Falling Shadows

'''I hope you like my fan fic. Comment on it below on how you feel about it. I will make a gallery with artwork of the characters and such. Thank you and leave a message on my talk page. Blackstar | The Leader's Den | Sharing Tongues 14:12, August 2, 2011 (UTC)'''

Blackpaw woke up in a dark, unknown place. He looked around to see if there was any sort of light. "Where am I?" he asked himself.

"You're trapped here too?" came a voice from behind him. He turned around to see a orange tomcat with black stripes along his pelt. A light flashed behind him and lit up where he was sitting. Great StarClan! he thought, I'm in a two-leg nest!

Prolouge
Night fell on a large clearing around the lake. The moon was bright and Silverpelt revealed a rocky hollow. At the bottom, lies a pool that reflected the stars in the sky. The air was filled with the scents of newleaf. The calm breeze over the pool gently swayed the water in it. The light revealed a slender, dark tortoiseshell she-cat with a dappled coat. She flicked her tail and, as if it were a signal, more cats filled the clearing. Four cats walked up to join the she-cat. One was a blue-gray she-cat, one was a tortoiseshell tom with a ginger tail, one was a gray tom with battle-scarred ears, and the last one was a black tom with a twisted paw.

“May I speak Bluestar?” asked the tortoiseshell she-cat to the blue-gray she-cat.

“You may,” answered Bluestar.

She stepped forward. “Great danger is coming to the lake. A clan outside of the territories will come to claim the Clans,” meowed the tortoiseshell cat, “Two cats will be chosen to stop this danger. She and approve my choices.” Looking down at the pool, two kits appeared sleeping in their nests. One was a black tom with white paws and underbelly, the other was gray she-cat with brown and black stripes.

“Them!” meowed the gray tom, “Spottedleaf, can’t you choose two others?”

“No Stonefur,” Spottedleaf replied, “These are my choices.”

“But-,” Stonefur began, but was cut off by the tortoiseshell tom.

“Don’t argue Stonefur, it is Spottedleaf’s decision.”

“Redtail’s right,” meowed the black tom, “It’s Spottedleaf’s choice.” Soon the meows of different cats filled the hollow. They wondered and asked each other about Spottedleaf’s decision. Some stayed quiet and nodding to her showing that they approved her choice. “Silence!” a loud yell rang out from the hollow. The voices died down and turned their attention to Spottedleaf again.

“Thank you Redtail and Deadfoot,” she mewed, “Bluestar what do you think?”

“Well I’m not really sure,” Bluestar hesitated, “I need to think about.”

“But there is no time to think!” Deadfoot howled.

“Don’t forget Bluestar, one of them is your kin,” Spottedleaf meowed softly.

Bluestar hesitated and for a second. “Then I agree with the decision. Does StarClan approve?” asked Bluestar. The cats of StarClan nodded and meowed their approval of Spottedleaf’s choice. “Cats of StarClan, you’re voices have been heard! We will wait until this danger ends,” Bluestar’s voice rang out. The cats began to separate with still some that were uneasy about the decision, leaving only Bluestar and Spottedleaf alone in the clearing.

Chapter One
Blackkit woke up from his sleep. He stood up and stretched his legs while he looked around the nursery. He noticed Hawkkit stirring in her nest. He walked over to her and meowed, “Good morning.” Hawkkit looked up at him. “Good morning, Blackkit,” replied Hawkkit. He watched Hawkkit walk outside and he followed her out. He walked over to the fresh-kill pile and picked up a mouse. He turned around and smelled a disgusting scent on the roof of his mouth. What is that scent coming from? he thought. He continued walking over to where Hawkkit was sitting. Blackkit looked back at the nursery to see his sister, Starkit, standing at the entrance with her nose up. He stopped watching and continued to walk over to Hawkkit. When he reached her, Starkit ran in front of him, “Blackkit, put that mouse down!” she ordered.

“Why?” he asked.

“Just do it!” she howled. Blackkit obeyed and he dropped the mouse. He watched as Starkit unsheathed her claws and lifted her paw. Her paw came down and sliced the mouse open to reveal white worms living in his stomach. Blackkit’s stomach churned at the sight.

“That’s disgusting!” Hawkkit meowed. Jayfeather came out of his den and walked over to them.

“Good job, Starkit,” he praised, “Who did you take that from?” Blackkit knew he wouldn’t have known because he’s blind, but that didn’t stop him from being a great medicine cat. “Blackkit,” meowed Hawkkit. “Well, then you just saved him from a nasty stomach ache,” Jayfeather told Starkit.

“Thank you, Jayfeather,” Starkit mewed, her voice trembling with pride. He looked around the camp to see it bustling with activity. Blackkit looked towards the entrance to see the dawn patrol containing; Cloudtail, Lionblaze, Sandstorm, Berrynose, Ferncloud, and lead by Brambleclaw, come back. Looking closely, he saw claw marks in their fur and they were covered with blood. He turned toward the Highledge to see Firestar come out of his den and run towards the patrol. “What happened?” he asked Brambleclaw.

“We were attacked by a ShadowClan patrol heading for the camp,” explained Brambleclaw, “I’m guessing they wanted to take as much territory as possible by driving us out.”

“Well it’s not going to happen!” Cloudtail howled.

“It won’t,” Firestar told his nephew. Blackkit wanted to rip the fur off of all of the ShadowClan cats that were coming here. He watched Firestar climb to the top of the Highledge and call a clan meeting. “All cats old enough to catch their own prey, come below the Highledge for a clan meeting,” Firestar’s voice rang out through out the clearing. Blackkit raced over to his mother, Eaglewing, who had originally come from RiverClan. He looked next to her to see his father, Lionblaze, talking to her. Since he was not paying attention, Blackkit rammed into Redkit and knocked him over.

“Hey!” Redkit meowed. Blackkit put his paws up, ready for a play-fight, but his mom stopped them.

“Stop fooling around and pay attention to Firestar,” Eaglewing ordered. Blackkit looked up at Firestar and listened.

“ShadowClan is coming to attack the camp. We must be ready to defend it as well as we can. We must get all the kits, queens, and elders in the nursery-,” Firestar explained before getting cut-off by the howling of the ShadowClan cats. Quickly thinking, Blackkit raced to the nursery and almost tripping over himself several times before getting inside. He stood inside and waited for everyone to get in. He saw Redkit, Starkit, Sunkit, Eaglewing, Daisy, and the other queens and elders get inside. Everyone was inside except for one, Hawkkit. He looked outside to see her scrambling towards the nursery. Then, the ShadowClan cats attacked. Blackkit watched nervously as Hawkkit dodged the battling cats and made it to the nursery.

“You made it!” Sunkit exclaimed. Before they thought they were safe, a dark-brown ShadowClan cat walked in the nursery.

“Kits to take,” meowed the ShadowClan cat.

“Over my dead body!” howled Eaglewing. He watched as his mom fought the ShadowClan cat as best she could. “You will never take my kits Darkclaw!” Eaglewing hissed at the attacker.

“We’ll see about that,” Darkclaw hissed back. Blackkit moved back a step and continued to watch them fight. However, Darkclaw overpowered Eaglewing and brought her down. Darkclaw turned towards them, his eyes filled with anger and hatred.

“Don’t underestimate us,” Redkit hissed at Darkclaw.

“And don’t think we’re scared,” Blackkit put in.

“I’ll do and think whatever I want,” Darkclaw meowed curtly. Blackkit jumped on Darkclaw with his claws unsheathed. He held on as much as he could and biting Darkclaw’s neck while doing it. He felt his grip loosening as Darkclaw tried to shake him off. Redkit, Hawkkit, and Sunkit came to help, but it was too late. Blackkit lost his grip and was flung through the air and Darkclaw slashed him and sent him spinning.

He hit the nursery wall and fell. He tried to get up, but only to fall down again. He looked at his shoulder to see a gash with blood pouring out of it. “Help!” he yowled with agony. Nobody came. He looked at Darkclaw who was fighting his friends and some of the queens and elders.

“Help! Starkit, help!” he called. Starkit raced over to him.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Get Jayfeather, I have a serious injury,” he explained. Without a reply from Starkit, he watched her race out of the nursery. He looked at his injury again. Please don't let me die! He thought. He looked back at the battling cats to see them drive Darkclaw away and mewling like a kit. Blackkit released a sigh of relief. Hawkkit and Redkit raced over to him. “Thank you,” he mewed quietly.

“We better get you to Jayfeather and fast,” Redkit meowed. Hawkkit walked over to Blackkit’s injured side and pushed on it. Blackkit tried to fight the pain and pushed up. After a little effort, he stood up, but he was exhausted and leaned against Hawkkit.

“Come on, let’s go,” Hawkkit meowed. Blackkit walked toward the entrance with the aid of Hawkkit at his side. They made their way to the medicine cat’s den and then Blackkit realized that the battle had stopped. They entered the den and he laid himself down on the nearest nest.

“Jayfeather! Blackkit’s severely injured!” Hawkkit yowled.

“Let me look at him,” Jayfeather meowed. And then Blackkit didn’t hear anything else and fell asleep.

Chapter Two
Blackkit opened his eyes to see a black clearing. He stood up, the pain in his shoulder gone. “Hello?” he asked, “Is anyone here?” He walked forward not knowing what lies ahead. Then, a blue-gray she-cat appeared in front of him. “Who are you?” he asked the cat.

“I am Bluestar, I was leader of ThunderClan before Firestar became leader,” Bluestar explained.

“Where am I?” Blackkit asked, “Am I in StarClan?”

“You ask too many questions,” Bluestar purred, “No, but I have come to give you a message.” He stared at her with excitement and anticipation. “Great danger is coming to the lake and only black and hawk can stop it,” she meowed. Blackkit’s excitement turned into despair.

“What do you mean?” he asked, “Why are you telling me this?”

“All will be revealed my kin,” Bluestar meowed before disappearing.

“Wait! What do you mean by ‘my kin?” Blackkit asked, but it was useless. Blackkit woke up from his dream to see Hawkkit next to him with a relieved look.

“Thank StarClan, you’re still alive,” she exclaimed, “I thought you weren’t going to make it.” Blackkit felt her ram herself in him. They started to play-fight, but Jayfeather saw them.

“Hey stop fooling around and go outside for your ceremony,” Jayfeather ordered them.

“I almost forgot we’re becoming apprentices today!” Hawkkit meowed. I forgot all about that, Blackkit thought. They raced outside and stood next to Redkit, Sunkit, and Starkit. Jayfeather walked out of his den and sat under the Highledge. Firestar started the ceremony.

“This sunhigh, we gather to name five new apprentices. Step forward.” Blackkit and his friends walked forward beneath the Highledge. He wondered what mentor he would get. He would be grateful to get either Firestar or Brambleclaw, but what chance would he get being their apprentices. Firestar walked up to him.

“From this day forward, until he has earned his warrior name, this apprentice will be called Blackpaw,” Firestar announced, “And I will take Blackpaw as my own apprentice.” Joy filled Blackpaw so much that he tried to contain it. He touched noses with his mentor and watched Firestar as he announced his friends and littermates. Hawkkit became Hawkpaw and her mentor is Sandstorm, Redkit became Redpaw and his mentor is Brambleclaw, and Sunkit became Sunpaw and her mentor is Squirrelflight. Firestar stopped at Sunkit, leaving only Starkit to have her mentor. Blackpaw watched as Jayfeather took Firestar’s place and announced, “I am the only medicine cat in ThunderClan and it is time for me to take an apprentice. Until she has become a full medicine cat, Starkit will be known as Starpaw.” Blackpaw was filled with joy that they were all apprentices now. He looked at his friends as they walked down from the rock and walked toward the apprentices den.

“Blackpaw! Hawkpaw! Redpaw! Sunpaw! Starpaw!” everyone cheered.

Blackpaw was stopped by Bearpaw, his good friend from the days when Bearpaw was in the nursery. “It’s good to see that you’re an apprentice now. We can train together!” Bearpaw exclaimed. Blackpaw saw that he was still a little kit inside. “I visited you when you were in the nursery,” Bearpaw continued, “I thought you were going to die from those injuries, but you pulled through it.”

“Yeah,” Blackpaw agreed. When Bearpaw spoke about seeing him in the nursery made him remember his dream. The message kept repeating in his head, “Great danger is coming to the lake and only black and hawk can stop it.” What does it mean?, he asked himself.

Chapter Three
Blackpaw looked around the camp to see that everyone was busy. He walked over to the fresh-kill pile and picked up a chaffinch and sat down. When he finished, he started to walk over to the apprentices den. Before he could move he heard, “Blackpaw come over here.”

It was Firestar. He walked over to where Firestar was. He saw Redpaw, Hawkpaw and Sunpaw with their mentors. “What are we doing?” he asked enthusiastically.

“We’re going to show you around the territory,” Firestar answered.Blackpaw was filled with excitement; he was going to go outside the camp for the first time. He didn’t keep Firestar waiting and followed him out. He ran up to Redpaw and his mentor. “Do you think we’ll see the Ancient Oak?” he asked Redpaw.

“I hope so! I want to climb it!” Redpaw mewed. Blackpaw was surprised by Redpaw’s sudden enthusiasm. They came up to a stream and walked along it. “Smell there air,” Brambleclaw meowed.

“What’s that smell?” Hawkpaw asked.

“That’s WindClan scent, remember it and remember that the stream is the border,” Brambleclaw mewed. They turned around and headed toward the Ancient Oak. Before they finished turning around, they heard a voice calling them.

"Hey Firestar!" the voice called. Blackpaw looked at Firestar, which he turned around to see who it was.

"Onestar, I didn't expect to see you," Firestar meowed.

"I know, I heard what happened two days ago and wanted to see if everyone was fine," Onestar said with concern in his voice.

"Everyone is fine, except for Longtail, who died fighting a ShadowClan warrior that entered the nursery."

"Not Longtail, he was a good warrior and we will miss him."

"Well, we best be going. We are showing the new apprentices around the territory," Sandstorm told Onestar.

"Alright, sorry if I was holding you up," Onestar apoligized.

"It's alright, I'm glad you were concerned about our Clan," Brambleclaw meowed.

"Anything to help an old friend. Alright, I'm heading back to camp, see you at the Gathering," Onestar mewed his goodbye.

Blackpaw was wondering how Firestar knew Onestar so well and was a friend. He shook the idea out of his head and continued walking with the group. He walked next to Hawkpaw and they walked silently through the forest until they reached the Ancient Oak. It was a tall, strong tree that gre at the edge of the lake.

“This is the Ancient Oak,” meowed Sandstorm.

“It’s huge!” Sunpaw yowled.

“Did you know Mousetail climbed up the tree to catch a squirrel,” Sandstorm mewed.

“What happened?” Blackpaw asked.

“Cinderheart climbed up after him and tried to bring him back down. However, she fell and broke her leg,” Sandstorm explained.

“Well at least she’s alright,” meowed Redpaw.

“Yeah, especially now that she has Bearpaw to train,” Firestar purred amusingly, “Alright, let’s head for the ShadowClan border.”

When they were near the border, Blackpaw remembered the awful smell of crowfood from Darkclaw, the ShadowClan cat that attacked the nursery. "It seems, you remember the smell Blackpaw," Firestar meowed.

"Yeah and I will never forget it," Blackpaw replied.

"Good," Firestar purred. Then his expression of amusement turned to anger when they reached the border. "ShadowClan moved into our territory," He announced.

"How dare they!" Squirrelflight hissed.

"We'll kick the fresh ShadowClan marks and put our own on the actual border. I'll mention this at the Gathering in two days," Firestar meowed.

After they finished removing the ShadowClan markers and put their own, they headed back to camp. Blackpaw was looking around the forest, seeing chipmunks, squirrels and mice. He looked left and saw an orange tail sticking out behind a bush. I wonder what that is he thought. He walked around the opposite side of it.

"Blackpaw! Get away from there! There's a fox!" Sandstorm meowed warningly. Blackpaw began walking back slowly hoping that he didn't startle it. When he was back with the group they continued walking toward the camp. Blackpaw was bewildered why the fox didn't attack. That's just another mystery in his head.

Chapter Four
Hawkpaw walked back into camp with Blackpaw right next to her. She was worried that the fox could have attacked him and she thanked StarClan it didn't. Blackpaw, Redpaw, Sunpaw and herself walked to the apprentices den to relax.

"I can't wrap my head around why the fox didn't attack me," Blackpaw meowed, breaking the silence.

"Well at least it didn't," Redpaw replied.

"You could have been killed," Hawkpaw meowed with concern.

"And I don't want to lose my only brother," Sunpaw mewed.

"I'm pretty sure Firestar is going to call a meeting about the fox and ShadowClan moving into our territory," Blackpaw meowed. Hawkpaw nodded her head in agreement. They heard a howl outside and they knew that Firestar was calling a meeting. Hawkpaw walked out into the clearing and looked for a place to sit down. She saw Wildpaw, her friend from her days in the nursery.

"Wildpaw!" she exclaimed.

"Hawkpaw. It's good to see you," Wildpaw walked toward her.

"Where should we sit?" she asked Wildpaw.

"Right where I was sitting would be fine."

They walked over to where Wildpaw was previously sitting. They sat down and looked up at the highledge. Firestar stood on top, waiting for everyone to fill the clearing.

"While my group; Brambleclaw, Sandstorm, Squirrelflight and myself were showing the new apprentices the territory we found ShadowClan markers in our territory," he announced.

"How dare they!" Cloudtail hissed.

"We got rid of the markers and placed our own on the correct border," Firestar continued obviously ignoring his nephew, "While we were heading back Blackpaw found a fox behind a bush, however the fox did not attack. It could have been sleeping, so patrols keep a look out for that fox." Everyone seperated however, Hawkpaw was thinking about what he said. Blackpaw walked right over ot the fox out of curiosity, not just because he saw it and told Firestar, she thought, Maybe he didn't want to make Blackpaw look bad, after all Blackapw is related to Firestar and is his own apprentice.

"Hawkpaw, are you okay?" Wildpaw asked breaking Hawkpaw out of her thoughts.

"I'm fine Wildpaw, just thinking. Thank you," Hawkpaw meowed. She padded over to the apprentices den to find Blackpaw, Redpaw and Sunpaw asleep already. She laid down, closed her eyes and fell asleep. A little later, Hawkpaw opened her eyes to see an empty, black clearing. She looked in front of her and saw a dark tortoiseshell she-cat with a beautiful dapple coat.

"Who are you?" she asked the cat.

"I am Spottedleaf. I have a message for you," the cat meowed. Hawkpaw sat up and listened.

"Great danger coming to the lake and only black and hawk can stop it," Spottedleaf meowed the vague message.

"What are telling me, what is it telling?" Hawkpaw asked Spottedleaf.

"The secrets will be revealed in the future young one," Spottedleaf said before she disappeared. Hawkpaw was left in the clearing thinking about the message. If hawk means me, than black means Blackpaw, she thought, but what could the danger be?

"Hawkpaw! Wake up!" she heard before opening her eyes. She saw Blackpaw standing over her.

"You were mewing in your sleep, but I geuss I know why," Blackpaw meowed.

"What do you mean Blackpaw?" she asked as she stood up.

"The message, Hawkpaw, 'Great danger is coming to the forest and only black and hawk can stop it.' Hawkpaw we are the black and the hawk. We just don't know what the danger is," Blackpaw explained.

"Should we tell Firestar?" Hawkpaw asked.

"No, it doesn't seem right to and we shouldn't tell anyone else," Blackpaw told her.

"Alright, lets go and get something to eat," she offered Blackpaw.

"That sounds fine," Blackpaw agreed with her.

Chapter Five
''Coming Soon! Don't worry!''