Fallingstars fall

PROLOGUE

FALLINGSTAR HISSED AS HER MOTHER, Silkweb, dug her claws into her back. The two cats were fighting at the gorge, in a war between FishClan and ClawClan. "You," Silkweb hissed coldly, "are a pathetic excuse for a leader."

Spidersong, the deputy of FishClan and sister of Fallingstar, spun around. "You're wrong, Silkweb!" She hissed. "You were just a pathetic excuse of a mother!" She leapt onto Silkweb, freeing Fallingstar.

"Thanks!" Fallingstar called. Spidersong nodded as she slashed Bird, another rouge in ClawClans, across the muzzle. Fallingstar looked around. There was fighting everywhere. Leopardpatch, one of FishClan's senior warriors, was lying on the ground, lifeless. Lionclaw was fighting Blackneck, though Blackneck was clearly winning. Raventhorn, the father of Rowanstorm's kits, lay dead on the ground, a black ClawClan warrior padding away from him. Hawkstar, the exiled leader of BirdClan, the ClawClan leader, and Fallingstar and Spidersong's father, was creeping up on Spidersong, about to push her into the gorge.

"No!" Fallingstar wailed. "You won't take her too!" Just before Spidersong was ambushed, Fallingstar ran into Hawkstar, knocking him off balance and saving Spidersong. Hawkstar snarled and turned to face Fallingstar.

She yowled in pain as the bloodthirsty ClawClan leader jumped on top of her, his claws digging into her back. "You are weak!" He spat.

"You are nothing but a rouge!" Fallingstar retroted.

"Am not! I am ClawClans leader!" He clawed at her muzzle.

"Yes, you are, Hawkstar! Your brother was the leader before me, Mossstar! Also, you are my father! Don't you care?" Fallingstar hissed.

"I don't care about you or your littermates!" Hawkstar raked her back with all his might. Ignoring the pain, Fallingstar leapt up, sending Hawkstar rolling. When he stopped, Fallingstar leapt on top of him. He hissed and used his claws to rake her back, causing her to loosen her grip. She was losing blood, making her weaker and weaker. Spidersong let out a wail and rushed to her side. Fallingstar lay on the ground, knowing she would die.

"Fallingstar! Don't leave me!" She wailed. "You're the only one I have left!" This was true. Their siblings had died moons before the battle.

"I know. Thats why I need you to lead FishClan as well as I did." Fallingstar rasped.

Hawkstar chuckled. "ClawClan, retreat! We have reached our goal!" He yowled as he ran off, his Clan following.

RabbitClan warriors gathered around Spidersong and Fallingstar. Birdflight, the medicine cat, pushed them aside. Fallingstar looked up at him as he inspected her wounds. 'Will she live?" Spidersong asked, as if she were a kit.

Birdflight shook his head. "The wounds are too deep, and they are bound to get infected." He turned to Spidersong. "You must take your sister's place as leader." Fallingstar sighed. She was in so much pain, it was unbearable.

Fallingstar looked up at Spidersong, who was arguing with Birdflight. "There must be something you can do! She can't die, I'm... I'm not ready to lead yet!" Her voice was shaking.

Fallingstar lifted her gray tail and placed it on Spidersong's shoulder. Her sister's head snapped toward Fallingstar.

"You will be a great leader." Fallingstar croaked weakly. "You just need to trust yourself." Fallingstar let the darkness surround her as she heard Spidersong wail for one last time.