Clans of Mayhem [lb]

[Deathstar]

The Gathering Island:

Nine cats stand in a lose half-moon shape in the center of an island, eyes darting around warily. Two are long and lean, with heather and wind on their pelts. Two are slim and graceful, with water and fish scents in their thick fur. Two are slightly larger than the others, with the scents of leaves and forest on their pelts. And the last three are dark-furred, and have the sharp scent of pine on their pelts. One of these three is much smaller than the others, no more than six moons. She looks frightened, and slightly awed. This young apprentice is the first to notice the disturbing vision in the sky. She leaps to his paws, pelt bristling, and hisses “The stars are going out!” And so they are. One by one, the stars are extinguished, until there is total blackness. And the soft murmuring of voices that all nine cats had distinctly heard before also disappeared. No one knows what to make of it. Five of the cats—including the young apprentice, Rowanpaw—gather into a tight group. A young WindClan queen is the first to speak. “I don't know what to think,” the sandy-colored Medicine Cat mewed anxiously. “Why would StarClan silence themselves to us?” An elderly gray and white tom from RiverClan flicks his tail. “It's clearly a sign of some sort, Morningwind. StarClan is trying to tell us something.” An orange-and-white queen from ThunderClan lashes her tail impatiently. “We know it's a sign, Seafur, but what does it mean?” The fourth of the Medicine Cats, a black tabby from ShadowClan, chuckles softly. “Patience, Icefire,” he mews softly. “Rowanpaw, you were the first to see the stars go out—what do you think?” The young red-brown queen's fur is fluffed out in fear, her eyes round as full moons. “StarClan has abandoned us,” she whispered.

RiverClan Camp:

Seafur follows his leader into the camp, eyes wide. Both their pelts are bristling, and fear-scent radiates from them. A young she-cat—only recently named an apprentice—winds around the toms' pelts, purring soothingly. She blinks anxiously at them, and mews “Seafur, Reedstar, what's going on?” Reedstar bends down to lick his daughter between the ears. “Everything will be fine, Ripplepaw,” he murmurs, though it looks like he's trying to convince himself more than his kit. “Nothing to worry about. No go get some sleep, little one. All four Clans have agreed to hold a Gathering at sun-high tomorrow, and everyone is going.” The young queen's tail curls up in excitement, and she bolts back to her den to tell the other apprentices as the leader and Medicine Cat head towards Reedstar's den.

[/i]WindClan Camp:

Swifstar and Morningwind disappear into the leader's den without speaking to the rest of the Clan. Fear-scent radiates from their spiking pelts in waves, and they stare at each other in horror. “It's impossible,” Morningwind whispers. “StarClan has always been there for us—they couldn't possibly have abandoned us. What have we done wrong?” Swifstar wants to comfort the young Medicine Cat, but he doesn't know how—he's just as frightened himself. “I've lived for many seasons,” the elderly black-and-white-tom mews, “But StarClan has never threatened to abandon us. We look to them even more than the other Clans. We sleep underneath their watchful gaze. The stream that flows from the MoonPool crosses through our territory—in the old forest, Mothermouth was just off our territory. We have always been the closest to StarClan. What will we do now?” They stare at each other, terror in their eyes, because neither of them knows.

ThunderClan Camp:

Icefire kneads the ground with her paws, lashing her tail. “StarClan has always protected us,” she hisses. “And yet they can abandon us with no warning, and no regrets.” She lurches to her paws, and yowls “How could they do this to us?” The calico queen slaps her tail over Icefire's mouth, silencing the hot-tempered Medicine Cat. “Hush, Icefire,” she hisses softly. “Do you want them all to hear us?” Icefire glares defiantly at her leader for a moment, then sighs, dropping back into a couch. “They've never abandoned us, Scarstar. We've always been able to count on them to tell us the truth, to protect our Clans.” Scarstar was already shaking her head. “They haven't always told the truth,” she whispered. Icefire stared at her leader in amazement. “What?” Scarstar's amber eyes are fixed on the ground. “There was once a fifth Clan—SkyClan. StarClan said there would always be five Clans. Then they abandoned SkyClan. SkyClan was erased from every cat's memory—StarClan said that there had always been four Clans, and always would be.” She looks up at Icefire, her eyes flashing. “They lied to us, Icefire. They lied to everyone. Why should we mourn for them now?”[/blockquote]
[/i]ShadowClan Camp:

The three cats stroll into camp, seemingly unworried—except Rowanpaw. The young Medicine Cat Apprentice looks frightened and confused. Her fur is spiked in horror, and fear-scent radiates from it, but her eyes are confused and bewildered. A long-furred, black-tabby queen—nearly identical to her brothers, Deathstar and Tigershade—bounds toward the apprentice. “Rowanpaw, what's wrong?” she asks anxiously. She blinks at Deathstar and Tigershade, and a knowing look flickers through her bloodred eyes. “Of course,” she murmurs. She steps back and allows them to pass through. Deathstar leaps onto the branch above his den, and Tigershade and Rowanpaw sit beneath it. “Cats of ShadowClan,” Deathstar yowls, his evil red eyes flashing. “StarClan has given us a sign—we have been abandoned.” Most of the Clan gasps—only a small group of cats (the ones closest to Deathstar) gaze calmly up at their leader. They know what's going on. The rest of the Clan is horrified. “Why?” One warrior asks, shocked. “Why have they abandoned us?” Deathstar's gaze flashes to the warrior, and they flinch back. “We don' know,” Tigershade mews calmly. “All we know is that they have.” He flicks his tail at the calmer group of cats, silently signaling for them to remain silent. They nod and return to their nests, while the rest of the Clan breaks into groups, murmuring urgently to one another. Bloodmoon brushes her long black-tabby pelt against her brothers', then turns and pads back to the Warriors' Den. Deathstar moves toward his own den, and Tigershade and Rowanpaw retreat to theirs. “Tigershade, what's going on?” The apprentice asks her mentor fearfully. The Medicine Cat sighs and settles into a crouch to explain to his apprentice.

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Long ago, five Clans lived in peace in the forest—ThunderClan, WindClan,
ShadowClan, RiverClan, and SkyClan—with their warrior ancestors, StarClan,
watching over them. But StarClan betrayed them. They said that there would
always be five Clans in the forest—but then when SkyClan's home was taken
by Twolegs, StarClan abandoned them. SkyClan left their home, vowing that
they would never look to StarClan for help again. Many, many seasons later,
the four remaining Clans were also forced to leave their home. They set off on
the Great Journey that was to lead them to their new home. They were happy
for many generations, but then again, they were abandoned. No one knows
the reason for StarClan's sudden silence—they only knew that it was there. The
Clans vowed—just as SkyClan had so long ago—that they would never again
look to the stars. The clan cats became dark. Twisted. The followed
DeathClan—the cats from the Dark Forest—with Tigerstar being the first to
enter Healers' dreams. The Warrior Code twisted around itself, and took a very
different meaning. Cats became bloodthirsty and cruel. Blood was spilled into
the Moonpool during a ShadowClan invasion on WindClan, and the ShadowClan
leader declared that his Clan would now be known as BloodClan, after the
great rogue Clan that once terrorized the Clans. A great fire raged through
WindClan territory, and they called themselves FireClan. ThunderClan was
known as DarkClan, for the darkness burning into their hearts, and RiverClan
became NightClan, for the eternal nighttime underneath the waves of the lake.
The Clans were strong again—stronger than they had ever been before.
Medicine Cats—now known as Healers—were trained in the ways of a warrior,
and in the ways of a Medicine Cat. They were now allowed to take mates and
kits, for there were always two in each Clan—a tom and a queen. No predators
roam their land, and Twolegs are frightened off by the bloodthirsty cats. But
there are certain cats in each Clan who long for the times when there was
peace, and StarClan watched over them. When Clans were ruled with loyalty
and respect, rather than out of fear. A revolt is feared. But who will win?

Whose side will you join?
Find out here, in the Clans of Mayhem!

**there are many high positions open, including most of the cats in the plot.

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