Falling With the Rain

~ Roles ~

~ Timeskip, Almost At the Plot-twist! ~

My ears were pricked and my stomach felt like it was knotted. Trouble was coming. Then I saw a flickering transparent kit, Skykit. He blinked at me reassuringly before he disappeared. The time was coming.

"To me, ThunderClan!" Tigerclaw's voice suddenly yowled.

The next moment, I found myself battling rogues. The exiled ShadowClan rogues. I spat and hissed, fighting my way to Bluestar's den. I was almost there, but then a rogue tripped me, flipping me onto my back. I let out a cry of pain. The rogue had grazed his claws on my belly. Shrieking with fury, I retaliated with much harder blows and sent him running for his life.

Thankfully, the battle quickly turned in our favour, because RiverClan had come to help. Looking down at the scratch I received, I sighed with relief. It wasn't deep at all. Energy pulsing through my muscles, I dashed off and sent as many rogues as I could running like squirrels.

Bluestar gathered us all beneath High Rock after the battle. She watched Tigerclaw for a moment–who was eating herbs– before speaking. "I present you with Tigerclaw, now a prisoner. He—"

A chorus of worried murmurs interrupted her. The Clan cats were looking at each other in shock and dismay. I pretended to look just as shocked. When in reality I really wasn't.

"A prisoner?" Darkstripe echoed. "Tigerclaw's your deputy. What has he done?"

"I'll tell you." Bluestar's voice now sounding much more confident than it had a moment ago "Just now, in my den, Tigerclaw attacked me. He would have killed me if Fireheart hadn't arrived in time."

Sounds of disbelief and shock came from the clan. I wasn't really shocked, but I had to pretend I was.

"There must be some mistake," Darkstripe blustered.

Bluestar raised her chin, her blue eyes cold. "Do you think I can't tell when a cat tries to murder me?" she asked in a rather dry manner.

"But Tigerclaw—"

Fireheart sprang up as if he had been waiting all his life for this moment. "Tigerclaw is a traitor to the Clan!" he spat. "He brought the rogue cats here today."

Darkstripe rounded on Fireheart. "He'd never have done that. Prove it, kittypet!"

Fireheart glanced at Bluestar–who didn't look so well. She nodded and beckoned him forward. "Fireheart, tell the Clan what you know. Everything."

I already knew the story. So instead, to prove Tigerclaw my 'loyalty' I padded up to him and sat beside him. I tried to make it look as if I had gone there to perhaps show Tigerclaw some of my wrath. I think I was pretty convincing, but I didn't dare look back to see who was convinced or not. Patiently, I listened to Fireheart's story.

"Bluestar," Whitestorm spoke up. "What will happen to Tigerclaw now?"

Whitestorm's simple question set off a crescendo of furious yowling from the Clan.

"Kill him!"

"Blind him!"

"Drive him out of the forest!"

Bluestar sat motionless, her eyes closed showing she was deep in thought.

"Tigerclaw," she meowed at last, "have you anything to say in your defense?"

Tigerclaw swung his head around and fixed his amber glare on her. "Defend myself to you, you gutless excuse for a warrior? What sort of a leader are you? Keeping the peace with other Clans. Helping them! You barely punished Fireheart and Graystripe for feeding RiverClan, and you sent them to fetch WindClan home! I would have never shown such kittypet softness. I would have brought back the days of TigerClan. I would have made ThunderClan great!"

"And how many cats would have died for it?" Bluestar murmured, almost as if she had forgotten the crowd of cats beneath her. I wonder if she was thinking about Thistleclaw.

"If you have nothing else to say, then I sentence you to exile," She eventually announced, her voice cracking. "You will leave ThunderClan territory now, and if any cat sees you here after sunrise tomorrow, they have my permission to kill you."

"Kill me?" Tigerclaw spoke now, snarling his defiance. "I'd like to see any of them try."

"Fireheart beat you," Graystripe called out.

"And Rainsong's beaten you too!" Cried Frostfur from somewhere among the swarm of cats.

"Fireheart." Tigerclaw turned his pale amber eyes on the ginger warrior–ignoring Frostfur's cry. "Cross my path again, you stinking furball, and we'll see who's stronger."

Fireheart leaped to his paws, a furious look in his eyes. "Anytime, Tigerclaw," he spat.

"No," Bluestar growled. "No more fighting. Tigerclaw, leave our sight."

Slowly Tigerclaw got up. His massive head swivelled back and forth as he scanned the crowd of cats.

"Don't think I'm finished," he hissed. "I'll be a leader yet. And any cat who comes with me will be well looked after. Darkstripe?"

"I trusted you, Tigerclaw," Darkstripe protested. "I thought you were the finest warrior in the forest. But you plotted with that...that tyrant and you said nothing to me. And now you expect me to come with you?" He looked away rather deliberately.

Tigerclaw merely shrugged. "I needed Brokentail's help to make contact with the rogue cats. If you choose to take this personally, that's your problem," he growled. Well he had a point, Darkstripe needn't take it personally.

"Longtail?"

Longtail gave a nervous yelp. "Come with you, Tigerclaw? Into exile?" His voice shook with every word. "I...no, I can't. I'm loyal to ThunderClan!" Good job, Longtail, I thought. I didn't want my brother going with that filthy flea-ridden monster.

"What about you, Dustpelt?" Tigerclaw demanded. "You'll have richer pickings with me than you ever will in ThunderClan."

"I looked up to you," Dustpelt replied in a clear, level voice. "I wanted to be like you. But Redtail was my mentor. I owe him more than any cat. And you killed him." Grief and fury made his limbs shake, but his bravery kept him going. "You killed him and betrayed the Clan. I'd rather die than follow you." My brother then turned and stalked away.

My heart was filled with pride for a brief moment. Then Tigerclaw said a name. My name. The moment I'd been dreading had come.

"Rainsong?" He growled. "You'd have a much better life without having to deal with your pitiful former mentor and your lousy kin."

All eyes turned on me. Bluestar's as well, they were shocked and appalled.

I sucked in a sharp breath.

~ End of Chapter A/N ~

NO COMMENTS. NO SPOILERS. YOU GUYS WILL JUST HAVE TO WAIT A WEEK FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER. (Cliffhangers, I love making them but I hate them.)

~ LittleOwl