Chapter 32

Shadowstar padded through the forest, his mind reeling with questions as he raced for SkyClan. He needed to tell Rainstorm he was leaving, to tell her to become the new leader and not to worry about him ever coming back. The black tom smelled the scents of SkyClan getting closer and closer…but something stooped him in his track.

"Shadowstar…" Airwhisker called. "Where have you been? I've been searching for you everywhere!"

"Not now, Airwhisker." Shadowstar padded past her.

"What's going on?" She demanded, padded beside the black tom.

"Not now!" He hissed, beginning to run. He needed to hurry and find June before something bad happened to her. Airwhisker gasped and ran forward blocking Shadowstar's path, her blue eyes narrowed in defiance.

"First you almost kill Wolfeye, and now you are avoiding my questions! What is wrong with you?" She growled.

Shadowstar opened his mouth to tell her he hadn't the time, but he felt something crawl down his throat. Shadowstar widened his eyes as he felt the evil spirit of his father crawl inside of him again, the familiar flame running up his spine.

"Stop it…It burns!" Gurgled Shadowstar, only able to control half of his body

Airwhisker flattened her ears as he watched the fur along Shadowstar's spine raise and his eyes slowly turned blood red. The she-cat gapped her mouth open in fear and began to back away. Shadowstar coughed and gagged as he realized blood began to pour from his mouth, along with foam.

"I told you that you shouldn't have done that!" Scar spoke through Shadowstar.

"Shadowstar…you're scaring me!" Airwhisker cried, watching the tom twitch and stand there with blood coming from his mouth. Shadowstar narrowed his eyes and looked at Airwhisker…he was no longer in control of his body.

The black tom pinned Airwhisker down with force. The she-cat wailed in fear as Shadowstar snarled in her face, his blood dripping in her eyes.

Don't you dare touch her! Screeched Shadowstar as his paw rose with gleaming claws.

Too late

Shadowstar ripped his claws across Airwhisker's throat and watched as she tried to wail…blood bubbled around her wound and her eyes looked up at the sky. Shadowstar felt the most gut retching feeling as he was forced to kill his best friend….the feeling of her skin ripping under his claws and her last breath barely escape her lips.

"Get out of him!" A starry voice hissed.

Shadowstar felt a wave of relief when Scar left his body, but he was so grief-stricken…he fell to the forest floor and looked dead into the eyes of his best friend as they lay beside one another, both of them covered in blood.

"Mistyfern…you…you are dead?" Scar baffled, dumbfounded by her beauty as she stood before him, her silver fur sparkled like stars and her amber eyes held a stern glance as she glared at her former mate.

"And so is Airwhisker." Mistyfern growled.

"I…I-I was only…" Scar tried to cover his tracks. The tom scowled at Shadowstar as he stared into the blue depths of Airwhisker's eyes. "It's his fault…he ruined us…we used to love one another!"

"I would never love a murderer." Mistyfern mewed flatly, her words cutting like sharp claws.

"Mistyfern…I love you…" Scar murmured. "I still do…why do you love Shadowstar more than me? What happened to the love we had when we were young?"

"That love died moons ago." Mistyfern growled. The silver StarClan warrior stood on her paws and padded over to the dead body of Airwhisker, carefully placing her paw on Airwhisker's neck. The white she-cat began to glow and the starry silhouette crept its way from the body.

Scar spat in anger and dispersed into the air.

Shadowstar looked up as Airwhisker's starry spirit never looked his way and began to fade into sky. The black leader could taste her blood and curled his tongue in despair. Mistyfern frowned and looked down at her son with sad eyes.

"This was never supposed to happen…the omen was changed…you need to leave." Mistyfern mewed, placing a silver tail on her son's shoulder. Shadowstar slowly stood on shaky paws and sucked in air.

The revenge was not for June…but of Airwhisker. Shadowstar hissed. The black tom padded forward clumsily and looked back at his mother. Mistyfern smiled lightly and helped her son wash the blood from his paws, then helping him walk back to SkyClan.

What will I tell, Rainstorm? Shadowstar fretted. I killed her sister…

Mistyfern looked at her eyes with worry, her pelt beginning to fade. "Just leave…" She meowed to the wind as she faded.

Shadowstar nodded and tried to carefully navigate his way down into the camp. It was midnight and it was hard to see the loose stones in the camp wall. Shadowstar braced himself for the guilt but walked into the leader's den with a flat expression.

"You're back!" Rainstorm meowed with a smile, but it quickly faded. "Have you seen Airwhisker?"

Shadowstar froze, a knot forming in his throat at the sudden question.

Yes….I killed her Shadowstar sucked in and looked at his deputy. "No…did she leave?" The questioned felt as if it dragged forever.

"She left a while ago…she's still gone." Rainstorm fretted.

And she'll never be back…

Shadowstar shrugged painfully. "I'm not sure what to say…she will be back tomorrow…hopefully."

Rainstorm flattened her ears and looked back at her leader, her blue eyes burning deep in his fur. The silver tabby stood and sat beside Shadowstar. "The cats…they saw what you did to Wolfeye. They are all scared….Shadowstar—"

"You don't have to say it…" Shadowstar whispered, placing his tail across Rainstorm's mouth. "I'm leaving tomorrow…you will be leader."

Rainstorm sighed and lowered her head. "I'm sorry it had to end like this…"

"It's alright…" Shadowstar murmured. "I will be happier when I leave, trust me."

The silver tabby frowned and turned to exit the den, stopping at the exit and looking over at Shadowstar. Her blue eyes looked sad and fretful. "I…I'm..." Rainstorm sighed and left the den without finishing her sentence.

"Don't be sorry…." Shadowstar whispered to himself. "I killed your sister"