simple things, according to Nebula’s reports. He shows no skill in battle, and though he is a skilled hunter, Rosemary’s skill surpasses his.”
Sage felt stung by the criticism. Was that true? The worst thing was that this information was coming from Nebula’s reports. Nebula, however gruff, had always been kind to Sage. He had thought that they cared.
He turned to Nebula, his imploring, intelligent eyes asking a question. Did you really tell her all of those things?
Nebula nodded guiltily in response, their eyes down. Sage suddenly felt afraid. Nebula had been the only one in this strange new world that Sage could trust. Did this mean that he was alone?
Sage hadn’t known how words could sting.
Cypress took no notice of the exchange and briskly continued with no apologies. “It is likely that Rosemary is our savior, and if not… may the stars guide our weary paws.”

SOOO GOOD!!!

Chapter Eight
Rosemary felt sorry for Sage. It hadn’t been necessary at all to state all of his bad qualities, only her good ones. Though it was hard to care about Sage, even if he was suddenly her littermate, because she might have a superpower! She probably did! The idea made her burst with joy.
Something exciting will happen now! I’ll save the world! Rosemary forgot about Sage and padded toward the practice arena. Today was the day that Cypress would assess Rosemary’s battle skill, putting her against their most skilled fighter, a massive tom called Shatter.
Most she-cats Rosemary’s age would be terrified, but she found herself cooly sizing up her opponent. They would be stronger than her, though not by much. They looked slow, but someone with that strength would be able to propel themself well, but perhaps not as well as Rosemary. And, she had her secret weapon. For years, most of her free time had been spent sharpening her claws that she hardly ever used.
A smirk crossed Rosemary’s face. The bulky tom looked at her with disdain, as if believing that he would humiliate her and smash her to pieces. Rosemary looked him dead in the eye, look saying, You have no idea what you’re up against.
Cypress padded over to between the two of them. “Welcome,” She greeted emotionlessly. “You are here to determine Rosemary’s skill. Here are the rules: You will keep your claws sheathed. When one of you is pinned, the fight is over. You will both try your hardest. No grudges will be held.”
Shatter nodded in gruff agreement and Rosemary followed suit. Cypress nodded, satisfied, and ushered the two of them into the arena. They took their places. The arena was a large circle with towering clear walls that let others see in, but let no contestant out. Rosemary was undaunted.
“Begin!” Cypress’s voice seemed to ring on for miles.
Rosemary and Shatter began to circle each other, hissing loudly. Claws were sheathed, as they were supposed to be, but Rosemary had an urge to take them out of her paws.
Shatter lunged forward, but Rosemary twisted to the side at the last moment, hitting Shatter with a paw and knocking him over. He hopped up quickly, but she delivered a series of blows to his muzzle, and she leaped on top of him when he was about to retaliate.
She couldn’t hang on without her claws. So she hopped off behind him a pounded him on the back before he whirled around to face her, eyes blazing with rage and humiliation.
He whacked her with a giant paw, sending her to the ground. She got up quickly and jumped toward him, sliding under his massive underbelly and pretending to rake claws through it. From the back, she used her paws to push him over and stand on top of him.
“Enough!” Cypress declared. “Rosemary is the winner!” Shatter shrunk away, clearly not used to being beaten by anyone, let alone an adolescent she-cat. He gave her a dark glare, saying, this isn’t over. Then, he bowed his head in false respect and acquiescence.
Rosemary beamed with pride.
Cypress surveyed the scene. “Rosemary, I have reached a conclusion. You do have a superpower, but it has not awakened yet. Your fighting alone, though extraordinary, is not supernatural. I believe that you do have a supreme fighting ability, one that will awaken when you are in combat with a great enemy and desperate. It will aid you, and you will emerge victorious.

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“Rosemary!” A voice jolted her awake. Rosemary opened her eyes groggily, recognizing the voice of one of the cats who was obsessed with her, Finch.
“Yes?” She sleepily pulled herself out of bed.
“You’d better come quick.”

Rosemary found herself in Sage’s room, led by Finch. Cats were crowded around something, and she had to poke her head through the top of the large crowd to see.
She let out a gasp. Sage was sitting in the middle of a circle of what seemed like holograms, moving, and completely a translucent white.
Cypress moved to the front of the room, standing by Sage. Her voice was scared. “Watchers of the Stars,” She spoke. “Sage is the Kit of the Prophecy.”

Chapter Nine
“Sage! Sage!” Voices penetrated the dark warmth of sleep. Sage awoke to see cats crowded around him. He wasn’t in his bed, the place he had fallen asleep last night. He looked around. White holograms of cats circled him.
Sage yelped, and the holograms immediately crashed away. “What’s going on?” Sage asked.
Cypress padded up to him from the crowd. “Sage, you are the kit of the prophecy. I apologize for my behavior yesterday. Those illusions are your doing. When you lost concentration, they faded.
Sage stepped back, eyes wide. “I… had a dream. The cats were doing the same thing as the illusions. I… think the cats were real. They… were working with Shadow Beasts.” He breathed shakily.
Cypress’s eyes flashed before she regained her usual emotionless demeanor. Sage almost thought that she and Nebula had taken an emotionlessness class together. It wouldn’t be so far-fetched. “Cats? Working with Shadow Beasts? That’s impossible.”
Sage suddenly knew something. He didn’t know how, maybe it was the power. But he knew. “It’s true,” The confidence in his own voice surprised him as words filled his mind that he had never thought of. “They call themselves the Shadow Society, and the Shadow Beasts are just pawns. They have worse beasts than that… and the cats control them. They’re our true enemy. Until we can stop them, the beasts will just keep coming.”
Cypress nodded. “When you talk like that, I believe you. Let’s just hope you have battle powers too.”
Sage shook his head. “I don’t. Rosemary is close, though.”
Nebula nodded. “Sage can’t fight.” Was that supposed to be backup? Sage rolled his eyes. No.
The next few minutes were full of cats crowding Sage, asking questions, being obsessed. They had used to be like this with Rosemary.
Where was Rosemary? Sage looked around. She was nowhere to be found.
The rest of the crowding felt dull, lifeless, like it meant nothing. How could he celebrate if Rosemary was gone?