Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
And English is not my mother tongue. I wanted it to be Tiger/Fire at first but since I have never written romance before, I think I should make this a one-shot. This can also be found on AO3. If you don't mind, please leave a comment. I really want to know if I did okay.
Darkness had won. Light had lost. For the first time in history, the Dark Forest had risen above and trampled StarClan to dust. The four lands had fallen.
The land of Wind had fallen first when the grandson of their deputy sold them out for the Dark Forest, leading the attacking party into the heart of the land where the WindClanners dwelled. The land of River fell not long after that, when a couple of RiverClanners schemed with the enemies and helped them get through the defense.
After that, the land of Shadow and Thunder had joined forces as they had seen the failure of their rivals. Not long after their alliance, the Dark Forest struck and the alliance was broken and the two remaining land fell as the son of the deputy of the ShadowClanners plotted with the Dark Forest when a ThunderClanner rejected his love.
And four lands had fallen into the hands of the newly revival tyrant, Tigerstar, who had order an execution as soon as the four lands fell.
All the survivors were gathered at the Moonpool, the magical pool where mages from each land came to every full moon to share with their ancestors, with their hands bound behind their backs and their knees on the ground, the Dark Forest allies circling them, blocking their escape. Even the warrior ancestors from StarClan who had fought bitterly on their side couldn't help them as they were trapped in their own land, the land of the Stars.
Tigerstar, a broad-shouldered, short brown haired with black streaks man, stood at the edge of the sparkling pool, scanning the crowd of captives with a bored amber gaze. As the last captures arrived, escorted by his son, Hawkfrost, an identical image of the tyrant only differentiated by his blue eyes that he had inherited from his mother, Sasha, who, by this time had already been dead and hadn't shown up at the land of the Stars.
Opening his arms in a welcoming manner, the tyrant called out. "Welcome to the Meeting of No Stars!" The Dark Forest cheered while their captives looked on with disgust and anxiety. Raising a hand for silent, Tigerstar stared at the pitiful crowd kneeling in front of him.
"First, I would like to offer a choice to those who would like to live." He spoke in his velvet voice, watching in glee as faces lit up at his words and eyes strained on him hopefully. "Renounce StarClan and join the Dark Forest and your life and your family shall be spared." The tyrant watched gleefully as murmurings broke out with a few mothers arguing with their mate, already considering the offer.
"Never!" Suddenly came a defiant cry from where the captured ThunderClanners was forced to kneel. Angry hisses rose from the throat of the Dark Forests members.
Narrowed amber eyes scanned the ThunderClanners only to find most of them glaring at him stubbornly. Finally, Tigerstar succeeded in pin-pointing the speaker. A dark smirk formed on his lips as he saw the battered form of the red-headed leader of the ThudnerClanners glaring at him with his intensive green eyes.
Stalking toward the red-head, ignoring the scared captives who edged themselves away from him, forming a clear path toward where the ThunderClanners were, Tigerstar stopped before the one who had openly defied him. "Care to repeat that, Kittypet?" He asked darkly, watching those intense green eyes narrowed into slits.
"What Firestar meant is that we will never join you; or should I spell it out for you?" Sandstorm, the paler red-head beside the leader of the land of Thunder sneered; her green eyes sparkled with defiance. "You are known for your inability to keep your words, Tigerstar. Why should we start trusting you now?" She questioned hotly.
Holding the woman's glare, Tigerstar grunted. "We do not mistreat those who follow us." He reasoned calmly, provoking snorts of disbelief from the ThunderClanners and nods from those who allied themselves with the Dark Forest. "Though I couldn't say the same for those who challenge us."
Brambleclaw, another son of Tigerstar, a clone of him from head to toes though only slightly shorter and smaller than his tyranny father, who allied himself with the ThunderClanner as he was born in the land of Thunder and and raised to be skeptical of his father's actions, scoffed. "Do your worst!" He shouted scornfully through narrowed amber eyes much like Tigerstar's.
Smilling wickedly, Tigerstar purred. "As you wish… Hawkfrost!" He turned to his son, the one who stood glaring at Mothwing, the blond with darker streaks sister of his who refused to follow him. "Brambleclaw and Ivypool are your responsibility. Do to them what you wish but keep them alive." He started firing orders before scanning his crowd of followers for familiar faces. "Tigerheart! You can have Dovewing. Breezepelt! Your half brothers and Leafpool are yours. Do anything you wish to them but they are not allowed to die." The two teenagers slid out of the crowd and acknowledged his orders with submissive nods.
Angry hiss came from the ThunderClanners with the red-headed daughter of Firestar, Squirrelflight hurling insults at the Dark Forest in general and Cloudtail, a white haired man, the nephew Firestar had brought into the lands long ago, cursing at them though his words weren't as quite censored as Squirrelflight's, resulting in his young triplet kids staring wide-eyed at him and his mate, Brightheart, a once beautiful white hair with red streaks woman, trying to tell him to cease his cursing as their kids were listening. Their older daughter Whitewing edged closer to her daughters Dovewing and Ivypool while Sandstorm glared at Tigerstar with murder in her eyes beside her fuming mate.
Staring challengingly at his mortal enemy, Tigerstar leered slyly as he watched the red-head's green eyes burned with fury. "Got anything to say, Firestar? Or should I say Fireheart, as the only leader here is me."
Hisses came from the other leaders in the clearing while the red-headed leader held the tyrant's eyes with his own green ones. "Call me anything you like but we are all aware that you cannot simply take away a leader's name." He replied through gritted teeth. "Is this your revenge then? You want to hurt me through my kin?"
"No…" Tigerstar smirked, watching those green eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Fireheart is mine." He declared, ignoring the outrage shrieks of the other ThunderClanners, especially the gray haired with black streaks, Graystripe's and Sandstrom's . "Thistleclaw, you can lock the other ThunderClanners away. Give them limited food and drink. Furzepelt, look after the WindClanners. Brokentail, you got the ShadowClanners. The RiverClanners are your responsibility, Icewing." With that, he hauled the kneeling Fireheart onto his feet and dragged him away from his Clanmates, ignoring his captive's protests, only announced that the gathering was over.
Throwing open the door to the cabin that the leader lived in on the ledge called the Highledge as it was built on a ledge that peeked out of the ledge in the Stone Hollow where the ThunderClanners lived, Tigerstar pushed his captive into the room, closing and carefully locked the door behind him, slipping the key into his pocket.
The red-head stumbled slightly though he quickly turned around, balancing quickly even though his hands were still bound behind him. Snarling at the man before him, he asked. "What do you want, Tigerstar?"
Purring, the brown haired man pulled out a black colored leather collar with a tiny silver lock from his pocket. Beckoning sweetly at his captive, he cooed. "Come on Fireheart. Let's put this lovely thing on you." With the collar in his hands, he stalked toward the red-head who glared at him with unreadable eyes but stood his ground.
"What is that, Tigerstar?" The red head growled as his enemy approached him with a sick twisted smile. "I am not a pet or a toy!" The orange haired man snarled as Tigerstar was only a tail length away from him.
Smirking, Tigerstar twirled the collar in his hand, eyes glittering cruelly. "I can always go to, let's see, Graystripe, perharps, for entertainment." He mused loudly, watching as the red-head's green eyes burned with a dark fire. "Or maybe Squirrelflight then… I would love to see whatever she has that captured my son's attention. Or maybe I should pay your beloved mate a visit." Sneering, he turned to the door, ready to leave only to freeze when he heard a defeated sigh. Turning around with narrowed eyes, he faced the one who he had deemed to be his greatest enemy.
The red-head had his eyes downcast, staring at the floor. His shoulders were dropped in defeated and when he met Tigerstar's eyes, his green orbs were dull with sadness. "This is between you and me, Tigerstar. None of them should have been involved." He stated with both anguish and passion. His eyes seemed to bore pleadingly into Tigerstar's.
For a moment, Tigerstar was struck by how out-of-character his captive sounded. Fireheart looked so defeated that Tigerstar even considered sparing his kin, or at least Ivypool, his nephew's granddaughter, and Whitewing, his nephew's daughter, as he stared into those emerald liked eyes. He snapped himself out and scolded, thinking about how near he had come to feel compassion for the ex-leader of the ThunderClanners.
"No! It is your fault and yours alone!" He snarled, advancing on the smaller man who held his eyes bravely. Swiftly, the collar was put on the red-head and Tigerstar quickly locked it, sliding the key into his pocket. "I shall have my revenge as you are mine now, Fireheart!" He leered, leaning closer to the red-head with a predatory smirk. "Be an obedient pet and wait here while I go out to sort out something or there might be casualties on your behalf!"
With that, he turned around and stalked out of the cabin, carefully locking the door behind him. He wouldn't take any chances though he knew Fireheart would never leave his friends behind. Especially his mate and children…
Scanning the camp above, he saw his warriors ushered the ThunderClan's captives into their respective places, warriors into the two connected cabins with flowers and vines growing around the house, the elders into their comfortable small white cottage with a black roof and a chimney and apprentices into a small cabin with potted plants at the front. Briarlight, the brown hair girl whose legs were paralyzed in an accident wailed as she was roughly dragged to the infirmary, a small white cabin with black roof with a small notice board on the right of the main door.
Jumping down the cliff, he quickly headed toward Thistleclaw, his old black haired with several white streaks mentor, who was dragging a silver hair with black streaks woman, Millie, Graystripe's mate, and Briarlight's mother, away from the infirmary. "Thistleclaw, a word!" He called as the spiky haired man pushed Millie inside the connected cabins, slammed the door shut and nodded to the guards, Birchfall and Blossomfall.
Thistleclaw turned to his former apprentice with a scold. "What is it?" He barked, his amber eyes narrowed. "This better be quick, Tigerstar!" He growled as he stalked into the forest surrounding the Stone Hollow, Tigerstar trailing behind.
As they stopped under the trees, faraway from hearing range, Thistleclaw looked at his apprentice up and down. "What is it, Tigerstar?" He repeated, narrowing his eyes. "Got into some troubles in controlling your kittypet?" He queried curiously, mirth in his amber eyes.
Tigerstar snorted as he crossed his arms. "He seems to be able to charm anyone he interacts with." He grounded out after a moment of frustration. "He nearly got me too!" He growled, thinking back about the pleading green eyes and a shudder ran down his spine. "I have collared him but if I know him, he will find a way to escape and save his friends." He ranted furiously.
Thistleclaw rolled his eyes as he cuffed his former apprentice harshly. "Then why are you here instead of in there, breaking him?" He snapped, referring to the cabin on the Highledge. He shook his head at the look Tigerstar shot at him. "Once he has no more desire to fight, he will not escape on his own account. Killing his friends maybe a good way to start but make sure you have tamed him enough by then or he would just keep fighting harder. Inspire fear into his very own being and he will be yours." He advised, sounding gentler than before. Reaching up a hand, he ruffed Tigerstar's hair.
Shaking away his former mentor's hand, Tigerstar thought of the older warrior's words. There were some senses in there. "Thank you, Thistleclaw." He replied. The older warrior nodded and walked back to the Stone Hollow.
Suddenly remembering something, Tigerstar called after his former mentor. "I could get Snowfur back for you, if you want. And your son, Whitestorm too!" He offered hopefully. Thistleclaw definitely deserved a break. What better gift if it wasn't his mate and son?
He heard Thistleclaw replied, just barely audible as he disappeared into the thorn tunnle. "I shall sleep on your offer, Tigerstar!"
Huffing, Tigerstar turned, walking toward the land of the Wind. He would like to take a look at the Three while he was free, to think of something to break Fireheart. Without him, the Three could never defeat the Dark Forest.