Shade walked over to the water marveling in the beauty of the morning as he bent to lap at the pool he froze. His mind taken in the vision before his eyes; Dark flames and smoke, water that burned skin and bone, red and hot like the sun had fallen to the earth. The talons of a great bird latched into her shoulders pulling Briarstar into the sky as Shade raced after her trying to catch her before she fell back to the burning water and just as the eagle released its great talons... "SHADE!?" he heard a distant screech and he turned the vision fading ... "no not yet it is not done yet i have to ....."  He turned back to the eagle but it was gone as was Briarstar. The edges of the vision began to cloud and soon he was standing inches from the pool of water back in the present. "She wants to know what i saw ... but i can't tell her... it won't happen, it won't..." 

    Shade had kept his tongue all day and he already knew it was warring on Brtiarstar's patience, her waking dreams were filled with worry and concern at his behavior that morning. With a great sigh Shade stopped and sat on his haunches, he needed to tell her. 

    

    "Shade what's wrong?" Briarstar asked 

    

    "Well i need to tell you what i saw to warn you of the things to come... and also to quiet your mind... you have quite a loud mind, and it wears on me." He watched as she sat next to him and felt her confusion at his last statement. "Now please try and take in all I say before asking questions, okay?" She nodded her understanding and shade shook himself once to clear his own mind before beginning his story. "The place I come from cats born with mismatched eyes are very common and from kit hood we are able to see things other cats can not. Some see it in the sky, others in the trees and grass, and the most testing is to see in water. Water is tricky sometimes only telling half truths and this is the gift I have. I read the water and have visions which lead me along a path and even as a kit it has led me to here and now." Shade looked over at Briarstar her mind taking in everything he had said, She looked less confused, yet he knew she wanted to hear more of his gift. "The first vision i had, believe it or not, was of you healing your wounds inside and out after the loss of your mother and sister. From that point I was always connected to you and your dreams. This is also where your mother came to me warning me of your journey and after she gave me your name. The visions I have had since then feature a great eagle as big as the sky and water that burns, and always it lifts you into the sky and then the vision cuts out. I am also able to read dreams usually just slumbering dreams, but in your case and also for my family I can read waking dreams, or thoughts i suppose is a better way to put it. My mother was a dream walker and she would not say what my father was... dream walkers have the ability to enter a cats mind and give them visions or heal them it is a rare gift and I hold it  but can not use it for it is a gift given to a she cat." He stopped himself knowing that what he had said was enough for now, "and for now that is all i have to share"

    "So you have in a way always known me, I wonder if that is why I saw no threat in you. I also had a dream of burning water and an eagle lifting me, I woke with gouges in my shoulders and that is when the decision to go on this journey began." Briarstar mewed

    "Well at least you took what I said well, and the fact you had a dream so similar to my visions... well that is interesting." He pondered her words, "we might as well make our nests for the night it is late." 

    "okay Shade" Briarstar nodded as she walked to make her own nest. Shade sat in his spot awhile longer He could not tell her the end of his Visions... all ended the same but he didn't want her to worry for him. He watched as she settled into her mossy nest, he curled around her and giving her ears a quick lick before falling into an unsettled sleep. 

    Briarstar found it hard to fall asleep with a whirlwind of new ideas and thoughts in her brain, but the gentle tongue strokes on her ears calmed her mind and soon she found herself deep asleep. Suddenly she opened her eyes "it was day already?" she thought. 

    

    "Briarstar!" A familiar voice called to her.

    "Mother!" Briarstar turnned and raced to Swiftbreeze, "I'm so glad to see you! Why have you come to me?" 

    "I came to tell you that you are nearly at your destination and that you must be careful, It was good of you to trust Shade, but be warned not all who cross your path will be worthy of such easy trust. Now sleep well and rest for you will need all your strength in the journey to come. Till next time my daughter, let us hope it will not be too soon that I see you again." Swiftbreeze blinked and Briarstar fell back to sleep dreaming of plump mice and a warm sun.

    Waking as the sun broke over the horizon Briarstar was alarmed that Shade was not near her anymore, "Shade?! Where are you" She called out.

    "I'm up here" he called from above her. Briarstar looked up to see Shade gazing over the tree tops "I smell smoke" He said "and I see a strange shape in the distance."

     Briarstar bounded up to Shade and saw what she had seen in her dream the strange shape looked as if it was moving "It looks alive!" She exclaimed, "Shade my mother came to me last night, she told me we were close to our destination and we should not trust all who cross our path." 

    "Wise words these lands seem strange, look nothing is growing around the mass there if anything does live in that area ... well I don't think they will be friendly." Shade scanned the area where the trees looked dead and black. " We better enjoy the fresh air while we can"

    "Briarstar watched the dead area around the mass and suddenly she thought she saw a set of glowing red eyes blink on the mountain, but just as quickly they were gone "maybe it is alive" she thought to herself. 

--------

Since they had seen the mass the air had become very sour and the trees thinned out with each paw step. Both cats were glad their pelts matched the ashy dark surroundings. The mass Was now in eye sight and both cats could see the red blinking eyes that seemed to move over its surface. They also noticed something else a huge dead tree near the mass with few branches save one large branch near a hole in the trunk. Though Briarstar did not say it She knew that was the eagles roost. Soon they were at the base of the tree looking up its vastness. 

    "Have you ever seen a tree this big?" Briarstar asked in amazement."I'm going to circle it. stay here I want to gauge its size..." Briarstar walked around the trees base expecting to see Shade in a few heart beats but it seemed endless, Finally she spotted the cats twitching tail tip "Shade this tree is huge 20 cats could stand nose to tailtip around it and you would still not have enough to circle the tree. How are we ever going to get to that branch and find the great......" Without warning a huge bird swooped and snatched away Briarstar it lifted her to the top of the tree and Briarstar nearly passed out as the ground faded beneath her. "HEEELLLPP" she yowled to the sky.

    "BRIARSTAR! no no come back!!" Shade tried to jump for her as the eagle grabbed her and lifted her away from him. "no No NO!!" He screamed "Why! Why did I let her get taken! These visions they are nothing but torture on my life" collapsing to the ground Shade Felt the weight of his gift upon his shoulders was too much to bear. 

    "Shade get up now, you know she will be fine, you have seen it. Don't cloud your mind." 

    Shade closed his eyes not wanting to listen "Mother you always say these  things, Why cant you ever come to me in good times?" 

    "Because you never let me in during good times Shadow Walker, You have always been a strong cat you don't need my help, but I see you do now. I promise you will see Briarstar again the Great eagle that picked her up is trustworthy, his white feathers show that, it is the Black eagle you must watch for... It will not be so forgiving. At this moment you need to scout the area and find the Burning water. Go now my son." 

    "As you say Mother" Shade dragged himself up and reluctantly began his walk towards the Red eyed mass blinking in the distance. 

    The eagle swooped into the tree dropping Briarstar among bones of mice and other small animals. She huddled into a corner the eagle turned to her and in a strange hissing voice spoke.

    "Fear not young one your bones will not join the ones in my nest." The eagle ruffled its pure White feathers taking a breath before continuing, "You have been called to the land of the red eyed mountain to be warned... that your ancestors are blind to something that needs to be seen, Starclan as you call it is only one side of a very strange stone. Just as good cats are, evil cats are also sent to the stars but they are sent to a place much like the land around my tree with sour air and no sun through a black sky. It is Called the Dark forest and if you choose to ignore it any longer....." 

    "Skreeechhhhhh" In a flutter of black and White another eagle entered the nest talons sharp and young reaching towards the white eagles neck. Only now could briarstar see the age in the White eagles appearance worn beak and claws, clouded eyes, this bird had no chance! Briarstar lunged at the black bird. 

    "No! Get down the tree before it's too late" The white bird hissed at Her apparently ready to fight for his its life.

    Whit that Briarstar raced to the hole in the tree and gasped at the sheer height she was at, "Oh Starclan guide my paws!" she yowled as she began her decent down the tree, black and white feathers fluttering to the ground below her. 

    Shade looked down over the cliff he had nearly fallen from while checking the surroundings, below him bright water red and bubbling up a greasy, sour smoke. He could feel the heat from the bright water and his heart skipped a beat thinking of falling into it, then he saw something two feathers drifting on a small breeze. A pure white one falling past him landing on the bright water he watched as it caught flame and turned to ash While the second landed at his paws Jet black as his own fur. His heart caught in his throat The white eagle had fallen and the Black eagle was here. He raced to the tree and saw a grey form half way along the trunk, "Oh the stars above! That can't be Briarstar!! please let her make it down safe." He picked up speed trying to make it to the tree before anything else could happen. As he made it to the tree he could almost reach Briarstar "Your almost to the bottom keep going!!" he called to her. 

    Just as he said the words she bounded down you meet him He was glad she was there "come on we need to leave now!!" He said hurriedly, Then a black shape swooped down from the Branch above the cats heads. Shade turned to Briarstar fear in his eyes sorrow heavy in his heart, "You need to run!! Briarstar you need to leave now don't look back no matter what keep running.... Do you understand me!" 

    "Wh-why what is going to happen..." Briarstar frantically searched Shades face for answers. 

    Shade touched his nose to her head softly then in the same instant shoved her to the side and closed his eyes as the great black eagle Dug its claws into his scruff and lifted him towards the red eyes of the mountain."This is my fate not hers she must live while I go among the stars." he thought as he let the bird lift him without resistance, this was the end of his vision the part he could not have told her He only hoped she would head his warning and run.

    Briarstar let out a silent scream as she watched the eagle take Shade from her; He had known this would happen, but she knew she would not loose him that easy the Black eagle would be followed by one fierce cat.  She raced toward the Red eyed mountain and saw as the great eagle perched on a cavern It shrieked in triumph and it just made Briarstar run faster. She Bolted to the edge of a cliff and saw the river of Bright water below, she would need to find another way to the Mountain. She scanned the edge of the cliff looking for any breaks in the Strange burning water and found it Spires of stone that led a path to a ledge near the eagles keep. 

    "This is going to be tricky" She tested her footing then jumped to the first spire its heat was almost too much to bear but she was too determined to care; she bounded to the next spire and the next till she was perched on the last bracing herself for the last jump her paws raw and soar, this jump was Longer than the rest and she hesitated a second to long her front paws scrabbling at the ledge her back legs flailing in the air. "Oh star clan why did I decide to ignore Shade... Well i guess its because I have come to love him but now I can't even climb up this cliff" she thought in vain. As she began to fall she felt soft talons on her scruff and she was lifted to the ledge of the cliff just a fox length from the Black eagles nest. 

    

    The White eagle landed next to her and collapsed his last breaths hissing from his beak, barely able to catch his words Briarstar listened to the Eagle who save her life "You are strong young one Live on and do what you must" With that his feathers stopped rising and his beak moved no more. Briarstar bent her head and thanked the White Bird, She would not loose this fight!

    She made the final leap the the Eagles nest and charged in her battle screech ringing through the cave. She was in shock at the silence of the cave. Her paw steps echoed in the dark and she used every sense she had to locate the Evil bird within. Then she felt the air above her change ahd she jumped up to snag the bid catching his Dirty feathers in her claws the bird screeched and fought hard beak and talons sharp and deadly. The bird raked her side with his claws and bit at the stump of her tail and back legs. She clawed through its feathers and snapped its fragile wing bones. The bird retaliated by grabbing her neck and opening her throat. Briarstar felt her life fade and she blacked out.

"You killed her!" Shade mewed breathless, eyes clouded with sorrow ... "She should not have come back this was not her fate."He watched as the bird crawled into a corner of the cave to rest itself Shade lay there not able to move, not able to go to the cat he loved. 

    "keep watching shade, it's not yet over" His mothers voice echoed in his mind ... What could she mean? 

    Briarstar Stood in Starclan one of her lives lost her ancestors all around her, from the crowed she saw all that had given her the nine lives she had. Her sister walked up to her, "mother said you would be visiting us soon, I didn't want to believe her but she was right." Petalkit touched noses with her sister giving her life again. 

    Briarstar cautiously opened her eyes she barely moved not wanting the great bird to know she lived. He was crouched in a corner sleeping "perfect" She rose slowly barely making any noise she tip toed till she was just a mouse length from the Black devil bird. In one leap she jumped and crushed the neck of the Black Eagle it screeched in pain before falling limp to the ground. 

    Briarstar Backed away from the dead bird scanning the cave for Shade. Then she saw him huddled against a wall his chest barely rising, "Shade, oh Shade what happened to you, What did that stupid bird do to you!?" She sobbed into the toms pelt not wanting to see the Dark pool that had formed beneath him.

    "Yo-Your alive But.. how I saw you there then now your up again..." Shade looked into the she cats eyes. His own mismatched eyes clouded with pain and sorrow, yet Briarstar could see also joy that she was alive.

    "In my clans we have 9 lives I just lost my first life I am still hurt but I'll be okay, I promise." Briarstar promised not wanting him to leave her not wanting this to be the end. 

    "Briarstar?" Shade called

    "Yes, Shade?"

    "Thank you.."

    "For what?" she asked

    "For loving me" He mewed with his last breath

    "There is nothing to thank you loved me first, I promise to love you forever till in starclan we can be together again." Briarstar Buried her head in his fur and stayed there till the warmth had left him. She could not bring his body across the spires to bury him, and no rocks stood in the cave to cover him with. She thought a long time on what to do then decided she would groom him then send him on a stick nest onto the burning water. It took her two days to make to over the spires with the sticks and vines then as she placed her love in the nest and set him in the burning water she mourned as the nest caught flame and the smoke rose to the Stars which on this night had been able to break through the grey smoke and ash. She watched as the last flames went out  then she felt a nudge on her shoulder she turned and saw Shade there In starlight. Her heart burst as he gave her ears one last lick before he bound away to the stars above.