**tw blood/death

The sun stretched high above the WillowClan camp, warming the clearing happily along with the chatter and laughter of kits. Some cats hung lazily along the Cliff Ridge, keen to warm their fur in the sun, while some gathered outside den entrances, wanting out of the stuffy shrub dens.

Two kits — one an orange tabby and another dark grey with lighter markings — chased one another amongst a pile of dried leaves, smiling gleefully as they pounced one another. These were Blazekit, and Smokekit, respectively.

"You'll never catch me!" Smokekit squeaked, her tail flicking playfully as she swatted her brother.

"Are you sure about that?!" Blazekit challenged back, smirking towards his sister and grabbing a clump of her fur. "See? I win, I got you!"

"Not for long!" Smokekit stuck her tongue out and wrestled herself free of her brother's grasp, shooting away from him as he chased after.

Meanwhile, in the cool shade, their younger sister, Emberkit, lay bathing in the shade, enjoying the peaceful breeze that ruffled her fur soothingly. Rolling on her back, she blinked open a bright blue eye, met with the smiling face of her mother.

"Getting some sun there, plum?" The grey she-cat called affectionately to her daughter. Emberkit rolled over, nodding, a slight flush on her face at the nickname.

"Muum don't call me that! It's embarrassing!" She whined, looking down at the floor. She was four moons old, not a newborn anymore!

"Oh Emberkit." Windywing chuckled at her daughter's antics. "You'll always be my little plum."

"Still though." Emberkit frowned, face contorted in a grimace, "I'm almost an apprentice! Only two moons to go."

"And I don't think you know what that's like for me and your father, only yesterday were you and your siblings snuggled at my belly." Windywing purred, then looked up at the camp entrance, "Speaking of your father, he's on a hunting patrol. Won't be back until a little later."

"Alright." Emberkit meowed in response. She didn't mind waiting for her father to return, and silently wondered what type of prey he might return with.

I hope he returns with a vole — those are my favourite!

"Aren't you going to go and play with Smokekit and Blazekit?" The grey she-cat questioned, urging her daughter.

In response, she looked up, watching Smokekit and Blazekit wrestle each other, and inwardly winced. They were being really rough, and Emberkit didn't fancy getting caught up in that.

"I'd think I rather spend time with you." Emberkit mewed, observing the scene once more, then turning and shaking her head.

Affectionately, Windywing embraced her daughter, wrapping her tail around her and purring gently. The kit smiled back, leaning onto her hind legs and sinking into her mother's fur. She smelled like rain and cherry blossoms.

As she let the aroma of blossoms surround her, Emberkit was struck by an unfamiliar tang. Retching she brought her head back, ears flattened against her head as she spat. What was that awful smell? She'd never scented it before.

"Something smells weird." Emberkit murmured, her ears pricking when a furious yowl echoed in the distance. Windywing perked her ears up, concern written all over her face.

With a paw, Windywing gently pushed her back into the nest, blue eyes darting around cautiously. Her eyes caught the camp entrance, and she peered out the nursery.

Emberkit couldn't see anything from where she was sitting — her mother was in the way! She wanted to see what the cause of the weird smell was. There was a strange silence in the camp, she noted. Blazekit and Smokekit weren't happily laughing anymore.

That wasn't good. What happened?

Pawsteps sounded outside, not just a few.. lots of them. But none of them she really recognised. Normally she'd recognise cats' pawsteps, but these were heavy and dragging, not dainty and light like WillowClan's tread.

"What's going on?" She questioned her mother, and her mother moved her leg out the way to glance down at her, shaking her head. Then she was able to see outside.

Cats — not from WillowClan.

They were flurries in the air, streaks of fur that dashed aggressively around the clearing, clawing and spitting. Yowling and cries echoed.

What is this? What's going on?! I don't know who any of these are. Is - is this a battle?

All of a sudden, Windywing's eyes were serious, as she glanced down at the ginger she-kit.

"Stay here, and stay put. Don't move from this nest at all, got it?"

None of it made sense! Why was Windywing acting like this? But she did understand, so rapidly nodded her head and snuggled into the nest, blocking out the horrific yowling.

And then a shout.

"Mama! Mama!" A shrieking cry tore through the WillowClan camp, making Emberkit freeze to the core. Windywing did too, her eyes wide with horror and fur spiked up.

"No, no, no!" Her mother yelled, getting louder with each shout. Windywing's claws unsheathed as she bolted outside. Emberkit scrambled after, her heart racing and paws numb.

Smokekit and Blazekit were in that! They — she didn't know where they were, but that was Blazekit's call right in the middle of battle!

"Oh StarClan..." She gnawed on her lip, claws spiked in the ground. The temptation to run into there to save her siblings was big, but that would be stupid of her, she knew. Windywing has gone after them, after all.

Everything would be okay.

Please..

——————————————————————————

Windywing dashed through the battlefield, her blue eyes wild with fury as she rushed towards her son and daughter. There, both of them were huddled together, surrounded by a bulky SandClan warrior.

Oh no you don't— you rotten snake heart! You dare lay your claws on any innocent kits, let alone mine.

Her heart raced as she plummeted towards them, Blazekit and Smokekit had spotted her now, their heads turned, relieved smiles replacing their terror.

With that, she couldn't help smile back at her kits.

Then she noticed the warrior behind them, at least twice their size, snarling and hissing with a twisted grin, claws outstretched, she recognised that blow —

"Don't you dare!" Yowled Windywing, and leapt furiously onto the ginger-and-white tom, bowling him right over.

"Oh this'll be easy." The SandClan warrior eyes narrowed with a devilish smirk as he unsheathed his claws scraping her shoulder.

The queen hissed back, tearing at his underbelly, which he retaliated quickly, claws outstretched—

Right for her throat.

A singing pain burned throughout her veins, sizzling and sputtering as she wheezed, blood welling from the deep wound on her neck. It dropped onto the floor, splattering around her paws. And kept on flowing.

She couldn't— couldn't —

A body collapsed to the floor.

Nothing but silence filled the clearing.

——————————————————————————

"Get out. You've done enough damage here." Buzzardstar, the leader of WillowClan, hissed through gritted teeth, standing protectively in front of Smokekit and Blazekit.

Windywing? She's.. gone?

Emberkit swayed on her paws, eyes wide with shock. Red was everywhere, splattered and pooled around her mother. She tentatively walked in the clearing, but didn't dare look at her mother's drab eyes.

"Did that just happen?" Smokekit whispered, ears flattened, while Blazekit looked on in silence.

Around then, the SandClan cats evacuated, slowly trailing out of the entrances, battle worn and shock driven on their faces.

"Do you know why they were here?" Patchfrost, the deputy, walked up slowly, scanning Windywing's body up and down with a pitiful sigh.

"Something to do with wanting Wildberry's kits. After all they are half SandClan too. They have Mosspaw, and they wanted another one of them to make it equal. Despite the fact that Gullpaw, Featherpaw and Tanglepaw are perfectly happy here. They still pressed forward a battle, and with horrid consequences." Buzzardstar shook his head, pressing his nose down the Windywing's pelt.

"Someone's going to have to tell Margarinefur." Patchfrost sighed, shaking his head. "He'll be devastated."

The grieving cats were interrupted by a patrol of cats coming in, a hunting patrol. Various bits of prey dangled from their mouths, eyes darting with worry.

Margarinefur trotted forward, dropping the vole he was holding, "Oh StarClan- I saw a group of SandClan running here - is everyone alright?"

His eyes scanned the empty faces of Patchfrost and Buzzardstar, then he noticed his son and daughters huddled together, looking shaken. What happened? Were they alright?

"I don't know how to say this, Margarinefur-" Buzzardstar sighed, the leader looking at the ginger and cream tom with a grimace on his face.

"-Windywing's dead." Patchfrost meowed quickly, tail flicking behind him, and calico tom moved aside, revealing..

Oh no.

Shock filled his body as he glanced at the body of his mate, and blinked again, trying to even comprehend the situation. There she was, laid down, pelt ruffled, blood pooled around.

His paws felt numb, and a familiar feeling bubbled it's way up his chest as he collapsed to the ground, holding cries of grief back, not wanting to alarm his kits.

"She can't be! No.. I loved her. She was the first to accept me into WillowClan! And now she's left, leaving our kits without a mother..." Margarinefur trailed off, eyes misty with tears. "First Honeyshade.. then this."

"I'm truly sorry." Buzzardstar meowed, dipping his head.

"It's not your fault." Margarinefur sniffled, "She died protecting the kits. At least they're safe."

His head turned to see Smokekit, Blazekit and Emberkit who stood, silent and unmoving. Smokekit and Blazekit huddled into one another, barely suppressing sniffles, while Emberkit glanced at blue flower petals dancing around her paws.

It would never be the same again.