#greyclaw

"So, you must be proud of Pipitstorm, huh?" Cloudfall remarked casually to Blazedawn. The ginger deputy purred in agreement as they laid out in camp, the sunset painting the sky orange.

"She's a fine young warrior. The best around the forest." Blazedawn purred out.

"I was surprised she got -storm. She must take after her mom." Cloudfall poked her playfully on the shoulder. Blazedawn snorted, a wry grin on her lips.

The two siblings were startled by the sound of screams and yowling coming from the healers den. Exchanging a glance, they both darted to their paws, running to the den just in time to see Silverstorm sink her claws into Bluelight's neck. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her brother freeze. Flashback's of Mintstorm's murder played in Blazedawn's mind. Had her mother played them? Emberstar had forgiven her so quickly, was it just a trick? Blazedawn's panicked gaze glanced around. Where was Emberstar? She shook her head, she needed to act. With a hiss, she barreled into her mother, sending her sprawling with a thud.

"You dirty liar!" She snarled, springing onto her and laying her claws on her throat. Her tail lashed, all those feelings of resentment and hatred poisoning her heart.

"B-Blazedawn, stop! D-don't!" She heard Cloudfall cry out. Her fury stilled for a moment, blinking down at Silverstorm, who's head was leaking blood from the impact.

I'm no better than she is. The realization was sobering as she scrambled off. Cloudfall rushed past her, crouching down and nosing her limp form.

"Bluelight...? Blue...? Azure..?" A shaky voice made Blazedawn turn. Greyclaw stood, eyes wide with horror as she stared at her brother, his throat slashed. He was clearly gone. Blazedawn took a hesitant step towards her.

"Greyclaw...i'm sorry..." She murmered. Greyclaw's eyes slowly pulled away from the body, narrowing in hatred as they landed on Blazedawn. It was the most emotion she had ever seen from her.

"You knew your mom was a murderer! You let this happen!" She accused, tail lashing. Blazedawn barely had time to dodge a swipe.

"Listen, kid! If it were up to me I would have exiled her! But it wasn't up to me, it was up to-"

"EMBERSTAR!" Pipitstorm's voice rang out in the clearing. Blazedawn felt cold dread, both mollies pausing their fight. Blazedawn spent no time, pushing past the smaller warrior and stumbling into the clearing. To her horror, Pipitstorm stood with Flaxclaw, her daughter shaking.

"Pipitstorm? What happened? Are you ok?" She rushed forward the same time Morelshade did, both parents soothing their kit.

"Emberstar fell." Flaxclaw answered for her.

"Fell..? Fell where..?" Blazedawn repeated.

"Into the ravine."

"No." If Blazedawn could become any more horrified, she did at that moment. No body. No proper vigil. No goodbye. Her leader. Her friend. Gone. Just like that.

"Mom? Mom it's ok...you get to be leader...just like you deserve." Pipitstorm gazed up at her, her two-colored eyes shimmering with admiration. As Blazedawn gazed down at her, she noticed a tiny black bundle. Is that..?

"Is that..? A kit..?" Blazedawn crouched down to inspect it. Indeed, it was a tiny black kitten, couldn't be away from its mother for more than a week.

"I found him..." Pipitstorm whispered, pawing the bundle, which let out a small mewl of protest. Her mouth hung open in shock, gaze flicking numbly between Bluelight and Silverstorm's bodies, now laid out in the clearing, and the small kit. She couldn't be weak now. She...she was leader. Whether she liked it or not. She shook out her pelt, inhaling deeply. Her mind raced. There was so much that needed to be done. A deputy would help with that. She quickly ran over the options in her head. Cloudfall, bless his heart, was too meek. The clan needed strong voices right now. Her gaze trailed to Ashheart and Stonedusk, who were crouched over the kit. Ashheart would be an honorable choice, but he too could be soft.

"Hey..." Slatefur interrupted her thoughts. She blinked at the grey tom.

"Yes?"

"Just sayin', shits crazy right now." He murmured, gazing at the clearing. "If you want some help with stuff...i'm around, ok?"

Blazedawn gazed at him. Of course. Slatefur. Always a strong voice, and made his opinions known.

"Yes, actually. Wait a moment." Blazedawn climbed onto the rock she had watched Emberstar sit on so many times before. A lump formed in her throat as all eyes turned to her.

"StrikeClan. Hi." She started awkwardly, before clearing her throat.

"For those who don't know...Emberstar is dead. She fell into the ravine while out with Pipitstorm." A chorus of wails followed, making her ears flatten.

"She was noble, honorable, and well-spoken. She did right by StrikeClan, and although I wish we had a body for proper vigil, we will hold one for her tonight, along with Bluelight and...." She hesitated.

"...and Silverstorm." She finished. Dovewhisker looked particularly angry, her apprentice Willowpaw sitting by her anxiously.

"And so, I am your new leader. I will go to the Moonhollow and receive my lives, and my name. But in the meantime, I'll need a deputy." She inhaled.

"I say these words before StarClan, so they may hear and approve of my choice." She puffed out her chest, trying to appear confident.

"Slatefur will be the new deputy of StrikeClan."

No one said anything for a moment. And then...cheers and purrs, although tinged with sadness, echoed around the clearing.

"Hey uh...thanks." Slatefur got to his paws awkwardly.

"While I am here, there is another ceremony to perform." Blazedawn felt more confident as she spoke.

"Fallowkit. Nightkit. Step forward please." A small smile graced her lips as the kits squealed with excitement. Craneclaw hissed out a curse, trying to groom them, but they wiggled away and scampered up to the rock.

"Fallowkit. From this moment on you shall be known as Fallowpaw." She spoke the words she had heard many times before.

"And your mentor shall be Slatefur." She watched as the excited tom pressed his nose to her deputies.

"Nightkit, from this moment on you shall be known as Nightpaw, and your mentor shall be-"

"Lightleaf!" Nightpaw blurted out excitedly before slapping his tail over his mouth. Blazedawn tipped her head, more amused than angry, remembering her own warrior ceremony.

"Lightleaf? Do you wish to take on another apprentice so soon?" Blazedawn glanced at the white tabby. A haunted look came over the healer's face, but despite this, she pushed her new apprentice towards the den.

"I guess that's that, then." Blazedawn dipped her head, sliding off the rock.

"So uh...what now?" Slatefur asked her. Blazedawn felt tired. Almost done.

"Prepare the vigils. Watch over the camp. I will return with my name and my lives." She ordered. Slatefur nodded.

Blazedawn turned, steeling herself. This was it. A new dawn.

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Woo manual page break go! Anyways...ya...a SHITTON happened. When I tell you I sat there for like 15 minutes...

There are no other events because I put all the events in the story!

Summary:

Silverstorm kills Bluelight

Blazedawn kills Silverstorm in retaliation (in-game she died the moon after but timeline-wise it fit better here)

Pipitpaw -> Pipitstorm (Traits: Bloodthirsty & Incredibly Cleaver)

Pipitstorm, due to Flaxclaw's manipulation, shoves Emberstar into a ravine and takes her remaining lives.

Then Pipitstorm and Flaxclaw steal a loners kit as a distraction.

Ashheart and Stonedusk adopt this kit, whom they name Ravenkit (Traits: Know-It-All & Careful Listener. Male.)

Blazedawn is now leader. She makes Slatefur deputy (I wanted Ashheart but she picked Slatefur in-game and I think that's so funny you go stink man)

Fallowkit -> Fallowpaw (Mentor: Slatefur. Traits: Playful & Quick To Make Peace)

Nightkit -> Nightpaw (Mentor: Lightleaf. Traits: Ambitious & Lover Of Stories)

It was a relatively quiet night. Rainstorm was out, stretching his legs after he and Ashheart had gotten attacked by rats last moon. Thank StarClan that's over. I hope Ashheart gets better soon. Rainstorm thought with a sigh of relief.

He took a moment to observe the camp. The sun was just barely peaking over the rocky hills, and he puffed out his fur as a warm breeze blew, closing his blue eyes.

Then a scream ripped him from his bliss.

"YOU'VE KILLED HIM!" A voice yelled from the Warrior's den. Rainstorm quickly scrambled over to the den, heart pounding. Who? Who had killed who? What was going on?

The sight made his blood run cold.

Mintstorm, his older half-brother, laid in a pool of blood, the collar around his neck torn and his throat sliced open, blood staining the moss nest below. An enraged Dovewhisker had a bewildered looking Silverstorm pinned, the elder's claws stained scarlet.

Did she...?

"What happened?" He blurted out, eyes wide.

"This sorry sack of shit killed my brother! She murdered him! Murderer!" Dovewhisker screeched. Rainstorm had never seen her so angry.

"Who's dead? Is ClawClan here? What's going on?" Emberstar demanded as she charged into the den.

"Mom!" Dovewhisker wailed, stepping off of Silverstorm and burying her face into her chest.

"No." Was all Emberstar could whisper as her gaze landed on Mintstorm's body.

"What. Did. You. DO?" Blazedawn snarled at Silverstorm.

"I..I did it...I stopped Sparkfur..." Silverstorm replied softly, eyes glazed over.

"You flea-ridden piece of sh-!" Dovewhisker turned to spit at her, only for Emberstar to quiet her.

"She doesn't know." Emberstar whispered. Dovewhisker hissed.

"Fuck that, mom! She killed Mintstorm!"

"You and I both know..." Emberstar swallowed, tears in her eyes.

"...that she's not aware of her surroundings." She finished, pulling Dovewhisker closer.

"Mom..? Mom...come on..." Cloudfall gently nudged Silverstorm to her feet and led her out. Silverstorm stopped, gazing at Blazedawn.

"Dawnfoot..? I did it. I stopped her. You can live now." She wheezed at her. Blazedawn shook with silent fury, claws sliding out.

"Get. Out." Was all she said. Cloudfall gently pushed Silverstorm out. They were now left with Mintstorm's lifeless body.

"Where's your sister?" Emberstar asked Dovewhisker quietly. Rainstorm glanced around, realizing that Stonedusk wasn't here.

"Maybe she's visiting Ashheart..?" Deerstep suggested quietly.

"No, I didn't see her in the healers den this morning." Rainstorm confirmed.

"I can go look for her, if you'd like." He added. With a nod from his leader, Rainstorm trotted out, shaken. Sure, he had heard stories of war and death, but to see his own clanmate, dead in his nest...

He shook out his pelt, gathering himself. He was about halfway to the RiftClan border when he spotted her, and two little bundles.

"Stonedusk!" He called out to her. She waved her tail for him to lower his voice. He crept closer, tilting his head.

"Are they yours?" He whispered, gazing down at the light grey kit and the white kit in her paws. Stonedusk shook her head.

"I found them...they need help." She whispered, gazing at them fondly.

"Stonedusk..." Rainstorm swallowed. How could he ruin this moment for her?

"It's...It's Mintstorm." He said quietly.

"What did he do this time?" She asked, a little amused.

"He's dead."

Silence.

Silence.

And then, Stonedusk threw her head back and let out a horrible wail, the two kits at her paws squirming with little mewls of protest. She trembled, tears splashing onto the dirt below.

"A life for a life..." She whispered, tears pouring down her face.

"He would have been...such a good uncle...my babies...they won't ever meet him..." She sobbed.

"I know. I know." Rainstorm murmured, feeling a little out of his element.

"...can I help you carry one?" He said after a moment. Still crying, she nodded, angling her ears to the light grey one.

"W..Willowkit..." She cried. He nodded, gently scooping up the kit, who was still mewling. He let Stonedusk lean on his shoulder as they stumbled back to camp.

The camp, despite the horrible event, had fallen into a solemn silence. Mintstorm's body had been laid out, petals scattered around his still form. Rainstorm still half expected him to wake up and snap at them for crowding him. It still didn't feel real.

"You." Lightleaf's voice rang out. Rainstorm paused, before realizing the healer was talking to Bluekit. The tom had been inspecting the body curiously, more intrigued then anything else.

"What?" He squeaked at her.

"I'm picking you. Come." Lightleaf gave little to no explanation, her gaze just as flat as her tone.

"Picking me..? For what?" He squeaked again.

"Bluepaw. My apprentice. Come on." She jerked her head, seemingly undisturbed by her son's corpse laying in front of her. Emberstar glanced up, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, little one. I know you two deserve proper ceremonies...but..." She blinked mistily.

"Slatefur. Will you mentor Greypaw?" She murmured. The grey tom nodded, touching noses with the new apprentice before he ushered her out of camp.

Rainstorm helped Stonedusk hobble up to her family, gently setting down the kits. Emberstar gazed at the kits.

"Oh...oh my precious..." Emberstar wept, pulling Stonedusk into the embrace she shared with Dovewhisker. Rainstorm stepped back, letting the family have their moment. Silently, he slid over to his brother Palethroat, leaning on him as they prepared for the vigil.

"I've never seen Dovewhisker like that." Palethroat whispered to him. Rainstorm nodded in agreement.