Work Text:
Firestar’s heart stops as rows of strange cats wearing collars with teeth stand side by side with RiverClan and ShadowClan. Who were these strange cats? Where did Tigerstar find them? They’ve definitely weren’t clan cats? Nor any kind of loner, rogue, or kittypet he had ever seen before?
“So, Tigerstar?” he meowed forcing his voice to remain steady. “Do you want to tell us who your new friends are?”
“This is BloodClan!” Tigerstar called. “They come from Twolegplace. I’ve brought them to the forest to persuade you foolish cats to join with me! I knew you wouldn’t have the sense to agree on your own.”
From all around him, Firestar heard hisses of rage rumble through the ThunderClan and WindClan warriors. Vaguely, he heard Thornclaw whisper about the rogue’s scent he smelt the day he was made a warrior.
Tigerstar went onto explain how he planned to share the forest with BloodClan, how the forest would be ruled by two clans rather than four. His hunger for power had twisted him into a monster, something Firestar had always known, but still filled his heart with dismay. Despite everything, he still hoped that things wouldn’t turn out this way.
As Firestar called Tigerstar out for every crime he has ever committed in front of all four clans and the mystery cats, he noticed movement coming from the BloodClan warriors. Firestar could feel every hair on his pelt tingling as two familiar cats strode to stand by Tigerstar side. On his left, he heard Dustpelt gasp.
A huge black and white tom covered in scars, almost as big as Tigerstar, stood on the tyrant’s left side. A little ways behind him on his right, stood a smaller sleek-furred black tom with white on his chest and tail. Scars adorned his face, running from the top of his skull to the bottom.
Confused, angry murmurs filled the clearing from the ThunderClan warriors. “Is that-?” “I thought he died.” “Why would he side with Tigerstar?” On and on it went until he heard Dustpelt quietly mumble out, “Ravenpaw?”
Tigerstar either didn’t notice or didn’t acknowledge that the former ThunderClan apprentice was standing behind him as he ordered BloodClan to attack. Yet no cat moved. Firestar watched as Barley titled his head to look at his former friend, who wore the nastiest smile he’d ever seen on the black cat.
“Aw, poor Tigerstar. He thinks he’s in charge here, doesn’t he, Bones?” Tigerstar whipped around to face his former apprentice. The ShadowClan leader’s eyes widen as if he had seen a ghost. So, he hadn’t known, Firestar thought.
“My warriors are not yours to command,” the black tom continued. He and Barley began circling the tabby. “They will attack when I tell them, and not before.”
Tigerstar regained his composure quickly. The look Tigerstar gave him was incredulous and filled with rage. Of course, he would still see the mousy apprentice Ravenpaw once was and not the dangerous force that stood before him.
“Why would Ravenpaw side with Tigerstar?” Graystripe asked from beside the orange leader. “He was terrified of him. What he did to Redtail…”
“I don’t know,” Firestar whispered back. “I’m not even sure if that’s what going on here.”
Without warning, Dustpelt ran forward towards the menacing cats. “Dustpelt!” Firestar roared at his warrior.
Ravenpaw’s head turned at Firestar’s call. His face brightened as his eyes landed on his brother’s rapidly moving form. “Bones! Snapper! Keep an eye on this one! I’m going to have a chat with my brother.”
Tigerstar attempts to stop the smaller tom, but he’s blocked by a long-furred, brown, black, and white tom. Scars adorn the new cat’s head and chest. Barley moves closer to Tigerstar as Ravenpaw trots towards the ThunderClan warrior.
Dustpelt rams into his brother as they meet in the middle of the clearing. Firestar continues to watch as the brothers wrap their heads around each other. The ThunderClan leader can’t make out what the two are saying. It would be touching if everything else about the situation wasn’t so stressful.
Firestar’s stomach clenched as he moved towards the brothers. From behind him, Firestar could hear his warriors hissing for him to come back. The prophecy that Bluestar warned him about rang in his ears. Would Ravenpaw really harm his former clanmates? It didn’t seem so. Not with the way he was acting.
“Greetings, Ravenpaw,” Firestar said as he approached. Ravenpaw’s violet eyes opened to stare at his former friend. The look he was giving the ThunderClan leader certainly didn’t feel hostile.
“Hello, Fireheart. It’s been too long old friend,” the BloodClan leader greeted. “Or is it Firestar now?”
“It is. I see you’ve been busy since I last saw you.”
“You could say that.”
“You knew he was alive?!” Dustpelt screeched. “I thought my brother was dead, and you never said anything!”
“Don’t blame him, brother. I asked him to keep my wear abouts secret,” Ravenpaw placated. “I wasn’t safe in ThunderClan. Not after I witnessed Tigerstar kill Redtail. The fewer cats who knew the better.”
“You should have told me,” the brown tabby growled. “I would have kept you safe.”
“And I would never have risked your life to keep mine.”
“Scourge!”
The three toms turned to see Tigerstar barreling towards them. All three warriors got ready for the attack, though it never came. Barley tackled the ShadowClan leader to the ground. Tigerstar was spitting in rage.
“Let him up, Bones. I want to hear what this mangy piece of fox dung has to say.” Firestar and Dustpelt shared a look. Neither tom have ever heard such venom in the black cat’s voice.
“We had agreement with you, Ravenpaw.” Tigerstar’s voice turned mocking at the black cat’s name.
“It’s Scourge now,” the BloodClan leader interrupted.
“I care not for what you call yourself!” the scarred tabby growled. “Fight beside me now and you’ll have all I offered you.”
“My clan and I fight when I choose,” Ravenpaw – Scourge – informed. In a louder voice, he addressed the rest of the clearing. “There will be no battle today! BloodClan, we’re going home!” He and Barley – Bones – walk towards their clan.
Tigerstar’s fur bristled with rage, and his tail whipped from side to side. “Traitor!” he called. He leapt at Scourge with his claws extended. Firestar and Dustpelt rushed to defend the smaller cat. Both knew the strength in Tigerstar’s muscles.
However, Scourge and Bones whipped to the side, avoiding Tigerstar as he landed. It seemed like the cats had been expecting it. No, reveling in what was about to happen. When the massive tabby turned to face him, Scourge lashed out with his front paws. The pale leafbare sun glinted unnaturally on the tips of each talon. Firestar felt his blood run cold. Scourge’s claws were reinforced with long, sharpened dog’s teeth.
One blow from Bones unbalanced Tigerstar, knocking him to the ground with his belly exposed. Scourge’s claws dug into his throat. Blood flowed from the wound as Scourge continued down the larger cat’s stomach with a single slash.
The sound. The awful sound Tigerstar made would haunt him for the rest of his life.
Tigerstar lost his first life. Then his second. Then his third. The entire clearing watched as all nine of Tigerstar’s lives were ripped away from him one by one, the wound too terrible. Not a single cat moved.
Firestar’s eyes followed Scourge as he made his way closer to the almost deceased cat. He whispered something in the dying cat’s ear though the orange tom could not make it out. He then raised himself up to look at his brother. “We will be leaving now. You should come with us, Dustpelt.”
The brown tabby said nothing. He only looked over his shoulder to what Firestar assumed was Ashpaw and Fernpaw. “I can’t,” he answered before turning back around. “They need me. You could come back with us, though.”
Scourge sighed. “I can’t,” he repeated. Without looking, he swept his tail towards the BloodClan warriors. “They need me.” Scourge padded over to his brother, wrapping around the brown tom again. “I love you, brother. We will meet again. I promise you that.”
Firestar watched as his friend made his way out of the clearing with the rest of BloodClan. As he continued to watch, he felt Dustpelt bump into him. “I will continue to be civil with you,” the brown tom growled lowly. “But don’t think I can forgive you for this. If you ever lie to me about something that involves my family again, I’ll make sure you regret it.”
Dustpelt headed back towards ThunderClan and WindClan. They won today. But Firestar still feels like a loser.