Chapter 2
All of the tributes were housed in their former territories, Tigerclan in Shadowclan's.
Firestar
Cinderpelt
Longtail
Dustpelt
Graystripe
Sandstorm
Cloudtail
Brightheart
Littlecloud
Tallstar
Webfoot
Onewhisker
Runningbrook
Mistyfoot
Blackclaw
Stormfur
Feathertail
Sandstorm woke up with a start. Firestar padded over to her, a concerned look in his eyes. "Are you all right?" He asked her. She had left the den 5 times that night to vomit. He didn't know why she had left, but he knew she didn't look so good.
"No, I'm fine. Firestar, don't worry about me. I'll likely be dead in a few sundowns from Tigerstar's fight to the death."
"If you do, you need some good last days. Come on, let me bring you to Cinderpelt.
"She can't help me! Nobody can help me, Firestar!"
"Sandstorm, do you know what's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong, Firestar." She sighed and broke eye contact. " I have something to tell you." She paused and looked back into his eyes. " I'm expecting your kits."
Firestar's eyes widened and he purred. " Sandstorm, that's wonderful!" He paused. "But no matter what happens, I won't get to meet them. How long do you have?"
" I'm not sure. It's been a moon." Firestar looked at his mate and wondered why he hadn't noticed. It was slightly visible.
" Why don't we go to Cinderpelt now?" Firestar asked. "Neither of us could sleep anyway." Sandstorm nodded. As they walked over to the medicine cat den, she thought about the fight. She would probably be killed. But if the kits arrived before or during the fight, they might survive.
"Sandstorm, Firestar, why are you here?"
"I...I'm expecting his kits... and I want to know how long I have."
" I actually guessed that. You have kitscent."
"Is it really that obvious?"
" You must be at least a moon!" "With a moon, that gives you about a half moon left." That was cutting it close, Sandstorm thought.
"Let's just hope that they come before the fight."
"Or you could surrender." Said Firestar. He had clearly been thinking hard. If you surrender, you will live to take care of our kits, and if I won, I could come home to you."
Sandstorm's head was spinning. "I'll do it. I'll join him."
"And I will win, and come home to you. He won't let you surrender until the day before the fight." Sandstorm felt more relieved. She would live to raise her kits, though Tigerstar may make them fight before six moons, like Brokenstar. She would have to cross that bridge when she came to it. When she went back to sleep that night, it was peaceful, and she didn't wake up again. She had Firestar beside her, their tails wrapped together, ready to survive all that Tigerstar could throw at them, Starclan help them.
It was two sunrises until the fight. All of the tributes had been training hard. Sandstorm knew she wasn't. competing, but was required to train anyway, and now everyone knew she was on the verge of kitting. It was no secret, she just couldn't hide herself. Everyone also assumed she would join Tigerclan. They were all right with that. What option did they have? Getting between a she-cat and her kits. (Even unborn.) Sandstorm padded up to Firestar, ready to go train. "Are you sure you should be training?" Asked Firestar with concern.
"Of course!" "I'm fit as I've ever been! I'm stronger, better fed and more muscular. Yes, there's that minor thing..." She laughed and looked down at her large underbelly. "...But after a few sunrises, that shouldn't stop me from doing anything anymore!" She confidently boasted.
"That's the Sandstorm I know. I'm guessing if this were a contest, and not a fight to the death, you would be excited to compete. Thank goodness you aren't, though! What if the kits arrive during the fight?!"
"Firestar, these kits need to arrive before the fight begins. They need to meet their father." She rubbed up against him affectionately.
"Sandstorm, that sounds like you think I won't win!"
"No, no, I have complete confidence in you. It's just that I want to be safe..." she looked at her paws. "...What if you don't make it?..." she asked her mate and choked.
"Then you will be the best mother these kits could ask for. They won't need me."
"But they will...I do..."
Firestar looked into the she-cat's eyes. "I will win. And if I don't, I know you can be strong for the kits."
"I would even have trouble being strong for myself, Firestar. What makes you think I can be strong for them?"
"Because I know you. You are passionate, you are loyal, and you will never give up. You will protect those kits with your life, even if I'm not there to help you raise them. You are strong. Even if you were breaking on the inside, you wouldn't collapse, because you have a fire that burns inside of you that will keep you going called love." He stared into her green eyes passionately. "I wouldn't be surprised if Spottedleaf's prophecy, the one she made about fire saving the clan, wasn't about me, and it wasn't about real fire. It's about this, and with it you will be strong enough to fight and save anything. Now Sandstorm, I wouldn't worry about raising those kits by yourself, because you can do it. And I'm telling you, I can win, because I have the strongest fire of any of the clan cats. I have you and my unborn kits, and that's all I need." The look in his green eyes held truth.
"Sometimes you really seem too heroic and perfect to be real, you know that Firestar?"
"Back to the sassy Sandstorm that I love."
My longest chapter yet! Please tell me how you like it in reviews! I've only had one review before, and that was on the first chapter of my first story, by a guest!
