Chapter 26: Time's Up.

Toaststar looked around as he wandered through the forest, his eyes shining in happiness. The territory looked so beautiful this time of year. Flowers were blooming under him paws as he walked, and the leader could heard the birds chirping. He saw prey running around, but he didn't stop to catch any. He just wanted to take in the view. The blue sky had not a single cloud in it, and Toaststar smiled once he caught a glance at the huge lake.
The tom took a deep breath, and started walking back to camp, hoping to bring others with him to relax and take in the fresh air for the first time in forever.
Toaststar smiled as he entered Thunderclan camp, he could see his kits running around in the clearing, tackling each other and play-fighting. The leader beamed in pride, and walked over to them. As he strolled down, he could see cats talking and joking and just being alive. Moonshine and Budlight were telling Dancingpaw and Bootpaw stories of old times while Heartburn was teaching Tanglepaw some self defense moves; Scotchdrink, Hardwhisker, and Salmoncreek were talking and play-fighting just like they did as apprentices; Bluelightning, Axtail, Timberwolf, Newsky, and Lizardsneeze were telling stories from all of their original clan's lore. Toaststar felt proud as Timberwolf told the story of how his father became leader, and the stories of leaders before with as much pride as a lion.
Dollface was complaining as Normaltail took a thorn out of her paw and dressing herbs on it, and Waffletooth and Mapleshadow groomed each other's fur. Toaststar felt kind of bad about the whole interaction with him, Scotchdrink, and the two kits, but surely they would forgive their mother?
Toaststar sighed and watched as his two small kits run up towards him, trying to tackle up. The two just ended up lying on the ground in defeat. The brown tabby chuckled as Pantherkit quickly jumped up and tackled her father again, only to find herself on the ground. Whitekit sighed as he got up and looked down at his sister, but the white tom-kit smiled and helped the black speckled she-kit up. Pantherkit yawned and set a chain reaction, causing her family to yawn shortly after. Toaststar sighed. "Well... You two should probably take a nap. Come on." He purred, picking up Pantherkit by the scruff and escorting Whitekit to the nursery. Once the two kits were lying down on the moss bed, the leader smiled and curled up by his son and daughter, falling asleep with them.

Toaststar felt like he had been sleeping for only a few seconds as screams filled the air, his red eyes shot open. The brown tabby tom immediately stood up and looked out of the nursery to see a hellstorm in the night. Lostclan and Thunderclan cats fought for their lives, some of Breadclaw's followers looking a few days over six moons. The tom's yowled as his clanmates fought as fiercely as lions, blood falling to the ground.
Scotchdrink and her brothers were fighting a pack of Lostclanners, a myriad of scratches on every cat. Moonshine and Budlight were fighting off some of the older warriors, looking like young warriors again. Waffletooth, Bootpaw, and Lizardsneeze tag-teamed on a duo of warriors, Bootpaw showing advanced skills despite only being a new apprentice. Newsky, Dollface, and Mapleshadow, along with Dancingpaw, fought near the entrance, blood smeared over where the youngest's eye should be. Bluelightning screamed in anger as he and his daughter crashed into random cats. Ricetooth fought in tears as he fended off Lostclan cats from a weak and bleeding Heartburn. Timberwolf was by his mother and Tanglepaw as they made their way towards the nursery.
In the chaos, a large figure stood at the entrance. Toaststar's eyes met his, and as if on cue, the two charged at each other. Toaststar clawed into Breadclaw's face. The tom laughed and pinned his brother down. The leader reacted by harshly kicking the Exiled Demon off of him. A cluster of light and dark brown fur clashed as Breadclaw and Toaststar battled, deep wounds in their fur. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Normaltail and her companions fighting cats who had started near the nursery. Desperate to help them and his children, he tried to break away from Breadclaw's claws. Instead, as the large tom was running over to his clanmates, the larger tom pinned down his brother, holding Toaststar's head in the dirt. "You still try and run from me? Pathetic, is it not?" Breadclaw purred, sinking his claws into his brother's shoulders.
Then it happened, Breadclaw sank his teeth into Toaststar's neck, almost ending his life immediately. Is this how Brightlight felt when she was killed? Weak? Helpless? Toaststar let out a sigh as he drifted off to Starclan, Breadclaw still biting into his neck.

The dark brown tabby gagged as he stood up, a cloudy forest greeting him. He could still feel the wound in his neck, only now it hurt more. Was Breadclaw trying to take more of his lives!? As soon as he tried screaming out, Stevehawk stepped up to his son. The former deputy's eyes were a brilliant yellow, shining like the sun. "Son... I must say that you can't come back to Thunderclan... Not yet."
"Why not?" Toaststar replied immediately, fear crawling in his voice. Stevehawk let out a sigh. "Your lives are being drained right now. You just lost your second life a few seconds ago." The blood red tom's voice sounded regretful, as if it were his fault. "I wish I could send you back, but you'd need time to regenerate your next life."
A sudden chill ran down Toaststar's spine. A piece of him now felt missing. "I'm guessing I just lost my third life..?" The tom murmured, and started to tear up as Stevehawk nodded. Another chill. Followed by another. He had only four lives left. "I want to leave this! I want to defend my friends, my family! Not be trapped here!" Toaststar screamed, making his father stagger back slightly. Stevehawk's bright yellow eyes started shedding tears, and he tried to comfort his son. Another chill. "I'm going to die!" Toaststar screamed, sobbing in Stevehawk's fur. Another chill. "It'll be alright! You'll be back there!" Stevehawk tried to comfort the leader, who's vision blurred from all of the tears. "No, I'm not! Breadclaw is going to kill me! I'm going to die! I'm useless!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. Another-

"The heir is dead! Retreat!"

Suddenly the Thunderclan formed in front of Toaststar's eyes. The weight on top of him vanished. The gash in his neck started to form over, a deep scar only remaining. The tabby stood up to see Lostclan cats retreating through the entrance, Breadclaw following after them. Toaststar turned around to see blood everywhere, as well as Lostclan corpses. As he looked around, he could see Mapleshadow and Waffletooth standing over a body, who barely moved. The tom rushed over to see the two cats trying to clean Scotchdrink's wounds. The ginger warrior looked like she was mauled by a bear, but she was somehow still living. But barely. "Scotchdrink, please stay! We need warriors, we need you to live!" Mapleshadow screamed, as if she was helping the warrior live. "... Do you really think I'll live, daughter..?" Scotchdrink coughed up blood as she spoke. The two were hesitant to respond. Scotchdrink laughed dryly. "I'd like to apologize for all of my behavior... I just didn't know how to speak to you, and how to raise you right... Guess I would have failed even when I let others raise you."
The two warriors merely stared down at their dying mother, and lowered their heads. Toaststar tried to walk forwards, but Waffletooth's words stopped him. "If you had tried, you might have gained our respect. But... I'll forgive you just this once." He sighed. Mapleshadow looked hesitant to talk. "... I guess I can forgive you too..."
And with that, Scotchdrink smiled as she died.
Toaststar's eyes filled with horror as he witnessed the passing of his old friend. Then a scream rang out, the leader turned to see Heartburn standing over the bloody corpse of her daughter Dancingpaw. The she-cat's eyes were gorged out and her belly was clawed open. Tanglepaw lied helpless as he tried to mend his sister's torn up body together. The leader's red eyes set on his mate as she stood in front of the nursery, blood on her sides and face.
She was standing over a dead she-cat with half of her face burnt off, the blood leaking out of her onto the ground. "Toaststar... Come here." The grey medicine cat murmured, lowering her head. The dark tabby slowly made his way towards Normaltail and the corpse. "Look closely." She muttered, tears running down her cheeks.
As Toaststar looked past the burnt face, he began to freeze. Her brown, white, and black fur were is familiar patterns. Her dull red eyes matched his own. The leader sat down, staring at the corpse. Normaltail lied down next to the bleeding she-cat, crying into her cold fur. "Ivykit, what did he do to you..?" The mother cried quietly, as if her daughter would reply. Toaststar lowered his head as he mourned for his lost daughter, for now she was reunited with her brother Stormkit in Starclan. But would she even go to Starclan? The tom decided not to dwell on that question, and he joined his mate in lying next to the corpse while Scotchdrink and Dancingpaw were being buried.


Your basic bitch is back at it with most likely daily chapters! Have a nice day, unlike some characters in this!