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

The white she cat with black paws ears and an anmber strip up her nose. Sadness filled she cats Amber eyes a haunting look in her eyes as she dragged the limp tattered and broken form of her mother,Ambernose into the camp. Tears fell from her eyes as she solemnly set her mother down in the middle of camp. Tawnypaw's ears were flat against her head. She had made it to the scene to late she had watched the fox run off just as she showed up .

Littlebrook padded out of the warriors den, panic in her eyes, as soon as the three scents of her grandkit, daughter, and death his her nose. No. No, please no. She thought as she rushed out to see the mangled body of her daughter. "Ambernose!" She wailed, rushing to Tawnypaw's and Ambernose's sides. She wrapped her tail comfortingly around her grandkit's shoulder's as tears silently fell from her grief clouded blue gaze. "Oh Ambernose.. How..?" She mumbled into her fur, sniffling softly. "Why?" She whispered softly, voice raw with grief as she glanced up towards the sky. You already took almost everyone else! Why my kit!? She silently screamed at StarClan.

Silentstorm padded into camp after hearing his mother's ear-piercing wail of grief. Oh no. Racing back to camp, he burst through the camp entrance to see what remained of his family gathered around his sister. No. No, not again! "Oh StarClan!" He yowled, voice breaking. He made it to his mother and niece's side, pressing up against them as he buried his muzzle into her fur. "Tell Hazelpaw and Dad hi for me." He whispered to her, taking in a deep, shaky breath.

Tawnypaw ears were flat against her head years streaming from her light amber eyes. She felt that she had failed her mother."I...I couldn't save her"She mewed her voice strained and quiet guilt racketing her body as well as grief."I..I was too late"she said as she stayed close to her mother thankful for her uncle and granmother with her.

Roaringpaw padded out of the medicine cat den happy, optimistic with his progress in learning the hundreds of herbs out there. Soon he'd be ready to be a full medicine cat, he couldn't wait- his stomach dropped with a plummet when he saw it.

The little tom looked at the mound of fur laying out in the clearing with shock. There was matted blood caked everywhere. The pelt didn't move, stinking the air with a reek of death. The body emitted a stale scent that was weirdly like his mother's, which it can't because it doesn't make any sense-

Roaringpaw's thoughts stopped short when he saw Tawnypaw, his eldest sister, crying next to the body.

'This can't be real.' His mind started to spin helplessly, paws frozen. 'That's not mom. I'm just having a really, really bad dream.' His yellow eyes were fixed on Ambernose's body, image burning permanently into his head. 'There's no way she's...'

The medicine cat knew something was wrong when she scented blood.

Honeydrop had just sent Roaringpaw out of the medicine cat den, satisfied that he was finally retaining some knowledge from their lessons together. The day seemed warm and bright, with nothing amiss for once. She'd gotten to watch her sons training with their father, she'd successfully taught her apprentice to heal a torn claw, everything seemed good. Of course, she should have known better than to think that. Especially with her luck.

Running outside at the sickening smell, the ShadowClan medicine cat was stunned to see the limp body of Ambernose on the ground. Her amber eyes were round with disbelief as they gazed at the horrifying scene. She hadn't known the young warrior well, but the loss of any Clanmate was a pain to her. Her heart took another blow when she saw the look in her apprentice's eyes. Of course. She was her mother, wasn't he? Paws numb, she walked over to Roaringpaw, saying nothing. Her slim golden dappled form pressed against his shorter, stockier black one, reassurance in her gaze despite the turmoil she felt inside. ShadowClan had lost another warrior.

Blackpaw padded by the territory, until she'd heard a yowl of sadness, worried, Blackpaw raced to them and saw Ambernose body, with Tawnypaw, Roarnigpaw, Littlebrook and...Silentsorm, she padded with her gaze dropped and gave a cold flick of greeting to Silentstorm.

"I'm sorry, Silentstorm, but she is with Starclan, she won't leave you..." She sat down, away from Silentstorm and anybody else, Blackpaw sighed, she knew what felt to lose someone, even your mother or father, she just stood there, gazing her dead clanmate and feeling sorry 'Ambernose, don't leave your brother please, I pray you...'

Leopardstar heard the crowding cats from the leader's den and stepped outside to see what had happened. At first, he couldn't tell what was going on, but he could see that something bad had happened. When he realized that the cats were gathered around the body of a warrior, his mouth hardened into a thin line and his ears flicked back. Now he recognized the death-scent in the air intermingling with the distinctive smell of fox. Of course... it was fox season, and now he'd have to make certain that all the patrols kept their eyes open and that no cat went out alone. Leopardstar watched his clanmates gather around and made sure not to intrude. He was familiar with this kind of grief and gave the family space to mourn.

"Ambernose was a fine warrior and excellent mentor. I pray that she is at rest now in the paws of StarClan." He said quietly, to no one in particular but just loud enough to be heard by the group. They would be sitting vigil for her during the day.

Ryepaw, who had been hunting fairly close to the camp, walked in through the entrance with his head held high, carrying two large lizards in his jaws. His view was blocked by the scaly animals, so he only heard the large group of cats that was milling about and began to meow proudly around his prizes; "Hey guys, look what I caught! They were just sitting there on a-" As soon as his mouth opened a bit though a dark, threatening scent came to his senses; death. In an instant, the pale ginger tabby let the prey fall from his jaws, and that's when he saw her. The beautiful black pelt and amber stripe he had admired so. Ambernose

"Ambernose! Oh...oh no! W..what happened to her?!" Dashing over to the deceased warrior's side, he instantly noticed the grievous wounds that streaked her body, the mark of a fox. The young tom's icy eyes rounded with sorrow, and glistened with his deep shock. I loved her! I loved her....and now she's gone! Digging his claws into the soil to stop himself from crying aloud, Ryepaw sighed and bent his head to gently touch his nose to her head, forever still and silent.

Tawnypaw ears lifted just slight her gaze looking past her remaining family to her clanmate guilt filled the young she. She would probably continue to blame herself for not catching up to her mother in time. She looked to Ryepaw as he ran to her mother's side she didn't do anything about it though. She just moved closer to the remains of her mother and tried to groom the blood from her fur. She just faintly caught Leopardstar's words.

Echopaw padded out of the apprentice den dozing off blinking against the harsh light of the sun. She mumbled, "What is all this fuss about?"

But her eyes grew wide as she saw her mother laying on the ground and her family huddled near her. Her ears went back tears in her gaze as she rushed over to Ambernose shaking her body. "Ambernose! Ambernose! Mother!" She screamed.

This can't be happening, it just can't! She must be sleeping that's it! Or maybe Ambernose is asleep! But as she leaned in she saw the body wasn't breathing and all of the blood that has been spilled.

Her gaze turned furious her tail fluffed up and her fur bristled. "How dare you let this happen, Tawnypaw! What in Starclan name is wrong with you!" Tears came streaming down her face. "She was our mother why did you let this happen? This is all your fault!"

Tawnypaw's eyes widened ears flattening as she stopped grooming her mother blood caked fur when her sister Echopaw turned on her furious. She felt guilty but that didn't mean her sister could push her around. Furious the small she cat stood up fur fluffing out."I didn't do this I tried to get to her in time you don't think I feel bad enough!!"Tawnypaw hissed.

Roaringpaw faintly felt a familiar pelt brush against his. Though it had probably been meant to comfort him, the little tom in denial took it badly. 'Oh no no no I should not feel that in a dream,' he thought hysterically. 'Maybe this is a really vivid dream sent by Starclan? But where are they if this is a message from them?' The apprentice looked around the clearing of clanmates swarming in to see the body that- can't be his mother, no one precious to him is supposed to die on his watch because that's why he's a medicine cat in the first place-

Leapardstar's words rang in his ears with finality.

The apprentice felt like someone took his heart, scooped it out, and replaced it with a gaping nothingness. He failed. Ambernose died, and he couldn't do anything but stare at it like it was a foreign alien pretending to be her. Roaringpaw watched them, watched everyone run around the body like their grief would bring her back. He felt nothing, a black hole all consuming until his sister showed up and turned to accuse Tawnypaw that it was somehow her fault.

Roaringpaw snapped. "Stop it, just stop it!" He yowled, loud voice echoing in the clearing. He turned to face Tawnypaw. "This isn't your fault, Tawnypaw. I know you did everything you could because the Tawnypaw I know would. If it's anyone's fault...I wish I could've been there to save her," his eyes scrunched up with tears, rage pooling in his stomach as he faced the one cat that he had once considered his best friend, eyes filled with pain glaring straight at Echopaw.  "How could you blame her like that?"

When she heard her brother's voice she paused but the white she cat rounded in her bother fur bristling"you aren't even nearly close enough to blame for it you weren't there"She said a low growl rumbling within the she cats throat. She wasn't herself that was for sure. She turned her light amber gaze focused on Echopaw.

Echopaw fur bristled in challenge to her sister claws unsheathed. She whipped around to Roaringpaw fury in her gaze, "How can it not be her fault! She should have been there! She should have saved our mother she properly watched as Ambernose got torn apart from the fox! Who who knows she might have drawn the fox towards her! How can you stand beside a cat who killed our own mother!" She screamed on top of her lungs her voice echoing through the clearing. Shaking her head she looked down to Ambernose body trembling, there is no way this can be happening. Her stomach felt sick with greif and anger. She did not feel like herself, it was like she was in another cats body as she stared at her mothers dead body.

Tawnypaw fur bristled and claws unsheathed as she hissed"This may be my fault but I didn't kill her When I got there the fox was already tearing at her the only thing I could have done was chased it off you know nothing SISTER you weren't there!!!"She screamed her muscles rippled under her white pelt as she narrowed her amber eyes.