The Shadow is Far

Wingshadow awoke with terrible tasting water coming into her mouth and nose. She shot up and sputtered the water out. Under any normal conditions, she might have forgotten how she'd ended up here, but the water was a good enough reminder.

She spun around, trying to look for a way out. It was too dark to see much. She ran as fast as she could through the water. All she could find where dead ends. Then she spun back out to the main part of the cavern and noticed something. It was brighter here than other parts of the cave.

And if it's lighter here, then there must be a way out. Wingshadow thought. She looked around, but she didn't see anything. Not only that, the water was rising too fast. She lifted her head to keep it out of the water. She blinked. She'd found the way out. There was a hole in the ceiling.

Wingshadow let out a sigh of relief. She already knew she could fit out of that hole, because the first time she came here, that's how she'd gotten in.

Spring woke up. She still had a wound on her face, she could tell, but she could focus now. Leader was sitting in front of her. "Have a nice rest?" he asked.

"No." Spring replied. "And no, I won't join you."

Leader frowned. He clearly wasn't used to that type of response. "But . . . didn't you meet Apocalypse?"

Spring stood up. Now she had caught the attention of other cats in the cave. "Yes! I did!" She hissed. "And I refused."

"Th-that's impossible." Leader stammered.

"Oh?" Spring smacked her claw across leader, sending him sprawling into the ground.

Some of the braver kits started cheering. "Look out!" one suddenly cried.

A follower of Leader had just tried to attack Spring. But they failed because Spring had some help. It was Leafstar.

"What, how?" Leader babbled.

"We are Starclan." Leafstar told him. "And we are here to put an end to this." Then more Starclan cats appeared.

"The sparkle cats!" Summer cried. No one seemed to be listening to her.

Leader was clearly still shocked, and terrified, but he growled and ordered, "Attack them!" he followers did so without question.

A battle started. "Mom!" one of the Starclan cats called to Leafstar. "I'm getting Echosong! Winter's not looking so good."

Leafstar nodded as she fought one of the cats off. "Good idea Harryfur."

Winter's not looking so good? Spring thought in fear. She started towards him, only to be intercepted by Leader. "You're going to pay for this." He growled.

He shoved her to the side with such force she slammed into a nearby cave wall. Great. She thought. Now my vision's spinning again. She stayed down for a while. Leader came closer, "That all you have?" he asked.

Spring kicked him in the jaw and his head snapped back. "Yes!" she spat. "That's all I have." She struck her claws at his neck. He managed to deflect her, but she still got his shoulder. Leader swung his claw at her wound. Spring yowled in pain. He smirked as he drove his claw in deeper. He laughed at her pain, and that was his mistake. She swung her claw into his mouth. It was his turn to yowl in pain, and remove his claw from her wounded face. She spun around and kicked him in the eyes. He collapsed.

Spring could've killed him. She was planning to until she heard "Help!" She whipped around. One of Leader's followers was about to kill one of the kits. She ran over and yanked his tail. She yanked it so hard he ended up eye to eye with her. In his pain she got the chance to claw his chest. Then he shoved his head into hers, setting the spinning on again. She saw him swing his claw her and tried to stop him, but her aim was off. He got part of her neck. When he lunged again, she waited until the last minute, then ducked out of the way. As he landed she clawed his stomach. This affected this landing, so he fell to the ground. Spring grabbed his ear and slammed his head in the cave ground, knocking him out.

"Kits!" she called. "Follow me! We're getting out of here!" the kits all scrambled to follow her.

One more cat tried to stop them. Spring fought her, then Autumn showed up and slammed the cat against the wall. "I got Winter." She informed Spring. "Now let's scram."

Spring looked to see Summer holding Winter up. She nodded. "Good idea."

The four, plus the kits, ran out. Spring led them back into the abandoned twoleg place to the one they lived in. "You'll be safe here she told the kits."

Then she turned to Winter. He did have a number of wounds, but there were plants and cobwebs covering them up. "You okay?" she asked.

Winter nodded weakly. "Echosong is a good healer." He said.

"You'd make a good one too." Spring replied.

Winter gave her a small smile. That was when the Starclan cats showed up. "Everyone alright?" one asked.

Winter nodded. "I think we're fine Billystorm. But Spring needs something done about her eye."

Spring looked at the ground, embarrassed. "It's not bad."

Echosong nodded. "Yes it is. In fact," she lowered her voice, "I'm not sure I fix this completely."

Spring gulped. Echosong led her away and started patching her up. Leafstar followed. "Leafstar," Spring said, "I think it's about time you told me why you gave me a life."

Leafstar nodded. "I think so too." she agreed, much to Spring's surprise. "You see, Starclan warriors come from five clans, Thunderclan, Shadowclan, Riverclan, Windclan, and Skyclan. I was once leader of Skyclan. Unfortunately, all of our clans died off."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Spring apologized.

Leafstar shook her head. "It's hardly your fault. But, now to explain what you have to do with any of this. Recently, Thunderclan, Shadowclan, Riverclan, and Windclan created four new clans to replace their old ones. We decided to do the same. And we'd like you to be leader."