Thank you to the following reviewers:
-tronx456
-Guest (And I plan to fix any mistakes as soon as the story is finished).
Skystar watched as the dawn light lit the sky up a clear blue. The horizon carried a rosy tint where the sun was rising.
He watched as Gray Wing and Slate stirred and stretched. Sparrow Fur was grooming herself, her green eyes shining at the prospect of today. Night padded back into the clearing with some fish, always an early hunter and River Ripple appeared from another direction, having taken a walk.
"Well, today's the day," Reed's voice sounded by his side and he nodded at the silver tabby tom.
Suddenly, the reeds rustled and Shattered Ice appeared. "Skystar, Gray Wing," he smiled. "Nice to see you again."
"Hello, Shattered Ice," Gray Wing purred, touching noses with the gray and white tom. Skystar merely smiled and dipped his head, too anxious to move.
"It took forever to get my patrol off my tail, but here I am," the RiverClan tom continued. "I hope it won't take too long."
"Me too," Skystar sighed. "How is life in RiverClan?"
"It's great," Shattered Ice meowed happily. "It was actually quite easy to fit in."
"Well, I'm learning to swim and fish like a RiverClan cat too!" Sparrow Fur dashed over.
"Hey, kit," Shattered Ice grinned then noticed her scars. "What…happened there?"
"One Eye." the little tortoiseshell shrugged.
Shattered Ice looked from Gray Wing to Skystar but both brothers suddenly developed an interest in the ground.
"Anyhoo," River Ripple meowed. "Are you all ready?"
Some exchanged nervous nods while others looked determined.
Just then, Tall Shadow appeared followed by a group of ShadowClan cats. Skystar blinked. "What're Brokenstar's old followers doing here?"
"They've been a great help to us," Tall Shadow explained.
Blackfoot dipped his head. "We were always loyal to ShadowClan but just…followed the wrong leader."
Gray Wing studied them for a moment and shrugged saying, "fine. The more help the better." He nodded at Tallpoppy and Oakfur, who were here from the actual ShadowClan. "How is your Clan doing?"
"Better thanks to Pebble Heart," Oakfur murmured.
Gray Wing smiled at the mention of his son.
Skystar hoped his kits were doing alright. He hated that he had barely thought of them like Gray Wing had for Owl Eyes and Cloud Tail, but he had been too busy trying to come up with a way to save his Clan.
"Okay, well everyone's here," Skystar meowed, getting to his feet. "Time to initiate Phase One." He nodded at Tall Shadow.
Tall Shadow peered out into the forest of SkyClan. Beside her crouched Boulder. "You know it was supposed to be just me, right? Because I have great stealth."
"I'm here in case you need backup," the gray tabby murmured. "Anyway, see anyone?"
Tall Shadow narrowed her eyes into the distance, but the forest was uncharacteristically quiet.
That's unsettling…
"Tall Shadow?" A sudden voice called. Tall Shadow and Boulder jumped and turned around to see Acorn Fur near a thick clump of bracken.
"Acorn Fur! Thank StarClan! What's going on? Why's it so quiet?"
"One Eye and Fury are giving one of their many stupid speeches about loyalty," the brown she-cat meowed. "I said I needed to collect herbs to get away."
"Good, listen, we have a message for One Eye, okay?" Tall Shadow meowed.
"Of course! Anything to help a friend…and to help ourselves," the brown she-cat meowed. "I'm getting tired of watching my clanmates attack ThunderClan patrols for no reason at all."
Tall Shadow and Boulder exchanged a look. What has been going on since we left? She beckoned Acorn Fur closer and whispered the message Skystar wanted delivered.
Thunder looked out across the clearing from under the Flat Boulder. Lightning Tail sat on his right and Cinder Flower was on his left with Ivy Breeze.
It was two days after they had visited Skystar and Gray Wing. They had told them the plan and now all they had to do was wait for the army to come, then the SkyClan cats would turn on the rogue group.
I just hope we have enough on our side.
"Think Star Flower abandoned you?" Lightning Tail asked. "Strange she isn't here, hanging out with her rogue friends."
Cinder Flower and Ivy Breeze glanced at them. Everyone had been curious as to why the best friends were so cold towards each other lately.
Thunder had spent every day with Star Flower in the forest much to Lightning Tail's annoyance and Thunder retaliated back every time he spoke badly about the she-cat.
What does he have against her? He barely knows her like I do!
After letting her in on the plan the other day, Star Flower had gone out that morning seeking rogue recruits that would surely fight against One Eye (who was honestly a bigger threat than Fury) but hadn't come back yet.
"Don't be annoying," Thunder sighed.
A look of sudden shame came over Lightning Tail. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I just...I don't want you to get your heart broken. You know, in case she's not who you think she is."
Thunder blinked at him. "Star Flower wouldn't hurt me," he assured. "But thanks for your concern." After all, when have you ever been able to read cats?
Across the clearing, Holly lay outside in the sun, her belly swollen as she watched over Wind Runner's kits.
Suddenly, Acorn Fur burst into the clearing and yowled, "One Eye!" While the ginger tom and his rogues hissed and glared, Fury looked more pleasantly surprised at the young cat's boldness. "Skystar wants to meet you at the Great Oak."
Here we go.
Shattered Ice crouched by Lightning Tail, who fidgeted, growing impatient until Thunder shushed him. Sparrow Fur was on his other side and the RiverClan tom was surprised by her determined face, looking ready for anything.
Everyone else hid in the undergrowth or the trees. It felt good to be back in his old home, but he still loved RiverClan better. Even if the biggest reason I left was to escape the nightmare of the battle…and how empty the Clan felt with so many gone.
Just then, Shattered Ice noticed movement in the corner of his eye and shook away his gloomy thoughts.
One Eye had exploded over the small slope, racing straight for Skystar, who stood confidently in the open, ready to take on him. Shattered Ice felt a rush of pride for his old friend and leader. Behind One Eye was Fury, all their rogue allies and some of the SkyClan cats.
Skystar and One Eye immediately started wrestling, slashing at each other and hissing their hatred at one another. Gray Wing burst out and tackled Fury, who had been ready to pounce on Skystar too.
Shattered Ice readied himself to pounce and felt the others around him doing so too.
River Ripple jumped out from some ferns and yowled. "Attack!"
One Eye froze, surprised, and Skystar was able to push him off. His and Fury's rogues raced forward to meet them and the clearing was filled with a mass of screeching cats. Shattered Ice noticed his former clanmates turn on the rogues and he felt a sense of triumph as they started to push the foe back.
Owl Eyes and Pebble Heart had jumped down from a tree. Shattered Ice hadn't even noticed the latter had arrived to help. They and Cloud Tail raced to Sparrow Fur's side and started slashing at a pair of big black and white toms.
Night and Slate were facing off a black and brown tom and a mottled gray one, who looked reluctant. The ShadowClan warriors were in a writhing mass of BloodClanners. What is with groups being led in fear and not standing up to their leader? He was vividly reminded of Brokenstar and Thistlestar.
Minnow and Reed were helping Gorse Fur and Wind Runner fight a ginger tabby and two tortoiseshells from BloodClan.
Suddenly, a loud yowl rang out and the fighting stopped for a moment. Shattered Ice and his friends backed up to one side while the rogues lined up behind One Eye and Fury.
"Did you really think you could easily outwit us?" One Eye laughed at Thunder. "When you told my daughter your entire plan like a fool!"
Shattered Ice felt sympathy well up in him as Thunder stared in horror. A golden tabby she-cat had stepped out and stood next to her father.
"Star Flower?" The ginger tom meowed weakly.
"And this is why I'm wary of outsiders," Shattered Ice heard Tall Shadow mutter from behind him.
Shattered Ice couldn't help but agree with her.
The black she-cat sat by the tiny leader in the alleyway. The brown tom, her boss, sat on the tiny tom's other side. Aside from any sickly or possibly dying cats, lying around in the trash, they were the only ones not at the battle. And besides, the brown tom wanted her to stay with them in the alleyway until further notice.
After all, they couldn't lose their spy.
Suddenly, two cats entered the alleyway and the she-cat tensed, claws nervously sliding out at the sight of the strangers. She looked to her boss for instructions, but the tiny black tom stood to his paws from in between them.
"Siblings," he hissed in an icy cold voice. "Why have you returned here when I said to never come back?"
"Would you like me to rip them to shreds?" The brown tom sneered.
The tiny leader rolled his eyes and hissed, "no!" He turned back to the gray she-cat and black and white tom. "Now. What do you want?"
"We-we just hoped you could spare more food," the black and white tom rasped, looking wary.
He called them siblings…is he for real?
"What? Street life hasn't been treating you well?" The tiny tom hissed. "Or are you too stupid to use what brain matter you have in those over-inflated heads of yours?" He switched his cold glare from the tom to the she-cat.
"Please," the she-cat rasped. "This will be the last time!"
"Fine!" The tiny tom spat, looking disgusted. He watched as they took from the pile of prey before scurrying away.
"Are those really your siblings?" The she-cat asked and instantly regretted it. It had just slipped out of her mouth! She shut her eyes, waiting to be pounced on.
After bristling for a moment, the tom muttered, "Yes. And after all the pain they put me through I rose to the top! And where are they? Sniveling on the ground like cowards!" After a moment he hissed, "serves them right!"
"Then…why did you help them?"
"...because sometimes old grudges must go…and be replaced with a worse one!"
He means ThunderClan… the she-cat thought as they sat in silence for the rest of the day.
Guest- There's the reason for why Shattered Ice left, repeated in his head. He acts like a tough guy on the outside, but deep down he's soft (you know, the usual tough guy stereotype) and he ran because the Clan wouldn't feel the same with so many gone. He grieves by running from his nightmares just like everyone grieves in their own way. Lightning Tail (is more reckless), Cloud Tail (finds comfort in those who would listen-his mother), and Fire Heart (sees ghosts of his past).