Prologue

Pain.

It seared through him like fire, eating away at his flesh and releasing blood that trickled down his flame-coloured flanks. From there it fell to the dusty floor, mingling with the spilled blood of all the other cats, forest and BloodClan alike. The pain shuddered through his body, mercilessly attacking the leader with cold, invisible claws. He felt it every time he breathed, every movement his muscles allowed. And he felt it every swipe of his enemy's reinforced claws that sank through his fur as easily as splitting a leaf, and added a new wound to Firestar's ever-growing list, a new throb of pain to join the others that overwhelmed him with its fire. And now, he staggered back from the blow wondering if his legs would hold him up any longer.

It seemed like the battle should have ended by now, but it was still raging on around him. Firestar couldn't see himself, but if he could he would have been horrified at the wounds that marred his once-sleek coat. Long, deep gashes clotted with blood flecked his pelt, glistening red flesh visible where the fur was parted; one of his ears was badly clawed, the tip almost severed from the rest. His eyes, as forest-green as the home he was trying to save, were almost completely filled with blood from a scratch on his forehead that had drenched half his face. But he was no different from the rest of the crowd that heaved around him. The forest cats were all more wounded than they had ever been in their lives, and yet every fallen BloodClan warrior was replaced by a new one, less injured and more ready to fight than the last.

The rogue cats' leader crouched before Firestar now, his skinny black tail lashing. Scourge's eyes were slits of blue, hard as steel as he watched his enemy falter. The tom's claws stretched out in front of him, unnaturally long compared to his small jet-black form. "You've lost, forest fool," the BloodClan leader hissed. His voice sounded like claws splitting ice; that alone would be enough cause for Firestar to flinch. But the ginger cat was beyond flinching. Nothing could be worse than the raging, stabbing fire he felt along his body now. It numbed his mind to the verge of collapse – a never-ending torture.

"Not while I'm still standing," a voice rasped out of Firestar's throat, and he almost choked on the dust and blood that clotted his mouth. He was vaguely aware that someone had slashed his nose, and the blood had stained his muzzle and seeped between his lips. It was pride that kept him upright, and the voice came of its own accord. He couldn't stop fighting. Some part of him longed to give up, but he knew he couldn't. He was the noble leader of ThunderClan – he was the fire that would save the forest.

He was destined to not give up.

But blackness swam in front of his vision, and his weary legs trembled. How long could he keep this up? And if he was weakening, what must his Clanmates be feeling?

It hurt to move.

Hurt to stand.

Hurt to exist.

"We'll see about that," Scourge's needle-voice pierced Firestar's battered ears. The small black cat lunged. Firestar felt like he was in a dream as he moved back rapidly, avoiding Scourge's claws. His muscles screamed at him in protest and his head throbbed unbearably.

Firestar aimed a blow at Scourge's head. He swiped as hard as he could, but there was no power behind his paw and Scourge didn't even blink. Firestar doubted he had even felt his feeble attack.

Scourge's eyes glittered. "Shall we end it now? Or would you prefer to stand like this, in agony, watching your precious Clans fall around you?" But he answered the question for himself. Before Firestar could move Scourge surged upwards, ripping his claws through Firestar's throat and chest.

Firestar crumpled. His legs gave way beneath him and he sank to the ground in a strange sensation that he was falling slowly down a long, black tunnel. He didn't even notice he was already on the floor. Dark waves flickered across his eyes, and the image of Scourge standing over him, claws dripping with blood, faded into blackness.

Scourge threw back his head and let out a screeching yowl of triumph. An apprentice stopped fighting, his eyes widening when he saw the ginger cat. "Firestar!" he cried. A BloodClan warrior slashed at him cruelly, but the fight had left him. The apprentice wailed, "Firestar! No!"

Slowly, the forest cats began to realise their leader was dead. The fight drained from their blood, and they stared in shock, unable to fight.

Scourge yowled again. "Firestar is dead!" he shrieked in his eerie, high-pitched voice. Wails of despair erupted from the forest Clans, a strange lament of grief. Scourge flicked his tail. "Kill them all," he hissed to his warriors. But the Clans didn't resist as their enemies fell upon them.

The Clans had fallen.

Blood was ruling the forest.

Hi! This is just a one-shot, for now, I think. I've decided to upload some of the really old stuff I wrote ages ago. Hope you liked it! :)