Warrior Cat What-Ifs

What If... Leafpool Ate The Deathberries?

Hollyleaf's fur bristled. "See those deathberries? You're going to eat them-or I'll make you!" She snarled, taking a threatening step forward.

"What?" Leafpool's eyes looked scared.

"Eat them!" She commanded, crouching down. "You deserve to die." She was about leap on Leafpool to kill her if she didn't eat the red berries. "You know I've killed once, and I can kill again!"

"Hollyleaf, I understand your pain," she mewed weakly.

Hollyleaf bared her teeth. "Don't make me kill you with my claws," she hissed, unsheathing her sharp claws.

Depression clouded Leafpool's amber eyes. "I do deserve to die," Leafpool whispered, crouching down to the deathberries.

Satisfaction warmed Hollyleaf as she watched her mother eat three deathberries.

Leafpool suddenly let out a choking cry. "Hollyleaf, help!" She tried to cry.

Hollyleaf narrowed her eyes. "No," Hollyleaf growled, "you deserve to die like this."

Blood dripped from Leafpool's mouth, and foam also began to come out of her mouth as well. She yowled in agony.

Suddenly Jayfeather burst into the den. "Hollyleaf?" He said, shocked

Hollyleaf spun around, her eyes flashing with madness.

Jayfeather stumbled as he stepped back. "Stop, Hollyleaf!" He cried.

"Leafpool deserves to die!" She snarled, placing a paw on Leafpool's thrashing body.

"You're breaking the warrior code," Jayfeather mewed, shrinking down with fear.

Hollyleaf's eyes burned with green fire. "There is no warrior code," she hissed bitterly. "Ashfur and Leafpool both know my disobedience to the warrior code now."

Jayfeather's blue, blind eyes fixed on her. "You killed Ashfur?" He choked out with horror.

Hollyleaf looked down at Leafpool, who was now laying motionless on the hard ground. "Yes, I did kill that heartless traitor, for our own sake," she hissed, meeting Jayfeather's stare again. "I know I did the right thing."

"Was this the right thing to do also?" He hissed. "Was killing our mother really the right thing to do?"

Hollyleaf flattened her ears against her head. "Shut up!" She screeched. She hurtled herself at Jayfeather, sinking her claws into his shoulder. She jumped off of him and bounded off into the forest. She heard paws thudding behind her, and looked over her shoulder to see Lionblaze and Jayfeather pelting after her. She halted, looking at the old tunnels. Claws suddenly pierced her fur.

"I won't let you run away, Hollyleaf," Lionblaze growled. 

Hollyleaf let out a yowl as his claws dug deeper into her flesh.

Lionblaze's nose touched her ear as he growled, "Why did you kill our mother?"

Hollyleaf struggled under his weight. "S-she had to die," she stammered.

Lionblaze tore her flesh.

Blood dripped down Hollyleaf's side as she yowled with pain. "Stop!" She could barely breathe. It felt as if her lungs were being squashed by a large rock.

"Lionblaze," Jayfeather's voice joined. "That's enough."

Hollyleaf felt Lionblaze's weight lift off of her.

Hollyleaf's vision blurred. "I had to kill her, you know that, don't you?" She got up, still trembling.

Jayfeather took a step forward. "I know you're our sister," he started, flashing a look at Lionblaze. "But you've change." He stopped, tail flicking nervously. "We're telling Firestar."

Hollyleaf's mouth swung open, and the ground seemed to disappear from under her. She shook her head, trying to see if she really did hear right. The old tunnels caught Hollyleaf's eye, but before she could move, teeth grasped her scruff. "Hey!" she screeched.

"You aren't going to escape," Lionblaze mumbled through a mouthful of fur.

She felt herself being dragged across the dirt, getting dust over her black pelt. She knew there was no escaping, so she didn't struggle. Her mind whirled with chilling thoughts.

They eventually got to camp, the clearing was crowded with horrified cats. In the center laid Leafpool's body.

"Who did this?" A cat cried.

"Whoever did this must pay!" Another shrieked.

Hollyleaf saw Jayfeather's ears flatten and step forward. "Cats of ThunderClan!" He yowled loudly over the clamor.

One by one, the cats' gazes fell on Hollyleaf, Jayfeather, and Lionblaze.

"Recently, Ashfur died, which is a tragic thing." He let his ears point up again. "Leafpool also has been murdered."

"Anything new?" A cat growled.

Jayfeather ignored the outburst. "I know who the murderer is," he yelled out.

Hollyleaf closed her eyes. She knew what was about to happen.

"Hollyleaf is the murderer!" Jayfeather's yowled echoed around the forest.

A shocked silence answered the news as Hollyleaf felt Lionblaze throw her to the ground.

A sudden mew broke the silence. "Hollyleaf? "

Hollyleaf opened her eyes to see Cinderheart staring at her with disbelief clouding her gaze.

A bright orange flashed at the corner of her eye.

"Enough!" Firestar growled stepping up to Hollyleaf. "Is this true?"

Hollyleaf glanced towards the medicine cat's den. She raced over, going in. Four deathberries were still on the leaf. Guilt filled her heart remembering the taste of Ashfur's blood, and the sensation of ripping his throat. Her heart almost broke in half as she remembered herself enjoying the agonized yowls as Leafpool struggled to survive. She felt herself swallow the red berries. A choke came from her as she convulsed, foam dripping from her mouth as the deathberries got to her. She looked at the entrance of the den to see Jayfeather and Lionblaze, behind them was the clan staring in horror. Darkness engulfed her, and the last thing she saw was her littermates leaning over her body.

Hollyleaf's eyes opened to a musky, damp forest with no starlight. A dark river of slime ran through the dark forest. "Where am I?" Hollyleaf managed to choke.

A muscular dark tabby stepped out of the shadows, his amber eyes burning fiercely. "The Place of No Stars," the tabby growled in response.

Hollyleaf froze. Those words spun in her head, making her dizzy. From all of the horrible elders' tales, she knew that the scarred tabby was Tigerstar, the one that tried to destroy ThunderClan.