So yeah.  This is the prologue to the unnecessarily complicated contest fic I'm writing. Noo, couldn't have just written about a random volcano. I had to make it special....

Anyways, this is dedicated to @LeafpoolM for her awesome cover. Here's a shout-out to you, because you rock!

Prologue

It was a dark, gray nightfall. What might have been a pretty, quiet sunset had long since turned into a depressing, ugly gray, filled with clouds and a chill that no cat would have associated with StarClan. The light brown tom sighed, looking through the unnaturally dark forests and wondering.

"How has it come to this?" He turned to his companion, a light ginger she-cat with sorrowful green eyes. No cat should ever have to feel this way in StarClan, especially one as pure and innocent as her. "Cloverleaf, how did we let it become so horribly out of control?" Cloverleaf shrugged, her head hanging low.

"We were blinded. By what, I don't know. I think we hoped that our predecessors would stop this." She turned tearful, determined eyes on him. "Falconstar, we need to figure out how we can make this all finally end. Too many have died, and these current leaders will never give up." The brown leader nodded and rose from the rock upon which he was sitting. He began to pace, speaking out loud in attempts to brainstorm.

"I'm not entirely sure how we would be able to change their minds. This endless want for territory and power is so deeply ingrained in the Clans that even the kits speak of eagerly taking over territory that does not belong to them. Thank goodness they are civil enough to still follow the warrior code and not kill each other outright, else we would no longer have cats to guide."

A rustling from behind them had the two ThornClan cats jump in alarm. They relaxed only when a silvery blue she-cat stepped out from behind the brambles.

"Mistyleap, welcome." She dipped her head respectfully to both cats before settling down on a soft patch of moss.

"I couldn't help but join in on this discussion, and I hope you don't mind me giving an opinion of my own." At his nod, she squared her shoulders and wrapped her tail around her paws. Falconstar worried about her sudden defensive look. 

"With all due respect, the time for pleading and begging has long since past. These cats, except for a select few, will never want to stop fighting. No matter how we tell them, they will not listen. They have lost all respect for us, and will not listen to words alone. What we need to do is show them how their fighting is wrong. We need to do something to punish them for their stubbornness."

Cloverleaf's tail swished with sudden anxiety. "What exactly do you have in mind?" Falconstar agreed with her sentiment, a sudden foreboding feel filling the atmosphere around them. Mistyleap locked eyes with both cats.

"We need to get rid of those that wish to fight." The foreign voice had the three glancing sharply about. They had picked a secluded area so that other StarClan cats wouldn't eavesdrop. They hadn't thought that so many cats would come to this place.

"Spottedstar, well met." Falconstar spoke respectfully to his fellow leader, a golden she-cat spotted with black dots. They had served together long ago, and remained friends in death. He respected her greatly, and trusted her opinion. Cloverleaf, the younger cat, had no such qualms.

"Surely you do not mean what you are suggesting? It is madness! No cat would remain to live in the area! How would you kill off so many cats anyway?" The spotted she-cat responded with equal ire.

"Cloverleaf, we can always move the Rebels when we are punishing the others. There is plenty of surrounding territory that have no claim, as you very well know." Cloverleaf paused, conflicted.

"The volcano is not a prime option! Is it even active? Nevermind that, it would take too much destroy the territory! Why not... drown them instead?" The disgusted look on Cloverleaf's face indicated how little she enjoyed where their conversation was leading them. To her surprise, it was Mistyleap who answered.

"Well the volcano makes more sense, doesn't it? There isn't enough water in the territories to drown all the cats, and flooding them would not stop them for long. They would take the destruction time as an opportunity to take more territory. The volcano is a much more... permanent solution. One they can never ignore or forget."

"Besides, when we move the Rebels away from the destruction, it would be best for them to be on different territory." Spottedstar added. "On new lands we can assign permanent borders and force them to start anew, peacefully. Not to mention that it would be kinder; move them away from the lands upon which their old Clan members were brutally murdered."

Falconstar was surprised once more at Cloverleaf's new outburst.

"Of course you would suggest that! You're a RockClan cat!" Spottedstar's body tensed and her tail swished with strength.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Her icy tone did nothing to dissuade Cloverleaf from speaking.

"I mean that all the cats of RockClan are inherently more violent than the other Clans. NO- no don't speak! It's true; you fight the most battles over the most mousebrained of things. Your Clan always continues the attack until each cat is injured or near death. Your cats have killed more than anyone." Cloverleaf continued listing different grievances she had with the Clan.

"Don't think other cats haven't seen it! It's quite obvious when you look at it! Any you are the stubbornest of them all! Sure, suggest the idea that kills all the cats. Typical." Cloverleaf mewed her sentence loudly, all but spitting out the words. Falconstar was staring at the two she-cats very nervously. 

He could feel his claws breaking the soil beneath him in anger. He forced himself to relax. "I just don't think a volcano is the best idea." She finished. Falconstar was not expecting Spottedstar's fiery response.

"We have to do it! Do you see how you are acting right now? Words do nothing! Your indecision right now, and the indecision of our predecessors is why this fighting is still going on, and why it was allowed to begin in the first place.

"I understand where you are coming from. Do you think I want to kill cats? Do you think I want these deaths on my paws? It is necessary, and I can assure you the rest of StarClan will agree. This needs to end, and if we need to take these lives for the greater good, then so be it." Falconstar felt his lip curl slightly, and he stood for the first time in their conversation.

"Have you any idea how you sound?" He yowled angrily, raising a tail to cut off her speech. "No! Let me finish! Have you any idea how crazy and psychotic this is? You are trying to justify murdering cats with StarClan power. No matter how crazy the cats are, no matter how bloodthirsty and cruel they are, they are still our kin, our descendants that we were tasked with protecting! Yet you would empty a mountain over their heads.

"Cloverleaf is right. It can be another way. But I don't think that you understand how truly wrong it is to be considering this genocide." When Spottedstar opened her mouth to retort Falconstar brought her short with a short remark.

"Are you really willing to stoop to the level of Dark Forest cats?" Falconstar truly couldn't understand how far she was willing to go. And what frightened him most was that she was right. The rest of StarClan would not object to this, and would most likely wholeheartedly support it.

Her next actions surprised him. Instead of continuing to speak, she turned, silently speaking to Mistyleap. What are they doing...?

His answer came a moment later as more cats of every Clan stepped into their clearing. An ambush? He questioned, backing up slowly.

"I hate to do this, Falconstar. Please believe that this is not how I wanted this to happen. But enough is enough. You claim we act like the Dark Forest? Action should not condemn us to the label of Dark Forest where previous negligence led to StarClan death. I... never mind. We don't have time for this. I'm heading to gather as many cats as possible for a decision. I have no intention of harming you. Just... just think of what I have said. I'd welcome you to my side without hesitation."

Falconstar was frightened. The look in her eyes was one that he remembered seeing on many cats during his reign, the wide eyed, stubborn, resigned look of desperation. The look that said that the cat would do anything to make their pain stop. It frightened him because he knew she was feeling that urge for drastic measures.

The ancient tom stared into the clouded, blackened sky he could feel his resolve shatter. He longed to see the stars unobstructed once more. The sun had been red for so long, the dawn bloody and filled with the wails of suffering cats. He wanted a golden dawn, a blue sky, for Clan blood to be spilled no longer.

Most importantly, he wanted peace.

And it frightened him because in truth, he was feeling the same urge as Spottedstar, an urge to find any end to the chaos.

He was willing to do whatever was necessary to obtain order, to rule sane cats once more.

As he sat alone with his thoughts, he felt his resolve crumbling piece by piece until soon he was left with nothing but a blank numbness and the urge of survival and peace.