Warrior Cats: Vengeance

[VisserZer0]

First things first: I DID NOT WRITE THIS! It was written by Natureboy3, one of my friends. He put it on FanFiction.Net and said it was fine if I posted it here. Do not proceed if you are squemish, or take offense to blood/gore/intense violence. I didn't write the Author's Notes either. Not even the part at the end, hehe. I will post new chapters as Natureboy updates.

Hollyleaf is back, and she's not the same cat she once was. She's out for blood, out for revenge, and those who she deems responsible will suffer horribly.

A.N.: Hello, everyone Weddings, Wars, and Whatnot will be updated, but for now I'm going to work on this. A idea for the **** in black fur, Hollyleaf.

For those of you who have read Exile, it's not going to be like that. It’s going to be worse, so much worse. Hollyleaf has some pretty twisted ideas.

As always, review, no flames. My computer is really bad at the moment, so I can't guarantee when I'll be able to update again. I'll do it as soon as possible.

I. Bloody Blood

Brambleclaw emerged from the tunnel that lead into ThunderClan's camp. The day was overcast, the clouds promising rain later. He shivered as a cold wind cut through his pelt, then stalked off into the undergrowth with out checking to see if the rest of the hunting patrol was following.

Cloudtail, Honeyfern, and Berrynose were quick to follow. It wasn't a pleasant experience to be out in this weather, but the Clan had to be fed.

“Why don't we try over by Sky Oak?” Honeyfern suggested.

The ThunderClan deputy simply nodded and allowed the light brown she-cat to take the lead. There wasn't much conversation as they traveled along, and Brambleclaw was fine with that. It had been three moons since the Gathering where the true parents of Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather had been revealed.

The only thing that had been more shocking then the fact that Leafpool, their medicine cat, had taken a mate with the WindClan warrior Crowfeather was the fact that Squirrelflight had betrayed him. He would never forgive her for lying to him like that. She could keep all the secrets she wanted if he, her own mate, wasn't trustworthy.

Leafpool had stepped down from her position as medicine cat and was now serving as an ordinary warrior. She wasn't used to fighting or hunting for the Clan, and it was obvious that she was struggling. It would take her awhile before she could measure up to even one the younger warriors.

Arriving at Sky Oak, the patrol split up. Brambleclaw went off alone, still pushing through his thoughts. Berrynose followed Honeyfern, and the pair moved quietly into the bushes. Cloudtail padded slowly over the mossy earth, ears pricked at the scratching sounds coming from the base of another tree. A mouse, unaware of the eminent danger, was nibbling at some seeds. The white warrior crept closer, then tensed his muscles and sprang into tha air.

He landed in the middle of the creature, dispatching it with a bite to the back of the neck.

“Nice catch!”

Cloudtail looked up, the mouse in his jaws, to see Honeyfern emerge from the undergrowth with a thrush in her mouth, and Berrynose came next carrying the body of a robin.

Cloudtail set the mouse down, “looks as if we've all been successful. Let's find Brambleclaw and-”

He broke off as a gust of wind tore through the trees, his pelt not offering adequate protection from the cold.

“It's freezing? So cold all of a sudden,” he muttered. His blue eyes scanned the undergrowth, suddenly getting the feeling as if he were being watched. He didn't see anything, and the only things he could hear were the wind and a lowly cackle of a crow in the treetops.

“Must be my imagination,” he said quietly.

“What was that?” Berrynose perked his ears.

Cloudtail shook his head, “nothing. Let's get going before we all freeze solid.”

A dark shape watched as the patrol moved off toward camp after reuniting with Brambleclaw. Then it turned and moved swiftly through the trees. The cat knew this territory well, her emerald eyes narrowed, burning with rage and sparkling with delight at the idea of soon taking her revenge.

There were so many that had to suffer? Squirrelflight, for keeping the lie for so long. Her brothers Lionblaze and Jayfeather, for allowing her to be buried in those StarClan-forsaken tunnels. That piece of fox-dung that was her mother Leafpool...

Hollyleaf arrived where a group of rogue cats were lounging beneath some bushes. They scrambled to their paws as their leader came into sight, and began to survey them closely.

“We attack now. You all know the plan. Prepare yourselves!” She yowled. The rogues let out yowls of future triumph and began running around in circles, screeching at the tops of their lungs.

Bloody blood see how fun

Bloody blood watch it run

Bloody blood for the dead

Bloody blood see how red

Bloody blood slice the head!

Hollyleaf took a pace back, smiling to herself. All these cats were blood-thirsty, and the frenzy they were working themselves into would make them unstoppable. At a simple flick of her tail, the crazed cats took off toward ThunderClan camp.

Brambleclaw finished reporting to Firestar, although there wasn’t much to report from a simple hunting patrol. The ginger tom dismissed his deputy and picked a vole off the fresh-kill pile. Crouching down beside his mate, Sandstorm, they devoured the prey in a few swift bites.

Loud yowling just outside the camp entrance alerted the tom. He watched Thornclaw, who was on guard duty, stumble back into camp with several slashes down his flank. Two rogue cats jumped on him from behind and he disappeared under a whirling mass of fur. Many more cats poured in through the entrance, obviously ready for confrontation.

“ThunderClan! We’re under attack!” The leader threw himself into the nearest hostile, clawing at his ears. The camp suddenly became alive with masses of screeching, clawing fur.

The rogue Firestar was fighting was several seasons younger than himself, but all those moons of battle training gave the Clan leader an edge. Straining his muscles, he threw his opponent off of him and looked around. He saw Foxpaw and Icepaw tag-teaming on a cat with matted fur and scars on his shoulders. Spiderleg was fighting like a LionClan cat at the entrance to the nursery, and Jayfeather was pressing a wad of cobwebs on a gash Birchfall had received above his right eye.

Anger coursed through Firestar, and he hurled himself on a rogue tom and thrust his face in the enemy’s. “Who are you? Why are you all attacking us?”

The vagrant cat tore from the leader’s grasp and let out a high-pitched screech. Instantly, the invaders disengaged themselves from the Clan cats and headed toward the entrance of camp. At first, Firestar thought they were retreating. But they stopped, forming two lines on either side of the entrance.

“Ready, boss.”

All was quiet as a black she-cat materialized out of the fog. It took a moment for her former Clanmates to recognize her, then startled whispers ran through the crowd.

“That’s Hollyleaf!”

“I thought she was dead!”

“Jayfeather, what’s going on? The tunnels collapsed on Hollyleaf! We know that! How can she still be alive?”

Jayfeather was unable to answer his brother’s question. Everyone listened as she stopped in front of Firestar, who was the first to speak. He dipped his head, despite the look of shock on his face, in a formal greeting.

“Hollyleaf, we all thought you had gone to hunt with StarClan. What happened? Have you brought these rogues to our camp?”

The she-cat in question spoke a single word. “Hollystar.” Firestar stared at her questioningly, then his granddaughter spoke again.

“I have come to take my revenge on those who caused me so much misery. The blood of those here will flow before I am content. I shall start with you, Firestar, because the right to be ThunderClan leader...”

Hollystar moved like a blur, thrusting her claws from one forepaw into the tom’s exposed chest and tore in a downward motion, spraying blood across her pelt.

“...that right is now mine.”

A.N.: Review! You know you want to! This will have a major plot difference from Exile, except for the same blood and gore we all love. So tell me what you think!

VisserZer0: Brainpaw, from this moment forward you shall be known as Brainslug! Brainslug! Brainslug! Brainslug!

[VisserZer0]

A.N.: Thanks for the reviews! I know Honeyfern was bitten by a snake, but I need her alive. For now.

II. Mother Dearest

Everything was silent to Hollystar. She didn’t hear the hysterical screams of Sandstorm as she threw her self onto the body of her mate, which was becoming weaker as all of his remaining lives were ripped away from him at once. Her ears didn’t hear the cries of confusion and fear from her past Clanmates.

All she could hear, all she could feel, was power rushing through her body. From ears to tail tip, it rushed like a river in a Leafbare storm. She smiled to herself as Firestar became still for good and Sandstorm let out fresh wails of grief, screaming at why StarClan had taken him.

She calmly gestured to the rogues, who began moving toward the whole of ThunderClan. Hollystar loved the look of fear in their eyes, the kits asking Queens what had happened. Some simply stared at her as if she was some sort of monster. Others simply bowed their heads, instinctively thrust into mourning for the soul of their dead leader.

Now they will see who their real leader is! What they need is a display of power.

“Claw! Snagtooth! Get over here!”

The two toms broke from the ranks and stood to attention in front of their leader. Hollystar motioned with a flick of her ears at Brambleclaw, who was struggling against three of her cats that had jumped on him. His muscles bulged beneath his tabby pelt, and his amber eyes blazed as he challenged his aggressors. He needed to go.

“Get that one over here. I want him on his belly in front of me.”

“Okay.”

“You’re the boss.”

They turned and ran over to help their comrades, throwing themselves on the deputy. With the combined efforts of five cats, Brambleclaw was slowly dragged to Hollystar’s paws. Even with five cats pinning him to the hard earth, he still struggled violently.

“Keep him still!” Hollystar snarled.

Finally, the tom stopped struggling out of exhaustion. He still glared defiantly at former daughter, or so he thought until three moons ago.

“Let me go! Face me like a true warrior, coward!”

Hollystar didn’t flinch at the ferocity in his voice, just let out cold, quiet laugh. “Goodbye, Brambleclaw. Save a spot for me in the dark forest. Don’t worry about your lovely Clan. I’ll take good care of them.”

Unsheathing her claws, she dug them into his throat. Blood spattered across the ground as she ripped the doomed tom open. Dragging them around to the back of his neck, she scraped them down the middle of his back. Blood formed a deep puddle as it ran through Hollystar’s paws. Brambleclaw couldn’t fight the urge to cry out, and began to writhe in the dirt. Soon he became still, agony still frozen on his face.

Hollystar stepped back, satisfied, and carefully raised a blood soaked paw to her face. She made two horizontal streaks beneath her emerald eyes, and another red line of blood ran from between her ears, along her back, to the tip of her tail with the help of a rogue.

Step one of her plan was complete. She smiled at the horrified expressions of the remaining ThunderClan cats, staring at the bodies of Firestar and Brambleclaw. Sandstorm had risen from the body of her beloved, pure anger flashed in her green eyes. Hollystar smirked at her and flicked her blood-soaked tail in farewell as Claw and Snagtooth dragged her back.

The rest of ThunderClan was soon shoved back into their respective dens, too shocked or outnumbered to fight back. Jayfeather was herded back into the medicine den at quiet instructions from Hollystar. She had great plans for her blind brother, but that would come later.

More instructions saw the bodies of Brambleclaw and Firestar dragged away. Once their heads had been removed, the skulls, cleaned of flesh, would make wonderful markers at the entrance of camp. She gave the rogues instructions on where to dump the decapitated corpses. The other Clans would find them soon enough.

Now she had to deal with the one who was most responsible for all of this. Leafpool. That filthy, cowardly, piece of fox-dung...

“Riley! Ashcan! Get my wonderful mother over to my new den. I feel the need to have some conversation with her.”

Leafpool was soon dragged into the leader’s den, where her daughter was sinking her teeth into the body of a mouse. Hollystar dismissed the rogues and stared at her mother.

Leafpool’s gaze wasn’t filled with fear that her daughter had murdered two cats or taken over the Clan, it was filled with a warm, fond look. Like warm honey on a Greenleaf afternoon.

“Hollyleaf, my precious daughter...”

The black she-cat sprang forward and knocked the past medicine cat off her paws, baring her teeth.

“Hollystar! Get it into that thick skull of yours! Look into my face, mother dearest! It will be the last thing you ever see!”

Unsheathing her claws, she scraped them down the tabby she-cat’s face, tearing out her eyes. Leafpool screeched with terror, and curled into a ball on the den floor. Hollystar continued to beat her, lacerating her sides heavily. As she stepped back, panting with the exertion the beating had left her with.

Her mother lay scarcely moving on the floor, shivering pitifully. Snorting with anger, Hollystar called to the rogues outside the den, at the bottom of the cliff.

“Guards! Take this filth out of my sight. You know what to do with her.”

Leafpool didn’t protest as she was dragged off, her paws and tail dragging in the dirt.


Dovekit opened her eyes, looking around the quiet nursery. Her mother, Whitewing, slept with her tail curled protectively around Dovekit and Ivykit. The other queens slept, shivering at the nightmares that ran rampant through their minds from the executions of their leader and deputy.

The little she-kit didn’t know what had happened, or who all these new cats were. True, she had been a little frightened at what the black cat had done to the older cats, but they would be fine, right? The cat with blue eyes always made cats better when they came to his den. Surely these cats were no different.

Her belly rumbled with hunger, and Dovekit slowly moved out from under her mother’s tail so not to wake her. Her mother had said she wasn’t old enough to eat prey, but she was sure she could! The bigger cats did it all the time! Her mind set, she padded to the entrance to the nursery.

The sky was dark, and a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. Rain drizzled down, several puddles forming in the camp clearing. Many of the new cats were lounging beneath the shelter of overhanging cliff ledges or ferns at the bottom of the cliff.

Dovekit saw the black cat crouching at the bottom of the high ledge, seemingly unaware of the rain. The kit moved across the clearing, squeaking with delight as she splashed in the biggest puddles she could find. Soaking wet, she finally stopped next to the black she-cat with streaks of red stuff in her fur. At first, Dove kit wasn’t sure what to say. They she remembered the one word everyone understood, and that was please.

“Um, Howyweaf? Could I pwease have some...”

The immobile cat moved like the lightning that crossed the sky. Springing on Dovekit, she dropped her whole body weight onto her and pressed the kit’s smaller body into the mud.

“MY NAME IS HOLLYSTAR!”

Dovekit squeaked in fear, she must not have said please right!

“Pwease! Pwease! I’m sowrry!

The kit heard yowling and looked up from the mud to see her mother being held back by some of the new cats. Some of the older cats could be seen in the entrances to one of the dens.

Hollystar beamed at the warriors who were looking out form their den, “those of you who defy me will share this fate!”

Digging her claws into the side of the kit’s head, a sharp crack sounded as the skull was split. Cracking the top of Dovekit’s head open, Hollystar thrust her muzzle in, enjoying the taste of the warm, steaming brain as it slid down her throat.

Whitewing had collapsed, screaming with grief into her paws. Ivykit looked around, disoriented, and nuzzled her mother. Why was her mother lying in the mud? And where was Dovekit? As mud began to stick to her fur, Ivykit began calling timidly into the rain, wanting her sister back.

A.N.: Review! Or no updates for you!

[VisserZer0]

A.N.: Thank you all! You guys are awesome! What will happen? I know, but you must read on to find out. If you listen to music while you read, listen to World So Cold by Three Days Grace.

III. No Respect

“Wake up. Now.”

Mousefur blinked her eyes open as the rogue Ashcan prodded her roughly on the side. As he roused Longtail and Purdy, the brown elder was confused. What was going on? As they stepped outside, dawn was just visible on the horizon.

Her breath was visible in the crisp, cool air. The camp was still bathed in shadows, and no sign of movement betrayed the fact that someone was awake. She felt herself being nudged, so the three elders walking in the direction the rogue cats indicated, out of camp. Mousefur rested her tail on Longtail’s shoulder to guide her blind friend along.

Purdy walked beside them, commenting to the surrounding enemies as they traveled beneath the trees, deeper into the forest. “You young un’s of today. No respect for your elders whatsoever. Why, when I was your age, there was this old cat in our neighborhood, see...”

“Shut up.”

Purdy didn’t seem to notice and continued with his story. “I always brought him some food. Usually it was some of the stuff my Upwalkers gave me. But there was this mouse in our shed, see, and it was always getting into my Upwalker’s things. So I caught it and gave it to this old cat. He was mighty thankful, being down on his luck and all. From that day on, I always tried to help elders because of my youth. Until I...”

Claw couldn’t take it anymore. He spun around beat the gray tabby between the ears with an unsheathed paw. “Will you shut up? Give that maw of your’s a rest! I can barely hear myself think with you babbling on like that!”

Purdy looked hurt, more emotionally then physically. After the rogue spun back around, he shook his head and muttered under his breath, “no respect for their elders. No respect at all.”

After a length of silence, they came to a small clearing. There wasn’t anything too unusual about it, except for three loops of grapevine hanging down from a tree branch. They had been looped to form small circles, just enough for a cat to stick it’s head through. A stump from a fallen tree provided just enough height for the loops to be in reach, provided the cat stood on top of it.

Mousefur moved a pace closer to Longtail, a feeling of unease moving through her stomach. The blind cat had been her constant companion throughout those long afternoons in the elder’s den, and she shared a bit of a connection with him. His firm frame took the edge of her fear, if only slightly.

“Well? What are you waiting for? Get up there.”

Hollystar emerged from the bushes, staring at them expectantly. Mousefur stared back, her gaze filling with concern. “W-what? What for?”

Hollystar stared at the she-cat as if she was a pesky fly that wouldn’t stop buzzing around her ears. “I need to clear out the elder’s den for my rogues. I can’t have them sleeping out in the cold, now can I? I needed a simple, clean, quiet way to get rid of you three. I found it. You’re all completely useless anyway. Noone will miss you.”

Purdy had already been shoved up onto the stump, glaring at Riley as the rogue slipped a loop of vine over his head. “You little whippersnapper! You don’t have to push me! I don’t know what’s happened to you young ones these days. Why I remember back when I was still a kitten...”

Mousefur was next, tottering on the opposite edge of the stump. She felt fear running through her, assuming that she was in some form of danger. Her body shuddered as the loop was placed around her neck.

You won’t be missed...

That wasn’t true. They would be missed, by everyone. She remembered telling the eager Dovekit and Ivykit stories in exchange for some juicy piece of fresh-kill. They were admired for the vast knowledge of Clan lore they had acquired, and respected for all of the past moons of work as warriors.

You won’t be missed...

Longtail came next, stepping up between the silent Mousefur and Purdy, who was still chatting to the guards. He gently licked the back of the brown she-cat’s neck before whispering almost silently in her ears. “Thank you, Mousefur, for being such a good friend to me for all those moons. May StarClan honor your memory.”

Mousefur shut her eyes, listening as Hollystar shouted, “hoist them up!”

The vine became taught, her throat closed, and then there was nothing but inky blackness...


Jayfeather blinked his sightless eyes tiredly as he finished sorting the herb supply for the third time. There was a good supply of everything, but what good was it if he couldn’t help his Clanmates? He hadn’t been allowed to leave the medicine den, and Whitewing definitely needed some thyme for shock and poppy seeds so she could sleep.

Yes, he had still been stuck in the medicine den at the time, but the whole camp could hear the queen yowling about what had happened to Dovekit. Outside, the sun had just set and dark shadows were covering the forest. Tomorrow would half moon, when medicine cats went to share tongues with StarClan. Would Hollystar allow him to go? Not likely.

What would the other medicine cats do when never showed up? Hopefully they would figure out what happened soon enough. ThunderClan needed some help soon, or they would all be exterminated. He quietly padded over to his moss nest and lay down, exhaling deeply as his body relaxed.

Snap.

Jayfeather sat up and listened carefully, trying to locate the source of the sound. No other noise occurred, and the tom lay back down.

“I must be imagining-mmph!”

The tom’s quiet conversation with himself was cut off as a wad of moss was shoved into his open mouth. A heavy weight pinned him down before he could get to his paws.

“Hush, now. We don’t want you to disturb the others, now do we?”

Hollystar?

It was definitely his sister that began running her tongue over his fur, her scent mixed with blood. Jayfeather flailed his paws in a weak attempt to free himself, but Hollystar was unmoveable. The moss was dry in his mouth, muffling his voice as he tried to speak.

“Mmph! Mmm mm Mmph!”

Hollystar continued licked her brother’s fur, her tongue trailing down his underside.

“It’s your fault, Jayfeather. You have no idea what I went through when those tunnels collapsed. Before I kill you, I want to make your last night memorable. You are my brother, after all.”

Her relentless tongue had reached the area between his hind legs, licking in smooth, deliberate strokes. Jayfeather began struggling a little more violently, his blind eyes becoming full of fear. Only one cat had the right to touch him there, Cinderheart. The first time they had mated, it had been absolutely wonderful. He could still remember the feeling of her body pressed against him, their scents mixing with the night air.

Hollystar pressed herself on top of him, thrusting her hips back and forth. Jayfeather’s muffled scream was cut off by the moss. The pain was excruciating, it felt as if he was being ripped apart by savage dogs.

Why couldn’t Hollystar stop? His sister continued her actions for what seemed like seasons. Finally, she got off her brother, leaving him on his back and completely exhausted. Jayfeather couldn’t move, the pain had taken away all of his strength.

Hollystar stood above him, amusement flickering in her green gaze. Toms weren’t high on intelligence. All they cared about was making themselves feel good. What they needed was a she-cat with a good head on her shoulders to keep them in line...

Suddenly, an idea came her. Unsheathing the claws on a forepaw, she slowly raised it over the shivering form of her brother. Her claws flashed down between his hind legs, slicing with grim efficiency. Jayfeather screeched with agony and began thrashing around, blood pouring out from the gash Hollystar had inflicted on him.

Then he became still, lying in a pool of his own blood, and a ball of moss still jammed in his mouth. Hollystar’s gaze flickered to the severed portion of her brother lying on the den floor.

“Scrag, take this essence of my brother to my den. I might feel peckish later.”

After the rogue had come and gone, Hollystar spared a final glance at Jayfeather before leaving.

“Goodbye, brother. I always liked you best.”

A.N.: Review! Tell me what you think!

[VisserZer0]

A.N.: We meet again. You wouldn’t happen to know what you had for dinner last Thursday, do you? Let’s get going.

IV: Border Patrol

Ashfoot inhaled deeply as the wind swept through her fur, tumbling and rolling across the landscape. It was perfect for waking up to when you were on the dawn patrol. Crowfeather, Breezepelt, and Heathertail made up the rest of the group, which had just arrived at the ThunderClan border.

As the deputy as about to renew the scent markers, she noticed a rabbit spring out of a clump of gorse and dash off across the grass, almost straight at them. Breezepelt was after it in a heartbeat, unsheathed claws digging into the turf. The rabbit dashed across the stream that marked the border, and Breezepelt was right behind it. Leaping the stream in a single bound, he sank his teeth into the prey’s neck.

The WindClan deputy glared at him as he dragged the rabbit back to them. “Are you mouse-brained? Do you have any idea what would have happened if a ThunderClan patrol caught you hunting in their territory?”

The black warrior set down his rabbit and glared right back, rebellion flashing in his eyes. “So? The borders are so faint I can barely smell them! It’s not my fault if that group of kittypets and half-breeds can’t bother to mark their borders once in a while.”

Heathertail stretched open her jaws and scented the air. True, the markers were faint. It seemed that ThunderClan hadn’t been this way in days. Ashfoot spoke again, gazing off into the trees.

“Something must be wrong. ThunderClan is usually right on top of things. We should report this to Onestar.”

Breezepelt ignored her and sunk his teeth into the rabbit, talking around it. “Why should we? It’s not our problem. I’m going back to camp.”

He disappeared over the crest of a hill, tail twitching as he went. Crowfeather failed to rebuke his son, nor did he come to his defense. He simply gazed off into ThunderClan territory with a far-away look in his eyes. Heathertail couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for him. The WindClan warrior seemed more depressed and distant then ever, after Hollyleaf had revealed his secret at the Gathering.

No cat deserved to go through that. She remembered how she felt after Lionblaze said they couldn’t see each other anymore. How she still longed to see him... Heathertail shook her head to clear it. No! He doesn’t care about you! He’d rather be a warrior, remember?

But she couldn’t get the tom out of her head, then a voice broke out in the silence.

“Halt!”

Three cats the golden she-cat hadn’t seen before emerged from the undergrowth on the ThunderClan side. Their fur was matted and they smelled terrible, like something rotting.

The cats stayed on their side of the border, but looked ready for confrontation. The leading tom glared at the WindClan patrol, “what are you doing so close to our territory? Speak, now!”

Heathertail held back a retort as Ashfoot spoke, “We...need to speak to Firestar.”

“Hollystar is busy at the moment. I suggest you stay away from out territory if you want to stay in one piece.”

The rogue cats turned around and stalked off, vanishing into the trees. Crowfeather had fixed his eyes on something up in a nearby elm. He nudged the two she-cats beside him.

“Look, is that a...skull?”

The white skull was hanging from a tree several fox-lengths , a piece of vine looped through the empty eye sockets. The top of the had a large crack in the top, as if had been violently ripped open. Heathertail’s stomach lurched, and she fought against the bile that rose in the back of her throat.

“Come on,” Ashfoot mewed quietly. “We need to report this to Onestar.”



Brightheart dug her claws into the dirt and hissed in frustration, “I can’t believe he’s doing this!”

It was well past Sunhigh, and Hollystar’s rogues weren’t doing anything very constructive. Laying about and eating seemed to be their main concerns. Hollystar at the base of the Highledge, calmly surveying the cat as he approached. The warriors hadn’t been allowed out of the den, and it had been several days since any of them had eaten.

Finally, Berrynose couldn’t take it anymore. He had calmly stated that he wanted to join with Hollystar, and anyone who wished to follow him was welcome. Nobody else did, however, and the cream-colored tom went alone.

Hawk and Toadwart got up to intercept him, but Hollystar waved them back. Her emerald eyes watched as Berrynose got close, then she spoke. “Ah, Berrynose, what a pleasant surprise. How may I aid you on this fine day?”

Berrynose stared at the vole she was eating before blurting out. “I’m starving! I’ll do anything you want!”

Hollystar looked him up and down carefully, victory glittering her gaze. She pushed the half-eaten vole forward, just into reach of the hungry warrior. Her gaze then flickered to her pelt. The blood streaks were dry and beginning to peel off, and that wouldn’t do at all.

“Prove to me that you’re loyal. I want you to cut yourself.”

Berrynose looked surprised, then unsheathed his claws and placed one forepaw on his chest. At an encouraging nod from Hollystar, he slashed downward. Blood stained his creamy pelt, turning it crimson. Twitching and hissing in pain, his amber gaze turned back to Hollystar.

The dark she-cat reached forward, dipping her paws in the open wound. Ignoring Berrynose’s hiss of agony, she reapplied the blood streaks to her fur. Then she pushed the vole to Berrynose, who began to gulp it down greedily, ignoring the blood still dripping from the gash on his chest.

Sandstorm watched all this from beside Brightheart, her narrowed eyes searing into the tom’s back. “That traitor.” Anger and disbelief kept her from speaking anymore. This was unlike Berrynose! How long before others joined him, before they started turning on each other?



Barkface sat on the grass, waiting quietly for the other medicine cats. His apprentice, Kestrelpaw, waited beside him. The full moon was already high in the sky, where were the other medicine cats? As the moon continued to move across the sky, Mothwing and Willowshine emerged from the direction of RiverClan territory, traveling through WindClan territory.

“Sorry we’re late! Beetlekit had an infected cut, I wanted to make sure we treated it before we left.” Mothwing mewed.

Barkface got to his paws, “let’s get going, we’re wasting moonlight.”

“What about Littlecloud, Flamepaw, Leafpool and Jayfeather?” Mothwing meowed.

Barkface flicked his tail, “they’ll catch up. Let’s get going.”

Mothwing brought up the rear, lost in thought. It was a pretty far walk just to get a good night’s sleep, but there was no way Leopardstar would let her stay a medicine cat if she found out that Mothwing didn’t believe in StarClan.

Climbing up the slope that would lead back down to the Moonpool, Barkface reached the rim of the hollow first, and looked down expecting to see the starlight filled water that would allow him and the other medicine cats to speak with their warrior ancestors. He stopped, frozen in place.

The path down to the Moonpool was scarlet, blood glistening in the moonlight. The decapitated bodies of Brambleclaw and Firestar floated in the water, choking it with blood. The waterfall was just a trickle of red, clogged with the headless body of a kit Barkface couldn’t recognize.

The bodies of Littlecloud and Flamepaw rested on the edge of the moonpool, throats cut, bleeding freely into the sacred water. A sickening stench of gore and death wafted up from the hollow.

“W...who could have done this?” Mothwing let out in a hoarse whisper.

Barkface shook his head to focus his thoughts. The dawn patrol had reported to Onestar that the ThunderClan border markers were very faint. They had also reported an encounter with a group of rogues. Onestar hadn’t see the need to send a patrol into ThunderClan territory for that. The skull that they had supposedly seen hanging from a tree branch wasn't there, he had gone to see it for himself.

He fixed his gaze on the dead ShadowClan cats.

“They must have come through ThunderClan territory,” he murmured. He turned to the RiverClan cats beside him, “we can’t share tongues with StarClan tonight. We need to report this to our leaders.”

With unspoken agreement, they began to walk down away from the carnage. After some silence, they started to turn away from ThunderClan territory and toward the WindClan camp.

“Wait!”

The medicine cats turned to see Honeyfern, fur matted with fear in her eyes, crouching in the shadows on the ThunderClan side of the stream.

“Honeyfern? What happened to the Moonpool? What’s going on?” Barkface said quietly.

“I don’t have much time to explain! Listen, Hollyleaf is back, and she’s tearing ThunderClan apart. She’s already murdered several cats, the rest are going to follow if we don’t get some help.”

Barkface nodded, trying to remain calm despite the new information that was spinning inside his head. “We’ll tell out leaders immediately. Come with us, we’ll get you to safety.”

The light brown she-cat shook her head and started to back away, “I can’t. The others will be punished if I’m suddenly missing. Have a patrol meet me here at dawn. I’ll try and sneak away to guide them.”

The medicine cats watched as Honeyfern turned and ran away as quickly as she could, before the darkness of the night swallowed her completely.

A.N.: I made a video for Hollystar on YouTube to Die my Darling by Metallica. Check it out, after you review! I know this chapter wasn’t as great as the last few, I’ll try to make the next one better.

[Natureboy3]

The coal is in the mine! I like my story!

[VisserZer0]

Well, durrrrr, pappy! I'm sure lots of coal miners like their stories!

[Natureboy3]

Hollystar's comin' to eat ya'. OM NOM NOM.