Warriors AU: Crow That Brings In The Night

Prologue

  The forest was alive with cats. They crept from under roots of trees, waited in never-ending branches, whispered in caves, hid behind ferns.

  Five cats stood in the middle of them all, their heads and tails raised proudly. The  ful moon shone brightly, and so did their eyes. The leaders were the most powerful cats ever to be.

  No loss or betrayal could weaken them. Yet, Brightstar wasn't fine. He felt like life has lost all that mattered. There was traitor in MoonClan, and he still didn't know who could be foolish enough to betray their own clan.

  "Let the Gathering begin!" Fernstar called. His thoughts were interrupted, and Brightstar sighed. If only life was as easy as the leaders made it sound at Gatherings.

  "Prey is running well in FireClan" The gray she-cat reported. "Wigeonclaw has kits now, three of them. Their father is Bee-"

  "Silence!" Birchstar interrupted her. "How can we talk about all this, being happy, when tragedy is going on!" she yowled. She eyed every leader before continuing. "The Clans are growing bigger every moon! Soon, the territory taken by the Clans won't be enough for us! We have to force one of us to find a new home!"

The cats gathered below her gasped. Brightstar could hear murmurs and whispers. He could feel their horror. Some of them might not be seen again.

He rose from his place beside Birchstar.

"I will not tolerate your foolishness, sister." He spat at her. "You were given the chance to choose who you wanna be. I see it was foolish from me." Brightstar turned to the cats below him.

"My sister has decided to leave RockClan in hopes of growing closer with her father. I was so happy for her when she was chosen as a deputy of CurrentClan. Then she became leader. I was so proud of my sister to be leader! Now I see what that means. It means she became greedy and arrogant." He called to the cats below.

Birchstar hissed. "Do not talk about me like your sibling. I am Birchstar, leader of CurrentClan, and my word is law. When I say one of the Clans must leave, then one of them will leave!"

The clearing was silent. No cat dared to move. Brightstar stared at his sister in shock. He knew she was far from the innocent kit he played with, but this was too much.

"No Clan will leave." He said, glaring at her. "Or, if you are really determined to achieve your dreams, then let it be your Clan."

"My Clan will not be leaving, that would mean death!" She yowled. The other leaders looked at each other with fear in their eyes. Aspenstar rose to face Birchstar.

"Are you saying that if we send a Clan out of our territory, they are gonna die?" Aspenstar yowled. Birchstar glared at him, but was silent. Fernstar hissed.

"So you would send other Clan to die?" Aspenstar hissed. "Enough of your foolishness, Birchstar! You do not deserve to be called a leader!"

Birchstar yawned. "I don't care about other Clans. CurrentClan is the only that matters. The Gathering is over." She waved her tail.

Brightstar bristled. "Stop right there. The Gathering is not over. Aspenstar is right. You don't deserve to be called leader. Now, sister, tell the Clans you are calling off your idea, and we will let this go, or don't, and-'

"Do not call me your sister!" Birchstar pounced at him. Her claws ripped through his fur and he screeched.

Everything slowed down. The other leaders froze. The cats below them gasped. Birchstar bared her fangs and bit into his neck. Blood gushed out.

The truce has been broken. Cats are fighting.

His eyes closed, yet he fought to keep them open over and over again. His strength ebbed away. Brightstar could hear Birchstar calling to the Clans. Her message was clear.

One of them was going to be lost. His.