[UP] Falling Darkness

[Shadowstar [LovesMaydayParade]]

Title: Falling Darkness
Chapters: Umm, I'm guessing around 10+
Author: Shadowstar
Pairing: EmberxLightning
Summary: These are technically the same characters from Emberpaw- Going Under, but they come from much different backgrounds and such. The tribe, once the Tribe of Gathering Darkness, has been renamed the Tribe of Falling Darkness, because the mystic stone that always lay in it's center has been stolen. One young apprentice must find the courage to go alone to find the stone; will she make it back alive, or will it all be in vain?
Editor: The spell checker
Cover: None... I might make one later though

Author's Notes: Well this should be fun... Enjoy it, I guess I have to write the chapters up on Word first, so be patient, please!

[Shadowstar [LovesMaydayParade]]

Prologue

The soft rushing of the midnight winds could be heard, though sunshine still covered most of the land, gently caressing the forest around the large mountain in its center. The forest creaked and groaned, a soft, gentle sound, and the waters of a distant river could be heard lapping against the shore. The forest was made of pine trees, but they were gentle giants, their needles those that are soft and long.

The mountain, though the trees were large, still towered many hundreds of feet above the forest, casting a dark shadow across a huge section of the trees. It wasn’t quite large enough to touch the clouds, but still quite massive. At least for it’s inhabitants.

Cats.

Once hundreds of thousands of cats made their home on this very mountain, laying down laws and creating a tribe, the Tribe of Gathering Darkness. Once the land had been completely shrouded in darkness, these cats needed such an element to survive, but now the key to the lands eternal night was gone. The Stone.

The Stone had always lay in the center of the topmost cave, where the current leader, Midnight of no Stars, or Midnight, kept her den. But just a few hours ago, the Stone had been snatched from the den, even as Midnight slept. Though it was not night in the outer world, these cats could sleep whenever they felt the need, the night was eternal in their home.

But now, the cats, so sensitive to even the slightest bit of sunshine, awoke. They felt the burning heat of the sun on their pelts, though it barely penetrated the caves as it rose higher and higher into the sky, on the opposite side of the large shadow the mountain cast, which still remained, and it cast it’s own light upon the other side, waking cats instantly.

But the worst thing was, when the sun reached the top, the light struck right into Midnight’s den, and any cat could tell you what happened when a cat came in direct contact with the sunlight. They would weaken, quickly at first, their last breaths then measured over the nest few days.

With a yowl, Midnight raced from her den, to face that cats that had huddled under the shadow of an overhanging ledge. Her ledge; the Shadow Ledge. She was old already, but the sunlight made it even harder to lift her head and rasp weakly to the Tribe, “The Stone has disappeared!”

[Shadowstar [LovesMaydayParade]]

Notes - I realize this chapter is short, and currently unedited. Well, the reason is I have to go soon and haven't checked up on my own site this morning. Will return later ^^

Chapted One

The yowls and screeches reached the young cats sensitive ears as she slept, cradled in the comforting darkness of a deep cavern she'd found the previous day. She was rather headstrong, and preffered to keep mainly to herself, so only her best friend, Lightning That Splits Cloud knew of it. He slept beside her now, unpretrubed by the ear-splitting caterwauls or their tribe-mates.

Ember of Dying Fire knew that the Clan wouldn't cause such noise at this time without good reason - at any time at all, for that matter. She shook the dew that had dripped from the cave roof from her fur, then padded quickly out of the den.

She meowed in pain when the sunlight hit her ice blue eyes, causing her to shrink back into the cavern in disgust. There had never been sunlight in their camp before. Their sacred stone protected them from the horrid sunshine. But what was happening then, if the sun intruded their camp.

She gathered up what remained of her strength, then bounded out of the cave to join the rest of her Tribe, huddled under the Shadow Ledge. She learned the story from snatches of frightened conversation from her Tribe-mates. She saw Midnight - her leader - laying weak and helpless in the shadows, and she knew that the old cat would die soon, contact with the sun had been to much for her aging body.

"Ember..." the old cat rasped, and the dark ginger she cat pricked her ears gently at the sound of her name. Her pawsteps echoed lightly off the mountain as she crept to stand beside Midnight. "Yes?"

"You are... the youngest cat..."

Ember was confused, and she tipped her head to the side slightly. She scented her friend Lightning, now behind her. "You... and Lightning... must go..."

She went into a fit of coughing before continuing. "Go... and locate the... Stone. It is the only... thing that can... save... our Tribe."

Ember's eyes were wide with fear and anticipation, edged with uncertainty. "But... what about you?"

An old, raspy laugh escaped Midnight's throat, and the sound scared Ember, it sounded so old and helpless, weak. "I... cannot be saved... Go now, and your... our Tribe shall... honor you."

Another fit of coughing, and Midnight's eyes closed. Ember wailed and pressed her nose deep into her leaders side, but she could already scent death. Her life, Ember realized, must have been slowly slipping away for a while now.

Midnight was gone.