Conflagration [A Warrior Cats AU]

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Mistyfoot stared at her mother and Thistlestar in horror. Bluestar was dead. Thistlestar had drowned her multiple times and then murdered her. She staggered. "Bluestar!" She yowled, racing over to the she-cat and burying her muzzle in her fur. "Please don't go..."

Thistlestar stared down at the grieving queen coldly. He flicked his tail and turned to address the Clans. "Bluestar is dead!" He yowled. "ThunderClan has won!"

Even ThunderClan cats looked nervous and reluctant as they cheered for their Clan. Willowpelt glared from across the clearing at Whitestorm, who stared back with a hint of hurt in his eyes. Mistyfoot sunk her claws into the ground and leapt at the white tom from behind, knocking him over. "How dare you!" She screeched. "You were her kin!"

Whitestorm looked up at her angrily. "She was no kin of mine! She left me," he growled.

Mistyfoot could hardly believe what she was hearing. "She cared for you when your mother died! She taught you to love and show kindness!"

Whitestorm scowled. "She definitely showed love when she left her kin and friends in ThunderClan," he hissed. "You wouldn't understand, you were only a kit."

Mistyfoot's eyes lit up with rage and she pressed a paw on his throat. Whitestorm looked up at her, surprised, and Mistyfoot nearly clawed out his throat. But a flash of ginger knocked her over and away from the white warrior. Mistyfoot got to her paws and glared at Firepaw, an apprentice of ThunderClan. 

Darkstripe stalked next to the former kittypet, giving him an approving glance. "Thistlestar!" He yowled, tail tip twitching. "I think Firepaw has definitely earned his name today!"

Thistlestar nodded with a smile. "Take the half-clan cats to the prisoners' den. Firepaw, step forward."

Mistyfoot heard Firepaw become Fireblaze as she was rushed to the elders' den with Mossdapple, thrown in and watching as cats began to stand guard. She stared into Mossdapple's dull eyes in confusion. "Wheres Stonefur?"

Mossdapple let out a sob. "He's dead."

Mistyfoot's eyes widened and she let out a loud, grieving wail. Mossdapple closed her eyes and pressed against her sister, laying her head on her shoulder. Mistyfoot felt herself dozing off and sighed. 

--

Mistyfoot woke up to Fireblaze nudging her out of the den. "Both of you, get out," he meowed coldly, tail tip twitching. "It's time for your execution."

Usually, Mistyfoot would shove and fight to not be killed by Thistlestar, but she found herself agreeing and padding out of the den. If I die here, she thought sadly, I could join Bluestar and Stonefur.

In the clearing, Thistlestar looked down on her on a small pile of bones. It was now the afternoon and the sun was high in the sky. Mistyfoot dipped her head. "If you're going to kill us, do it quick," she meowed quietly.

Reedpaw burst out of the crowd with a wail. "You can't!" He yowled, staring at her pleadingly. "I need you! Don't die!"

Mistyfoot sighed. "What's the point?" She meowed quietly. "Bluestar, Stonefur and RiverClan are dead. You'll stay strong for me, right?"

Reedpaw swiped at her with a paw. "Why won't you stand up for yourself and fight?!" He protested, looking distressed. 

Mistyfoot sighed. "Why should I? No matter what I do, my family and home are gone."

Reedpaw's eyes flashed with anger. "I'm your family! And so is Mossdapple! And your Clan is still here! Please, Mistyfoot!"

Mistyfoot stared at him, and then unsheathed her claws. "Okay."

From up on the bonehill, Thistlestar let out a snort of laughter. "Oh no! I'm not going to kill you! I'm going to send you and your sister off to exile, to live on your own away from the Clans."

Mistyfoot took a step back, unsure if she felt relieved or terrified. Thistlestar's eyes glittered. "Spottedleaf can escort you off of our territory," he finished. 

Reedpaw stared at Mistyfoot in horror as Spottedleaf nudged her forward. "You'll visit, right?" He whimpered.

Thistlestar let out a mrrow of amusement. "Of course she won't! If either of them are seen on our territory, they will be killed on sight. Capiche?"

Mistyfoot opened her jaws to protest, then thought better of it, nodding and hanging her head. "Yes, Thistlestar."

Mossdapple pressed against her as Spottedleaf fixed her with a glare. "You're a medicine cat," Mossdapple murmured, looking terrified. "You have to help us!"

Spottedleaf looked away. "My loyalties are to Thistlestar," she mewed simply. "Not to a former medicine cat and her sister. But I will give you some travelling herbs for your journey."

Mistyfoot relaxed as Spottedleaf nudged a bundle of herbs towards her and her sister. "It may taste... bitter, but it will help you."

Mistyfoot glanced at her sister. This is it, she thought despondently. We're about to leave the Clans forever, never to return or see Reedpaw. Bluestar and Stonefur are dead, and all we have is each other. We're about to leave everything we've ever known and everything we've ever loved in our lives.

Mossdapple seemed to be thinking the same, her eyes dull and sad as she bent down to lap up the herbs. Mistyfoot was about to do the same until she saw a familiar blue-grey shape stalk up behind the bonehill, blue eyes glinting. Not wanting to seem suspicious, she bent down next to Mossdapple. The herbs won't do anything, so we can eat them before...

"Wait-" Mossdapple yowled, recoiling. But Mistyfoot was about to eat the herbs. "Mistyfoot, get back! There are deathberries!"

Mistyfoot stopped, looking at her herb bundle and seeing the glint of the red berries. She looked up, furious, at Spottedleaf. "You were going to poison us!" She yowled.

From up on the bonehill, Thistlestar prepared to leap at one of the two sisters. But then a flash of blue-grey pounced on him from behind and Mistyfoot wanted to scream out her name and give her licks and nuzzles.

The two cats wrestled on the ground until the blue-grey cat was pinning Thistlestar down. She stepped off, pelt muddy and scarred, and stared at him with furious and icy blue eyes. She let the tom up before speaking.

"I'm here to stop you," Bluestar meowed coldly.