everybody dies, surprise, surprise

cold night hung upon the forest. there were no stars to be seen, only the moon shed its glittery light on the trees as two felines picked their way through the thick undergrowth, their pelts shimmering silver. they were on their way back from a hunting trip, having both volunteered themselves for the night patrol, the clan housed many hungry bellies that wouldn't be satisfied by lazy patrols. 

flicking it's eyes upward, one of them mewed, 'we were due back ages ago, we need to hurry up.' it's voice was muffled by the piece of prey it was carrying, but the other understood enough. both cats picked up their paws and hastened their pace, and soon they were racing through the dense forest, faces lit with ecstacy, tails bobbing up and down alongside the rhythm of their paws. a low rumbling began to poison the single birdsong dancing in the air. one of the cats skidded to a stop beneath an overhanging fern as the second picked up on the odd noise as well, exchanging puzzled looks.

'you hear that too?' one asked. the second opened their mouth to reply, but a roar began to shake the forest and both cats flinched backwards, recoiling at the harsh noise. the ground trembled and the rumbling bellowed in their ears. both cats staggered, unable to function properly as their bodies stalled. fear lashed through their veins and adrenaline lunged after it, but two heartbeats later the noise lestened and finally stopped, the shaking weakening with it. 

dropping it's prey, one of the felines opened it's mouth just to closed it again, then stuttering 'what.. what in starclan just happened?' the feline shook dry leaves from it's brown fur, confusion gripping her mind and urgency zapping her limbs.

'i'm not sure, briar'rain,' the second cat replied helplessly. 'let's just get back to camp, we need to check on the others.' briar'rain nodded and they set off to a sprint, breath pooling from their mouths in puffs of steam. the brown molly was the first to reach the ravine they took so much pride in. every thought eddied out as briar'rain beheld her home, breath collapsing in her lungs.  

'dune'wind, the camp,' briar'rain whispered huskily. 'it's gone, dune'wind, the camp is gone.' 

as dune'wind reached briar'rains side and her eyes widened in alarm, a shiver ran down her spine.

half of the ravine consisted of overturned soil, dust stinging their eyes as they scanned the slope for a way into their home. they were yelling and screaming their clanmates names again and again and again, desperate for an answer.

there was nothing. 

after a while dune'wind stumbled down the slope anyway, and they padded around for a while, distressed and despairing, tasting the air in the steadily dimming false hope that they would find something - someone. they both began digging, choking on the dust sweeping down their throats. when they found a paw, a tail, a head, grief struck them deep, as the reality began to sink in - there was nobody left. 

as their tears freckled the dry ground and as the silence of the night steadily progressed, they gave up. briar'rain pointed out that out the first streaks of red and orange had begun to stain the horizon, leaking from the sun like the dried blood splattered everywhere in their camp - former camp. 

they decided to head towards the windclan border in desperation, needing shelter, safety, or just to witness any sign of life. so there they went, tails drooping and ears pinned back. there they went, tears breaking the mask of dust on their faces and staining their broken hearts.

there they went, the last members of thunderclan.