The Rise of Tigerstar
By Emily Ulvestad
Prologue
A great place in the middle of a lake with four semitrecle trees surrounded a clearing; a cat with orange fur with brown spots lays her head down in a brown tabby's lap.
"Tanglestar… thank you," The orange cat gasped out as the wounds, all over her body, sapped her life force like the running blood streaking the gowned around the two embracing cats.
A torrent of tears streaked Tanglestar's face, "Why? Why thank me? If I hadn't fallen for you then you would still live through this night."
"You made my last couple nights running around in the moiré the best nights I've ever had. You fought by my side when all the other cats gave up on me and your here now to comfort me," the orange cat let her tail rap around Tanglestar's.
Tanglestar leaned down and licked the orange cat on the head. Then, the orange cat slowly closed her eyes and a single tear fell from her eye. The heat in her body had left and her heart beat slipped from a lions roar to nothing. The only thing left was the smile on her lips.
Tanglestar lifted his head and let out a mournful cry. The Windclan and Shadowclan cats lifted their heads and joined Tanglestar in the cry. The cats gathered around the orange cat and bowed their heads in a silent prier. The cats remained there until the sun rose into the sky.
Chapter 1
"Rainstar should be bared here; she did save us all with her own life," Tanglestar said after the long silence.
"No," Mosspath said as she moved back through the trees.
"Why not?" A ShadowClan warrior meowed. Tanglestar turned around to find the speaker was the black cat, Shadowslash. His peersing yellow eyes always made Tanglestar shudder, but now they had an even worse quality with the blood on his claws and teeth.
"I think it would be better for her to be near Shadowclan and WindClan, not RiverClan and ThunderClan. Those clans will never understand what she did for us," The old medicine cat meowed.
"I do think that is a good idea," Spottedpaw meowed, she was still crying over the loss of her mentor.
"Ware could we find a place like that?" shouted a cat that Tanglestar could not make out.
"Tanglestar, do you know of any place that would be special to Rainstar?" This time it was Hollypaw who said it because Spottedpaw and Mosspath had just burst into tears.
"The tree," his reply was so soft that only Rainstar would have been able to hear him as he was still holding tight to her body.
"What he say?" The two clans whispered, as if that would help him hear them.
"I said, the tree," Tanglestar meowed louder this time.
"What tree, there is tons of trees," Icefire meowed.
"That single tree in the WindClan territory, the one close to the border with Shadow Clan," at this point Tanglestar started sobbing. "I had crossed the border to find her and then she found me. I taunted her and so she chased me to a tree that I climbed up and then I shoved her into the hole in the bark and then we looked into each other's eyes."
"I never knew you could that way about a cat, thanks for telling me," the brown and black she-cat, Hawkclaw, hissed.
No one even responded to her. Tanglestar, Mosspath, Spottedpaw, and Shadowslash lifted Rainstar onto their backs as comfortable as possible even though she was gone. The four cats made their way across the tree bridge followed by the two clans.
Silently parade of cats went to the tree and by the time they retched it the sun had climbed high in the sky and all the cats were drenched in sweat. Tanglestar jumped into the first branch and the other three cats passed Rainstar into the tree after him. Without a word spoken they knew he wanted to be alone with her.
Tanglestar grabbed Rainstar by the scruff and hulled her into the hole, in which he jumped in after.
"Why? Why did you have to go and kill yourself like that," Tanglestar meowed so softly it was like the voice of a bug. "Why couldn't you just let me help you? I love you, I love you so much. I never really got to tell you how I feel about you. Can you even hear me now? I don't know, but just try okay… Rainstar I love you, I mean true love. I barley even knew you yet I knew from the moment I saw the vision of you. The sun was setting behind you and your fur rippled into the shape of lioness. I knew you were the most beautiful, powerful, and caring cat that ever lived. I truly wanted to run away just to be with you… Rainstar… I wanted to have kits with you. I wanted to live my life with you, and… I wanted to go to StarClan with you."
Chapter 2
Am I dead yet? Rainstar opened her eyes. The pain she had felt only a second before was gone and she felt her paws were lighter. She was rested and felt as though she could fight the battle she had just won once again.
The ground around her was soft and felt like Tanglestar's fur. A soft breeze rustled the grass around her. A great field was what she was laying on. A small smile crept onto her lips. This was the exact spot she had been born. A giant, grassy field right outside the borders of the clan, no matter what happened she had always come here to find the comforting silence.
"Mommy, who is that cat, did she die like us?" A tiny little voice meowed.
"That is Rainstar sweaty, she is you sister, and yes, she did die. Now don't bug her, she just fought an impossible battle," The velvety she-cat's voice sounded familiar.
Rainstar opened her eyes wide and leapt up and whipped around to find a pure black mother cat and full grown gray tabby with white on his belly, paws and a small mustache, grinning from ear to ear.
"Mom, brother, is this really StarClan?" Rainstar meowed in a surprised voice.
"Of course it is, and don't even bother to comment on how I made you think I was a kit," replied Grayclaw in a heart voice.
"Sorry about that by the way," Rainstar meowed.
Grayclaw just shook his head and jester towards a small pool. Rainstar walked towards the pool and looked in. She watched as the ceremony the clan cats held for her took place. Then she saw Tanglestar take her body into the tree and say his whole speech to her. Then fall asleep with his head pressed into her chest as if to get her heart to beat once more.
"Why show me this?" Rainstar turned and looked right at Hollyleaf and Grayclaw.
"You're going back," A raspy voice came from behind Rainstar. Without looking she knew it was Windstar. "You will remain outside the clans but still near. I fear you must have to save the clans once more."
"So my punishment won't end will it?" Rainstar murmured, "Just take me back."
"Before I do that will you look at me?" Windstar meowed. Rainstar rolled her eyes and turned around and gasped. His pelt was groomed and muscles bulged from under his pelt unlike the old tom she had seen moons ago.
"Don't act so surprised, like all senior cats I was fit once and this is what I looked like when Hollyleaf," He gestured towards her mother, "broke my heart by saying she had kits with a rogue."
"Well you seemed to treat my kits well pretty well and didn't even tell any other cat about my secret. You seemed pretty happy to act like their father, now that I think about it," Hollyleaf taunted.
Windstar blushed and kind of smiled, "I did tell the kits."
"That's different you humble goof ball."
Right as she said this a black shadow seemed to appear right behind Windstar. Scourge! No one can see him yet so I have to do something, Rainstar launched herself at the black and white shadow and hit it dead center.
Windstar noticed what had happened so her through himself at Scourge and Rainstar tussling, but was blocked by Hawkfrost. Another shadow cat grabbed Grayclaw by the scruff and held him down without scratching him. A second one did the same to a very shocked Hollyleaf.
"GO RAINSTAR, GO TO YOUR LOVE!" Windstar shouted.
With a screech Rainstar disappeared back to the clan cats.
Chapter 3
"Thumb, thumb… thumb, thumb," Is that my heart? Tanglestar wondered. No, it's too laud to be mine, but the only other thing in this tree is…
Tanglestar leapt up and in the cramped space landed on Rainstar's tail.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH HHH!" Rainstar smashed her head into the wall behind her as she tried to see what was on her tail.
Tanglestar gasped, "How are you alive? Not that I'm not happy at all, but how?"
"I must save the clans once more," Rainstar explained.
"Well you're back… that's good right?"
"You must be the only one to know, I'll have to live outside the clans' borders."
Tanglestar rushed out of the tree as fast as she could. She's bleeding again, she'll die of blood lose if I don't get help. ShadowClan is too far away… WindClan! Mosspath can keep a secret. Rainstar, you're not dying again. Tanglestar burst into the WindClan camp.
"Attack!" A cat yelled from a giant tree. WindClan cats landed right on top of Tanglestar, enabling him to move, let alone fight back.
"What's ShadowClan scum doing her?" A dark brown tabby approached the squashed leader, "Where's Rainstar to save you from you fate? Is she dead, is your love dead?"
Man I hate this cat. Who is he? I'll tear out his throat. "I need Mosspath," Tanglestar gasped as the weight of the cats on him squeezed the air out of his lungs.
"What's wrong with your medicine cat? Is he having trouble or what?" The devilish cat hocked his claws right under Tanglestar's chin and whispered, "I should just kill you right now. It would be so easy."
"Tigerstar," A beautiful white cat meowed, "Let's see why he needs her."
"I'll go no matter the reason," A small gray cat meowed. Warriors quickly got off Tanglestar and he ran off with the violet eyed cat on his tail.
"STARCLAN… LET MY SUFFERING END!" A cat's scream was emanating from the tree and Mosspath raced forward. A little later Tanglestar found the she-cats in the hollow tree.
"I may be a leader but I found some cobwebs," Tanglestar announced as he bent down the hole and handed the cobwebs to Mosspath.
"Thanks Tanglestar," Mosspath meowed as she completely stopped the bleeding of Rainstar, "Without you I wouldn't be able to save her."
Rainstar had fainted or ben knocked out. Tanglestar let a single tear of happiness fall down onto Rainstar's face. 'Love will always find a way' is what they always say but this time I don't see how. I love her and she knows now. Oh, StarClan… why did I say that I wanted to have her kits. Tanglestar bashed his head into the wall over and over until a little blood trickled into his eye.
"I'm going and I won't tell anyone," Mosspath got out of the tree with a little help from Tanglestar.
Tanglestar climbed down the tree wall and settled beside Rainstar. He closed his eyes and fell fast asleep.
"She will die… and you will do it."
Chapter 4
"The blood of Scourge hit the ground yet his blood lives. An angle will sprout the wings of death to stop the new star. Yet suffering will follow his kin and the five kits will fight until one finds death, darkness, speed, currents, and finally the brother of lightning. Tigerclan must find a way just so the clans can beat the new demon."
What is this? Tanglestar opened his eyes and saw 6 sallowest. All of them cats, only one looked like a grown warrior and the other five were apprentices. The warrior was in the middle and had the nobble poster just like Rainstar's. The apprentice on the far right sparkled like StarClan; right next to the apprentice crouching low and the fur puffed out, looking like a Shadowclan cat. The one in front of the warrior had flat fur and looked much like the warrior; a Windclan cat. The apprentice a little more left was on its hind legs with the tail curled around his paws like a ThunderClan move Tanglestar had seen. The final cat was dripping wet just like a Riverclan cat.
"What am I looking at?" Tanglestar looked at the frozen sallowest.
"This is your family Tanglestar. A mate who will scarifies everything in order to save the clans and five kits that as apprentices will bring the clans together and fight off the demon that comes." The same misty voice came with the sound of a monster alone with the sweetness of a mother soothing her kits.
Rainstar… you'll be my mate; Tanglestar's heart was thumping happily in his chest. Wait… our kits will have to save the clans!? Why… what's wrong with the cats' descendant from Scourge? Why must they keep saving the clans?
"To make up for what he has done. That simple," The invisible cat replied.
"Why not me, shouldn't I make up for what Hawkfrost's done?" Tanglestar looked at white surroundings.
"He made up for his crimes… just like Tigerstar."
Tanglestar moved his head and looked at the sallowest. The warrior was moving around to lick the entire group of kits intern. The little StarClan apprentice lifted his head and walked right up to Tanglestar. The StarClan apprentice paw hit Tanglestar in the chest with the force of a badger. Everything went black.
"You will face death with your mate in the final battle. All five kits will find themselves at StarClan… except the one that finds the answer," The invisible cat meowed before Tanglestar went into darkness.
Chapter 5
Tanglestar woke up gasping. My clan will be missing me, Tanglestar stood up. With hooked claws he hauled himself up the side of the wall and out into the night air. The sun was just rising above the horizon. With a single jump Tanglestar was out of the tree and on the moor. He sprinted through the tall grass and fell right into the river. WindClan and ShadowClan scents crashed down on him as he spluttered to get to the bank.
The bank is just a tail length away… just have to reach and… Tanglestar's paw grabbed the bank and his claws sunk into the earth, Got it.
With a single tug he was on the bank on the ShadowClan side of the border. Panting, he got to his feet. The ShadowClan camp shouldn't be far. He began to sprint and fell right off the cliff that was surrounding the ShadowClan camp.
"Thunk, thunk, thumb, smack," Tanglestar fell over rocks, roots, and finally hit the ground. Today just isn't my day. I fell into a river and off cliff.
"Tanglestar," A tortoiseshell cat walked up to him, "are you okay? You were gone a long time, is she safe?"
"Yes, she is in safe paws. Riverslash…we need to keep an eye on WindClan," Tanglestar lifted himself off the ground. I can't tell him the truth, even though he is my medicine cat.
Riverslash walked with Tanglestar to the medicine cat's den. He applied some herb paste and then on top of that some cobwebs on the bleeding wounds. Riverslash found a rock in one of the wounds. He gripped it with his teeth and with a sickening popping sound, he pulled it you.
I hate prophecies. They are never clear. This was the first time Tanglestar had some time to think about the prophecy from his dream. Okay, should I tell someone about this? Maybe this should be kept to myself, but I should tell Rainsky.
"You fell down the cliff, how? All ShadowClan cats know where it is and the only cliff victims are kits," Riverslash meowed with amusement.
"I was in a hurry; I wanted to get back to my clan as fast as I could. Plus, I had just woken from a nightmare to find my love dead," Tanglestar's meow was flat and emotionless.
"Hum," Riverslash seemed unsatisfied by the answer that Tanglestar gave him, "You can go the wounds are very miner so you don't really have to hold yourself back."
Tanglestar padded out of the den. The rising sun illuminated the ShadowClan camp: cliffs surrounding it with one safe path, full of brambles, bushes, and other plants. The warriors den, medicine cat den, the nursery, and apprentice den were all caves across the vertical side of the cliff. The leaders den was a space under a cliff ledge. With a smile Tanglestar bounded from rock to rock until he reached the ledge.
"Let all the cats of ShadowClan gather here beneath Clifftop," Tanglestar's call rang out through the camp, loud enough to wake a sleeping monster. Without hesitation, all the cats of ShadowClan woke up and gathered.
"Tanglestar… your back," Shadowslash stepped up and looked up at him.
"I need to know who went to StarClan in the battle," Tanglestar looked at the faces of the cats and realized that only one cat was missing.
"Brambleclaw, he was the only one," A small apprentice meowed.
"My deputy… thank you for telling me Loudpaw. You'll need a new mentor," Tanglestar felt the depresion folding around him. No, I must face this. My clan needs me.
"We need a deputy, the senor warriors have been filling in for you and Brambleclaw," Yellowfur, a tan elder, meowed form the back.
"I'm sorry for leaving you all alone," Tanglestar was fighting the earge to cry. "The new deputy will be Shadowslash, I trust him with my life and I can't think of a more appropriate cat for the job. As for Loudpaw, come here. You fought bravely and took on full grown dead warriors. That takes courage, strength, and above all, loyalty. Your name from now on is Loudstreek."
Chapter 6
Something is missing, Rainstar had just woken from a dreamless night and Tanglestar was missing. Well, he probly went back to his clan.
Rainstar heard small paw steps. Spottedpaw popped her head into the tree hollow. She gasped when she saw Rainstar looking at her.
"Rainstar, are you really alive?" Spottedpaw's eyes were wide and fresh tears streaked her fur.
"Yes, don't worry, this isn't a StarClan message. Spottedpaw, I'm sorry for leaving you. I suppose you've gotten a warriors name now," Rainstar looked at her apprentice with kindness and love. "How is WindClan, your parents?"
"Tigerclaw is leader now. No one died in the battle, but Tigerstar won't give me my warrior's name. That's why I came here, I asked him about why and he just said that I didn't deserve it! Hollytail got her name, why not me?" Spottedpaw started crying again.
"That isn't fair. It's just because I mentored you. You fought well in the battle. I was watching you out of the corner of my eye."
"Well Tigerstar doesn't care."
"Spottedpaw, you fought bravely in the battle. In the past 6 moons you have trained well, you have shown great bravery, courage, honesty, and loyalty to your clan and clan leader. From this point on you will be known as Spottedstreak."
"Thank you so much Rainstar," Spottedstreak stopped crying and nuzzled Rainstar.
"Do you want to walk with me? I haven't gotten out of this tree for some time."
Together the two she-cats leapt out of the tree and started walking to the edge of the clan borders, all the way talking about how WindClan was doing and what happened wall Rainstar was missing. The two cats made it to the field beyond the clans where Rainstar was born.
"So, you're alive," Fuzzypelt walked up to Rainstar and smiled. Then, without letting Rainstar or Spottedstreak say anything, he left.
"That was different," Spottedstreak looked like she had seen a cat walk into a blazing forest fire.
Rainstar's response was to vomit at her feet.
"RAINSTAR!? Spottedstreak ran to her.
"Go get Mosspath, please," Rainstar vomited some more.
Spottedstreak ran as fast as she could. It was between sunset when she finally returned with Mosspath and Tanglestar. Why did she get him as well?
Rainstar had vomited countless times and now she couldn't even stand. Mosspath ran to her and felt her stomach with her paws. Tanglestar ran to her and nuzzled her cheek over and over again.
"Congratulations Rainstar, you just walked across WindClan territory wall pregnant," Mosspath started laughing when she finished.
"Wait what?" Tanglestar and Rainstar said in unison.
"You're pregnant, that would explain why you're looking a little plump," Mosspath chuckled.
"It's five kits," Tanglestar meowed with certainty.