Chapter 2

Death in the Night

"Move up, Lightningkit." A small, pale brown kit mewed, pushing his sister.

"Lazerkit," she coughed, her brown fur seemingly hung off her as she looked up at Lazerkit with large frightened eyes, underlined with heavy bags.

"I- I don't care what dad s- says, I'm getting you a medicine cat." Lazerkit stuttered, his eyes widening fearfully.

"No!" Lightningkit squeaked pitifully, "I'm fine, I don't want daddy to be mad."

Lazerkit shook his head, "I'm not just going to let you die." He said fiercely, determination in his eyes as he bounded quickly out of the nursery.

"Don't annoy your father sweetheart; he's busy with this gathering thing!" A grey queen called after him as she licked another one of her kits.

Lazerkit ignored her 'it doesn't matter how busy he is, he never has time for us.' He thought, skidding to a stop at the medicine den where a white cat was sorting herbs. "Please," he begged "Moonfrost you have to help Lightningkit, she's gotten worse. You have to help, please."

Moonfrost looked uncomfortably at Lazerkit, "Well your father said that we mustn't waste our time on the ill but focus our efforts on the battle-"

The pale brown kit snarled, cutting the she-cat off "My sister isn't a waste of time. You can't just let her die."

"Well, maybe I could come and check up on her, bring her some herbs." Moonfrost mewed thoughtfully.

"How are the herbs?" A deep, rich voice asked as a lean, brown tabby padded into the den.

"Very nicely, Brackenstar," Moonfrost answered timidly.

Brackenstar nodded "Keep doing your job. Ah, Lazerkit!" he purred in delight, "where is your sister?"

"Dying," Lazerkit muttered spitefully, "But Moonfrost is going to bring her some herbs to make her better."

"Is that right? After I made it clear that we are to focus on battle, my own son is flouting the rules!" Brackenstars eyes widened with disbelief. "If your sister dies, she has died for the good of the clan. We can no longer tolerate weaklings, and if you wanted another sister I'm sure your mother and I could arrange that."

Lazerkit stared at his father, his leader, "You murderer," he mewed, tears falling from his eyes as he turned and ran from the medicine den and back to his sisters side in the nursery.

"Lazerkit?" Lightning kit mewed, opening her eyes and looking around for him.

"Hush, I'm here," he mewed, laying next to her frail body, "Moonfrost is going to make you better." He promised.

Lazerkit closed his eyes and snuggled close to Lightningkit, who had already fallen into a peaceful sleep.

A slim, well muscled dark grey tabby she-cat padded into the nursery. "Lazerkit," she mewed softly, "Sweetheart get up."

Lazerkit slowly opened his eyes to see Fallenheart, his aunt, standing over him, her brown eyes warm and filled with sorrow. He flattened his ears in fright and looked next to him, Lightningkits cold body lay there, still and lifeless. "NO!" he cried, tears welling over and falling onto the hard ground.

"Lazerkit hush!" the grey queen with her new kits chided, "you'll wake up your newest brothers." Her voice was cold and ignorant.

"Oh can it Hallowedheart," Fallenheart hissed, "as their mother you should at least pretend to care." she nudged her nephew gently, "It'll be okay" she whispered soothingly to him, glaring at Hallowedheart over his head.

Lazerkit sniffled and took a long look at his sister, 'why?' he thought 'why couldn't I save you?'

Fallenheart nuzzled Lazerkit "shhh," she crooned "shhh, crying doesn't fix anything sweetheart." She mewed, laying next to him and covering his shaking body with her tail. Lazerkit didn't reply, but he lay down and curled into Fallenheart's long, warm fur, exhaustion overwhelming him as he fell asleep.

"I take it that the runt has died." Brackenstars cold voice asked as he entered the den.

"Yes my love, the kit has died." Hallowedheart chirped happily, purring as Brackenstar padded over and cooed over his newest litter.

"Will you not even sit vigil for her?" Fallenheart asked angrily, her tone clipped and biting.

"No sister, the weak do not deserve such an honor. I'll have the elders come and bury her." He sneered; an air of arrogance surrounded him as he padded past Fallenheart and out of the nursery to his own den.

Fallenheart growled softly after him, "Anger is never the answer." She whispered into her sleeping nephew's ear, a lesson she was too old to learn.

An old, sickly and grisly looking cat padded in solemnly and picked up Lightningkits body. "Put her in the center of camp and leave her." Fallenheart said quickly.

"But Brackenstar said to bury her quickly." The matted orange tabby said hoarsely, his voice cracking.

"Do not worry about his orders, I will deal with him." The grey tabby answered quickly, gently picking up Lazerkit by the scruff.

The orange tabby nodded feebly and led the way out to the center of camp where he set down the limp, brown kit and then scurried off. Fallenheart set the still sleeping Lazerkit down and curled up next to him and Lightningkit. 'So this is what you meant?' She thought, looking up at the starry sky, 'that innocent blood would be shed to end the war?'

Brackenstar padded out of his den to see his sister and son lying vigil next to his dead daughter. "You, my own sister, would defy an order." He snarled as he padded quietly up behind them, anger and betrayal in his voice.

"You, a leader, would show no respect for the dead, not even for your own kits death?" Fallenheart countered sharply, her eyes set hard against him.

Brackenstar snarled, his tail twitching "She was weak and in these times the weak are useless. You and I shall speak in my den at sun high tomorrow." He hissed, flattening his ears and stalking away.

The sun rose slowly over the horizon, splashes of pink and orange decorated the great expanse of sky. Fallenheart yawned and stood up, shaking off the dew that had settled on her pelt during the night.

Brackenstar padded out of the forest, a sparrow twitching in his maw. "My den," he growled through the bird's feathers as he passed Fallenheart.

"Yes Brackenstar." The grey tabby replied and followed him to his den.

The grey she-cat, Hallowedheart, padded slowly up to her mates den "Brackenstar, we need to talk," she purred softly and entered the den. As her eyes adjusted she could see Fallenhearts cold, hate filled honey brown eyes staring at her and Brackenstars torn body on the ground. She opened her mouth to speak, only to be hit with the strong and bitter scent of blood. "What have you done!" she shrieked looking down at the soft, shredded tufts of brown fur and the mangled body. Hallowedheart looked up to see Fallenheart lunging at her; she yowled, hissed and fought for a moment before her body went limp.

Fallenheart stopped, her rage ebbing to a dull growl. She panted heavily, the torn carcasses of Hallowedheart and Brackenstar beneath her menacing figure, blood dripped from her paws and was smeared across her muzzle. She took a deep breath and let loose and loud, victorious snarl and grabbed both bodies by the back of the neck and dragged them to the Tall Stone. She let out another growl, some cats coming out of the warrior den and the elder den to see what the matter was. "All cats of ShadowClan gather beneath the Tall Stone." The tabby ordered, her voice ringing over the camp.

The cats gasped, shouted and talked amongst themselves, each wary or questioning. "Silence," Fallenheart called out after observing their reactions "Please, I have several things to say," she hesitated before picking up the lifeless body of the ShadowClan leader. Again, she watched the various reactions as she tossed the body on the ground before the elders, warriors, apprentices, and even kits, below. Horror, hate, and puzzlement flashed across each face in the crowd, she waited a second longer before tossing Hallowedhearts body next to Brackenstars.

The tabby she-cat padded to the edge of the Tall Stone and looked at her clan mates below, sorrow, pain, rage and determination plain in her voice as she spoke, "I killed them."