Episode Two, Season One of Dreams, Hope and Loss.
Looming Anger[]
Dash slowly woke up as morning light streamed into the den, and he got up and straightened his back as he caught a glimpse of the rising sun that swirled with orange, red, pink and yellow. The colours were as vibrant as the moon. Dash stepped out of his nest quietly as his sister Rose slept snugly in hers.
He snuck through Moss and Amaranth's nests, and noticed that Amaranth's nest was empty. Dash stared at it in confusion, and shrugged off the feeling as he continued to walk onwards.
Once he got out, he decided to investigate what his message meant. You have potential, but don't go down rocky paths... Potential.. The potential to be great. "I need to avoid... troubles?"
Don't let twisted alchemy and dark magic cloud your thoughts... Twisted alchemy? Dark magic? Why would that be a threat in the home of The Protectors? Dash vowed that his thoughts will never be clouded and he'll always be his true self.
Otherwise, all there will be left will be loss at your paws. "I don't want to lose ANYONE!" Dash shouted out loud.
The commotion woke up Moss, who glanced over Amaranth's nest. "Oh, Mum must already be up." She mumbled, and she quietly slipped out of her nest. She finally got out, and spotted Dash. She quietly gasped and thought, What's he doing here?! She sat quietly and watched curiously..
"Ugh, I'll never figure out what it means! This message is pointless, Rose and Moss probably are smarter then me." Dash sighed and sat down while Moss quietly watched, not moving a single part of her body. "I'll keep trying, but I doubt I'll get something out of it..."
Moss softly sighed, feeling pity for her brother. "I think I'll just take a walk to relax a bit.." Dash muttered, getting up to his paws and sprinting off.
Dash jogged through the forest, trying to keep his mind off the message. He leapt over the river, until he reached an unfamiliar spot. It was a mysterious den, with bamboo walls and the entrance was a giant boulder with a giant hole in the middle, with darkness filling it up.
"Huh, what's this?" He mumbled to himself. He gasped with shock when he realised what it was. "I think it must be Shiver's den! Mum said that he lived somewhere around here..." Dash did not notice the mysterious figure slipping into view behind him. A sudden growl shocked Dash as he whipped around to be face to face with none other then Shiver himself! Shiver was a scrawny blue-grey tom with a beige belly and grey patches, with slitted, glinting yellow eyes that were glaring straight at him.
"What are you doing here?" Shiver growled, his yellow eyes glimmering in the dimness.
"Um..." Dash mumbled, staring uncertainly at Shiver. "I was just going for a run in the forest..."
"Well, don't snoop around my den." Shiver snapped as he disappeared into the shadows. "Uh, of course!" Dash called as he vanished. He dashed away immediately.
Later that day...
Rose and Dash were grinning each other in happiness, until Tiger, the leader of The Protectors, stepped in view. Tiger had an orange coat with a white belly, muzzle, and paws with black tabby stripes and a black tail tip and he said, "Hello Rose and Dash." Rose gasped in shock and Dash stammered, "T-Tiger?!" Tiger laughed lightly, "Yes, it's me. But, I have serious news concerning you both."
"What?" Rose asked.
"You do?" Dash said.
"Yes. You have your messages thus you'll soon be apprentices. Moss will have her ceremony very soon but... Yours will be delayed for certain reasons." Tiger explained, as the two siblings gasped in unison.
"But why?!" Rose whined. Tiger took a deep breath,
"Well... I don't mean to create any rivalry between you two but... It's around time that I take on an apprentice myself. I can only have one though, and I can't decide between both of you. Whoever becomes my apprentice will be the future leader." Tiger explained.
"Oh..." Dash mumbled.
"I've already informed your mother and she asked me that I tell you. That is all." Tiger meowed and turned around to leave them.
"Yeah, thanks for letting us know." Rose said. She turned to Dash and said, "You hear that?"
"Mhm." Dash responded.
"One of us is gonna be the next leader of The Protectors! And it's NOT gonna be you!" Rose giggled as she play tackled Dash, forcing a gasp out of him. Dash rolled out from under her weight, causing Rose to fall with an "Oof!" Dash slowly walked up to her and nudged her, "Rose, are you okay?"
She instantly leaped up and knocked Dash away. "Haha, you fell for the oldest trick EVER!" Rose laughed, and Dash got her back by playfully batting her down to the ground and pinned her.
"Haha, now I win!" He hissed.
"Aww." Rose whimpered.
"It's ok, you did well." Dash said.
"Thanks." Rose mumbled as she got up from the ground and smiled. "But I'm still the future leader!"
"HEY!" Dash snarled.
That same night...
Amaranth sat down in Rose and Dash's den and curled her tail around her paws. "Alright, it's about time you two get rest." She said gently.
"Ok, mum." Dash yawned.
"Did Tiger tell you about the news?" She asked. Both siblings nodded and Amaranth smiled. "Good!"
"So, mum, who do you think Tiger's apprentice will be?" Rose asked, with a smirk lighting up her face.
"Well..." Amaranth looked down.
"It's gonna be me, right?" Rose boasted.
"What? No! It's gonna be ME!" Dash retorted.
"You wanna bet on it?" Rose hissed.
"ENOUGH!" Amaranth snarled. "I DO NOT WANT YOU TWO FIGHTING OVER IT, GOT IT?!"
"Yeah, whatever." Rose mumbled, as she glared at Dash.
"Fine." Dash muttered.
"Now, you two get some sleep." Amaranth said sternly. "Goodnight Rose and Dash."
"'Night." The two said in unison.
Amaranth slipped out as she left her kits to fall asleep.
"Pst, Dash? I'm still going to be Tiger's apprentice." Rose taunted.