Cats were coming out of their dens at Mousewhisker's alert. Tawnypaw began to feel uncomfortable, even more so as Hollystar perked up, fear scent drifting off her in waves.

"Heatherkit, Honeyfern and elders, up the Highledge. Now !" Heatherkit dashed off, and Honeyfern, who had been eating with Berrynose before he had joined the patrol, followed at her tail, her belly swollen with soon to come kits. Bramblepaw appeared momentarily at the medicine den entrance. "Bramblepaw, tell Jayfeather to prepare for battle." Her eyes widened and she slipped hastily back into the den. "Skypaw, where is Mousepaw?"

"Sleeping." Skypaw replied.

"Wake him, quickly. Is anyone else asleep?" Firefang, Gingerpaw's older brother, Dived into the warriors' den.

"No." He replied as he reappeared.

"good. Prepare for battle." Hollystar growled. Mews of surprise erupted from the Clan. Tawnypaw realized her cause for fear. The scent of three Clans, all mingled together, was growing stronger and stronger. They had made an alliance, and were coming to attack ThunderClan! Glancing sideways, Tawnypaw noticed Bramblepaw urging Lilykit up the Highledge. She turned to Dewpaw and Gingerpaw, who had appeared at her side.

"Good luck." She mewed to them. They nodded. Fear filled the clearing as three shapes appeared at the camp entrance. Crowstar's pelt was barely visible in the shadows, while Mistystar looked uncomfortable. Pantherpelt's eyes glowed in the pale, stormy light. The clouds ahead reminded the Clans that leafbare was upon them, though the usual snow was late.

"Attack!" All three cats yowled. Streams of cats rushed forward from the top of the camp, charging at the cats below.

"ThunderClan, defend your camp!" Hollystar ordered, throwing herself at a nearby WindClan tom. Tawnypaw recognized the pelt of Breezepelt, Crowstar's WindClan son. Tawnypaw flung herself at the same ShadowClan apprentice she had met in the battle at the ShadowClan border.

"You really think you can beat a warrior?" He growled.

"I almost am one!" She hissed in reply, pinning him down.

"Almost? Ha! I am one!" He pushed her off, but she landed on four paws, shooting forward to leap at him. He twisted out of her way.

"Twist, then hit him in the side." Tawnypaw recognized the voice that had been haunting her battle training for more then a moon. Unlike usual, it was filled with fear an desperation, though it sound like it wasn't battling. Tawnypaw realized it was the voice of the tom Firestar had been talking to in her dream. She listened, and managed to knock the new warrior to the ground.

"Need help Smokestripe?" A pretty black she-cat hissed.

"If you insist, Nightstalker." He meowed. Tawnypaw shot at Smokestripe. He leaped up, landing behind her. He shot forward to leap onto her back, but she twisted out of his way. She was countered by Nightstalker, who grabbed and yanked her tail hard with her teeth. Tawnypaw yowled and lashed out at her with her claws. She landed a blow, but so did Smokestripe, landing on her back and digging his claws in.

"Bat him in the head and turn around rapidly, kicking with your back legs." The unknown tom hissed. She did as she asked, knocking Smokestripe off while kicking Nightstalker away. She was now able to look at both cats. "Go for Smokestripe. Nightstalker will go after you. At the last minute, change direction and head for Nightstalker. Leap onto her back, and if you miss, kick back and send her flying." He instructed. She shot forward at the gray tom. As expected, Nightstalker charged to his rescue. As she was about to hit the tom, she twisted so she was heading for Nightstalker, then leaped. She missed, but remembered the vice's backup plan. She kicked out as she landed, sending Nightstalker flying into a RiverClan she-cat.

"Have fun, Smokestripe." Nightstalker spat, pelting out of the camp, closely followed by the RiverClan cat.

"Still think I can't beat you?" Tawnypaw growled. With a hiss, Smokestripe leapt at her. She slid underneath him, using her nose to unbalance him, then twisted to pin him down. He flung her off, but followed Nightstalker hastily. Tawnypaw turned her attention to a young WindClan cat, who was scaling the Highledge. Two other enemy cats were already up, battling with Squirrelflight and Leafpool. Tawnypaw landed squarely on the she-cat's shoulder.

"Grab her ear. She is still an apprentice, and will be defeated easily." The voice growled. Tawnypaw grabbed the calico's black ear. She yowled, even more so as Tawnypaw batted at her back with sharp claws.

"Mallowpaw!" A WindClan tom who had been battling Squirrelflight turned is attention to his Clanmate. He dashed away from the younger elder, and knocked Tawnypaw off the apprentice. "You won't harm my daughter!" He growled as she dashed off. Tawnypaw leapt up to pin him down, but he dodged quickly. She landed and as fast as she could leapt up again, twisting in the air to land squarely on his shoulders. He fell at her weight, but went limp. Tawnypaw grabbed the scruff of his neck and shook hard. He tried to fling her off, but she was barely removed, taking a chunk of his flesh of with her. He yowled in pain, but pinned her down, growling and spattering her with blood.

"Bat at him with your back paws, as if you are tiring. Then, when he tries to go for a kill, push him off with your back paws." The voice ordered. Tawnypaw listened, batting her paws as if getting tired. It barely used any energy, so when he leaned down to bite her throat, she kicked off and he was sent flying. He landed with a painful thud, barely managing to stand and limp fast enough to leave. Squirrelflight and Leafpool sent the other tom cascading down the rock fall. Tawnypaw gave him a quick nip on the tail as he was sent yowling out of the camp. Tawnypaw had the chance to look around the clearing. Many of the ThunderClan cats were fighting one on three, some more and distressingly few less then three. Hollystar was backed against the wall, panting and threatened by the three cats that had given the orders.

"Look around you, Hollystar. Your Clan is losing. You have no choice." Crowstar growled, his eyes glowing with revenge.

"Crowstar! Leave her alone!" Leafpool hissed appearing at Tawnypaw's side.

"Take care of this one, Pantherstar." Crowstar turned on the light tabby, whose eyes grew wide with fear at the anger, hate and hurt mixed in Crowstar's eyes. He flung himself at her. Tawnypaw acted quickly, pulling him off her. He growled, lashing at her. She rolled away from his claws, landing behind him and pulling his leg out from under him with a sharp bite. He rolled dangerously down the remaining part of the rock fall, flying off a large boulder and landing with a hard thud on the ground, his body going limp. Tawnypaw turned to Leafpool. Squirrelflight was at her side, sadness in her eyes.

"She is dying." The dark ginger she-cat looked at Tawnypaw with grief.

"We have to get Jayfeather!" Tawnypaw mewed hastily, ready to bound off to get him. The dying she-cat weakly shook her head.

"This is…StarClan's revenge…for what I have done. I…I thought it was Jay…feather's blindness…but I was wrong. I…deserve to die." With that, Leafpool heaved her last breath. Squirrelflight let out a low, distressed yowl, pressing her nose into her sister's fur. Hollystar noticed the scene, looking from her father to her mother. Crowstar was weakly getting up, having lost a life. Her eyes were filled with pain as she charged past Tawnypaw, Squirrelflight and Leafpool's body.

"We have no choice. We must…surrender." She called. The fighting stopped as the ThunderClan cats stared at their leader. Tawnypaw struggled to stay on the rocks. Yowls of victory rang from the other Clans as they allowed the brokenhearted, injured ThunderClan cats pass.

"ThunderClan is no longer welcome here! We have won!" Pantherstar called.

"When did she become leader?" Dewpaw asked, limping and wincing at each step. Her head and tail were lowered. All Tawnypaw managed was a shake of her head.

"Where are we heading Hollystar?" Honeyfern called to the front, where Hollystar was trudging through the undergrowth. The black leader stopped them and turned to her Clan.

"We have lost a lot just today. Nobody expected all three Clans to attack, not all at once. We had no other choice. It was either retreat, or we would all be killed. I'm very proud of you all, and I am proud to be your leader. However, it has become clear to me. StarClan have abandoned ThunderClan, and ThunderClan is no longer meant to be." Her words were answered with yowls of protest.

"You have to stop this!" For the first time, the voice had a body. The dead warrior had retreated as well!

"But how?" Tawnypaw asked. But the tabby tom nudged her forward. Reluctantly, Tawnypaw bounded up to meet her leader. Fear filled her from nose to tail tip. What would they do to her for contradicting her leader?

"StarClan is still here, Tawnypaw. We will always be here for you." Firestar had appeared in the throng of ThunderClan cats, beside the elder Sandstorm. Tawnypaw blinked.

"ThunderClan has to stay together." She mewed, so the whole Clan could hear above the protests. "StarClan is here by our sides, as we speak. Can't you feel their love? They are ThunderClan cats too. They would never leave us. None of us want ThunderClan to stop being a Clan. Not even StarClan." She meowed. The Clan remained quiet. Hollystar shook her head.

"This is all my fault. I have failed you all. I'm sorry, but I cannot be your leader anymore." Hollystar shot off before an cat could stop her. Nobody moved. Their eyes were wide an mouths open in surprise and fear. Their eyes held desperation, unknowing, hopelessness.

"You have to lead them, Tawnypaw. You are the only one left here with the faith needed." The tom meowed. Firestar glared at him from where he sat, the starry warrior smoothing his still living mate's fur gently. Sandstorm had her head bowed, her eyes closed.

"But I'm only an apprentice." She whispered back, bowing her head.

"Tawnypaw, you are right. But where will we go?" Mousewhisker was the first to speak. Tawnypaw knew he would rather not be deputy. He had always felt awkward organizing patrols. Tawnypaw thought hard, her mind returning to her dream, where she had first met Firestar.

"Where am I?" She called to nobody in particular.

"Home." Came the reply. Tawnypaw whirled around to see a handsome ginger tom with bright green eyes. His fur was full of stars.

"this isn't the lake." Tawnypaw pointed out.

"I never said it was." The tom smiled.

For the first time, she understood. "Home" wasn't the lake territory. It was the place he had shown her, the camp she had been led to. Firestar's eyes glinted as he disappeared.

"But how do we get there?" She asked herself.

"Get where?" Mousewhisker asked.

"I don't know." Tawnypaw mewed, lost in thought.

"Think of Sandstorm's stories." The dead warrior had returned to her side, his tabby fur beginning to lay flat.

"Of the old forest?" She whispered so low, not even Mousewhisker could hear.

"Exactly." His eyes glinted in success. Tawnypaw perked up.

"The old forest!" She mewed, louder then she wanted. Gasps sounded from the older cats.

"It was destroyed!" Cloudtail hissed. Tawnypaw remembered her dream. An acrid smell had been just slightly noticeable, one she knew was a Thunderpath. They must have extended it. Sandstorm's stories had included the Thunderpath, but she had said it was too far to even notice for most of the territory.

"No, it wasn't. Just some of it. There is still plenty for us." Tawnypaw realized, her mind whirling with understanding. She turned to the Clan she had been raised in. "We have to go back to the old forest."

Yay for the return of Tigerstar and Firestar! But, I hated Tigerstar was evil. So now, he is trying to return to niceness, starting with helping his birth Clan. I 3 my Firestar and Tigerstar personalities. And I also decided to make it a bit interesting with the Hollystar and Crowstar thing. I never did decide on a ShadowClan leader, mostly because my friend is borowing my Long Shadows so my reference is previous stories involving the Erin Hunter cats, so I don't know the ShadowClan cats. So I just made Pantherpelt become leader. Any, hope you liked the past two chapters! Please R&R!