Warriors Of Old
Title: Warriors of Old - Oneshot
Author: Tigerwulf
Beta-Reader: The Inebriated Lion-Minion
Genre: Action/Adventure
Rating: T
Disclaimer: What? I don't own Warriors? Oh, I'm really sad now… I mean, who doesn't want an army of feral cats living in a handy nearby forest?
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AN: Okay, this is my first Warriors (and Fanfiction) story, so please be nice and leave a review… if anyone makes it to the end without falling asleep…
This will stick to canon as much as possible, and if you recognise any quotes from book 6, then yes, I've put it there purposely… This is intended to replace the last chapter, so my twist, rightfully, is at the end, with the basic background information of the battle at the start.
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::Flashback::
As Firestar bent his head to lap from the stream, the sun came out behind him, striking through the leaves. Light dazzled on the water and surrounded Firestar's reflection with golden rays. For a moment the image of his head disappeared, to be replaced by that of a roaring lion. It was the beast Firestar had heard described in so many elders' tales, his flame-coloured pelt blazing into a luxuriant mane, his eyes shining with unlimited strength and power…
… Lion and Tiger will meet in battle…
… Did this mean that a new Clan - LionClan - would arise to combat TigerClan? And did StarClan intend Firestar to lead it?
::End Flashback::
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Firestar looked around, panting, to see if there was anyone he could assist in this battle against BloodClan. LionClan, made up of all four of the forest Clans, led by him, was doing badly, as there were more BloodClan warriors than LionClan.
Firestar spotted Longtail squirming under the weight of two BloodClan toms, and ran to help, bowling into one of them and pinning him to the ground, before biting deep into his shoulder. The tom ran off wailing, as did the other when Longtail managed to beat it off. Longtail was breathing heavily, and Cinderpelt limped rapidly out of the bushes, before nudging Longtail inside for healing.
Firestar sprang into battle again, looking for Scourge. The battle couldn't end, there could be no victory till he was dead, and Firestar reflected how strange it was to be fighting a battle not with Tigerstar, but with Tigerstar's murderer.
But the small BloodClan leader was nowhere in sight. Fighting his way to the base of the Great Rock, Firestar came face-to-face with a skinny grey she-cat, eyes burning with hatred. Firestar lashed out, but the cat was quick and leapt on him, tooth-studded collar stabbing into his face as they rolled over and over, each trying to pin the other. The grey cat won, but Firestar scored huge gashes in her belly before she could do the same to him, and she ran off wailing, running through the trees till out of sight.
Firestar turned, taken by surprise as a tortoise-shell female lunged at him, only to be deflected by a dark missile. Firestar was astonished to recognise Darkstripe, wondering if he had decided that his loyalties did lie with ThunderClan. Firestar realised he was badly mistaken when Darkstripe lunged at him, face twisted into a mask of hatred.
"You're mine, kitty-pet, I want the pleasure of killing you." Darkstripe snarled. Firestar dodged his paw, aimed for his eyes.
"Have you no loyalty? You're fighting on the side of Tigerstar's murderer! I thought Tigerstar was your idol!" Firestar replied, bracing himself for another attack.
"I have no loyalty anymore. All this forest and the cats here can go to crowfood for all I care, I just need to see you dead!" Darkstripe hissed.
Darkstripe leaped at Firestar, and pinned his back legs to the ground, clawing with his front. Firestar twisted, but could not break free. Suddenly Darkstripe rolled off him, and Firestar saw Graystripe battling furiously with his former Clan-mate in a screeching knot of fur, fangs and claws. Graystripe successfully pinned Darkstripe, and bent his head, tearing out the traitor's throat.
"One less traitor in the forest," Graystripe growled through a mouthful of fur, then he yelled, "Firestar!" staring wildly over Firestar's shoulder.
Firestar spun, but didn't see anything of importance… Cloudtail chasing a warrior that had hurt Brightheart… Sandstorm fighting furiously with a tabby tom twice her size… then Firestar saw a cat moving weakly under the claws of Bone, the huge black and white BloodClan deputy. So much blood clotted the victims fur that it took a few heartbeats to recognise Whitestorm.
"No!" Firestar yowled, hurling himself at Bone, Graystripe on his heels. Bone staggered backwards, to cannon into the apprentices; Bramblepaw and Ashpaw. Satisfied that Bone would be distracted for a while, Firestar turned back to Whitestorm.
"Farewell, Firestar, I go to join Bluestar in the hunt with StarClan…" the white cat rasped. Firestar stared in horror at him.
"No! You can't die! I need you! The Clan needs you! What should I do when you're gone?" Firestar mewled like a small kit.
"I say farewell again, Firestar, and you always knew that Graystripe… was to be… your deputy…" Letting out a long sigh, Whitestorm closed his eyes and breathed no more.
Firestar nudged Whitestorm's shoulder with his nose, knowing that there was no time to have a proper vigil for the white warrior. He turned to see Graystripe staring at Whitestorm's limp body.
"You heard what he said, he chose you!" Firestar said gruffly. "I say these words before the body of Whitestorm, that his spirit may hear and approve my choice. Graystripe will be the new deputy of ThunderClan." A yowl of agreement came from nearby; Sandstorm and Dustpelt nodded briefly to Graystripe before dashing back into the battle.
"Are you sure?" Graystripe asked weakly.
"Never surer," Firestar meowed. "Now, Graystripe!" they dashed back into battle, but Firestar paused to watch the apprentices do their work. Bone was barely visible under the mass of young cats; Bramblepaw, Ashpaw, Featherpaw, Stormpaw and Tawnypaw, all fighting together to beat this cat. Bone's tail began to twitch; another bite from each of the young cats stopped it, for the tail went limp. Jaggedtooth launched himself at Bramblepaw, but the other apprentices leapt at the warrior, smothering him.
Firestar turned back to the battle, and saw many cats limping to the bushes where the medicine cats were concealed. We're losing, Firestar thought desperately, I must find Scourge! With the BloodClan leader's death, then battle would be won - Scourge and his reputation was the only thing that held them together.
Firestar spotted the skinny black cat, sat on another cat, dealing out blow after blow. Firestar recognised Onewhisker, and with a yowl launched himself at Scourge, leaving Onewhisker to crawl away, bleeding.
"Firestar!" the BloodClan leader snarled, dog-tooth enhanced claws scraping the earth, before leaping at Firestar.
The small black cat's weight was substantial, and Firestar couldn't break free, from the cat's bite into his shoulder, effectively pinning him to the ground. Firestar twisted, then realised that was a mistake - Scourge looked into his eyes and decided to end it quickly, raising his paw to deal out the killing blow - but Firestar managed to squirm away. Claws ripped down his side like fire, and Firestar turned, but the small cat was as fast a viper, and dodged away. Firestar let out a lucky blow and slammed the small cat into the Great Rock, stunning him for a second, and Firestar bit deep into the cat's foreleg. Claws ripped again down his side, and Firestar fell back, panting, blood dripping onto the floor… Scourge brought down one paw onto Firestar's head, agony exploding through him, he made one final effort to get up, but a black tide was rising to engulf him and Firestar fell back into a sea of nothingness.
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Firestar awoke in Fourtrees, relaxing in the warmth… then realised the last time he'd been in Fourtrees, it had been thronged with screeching, warring cats. Abruptly, he sat up, and Bluestar nodded to him, as did Lionheart, Spottedleaf, Runningwind and all the others who had given him his nine lives as a leader… but also where he'd been given the prophecy of this battle. A newcomer, Whitestorm, nodded to him as well, and Firestar caught a vague glimpse of a spirit cat, very faint, stood next to him in the ranks of StarClan.
"Firestar, that is you." Bluestar gently meowed. "You have lost your first life." Firestar blinked, then he stood.
"Bluestar, send me back." he begged, looking at his former leader, his predecessor in the Clan leading. "Without my help, we could lose the forest to BloodClan!"
Bluestar nodded gently, and began to speak about how brave and bold Firestar was, to not let ambition rule him, and the loneliness and strength he had. "- and that has made you what you are now… a gifted, intelligent leader with the courage to lead your Clan in its darkest hour."
"But I'm not leading them! All of the four Clans, like you wanted, have been forced to join together, and we may not win! There are always supposed to be four Clans!" Firestar hissed.
Bluestar and the other eight cats who had given Firestar lives strode forwards, surrounding the young cat who stood defiantly before them. A voice came into his head, one voice, as if all the cats were speaking at the same time. "Firestar, you are wrong. There were never four Clans in the forest." as Firestar stood rigid with shock, the voice continued. "There were always five."
"Firestar, you may now go back -" Bluestar began to speak, but Firestar interrupted.
"Can't you come and help? LionClan needs a true leader." he said, not caring whether his wish was granted or not really, but hoping it would. "If I went down as, say, the true leader of LionClan, maybe everyone would believe in StarClan, and would believe me when I told them there were five Clans. Plus I could get rid of the entirety of BloodClan."
Bluestar and the other cats turned to confer with each other, and Firestar stood, waiting nervously, for his answer… or sentence.
Bluestar turned back to him. "Very well." she meowed. "Firestar, for one hour, you will become a lion, one of the legends of the past. But your rules are this; You must defeat Scourge. You must defeat as many BloodClan cats that remain as possible. And you must tell of there being five Clans. We will make our own mark, and then you will change back."
Firestar nodded, and all went black.
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"Where's Firestar?" Graystripe mewed urgently to Sandstorm. "We need to retreat to the camp, we can't win here."
"No!" Sandstorm yelled, catching sight of an orange pelt lying motionless on the floor. She was about to run to it when it moved.
Firestar stood, spotted his deputy and his girlfriend, and nodded to them, before his body began to change.
"Great StarClan!" Graystripe breathed.
The faint stars in the sky, for it was but dawn, and still some stars were left, began to swirl and fall upon Firestar. His flame-coloured pelt turned radiant and a magnificent mane appeared when he shook his head. Huge claws unsheathed on his massive paws, and muscles rippled under the tawny skin. All that was left that Sandstorm recognised was his brilliant, green eyes.
The BloodClan and LionClan cats alike stopped fighting to stare at this apparition of legend. Scourge stared at the creature, before leaping onto the Great Rock. "If I get your teeth and claws, I could defeat humans!" he yowled, before leaping onto Firestar's great muzzle.
Firestar flipped his head to one side, and Scourge fell to the ground, stunned from his great fall. Huge claws ripped into his flesh, and a muzzle bent down to meet him. "Go to hell, courtesy of StarClan." Firestar the lion whispered, before grasping Scourge in his powerful teeth, digging them in deep, and began shaking him from side to side, like a dog worrying a rabbit. Several BloodClan cats fled this monstrous beast.
A crack came from Scourge's limp body, and all present knew the little cat was dead. More and more cats of BloodClan fled the scene, and Firestar flung the little, broken black body after them.
Firestar leapt onto the Great Rock. "I am Firestar, leader of ThunderClan." he yowled in his voice, which sounded regal and fitting. "There are five Clans in this forest, and StarClan granted me this form to let you know and believe." Cloudtail nodded, eyes wide, for he knew it was mostly for his benefit. "Scourge and BloodClan did not believe, and their spirits will go to hell, where StarClan says all non-believers go, to be tormented by dogs and other enemies alike." he lowered his voice, sounding this time gentle. "All should now go back to their Clan camps, and rebuild. ThunderClan will see you all at the next Gathering."
The cats began to disperse below him, and then Firestar knew his hour was coming to an end. Before any cats had left the Fourtrees hollow, however, more stars flew from the sky, and the ranks of StarClan landed. All present spotted at least one cat they had known and loved. Bluestar strode forwards, and touched the Great Rock with her spirit nose.
Brilliant blue markings flew up it, and formed into the symbols of the five Clans at the top. On each tree, one facing in each direction, the mark of the Clan was nearest the area of the clan itself. Firestar bowed to StarClan, then roared.
Prey shot into their holes, cats quailed, dogs in the Twolegs place began to howl and several Twolegs screamed. Princess, sat on the fence, wondered what was happening to her brother and her son in the forest.
Blue light flared up, effectively blocking StarClan and Firestar from sight. Graystripe and Sandstorm exchanged amused glances. Firestar walked from the middle of the blue light towards his two best friends, and caught the glance as StarClan and the blue light faded into Silverpelt again in the sky.
"What?" he queried, looking from one to the other.
"Firestar, you always find something amazing to do to prove your point." Sandstorm meowed, rubbing against him.
"Yeah," Graystripe added, "As your new deputy, how am I supposed to beat that?"
The End
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AN: Okay, I hope you all enjoyed that. If you did, why not leave a review, people, and I will probably review yours back. If you don't, well, tough.
Also, I know that some of that sticks exactly to the book happening, but that's to draw people further into the story and make it more realistic – so don't come flaming me when I've already pointed it out, thanks (and yes, realistic being to me a bunch of talking cats, yeah…).
Remember to review, dudes!
'wulf
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