blood-soaked sunrise [open]

Scorchstar felt his rage beginning to boil over, not just from the result of the aftermath of Burntstag's horrid misdeeds to his Clan, but also because he still couldn't seem to gain back control over the chaos that continued to ensue upon his return. He also couldn't help but feel hurt at the innocent kits' squeals of protest against him. Had his own daughter really persuaded her kits into believing him to be the bad guy? Looking down at the kits, for a split second, all he could see were the triumphant gleamings of Burntstag's amber eyes. From what he had been able to gather thus far upon returning, Silent Snows had chosen Burntstag to be her mate. Thus, these kits were his. The grandkits of the infamous Lichenmask.

...But they were also his grandkits.

The lividity building up in his chest began to quell for the time being, replaced by a certain sorrow. These kits had not been born into ShadowClan. They were still indeed ShadowClan -- for the most part anyway -- and yet they saw their true home Clan as the enemy. Sighing softly, Scorchstar raised a large paw and, with as much gentleness as he could muster, gingerly pushed Salamander off of him and ushered him next to the rest of his assembled littermates. "None of you are in trouble, little ones," he mewed in a soft voice, sounding leagues from the furious tom he had once appeared to be before the scared kits. "This isn't your fight. Stay together, alright?"

Turning back to the StagClan members once again, he spoke up again, his voice much calmer now that he had had the chance to calm down, yet his booming meow still radiating with authority. "Cats of StagClan, you have betrayed ShadowClan. I shall offer you once again the decision to choose your own fate: either accept permanent retirement and remain living in the marshes as a ShadowClan cat, or leave the territory forever as an exile."

---

Asterspark knew right from the moment he spotted his father's pelt through the twisted brambles of the thorn barrier at the entrance of the camp that he was too late to take everything back. He had no longer wished to remain with Burnt as a StagClan cat. He had missed his family and friends so very much, and he had also wished he had never turned his back on ShadowClan from the very beginning. Even if he still didn't agree with the warrior code or StarClan's all-knowing role in Clan life, he still would have found a way to continue tolerating them both if it had meant staying with his father, brother, and crush.

And now, ShadowClan was in shambles, Burnt and Wildstrike were both dead, and he himself had lost the respect and trust from his very own father. Now, he was seen as one of the bad guys.

Now he had a choice to make. Either he could give up his warrior title and be accepted back into ShadowClan, where he would live with his family and friends ... and continue finding new and elaborate ways to badly hurt the ones he loves most....

Or he could accept exile and be no longer welcome in his home, where he would be missed by his family ... but ultimately would no longer be able to cause any real damage that impacted the entirety of ShadowClan as a whole.

With a heavy heart, Asterspark stepped forward first before any other StagClan cat could make a move, approaching his father.

"Scorchstar.... I ... I'm so sorry for betraying you the way I did," he began, sounding thoroughly ashamed and regretful, lowering his head and pulling his ears back. "I wish I had never sided with Burnt over ShadowClan. You have given me nothing but the best you could possibly provide me and my littermates ... and how do I repay you? By abandoning you and ... a-and practically pushing you off of Jaggedrock the way I did." That reminded him, Scorchstar didn't seem to be showing any signs of the wound he had acquired after his harsh fall. Upon a brief closer inspection, he noticed the wound was no longer there on the side of his head at all. No poultice, no matted fur.... Had he ... Had he lost a life due to his wound?...

Asterspark shook his head with a soft hiss. "I-I can't!... I can't ... live like this anymore. Always on the cusp of hurting someone, whether it be intentional or not. I've hurt you, I've hurt Poppyheart, I've hurt Redwing and Frogmarsh and Maplepaw.... I ... I can't do it anymore. So ... I guess that's just the long way of me saying...." The tom looked back up at Scorchstar, where he could see the look of hopelessness in his father's eyes. He knew just as well as he did what his decision was going to be, and it was absolutely killing him. "...I choose exile."

"NO!" A shrill, desperate shriek rose up from the ShadowClanners, and Poppyheart rushed away from Redwing's side up to his brother's, pressing his muzzle deep into his shoulder. "No, Asterspark, you can't go! Please! Y-You can just live as an elder! Sure, we won't be able to hunt or patrol or anything anymore like we used to, but at least we'd still be together! B-Besides, you-you love laying around doing absolutely nothing! Remember?"

"P-Poppy, please, d-don't make this any h-harder than it has to...." Asterspark whimpered, pulling away from his brother's touch, his eyes beginning to tear up. He could already see tears beading at Poppyheart's chin as they slid down his cheeks. "I ... I don't want to h-hurt you anymore.... I j-just can't do it anymore. My heart won't be able t' take it."

"But what about my heart? You're hurting me more by leaving me! Please, Asterspark, stay with ShadowClan! ...Please?" Poppyheart's voice petered off into a soft beg.

With a somber shake of his head, Asterspark nuzzled Poppyheart's ear with his nose. "I ... i'll always love ya, pop," he mewed, his voice soft and full of sadness. "no matter whatever happens next ... i'll always be with you ... even if ya can't actually see me." Looking back up at Scorchstar, the tears finally began rolling down his cheeks as well. "i guess i'll need a new name now since i'm no longer a clan cat. how's sans sound t' ya? y'know ... since i'll be sans clan from now on, heh...." Even he couldn't find any humor in the pun due to the gravity of the situation.

Scorchstar looked to be ready to burst into tears as well, but the both of them knew all too well his father couldn't afford to show any signs of weakness, especially in a situation such as this. The leader nodded his broad head. "In that case ... as leader of ShadowClan, I, Scorchstar, hereby strip you of your warrior name. From this day onward you shall be known as Sans. ...May StarClan light your path wherever you go, my son."

"heh.... thanks, dad...." With a subtle nod of his own head, and with one final sorrowful look to his brother, Sans padded past the assembled ShadowClan cats towards the camp entrance. He slipped through the thorn barrier without looking back.

Shade stared at the bigger tom with wide eyes, full of fear "thwis isn't our fwight?" Her voice seemed to go to the regular squeaky voice she always had "wh-what fwight why?" she walked backwards to the nursery, bumping into her mother, turning and running around her to hide behind the nursery wall.

It was funny, Sans thought as he was suddenly tackled to the ground from absolutely nowhere, that he hadn't expected Thornbriar to lash out at him from behind. He crashed to the ground with a soft grunt, then looked up at the livid molly, and he felt an even sharper and more painful tug at his heartstrings. Sure, he had gotten used to seeing her grouchy, irritated, and annoyed, but it was almost scary seeing her actually furious at him. He lowered his ears and shifted his gaze away from the cat he had fallen in love with, feeling yet another spark of pain within him knowing he had completely lost his chance to tell her how he felt. "heh.... that's funny, thorny-- thornbriar. for a second there i could've sworn scorchstar's word was law. i'm ... i'm sorry, thornbriar, but i can't bear to hurt my clan anymore. if i stay ... i just might." Besides, it would be much better leaving her behind rather than always be constantly pained seeing her walking around while he lay in the elders' den, knowing he would always be so close yet so far from her.

---

Scorchstar's ear flicked in annoyance at Thornbriar's words, both to him and to his son. He watched as the headstrong molly tackled the rogue to the ground, and he knew right then and there he would have to intervene lest she let him leave with some serious wounds ... if she decided to let him leave at all. "Thornbriar, let him go. He has chosen his punishment."

"But Scorchstar, you just can't let him go!" he heard Poppyheart pleading as he ran up to Thornbriar's side, being cautious to keep his distance from her as to not provoke her into attacking his brother. "Please, let him stay! Let everyone stay! Don't punish him or Silentpaw, neither of them knew what they were doing, they were all brainwashed by Burntstag!"

It was at this point that Scorchstar's patience ran thin. He bared his teeth and took a heavy step towards Thornbriar and Poppyheart. "What do you two expect me to do? For StarClan's sake, I'm already struggling to get control back over my Clan! I've been put on the spot with little to no options, and even the best I can do isn't good enough for any of you! Why should I show favoritism by letting my kin get away scot-free while everyone else has to suffer the consequences that nobody should be immune to in the first place?" he snapped at Poppyheart, right before turning on Thornbriar. "And what do you suggest I do instead, Thornbriar? If I banish them all without giving them even an inkling of the benefit of the doubt because, at the end of the day, they're still my Clanmates and family, you'll tell me I just let them run away from their wrongdoings. If I force them all into retirement, you'll just say I've gone too easy on them by letting them stay. What, do you want me to kill them?"

The overwhelmed tom shook his head vigorously, tears of fury and sorrow beading in his eyes, this time turning on all his Clanmates, both loyal and traitorous. "I'm doing the best I can here, and it's still not good enough for any of you! Some say I'm weak for running when I don't want to fight my own Clanmates. Others say I'm foolish for letting them choose their fates because, again, I don't want to fight my own Clanmates. Yet if I do fight my own Clanmates, I'll just be seen as the enemy! Do you want me to give up? Do you want me to fight back? Do you want me to lay on my back belly-up so you can strip me of the rest of my lives? What do you want from me?!"

Scorchstar panted heavily, tears beginning to stream down his cheeks. This was all too much. He hadn't signed up for any of this when he had been chosen by Littlestar to become ShadowClan's deputy all those moons ago. He hadn't signed up to be beaten down until he couldn't stand back up, only to continue taking the pummeling by those he thought cared about him and respected him.

Honeydrop was wrong. He was no glorious seed that could make ShadowClan strong again. ShadowClan was already doomed the moment he had been born. It was because of him that Shade had been brought into this world to nearly destroy the Clans. It was because of him that Burntstag had been able to take over his Clan and destroy everything he loved about it. Perhaps if he had never tried to change himself for the better of his Clan and remained the self-entitled, rude, sexist beast of a cat he always used to be in his youth, none of this would have happened.

His entire existence had been a mistake. He should have let Burntstag kill him instead of Wildstrike while he still had the chance.

Scorchstar whipped his head to Daisyflame and looked him in the eye. Daisyflame ... the son of Littlestar ... his best friend ... was the only cat he could trust now. "Daisyflame. Since someone isn't too keen on letting these fox-hearted traitors choose their fates, I will choose them for them. I will not abandon kits into the wild no matter who they belong to, so Silent Snows can stay. Any other queen can stay, but they must become perma-queens for the rest of their lives. Sans can proceed to leave. As for everyone else, I want them out of my sight. Banish them, execute them, I don't care what happens to them. Get it done. I'll be in my den contemplating my role as leader and life as a whole. Who knows, maybe ShadowClan will even have a new leader after all of this is said and done. I'm obviously not cut out for the job anymore."

Before he could walk away, he turned to Jaystar, his ally. He gave him a curt nod, feeling ashamed that he had to see him break down like this, but otherwise felt completely apathetic. He didn't care what others thought of him anymore. It was clear he had completely lost the respect of all but one of his Clanmates anyway. "Thank you for helping us, Jaystar ... but it seemed ShadowClan had been too far gone the moment I so foolishly accepted Lichenmask's kin into my Clan." With that, he whipped around and stalked across camp to his den where he disappeared.

Sunstrike paused where she helped carry Burnt's body next to Flintfang. Her ears perked as she listened to Scorchstar's tirade, snapping at those around him, the ones who had chosen to follow him away from peace and comfort. The ones who had returned, ready to fight. She scoffed to herself, what fools they all were. Following a leader so wrapped up in his own failure that he was so quick to condemn those who would raise him higher. Even Burnt, thought he had been considered on their same level, stepped forward to take the blow for his followers. He proved that when he struck the final blow on Wildstrike, shattering the peace he had sought. She shook her head as the tom finally finished his tantrum. "They willingly choose to follow that... One who is so quick to cast those of us who merely wanted peace out and never raised a claw to him or his clan... Yet he hides his own secrets and code-breaking, acting as though he was a perfect cat in a perfect world. Burnt may not have achieved his goal of bringing a peace to the clans, and least not fully... But I believe he certainly helped the forest see the rotten underbelly of those who claim power." She mused, not to anyone specifically, but more to herself as she passed Jaystar. "May you path be lit with hope and prosperity, Jaystar. I'm sorry you got involved in all of this. Our only intention was for peace, where you could love without judgement and be loved in return, or hunt and frolic in peace. Not for all of this. I do hope you understand, someday." 


She bowed her head to the RiverClan leader, who to her knowledge had done nothing wrong, just sided with cats who had no sense of right or wrong. That was not her place to judge though, and she had no intentions of doing so. Continuing past Jaystar with Burnt's body, she padded with him out of the ShadowClan camp, starting to leave behind the chaos.


OOC: If anyone wants to attack Sunstrike, you may do so - otherwise she will be leaving and disappear into the world.

Cinderface realized, with great annoyance, that Silent Snows was more squirmy than she first appeared. No matter how she ducked or twisted her head, the smaller she-cat kept getting out of her way. With a huff, she stepped backward and prepared to readjust her position and deliver a stunning blow to the head. With a roar of frustration, she slammed her paws across... Silent Snows? That didn't feel like her.

Blood splattered across the calico's nose, but it did not come from her opponent's pelt. She glanced slightly to the side and saw a limp form, a kit, who had presumably leaped between the two. Night hadn't left the nursery yet with the rest of her siblings, and here she was. She did not breathe. Cinderface gasped and let her grip loosen so Silent Snows could approach her kit. Of course, she was dead. This hadn't been what she meant to happen! The tiny cat had not been her target! Cinderface was a cat of many vices, but the murder of a young kit was not one of them. She could do nothing but freeze in place, shocked and suddenly remorseful.

The look in the queen's eyes chilled her very bones. "Now, now, you know I didn't mean to do that!" Cinderface hissed, backing up in defense. "Let's not get hasty, dear. Don't go acting like I meant to do that! If you hadn't kept getting in my way, she wouldn't have jumped in front of you! She died at your paws!" Her ears tightened back against her head. She was not afraid... only angry. "Get away from me!"

Shade turned and gasped at Cinderface, then to Night's body, she was stunned by fear, she looked at the blood that had come from Night's pelt she couldn't fight back the fear and sadness that took over her body "Nwight...?" She looked at Cinderface "y-you kwilled Nwight?" She stared at Night's killer, Cinderface, a murderer. Why would she do that, why would she attempt to hurt mother in the first place. "Why? Why would you dwo thwat?" Tears streamed down Shade's fur as she backed away, only to bump into the nursery wall, she gasped fear gripped her body and she suddenly couldn't breathe, her heart was beating in her ear, that was all she could hear.

Salamander barely reacted when Scorchstar nudged him off- the existing chaos had overwhelmed his senses. The kit simply huddled with the rest of his disoriented, grieving siblings, taking heaving breaths to calm himself down. Nothing made sense, that shouting made no sense, and the only thing he could do was pray that it will all blow over.

Salamander felt a change occur after what felt like forever. One of his siblings he had been huddling with... left? He felt a spike of fear go down his spine. He didn’t want another one of his family to go to “sleep” and get dragged away. Yellowish eyes desperately searched for the missing one. Yew and Ash were still there, but Shade and Night were nowhere to be seen. But he only felt one cat leave. Where did the other one go?

“Shade? Night?” he nervously called for. He heard sounds of a scuffle coming from the nursery. Something heavy in his chest seemed to drop. ”This... this isn’t funny. Please come back...” Again, no one answered. 

Then he heard his mother scream.

In an instant Salamander was running to the nursery, summoning what little strength his shocked body had. The son of Burnt squeezed through the largest opening, yowling pure distress and fear. He didn’t want this to happen. Not again. Not all in the same night/day. He whipped around, looking for his sisters. Shade was pressed up against the wall, apparently in shock. There was prey-stuff on the leaves. His mother’s fur was splattered with red smears. Opposite of her, Cinderface.

And lying on the ground was Night.

Bloody.

Broken.

Night.

The ground seemed to collapse. A mangled caterwaul made it’s way out of his throat, but he didn’t notice. It was like the whole world was on pause, nothing but him, his dead sibling, and the she-cats before him. He had already seen two murders today, one of them his father. But those were different. Their eyes were closed, fur cold and long gone. They looked like they were sleeping, and there was almost a regal air to when Burnt died. But Night, dear Night, was a mangled, broken body. Her curious, happy eyes were wide open with shock, but the glimmer they always had was gone. Sickly oozing blood seemed to come out everywhere- from her eyes, her mouth, and down a long gash on her side. Salamander had never been this close to a dead body before, and the horrid death-stench made him want to vomit. He probably did- he wasn’t really aware of anything that was happening. This couldn’t be right. It was all a bad dream. A really bad dream. He’ll close his eyes and open them again and everything would be back to normal. Mommy and Daddy would be sleeping with them, and he and his siblings would wake them up. He’ll go play with a Night and pester Shade and have imaginary duels with Yew, and everything that happened wouldn’t exist. He could just wake up from this nightmare and forget it ever happened.

But he couldn’t wake up.

”H-Help! Help!” Salamander cried out in the voice of pure, unfiltered terror. ”I wanna wake up! I- Thi-This isn’t real! It’s not real! I don’t like this! I wanna wake up! Daddy!”


OOC: and I oop

Ravenmist crouched in the clearing, the chaos finally somewhat dwindling around her. Her father... He was strong. He had made the right desicion. But it was hard, so hard, listening to the brother she had always been closest to, her big bro, leaving camp forever. And with the world spinning around her, the arguing, the chaos, the everything, she hadn’t been able to move her paws or mouth to say goodbye. Couldn’t raise her paws to fight, couldn’t comfort any young ones, as she just stood there, frozen, as useless as she had been when the flood happened. ”H-Help! Help! I wanna wake up!” Ravenmist’s ears pricked at the kit’s cries, her claws unclenching from the ground as she made her way towards the nursery, the stench of death hitting her. She had smelled too much of that recently. She stood in place, at the entrance, unsure.

Shade didn't move from her position, even when Salamander came and a cat she couldn't recognize stood outside. She gulped for air, but she couldn't, what was this feeling? Cats around camp often talked about grief, grief for clanmates they left behind, is she feeling grief for poor unmoving Night? Her body began to tremble. She was feeling both fear and grief, fear that Cinderface would come after her and grief that Night is gone.

"S-Swawamwander... I dwon't think thwis is a dweam!" She mewed, she could scent her own fear scent, her father sometimes warned her that her fear could attract predators, but that didn't matter now."Swawa, Nwight's gwone, swo is dwaddy! Twoday is tweweble! Twoday is a nwightmare we cwan nwot escape fwom." Her voice started breaking with grief and fear "Twoday is the day we cannot fwight and mwust be kwilled, by twewwible cwats lwike Cwinderfwace who kwilled Nwight." She stopped talking as she felt she was running out of breath. She collapsed taking deep breaths, but the only air there was the hot, sickly air coming from both blood and death and the fear coming from her own emotions.

Mothpaw had spent plenty of time sorting out what, exactly, she wanted to say to her sister. "Silentpaw," she said, taking a deep breath. "Listen. I know I'm not good at things. I know I'm not smart like you. But I have feelings too, and--"

Everything she'd been about to say, though - every scathing word of a well-prepared speech she'd rehearsed time and again over the last several days - every last bit of it died on her tongue when she fully took in the appearance of the cat approaching them. It was Silentpaw, yes, but she was bloody and battered and...

"Is that a kit? ...What happened?"

Mothpaw couldn't bring herself to be angry any longer.

Shade watched as her mother teared the murderer apart, she was crying, still, but not because of the her mother had done. If anything, she was relieved. She padded after her mother, with wide-scared eyes. What Cinderface had done would surely leave her not the same again.