Delivered in Darkness (CLAN MEETING)

With Mistyrain and Mintwhisker on either side of him, Tinystar made his way back into camp in silence, his head and tail hung low. The once dimly lit evening sky above was as dark as night itself, with not a star twinkling in the vast black. It was all so... unreal. Lichenmask's prophecy had seemingly come true, casting darkness across the land, and a life had already been brutally taken. How could a cat be so curved from the truth? Not to mention all of his followers... how could they possibly follow such a faulty cat?

Shivering at the sudden memory of Littlestar's ripped open body bleeding before him and the other leaders, he feared how many more lives would be lost in such a way. No, he wouldn't let any heathen lay a paw on his clan, no matter what Lichenmask had warned. He would fight to the death if he had to. 'Anything to protect them,' he thought to himself.

On top of all of the violence he'd witnessed tonight, StarClan had been said to have deserted the clans, but even so, Tinystar wasn't going to lose faith in them so easily. He'd made a promise to Pansyface and himself that he'd never lose faith and hope in the stars above, so he was determined to keep that promise. Besides, there must have been a reason for StarClan's absence, and he wasn't going to believe for a second that Antdrop and his family would want such things for him and the clans. Lichenmask was wrong about everything, he was sure of it.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather bellow Tallbranch for a clan meeting!" Tinystar yowled, jumping up to the branch above. While the RiverClan's savage actions had shaken the gathered cats to the core just minutes ago and while Littlestar was gone, which was a true calamity, the abnormally stout tom wouldn't let that prevent him from his duties as leader. Which, unfortunately meant gathering the clan together to tell them the reason for the sudden darkness that blanketed the sky.

The first thing Darkflower noticed was the darkness. The night was still, and not a single star glittered overhead. The moon was almost completely covered, and it seemed to be emitting an eerie red glow, tinting the Earth below of the same bloody crimson. Something was very wrong. It was all so unnatural, it didn't belong.

Darkflower, slowly approached the Tallbranch, eyes trained on the reddened ground, beneath her paws. Each step was solemn, as she prepared herself for bad news, something she'd become accustomed to. there was rarely any good news within SkyClan, and this trend of bad news seemed to be passing onto the other clans, like some sort of disease.

The tuxedo warrior settled down beneath the branch, head hung. She lifted her head to meet TinyStar's gaze, but he adorned the same somber expression. She dropped her gaze back to the ground. This was definitely not good.

Slatepaw is pushed along towards the gathering, she had been in a haze since everything when down. Slatepaw has heard rumours going around, but she was quite curious into what the real reason for all this commotion. She’s been on the down low for most of her life, only now starting to understand what it means to be, becoming  a great cat. She waited bellow the Tallbranch with Darkflower, for her fellow clanmates to arrive. Slatepaw felt many emotions like; guilt, stress, frustration and sadness, she didn’t understand why she could feel these emotions, maybe because the atmosphere has been depressed lately. The bloodish moon light shine down on Slatepaw and the ground. The air was full of a dark matter, that fills her lungs with every heavy breath. She sat quietly, her head hanging low. Slatepaw could sense the stearin graze of TinyStar, yet she still continue to hang her head low, breathing heavy.

”This doesn’t feel right...Darkflower...” Slatepaw meowed quietly to Darkflower.

Slatepaw ~ Skyclan✨||

Tigerleaf had retired early to her nest that evening. As the last patrol had returned to camp, night swallowed the clearing. Unwilling to mingle with her clanmates, the striped she-cat had headed to sleep for lack of a better activity. It seemed that she had barely closed her eyes when Tinystar's cry ripped her harshly from the dream world. She woke with a start, yellow eyes wide in the darkness. While her first thought was that she dreamed the summons, her denmates were also stirring all around her. It hadn't been a dream. At the realization, she slowly staggered to her paws. Sleepiness weighted her eyelids. What could Tinystar possibly want now? Whatever time of day it was, she had never appreciated being woken up. Not bothering to brush off the moss scraps clinging to her pelt, she stumbled out of the Warriors' Den.

The young she-cat froze. Something was wrong. Silverpelt, which usually adorned the night sky, was nowhere to be seen. The sky was a deep, pure black. It took Tigerleaf a couple seconds to find the moon. Against the canvas of darkness overhead, a sliver of red could be made out. SkyClan's camp was illuminated in faint crimson light. The sight chilled her to the bone. Not once in her life had she ever seen something like this. Snapping out of her shock, her gaze flicked to the Tallbranch. The familiar form of Tinystar stood atop it, a grim expression etched into his features. On uncertain paws, she padded over to the rapidly growing crowd of cats. She could sense the unease and anxiety growing among her clanmates. An ominous tendril of dread worked its way up Tigerleaf's spine. Whatever was going on... Tinystar surely had the answer.

Featherpaw padded up, her fur spiking up in fear, though she wouldn't show it. She sat down, gazing at Tinystar. Her green eyes were not filled with sarcasm... but Fear. She'd never felt fear. But the sun and stars were gone.

Acornfall walked towards Tinystar, realizing the darkness in the sky. No stars to guide them. There was just darkness. SkyClan will have to carve their own destiny, she realized, waiting for Tinystar to speak.

Spottedkit stirred from his sleep, woken by the commotion of gathering cats outside. He was just a little scrap, still within the first moon of his life, but he'd already taken the first steps of opening his eyes and exploring his surroundings. The tomkit's ears pricked in curiosity, and although he had to crawl over other kits and queens to get there, he poked his small head from the nursery and glanced around outside. It was strange: he'd looked outside just the day before, and it was so bright and overwhelming, but now it was just... dark. And ominously red. He hadn't left the safety of the den before but he wanted to know what was going on. Spottedkit took his first tentative step into the open and soon the rest of his body followed, but he clung to the wall of the nursery and stared around in awe while his eyes remained wide open in an attempt to see as much as he could in the dark.

Tinystar's summoning call made the vibrant golden-orange tabby scramble to her groggy paws, letting out a soft mew of surprise. Amberpaw had dozed off; her mentor, Mintwhisker, had gone with Tinystar and Mistyrain to Fourtrees to meet with... someone, for some reason. The meeting was spoken of in hushed tones, and Amberpaw felt unease spread through her pelt when Mintwhisker gave a vague explanation of what they were to be doing. The three had disappeared into the night, and the medicine cat apprentice had tried to wait up for them but been unable to fight off her sleep.

When she woke, it was still night, and Amberpaw couldn't believe that they had possibly been gone for so little time. She did a second look at the sky and realized that it was not the deep indigo of night, but a deep red-tinted black, and no stars glimmered. StarClan was not gazing down at them. Immediately the panic flared in Amberpaw's chest and she scampered out of the medicine den to seek out her mentor, Mintwhisker.

Hawkstrike’s proud steps soon led him towards the Tallbranch. Eyes wide and ears high.

It has been oh so long since the last time an eclipse like this occurred, and it brought memories…it brought hopes for the brown tom. Could it be? Was it finally time?

“Tinystar!” His voice echoed across the clearing as he quickly stepped in front of the crowd. He rarely showed Tinystar the respect he usually would deserve for his title, he had never seen him in battle, and the one time he was challenged he lost a life. He couldn’t help but doubt him still…but for the first time he was willing to push all that aside in hopes of hearing the news that his heart desired “Both you and I remember quite well the last time an eclipse like this occurred, and maybe even some others here as well…please, tell me…tell us…” He could hear his own heart beating quickly against his chest.

“Tinystar, is the Dark Forest back? Are the ghost of the dead that were rejected by StarClan walking among us again?”

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Terror…

That was all Moonlight could feel right now. The eclipse brought so many memories she hoped she would never had to see again, flashbacks of the dark times of the past…and in no way she was reassured when she heard the words of the brown warrior.

As soon as she saw Spottedkit leave the nursery, the queen quickly made her way towards him, blocking his path and trying to push him back inside gently with her nose “No, stay in where its safe, young one, please”.

Her eyes then traveled to her beloved mate and leader on top of the Tallbranch. No words were needed, her wide eyes made clear the emotions of the silver tabby to him.

His blue gaze scanning his clanmates who all held a mainly confused and fearful expressions, Tinystar took a breath, gathering his thoughts. Hopefully, he'd be able to word everything so as to not cause too much panic or distress.

About to begin, his grey ears perked at a familiar voice that could be heard above the crowd. Looking down, Tinystar spotted Hawkstrike near the front of the crowd, with an eager look on his muzzle. "N-no... the Dark Forest has not returned, and it pains me to say that what has come may be far worse," he mewed in reply to the warrior, curious as to why Hawkstrike was so interested on the Dark Forest's whereabouts, but quickly pushed the thoughts aside, for the time being at least.

Lifting his tail, the small leader waited a few moments for the whispers and hum of crowd to die down before starting. "As you all most likely already knew, Mintwhisker, Mistyrain, and I were summoned for a meeting at Fourtrees, where ever clan leader and leading authorities had been summoned. The cat who summoned us was Lichenmask, a RiverClan cat, who is now a deemed an enemy SkyClan and all the clans. He told us of a prophecy that he deemed was from StarClan, foretelling the elimination of clan cats who possess impure blood, for the sake of those with are said to have... "pure" blood. Along side Lichenmask were several of our own clanmates who decided that they would best follow his false ideals then be loyal to their clan and StarClan. These cats, Jaysong, Falcongaze, and Wrenpaw, are no longer members of SkyClan and thus no longer welcome on or around our borders," he spoke with a heavy heart. He hated having to exile any-cat, but it was in his clan's best interest and had to be done.

"Along with the unwelcoming revelation that was giving during the meeting, Littlestar, the leader of ShadowClan was killed. Lichenmask killed her in cold blood, taking all nine of her lives in one blow. That being said, Lichenmask and any of his followers is a threat and enemy of SkyClan. If seen on our territory, do not hesitate to drive them out. With this being said, patrols must be in trios, no apprentice is to leave camp with out at least one warrior, and queens, kits, and elders are not to leave camp for any reason," he finished, listening as worried mews and conversations burst into the once breathless air. Spotting his worried mate near the nursery, his stomach tightened just at the thought of any harm coming to her. If anyone tired to lay even a single claw on her, he would make sure they knew their choice was a mistake.

Well, he'd done it, though of course he disliked bringing bad news back to the clan, just as any leader did. While other clans might've felt more safe, seeing as though they had eachother's backs in their respected alliances, Tinystar couldn't help but be worried that SkyClan would have to endure these troubled times on their own. But, even so, something deep down inside told him that yes, lives would be lost, but everything would work out in the end. Though he wondered what the technicality of "work out" was and how much destruction would take place in order to get things back to normal, whatever normal was...

Mintwhisker cleared her throat, her murky green eyes flashing in the overwhelming darkness that had swallowed the forest. The minute the moon disappeared, Mintwhisker felt something- a change, a whisper, and a sudden empty feeling had stirred in the back of her mind. It hadn't taken much thought to discover what was missing, nor what had caused it. Glancing at her grandfather, Mintwhisker held herself high and gazed down at her clanmates with a serious expression.
"Our connection with Starclan has been severed." Her voice rang out loudly, echoing for far too long in the empty clearing. It was as if the space left behind by the moon had been filled with a black nothingness, so dark and deep that not even words could penetrate it, and instead returned to the earth. "Tomorrow, I will journey to Highstones with my fellow Medicine Cats to see if we can still receive our ancestors' guidance. The journey will take several days, and during that time my apprentice Amberpaw will continue to work in the Medicine Cat den." She turned her gaze to her apprentice, her expression growing more somber. Amberpaw was ready for this, although it was happening far earlier than Mintwhisker had expected. "Before I leave, I'd like to give you all a word of warning. Lichenmask and his group of rogues are ruthless killers. They lack empathy, fear, and a sense of right and wrong. If you see a stranger within our territory, do not try to make them see reason. There's no telling what might happen if they decide to attack you."

Whatever news Tinystar bore, it could not possibly be good news. Perhaps it was the ominous red glow illuminating the clearing or perhaps it was StarClan's absence, Tigerleaf just knew. And she was right. Even while her devotion to the stout little leader had been rather shaky, she listened with great attentiveness when he began to speak. Hawkstrike's unusual outburst puzzled her somewhat, but she quickly pushed thought of it aside. When Tinystar had finished speaking, she sat silently processing it. In the darkness, her golden eyes glimmered coldly. First Shade, now this Lichenmask. How many more troublesome cats did RiverClan intend to produce? "Troublesome" was actually a big understatement. Perhaps Jaystar was incapable of managing his own warriors. Having never talked to Jaysong, Falcongaze, or Wrenpaw, she wasn't sure how to feel about their exile. As they had chosen to follow Lichenmask, Tinystar's decision might have been the best one.

If even StarClan had abandoned them, what were they to do now? Lifting her gaze to the silent sky yet again, she searched in vain for the sight of even one star. Ashpaw and her family were in StarClan. Would they really wish for the clan cats to kill their innocent clanmates? She hoped with all her heart that they were safe, even if they were nowhere to be seen.

Amberpaw had been unable to find her mentor before she watched Tinystar leap onto the branch where meetings were called; however, as soon as Tinystar began to speak the medicine cat apprentice spotted Mintwhisker near to him. She wouldn't have been able to talk to Mintwhisker about what was going on anyways. Trembling with worry and anxiety, the young golden tabby sat discontentedly in the crowd of SkyClan cats. Before Tinystar could explain, Hawkstrike - an experienced warrior in the clan - called out asking if it were an attack from the Dark Forest.

Amberpaw's fur bristled merely at the thought, for she had only recently begun her studies in StarClan. She felt as though she had only just gotten a grasp on then. The apprentice could only listen in silent shock and worry as Tinystar explained the situation. The prophecy from StarClan, "pure" blood, the exiled Clanmates.

Littlestar's swift destruction.

Amberpaw nearly gasped, but she felt paralyzed with shock and no air filled her lungs. She simply stared between Tinystar and Mintwhisker, shocked and terrified by the implications of all this. She had barely any time to face that fear and uncertainty before her mentor's voice, strained and worried, rang out. Now Amberpaw listened even more attentively, but with heightening panic as Mintwhisker announced she'd be leaving her apprentice to care for the camp.

A wave of nausea hit Amberpaw and she felt herself shrinking down, pelt flooding with embarrassment and worry. Mintwhisker was almost certainly right - she had learned so very much in her short time as medicine cat apprentice - but the thought of being alone, with no help, to try to help heal and care for the Clan in her absence with so many dangers lurking in the forest easily diminished any confidence Amberpaw had gained.

She looked at her paws uncomfortably, still reeling from all this information. StarClan had abandoned them - was angry with them - for allowing Clan cats to breed outside their Clan. Amberpaw had only just learned of StarClan, but it was one of the most important jobs of a medicine cat to discuss with their ancestors. What would they do if they ancestors didn't want to listen?

Moments before, Mistyrain had entered SkyClan camp, shivering at Tinystar's side. Now, she still found herself shaking with fright, frowning deeply as the undersized SkyClan leader recounted the events of the meeting at Fourtrees. As he reached the part about Littlestar, the deputy shuddered. She couldn't stop the picture of the dying leader, blood pouring from a grievous wound, from flashing through her head.

She shifted uncomfortably back and forth, glancing up at the concealed sun. She shivered, doing her best not to think about what Lichenmask's actions meant for SkyClan. They had no alliances, and were one of the smallest Clans. Could that make them a target for the now-exiled RiverClanner? It was impossible to predict what his next move would be... but one thing she knew for sure, she and her Clan were not safe by any circumstances. Lichenmask wanted to abolish impure blood, and SkyClan was just the place to find it. She herself was nowhere near pure, and she couldn't say she wasn't worried for her brother and her mother in WindClan. What Mintwhisker had said about StarClan being cut off from the Clans had shocked her. Had StarClan done this themselves, or was it the work of a more powerful force? Would StarClan truly condone Lichenmask and his followers? She shook her head. Only time would tell.

As these thoughts were running through her head, she noticed Amberpaw, SkyClan's Medicine Cat Apprentice, seeming equally as terrified as Mistyrain had been at Fourtrees. She edged towards the young she-cat, resting her tail reassuringly on her shoulder. She offered no words, only a presence that she hoped would be comforting to the apprentice.

Spottedkit was even more confused when Moonlight blocked him from going any further. "But I gotta know!" He mewled in his small kit-voice, staring up at her with innocence and curiosity in his eyes. He didn't know what he'd done wrong, and he felt conflicted. She seemed really scared and sad. He didn't mean to disobey her, but Spottedkit's attention was dragged away by the short tom standing in the big tree as he began to speak. He didn't understand the exchange between the warrior and the leader, and only just then realized that everyone who had gathered had the same or similar expression that Moonlight'd had. The young kit began to tremble, panicked by everyone's reactions and somber tones. He backed off a bit and pressed into Moonlight, seeking comfort in the queen's presence.