From the Shadows

From the Shadows

*A Warriors fanfiction short by The Warrior Brothers*

## Warning

The following fanfiction may be disturbing for some readers.

## Author's Note

This fanfiction was originally posted on the WARRIOR CATS FAN HEADQUARTERS Wiki.

## Prologue -Slice-

Slice trudged through the marshes in the forest just north of a Twolegplace. *Disgusting*, he thought. And he meant it. The marshes and the Twolegplace. One full of trash strewn carelessly about in the alleys and the other full of drooping, soaking ferns and muddy stagnant water.

Slice had been a BloodClan cat, but had left just before they had allied with ShadowClan. He had watched from the shadows as Scourge had been killed by Firestar, watched from the shadows as Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw were sent on a quest, watched from the shadows as the Three rose to their full power -- he had seen it all. He had seen it all while doing nothing.

Slice narrowed his eyes. Now it was time for action.

## Chapter 1 -Bramblestar-

Bramblestar looked out over the ThunderClan camp. *His* camp. He felt a surge of pride as he looked at how his cats were finally enjoying themselves and rebuilding the Clan after the battle with the Dark Forest.

Yet, he couldn't feel entirely happy -- not with the deaths of so many cats. Foxleap, Hollyleaf, Ferncloud, Mousefur, Sorreltail, and most of all, Firestar. Bramblestar bowed his head at the memory of ThunderClan's great leader.

Picking up his head, he yowled, "Berrynose!" The cream-colored tom's gaze snapped toward Bramblestar as he scurried over to his leader.

"I need you to organize a border patrol," meowed the ThunderClan leader.

Berrynose nodded. "Dovewing, Millie, Hazeltail, and myself?" he asked.

Bramblestar nodded, and Berrynose padded away to assemble his patrol.

## Chapter 2 -Slice-

Slice had cleared the marsh last moonhigh, about a day ago, and was now moving swiftly through the night, as he was in Clan territory. Slice was on the border that ThunderClan shared with ShadowClan. Through amber eyes that had become slits, Slice scanned the ground in front of him with a vigilant gaze. He spotted a mouse, but ignored it and padded on.

He had to wait for everything to fall into place. He smiled evilly. He had a plan, one he was not willing to let fail. For now, he had to take utmost care to make sure he was not discovered. Though he knew that most Twolegplace cats thought forest cats were much fiercer than they were, even Slice didn't stand a chance against a whole patrol of ThunderClan warriors. He padded cautiously, setting his paws down as if they were feathers. He saw the silhouette of a cat up ahead. *Perfect*, he thought.

Slice hid behind a tree, lying in wait for his prey. He had killed before. He would not hesitate to do it again. The cat padded right up to the tree, unsuspecting. Not giving it time to scent the air, Slice pounced on the cat, slicing his throat before he could cry out. He looked at his kill. *Clean*, he thought, satisfied. If he fled the territory, this would merely look like this cat had been murdered by ShadowClan, which was sure to stir up chaos. Just like Slice wanted.

## Chapter 3 -Bramblestar-

Bramblestar was eating a mouse when he saw Berrynose and his patrol come crashing through the thorn barrier. They had wild looks in their eyes. Bramblestar padded over to them. "What's wrong?" he inquired.

"We found a body on the border!" Berrynose yowled.

Bramblestar felt a flare of panic. "Well, no reason to upset the entire Clan," he meowed in reply, trying to stay calm.

"Yes, until they see the body themselves!" objected Millie.

"We have to report it at the Gathering tonight," mewed Bramblestar.

Berrynose nodded and padded away to the fresh-kill pile with the rest of the patrol. Bramblestar noticed that Millie's fur was still bristling. He sighed. *How could someone be murdered on Clan territory?* he wondered. It could have been a rogue. But no rogue would have been that stealthy. It must have been ShadowClan.

Bramblestar bared his teeth as he marched back to his den.

## Chapter 4 -Slice-

Slice padded away from the thorn barrier that formed the entrance to ThunderClan's camp. He purred as he reflected on how perfectly his plan was working. He had the next step in place. He just had to be patient.

Patience was something Slice had an unusual amount of, ever since he was a kit. He would always take the necessary time to carry out his plans. There was no room for mistakes, no room for rest, no room for food.

He would go to the Gathering that night -- in secret, of course. He chuckled to himself. The unsuspecting Clans were too caught up in superiority and rules and quarreling with each other that they would never suspect him. Not until it was too late.

## Chapter 5 -Bramblestar-

Bramblestar charged over the tree bridge, his Clanmates right behind him. He unsheathed his claws. He was going to set that fox-hearted Blackstar straight. He had murdered an innocent ThunderClan cat. That day, they had identified the cat as Lionblaze. *Lionblaze!* The cat that was admired by many cats for being the best fighter in all four Clans. He had been one of the Three!

Bramblestar stalked up to his branch of the Great Oak and leapt up onto it, glaring down at ShadowClan, who was gathered below looking as smug as ever. He turned his amber gaze toward Blackstar, who seemed to be showing no regret. *Murderer!* he hissed inwardly. He watched RiverClan come padding over the tree bridge, then WindClan.

"The Gathering is beginning!" yowled Onestar form the Great Oak on a branch near Bramblestar's.

Bramblestar stepped forward immediately. He pointed with his tail toward the ShadowClan warriors gathered below. "Murderers!" he yowled.

He heard shocked gasps and indignant exclamations from the crowd of ShadowClan warriors. Blackstar stepped forward. "*We* found a body on the border today!" he screeched. "How dare you accuse *us* of murder?" With that, he leapt at Bramblestar.

## Chapter 6 -Slice-

Slice watched with a cold, malicious gleam in his eyes as the two leaders fought. He waited for fighting to break out among the four Clans gathered below the rock. Sure enough, they clawed and bit one another. Most of RiverClan and WindClan was staying out of the fight.

Slice would change that.

He crept up on a RiverClan cat from behind. He sliced a sharp claw across their throat, silencing the warrior's screams before they could start. Then, he shot up a tree as RiverClan spun around to see one of their own dead.

RiverClan leapt at WindClan, yowls of accusation and pain ringing out through the air. The branches of the Great Oak was soaked in blood, all four leaders viciously clawing at each other's throats. Darkness had fallen over the clearing, signaling that StarClan disapproved, but no one noticed. Then, a senior warrior from ThunderClan looked up at the moon, about to let out a cry. Slice leapt forward and sliced their belly open, then, as the warrior collapsed, delivered a swift scratch to his throat.

Slice let himself purr with satisfaction as he scrambled up the tree once more.

## Chapter 7 -Bramblestar-

Mistystar leapt at Bramblestar's throat, but Bramblestar dodged the attack, raking her side as he swept past, a blur of brown. He realized that Blackstar only had one life left. *I can't* murder *him!* he thought. *But* he's *a murderer!*

Bramblestar bunched his muscles and leaped at the ShadowClan leader. Breath driven from his body and laying helplessly under Bramblestar's paws, Blackstar yowled desperately, "Please!"

Bramblestar clawed Blackstar's throat. He watched, half ashamed and half glad, as the ShadowClan leader bled to death. Then he realized with dismay that nearly every cat at the Gathering had fallen dead. He looked around with dismay as he saw the bodies of not only warriors and leaders, but medicine cats, elders, and kits!

*No!* he yowled silently as he watched Jayfeather collapse, blood gushing form a wound in his belly. Bramblestar was the only one left. The sole survivor of the Clans. Then, a cat pounced on him.

"Did you *really* think that *Blackstar* murdered one of your cats?" snarled the tom. "*I* did."

"*No!*" was the last thing Bramblestar ever said.