Chapter 7
Shadestorm's Plan

Shadestorm stood at the edge of a cliff, his breath showing in white clouds in front of him, indicating how cold the morning was. The first frost of the year had settled in early, and the frigid air made his fur fluff out to keep him warm. He didn't feel the cold though. His anger kept him warm. He knew somewhere below him the clans were just beginning to wake up as the sun rose higher. He growled in disgust, and then turned and padded away, heading down the mountainside, towards unoccupied territory. when he had left the clan boarder behind him, he came across a burned out grove of tightly growing trees. Their trunks bore wholes in places, and the bark was dark and hardened, scarred by the fire from many years ago. The forest had long since been to recover; thick grass was now intertwined with the tree trunks, leaving few gaps. The trees surrounding the grove were much younger, and had clearly grown in after the fire, as the forest had regrown. The grove had obviously been there for some time, and these trees were the only ones remaining standing from the forest before. The new tree's branches tangled with the remaining ones on the darkened trees, creating a thick canopy around the edges, with a gap in the center to allow light in. All together, the scene made an ideal place for a camp. Shadestorm especially liked it because it reflected his own self; his past had left him scarred like the fire had the forest, but the scars had left him stronger, even if it had twisted his appearance a bit.

He stepped into the grove, and sat in the center, listening to the silence. It seemed the animals of the forest stayed away from the scarred grove, unwilling to approach the possibly dangerous dead trees. Shadestorm on the other hand saw that they were still sturdy, despite their hollowed out and broken appearance. This will do perfectly, he thought. "You wanted to see me?" A voice said from behind.

"Yes," Shadestorm meowed, turning to look at Shadowleap, a Chanceclan warrior. The black and gray warrior had spoken to Shadestorm once at a gathering, and had voiced his distaste for his clan. Shadestorm had decided to capitalize on this. "You told me once you despised Chanceclan. What would you do if I offered you a chance to leave that clan?"

Shadowleap seemed slightly surprised. "I would probably take it, but I'm not joining Duskclan," he replied after a pause. "I hate Duskclan just as much as Chanceclan."

"No need to worry about that. I'm no longer deputy of Duskclan," Shadestorm meowed in response.

Shadowleap snorted. "That didn't last too long. What, did you get blamed for a crime you didn't commit there too?" His tone was borderline mocking, which irritated Shadestorm, but he remained completely calm.

"To be perfectly honest with you, I am actually guilty of both," Shadestorm meowed evenly, meeting Shadowleap's eyes.

"Why are you telling me this?" Shadowleap asked.

"Because I would like you to trust me," Shadestorm meowed. "If my idea is to be successful, I am going to need that of those I ask to follow me." He waited a moment to see Shadowleap's reaction. The black and gray warrior seemed only curious. "There is a war going on in Starclan. They are conflicted. Turns out, not all agreed on the idea of Chanceclan, and it has created conflict in the clan above us, to the point that they have separated into two groups. My father came to me in a dream and said that the group that had broke away from Starclan was called the Empire in the Stars, and they had selected me to create a clan, called Empireclan, for them to guide. I would like to extend an offer of invitation to you, and any other warrior who is tired of the clans."

Shadowleap remained silent for a moment. "You know, if I didn't know you were completely serious, I'd be laughing." He shook his head, then added, "You're either genius, crazy, or both, but I like the idea. But it we do this, the clans will see us as a threat."

Shadestorm smiled cruelly. "Of course they will. They should. I don't plan on keeping the peace. You see, the Empire in the Stars feels the clans that follow Starclan are wrong, and need to be destroyed... especially Chanceclan." He knew he was treading on weak ice by mentioning the black and gray warrior's clan as his target for destruction, and he hoped he would react how he wanted him too. If he showed he could put his clan behind him, then Shadestorm was sure that Shadowleap would be loyal to him and him alone.

"Sounds fun. Alright, I'm in, but on one occasion; I want to be deputy," Shadowleap meowed.

Shadestorm nodded, hiding his excitement. Clearly, Shadowleap didn't care about Chanceclan. "I was planning on it, though you shall not be called 'deputy'. The Empire in the Stars feels we should separate ourselves from the other clans in every way, including in the way our ranks are formed. Instead of a deputy as second in command, we will have two admirals. The First Admiral will have more authority than the Second, but only slightly, and the Emperor will outrank them both."

Shadowleap nodded. "Who will become the next emperor when the current one dies or steps down?" he asked.

"The leader will choose which one will be Emperor next before he dies. The healer is in charge of guarding that decision, and making sure it is reinforced after the leader dies. If he fails to do so, the two admirals must battle to decide who will be the next emperor. The looser, if not dead, will be exiled," Shadestorm replied.

Shadowleap seemed a bit surprised. "Exiled? Don't you think that's a bit harsh?" he asked carefully.

Shadestorm's ear flicked in irritation, but he didn't let it show. "That's how things will be in Empireclan," Shadestorm meowed. "The Empire in the Stars feels that the clans have become lax, and that Empireclan must perfect themselves. A lot of things will be different in Empireclan."

"Tell me about it, so I know what I'm committing to," Shadowleap requested.

"I will, all in good time. First, I must tell the Empire in the Stars know that you have accepted their offer. They told me if I could recruit a cat, they would give me my nine lives and my name as an emperor," Shadestorm informed him. "I would like you to come."

"Sure. Why not?" Shadowleap replied.

"Good. I will explain the changes as we walk," He then turned and headed deeper out of the grove. He then skirted the edge of the grove, Shadowleap close behind him. Once he was behind the grove, he started out deeper into the forest.

As they walked, Shadestorm began to explain his plans for the clan. "The biggest difference in Empireclan will be she-cat's rolls. I've noticed throughout my life that she-cats that hold high positions, or worse, are trusted to lead a clan, only lead to more trouble than it's worth. For example, Rowanstar treated me rudely, favoring other kits and apprentices when I was young, because I was too opinionated. A tom would have never done that; he would have taken my point of view and understood it. In Chanceclan, Starclan placed a she-cat to lead a group of abominations. In Duskclan, I had to leave because a she-cat, Moonsoul, influenced the leader to change his mind about trusting me. The only reason why she held any sway was because she was medicine cat to Duskclan. Are you seeing the pattern here?" Shadowleap nodded. "On top of this, she-cats are known to be weaker than toms, unable to handle battle. They should not be allowed to become warriors if they cannot handle their duties."

"I agree," Shadowleap meowed. "So how will you prevent those who can't from becoming warriors?"

"Well, training will start earlier in our clan. At five moons, the current Emperor will assess the kits and consult the Empire in the Stars to see who is worthy of becoming warriors, both tom and she-cat. Almost all toms will be allowed to become warriors. Those who are unfit will become slaves. She-kits will only be allowed to train as warriors if they seem fit enough, both mentally and physically. If they aren't they will either become unselected she-cats - a rank I will explain later - or slaves. At the end of an apprentice's training, the leader will assess them in a final battle. Toms who can't pass this before they become nine moons will become slaves, and will lose their apprentice name. Slaves will have rouge names, to distinguish them from other members of the clan. She-cats that fail their assessment can become unselected she-cats, but most will become slaves," Shadestorm explained.

"I like it. It's different. It will guarantee that our clan will always be strong," Shadowleap meowed in agreement. "So what is this unselected she-cat thing?" he asked.

"How does a clan prosper?" Shadestorm replied, answering his question with another question.

Shadestorm could tell he was wondering how this connected to the new rank, but he just went with Shadestorm's strange way of answering Shadowleap's question and meowed, "It prospers if it has warriors to support it."

Shadestorm nodded, and then asked, "And how does a clan get warriors?"

"By training apprentices," Shadowleap replied.

"And how does a clan get apprentices?" Shadestorm asked again, hoping Shadowleap would get where he was going.

"With kits. And she-cats give kits," Shadowleap meowed, seeming a bit less confused.

"Correct. In Empireclan, we must guarantee that our kits are born strong and healthy, to become future warriors. Our strongest she-cats are to become warriors, and the weakest ones slaves. Neither one of these ranks are allowed to have mates; warriors must focus on their warrior duties, and slaves are not worthy of bearing Empireclan kits. Where then, are we to get our kits?" Shadestorm asked.

"From the unselected she-cats," Shadowleap meowed, realization dawning.

"Correct once again. The unselected she-cat rank will work like this; a she-kit who isn't strong enough to become a warrior, but is better than the life of a slave will join the ranks of the unselected she-cats. She will train to become a mother, and, when she's old enough, will be eligible to be selected as a mate. If a she-cat becomes too old to bear kits and is never selected to be a a mate, she will become a slave," Shadestorm meowed.

"Interesting... I like it," Shadowleap meowed. "Everyone will know where they belong."

"Yes. Now, I was looking at the grove, and it's not set up for a handful of large dens. Instead, it's fit for many small dens, and only a couple of large dens, so I was thinking the clan will be set up like this; there will be a nursery, for she-cats and their kits. There will be one den for all the unselected she-cats, and another den for apprentices. The warriors will get their own den. When a she-cat is selected to be a cat's mate, she will live in the same den as her mate before and after she has kits. The slaves will sleep in the center of the camp, unless there is available dens. The retired warriors will get to stay in their dens until they die. The emperor and healer will have their own dens."

"Healer?" Shadowleap asked.

"Our equivalent of a medicine cat," Shadestorm clarified.

"Oh. Of course. Any other rules I should know about?" Shadowleap meowed.

"Well, other than the typical rules of the clans, she-cats won't be allowed to hold high positions, except for healer. I think I will allow them to hold that rank. Also, when a she-cat has kits, her mate is responsible for her care. If the kits die because the mate doesn't take care of her, he will be punished. If they die because the she-cat fails to take care of them, she will be punished, and most likely will no longer be allowed to have kits. She may even become a slave. Healers will be allowed to have mates, but she-cat healers cannot have kits unless they have an apprentice with enough skill to take over while she is raising her kits..." he paused, thinking. "For now, I think that's all."

"So how do you plan to recruit cats?" Shadowleap asked.

"I already have a handful that I found living as rouges. I will introduce them to you after we finish here," Shadestorm meowed as he stopped walking.

Shadowleap glanced around. "This is where you plan to talk to the Empire in the Stars? What's so special about this place?" he scoffed.

"Not here, no," Shadestorm meowed in response. Inwardly he grumbled at the stupidity of other cats, but he remained calm on the outside. "I go to the lake beyond these trees, but I cannot take you beyond this point unless I'm sure you are completely loyal to Empireclan and myself, and you will leave Chanceclan behind you for forever."

"I will. I swear it. I had no loyalty to that clan to begin with. I've always hated Fallstar's ways, and how she preaches that we must live a perfect life, to atone for our past life. It goes on and on and on. She acts like her warriors are disgraces, and she can't stand to be in their presence. I want to destroy that clan of abominations just as much as you," Shadowleap meowed.

"Good, good. Come then, our clan awaits," Shadestorm meowed. He started walking again. Soon they came to the bank of a large lake. It was so large, the trees on the other side looked like a blue-green haze. "You don't mind swimming?" he asked Shadowleap.

"No," Shadowleap replied quickly. Shadestorm could tell he was lying. In fact, the fear in his eyes told Shadestorm that he actually was terrified of water. Good, this will test his loyalty. If he's willing to face his fears and swim through this lake for me, he'll do just about anything. I am going to need that type of loyalty in the future. He must be desperate to leave Chanceclan if he's willing to completely swear himself to me automatically.

Shadestorm stepped forward, into the shallow water at the edge of the lake. He kept walking out farther, feeling the water raising at his sides at soaking his fur. He ignored the cold that came with the water and pushed on, until he could no longer touch the bottom without going under. He began swimming, heading farther out into the lake. He could hear Shadowleap splashing along behind him.

Just when Shadestorm was beginning to feel he couldn't swim much farther, he reached his destination; a small island. Only a little grass grew on the rocks. The island was too small for anything else. If the lake rose just a little, the island would be covered. Shadestorm pulled himself up onto the rocks, and then laid on its warm surface, feeling the sun dry his fur. He turned to watch Shadowleap drag his sopping self onto the rock next to him. He was panting heavily, like Shadestorm himself. "Why... is it... so far out?" he panted.

"Getting here is supposed... to be challenging... to prove to the... Empire in the... Stars that we are willing to... risk everything to show them our loyalty," Shadestorm replied.

"Took you long enough to get here, Shade," a new voice meowed. Shadestorm turned to look at a brown tom with a black streak down his back and a white chin.

"Shadestorm," he meowed as he stood. "And sorry for the wait, Shadowleap took a moment to get here."

"Right, Shadestorm. I forget, we aren't rouges anymore. By the way, I've decided I'm just going to be called Razorstreak. It fits, doesn't it?" the brown tom meowed. A dark she-cat padded up next to him, followed by several other cats.

"Yes, it does," Shadestorm meowed, his tone polite, despite his irritation at the cat's timing. He turned to Shadowleap. "Shadowleap, this is Razorstreak, my second admiral." He flicked his tail towards Razorstreak as he said so. Then, gesturing to the dark she-cat next to Razorstreak, he meowed, "This is Eclipsenight, our first she-cat."

"Hello," Razostreak meowed to Shadowleap. Eclipsenight nodded in greeting, remaining silent. Shadowleap returned her nod.

A long haired she-cat with brown and white fur stood next to Eclipsenight. "That," Shadestorm meowed with a nod towards the she-cat, "Is Icedawn, our healer." The she-cat smiled warmly at Shadowleap.

"Is he here yet?" Another cat meowed as he joined them. "Oh, hello Shadestorm," the gray and black marbled tom mowed with a respectful nod. His blue eyes turned to Shadowleap. "You must be Shadowleap, our new Admiral."

"Yes," Shadowleap confirmed.

"Well then, welcome," he dipped his head towards Shadowleap, showing him the same respect as Shadestorm. Shadestorm could tell this surprised the black and gray warrior at first, but he quickly seemed to enjoy it.

Shadestorm made a mental note that Shadowleap could be a bit power-hungry, before turning towards Icedawn and meowing, "Is it time?"

"Yes," the she-cat meowed. "The Empire in the Stars awaits you. Come." She turned away from the group and padded to the other end of the small island, where a shallow pond had seeped between the rocks from the lake. The other cats hung back, leaving Shadestorm alone with Icedawn. "Drink from the pool, and the Empire in the Stars will send you a dream," she instructed.

He nodded, and stepped forward, lapping at the cool, clear water. It was very cold, and sent shivers down Shadestorm's spine. He closed his eyes as he drunk, and quickly became numb to the world around him.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a dark cave mouth, staring up at the moon above him, which was blue instead of white. He glanced around and found that he wasn't alone; nine cats stood deeper in the cave. They came towards him as he turned to face them. "Shadestorm, I trust you have done what we asked?" one cat asked. The black tom that spoke looked exactly like Shadestorm. This was his father, and the cat that had come to him with the idea of Empireclan in the first place.

"Of course, father," he said respectfully. "All the cats you told me to approach have agreed to join Empireclan."

"Good. You have pleased us, my son, and have earned your nine lives," the black tom replied. He stepped forward, and touched his nose to Shadestorm's shoulder. Strength flowed through his body, like Shadestorm had never felt. "With this life, I give you the strength of the great cats of old, to have the power to overcome any obstacle in your way."

Another cat stepped forward as his father moved away. He pressed his nose to Shadestorm's fur, as his father had. As a cold, emotionless calm washed through Shadestorm, the cat met his gaze. "With this life," he meowed in a gruff tone, "I give you clarity of mind to lead your clan to greatness, at whatever cost."

He stepped away, and a third cat moved close. Following suit with the previous cats, he pressed his nose to Shadestorm's shoulder, and then stepped back. One by one, the remaining cats did so, until every cat had come to Shadestorm's side. When they were finished, his father meowed, "From now on, you shall be known as Shadestar, Emperor and guided leader of Empireclan." The cats meowed in unison his new name, and then the dream ended.

He blinked and looked around as his mind came back to the present, and the small island pond he laid next to. "Welcome back, Shadestar," Icedawn meowed next to him.

He stood, and turned to her. "Thank you, Icedawn. We are now a clan," he meowed to his healer. She smiled, clearly happy that everything was in place. He then turned and padded towards his waiting clanmates. "Come," he meowed when he stood in front of them, "Let me take you to our new camp." He then padded down the side of the island to the water's edge, and once again plunged into its cold surface. Once across the lake, the group of cats headed to the grove Shadestar had selected to be their camp. By the time they reached the clearing, the sun had set, and night had engulfed the forest. "I will den here. Eclipsenight, you and the other unselected she-cats will den there, and Icedawn, your den will be there," Shadestar meowed as they entered the camp. He flicked his tail towards the mentioned dens as he named them. "The rest of you, go ahead and select your own den." The cats did so, as Shadestar padded towards his own den; a large hole in the trunk of the largest tree. The whole was just high enough off the ground that Shadestorm had to jump to reach it. He had chosen it so he could watch the clan from his den, and it also made an ideal place for him to stand during gatherings.

Icedawn's den was directly across from his. It was a small borough made by a badger or a fox underneath the trunk of a fallen tree. Most of the tree was gone, except for the chunk over the den. Thick moss grew over the tree, and hung down along the edges, creating a canopy over the den.

Eclipsenight was currently the only unselected she-cat in the clan, so her den was empty besides herself. It was nestled in between three bushes that had grown close together. Shadestar had torn down some of the branches to make an opening into the small clearing in between the bushes.

Razorstreak and Shadowleap's dens were similar to Shadestar's; they were both wholes in trees. Shadowleap's was in the same tree as Shadestar, on the other side of the trunk and down by the ground. Razorstreak was in the next tree over and higher up than Shadestar.

Once every cat had a den he called them to gather underneath his den. "This is where you will come for clan gatherings. Right now we are small in numbers. There is a gathering of the other clans coming up, and I would like this clan to be present, so they know we are here. Until then, I am assigning every cat the duty of recruiting more cats. I would like our numbers to be strong when we present ourselves to the other clans. I want them to know that we are strong, from the beginning. The sooner we establish ourselves, the sooner our goal can be reached. Got it?" The cats raised there voices in unison, showing their understand. "Alright, meeting dismissed. Tomorrow, recruiting begins, so get some rest." The small group dispersed, and Shadestar retreated deeper into his den, ready to sleep. That night, he dreamed of a great clan with him as leader.

ALLIANCES

Dawnclan

Leader

Rowanstar- Brown tabby she-cat with white markings and golden eyes.

Deputy

Sablestorm - Tortoiseshell tom with golden eyes. Apprentice, Owlpaw

Medicine Cat

Heatherwhisker - Dark copper tabby she-cat with white markings.

Warriors

Sandstone - Sand colored tom.

Wolfheart - Dark gray and black tortoiseshell tom with blue-gray eyes.

Gingerclaw - Ginger colored tom.

Braveheart - Once timid black she-cat.

Lightningpelt - golden tabby tom.

Silverwing - Pretty silver she-cat with a small scar above her eye.

Squirreltail - squirrel colored she-cat.

Apprentices

Owlpaw - Tan tom with a white belly, chest, and chin. He has pale blue eyes.

Queens

Rippleshine - Siamese she-cat.(mate- Sablestorm Kits- Gingerkit, Silverkit, Gentlekit, Sandkit)

Elders

Cloudedeyes - old gray she-cat. Blind.

Duskclan

Leader

Cinderstar - Broad shouldered dark gray tabby tom.

Deputy

Thornmouth - Older, battle-scarred brown tom with a very short temper.

Medicine Cat

Moonsoul - Dark blue point she-cat with pale blue eyes.

Warriors

Whispspirit - Blue and white tabby she-cat with gray eyes.

Adderstripe - Brown tom with markings that resemble a snake, and a sandy belly and paws.

Silvereyes - blue point she-cat with silver eyes. Moonsoul's only litter mate.

Clovefur - Dark brown tabby tom with green eyes.

Lightheart - Long-furred, sleek white she-cat with light cream tabby splotches.

Firesoul - Long haired ginger she-cat with a short temper. Lon

Elders

Gentlefoot - Pale tabby she-cat. she retired young after loosing her last batch of kits to a horrible miscarriage that left her body permanently damaged.

Chanceclan

Leader

Fallstar- Completely black she-cat with golden eyes and a long, jagged scar along her left side.

Deputy

Oakfur- Dark brown tabby tom with yellow-green eyes and a scar across his chest.

Medicine Cat

Aquasky - Long haired blue she-cat with yellow eyes.

Warriors

Mystictail - dark blue, almost black she-cat. She looks black with a blue sheen. Senior warrior. Apprentice, Poppypaw

Wolfclaw - Brown and gray tom with long, abnormal sized claws. Senior warrior. Apprentice, Quickpaw

Brakenclaw - Bracken colored tortoiseshell tom. Senior warrior.

Darksong - Black she-cat and sister of Fallstar. Senior warrior. Apprentice, Reefpaw

Maplefur - Red tabby she-cat with aqua eyes. She's blind in one eye, and a scar crosses that side of her face.

Singinglark - beautiful golden tabby she-cat with a white chest, belly and paws, and piercing, icy blue eyes.

Firestripe - brown tom with white and orange calico-like markings and green eyes.

Shadedmoon - Shadedmoon is a long-haired light silver she-cat with darker patches. Her voice was damaged in the fire that killed her in her previous life, and so it's very raspy, and sometimes when her throat is dry, she can't talk at all.

Echocliff - Gray tom with dark blue eyes.

Apprentices

Poppypaw - Dark orange she-cat with black patches and yellow eyes.

Quickpaw - black and white tom.

Reefpaw - pale cream-colored she-cat.

Queens

Whitebird - white she-cat with pale brown speckles. (mate- Echocliff. Kits- Lightningkit and Juniperkit)

Empireclan

Emperor

Shadestar - Black tom with dark eyes.

First Admiral

Shadowleap - Black and gray tom. Fallstar's brother.

Second Admiral

Razorstreak - Brown tom with a black streak down his back and a white chin.

Healer

Icedawn - Soft, long haired brown she-cat with a white belly, chest, and nose. She icy blue eyes and darker brown spots on her face.

Unselected She-cats

Eclipsenight - Black she-cat with one white paw and a white tail tip.