High Rank Announcement [#hrannouncement]

**pidgeon** · #**23051** September 14th, 2020, 09:46 PM

High Rank Announcement [#hrannouncement]

This was all too much. Too much. There were so many cats near her, staring at her in bewilderment. The moons she'd just spent as an outsider had fully accustomed her to being solitary, and this many voices, this many bristling pelts, it was too much. She wanted to leave. But that wouldn't be right. Not that she even could if she tried. But she couldn't leave the clan like this. Falcondive...he didn't need another reason to hate her. There was only one thing she could do.

But how would she pull it off? With the amount of cats that were around her, they'd be on her in seconds and anything she tried to do would fail. She'd have to be fast. And she'd have to be strong. Let the fear and adrenaline charge her footsteps and let her move past anyone who would stand in her way.

She acknowledged Owlfeather, Citrusflower, and her kin who she didn't know as well. Surely they all understood...right? They'd...They'd understand. She had to do this. She knew that Icestar wasn't going to kill her, not just yet. No, she was going to make her life miserable until she spilled the secrets of Falcondive's group, since she was so convinced that Hailstorm was the cause of all of this. She couldn't let that happen. So many lives were at stake, not just her own.

If I mess this up, it's going to cost me my life, she thought morbidly. and I'm...I'm okay with that.
She dared not move a muscle until she was absolutely certain of her exact trajectory. There was only one shot at this, and she had to do it right. In some twisted sense, she was using exactly what her mother had taught her. Her eyes darted back and forth, calculating, thinking, preparing...her vision pulsed with every heartbeat. Nobody would be expecting this, not from her. Not from cowardly, meek little Hailstorm.

No more. No more, not ever again.

In one swift movement, Hailstorm bunched her muscles and sprang upwards, launching herself off the base of the highbranch and throwing all of her weight into the dense leader's side.
"What--!" The bewildered leader screeched with an intense ferocity as the pair's claws quickly and violently tore at each other's flesh, teetering perilously towards the end of the Highbranch. Hailstorm didn't know how many lives Icestar had left, so she had to make this really count. There could be no coming back for her. Icestar's freakish claws landed a heavy blow to the she-cat, but through pure adrenaline and the element of surprise, Hailstorm latched her jaws onto her mother's throat and she thrust her off the branch, sending the both of them careening to the clearing below.

There was a snap and a shriek as Icestar's spine collided with the forest floor, and the giant she-cat fell with a slump, blood gushing from an additional throat wound.

Hailstorm's trembling form stood above the limp body of her mother for what felt like moons, but was only mere moments. In that time her eyes darted frantically from Dawnstripe's form, to each of her loved ones, one last time...before she used the shock of the clearing to cloak her escape. Vision still pulsing and footing unstable, she darted through a hole behind one of the abandoned dens close by and was gone, leaving the leader's crippled body behind, and the clan to deal with the aftermath. Nothing felt real yet. The emotions were repressed, she couldn't handle that right now. Her mind was blank except for one thing. Run.

**aloeforurburn** · #**23052** September 14th, 2020, 09:53 PM

Giving off a very surprised look after Hailstorm lept up onto the highbranch and just as quickly left she let out a loud yowl "Icestar?!" she pushed herself further towards the front only to notice that the leader had been viciously attacked to the throat. Her ears peaking up she gave off another loud yowl "Hailstorm?!!?!" Venompaw looked around only to find out that the warrior had scrambled away, having fear of being caught, at this point she wouldn't chase after Hail do to her back, she was more worried of who would be Leader, and who would be deputy.
@punkscape

**dino.** · #**23053** September 14th, 2020, 10:01 PM

Bearstrike's jaw dropped.

This was unexpected. Totally out of the blue. Meek little Hailstorm, ripping out the Ice Monster's throat and dashing off into the night. It was quite a sight to behold. A shocking sight, sure, but a welcome sight nevertheless. He found himself unable to due anything but whisper hoarsely, "Great Stars above."

**Mango** · #**23054** September 14th, 2020, 10:02 PM

Croakingtoad in pure confusion asked out loud,” Dawnstar?” that was really all he could figure out to say.

**Madelaine** · #**23055** September 14th, 2020, 10:03 PM

Graykit stood up and the first thing he saw was Hailstorm attacking the leader. The kitten didn't know violence until now. The young tom eyes widened and his pupils turned to slits. He turned around and ran back to his family. He couldn't stop the tears from falling. He buried his head in his mothers fur frightened out of his mind.

[ @Moon Lily; @Hollow Knight; @Mumble; @Kittenism; ]

>>>

[ @Rainquail; ]

Never in her life had she seen kin attacking kin. Citrusflower's eyes widened as her neice attacked Icestar in front of the clan to make her escape. She wanted to run after her, but knew that it would give her away. She didn't want her to get hurt or worse get killed. The queen buried her head into Whiskernose's fur, fighting back the tears.

>>>

[ @kittygirl; ]

Redbristle was just about ready to respond when Hailstorm attacked the leader. Now things had just gotten better. The tom watched as she hooked her fangs into Icestar's throat. His jaw opened wide and he was finally lost for words. This was new.

>>>

Ebonyfang moved away from his mentor as Icestar was attacked. He stood there starring as Icestar was thrown from the highbranch. He was as emotionless as always. He could care less what happened to his aunt. He just wouldn't show it. Could this be the end of her? No of course not Shadowclan couldn't be so lucky. Ebonyfang watched as Hailstorm ran, not even thinking about running after her.

**Puddle~** · #**23056** September 14th, 2020, 10:13 PM

Ribbitheart sat in complete and utter shock. What in the world had just happened? Sure, the cult’s end goal had come true, but that didn’t make things any less appalling. The fact that it had happened so suddenly—all this action in a single meeting. He wasn’t sure what to make of it. So, he simply stayed still, waiting for something, anything to happen. Did this mean Dawnstripe was the new leader? What about the deputy? How had things become such a big mess? There were so many questions, yet so few clear answers.

**BEAR.** · #**23057** September 14th, 2020, 10:16 PM

There were few scenarios Falcondive would have imagine this. Despite her flaws, he knew she was never a physically weak cat - Hailstorm was probably one of the strongest warriors he knew, but..

The anxiety, the doubts, the crippling inability to stand up for herself around her mother and sister. It was like a fast ball whipping around his head, witnessing her finally put her paw down and take out the demon that had haunted her for so long.

Snap.

It was all that took.. a fall and a torn out throat, to end Icestar's ravings. The numbness from watching her life spill out onto the ground was nothing Falcondive had felt before.

He always imagined.. watching Icestar die, watching Beastspark's rank crumble away - he would feel something. Satisfied. Happy. Not.. nothing. There was nothing.

For once in his life, he was at a genuine loss. Either this was over - Icestar's reign was at an end, or Hailstorm had just made everything.. much, much worse.

**Confuzzled.Lynx** · #**23058** September 14th, 2020, 10:31 PM

[ Open ]

Thornscratch watched in horror, seeing Icestar dead. The molly paused. No. She wouldn't get someone to kill her yet. She would see how good of a leader Dawnstripe would be. Then she would decide to live or die. Only once she knew what Dawnstripe would be like, she would decide to kill herself or not.

**Wolfgirl8** · #**23059** September 14th, 2020, 10:34 PM

Marigoldpaw gaped in astonishment at what had happened. She had been zoning out when suddenly A CAT ATTACKED ICESTAR BY PUSHING HER OFF HIGHBRANCH AND RIPPING HER THROAT OUT! What! Marigolpaw's eyes widened in fear and shock as Icestar didn't move. She couldn't be dead! No! Right? Marigolpaw gulped in fear. The blood...there was so much. Blood had never really bothered her but to see this much cominng from a cat....it was horrible. Alongside the fear and disgust there was also a rage in Marigoldpaw. HOW DARE THIS CAT KILL ICESTAR!!! The golden furred apprentice wanted so badly to chase that cat...Hailstorm down and rip her to shreds! Another part of her wanted to rush to Icestar and see if she was really...dead but was it her place? Marigoldpaw looked at the leader then at where Hailstorm had vanished again and again. She decided. She took a hestitant step forward then another small one. Then....stepped back. She couldn't do it. Get that close to....the body. The golden furred apprentice hakily sat back down before quickly changing her posture and holding her head high she was about to look to Beastspark for instructions when she realized....Dawnstripe was deputy....or leader?

**dino.** · #**23060** September 14th, 2020, 10:43 PM

[ @Lynxpaw ]

There was lots of noise. Which wasn't unusual, it was always noisy. But this sounded like shocked noise. Leopardkit sidled out of the nursery, blinking rapidly. Dead cat... dead cat? Why... She scanned the gathered crowd for any answers that may have been projected on their faces or in the words, but again only saw surprise and heard unintelligible yowls of shock and protest. She carefully sidled her way over to a rather lonely-looking feline and, rising up on her hind paws, whispered quite loudly in Thornscratch's ear, "WHAT'S GOING ON?"