A/N: Okei, it's the prolouge! ...That's it. -_-

Warning: This is sad.

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Bramblestar pressed his nose to his mate's shoulder. Her breaths came in shudders, her body shaking with weakness. The ginger she-cat's belly was swollen with kits that would probably never be brought into the world. She felt hot with fever, as if the sun had been beating down on her for moons. No longer could she manage to get a single drink of water without straining herself.

"Squirrelflight is on her way to StarClan, there is nothing I can do anymore, " mewed Jayfeather. His blind gaze seemed more clouded than usual. Squirrelflight would be the seventh cat to be lost to Killer. A number too great to handle for the gray tabby.

Sighing sorrowfully, Bramblestar lifted his head to look over Squirrelflight's form fully. She was as thin as a WindClan cat, possibly more so. She hadn't eaten in a while, not being able to take a single bite of fresh-kill. Her eyes were shut tightly, as were her jaws. The pain of the illness was awful, as seen in the six other victims before they moved on to StarClan.

Not too far away from Squirrelflight, about a tail-length away, Millie trembled in her own make-shift nest. The silver tabby wasn't as ill as the other, but she soon would be. It was only a matter of time. Both her and Squirrelflight's pads were blistered, and their tail's bore ugly sores at the base. Millie looked at the ginger she-cat with a mixture of sympathy and fear.

Bramblestar could understrand her dread. This was how Millie would be eventually, she was practically seeing her own soon-to-be death.

"Bramblestar...?" a voice croaked. The dark tabby shifted his amber gaze to his mate. Her eyes were open now, fulled with agony and another emotion that Bramblestar could not make-out.

"Yes, what is it, Squirrelflight?" he asked tenderly, knowing that being too loud would cause her headache to worsen.

The ginger cat's eyes softened as she attempted to purr. It came out sounding more like a fox's growl.

"I love you. You know that, right?" she asked, her breaths noticably slowing.

Bramblestar nodded, "Of course, and I love you, too."

"I'll be watching over you...from my place in Silverpelt. Always," she meowed weakly.

"And I'll be looking for you. I bet you'll be the brightest star in the night," Bramblestar replied, his voice choked slightly.

Squirrelflight gave another shaky breath, "You'd better believe it."

The tabby leader chuckled, there was the cat he fell in love with. He bent down to give her muzzle a lick, purring fondly. He remained with his head beside her's and his eyes closed until the queen's breaths stopped coming. Slowly, he opened his eyes and sat up.

He calmly inhaled, needing the air to help him remain cool. He could not afford to grieve when his clan needed him.

"It's a shame. The kits would have been beautiful," Millie whispered from her nest.

Bramblestar agreed, "Yes, they would have."

Jayfeather spoke up quietly, "Bramblestar, you should tell the clan. Send some cat to bring her out."

"Hm," was all that came out of the leader.

Standing on grief-weakened legs, Bramblestar left the medicine den and made his way to the Highledge. He found himself moving almost automatically, like he wasn't in his own paws. It was an odd feeling to be honest. Empty. He felt empty.

Once on the ledge, he called his clan into a meeting. He watched as cats gradually gathered to listen to him. He sensed a dreading atmosphere, knowing that they could guess that his announcement would not be a happy one.

"ThunderClan, I regretfully hold no good news. Squirrelflight has left for StarClan," he mewed.

Lionblaze yowled mournfully, causing Cinderheart to press to his side comfortingly. Foxleap and Stormcloud lowered their heads, feeling grief for their former-mentor. The others either showed their grief, or tried to cover it.

"Stormcloud and Poppyfrost, I ask that you bring her into the clearing, so that we may sit vigil for her under the stars," Bramblestar meowed.

Dipping their heads, the two warriors made their way to the medicine den so that they could retrieve the deceased queen. Once they had gone, Bramblestar jumped down from his place on the Highledge. The clan dispersed slowly, many of them dragging their tails. Killer had taken too many lives in such a short time. Things were certainly getting hopeless.

"Bramblestar," meowed Lionblaze as he approached the tabby.

"Yes?" he responded.

"This can't keep happening. I mean, look at how many we've lost in only three moons! For all we know, the clan will be without a single she-cat before next leaf-fall," the golden tabby mewed.

Bramblestar matched his eyes, "And do you have any ideas?"

Lionblaze's shoulders dropped slightly, "No. Not yet at least. But, there must be something."

"Lionblaze, your brother has tried everything. We may have to wait until Killer simply fades on it's own," Bramblestar meowed, though he didn't like the idea all too much.

"What if it doesn't?" the deputy questioned.

Before Bramblestar could come up with a response, he caught sight of Stormcloud carrying a limp body on his back. Poppyfrost padded beside him, ready to stop the dead cat from falling off.

"No more of this, it is time for her vigil," Bramblestar mewed, ending the conversation. He walked to where the two cats had layed Squirrelflight's body. Settling down, Bramblestar pressed his nose to his mate's pelt once more. She had lost almost all of her warmth, the fever having no purpose now that she was dead. And she smelled of lavender, which Jayfeather must have rubbed on to mask the scent of death and sickness.

Lionblaze silently took his place beside the leader, burying his nose into his adoptive-mother's fur. Other cats joined the vigil; Spiderleg, Foxleap, and Stormcloud all took their places. If Rosepetal were still alive, she'd be mourning her old-mentor as well. Jayfeather would not be joining, needing to stay with Millie.

As he stayed in complete silence, Bramblestar sent a message to Squirrelflight with a sad look at his mate.

'Until we meet in StarClan, I will mourn you.'

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A/N: Woah, long prolouge. I almost cried a couple times.

Now, Stormcloud is a cat that I don't know much about. I know that he is in "Bramblestar's Storm", and was a kittypet (or loner). But I haven't read the book yet (got spoilers, though), so I don't know his personality or anything like that. If someone who knows about him could give some info, it'd be much appreciated.

Until next time, my lovelies!

~ Tina