I'm just going to let you guys know that from here on out, this fanfic is going to start getting pretty dark. The next fanfic should lighten up, though.

For the real Alderfern.

Chapter 6

Lizardtuft cringed as a branch snapped underneath her front left paw. Panic shot up her as she glanced towards Thunderstar's den. Luckily, no cat emerged.

Right after she had woken up, the she-cat knew she needed to go to the Ruins, where Stonemaster upon Stonemaster was given the path they needed to take. She had noticed how no cat occupied the hollow, only faint voices coming from the leader's den behind highstone. So she snuck out, keeping close to the camp wall where her brown fur would somewhat blend in to the dirt wall. On her way up the tunnel, she grabbed the Stone between her teeth and set out for MarshClan territory.

Now she was almost at the border with SunClan. She ran through the forest, crunching on the leaves that had fallen to make way for leaf-bare. When the border came into view, the warrior came to a stop, sniffing the air. A patrol had already come this way.

Lizardtuft put one paw over the border, taking a deep breath. This might be the last time she would set paw on ScarClan territory, if she'd chosen the path the Stone wanted her to follow.

No.

She wasn't ready to leave her home.

Retreating back to ScarClan territory, Lizardtuft collapsed on the grass. She couldn't leave. Not without saying goodbye to her Clanmates.

Rising to her paws, Lizardtuft heard a crunch in a nearby bush. She snapped her head around, hoping to catch sight of the prey before it disappeared. But it was already gone.

Going in the direction of the sound, Lizardtuft squeezed between two bushes. On the other side was the Mirror Lake clearing. The lake was reflecting the sun so brightly that Lizardtuft had to squint to see. The hollow was completely empty. Or so she thought.

"Lizardtuft?"

The she-cat turned to the left, coming face to face with Almondnose. The tom's right eye was swollen shut, and a nasty cut covered his nose. Who did this?

As if reading her mind, Blizzardstripe came up behind Almondnose. "Brambleblaze." The elder rasped.

W- what? "No! He wouldn't do that." She tried to convince herself. But she knew Blizzardstripe was telling the truth. Breathing heavily, Lizardtuft watched as the rest of the Clan came out of surrounding caves and climbed down from nearby trees. They all has scratches and black eyes.

"Come back to the camp." Lizardtuft told them. "We can find out what to do."

Almondnose shook his head. "It's too dangerous. He won't know where we are if he tries to come back."

"He's there now." Lizardtuft heard a few muffled gasps from the cats around her. "We can defeat him; all of us." But she didn't want to hurt Brambleblaze. What had happened to her friend? What turned him into this monster that would do this?

"Okay." Blizzardstripe broke the silence that followed Lizardtuft's statement. "We'll fight."

"What happened to him?" Tawnyflight approached the three cats, her tail and ears down. "What happened on your trip?"

"I'll explain later." Lizardtuft told her mother. "But we have to move. Now."

# # #

As the cats of ScarClan made their way through the woods, a hard rain began to fall. How convenient. Lizardtuft huffed, gritting her teeth. Anger had begun to bubble up inside her since Blizzardstripe told her about Brambleblaze. She had thought that maybe they would be mates one day, and maybe they would even have kits. But that was all gone now.

"So when we get into camp," Lizardtuft stopped, turning back to her Clan, "everyone wait outside the hollow. Surround it. I'll go in and bring him into the main clearing. Then, attack." At the nods of her Clanmates, the she-cat turned back around.

Then, reality hit her. She had left the Stone at Mirror Lake. Mousedung!

"Wait!" Strikeleap came up to his sister. "What about Thunderstar?"

The warrior stopped in her tracks. "He's not here?"

"He left in the middle of the night. After Rileyclaw died."

"Rileyclaw died?!" Lizardtuft couldn't believe her ears. Brambleblaze would kill his own deputy.

"He was in pain." Strikeleap dipped his head. "Hopefully he's living happily in StarClan."

But Lizardtuft barely heard her brother. She was staring straight ahead, at the figure standing on the edge of the hollow. A lightning strike lit up his face, which was full of rage.

"Lizardtuft." He spat.

"Brambleblaze." The she-cat bounded up to him, barreling into his chest. The tom dug his back claws into the dirt to keep himself from falling into the hollow. He took a swipe at Lizardtuft, but his paw went right through her. She made herself solid again, pushing the tom over the cliff and into the hollow. Maybe the fall would finish him.

"For ScarClan!" Came Strikeleap's cry from behind her. Suddenly, a stampede of warriors bounded down the rocky side of the hollow and into the Clan's camp. Lizardtuft stood at the top, staring down as the madness unfolded. Brambleblaze was swallowed up beneath a pile of writhing bodies. Lizardtuft sighed, leaping down with them.