SUMMARY

Tigerstar's plot has worked, and now that Bluestar is dead, he has taken her place as Clan leader. Haunted by Bluestar's dying declaration that fire will save the Clan, Tigerstar exiles the two cats who pose a threat to his leadership, Fireheart and Graystripe, and labels them as traitors.

On the run for their lives, Fireheart and Graystripe flee the forest, believing there is no future for them amongst the Clans as "treacherous" exiles. But when Fireheart is told of the prophecy in a dream, he realizes that he is not meant to flee, but to overthrow Tigerstar and save the Clans from destruction. The problem is, ThunderClan has been ordered to kill him on sight, and the other Clans won't risk making an enemy of Tigerstar by taking Fireheart or Graystripe into their camps. If Fireheart is going to save the Clans, he's going to need assistance from outside of the Clans, and there is one cat in particular who's willing to help. . . at a price, of course.

-X-X-X-

Happy Easter, everyone! And if you're not Christian... Happy Easter anyway.

It's been a while since I've written Warriors fanfiction. I think the last time I tried (with this same idea, actually), it was 2009. Then I left, but now I'm back. This should be... interesting, to say the least.

Yes, this is one of those what-if, alternate universe fics. Specifically, it deals with the question of what would happen if, back in Forest of Secrets, Tigerclaw had killed Bluestar. I would have really liked to see this idea in canon (think of the possibilities!) but that's what fanfiction is for, I guess.

Like I said earlier, I tried to write this story before, but I got bored with it and deleted it. Still, this idea has been bothering me so I decided to try again. Second time's the charm. :) That being said, I haven't touched any of the books in over a year. My knowledge of the canon isn't what it used to be, and though I've got a copy of Forest of Secrets as reference, I'm probably going to make mistakes. If you see such mistakes, please point them out instead of just calling me a moron. Pointing out what I did wrong and then calling me a moron, however, is perfectly acceptable. :)

Anyway, sucky first chapter is sucky. This is more stage-setting than anything else. Next chapter is when the real fun begins.

Warning: This fic is rated T for violence, chapters longer than 1k, and (heaven forbid!) an original plot.

CHAPTER 1

ThunderClan camp was in chaos.

Tigerclaw paused in the middle of the clearing, revelling in what he had accomplished. All of his planning and hard work was finally coming to fruition. As he stood there, everything he had done over the past moons flashed through his mind. He had killed Redtail, the old ThunderClan deputy, and although he hadn't been Redtail's initial replacement, he had been appointed to the post not long after. Then he had recruited the band of ShadowClan rogues and other loners to his side. Today, he had used his power as deputy to drain the camp of ThunderClan warriors, leaving it virtually defenceless. Then he had rallied the rogues and led them to attack the camp.

Now he was going to kill Bluestar and take her place as leader.

Tigerclaw waited another heartbeat, just to make sure that the other ThunderClan cats were too busy to see what their deputy was up to. Reassured, he raced to Bluestar's den. As he pushed his way through the lichen curtain, he almost ran into Bluestar as she tried to leave her den.

"Tigerclaw, what's happening?" Bluestar asked. "Are we being attacked?"

"Yes, Bluestar," Tigerclaw panted. "It's the ShadowClan exiles. Didn't I tell you they could become a problem?"

Panic flickered in Bluestar's eyes, but then she shook her head. "We can worry about that later, Tigerclaw," she said, moving to brush past him. "The Clan needs us now."

Tigerclaw blocked her path. Bluestar drew back, surprised, and her eyes narrowed. "Tigerclaw, what is this?" she asked sharply. "I'm you're leader, or have you forgotten that?"

"Not for much longer," Tigerclaw hissed. Bluestar took a step back, and he advanced, blood singing through his ears, anticipation flooding him. "I'm going to kill you, and kill you again. As many times as it takes for you to join StarClan forever. It's time for me to lead this Clan!"

And with that, Tigerclaw pounced.

-X-X-X-

Across the clearing, Fireheart was battling a tabby he didn't recognize, probably a loner who had joined the exiles. The tabby had his teeth in Fireheart's shoulder and wouldn't let go. Desperately, Fireheart rolled over onto his side, crushing the loner beneath him. The loner let out a yowl and released Fireheart's shoulder. Fireheart lashed out at him with unsheathed claws, just to be on the safe side, then climbed off of him, turning his head to see what was going on.

The camp seemed to be full of attackers, and there seemed to be very few ThunderClan cats. Fireheart felt a stab of hopelessness mixed with anger. He remembered seeing Tigerclaw leading the band of rogues to the camp, and thought, Tigerclaw did this, and he's going to pay for it.

Still, the one cat that Fireheart couldn't seem to find was the treacherous Tigerclaw. His stomach clenched, and instinctively he headed for Bluestar's den. He took no more than three steps when a tom came flying at him, bowling over Fireheart and pinning him to the ground. Fireheart tried with all his strength to throw the tom off of him, but his attacker was heavy as a boulder and about as easy to move.

"Say hello to StarClan for me," hissed the tom, and just as he was about to lunge for Fireheart's throat, a gray blur tackled him. Fireheart got to his paws and looked round. His friend Graystripe was writhing on the ground with the tom, yowling furiously as he scratched tufts of fur from the rogue's pelt. Fireheart, without even pausing to gather himself, joined the fight, getting a hold of the tom's throat and raking his flank with his back claws. When the tom had enough, he let out a yelp, and simultaneously, Fireheart and Graystripe released him.

"Thanks, Graystripe," Fireheart panted as the tom raced away.

Graystripe nodded. He was bleeding from bite marks in his left ear, and it was only when he saw his friend bleeding that Fireheart realized that he himself was scratched, his wounds burning like fire. "No problem," Graystripe said. Without another word, he raced off, back to help defend the nursery.

Fireheart turned and dodged several pairs of fighters as he made his way toward Bluestar's den. A loud yowl from the camp entrance made him stop in his tracks, and he turned just in time to see Whitestorm leading a patrol through the gorse tunnel. Fireheart breathed a sigh of relief, but he knew they weren't in the clear yet. He had to find Tigerclaw. Otherwise, the results could, and would, be disastrous.

-X-X-X-

Tigerclaw had caught Bluestar unawares, and he had pinned her to the ground. Although she was raking her claws over his shoulder, Tigerclaw hardly noticed the blows. His heart was pounding in his chest, and every muscle and nerve in his body was taut, ready to spring in an instant. He gathered himself and looked down at Bluestar, wanting to relish this moment of her defeat and his victory. She looked panic-stricken, and Tigerclaw's lip curled in a snarl. He bent down close, and she flinched, expecting him to rip her throat out. He did no such thing.

Yet.

"You were a pathetic leader," he hissed in her ear. "You've accepted kittypets and traitors into your Clan, and disgraced it. I'm going to restore ThunderClan to what it used to be, Bluestar, the strongest, most respected, most feared Clan in the forest. Make no mistake."

Bluestar looked afraid, and she had stopped struggling, knowing it was futile. Still, she managed to glare up at him, her blue eyes smouldering with hatred. Tigerclaw had no idea what she was thinking as she confronted her death.

"Any last words?" Tigerclaw prompted.

Bluestar paused. Then, defiantly, she spat at him, "Fire will save the Clan."

With a scream of rage, Tigerclaw lunged and ripped out Bluestar's throat. As blood sprayed the air, he could feel her body convulsing beneath his paws, and stepped back, watching as the life ebbed out of Bluestar. Bluestar gasped, and blood flowed from her throat, collecting in a pool around her body. Injured as she was, it didn't take very long for her convulsions to fade, then disappear altogether, and at last, she lay still and silent on the floor of her den.

Tigerclaw sat down, curled his tail over his paws, and watched her body patiently. Soon, he knew, she would regain one of her remaining nine lives and come to, and then he would simply kill her again and again, until she ran out of lives. If he had known that she just had, Tigerclaw would have left the den immediately. As it was, he remained in his place, waiting for a life that would never come.

-X-X-X-

Fireheart flung himself through the lichen curtain that covered the entrance to Bluestar's den and called, "Bluestar! Bluestar! Are you here?"

There was no reply, but the den hung heavy with the smell of blood, and Fireheart could see two other cats inside. Bluestar was lying motionless on the ground in a puddle of blood, and beside her sat Tigerclaw. As Fireheart stopped dead, Tigerclaw looked up, his eyes glinting amber in the darkness. Fireheart gulped.

"What... What happened to Bluestar?" Fireheart asked, although he felt he had a pretty good idea already.

Tigerclaw nosed Bluestar's fur, as if checking for a sign of life from his leader. "I came in to inform her of the attack," he replied, straightening up and fixing Fireheart with a strange look. "I found her like this. One of the rogues must have attacked her and slipped away."

Fireheart knew that wasn't the case. He had seen Tigerclaw leading the group of rogues into the camp, had seen him pretend to fight the attackers, and now he could see the blood on Tigerclaw's muzzle, paws, and whiskers, and there was no scent of strange cats inside the den.

"You're lying," Fireheart hissed, forcing courage into his voice that he didn't feel. "I saw you bring those rogues into our camp, Tigerclaw."

Tigerclaw looked startled, but he quickly recovered and gazed at Fireheart in silence.

Fireheart's tail flicked nervously from side to side. "I know you killed Redtail," he said, watching Tigerclaw give a little start, "and I know that you killed Bluestar so you would become leader. You know what though? I won't let you!"

"You won't, will you?" Tigerclaw asked, his eyes narrowing. "You, a kittypet, will stop me from becoming leader? You're so naive, Fireheart." He got to his paws, and Fireheart watched him apprehensively as the warrior approached him. "Bluestar was weak. She made a laughingstock of ThunderClan. I intend to reverse the damage she wrought."

"Bluestar was a greater leader than you will ever be!" Fireheart declared defiantly.

Tigerclaw opened his mouth to reply, but something stopped him, and he stared at a point over Fireheart's shoulder. At first, Fireheart was unsure of what it was. Then he heard paw steps behind him, and before he could turn, he heard a yowl and felt a cat throw him into the wall of the den. His head cracked against the stone, and he slumped to the ground, his eyes closed.

"Excellent timing, Blackfoot," said Tigerclaw approvingly.

The newcomer, a tom with black paws and a nasty scratch on his flank, nodded and gazed greedily at the unconscious Fireheart. Tigerclaw followed his gaze and saw the faint rising and falling of Fireheart's flank as he breathed. "Should I kill him, Tigerclaw?" he asked.

Tigerclaw hesitated, still shaken by Bluestar's final words. Fire will save the Clan... It sounded like a prophecy. Was it? If it was, that meant that Fireheart was the fire that would save the Clan, and that also meant that Fireheart was a threat. Even if it wasn't the case, Fireheart had somehow found out about Redtail and knew Tigerclaw had killed Bluestar. Either way, it would be best to kill him now.

Still, Tigerclaw hesitated. There was more than one way to kill Fireheart. He closed his eyes in order to hink. Wouldn't it be best, he thought, if I disgraced and humiliated him, and then kill him? He could see that this method of revenge would be the more satisfying and fitting of the two options.

"No, don't kill him just yet, Blackfoot," Tigerclaw said, opening his eyes and casting a contemptuous look at Fireheart's limp body. "There's been enough killing today."

Blackfoot's eyes flickered to Bluestar's corpse. "How many lives did she have left?" he asked.

"Just the one," Tigerclaw replied with a shrug. "I had thought she had two or three, but all the better. Thank you, Blackfoot. Wait a little bit yet, and then call off the attack, would you?"

"Of course, Tigerclaw," Blackfoot answered. He turned to go, hesitated, and then turned back. "And, uh, Tigerclaw, about our reward–"

"I will not forget those who helped make this possible," Tigerclaw assured him, rather impatiently. "Don't worry, Blackfoot. Now, go."

Blackfoot, reassured, turned and darted out of the den. Tigerclaw followed, yowling, and threw himself back into the fray, though he was careful to keep his claws sheathed so as not to hurt any of his allies. Despite the adrenaline pumping through his body, he noted that all the patrols he had sent out earlier had returned. He had expected as much. As he batted at a rogue with a sheathed paw, Tigerclaw heard Blackfoot yowl above the din, "Retreat! Retreat!"

The rogues, knowing their part well, scattered, heading for the gorse tunnel. As the last rogue left the camp, ThunderClan let out a victory cheer, and Tigerclaw joined in as enthusiastically as the rest. Only Graystripe refrained from doing so. He stood in front of the nursery, looking torn. At last, with a quick glance over his shoulder at the nursery, he padded toward Bluestar's den. Tigerclaw let him go, knowing what Graystripe would find.

The medicine cats, Yellowfang and Cinderpaw, began to tend to the warriors' wounds. Tigerclaw ignored them and began to wash himself. As he washed his face, he tasted Bluestar's blood on his tongue, and he felt a little thrill, knowing that Bluestar was now out of his way.

"StarClan!" Graystripe exclaimed, and every cat turned to look at him as he backed away from the mouth of Bluestar's den. Turning to the camp, he shook his head, looking heartbroken, and said, "Bluestar and Fireheart... I think they're dead."

The camp hesitated, and Tigerclaw knew exactly why. Most of ThunderClan considered Graystripe a traitor, and weren't likely to believe what he said. Regardless, Whitestorm got up after a few heartbeats and padded across the clearing to Bluestar's den. He glanced inside, and Tigerclaw watched with satisfaction as the seasoned warrior's eyes widened. Without looking back, he slipped inside the den.

Tigerclaw got to his paws and followed Whitestorm, knowing that, as deputy, it would seem suspicious if he didn't. When he entered, he found Whitestorm bent over Bluestar's body. The warrior kept nudging Bluestar, as if hoping to startle her awake again. Fireheart still lay against the wall of the den, unconscious. Tigerclaw ignored him and crouched down next to Bluestar.

"She should be awake by now," Whitestorm murmured. "But her body is starting to go cold." He looked up, his eyes full of grief, and whispered, "Tigerclaw... I think she's lost her last life."

Tigerclaw bowed his head, more to hide the triumphant look in his eyes than out of grief. After a moment, he looked up at Whitestorm again and meowed, "We must tell the Clan."

Whitestorm nodded and looked down at Bluestar. "Rest in StarClan, my friend," he whispered.

Tigerclaw struggled not to roll his eyes. He turned to leave the den, but on his way out he nudged Fireheart with a paw. He was definitely still breathing. All the better, Tigerclaw thought as he exited the den. Leaping to the top of Highrock, Tigerclaw looked down at ThunderClan camp. There was no need to call the Clan to a meeting; they were already standing there below him. Now all Tigerclaw had to do was give the performance of his life.

"ThunderClan..." Tigerclaw stopped, to make it seem that he was overcome with grief. He counted three heartbeats before he continued, "ThunderClan, Bluestar has fallen."

There was a collective gasp amongst the Clan, and Tigerclaw watched smugly as the cats whispered amongst themselves. It was a shock for them all, he knew; Bluestar had been leader of ThunderClan for many seasons, and there were very few cats who couldn't remember a time before her. He waited until the chatter died down a little before saying, "I believe that one of the rogues killed her during the attack. Then Fireheart must have come in, and the rogue attacked him before leaving the den. Fireheart, however, is still alive." But not for long, he thought. "Darkstripe, could you please go to Bluestar's den and help Whitestorm carry out her body?"

As Darkstripe, his closest ally, entered the den, Tigerclaw added, "Tonight we will hold vigil with our great leader's body, and share tongues with her for the last time."

And then, he thought to himself, I will become leader at last.