"Look what you've done!"
A black-striped she-cat bowled a pale-gray she-cat over. The pale-gray cat let out a hiss as she hit the ground.
"What are you talking about?" she spat, "I've done nothing!"
"Precisely!" the striped cat's silver-gray fur was bristling, "You could've stopped your son, but you didn't. Now look what's happened!"
"Do you really think I wanted this to happen, Moonflower?" the pale-gray she-cat retorted, rising to her paws, "Kits can be stubborn."
"They aren't kits anymore!"
"True. But in our hearts, as mothers, they always will be. Besides, I know you tried to stop you're daughter, but would she listen? No!"
"Shut up!" Moonflower hissed, "Your son sent my daughter to the nursery! Tell me, Rainflower, how does that make you feel?"
"I disapprove of it, actually," Rainflower answered, "But who are we to get into the way of destiny? We're only dead cats. We may watch over Clanmates, but we don't rule over them. Not in the fullest extent, anyway."
"It wasn't Bluefur's destiny to rear halfClan kits!" Moonflower retorted, "She was supposed to become Sunstar's successor. To blaze through the forest like fire."
"Oh, you actually believe your brother's frog-brained prophecies?" Rainflower snorted, "It was one of his crazy omens that killed you, remember?"
"I haven't forgotten," Moonflower rasped, "but now that I'm in StarClan, I know that he is right about Bluefur. But she's a queen. She won't be able to become deputy for six more moons. And I don't think Tawnyspots can remain deputy for much longer, he's far too sick. If Bluefur doesn't become deputy then who, do you think, will?"
Rainflower didn't answer.
"Thistleclaw," Moonflower spat the name of the spiky gray-and-white tom with immense hatred, "If Sunstar makes him deputy it will be the death of ThunderClan!"
"It doesn't concern me," Rainflower grunted indifferently, "The fate of ThunderClan means nothing to me. If ThunderClan is gone, then my Clan won't have to fight over Sunningrocks with anybody."
"Is that what you think of us?" Moonflower snarled, growing enraged, "Thieves of your precious Sunningrocks? There are more important things than that, you know. This could be the fate of the Clans, we're talking about. If Thistleclaw takes power, he'll drench everything we've come to love in blood. Doesn't that mean a thing to you, Rainflower?"
"It doesn't matter," the pale-gray RiverClan cat meowed, "A cat like him doesn't deserve authority like that."
"We know that," Moonflower growled, "but does Sunstar?"
Rainflower didn't reply. She just narrowed her dark-blue eyes.
"Every Clan is doomed, and it's because of your foolishness!"
"My foolishness?" Rainflower's rage was finally unleashed, "You're calling me the fool, Moonflower? It's Bluefur and Oakheart who broke the warrior code, not us!"
"You're the fool because you didn't try to stop your kit, unlike me!"
"Oh, and you're so noble, are you?"
"At least I tried to stop all this!"
"Nobody can stop everything."
Yowling, Moonflower lunged for Rainflower. The two cats broke into a screeching knot of pale and striped gray fur. Their eyes flashed among the knot, like shards of blue ice and flickers of orange flame.
Finally, the knot broke apart in a flash of scarlet. The two she-cats, though injured, stood their ground. The hackles were raised and their lips were curled in snarls. Their growls shook the air like thunder.
Moonflower's cheek glistened with blood where it had been scratched. Cuts streaked her flank, and blood pooled in a gash on her shoulder.
Rainflower's slender tail was flecked with red where Moonflower had nipped it. Blood trickled out of a bite gash on her foreleg, and a scratch above her eye stung her face.
The two were about to leap into a fight, when…
"Stop! Stop fighting!"
Like a flash of white light, a snowy she-cat appeared between the two quarreling gray cats. Her blue eyes glinted in anger and defiance. "Is this what it's come to?" she growled, "Meaningless bloodshed?"
"So you came, Snowfur?" Rainflower quiered.
"Of course I did!" Snowfur hissed, "Do you think I would really let you two end your spirit lives over all this?"
"This isn't your business, Snowfur," Moonflower began gently.
"Of course it is!" Snowfur retorted, "The coming kits are my sister's kits. My nieces and nephews. My kin."
Moonflower reluctantly nodding in agreement. Rainflower just scowled.
"I will not let any cat throw themselves into stupid, pointless fights just because of these unborn kits and their parents," Snowfur continued.
"I respect your spirit, Snowfur," Moonflower murmured to her daughter, "but I'm afraid it's no use."
"W-What do you mean?" the white warrior stuttered.
"I'm afraid one of those kits will not make it to adulthood."
Snowfur's mouth dropped open. "N…N-No! Y-You can't be right! You just can't be! What makes you think this?"
"Pure intuition," Moonflower replied.
"And that's it?" Snowfur growled, "These kits aren't even born yet, and you just jump to conclusions about their fate? That's ridiculous!"
"Snowfur-" Moonflower began.
"I won't believe it!" Snowfur yowled, storming away, "I'll make sure these kits survive! No matter what you say!"