Hello! So, I had this random idea at like midnight the other day/night, 'what if SkyClan was swept away?' Then it lead to, 'What caused the flood?' which I will answer in the coming chappies

Hope you enjoy what my mind thought of at midnight when I was so exhausted and couldn't sleep.

Swept Away

Prologue

It was a dark and stormy night. Rain pelted down into a sandy gorge with a growing river lining the bottom. Cats of all colours and sizes were streaming out of caves and climbing to higher ground, carrying their young and herding their elderly.

A ginger tom hurried up a steep rock path after every other cat, towards a cave in the side of the gorge. He walked swiftly, his muscles big and strong from climbing the slope every day. He padded into the cave and mewed firmly, "We must move to higher ground."

"Why?" a dappled she-cat asked curiously.

"The river has reached the lower dens and is rising quickly," replied the ginger tom. "It will be here in no time, Leafstar."

"Thank you for telling us Sharpclaw," said Leafstar's mate, Billystorm.

The she-cat nodded, and then bent down to grab a small squirming gray tom kit. He squealed in protest, but Leafstar had a firm grip. Billystorm gently grabbed the ginger and gray she-kit, while Sharpclaw collected the second she-kit.

Leafstar flicked her tail and walked out into the pouring rain, her brown and white fur soaked in a matter of seconds. She padded hurriedly up the remaining cliff, the small kit bumping against her chest as she walked.

There was no moonlight, as the storm clouds were obscuring the moon. Nonetheless, Leafstar knew where she was going, for she walked the path daily. The rain pattered Leafstar's face and the small kit as she climbed the steep hill.

"Faster," a muffled cry came from behind.

"I can't," Leafstar answered through the kit's soft fur.

A splash sounded behind and Leafstar spun around to see her deputy flailing in the fast-flowing water, trying to keep the kit above the water. The river was more than halfway up the gorge wall and was rising rapidly. Leafstar placed the kit carefully on the ground and yowled, "Sharpclaw! Swim to the side of the gorge!"

Sharpclaw's paws churned the water, struggling to keep the kit out of the water. "Almost there!" cried Billystorm.

The ginger tom made a final lunge for the stone path and gripped the edge with his huge claws. But as powerful as he was, he couldn't heave himself up. Instead he dropped the sodden ginger kit and let the water sweep around him.

"Sharpclaw!" Leafstar yowled as she watched her deputy's body tumble away in the rushing water.

"Keep going," Billystorm urged. The water was getting closer every passing minute.

Leafstar shook her head to clear it and scooped up the soaking kit Sharpclaw had left. She turned to the other kit and nudged it gently with a paw, urging it to continue.

The kit let out a squeak and rose to its paws. He placed a shaky paw ahead of himself and then continued, regaining his confidence.

Eventually, Leafstar reached the top of the gorge. She pushed the walking kit before her and then heaved herself over the edge, the orange she-kit still swinging in her jaws.

Leafstar placed the kit on the ground and meowed to the two huddling kits, "Stay here and behave yourselves."

Leafstar hardly dared to turn around, in fear of Billystorm's fate. But she made herself twist her head around to see the tips of ginger ears peeping over the ledge. She bounded over quickly and received the kit from Billystorm, then went to put the kit with the other two. A yowl sounded behind Leafstar, and then gurgled and abruptly stopped.

Leafstar let out a mrrow of fear and whipped around to see Billystorm surface before being swept away in the river. "No!" Leafstar pounded for the edge of the cliff, but stopping when she felt pain shoot through her tail.

A brown pelt brushed past her and launched itself into the river after Billystorm. "Sparrowpelt!" Leafstar whimpered as she stood, helplessly watching as her Clan was being destroyed.

This has to be a nightmare. This can't be happening, Leafstar pleaded. Sharpclaw hasn't been taken away. My Clan is still there.

"Mama, where's Billystorm?" Firekit squeaked from behind her.

Leafstar forced herself to turn away from the river and face her kits. "Billystorm will be back soon."

"Did he go back to his Twoleg den?" asked Stormkit.

"Not exactly," Leafstar said. "But we need to find somewhere warm and dry to spend the night."

"Look at Harrykit," Firekit laughed.

The SkyClan leader followed her kit's gaze to find Harrykit balancing on the edge of the gorge, peering over into the rushing water.

"Harrykit get down from there!" Leafstar commanded, her voice hoarse from all the yelling she'd done.

Harrykit glanced at Leafstar and seemed to lose his balance. Leafstar darted forward to catch him, but she was too late. A small splash announced that he had fallen in.

Leafstar felt her paws leave the stone and then icy cold water was surrounding her, forcing all the air out of her lungs. The river rolled her around until her head broke the surface, just in time to see Firekit and Stormkit take the plunge into the icy water.

Leafstar opened her mouth to yowl for help when another wave of water pushed her back down. A small bundle of gray fur tumbled past and Leafstar grabbed its scruff. I've got you now Harrykit.

Harrykit turned his head and their eyes locked for a moment, blue meeting amber, and in that moment, strength poured back into Leafstar's limbs. She kicked out clumsily with her hind legs and propelled herself to the surface. But it wasn't enough.

Black dots began swimming in her field of vision and her lungs were screaming for air. Leafstar kicked once more, and then the river took over.

What did you think? Was it good?

For fans of my other stories, I haven't updated lately because school has decided to load me up with homework. Then I decided to go hiking with Scouts, which is a lot of planning . . . it all adds up. I honestly have no idea how I managed to find time to write this

Please review!

~Hawktalon up and out~