A/N: Here's chapter 2! This isn't really as interesting, but it tells of Brokenstar's claw to power. Enjoy!
I also have to note something I forgot to put last chapter. When I wrote this story, I was writing a "short" story for school. It was mainly directed at an audience with no background information in the story. Therefore, as many have said, the Bonehill here is much like the one in The Darkest Hour. The back story I had for that little mistake was the fact that Tigerstar could have gotten the idea from Brokenstar and wanted to pay tribute to him in TDH. I wanted to give my readers then a little hint of books to come so they could relate back to my fan fiction. With that in mind, here is chapter 2!
First moon of leaf-bare
Moon phase: Waning crescent
"Keep building, you softhearted geese!" Brokenstar snapped. A moon had passed, and some of ShadowClan, especially Yellowfang, began to think that Brokenstar really wasn't the one to lead. Yellowfang passed the cats in the center of the clearing, building a hill of some white scraps-tree bark she thought. When she got closer, she could see that the hill was actually made purely out of prey bones - ones that should have been buried to honor the life that StarClan had given every cat to eat.
"What are you doing with those prey bones?" she hissed at Brokentail. "Those need to be buried! StarClan will curse us for not properly honoring the life of our prey!"
Brokenstar sneered. "No they won't! This is the Bonehill! It's my first major contribution."
"No," spat Yellowfang. "It's your curse! You will destroy ShadowClan!"
"Oh, you fool," he murmured. "I will just change it, so that the softhearted memories of the 'former' ShadowClan will be erased forever."
"But I will remember it," whispered Yellowfang. "I will never forget the clan that Raggedstar built. And she stalked away, tail held high.
Brokenstar watched her go, a smile forming on his cruel features. You want change? Here's some drastic change. He leapt up onto the newly finished Bonehill and yowled in his most menacing voice, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Bonehill for a clan meeting!" Cats reluctantly left the safety of their dens out into the crisp, cool air and padded out to the Bonehill, They were being careful not to step on any bones, as if the spirit of their prey would jump out and attack them if they did.
"This day will bring many changes to ShadowClan..."Brokenstar began.
"What if we don't want change?" asked Tallpaw.
"Yeah, what if ShadowClan was good when Raggedstar was leader?" added Brightflower.
Brokenstar snarled. How dare you fools contradict me? "Then you both will be sent to StarClan early." Tallpaw crept backward, a worried look on her beautiful face. Brightflower put a comforting tail around her, glaring at Brokenstar, who was smiling with satisfaction.
"We are short of strong warriors. We need new apprentices…"
"But none of the kits are six moons old yet!" yowled Brightflower, "What are you tying to say?"
"Are you disobeying me?!" roared Brokenstar.
"N-n-no Brokenstar, I-I just thought…"
"Maybe you need a little punishment to keep you and that mouth of yours in line," hissed Brokenstar, stalking up to Brightflower. "What do you think?"
"I-I-I don't…"
Brokenstar spat. "Bring out your kits, Brightflower or I'll make quick work of them!"
Brightflower leapt up and dashed into the nursery. "What are you doing to ShadowClan, Brokenstar, what are you doing," she murmured to herself. She gently nudged her kits to their paws. "Let's go. Brokenstar has something to say." Ignoring the squeals of protest from her kits, she led them out into the cold air of early leaf-bare.
"There, now isn't that better?" whispered Brokenstar, "Come up to the Bonehill, now." Blossomkit and Volekit staggered up to the Bonehill, squealing in terror.
"These kits are… hmm... special." meowed Brokenstar. "They get to be apprenticed early; isn't that amazing?"
"NO!" squealed Brightflower. "They are only three moons old! You can't change the Warrior code! You aren't all powerful! Blossomkit, Volekit, come here and…"
Brokenstar sighed. "Blackfoot, Clawface, restrain her."
Blackfoot looked at Clawface, and they both leapt at Brightflower. Clawface slashed at Brightflower's muzzle, silencing her. Blackfoot pinned her down and centered her head, forcing her to watch as her kits were made apprentices. Brightflower started yowling again and Blackfoot, sighing, reared up on his hind legs and came crashing down on Brightflower's skull with his huge black paws. Brightflower's cry was silenced immediately and the two toms obediently dragged her back into the cool darkness of the medicine cat den. Yellowfang, her orange eyes wide with shock and terror, went mutely over to the fallen queen with shaking legs. Brokenstar smiled again.
"From now on, these two kits will be known as Blossompaw and Volepaw. Blossompaw here will be mentored by Clawface. Volepaw will be mentored by me." Brokenstar nudged the brown tom to his feet and pushed the gray she-cat over toward Clawface.
"Hmm…" meowed Brokenstar. "There's something wrong with this picture. I don't think that there should be an apprentice beside Clawface. Blossompaw, come here."
Blossompaw staggered up to Brokenstar, still mewling in terror. She went to stand beside her brother, while Brokenstar put his tail around the two new apprentices. "They both get to be apprenticed by me. Isn't that lovely? Two apprentices being mentored by their leader. They must be very proud." The two kits looked very far from proud; in fact, they looked downright terrified. Clawface looked incredulous, but resigned. But Blackfoot had a questioning look in his eye.
"But Brokenstar, how do you expect to keep up with two… kits all day? Mentoring apprentices is hard work," he added as an afterthought, shooting a glance at Tallpaw, who grinned apologetically.
"Yes, and why do you get both apprentices?" asked Russetfur. "There are cats here that haven't had apprentices yet." Every cat knew well that Russetfur was striving hard to get her first apprentice, having had her warrior's ceremony a few moons ago.
"In answer to Russetfur's question," explained Brokenstar with increasing disdain, "I am the highest rank in the clan; therefore, I have privileges. Answering Blackfoot's question, I should get some more food. In fact, with leaf-bare so bad, I should get most of the food you catch. Russetfur, I trust you bring back enough for my inner guard and me."
Russetfur looked shocked. "Then what will the rest of us eat?"
Brokenstar just rolled his eyes. "If you're lucky, you can eat the leftovers. If not, you go hungry or eat crowfood. Any objections?" His cold eyes roamed around the clearing, fixing on each cat in the clearing. Many of them had jostled together and were giving Brokenstar looks of mutiny. Brokenstar cocked his head to one side, daring them to speak. Speak, you pieces of fox dung. Speak, if you dare. But no cat moved. A silence as cold as the leaf-bare air around them had settled over the camp. Brokenstar smirked. Assuming a sphinx-like position and puffing out his chest, Brokenstar waved the tip of his bent tail. "Then leave me in peace." Every cat scattered back to their dens, desperate to get away from the cold heart that had taken over the once great ShadowClan.
Chapter 3 is next! By the way, thanks to MushroomT for pointing out all the little details I missed. Thanks to StarClan's Nightmare for giving me the possible back story of the Bonehill. Updates soon!