Chapter 2

Leafbare had ended, and Newleaf had begun, bringing a warm day. It was sunhigh when Brambleclawand Tawnypelt had come back from their hunting patrol. Firestar watched them enter, surprised of how much prey they had found. It had been two days since their warrior ceremony, and they were turning out to be fine warriors.

There had been no threat from any other Clan since the battle with BloodClan, and Firestar was relieved to have the time to rest and get stronger.

"Firestar," a voice rasped behind him.

Firestar turned to see who was calling him. "Graystripe," Firestar stared in disbelief at his deputy.

Graystripe came staggering forward. His flank was bleeding heavily, and his left ear was torn deeply. "Firestar," he rasped again. "RiverClan have attacked for Sunningrocks again! We need re-enforcement! And fast! We lost sight of Brackenfur too!"

"Okay Graystripe. Go and see Cinderpelt. I'll take care of this. If you can, come back to the battle when you're done with Cinderpelt." Firestar didn't hesitate. "Brambleclaw, Tawnypelt, Longtail, Sandstorm, Mousefur, and Dustpelt, hurry, and follow me! RiverClan is attacking Sunningrocks!" Then he ran over to Brightheart. "Brightheart, you and Frostfur are in charge of the camp while we're gone." Then he ran back to his warriors without a response from Brightheart.

The ThunderClan cats raced through the underbrush on the path toward Sunningrocks. When they had sight of the rocks, they launched their attack.

Firestar raced through the mob of cats and sprang towards a light brown tabby she-cat. Firestar raked his hind legs against her tiny body and scratched at her muzzle. Before he could do anymore, a huge weight knocked him off of the cat from his side, and the she-cat ran back into the battle. The new gray tom pinned him down and bit deep into his shoulder, but Firestar was ready. He jumped up and bowled the cat over and sent it racing into the bushes, yowling with pain and fury.

Firestar looked around the blood-stained clearing. It looked as if they were winning. But a second look told him he was wrong. Not many cats were left of his army and more and more RiverClan patrols were pouring down into the open area.

At that moment he was pushed aside as Graystripe came into sight next to him locked in battle with a huge tabby tom. Firestar raced to help his friend and bit into the tom's hind leg and Graystripe racked his claws across the tom's side. With that, the tabby dashed into the bushes and fled toward the RiverClan camp.

Firestar caught sight of Leopardstar and srpang up to attack, but at that moment she dashed towards Sunningrocks and Firestar landed on nothingness. In front of him he found a pretty tortoiseshell she-cat.

"Spottedleaf!" Firestar called out in disbelief. "We're going to lose Sunningrocks!"

"Firestar," Spottedleaf began. "Your cats are weak and you are losing this battle. Look at your reflection, Firestar."

Spottedleaf was replaced with a reflection of Firestar's body. He looked at himself and the many cuts he had. I'm losing too much blood, he thought weakly.

Then Spottedleaf came back into vision and his image disappeared.

"Try hard Firestar and you'll succeed. This territory is rightly ThuderClan's, and StarClan will help you keep what is yours. Try with all your energy Firestar!"

And with that, Spottedleaf vanished and left Firestar facing a tabby she-cat.

Snapping back into the real world, Firestar pounced onto the tabby and scratched at her flank, but she was too quick for him. She pinned him down and bit into his neck. He tried to attack back and defend himself, but his body would not move, and he lost all his energy.He felt himself being pulled from his world and into StarClan's. I'm losing another life, he thought.

He opened his eyes to find himself at Fourtrees, with all of StarClan around him. Bluestar was the first to speak, and the closet to him. Behind her were all cats he had known, including Yellowfang, Runningwind, Lionheart, and Whitestorm. Most of them were the warriors who had granted him his nine lives.

Welcome, again, Firestar," Bluestar meowed in greeting. "Look, Firestar."

Bluestar pointed with her tail to a space next to her. He could see the image of his last life he lost, and next to it, another image appeared, of his battle scarred body.

"You have lost your second life." Bluestar told him.

The eerie feeling Firestar had gotten when he lost his first life came back to him. He wondered if this was what it really would feel like when he finally died and joined the ranks of StarClan.

The two images of himself looked similar, both battle scarred and bleeding. As he looked at the two he slowly turned his gaze toward Bluestar. "I've tried my best Bluestar. Spottedleaf told me I would only win if I tried my best. Now we are losing and I have lost another one of my lives."

"Firestar," Bluestar started, but was interrupted by a different voice.

"You have lost a life Firestar, but that doesn't mean you will lose the battle." Spottedleaf came into view next to Bluestar's ghostly image.

Firestar leaped to his paws. "We will lose if I don't go back! Please send me back now Spottedleaf!"

"StarClan have no power over that Firestar. Your body controls how long it needs to recover."

"Alright," he sighed, "but how much longer can we keep this battle up?"

"As long as your warriors respect you and you are a good leader to them, they will fight for as long as you need them to. Remember that Firestar." Loinheart had stepped into the conversation with his thick, golden coat that shone with the light of StarClan.

Firestar stared at him with happiness and awe. He had not seen Lionheart since he was an apprentice. Shortly after he was apprenticed, Lionheart died in a battle that had happened between ThunderClan and ShadowClan long ago. The tom had been deputy then, after Redtail had died. Now he was part of the ranks of StarClan and watched over ThunderClan and protected them from harm.

"And help will come if you truly need it." Spottedleaf added.

"You have waited long enough now, Firestar. Your body is ready. You may go," Bluestar mewed gently. "Remember, StarClan is calling you!"

"StarClan is calling me? Bluestar, what does that mean? No wait! Bluestar! Spottedleaf! Lionheart! What do you mean!"

But Firestar then awakened again to find himself back in the battle. He knew he had to get right back into the fight, so he looked around for a nearby enemy, when he realized Spottedleaf was right. Help had come. He saw cats from a patrol he had sent out. RiverClan was weakening, and ThunderClan had won, but not yet.

Firestar ran towards a gray warrior. She flipped over as he grabbed her back. At that moment, Firestar realized that this warrior was Mistyfoot, the remaining one of Bluestar's kits. He let go immediately, but Mistyfoot attacked again. Firestar noticed the fury and hatred that clouded her eyes. This wasn't the same Mistyfoot he had known before. She was furious. No matter how hard Firestar tried to escape, she held on tight. Then a moment later, Longtail rammed into her side.

Firestar stared at the warrior in disbelief. This was proof that the warrior really did respect him. Then Longtail was pinned down by Mistyfoot. Longtail struggled to get away, but it was no use. Mistyfoot got ready for her death-bite.

Firestar stared in disbelief. Something was clearly wrong with Mistyfoot. "Mistyfoot, no!" Firestar screamed.

Mistyfoot looked up. For a heart-beat, Firestar thought she would go after him again. Then the fury and hatred began to fade from her eyes, and she noticed who he was again. She immediately let go of Longtail, called her warriors, and began to run into the forest.

Then she skidded to a halt, on the edge of the clearing around Sunningrocks. Firestar stared deep into her eyes. She stared back, her eyes soft, and ashamed of what she had almost done. Then, in a single heart-beat, fury and hatred clouded them again. She hissed as she ran deep into the forest.

Firestar stared still at the spot she had been standing a moment before. Why had she been like this?

Firestar broke free from his thoughts and looked around him. Most of his cats were in deep pain, so he called to Sandstorm, one of the remaining strong warriors.

"Sandstorm, go and fetch Cinderpelt, and fast! Our Clan needs help,"

Firestar stared at her as she dashed into the bracken and out of sight.

Cinderpelt returned with Sandstorm, and began to check the wounds on the cats.

"Sandstorm, Mistyfoot had no idea what she was doing! It's like she turned against her own birth Clan," Firestar cried.

"Don't worry Firestar, you still have me," Sandstorm tried to comfort him.

"I guess you're right Sandstorm." He breathed in her sweet scent, and began to scan the battlefield. "I suppose it's not Mistyfoot's fault. Just because she was born in ThunderClan doesn't mean she can't fight against us." He sighed. His eyes had spotted something. In the distance, just near Sunningrocks, lay a motionless body. He leaped up and ran toward it. Then he realized why Mistyfoot had been so angry. The motionless body that lay in front of him was that of Leopardstar's.

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