One-shot for a FunClan Challenge - A New Brokenstar. Enjoy. Reviews are appreciated.

My name is Boldpelt. I'm a ThunderClan cat, but I'm ashamed to be one. I'm ashamed to stand by and watch as my clanmates were killed one by one. That was because they were all kits, barely old enough to become apprentices.

I stared in horror as Hawkfur's blood splattered across the clearing. The six moon old she-cat fell at the paws of a full grown WindClan warrior.

Angry at seeing my friend wounded, I let out a roar and leapt onto the warrior's back, sinking my teeth into the warrior's foreleg. She snarled in pain and rage and shook me off. I was flung across the clearing we were fighting in and hit a tree.

ThunderClan and WindClan were battling, once again, for territory and power. Ivystar, my leader, had ordered all of this. She threatened to kill anyone who disobeyed her.

Ivystar took kits out of the nursery at three moons and assigned them mentor. Then they became warriors when they were six moons old. Ivystar hungered for power, so she sent the clan, which was mainly a crowd of cats that should still be in the nursery, to fight other clans.

At the end of every battle, we were victorious. But nearly half the clan would be dead, mainly those too young to stand a strong blow. ThunderClan wanted it to end. But we couldn't do anything - our leader was too strong.

I didn't want to fight. But I had too.

I got up and faced the warrior again. She had already pounced and she knocked me right over just as I turned my head.

I let out a muffled yowl and tried to push her away. I was suffocating in her thick fur. I felt jaws clamp on my neck. This is it, I thought, sadness rising in my heart. I'm sorry, mother.

Pain erupted at my neck. The she-cat got off of me. That was only because I was no longer able to battle. I gulped in air, which was tainted with the scent of my blood. My vision was growing dark. I got one final glimpse of the she-cat. Her eyes held a message.

I'm sorry.

Stabbing pains wake me up. I could see nothing but darkness. I coughed and tasted blood in my mouth. My throat was on fire.

The air stunk of blood and death. The coppery smell was clouding my senses. I couldn't tell where I was.

I dared to open my eyes. I regretted my choice.

Hawkfur lay on the ground beside me. She was as still as a stone. I weakly reached out a paw and shifted her body. I saw her face.

Hawkfur's pale blue eyes were wide open and glazed over. She stared, unseeing, up in the sky. There was a large claw gash on her stomach.

I cried as I turned my head to look at the sky. The stars were out, twinkling as bright as ever. StarClan! I yowled silently to the skies. Why aren't you helping us? Why are you making us suffer? Answer me!

I received no answer but the sudden quieting of the forest. Darkness crept at my edge. No, I thought. Wait. Not yet. I can't join StarClan yet. I desperately tried to keep my eyes open, but the darkness was too strong. I let it take me.

I was aware that the pain was gone. I was laying on something soft. It was quiet and peaceful.

I opened my eyes.

I was in the ThunderClan camp. The day was sunny and clear. The air was fresh, and I felt genuinely happy.

But something was wrong.

The battle.

"Stop it, Ivykit!" I whirled around and saw four kits. Two were flaming ginger tom-kits, a third was a large brown tabby tom-kit, and the fourth was a small, blue-grey she-cat with silvery-black patches. My heart jolted as I realized who it was. It was Ivystar, in kit form.

"It's so sad." I jumped and turned to see Hawkfur watching the kits sadly.

"Hawkfur?" I breathed, barely daring to believe my eyes. "You're okay!" I nuzzled her cheek.

Hawkfur turned her sad smile on me. "Here, I am alright - but my body is not, down below in clan ground."

I stared at her. "What do you mean?"

"I'm dead, Boldpelt. It's as simple as that." Hawkfur turned away, and I could feel sadness and longing radiating off of her.

"I'm sorry, Hawkfur, I wasn't able to save you." My voice was cracking. "But-does that mean I'm dead too? So I can stay with you, at least?"

Hawkfur did not meet my eyes. "You were called here by StarClan because you demanded an answer. That does not mean that your life is over."

The truth slowly dawned on me, and I nodded slowly. "But I'll never forget you, Borage," I purred, brushing her cheek with my tail. It was a little inside joke.

When we were apprentices, we had snuck into the medicine cat den, just for fun. I had wondered out loud what a certain herb was, and Hawkfur had tripped while answering, yelping, "Bo-rage!"

Some happiness returned to her eyes, but it was quickly gone. "I'd better show you what you need to see."

Hawkfur was now so wise and calm. I wondered if it had anything to do with being in StarClan.

She closed her eyes. "I will show you what you need to know about Ivystar." Before I could say anything else, the world seemed to blur and reform before my eyes.

"Go away, Ivykit! You're so annoying!" One of the ginger toms snorted.

I felt sadness in my heart and I whined, "I just want to play!"

"Go play by yourself. Nobody likes you." The brown tabby meowed.

My throat was bitter, and I wanted to wail. "Why won't you let me play with you?"

"Like we said, you're too annoying!" The brown kit thrust his face towards mine. The ginger toms murmured in agreement, their eyes narrowed at me. "You tell her, Thistlekit." One of the ginger toms muttered.

"We're going to be apprentices soon, and we don't want annoying kits getting in our way. We have important duties to perform." Thistlekit puffed out his chest, and despite my bitterness, I felt a bit excited.

"That's so cool! I'm going to be an apprentice in two moons!" I squeaked excitedly, bouncing up.

"We don't care! This isn't about you!" Thistlekit, deeply annoyed, hit me. Maybe it was a little harder than he intended to, because when I crumpled onto the ground and couldn't get back up, he murmured rather nervously to his friends. "Let's go."

I lay in the dark corner of camp, whimpering. Nobody liked me.

Nobody loved me.

Nobody cared about me.

And within these thoughts rose something darker, deeper, and more powerful.

I hated them all - all of ThunderClan and its bragging, rude cats. They were stupid and weak.

They would all pay for what they had done.

The world flew by. When it readjusted, I was staring down at the scared face of one of the ginger toms.

"Bye!" I meowed cheerfully as I kicked him down the steep cliff. I watched, satisfied, as the trees shifted below.

I watched with a mask of sadness as the tom was buried. Inside, I was smiling smugly. Look who's smiling now, I wanted to yowl, but that would give me away.

Moons passed. I was the deputy of ThunderClan. I looked at all the clan cats gathered on the Gathering Island. They would all respect my authority.

More moons passed. I was finally the leader of ThunderClan. I padded out onto the Highledge and assembled the clan.

"I am proud to be your new clan leader," I meowed formally to the clan. They cheered. "I will lead ThunderClan to victory in every battle and gain the power of all the clans!" The clan cheered again.

"My first step to power in the clans will be something that might alarm you." I smiled at the cats below. I had been planning this part for a long time. It was something to get revenge on those who hurt me.

"Apprentices will now be made at the age of three moons." This was greeted by shocked yowls from the crowd. Cats shook their head disapprovingly and murmured to one another. "That's against the warrior code!" One cat yowled.

I twitched my ear, annoyed. "So? We must rise to greatness."

"No!" Lilyfrost, a queen cried. "Our kits are our most precious thing in this clan! "

I looked down on her disapprovingly. "So?" I repeated. "Those who disobey the leader are not true warriors. If you don't care and refuse to follow my code, I will kill the kits, one by one. Thinking of telling another clan? Don't worry. I've already established great relationships with them.

"Are there still any arguments, ThunderClan?" The cats below were silent. I smiled again. "Good. Now, I'd like to go see the kits that are three moons old."

I saw Lilyfrost's eyes widened in fear. She was stiffened in a position that looked as if she were about to dash away.

Good. Let them fear. I threw my head back and laughed. "Clan dismissed."

I jerked back to myself, gasping. Hawkfur was looking at me.

"What was that about?" I panted.

"It is what you need to know." Hawkfur dipped her head. "Boldpelt, do not return to ThunderClan. Reach for those that can help. Their minds are not yet taken by the ivy that creeps in the shadows."

"Hawkfur?" I breathed. But I realized that it hurt to talk. I blinked, and I was back on the battlefield.

I looked around, seeing nothing but bodies here and there. The sun was rising already.

I caught Hawkfur's scent, and a voice whispered in my ear. I will give you enough strength to travel. With that, I felt a breeze ruffle my fur, and I felt stronger. The pain ebbed away to a dull throb, and I was able to stand on all four paws unsteadily.

I would escape, I knew. I would tell the other clans of what had happened. I would watch Ivystar be defeated, and her reign over us would be over. We would heal, and become a strong clan once again. "Thank you, Hawkfur." I whispered, and I caught my best friend's scent again.

And so I began to trudge to the ShadowClan border.