The Fallen Warrior: Part 1

A new series I decided to write :) FYI: I may or may not write Part 2 of this series, it depends on my mood and how much feedbackI get. Just warning you early on, so if you like the story, let me know :) Aight, here it is 216.126.181.191 22:56, July 18, 2011 (UTC)

Prologue:
"Mother?"

"Yes, Jaykit?"

"How do we know StarClan is real?"

My mother looked at me calmly. Her yellow eyes flashed when moonlight streaming from the leaves on the den hit them.

"Cats have seen StarClan Warriors before," she told me.

"Couldn't they have lied? Or just imagined that they saw StarClan cats?" I asked.

She looked away and shifted her weight to her other side.

"I suppose so. But I choose not to think that," she responded.

"How can you believe in StarClan? How can you have such blind faith in what cats say?" I asked vehemently.

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. A small breeze fluttered her gray tabby fur.

"I don't have faith in what others say. No," she began, "I have faith in StarClan. And I know that one day..."

She looked at me, emotion sparking in her eyes.

"...You will too."

Chapter 1:
I stalked across camp, ready to claw the face off of anyone who dared to look at me funny.

"Jaytalon?"

I whipped around, tail lashing, claws unsheathed. Brightkit stood there, wide-eyd and fur bristled slightly. I relaxed and sheathed my claws.

"Hey-o, Jaytalon," Brightkit meaowed and nuzzled my chest fondly.

I purred and nuzzled my brother back.

"Why were you upset?" he asked, looking up at me with his big yellow eyes.

"Ah, just a bad day," I told him.

He blinked and shook out his light gray fur. He sat back and began grooming his paw.

"It'll be okay," he told me.

I sat down and gazed around the ShadowClan camp. The sun was setting, and it cast a yellow orange glow that filtered through the pine trees' needle leaves.

"What a beautiful sunset," I heard Brightkit murmur.

I squinted into the sunlight, feeling my pelt prickle as it warmed my fur.

"The healthiness and peacefulness of the Clan makes it seem so much more beautiful," I whispered.

"Yes... StarClan has blessed us this season," Brightkit stated.

I stiffened slightly and stayed silent. I could feel Brightkit's eyes on me now.

"Jaytalon?"

"Yes?" I asked stupidly, knowing full well what he was going to ask.

"Don't you agree?"

I looked back at my younger brother, who was looking up at me, waiting patiently for an answer. He knew full well where this answer would lead, yet has chosen to ask anyway.

"... Sure sure," I replied and looked again into the sun.

"... You still don't believe," he stated quietly.

"No, and I'd rather not."

"Why not?"

"Because if StarClan were real, why didn't they answer our prayers to save Father?" I spoke.

"It was his time to go. There was nothing left for him in this world," Brightkit answered simply.

I looked back at him. He was staring into the sunlight, then he looked up into the sky, and smiled to himself.

"You can see stars now," he said.

I silently thanked him for not pushing the issue. I looked up at the blue-black sky, and the stars twinkled down at me. A small streak of light flashed across the sky. I felt Brightkit move over next to me, and I wrapped my tail around him. His fur was still kit soft, and I smiled when I remembered the moment he was born, how happy I was to finally have a brother of my own.

"They say the fast falling stars are the spirits of dieing Warriors," Brightkit told me.

I nodded, humoring him and his belief. Another streak of light appeared in the sky. It was slow, and burned brightly like a flame.

"And those?" I asked.

"Those are rare. They say those are StarClan Warriors falling from StarClan, either accidentally, or, more likely, they have been exiled," he explained.

We watched until the streak disappeared on the horizon. I felt a sudden chill and shivered.

"Fallen Warriors of StarClan," he whispered.

Chapter 2:
*Moments earlier, near StarClan...

A deep red, feathery furred deep red she-cat flung herself, hissing furiously, at a tom. Other cats hisssed and cheered on rock outcroppings along the inside edges of a sandy pit. In this pit, the red she-cat fights the tom. The cats on the rocks radiate danger, evil, and sin, and their eyes hold a wild light as they cheer on the two cats. They exchange mice, betting on who would be the victor. The she-cat pulls away, shoulders hunched and head low, and stalks around the tom, who hisses at her. A low growl resonates from her throat. The tom whipes away foamy spit from his mouth and whiskers. The red she-cat stops, hackles raised. There is no blood from the two cats. They are already dead.

"Firebird!" a cat yowls.

All noise stops. All cats look up as one to see the owner of the voice. The cat is standing at the top of the pit, the moon at it's back and silhouetting it in such a way that they could not recognize the cat. Regardless, the betting cats flee up along the rocks, up over the rim, and into the shadows. The red she-cat remains, standing tall. Her eyes, orange at the center, yellow at the edge, and blended together where the two colors meet, are guarded as she stares up at the cat.

"Bluestar?" she calls.

"Yes, Firebird. Come here," the cat says.

Firebird climbs the rocks, and follows Bluestar into the trees.

"You have gone and affiliated yourself with Warriors of the Dark Forest! You should be punished!"

"I was only-"

" 'I was only this,' 'I was only that.' That's all we ever hear from you, Firebird!" Thunderstar hissed.

Firebird lowered her head. StarClan cats were gathered around her and the former ThunderClan leader, watching.

"I knew you and your mother back in the old Clans, when you were just a kit. You were always a trouble maker. Why haven't you changed? How do you think this makes Windstar feel?"

Firebird looked over at her mother, the former WindClan leader. She looked back at Thunderstar.

"You have everything here in StarClan. Why can't you be happy?"

"StarClan is so boring! There's nothing to do but sit around!! All I was doing was finding something to stimulate my mind, my reflexes!!" Firebird exclaimed, trying to make him see sense.

"You could hunt!" Thunderstar hissed.

"I've tried that! It's boring, and frankly, too easy here!!"

"Well," Thunderstar growled, "then how about we put you where it won't be so easy, where you'll hunt and fight out of necessity?"

Firebird's eyes widened. She looked over at her mother with pleading, apologetic eyes. Windstar simply shook her head and looked away. Firebird turned her gaze back to Thunderstar.

"... No... You can't..."

"Firebird, I hearby exile you from StarClan, back to the earth. If you can somehow prove to us that you've changed and are worthy of StarClan, you may come back," Thunderstar decreed.

"What if I die?"

"You have four lives. If you grow old, you will be reborn from the earth again at this age. If you are slain in battle, you will simply come back to life in the state you were in before death. If your lives are up, and you have yet to prove yourself, you join your friends in the Dark Forest."

"... N-no... No, you can't-!"

Chapter 3:
(To be continued)