I know, I know! More than a month since I updated, yatta yatta yatta. To make it up to everyone, I've decided to use EVERYONE's cats they sent in, and I promise you will get an update within a week. I also made this an extra long chapter, I think it's the longest one in this story.

I know I've neglected this story, but I DO have an ending in mind, and I won't abandon this, ok?

Here are the allegiances for Tigerstar's guard. Some of you didn't say whether you wanted to be in the guard or not, so I put you in anyway.

The people who sent in cats with warrior names I decided to make new recruits; the cats with rouge-like names are rogues Tigerstar knew from exile.

Okay, Hawkshadow and Skywing, I decided not to make you two part of the guard, but I promise that you WILL appear in the story, ok?

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Tigerstar's Guard—Rogues and Recruits who guard and capture prisoners and new recruits

Blood—the leader of the Guard, a tom with ragged ginger fur with claws reinforced by dog's teeth, bloodthirsty, malicious, delights at other's pain

Maul—second-in-command of the Guard, a tom with smoky black fur, named so for his tendency to maul his prey when hunting it

The Capturers

Exile—a black tom with white-tipped ears and tail, white paws, mean, cunning, sly, in charge of capturing prisoners and new recruits

Lighting—a pitch-black tom with a lighting-shaped scar running along the length of his flank

Scar—dark brown tom with green eyes, a white chest, paws, and muzzle, named so for the many scars running along his pelt, devious, cunning, hostile

Violet—a harsh, but beautiful brown and white tabby with amber eyes

Bonfire—a dark ginger tom with a white paw and a white ear

The Torturers

Destiny—black and white she-cat with icy fire amber eyes and unusually long fangs, loves to attack other cats, causing them pain is her joy

Mud—a white she-cat with dark brown patches on her pelt

Fang—a light gray tabby tom with a shredded ear

New Recruits

Amberleaf—calico she-cat with green eyes and a black tail, prefers to heal, not hurt, and wants to be a medicine cat—in training to be a Capturer

Snakeeyes—small gray she-cat with brown stripes, quiet, but resourceful—in training to be a Capturer

Cometfrost—a jet black tom, formerly a rogue named Comet, joined ShadowClan—in training to be a Torturer

Snowcloud—white she-cat with a black tail and a black paw—in training to be a Torturer

Jaggedwing—a dark gray tom with a white chest and a scar along his side—in training to be a Capturer

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Tigerstar's POV

I paced around on the Bonehill, looking down on the Guard. Blood sat beside me, sharpening his claws on the mass of tiny skeletons.

"Where is Bonfire?" I asked.

"Missing, Tigerstar," Mud called out from below.

"He has chosen to miss the meeting?"

"I think," Mud replied.

"Then he shall be punished," I decided swiftly. Continuing, I yowled, "Do you know why I have called you here?"

Exile was the only one brave enough to speak up. "Is it about the prisoners?"

"Yes, Exile. It is about the prisoners. Thank you for stating the obvious."

Exile hissed as the others laughed at his humiliation.

Exile was the cat in charge of planning out captures of prisoners, and he handled the capture of new recruits as well. Capturing new recruits was important, as it enlarged the Guard and provided more loyal cats to back it up. It was also difficult…in a way.

Select members of the Guard would travel to the other Clans, BloodClan, and stalk loners and rogues. They would capture cats who seemed to have potential, cats who could cause pain and not feel guilt. Some of these cats would join us immediately…although one, a captive from WindClan, refused. We couldn't have him running off and telling every cat about us, so we silenced him forever. Amberleaf was at first reluctant, though we convinced her to join after 'promising' she could become a medicine cat.

I silenced every cat with a flick of my tail. "First thing for this meeting, I will hear the reports. Exile, if you are over your slight discomfort, we will listen to you first."

Exile hissed again and beckoned Lighting, Violet, and Scar up with him.

"Though Bonfire is absent right now, the Capturers shall give our report. The capturing of new recruits is going quite well. We have recently added Amberleaf to our ranks."

I glanced in triumph at Amberleaf, who narrowed her eyes. I thought I heard her mutter, "I didn't have a choice."

Exile continued. "Scar successfully captured Snowcloud single-pawed, feat which we praise him for."

Scar silently endured the meows of respect and awe.

Scar was an unusually silent cat. I had asked him to join the Guard quite some time ago, after seeing his potential. He refused my offer, and I then told him to either join or die. I had my cats attack him, all of who Scar defeated, and he's been here ever since. Sometimes I wonder what lurks behind his eyes, what thoughts cloud his mind, and I fear him.

"Furthermore," Exile continued, "I have planned another outing into BloodClan. It seems that there are many cats there who would be perfect for the Guard."

"Kits, actually," Violet interrupted. "Tigerstar, I ask to pitch an idea."

I nodded.

"Why don't we capture kits? We could raise them ourselves to be Guard members, and they would have complete loyalty towards us."

I thought for a minute. "An excellent idea, Violet! Exile, add kits to your list of possible recruits."

Exile nodded. "Our other new recruits, Cometfrost, Snakeeyes, and Jaggedwing, are also adjusting well to the Guard. The training of all five new recruits is going wonderfully."

"Is that all?" I inquired.

"Yes."

"Thank you, Exile. At moonhigh I expect you to bring your Capturers and Capturer Trainees to my den so that we may discuss your next outing."

"Of course, Tigerstar." Exile bowed his head and stepped down.

"Now will the Torturers give their report."

Destiny, Fang, and Mud stepped up. "We are doing well in the torture of the prisoners, Tigerstar. It is most fun to hold back Graystripe and torture Featherpaw and Stormpaw. It is the torture of three at the same time!" Her eyes glinted at the thought of pain.

"Excellent strategy. And?"

"Sandstorm is still mostly being left alone, as you requested. But it was so fun torturing her before, couldn't you just—"

"No."

"Or maybe just—"

"No, Destiny!"

"Not even a little?"

"I said no, Destiny! Sandstorm is not to be touched!"

"But why?" Snakeeyes asked from the back of the group.

A couple of gasps echoed around as Snakeeyes seemed to realize what she had done. "I—I'm sorry, Tigerstar. I didn't mean—"

"Idiot!" Cometfrost whispered to Snakeeyes. "What did you do that for? You know not to challenge him!"

Destiny's eyes glinted with anticipation as she unsheathed her claws. "I will punish her if you like, Tigerstar."

I watched to see what Snakeeyes would do. To her credit, she bowed her head and murmured, "I am sorry. I accept my punishment."

"Oh, Destiny, sheathe your claws. The poor cat was just asking—rudely—why. Why I leave Sandstorm alone." I swung my head around to look at Snakeeyes. "Do you truly want to know?"

It was perfect. Snakeeyes did not know what answer to give, for fear of angering me.

"I—um…not unless you wish to tell me, T—Tigerstar," Snakeeyes stammered.

"But you asked about it," I meowed in mock concern. "Were you—" I said the last word in a harsh tone "—lying?" I glowed in the fear-scent coming from the small gray she-cat.

"N—no, Tigerstar…I merely wanted to know why…I…I am sorry for my rudeness."

"You are forgiven. Just never, never challenge me again." I scored my claws over the bones below me to make sure Snakeeyes got the point.

"Of course, Tigerstar." Snakeeyes quickly dipped her head and retreated to the comforting side of her friend Jaggedwing.

I smirked at the five new recruits, who were staring at me fearfully. That was just what I wanted; for my cats to fear me.

Cometfrost suddenly tore his gaze away from me and turned it to the bushes a few fox lengths away.

Bonfire stumbled out of them, a kit in his jaws. It was a tom, I noticed, and seemed to be about four or five moons old. It was also mewing angrily.

"Put me down! I hate you! You're a foxdungidiotbrain! LET ME GO! Firestar is going to come and kill you! Die! Die! PUT ME DOWN!"

"Shut up, kit," Bonfire mumbled through the gray fur of the tom-kit.

"Bonfire," I meowed, trying to keep the anger out of my voice. "Tell me why. Why have you missed almost the whole meeting, your group report, and now, you show up with a ThunderClan kit in your mouth?"

"He—he is a new recruit, Tigerstar," Bonfire meowed after setting the kit down, while restraining it with his paw.

"But why have you ignored my commands and gone, alone, to find a kit to join the Guard? A kit."

"I—I—" Bonfire seemed to be rethinking his impulsive decision to capture the kit.

"I'm Rainkit!" the kit hissed. "Not Akit or Athunderclankit. I'M RAINKIT! And I'm not joining a stupid Guard! I want to go home to Willowpelt and Sorrelkit and Sootkit! I DON'T LIKE IT HERE!"

I watched Rainkit in amusement. "Amberleaf," I ordered. "Take the kit to one of the abandoned fox dens, take him something to eat, make sure he can't escape, then come back here."

Amberleaf sighed. "Come on, kit," she muttered. Picking Rainkit up in her mouth, she retreated from the meeting.

"MY NAME IS RAINKIT!" Rainkit screeched.

As soon as they were out of sight, I turned to Bonfire. "Explain your reason for doing this."

Destiny watched maliciously. "Can I punish him for you, Tigerstar?" she asked while sheathing and unsheathing her long claws.

"Wait, Destiny," I snapped. "Bonfire, as punishment for missing the meeting and disobeying my orders, you must…" I smirked. "You must take care of the kit until we get some cat better suited for the job. Chew his food for him, lick him as his mother would do, and tend to his poor helpless kit needs."

Destiny brightened. Bonfire's humiliation was good enough punishment for her.

Bonfire groaned. "Of course I will take care of the kit, Tigerstar."

"We welcome a new queen into TigerClan, then," I announced mockingly.

The Guard laughed.

"The meeting is dismissed," I yowled. "Capturers, come see me. Torturers, go torture the prisoners. And no, Destiny, I do not mean Sandstorm."

Exile led the way over to my second den underneath the Bonehill, with Scar, Violet, Bonfire—whose tail was drooping in the dust—and Lighting. Blood and Maul were out helping with the training of the new recruits.

"So, Exile," I asked. "What is your plan for the capturing of kits?"

"Actually, Tigerstar," Violet meowed. "It is my plan." She began to explain. "Young kits know little. Their minds are almost blank, ready to be filled with whatever they are told."

"Yes?"

"And so if we take them while their minds are still quite blank, then we can fill them with what we tell them. They will be completely loyal to us and be perfect Guard members."

"I see…I will think this over, Violet."

Violet dipped her head. "I am only seeking to make the Guard stronger."

"And strong it shall be," Scar muttered.

"So strong someday that we shall rule all the Clans, and BloodClan too, and finally fulfill my kithood dream!" I declared. "Away with you all, now."

"But what about our WindClan recruiting trip?" Exile asked in confusion.

"Ah, yes." I thought for a minute. "We will postpone it and instead work on stealing kits, as Violet suggested. Now go!"

The five Capturers hurried out of the den, and I waited for a bit before padding out myself, to the special den where Sandstorm was kept.

As I headed along the sandy trail, one of the Guard's new recruits—Jaggedwing—burst out of the trees. He had a swollen eye and a torn ear, as well as blood dripping from a shoulder.

"Jaggedwing!" I snapped. "What is it!"

"Mutiny, Tigerstar!" he gasped. "Some of the other warriors—attacked the Guard—we're fighting back—some of them we killed—help!"

"Mutiny in my Clan? I don't think so!" I raced away from Sandstorm's den and toward the TigerClan camp, where I could hear screeches of fighting cats.

As I got closer, I saw about seven warriors—two from ShadowClan, the rest from RiverClan—fighting my Guard. Hawkshadow and Skywing, two of the best RiverClan cats I had ever seen, were among the mutineers.

I hissed and leapt into the fight. I dragged Hawkshadow off of Exile and held him down. "What are you doing, traitor?!" I dug my claws into the skin on his neck.

"—Time—for—change—" he spluttered. "—Your—leadership—must—end!"

With those words the other mutineers sprang on me and dug teeth into my throat.

I hissed and threw them off. Within a second, I had one on the ground.

"Wait, Tigerstar!" Hawkshadow hissed—he had escaped from my grasp after I was attacked. He had Lighting on the ground, a paw at his neck. "You hurt Wetnose and I'll kill your Guard member, I will! And that's a promise!"

Lighting looked at me with pleading eyes. "Haap—" he choked out.

"Will you surrender, Tigerstar?" Skywing—who had come up from behind me—hissed.

I laughed. "Kill him, Hawkshadow. Do you think I care? My cats are recyclable. They die, I replace them. Kill him; see if I care." I tightened my grip on Wetnose. "I wonder what happens when I bite this vein right here—" I dug my teeth into the all-important vein on the back of Wetnose's neck.

I quickly snapped it. And then I snapped another cat's.

The last three living mutineers quickly glanced at each other.

"Retreat!" the one called Rushtail yowled out. He, Skywing, and Hawkshadow took off, leaving Lighting gasping for breath on the ground.

"Follow them!" I snarled at Blood. He nodded and raced off after the three with Scar, Exile, and Maul behind him.

Before long, I heard a cut-off scream from the trees, and the four Guard members came padding back to me.

"We got one; the one named Rushtail," Blood reported, "and we dumped his body in the river, but the other two, Hawkshadow and Skywing, they got away."

"Well, they won't be showing their faces around here anymore," I growled. "Good work, Blood."

Blood dipped his head and padded away.

I, meanwhile, headed for Sandstorm.

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Okay, so, how was it?

I really like some certain characters. And don't worry, we haven't seen the last of Hawkshadow and Skywing. :)

Now that I have an ending in mind, and I've started writing it again, I've once more become interested in this story. Expect more and quicker updates!

I'm thinking about buying the rights to these characters that were sent in and writing them their own personal Fanfic. Should I?

And should I go into detail about the kit-stealing spree? (I kind of stole that idea from Amberleaf's story, "Unfair Labor". Hey, read it! It's really good!)

Sorry for sort-of-stealing your idea, Amberleaf!

Oh, guess what! It's the review button's birthday! And you know what kind of present it wants? A REVIEW!!!

If you give it a review, it'll give you a Blood and Maul plushie!

Ciao~

~LenzieKat