Part 1

Tigerstripe's POV:

Tigerstripe sat under the shade of the warrior's den. He glanced over at the entrance to the medicine tunnel and hissed under his breath. That stupid tom Metalclaw was taking Flamefur away from them. His green eyes darkened with anger as he swung his broad head over to where Cheetahpelt and Bluesnow sat. "We must do something about Flamefur and Metalclaw."

"Like what?" Bluesnow asked, tilting her head in suspicion.

"I don't know. But it must be something to get Metalclaw out the clan." Tigerstripe growled and dug his thorn sharp claws into the soil.

"Why don't we frame him for something?" Cheetahpelt suggested softly.

Bluesnow's tail lashed. "No. That's not right."

"It's the only way! We must get that Dark Forest maggot to be banished from Lightclan!" Tigerstripe snarled and bared his teeth at Bluesnow. His sister growled in reply with a defiant lash of her tail.

Cheetahpelt hung his head and glanced between the two cats. "Please don't fight."

Tigerstripe hissed at his brother. "Shut your mouth!"

Cheetahpelt shrank away and shuffled closer to Bluesnow with a scared glance at his bigger brother. Tigerstripe parted his jaws to apologise but Bluesnow hissed, "Get away!" She bared her teeth and wrapped her tail protectively around Cheetahpelt.

Tigerstripe took a wary step back. "But Blue-"

"No! Leave us alone!" She snapped and unheathed her claws. It was obvious she would never dream of hurting Tigerstripe but the sight of her in an attack position made Tigerstripe immediately back down and slink toward the fresh-kill pile.

Once he stopped, an idea came to him and the edges of his lips tugged into a grin.

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Bluesnow's POV:

Bluesnow stepped away from Cheetahpelt as Tigerstripe stalked to the fresh-kill pile. She mumbled softly. "I hope he doesn't go and do something he'll regret later..."

"He shouldn't." Cheetahpelt meowed in a hushed tone, still staring at his brother with a sad expression.

Bluesnow looked up at Tigerstripe again to see him duck into the nursery tunnel. She narrowed her eyes and watched as he trotted back out soon after with Silverwing in tow. The two trotted out of camp, Tigerstripe holding a tense look on his face. Bluesnow noticed the kits were still inside the nursery and she stood up to watch over them but Cheetahpelt held her back. "Let's just stay here for a bit... Please?"

Bluesnow glanced one last time at the nursery tunnel before nodding and sitting down beside her brother to keep him company.

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Stormstar's POV:

"Avenge me. Avenge me. Avenge me Stormstar." Rosegaze hissed, pacing closer to Stormstar. His daughter's distorted face twitched unnaturally and her glowing eyes bore angrily into his. "Avenge my death. Kill my killer." Her voice was filled with venom and it echoed around Stormstar, causing shivers to run down his spine.

He cowered under the hard gaze of his daughter, eyes screwed shut. A part of him knew that this wasn't really Rosegaze. It was a hallucination. It wasn't real. But his fear overtook him ans he let out a soft whimper of terror. "But I killed one of her kits for you... Isn't that enough?"

"No!" Her voice snarled deafeningly in his ear, making his skull tremble and ears ring. His heart beat erratically in his chest, thumping loudly in his ears. "Avenge my death, father! Kill Petalstar!"

A memory of Nutwhisker telling him Petalstar hadn't killed Rosegaze suddenly came to him and Stormstar felt his fur rise along his back. "How can you be so sure it was Petalstar who killed you?"

"It was! It was her!" Rosegaze growled and unheathed her abnormally long claws. "Kill Petalstar!" She screamed in anguish.

"I can't!" Stormstar cried. "I can't. I can't. I can't kill her."

"Kill. Kill. Kill." Rosegaze repeated, her voice distorted and glitchy.

Suddenly, Rosegaze was gone and in her place was Silverstar. A pang of longing and fear scoured through Stormstar as he stared at his past mate. Her green eyes were sad and she whispered. "You must kill Petalstar. Kill her and I will love you again."

"B-But I can't.." Stormstar flinched as Silverstar's fur turned silver, but instead of the normal silver colour her armour was rainbow with flashing lights everywhere. Stormstar winced as she brought her claws down on his cheek.

"Kill that poor excuse of a mate!" Clear jealousy dripped from Silverstar's lips and she dug her claws into the soil, her rainbow armour blinding Stormstar.

He was about to answer the silver she cat when she changed into Birdkit. His little son glared at him with such anger that he was surprised a kit that small could contain such strong emotion. "Why didn't you save Rosegaze?" His squeaky voice held pure hatred as he spoke to his father.

"I tried-"

"No! You didn't save my sister! Now you'll pay the price!" Birdkit snarled and suddenly the ground beneath him was set on fire. The burning flames licked hungrily at Stormstar, burning away at his legs. He screamed in agony and collapsed, his whole body engulfed in fire. The pain was so real. Stormstar felt his lives ebbing away with every second he spent in the fire. His fur and skin had completely burned off, leaving his flesh on full view. Stormstar stared at himself as his body burned away. The pain had become so unbearable that he no longer felt anything. He watched, deathly still, as the fire burned away everything so that he was only a pile of bones.

Then Stormstar awoke from his dream, whimpering and crying as Dawnheart tried to calm him.

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