CLANLIFE

This is an account of all the stories (in correct order) that have happened to the cats of ThunderClan. These tales will begin just after a great flood that has destroyed most of ThunderClan and RiverClan. In these times the Clan leader Greystar was sick with greencough and sent his deputy, Lionheart, to the gathering instead. That day the Clan was struck with a massive flood and the cats could not return from the Gathering. When they finally were able to get back they found everyone who was left in the camp to be dead.

TRUE BLOOD - ShadowClan Camp - Moonhigh

While Greyclaw lay with the firelight playing over his filthy grey fur, the battle raged around him. He did not know why he was here, but when he returned to consciousness, the first thing that registered in his dizzy head was the warm scent of Amberheart. He relaxed, trying to tell himself that it was all okay. But it wasn't okay. Jumppaw's death still lay heavily on his heart and the sounds of battle around him quickened his heart with excitement and fear.

As he became more aware of his surroundings, other scents came to him; fire, ash, metal, BoneClan, earth and there was another scent that he couldn't place because it wasn't real. Yet it was real, something that swirled in and out of reality, dancing back and fourth over that thin line that divided the truth from fiction. Perhaps by now Greyclaw, too, had crossed that boarder.

-----

Amberheart was terrified. Liquiformash and Rigidpaw had kept close to her since Metalstar had gone off, and now she was back, though with her was another she-cat. She was white with cold blue eyes and scars making her well-muscled body. She and Metalstar stood on the rim of the pit, looking down at Amberheart who lay on the ground beside Rigidpaw.

It had been a while since Liquiformash had joined Rigidpaw with his own captive; Greyclaw, who had been unconscious until now. He seemed confused now that he was awake, scenting the air as if he was trying to catch something just beyond his reach.

Amberheart forced herself to look away, unable to bear the sight of her friend who had possibly gone crazy. She shivered, looking up at the two cats on the rim, they both seemed to glow silver in the earth-light. Past the shadows that fell over their faces, Amberheart could see their smiles. They did not look evil and power-hungry as she'd expected, but warm and victorious. The white one even looked proud and she purred a word of praise to Metalstar which made her glow with pride. Could it be that Metalstar looked up to this cat? This wasn't the way evil villains were supposed to be; they were supposed to be ruthless and uncaring, like Scourge had been. These cat's weren't, though.

Swiftkill, the white and orange tom who had once been a ThunderClan prisoner, joined his leader at the edge of the pit and shoved Smoothwater down over the edge. The fur-less tom fell limply to the ground and grunted. One of his paws was twisted at an odd angle. His eyes were opened, but clouded over with pain and desolation. Again, Amberheart looked away.

"One left." She heard Metalstar say.

She glanced up and caught the white she-cat nodding. She definitely looked proud of Metalstar, and perhaps a little scared too. Metalstar could easily rip her apart, though Amberheart didn't think that was the reason; the BoneClan leader had power now.

Amberheart turned back to Greyclaw to see that Liquiformash was gone again. Between then and when he bounded to the rim, tossing Riverstar down into the pit to join them, Amberheart was given no time to wonder where he was.

As soon as he stepped down into the pit Metalstar purred gladly and joined him beside the fire.

"They're all here."

Amberheart looked around at Greyclaw, Riverstar and Smoothwater. This was the group from when they'd first captured her. They were all here, all terrified of Metalstar and the horrible wrongness she'd brought down upon the Clans.

"Now, let the fun begin."

The white she-cat padded down into the pit beside Metalstar, who turned to Amberheart first. "I'll give you a minute to explain before you all die."

Amberheart's mouth felt dry, but she managed to squeak out a few words about the Elixir and the HellCats, or all she remembered. The three of them seemed to get the idea, as they all looked away from Amberheart, even Greyclaw. They blamed her. The Siamese warrior felt like crying, but instead she only looked into Metalstar's eyes defiantly, not knowing exactly how she managed to hold the she-cat's cold, yellow gaze.

"You heard her," Said the BoneClan leader finally, nodding to Rigidpaw. "First we spill all of her blood, then we'll try the others."

-----

Shadowpaw looked around. There was no Carrionguards on duty, so he slipped through the east entrance and stopped in his tracks, looking around at the dead bodies littering the ground. The scent of sickness and death filled the air. It wasn't the bodies that drew him farther in, but a dark shape against the forest-sky. It was another body set up high on a tall poll reaching out from the earth. He stepped closer to it, looking up and down the poll, closer, closer until his nose was against the wood. The light emitted from the ground seemed to bleed into him as his body was soon glowing with the same light. He looked up.

In a small clearing in the forest-sky stood a big, dark brown tabby tom. Even from where he stood on the earth, Shadowpaw could see his unusually long claws digging into the sky-earth.

"Tigerstar..." He breathed, placing his front paws up against the wood. The cat in the sky nodded and whispered something. The voice echoed in Shadowpaw's head long after Tigerstar had spoken, "Come to me."

Shadowpaw shook his head. "I can't."

The tabby tom nodded sadly, though he was still smiling broadly. It occurred to Shadowpaw that he wasn't really sad; he needed him for something.

"What do you want?" Shadowpaw wanted to demand, but his voice came in the same calm whisper as before, and so did Tigerstar's when he answered.

"I want to live."

Shadowpaw tried to pull away from the glowing poll, but he found he couldn't move. The earth-light emanated from the poll, himself and the ground blinded him and he wanted to close his eyes, but he couldn't.

Tigerstar was winning, and this time there was no fire to save ThunderClan.

-----

Amberheart shrank back as Metalstar advanced on her. Rigidpaw, the fire and Liquiformash closed off any possible escape routes as the ThunderClan leader moved forwards, claws raised. She waved her claws through the fire so that they glowed with heat, then swung her paw towards the cowering warrior.

"Stop!"

Everyone looked. It was Greyclaw. He stepped forwards, placing himself between Amberheart and Metalstar. He glanced over his shoulder at Amberheart, who was shaking her head desperately, then looked back at Metalstar who was smiling happily. "It's me. Whatever you need, I have it, not Amberheart."

Metalstar chucked. He'd made a good effort, one had to admit. "Let's see if you're telling the truth."