Nightshade

**Nightshade** is a thick-furred pure black she-cat with one blue eye and one amber eye; she has long claw marks on her throat and chest.

## History

**Nightshade** was born in ThunderClan many, many seasons ago. She was born to two loyal warriors, Shadewhisp and Owlstorm in the dead of leafbare along with her sibling Spiderkit. Her mother, Shadewisp, died from complications during kitting causing **Nightkit** and her sister to be passed onto another queen named Thistletail to be nursed. Owlstorm left the queen to it and barely paid attention to his kits after they were born, thinking himself too busy as the Clan's deputy to bother with them. A moon passed, Nightkit and Spiderkit sticking together closely, bonding over their shared loneliness. Thistletail also paid little mind to the kits, focusing on her own that she thought were "perfect" compared to the two sisters. This caused bitterness to form over Nightkit's young heart.

As time went on a wave of greencough spread over the camp, snatching Spiderkit from Nightkit. She looked for comfort in Thistletail and Owlstorm but found little of it.

Oddly enough, she took an interest in medicine and was chosen by the ageing medicine cat Russetleaf since no other young cats showed interest and he knew his time was coming soon. Despite training in medicine, she would often go to battle training sessions with the other apprentices to observe and later practice in her own time.

Eventually, Russetleaf passed from old age leaving her as the head medicine cat. At that point, she started to plot as she noticed things she wanted to see a change in the Clan. Her first target being Thistletail. Her mind still stung from the insults the queen would throw to her as a kit. She lead Thistletail out of camp and towards the river during the night. The two mollies began to argue and in a fit of rage **Nightshade** grabbed the old queen, clawing and tearing at her pelt with no remorse. She grabbed her by the head and began repeatedly beating her skull against a stone screeching to her if she was "perfect" now. She barely realized she'd killed her until she looked down at the blood on her paws and the disgustingly contorted face of Thistletail. To cover her tracks she threw her into the river and turned back to camp, a wicked smile on her face.

She perfected her art of deadly herbs and using her claws, sometimes making special trips to twolegplace just to fight random loners and rogues to practice her fighting skills. In time her bitterness over her father grew, but not just him, also the leader of the Clan. Nightshade learned over the moons why her father showed such little care for herself, for her sister and for her mother moons ago thanks to whisperings in the Clan and her own observations.

Owlstorm loved another molly more, the ThunderClan leader in fact. But Nightshade bided her time, not wanting to act too quickly. They were both senior warriors and she could wait for the right opportunity.

That time came after a border scuffle, both Owlstorm and the leader had been terribly injured putting them into Nightshade's grasp, the leader being on her final life. She claimed to be healing them, offering herbs to them in bundles - at the centre of the bundles were neatly wrapped up deathberries and she watched calmly as they choked and died. She looked into their eyes coldly, feeling no remorse. She turned back to the Clan and told them that they had both tragically died of their injuries. The Clan was lost, without their leader or deputy. She told them that she alone would venture to Mothermouth, to speak with StarClan on what they should do. Though she already had her own plans, to be the leader herself.

She made the journey and spoke to the starry cats, her eyes blazing. Nightshade spoke boldly, telling them that she alone was going to run ThunderClan - with or without them. StarClan made the decision, hoping maybe once she got what she wanted the medicine cat would turn a new leaf and actually do some good since she had gotten her revenge, and granted her nine lives.

Nightshade came back to the Clan with her announcement, saying it was the will of StarClan for her to be leader, deputy, and medicine cat as the old Stoneteller would. Using her wits she convinced ThunderClan of this and began her rule. She stayed leader for some time, using her cruelty to keep her Clan under her claws. The Clan believed her and relied on her for healing so they had little choice but to do so.

Any cats that didn't support her were swiftly killed, either by her own claws or by those that didn't share her ideals. Though she was smart enough to keep her murders secret, using poison preferably or sneaking them out of camp to kill them. Cats that did not show themselves to be strong or useful to her were exiled or killed and those she did not particularly like she kept as prisoners to experiment her concoctions on. This lasted for seasons until a small group of ThunderClan cats - the exiled, gathered to make their own force against Nightshade.

They attacked the ThunderClan camp in a foolish attempt, only a few lucky enough to escape with their lives. The leader of the group was thankfully one of those lucky cats. Nightshade's throat was in his claws as he ran to ShadowClan for help. The ThunderClan leader was revived thanks to StarClan's blessing. Losing a life only made her more unstable as ShadowClan and the exiled planned their attack. Nightshade and the rest of ThunderClan were taken by surprise when they were attacked. Nightshade attacked wildly, killing two ShadowClan warriors and one of the exiled before she was finally pinned down. She and the leader of the rebels tussled along the ground as other cats watched. They knew whatever the outcome of this fight was would determine everything. Nightshade fought with the strength of a whole Clan, she tore at the rebel leader. She managed to take out an eye and hooked her long cruel claws into the cat's belly. She cackled as he bled and turned to gloat to the others.

The rebel leader was left barely breathing but pushed themselves to attack Nightshade as her back was turned and lept for her back, holding her head in place as he slashed at her throat. They stayed over her as she came back, each time slashing her throat back open. Finally, they ripped away her last life and stood to face everyone before collapsing from exhaustion. In a mad scrabble they rushed them to Mothermouth. StarClan was unable to save the life they were losing but were able to grant them eight.

Nightshade awoke afterwards in the Dark Forest, she wasn't angry though, if anything she welcomed it. Even after death, she made the new leader of ThunderClan's life hell. Using everything in her power to rip everything away from him, to make him feel the loneliness that she had long ago. She tortured him mentally, driving him mad and eventually caused them to take their own life to get away from her. She frequently torments abusive or absent parents, wanting them to know the pain they caused a helpless kit.

## Personality

Nightshade is heartless and unforgiving. She doesn't care who a cat is or who they think they are, if they're in her way she'll kill them - point-blank. She's incredibly smart and manipulative, her tongue as sharp as her claws. She has a soft spot for one cat now and that cat is Mapleleaf, taking an odd pity on the she-cat for the abuse she endured under her parents. Despite her cruel nature she wouldn't ever hurt or kill a kit.

## Killed Victims

* Thistletail *(Caused)*
* Owlstorm *(Caused)*
* Unnamed ThunderClan leader *(Caused)*
* Several ThunderClan cats *(Caused and indirectly caused)*
* Two unnamed ShadowClan warriors *(Caused)*
* Unnamed ThunderClan warrior *(Caused)*
* Unnamed ThunderClan leader *(Indirectly caused)*
* Frostbite *(Spirit, alongside Redcloud)*

## Trivia

### Interesting Facts

* Nightshade is a lesbian.
* Nightshade specialized in poisonous herbs and would find mixtures of benign herbs that would make them malicious.
* She visits her sister, Spiderkit, on occasion at the border of StarClan and the Place of No Stars for information on StarClan's comings and goings. Owlstorm is too frightened to near the border to stop her.

## Kin

### Members

**Foster Daughter:**

* Mapleleaf: Living

**Father:**

* Owlstorm: Deceased, verified StarClan member

**Mother:**

* Shadewisp: Deceased, verified StarClan member

**Foster Mother:**

* Thistletail: Deceased, verified StarClan member

**Sister:**

* Spiderkit: Deceased, verified StarClan member