Welcome one and all! I've been making this fic as a little love letter to Who Killed Ashfur, a series by the Warrior Cats Fandub team on YouTube. I want to warn you now, that these won't be the characters you knew, or even the characterizations seen in the series. This was made BEFORE they released the video of the culprit's execution, so I'll be taking my own liberties with this.
WATCH THE SERIES, OR YOU MAY MISS IMPORTANT CONTEXT.
I don't really have much to say, so as always, read and review, and without further adieu,
Buckle in, this one will be a long chapter.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING INVOLVED. CREDIT GOES TO ERIN HUNTER AND THE WARRIOR CATS FANDUB.
As fire began to engulf the gathering island, Firestar could only yell out one thing to the cats watching.
"Every cat, get off the island now!"
One by one, they started to cross back to the mainland, while Firestar watched helplessly as the fire shrouded Sandstorm from view. Smoke billowed into the sky, shrouding the stars. As all stood shocked at the scene in front of them, a shriek of pain echoed throughout the forest.
"Sandstorm, NO!" Firestar yowled in despair, attempting to run towards the island.
"Firestar, you can't go in there!" Brambleclaw growled, holding him back. "We can't risk you dying-"
"I have nine lives, I'll be fine!" He shrieked, unable to do anything but hear his mate's dying screams. "Let me go!"
As the shrieking died down, the fire suddenly vanished, leaving behind a charred landscape. Firestar began to dash across the log used as a bridge to the island, arriving at Sandstorm's side, with Leafpool and Jayfeather close behind. Brambleclaw stepped onto the island, feeling a wave of the residual heat from the fire wash over his pelt, an ember falling directly onto his nose. As he stepped alongside Firestar, he noticed that Sandstorm appeared unhurt, but barely breathing.
An unknown amount of time passed before the smoke faded, and the moonlight illuminated the ruined island. As most were standing around in shock, Sandstorm's eyes flew open, as she scrambled to her paws.
"Sandstorm, you're alright!" Firestar exclaimed, purring loudly.
"Yeah, I'm alright. It's good to be back."
Moons later, Thornclaw was patrolling the Riverclan border alongside Ferncloud and Lionblaze, when a familiar light-brown pelt emerged from the undergrowth on the opposite side.
"Care to explain why you're on our border, traitor?" Lionblaze spat, claws unsheathed. Thornclaw stepped in front of Lionblaze, trying to convince him to back off. He growled, sheathing his claws and stepping back, as Ferncloud bounded towards the border.
"Hi, Leafpool!" She exclaimed, with a spring in her step.
"Ferncloud!" Leafpool replied, running to meet her friend. "How've you been doing?"
"I've been alright, it's taken some time, but I'm managing well. How's the hunting going for Riverclan?"
"It's been alright. Most of the above-ground prey is getting scarce, but the rivers run well. How's your hunting going?" Leafpool responded, seemingly oblivious to Lionblaze's smoldering stare directed at her.
"It's been decent-" Ferncloud tried to say, being cut off by Lionblaze.
"Ferncloud, don't reveal our secrets to Riverclan." He growled. "Especially not to fox-hearted she-cats with no loyalty to their birth clan." Leafpool seemed to shrink, stepping towards the border.
"Lionblaze, save it. Now's not the time to start a war, with leaf-bare approaching." Thornclaw interjected, glaring at Lionblaze. The two stared at each other for a few moments more, before Lionblaze backed down, turning away.
"Fine, let's go."
"Actually, may I go hunt for a moment?" Ferncloud interjected, to only be met with a brisk nod from Lionblaze. She bounded off, with Leafpool not far behind.
"Thornclaw, can you go make sure they don't do anything? I don't quite trust that 'hunting' excuse." Lionblaze spoke quietly.
"Oh, of course." Thornclaw responded, silently padding after the two she-cats.
"Leafpool, we miss you back in Thunderclan," Ferncloud said softly. "Do you think you could come back?"
"Sorry Ferncloud, but no." Leafpool replied wistfully. "I couldn't take the attacks if I came back after all this time, especially now that my secret's out. And we miss you in Riverclan, too. How's everyone doing?"
"Well," Ferncloud began, "Dustpelt's been trying to shake off the trauma from the trial and get back into clan life, and Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight are still at each other's throats."
"What else is new?" Leafpool replied sarcastically, as Ferncloud giggled.
"Brightheart came back-"
"Wait, seriously?! I thought she died searching for Cloudtail!"
"Yeah, so did everyone else! She just gave up after a moon or two, she just came back a half-moon ago."
"That's great!" Leafpool mewed excitedly. "And what about Firestar?"
"He's still trying to cope, I think. He doesn't really step in much, Brambleclaw takes care of almost everything now. Heck, a few cats are starting to say that Brambleclaw's the true leader of the clan."
"Oh..." Leafpool trailed off. "What about everyone else?"
"Well, Jayfeather's training a new apprentice. Guess who it is?" Ferncloud meowed, seemingly excited to change the subject.
"Who?" Leafpool questioned.
"Brightheart." Ferncloud laughed.
"You're kidding! I assume that neither of them are happy with this?"
"You assume correctly. The sound of those two fighting carries across the camp, I'm surprised you can't hear it!"
The two she-cats shared a laugh before Ferncloud continued.
"Hollyleaf still wants a piece of Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight, Greystripe's been trying and failing to smooth their tempers. Cinderheart's been trying to keep Lionblaze stable, and she's doing a good job so far. Brackenfur's been working himself harder than ever before, and we're kinda worried."
"Starclan, that sounds bad." Leafpool mewled. "I wish I could be there to help you, Ferncloud."
"Yeah, I know. We should do this again sometime, this was fun!" Ferncloud spoke, as Thornclaw continued to watch with mixed emotions.
"Would tomorrow night, just after moon-high work for you?" Leafpool offered.
"Sounds perfect, I'll see you then!" Ferncloud replied happily, as the two of them trotted back towards their respective camps. Thornclaw bounded towards Lionblaze, eager to report.
"You're no better then Ashfur was, Brambleclaw!" Squirrelflight yelled, as the patrol re-entered camp.
"You've been restating the same argument for moons, you faithless fox-heart!" Brambleclaw yelled back.
"Oh, don't get me started on being faithful-"
"No, you don't get to talk about that-"
"Shut up Brambleclaw, let me speak-"
"No, you let me speak. I'm tired of the same argument every single day, you can rot in the dark forest for all I care!"
"The feeling's mutual, you're talking out of both sides of your ass, Brambleclaw!"
"I'll bury you in the snow to freeze, you-"
"You'll wake up tomorrow to find a claw splitting you slowly from ears to tail!"
"BOTH OF YOU, SHUT UP!" Hollyleaf yowled, giving both of them a quick claw scratch on the side. "If I had my way, you'd both be rotting in a cave somewhere, unable to leave or feel anything but pain! It's what you deserve for hurting us all like this-"
"Stay out of this, Hollyleaf. I did what was right to protect you all-" Squirrelflight tried to say.
"You did what was right!? You consider ANY of this right!? You ruined any hope we had of being a normal family! YOU drove Ashfur to nearly kill us in the fire! You were the reason I contemplated KILLING HIM! You broke the code by helping your faithless, Starclan-rejected sister cover up her mistake, and YOU are the reason that the trial happened! YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING THIS CLAN IS GOING THROUGH!" Hollyleaf shrieked, tossing Squirrelflight across the camp.
"Hollyleaf, that's enough-"
"And you." Hollyleaf growled, turning towards Brambleclaw. "You accused us of being murderers! You dug up secrets that ruined this clan! YOU ARE THE REASON THE OTHER CLANS MOCK US ENDLESSLY FOR BEING A LYING PACK OF ROGUES!" She yowled, about to slice Brambleclaw's throat open, as the clan watched in horror.
"Hollyleaf, that's enough." Sandstorm growled, forcefully separating the two. "This has gone far enough. Brambleclaw, head to the medicine den. Jayfeather and Brightheart can help you. Hollyleaf, help me carry Squirrelflight to the medicine den."
As Dovewing watched on in horror at the events that had just unfolded, Ivypool crept up beside her.
"This is terrible." Dovewing mewled silently as Squirrelflight was carried into the medicine den, with her protests being kindly ignored.
"I'm not sure that Thunderclan can survive like this." Brackenfur mewled, just loud enough for anyone within earshot to hear. Almost as if that was a signal, the entire clan began to erupt into hushed whispers and loud, heated debates. Before any claws could glint in the light of the setting sun, Firestar hobbled out of his den.
"That is enough!" He yowled, causing every cat in the clearing to turn towards him. His orange fur was turning grey at the tips, and his normally lively green eyes were dull and empty. "Everyone into your dens, there will be no further discussion tonight."
The clan slowly filed toward their respective dens, not making a sound. As Dovewing nestled up beside her sister, her only thought was fear for her clan.
"Can we survive this? Is this the end of Thunderclan?"
Five days later, the clan was starting to heal. Nobody was really speaking, and the first chill of leaf-bare was beginning to set in. Dovewing looked around, to see a cat walking out of camp, shrouded in the sun-rise shadows, with Firestar following close behind. After around six minutes, with the clan slowly coming to life, a gut-wrenching scream echoed across the lake territories. Dovewing sprinted out of camp, with quite a few other cats behind her.
"It came from the island!" Brackenfur yelped, as cats from other clans began to make their way there, as well.
Dovewing made it onto the island, her paws landing on the rough, uneven ground. Ever since the fire, no foliage had grown here, and all that was left was a barren husk. The bushes were burnt down to mere twigs, and the tree where the clan leaders would address the gathering had since fallen, leaving only a stump. The very dirt had become charred and blackened, so it was easy to make out Firestar's body near the edge.
"NO!" Squirrelflight and Leafpool screamed in unison, running towards their father's body. Sandstorm stood shocked, as Crowfeather tentatively approached Leafpool, only to be met with a death glare from Breezepelt, who seemed to enjoy their grief.
"W-who killed him?" Ivypool stuttered.
"It was obviously the other clans!" A paranoid Lionblaze shouted. "They saw us as weak, so they wanted to make it so we wouldn't survive leaf-bare! They're all savages, we should've wiped them out-"
"Lionblaze, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Thornclaw and Tigerheart yowled in unison, with Hollyleaf hissing at Crowfeather, being restrained by Brightheart and Dustpelt, with Cinderheart trying to calm Lionblaze down.
Brackenfur and Greystripe lept onto the tree stump, trying to get some semblance of order. Quietly, Jayfeather walked towards the body, before saying the news that nobody wanted to hear.
"Firestar is dead."
"Good riddance!" Breezepelt sneered. "One more piece of suffering to add to the pile for those rogues-"
He was suddenly cut off, as Hollyleaf broke free of Brightheart and Dustpelt, leaping at him. As the two began to fight, the rest of the island broke out into fighting, both verbal and physical.
"I'll fillet you if you don't let me go, Thornclaw!
"GET THE BODY, DON'T LET THUNDERCLAN TAKE IT BACK!"
"Get down here and fight me like a warrior, Jayfeather-"
"Shut-"
"No way-"
"I'll kill every last one of you, you're all traitors!"
Claws flashing in the sunlight, Dovewing watched in horror as Hollyleaf shoved Breezepelt into the lake, trying to hold him down. Ivypool narrowly dodged a swipe from Tigerheart, responding with a swift kick to the side. Blood began to pool from a deep wound on Leafpool's body, although she continued to fight for her life against Sandstorm. Suddenly, Ferncloud lept into the fray, shoving Sandstorm away and looking at Leafpool with concern, before being clawed in the forelegs by Thornclaw, who screamed "TRAITOR!"
As the island began to devolve into fighting, the cats all heard the crack of thunder, and paused their brawling, all looking towards the cloudless sky.
"Starclan is angry, this has to stop!" Jayfeather yowled. "I hate to say it, but we need a second trial. Brightheart, come with me and help me assess the wounded."
"Alright!" Brightheart replied as the two bounded off.
Deciding to investigate this herself, Dovewing walked towards Firestar's body, noticing a shocked look on his face. He had a claw scratch on his belly, deep enough that it still bled. He was precariously close to the water, possibly drowned. As she continued to look around the island, she saw squished deathberries nearby and noticed Firestar was foaming at the mouth. She quickly noticed a scrap of fur, and as she tried to approach, a wave lapped at the sand, washing it away.
As she pondered the situation, Dovewing began making a mental list of the cats who weren't in camp before Firestar died, turning to approach Ferncloud.
"Hey, do you mind if I ask some questions?"
"N-no, go right ahead." Ferncloud stammered, shuffling her paws nervously.
"I didn't see you in camp this morning, where were you?"
"O-oh, I was hunting near the border with Riverclan."
"That's true," Leafpool spoke, approaching the two she-cats. "I saw her."
"Did either of you see something, or someone suspicious in the past few days?"
"Nothing in Riverclan." Leafpool mewled, seemingly still in shock.
"Thornclaw and Lionblaze were a bit distant towards me, actually." Ferncloud responded, as Dovewing turned around to see Lionblaze investigating the body, and Thornclaw beside him, fixing the three of them with a death glare.
"Do you think it might have anything to do with the murder?"
"It actually might, b-but I don't know. Good luck with your investigation, I guess?" Ferncloud stuttered as Dovewing walked towards the body, to find Jayfeather and Brightheart looking around the area.
"Ah, there you are, Dovewing. Where were you last night?" Brightheart asked accusingly.
"I was in camp, sleeping. Where were you today?"
"I was gathering herbs with Jayfeather."
"Yeah," Jayfeather remarked, "She couldn't tell the difference between poppy seeds and a weed."
"Quiet, you."
"So, do we know how he died?" Dovewing asked, with a trembling voice.
"Well, we have three possible causes of death right now. The first theory is that he was drowned, given his position. Our second theory is that he was killed by the claw scratch, and the third is that he was poisoned, given the foaming at the mouth. I take it you've been investigating too?"
"Yeah, I have been."
"Great, what have you found out so far?" Brightheart asked, only to be shushed by Jayfeather.
"Well, Ferncloud was apparently hunting near the Riverclan border, and Leafpool is backing that up."
"Great, that gives them both an alibi. What about physical evidence?"
"Well, I found some squished deathberries nearby."
"That's odd, those don't grow here." Brightheart offered.
"Yeah, this must've been planned in advance. I've gotten all I need to know, so kindly piss off." Jayfeather snarled.
Taking the hint, Dovewing walked towards Lionblaze, the events of today reeling through her mind.
"Hey, Lionblaze, where were you today?"
"Oh, I see I'm a suspect now?" Lionblaze retorted.
"That's not what I meant."
"I know, just messing with you. I was patrolling the Windclan border, and I saw Crowfeather and Breezepelt arguing, and it was kind of suspicious. Personally, I think they did it."
"Alright, good to know." Dovewing replied, walking away.
Another few hours of searching the island gave no hints before Brambleclaw lept onto the tree stump and began to speak.
"Everyone needs to leave, Jayfeather and Brightheart will perform an autopsy. We will meet back here at moon-high for our trial. For now, get some rest, and may starclan have mercy on us all."
As the cats began to silently leave the island, Dovewing's thoughts began to spiral out of control, as her body moved on autopilot.
'Who would do this? Why would they go so far as to kill another cat? Was this an act of revenge, or a pre-emptive strike from another clan? Is Starclan trying to say something, that it's time for a new leader? Is it the Dark Forest like last time, or is it something else entirely?'
"Will Thunderclan survive?"