Skystrike's Demons

by Shadowglow's Reign

When Skystrike breaks the warrior code by killing a fellow warrior, he goes through a wave of guilt, pain, and shame. Follow him through the twists and turns of knowing what you have done is unforgivable, all the way to the very end, with Demons by Imagine Dragons telling his life story. This is a challenge for WFFM, a forum for Warriors. All song credits go to Imagine Dragons.

Challenge 2: Demons from The Warriors Fanfiction Magazine (A forum owned by Beware the Shadows)

When the days are cold

And the cards all fold

And the saints we see

Are all made of gold

When your dreams all fail

And the ones we hail

Are the worst of all

And the blood's run stale

Skystrike raced across the moor of Windclan, looking for a rabbit. It was the middle of leafbare, and Windclan was starving. Briarfrost, his unofficial mate, had her ribs showing. Skystrike had been running around for about an hour, and he saw nothing but snow and the occasional tree. He was beginning to give up on finding anything, even a vole, when he scaled Towerhill. There he saw him.

"Runningblaze!" He yowled. There, by the Thunderclan border! Runningblaze, a light ginger tom, was in Windclan territory! Why had he crossed the river? Runningblaze turned on him, hissing. His ribs clearly showed, and he looked weak. An easy target. "Get off our territory!" Skystrike yowled, leaping off of Towerhill to dash over to the border. "Why?" He taunted. "Windclan was always too weak to defend its borders!" Skystrike hissed. He and Runningblaze began to slowly move in a circle, each with ears tightly pricked and eyes narrowed to find the weakness in each other's stance. "Windclan is just as strong as any clan, and even stronger!" He spit. Runningblaze suddenly faked left and attempted to strike his right. A Windclan move. Skystrike inwardly smirked. He'd been practicing that move and the move against it for moons. He dodged, and pounced on his back. Runningblaze yowled and shook him off. In the flightiness of battle, he mindlessly let instinct take over, and he sank his teeth into Runningblaze's neck.

Too late, he backed off, and watched in horror as Runningblaze's body slumped to the ground. I just killed someone! He thought. Who am I? A few moments passed, and Skystrike realized he had to remove the body. I don't want a war over this! He dragged the body into the stream, and let the body flow away. The blood washed off too, but his anxieties didn't. What did I just do? The warrior code states we must not kill! Afraid, he ran back to camp, guilt racking his body.

The day passed slowly and coldly. Skystrike struck out at anyone who tried to talk to him, even Briarfrost. He was simply waiting for night to fall, so he could talk with Starclan. He hadn't spoken with Starclan before, but according to Spottedtail, the medicine cat, Starclan will come when you need them. Trust me, I need them! He honestly didn't know what to do. I can't possibly keep living like normal! Finally, after a long, long day of ignorance, night began to rise, and he settled down.

He opened his eyes to a calm pasture. His dead mother, Splashdawn, looked at him. "Finally," he muttered. Then he sighed as Splashdawn's eyes narrowed with worry. "I killed someone." He blurted out. Splashdawn let out a sad smile. "I know, it's ok." she mewed gently.

He bristled. What?! "What do you mean 'It's ok'?" he snapped, standing up. "I killed another cat! I broke the code! How can I keep living my life knowing I stopped someone else from doing the same?"

Splashdawn tried to comfort him. "It's ok, Skystrike. He was going to join us soon anywa-"

Skystrike cut her off. "I'm a murderer!" He roared. His anger at himself, and his shame, came pouring out. "I'm a murderer, and you're telling me to live my life like it never happened? I can't and won't just 'forget'! You've never known guilt, Splashdawn! You've never known the tug in your navel to do the right thing! You've never known the stress, the bashing of your head, your mind screaming 'I should be dead for what I did!' I can't just forget!"

Splashdawn started to speak, but Skystrike didn't let her. "You Starclan cats seem made of gold! You think you're all high and mighty, but you're worthless! Get out of my dream!"

Splashdawn's attempt at a calming demeanor and expression was starting to anger him more. Did they seriously not care that some cat was ripped of life early because of him? Wasn't that what the code was for? He stormed off in a huff, just barely hearing Splashdawn's hushed whisper.

"I've known."

Hello people of the Internet! I've been kind of inactive lately but only because I've been writing this! I hope you enjoy it! I plan to make about 8 more chapters, but don't worry, they will come sooner than this one!

-Shadowglow's Reign