Birth of the Clans

Chapter 16

"So many deaths! What does it mean!" Rainyblaze leaned back from the pool. She was watching her clan mates, and Dragonwhisper was trying to make sense of all the murders. Sometimes Rainyblaze wished she could just go down there and choke them and shout; "IT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU MOUSE BRAIN! ITS LEAPINGTAIL! LEAPINGTAIL!"

Her brother had become clan leader in Wolfstar's place. With a sick twist in her heart, Rainyblaze knew her brother wouldn't last very long. It seemed that almost everybody she loved was dying.

Savannahdream padded up and sat beside her. "You know, I never said sorry for still trying to go after your man even after you two had kits." she purred, looking down below.

"It's alright. I would have done the same thing if you were mates with him instead of me." the two she-cats purred together. They had grown quite fond of eachother up in Starclan. Rainyblaze perked her ears and looked down below to see what was going on.

"I've had it with clan life!" Beachfur snarled at all the cats around her. "I've absolutaly had it with all the murders or deaths or whatever, and it's all better just to lvie by yourself! I quite! I'm never coming back!" she yowled, before stalking out, tail lashing. All the cats of Oceanclan stared after her in shock.

"Back to business, then! Finstripe, try to go out and find her, I don't want to lose another warrior with all these murders. Leapingtail, come out with me, I need to talk to you." he meowed.

"NO!" Rainyblaze yowled, lurching forwards. A cat grabbed her scruff and hauled her away. 

"You can't save him." a cat whispered in her ear. Rainyblaze spun around to see a light orange tabby she-cat.

"Who are you to say so?" Rainyblaze asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Are you Rainyblaze?" the she-cat asked, sudden fear in her eyes.

"Yes..."

"Well, then, Rainyblaze. I'm your real mother, Sunstream." the orange she-cat meowed.

Rainyblaze stared at her. "Mother? Your our mother?" she meowed, baffled.

"Your father's name is Stone. He's around here somewhere. I died giving birth to you... I would have named you Dapplekit and Spotsoul I would have named Forestkit, and you would have been Heatherclan cats... but I wouldn't have you any other way now. Your perfect, Willowpetal was a good mother and brought you up well."

Rainyblaze breathed in her scent and then rubbed up against her. "Your really my mama."

A yowl cut their sweet moment.

"He's still alive!"

Rainyblaze spun around and looked at the screen. Snowleopard was ordering cats around, while a bloody Spotstar lay in the middle. His flank was barely breathing but he was still alive. "Cling to life, brother!" Rainyblaze yowled at the pool of water.

They slowly moved her brother into the medicine cats den and Rainyblaze could see no more. She turned and ran from the pool like it was Flamefang himself.

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Two moons had passed. Rainyblaze sat, washing her star-soaked fur. Their mother had gone down to collect Spotstar after a very hard battle for his life. He sadly lost three days later. Leapingtail continued to kill. He killed the elderly Sparrowfrost and Badgerheart retired to the elders den for a severe injury when fighting with Stormclan cats. The Stormclan cats had been acting up again at the border, and fighting had been going on for a while now.

Streamrunner, Aquawing, and Moonbeam were all in the nursery, expecting. Rainyblaze sighed. She would have to tell Finstar and Aquawing that they were blood related. It was already to late, but maybe she could prevent anything more from happening with the silver tom.

"Are you going to eat that?" Spotstar asked, prodding at the peice of fresh kill. Rainyblaze shoved it towards him. "Atleast your kin is going to survive, brother." she meowed.

"Are you alright?" Spotstar asked. "You seem a bit.. off." 

"Beachfur hasen't returned yet. I... I thought that she would." she meowed.

"Oh, don't worry! I'm sure she's out there somewhere!" he purred. "She's probably happy. Hey, even if she does come back, she'll be welcomed back! I swear!" he purred.

Suddenly, Rainyblaze's ears perked. "A battle! A battle!" Somebody was shouting from the pool cave. Rainyblaze jumped up and streaked over to the pool. She looked over into it. Stormclan cats were picking their way through the trees towards the beach and Oceanclan's camp.

They got to the camp and burst through the camp. Cats started scattering around fratically. The queens still capable of fighting jumped out in front of the nursery, but Streamrunner was on the other side of the camp. She flattened her ears and looked at her belly. She squeezed her eyes shut as she cried a battle cry and unsheathed her claws.

Then it was just a frenzy of teeth and claws. Rainyblaze seached around for her daughters. Aquawing was tucked nicely inside the nursery with Moonbeam and the kits, while Tropicalnight and Shortpelt fought outside the nursery. Streamrunner was pinned against a wall, Sharpmist standing over her.

"You leave her alone!" Rainyblaze and Bluechase yowled at the same time. Bluechase broke away from the cat he was fighting with and streaked past the other fighting cats to protect his expecting mate. He hissed and lunged at Sharpmist.

Streamrunner was looking around frantically, unsure of what to do.

"I have to go down there." Rainyblaze pleaded. The Starclan cats looked at eachother then nodded. "But no helping unless it's for Finstar!" 

Rainyblaze jumped into the pool and swam down to the real world. She landed on the ground and weaved through the fighting cats, them being oblivious to her walking there. She padded up to her terrified daughter and whispered in her ear. "Move around Bluechase and Sharpmist. Then follow my voice, i'll lead you back to the nursery nice and safe." she purred

"Mother?" Streamrunner gasped. She stood to follow Rainyblaze, when some fighting cats knocked her down onto the rocks. Her belly hit the rocks hard and she yelped, then stood up.

"Mother, help me!" she whimpered.

Rainyblaze stared at her with sad eyes. She could already feel the life of the kit being taken away inside her daughters body. That fall against the rocks must have killed the fragile little thing.

"Come on, follow me." she meowed. She kept whispering to her daughter until they got to the nursery. Shortpelt and Tropicalnight parted ways to let her in. 

"Finstar has lost a life! Retreat, Stormclan! Retreat!" 

Rainyblaze watched as the Stormclan cats bolted out of the camp. Rainyblaze felt a pang. She should have been helping Finstar, not her daughter. She suddenly felt very selfish.

"Rainyblaze?"

Rainyblaze turned around to see the fluffy white pelt of Bluechase. 

"Am I dead?" he asked.

Rainyblaze hadn't been watching her daughters mate. She looked behind him to see his body lying beaten and broken.

"Yes." she meowed. "I have come to collect you." she padded over to him. "Come on, let's go to Starclan. The way you enter into Starclan can very. I just appeared there, but I came to collect you. Follow me." She padded upwards, as if climbing up an invisible mountain. After a few moments, Bluechase followed her up, the wails of grief beind heard from down below.