Omg. This stupid thing deleted my ANs again. You know what? Forget this! I try to entertain you guys with some funny/awesome ANs everytime, and FF just doesn't care! This is so unbelievably suckish! .

So, in short, this AN was about Wordpad and how much I hate it. The AN was quite lawlable, if I do say so myself, but now it's gone and you're reading this extended run-on sentence. -_-'

Go on then. Go read the chapter. -shooes-

"Hm. So these are 'beavers,' you said?" Hollystar peered through her hiding spot, trying to see better. "They're really...weird-looking. They have long teeth and flat tails--"

"I know," Jayfeather cut her off. He seemed to be in a grouchier mood than usual.

Hollystar was surprised. "How do you know that?" she demanded. "Did you see them in a dream or something?"

Jayfeather blinked hard. "Y-yes," he mewed, his whiskers twitching like he was going to laugh. "Yes, a dream."

Hollystar turned away from him and faced the beavers again. They seemed to be eating the side of a tree, their sharp teeth effectively scraping through the tough bark. After a few heartbeats of work, the tree tilted to the side, wobbling dangerously, before crashing noisily to the ground.

Honeyfern leapt a tail-length in the air at the sudden noise. "Mousebrains," she spat, leaning closer to Hollystar. "What are they doing?"

"They use trees to make their nests," Jayfeather informed her, crouching in the shadfe of a bramble bush. He closed his eyes and flattened his ears. "They use mud to hold everything together."

Cloudtail scoffed, leaning around Brightheart to glare at him. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. What kind of nest is that?" He flicked his tail to motion to the great mound of branches that were piled in the middle of the stream.

"Well, whatever it is, we have to get rid of it." Hollystar tracked each of the waddling creatures, plotting their movements. "They don't look that fast--we can probably scare them off easily."

Thornclaw pressed his side into hers. "We might want to take this slowly," he mewed softly. "We don't know what these things are capable of."

Hollystar reluctantly agreed with him. "They technically are in our territory," she mewed firmly. "They need to be taken care of quickly. Especially with the Moonpool dried up because of them." She narrowed her eyes. "Blocking the stars..." she muttered to herself.

She flashed her gaze back to the largest beaver, who was dragging the fallen tree over to the nest. The way they moved, it almost seemed like they were in a constant crouch...

She hissed, realizing the facts. This was the enemy that had blocked out the stars! It was just like Yellowfang said! She said it was an enemy, Hollystar thought. That proves that they need to go. She got to her paws. "We're going to attack," she said softly, flicking her tail for the warriors to get up.

Brightheart looked alarmed. "We need to watch them a little more!" she insisted. "We still don't--"

"No, we're going to attack." Hollystar stalked forward to pull herself out of the shelter of the brambles, knowing her black pelt kept her hidden in the shade. "Come on," she urged.

Thornclaw was the first out, followed reluctantly by Brightheart and Cloudtail, with Honeyfern at the rear.

"You had better stay here," Hollystar told Jayfeather.

Jayfeather immediately bristled. "I can take care of myself!" he hissed.

Hollystar repressed the urge to roll her eyes. "Please, Jayfeather." She stepped forward to press her muzzle to his. "I want you to be safe," she murmured. "I can't be worrying about you. You can stay here and keep watch. Give me an alert if Graystripe comes up with his patrol, okay?"

Jayfeather growled low in his throat, but nodded all the same. "I'm coming if I hear anything going wrong," he warned.

Hollystar purred. "Okay." She turned away from with a strange feeling of dread. Why did he always seem to have something on his mind recently? Was he faltering in his medicine duties? She wanted to ask him, but knew that he would never give her a straight answer. She sighed and followed her patrol over the rise, letting out a fierce yowl.

The beavers' heads flicked up at the same instant--the simultaneous movement was strangely off-putting.

"You are in ThunderClan territory," she announced, not knowing if they understood. "You are not allowed to be here, so we have come to remove you."

The big male beaver narrowed its eyes. It slapped the water with its tail, giving a bark to its kin. The other beavers vanished under the water.

To Hollystar's shock, the beaver opened its mouth and spoke. "We here first. You leave. You go."

"We can't do that," Honeyfern hissed in outrage. "This is ours!"


The beaver chomped its teeth. "My kin here. No harm you."

"You've blocked off an important stream," Hollystar said calmly, flicking Honeyfern with her tail. "We need this stream to be flowing."

Beaver heads began popping up out of the water, their brown eyes shining in the bright sun and their thick whiskers twitching. "You go," the beaver repeated.

"We'll fight if we have to. This stream needs to be open." Hollystar unsheathed her claws.

The beaver saw this and its eyes widened just a bit. It bared its rat-like teeth and slapped the water with its tail again. "We fight. This our home. Our dam here." He motioned with a thick-clawed paw towards the mound of branches.

"Move, then. You are not welcome here."

The beaver let out a choking laugh. More of its kind were pouring up over the banks, gathering behind it in rough lines. "We not welcome here," it repeated, chuckling in a deep voice. "You not welcomed here." It let out a chattering sound and the beavers moved forward.

"Go! Fight them!" Hollystar shrieked, leaping towards the beaver that was speaking. She landed solidly on its flank, raking her claws down its side. It let out a hissing bellow and reached up with its sharp teeth to sink them into Hollystar's already wounded shoulder. She couldn't hold back a screech of agony as the cruel teeth tightened in her flesh.

Thornclaw came out of nowhere, burying his teeth in the beaver's small, furry ear. Hollystar took advantage of his surprise attack and dug her claws into the coarse pelt of the beaver. Working together, they managed to pin the thrashing creature to the ground where it laid, panting hard.

Hollystar looked up to see the rest of the patrol holding their own. Honeyfern yowled fiercely at a smaller beaver as it shuffled quickly into the water, lashing at it with thorn-sharp claws. Cloudtail and Brightheart had managed to wound the leg of one beaver, leaving it twisting on the ground, while they went after another.

The head beaver saw his kin going down and let out a hoarse bark of astonishment. "What you?" it whispered, looking up at Hollystar. "What you? You beat...kin?"

"We," Hollystar snarled, baring her teeth, "are ThunderClan!"

The beaver wrinkled its nose and hissed. "Thunder not welcome here!"

"Well, too bad. Get out or we'll have to teach you another lesson!"

The beaver chittered and lowed its head. "Fight lost," it muttered. "We go."

"Don't come back!" Thornclaw spat, sinking his teeth into the beaver's hind leg.

The beaver wrenched its foot free and stumbled over to the wounded beaver on the ground, snuffling at its brown fur. It gave a sharp bark to its kin and waddled away, leading the ragtag group down the stream and out of sight quickly.

Cloudtail spat out a mouthful of brown fur as he padded up. "Foul, fox-hearted beasts," he snarled. "We made sure they won't be back soon."

Hollystar gave a weary mew of agreement, her shoulder aching again. "Is everyone alright?" she asked. "Anyone injured?"

"You are, Hollystar," Jayfeather pointed out, coming down the side of the ridge with his pelt bristling. He gave her shoulder a quick sniff. "You'll live," he reported dryly. "You just barely tore the muscle."

"Yeah, well it hurts," she retorted, relieved to see he was alright. "You all fought well. We need to get back home and rest now." She pressed her nose into Thornclaw's shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered against his tabby fur.

He brushed his muzzle across her ears. "If I would have lost you...I don't know what I would have done," he murmured.

Feeling choked, Hollystar breathed in his comforting scent. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he chuckled. "You did well today. You're really learning how to lead these cats well."

Hollystar turned around to follow the rest of the patrol as if she was just a warrior again, following the senior warriors home after another completed patrol. "I really hope so," she murmured. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing the right thing...going down the right path." She looked up into his amber eyes. "I wonder if I'm leading ThunderClan in the right direction or..." She trailed off.

Thornclaw looked shocked. "Of course you are! I've lived through three leaders, and you've done just as well as any of them."

"Three?" Hollystar frowned. "You were alive when Bluestar was leader?"

Thornclaw nodded, wincing slightly.

"What?" she asked, watching the emotion go across his face.

He lowered his head and laughed. "It's just strange to think that I'm so much older than you. I was a warrior before your mother was even born, for StarClan's sake!"

Hollystar purred and shook her head. "I don't care if you're older than me," she murmured. "I really don't."

Thornclaw laughed softly and pressed his face against hers. "Neither do I, then. You know we can't have kits with you being leader."

Hollystar nodded. "I know, but I don't need kits if I have you." She tilted her head. "Did you want a family?"

Thornclaw hesitated for a heartbeat.

In that same moment, the peace of the silent woods was shattered. A cry so loud it hurt Hollystar's ears rang out, echoing off the tree trunks.

"That's Graystripe!" Brightheart gasped.

Ever hair on Hollystar's pelt was on edge as she raced towards the voice. The scent of RiverClan was thick in her nostrils. What are they doing!? We have no quarrel with RiverClan!

"Hollystar! Hollystar, RiverClan are attacking!" Rosepaw skittered out of the undergrowth, her pelt ruffled and her eyes wide with fear. "Graystripe...he sent me...to find you," she panted.

"Lead the way," Hollystar ordered, already racing through the woods.

"They're getting close to the camp," Rosepaw mewed swiftly. "Leopardstar brought a whole battle patrol of all the best warriors! Reedwhisker, Beechfur, Mistyfoot...it looks bad."

"We can take them." Thornclaw brushed his tail down his apprentice's back. "Everything's going to be alright."

Rosepaw blinked her amber eyes like she couldn't believe him.

The battle came into view a few tail-lengths from the lake. RiverClan warriors were backing the ThunderClan patrol towards the water, forcing their back paws into the still-cold water. Leopardstar was at the front of the attack, lashing her claws a whisker-length away from Mousewhisker's eyes.

"Stop!" Hollystar screeched.

The fighting ceased immediately.

For a moment, Hollystar was shocked. My power, she realized. I haven't used it in so long..."What is going on here?" she demanded. "Leopardstar, why are you here fighting my warriors?"

The dappled she-cat stepped forward, her green eyes glittering. "Pouncetail," she snapped, not looking away from Hollystar's face.

The ginger-and-white tom padded up quickly and dropped a leafy branch at his leader's paws, backing away without another word.

Leopardstar reached down and pushed the branch towards Hollystar roughly, nearly poking her in the eye with the spindly leaves. "Scent that, Hollystar, and you will know why I'm here. I'm sure you already do, but every kit knows that ThunderClan will lie to defend their own."

Fury burning in her belly, Hollystar resentfully bent her head and inhaled the strong scent of ThunderClan on the pale leaves. She jerked back, shocked. "I...I don't know how that's possible," she mewed.

Leopardstar rolled her eyes. "Of course not." She flipped her head around to face her Clan. "Did you hear that? She doesn't know where the scent came from!"

Jeers and hisses arose from the sleek-pelted warriors at their leader's words. "Since when do ThunderClan ever tell the truth?" one cat whispered loudly to her companion.

"Silence!" Hollystar's words were clearly an order--one that no cat besides her brother could refuse. "Leopardstar, there is no way that ThunderClan scent could be on your territory. How do I know you didn't rub this in our border markers when you stepped paw on our territory?"

Leopardstar's eyes widened incredulously. "Are you questioning the honor of my Clan?" she demanded. "Do you think that RiverClan would stoop so low? We also found half-eaten prey! Even a rogue knows to bury stolen prey!"

The silence was eerie as the leaders stared each other down.

Hollystar narrowed her eyes at Leopardstar, but was reluctant to use her power to force this cat off ThunderClan territory. Let's prove to her how strong my Clan is. "Leopardstar, if you don't leave, this means war between our Clans."

Leopardstar padded up, so close that she and Hollystar were nose to nose. "War it is, then," she whispered, the smell of fish strong on her breath.

"Attack!" Hollystar yowled, reaching up to claw a pawful of fur off of the RiverClan leader's shoulder. Leopardstar snarled angrily and bared her teeth, letting out a deep snarl. She gripped Hollystar's flank with unsheathed forepaws and dragged her down to the ground.

Hollystar spat angrily. "Looks like your Clan is a bunch of ragged rats!" she hissed ferociously in Leopardstar's face. "They couldn't even take on my warriors in a fair fight!"

Leopardstar snapped her teeth at Hollystar's ear but didn't reply. Hollystar pummeled the spotted she-cat with her hind paws, desperate to break away and help her Clan.

For the second time, Thornclaw came to her rescue, raking his thorn-sharp claws down Leopardstar's ear and leaving a trail of scarlet blood. He dragged Hollystar out from under the leader and got her to her paws.

"I can take care of myself!" she spat at him, the haze of battle still clouding her mind. "I can fight my own battles!"

Thornclaw's eyes widened. "I...I just wanted to help you."

Hollystar padded past him without another word, sinking her teeth into Reedwhisker's hind leg. She felt a sense of sadness in the back of her mind to be attacking this usually-kind tom, but he was an enemy in her territory--an enemy that had to be disposed of.

The black tom let out a screech of pain, and leaned down to sink his claws into Hollystar's thick fur, getting a firm hold. "Get...off!" He yanked his paw back and sent Hollystar crashing into the bushes.

The breath went out of her lungs in a whoosh, and she retched and wheezed on the ground. Through glazed eyes, she saw Cloudtail grappling with Mosspelt, sending the tortoiseshell she-cat spinning over and over again. Brightheart and Graystripe had Blackclaw pinned by a bramble bush, while Mousewhisker sank his teeth into Mistyfoot's tail.

A wail rang out, and Hollystar lurched to her paws. Rosepaw was pinned between the water and two bristling apprentices, their claws unsheathed. Hollystar, fighting for breath, staggered towards them and shoved the apprentices aside. "Two on one?" she demanded in a raspy voice. "That seems fair."

The silver apprentice bared her teeth and narrowed her green eyes. "You can't tell us what to do!" she hissed. The other white she-cat nodded agreement, her pale eyes glittering.

Hollystar felt a wave of sadness wash over her. Two young cats already filled with hatred, she sighed. "Go home." She filled her voice with power. "Go back to your camp."

"Right away," they chorused, their eyes out of focus, turning around and racing away, soon disappearing through the fray.

Rosepaw watched with wide eyes. "How did you--" She was cut off by a savage snarling sound.

Hollystar whipped towards the noise just in time to see Leopardstar rip her claws through the throat of a ThunderClan warrior, turning the brown fur crimson with the free-slowing blood.

"No!" Hollystar screamed, not caring if any other cat was watching, only seeing Thornclaw, her best friend, her mate, bleeding to death under the unsheathed claws of Leopardstar. "Thornclaw, no! No, no no!"

Leopardstar looked astonished. "I...I didn't mean to kill him!" she yowled. "He...he squirmed under my claws and I--"

"Get out." There was a deadly calm in Hollystar's voice--she was sure that even the other cats could hear the force behind the words. "Any RiverClan cat caught on ThunderClan territory after sunset is dead."

The RiverClan cats, as one, got to their paws and fled the clearing, leaving only the ragged ThunderClan cats behind.

Moving as if in a dream, Hollystar approached Thornclaw's torn and bleeding body. Her paws felt as if they were being sucked by thick mud as she dragged herself towards his broken body. "Thorn...Thornclaw?"

The golden brown tom's breath created rasping bubbles in his torn throat. His mouth moved, but he was clearly beyond speech. His eyes wheeled in his head--searching, searching.

Hollystar raised a forepaw and carefully wiped away a trail of blood from his mouth. "Thornclaw..." She was baffled--utterly bewhildered. He was just okay, she thought blankly. He saved me...he saved me..."Oh, Thornclaw!" She threw herself down on the ground beside him, reaching out with her forepaws to turn his head to face her--trying to get his eyes to lock on hers. "Thornclaw, look at me!"

Thornclaw's paws twitched as if he was reaching for her, but his chest heaved with the effort of breathing.

"Jayfeather...Jayfeather!" Hollystar didn't turn her face away from her mate's--keeping her eyes on his familiar face.

Jayfeather approached on silent paws. He bent to press his flank to hers. "I'm sorry, Hollystar," he mewed softly. "I'm so, so sorry."

Hollystar could barely hear him. She was thinking hard, her whole face furrowed in concentration. She pressed her paws gently against Thornclaw's face and murmured one word: "Live."

Thornclaw's breathing halted for a moment, and Hollystar thought her heart would burst. With a wheezing gasp, he sucked in another breath.

"Live," she whispered again, softly shaking his face. "Live. I'm ordering you. You can't die! You can't leave me here alone! Not alone!" By the end of her words, she was almost yowling.

Thornclaw weakly lifted his head. "Holly...Holly..."

"Don't strain yourself," Hollystar whispered, trying to keep the sob out of her voice.

"Holly...star. Hollystar." He tried to lift his head again, but the effort was too much. "Hollystar, I...I..."

Hollystar pressed her face against his, clamping her teeth on a yowl. "I love you, too, Thornclaw. Wait for me...don't leave me here! Thornclaw! Thornclaw!"

But his time was up. His head fell back down on the churned-up soil with a sense of finality, his final breath coming in a peaceful sigh.

The clearing was silent, no cat speaking or moving. The whole Clan was transfixed on the scene in front of them.

Hollystar got to her paws, moving slowly like an old cat. She gently bent down and licked her mate's eyelids closed, arranging his limbs so appeared asleep. She turned her back on his body and padded to the shore of the lake, peering out across the smooth surface as the sun slowly set over the horizon.

Jayfeather came up beside her, as well as Lionblaze, who she hadn't noticed in the battle. They didn't say anything, just pressed their pelts to hers and supported her.

Hollystar felt an odd sensation in her belly--as if some invisible claw had ripped out her insides and left them on the sharp-stoned shore. Her heart ached with every beat, sending her mind whirling. "I...I..." She couldn't go on. She closed her eyes and bent her head.

"It's okay, Hollystar," Lionblaze whispered, giving her a tender lick on the shoulder. "You can tell us what you feel. We won't judge you."

"Hollystar," Jayfeather mewed softly, rubbing his muzzle against her.

"I..." Hollystar cleared her throat, the odd feeling igniting into uncontrollable rage. "I'm going to destroy RiverClan. Leopardstar will die by my claws."

So this was another AN where I went on to say something to the effect of "Oh noes! Thornclaw is deadsies!" and to make some comment about sleeping and reviewing and updating--basically all-around complaining. I'm not sure if you guys read these ANs anyway, but if you do, Shadow says hi and thanks! XDDD

In this space, I would probably make some comment about Kyo or Titanic, and how awesome those two subjects are. Or, I might go the other way and say that dipping french fries in Frosties is really good. -shrugs-

What can you do?

R&R!

Shadow