The Darkness inside Ourselves

by Braveheart of Shadowclan

The heat was blazing. Killing them, their prey, drying up their water. Thrushstar had no choice but to attack Shadowclan in hopes their territory had prey and water. It was supposed to be silent. Sneak in. Sneak out. The battle turned dark as cats died. The two clans hate each other more than ever. Will a forbidden love bring them together? Or push them further apart. R&R!

1. Chapter 1

Allegiances

Skyclan

Leader Ebonystar- Sleek, black furred shecat

Deputy Snowripple- Large, white thick-furred tom

Medicine Cat Tanglefoot- Brown and gray tabby tomcat with knots in his fur

Warriors (toms and she-cats without kits) Eaglestep- White tomcat with brown patches

Slatewind- Yellow eyed tomcat with grey and black fur

Swallowpelt- Slim brown tabby shecat apprentice Oakpaw

Embergaze- black and white shecat with brilliant amber eyes apprentice Frogpaw

Pinemist- Fluffy cream colored tom

Beefoot- Orange tabby tomcats apprentice Sandpaw

Foxflower- Red, black and cream tortoiseshell apprentice Frostpaw

Archclaw- Thickset Tiger-striped tomcat

Raggedsong- Large gray tabby tom

Elmfur- Brown shecat with white paws

Doeflight- Pretty silver shecat

Queens Plumcoat- (Moosekit)

Orchidskip- (Stonekit, Lichenkit, Pigeonkit)

Elders (Toms and shecats that are retired warriors or medicine cats)

Birchfur- Silver tabby shecat

Sunpuddle- Yellow tomcat with black ears

Shadowclan

Leader Hollowstar- Gray tabby tom

DeputyRosepatch- Cream and yellow splotched she cat

Medicine Cat Thorndust- pale yellow shecat s apprentice Condorpaw

Warriors (Toms and shecats without kits)

Firefoot- Handsome red tomcat

Fernglow- Blueish shecat with black paws and chest apprentice Petalpaw

Flyflank- dusty brown tomcat with white belly

Vineleg- Light gray tabby shecat

Aspenfleck- Slim white shecat with gray dapples

Swirltooth- Orange and white tortoiseshell shecat apprentice Feralpaw

Beaverfang - Dark brown tomcat with large canine teeth

Hornetstorm- Longfurred large cream colored tabby tomcat apprentice Twilightpaw

Beetletail- Sleek,black tom

Swiftheart- Black shecat with splotches of white and golden eyes

Queens Antdapple- Longfurred tabby shecat (Haykit,Poppykit,Wheatkit)

Finchpool- Gray shecat (Oatkit)

Elders (Toms and shecats that are retired warriors or medicine cats)

Ashenpelt- Gray tabby tom

Softspark- Bright orange shecat

Nettleleaf- Tan and black calico shecat

Riverclan

Leader Greenstar- Tabby and white shecat with startlingly green eyes

Deputy Sedgesky- Pale tabby shecat with black stripes

Medicine Cat Logpelt- Brown tomcat with golden eyes apprentice Minnowpaw

Warriors (Toms and shecats without kits)

Milkstep- Longfurred white shecat apprentice Waterpaw

Mottlespring- Large mottled gray tomcat

Voleheart- Brown tom with white paws and green eyes apprentice Lilypaw

Shadypelt- Black tabby shecat with gold banded tail

Foxstripe- Black tomcat with a ginger stripe down his back apprentice Mintpaw

Maplestorm- Sleek brown tabby shecat apprentice Snowpaw

Leopardfang- Slim yellow shecat with rare leopard spots

Pebblefoot- Gray tabby tom with black paws

Swanspots- Longfurred black shecat with white spots

Heronclaw- Dark tabby tom

Queens Waspshine- Bright orange shecat( Poolkit and Eelkit)

Mistlegs- Slim light gray shecat( Webkit, Whitekit and Streamkit)

Kinkwhisker-Black tabby shecat with bent whiskers( Driftkit)

Elders (Former warriors and queens now retired)

Speckledpelt- Tortishell shecat with white chest

Grassthroat- Blue-gray tom

Lizardtail- Dark red shecat with a very short tail

Windclan

Leader Sheepstar- Gray tabby shecat

Deputy Fawnthroat- Small tan shecat with white throat

Medicine Cat Harebreeze- Brown and white tom apprentice Hawkpaw

Warriors (toms and shecats without kits)

Falconpelt- Dark brown tomcat

Smallclaw- mottled gray and brown tom apprentice Amberpaw

Larkflower- pretty pale gray shecat

Cloudfoot- Lithe, brown shecat with white paws

Lightningfur- Longfurred, yellow tabby tom

Ryetail- Red shecat with light orange tail apprentice Adderpaw

Patchwind-Ginger and white splotched tom

Birdstripe- Dark gray shecat with white stripe down back

Weaselleap- Pale tabby tom apprentice Larchpaw

Darkclaw- Black tom

Queens Mallowfrost- Longfurred dark gray shecat(Rabbitkit, Ratkit)

Rapidstep- very fast brown shecat(Acornkit,Brownkit,Mosskit)

Elders (Former warriors and queens now retired)

Sunnystep- pale ginger and yellow tom

Gorsewhisker- gray tabby tom

Blossomstrike- Tortoiseshell and white shecat

Thunderclan

Leader Blazestar- White and ginger splotched tom

Deputy Branchtail- Dark brown tom with unusually fluffy tail

Medicine Cat Weedfur- Pale tabby shecat with long fur

Warriors (toms and shecats without kits)

Finchstrike- Bright ginger tomcat apprentice Sprucepaw

Cherrypelt- Pretty tortishell shecat

Ravenfoot- Small,pure black shecat apprentice Bravepaw

Quailfeather- Energetic shecat with long, white fur

Badgerflank- Black tom with white stripe across one side

Rowanscar- Large reddish-brown tom with scar above one eye

Nightstep- White shecat with black paws

Mintfur- Gray tabby tom with dark gray chest

Furzestorm- Spiky furred dark gray tom apprentice Applepaw

Owlsong-Mottled brown and black tom

Queens Daisywing- Light orange shecat(Flamekit,Cypresskit)

Dapplelight- Slim tortishell shecat(Smokekit,Mallowkit,Tawnykit,Morningkit)

Elders (Former warriors and queens now retired)

Squirreltuft- Very fluffy brown shecat

Flamecloud- Bright ginger tom with a white belly

Prologue

The greenleaf night was hot. They had all been. Thrushstar contemplated as he lay a few tail-lengths away from his deputy Ebonystorm. He stretched up his head and gazed at his warriors, strewn across the clearing in Skyclan camp, pressed into the sandy earth praying that it would cool their heated bodies. He shifted. A thought flashed through his mind as quick as a bird. How had he not thought of it before! He leaped to his paws eliciting a curious stare from the several of his warriors who were alert enough to notice a change in their surroundings.

Ebonystorm tilted her head. "What is it Thrushstar" she croaked, her voice strained from lack of water and prey.

"Shadowclan has watery marshes that surely will have survived the heat of this greenleaf, they will have fresh-kill, water and shade in their pine forests! We shall attack tonight!"

Alarmed at this declaration of war, a well-respected senior warrior struggled to her paws.

'Thrushstar, think before you act rashly," Birchfur snapped in a voice as brittle as a snapping branch. "It Shadowclan truly has all that they say you have then surely our warriors will be far weaker than theirs. We will be torn apart!"

Thrushstar opened his mouth to argue, but was cut off by Birchfur. "No! We must survive unitl leaf bare which is a mere moon away! The rain will come and the temperatures will cool. This is the only way."

By now, all of the warriors in the clearing had their wide eyes fixed on the arguing cats in the center of camp.

"You dare disobey the word of your leader!" hissed Thrushstar dangerously. "You were once a great warrior Birchfur, but I think age has addled your brains. You are no longer fit to serve as a warrior of Skyclan. I wish you many moons of peace as an elder" he purred the last part with venomous pleasure.

Shock flashed in the old cat's eyes, but she dipped her head in assent. "Your pride will be your downfall Thrushstar, I wish you luck in the battle, for the sake of my clanmate's lives"

Without casting the silver tabby a second glance he turned back to his clan. "Prepare for battle!"

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Thrushstar lifted his tail in a signal for his clan to halt. Beside him Ebonystorm echoed the movement to make sure the clan had to be deadly silent if this was to go acording to plan. He and Ebonystorm had decided to sneak into their territory and spray their scent marks around a portion of their marshes that was closest to Skyclan's borders. If they were caught, then it would mean combat, but Thrushstar had confidence that his warriors were the strongest, bravest and most skilled in the forest. He thronged among his warriors, whispering words of encouragement to the younger warriors and exchanging nods of repspect from senior ones. He kinked his tail over his back and his clan desecened into the thick of Shadowclans marsh."

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Battle cries rang out on all sides of Thrushstar and he flattened his ears to his head, feeling his lips instinctively curl back from his teeth. They had almost made it! He silently cursed himself for being so careless as to not set a watch as Skyclan bounded out of the marshes, heading for camp.

"Shadowclan attack!" Thrushstar heard Hollowstar, leader of Shadowclan's deep yowl sound out.

He knew there was no need to instruct his warriors on what to do, they were desperate for that territory. Pride burned in his stomach as he saw his warriors leap fearlessly into battle with Shadowclan, although the cats that inhabited the marshes and pine forests were no doubt twice as strong.

Thrushstar shoved aside a thick-furred orange and cream warrior, pausing as he saw Ebonystorm grappling with a red shecat. His nod of approval as he watched his deputy fight was overtaken by horror as she bit down on the Shadowclan cat's spine and threw the limp body away. What had he done! This was not supposed to be a battle in which cats were killed! This was all his fault! He should have listened to Birchfur, his mother had always been right before and it was foolish for him to not have listened now.

"Skyclan re-" his command was cut short as a powerful Shadowclan tom barreled into him. The tom sunk his claws deep into Thrushstar's throat and the Skyclan leader breathed no more.

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Shadowclan Camp

"Duskfeather, Spiderface, and Mintwhisker, we wish you well on your journey to Starclan. May you have sun to warm your backs and prey to hunt. You will be missed." Hollowstar sat down heavily next to his dead mate, Duskwhisker. A small black and white apprentice crouched beside him buried her nose into her dead mother's shoulder fur. Anger swamped Hollowstar, this battle had been unjust and many had died for it. This poor apprentice had lost both her mother, Mintwhisker, and her father, Spiderface in one night. His own son, Firepaw, lay beside the little apprentice with his muzzle resting on Duskfeather's back. It was a terrible, terrible night in Shadowclan, and despite himself, Hollowstar found himself hoping that Skyclan had not lost cats. Shadowclan had won. That was enough. No cat deserved to go through this.

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Skyclan Camp

Birchfur's legs buckled beneath her at the sight of her son being laid down in the clearing.

"It was his last life." Tanglefoot mewed sorrowfully. "There is nothing I can do."

"We must go to the Moonstone at once." meowed Ebonystar. "If Skyclan is weak, Shadowclan will try to attack. "

She dipped her head, touching her nose to Birchfur's ear and then to her dead leader's scruff.

"I am so sorry Birchfur."

To her surprise Birchfur turned suddenly to hear and quietly, so no one else would hear she growled. "There will come a time when killing will bring you pride, you will believe it is proper vengeance. You have killed once already Ebonystorm. Do not continue down that path."

Ebonystorm swallowed. "I will never find pride in killing another cat, I never meant to kill Duskfeather, it was an accident in the heat of a battle. I am a good cat. I promise