DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the cats or the Warrior's series.
This takes place in The Darkest Hour. It's mid-page 25-28
It rattled me a little to learn that Bluestar would even consider having kits with a Riverclan tom; but she gave them up to become leader? I couldn't help the shine of admiration in my eyes as I pondered how strong her ambition must have been to be able to do such a thing. Tigerstar, my old mentor, was an ambitious cat. He had been willing to kill for his power; maybe Bluestar wasn't as weak and useless as she sometimes seemed to be.
"Fireheart, are you going to be our leader now?" Tigerstar's daughter asked the question, and it was NOT something I had; or wanted, to think about. Fireheart couldn't even blink before I acted. Leaping to my paws in outrage and disgust I snarled, "Accept a kittypet as Clan leader? Are we all mad?" My fierce gaze swept the clan I had been born to suspiciously.
Firestar's biggest supporters seemed shocked; Sandstorm his mate and Graystripe his traitor, double crossing friend. But I didn't hear either comment. My gaze locked with Whitestorm's and he responded to me. "It's not a question Darkstripe. Fireheart is Clan deputy; he succeeds Bluestar. That's all there is to it."
My neck fur bristled but I didn't attempt to relax it. Whitestorm always was too close to that weakling. Fireheart did whatever he had to do to look good in Bluestar's eyes, and the senior warrior liked whatever she had liked, including worthless kittypets additions to the clan!
I wasn't going to give up without a bigger fight. I sneered, "But a kittypet!" I turned my head sideways and my dark yellow eyes became hard chips, angry and mean. This was outrageous! "Stinking of Twolegs and their nests! Is that what we want as out leader?"
For a second everyone was silent, Fireheart was silent; his green eyes showed anger. I smirked, I wanted anger, and I wanted him to know what he was. All that he would ever be; just a stinking kittypet. I thought the clan agreed with me, but apparently I had thought wrong.
Goldenflower, Tigerstar's mate and a friend of mine, paced towards me boldly. She growled, "Your wrong Darkstripe. Fireheart has proved his loyalty to the Clan a thousand times over. No Clan-born cat could have done more." My eyes flashed with hurt at her words. Not even Goldenflower would back me up? It was not just she who disagreed with me.
The young warrior Brackenfur spoke up next. "Fireheart, don't listen to Darkstripe. Every cat here wants you as leader, apart from him. You're obviously the best cat for the job." My claws slid out and I felt like raking them across that insolent brat's ear. Of course he'd say that, Fireheart had practically mentored him.
The clan mumbled approvingly of the young cat's words. I swept the crowd with my hostile gaze. What was happening to Thunderclan? The cats I was born with would have never allowed this! Half of them, two-thirds of them, had not even wanted Fireheart here when he was an apprentice! This was all Bluestar's fault, she has ruined the clan.
Mousefur spoke now, "And who are we to go against the decrees of Starclan? The deputy always becomes Clan leader. That is the tradition of the warrior code." Graystripe's tail flicked at me angrily and he hissed, "Which Fireheart seems to know rather better then you do."
My lips curled back and I flashed my teeth at him, my tail pointed straight up. My own hiss came out at the gray tomcat. He dared to question MY loyalty to the code? He who made half-clan kits, and left the clan once already? Sure, I bent a few rules, but Tigerstar told me to. Tigerstar should be here! Tigerstar is the true leader of Thunderclan!
Fireheart gained silence and started his speech, "I promise you that I will spend the rest of my life striving to become the leader that Thunderclan deserves. And with Starclan's help I will succeed." My eyes darkened when he looked at me, dared to address me. "As for you, Darkstripe, if you don't like the thought of being led by a kittypet, you can always leave."
His words seared me with such a hatred I charred down to my core. I lashed my tail once in fury and my eyes flooded with the strength of my rage. How dare he? How DARE he? He thinks he can challenge me like this in front of everyone? I have been loyal to these cats my whole life, I even turned my back on my truest comrade Tigerstar when I had the choice to follow him to greatness; to become next in his line of power. And Fireheart had the stupidity to say something like that in front of everyone?
They have all turned on me. Maybe my only friend left in this whole forest was Tigerstar. They all seemed to like this sniveling coward more then me, a clan born friend. I fought back a furious snarl and whirled around, prowling dangerously into the warriors' den and flopping into my nest to brood, and to plot. Tigerstar wanted to get rid of that mangy bit of foxdung just as much as I do. Maybe this time I shall not turn on him when he comes seeking a friend.