When Shit Went Down (Warrior Cat FanFic)

Chapter 17 - Cloudfeather's POV

The overwhelming smell of stale smoke must have been what woke me up from my nightmare-filled sleep because that was the first thing I recognized once I opened my eyes. I stretched my stiff muscles out until I groaned from satisfaction. The sun was just sliding up the sky, a deep red color lining along the horizon.

Many of the other scattered groups of cats were already awake; I assumed most of them didn't even sleep that night as I sat there observing my surroundings. These free-living cats were so used to calm scenarios that worked themselves out that I pondered how we would all cope.

I turned away from the safe hill that the Clans gathered sorrowfully on and took in our destroyed homes. The Twolegs were gone and the fire was out, but nothing was any better than it was the night the fire broke out. Nothing but black grounds, smoldering trees, and the horrible smell of burning flesh could be found. My heart shattered. The cries of confused and sorrowful kits floated over to my ears, and I shook my head.

From staring and watching, I began to zone out. The memory of Dickstar being crushed by a burning tree made me cringe, and then how Littleshit, Dumbasshead, and Mousebrain were still asleep when we evacuated made me feel even worse. The fact that Blindeye claimed she couldn't see the fire, so the fire couldn't see her made me giggle ever so slightly... And then I realized how horrible it was to laugh at her death.

I then remembered how Lilbitchpaw tried to escape the camp, but ended up passing out from lack of oxygen right in front of me. Screwydooeydo sent me away as he grabbed the apprentices scruff. The crackling fire around me and the thick smoke that rolled up to the sky made me cough as a thank you. I took off, thinking they were just behind me, but once I escaped the licking flames in the forest I realized they were no longer behind me.

Horrified, I watched another thick tree come crashing down. Hot air and sparks came flying at my face, but it seemed to go in slow motion. I gulped as I waited for the two to come out. I remembered thinking, So many deaths for something we could have easily avoided...

My thoughts were thankfully interrupted by WhoreClan's medicine cat, "Cloudfeather? Are you alright?" Poledance meowed kindly. I simply nodded. We sat in silence for a few heartbeats until she asked me another question, "So, you are the new leader now right?" I narrowed my eyes at the distance.  

I hadn't of thought about that until then. A spark of hope burned in my chest and a familiar voice whispered, "This is your chance, Cloudtail." I didn't bother question the voice, only listened. I turned to face the dark tortoiseshell she-cat and nodded, "I am."

She gave me a stern look and dipped her head, "Good. Maybe with the help of the few normal cats we have, we can finally be normal again," She thinks so, too? "That was what I was thinking actually." I replied.

"Poledance," Faceface called, and the both of us looked back, "we need your help. The injuries are serious and some of them aren't making it easy to help them!" Poledance hurried toward the medicine cat with me on her heels. 

Weedsmoke and Blazeleaf lay beside each other while Whatchawantdaddyseed tended to their open burn wounds. Weedsmoke's shoulders and left side no longer had his brown tabby fur, instead pink flesh glistened under the morning sun. Blazeleaf had burnt pads and a minor face injury. They both seemed to be drugged out on poppy seeds. "Shitpaw, Shroomkit, Darknesseverywhere, and Blackerthanblack didn't make it through the night and Rejectedmind hasn't been able to find his brother, Emolight," Faceface explained. "He thinks he probably killed himself after Oldasfuckhead was killed by a falling tree..." Poledance shook her head sorrowfully but I didn't really care.

"I needed your help with Illdanceonyourgrave. Gooseleg can't get her to settle down enough to treat her broken leg," Faceface told Poledance as they headed toward the insane elder. I decided not to follow them since she was rolling around Gooseleg, his head down and his tail whipping from side to side out of rage. I turned to see Flatheadscrewdriver assisting Ecstacyboner with her swollen eye. 

Noticing how shaky they both were, I hurried over and held the elders head in place with my nose. Flatheadscrewdriver got the juice in her eye and placed another sticky herb over the infected eye to keep the medicine in. The medicine cat nodded thankfully to me and then called the next injured cat over.

Pisskit and Midnightpoop slowly made their way over to IdontgiveashitClan's medicine cat. Midnightpoop was limping, her right front paw burnt to the bone. Flatheadscrewdriver's eyes went wide and swallowed. "Will she be okay??" Pisskit mewed, hopeful eyes gazing up at the worried medicine cat. "Um... yes, of course!" Flatheadscrewdriver murmured, but the medicine cat didn't really look so sure. It was as if she was trying to convince herself as well as the kit. That could get infected very easily... 

I heard a cat scream so automatically I whipped around. It was only Thefeelsarerealheart yelping in pain from the herbs being put on her burns. Drama queen! I thought, rolling my eyes. Kyspaw sat back and waited for her turn to be tended to. Titsmcgeestar barely had any fur, her whiskers burns to her muzzle, and her black nose now pink. Bigbooty was injured herself, but was still attempting to help Gooseleg finish wrapping Illdanceonyourgrave's broken leg. 

The rest of the cats had small to no injuries. 

***

By the time the sun was almost ready to head down the sky again, all cats were tended to - or at least looked at - and the medicine cats and leaders sat together to discuss what was going to happen now. 

"We will have to find a new territory. This one is unlivable now. The prey is most likely either dead or had run off, so we will starve here. Our homes are destroyed, too," Doyoumindstar looked around at the others to see that some didn't agree, and some did. "How do we travel aimlessly on an empty stomach? It will be too much with the injured and young," Titsmcgeestar advised. 

Gooseleg looked more offended than Doyoumindstar did. "Do you think we can live here anymore? Seriously? Look around. Everything is dead except for the lucky warriors. We lost so many cats, and all you're all concerned about is walking on an empty stomach? This territory is no longer suitable for cats, get over it," he snapped. Everyone around went quiet. 

After a few heartbeats of awkward silence, Ashstar spoke, "Then it's settled? I think the less injured should hunt beyond our territory tomorrow and then once we are a bit more recovered, then we will pick a direction and go." 

We all exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. Gooseleg looked satisfied behind his serious glare.

"Now, WeneedmedicalhelpClan is no longer a Clan. What do the survivers, like me, do?" Gooseleg flicked his matted tail. Doyoumindstar and Whatchawantdaddyseed looked at each other, then the medicine cat replied, "You can gladly join SassyClan and be our second medicine cat." Gooseleg dipped his head to them. "The rest of your Clan can join IdontgiveashitClan." Ashstar meowed.

"I would like to have my old name again, OCDproblems, for I am no longer a leader." OCDstar blinked. Everyone nodded in agreement. 

Suddenly I realized that maybe things would get better. All of the Clans were working together to rebuild our lives. "The deputies that are needed and such will be sorted out on your own with your Clans. Now, gather the healthy warriors and apprentices and hunt as much as possible," Doyoumindstar insisted, and we all separated.

***

Sorry for the long wait. Hope you liked this chapter! Have a wonderful March Break!

P_A83 out!