Hello, readers, and welcome to FroggyClan's group story, Bad Blood!
I am Gingehfish, the admin of FroggyClan. We are a forum in the Warriors section of FFN. We are a fun, happy community that appreciates new members. :) We have decided to write a group story, suggested by the amazing Skystorm.
This group story will feature four writers:
Myself, the admin (Gingehfish)
My RL friend and mod, Shadow (Shadowstroke)
Another RL friend, Brainy (Sagebrainy)
And our good friend Sky (Skystar of the Ancients)
Our story follows the lives of two apprentices, Emberpaw of ThunderClan and Alderpaw of ShadowClan.
Tensions rise around the Lake. ShadowClan has introduced a new section to the warrior code, forbidding kittypets from joining the Clans, and ThunderClan is not happy. Alderpaw of ShadowClan and Emberpaw of ThunderClan take huge risks by going against their Clans and the code to meet each other and perhaps make peace. Will they be heros, or will they lose everything they ever knew?
This story will be updated approximately every other week.
Credits:
Today's chapter is the prologue, brought to you by myself, Gingehfish!
Our cover art was made by Sky.
The summary was written by Sky and myself.
Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Bad Blood
Allegiances
ShadowClan
Leader: Applestar—dark brown tabby she-cat with green eyes (Apprentice, Morningpaw)
Deputy: Elmtail—dark gray tom with amber eyes
Medicine cat: Robinwing—light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Apprentice, Brackenpaw)
Warriors: Mudpelt—golden brown tabby she-cat with green eyes
Hawktail—dark gray tom with amber eyes
Lionpelt—golden tabby tom with blue eyes (Apprentice, Heatherpaw)
Puddlefur—light gray she-cat with blue eyes.
Webclaw—dark gray she-cat with green eyes (Apprentice, Whisperpaw)
Mousetail—dusty brown tom with green eyes
Spiderfur—black tom with amber eyes (Apprentice, Alderpaw)
Thrushpelt—brown-and-gray tabby tom with green eyes
Icewhisker—pale gray she-cat with blue eyes (Apprentice, Ferretpaw)
Treeclaw—dark brown tom with amber eyes
Hailfur—gray tom with blue eyes
Apprentices: Brackenpaw—dark brown tabby tom with blue eyes
Heatherpaw—light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes
Ferretpaw—small black-colored tom with blue eyes
Alderpaw—brown tabby tom with blue eyes
Whisperpaw—gray-pelted she-cat with blue eyes
Morningpaw—dark gray she-cat with green eyes
Queens: Russetheart—reddish she-cat with green eyes; mother of Lionpelt's kits: Squirrelkit, Breezekit, and Burrkit
Nutfur—brown she-cat with yellow eyes; mother of Thrushpelt's kits: Willowkit and Crowkit
Quailfoot—pale ginger she-cat with yellow eyes; expecting Hailfur's kits
Kits: Squirrelkit—ginger she-cat with white paws and blue eyes
Breezekit—black tom with yellow eyes
Burrkit—reddish tom with green eyes
Willowkit—pale gray she-cat with a long tail and green eyes
Crowkit—dark gray tom with lighter flecks and amber eyes.
Elders: Fallencloud—white she-cat with dark blue eyes
Reedheart—dark brown she-cat with gray markings on her muzzle and ears
ThunderClan
Leader: Ivystar—black-furred she-cat with white markings and blue eyes
Deputy: Sparrowfeather—brown tom with red spots and green eyes (Apprentice, Icepaw)
Medicine cat: Lilywhisker—light brown she-cat with yellow eyes (Apprentice, Blackfur)
Warriors: Juniperpelt—brown she-cat with fur and blue eyes
Puddlenose—light gray tom with white paws and amber eyes
Cedarclaw—brown tom with green eyes (Apprentice, Emberpaw)
Frostpelt—small gray tom with black specks and blue eyes
Hazelshade—dark brown she-cat with amber eyes
Darktail—gray tom with a black tail and blue eyes (Apprentice, Acornpaw)
Bumblefoot—pale ginger tom with green eyes
Weedfur—black-furred she-cat with yellow eyes (Apprentice, Skypaw)
Spotfur—black and brown she-cat with blue eyes
Raintail—dark gray she-cat with green eyes
Apprentices: Blackfur—dark brown tom with lighter brown spots and amber eyes
Skypaw—silver and black she-cat with blue eyes
Acornpaw—brown tabby she-cat with green eyes
Emberpaw—black-furred she-cat with amber eyes
Icepaw—white-furred tom with blue eyes
Queens: Brightfur—ginger she-cat with blue eyes, expecting Bumblefoot's kits
Elders: Cloverleaf—light gray tabby she-cat with green eyes
Harepelt—graying ginger tom with green eyes
WindClan
Leader: Dawnstar—pale gray she-cat with yellow eyes
Deputy: Olivetail—brown she-cat and green eyes
Medicine cat: Eaglefoot—cream-and-brown tom with blue eyes
Warriors: Patchtail—black-and-white tom with blue eyes
Shadefur—dark gray tom with yellow eyes (Apprentice, Moorpaw)
Oakpelt—dark brown tom with blue eyes (Apprentice, Berrypaw)
Kestrelfoot—pale gray she-cat green eyes (Apprentice, Larkpaw)
Russetclaw—dark ginger tom with amber eyes
Brookpelt—pale brown she-cat and green eyes (Apprentice, Ashpaw)
Whiteblaze—white tom with green eyes (Apprentice, Orangepaw)
Mapletail—gray tabby tom with blue eyes
Jayclaw—white she-cat with blue eyes (Apprentice, Sandpaw)
Fernheart—brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes
Apprentices: Orangepaw—ginger tom with green eyes
Berrypaw—gray she-cat with blue eyes
Moorpaw—black tom with yellow eyes
Larkpaw—brown tabby she-cat with yellow eyes
Ashpaw—cream-and-gray she-cat with a short tail and brown eyes
Sandpaw—dark tawny she-cat with amber eyes
Queens: Weaselfur—dark brown she-cat with yellow eyes; mother of Whiteblaze's kit: Brownkit
Redfur—ginger she-cat with green eyes; mother of Oakpelt's kits: Weaselkit, Breezekit, Waterkit, and Nightkit
Kits: Brownkit—brown she-cat with green eyes
Weaselkit—ginger tom with blue eyes
Breezekit—dark brown tom with yellow eyes
Waterkit—gray tom with blue eyes
Nightkit—black she-cat with green eyes
Elders: Dustclaw—brown tabby she-cat
Birchclaw—pale gray tom with dark blue eyes
RiverClan
Leader: Pikestar—brown tom with yellow eyes
Deputy: Frostclaw—white tom with white front left paw and blue eyes
Medicine cat: Icepelt—black and white she-cat with green eyes (Apprentice, Gopherpaw)
Warriors: Mothfur—brown tabby she-cat with green eyes
Ferntail—silvery gray she-cat with green eyes
Nightfur—black-furred tom with dark blue eyes (Apprentice, Graypaw)
Rushpelt—dark brown tom with amber eyes (Apprentice, Leafpaw)
Sootclaw—fluffy gray she-cat with black spots and green eyes
Lakebreeze—tortoiseshell she-cat with white markings
Russetheart—dark brown tom with amber eyes
Frostheart—sandy-colored tom with dark amber eyes.
Ashclaw—long-furred black tom with pale blue eyes (Apprentice, Flypaw)
Mintfur—white she-cat with green eyes (Apprentice, Stonepaw)
Stormclaw—dark gray she-cat with blue eyes
Apprentices: Leafpaw—ginger tom with brown markings and brown eyes
Stonepaw—gray tom with darker gray spots and yellow eyes
Flypaw—light brown-and-gray tom with blue eyes
Graypaw—gray she-cat with green eyes
Gopherpaw—dark brown tom with blue eyes
Queens: Streamfur—dark ginger she-cat with green eyes; mother of Nightfur's kits: Wildkit, Birchkit, and Sandkit
Rosepelt—brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes; expecting Ashclaw's kits
Kits: Wildkit—striped tabby tom with yellow eyes
Birchkit—cream-and-black tom with green eyes
Sandkit—sandy-furred she-cat with amber eyes
Prologue
It was a clear night, the full moon shining down on the island in the south of the lake. On the island, there were cats in abundance, with furs of black, gray, white, ginger and more. Eyes flashed and the cats hissed. What was being discussed by the four cats up high in the tallest tree was not being well taken to.
One cat, a large, dark brown tabby she-cat, yowled out, "The kittypets, rogues, and loners are cankers in our fine societies! They must be removed!" Her green eyes flashed with passion, and she seemed to speak mostly to a slim, black-furred she-cat on the branch opposite.
The black-furred she-cat growled in anger, straightening, the moonlight shining on the white streaks in her pelt. "This request is ridiculous, Applestar! All of the Clans need new blood at times—ShadowClan has taken in outsiders as well!"
The other two cats in a tree, one a brown tom, the other a pale gray she-cat, shifted uncomfortably, exchanging glances. Tension hung in the air, until at last the harsh silence was broken by the tom.
"I must agree with Applestar," he said, his yellow eyes glancing nervously from the two glaring she-cats. "I am sorry, Ivystar. I know how much ThunderClan depends on your outsiders, but RiverClan has been ruined by those who are not of Clan blood before—do you not remember the tale of Hawkfrost, who was half loner and betrayed his Clan? And his sister Mothwing, the medicine cat who brought us to ruin because she did not believe in StarClan?"
"This is no excuse," the white-streaked black she-cat, the one the tom had called Ivystar, hissed. "Every cat knows the tale of the noble Firestar, who saved every Clan, time and time again!"
"Firestar was sent by StarClan," the third she-cat in the tree said quietly. "He was a true warrior, and never doubted himself or his Clan. But there are so few others who have proved as strong as he was. WindClan has also had it's share of outsiders, and little good has come of it."
Applestar raised her head high and yowled out, "We must change the code! Outsiders, whether they be forrest born or kittypet, are a danger to the Clans! They must be purged from the Clans, and this must be part of the warrior code!"
The pale gray she-cat, the WindClan leader, and the tom, the RiverClan leader, exchanged another uneasy glance, and remained silent.
Ivystar hissed at the ShadowClan leader and resolutely turned her back on the hefty brown she-cat. Applestar glared at the other two leaders and demanded, "Well? Dawnstar? Pikestar? What is your verdict?"
"WindClan has no cats of outside blood," the pale gray she-cat, Dawnstar, shrugged. "We will not allow any outsiders to join us in the future, however—I agree with Applestar. There must be a new part of the code."
Pikestar growled, saying, "I will not drive any of my cats out. All of my warriors are loyal to us, despite the circumstances of their birth. But Applestar is right—no more cats who are not of Clan birth shall be accepted into RiverClan."
Ivystar turned back around, her blue eyes sharp and angry. "ThunderClan will never agree to this! I know what this is about, Applestar! It is not that you hate kittypets and rogues, though that is also true, it is because of the border war!"
A gasp of shock ran through the assembled cats below the tree. They had been watching with anxiety and interest, tense and ready to spring at the slightest offense.
"This is not about the border war, this is about the good of all four Clans!" Applestar yowled.
"You just want a way to antagonize us, and you chose the most absurd way to do it!" Ivystar hissed. "But ThunderClan will never relinquish its territory—or its pride! We will stay strong and firm!"
"ThunderClan has bent and changed so many times that I want to laugh at that statement," Applestar growled, her fur all fluffed up in anger, making her look bigger than she already was. "This is not the end, Ivystar! If another war between our Clans is your wish, then so be it!"
"I do not wish for endless battles!" the black and white she-cat spat out. "But this is a matter worth fighting for! ShadowClan has declared war on ThunderClan, and we accept the challenge!"
Though the sky had been clear but minutes before, a few wisps of gray cloud were now creeping toward the moon and obscuring it for a few, brief heartbeats.
"StarClan is angry," Pikestar, the RiverClan leader, warned in a rumbling voice. "Take your quarrels elsewhere—the Gathering is a time of peace!"
"ThunderClan are leaving now," Ivystar yowled out. "We will return next moon, when Dawnstar and Pikestar have knocked some sense into their heads and join us against ShadowClan's tyranny!"
Ivystar leapt from her tree branch, and, tail and head held high, weaved her way through the crowd until she stood with her Clan amassing around her at the tree bridge. She turned back briefly to listen to what the ShadowClan leader was saying.
"ShadowClan are leaving as well!" Applestar hissed. "Dawnstar, Pikestar—you agree with me! You know that this is right! Will you not join ShadowClan against Ivystar and her Clan of kittypets?"
"WindClan have no wish for war," Dawnstar said firmly, though her amber eyes betrayed her panic. She glanced at Pikestar for support. The huge tom supplied it, stepping along the branch until he was beside the small WindClan leader.
"RiverClan will not fight, either," he growled. "We need to keep our strength—it may be only leaf-fall now, but leaf-bare is coming! If ShadowClan and ThunderClan want to waste resources on a war, so be it, but we will have no part in it."
"Very well," Applestar growled. Then she, too, leapt from her branch and gathered up her Clan as ThunderClan left the island, leaving the shocked RiverClan and WindClan leaders staring after the retreating cats, wondering if the new rule in the code was worth all of the blood to be shed.