Darkness Rising
Prologue
The full moon glitered in the dark of night. Two cats sat by a river and drank from the stream. All was quiet until another cat came bursting through the undergrowth. " There is something I need to tell you two." The cat was a ginger tom with green eyes.
" What do you want? You have to be careful around here. You could have slipped and fell in the stream and you are a Thunderclan cat, not a Riverclan." One of the other cats meowed. It was an old dark gray she-cat with dark amber eyes.
" Oh hush, Yellowfang. My apprentice needs to speak. Go ahead Firestar." The other cat mewed.
" Yes Bluestar. The four are gone. They disappeared from Lightclan." Firestar meowed.
'" What?!" The two she-cat's screamed in horror.
" It is not there time to fade away. We should fade away first before them." Bluestar meowed.
" But they are." Firestar bowed his head and meowed. " What could have happen to them?"
" Maybe the clans need them again." Yellowfang meowed. " They did save us once and they will save us again."
" What if they don't know they are the four anymore. They wouldn't even know each other." Bluestar mumbled.
" Have faith you three." A new voice spoke. " They will find each other again. I know it"
A black cat appeared from the bushes Firestar ran through. Her black coat was a dark silver in the moonlight. She jumped onto a rock and stood there waiting for someone to answer her.
" Yes Shadow. We trust you know. One of them was your daughter. Thank You." Firestar meowed.
" Good. Now I want to send a sign." Shadow mewed.
" To which one?" Bluestar meowed.
" My daughter." Shadow said confedently and looked up at the stars and moon.
Ch 1
I woke early in the morning. Heatherleg was eating at the fresh kill pile and Viperfang joined her in the short time I got up. My mom and dad were made for each other. Heatherleg was advenureous and the best part, she was the deputy. My father Viperfnag was cunning and a great warrior, but he kinda scares Lionkit, Yellowkit and me. I looked over at my brother and sister. They were still asleep, but Yellowkit's breathing was shallow.
I put my paw to her chest and could feel her heart pounding. I felt her head and it was burning hot. Her bright ginger fur raised slowly. I wailed and woke Lionkit, Treefern and Fishtail. Treefern's kit, Rainkit, and Fishtail's kit, Scarkit, woke to my screaming. " What's all that yelling for?" Treefern spat angerly.
" Yellowkit?" I whispered quietly and sat next to her.
Her whiskers twiched and then she mewed softly. " Help me."
My eyes grew wide. " Lionkit, go get Linchenpelt." He nodded and ran out of the nursery to get the Medicine cat.
" I'm sorry I yelled at you for screaming." Treefern mewed. " I didn't know."
I nodded stiffly and ran over to Rainkit and Scarkit, who were sitting with there mothers. " You two. Keep her warm."
" You're not the Medicine cat." Rainkit mewed stubbornly. " How do you know what to do?"
" I don't know what to do, but sit next to her!" I meowed angerly at the gray and white tabby.
Rainkit padded over to where Scarkit already lay. Yellowkit's breathing was getting shallower each moment. " Where is Lionkit?" I thought.
Suddenly, Lionkit ran inside with Linchenpelt on his heels. " Where is she?" Linchenpelt mewed, her blind eyes looking around. " I can't sense her." I push Rainkit and Scarkit out of the way and Linchenpelt ran to where Yellowkit's little body lay. She didn't move or even talk when Linchenpelt pressed on her chest. I gasped at what I saw. My little sister wasn't breathing anymore and she didn't even twich. " I'm sorry you two. She's dead."
I flung myself down onto my soft moss bedding. " Why?" I cryed. " Why did she die?"
Linchenpelt nudged me with her nose. " Only Lightclan knows those answers."
I opened up my ice blue eyes and slunk over to my parents. Heatherleg was crying on Viperfang's shoulder an Viperfang padded her back with his left paw. I looked over at the nursery and saw Linchenpelt pulling Yellowkit's limp body out into the open for the vigil. I padded over to where her dead body lay and touch my nose to her soft and fluffy pelt. My black tabby pelt shined in the moonlight as a silver figure stood in front of me. It was a young ginger she-cat. Her amber eyes looked at me and then she spoke. " I love you Shadowkit. I am a warrior now in Lightclan. My name is now Yellowpelt." She touched my nose and whispered. " I love you."
Ch 2
I woke the next morning to find a different body in the middle of camp. It was a brown tabby tom with one white paw. I gasped and whispered under my breath, " Birchstar." The leader of Twilight clan was dead. I ran into the Medicine den to ask Linchenpelt what happened. " What happened to Birchstar? Was he on his last life already?"
" He died of Whitecough. The first cat I have ever seen die of it. That should not be possible." Linchenpelt mewed. She looked at me with her blind eyes and spoke. " I'm sorry for many deaths that have happen in my clan. First it was Heronkit and Juniperkit. Then it was Bluelight. Now recently it has been Yellowkit and Birchstar, but Birchstar was the only one who died of Whitecough." She shook her head.
I tilted my head. " Don't be sad." I squeaked. My voice was still kitish even though I was 5 3/4 moons old. " You need to be strong." My voice started to quivered when I started to think of Yellowpelt. " Yellowpelt is fine."
" Yellowpelt?" Linchenpelt sounded confused.
" I spoke to her when she died. She said she was now Yellowpelt." I mewed. I looked around and thought about where my mother was. " Where's my mom?"
" She went to the Lightstone to get her nine lives. She will be called Heatherstar now." Her voice started to quiver. " That is because I couldn't save Birchstar from stupid Whitecough."
" Why didn't you go too?" I mewed.
" I sent Leopardfeather with her. I needed to stay here and clean Birchstar's body for his burial." She meowed. " Now please leave me to do that duty." She padded out into the clearing.
I shrugged and went back into the nursery. The only cat that was in there was Lionkit. He sat in the corner of the nursery mumbleing stuff I couldn't hear. " Lionkit?" I meowed.
" Birchstar is dead. Yellowkit is dead. Soon we will be dead." His voice grew louder and he repeated the sentences over and over again.
" No we won't!" I couldn't take anymore of his nonsense. " What are you talking about?"
He turned to me. His eyes were red from crying and his claws where unsheathed. " Birchstar is dead. Yellowkit is dead. Soon we will be dead." He repeat the same quote.
" We won't die." I growled at him.
" Yes we will." He padded closer to me. " We moved from the lake before we were born. Blackstar was right about we should never have been at the Lake. Twolegs destroyed the lake like they did the forest. How do you know they won't do the same here?"
" What are you saying? The only cats who died were that no good Mousefur, Purdy and a bunch of other Elders that we didn't need." I mewed back to him.
" Yes, but after the Great War the clans were so small that they split up into groups of loners and rogues. The only reason we are here is because of the Twolegs, if not we would've been rogues or loners." Lionkit retorted.
" Lionkit. We are decendants of Thunderclan and Heatherstar is a desendant of the legendary Firestar." I flicked his ear with my paw. " We will suvive."
" Sure." He padded outside of the nursery and over to the fresh-kill pile.
I shook my head. He was acting so paranoid, it was scary. Viperfang then padded in. " What is my sweet darling doing in here alone? Your mother and I have been have thinking about who you should have as your mentor and we have deicided on Wolfclaw. Lionkit will be getting me as his mentor."
I love Wolfclaw. When Viperfang was out hunting or on a border patrol, Wolfclaw would act as my father and be really funny. He was great and I loved him. " Thanks." I squeaked.
I padded outside and found out it was getting dark already, but it was by clouuds. It was gooing to ran. I ran over to the Leadser's den and hid in there for shealter. Birchstar's scent was still very strong. I sat in his moss bedding and snuggled down. I let his scent envelope my nostrols and I fell asleep.
Ch 3
I woke to have a moon greet me instead of the bright yellow sun. I paniced and felt a flick of a tail on my shoulder. I looked behind me to see a black cat with amber eyes. Her eyes sparkled in the moonlight. She reminded me of myself, but she smelled of Shadowclan. I rose to my paws and tried to leap at her, but her reflexes were to quick. She leaped in front of me. Her amber gaze was fixed on me and I couldn't turn from her. " Once again the four shall come together. The three animals and thier shadow." The black cat started to fade after say the words.
I woke again in Birchstar's den, but Heatherleg had curled up next to me. " Heatherleg?" I squealed.
She opened her eyes and meowed back. " It's Heatherstar now honey. What would you like?"
" Is it almost Sun-high?" I mewed.
" Why yes it is." Heatherstar leaped onto the Twirock and began the meeting. " All cats old enough to catch their own prey, please meet me under the Twirock for a clan meeting. "
Cats started to gather around. I knew what was happening. Mine and Lionkit's apprentice's ceremony. I ran out in front of the cats. I stumbled on Rainkit's paw as I ran. I glared at her because I knew she did it on pupose. She was only a half moon younger than I. She would get her turn.
" I gather you here today for an apprentice ceremony. Lionkit and Shadowkit, do you take on the responsebility of being an apprentice?" Heatherstar meowed from atop the Twirock.
" Yes." We mewed.
" Then from this day forward until you ern your Warrior names, you shall be known as Lionpaw and Shadowpaw. Wolfclaw, You have shown much bravery. You will be Shadowpaw's mentor. Viperfang, you have showed great endurance. You shall be Lionpaw's mentor." Heatherstar meowed.
I ran over to Wolfclaw. As I ran over, he collided with me. I laughed and got up, but I could see he meant to do it. Wolfclaw had two kits, but his mate, Jaypelt, died alogn with his kits. I was the only thing he held close to his heart even though we aren't even related. He used to be a loner before he came to Twilightclan. Birchstar took him in and he become my somewhat other dad. I still love him as my dad.
' So, how was your Leaf-fall?" He asked me while he got up.
" How was yours?" I laughed.
" What would you like to do first?" He asked me.
" Could you wait a moment? I need to ask Linchenpelt something." I mewed. He nodded and I padde into the Medicine Den. Leopardfeather was sleeping, but Linchenpelt was sorting herbs. " Linchenpelt, may I asked you something?" I asked.
She turned form sorting herbs and nodded. " What is it?"
" I had a dream last night from a black she-cat with amber eyes. She smelt of Shadowclan and told me that the four shall come together again. The animals and their shadow." I mewed.
She gasped. " That was Shadow. The founder of Shadowclan. That must mean that the four of legend are back to ridden us of another huge threat to the clans."
I ran back outside and again into Wolfclaw. " WE should stop meeting like this." He moeowed.
I laughed. " Yep. Can we go see the teretory now?"
" Sure." He mewed and ran out through the moss cave.
Ch 4
