Story By: The Mystical Palm Tree
Warnings: mention of rape and explicit descriptions of violence and death
Special Thanks to: A Quiet Night, Lady Chocobo, and Snowspider of ColdClan for helping with character names
Disclaimer: Warriors is the intellectual property of Erin Hunter and HarperCollins. this work is nonprofit and for fan enjoyment alone.
Notes: this story uses the term "molly" to refer to she-cats without kits, updates on saturdays, and is wide open to constructive criticism.
ʙʟᴀᴄᴋʙɪʀᴅs
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.
- The Beatles
ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴏɴᴇ: ᴀᴛᴏɴᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ
a·tone·ment, noun
1. satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury; amends
2. Archaic. reconciliation; agreement
ᴘʀᴏʟᴏɢᴜᴇ
Blood dripped. It dripped from the brown tabby's ears, neck, and belly as his legs folded beneath him. His breath came shallow, and his vision blurred, turning the surrounding poppies into a smear of deep vermilion. The perfect color, Pinestar thought bitterly, to summarize his reign. The yowls of warring cats faded, and for one happy moment, he thought StarClan had spared him the shame of facing his conquerors. A breeze brushed his bloodied fur, and the poppy field around him writhed under the sunset's red glare.
"You fox-hearted murderer!"
A hard paw stomped on the back of his head. He tasted dirt.
"Swanstar, hold your claws."
Pinestar lifted his unsteady eyes, and grass-green met sky-blue as Froststar scowled down at him. Under the setting sun, the white tom looked orange, and the distant memory of meeting him as an anxious apprentice consumed Pinestar's thoughts. Unlike the young cat that had needed protection, Froststar now stood with his chest out and his tail up. Instead of trembling at an older cat's heels, he now supported a brown tabby in his shadow, and Pinestar recognized the young companion.
He was the one that had raked claws across his face, the cat that had replaced DawnClan's defeated leader. He called himself Snake.
Pinestar let out a low growl only to feel Swanstar's claws sink into his skull. Another memory flashed in his mind, one of the pale molly as a gentle warrior, a cat he'd quip with during Gatherings, and his fur grew hot.
"Silence! I will have my revenge against this... this—" She rattled his head. "—this kit-killer. His life is mine to take."
Froststar hesitated, and Pinestar realized that his old friend was scanning the onlooking warriors. There were cats from each of the four Clans, and each waited to witness his execution. A few growled their impatience, and Froststar's comforting blue eyes vanished as he meowed coldly, "Then the final blow and this audience are yours."
Snake nodded in deference.
"Very well, then." Swanstar tightened her grip, and her claws sliced through skin.
Pinestar yowled, though his cry was soon smothered by an unsympathetic silence.
After a deep breath, the cream tabby called out, "Hear me, cats of DuskClan! Your tyrannical leader is done for, and your selfish war over. I will not stand to see such slaughter happen again. Steps will be taken to guarantee this new era of peace, and I will see to it that you rue this war and loathe this Pinestar as much as the rest of us."
Cries of agreement filled the air, and Pinestar felt his heart clench. His eyes darted from Froststar's hardened features to Snake's twitchy frown to a silhouette mewing something over and over. As Swanstar continued to rally his enemies, Pinestar squinted against the sun at the shadowy form. He caught a glimpse of scuffling paws and quivering lips. What were they saying?
Swanstar ripped her claws from his head. "My friends, as StarClan promised us, the Great Pine shall fall into darkness!"
Before Pinestar could realize what was happening, those same red-tipped claws sank into his eyes. It felt as though his very brain had been stung, but in that moment Pinestar understood the dark cat's chant. The epiphany swallowed him like a slimy black wave.
I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry...
Short, but hopefully enough to capture your interest. 8] Right now, I'm wondering two things that will determine in part how I handle this story. If you'd like to help me out, please review with your answers, but more importantly, thank you for reading!
Question One: Do you find allegiances helpful and fun or do you find them unnecessary and tedious? Alternatively, would you like to see allegiances for this story?
Question Two: Do you prefer to see review replies at the beginning of each chapter or through private PM?
As a final note, thanks to Flight of Dragons for offering her awesome advice!
ᴀʟʟᴇɢɪᴀɴᴄᴇs
DUSKCLAN
Leader: Rowanstar, ginger and white tabby molly, ex-medicine cat
Deputy: Ivyheart, gray tabby molly with thin black stripes [ apprentice: Rookpaw ]
Medicine Cat: Firefern, fluffy red and white ticked tabby tom
Ambassadors:
DawnClan: Hazelfang, yellow and white tabby molly
MarshClan: Turtletail, short classic brown tabby tom with black markings
SlopeClan: Wolfwhisker, long-nosed gray ticked tabby tom [ apprentice: Bearpaw ]
SlopeClan: Bearpaw, long-haired classic brown tabby tom
Warriors:
Whitelion, long-haired white tom with a prominent neck ruff [ apprentice: Pikepaw ]
Ravenflight, black tom with a white speckle on his chest [ apprentice: Beetlepaw ]
Coonmask, gray and white tabby tom with a distinct white mask
Spiderfang, tall black molly with half of an ear missing
Ratwhisker, solid brown tom with bright yellow eyes
Owlstripe, very light brown classic tabby tom with dark brown markings [ apprentice:Cedarpaw ]
Larkfeather, brown and white tabby molly with green eyes
Thornwillow, pretty light brown and white tabby molly [ apprentice: Rainpaw ]
Sorrelspot, ginger and white tabby molly with brown tabby patches
Blueshadow, slender blue-gray tom with pale green eyes [ apprentice: Fawnpaw ]
Lindenfur, light gray tabby molly with dark yellow eyes
Snowfoot, solid white tom with dark yellow eyes
Apprentices:
Pikepaw, gray and white spotted tabby tom
Cedarpaw, red-brown and white tabby tom with bright green eyes
Fawnpaw, light brown and white tabby molly with bright blue eyes
Rainpaw, dark gray and white classic tabby molly
Rookpaw, solid black tom with pale green eyes
Beetlepaw, fluffy black and white molly
Queens:
Shadowstreak, tall black and white queen with pale yellow eyes [ kit: Nettlekit ]
Smokecloud, long-haired gray tabby queen with bright yellow eyes [ kits: Deerkit, Silentkit ]
Kits:
Nettlekit, fluffy gray and white molly
Deerkit, brown ticked tabby tom with a stubby tail
Silentkit, brown classic tabby tom with black stripes, born mute
Elders:
Wormtail, heavily scarred gray spotted tabby tom
Stoatbelly, dark brown tabby tom with a distinct white chest and belly
Badgerclaw, scarred black and white molly with a distinct white stripe running up her nose
Tawnymouse, small golden brown tabby molly with heavily battered ears, deaf due to injuries
Barkface, heavily scarred brown tabby tom, blind due to injuries
...
DAWNCLAN (incomplete)
Leader: Snakestar, slender brown tabby tom with yellow eyes
Deputy: Pantherstep, large black tom with a chipped ear
Medicine Cat: Blackbee, small long-haired black molly with bright yellow eyes
Medicine Cat Apprentice: Mintpaw, fluffy blue-gray tom with blue-green eyes
Warriors:
Leopardface, unusual golden tom with leopard-like spots
Flintstrike, gray and white tabby tom with black stripes [ apprentice: Acornpaw ]
Gingerpelt, long-haired red and white classic tabby molly
Smallfire, tiny ginger and white tabby tom
Birchstripe, very light gray tom with dark gray tabby stripes
Dovecloud, unusual blue-point molly with white paws [ apprentice: Pepperpaw ]
Apprentices:
Acornpaw, skinny red and white ticked tabby tom
Pepperpaw, white molly with black and ginger tabby patches
...
MARSHCLAN (incomplete)
Leader: Swanstar, white molly with cream tabby markings
Deputy: Stormfish, large blue-gray tom with unusually small ears
Medicine Cats:
Mossflower, white molly with blue-gray patches and green eyes
Storkcloud, white tom with black patches and tail
Medicine Cat Apprentice: Algaepaw, dark tortoiseshell molly with white toes
Warriors:
Heronstep, light gray tabby tom with very faded stripes
Eelwhisker, dark gray and white molly with pale yellow eyes [ apprentice: Nightpaw ]
Redriver, large red and white tabby tom
Ospreyclaw, white tom with large black patches [ apprentice: Mudpaw ]
Loonfeather, black and white molly with pale green eyes
Icepuddle, white molly with small black patches, deaf in one ear
Reedstripe, brown and white tabby tom with a thin white facial stripe [ apprentice: Cricketpaw]
Apprentices:
Mudpaw, light brown and white tabby molly with dark brown stripes
Cricketpaw, solid black tom with orange eyes
Nightpaw, tortoiseshell molly with prominent ginger patches
...
SLOPECLAN (incomplete)
Leader: Froststar, white tom with golden tabby ears
Deputy: Addertail, long-haired classic brown tabby molly [ apprentice: Sagepaw ]
Medicine Cat: Palebird, very light brown tabby molly
Medicine Cat Apprentice: Asterpaw, fluffy white molly with bright yellow-green eyes
Warriors:
Tallnight, tall black molly with unusually large ears
Kestrelstorm, brown and white ticked tabby molly [ apprentice: Eaglepaw ]
Breezestreak, silver ticked tabby tom with prominent leg stripes [ apprentice: Hailpaw ]
Goldenstorm, large yellow tabby tom with gold eyes
Darkhawk, long-haired brown and white classic tabby tom
Gnatspeckle, dark tortoiseshell molly with a bright ginger throat
Littlecrow, small black tom with pale green eyes
Apprentices:
Hailpaw, long-haired silver ticked tabby tom
Eaglepaw, long-haired dark brown and white ticked tabby tom
Sagepaw, chubby blue-gray molly with a white spot on her chest