"I can't believe we're headed to battle! This is the best day ever!" A young brown tabby she-cat exclaimed, walking alongside a muscular black and white tom.

"Be careful, Leafpaw," he muttered, his long tail resting momentarily on her shoulder. His muzzle was dotted with white hairs, and his back held a slump to it that came with old age. "A battle is a dangerous thing. It isn't something to ever hope for." Leafpaw rolled her eyes with a giggle.

"That's ridiculous!" She replied with a twitch of her tail. "Firpaw told me that battles are exciting and thrill packed! He said that he beats everyone he fights, and that I will too!" She puffed out her chest in pride as they continued the walk through the lush forest alongside their clanmates.

"Firpaw says a lot of things, none of which are true," The tom growled. "Just promise to be careful and stay out of trouble." He started down at her through narrowed green eyes.

"I promise, Darkfoot!" Leafpaw giggled, starting to walk faster. Darkfoot let her pass him hesitantly, and Leafpaw bounced up near the front of the patrol.

"So when are we reaching the ThunderClan border?" Leafpaw slowed down as she reached a tortoiseshell she-cat's side.

"Very soon!" The she-cat hissed excitedly. "I'm so excited that my daughter is in the battle! I know you'll be just like me. Perhaps even deputy too, one day!"

"Thanks, Needlefrost!" Leafpaw smiled up at her mother. "I'll try my best, I promise!"

"I don't expect anything less," Needlefrost purred, licking her daughter's ear.

"They've ambushed us!" A yowl broke out form one of the cats in their group as muscular toms and she-cats poured down from the branches and landed on the cats below. Leafpaw screeched as a tom dragged her down with his claw, jumping back to her feet.

"ShadowClan scum!" The ginger tom apprentice spat, muscles rippling. "We knew you'd try to take the forest!"

"You've been stealing our prey," Leafpaw shot back hotly, crouching with tense muscles. Her blue eyes shone, claws unsheathing as she prepared for battle. "It's only fair."

"Say that to my claws!" The other apprentice hissed, leaping at Leafpaw. She wasn't prepared for his size, and tumbled over, scrabbling to get to her paws again. Yield and screeches were thrown around the forest as ShadowClan blindly fought ThunderClan, dirt and blood staining their pelts.

"Hear that?" The ginger tom snarled as he pinned Leafpaw. "You're losing. Again. ShadowClan never wins."

"Lies!" Leafpaw unsheathed her hind claws, battering at the ginger tom without looking. She jumped to her feet, closing her eyes and attempting to bite his shoulder. She heard a choke, and opened her eyes with satisfaction. Did I win? She turned her gaze down to see the tom.

"Warriors... don't kill to win," the ginger tom rasped. Leafpaw gaped at the blood gushing from his throat. I... did that? As the tom closed his eyes, Leafpaw could only stare at his ripped throat in horror. She slowly backed away, ears flattening as her tail lashed from side to side. She almost ran away, but heard a strangled cry.

"Flamepaw!" A white she-cat apprentice howled, blue eyes wide with shock and grief. She raced over to the red apprentice, head bowed over his limp form. She looked up at Leafpaw, teeth bared and ears flat.

"You did this," She snarled, claws unsheathing. Leafpaw stared at her blankly, unable to deny. She's right. I killed a cat. I killed a tom before he had the chance to be a warrior. I'm a murderer... how could I have looked forward to battle?

"You will die for killing my brother!" The apprentice yowled. She jumped at Leafpaw, taking claws across her ears and muzzle. Leafpaw just stood there as she attacked, head hung in despair.

"Retreat!" Leafpaw's head snapped up, shaking as blood gushed from her wounds. Her mother had sounded the retreat. Why didn't Owlstar declare the retreat? Leafpaw scrabbled away, barely making it into the throng Of ShadowClan cats as they stormed out of ThunderClan, the white she-cat chasing her tail. A brown tom held the she-cat back from chasing Leafpaw out of their territory.

"That's right!" She screeched at Leafpaw. "Run from me! But never forget what you've done!" Leafpaw kept her head low in shame, only looking up once to see her clan.

They were badly wounded. About half of the cats that had gone into battle made it back out, not including Owlstar. Needlefrost was lead now.

How was I so foolish?

The world isn't kind.

It's tortured, cruel. Beastly.