Conflagration [A Warrior Cats AU]

Chapter Twenty Nine

Bluestar's ears flattened against her head as she watched the scene in front of her fold out. Thistleclaw standing over Sunstar with a grin on his face, Whitestorm looking over at the two from another rock with a cold, emotionless look on his face and Tigerclaw looking reluctant and bored, coughing and looking for intruders. His eyes met Bluestar's and he let out a cry of surprise. "Bluestar!"

Thistleclaw looked up from where he was, confused, and Sunstar kicked him off. He leapt off the rocks and tried to run away, but Tigerclaw stopped him with a snarl. "You're not leaving until you leave for StarClan."

Bluestar hissed and charged at Thistleclaw. "How dare you attempt murder on your leader! You'll be exiled for this!" She yowled.

Thistleclaw leapt out of the way neatly, a sneer plastered on his face. "Oh, Bluestar. Attempted isn't an efficient word. I'd say a more fitting phrase is succeeded."

Bluestar watched with wide eyes as Thistleclaw spun around and leapt at Sunstar from behind, tackling the tom with a snarl. "Soon ThunderClan won't be weak!" He jeered, digging his claws into the ginger tom's back. Sunstar struggled to free himself of the tom's strong grip. 

"Traitor! I knew I never should have made you my deputy!" He yowled, glaring up at the tom with hatred in his gaze.

Thistleclaw snickered, eyes batting innocently as he pushed the leader's head into the ground. "Sunstar, you should know," he meowed sweetly. "I have a way of getting what I want. Ambition to be a leader is a good thing, right?"

Sunstar let out a snort of laughter, the only thing betraying his fake glee was the rage in his eyes that exposed the sarcasm in his chortle. "Ambition to be a leader is great, but you have too much, Thistleclaw. You want to rule the whole forest, and I've been blind before now! Why did I believe you'd be a fair leader after me?!"

Thistleclaw let out a cackle. "I also wonder why, but I'm not complaining! Now it will be time for me to become ThunderClan's leader! Your time is up, and I will rule the four Clans!"

Bluestar stepped forward to interfere, but Whitestorm blocked the way. "This isn't your business. Leave and don't tell anyone what has happened here."

Bluestar hacked, staggering and staring up at her nephew with terrified eyes. "There's a fire! You need to get out, you fluff-brains!" 

Whitestorm blinked, looking wary and about to collapse. "I can tell. But I've been ordered to stay here by Thistleclaw, and since he will soon be our leader, I cannot disobey him."

Bluestar's gaze was pleading as she stared at the white warrior. "I don't want any of you to die. Please, come to the sunningrocks!"

Whitestorm curled his lip and showed his teeth. "Someone's going to die," he hissed, motioning with his head to the fight scene happening behind him.

Bluestar snarled. "You're not even going to do anything to stop it!" She screeched, bowling over her nephew and pinning him to the ground with a fiery gaze. "What happened to the wise and peacemaking nephew I raised?!"

Whitestorm spat at her, eyes full of fury. "You left me," he snarled. "My father is all I have. He's made a plan, and I'm helping him. I love him so much and I know he loves me too!"

Bluestar snickered. "Think again. Thistleclaw loves no-one. The only cat he ever had feelings for was Snowfur."

Whitestorm's gaze was cold. "And you caused her to die."

Bluestar recoiled, words choking in her throat. "I didn't- I mean- there were ShadowClan warriors!" She spluttered, confusion and terror filling her stomach. "I didn't cause her to die!"

Whitestorm's amber eyes narrowed, and he pushed her off with ease. "If you don't leave now," he meowed softly, nothing betraying the rage Bluestar guessed burned under his cool gaze. "I'll tell everyone what actually happened. You led her into a trap, saying there were ShadowClan warriors on your territory, and chased her onto the thunderpath."

A small smile appeared on Whitestorm's face, one that typically would be kind and caring, but in this situation was as terrifying as the moment when she found Snowfur dead.

"I didn't kill her," she choked out. 

Whitestorm shrugged. "You didn't if you leave. But if you continue to meddle, I'll have to tell everyone the truth."

Bluestar refused to back away, her voice hardening. "No. I will not back down, Whitestorm. Let me past."

Whitestorm scoffed sarcastically. "Of course I will-"

His words were cut off by a scream of terror and pain. Whitestorm's head jerked around and Bluestar sprinted past him, tackling Thistleclaw so he couldn't hurt the leader anymore. She pinned him down by the throat, making him choke. She kept her paws squarely on his throat. "If ThunderClan loses their leader, they lose their deputy as well," she hissed. 

Thistleclaw's eyes were wide in terror and beginning to glaze over. She didn't stop for a second until she heard a gasp from Whitestorm, her grip loosening. The world in front of Bluestar began to blur and fade to black, but she shook the black blots from her vision. Thistleclaw would die right here and right now. 

She could hear Sunstar behind her as his shallow and sharp breaths faded away. Sunstar was dead, and if she didn't kill Thistleclaw right now, he'd become the leader of ThunderClan.

Bluestar began to hack. She sunk her claws into the grey tom's throat. He was going to die, and to her claws.

Her grip loosened once more. She would be the obvious culprit for Thistleclaw's murder. Whitestorm and Tigerclaw would have clear evidence she killed him. She'd be driven out and even more, cats would hate her.

Her grip tightened around his throat again. If she was forced to leave because of an evil cat dying to her claws, then so be it. The Clans would be safe from the grey tom's wrath and ambition. She'd have to leave and become a loner, but she'd know the Clans were in safe paws.

Thistleclaw was almost dead. The minutes Bluestar spent debating in her head whether or not to kill the deputy was only a few moments. Thistleclaw stared up at her with surprise in his eyes, eyes dulling.

Bluestar would have continued, but she collapsed and fell unconscious from the smoke burning in her lungs.