This is my 1st challenge for ImagineClan.

Summary: What should I chose? Adderstrike asked himself. StarClan help me! "No Adderstrike." Time seemed to slow down as Adderstrike found himself glaring into the glowing yellow eyes of his mother. "Birchcloud?" he asked. "StarClan cannot help you now. This is your choice. Chose Wisely."

Genre(s): Tragedy and Suspense

Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.

Leafshade, the WindClan deputy came out of the leader's den with a solemn look on his face. "Emberstar is dead!" he yowled.

Murmurs of shock rose from the throng of cats gathered around Leafshade. Adderstrike looked up at the sky. It was moonhigh. It was time to chose a new deputy.

"Who do you think the new deputy will be?" Adderstrike heard a gentle voice behind him. He turned around to see Flowerflight, his foster-mother.

He smiled warmly at her. "I don't know. But whoever it is, I'm sure he will lead the clan well."

Leafshade took a deep breath. "Tonight we lost a valuable asset to WindClan. Alas, Emberstar will be missed, but it is moonhigh now, time to name a new deputy," he paused for a moment. "I say these words before the spirit of Emberstar so that he may hear and approve of my decision. The new deputy of WindClan will be-"

"ShadowClan attack!"

Through the moonlight, Adderstrike saw the green eyes of Miststar, the ShadowClan leader as he sprung out into the crowd of cats.

Before he could react, a gray tabby tom had Adderstrike pinned down. Adderstrike growled and clawed at his opponent's flanks till they were heavy with blood. The tom scowled and bit down on Adderstrike's shoulder.

Adderstrike screeched, but not at the pain in his shoulder, at the scene in front of him. He hurled the tom off and looked up.

There he was, Leafshade, pinned down by Miststar himself. Blood was gushing out of multiple wounds in his side and wide-shouldered warriors dart back and forth, clawing at him.

Adderstrike was on his paws ready to sprint toward him, when another scene caught his eye. Flowerflight, his foster-mother, was being attacked rapidly by a blur of black. Adderstrke could barely see the tortoiseshell in her pelt over all the blood that was coming out of it.

It was his choice now, yet, how could he be expected to chose. Leafshade. Flowerflight. Leafshade. Flowerflight. Every second he waited another wound was inflicted on each of them. Every second could mean the difference between life and death.

What should I chose? Adderstrike asked himself. StarClan help me!

"No Adderstrike." Time seemed to slow down as Adderstrike found himself glaring into the glowing yellow eyes of his mother.

"Birchcloud?" He asked.

"StarClan cannot help you now. This is your choice. Chose Wisely," She stares into his eyes for a moment, then backs up slowly and disappears.

"But how can I be expected to choose?" Adderstrike shouted after her. "Don't go!" He took a deep breath and gazed at the scene in front of him. It was funny how it reminded him of his two mothers.

"Whiteflame! Tell me a story!" Adderkit meowed.

"Adderkit," Birchcloud called. "Come here!"

Whiteflame purred. "Go to your mother. And be good to her too. She gave up everything for you."

"What do you mean?" Adderkit tilted his head to the side.

"Adderkit!" Birchcloud yowled.

"Coming!" Adderkit squeaked. He ran clumsily to his mother. "What is it?"

"You're all dirty!" Birchcloud exclaimed, appalled. She started to groom Adderkit's dirty fur.

"Hey!" Adderkit protested as his mother's rough tongue met his fur.

"You have to stay clean!" Birchcloud scolded.

"You sure have a handful," Flowerflight meowed warmly.

"You can say that again," Birchcloud meowed. "And I only have one!"

"Birchcloud?" Adderkit asked.

"Yes Adderkit?" Birchcloud replied.

"Whiteflame says you gave up everything for me. Is that true?" Adderkit meowed bluntly.

Birchcloud paused for a moment, then answered curtly. "Yes."

Adderkit looked up in amazement. "But why?"

"Sometimes, you just need to follow your heart," Birchcloud sighed.

"What does that mean?" Adderkit squeaked.

Birchcloud smiled warmly. "You'll understand when you're older."

"Adderkit, I have some very sad news," Flowerflight meowed solemnly. "Birchcloud... she's dead."

"What? No? She can't be!" Adderkit protested, running out of the nursery, only to find his mother's still body lying on the ground.

Adderkit buried her nose into her brown fur. "Why Birchcloud?"

Flowerflight put her tail on Adderkit's shoulder. "There was nothing you could do."

"Flowerflight, do you love me?" Adderkit asked as his foster-mother groomed him for his apprentice ceremony.

"Of course I do! Why do you ask?" Flowerflight said gently.

"Well, you're not my real mother," Adderkit pointed out.

"Oh Adderkit," Flowerflight sighed. "Just because I'm not your real mother doesn't mean I don't love you. I love you as much as my own kits."

"You do?" Adderkit looked up, his eyes shining.

"I love you more than you could ever imagine," Flowerflight replied.

Adderstrike set his eyes on his destination and without wasting another minute, began to run. He couldn't save Birchcloud, but he could save Flowerflight. And he would.

Flowerflight's limp body was only slightly moving and her attacker was ready to deal the last blow when Adderstrike leaped on the she-cat.

As he raked his claws down the back of Flowerflight's attacker, he turned his head for just a moment to catch on last glance of Leafshade's green eyes, before they closed one last time.

"ShadowClan, retreat! Our work here is done!" Miststar yowled and the cats slunk away into the darkness.

Cries of fury erupted from WindClan as they gathered around Leafshade's dead body.

You'll understand when you're older, Birchcloud's words echoed in Adderstrike's mind. He closed his eyes. I do understand.

"I hope you do," Birchcloud said. Adderstrike whirled around and saw her brown pelt shimmering. There was another figure next to her. Adderstrike swallowed as he stared at Leafshade.

"Are you angry?" Adderstrike asked worriedly.

"No, I'm not angry that you just robbed me of my leadership," Leafshade growled. "Okay, I am. But I understand why you did it. And I forgive you."

Adderstrike sighed. "Thank you, Leafstar," he dipped his head.

"Meanwhile, I still have one more ceremony to perform," Birchcloud and Adderstrike smiled as Leafstar's spirit drifted to where the clan was. Adderstrike could hear gasps of shock. "I say these words before the spirit of... well, me. Adderstrike will be the new leader of WindClan."

Adderstrike was frozen with shock. "But- I didn't save you," he protested.

"Though you didn't save me, I could see that your intentions were pure. The path we chose isn't always right, but I know in the future you will be loyal to your clan. Lead well, Adderstar."

Though he disappeared, Adderstar could still sense Leafstar's presence. The next things that happened could've been just the wind whistling in his ear, it was so quiet. But the words were clear and in Leafstar's commanding tone: "Follow your heart, right? I would've done the same."