~~Pre-Author's Note: This story contains depictions of blood, violence, and some gore later on. This is not for those weak to such ideas, or get queasy easily, etc. Consider this your ONLY warning.~~

A stream of white moonlight moved through the light branches hanging from the den entrance a few tail-lengths away. Gentle rays gleamed off pristine emerald-like eyes, the fiery orange fur glowing against the low moon rising just past the trees. The full moon hung in the sky like a mirror, the fiery orange cat kicking his hind leg briefly in a twitch as he practically scowled to himself. His body was refusing to acknowledge that sleep was necessary, but the upcoming bloodbath that would ensue the next day remained tied to his mind, unable to be shifted away to the back.

Firestar eventually lifted his head, glancing behind himself as the fur along his back brushed against another she-cat, who lay directly beside him in a nest built slightly larger to accompany her. The orange-furred cat let out a long breath, slowly pulling himself out of the nest and stretching as best he could, his hind end raised with his tail straight in the air and his claws scratching the dirt lightly beneath his paws.

Sorry, Sandstorm, but I don't think I can sleep tonight knowing that I am leading a charge into battle tomorrow, Firestar quietly told himself, glancing back to the she-cat. His eyes softened in a melted love, his claws extending momentarily as he watched the she-cat sleep soundly. How can you rest so easy? Firestar asked without opening his mouth, feeling his tongue was dry. He didn't bother sitting yet, his mind swirling now with different emotions. He loved Sandstorm, and he loved his clan. Even if they didn't entirely respect him, many have been able to look beyond Firestar's past. I cannot fail, these cats need me, and so do the other clans. They all need me to be the leader of my clan tomorrow, and I will not fail. I cannot fail. Starclan will not let me fail.

Firestar brought his gaze to the light vine structure that was holding just over the den entrance. His gaze didn't go back to Sandstorm.

"I'll be back," he promised in a quiet whisper, tail flicking from his left to right side as he slipped outside the leaders' den and glanced around. The camp was quiet, each den had no noise coming from it. Firestar didn't get it; how could all these warriors not be nervous for a battle the next day? Especially such a large one, they had to prepare for the worst, but Firestar still didn't understand it all. This wasn't just some tension between two clans, this was Lionclan versus the blight that was Tigerstar.

Then his green gaze caught movement on the edge of the camp, along the thicket that encompassed the entire camp in protection. The gorse tunnel shuffled lightly as the silhouette of another cat disappeared through it, having come from inside the camp.

Maybe I'm not the only one, but I should follow just in case. Firestar wouldn't want a Bloodclan spying on them so close to the date of Lionclans' answer. He stalked quietly across the grass, every step feeling cool against his paws and almost relaxing. Albeit his body remained tense, spine raised slightly and his eyes watching the gorse tunnel with intensity now.

As his paws reached the entrance to the camp, Firestar leaned down and sniffed the thicket and the paw steps that remained behind from the silhouette. Immediately, his body relaxed lightly, able to tell it was the thick scent of Bramblepaw's. His gaze watched the tunnel, wondering just what Bramblepaw would be doing in the middle of the night like this. Firestar had two ideas, but he wasn't sure about either of them. The leader would take care of the situation, however, and all Firestar could hope for was that this was just midnight jitters from the idea of fighting…

Bramblepaw had never been part of such a huge battle, should he leave Bramblepaw behind? It was a solution he could certainly use, and Firestar contemplated it as he pushed through the defensive thicket, expertly weaving past any thorns and undergrowth. Even if his pelt snagged on a thorn or anything of the sort, Firestar had grown accustomed to them, and so had his pelt. Thorns rarely snagged for more than the briefest of heartbeats.

Upon exited the tunnel, Firestar looked up the ravine, eyes dilating and easily able to see a tail move past the top of the ravine and beyond the dark green undergrowth. It slipped away like a snake, Firestar sighing and proceeding to climb his way to the top. His paws made no mistakes, his body weaving up like a long blade of grass, not even getting dirt on his pelt once he made it to the top. His coat was as pristine as when he cleaned it during dusk before, and his eyes glowed in the darkness as he attempted to follow Bramblepaw's thick scent against the air.

The forest was so lively in the middle of the night, Firestar's ears perking as he listened to the little bugs floating away from leaves, leaving them to swish lightly and push the wind. Few birds chirped in the trees, and he could hear the call of an owl in the distance. The sound made his spine tingle, but he pushed his memories back and kept his focus on Bramblepaw, tailing his apprentice from quite a distance.

Bramblepaw's scent remained thick in the air, however, so it made it simple and easy for Firestar to follow the young cat…

Before long, he realized Bramblepaw was heading towards the gathering place of the four clans. Fourtrees. The distance wasn't long, but a middle of the night trek through the woods would regard it as a pretty long distance. Firestar slowly began to close the distance between himself and Bramblepaw, he didn't know what they would see at Fourtrees, but he did know that they were getting rather far from camp. Getting caught out here, or at Fourtrees, by Tigerstar wasn't what he needed. Especially for young Bramblepaw…

By the time Firestar had caught up, he saw young Bramblepaw's silhouette sitting atop the hill overlooking Fourtrees. The apprentice had a lowered head, his amber gaze watching Fourtrees with sorrow behind the amber eyes.

Firestar leaned down a bit, he could tell from the twitching whiskers and the curled down lips that Bramblepaw was upset. Something must've come to mind during the night, the midnight jitters could get anyone, but Firestar could tell this was different. And those eyes…

He is nothing like Tigerstar, Firestar was reminded of. Tigerstar's amber gaze never showed such signs of compassion or love or such. To Firestar, Tigerstar was on the teetering edge of being unredeemable. A monster with no soul, a heart of bloodlust and power looking only for control. With that in mind, Bramblepaw was the exact opposite, seeming more like his mother day by day. The cat had strength in his muscles, a few moons from now and he would be competing with Firestar just in strength training alone. His claws were long, but Bramblepaw didn't enjoy fighting day to day. The clan even looked at him like they once looked at Firestar.

Scorn.

Hatred.

Unlovable.

That was not what Firestar saw in the apprentice. Bramblepaw was so unlike Tigerstar that only their pelts were similar, but the way they reacted to things was entirely different. Even with a few of Bramblepaw's outbursts of rage, it was because of how the rest of the clan treated him that forced the apprentice to react in such ways.

Instead of just greeting himself like he normally would, Firestar just padded his way up the hillside and planted his tail end on the ground, sitting beside his apprentice and watching the stars.

Bramblepaw practically jumped as he did, not having been paying attention to his surroundings and his fur on-end as his eyes widened… until he realized who had sat beside him. There was a moment of hesitation before the apprentice sat back down, his thick tabby pelt looking rather frazzled for a moment as he took a deep breath. The apprentice shivered quietly in the night, and Firestar felt it was nicer to just break the ice now.

"A nice night, is it not?" He spoke softly, keeping his voice low so that it may not carry farther than necessary for his apprentice to hear.

A few heartbeats of pause, but Firestar kept his gaze on the sky, Bramblepaw would respond on his own time. After all, he had scared the poor cat out of his wits.

"I… I guess so," Bramblepaw stammered momentarily, his gaze looking up to the stars now as his ears lowered.

"Why are you up so late?" Firestar asked, remaining entirely relaxed with Bramblepaw by his side. He could trust the apprentice, he knew he could. Bramblepaw wasn't a threat to him, the cat was his own cat. Not his father's. "You need to rest for tomorrow… Why don't you tell me what is really on your mind, if you don't mind me asking?"

The dark tabby watched Firestar for a while, only turning his gaze away as he finally responded. "I miss Tawnypaw…" the young cat mumbled, his voice trailing off momentarily as he admitted to missing his sister, as if it was a sign of weakness.

Keep going, Firestar urged without speaking, knowing full well that Bramblepaw had more on his chest to talk about.

"I miss my sister," Bramblepaw repeated, shuffling his paws against the grass awkwardly. "I know she betrayed Thunderclan, but I can't help but want her back with us. And…" Another heartbeat of pause, the cat looking more nervous now. "I know what I have to do tomorrow. I know I have to stand against my father, I know what he is. Even if he is my father, blood means nothing without a good relationship behind it."

"Wise words," Firestar admitted as he looked down to Bramblepaw, noticing the cat was anxious and his gaze was lowered. "No one in Thunderclan can convince you of a path you do not believe in," Firestar continued as he looked down to Fourtrees. "But likewise, your father cannot do the same to you. Only you can choose a path you think is necessary. Take me for example… It took moons and moons before most of Thunderclan accepted my existence, and even then, only a few tolerated me. Bluestar taking ill like she did, I sometimes think it was a mistake to name me deputy of the clan. Yet I am more than willing to lead my clan into battle, because I know the toll it will take on us all if Tigerstar gets his claws on some of us." Firestar glanced back to Bramblepaw, who was now looking up to Firestar. "Everyone's fates rests in the battle tomorrow, and everyone's decision making will be the rules of the future. The choices I make are just as impactful as yours, Bramblepaw… Maybe tomorrow, you can convince your father to forego his need for vengeance for you, or maybe not. I couldn't tell you what will and what won't work… I don't know everything."

"You're a leader, you should know what to do," Bramblepaw claimed, his ears perked and head tilted just ever so slightly.

"I haven't been a leader long," Firestar pointed out. "And just because I was given nine lives doesn't mean I was given extra power or anything of the sort. I'm still just as clueless sometimes, but I know I have a duty to my clan. Not just my clan, but those affected by my clan. If I kill, it needs to be in the name of protecting our innocent ones, to protect our queens and our warriors. I must be willing to lay down my life… all of my lives… in the name of Thunderclan, and of other clans when it comes down to it as well." Firestar's ear flicked. "I want peace, just as much as everyone else does. This is a terrifying time, but you are important to me and I want you to understand that your happiness and well-being is my responsibility too."

Bramblepaw stared into Firestar's gaze for a short while, but he slowly brought his gaze down to Fourtrees, his tail flicking slowly. There was a long silence from the apprentice as the words sunk in, before he spoke again, his voice a bit more hardened.

"I can't let my feelings for family get in the way of Thunderclan," he stated. Firestar could almost feel the heat of the intensity in his voice. "If we must fight against my father tomorrow, then so be it. If I can't convince Tawnypaw to join us again, then… I will fight her until she is unable to fight." Now Firestar could see Bramblepaw's claws dig into the earth. "I can't let someone else fight her, they might kill her if they do. I will not, I don't want to kill."

I can't guarantee that, Firestar thought with a slight frown, but quickly turned it into a smile. "You will make a wonderful warrior someday, Bramblepaw," he replied as he looked back up to the stars as well. "Starclan watch over us all, and hopefully we all survive tomorrow. I know I trained you well, remember that training."

Bramblepaw gave a fortified nod, the young cat taking a deep breath.

I don't like where this is going, but I'm starting to think our fates will one day rest on him, Firestar thought quietly, keeping his words to himself. He's so young, but I can't force him to stay. He's old enough to make his own decisions, and I cannot protect him from his father any longer. If Tigerstar refuses to back down, then I will use everything I have to take him down.

Firestar slowly stood up. "Come on, let's head back to camp. The cold air is reaching my bones." Without looking to see if Bramblepaw had followed, Firestar began to lead the way back down the hill, away from Fourtrees.

He could hear Bramblepaw moving behind him, the heavy paw steps relaxed Firestar.

I'm not alone in this fight, either. I have a whole clan beside me, ready to help me fight Tigerstar… Hopefully it is enough.

They disappeared into the trees, the last time they would see Fourtrees in such a peaceful light…

~~Author's Note

Hey, Shadow here! Yeah... I've been gone a long time... haven't I? Sorry to those who I didn't finish a series for, I intended to finish what I had started to long ago. Things like finishing up my version of Hollyleaf's Challenge and such. I guess I didn't do that, did I? I feel bad for all that, but right now, I need to get my butt back into writing again. I've been suffering from writers block for too long, and I'm sick of it. So what did I decide to do? Well the simplest solution was to write something new, but I was talking about old events with my girlfriend and how simple things were three to six years ago. Friends we don't talk to anymore, old fanfic, bad art, etc. We were having fun. And she suggested that maybe I should write some Warriors fanfic again, and I thought... why not? So here we are. Warriors: Broken Claws. Maybe a dumb title, maybe not, but when I was writing the prologue, I felt it coming back. All that love for writing. So why not waste it here?

I will try and get chapter 1 out soon! Welcome back the Shadow, even if that name is old and edgy and I should probably change it... I'm 20, I should be able to come up with a better username right? Nah! Enjoy the story, Broken Claws is a rewrite of my old fanfic series starting with Broken, and we shall see where it goes from there!

~~Author's Note #2

Hey again, Shadow here! Just thought I would let everyone know that I do have a cover for this fanfic (oh boy... now I kinda have to finish it on principal, don't I?) and it should be visible as of now (though I know how FFNdotnet can be with these things so who knows, it should be visible soon!). My lovely girlfriend made it for me and she's done a fantastic job with it... She deserves a lot of love for her artwork, so do be sure to comment/review how much you enjoy the cover! Anyways, I've got more writing to do so I shall leave you fantastic people to do... whatever it is you all do!