Conflagration [A Warrior Cats AU]

Chapter Twenty Six

"Bluestar?"

Bluestar's eyes opened. She found herself in a starry meadow, looking at her mother. Moonflower stared back blankly. "Hello, Bluestar."

Bluestar dipped her head to her mother. "Moonflower," she murmured. "Why did you summon me here?"

"If you don't want Thistleclaw to rise to power," Moonflower mewed. "You are going to have to do it now. I see a path of fire and destruction for ThunderClan if you don't destroy him!"

"And for RiverClan?" Bluestar retorted. "If Thistleclaw isn't going to hurt my Clan, I won't kill ThunderClan's deputy and start a war."

Moonflower scowled, tail lashing. "All the Clans will be destroyed if he isn't stopped."

Bluestar bared her teeth, beginning to lose her patience. "You cats in StarClan are sending me mixed signals," she growled. "Snowfur tells me not to kill Thistleclaw when I want to, and you tell me to kill him when I don't want to!"

Moonflower looked faintly embarrassed. "Yes, well, we all agree now that you need to get rid of him."

Bluestar's tail lashed. "How will I do that, even if I wanted to? He's never alone," she hissed, stepping forwards and staring right at Moonflower.

Moonflower couldn't meet the leader's gaze. She turned away and sighed. "If you find him alone, please, Bluestar. We need you."

Bluestar gasped as from both sides of Moonflower Crookedjaw and Thrushpelt appeared. Crookedjaw looked displeased, and Thrushpelt looked anxious.

"Please, Bluestar. We were murdered unjustly and we need him to be killed so that the Clans will be safe. The fire draws near," Thrushpelt murmured.

Bluestar began to bristle. "The fire?!"

Crookedjaw nodded curtly. "Yes. The fire will swallow up ThunderClan, but they will come out on top," he growled, his eyes grim.

Bluestar took a step back, the cats in front of her started to fade. Their gazes turned desperate and pleading, and before Bluestar knew it, they were all gone.

--

"Tigerclaw!"

Tigerclaw was prodded awake by Whitestorm, who was staring down at him with narrowed amber eyes.

"You gonna get up?" He purred with amusement in his gaze. "Or just sleep in all day, you badger?"

Tigerclaw gasped mockingly, jumping to his paws and swiping playfully at the white tom. "If I'm a badger, I'll kill you!"

"I can outrun a lumbering old badger!" Whitestorm replied, sprinting off and out of the Warriors' den. Tigerclaw jokingly stomped after him, following him outside.

He bumped into his friend as Whitestorm skidded to a halt. "Oh. Hey, dad," the white tom murmured.

Thistleclaw was staring down at him with fury in his eyes. "What were you doing? You're not kits, you know."

Tigerclaw padded beside his friend, pressing against him. "Sorry, Thistleclaw. We won't do it again," he apologised. 

Thistleclaw scowled. "I hope so. Both of you, go hunting and bring back prey. Don't come back until you've caught something each."

Whitestorm dipped his head, ashamed. "Okay, dad." 

Tigerclaw followed Whitestorm as they padded shamefully out of camp.

--

In the forest, Tigerclaw looked sideways at Whitestorm. "What a badger, am I right?" He murmured mischievously. 

Whitestorm's ears pricked up and he frowned at Tigerclaw. "My dad isn't a badger."

Tigerclaw didn't reply, his tail flicking. "Do you agree with him?"

"What?" 

Tigerclaw opened his jaws to scent the air, then looked back at Whitestorm. "Him, becoming the leader of the four Clans. Do you agree with that?"

Whitestorm turned back to the forest, sitting down and staring into the depths. "He's my father. I'm being loyal to him."

Tigerclaw's whiskers twitched. "So you don't agree," he meowed. "Me neither."

Whitestorm's eyes flashed with surprise. "But you seem to agree with what he says all the time!"

Tigerclaw shrugged nonchalantly. "I seem to, but I don't want him to be the leader of ThunderClan. It'll be trouble for everyone."

When Whitestorm didn't reply, Tigerclaw looked at him with concern in his eyes. "Nothing against you, I just-"

Whitestorm abruptly got to his paws and stalked off into the bushes. "I'm going hunting," he growled.

"Wait!" Tigerclaw called, chasing after Whitestorm. "Please, I didn't mean it like that, don't tell Thistleclaw-" He broke off as he heard his tone. 

Whitestorm looked back, his gaze softening. "I won't. But he's my father. You have to realise that."

Tigerclaw looked at his paws mutinously. "I don't know what having a father is like," he hissed. "Don't expect me to realise."

Whitestorm buried his muzzle into Tigerclaw's almost-mane. "I'm sorry Pinestar left you," he murmured. Then he drew back. 

"Let's go hunt," he mewed briskly.

--

Whitestorm and Tigerclaw padded back to camp with jaws full of prey. Cats congratulated them as they dropped their prey on the pile, and Tigerclaw puffed his chest out in pride.

Thistleclaw padded over to the two, nodding approvingly. "Good job, Whitestorm," he purred, his tail stroking his son's back.

Tigerclaw shrunk back, and Whitestorm looked at his father in confusion. "Tigerclaw caught just as much prey as me, if not more."

Thistleclaw drew his tail back and nodded. "Of course," he grunted. "How about you two eat with me today?"

"I'm fine, thanks," Whitestorm replied, shooting a smile at his father. "I'm not very hungry."

Thistleclaw's eyes narrowed. "Very well then," he growled, turning and padding away.

Whitestorm sat down next to Tigerclaw, giving him an apologetic glance. "Sorry about him," he murmured.

Tigerclaw looked at his paws, thoughts flooding through his head. Then he looked back up at Whitestorm. "What about a rebellion?" He suggested.

"What?!" Whitestorm whisper-yelled, recoiling and staring at him with a shocked gaze. 

Tigerclaw licked a paw. "Thistleclaw wants to take over the Clans, which will be good for nobody. So we need to stop him."

Whitestorm scowled. "You know I'm very proud of Thistleclaw becoming deputy, and you know about his plan to become a leader soon!"

Tigerclaw dropped his voice to a murmur. "He's a dangerous cat," he muttered. "What if he asks us to kill or injure someone?"

Whitestorm's gaze hardened. "This is treasonous, Tigerclaw. If he asked us to do something as a leader, we'd have to obey. It's part of the warrior code."

Tigerclaw sighed. "I know, I'm just scared."

Whitestorm pressed against Tigerclaw. "What about?" He asked.

"The future of the Clans," Tigerclaw replied, eyes glazing over and staring at something in the far distance. "What will happen when Thistleclaw wreaks havock on all four of them, leaving scars that last forever."