Warriors: The Shadows Collapse

Prologue

StarClan, your rules and wisdom will choke you, as the very darkness you silent stars gaze down upon, will rip you to shreds.
Darkpool lifted his gaze to silverpelt, his paws trembling as he heard screams and howling coming from the nursery. Each yowl shook his body even more, as if the ground was trembling beneath his paws, though no other cat seemed to whisper about it. It was him, his anxiety, his nerves, wrecking him as he heard each pained cry that he could not comfort. He flinched, as he heard one more cry, and then silence. His body betraying his false bravado, as he lurched towards the nursery den. Claws dug into his tail, yanking him backwards. A powerful grip, holding him down, though no cat seemed to stand there. His claws dug into the sand of the camp clearing, a show of his fight within himself to run to his mate. What held him back? He would say his strength, maybe. After all, he promised he would not interrupt the birth of new life, a sacred ritual within the clan. But as his mate cried out for him, he couldn't help but wonder, what actually did hold him back? And why was his tail bleeding?

You must remain back, and let the stars determine whether this thing needs to live or not. Of course Darkpool could not hear these words uttered by the celestial beings of StarClan, but he felt it in his blood, that he had to stay out of the nursery. Fear rooting his paws through the sand, and every cat that passed him felt like a blur. Shapes he couldn't identify, cats he knew and loved he seemed to ignore and forget. Only one thing on his mind, the cause of his loves screaming. The *thing* StarClan seemed afraid of. Is it normal for a birthing cat to scream this loudly?

Rosemask's head fell against the soft moss of her nest, her body trembling, much similar to how Darkpools was trembling. Though hers was not fear, or anxiety, it was exhaustion. As her body shook with another convulsion, and their medicine cat crouched before her, paws raised to help her, aid her in some way. But she was unable to move, body rigid with terror, as a shadowy figure hovered above Rosemask. The creature tilted its head, body so similar yet so different from a cat. Form trembling as it took shape of a familiar feline, and then nothing at all as it tilted towards the medicine cat. "Are you afraid to see me, Shadowfall? I thought you were clever." The creatures strange attempt of becoming a cat had faltered, trembling above the soon to be mother.

The medicine cat, Shadowfall gulped, paw, which had been raised to assist the mother, had fallen to the ground as he crouched, teeth slowly baring. "No, you don't exist, you're just another figment-" he pleaded, his voice trying to appear confident, faltered, revealing his fears. "Shadowfall, you have failed. You were supposed to strengthen the darkness. Us, me." The figure whispered, its form fully cat, as it stepped out from behind Rosemask, and stood before the medicine cat, the walls of the nursery darkened as it blocked the entrance of the den. Shadowfalls claws dug into the ground, and a low growl edged his voice as he snapped, "no, no you're not real get out of here- get out of my head now- now isn't the time."

The shadow slowly grinned, shining white sharp teeth against its pitch black eyeless form. "You have always denied my existence. I will use another to get into this realm, and all my kin. This-" it gestured to the trembling shecat behind him, who began to cry out again, body convulsing as the life inside of her threatened to spill out onto the nursery floor. "Is the perfect vessel." It growled smugly, a small laugh bouncing through the den as Shadowfall crouched even closer to the ground, practically laying on his belly with his paws outstretched and tail bushed behind.

"N-no!" The medicine cat exclaimed, eyes widening as the shadow turned to the mother, body trembling as it closer to the life about to be born. The nursery darkened, though the entrance no longer blocked, it still remained dark, as shadows stretched across every inch of the den. Shadowfall let out a whimpering cry, as something grabbed his hindquarters, dark claws digging into his flesh. H-how can shadows hurt me! His mind whirled as he spun around to face his attacker, but only saw darkness. And, as he slowly turned his gaze back to Rosemask and her cries of pain, he saw nothing but a reflection of himself in the shadows before him.