A note from the author: I do not own "Warriors" or any of its contents, including but not limited to characters, settings, and plotlines. I am writing this solely for my own enjoyment, and hopefully for the enjoyment of others as well.
Now, let's begin, shall we?
Woop D. D. Doo presents…
FALLING - FEATHERTAIL
A humanized Warriors fan-fiction
A long, garbled screech split the air from somewhere outside of the cave. Three people dashed into the cave, skidding to a halt. Water dripped down from their hair and into their eyes from the waterfall in the entrance to the cave.
I blinked with recognition at the shocked faces of the people-Talon, Rock, and Bird. Bird's choppy, gray and brown hair was heavy with water. Her face was contorted into a startled, terrified look.
"Sharptooth!" she shrieked. My heart wrenched at the name.
"He's here!" the man with brown hair, Rock, screamed. I'd never heard his voice go that high-pitched. The other man with them, Talon, was taller than Rock, albeit a bit stooped. He had dark brown hair and a large gash on his face and shoulder, splattering blood onto the ground. I instinctively took a step forward when I saw him-I had to help a person in need, no matter what. But somebody beside me held out a strong arm, catching me mid-step and causing me to halt.
I glanced over at him-my brother. His short, spiky gray hair bounced when he turned his head to glance at me, his dark skin shaded further by the dark cave. I could just make out his face, frozen in fear. I adjusted my glasses nervously.
"It's…too soon…" he whispered hoarsely, his muscles tightening visibly.
I swallowed anxiously as a second, warbling scream came from outside of the cave, this time sounding closer.
Talon, Rock, and Bird dove for the cave walls, crouching behind the rocks, and the people of the Tribe of Rushing Water raced for the Cave of Pointed Stones.
My brother and I were left stranded in the center of the cavern, along with Tawny, Squirrel, Bramble and Crow, glancing around frantically for a place to hide together. Our jaws were all strung open, our eyes wide.
Our moment's hesitation took a moment too long. A long, horrible cry emitted from the cave entrance, sounding muted by the rushing fall of water. A tall shadow fell upon the waterfall, etched in moonlight.
Then he burst upon us.
His hair was long, black, and matted, his skin tanned from years in the sun. His black eyes were wild, and he bore only a small wrap around his waist. A long spear was clutched in his fist, its tip glinting with sharpness.
This was Sharptooth.
I had never seen anyone as huge and muscular as the man. His chest was broad, and his face was chiseled. His recognizable features were clear even in the darkness of the cave.
He stood in the entrance, eyes squinting and head lowered. He was staring after the trail of blood Talon had left with his wounds. Then he came to the bait we had killed and left for him, a rather plump hare. We had been hoping that he would find it and stop to eat it, so we could attack him from behind. My hand went down to my knife in its sheath at my side. I glanced over to Tawny. She was licking her lips in anticipation, beginning to draw her own dagger.
I turned back to Sharptooth in time to see him lift a leg and kick the hare to the side, causing it to gain air and smack against the wall. It sprayed blood onto the stone.
I stared after it for a moment before the realization of what Sharptooth had done sunk in.
He didn't take the bait.
Squirrel's voice rose above the silence.
"No!" she wailed. I snapped my head in her direction, eyes widened. She clamped a tanned hand over her mouth, realizing what she had done, but it was too late.
Sharptooth's heavy head swung in her direction, a slow smile creeping over his lips. I didn't even know that Sharptooth could smile.
"Get back!" Bramble shouted, his naturally deep voice booming through the cavern. "All of you, hide!"
Bramble's dark brown hair wavered with his swift movement. He drew his knife from its sheath and dove forward at the same time, landing beside Sharptooth and lashing out with his weapon. Sharptooth's smile disappeared, replaced by a look of sheer rage. He roared with anger, turning with his spear, but Bramble somersaulted away from him in time enough to not get hit by the weapon.
My head turned at the blurry movement out of the corner of my eye. It was Squirrel, her ginger hair flowing behind her as she ran forward at full speed. Her dagger was drawn, and she brought it down on Sharptooth's back leg, slicing the space just above his ankle.
"Squirrel!" Bramble shouted angrily. "What in StarClan's name are you doing?"
Squirrel darted away from the large man, skirting around a cluster of stones and racing up a natural set of small rocks that led up to a ledge. Sharptooth turned quickly and raised his spear, but Squirrel was too fast for him, and she landed at the top of the ledge, grinning in triumph. Her ginger hair was frizzy and wild-even more so than usual, anyway.
Sharptooth twisted around, shrieking in a cry of rage. He didn't seem to feel any pain whatsoever, only anger.
I took a step back at this, finally gaining sensation in my body. The realization of how dangerous this could turn out to be finally struck me. Storm, my brother, turned to glance at me, eyes wide. Something hit me then: my movement could have attracted attention to us both! A rock was currently somewhat hiding us, Tawny, and Crow, but our upper bodies still peeked over the top. Crow crouched below the rock and moved to the side of me not occupied by Storm. His shirt sleeved brushed against my shoulder, and I suddenly felt more comfortable.
This was, however, the wrong time to feel comfortable. Sharptooth gave up on Squirrel and stomped his huge feet, turning in our direction. I did attract his attention by moving!
I was quick on my feet, and I vaulted over the rock we were hiding behind. One hand on my dagger, I made a large detour around Sharptooth and climbed up the side of the cave opposite of the one Squirrel was on. I watched Bramble out of the corner of my eye as he gained safety on a ledge just below the one Squirrel was standing on. I felt Storm's breath behind me, and heard his sneakers pounding on the ground.
Storm followed me as I dashed up the ledges and found a safe place on a jutting piece of rock, crouching on it. He landed beside me. We were just below the roof, high above the rest of the cave. Sharptooth was turning in circles, looking for another person to hunt.
I glanced down at the cavern below us, searching for the other Clan people. I could see Tribe people, most hidden in the tunnel leading to the Cave of Pointed Stones. I squinted in search for Tawny, and found her in a crevice below us, her black hair glimmering and her eyes sharp. I turned my head to glance over at Bramble and Squirrel. Bramble was looking up at her, his mouth moving quickly and his thick eyebrows looking angry. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but I could guess.
So, altogether, the people who were safe were Bramble, Squirrel, Tawny, Storm, and I…
That just left-
"Oh, no," I breathed, my heart beginning to beat frantically and my muscles stiffening. My body tensed.
I craned my neck to look below us, eyes wide. Sharptooth was poking his spear around a crevice near the ground on our side of the cave. I caught a glimpse of his eyes, glinting black in the reflection of the waterfall. His lips were drawn back into a savage smile.
I stretched my neck to get a better look at who he was trying to stab with his spear. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of some messy black hair and extremely pale skin.
Crow, it was Crow!
His high-pitched voice cried out. My belly flipped over-everything, everything was going completely and utterly wrong! Sharptooth ignored the bait and went after us instead. Soon, he would have Crow. Four clans will become one. How could that happen if the WindClan cat was killed?
This couldn't happen. I couldn't let this happen…not to him. Not to Crow. Not to…not to the one who I...
"Crow," the name emitted from my raspy throat, the hoarse word echoing through the cave. Sharptooth glanced up swiftly as he heard me speak, his yellowed teeth bared.
Voices echoed through my head, whispering to me and telling me the right thing. Was this the right thing? It must've been…it had to have been…for Crow…
"I can hear the voices clearly now," I murmured, closing my eyes and smiling. "This is for me to do."
My muscles bunched without me ordering them to, and my body leapt upwards involuntarily. I didn't mind.
My arms stretched forward, my fingers clutching at one of the larger stalactites hanging from the roof of the cave.
My eyes opened, a sharp grating noise coming from the contact of my fingernails and the stone. I felt one of my nails come unattached from my fingers, but it didn't hurt in the least. The rock wavered, cracked, and finally I was falling, falling, falling towards the cave floor far below.
Storm screamed something, and I felt my body float through the air. I felt as if I was levitating for a moment, and then my eyes closed.
I opened my eyes again, and I was standing outside of the waterfall. I squinted through the sheer wall of water, looking at the body of what was once me, my long silver hair matted with crimson and my caramel skin glinting with blood. My neck was twisted at a strange angle, and my thick-framed glasses were cracked and broken beside my face.
"Feather," said a gentle, familiar voice from beside me. "Oh, Feather!"
I turned my head quickly to see a tall, slender woman. I blinked my eyes at her widely, my jaw dropping.
She turned and smiled warmly at me. She had silver hair like me, but a more elegant stance and womanly figure. She looked and felt so strangely familiar…
"S-Silver?" I whispered hoarsely. "M-Mommy?"
She smiled and nodded back towards the waterfall. I squinted through it again.
The other Clan teens and Tribe people were creeping out from their hiding places, gathering around what was once my body. But, beside my body was a larger shape.
Sharptooth.
I smiled with relief, my heart fluttering. I saved them. I saved the Tribe people, the other Clan children, everyone. I did it.
"Do you have anything else to say to them?" Silver murmured, her soft voice enveloping me in warmth.
"Yes," I whispered.
She nodded, and suddenly a sharp pain came to my back. I gave a small gasp, and blinked to find myself on the ground, crowded by other people.
Storm and Crow were closest to me, and their eyes widened when they saw me open my own eyes.
Storm murmured my name, and I smiled slightly.
"You'll have to go home without me, brother," I said, my voice hoarse. My spine put a pressure on my vocal chords that made it hard to speak. "Save the Clan…"
I focused on Crow, and felt my eyes turn soft. I smiled a little wider, despite the fact that I knew it would take some of my strength away.
"Think you have nine lives, do you?" I smiled painfully, eyes watering. Usually everything was fuzzy without my glasses, but his crying face was somehow in focus. "I saved you once…don't make me save you again…"
"Feather!" Crow sobbed, his hand slipping into mine. "Feather, no…don't leave me!"
"I won't," I could feel myself fading away already. "I'll always be with you, I promise…"
My vision wavered, and all went dark.
Then I was back beside Silver, her hand in mine. I watched Storm turn his head slowly towards us and take a step forward, his jaw hanging open.
Silver and I each lifted a hand and waved slowly, smiling.
Goodbye, my friends…
Goodbye…