AN: Here's chapter ten, and it's a battle scene! Hopefully a fairly detailed one too, but not too detailed XD I'm proud of what I turned WindClan into, they just seem so much like ShadowClan don't they? Anyways thanks for your reviews, and enjoy!

Chapter 10

Stormstar's pelt brushed against the ferns as she led her battle patrol through the forest. Dark clouds had begun to gather around the sky, blocking out the sun. Rain was on its way. Stormstar's whiskers twitched and told her that it would be a nasty storm.

Wind swept past her fur when Stormstar reached Fourtrees. As if they had known ThunderClan would return for revenge, a group of WindClan warriors were waiting for the patrol. Stormstar's lips curled in disgust when she recognized Mudstar amongst the ranks of his cats.

The WindClan leader glared at her coldly when Shadowpelt emerged from the crowd. Stormstar didn't flinch this time when she stared at his scarred face. Part of her knew that he was the one who inflicted those wounds. Mudstar's yellow eyes glittered with pure rage when Stormstar flicked her tail towards the gathering patrol. She knew that there was only one outcome for this battle. ThunderClan had to win no matter what.

"This ends now!" she spat angrily.

Mudstar let out a furious hiss before leaping forward with his claws unsheathed. Stormstar dodged easily to the side and he collided with Sootpelt. The lighter gray tom screeched with rage when he pummeled the dark brown tom with his claws.

Seeing that Mudstar was occupied, Stormstar searched for her next target. She didn't have to wait long as she came nose-to-nose with Crowflight. The dark gray tom didn't look to pleased with the fighting though as he lunged forward. Stormstar hissed in response and slammed her paw across his muzzle.

Crowflight's fur was standing on end as he shook off the pain. Stormstar didn't waste any time in ramming into his chest shortly after he'd recovered. She drew her claws across his nose until blood seeped out of the freshly opened wound.

"You'll pay for what you did to Aspenpaw," Stormstar hissed when she managed to pin Crowflight to the ground.

"We didn't do anything to Aspenpaw!" Crowflight cried. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

Stormstar's lips curled in disgust when she drew a claw across his muzzle.

Crowflight let out a wail before dashing off into the trees. Stormstar glared after him and thought about giving chase, but those thoughts were wiped clean when she turned to face Shadowpelt. Her eyes narrowed into tiny slits when she stared at the former rogue.

Shadowpelt looked like he was ready to burst with rage. His yellow eyes glowed with hatred as he glared at her.

"Do you really think that I would let you get away with what you did to me?" he sneered. "You are not the only one who can call upon StarClan for help."

Before she could spit out a reply he barreled into her, teeth fastened around her neck. Stormstar cried out in pain as she tasted blood in the air. She struggled to free herself from the dark tom's grip, but Shadowpelt held on.

"I always knew you were a monster on the inside," she snarled once she tore free from his grip.

Ripping herself free left a freshly opened wound on her neck. She gasped at the intense pain that throbbed from her wound. Shadowpelt grinned madly at her before rushing forward once more.

"You are weak! You always have been and you always will be!" he screeched.

The pain became almost unbearable by the time he was finished with her. Stormstar struggled to her paws, but at the last heartbeat she collapsed to the ground. Black spots clouted her vision before she blacked out for good.

OoOo

When Stormstar's eyes snapped open she found herself in the forest of StarClan. She looked around in confusion until she spotted Arrowstripe. The young tom's eyes were clouded over with sorrow when he glanced down at the ground.

"Stormstar, you have lost your first life," he meowed. "You have eight left. But there is something more... dire to worry about."

"It's about Shadowpelt, isn't it?" she demanded after struggling to her paws. She was standing, and the pain had ebbed away. But her legs were still shaky as she tried to forget about the pain she would feel when she woke up.

"Shadowpelt has darkness in his heart," Arrowstripe murmured. "There was always darkness in his heart. It just needed a reason to be released."

"Arrowstripe, it's my fault he became this way! Take my life instead of the lives of my Clanmates!" Her body shook with rage as she remembered the amount of fury she had felt when she fought WindClan before. This was more than about pride now.

"I cannot simply take someone's life," the tabby suddenly growled. "You must end this battle before more innocent lives are taken."

Stormstar blinked in surprise when Arrowstripe stepped forward. His nose pressed against her forehead, and she felt an intense force of energy surge through her. Once the pain ebbed away she heard the echoes of her Clanmates battling for Fourtrees.

OoOo

Her eyes opened once again to find herself back at Fourtrees. Surprise flared within Stormstar when the scent of RiverClan filled the air. She blinked and got to her paws before wincing in pain.

"Not so tough now without your powers, are you?" Shadowpelt sneered when he loomed over her.

Stormstar gazed at Shadowpelt before slashing out with her unsheathed claws. Shadowpelt jumped back in mock surprise. His lips curled in a snarl when he drew closer. Stormstar was about to fight back when someone knocked Shadowpelt aside.

She jumped to her paws in disbelief when she realized that Crowflight and Mudstar had pinned Shadowpelt down. The two WindClan cats held a paw against Shadowpelt's neck as he struggled for freedom.

"You weren't supposed to kill!" Mudstar spat. "We simply needed more territory!"

"He... attacked Aspenpaw as well," Stormstar rasped when she recovered from the shock. By now most of the fighting had ended as WindClan was pushed away from the forest. Stormstar was left to explain why Shadowpelt had become the way he was now. "It's my fault he is this way," she admitted when Mudstar's cold amber eyes looked upon her.

"Shadowpelt was always ambitious, even when he joined WindClan," Mudstar hissed. "This is one of his many failed attempts at taking over."

He glared coldly at Shadowpelt. The dark gray tom didn't flinch. In fact he returned Mudstar's glare by spitting in frustration. Stormstar rolled her eyes and sighed in exhaustion.

"We have to end this fighting before it gets worse," she meowed. "Fourtrees doesn't belong to anyone. It never has and it never will. We shouldn't hunt here in the first place."

Anger gleamed within Mudstar's eyes before he nodded in agreement. Those were the ancient laws set down by Thunder, River, Wind and Shadow themselves. Nothing would ever change those laws as long as their memories lived on.

"I see now more than ever that your words are true," the WindClan leader reluctantly admitted. "I am sorry that Aspenpaw was injured during such pointless battles. Shadowpelt will receive the full punishment he deserves."

Again Mudstar glared at Shadowpelt. By now the tom lay in exhaustion, breathing heavily as Crowflight stepped back. The two WindClan cats looked at Stormstar before herding their rogue Clanmate back to their own territory.

Stormstar sighed in relief when the fighting ended. Cats lined up around her, bruised and battered but still standing. Ashfur's dark blue eyes gleamed with triumph when he glared at Shadowpelt. Stormstar noticed how he had received less wounds than his Clanmates.

I'll have to remember this, she told herself.

"Let's go home," she murmured. It was time they all recovered from the battle.

AN: Le gasp! Shadowpelt is definitely one of my favorite characters so far. He's a bit like Frostwind, only more cunning and twisted. You'll find out what happens to him in the next few chapters. Remember to leave a review!