Too soon (open)

Dragging the blood soaked, limp body of Poplarstar into camp, his lungs heaved at every step and his muscles screamed for him to stop. Breathing heavily, Tinylegs set down the cold leader in the center of the clearing, the scent of blood quickly consuming the once still air. Not too long ago that morning, the small tom had been on a patrol, enjoying the abundance of prey and health in SkyClan, when he'd been unfortunate enough to cross paths with a sight he hoped to never see again. Poplarstar, mauled and killed by what seemed to be a dog. Nothing else could possibly have done something so horrific to a cat, but what was done was done, and here he was, the one who had to break the news to the clan.

"SkyC-Clan!" Tinylegs attempted to yowl but ended up choking on his words, his throat tightening up as he spoke and tears filling his eyes, making it hard to see. "Something... has happened," the small deputy mewed, his last words turning into a whisper. In these few moments, he felt the weakest that he'd felt in a long time, which was saying something. He wasn't ready to face his clan, to tell them what he believed had happened. To tell them that their leader who'd just become a leader had been brutally killed. He wasn't only nervous about breaking the news to them, but now... he was in charge. He'd been deputy twice now, and knew that he was more than capable of leading SkyClan, but even so, something deep down inside him was still settling uneasy, and he couldn't quite put a paw on what or why it was there...

Hearing struggled yowls, Lionpaw obviously wanted to be first to defend his clan. Going outside of the apprentices den, he clearly spent no time grooming his fur since sunrise. He shrieked in horror as he saw the dead, bloody body of his brother. Racing to Tinylegs he demanded answers. "Who did this?! As soon as I find who or what did it I will make them pay!!"

There was always so much blood in the end.

Poppysong had bled. Crowstar had bled. Rippedstar had bled. No matter how they died, blood was always there. The foul scent of heated rust and decaying flesh made Elmcloud's being pulsate with nausea, his mind frothing with a plethora of unpleasant memories. Watching as the small Deputy struggle to drag the bedraggled form of Poplarstar back into the sanctity of camp, his features pinched with a forlorn expression. He had been a Warrior since well before Poplarstar had even been born, and yet he had outlived him as well. Casting his gaze in the opposite direction, Elmcloud refused to gaze upon the scene unfolding before him.

How could this keep happening?

Hawkstrike padded towards the barely recognizable corpse of Poplarstar with a neutral gaze. Unlike probably most cats, the smell and sight of blood wasn’t exactly something the tom was scared or even nervous to behold, and hardened by his training, he had come to grow almost immune to even the most brutal murders.

He just flicked his ear a bit as the cats started to gather, and with a soft sigh he turned to face the nearest cat which happened to be Elmcloud “Go to the nursery, tell the queens to keep their kits inside…no kit should see a cat, even less our leader, like this. They are too young” He knew he wasn’t a leader nor deputy and his authority was low, but he would be lying if he said he didn’t noticed the rather sickly expression that came from facing such sight and smells on his fellow warrior. Maybe this wouldn’t only help to keep the innocence of the kits intact, but also to help him keep what he ate earlier in his stomach as well.

After giving out the instructions he turned to face Tinylegs “What happened?” Most cats probably would assume his sudden seriousness was his own way of mourning…but in all honesty he didn’t feel a thing. Yes, he was loyal to Poplarstar and respected him as leader, but the now deceased cat never had managed to form any kind of bond with him, nothing that would make him miss him nor mourn his departure. The last cat that had achieved such a feat had died a couple moons ago, and at times he couldn’t help but look up at the stars in hopes to see him between them.

This had caused way too many conflicts within the tom. His loyalty was still with the Dark Forest…but he found himself at times wishing to be able to see Crowstar again, even if that meant having to face that scourge that was StarClan.

The yowl of Tinylegs, called Darkpaw from her duties. The she-cat padded out of the den and into the clearing, a smile on her maw. Then the scent of blood hit her nose like a brick wall. It was thick and heavy and unfortunately, a scent the young she-cat had known so well. It was the scent she'd smelt when her father's bedraggled body had been dragged into camp. Her gut twisted up and Darkpaw begged to StarClan that it wasn't one of her siblings. Her eyes caught sight of the body, and soon her paws were rushing towards Tinylegs. Relief washed through her when she realised her family was safe, but it was quickly followed with a wave of grief. SkyClan lost another leader all to soon. The apprentice turned her head to look at the deputy, then back at Poplarstar's body.

The sharp scent of blood in the air was the first sign that anything was wrong. Even before Tigerleaf opened her eyes, ominous tendrils of dread were creeping up her spine. The young she-cat lay at the edges of the camp, her striped tail held close against her side. Just moments ago, she had been dozing lightly, but she was awake now. What was going on? For a few seconds, she debated on opening her eyes. A cat screeched out as if to confirm her worse fears. Immediately, her bright golden eyes snapped open, and she sprung to her paws. The first thing she noticed was the blood. The warrior standing in the center of camp had to be Tinylegs. There was no one else with legs that short. However, the body on the ground took her a moment longer to recognize. The amount of blood made it hard to tell what color the fur originally was... No. He had only just become SkyClan's leader. He had nine lives. This couldn't be happening again.

Tigerleaf's breath hitched in her throat as she recognized the body as Poplarstar's. How had SkyClan lost three leaders over the span of a few moons? As she drew closer to the fallen leader, the deep wounds that lacerated his flesh became obvious. Just like Rippedstar's. Ice rushed from her head to the tip of her tail at the realization. Had a dog done this?

Horror was written all over the ginger warrior. Rage and sorrow soon joined up alongside the horror causing Blazingfire to collapse and place his head on his paws. Why were Skyclan's leaders leaving them? Why did his clan have this unforgiving curse on them? His paws raked the ground, hoping it would open up and swallow him whole. He was as proud as he ever could be when his brother was announced deputy. He beamed and chanted Poplar's name with the rest of the clan. His brother's reign as Skyclan's new leader had been cut short by the winds of fate. Fate was cruel. That was the cold fact. He heard his apprentice and brother, Lionpaw, demanding answers. He couldn't bother to get up from his current position to hold back Lionpaw. He just layed there in disbelief and anguish.

Mistypaw rushed towards Tinylegs, a look of distress on her face. Poplarstar's empty body lay before her, cold and still. "What... what happened?" she breathed, almost not believing what she was seeing. How could her leader be dead, after only living for such a short time? Didn't he have 9 lives? How could one accident cost him every last one? A single tear slipped from her eye, and she slowed as she neared her deputy. She took a deep breath, now hanging back a little bit to allow her Clanmates to share tongues with their leader for the last time before she took her turn.

Listening to the worried questions, Tinylegs stayed quiet as he waited for the chatter to die down before he continued. "Today, SkyClan has lost a clanmate, mentor, and l-leader," he began, trying his hardest not to choke on his words as his throat tightened up.  "While I don't know exactly what happened, I presume that he was killed by a dog, and maybe even the same one that killed Rippedstar. But, no matter what did this, what is done is done, and Poplarstar has made his way to StarClan. I will be the new leader of SkyClan and will go to the Moonstone to receive my new name as soon as possible. But, until then, Let us share tongues with our leader one last time before we begin his burial," the small deputy finished softly and sat down by Poplarstar's body. He hadn't known the tom for too long, but even so, he knew that he was a strong and loyal leader, one in which he aspired to be like. 'I'll take good care of SkyClan, I promise,' Tinylegs thought to himself before he closed his eyes so he didn't have to look at the lifeless body anymore.

Nightstorm watched in shock as Poplarstar's body was dragged in by the short-legged deputy, beaten and broken, never to awake.  How...how could this happen?  We have lost so many leaders in the past moons...all to such bloody ends.  His green eyes gleaming with sorrow, the jet-black tom stepped forward to pay his respects to the young leader, nose gently touching his still shoulder.  "Rest well, Poplarstar...you were too young..."  After a moment, he stepped away and gazed at Tinylegs.  So he was to be the next leader of SkyClan... he bent his head in acceptance.  Though they had never spoken, he trusted in Poplarstar's judgment, and he seemed to be an experienced warrior.  Please...don't leave us too soon.

---

Fernpetal was shocked, but not sad.  If anything, she was relieved; at least now her clan wouldn't be led by a strict, stick-in-the-mud idiot, but she understood her clanmate's grief and concerns.  They had lost so many leaders, many of which she still missed, though she would never say that.  In her mind though, this was just proving the point she had been so adamant on for so many moons.  Cats only had one life to spend.  Crowstar had just been a fluke, an odd occurrence.  It wasn't real, because StarClan wasn't real.

Stepping forward, she gazed down at Poplarstar with an unflinching expression, before gazing around with the beginnings of a triumphant smirk on her maw.  "Geez...how could he have been killed in one blow?  It's as if he only had one life."  She didn't linger to gloat on her pointed remark, retreating into the shadows of the warrior's den.  Her grandfather was to become the new leader...maybe she could make him see sense someday, along with the rest of her brainwashed clan.

Tigerleaf bowed her head upon hearing Tinylegs's words. Had StarClan forseen this? Was this all part of their plan? Why had they allowed this to happen? Poplarstar was still young; he could have led SkyClan for countless more moons. It was hard to believe that all nine of his lives had been ripped away by a dog. Then again, it had been the same with Rippedstar. She exhaled shakily, lifting her gaze from her paws. The fluffy leader's torn body entered her vision again. She had to fight the urge to look away from the gruesome sight. "Sleep well, Poplarstar." She murmured. In StarClan…

Would Tinylegs lead SkyClan now? The tom was so small, his legs so short. She knew that he was probably a capable tom to have been appointed deputy, but being a leader was more than being able to make good decisions. Could he really lead SkyClan in a battle? What would the other clans say when they saw him on the Great Rock the next gathering?

If Tinylegs didn't lead SkyClan, however, then who would? Through the haze of the questions and worries, the young she-cat felt lost. What does the future hold for SkyClan?