A/N: New chapter! I was honestly surprised at the initial reaction the story! Not one person flamed, and you all seemed to really like it. Not to mention it inspired me to get the next chapter up in less than four months time. But since my birthday is fast appraoching -nine days from today-, I like to update all my fics on or around my birthday.
Oki doki, now for your reviewer replies:
Pinefur of DragonClan: I think the more sensible fans of Warriors are sick and tired of 'ThunderClan the Perfect'. But that's if you ask me.
SnuffSnuff: Bold, you say? I'd just like to think it as original. This, I would say, sort of it a prologue to the original and I applaud you for catching the Tigerkit reference. In a sense, this is Tigerstar's origins and how he ends up being blood thirsty. I honestly think he's a good cat, but he went about it the wrong way. You like Shinestar? YAY! He's such a funny villain.
TawnyLeaf: Well you'll get to meet Lilyfur in this chapter and as for which cat knows the dark secret . . . you'll just have to wait and see.
Rabbitstorm: I'm just amazed that no one has thought of it before.
CinderDreams: I'm glad you liked it, and I think someone should start an alliance for ShadowClan. We can call it SCAST. ShadowClan Against Stereotypes.
Flamespirit-eth: Holy shizz. I can't believe you actually got to read it. I think I screamed when I saw you reviewed. Yes, your profile inspired me to write this. As to my story, Ravenwing is indeed a good medicine cat with his shades of gray, but then again, the poor kitty has so much to keep in check. I'm glad you like it and now I'm finally updating!
Disclaimer: I'm NOT claiming to own Warriors. Try eating that one with a spoon.
"War with RiverClan?" Echoed the older tom doubtfully. "But isn't that . . . risky?" He mewed for lack of a much better word.
Shinestar scoffed away his brother's doubtfulness, "Dear brother. Dear, dear, dear brother. You must understand the whole forest fears us. They know we will conquer, at some point. We've just been . . . keeping them on their toes. We won't keep them in fear for much long, don't you worry about them."
"How do we know RiverClan isn't waiting for us to attack, with their defenses at the ready?" Ravenwing countered. It was times like these, that Ravenwing was glad that he was the sensible brother.
"Do you remember Darkchaser, Ravenwing?" Shinestar asked impatiently, his black tail tip twitching.
"It's hard to forget him brother." Ravenwing mewed. "You sent him away the moment you came back from the Moonstone and declared Lilyfur as your deputy." He added, "You said he was a traitor who belong with his half-clan brethren scum in RiverClan. What does he have to do with this?"
"That I did." Shinestar replied, with a malevolent purr. "You weren't ready to know then. You were still coping with the loss of Rainstorm to hear what we had planned."
"We?" Echoed Ravenwing.
"Yes we!" Snapped Shinestar. "Rainstorm, Swiftstar and I. And technically Darkchaser, but he didn't know what it was about until it was all over. Do you think that our father was actually killed by RiverClan cats that day?"
"No, I don't." Ravenwing growled trying to stay on top of the new direction their conversation was headed in. "You told me you killed him."
"Yes, yes I did." Shinestar mewed, in an almost pompous way. His tone suddenly became excited and urgent. "I killed him, yes. But it was on his orders that I did so. Don't you see?" Shinestar paused to take in Ravenwing's stare. "You perceive me to be insane, don't you brother?" As Ravenwing shook his head to disagree, Shinestar interrupted him. "Yes, you do. I see it in your eyes, and I hear it in the way you talk to me. But I don't care what you thing Ravenwing. This is way beyond you. This is destiny."
"No, it's not destiny." Ravenwing mewed suddenly, finally able to jump back into the conversation before his brother would speak again. "Destiny doesn't exist. Nothing is set in stone."
"Then what you're saying is that it's all a big coincidence that we're where we are now?" Shinestar growled, his fur beginning to bristle. The bristling fur locked out the only light coming into the den, which was from a single star.
"No. I'm saying that none of this is meant to happen and we're just here because our grandfather wanted to make sure he had complete control over ThunderClan forever and ever." Ravenwing mewed angrily. Adding quickly, so his brother would get off of the destiny subject, as they would both argue about it for hours, "But what does this have to do with Darkchaser?"
Shinestar glared at his brother, green eyes filled with indignation. "That ruse works no longer brother. When the time is right, I will show you that destiny brought us here." Rolling his eyes, Shinestar hissed and added, "But if you must know Ravenwing, Darkchaser was sent away to RiverClan to spy on them. To let us know when they were the weakest. And when the time is right, he will rejoin us again." As my deputy. Lilyfur is soft and weak. However, in order to keep one of my few allies in this clan, my plans must be kept a secret. For now.
"What will you tell the clan?" Ravenwing finally mewed, understanding at last how his brother was going to do accomplish their grandfather's goal. It was very risky, and many cats would be killed. In the end, it will all be worth it, and the clans will be split up no more. No more tension, no more fighting. No more death. Ravenwing thought contently, a small, satisfied smile settling on his features.
"The clan is mouse-brained!" Shinestar hissed brutally, shocking Ravenwing out of his one moment of pure content. "They will believe anything I tell them! If I told them that it was RiverClan who slaughtered Lilyfur's kits, then they would believe me. If I told them that it was RiverClan who slaughtered our father, they would believe me too!"
"Was it RiverClan who slaughtered Lilyfur's kits?" Ravenwing wanted to know. A badger had taken Lilyfur's kits a moon prior. Two of them were barely alive on the border of RiverClan. The other two, couldn't be found, and presumed dead. Lilyfur had squared off with the badger that had taken her kits and won, barely alive. The cost was unable to feed her kits or have kits again. So Dawnkit and Duskkit were given to their aunt, Rosepetal, to nurse, though both recognized Lilyfur as their mother.
A dark look passed Shinestar's face, and Ravenwing wondered if those two kits were more lives added onto Shinestar's death count. "No." Shinestar said finally. "It was the badger." Something still wasn't right. Shinestar seemed insecure and small, unlike how he normally acted. Shinestar was acting like their youngest sister, Lightningstreak, whom Shinestar had always taunted when they were younger for her lack of bravery. Which in other words was the ability to do anything he said without question.
"Are you lying to me Shinestar?" growled Ravenwing, feeling apprehensive about Shinestar's behavior. "Because it would be so like you to kill two kits and blame it on a badger!"
"Enough! The pair of you! Knock it off!" A voice snarled at the entrance to Ravenwing's den. It was Lilyfur. Her emerald green eyes were tainted with grief, and her tortoiseshell fur was lit by the moonlight.
"Lilyfur." Shinestar mewed frigidly, as if the sight of their sister made him think of something unpleasant. "I'm sorry you had to hear such an emotional topic for you."
Ravenwing licked his sister's cheek. "Sorry Lilyfur." He muttered softly. He stared down at his paws, unable to look his sister in the eye. Lilyfur was a cat of values he couldn't deny that. He had always respected that about her even if Shinestar did not. "I know that was a dark time for you." I knew that better than anyone.
"Ravenwing, how could you accuse Shinestar of killing my kits?" Lilyfur mewed, her voice tight and lined heavily with anger. Ravenwing glared at his brother, unable or unwilling to answer the question without lying to his beloved sister. He hated lying to her.
In that moment, however, it was suddenly obvious to Ravenwing where he was in the scheme of things. His sister obviously knew nothing of the crimes committed by their brother, or what exactly was going on in the clan. For all she knew, ThunderClan was as normal as ever. "Rainstorm told me a tale of a clan leader who killed kits and blamed their deaths on other clans as an excuse for war." Ravenwing lied, glaring at their brother as he spoke. "I'm just trying to make sure our leader doesn't stray from being a good leader, as StarClan destined him to be."
In the shadows of the den, he could see Shinestar's bright green eyes glinting with amusement. Shinestar twitched his whiskers mirthfully, as if enjoying the entire scene. Almost as if he were proud of how deceitful Ravenwing was toward their sister. Almost as if he were amused by how oblivious Lilyfur was to how the entire clan was working.
Lilyfur purred gently as she mewed, "Your heart's in the right place Ravenwing." She licked his cheek gently, as if the small gesture could deride him of his traitorous thoughts. "But you don't need to worry about him. ThunderClan couldn't be in better paws."
"I must be off." Shinestar mewed, getting up to leave the den, obviously pleased with the way everything was turning out. "I have to go to my den to think. Your kits will apprenticed tomorrow, Lilyfur." He added as he left.
"Brother?" Her voice wavered as he was leaving. Shinestar stopped to look questioningly at his sister. Ravenwing's heart tore with pity, as he knew nothing meant more to their sister than her kits.
"Yes Lilyfur?" Shinestar asked quietly. Ravenwing was almost startled by the warmth and caring sound of his brother's voice. But then again, there was no other cat in the clan who had seen the dark ambitious side of Shinestar. The clan only saw this. The warm, caring, tender side of Shinestar.
"Make sure they get good mentors." Lilyfur mewed quietly. "If anything happened to them . . . I don't know what I'd do." Her tone was desperate, and her eyes were pleading, to reiterate her point.
Was it annoyance he saw pass over his brother's features? Was it anger? Was it a twisted form of pity? Whatever it was, Ravenwing was shaking at his brother's obvious dismissal of their sister's fears. He had no right to pass her fears off. Ravenwing glared at his brother again, the fur on his neck beginning to bristle.
"Of course they will get good mentors." Shinestar purred gently. "My niece and nephew will get the best warriors in the clan. They deserve to be taught from the best." What they deserve is someone who will keep them on their toes. What those two cats deserve is a cat who will drive the fear into them, and make them tough, unlike their mother.
"Thank you Shinestar!" Lilyfur mewed, bounding over to lick her brother on the cheek. "Thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me, brother." Her green eyes were filled with warmth.
"It's no trouble at all, Lilyfur." Shinestar mewed gently. "Good night you two."
"Good night." Ravenwing fought himself from growling at his brother. He turned to Lilyfur, his tail drooped and head bowed.
"What is it Ravenwing?" She asked sincerely. "You're not sick, are you?"
He picked up his head alertly. "No, no." He mewed distractedly. "Just tired. It's been a long day, and there's still some things I need to do before I sleep."
"Brother, whatever it is, it can wait." Lilyfur told him sternly. "Go to bed now."
"I'm looking for a sign from StarClan." Ravenwing mewed abruptly. He was lying, yes. Anything, any ruse, any made up excuse he could find, to get Lilyfur to stay and talk to him. "They've been unusually silent this past moon. Shinestar hasn't received any signs either."
Lilyfur purred, "Remember when we were younger? And you and Rosepetal would always boss us around, before Sparkkit died?" Ravenwing flinched at the mention of their dead brother. "Sorry Ravenwing. I know how much he meant to you."
"It's all right Lilyfur." Ravenwing mewed stiffly. "I have to keep my head in the present, not in the past." He added, knowing his sister was more easily distracted in a subject change, "Isn't weird to think that in those days, Shinestar would always follow us around?"
Lilyfur smiled. "Of course I remember!" She mewed, her eyes bright with mirthful laughter. "How can I forget? Remember, we were named apprentices and suddenly we were following him around?"
Ravenwing nodded, unable to say anything. For a moment, he felt like collapsing under his own weight, and falling asleep.
"I can see you're tired. There's no need to hide it from me." Lilyfur mewed quietly, licking her brother's ear again. "I'll go sleep. And I'll see you in the morning."
"Good night." Ravenwing yawned. And as his sister left the den, he felt a twitch of foreboding pass through his body, as the moonlight hit Lilyfur's fur. It looked eerie, as if it were swathed in starlight.
So now you got to see the other side of Shinestar and that will give you a clue as to who is who in the family and whatnot. If that didn't make sense, I'm sorry. I'm still sorta just waking up. But ANYWAY, review please and ZOMG! IT'S SNOWING OUTSIDE:D