Blaze: woohoo, it's time for chapter 26 and congratulations to silverwstripe and Becca, they were the only ones who got who will die in this chapter right.

Crimson: yay! This is getting good

Blaze: yup

Crimson: where's Tigerstar?

Blaze: he was getting on my nerves so I gave him the day off

Crimson: oh okay

Blaze: well, here's chapter 26

Chapter 26

Sacrifice

The night was dark and chilly breezes drifted into the clearing as the ThunderClan, SkyClan and BloodClan warriors fought with the foxes. Lionblaze gazed around and leapt at a nearby fox, sinking his claws in and then sank his teeth into the fox's shoulder.

The fox snarled and shook the golden warrior off before pinning him down. Lionblaze threw the fox off before scrambling to his paws.

"Nightpaw?" he meowed, suddenly coming face to face with the black apprentice.

Find Hollyleaf and Jayfeather, there is something I have to tell you, Nightpaw meowed before turning around and disappeared into the throng of cat.

Lionblaze gazed around before spotting Hollyleaf talking with Jayfeather and hurrying over to join them, dodging around Cloudtail, who was locked in a furious battle with a fox.

"Nightpaw wants to talk to us," he meowed.

"Now?! But we are in the middle of a battle," Hollyleaf protested, Lionblaze noticed there was a slight haunted look in her eyes.

"Let's just go," Jayfeather meowed before hurrying toward the black apprentice, who stood beside her brother outside the apprentice den.

"What did you want to talk to us about?" Lionblaze asked.

Nightpaw purred, I know you've spent all this time searching for the fourth of fire, she meowed silently, StarClan told me a few nights ago that I am to reveal who the fourth of fire is to you.

"Is that why you called us here for?" Jayfeather asked, curiously.

Nightpaw dipped her head, yes, I called you here to reveal who the fourth of fire is, she meowed.

"Well, who is it?" Hollyleaf demanded.

Nightpaw dipped her head in the direction of her brother, Stormpaw is the fourth of fire, she meowed.

"That cannot be," Jayfeather protested, "the fourth of fire is related to Firestar."

"I am related to Firestar," Stormpaw meowed quietly, "Firestar and Scourge are half brothers. Nightpaw told me this after she told me that I am the fourth of fire."

Hollyleaf gasped, her eyes wide with surprise, "so I'm related to Scourge," she meowed.

"All of us are related to him," Stormpaw meowed.

"Alright, now that we know who the fourth of fire is, what are we suppose to do now?" Jayfeather asked.

The screeches of the battle were getting louder and louder as they spoke and the scent of blood filled the air. Lionblaze gazed up at the night sky before meowing, "I think we should get back to the battle."

"Good idea," Hollyleaf meowed before turning around and leaping back into the battle. Lionblaze followed her, leaping at the fox that had the SkyClan warrior, Robinheart, pinned.

He sank his claws and teeth into the fox's neck, the fox struggled free before tossing the golden warrior off. Robinheart scrambled to her paws before leaping at the fox and sinking her claws into the flank.

Lionblaze leapt at the fox before sinking his claws into the fox's throat. The fox snarled in pain but its struggle became weaker before it fell to the ground, limp.

"Thanks, Lionblaze," Robinheart meowed, her green eyes glowing with admiration.

"You're welcome, come on, let's get back into the battle," Lionblaze meowed before he and Robinheart leapt into battle side by side. They fought their way into the center of the clearing and he suddenly found his apprentice facing a fox nearly twice his size.

Lionblaze dropped into a crouch, getting ready to leap at the fox but Stormpaw hissed, "stay out of it, Lionblaze."

"No way," Lionblaze protested but before he could leap at the fox, his eyes locked with Stormpaw's. Stormpaw's eyes flashed to crimson and Lionblaze suddenly heard a command in his mind, stay out of this, this one is mine.

Lionblaze relaxed his stance and stared in stunned admiration as Stormpaw's eyes went back to green and he faced the bigger fox. "This is it, isn't it, Demon?" he snarled.

"It is," the bigger fox snarled in reply, causing several cats to gasp in surprise even as the battle went on. The foxes were still fighting but many of them were watching the exchange between the lead fox and the young apprentice.

Stormpaw drew his lips back in a snarl before leaping at the bigger fox but Demon dodged out of the way and lashed out its' claws. The claws made contact with Stormpaw's flank and he hissed in pain as blood welled from the wound.

He crashed into the ground but scrambled to his paws before leaping at Demon. Lionblaze suddenly saw a fox starting to creep up on Stormpaw's blind side but before he could leap at him, Brambleclaw pushed his way through the crowd.

With a yowl, he leapt at the fox and Stormpaw leapt at the lead fox, taking him down. Demon snarled as Stormpaw sank his claws into the fox's pelt. Brambleclaw killed the fox he was fighting as swiftly as he could before looking at Stormpaw.

Stormpaw snarled at Demon, his eyes flashing to crimson as he leapt at the fox. Demon leapt at him and lashed out his claws, connecting with the dark gray apprentice. Stormpaw yowled in pain and lost his balance before crashing onto his side. Lionblaze stiffened but because of Stormpaw's order, he couldn't move to help him.

Demon pinned the dark gray apprentice down and yowled, "now you shall die," before sinking its' teeth into Stormpaw's throat.

Stormpaw yowled in pain and Brambleclaw drew his lips back into a snarl before leaping at Demon and carrying the fox off of Stormpaw.

Stormpaw scrambled to his paws before staring wide eyed at the ThunderClan deputy. Demon snarled before throwing Brambleclaw off and pinning him down while he lay winded.

"You idiot, I would have left your clan alone had you just given me the offsprings of Crimson," Demon snarled, baring its teeth before sinking its teeth into Brambleclaw's throat.

Brambleclaw let out a yowl of pain and Stormpaw yowled, "Brambleclaw! NO!" With that, his eyes flaring a crimson rage, Stormpaw leapt at Demon and carried the lead fox off of the ThunderClan deputy.

He pinned the fox down before snarling, "you've done enough harm to my clan," before sinking his teeth into Demon's throat.

Demon snarled in pain and struggled to get free, clawing at Stormpaw's pelt with his claws but his struggling was growing weaker. Soon, the fox's eyes glaze over and its' body went limp.

Stormpaw got off of Demon's limp body and stared down at it in shock before hurrying over to Brambleclaw's side. Lionblaze, seeming to be freed from the compulsion Stormpaw had used on him, hurried to the ThunderClan deputy's side with Hollyleaf and Jayfeather just behind him.

Brambleclaw's throat was matted with blood and his eyes were rapidly clouding over. Jayfeather put a paw to his chest as the fox's, seeing their dead leader, snarled in fear and tore away from their opponents before fleeing from the camp. The ThunderClan, SkyClan and BloodClan cats, yowling a challenge, were hard on their paws.

"He's still alive," Jayfeather gasped before looking at Stormpaw, "go to my den and get some marigold."

"No," Brambleclaw rasped out, causing Jayfeather to look at him.

"You need help, Brambleclaw," Jayfeather meowed, Lionblaze could hear the grief in his voice.

"It's too late for me," Brambleclaw rasped out, his eyes were still glazing over rapidly, "there is nothing you can do for me. StarClan warned me this was going to be happening soon."

"No, you can't go," Hollyleaf gasped, her eyes filled with grief.

"I have to, Hollyleaf," Brambleclaw meowed.

The clans suddenly parted as a yowl of grief sounded and Squirrelflight pushed her way into the clearing, closely followed by Firestar. "Brambleclaw, no!" she yowled, dropping into a crouch beside the ThunderClan deputy.

Brambleclaw looked at Squirrelflight and purred, "I have to go, Squirrelflight," he whispered, "I love you."

"No, Brambleclaw, please don't go," Squirrelflight wailed.

"I have to, Squirrelflight, my time is up," Brambleclaw whispered before looking up as Firestar sat down beside his daughter, "good luck in the dark times to come, Firestar," he meowed, "I'm sure you're going to need it."

Firestar nodded, grief in his eyes, "thank you." He whispered, "I'll miss you, you have been a great deputy, helping me and the clan through the dark times, when Graystripe was missing to now. The clan couldn't have had a better deputy."

"Thank you, Firestar," Brambleclaw meowed, "but I'm sure you'll find a better deputy." He turned his gaze to the sky above and purred in amusement, as a silvery light seemed to be seen around. Lionblaze seemed to see two cats pad down from StarClan, one was the familiar dark brown shape of Tigerstar and the other was the blue gray shape of Bluestar.

"I have to go now," Brambleclaw whispered before looking at Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, Jayfeather and Stormpaw. "Take care of the clans, all four of you. The power of the stars are in your paws and may StarClan lit your path." Brambleclaw's last few words were whispers, only to be heard by the power of three and the fourth of fire. Brambleclaw sighed before closing his eyes, his body went limp as his spirit went to join StarClan forever.

A/n what do you think?

Blaze: (sniffles) I cried when I typed this chapter (wipes tears with tissue)

Crimson: (cries) that was so sad (grabs tissue and wipes eyes)

Tigerstar: what's with you two? And how did Brambleclaw know about the prophecy?

Crimson: It was sad that Blaze decided to kill Brambleclaw off

Blaze: and StarClan told him when they warned him he was going to die

Tigerstar: oh, that is sad, it's like Cinderpelt from Twilight

Crimson: that was kind of the idea

Blaze: yeah, please review, next chapter will come as soon as I can