Rated M content warnings are in the Warrior Ultimate Guide!

"The light at the end of the tunnel is hope for many. Who knew, that for one Clan, the light at the end of the tunnel might be their own downfall?"
-Omegathyst

DragonClan
Territory: Mostly open field with a moderate amount of trees on the right side of the Rapid River; dens are burrows underground. South of the medicine cat meeting area, the Moon-Oak, the biggest and oldest tree in the forest.

Leader: Goldenstar-bright yellow she-cat with orange stripes, amber eyes, and a white tail tip
Deputy: Darkheart-fluffy black tom with orange eyes
Medicine Cat: Silverskip-light grey tabby tom with green eyes
Apprentice, Mothfeather(white she-cat with grey dapples)

Warriors
Tansynose-orange and white she-cat with black nose marking
Apprentice, Smokypaw(fluffy dark brown she-cat with amber eyes)
Mistbreeze-light grey tom with blue eyes
Moonblaze-dark grey tom with amber eyes
Snowfern-fluffy white she-cat
Apprentice, Aurorapaw(cream yellow she-cat with green eyes)
Primroseleaf-light grey she-cat with green eyes
Sandypelt-orange tom with white paws
Foxtail-bright orange she-cat with amber eyes and black paws
Heavyfang-big black and white tom
Tawnybranch-skinny brown and white she-cat
Swancry-white she-cat with pale yellow eyes and long limbs
Spike-big grey tom with amber eyes
Apprentice, Grizzlypaw(big brown tabby tom with amber eyes and black stripes)
Pacifica-orange she-cat with white paws and tail
Lazuli-blue grey she-cat with blue eyes
Ursula-pale yellow she-cat with green eyes
Andy-light grey tom with lake blue eyes

Queens
Nightflower-black she-cat with blue eyes(mother of Sandypelt's kits: Crowkit, small black tom with amber eyes, Daisykit, tortoiseshell she-kit with blue eyes, and Mintkit, white she-kit with green eyes. 4 moons old)
Meredith-orange she-cat with darker orange stripes(expecting Andy's kits in 2 moons)

PhoenixClan
Territory: The northern half of the right side of Rapid River; mostly pine forest.

Leader: Hawkstar-dark grey tom with sharp amber eyes
Deputy: Scorpiontail-brown tabby tom with long tail
Medicine Cat: Oatbreeze-light brown tom

FireClan
Territory: The southern half of the right side of Rapid River; pine forest at the border with PhoenixClan and open moor with few trees for the rest.

Leader: Scorchstar-orange tom with amber eyes
Deputy: Ashdust-skinny blue-grey tom
Medicine Cat: Thorndrop-mostly black tortoiseshell tom

Warriors
Leopardpelt-tall brown tabby she-cat with green eyes
Eclipsefall-skinny black she-cat with amber eyes
Creekleap-grey tabby tom with black stripes

StormClan
Territory: In the mountains near the forest, north from to the Gathering Lake, which is also north of the rest of the three Clans. Their camp is in a big cave entrance and the dens are various tunnels inside.

Leader: Streamstar-dark blue-grey she-cat with bright blue eyes
Deputy: Coaldapple-big white tom with black splashes
Medicine Cat: Rocktail-skinny orange she-cat with amber eyes
Apprentice, Fogpaw(pale grey tom with blue eyes)

Warriors
Arin-brown tom with amber eyes
Dan-dark grey tom with shaggy fur
Suzy-white she-cat with black stripes and pale yellow eyes

Many moons ago

Silverskip timidly returned from seeing his vision from StarClan cats at the Moon-Oak. He didn't know if he should feel terrified or confused at the prophecy that he was given. He could only hope that his leader would understand.

"Ivorystar?" Silverskip stepped into the Nursery where his sleeping leader was sleeping with her five newborn kits born earlier that day at her belly. Ivorystar was a beautiful white she-cat with light pink ears and green eyes that could make nature itself envious. It was no surprise that her beauty caught herself a mate, even if her heart wasn't as pretty.

"Wha...? I hope this is important Silverskip, I'm tired as shit." Ivorystar groaned. "Thank StarClan you'll never know how popping five kits out of your vagina feels like."

"Um...I received a prophecy from a StarClan cat. She said that the 'golden light can heal, but it cannot lead'" Silverskip explained, ignoring his leader's vulgarity. "I'm assuming that she's talking about your kit Goldenkit, and how she's meant to be a medicine cat. I know that you're determined to make one of your kits the next leader-"

"Then we shouldn't have anything to worry about. After all, I have five healthy kits. One of them's bound to be a leader material." Ivorystar purred. "And if Goldenkit ends up being a medicine cat by her sibling leader's side, that's even better."

Silverskip didn't like how much Ivorystar valued her beliefs, wisdom, and philosophies over everyone else's. She genuinely believed that she was right and everyone who thought otherwise was wrong, and the only way to have the next leader share her beliefs was if it was her own kit to manipulate. Like her kits couldn't have their own ideals or thoughts, they had to lead and think like her someday.

Despite that, there seemed to be nothing wrong with DragonClan compared to PhoenixClan and FireClan. PhoenixClan believed that she-cats shouldn't be leaders, deputies, medicine cats, or even mentors. To them, she-cats were only useful in the Nursery to raise strong toms. FireClan was a little looser on she-cats, allowing them to be warriors and mentors. But she-cats still had to have kits by a certain age. StormClan was the most peaceful of the four.

To Silverskip, PhoenixClan and FireClan were both sickening in their firmly-rooted beliefs. At least DragonClan didn't live through fear or judgement, despite having such a narcissistic leader. He didn't even get why StarClan was so worried. Goldenkit was going to be fine.

Many moons later

"Make sure that all the herbs are organized by importance before leaf-bare comes, with the catmint at the front of the pile."

"Right on it Silverskip!" Goldenpaw purred. Silverskip basked in the result of his teaching. Never in his life had he expected to have such a well-behaved apprentice that was eager to learn.

He worried about Ivorystar a little though. Two of her kits died before they were a quarter-moon old, and one kit died from falling into the Raging River on a hunting patrol. Ivorystar realized that she was now barren after trying to have a second litter, but her weak daughter Cricketpaw seemed to be her only chance of passing down her leadership to her kit. He knew that she wouldn't be a good leader-

"CRICKETPAW DIED!" Ivorystar wailed, storming into the medicine cat's den. "One of the PhoenixClan warriors found out about my situation and thought it'd be funny to kill her! We are declaring war on PhoenixClan! But first-"

Ivorystar grabbed Goldenpaw by the scruff and pulled her out of the burrow.

"-you are going to start your apprenticeship to become a warrior." Ivorystar decided. "And then I'll make you the new deputy, and my dream won't be dead after all!"

"No Ivorystar! We talked about this! StarClan said that she cannot lead!" Silverskip protested desperately, knowing that he already lost. If Ivorystar really wanted something, no medicine cat or clear prophecy was going to stop her.

"StarClan can personally go fuck themselves for all I care. If those shit-for-brains really wanted her not to lead, they wouldn't have let my other kits die." Ivorystar snarled.

Goldenpaw didn't protest, instead she quietly followed her mother. Silverskip sat in the burrow in disbelief, terrified for the future of DragonClan.

"Goldenlight, you know that you don't have to do this. You can choose a different cat to lead and become a medicine cat like you always wanted."

"Silverskip, Ivorystar's virtues are very important. And her kin is the only ones that can pass those on." Goldenlight told him. "I will be making Darkheart my deputy, and I will soon have kits. And one of them will be the next leader-"

Silverskip didn't want to hear her anymore. He knew that Ivorystar manipulated her into thinking that this was the right thing to do. Ivorystar, being the selfish mastermind that she was, did this to ensure that Goldenlight wouldn't change her mind, even after she died.

"I can't l-let you be leader." Silverskip knew that he was weak against Goldenlight, who was now a strong and fierce warrior thanks to Ivorystar's strict training. He couldn't stop her.

"Do you even hear yourself right now? Even StarClan didn't want you to be leader." Silverskip added. "You can save your Clan now by stepping down."

"Mom knows best." Goldenlight hissed. "StarClan is too intimidated by her wisdom to understand that."

Silverskip leaped at her before they reached the Moon-Oak, but Goldenlight shoved him off with ease.

"Fine, fuck over our Clan for all I care." Silverskip snapped. "But I'm not watching you get your nine lives."

He considered telling DragonClan what was going on, but he couldn't worry his Clan in a time like this. He did his job and warned Ivorystar and Goldenlight.

That was all he could do.