Hello lovelies! Another chapter for you! :)

So again please read the important message at the end of this chapter!

Chapter Thirty Six

"You look terrible." Jaggedwind mews bluntly over a squirrel at sunhigh. I frown, glancing away.

"I'm fine." My voice is as stiff as my posture.

"No you're not!" Ravenclaw mews in a sing-song voice. Well I wonder why that is, with her screaming at me every other time we talk. Sometimes I could just kill her.

"Seriously you're not." Nightwhisper's chimes in. Well gee I wonder why.

"The only thing wrong with me is your annoying 'intervention'." I snap, glaring at my friends.

"We care about you!" Blazefeather insists, as he watches me.

"I care about you too Blazefeather but I'm fine! Which is more than you lot will be if you keep bugging me!" I hiss, my annoyance getting the best of me.

"Finally! You sound like yourself!" Jaggedwind declares, smiling slightly as his green eyes dance.

"So 'myself' is threatening your life?" I ask Jaggedwind.

"Yup." He mews popping the p. Everyone steals stuff from me!

"Hey uh you guys seen Echosong?" Nightwhisper mews suddenly changing the subject. My heart jumps to my throat. What if she's with Smokefoot?

"Uh she might be hunting? Want me to go look for her?" I offer attempting to be casual over the pounding of my worry in my throat.

"No it's fine I just haven't seen her since last night…" He mews slowly.

"The Dark Forest!" Ravenclaw yelps and I look at her in confusion, thinking she might have realized something about Echosong.

"Yeah?"

"The Dark Forest, look!" She shrieks, scrambling up. I look behind me and see the misty warriors just as Echosong appears in the entrance to the tunnel.

"Echosong!" I cry as a huge cat jumps on her and the battle explodes. I doge through cats with Nightwhisper by my side and pull the cat off my best friend.

"Stay away from my sister!" Nightwhisper yowls as he attacks it.

"Echosong," I gasp, smelling Smokefoot on her, "Are you okay?" She nods green eyes wide.

"What's going on?" She gasps, as she looks around frantically.

"They just showed up…. Go help the queens I'll get the elders." I instruct, falling into instinct as the battle rages.

"Will do." Echosong mews at once, standing up.

"Thanks." I mew briskly and she nods in response.

"No problem." I hear her whisper as I fight my way through the mass, slashing at Dark Forest cats. Sticking my head in the elders den I see Mousefur bent over in pain because of a large gash on her flank.

"They beat you here." She wheezes. I curse quietly.

"You can't move her." Briarlight mews.

"I know." I snap, "I'll have to guard the entrance."

Not many of the Dark Forest cats seem interested in our elders. We're putting up a terrific fight but they seem stronger. Then I see a cat fly into the medicine den. My blood goes cold.

"Graystripe!" I holler to the gray cat.

"What?" He asks running over to me.

"Guard them!" I hiss already gone.

I barrel across the hollow and fly into the medicine den, locating the hulking dark shape at once. Jayfeather's fur is fluffed up and he is hissing at the cat but the Dark Forest cat only laughs.

"Oh Jayfeather, you proved a long time ago that you could never fight." The Dark Forest cat chuckles and I shiver slightly.

"That's why he has me!" I snarl, and as the cat turns I rake my claws down the side of his face, watching with pleasure as the blood wells quickly. He slashes out at me but I'm too quick. I duck away against the wall. He smiles as though he's got me cornered. He comes again and I dive down, sliding under him and flipping him. I pin him down and snarl, "Never try that again."

"You actually think you will win!" he laughs gloatingly, "You cannot win this battle. We have infected all of you. You will be brought down from the inside as treachery spreads like poison!"

I hiss in his face while he laughs. Anger pounds in my head as his words play on repeat. Treachery spreads like poison… I have to shut him up… He keeps laughing and the sound shakes my resolve, but new anger flares up to replace it… I have to shut him up… A thrill of warning shoots through me… I'm walking on the edge…

"Oh we'll never win?" I ask. He tries to throw me of and I react instinctively as fury burns my blood, smashing his head hard against the ground. He fades slowly to mist. I feel sick.

"Sweetheart…" Jayfeather mews uncertainly, as he runs a tail down my side. I shake my head and back away. I flee from the den wanting to throw-up.

What did I just do? What did I do? WHAT DID I DO?

Chaos reigns around me but I fight hard, not even seeing my enemies. A squeal. I turn to see Jaggedwind shredding a cat. Cold steals over me, along with a strong bloody-thirsty desire for revenge.

He's here!

I turn and see the murder making his way calmly to Firestar's den. NO!

I slip around and make it to the path before he does.

"Going somewhere?" I growl angrily.

"Oh you have spirit!" Tigerstar laughs, "If only Brokenstar had been able to persuade you… ah well we waited too long. Well no use crying over bad prey."

I hiss furiously at him, fluffing up my fur.

"Oh! You think you can stop me? I am a murderer! I'll kill you without a second thought!" He mews almost giggling.

"I know! But this is what loyalty is! I can fight, so I will. I'll stop you." I snarl, letting my claws slide back out.

"Oh I see, you have killed. Tell me which of my warriors did you take away from me?" I blink in shock at his knowledge, and at his indifferent tone. He cares as little for his allies as he cares for us.

"Warriors? None of you are warriors! None of you are good enough. You don't deserve the name, the association to Clans." I howl, letting my anger make me brave.

"You are right, we are not a Clan. We are something so much better!" He laughs at my look of disgust, "You want to see proof?"

I jump landing on him and sending him down the path, back into the crowd of fighting cats. I slash and bite, in response he sends a huge paw my way to clock me but I duck and leap off, still blocking his way to Firestar.

"They made a wise choice. Loyalty has been written in you. No matter what they take from you, you will serve them still. I wish we had such loyalty." He mews slowly, watching me appraisingly, "No I've changed my mind. I won't kill you. You are too worthy an adversary; you'll make this war interesting. I'll just send something to keep you busy." And with a flick of his tail a dozen seasoned fighters melt from nothing. "You know who he is, kill him." Tigerstar instruct, watching me with a slight smirk. They turn, and leave tasting the air.

"No!" I whisper, knowing instinctively what he's getting at.

"They would let you have him anyway." Tigerstar hisses, watching me with a curious expression.

"No!" I yowl, completely torn. I cannot leave my post. But how can I let him die?

I hear Nightwhisper's sudden yowl. Heart-breaking and shattering, it rips the air from my lungs. I see the laughter in the slaughterer's eyes. Snapping, I throw Tigerstar back into the crowd and scream, "HE'S GOING TO KILL FIRESTAR!" As I race away I pray that someone will stop him.

I tear through the cats and finally find Nightwhisper, held down by six of the assassins; they drag their claws along his side, torturing him before they kill him. The sight of fresh, bright blood on his pelt makes me dizzy. The leader raises his paws, claws extended as Nightwhisper snarls.

NO!

*Lionblaze*

The sound of battle is driving me crazy! I want to help but I have to protect Firestar. He's convinced that Tigerstar is going to attempt to kill him. So here I am, not fighting, praying that one of those screams doesn't belong to my mate. A loud scream makes its way up to us:

"He's going to kill Firestar!"

We both tense and I move to the entrance so I can see what is happening. A mob has appeared around a cat. A cat who is Tigerheart, I'd bet my life on it. Rain starts to pour, as it does the one glimpse of his dark pelt that I can see vanishes.

The air leaves my lungs – I turn and am paralyzed by fear.

"Hello traitor." Tigerstar stands in front of me, looking worse for the wear with blood pouring from multiple deep scratches.

"Know who I met?" He asks lazily, oh StarClan Cinderheart! "Your brothers daughter, she's a fiery one isn't she?" All my blood feels like it's leaving my body. Firestar closes his eyes and groans.

"Speaking of fire!" Tigerstar mews turning away from me, "Long time no see, Firestar!"

"Yeah and those long years weren't kind!" I snarl jerking out of my stupor. I leap, it carries me as far as I need. We fight viciously and wickedly fast, all my nights in the Dark Forest are in the back of my mind.

"Oh Lionblaze!" Tigerstar mews as we fight, looking disappointed, "I invented those moves! I taught them to you! Yet you use them on me still?" I wince fear clogging up my heart, Firestar didn't know! Well he knows now.

Suddenly Tigerstar throws me against the side of the den. Hitting the stone I slide down the wall, fighting the blackness on the edges of my vision.

He pounces on Firestar, who fights but in vain. In a moment I'm watching helplessly as my leader dies before my eyes. This is all my fault!

I struggle up, "Move and you're next!" Tigerstar snarls. Then Firestar's eyes fly open. Tigerstar growls in annoyance as another cat appears in the entrance. Midnightstorm stares at Firestar with horror in her eyes. Rolling his eyes Tigerstar vanishes.

This is all my fault!

*Midnightstorm*

I leap, bowling the one who's attacking over and start shredding; I break one of his legs and turn to the others.

"Who wants some?" I yowl. They all back away, "Go home and tell them you lost or you'll get worse than him!" I hiss. They vanish at once.

"Nightwhisper," I mew bending over him.

"You do care," he sighs.

"Of course I care." I reply letting my tears fall.

"I'm okay." His mew is weak and I press my face into his bloody fur.

"No you're not!" My own voice is thick.

"Nightwhisper?" Echosong is on my other side and is staring at her brother in horror.

"I have to go." I hiss to her remembering Firestar.

"I'll protect him." She vows her eyes flashing. I nod and run as fast as I can, flying up the path. I freeze in the entrance. Firestar lies weak on the ground only one life left to him. Lionblaze lies in a heap, with the murderer standing over my leader, unharmed. He rolls his eyes, almost annoyed, and vanishes. I hardly hear the cries of celebration.

This is all my fault!

So, what did you think?

-What do you think of Echosong and Smokefoot? Should she stop seeing him?

-Who is your favorite character so far?

Why am I asking this? Because we want to know, duh :) lol

Okay anyway, THE CREATE-A-CAT CONTEST IS OVER!

Thanks to all of those who submitted!

As always REVIEW! :)

-Echosong