The Amber That Burned Out(open to all of Shadowclan)

"WOAH woah you two, calm down!"  Jumping up from where his head was bowed beside their mother, Ryepaw stepped between the two fighting she-cats, fixing each with a stern glare through narrowed eyes; though his look lingered for longer on Echopaw.  "You need to stop fighting now!  Is this what your mother would've wanted? Please, calm down!  For her sake."  At first when Ambernose had given birth to her children, he had resented them with a passion; they were the living embodiment of his heartbreak.  Over time though, as his feelings had faded, he had begun to like them more and more.  Seeing them fight broke his heart, and he knew that if Ambernose was there she would feel the same.  Flicking his fluffy tail, the warrior-aged apprentice smiled kindly at both of the sisters before stepping away from Ambernose's body.  He could mourn later; he didn't want to interfere more than necessary in family business.

Roaringpaw's eyes widened with disbelief at Echopaw's words. A fresh wave of tears ran down his face, running down his black fur until they dripped with finality onto the ground. He couldn't believe how little Echopaw believed in his own siblings, how she was so willing to cast them away with a flick of her tail. Tawnypaw was their sister, why would she not do anything but her best to save their own mother? The medicine cat apprentice didn't understand why she didn't trust them- trust him anymore- when she was the one who pushed him them away out of nowhere in the first place?!

At Ryepaw's words, the little tom took deep shuddering breaths in as an attempt to calm himself down. His insides screamed with emotional agony and swirled with anger, but there was nothing he could do about it. He wanted to yell and scream at Echopaw. He wanted to leave and get away from all of this, but the tom didn't want to disrespect his...the body lying in the clearing.

Shakily, Roaringpaw stumbled over to the mound of fur and pressed his nose into the flank. He offered no more words, closing his eyes to take in the stale scent of his mother fading more and more. 'Oh Starclan, she's really gone.' The tom felt sharp stab of grief. Slowly but surely, he was starting to process that Ambernose hunts with Starclan now.

Echopaw tail lashed from side to side her jaw in a snarl her claws unsheathed. There were tears in her eyes but she shook her head to get rid of them. At Tawnypaw words she was about to open her mouth to say something when Ryepaw interrupted she gazed at him with fury.

Why are they making her out to be the bad guy here? Why can't they see that Tawnypaw could have done more. Every time her eyes laid on her mothers body her stomach ranked with grief and she tried to look away to look at anything else.

"What Ambernose wanted? Who cares what she would have wanted! She's dead and its all Tawnypaw fault! She should have been there to save her. But no instead she watched it. And yeah I might have no been there but I know you Tawnypaw you only care about yourself you love the attention. Who knows you might have done this entire thing just because you wanted the attention that we are giving to you now!" Her claws dug into the dirt her eyes were murderous and hurt and she stared into Tawnypaw eyes.

Darkpaw, hearing the quarrel, she saw Echopaw and Tawny with a grunt she raced to them and stood in front of Echopaw ''Shut up now! Don't doubt about Starclan!" She growled, slightly more larger than Echopaw, eyes fired in fury.

"Now calm down and don't try to guilt anybody else! It's enough!" She unsheathed her long and sharpnened claws, Darkpaw was ñashing her tail and baring her teeth "Show more respect! Echopaw! Tawnypaw would never want that!Ambernose loved you and all, so don't you dare to say more!"

Fur bristling as she looked at her sister,hurt on the I side but anger boiled deep within her."Really because it looks like who's getting the most attention is you Echopaw!!!"She hissed before she whipped around and pushed her way through her clanmate going back out into the territory anger coming off the she cat in waves.

Roaringpaw's eyes squeezed shut more tightly at the harsh words being thrown around his mother's body. He felt like he lost Ambernose and Echopaw in one instant. The little tom had been hoping that he and his former best friend would eventually figure out their sudden awkwardness and keeping-secrets thing, but now Roaringpaw didn't know if he could forgive her. 'Why Echopaw,' He thought miserably, burrowing further into his mother's cooling fur for even a sliver of comfort, 'Why are you doing this?'

Littlebrook looked up from her daughters body in astonishment as the siblings quarreled. Others tried to stop it, but it wasn't helping and it was going way to far. Shaking her head, she let out a yowl for them to be quiet. "Look at you guys! My grandkits.. You're supposed to be comforting each other and looking out for one another. Not blaming your sister for something she had no control over!" She meowed, blue gaze clouded with anger and sadness as it flicked between the two sisters. "Echopaw. Would you rather be mourning your sister as well? Even if Tawnypaw could have tried to fight the fox off, who says she wouldn't have been killed, too?" She meowed, almost in a whisper, tail lashing behind her. "Right now, especially now, is when you all need to be there for each other. Listen to each other. Love eachother." She paused, glancing between all three siblings. Tawnypaw soon stalked off, and she held off on going after her. She knew her granddaughter would need some time to cool off. "And Echopaw," She started, turning to the black she-cat, "I know you're hurting. We all are. Please don't lash out at the cats who love you because of it." She finished, eyes shimmering with sadness and exhaustion as she laid back down beside her daughter, pressing up against her Silentstorm and Roaringpaw.

Silentstorm glanced up as Blackpaw came over to him and offered comforting words, but instead of comforting him, it sent a pang of sadness through his heart. "Thank you, Blackpaw." He murmured with a pained expression. He knew he didn't love Blackpaw. No matter how much he had tried to, he never got the feelings around Blackpaw that he got around Sparkwillow. He hated breaking Blackpaw's heart, but he had known that he couldn't lead her on so he had broken it off. Ever since then, she had been distant, but he didn't blame her. Sighing sadly, he turned suddenly as yowling broke out. Echopaw was blaming her sister for Ambernose's death when it was clearly nobody's fault. He was about to speak up when Roaringpaw and his mother beat him to it. Nodding silently to his mother's words, he turned back to his sister and curled up next to her once more.

(Time for a brother to pop in)

 Duskpaw had just came back from a moss gathering expedition still grieving over Ambernose. Then, he saw Echopaw. His eyes widened as he saw her. Dashing over dropping his moss and forgetting all about it. "Echopaw! What is going on!" He yowled, trying to keep his usually calm manner. He flicked his tail tip, the only sign off anger or frustration. Then he knew. Echopaw blames Tawnypaw! Oh my Starclan! He looked at his brother, Roaringpaw, and gave a look that said 'what should we do'.

Shaking his head he padded over to the body lying in the middle of camp. He lay down by it and started to lick the fast cooling pelt. Ambernose why did you have to go? Why couldn't you stay! After a few strokes of his tongue, he buried his face into her fur whispering goodbye.

Echopaw spat at Darkpaw, "Oh really? Show some respect to who? Tawnypaw killed Ambernose. Ambernose is already with Starclan."

Then she turned to Tawnypaw, "Only because I'm finally calling you out. Or maybe you just don't like it when somebody else gets all the attention? You always got what you wanted. You became apprentice before the rest of us! We should have been apprentice together!" Her tail lashed from side to side and her claws unsheathed digging into the dirt. When Tawnypaw turned and walked back outside she hufted, "Yeah you better run you murderer! Foxheart!"

Echopaw glanced away not wanting to look at Ambernose body anymore, but she knew she had to be here so she padded away but she could still here Littlebrook. She was beyond hurting inside how can no one see this is all Tawnypaw fault are they all that stupid? It had to be her fault.

"Yes she had full control over it! She should have been by her side as she faced the fox and helped Ambernose run away. But no she stayed there and watched as our mother got torn apart." She glanced to her paws then mumbled, "At least it won't have been Ambernose." She looked up to Littlebrook again, "How can I love a cat who killed my mother!"

Darkpaw was starting to loose her limbs "DON'T YOU DARE TO BLAME AGAIN TAWNYPAW! AT LEAST YOU COULD KNOW YOUR MOTHER, BECAUSE MOST OF US DIDN'T!" Her fur was bristled making her see twice her normal size.

''I know what I'm saying, no one here is a killer Echopaw!" The black she-cat snarled.

Duskpaw stared at Darkpaw with an astonished look. Padding over to Darkpaw, he started to stroke his den mate's back with his tail. "It's Ok Darkpaw. Calm down. Echopaw's mind is just clouded by grief at the moment. Everything will be fine." Duskpaw was glaring at his sibling the whole time he was talking to Darkpaw. Echopaw how could you be so, so cruel? You used to be one of the nicest, fun-est cat I ever knew! What ever happened to you? Looking away Duskpaw continued to comfort his friend. He knew that his sister was definitely full of grief, or at least he hoped that was what was changing his sister....

Darkpaw looked at him, with a coldness of ice "Oh yeah! HAD SHE EVER SEEN THE BLOOD DRIPPING FROM THE THROAT OF YOUR PARENTS AND BROTHERS?! DOES SHE HAD SEEN THE BLOODSHED?! DOES SHE HAD FEEL LIKE MILES OF CLAWS SLASHING YOUR FACE ALL THE TIME?!" She growled, as an angered lion.

"NO! SHE HAVES YOU AND TAWNYPAW! WHAT I HAVE?! NOTHING!" She spat once again, not caring if other cats snapped at her.

Duskpaw flinched back at the she-cat's sudden outburst. His eyes grew wide and then softened to a sad look as he looked back up at her. "Darkpaw.... I am so sorry..I didn't know...I don't wish that kind of sadness on anyone. But...you know. You have me? Right? And your other friends." He stared into Darkpaw's eyes with a comforting look then gave a weak smile. He tried to cheer her up as well as himself with that smile. Then he recalled her words a couple moments before. 'No! She has you and Tawnypaw!' He flicked his tail a couple times and then looked over at his sister.

 Duskpaw glared at Echopaw with an icy, cold stare. "No Darkpaw. She may not have me. And I may not have her. I don't know who she is anymore. She used to be adventurous and fun, but now....she has accused her own sister of the murder of our mother. How can I back up a sibling like that?" He spoke to Darkpaw with a low tone so only she could hear, never letting her eyes off of Echopaw. The old Echo is now buried under this new one. I know it. I hope that I just haven't lost my sister forever.....

Snakeblaze watched in disbelief as siblings turned against each other, because of their mother lying there, dead. Anger rose inside him as he watched Tawnypaw run. Where was she going? Probably somewhere to think and get away. It doesn't matter, kin are still at each others throats. He would have to end this. He walked over and sniffed out the source of Ambernose's wounds. He traced it to a large red gap, certainly something an apprentice couldn't do.

He turned his head to Echopaw. "Stop this madness!" his voice rang across the clearing. "Echopaw, there is nothing to prove that Tawnypaw would kill her own mother. Just look at Ambernose's body. She reeks of fox, her wounds are to large for an apprentice to make. Then look at Tawnypaw's pawprints. They too reek of fox, and there wasn't any cat blood in her mouth or on her claws. The only blood was a foxes dark and thick blood." 

Darkpaw, now more angered lashed her tail and hit the ground with her front paw "SHE IS YOUR KIN! AND LEAST YOU HAVE A MOTHER, A SISTER AND A FATHER! ALL MY KIN IS DEAD! SO, AT LEAST THANK YOU HAVE A FAMILY!" With her last words Darkpaw her ears flattened, claws unsheathed, fur bristled, baring teeth and cold eyes.

The black apprentice turned crossly, and walked to the camp, her rage burning on her black pelt.