DISCLAIMER: I do not own the WarriorCats Series.
Warning: Violence and character death.
Summary: What future is in the stars for the Clans if Tigerclaw/Tigerstar had his way? Read and find out!
THE RISE OF TIGERSTAR
A massive dark tom rose to his paws stretching his jaws in a wide yawn just as the first light of dawn trickled into the warriors den. He managed to stifle a hiss as the scent of the kittypet reached his nostrils as he headed out into the clearing. The normally bright colours of the forest was dulled by the early morning mist which pooled around his paws as he padded across the empty clearing to the dwindling supplies of the fresh kill pile. Picking a rabbit he settled himself by the nettle patch pausing to nod at Mousefur relieving her from guard duty. Everything was in place, soon ThunderClan would be his. That gutless excuse of a warrior Bluestar and her kittypet filth soon would be eradicated.
He would be sure to send out almost all the warriors so that his victory would be swift but no cat would suspect his paw in it. As soon as all the warriors were present he put his plan into motion. "Whitestorm, take Runningwind, Longtail, Swiftpaw and Brightpaw to remark the RiverClan border," he commanded. "Sandstorm go hunt with Darkstripe and Brackenfur around Snakerocks, we haven't gone around there lately there may be prey. As soon as he had given the orders the patrols got to their paws and disappeared through the gorse tunnel. Just then he saw the ginger fool and his snowball of an apprentice heading towards the tunnel.
"Fireheart where do you think you're going?" he hissed.
The kittypet padded up to him his eyes narrowed. "I was taking Cloudpaw on his solo hunting mission near Twolegplace."
"Were you?" he grunted. "I didn't give you permission to go near Twolegplace, you will hunt near Fourtrees."
The kittypet stared at me through narrowed eyes his ears pinned back but I met his stare squarely, silently daring him to contradict me. The ginger fool turned and muttered to his apprentice. "Come on Cloudpaw."
Tigerclaw flicked his tail. "Right, the rest of you, guard the camp. Dustpelt you're on guard duty for Brokentail. Dismissed."
As the cats dispersed he padded to Bluestar's den to report. 'That was close,' he thought to himself, 'If I hadn't spotted the kittypet in time it could have ruined my plans.'
After leaving Bluestar's den I headed straight to the meeting place just outside of Twolegplace, scenting the air occasionally to make sure that I wasn't followed. As I padded around some bramble thickets the ShadowClan rogues stalked out of their hiding places like living shadows. They were a miserable bunch, their fur dull and tattered from starvation and the scent of Twoleg rubbish and crowfood clung to them, but they would do.
"Gather around," I commanded. "Here's what you'll do."
Soon the rogues and I where bounding towards the ThunderClan camp. I could feel it down to the tips if my claws, today victory would be mine. I burst through the gorse tunnel yowled, "To me, ThunderClan!", then spun around quickly to lung at the scrawny warriors, claws sheathed. The cats scattered avoiding me and went after the ThunderClan cats just as I had planned.
I made my way to Bluestar's den skirting around groups of battling cats throwing mock blows here and there, none connecting to any cat in particular. As I slipped through the lichen I heard Brokentail's eerie caterwaul echo around the camp. The blue-gray ThunderClan leader was already half way across her den as if to join the fray but scrabbled to halt to avoid colliding into me.
"Bluestar," I called. "The camp is being attacked by Brokentail's rogues. I think you should sit this out with so few lives you have left. We wouldn't want our beloved leader leaving us too soon."
"We can worry about that later, Tigerclaw. The Clan needs us now," she replied as she tried to race out of the den. 'Bluestar, such a noble fool,' I thought as I moved to block her way.
Her blue-gray fur started to bristle and her blue eye blazed with annoyance as well as the light of battle. "Tigerclaw, what are you doing?"
"Remember me to StarClan Bluestar," I snarled as I prowled towards her.
"Tigerclaw, what is this?" Bluestar sharply replied her eyes narrowed to blue slits. "I am the leader of your Clan or have you forgotten that?"
'The dim witted fool,' I thought. 'How she managed to rule this Clan for so long was beyond me.'
"Not for much longer," I growled. "I'm going to kill you and kill you again; as many times as it takes for you to join StarClan forever. It's time for me to lead this Clan!"
I launched myself at the soon to be former ThunderClan leader claws unsheathed and slashing furiously. As I connected with Bluestar the force of the impact dragged her to the ground and we writhed trying to gain footing on the sandy floor. Bluestar's claws scored again and again across my shoulders managing only to loosen clumps of my dark tabby fur but I felt nothing; the pain was dulled by my will to fulfill my ambition and the rush of the battle. Bluestar may have been older than me and had more experience. But that in itself was her own undoing, Bluestar was getting old, she was not as strong as she used to be. The hunting and border patrols we did together proved this though she tried to hide it; I could see that she tired more easily and her muscles didn't provide the strength of her younger days. I used my greater weight to keep her pinned and buried my jaws in her throat while my thorn sharp claws raked her back.
The sound of battling cats registered dimly in my ears as the warm tang of Bluestar's blood filled my jaws. I almost purred with satisfaction as she staggered across the den trailing crimson blood in her wake trying to reach the den entrance in vain; only to collapse into the eerie stillness of a leader losing its life.
I flexed my long claws scoring Bluestar's throat all the way around making a wound not even StarClan could heal. As her blue eyes stared sightlessly up to the cave roof, I made quick work of removing any trace of myself from her body picking clumps of my fur from Bluestar's claws and den, then dashed out of the den and buried it behind the Highrock.
Somewhere between the ThunderClan camp and the river...
"Mouse dung!" gasped Mistyfoot as a sudden pain sliced through her heart. She and her brother Stonefur were on a patrol with Blackclaw and Leopardfur to retrieve Silverstream's kits from ThunderClan. The cats stopped and glanced around at her sudden outburst.
"Something wrong, Mistyfoot?" asked the RiverClan deputy.
"No," she replied shaking her head as if trying to shake of the eerie feeling. "Let's keep moving."
The cats padded on for a few more paw steps only to stop when they noticed Stonefur had not moved a tail length. He stood very still, his fur bristling and his blue eyes stretched wide as he started to pant.
"For StarClan's sake what's the matter with you two?" hissed Blackclaw. "We haven't travelled that far!"
"It's nothing," assured the blue gray tom as he shook his head then bounded of in the direction of the ThunderClan camp. He was followed closely by his sister leaving Leopardfur and Blackclaw who exchanged bemused glances the charged after them.
Back in the ThunderClan camp...
At first glance the clearing seemed to be filled with rogues, as if all the ThunderClan warriors had been driven out but I had no need to worry; I had ordered the rogues fight half-heartedly so no ThunderClan cat would be seriously injured. Then I caught a glimpse of familiar shapes here and there – Patchpelt scrabbling just out of reach of a huge tabby tom whirling around to rake his nose with outstretched claws before he hurled himself at the rogue's belly. Frostfur and Willowpelt were battling two rogues, one a lithe ginger she-cat and the other a large dark gray tom, outside of the nursery.
I let out a menacing caterwaul charging into the fray and on cue the rouges pulled away from their query and scattered. In a few heartbeats they were gone and he made out the pelts of Leopardfur, Blackclaw, Stonefur and Mistyfoot among the ThunderClan cats.
'They must have come to claim that traitor's kits,' I thought as he padded towards Leopardfur. My ears twitched as the sounds of thundering paw steps echoed from the gorse tunnel as Whitestorm's patrol came bounding into the clearing followed by the hunting patrol and an exhausted Thornpaw. The mouse-brained kittypet and his apprentice were a few fox tails behind.
"I recognized some of the old ShadowClan warriors," Leopardfur told him gravely as the patrols gathered around him, "The ones who left with Brokenstar."
"Yes," replied I.
"How did you know we needed help?" asked Dustpelt from where he sat as Cinderpaw applied her healing herbs to a slash down his shoulder.
"We didn't," replied Mistyfoot. "We came to talk to Bluestar about –"
"Not now," Leopardfur interrupted. "ThunderClan needs time to recover." She dipped her head toward Tigerclaw. "We are glad to have helped. Tell your leader we will return soon."
I watched as she beckoned her patrol with a sweep of her tail and disappeared through the gorse tunnel.
As soon as they'd left the camp I put the next step of my plan into action. I glanced around the blood stained clearing and asked "Where's Bluestar?"
The Clan started murmuring anxiously panicked eyes flitting around the camp as they too suddenly realized that their leader was missing.
"Search the camp," I ordered. Whitestorm, Willowpelt and Runningwind dashed off to the warriors den. The apprentices scrabbled towards the apprentice den the elders searched their dens and the others padded around just outside the camp. I padded off to 'search' Bluestar's den and notice the kittypet a few tail lengths behind me.
As we slipped through the curtain of lichen I heard a gasp from the kittypet as he dashed by and stood over Bluestar's lifeless body. "Bluestar," he mewled pitifully then glared up at me. "What have you–?"
A shadow fell across the entrance to the den. "Tigercla –" I recognized the white fur of Frostfur as she bounded to Bluestar's side. "No, no, no, no!" she wailed her voice a shrill screech; "Oh StarClan, no!"
I turned to the den entrance when I heard the padding on paws and murmuring grew louder as Frostfur's screech had no doubt alerted them. "Carry her body to the centre of the clearing," I ordered. "The Clan needs to mourn the loss of our leader." Whitestorm and Darkstripe shouldered through and grasped Bluestar's body with careful tenderness and took her from the den with Frostfur trailing miserably after them.
The Clan let out horrible screeching and mournful wails as they saw their leader's limp, lifeless body.
"You murderer!" hissed the retched kittypet.
I just barely managed to mask the gleam of satisfaction that would no doubt be shining in my eyes at the kittypet's misery, but I couldn't let the kittypet know for sure that I had killed Bluestar. That much information was dangerous. 'You've lost kittypet,' he thought, 'In more ways than one.'
I ignored the pathetic creature before him and slipped out of the den. When Cinderpaw appeared to tend to the scratches on my shoulders I sent her away to care for the rest of the Clan first.
"Brokentail is dead," whispered Yellowfang after she placed some herbs at my paws. "Eat these," she ordered then padded off to her den. I noticed that there had been a slight hollowness in her voice but the why of it was not my concern; I had a Clan to lead. The news of Brokentail's death calmed me, it was one less flea to get rid of. I had no intention of upholding my part of the deal with that stinking piece of crowfood. ThunderClan was mine and mine alone to do with as I saw fit!
I ate the herbs then leapt up the Highrock. Those who weren't at the moment grooming Bluestar's fur glanced at me from where they sat with fear in their eyes. "Cats of ThunderClan," he started. "As you all know the camp was attacked by Brokentail's outlaws and we lost Bluestar." Hushed murmurs of sorrow and outrage echoed around the camp.
"Whitestorm, take Runningwind and Sandstorm and search the territory," I ordered. "Make sure there a no rogues lurking about out there. If you see any you know what to do." The cats got to their paws and left after sharing tongues with Bluestar for the last time. "The Clan needs to be fed, Darkstripe, take Brackenfur and round up the prey you managed to catch at Snakerocks."
"I caught some prey up by Fourtrees," called Cloudpaw. "I could fetch them."
Tigerclaw dipped his head. "Fireheart, Longtail go with him." The cats left with the ginger fool casting a glare my way before slipping through the gorse tunnel.
"Kits are confined to camp; no apprentice or warrior may leave camp with another warrior present." I could see the Clan visibly relax now that the orders were given.
When all the patrols returned and the Clan was full-fed, they settled themselves in a rough semi-circle around the clearing for the sending off ceremony. Cinderpaw stood at Bluestar's head and gazed into the indigo sky, where the first stars of Silverpelt were beginning to appear. All eyes were on Yellowfang as she made her way to the centre of the clearing beside Bluestar. Her eyes shone with the secrets of StarClan. "Bluestar was a noble leader," she meowed. "Let us give thanks to StarClan for her life. She was dedicated to her Clan and her memory will never fade from the forest. Now we commend her spirit to StarClan; may she watch over us in death as she always did in life."
A soft murmuring spread throughout the Clan as the medicine cat finished speaking and stood with her head bowed. The cats closest to Bluestar groomed her fur and pressed their noses to her flank. After a while they backed away and other cats took their place, until all the Clan has shared tongues with their leader in the sorrowful ritual.
Some cats retreated to their dens but most stayed in the shadows of the clearing gazing blankly at Bluestar's body. I crouched beside Bluestar seemly sharing tongues like a loyal deputy should. 'Goodbye Bluestar, you old fool,' he thought, 'ThunderClan will be better off without you.'
There I stayed until the first lights of dawn stretched over the trees and into the clearing.
Tigerclaw: (Sits grooming fur)
Bluestar: (Sneaks up on Tigerclaw wielding a skillet), Die traitor!
Tigerclaw: Bluestar…whack…it's just…whack…a story…whack (falls to the ground unconscious)
Bluestar: (Throws skillet into the air) Victory! It is I, Bluestar not fire, who has saved the Clan!
Tawnykit: (Sniffs Tigerclaw) Father?
Tigerclaw: (Lifts head groggily to be whacked again by the falling skillet and falls unconscious)
Redsky100: That's it for now. Review please!