TFA Warriors: Chapter 2

Optimus stared up at Ratchet in stunned amazement. A prophecy? Around him, cats shifted around, fur bristling with shock and fear. Startled mews erupted among the gathered cats.

“Prophecy? What prophecy?”

“Are the Clans in trouble?”

“How can this be?”

“Why hasn’t Red Alert said anything about this?”

“Is StarClan truly falling?”

“QUIET!” yowled Ratchet, glaring at the cats as the questions subsided. Up upon the Great Rock, Ultra Magnus calmly spoke, though his tail twitched nervously.

“Ratchet, what prophecy are you talking about?” He asked.

The old cat let out a weary sigh and straightened his back to stare around at all the Clan cats. “Guess there’s no use hiding it anymore.” He swished his long, feathery tail around, gesturing towards all of Fourtrees. “Many of you remember the battle with BloodClan, correct?”

“How could we forget?” Cheetoh silently mewed. Many cats gravely nodded their heads, eyes gleaming with haunted memories of the bloody battle.

“Were you in the battle?” mewed Bumblebee to Optimus. The great warrior shook his head.

“No, thank StarClan. I was just a little kit then.” Optimus replied.

“Shh, he’s talking again.” Bulkhead said, directing with his chin towards Ratchet.

“At the end of the battle, StarClan showed me a vision of a star blazing across the skies and landing somewhere. They told me this prophecy,” Ratchet closed his eyes as if reliving the vision and slowly began to say the words.

“The Power of the Stars shall fall and bind four into one. Sky shall fill with blood and one paw shall hold all.”</i>

The cats glanced at each other with unease. What did the strange words mean?

“Why didn’t you say something about this earlier?” growled Sentinel Prime. He rose to his paws and glared up at the old medicine cat. “It’s your duty to report stuff like this to Ultra Magnus!”

Ratchet returned the glare with bared his fangs at Sentinel, hissing angrily, “Only when it concerns ThunderClan, you idiot! Hmph, think you’re a medicine cat all of sudden? Stick your nose back to organizing patrols and chasing after apprentices where it belongs!”

“You mean, the prophecy doesn’t concern ThunderClan?” Ultra Magnus asked, staring at Ratchet through narrowed eyes.

Ratchet stared evenly up at his leader. “No, I don’t believe it concerns ThunderClan.” He turned his head to gaze at all four leaders. “I believe that it concerns all the Clans.”

“That’s cool, tomcat, but if it concerns all clans, then why hadn’t StarClan spoken to Grapple about this?” Jazz asked. The ShadowClan leader and its deputy both turned to the yellow-furred medicine cat.

“Has StarClan spoken to you about this prophecy, Grapple?” Prima asked.

The ShadowClan medicine cat shuffled his paws as he looked up at his leader and answered, “No, they have not, Prima.”

Longarm Prime looked down at Perceptor. “What about you, Perceptor?”

The ginger tom shook his head. “No sir. Nothing.”

“They haven’t shared this with me either, Rodimus.” Red Alert mewed up to the RiverClan leader before he could ask.

“Why has StarClan only spoken to Ratchet about his if it involves all the Clans?” Prima sharply asked.

“Like I know!” Ratchet growled, tail swishing in agitation. “Not even medicine cats know everything about StarClan’s decisions. Just know that they did it for a reason and go with it. There’s nothing else to be done.”

“But what does exactly does StarClan want to be done about…that?” Rodimus Prime asked, flicking one ear towards the sky. No words needed to be said about what he was talking about. What did StarClan want them to do about the falling star?

“Well, I’ve thought about it for a while now,” Ratchet calmly said, “And I believe that StarClan wants a cat from each clan to go and find the star. From what StarClan told me, the star holds great power, perhaps as much as the Moonstone, and we don’t want such power to get into the paws of less honorable creatures.”

Gasps of surprise erupted from the clan cats at the explanation. Besides Optimus, Bumblebee’s fur was fluffed up with excitement. He gazed up at Bulkhead and Optimus with blue eyes gleaming.

“Can you believe it? Who do you think they’re going to choose to go?”

“Probably their deputies or one of the senior warriors,” meowed Optimus.

“Yeah, they wouldn’t send a couple of new warriors like us to go on such an important mission.” Bulkhead added. However, neither of their words seemed to stem Bumblebee’s excitement.

“Aw, come on, big guy!” Bumblebee mewed up at Bulkhead, “You gotta think big for once! You definitely have the body for it!” Purring at his own joke, he continued, “Why would they send one of their best warriors that they can’t afford to lose when they can send one of us?”

Both Optimus and Bulkhead gave Bumblebee long stares. Bumblebee thought for a moment and then blinked when he realized what he had just said. He drew his ears back in embarrassment and let out a nervous purr.

“Er…hehe….I think that came out wrong.”

“Cats of the Clans!” Prima’s voice rang out. A moment before, the four leaders had drawn together for a serious conference. Now, they stood looking down at the clans with cool expressions on their faces. Only Ultra Magnus had the slightly hint of anxiety in his blue eyes. “Based upon Ratchet’s words, we have decided to submit to the will of StarClan and allow one cat from each clan to leave and find this fallen star.”

The shock that had overflowed from the cats before was now replaced with tense excitement and curiosity as they gazed up their leaders, waiting to hear who would embark on such a quest.

The black she-cat blinked down at her clan and her meow rang out for all to hear. “Before the eyes of all the Clans, I make my choice. Prowl shall represent ShadowClan.”

Optimus craned his neck to look towards where most of the ShadowClan cats were seated. Standing near the shadows, he could barely make out the shape of a grey-black tom with hints of gold in his fur. At the mention of his name, Prowl silently strolled forward and solemnly nodded at his leader.

“I will do my best, Prima.” He looked neither excited nor pleased with the decision of having to go on the quest, but stood as calm as ever. However, his expression showed a little annoyance when Jazz gave him a friendly nudge on the shoulder.

“Congrates bro, I hope you remember my lessons. You’re going to need them.” The ShadowClan deputy said, amusement shining in his eyes. He seemed to predict more than he let on to his former apprentice.

Rodimus strolled up next and yowled to the cats. “For RiverClan’s choice, I choose Bulkhead.”

Optimus couldn’t tell who looked more surprised- the rest of RiverClan or Bulkhead himself.

“Me?” came his deep meow, filled with shock. The giant green cat stared up at his leader in a questioning manner.

“Yes you, Bulkhead. Even though you are young, you are one of the strongest cats in RiverClan. I know you will make it.” Rodimus mewed with proudly. Perhaps it was the fact that Rodimus had been a young cat when he had been made leader of RiverClan that gave him the confidence to let Bulkhead, who had just become a warrior, take on such a mission.

Bulkhead dipped his head and shuffled his paws in modest embarrassment at his leader’s praise. Bumblebee butted his head his head against Bulkhead’s shoulder in a warm gesture of pride for his friend. Optimus felt happy to see two cats from rival clans acting so friendly towards each other, but he couldn’t help but wonder how they had become so close.

“Like RiverClan, WindClan shall send one of its newest warriors to prove himself on this quest.” Longarm meowed. “Bumblebee shall go and join the questing cats.”

Sharp meows of surprise went through the crowd of cats at Longarm’s decision. Bumblebee let out a victorious yowl and jumped up in excitement. “Yes! Thanks Longarm! I won’t let WindClan down!”

“I’m sure that you won’t, Bumblebee.” Longarm meowed in a quiet voice. Optimus wondered whether he was the only cat to see a strange gleam in the WindClan leader’s eyes as he said this.

“Wow, you were right Bumblebee!” Bulkhead meowed, amazed that the two of them had been chosen.

“Yes,” Optimus said, whiskers twitching with mild amusement, “It seems that WindClan can afford to lose you.” Both Bulkhead and Optimus purred and flickered their tails in laughter at the indignant look on Bumblebee’s face.

“Haha, laugh it up, Bulkhead! I’m sure that the river will have plenty of more fish to spare now that your big mouth isn’t eating them!” Bumblebee meowed, instinctively jumping into a playful crouch to dodge Bulkhead’s giant paw.

“Has ThunderClan decided on its chosen warrior?” Prima meowed impatiently to Ultra Magnus. The elder leader stood up. “I have decided.” He meowed before gazing down at the cats below.

“Optimus shall represent ThunderClan.” Without another word, the ThunderClan leader sat back down.

“Him?!</b>” came Sentinel’s outraged growl. He glared at Optimus’ shocked face and then looked up at Ultra Magnus. Ultra Magnus gave Sentinel a severe glare.

“Yes, him, Sentinel.” came his cold reply. The statement seemed to make Sentinel remember his place. He forced his bristling fur to lie flat and tried to put on a calm face as he spoke.

“But…sir….don’t think…there’d be far more better cats for job?” It was clear that he was choosing his words carefully in front of the rest of the other clan cats. They had already gained some curious stares. “Like Mirage, Trailbreaker, or perhaps myself.”

Optimus felt his fur start to rise with anger at Sentinel’s words. So he had made one mistake in the past! He had tried to make for it ever since. Couldn’t he and the rest of the Clan see that he was a warrior worthy of going on StarClan’s quest?

“Well, I think that Optimus is just the right cat for the job!” Bumblebee loudly commented. Optimus flashed his friend a grateful look as several cat murmured in agreement.

“Yeah, Optimus is a great warrior!” came Sideswipe’s voice from the back.

“He’ll bring back the fallen star, just wait and see!” Sunstreaker added.

“Optimus is one of our best warriors, Sentinel. He deserves a chance to go.” Ultra Magnus meowed. The wise leader looked down and focused his gaze directly at his son’s. “I trust that he will accomplish this task.”

Optimus gave an awkward nod, his throat suddenly too choked up to say anything. It was as if the whole weight of the Clan had been placed upon his shoulders. This could be the only chance to make up for the dire mistake he made seasons ago, the only chance to prove that he could be a leader, the only chance to make his Clan as well as his father, proud of him once more.

“Uhhh, Ultra Magnus?” Ratchet had raised his tail to speak. “If it’s alright with you and the rest of the leaders, I would like permission to go along with the chosen cats.”

The four leaders gazed at each other, blue eyes wide with surprise at the strange request.

“Are you sure, Ratchet? You just said that you were ready to retire to the elders den tonight.” Ultra Magnus meowed to his old friend.

“Well…the way I see it is now ThunderClan has one less mouth to feed and now these ruffians will have someone to take care of them if they get hurt or talk to StarClan if anything bad happens.” He nodded towards the rest of the medicine cats. “None of other clans can spare a medicine cat and now Wheeljack can officially take over.”

“But won’t an elder like him just slow us down?” Bumblebee rudely commented to Bulkhead.  He quaked at the furious glare that Ratchet sent him.

“I may be old, but I can still hear you know!” He furiously hissed at the young WindClan warrior. He gave a snort. “Hmph! Young cats!”

“So, it’s decided.” Ultra Magnus strolled to the front of Great Rock and gave a final address to the gathered cats. The Gathering had lasted much longer than usual and now a sliver of light was beginning to shine through the horizon. Ultra Magnus stared down at the fiver chosen cats, blue eyes glowing with dawn’s early light.

“Tomorrow, these five cats shall leave their clans at Sunhigh to fulfill StarClan’s quest. Where ever your paths may take you, remember that you have the support of all the clans on your side. Remember the Warrior Code and always make sure that your actions are honorable and just.”

All five cats, even Bumblebee, were solemn and silent as the ThunderClan leader spoke these words. It felt as if every cat’s eyes were upon them, weighing them down, wondering whether this group of misfits could truly accomplish the task that StarClan had sent them.

“I will try my best.” Optimus sent a silent prayer to the heavens, hoping that they would watch over them no matter how far their journey took them.

At last, Prima’s voice scratched the air.

“I declare this Gathering over!"

"Finally!"

"Shut up, Sideswipe!"</b>