Warrior Cats: Forest of Blood

Prologue

   "StarClan, stand your ground!" A black tom hissed.

   "Crowstar," A furry gray tom muttered, "You know we have no chance."

   Crowstar's black fur bristled in the snowy wind, "But we have to try."

   The gray tom mumbled to himself and went to sit with the other medicine cats, waiting to heal future injuries.

   An icy-white she-cat kneaded her claws into the ground, "I will fight for what the Dark Forest and NightClan did to me."

   A pale yellow tom with brown eyes and bulky shoulders stood beside her, "I'm not of LightningClan anymore, but I created them and will give my soul to save them."

   Crowstar nodded his head, "You've always been brave, Lightningstar."

   Lightningstar blinked at Crowstar then called out to all the other StarClan cats, "Get ready, they're coming!"

   A sleek-furred gray she-cat ran in front, "I will lead us to victory."

   Lightningstar purred, "Rainstar you've always been so full of yourself," his expression turned serious, "But we've no time for that, look."

   On the horizon, where darkness was eating the light, Lurking Shadow, Whisper, and Moon were walking towards them. StarClan has lost the power to keep them off their grounds. Behind them were the dark forms of other cats who died in hatred or in evil.

   Crowstar growled.

   Lurking Shadow twitched his whiskers, "You see you're outnumbered."

   "No, I do not see the chance of failure. What I see is my opponent. I see a young tom who was accidentally led the wrong way, a cat who was taken in and raised by evil, and I see you. A tom who had a curiosity for power that went too far," Crowstar stepped forward, "Whether we lose or not, StarClan won't let you win."

   "We'll see about that," Lurking Shadow chuckled. He paused - he twitched his ear.

    Lightningstar thought it was funny how one signal could create so many yowling. He didn't have time to dwell on it. Lurking Shadow was on top of him in the blink of an eye.

   "I'll make your star above your tree disappear forever!" Shadow snarled.

   Lightningstar hissed and bat his hind legs, throwing the tom a few tail-lengths away. But he seemed only to be unbalanced.

   "Fool," Shadow growled and his spirit dissolved into nothing. Lightningstar looked around confused. Suddenly, razor sharp claws raked his cheek and he was on the ground.

   Lightningstar didn't waste time. He bit Lurking Shadow's neck, making sure he had a grip, and threw him off. He ran over to where Shadow was struggling to stand up and knocked him down again, pinning him to the ground. Lightningstar dug his claws into Shadow's flanks, Shadow yowled in agony, trying desperately to get Lightningstar off of him.

   "I may not be as nimble as you, but I'm definitely heavier," Lightningstar laughed and brought his claws over Shadow's eye. He scratched his opponent's underbelly, blood flowed onto the starry ground. Lurking Shadow's eyes started to roll up, the tom struggled to stay focused.

   Lightningstar grinned, finally, he would kill the leader of darkness and end this! But no, the fates didn't want that. Moon knocked Lightningstar off of Shadow and leaped on top of him.

   "I couldn't have you kill my leader now could I?" Moon laughed, "Thought we were this easy to defeat?"

   Lightningstar looked to see a crowd of about a dozen StarClan cats by the medicine cats. He growled and gave all his force to his hind legs. Moon screeched in pain as he flew ten tail-lengths away. Lightningstar stood up, blood dripped down one of his forelegs. He ran off to find a new opponent.

   A broad-shouldered brown tabby with gray eyes was fighting off a Dark Forest tom. He sank his claws into the tom's throat and his spirit was frozen in agony for a moment, then it dissolved into nothing.

   He looked around for the cat he was named after. His mother had named him after Lurking Shadow, in remembrance of his good side. Shadow grimaced, he would make sure that tom died while realizing the mistake he made.

   "Looking for me?" A voice whispered.

   Out of reflex, Shadow whipped around, his claws met flesh. With surprise, he realized that he actually knocked Lurking Shadow to the ground. The surprise didn't last long. Lurking Shadow got up with ease and tackled Shadow to the ground. For a while, they were a flurry of fur and claws. Shadow could feel his flesh rip apart by his opponent's claws. Although it hurt, Shadow kept fighting, triumphant when his claws met flesh.

   Then claws hit his throat and underbelly.

   Shadow gasped. Lurking Shadow got off of him and licked his blood-red claws, "Hmmph, seems like a win to me. Dark Forest, retreat! We have won!"

   Dawn and Hawk along with Echodusk and Crag ran over to him, they were yowling words that Shadow couldn't comprehend. Other cats rushed over. He could feel herbs being put in his mouth, but he didn't have the strength to chew them. Pain traveled all the way to his limbs. He couldn't move anymore.

   Dawn intertwined her tail with his, "Shadow..." she whispered.

And that was the last thing he heard before his essence dissolved into the air. His body floated away and then he felt nothing but freedom. And eventually, even his thoughts disappeared.

   Shadow became the air that they breathed. He wasn't gone completely, just gone in form.

   Dawn buckled to the ground, crying, "We've lost him twice now."

   Hawk sat down, "Curse them."

   Crowstar brushed his paw through the starry grass that Shadow had died on. Little specks of stardust floated up into the air, "May we remember Shadow for the moons to come. He fought bravely in life and in spirit. Now he lives through us."

   "Shadow!" The StarClan cats cheered in sadness. His name rang through the air, celebrating his existence.