A/N: First off I'd like to start by giving special thanks to KatMCR, Amber342, Priceless Cat Lady, Scarheart of Darkclan, winterthaw of thunderclan, and Lunara the ara for all reviewing the prologue. This is the most reviews I have ever received for one chapter of a story and I'm simply blown away at the overwhelming response it garnered. Now before you begin reading I think it's only fair that I warn you that near the end of the chapter things get a bit graphic and over the top. I've done my best to tone that certain part down and keep tame as possible, but you should start to expect things like this happening since this is a dark protagonist fic after all, and things tend to get, well dark. Anyway let me know how you think I handled the first official chapter of the story and here's a little something for you all to think about before reading. What's the best way to grab the full attention of Starclan?
Chapter 1: It's about sending a message
Ominous whispers promise pain and destruction, Sadistic laughter calls for mindless mayhem, and blood curdling screams order endless violence and murder.
Six moons later, and the pain still burns. It's like an old wound that refuses to heal, and I'm not sure that I want it to. My pain drives me. It drives me to keep moving on even after all this time. It drives me to bare the chilling dying screams of my mate that plague my dreams at night, but most importantly it drives me on to seek retribution.
Revenge.
It's all about revenge now. Revenge is my driving force; it's the only thing that keeps me moving forward. As I looked towards the dark horizon of the night sky I realize now more than ever that I have to kill them to fill the missing void that was her love. It's all I live for now and tonight I start my war against the stars.
The night was dark, enveloped in a blanket of darkness that shrouded the entire clearing in an eerie shadow. A shroud of fog was layered carefully throughout the air, accompanied by a slight chill as the night's temperature dropped. Overhead the stars of the night sky could be seen sparkling brightly in a fit similar to that of uncontained and uncontrolled fire burning unchallenged.
But of course that was all about to change.
It seemed only fitting that the beginning of my conquest of the stars would be held right here underneath their watchful eyes. Tonight would be the beginning alright. Tonight I delivered the first strike. Tonight I hit them where it hurt most. Tonight, well tonight it was all about sending a message.
The soft crunch of paw pads could be heard trailing over the soft undergrowth of the forest floor. My ears perked slightly at the incoming sound of two warm bodies making their way through the sharp twigs and branches of bushes. For a brief moment all that could be heard was the loud tussle and rustle of the bushes as the two cats' transversed their way through, but upon further inspection of the two progressing cats, a soft murmur of conversation between them could just be made out.
"Are you sure this is the right direction StarClan told you to lead me in, Goldenshine?" The voice was that of a fully matured cat, clearly feminine that held that almost unnoticeable edge of authority and wisdom that came with old age and many moons of experience. Her companion in tow however was exactly the opposite of her.
"Y-yes, Le-Leafbreeze," the young tom's voice trembled slightly. "StarClan relayed this place to me several times in my dreams before I had it memorized. I'm positive that we're going in the right direction."
From the trained perspective of a former warrior it was painfully obvious to tell that the young tom Goldenshine was lying. If it wasn't for the carefully planned out web of deception on his part at the promise of a warning from StarClan to Leafbreeze this probably would've never worked.
Deception.
It's scary to think how one word can hold such power over another. From my tenure in the Dark Forest, I quickly learned that it took a special amount of talent to weave a web of words into a carefully constructed illusion. It was one of the first lessons there that I learnt that was what made StarClan so powerful in the first place. The power of persuasion is a deadly skill to have in any one cat's arsenal, and it frightened me terribly to know how easily a cat's will could be bended with a few choice words.
Goldenshine would never be capable of warping a cat's thought process with his poorly chosen words and nervous stutter at the first sign of trouble, but the young cat had a special quality about himself that seemed to be able lull other cats into a sense of comfort and safety. It was one of the defining characteristics that had drawn me towards him, but more importantly it was his Clan profession that intrigued me the most. And of course it was that profession that made this all possible.
The bushes gave a final shake of resistance before the long slender form of an old toriseshell she-cat emerged into the clearing, followed closely behind by a small golden pelt tom. Just from appearances alone it was clearly apparent that the she cat was the dominant member of the two. Leafbreeze, as she'd been called stood with a confident and dignified air about herself that seemed to almost ooze an aura of mystery and power. The golden tom at her side Goldenshine seemed to not carry any even remotely close characteristics as Leafbreeze. His small stature definitely didn't help with getting rid of that timid appearance of his, or fact that he still looked like he belonged somewhere in the apprentice den.
Leafbreeze took a few cautious steps around the clearing. Throwing a curious glance around, she suddenly blinked in surprise, as the clouds over head that had partially been covering the moon parted like a whirlpool in the sea, and the moon shot down a shining gale of light to illuminate the clearing. The light tore across the clearing sending the shadows fleeing back into the safety of the darkness, and it was as the light shined down revealing the area that it also revealed me from my sitting position calmly watching the two medicine cats.
Goldenshine gazed around the clearing seeming confused for a moment, but when his eyes made contact with my dark grey pelt he suddenly took a hesitant step back. The sudden movement on his part alerted Leafbreeze, who snapped her head in the direction he was facing to lock eyes with me. If she was at all surprise to be coming into contact with an exiled traitor, she hid it well.
"What in the name of StarClan are you doing here, rogue?"
"Ouch," I pretended to be injured by her words. "Here I am taking the time and energy to set up this little meeting between the two of us and you don't even have the decency to refer to me by my name, Leafbreeze."
"Don't you even dare," she suddenly growled angrily. "You lost all right to even refer to any Clan cat by their name when you were exiled. You even standing here speaking to me is a spit in the face towards Clan law, but most importantly StarClan. Then again you always had trouble following the warrior code, didnt you, Cloudstorm?"
I scowled at her before drawing myself up into a standing position. That remark actually stung more than I cared to admit, but I'm used to being kicked in the dirt. I wasn't going to delude myself into thinking that I didn't deserve anything less, but Leabreeze even refering to that was crossing an already thin line to began with.
"You still haven't answered my question?" Leafbreeze said glaring at me. What are you doing in the heart of ShadowClan's territory?"
"If you must know, Goldenshine invited me."
Leafbreeze snorted loudly, eyeing me with an amused look. Apparently it seemed she found something humorous in what I'd said."That's preposterous," she laughed shaking her head. However, Leafbreeze's laughter came to a screeching halt when she noticed Goldenshine hadnt said anything to rebuke my claim. "Goldenshine?" she said, turning fully to face the golden tom. "Goldenshine," she said, sounding slightly panicked. "Tell me what he's saying isnt true?"
A sudden flash of emotion passed over Goldenshine's face, and without a single word the golden medicine cat apprentice took a fleeting step away from his mentor. Leafbreeze watched with a shocked expression as her former apprentice walk away from her to join me at my side. She opened her mouth for a moment, as if she was about to speak, but then suddenly closed it as the realization of what'd just happen hit her.
"W-why?" she asked in cracked voice that didn't suppress the hurt emotion she was trying to conceal. Goldenshine averted his eyes downward, refusing to meet her accusing stare, as a half guilty expression hung at the corners of his face. I almost pitied the both of them. Betrayal was a hard realization to bare, I should know.
"Don't blame, Goldenshine," I told her, touching the tip of my tail to the tom's shoulders. "The very reason you're here has to do with me."
"You!" she suddenly snarled, baring her fangs angrily. "What did you do to him you code breaker? Was damning one medicine to a horrible fate not enough for you? Have you not learned anything from StarClan's punishment?" Have you not-." Leafbreeze suddenly cut off her rant at the sight of the dark expression on my face.
"Was damning one medicine to a horrible fate not enough for? Have you not learned anything from StarClan's punishment?"
For a moment I felt as though i'd just had someone rake their claws across my face. Did she have even the slightest idea of what she'd just uttered!
Punishment.
I lived every single day of my life suffering from the great atrocity StarClan had inflicted upon me. Punishment? I wonder if she even knows what the word means. To live everyday of your life in turmoil and despair at knowing the love of your life is dead because of you? No, impossible. She didn't know, she didn't have a clue.
In a single fluid motion, I flicked my tail up in a high arcing manner, and grinned viciously as the woods around us began to rustle. A group of gleeful yowls rose up through the air, as cat after cat emerged from the darkness of the trees coming to surround Leafbreeze. For the first time now Leafbreeze seemed to realize that she had stepped into a full blown trapped; and as she looked fearfully for one cat to the next surrounding her I couldn't help but gloat.
"Look at all us," I whispered ominously. "ThunderClan, ShadowClan, RiverClan, and WindClan all here united under one goal. You see Leafbreeze no matter how different each and every one of us maybe, we all have something in common. StarClan has scarred us."
"What, that's mousebrained!" Leafbreeze argued. "StarClan is a source of faith, hope, and security for the Clans. They're filled with the warrior ancestors of every Clan and do all they can to help warn and protect us."
I shook my head, sighing deeply. "There was once a time when we all believed that, Leafbreeze. We thought StarClan would keep us safe and never let harm come to us or our loved ones, but that wasn't what happened. Take Buzzardflight for example," I said, motioning to the skinny grey she cat from WindClan to her right. "She trusted StarClan to keep her kits safe from harm, but where were they when a fox attacked her Clan, raiding the nursery and then killing them?"
I pointed from cat to cat telling the story of how StarClan had failed or hurt them in some form or another until I finally came to our last cat. "And of course who can forget Goldenshine, your very own apprentice. He dedicated his life to the study of healing his Clanmates and looking towards his warrior ancestors for advice. But what happened last leaf-bare when his mother was overcome by some unknown illness that slowly deteriorated her body? Where was StarClan then, I ask? They have the power to forewarn medicine cats of threats to the Clans, but how come they seemed to forget to mention that this illness would strike his mother, making her suffer a long drawn out death until she finally died?"
"There was nothing StarClan or any other cat could have done for you mother, Goldenshine," Leafbreeze pleaded desperately towards him. "I tried everything I could to save her, but ultimately it was her time to hunt with StarClan."
"Just like it's your time now." I spoke, flexing my claws.
Leafbreeze's eyes widened in fear, and she looked around from each cat hoping to find some sign of mercy in their eyes. Finally she drew her eyes upon Goldenshine, but the golden tom fully turned his body away from the she cat, and she finally came to the realization that there was no escape. But for some reason, being the pawn of StarClan that she was, she had to try one final plea for escape.
"It's not too late to seek forgiveness from StarClan, Cloudstorm. You still have a chance to redeem yourself for your actions."
Forgiveness? Actions?
In a flash of movement, I barreled into Leafbreeze, sending her small frame hurtling to the ground before pinning her down, digging deeply into her fur with my claws. She gave a startled cry of pain, and then tried unsuccessfully to throw me off of her. I might've laughed at the poor attempt on a different occasion, but she had gone to far with her last statement.
"You think I want their forgiveness!" I spat angrily, causing her to squeak pitifully like a mouse. "You're nothing but a brainwashed puppet, Leafbreeze! You're like a piece of prey to StarClan. Something they only continue to hunt because it brings them a source of nourishment for their already inflated egos! The very moment you step even a toe out of their tangled web of deceit and you'll be cast away just like I was!"
Leafbreeze shriek in pain as I dug my claws deeper into her flesh with every word, but I didn't care. Before she died she was going to find out just how much StarClan really cared for her.
"Go ahead," I whispered, snarling slightly in her face. "Call for your great StarClan to come and save you. Beg like the obedient pawn that they raised you to be and see if they come to your aide. Beg and grovel like the piece of mouse dung that you are, and watch as they do nothing. Watch….watch as they remain in the sanctuary of the stars and watch you die!"
I stared at her panicked face feeling the rapid beating of her heart as my bloodlust raged out of control. I could do this. Just one simple bite and it would be all over for her. I knew this, but something was holding me back.
Leafbreeze stared up into my face eyes wide in unconcealed terror. She knew that I meant to kill her, I had too to succeed. But suddenly something change in her demeanor. The look of fear vanished from her eyes to become hard and full of spite. She stared back up at me defiantly before saying.
"You talk about how StarClan has scarred you, Cloudstorm. You curse and ramble on about how StarClan has betrayed your trust and the faith of these others cat, but I only see one poor sorry excuse for a former deputy that's taken his final shred of sanity and convinced himself that the death of his mate is someone elses fault. You call me a pawn Cloudstorm, but the only pawn I see here is you and these poor cats you've manipulated."
I glared down at Leafbreeze as hatred brewed deep within my heart. She actually had the nerve to call me a pawn. Me, who was doing everything within his power to topple the master manipulater that was StarClan.
"She doesnt understand, Cloudstorm," the chilling voice of Icefrost whispered into my ear. "She's a servant of StarClan, nothing more than a mindless piece of prey they use for entertainment. Let your hate loose, let your anger surge, let the darkness overwhelm you and kill her now!"
I lunged forward fangs barred and sunk my teeth into Leafbreeze's throat. Her final scream died within her throat, as the metallic taste of her blood squirted into my mouth. I held on tighter for a second longer before releasing her and watched as her head fell limply back to the ground. Her once bright green eyes now lay dull and lifeless, as I stared back at them and a horrible image flashed through my mind.
The position she lay in…it..it reminded me of how my mate lay dead and lifeless after dying giving birth. I leaned over Leafbreeze's body and had to clinch my jaws tightly to stop from gagging. My body shivered uncontrollably as it sunk in exactly what I'd just done.
One of the single biggest crimes a Clan cat can commit is the murdering of a kit, but that pales in comparison to a medicine cat. In many ways it was a crime against nature to kill a medicine cat that held no ill will against cats, and their compassion to heal exceeded Clan issues. It'd been just as Icefrost said it would be. The moment I killed Leafbreeze was the moment I fully accepted the darkness in my heart, but as I pulled myself back together I could only feel a grim flash of doubt as I remembered that there was one final crime against nature to be committed here tonight.
The others lay in a troubling silence. I took from their shocked expressions that they hadn't mentally prepared themselves for the atrocity they'd just witnessed. I understood their immense shock more plainly than I've understood anything else in my life, but they had to pull themselves back together. The job wasn't finish yet. No, we had one more line of decency to cross before the night was over.
"Hurry, do it now!" I suddenly snapped at Goldenshine, causing the young cat to flinch terribly. "Hurry!" I ordered more viciously, scattering the others out of their daze and into action. "One second too late, and all of this will have been for nothing, so do it now!"
I hated yelling more so than ever now with how I felt, but we'd never get another opportunity to pull this off again. Goldenshine finally seemed to snapped back to reality, as he firmly, but shakily began issuing out orders.
"Lionpelt, I need you close by with those cobwebs at the ready. Galewind, Bluzzardflight, I need you two to chew up that pollituce I made and have it ready for me to use." Finally he came to a stop by me, his face a whirlwind of different emotions, but with a steady breathe said. "And Cloudstorm, I need you to hold the body down while I make the incision."
A nodded to show I understood and placed a paw firmly against Leafbreeze's belly, holding her steady. Even though I'd just killed Leafbreeze there was no way I had the stomach to do what came next. That was what made Goldenshine so useful to my cause. Being a medicine trained by a follower of StarClan, but also by a follower of the Dark Forest was what gave him the special ability to handle situations like this. But that was another story for another time, as placed a shaky paw upon Leafbreeze's chest and began to cut.
There's no need to get into detail of what happen next. If I wasn't tell the plan by Icefrost himself earlier I probably wouldn't believe this was happening. Goldenshine pulled Leafbreeze's still beating heart from out of her chest and then quickly slathered it in the chewed up pollituce from Buzzardflight and Galewind before finally warping it heavily in the cobwebs handed to him by Lionpelt.
The entire time he held a blank expression, as if he handled all the hearts of his former mentors' everyday before depositing it at my feet. I tried to make note of some emotion upon his face, but he stayed extremely calm, as if the moment he started to feel again he'd shatter into a thousand pieces. I glanced at the others noting the blank expressions upon their faces also. I took me a second to realize that they were all just trying to hold themselves together now by any means necessary and my own feelings went out to them. Maybe they hadn't known fully what to expect when they agree to help take down StarClan. It was possible, but there wasn't any turning back now.
"Go home," I mumbled just loud enough for them to here. "Go home and continue on with your clan lives until further instructions." Without any words of reply the clearing began to thin out as the cats disappeared to their respective territories. I bent down and grab the wrapped package that was Leafbreeze's heart and turned to leave before noticing Goldenshine was staring down at Leafbreeze's lifeless corpse, an unreadable expression on his face.
I left him alone to his thoughts and the body of his former mentor. It wasn't my place to help him cope. When morning came I'm sure he would have some ingenious tale of how Leafbreeze was murdered by a passing rouge, but for now I had my own endeavors to take care of. As I slowly merged back with the darkness of the night I couldn't help but cast a glance upward towards the sky and notice that the once burning stars that were StarClan were now beginning to show the small signs of dimming.
The war had begun.
