Murkyripple's eyes were slits, glaring Smokeflood down as Flurrypaw's scream turned to broken sobs. The dark gray mottled warrior glared back. Rain relentlessly poured, flattening her long hair to her skin, water blinding her vision and streaking down her face. Colepelt had put out his flame, and was sniffing Flurrypaw over.

       "She should make it. One of our medicine cats's on his way, too, so... don't.. um.. worry." The black tom meowed awkwardly, looking between Murkyripple and Smokeflood.

     "Yes. Thank you so much for your help." Murkyripple finally meowed, a curt smile on her muzzle. "RiverClan is in your debt." Coalpelt gave a small nod, then twitched raindrops off his whiskers.

      "I'll just be under cover... I'm not a huge fan of rain." He picked his way through the grass, around the quietly groaning Flurrypaw, to the shade of a birch.

      "What? I just saved Flurrypaw. What's wrong with that, did you want her to die?" Smokeflood growled lowly. Murkyripple curled her lip, chocolate tail lashing.

       "Don't even imply that I would ever want my clanmates to die! You made an idiotic choice without any consideration! What if Flurrypaw died from that, what if this ShadowClan stranger did it wrong? What if we could've saved her from that pain?! There were so many things you didn't think of, you just said yes. This isn't the time to try and play leader." Murkyripple lectured. Smokeflood didn't flinch, but, rather, bared her teeth.

      "I have a duty to my clan--"

      "To protect and fight for it, not to make decisions like this. Just because you're a warrior doesn't mean you can have a power-trip!" Smokeflood sniffed, nose scrunched up, before turning with a scoff. Whatever. I might've not made a decision like she would've wanted, but it was the decision that was right. I didn't waste time comparing positives and negatives of it because I didn't need to. The pale chested she-cat cast a glance to where Flurrypaw twitched on the ground, curled tightly as she whimpered. Murkyripple settled next to the sopping wet apprentice, closing her eyes as she used her water powers to deflect the rain from falling on Flurrypaw.

Smokeflood watched out across the RiverClan territory. Her paws itched to run to what most assuredly was a battle, all of ThunderClan had run there after all. RiverClan would need her to fight for them. But I'm here. I have to protect the cats here. Olivestripe is still in pretty bad shock, she won't be able to put up a good fog screen if ThunderClan somehow happened upon us, Murkyripple wouldn't be enough to fight a whole patrol, and Coalpelt is probably mostly ineffective in a rainstorm-- she shut her eyes tight, gritting her teeth, and took a sharp breath. I'm so tired. It's all so much. It's all... it's all so much. My every being wants to go and help but it's all just so much. Murkyripple doesn't want me to make decisions concerning others, but I'm still sort of expected to lead and decide anyway. I was raised with that in mind. But I'm so tired. Do I stay like a sensible cat should, or do I go where I know I want to go? The rain flattened her thick fur to her muscled frame, turning the fur dark and making it heavy.

      "Hey, you alright? You look like you're going to throw up."  Smokeflood jerked her head up, her claws unintentionally unsheathing and fur standing on end at the surprise. The patrol with the medicine cat Rainstep had arrived, and a silver tom stared at her with eyebrows knotted together and head tipped up. He didn't seem phased that she was startled, he didn't even comment on it. A pale ginger tabby who came to his flank, leaf green eyes wide.

      "Woah, Lightspark what did you say to her? Are you okay? Was he a jerk to you? I'll kill 'em if he was!" The ginger tabby meowed, his large, almond eyes full of concern. His body was sleek and lithe, with long legs and light, creamy ginger body tangled in gingery-brown tabby stripes. The pale silver tom, Lightspark, rolled his yellow eyes, whispering a "whatever."

      "Ah-- er... no. No, it's fine." Smokeflood took a deep breath, narrowing her eyes. Rainstep barked orders to Coalpelt, then black tom streaking off to find whatever the blue medicine cat had called for. Also on the patrol was the cat sent to fetch the patrol, Smokeflood recognized him to be Smolderlion from earlier, as well as a leggy dark brown tom.

"Are you not going to puke, then? It's understandable if you do, it's only natural since you were just in battle," Lightspark referenced to the torn up ground, the heavy scent of ThunderClan, the poisoned Flurrypaw, and the bloody wounds on Smokeflood. She curled her lip, flicking an ear.

"No. Just.. take care of Flurrypaw, and Olivestripe is pretty out of it." The dark she-cat have a small nod to the brown tabby fog warrior who was watching Rainstep with glazed eyes. The light ginger tom cranes his slender neck to look at the warrior in question, his jaw slacked as he let out an "uh-huh."

"Ferntail, you should go tell Rainstep." The silver ShadowClan warrior murmured. The ginger tom nodded, still watching Olivestripe.

      "That's odd. Yeah, I will-- woah, look over there!" Ferntail's called out as he turned his head back. Smokeflood whirled around, eyes locking onto the horizon. From RiverClan's territory, several dark shapes approached, the dull sky not shedding a drop of light to who it could be. ThunderClan? I know we can take them since there's ShadowClan, that is, if it's a small patrol.

"Hey... that's Wildpaw!" Murkyripple approached, her eyes wide as she recognized her apprentice's form. She started off towards them, and Smokeflood watched carefully. The dark brown warrior let the small apprentice lean on her shoulder, and Smokeflood was able to distinguish five other cats as they approached. Her heart seemed to stop as they passed. Their eyes were down on the ground, their fur still on end. Blood caked their pelts, as well as deep wounds, mud, and loose earth. She sucked in an icy cold breath as Wildpaw's eyes glanced up to Smokeflood. The young apprentice was usually vibrant, but now her eyes were cold. Lost. Blank. Lifeless.

      "What... what happened...?" Ferntail breathed. The rain seemed to claw right into the charcoal RiverClan warrior as Wildpaw's mouth opened. She could only hear the thrumming of the downpour, and Wildpaw's small, young, childish voice, which cracked mid-sentence.

      "They're killing everyone."

      Ferntail let out an audible, choked gasp, and Smokeflood watched Lightspark's eyes grow wide.

      "What do you mean, 'killing everyone?'" Lightspark barked in disbelief. Wildpaw let out a small whimper, ducking her head into Murkyripple's shoulder. Finchleap, who was at the tail of the patrol, let out a small sob before picking up his head.

"ThunderClan attacked. Pearstar followed with Miststar, s-she--- ... she was all b-bloody!" He sucked in air, his body shaking. "He said w-we were all going t-t-to die because.. of 'who we were.' He picked out a few cats to live, and then.... The ThunderClan cats... they... they just started ripping everyone to shreds! We managed to get away...," he hung his head. Smokeflood felt muscles tense, and her pelt grow hot.

      "Why?! You should've kept fighting! Your clanmates-- they're back there! They're bleeding, and you were there! You could've saved them!" She shouted, her breathing heavy. This can't be happening-- no. No! I can't do this!

      "Smokeflood, you have no idea what really went on, they had to get away. Would you rather them die?!" Murkyripple bared her teeth.

      Rain poured down Smokeflood's face, running into her eyes and filling her ears and mouth and nose. She forced air into her lungs, not realizing she had stopped breathing, and turned, streaking off. Every muscle in her body said no, don't do this, I'm tired, but she pressed on, mud splashing up and coating her underside.

     "Stay, I'll follow her," she heard a voice say, but she kept going. I have a duty. My clanmates-- they're dying. They're all dying, and I have to save them, I have to help them, I have to this was the last thing tasked to me, it's all I have! She shut her hazel eyes tightly, her leg burning with pain. She felt her paw catch on something, and she fell to the earth, mud splashing up and welcoming her to the ground. I failed. My clan is going to die. And I can't reach them. She shakily picked her head up, looking out. Camp was so far, she felt like she could hear the screams over the rounding fall. She let out a loud, screaming cry, her shoulders tense. The mud splashed as the cat following her approached at a slower pace.

      "You can't fight. The second you step paw into the battlefield you'll be torn to shreds, and then you're really of no use." She looked up to the cat. Lightspark. What does he know about use? Nothing. He's just some ShadowClan cat. His clan isn't being torn apart by ThunderClan. His kin isn't being killed, his denmates aren't being murdered, his 'normal' isn't being stolen from him. Lightning lit up above, whiting out the whole sky and outlining the silvery-white tom. His eyes were down-cast on her, his head crowned in gray and back shaded gray.

      "I'm supposed to protect my clan...," Smokeflood shakily pushed herself to her paws, the thunder shaking the earth and deafening her ears. "I have to go and protect them." She took a shaky step, but Lightspark was faster, stepping in front of her and cutting her off. "Let me go."

      "You'll be walking right into a bloodbath. I won't let you die, and you'll be scarred even more for life if you see what's in your home." His eyes were narrowed. Smokeflood unsheathed her claws, and the rain listened to her command.

      It went to shoot down on the tom, but he simply bounced to the side, an odd humming static sounding in his wake. What the--?! In his evasion of her water-pummeling, in the same movement, his tail made contact with her flank, sending a shocking bolt through her body. She dropped to the ground, darkness edging her vision. Lightspark looked down on her, eyes seemingly bored, and lightning sparks crackling around his body.

      Lightning... element...?