UNDEAD

A/N: Heyo! Sorry about the really late update, school has been a nightmare. Anyway, special shoutout to all of you who reviewed!

*Means they are dead with soulless black eyesCHARACTERS

Spiderstar-Black tabby tom with green eyes

Larkwhisker-Pale brown tabby she-cat with yellow-green eyes

Marshpaw-Gray-brown mottled tom with yellow-green eyes

Frogthroat-Dark brown tom with a white dash on his throat and amber eyes

Redtooth-Ginger tom with umber eyes

Darkkit-White tom with black stripes and kit-blue eyes

Pinefoot-Dark ginger tom*

Embertail-Golden-ginger tom*

Shadowfall-Black she-cat*

Icefur-White tabby she-cat*

Oh? You want a story? Yes, I'll tell you that one, as long as you don't tell your parents. I don't feel like getting flayed today.

"Of course we can fight them off. They're dead after all," whispered a black tabby. He stood with another cat, a pale brown tabby. She looked doubtful as he said this and her fur was bushed out to keep the cold away.

"Please tell me you actually believe yourself. I'm not sure you completely understand how dire this situation is." Yellow-green eyes shined in the light of the stars as the she-cat turned to glance behind them.

"I do believe myself. I have no reason not to," replied the black tabby tom. His lighter green eyes also glinted in the faint light and they showed arrogance. "Besides, what can the dead do to us that we can't do to them?" He laughed at the outrageous thought of the dead being more powerful than him, a nine-lived leader.

"Oh, so you think this is funny?" snapped the brown tabby as she whipped her head back around to show rage smoldering in her eyes. "Shadowfall is one of them! Don't you see? They're bent on revenge for what you did! Oh, remember Embertail and Icefur? They're there too. And if you can't fit it in your skull full of thistledown, then I am no longer your deputy."

"Larkwhisker, please don't!" squeaked Spiderstar in a pleading tone. Larkwhisker promptly ignored him and spun around to warn her Clanmates back at the camp of the coming danger. Something deep inside Spiderstar snapped at that moment. "No! I will not allow such disobedience from my own deputy!" snarled the black leader as he felt the sting of being ignored. Dashing forward, he cut off the she-cat's route. "Larkwhisker, you are no longer a member of ShadowClan. Be off the territory by dawn or I will hunt you down myself."

Fury now burned in Larkwhisker's eyes. "So be it then! But don't come crawling to me when your precious Clan joins the ranks of the dead," she spat. Tail lashing, she shoved past the slightly smaller tom and took off toward the camp. When she arrived she leaped onto the Clanrock and yowled the summons for a Clan meeting. Cats crept out of their dens and stared in astonishment at their now former deputy.

"Clanmates, Spiderstar has been lying to you!" Gasps rose from the cats gathered below. "You are in grave danger. The dead are rising and they come for revenge. They come from the Executions and seek retribution for the crimes committed against them. Tread carefully Clanmates, for it is your beloved leader they want to see dead." The pale tabby's tone dripped of sarcasm as she referred to Spiderstar.

She looked down and felt a pang of satisfaction at the look of pure horror and surprise etched onto the black tabby's face as he stood by the entrance tunnel. Larkwhisker's former Clanmates murmured amongst each other in terrified tones. But they fell silent as their deputy spoke once more, "Did I mention that I've been exiled for objecting to pass off these undead as nothing?" Spiderstar hissed in rage at her mocking tone.

Silence and wide eyes of all colors met this last bit of information. Then a mottled tom piped up, "Why would you do that, Spiderstar? Obviously the dead aren't supposed to return." Larkwhisker nodded as her apprentice finished. His brown-gray pelt was barely distinguishable from the shadows that criss-crossed the ground.

The leader snarled at the apprentice, "Because she disobeyed my direct orders. And you all know I will not tolerate such disrespect from my warriors." Tail lashing, the black tabby stomped over to the Clanrock and sprang up to face Larkwhisker. "Get out of my camp before I make you," he addressed the fuming she-cat.

"Whatever. But don't come crawling to me when you lead this Clan to its demise." Spiderstar's fur stood on end as she repeated her earlier statement. He would not lead the Clan to death. Jumping down from the rock, Larkwhisker spoke again, "Anyone who doesn't want to die because of his stupidity," she flicked her tail at her former leader, "is free to join me and find a safer home."

Several cats stepped forward, including a dark brown tom with a white throat and Marshpaw. The other tom was the former deputy's mate. Four others came up to Larkwhisker. "We want to join you, since you seem to have more of an idea of the danger we are in," meowed the dark brown tom. His amber eyes flashed with anger at his leader.

"You are all more than welcome to join me. Frogthroat and I will lead the way to Fourtrees." Yellow-green eyes glinting, she slipped through the entrance tunnel and lead the way side by side with Frogthroat. Spiderstar faced the Clan from his place on the Clanrock. He was seething with rage and his green eyes glimmered dangerously.

"Anymore traitors? Anyone else so disloyal that they just have to leave?" the black leader's voice dripped with sarcasm, as Larkwhisker's had only a few short minutes ago. He began pacing on top of the rock as his Clanmates cowered in fear below him. "Well?" Heads shook and eyes stared at the ground. "Good. Now, I must appoint a new deputy. I say these words before StarClan. May they hear and approve my choice. Redtooth will be the new deputy of ShadowClan."

A red tabby sauntered forward from the back of the crowd. His umber eyes gleamed with pleasure. "How can I not accept this gracious offer?" Redtooth meowed. He shot a sly grin in the direction of the crowd and continued, "I will be the best deputy this Clan has ever seen." Several cats snarled at the arrogant tom, but Redtooth just held his chin high and took his place at the foot of the Clanrock.

"Redtooth! Redtooth!" Reluctantly, the cats cheered for their new deputy. When the yowls had quieted down, Spiderstar leapt off the boulder and disappeared into his den at the base of it. By then, rosy streaks illuminated the sky over the pines as cats returned to their dens, unnerved not only by the happenings of that night but also by their new deputy.

Meanwhile...

As dawn broke over RiverClan's marshes and ThunderClan's forest, then former ShadowClan cats arrived at the hollow of Fourtrees. As they rested a ginger and white tabby approached Larkwhisker. "Where are we going to go now?" she asked.

Larkwhisker sighed. "We will probably join another Clan. But which one to join?" the pale brown tabby mused. Turning away from the warior, she trudged over to Frogthroat to discuss their situation.

"To ThunderClan," he answered her when Larkwhisker questioned him. "We may feel more at home under the trees. Should we cast a vote?" he questioned.

"Yes. Let's call the cats together," meowed the former deputy. "Let all cats gather!" she turned and stood in the middle of the clearing. She unsheathed her claws and drew two ragged circles in the dust. "We must vote. Go to ThunderClan? Or no?" she pointed with a paw at the corresponding circle to each choice.

Each cat put a paw in one of the circles, including Larkwhisker, whom voted to go to ThunderClan. Once the votes were tallied, it was four to three in favor of going to the woodland cats. Much murmuring followed the voting, most of which was centered around the fact that they may not be welcomed.

After the vote was over, the brown tabby went looking for her mate. "Frogthroat, may I speak to you?" The tom looked up from where he had been sitting and nodded. "How should we go about this? Should we tell them the truth?" she questioned as he came over to her. She sighed and sat down in the shadow of the Great Rock.

"They're most likely not going to believe our little story, but it may be worth telling anyway," mewed the dark brown tom. He looked weary and exhaustion shown in his hard amber eyes. Just then, a massive yawn parted his jaws. "I guess we'll just jump that stream when we come to it." With that, he lay down and curled up into a ball. "How 'bout we take some time to sleep, since you and Spiderstar kept us up half the night," Frogthroat murmured playfully.

"Whatever you say, o mighty leader," Larkwhisker teased back, curling up next to him. "G'night." As she drifted off into sleep, she felt another cat press up against her and lifted her head to see Marshpaw pressing his nose into her flank. She curled her tail around the young cat and pulled him as close as she could. She realized he had left his family behind to follow what he thought was right. "Sleep well, little one," she whispered.

Meanwhile...

"Send out the dawn patrol, Redtooth. And make sure those filthy traitors are off my territory." Spiderstar paced outside his den, sleep deprivation making him very irritable. He decided to take a brief break from worrying and seething to visit his kit. He made his way over to the nursery and squeezed through, thorns scraping his pelt. Peering through the cozy half-lit nursery, he saw that his mate was not in her nest. She must've gone hunting, Spiderstar thought.

"Daddy!" squeaked a little white kit. His black stripes made him look criss-crossed with shadows. He stumbled over the edge of his nest and ran over to his father. The little kit stumbled and fell onto the larger tom's paw. "Oof!"

"Hello, Darkkit. How's my favorite little warrior?" purred Spiderstar, his eyes warm. Darkkit gazed up at the taller black leader with round kit-blue eyes. They had not yet changed to their permanent color. The kit sat before responding.

"Great! Lilypetal taught me how to play Mossball yesterday! I wish there were more kits for me to play with," Darkkit finished sadly. Then, he bounced to his tiny paws and raced away across the nursery. He sniffed around for a bit before grabbing a clump of moss in his teeth. "Will you play with me?" mumbled the kit around his mossball.

"Anything for my little warrior." The black tabby took the mossball in his teeth and flung it up in the air. "Try to keep it in the air as long as possible!" he mewed quickly as his son stretched up and batted at it. His tiny paw managed to hit the mossball and sent it flying back at Spiderstar. Before he could bat it back, Redtooth had pushed his way into the nursery. His pelt was ruffled and his eyes were wide.

"L-L-Lil-Lilypetal i-is hurt!" the ginger tom stuttered. Without another word other than "I'll be back", Spiderstar shoved through the entrance only to meet a horrific sight. His mate's body was being held by its scruff. The holder was a black she-cat. Next to her stood a white tabby, a ginger tabby, and a golden-ginger tom. Their eyes were hollow and black as the darkest shadows.

Lilypetal's body was cut right down the middle. Her intestines drooped from the body and her organs were almost visible. Blood dripped in a steady stream and formed a pool around her fallen innards. Her eyes were gone now, leaving only bloody holes. Her blood covered jaw hung open in a silent screech. Her pelt was lacerated and oozing the dark crimson liquid. Lilypetal's once light gray tabby pelt was now stained by her own blood.

Crumpling to his side, Spiderstar heard one if the foul creatures speaking. He looked up and saw it was the white tabby. "Give us Spiderstar and the rest of those wretched Executionors, now!" she growled. With a shock, the broken leader recognized Icefur, a cat he had mercilessly killed for standing up for traitors. "Or this may just happen again." Her soulless eyes bored into her former leader's as she finished.

At that moment, little Darkkit came trotting happily out of the nursery, blissfully unaware of the horror that he was about to witness. He scampered over to his father, who was still lying in a heap of sobbing fur on the ground, and said, "What's wrong, Spiderstar? Why are you so sad?" The little white and black kit cocked his head in confusion.

"Pl-" Before he could utter one word of warning, the leader's son glanced up and the mutilated corpse of his mother caught his kit-blue eye. With a squeal of fear, Darkkit raced up to his dead kin, slipping on her blood. The whole clearing was silent, save for the splash of the white and black striped paws through blood. Darkkit nuzzled the bloodstained fur of Lilypetal then gazed up at the black cat towering above him like a tree.

"What did you do to my mother? Will she get better?" questioned the little kit, his blue eyes shining with curiosity and fear for his mother. Icefur stepped forward toward the kit, pity twisting her heart. Although her soulless black eyes yielded no emotion, the white tabby's voice was soothing to young Darkkit.

"I'm so sorry little one. Lilypetal has gone to StarClan. You won't see her until you join StarClan as well," Icefur mewed softly, her heart aching as sadness filled Darkkit's eyes. "She will be happy there, though. And she will still watch over you. Maybe she will appear in your dreams and guide you as StarClan cats sometimes do." She leaned down and gently nudged Darkkit toward the nursery. "Now, go get some sleep, it's been a long day."

The kit obliged. But not until he sniffed at her hanging intestines and shivered in instinctive fear. He trudged to the nursery, head hanging, tail dragging in the dirt, and heart hurting from the loss of his mother. He lay in their nest breathing in her comforting scent as tears leaked from his eyes. Before long, the small kit had cried himself into a fitful sleep.

Meanwhile, the undead faced their former Clanmates again. "Give us the Executioners!" snarled Icefur. One cat stepped forward, one of Spiderstar's most trusted warriors. It was Redtooth, the new Clan deputy. His dark ginger fur was sleek and smooth as he loomed over the white she-cat.

"Now, now. We know you're angry, Icefur, but it had to be done. You all broke our code and you knew very well the cost. Pinefoot and Embertail," he said, flicking his tail towards the dark ginger and golden-ginger toms, "You remember what you did. You killed the most trusted warrior in the Clan and you understood that it would result in death."

Pinefoot growled at this while Embertail lashed his tail in fury and showed his fangs. "He was going to murder your leader. We should've let him too," snarled Pinefoot. "Besides, Redtooth, we know what you have done. Killing innocent kits deemed weak, murdering other Clan's kits and warriors; must I go on?" With that, Pinefoot flicked his ear, as if to rid himself of a bothersome fly.

Dropping Lilypetal's body, the black cat leapt at Redtooth, bowling him over and sinking her fangs into his neck before he could retaliate. Spiderstar, who hadn't moved since his kit had trudged back to the nursery, now jumped to his paws and flung himself at the black she-cat. Landing on her back, he tore mercilessly at her flesh. "Get off him, Shadowfall! Or will I have to have my Executioners kill you a second time?"

Removing her bloodied teeth from the neck of the fallen deputy, Shadowfall bucked and threw Spiderstar to the ground. Lips pulled back in a snarl, she advanced on the leader. "Oh, Spiderstar, you arrogant snake-heart," the black cat crooned, "We cannot die. Our situation is unique and we were remade to be deathless until our vengeance is had. Now, tell me again what you said about your Executioners."

Cowering a bit under the undead she-cat's gaze, Spiderstar didn't respond. Smirking, Shadowfall turned and stalked back over to her dead companions. Without wasting a heartbeat, Icefur leaped onto the Clanrock and began giving commands. "Pinefoot, search all dens but the nursery. Embertail, take Spiderstar to his den and make sure he stays there. Shadowfall and I will watch the others." Her friends quickly went about their assigned tasks.

Pinefoot made his way to the apprentice's den and slipped inside, turning over every last nest in search for the scent of the Executioners. Without finding any sign of them, he turned and entered the warrior's den. Inside, he found his prey cowering in the corner of the den. With a snarl, he roughly shoved them into the clearing. Meanwhile, Embertail grabbed Spiderstar by the scruff and forced him toward his den. Once inside, the black tabby hissed and tried in vain to escape.

Out in the clearing, Icefur stood over the body of Redtooth. "By the power of the stars, you shall live again! But the price, as you may have seen in life, is your eyes." Leaning down, the white cat unsheathed her claws and dug one in near the bottom of the eyeball. With a sickening pop, the bloody pulp was ripped from Redtooth's skull and thrown to the ground. The process was repeated with the second eye. Now, only eerie black holes remained. "Now, live!"

The wound on the ginger tom's neck disappeared and his body began convulsing as if struck by lightning. Finally, it stopped moving. Redtooth rose, his empty eye sockets filling with a blackness of the darkest shadows. "What is my duty?" he asked in his own voice. Cats around the clearing gasped and gagged in disgust. The living cats noticed something had changed about their former deputy. The sly, evil way he had acted had completely disappeared. What remained was an obedient servant.

"You must leave the territory. Find the ones that left and tell them it is time to come home," meowed Shadowfall. Although, she mused, they haven't been gone more than a day. Pushing her thoughts aside, she scanned the clearing with her empty eyes. Pinefoot had rounded up all of the Executioners and had them sitting in the center of the clearing. As Redtooth left to find Larkwhisker and her cats, Icefur jumped back onto the Clanrock.

"These sorry excuses for cats deserve to die. But we have decided to give them a chance to redeem themselves," she said. "If they can kill Spiderstar by the half-moon, which is in two days' time, they will be forgiven. If you refuse the challenge in any way, we will kill you." The white she-cat finished and jumped down. Signaling with her tail, she had her companions fall in behind her and they left the camp.

Meanwhile...

Larkwhisker woke to the rustling of bushes on the ShadowClan side of the clearing. Her head shot up and she pricked her ears, intent on that one spot. By now, it was a little past sun-high. But the sun did little to combat the cold. The fur rose on her shoulders as one single thought flashed through her mind. The thought that Spiderstar was hunting them down.

As if her fear had been realized, Redtooth stalked out of the bushes. Larkwhisker hissed. But the ginger tom stood still. That was when the brown she-cat noticed his eyes. Instead of eyeballs, only bottomless pits of darkness remained. She gasped, "You-You're one of them! I knew they were after the Executioners!" After this outburst, Larkwhisker regained her composure and spoke again, "Why are you here? Come to join us? Or kill us?" Redtooth sat before doing what he had been sent to do.

"It is time for you to return home." With that one statement, he got to his paws, turned, and stalked away back to ShadowClan. He left his former Clanmate perplexed. Go back, she thought, Why would we ever go back? Shaking her head, she returned to the others and laid down to get some more sleep. Tucking her nose under her paw, she fell into a light sleep.


"You miserable failures! Why is he not dead?" cried Shadowfall. It had been two days and the Executioners had failed their task. Her black fur stood on end at the thought of the loyalty these vile beings showed to their corrupt way of life. But, they had seen groups, not the Executioners, planning their own assassination of their leader. The thought lightened the mood amongst the undead. There were still decent cats left in their former Clan.

As of now, Shadowfall was watching them from her position in StarClan. They had been sent back for the time being, regaining their eyes. But now, with the failure of the Executioners, it was time to return and deal justice. The black tabby slipped into the bushes and raced to Icefur's place. "Have they succeeded?" she asked as Shadowfall arrived.

"Quite the opposite," Shadowfall replied with disgust. Icefur rose from where she had been laying and let loose an earsplitting yowl. It was the summons of the Executed. Slowly, starry cats found their way to the two she-cats and sat to listen. With a nod from her companion, Shadowfall spoke, "They have failed, brothers and sisters! They let Spiderstar live without so much as twitching a whisker to bring an end to him."

Shrieks and cries of outrage rang out around the clearing. Some cats jumped to their paws and yowled death sentences to the unworthy cats. Others simply stayed silent, having predicted failure. "Kill them!" one shouted. "Pluck out their eyes!" yowled another. Even more joined in the caterwauling and it became so loud, no one could hear over the din. Shadowfall and Icefur struggled in vain to quiet them. Suddenly, another earsplitting yowl shook the air and all the spirits instantly quieted. Standing at the back of the group of cats were Pinefoot and Embertail.

"I was getting tired of the noise around here," meowed Pinefoot. "So, those filthy cats failed did they? Looks like we have some unfinished business to deal with." With that, he turned and headed for the boundary between the living and the dead. The other three followed suit and crept across the boundary behind him. Once through, their eyes melted into shadows and they approached the camp. It was nighttime, nearly moonhigh, and a claw-scratch of a moon hung in the sky.

As if to answer their prayers, one of the Executioners slipped through the dirtplace tunnel. Before he could do anything else, the cat saw a flicker of shadow and his throat was slit. Not enough to kill him, but just enough to cause him agony. Next, his stomach was cut down the length of his body and he felt fiery pain at the base of his tail. His screeches came out as gurgled cries as his slit throat split the rest of the way open.

He felt his organs droop to the ground as his vision faded and his body was enveloped in the pain of his wounds. As he took his last pain-wracked breaths, laughter came from the bushes and his killers stepped into the faint light of the moon. Their soulless black eyes bored into his own as they watched him bleed. That was the last thing he saw before the light died in his eyes and his mutilated body went limp.

"One down, three to go," whispered Icefur. "Shadowfall gets the next, then Pinefoot, then Embertail can have Spiderstar." The others nodded, quietly agreeing to the proposed plan and continuing on. They found hiding places outside the camp entrance that also provided a view of the dirtplace tunnel. Then they waited.

The next one came at dawn with the dawn patrol. Luckily for them, they smelled of rogues and that lured her to their hiding spot. They drug her into the bush, shoving her muzzle in the dirt to silence her yowls as she called for help. They disposed of her in the same way as the last and stashed her body with the other one in a tall pine tree above the camp.

The last Executioner came with the search patrol sent to look for their missing Clanmates, but unbeknownst to them their Clanmates were right above their heads. Yet again, the undead's rogue stench lured the wary tom into the bush. His throat was promptly slit and the process repeated a third time. Once the patrol had returned to the camp, they put their plan into action. Climbing the tree, they shoved the bodies down into the camp. They landed with a thud on the hard packed earth.

Screeches soon filled the air as cats stumbled upon the bodies of their precious Executioners. "What is the meaning of-" Spiderstar had walked into the clearing to calm his Clan. His eyes widened the narrowed and filled with anger as he gazed at the bloody mess that was his most loyal warriors. "Icefur!" he yowled, looking up. Green eyes locked with soulless black ones as Icefur and her companions leapt down into the clearing.

"Prepare to die, filth!" With that, the black tom leaped at the white she-cat. She calmly evaded his rage-filled attack and flicked her tail. Embertail stepped forward. His golden-ginger fur bristled with rage suppressed for moons. He lunged and sank his fangs deep into Spiderstar's neck. A gurgled cry escaped his muzzle before he fell still, his eighth life lost. Full of satisfaction, Embertail stepped back. "Tell this whelp when he recovers that we are not done with him yet. We will haunt his dreams forever." With this, all the undead cats began to fade away, their revenge complete.

When they were gone, a gasp came from Spiderstar. He was fully healed and gulping in air. As soon as he had caught his breath, and evil light entered his eyes. "I have no choice now," he whispered, "I accept your offer Ragefang. Come to me." A thick, black fog ghosted through the trees, shrouding the pines in dark mist. It blotted out the sun and enveloped the camp in darkness. The mourning Clan gasped and began murmuring amongst themselves. Out of the shadows stepped a huge, dark ginger tom, his pelt lacerated with old scars and his blind, clouded umber eyes glittered with malice.

"Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise," meowed the giant Ragefang. "Then prepare yourselves. You will soon be the most powerful Clan in the forest." Raising his crooked tail, Ragefang grinned a hideous grin and charged at Spiderstar. He faded into mist and hit the leader. The black tom staggered. He bowed his head and arched his back. His claws dug into the ground as Ragefang took over. When the leader gazed at his Clanmates, his eyes were now a milky umber and a hideous grin was plastered to his face. Then, he screeched.

Shadowy figures leapt the camp barrier and raced towards the living cats. Turning to mist, they took over their bodies. Cats convulsed as the spirits took full control of their bodies while others let out yowls of terror before being taken by a different spirit. Once all were possessed, Spiderstar, or Ragefang, jumped onto the Clanrock. "We live again brothers and sisters! We will win this time!" Cheers broke out among the crowd and they began to plan their attacks.

Little did they know, dark, soulless eyes watched from high above them. This one had been killed not but a day before by Ragefang. Her dreams had been where he did the deed, as was the task he was given by Spiderstar. And now she was furious. And she wanted revenge.

A/N: How was that one? Hope you liked! I'm doing WindClan's next.

QOTC: Which is your favorite chapter so far?

-Creeky out!