A New Sunrise on the Horizon

"What in StarClan's name...?"

Fallenstar, Cottondust, Sorrelfox and Hazefire entered DawnClan's camp to find it in utter chaos. There was blood all over the camp, two cats fighting in the center surrounded by their shouting and bristling Clanmates. A battered and broken-looking Cinderstar was sitting away from it all, turned away as if she were unimpressed.

"Spicefang! Stop!" Sorrelfox recognized the younger of the two toms immediately, leaping through the mass of gathered DawnClanners to break up the fight. "What are you two doing? Fighting your own Clanmates?"

Hazefire pushed through the crowd as well, standing in front of Warmrain, inspecting the wounds. "A deputy should not be behaving like this," he muttered to the tom.

"He jumped me," Warmrain explained. "He wants to be leader, when it's rightfully mine!"

"Leader?" Cottondust echoed, looking at her adoptive father. "I thought Cinderstar was the leader."

"She is, isn't she?" Fallenstar mewed, turning and padding towards the cobweb-covered she-cat. "Cinderstar?" he addressed her, trying to get her attention.

"Don't call me that," she spat at him, her one unpatched eye burning with fury. "It's Cindermoon now. I've stepped down, I'm unfit to be the leader, not that it matters to you, flea-bag."

Fallenstar wrinkled his nose. She smelled of blood, and despite their medicine cat's best efforts, was obviously still coated in it. From her ears to her--StarClan, her leg was gone!

"I see you've lost your leg," he stated bluntly, inspecting it. The same had happened to his former deputy Spiceshadow after the tom had lost all feeling....what had happened here to make Cinderstar--er, Cindermoon-- lose hers?

Cindermoon rolled her good eye. "Great observation, genius. What are you doing in DawnClan's territory, anyway? Adding trespassing to your list of crimes?"

"We waited at the border for a patrol," Cottondust interrupted, padding forward to face the former DawnClan leader. "None came, so we made our way here ourselves--we wanted to talk to you about--"

"Whatever it is, I'm not the leader anymore," Cindermoon growled. "Take your troubles to Warmrain. Or Spicefang, whoever wins that stupid fight."

"It's urgent, we can't wait for your warriors to settle their petty fight," Fallenstar grumbled, his ears flattening. "One of our warriors went out for a walk past your territory, as I assume you know since one of your patrols met them there, though from what I understand they didn't go past your own territory," his eyes narrowed. "Anyway, our warrior PUddlestorm went out that way, and never came back...I was hoping you had an explanation as to where she'd gone? It would seem you probably know the answer," he looked at her injuries again.

"It was a monster, bigger than any fox I've seen," Cindermoon explained boredly. "Clawed a couple of my warriors and myself to shreds, as you can see. It's been taken care of, though."

"A monster?" Fallenstar thought of the giant metal one that now ran through his territory. "What kind of monster?" Surely it couldn't be the same one? Fernpaw said it was confined to it's metal path!

Cindermoon shrugged as best she could with her injuries. "Some sort of cat, huge, covered in spots. Like I said, it's been taken care of, so you can go home now."

"I don't know if we can." Fallenstar growled, looking back to where his warriors were keeping Spicefang and Warmrain from clawing each other to pieces. "What are you going to do about your Clan? Who will replace you?"

"That is none of MoonClan's business," Cindermoon huffed, "And it's certainly none of mine, anymore."

"Even if you aren't leader anymore, it is your decision who takes over your responsibilities," Cottondust piped up. "No offense to Fallenstar, but if someone had stopped him from taking over as leader, it sure would have saved the other Clans a lot of grief."

Fallenstar flinched as if he'd been struck, staring at his paws. Cindermoon cracked a smile. "I like this one," she laughed, flicking her tail. "I suppose you're right...many of my warriors would still be alive if it weren't for your fox-brain of a leader here."

"Perhaps you should step up one last time and make a decision before you and the other Clans regret it?" Cottondust asked.

Cindermoon let out a large sigh. "Those two have gone at it every chance they get," she explained, looking towards her bristling warriors. "Even if I were to name one of them as the new leader, the other would surely challenge them again until one of them was dead." Fallenstar noted that Warmrain was her deputy and thus the rightful next leader, but yet they were fighting. Cindermoon was probably right.

"Is there no one else you could name as your successor?" Fallenstar wondered aloud, looking over the DawnClan warriors.

Cindermoon hissed at him. "You think it's that simple? My Clan has just been torn apart by this monster and the rogues that brought it, I don't even know who to trust anymore. One wrong choice could mean the end of DawnClan as we know it. So short lived..." she winced in pain, her injuries must have been deep.

Hazefire padded up to them, having left Sorrelfox to keep the two fighting toms at bay. "Fallenstar, they're going to fight to the death if we let them. The other warriors seem to be divided on one side or the other, no one is going to stop it...if anything, it will just cause more fighting. Everyone's on-edge."

"What do we do?" Cottondust asked, looking up at Fallenstar.

"Maybe you should leave DawnClan to fight their own battles," Cindermoon growled.

"If we do, like you said, your Clan may kill itself til there is no one left," Fallenstar snapped. "If you aren't going to do anything, as DawnClan's leader--former leader--then I will."

He turned to Cottondust. "You and Sorrelfox stay here for the next few days -- make sure there's no more fighting," he instructed his daughter. "Hazefire and I will return to MoonClan and talk about things -- I need to speak with Scorpionfang and Mothtrail about what to do. When we come back, we'll decide which of these DawnClanners will be best suited to take over the Clan."

Cottondust's eyes were wide at the prospect, but she nodded obediently. "Okay. We'll do our best."

Fallenstar turned to Hazefire. "Let's go." He looked back at Cottondust, "We'll be back."

She nodded. "I'll be waiting."

He nodded to his warrior and the two of them left DawnClan's camp and made their way back towards their own territory. As they walked in silence, Fallenstar couldn't help but wonder what would become of DawnClan.