Warrior Cat Clans 2 (WCC2 aka Classic) is a roleplay site inspired by the Warrior series by Erin Hunter. Whether you are a fan of the books or new to the Warrior cats world, WCC2 offers a diverse environment with over a decade’s worth of lore for you - and your characters - to explore. Join us today and become a part of our ongoing story!
News & Updates
11.06.2022 The site has been transformed into an archive. Thank you for all the memories here!
Here on Classic we understand that sometimes life can get difficult and we struggle. We may need to receive advice, vent, know that we are not alone in our difficult times, or even just have someone listen to what's going on in our lives. In light of these times, we have created the support threads below that are open to all of our members at any time.
If there was one thing that was more terrifying than a herd of cats storming your clan, it was when one cat walked straight into your camp, absolutely seething. The warrior that led the BrookClan Tsar looked visably uncomfortable that it had been made into his job to escort the leader to NightClan camp, but the look in Kerrigan's eyes made it clear that she was not to be questioned. Had he questioned her, had he even for a moment tried to stop her, he would have felt first-hand the anger that his leader would soon face. Of course, this was a risky move. Kerrigan knew that there was always a chance this would backfire on her. Coming to an enemy territory and threatening war was something that few leaders would do. However, the creature was a diplomat at heart, and wanted to make Burningstar bend without the use of force. This did not mean that she wouldn't use force, though. One could tell by the fact that her hackles were raised that there was a part of her that wanted nothing more than to unsheathe claws into the NightClan ruler's flesh. If push came to shove, she would.
Once the tsar and her escort entered the NightClan camp, the natives in the camp seemed to stop in its tracks. After all, NightClan had a reputation for not liking outsiders, yet here one was, staring them right in the face, demanding that a single one of them challenge her.
"Burningstar," she growled deeply into the crowd, knowing that whereever the cat was in the camp, this message would get to her, "I believe we need to talk."
Frozenfire bristled at the sight of the tsar unsheathing her claws, she shot a glare at the warrior that had brought the tsar in the cat slinking away to try and hide within the bewildered and bristling ranks of NightClan, though some were eyeing the tsar or even hanging back to stay out of sight.
One such cat was Soaringbird hastily snagging all her kits, grabbing Infernalkit and practically shoving him into the nursery Skykit squeaking from her jaws before they disappeared into the darkness of the nursery to hide out of sight. The silver and gray tabby fearing that Kerrigan had come for her kits... well Springlockedgrave's kits. In the darkness she wrapped herself tightly around them unwilling to separate with the little ones she'd bonded with.
Fortunately, before Kerrigan could go looking about camp and possibly find Soaringbird and the kits, Burningstar emerged from her den. She considered Kerrigan. A whirlwind of emotions going through the ginger she cat. Her expression was a mask of wariness. The only reason for Kerrigan to be here likely related to the kittens they'd taken... Burningstar had been hoping that she could approach Kerrigan with a solution she could offer to make amends for the stealing, but she hadn't come up with anything. And now here was Kerrigan, here to likely demand the kits or some form of repayment. Likely a bloody repayment given what she'd heard about the BrookClan leader from Glowstar and others.
But she nodded her head. "Yes, we do." She agreed. Resigned to the discussion but keeping her voice calm. "Let's speak in my den, the rest of you go about your duties." She said before beckoning for Kerrigan to come join her in her den.
Frozenfire glowered at Kerrigan angry by Burningstar's refusal to throw Kerrigan out, or address the invader before the clan. She gritted her teeth and glowered at the two leaders from where she stood hackles raised.
Kerrigan's cold gaze slid over to Frozenfire, the feline whose eyes she could feel strongly as they lingered across her pelt. "Settle down, cat. I'm here to collect a debt, not murder the elders." Her voice was stunningly frozen. This tone of voice had only been used in front of a crowd once before in Kerrigan's life, and that was the day she murdered her cousin with her own paws. There was a tone in her voice that proved that she was not simply the charismatic flower-crowned feline that creatures at the gatherings new her as. She was not simply silver-tongued. She was a legitimate threat, one who was very quickly on the rise in terms of power. And there she was, making her first outward threat.
She turned to Burningstar, amusement flickering in her gaze. It was a seeded amusement, the kind that was honestly chilling. She let out a laugh, a villain's laugh, before leaning into the NightClan leader. The next words she would say would only be heard by Burningstar, despite the urge the Tsar had to spew the truth and smear the cat's reputation right then and there? "You don't want your clan to know that you're a petty thief, of children no less?" she purred, before pulling away.
Her eyes moved over, resting on each one of the dens for a matter of a milisecond. In one of them, the BrookClan Tsar knew, there were kittens that belonged to her. She knew very little about them, but she knew that they were creatures of BrookClan lineage, stolen from the nestles of the group. It had been suggested that they were Springlockedgrave's. That, and the fact that it was former BrookClan felines that stole the kittens, made the offense so much worse.
"Or, better yet, you don't want me to find them, hmm? Soaringbird, that's her name right? Wouldn't want me to lay my eyes on her pelt, hmm?" She laughed again, before taking one last glance around the camp. She didn't know really what Soaringbird looked like, but Kerrigan, in that moment, swore that if she saw Rasputin, there would be blood spilled.
COntent with that decision, she began to follow Burningstar.
Frozenfire’s eyes narrowed the she cats expression going from anger to interest. She looked at Kerrigan and at Burningstar, what sort of debt had their failed leader incurred with the BrookClan tsar of all cats.
Burningstar’s pelt prickled with fear at the though of Kerrigan going through each den to try and find Soaringbird, But she continued to lead Kerrigan into her den. “Fernshadow,” she meowed to a younger gray tabby she cat, “Tell Voltfox when he returns from patrol to keep the clan running, I may be a while,” she told the Warrior. Fernshsdow blinked but nodded her understanding before returning to her duties.
Once they were in her den Burningstar let out a weary sigh turning to face Kerrigan. “I was hoping i’d Be able to initiate this discussion. With an offering to repay you for what was taken. But I have nothing to offer in exchange. I first want to say... I am sorry.” Burningstar meowed. “I was only thinking about my sister, as things were under Shiverstar’s rule, I needed s way to allow her in. Kits was what was suggested and I allowed it,” she said.
“I know obviously the best way to resolve this would be to give you the kits... but I can’t. They’re happy here, this is their home now... and they’re so young, and ,” she thought of little blazekits with his attacks, skykit with her blindness and Infernalkit with his moods. But she also thought of how happy they got when she’d take the time to be with them. How much Soaringbird doted on each one of them. They were precious and loved. “And they’re precious to me and my sister, we love them dearly... i have decided when they’re older to tell them but now they’re too young. Too young to fully understand.”
Might be a while. That was probably an understatement. It would take more than a while, although Kerrigan had left orders that if she was not home by the following morning to initiate a full on war with NightClan. Sammy, she was sure, wouldn't like that very much, which was why she hadn't directly told him. Like most of her messages, her order was left with Cynder, the right hand of the throne.
The she-cat followed Burningstar into the den, and as soon as they were in private, the BrookClan Tsar's paw came slamming across Burningstar's face. Of course, she had not used her claws. That would have made it too easy to prove her violence. No, this move was not meant to draw blood. It was meant both to stun the she-cat and to warn her that Kerrigan was not here to play games. This was an offense, an offense against the crown, an offense against the gods, and the Tsar would not tolerate it.
"You think you get to keep them?" The amusement in her purr was just as terrifying as her voice had been when she spoke to the warrior. "I do not believe you understand the severity of the situation, Burningstar. You truly are mistaken if you think I care that you love them. They are stolen property. Not only are you harboring an enemy of the throne," her tail trashed in rhythm with her words, "but through that enemy of the throne, you have stolen infants from us. You are lucky that I came to speak with you before unleashing the felines of BrookClan to ensure that you regret the day that you thought it was an idea to pick a battle you could not win."
Burningstar hissed at the strike, bristling at the blow. But she reigned in her outrage. The ginger she cat forced her fur to lie flat and took a deep breath. Getting angry and engaging in a fight would get her nowhere. She had wronged Kerrigan. Had Kerrigan stolen NightClan kits, she would've reacted the same, but she didn't like how Kerrigan called the kits 'stolen property'.
But she forced it all down. Kerrigan's anger was justified. Kerrigan was not wrong that they had no claim to the kits. But Burningstar still wanted the kits well cared for. Springlockedgrave had sounded like a poor mother... At the time she'd felt such an act was justified by her needing to get Soaringbird into NightClan with her mate, and if they'd be giving the kits a better life...
Burningstar took another deep breath. "I am aware of the severity," Burningstar said slowly. "And I am willing to negotiate with you to amend this situation. You came to talk that means you are willing to negotiate for something to appease you, and to repair what has been done." Though there was a likelihood Kerrigan feared that the kits might get hurt in the crossfire and would rather have them handed over, than anything else.
"I understand that you do not care that I love them. But I do want the kits to be safe, BrookClan is far and on the other side of the mountain from here. While for full grown cats like yourself and me, that's fine. But for 4 kittens and with leafbare looming close that'll be difficult." Burningstar said. "If you insist... I will hand them over. But perhaps there is something else I can offer you in exchange?" Burningstar asked. "As long as it's not the lives of my cats. They are not a part of what happened. This is solely my fault, and I am willing to give you something to repay you for this."
If she had engaged in a fight, things would have gotten ugly fast. Of course, she was outnumbered. They would remove the BrookClan Tsar from the territory, but then what? She would have considered diplomatic options exhausted, and a war would have been innitiated. Perhaps Burningstar was more intelligent than Kerrigan gave her credit for if her first step was not to engage in warfare with a clan who was, for once, the moral highground.
"Negotiate how? I surely do not believe you're willing to meet the terms of negotiation for this to be forgiven." She shifted slightly, her entire body still tense. However, it was clear that she was laser-focused on the idea of negotiation. What did she want that Burningstar could give her that would right such a wrong? She doubted that the she-cat would be willing to tell her entire clan about the stolen lives. Blood was always an option, but after Kerrigan took a life from the NightClan leader, it would not even be an eye for an eye. After all, more than just one kitten had been taken. But, there was another option...
"Make an offer, if you so want to make a deal," she meowed after a moment, her eyes narrowed. She could demand the kittens back, but then what would she do with them? They were socialized in NightClan; that meant they were no more than a symbol to her. They would never make for true BrookClan soldiers.
Burningstar hesitated. What could she offer? Kittens were off the table, Burningstar had none and she would not steal from another again... at least she hoped she wouldn’t have to,
She tried to think. If she were in Kerrigan’s paws, what would she want? The kittens first and foremost. But she didn’t want to give up the little ones yet, so that was not an option. “There is a great deal of distance between our clans,” Burningstar meowed deciding to voice her thought process. “So bargaining prey and territory would be unsufficient...”
She knew so little about the Tsar, so little about what her goals were and what she’d decide would be equal.
Then she remembered Glowstar. Trying to sway one of her cats to be a spy.
“Perhaps some exchange of knowledge?” Burningstar meowed. “I do not know fully where your ambitions extend, but I know from experience how useful knowledge can be. As I noted while I was thinking out loud there is a great distance between NightClan and BrookClan. But I’m sure like me you’d rather be in the know of any ongoings as much as you can. We can make an arrangement, i’d Say you could perhaps plant a brookclan cat in NightClan and to you and to them I will reveal the kits. You will know they are well taken care of, and that when they’re older and I reveal the truth to them they’ll have a link to you. This arrangement can include favors, that you may ask of me,”
"Correct," she meowed at the first assertion. It would take too much effort to have a BrookClan colony this far away from the homeland. She liked to keep her cats as close to her as possible; that made sure that she could keep a close eye on them. At least Burningstar was smart in some way or another. It was still a suicide mission to steal from BrookClan, yes, but at least she was smart enough not to waste her time with offers that did not make sense.
The pause between them for a moment gave time to think. How interesting this would be, to watch the NightCLan leader flounder around to try to figure out what was going on in the BrookClan Tsar's head. Few cats outside of the Monarchy knew the origin story of Kerrigan's reign. They wouldn't know that power and ambition were the two things that she fed off of. Everything had come back to that. Would Burningstar be able to pick up upon that, that the way to her heart was through an offer of something that would gain her power?
When the other cat spoke next, the orange-cream Tsar's eyes lit up. So, she could read the circumstance, how interesting. Her head tilted slightly, as if she was giving this option thorough consideration. She was not, and knew from the moment that Burningstar said it that this would be critically insufficient for what she desired. However, she wanted to let the other cat think she considered it.
"I do not think that that will be sufficient," she meowed after a moment. "You're close, I think, but I believe you think that the kittens will mean anything to me once they are socialized to NightClan's situation. They will not. By the time they are grown enough to learn the truth, they will have been socialized to believe in StarClan, socialized to view you as their blood. If I do not take them back with me tonight, they will become nothing but a symbol of your transgression against the throne."
She rose to her paws, before beginning to pace through the leader's den. "However, information is something that I deal in most frequently. As a diplomat, knowledge is one of the few things that mean quite a bit to me." She let out a thoughtful noise, before stopping her motion to look Burningstar in the eye.
"I have a counteroffer, though, because of how close you are. I will plant a feline into the group and he will become a member of NightClan that reports to me and me alone. He will be a link of information between this side of the forest and mine." She tilted her head slightly. "You will, yes, show us who our kittens are, but simply as evidence that you respect our arrangement. The kittens will not have to know, unless you break the agreement." Kerrigan's lips twitched into a small, sinister smile. "If you do, I promise you on the first gathering to which they are old enough to attend a gathering, I will tell the entire forest at once that you are a thief." She laughed at the thought, her gaze dancing in delight.
"Lindon," she meowed, deciding in that moment that it would be her brother who was offered this position, "will stay in NightClan indefinitely. He will serve as a link between the groups, providing me with all relevant information of not only NightClan, but any other information he can soak out of the region. If he feels as if he is being excluded from any pertinant information, he will tell me, and I will deal with it." This was a warning for Burningstar not to treat her soldier like an outsider. "He will be welcomed with open arms. I understand this would not be easy for you, as I understand NightClan's closed door policies. You will have to figure it out."
She paused. "In exchange, for the safety of the kittens and of my brother, I will not do to NightClan what I have done to EarthClan, unless you harm a single fur on his body."
Burningstar nodded along as Kerrigan spoke. There was a lot to pick through, though her ears pricked when she mentioned that a belief in StarClan would make the kittens inelligible to being a part of BrookClan.
"You do not believe in StarClan?" That must've been a change introduced during Kerrigan's reign. She was immediately curious. What did they believe in? What were their ways of worship? How was it changed. But then she shook her head. "Sorry, was momentarily curious. When Soaringbird returned she didn't mention you having different beliefs. I am curious but I apologize for derailing discussions. Back on track..." She cleared her throat.
"The kittens of course will be raised as if they were my and Soaringbird's blood. As I've said I've grown to love them as if they were my sisters kits. But I also wish to ask, that you not hold my transgressions against them. I do think I will still tell them the truth in time, and I ask that if they wish to seek you out, would you allow them a chance? I do not know what they will do, but if they do decide that my actions are too horrendous to remain in NightClan, that they be allowed to go to you if that is their wish and have a chance to try to be a part of your clan. I do not promise it will work, but I ask that for the kits sake and if it's their wish when they learn the truth that you allow them a chance."
IT hurt to imagine the adoring little ones to hate her for what she'd done, and choose to leave. But it hurt worse to imagine Kerrigan turning them away and leaving them feeling like outcasts from both worlds. She doubted Kerrigan would accept her plea. But she wnated to say it anyways.
"Your brother will not be harmed." Burningstar meowed immediately. "I love my sister dearly. Your brother will be considered family to me. I would treat him as if he was bound to me by blood. Though... you are right it will be difficult to explain away his presence." She murmured narrowing her eyes mulling it over. "I will be honest part of the reason we stole the kits was because I knew Soaringbird could get back into NightClan... but we doubted Shiverstar would let Rasputin in with her.... so we sold him as her mate that she had kits with."
She felt her pelt burn with shame as she admitted her crime. So sensible at the time. Now seemed... so wrong. so awful. "So... I suppose I will have to do the same. If I claim your cat.. Lindon." Had she ever met this cat? She wasn't sure. "As my mate... if he'll have me. Otherwise... I'll have to think of something else to make it so he's family to me and then my cats will not only accept him, they will also recognize him as authority."
