Had no time to check, so probably lots of typos. Please ignore them, just wante to get the action scene posted!

Chapter Seven

When Littlecloud returned to his den after speaking to Blackstar, he found that Flametail's nest was empty. He was surprised, but, in his heart, he really wasn't. He had expected something like this to happen after their argument, had seen the rage in his apprentice's eyes, something he had never seen before in them, and knew that this was more than just an argument to him. If he's not back soon, I'll go looking for him, he reasoned.

He settled slowly into his nest but knew he wouldn't be sleeping. His mind was reeling, mixing events from the past from what he had heard today. "How could you not really know what the sign means?" Blackstar had hissed at him, his unsheathed claws scrapping the ground, "What kind of a medicine cat are you?" The prophecy alerting him to Tigerstar's treachery rang through his ears now, the prophecy that had almost killed him—Wouldn't it be nice to be in StarClan?—along with what Brokenstar had whispered to Clawface about him the night he was made a full warrior when they thought he wasn't listening, "He won't last a single moon…" Finally, his apprentice's mutinous words returned to him, and he thought sadly, he's right. I would've been useless if I wasn't a medicine cat…

That was when he heard something: the crunching of snow under cats' paws… He got up quickly, the moment he realized what was going on, that it wasn't, as he had hoped, his apprentice returning, but rather, a large group of cats. The wind shifted, and suddenly he could scent them clearly. They didn't smell of the forest, rather they smelled of crow-food and of an acrid scent he didn't recognize, and, in the group, he recognized the scent of Sol. It…It can't be…He… Rowanclaw's startled, terrified yowl interrupted his thoughts, "We're under attack!"

Littlecloud raced out of his den to chaos. Everywhere cats were already locked in battle, and more were streaming through the entrance that had been torn open to twice its original size. The once silent, calm night was now filled with the loud screeches of battle. We're outnumbered! he quickly realized, and, when he saw that Tigerheart was surrounded by three strong, well-fed looking rogues, he entered the fray, jumping with claws unsheathed on the biggest of the three.

The big cat yowled when Littlecloud landed, and he managed two inflict some deep wounds before having to leap off when the cat dropped to the ground to try to flatten him. Before he was able to get to his paws, Littlecloud sliced downward at his face, splattering blood everywhere, before scampering quickly out of the way when he lunged at him. They're not as good fighters as we are! he realized. We might have a chance! Beside him, Tigerheart was battering the larger of the two cats he was fighting with his unsheathed claws as the smaller tried to dive in at his feet, nipping at him. And then a terrible yowl sounded through the camp that Littlecloud recognized instantly as Blackstar's. His momentary distraction allowed the cat he was fighting to leap on him, pinning him to the ground, his teeth about to close around his throat and end everything…

Suddenly, the cat just stopped and gasped, his eyes wild with pain and panic. He went completely limp and dropped to the ground on top of Littlecloud. He pushed the cat's body off of him and turned to face the cat who had saved him. It was Flametail. His teeth were red with blood but the look on his face wasn't one of triumph of saving his mentor's life, it was one of utter glee and bloodlust. But the traitor couldn't be Flametail could it? he thought. "Thanks, Flametail," he mewed quickly, about to turn and help Tigerheart again, hoping what he had seen was merely a product of his imagination, but Flametail stopped him.

"Thank me? For what? I wanted to kill you myself!" And with that, his apprentice leapt on him, his already bloodied teeth shining red in the moonlight, his eyes glowing with triumph. Littlecloud frantically sheathed his claws before batting Flametail away.

"Flametail, what are you doing? Stop it!" he yowled, hoping to somehow reach his apprentice before he did something he would forever regret. But Flametail seemed to have not heard him, and Littlecloud realized that there was no way he was going to be able to stop his apprentice from trying to kill him. His jaw was upturned in a vicious snarl and his eyes, no longer bright and filled with joy, were clouded with revenge and thirst for blood and power. I would've never thought he would be the one to end up like his grandfather, Littlecloud thought before hesitantly unsheathing his claws again to fight for his life.

Once again Flametail leapt at him, and this time his blow hit the mark, catching Littlecloud across the face. Littlecloud spun and kicked his front legs out from under him, unbalancing him and causing him to fall to the ground. He leapt on him before he could get up and pinned him to the ground. "Flametail," he panted, trying to find the right words, "I'm so sorry…Just…go. I don't want to hurt you…"

"STOP!" Sol's yowl rang through the clearing, echoing long after it had ended. Littlecloud watched as the rogues who were fighting stopped; some even released the warriors from their grasp. Hesitantly, Littlecloud let Flametail up, and his apprentice hissed at him and stalked away to where Sol stood on the branch where Blackstar usually stood.

The ShadowClan cats were left huddled together, battered and bloodied, in the middle of a circle of rogues, with Sol looming over them like he was their leader. Blackstar was standing next to Tawnypelt, blood splattered over his white pelt, and Littlecloud quickly realized that many warriors were missing. He couldn't see Russetfur anywhere, nor could he locate Crowfrost, Whitewater or Toadfoot. Thankfully, all of the apprentices had made it through the fight, and they were huddled together, blood matting their pelts, the scent of fear coming off of them.

"How dare you?" Blackstar roared from where he stood, anger racking his body, glaring up at Sol defiantly. "What is the meaning of this?"

Sol licked a paw thoughtfully and mewed, "I will give you two choices, Blackstar. Think carefully about your decision. The fate of your clan lies in your paws."

Blackstar growled, bristling angrily, "You wish to negotiate? After you bring in a band of rogues to destroy us? After you kill my deputy?!"

"Think of your clan when you make your decision, Blackstar…" Sol meowed calmly, not sounding at all like he had just caused the death of number of innocent cats. How could he act like he's saving us when he tried to destroy us? Littlecloud wondered. The fox-hearted lying… Sol continued, "You can either become a part of our new clan, SunClan, or you can fight us."

The sun will drown out the shadows, and one will betray all. Now it all made sense to Littlecloud. StarClan's prediction was coming true. And one had betrayed all; Flametail had probably led them here. I can't let ShadowClan be destroyed! Littlecloud thought wildly. I can't! "No! That must not happen!" he yowled, stepping in front of Blackstar, defying Sol and his horrible intentions, finally protecting his clan.

"Quiet, Littlecloud," Blackstar mewed quietly, resting his tail on his shoulder comfortingly. He shouldered past him and then addressed Sol, "We will join SunClan, Sol. Just don't hurt my warriors…"

I was supposed to protect my clan, but I failed them, Littlecloud thought miserably as the rogues yowled triumphantly around him. I received the prophecy to warn us, and I couldn't decipher it…Why, StarClan, are you letting this happen?