What's your definition of bravery? I know that some people think of a strong man or someone who would go to war and fight for a belief. Others think of someone who has the courage to stand up and speak up for their beliefs. Not everyone thinks the same, which I find frustrating and interesting. So then I ask you, what is bravery? To me, someone with the courage to get up and face all the odds stacked against them is my definition of bravery.

It takes a lot of courage to stand up and speak out against something that everyone around them believes to be true. That one person has a different ideal than the others and whether that ideal is good or bad, I admire them for fighting against the flow of society. And, something that seems near impossible such as pulling a star out of the sky with their bare hands gives me a better idea of that person and their determination. I value their goals, and I will always be waiting for the day when they throw a rope around a shining star and yank it down.

What is bravery?

X X X

"Stonepaw!" Mothpaw yowled, hurling herself over a she-cat, ducking under a tom's wide slash, and rolling under Splashpelt as he flung across the field, locking claws with a similar looking tom. Pelt lean and paws swift and light, she slipped past the pelts and unleashed claws like thorns. Finally, she broke free, managing to breathe for an instant, only to charge right back in, jumping in front of the older apprentice just as a CinderClan apprentice was sent flying, smashing into the ground beside her with a painful yelp. The gray apprentice struggled to stand, yellow eyes gleaming with rage and exhaustion. A rogue came after the gray tom, and the apprentice scrambled to his paws, jumping out of the way just as his attacker came down.

Mothpaw maneuvered her way around, shielding the medicine cat apprentice from the battle. Stonepaw gave her a look of gratitude as he limped aside, peering at the battle. His eyes landed on the gray apprentice that had fled earlier. She scanned the field, spotting Beechpaw team up with Runningpaw as they raced across the camp from a hoard of toms. The CinderClan apprentices trailed behind the rogues, their eyes rooted onto the cats as they stuck together in one group. Aspenstar snatched a pale she-cat from the air like a bird, bringing herself down with her prey, eyes shining with triumph. Clearwhisker broke free of her prison and lunged st the closest cat she could find, which happened to be the cat Ashstar flung across. The white deputy sprang at the opportunity and the MeadowClan leader stopped to look around.

Around them, the rogues had begun to flee or were in a pool of their own blood. A surge of power and pride swarmed through her, but the number of cuts and scratches on their allies made her queasy, adding to the fact they only brought one medicine cat with them, and that cat was only an apprentice. Stonepaw has taken injuries himself and still stood his ground and pushed himself toward other cats in a desperate attempt to heal them without herbs. Mothpaw's ear twitched and an injured she-cat lunged, paws outstretched for her. She barred her teeth and dodged the attack, ramming her back legs against the apprentice beside her on accident.

The tom stumbled back and yowled at the she-cat. Quickly, he slammed his paw against her swollen eye, who let out a hiss and scampered away. Stonepaw whirled around, eyes crossing paths with her. Mothpaw pointed her head toward the gray CinderClan apprentice who had just been caught by his tail. Both apprentices nodded and darted toward the tom. She pounced, front claws wrapping around the rogue's neck as she clung on, squeezing her eyes shut. Around her, a tail whisked past her and went for the tail, yanking away as the rogue struggled to move with her bundled around his neck like an angry snake.

The apprentice stared at them, and then bared his teeth, curling his lips back as he unleashed his claws. Thrusting them up, he attached his front and back paws on the rogue's chest and shoved him off. Mothpaw snapped her eyes open and unhooked her claws, barely getting off in time as the rogue came crashing down with Stonepaw's aid. She followed the CinderClan apprentice's moves and pounced, pinning down their enemy on the side, exposing his underbelly. The tom began to rip away at the fur as she held, staring at her own silver paws as they held down the struggling tom, pink flesh beginning exposed to her claws.

"Do it!" The apprentice snapped, slashing the rogue across the face. "Kill him!"

"But I—"

"Move!"

A gray pelt came barreling through her, knocking her aside as the tom lunged, front paws extended toward the rogue. With the skills of a warrior, the gray tom wrapped himself around the neck of the rogue, using his smaller size to his advantage. Low snarls and growls erupted from the apprentice in a voice that wasn't his. Mothpaw pushed herself to her feet and stared in horror as Stonepaw rapidly slashed and bit, attacks flying each way without giving the rogue enough time to handle him and the CinderClan apprentice. The medicine cat apprentice took a flying leap and came down swiftly, jaws locking into the back of the rogue's neck, and snapped down with all his might, blood starting to trickle down the thick pelt.

The other tom let go and backed away, tail between his legs with his lips curled back into a sneer. Stonepaw released the rogue as he collapsed onto the ground. The tiny tom padded over the limp body, eyes focused on the ground a little too much. Mothpaw and the apprentice hurried over to him, offering their help, but he shoved them aside.

Then the CinderClan apprentice spoke. "You could kill? But you're a medicine cat—"

"That doesn't matter," Stonepaw argued, curling his tail over his paws. "Where are you hurt?"

"Don't worry about me," he protested. "You're Stonepaw, aren't you? Where did you learn those moves? Do you have enough strength to kill—"

"I know how to fight," the tom snapped, fur rising along his back. Between the hostility in his voice and the fray, Mothpaw had to strain her ears to pick up bits and pieces of the conversation. Stonepaw examined the apprentice, inspecting his body for wounds. The apprentice jumped back, shaking his in rage.

"I'm fine! Answer me! Medicine cats are supposed to have a connection to Star—"

"Are you blind?" Stonepaw spat those words with hate, rage, and disgust toward the apprentice. He lifted his head, face filled with pure annoyance. Mothpaw felt her heart beat against her chest, uncertainty seeping through the cracks of her body. The medicine cat apprentice coughed a tiny puddle of blood, causing the two to grimace.

This isn't Stonepaw, she thought. Why does one battle suddenly change you?

"There's no such thing as StarClan."

"That's something I thought I'd never hear from a medicine cat," the tom noted.

"If StarClan even existed, then why are we out here fighting for our lives? Why are cats going missing? They aren't answering. It's been moons and they haven't done a single thing. How dare they, expecting us to worship and praise them when they don't even do a a thing. I'm greedy, but a single sign from them would be enough, but they don't do that. I'm sick of it."

"Is this what you felt from the very beginning?" Mothpaw whispered, afraid to speak up. The tom nodded in agreement, whisking his tail toward her. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she waited for what felt like moons to hear Stonepaw respond.

"I thought I could do something; that's why I became the medicine cat apprentice." He flicked his ear in annoyance, looking around the battle as the group talked. Mothpaw didn't want to push their luck since no cat came after them. The tom beside her, however, looked ready to fight. Every so often, she'd catch him peeking behind his shoulder or unleash his claws.

"Turns out that was a lie. So, I'm not spending my time on them anymore. I feel like something's controlling me and my every action, and if it happens to be StarClan, then I'm using all my willpower to fight them. I'm not that mouse-brained to know there's a good chance I'll die here." With that said, Mothpaw saw a flash of regret flicker through his eyes. He hesitated, letting the fact dwell on the two, but most likely, it was a painful reminder of his fate. She stayed silent, not saying anything as the apprentice continued to fight himself.

"If I'm dying here, I'm choosing how I go out. I'm not letting myself get kidnapped or starve during leafbare," he declared, using his confidence to hide his fear and trembling voice. Lowering his gaze, he snarled, "StarClan's not controlling me."

"Stonepaw," she stated, grabbing the apprentice's attention. Locking her eyes with his and positioning herself in front of him, she tried to make herself look brave. Stonepaw didn't say anything, an apathetic and bitter face returning the look of determination plastered on her face. Mothpaw sighed, dropping her shoulders and he blinked.

"You're one of the bravest cats I know," she mumbled, and the tom perked his head up at the sound of those words. "I don't know you all that well, but you seem really confident - something I don't see in many warriors." She hoped her words made sense and that the CinderClan apprentice didn't think she was insane. The other tom looked back and forth at the two with a look of disgust spreading across his face. Scowling, he wrinkled his nose while Stonepaw sucked in his breath, eyes flickering with something undetectable.

"Mousebrain," he muttered. "Warriors are stronger than me. Don't make yourself believe fake words and hopes."

"No," she whispered. "Most warriors fight to protect Ashstar and MeadowClan, but you don't seem to fight for either. What you just told makes me think you're fighting StarClan."

With those words spoken, Stonepaw jerked his head up and stared at her with wide eyes. Mothpaw titled her head, letting a small grin cross her face in the midst of a battle. The gray apprentice looked lost for words, his mouth fumbling to make coceshent words but always tripping and twisting before they could come out. The two MeadowClan apprentices waited for the other to speak, and her mind and soul was at peace, the fear of getting ambushed or attacked seemed to faze her how a failed hunting patrol would. Until the gray tom could gather his words together, she felt herself unworried and the result of the battle wouldn't affect her.

Whatever happens, why am I not afraid? She pondered, keeping her mouth shut. His yellow eyes slowly traveled up, meeting her gaze, then spreading across the battlefield.

"I'll bring StarClan down with my own paws," he repeated, a burst of hope surging through him. Mothpaw and the other apprentice got up, understanding that the tom was ready to fight. Stonepaw scanned his eyes across camp one last time, sucking in each detail and every cat who yowled and fought like a thirsty tree. He whirled around, stopping the gray CinderClan tom in place.

"Are you sure you're okay to fight? What's your name again?" he added, seeming flustered and the other apprentice rolled his eyes.

"Lightningpaw," he answered, puffing out his chest. "Don't worry about me, Stonepaw. I'll take the lead from here."

"What lead?" The gray apprentice questioned, jumping out of the way as a black she-cat was hurled across the camp like a piece of prey. Mothpaw scrambled back just as the rogue got back on her feet, but Clearwhisker came flying after the cat and crashed onto the she-cat. Lightningpaw jerked his head toward the deputy, unleashing his claws to aid the silver cat. She glanced over her shoulder and snarled at the tom, who backed off, tail tucked between his legs. 

"Nevermind that," Stonepaw growled with a shake of his head. "We gotta search for the leader of these rogues. Luckily, most of them have retreated or they've been killed by now." His point was proven with a crack of bone between Clearwhisker's jaws. Lightningpaw shuddered and inched closer to them as the silver deputy sprang away, smashing her front paws with a tom Speckleflash fought. Mothpaw whirled around, turning herself in a massive circle, eyes scanning for any sign of a leader.

There seemed to be a lack of clumps of cats from her observation. Rogues seemed to jump from cat to cat and not worry about their injuries or wounds. Olivepaw sprang onto the back of a gray tom and the rest of the apprentices followed in tow, but their enemy wiggled free and went after the closest cat in range - which happened to be Aspenstar. Almost as if the tom forgot the apprentices' presence, he went after the CinderClan leader, who was more than ready to clash. Splashpelt and Lakestalk teamed up and drove back two she-cats, who raced away and met the claws of two CinderClan warriors. Watching the battle was like a meadow full of skinny rabbits, and Mothpaw felt her head spin focusing one a single pelt.

Frowning, she scanned the abandoned dens, hoping a head would peek out of the entrance and give her a sign that there could be a survivor. Her hopes began to sink into the pits of her stomach at each empty hole.

"Check around for something hidden!" Lightningpaw hissed, drawing back his lips. "Aspenstar taught us to search for the hidden before worrying about what we see. There's gotta be a hidden den or something and unless any of you can find one cat that looks like the leader—"

"Over there!" Stonepaw yowled and charged forward with the two apprentices scrambling to keep up with him as he wove his way between cats. Mothpaw kept her sights planted on Lightningpaw's striped tail as the older apprentice slipped into the chaos. The apprentice skidded to a halt, and she nearly smashed into his back. Recovering, she poked her nose out and her eyes landed on a clump of grass.

She closed her eyes and strained her ears, trying to block out the sounds of other cats around her and focus on the patch of grass below. Darkness clotted her vision as her mind painted red blood across her soul. Hissing and snarling arose from both sides, and the sounds of claws unleashing with a glimmer of white tucked inside a shadow crept up. All at once, she gritted her teeth and pressed her ears to her skull, hoping to find any sound from the grass.

Then a faint hiss.

Mothpaw snapped her eyes open to see Stonepaw and Lightningpaw already digging themselves into the den, their tails the only proof of their existence behind the thick grass. Her heart skipped a beat and she shoved herself head-first in the narrow space, back legs kicking behind her to boost her forward. The grass shuffled around her, creating a tangled and the tips pricked her ears and pelt as she swam through the sea. Then she fell on her chest and a low moan escaped her.

She didn't have a second to prepare herself just as a hard force came down on her, slamming a paw along her back painfully. Mothpaw coughed and let out a weak yowl, peering her blue eyes open to the dark den around them. Then her eyes landed on a golden she-cat with amber eyes, almost making her heart leap and burst out of her chest.

Honeypaw...?

The she-cat wrenched her head away, and a slim she-cat stood over her, eyes watching her movements. Around her, Mothpaw noticed Stonepaw and Lightningpaw pinned down as well, the two toms teaming up in hopes of throwing the cat above them off. Then a yowl split the den like a strike of lightning, and she spotted a gray she-cat holding down another she-cat. 

"Bluestone!" Lightningpaw yowled, his thrashing suddenly doubling. 

"Sagefeather!" Stonepaw screamed, and Mothpaw's heart dropped to her stomach like a raindrop, splashing into smaller droplets. 

"Kill her," the she-cat over the MeadowClan warrior sneered, and Lightningpaw howled just as the CinderClan she-cat was thrown aside. The gray tom fought underneath the weight desperately as the she-cat made a clean cut across her throat, silencing the warrior. Bluestone let out a growl that came out like a gargling noise.

"Stop!"

"Bluestone!" 

"Sagefeather!"

"Stop it!"

"Bluestone!"

"Let go of me right now! Get off of me!"

"Don't die! Please, don't die Bluestone! I need you!"

"How amusing," the she-cat sneered, tilting her head at them, flashing them a cruel grin. Mothpaw felt her body quiver as the gray she-cat arose from her spot, leaving Sagefeather on her side. The rogue had a thick, gray pelt and a set of green eyes that dazzled like newleaf. 

I hope this is the leader, she's the only one who seems to scream leader at me, she prayed, lowering her gaze. 

"Now with one dead." She gesutrued toward the other-she who dropped Bluestone's body on the ground. Lightningpaw let out a screech that peicred the den and he managed to break free and he weakly lunged at the rogue, fury lit in his eyes. The rogue braced herself for the blow as the apprentice came down, furiosly ripping away with his blows. Stonepaw used the chance and threw himself on his back, unleashing his claws and bit the tom's leg. 

Mothpaw stayed where she was, keeping her breath caught in her throat and body still, letting the fur along her pelt quiver like a leaf in the wind. 

"You killed my mentor!" Lightningpaw roared, but he was tossed aside. The rogue stretched, and the she-cat who killed Bluestone sprang after the apprentice. Stonepaw's efforts were silenced, and the medicine cat apprentice only kept his sharp gaze on the yellow she-cat in the far corner. 

The rogue licked her paw and let out a yawn. "Back to what I was saying, with one dead, I'll just have to kill another one. Too bad I didn't catch a bigger cat. These are mice." 

"Who are you?" Stonepaw demanded, lifting his head. "Tell me that before you kill us. It's not like it's going to help us when we die."

"You're right," she replied with a frown, throwing her head back. The deranged and excited look glimmering in the green pools were packed with hunger and thrill. "It's boring when cats just come in here - another kill, great. Honestly, I'd love to have a break and see the sun again. Looks like we don't get what we want, which sucks. Then again, nothing in this world's really fair." The rogue twisted around, a wide smile spreading across her face, revealing her stained teeth.

"Let's make this fun, alright? My name's Shatteredstar."