Right, a bunch of people have been asking a couple questions: one, why would the TigerClan warriors be so upset over the fact that Glacierstar is a leader; and two, what happened to the fourth Clan?

For the first question, though it's sort of a vague explanation…when Glacierstar was wandering around TigerClan territory, wouldn't Reefpaw think it was odd that a Clan leader was over in her territory, where the scents of many cats certainly existed, and not searching for her Clan? She'd have asked her what she was doing over here, when her Clan was elsewhere. Glacierstar would have to tell her that she had been sent from the future.

And the second one…they never mentioned a fourth Clan. So I don't think there should be one. However, if you will read to the end of this chapter, you'll see the beginning of the four original Clans. Kind of hard to explain here, just keep going.

This is probably the longest author's note I've ever written. Oh well. I hope you like this chapter then. It's a bit violent, so you have been warned.

Chapter Sixteen

I leapt to my feet. Adrenaline surged through me. From all around, cats were pouring into the camp. We were surrounded.

My tortoiseshell deputy next to me let out a screech and flung herself at the nearest LeopardClan warrior. I watched as she clawed at the gray cat with the speed and strength that her mentor – Graystar – had taught her.

Another LeopardClan warrior was sneaking up on Windpelt, who was already fighting a pair of cats. I leapt onto his back. He yowled with pain and surprise as my claws dug into his skin. I delivered a harsh bite to the neck and he sped out from underneath me, still yowling, all the way toward his territory.

Wolfstar came rushing into the middle of the clash, staring wildly around for Cobaltstar. I watched in alarm as the LeopardClan deputy, Shadefoot, pounced at him. Wolfstar spat and jumped backward to avoid Shadefoot crushing him, but the dark warrior was fast. I was frozen to the spot as the deputy slashed at Wolfstar's face. Blood splattered across a gray pelt.

Wham! I had stayed still too long – a huge golden warrior had crashed into me, pinning me down with enormous paws. The warrior let out a snarl and bent down to bite me in the neck. I kicked him with my back legs and sent him sailing over me – I didn't even know I could do that.

All around me, there were cats screeching and tussling. I couldn't tell who was winning in the crowd. I was stunned when Wolfstar went hurrying past me, taking aside a sleek gray she-cat.

"Yarrowflower, we need help," he panted. The scratch Shadefoot had given him was still bleeding heavily. "Go to LionClan territory and tell him we are being attacked. You have to run like the wind, Yarrowflower, and I know you're fast."

Yarrowflower didn't hesitated. She nodded and spun around, pelting out of the camp.

I heard a terrified scream from behind me and whipped around to see that a blue-gray tom had Reefpaw pinned down. His paws held onto her throat, making her choke and gag. I rushed forward. This was the frist Great Clan cat I had met – I would not let her die.

The huge tom screamed in annoyance as I bit down on around the scruff of his neck, pulling him off Reefpaw. The smaller she-cat gasped on the ground. I slashed at the huge warrior's ears, and he recoiled in pain before jumping at me. I screeched as I was thrown back under those massive paws. I heard pawsteps coming and saw Reefpaw pulling the warrior off me. Scrambling to my feet, I gave the cat's flank a scratch and watched as he pelted into the bushes.

I nodded at Reefpaw. "Thanks."

The blue-gray she-cat shrugged. "It was no big deal." She nervously looked around the battle. "There's no way we can win."

"Yarrowflower went to get LionClan," I told her.

"It will take forever for a patrol to come back. I think that we're really gone this time."

She was probably right. It took quite a few minutes to get to LionClan territory. But if they were all running…

I had to keep fighting. I rushed forward, determined to keep doing damage to the opposing Clan, and was stunned to see Whitecloud – that nice she-cat we had met in the forest – attacking Crystalpaw with long claws. I growled in rage. How could she? I thought she knew that this was wrong, and she didn't want to go against the warrior code.

All sympathy forgotten, I pounced at the white she-cat, who was preparing to deal another blow to Crystalpaw. My attack made Whitecloud crash into the ground, hissing and snarling. She hesitated when her amber eyes locked on me.

I swept my claws forward. They caught on the side of Whitecloud's mouth, drawing blood on the snow-pelted she-cat. Crystalpaw leapt to her feet, biting her neck with her sharp little teeth.

Whitecloud yowled in rage. She slipped away from us and pelted as fast as she could into the forest.

I moved to congratulate Crystalpaw, but felt a horrible blow to my back left leg. A pair of tussling warriors had just crashed into it, crushing my leg beneath their weight. I struggled to stand. It wasn't broken – it had just been twisted. Crystalpaw hurried over.

"Glacierstar – are you all right?"

"Fine," I grunted.

Again, I shot a glance around the camp. My blue eyes widened in dismay. This was the battle where LeopardClan actually meant to wipe TigerClan out. I saw Orangefur lying on his side, his flank dripping blood. We were losing, I realized with a touch of horror. Great StarClan, we were losing.

Another warrior leapt at me, knocking me off balance and into the dirt. His claws scraped at my silver fur, and I yowled in annoyance and pain. The cat let out a hiss as my back claws scraped his underbelly. I rolled out from underneath him, trying to get away, and leapt to my feet. My enemy wouldn't stop attacking me, though. He sped forward, left, then right, attempting to confuse me. I took a step toward him and lashed out with a claw. It hit his paw, tripping him, and I launched onto his back. I delivered a bite to the neck and he too was howling away.

We can't keep this up, I thought, stunned. We're all going to die.

It was then when I heard a furious screech in the distance.

I whipped around and saw one of the last things I wanted to see – Cobaltstar had my best friend, my deputy, pinned down under his huge paws. Dragonheart was in pretty bad shape. A nasty cut shut her left eye, and several scratches ran down her side. I stared in horror as Cobalstar's eyes glinted in triumph, and he bent down near the tortoiseshell she-cat.

"This will happen to you all," he whispered in her ear.

As I expected her to, Dragonheart yowled in rage and fought and twisted, trying so hard to free herself, but Cobaltstar was simply too strong. The blue-gray tom finally dealt his fatal attack.

I looked away. Couldn't bear to see it. A hollow spot in my heart was being carved out. Dragonheart, I knew, was dying.

When I looked back, Cobaltstar had left her. She had become a bloody mess, her throat ripped out. Worst of all, she certainly was not moving. I screamed in horror and pure anger. Dragonheart had been my best friend since we were apprentices – and now she was dead.

I had let her die.

The truth hit me like a stone. Why had I just stood here? I could have knocked over Cobalstar easily, I was strong enough. But instead I had stayed where I was, like a coward.

Dragonheart was dead. It wouldn't register. But she was a few rabbit-leaps away from me, not moving on the ground.

I slowly took a step toward her. I needed to be sure that she was dead. If she was alive, maybe Glistenheart could save her. Maybe. Just before I had reached her, a dozen cats streamed into the clearing, blocking my view of my dead friend. The LionClan cats had arrived. I couldn't feel relieved. Dragonheart…

"Glacierstar, move!" I heard Diamondpaw scream. I jerked my head. A huge ginger warrior was rushing at me. He leapt.

I ducked low to the ground as he sailed over me, but couldn't move when he went to attack me again. He slashed my flank with long, pointed claws. I heard Diamondpaw yowl again and rush over to me, pulling the red tom off of me. He snarled and bit at the LeopardClan warrior, then angrily turned to me.

"What is wrong with you?" he snapped. "Are you trying to be killed?"

I turned my head toward Dragonheart's lifeless body. The silver tom saw what I was looking at. Diamondpaw's eyes widened. He gave my ear a friendly lick. "She'll be happy in StarClan," the gray tom told me.

The LeopardClan warriors were disappearing thanks to the help of LionClan. I was stunned to see that Snowystar himself had come. The enemy warriors were gone except for a certain large blue-gray tom.

"Cobaltstar," growled Wolfstar, taking a step toward him, "we can now defeat you easily. You should think twice about trying to take over the forest next time."

Cobaltstar shook. The coward. He was the one who had killed Dragonheart. Pinned her down beneath his paws and…

Snowystar looked at Wolfstar. "What will you do with him?"

The TigerClan leader considered. Then, "I think it would be wise to keep him as a prisoner in our Clan for a while until we can decide what kind of punishment Cobaltstar should face."

Pantherclaw growled. "Keep him here? We should kill him!"

Wolfstar glared at him. "I am leader here, Pantherclaw," he growled. "I make the decisions. Now, keep an eye on that leader over there."

Pantherclaw scowled and walked behind Cobaltstar, forbidding him to leave.

"He shall be known as Cobaltfur, as he is no longer a leader," added Wolfstar, ignoring Pantherclaw.

TigerClan's leader turned to Snowystar. "We owe so much to you. Without you, there would be no more TigerClan."

Snowystar bowed his head. "I was happy to help."

"We are in your debt."

The white-pelted leader nodded and flicked his tail at his exhausted warriors. They disappeared through the trees in silence.

Wolfstar looked around the clearing. "Is everybody all right?" he called.

No, I thought, the hollow feeling coming again. The ground swayed as I thought of Dragonheart.

"The tortoiseshell cat is dead," called Thymefoot. "The newcomer. Dragonheart."

Reefpaw shot me a glance of alarm and sympathy. I closed my eyes. How could this have happened? Wolfstar stared at me too, and for the first time I saw something else in his eyes – pity.

"Glacierstar, you can share tongues with her first for the last time," he told me softly, and flicked his gray tail at his warriors to move, revealing Dragonheart's body.

I stepped forward slowly and approached my dead friend. The tortoiseshell's state hadn't changed at all. I bent down, pressing my nose against her side, and murmured, "You were my best friend. You'll enjoy StarClan, Dragonheart. I'll be there to join you in a matter of time." I swalowed hard and added, "I'm very sorry I let you die."I gave her ear a lick for the rest of the Clan to share tongues with her as well.

Pantherclaw growled deep in his throat. "This is all very well, but what about them?" He jerked his dark head toward Reefpaw and Diamondpaw, who was sitting side by side. "They ran away! They need to be punished!"

"They fought like warriors, Pantherclaw," meowed Wolfstar calmly, stepping away from Dragonheart's body to sit beside me, having just shared tongues with her. "Warriors."

"I thought we were going to punish her too!" He glared at me with Reefpaw and Diamondpaw's amber eyes.

Wolfstar leered at him. "Glacierstar has done a lot for this Clan. Without her suggestion to ask for help, we would all be dead." He nodded toward me. "I am sorry for threatening you, Glacierstar."

I shrugged, too sad to speak.

Pantherclaw snorted. "We could have found a way out without her help."

It was then when Reefpaw lost her temper. I was surprised – just yesterday she had run away from Pantherclaw, but now she was coming up to him. Sticking her face in Pantherclaw's, she snarled,

"You stupid piece of foxdung, don't you see? Glacierstar did more for the Clan than you ever did. In fact, you didn't help at all – I don't think that killing your mate is very helpful, is it?"

Pantherclaw looked horrified. He sent a death glare at Diamondpaw (who had been the only one who knew about this) and stammered, "What are you talking about, apprentice?"

Before Reefpaw could answer, Wolfstar stepped forward, looking confused. "Scarletflower? Pantherclaw, what does she mean?"

Diamondpaw stood next to his sister. "I have held this truth for a very long time," he meowed. Shocked gasps echoed through the clearing – they had heard Diamondpaw speak for the first time. "It was Pantherclaw who killed Scarletflower – our mother." He drew his tail around Reefpaw.

Wolfstar stared at him in horror, then turned his gaze toward Pantherclaw. "Is this true?"

Pantherclaw snarled at him. "Of course it isn't! This stupid apprentice speaks lies!"

"Diamondpaw is my apprentice," snapped Wolfstar. "I know he doesn't lie." Wolfstar glared at him with pure anger. "Why did you do this, Pantherclaw?"

The huge black warrior bared his teeth. "Fine, I did do it," he growled, finding it useless to deny it any longer. "But she…she was starting to fall out with someone else." My mouth worked in absolute shock. Pantherclaw had apparently killed Scarletflower because she was cheating on him. I didn't even think that that was possible…

Wolfstar climbed to his feet and stuck his nose straight in Pantherclaw's face. "You have broken the warrior code in the worst degree," he snarled. "I sentence you to death."

Pantherclaw bared his teeth. "I'd like to see you try."

I suddenly had a great idea. Padding forward, I spoke the first words since I had shared tongues with Dragonheart for the last time. "I have a better idea," I told them.

Wolfstar fixed me with an amber stare. "What's that, Glacierstar?"

I took a breath. "The swamps. There's nothing there, is there? No Clans, no nothing?"

The tom blinked. "Well, no. There's nothing there but marsh."

"In…in my old home, many cats live in a swamp. An entire Clan, to be exact." I looked at Pantherclaw and Cobaltfur. "We could put them in their own Clan with a few other LeopardClan warriors and call it…ShadowClan."

"But that would be giving the enemy power," argued Thymefoot.

I shook my head. "No, because our alliance with LionClan would always defeat them. There should be four Clans."

Wolfstar nodded slowly. "I believe you are right," he meowed. "We will gather a few cats and make a new Clan. We will call it – ShadowClan."

The young medicine cat – Glistenheart – padded forward next to her leader. "StarClan sent me a dream last night," she meowed, "about the marsh Clan that is destined to come, the Clan that lives in a shadow."

TigerClan's leader nodded. "So it is supposed to happen."

Pantherclaw scraped his claws against the earth. "You're not putting me in a new Clan." Cobaltfur nodded defiantly.

Wolfstar glared at him. "You will if you want to survive," he snapped. "A lone cat would die without a Clan."

Pantherclaw scowled and rested his head on his paws.

I watched as Wolfstar padded into the very middle of the clearing. His amber eyes shone proudly as he meowed, "Today, TigerClan has managed to defend itself with the help of LionClan. LeopardClan would have killed us all, but we still survived." With a glare at Pantherclaw, he continued, "But with the…problems…surrounding the former deputy, a new one needs to be named."

Wolfstar paused considering, his head bowed. Then, at last, he mewed, "May StarClan see and approve my choice." He raised his head. "The new deputy of TigerClan is Thymefoot."

The large gray tom stood up, very surprised. A blue-gray she-cat whose name was Rivertail gave his ear an affectionate lick. She was his mate, nursing kits in the nursery.

"Thymefoot, you showed great courage giving orders in the battle with LeopardClan, and you are not afraid to speak your mind. I hope you will do well in honoring TigerClan."

"I will, Wolfstar," promised the gray tom, bowing his head.

Wolfstar wasn't finished. "I also believe two very brave apprentices need to become warriors."

To my great surprise, he flicked his tail at Reefpaw and Diamondpaw, brother and sister. Pantherclaw eyed his own kin with deepest loathing. The two cats, one blue-gray and one silver, padded forward. Diamondpaw looked calm but Reefpaw looked extremely excited. Wolfstar raised his eyes to StarClan and began the ritual I had heard so many times.

"I, Wolfstar, leader of TigerClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have worked hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn."

He slowly lowered his gaze to meet the two apprentices.' "Reefpaw, Diamondpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your own life?"

Reefpaw bowed her small head. "I do."

"I do," replied Diamondpaw with calm defiance.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Reefpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Reefpool. StarClan honors your courage and your intelligence, and we welcome you as a new warrior of TigerClan." He bent down to rest his head on the young she-cat's, who was trembling. I felt so proud of her, even though she wasn't my apprentice. Wolfstar gave her ear a lick before turning to Diamondpaw.

"Diamondpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Diamondheart. StarClan honors your loyalty and your bravery, and we welcome you as a full warrior of TigerClan."

Diamondheart bent his head to allow Wolfstar to rest his head on it. The Clan burst into chants.

"Reefpool! Diamondheart! Reefpool! Diamondheart!"

Wolfstar turned toward the two remaining apprentices – Dartpaw and Crystalpaw – and meowed, "Don't think you two have been forgotten. You'll receive your warrior names in no time."

Crystalpaw brightened and let out a purr. "Okay, Wolfstar!" she meowed cheerily, sounding like her old self. Dartpaw merely grunted and looked away. I could tell that he was very jealous.

Reefpool slowly padded over to me as the Clan separated. I knew she couldn't speak, but the look in her amber eyes gave away everything. She was thanking me. Reefpool gave me a lick on the ear and padded away to sit next to her brother, beginning the vigil.

I purred loudly. "They're awesome names," I told them. Diamondheart nodded at me. Mute again, I thought with a chuckle.

I turned toward Dragonheart's lifeless body. Great StarClan, I thought, my heart clenching as all the sadness came back. Dragonheart would no longer be there to wake me up in the morning, or bring me fresh-kill, or to play fight, or make snide remarks about what a great leader I was because I had let her die. I missed her already.

I looked back at Wolfstar's den. They'll figure it out on their own, I thought. TigerClan will become ThunderClan, and LionClan into WindClan, and LeopardClan into RiverClan, just give them time. I could see Thymefoot gathering a patrol to choose a few warriors to help make ShadowClan from LeopardClan. I knew that these four Clans would some day become the Clans that I knew.

Once again, I looked at Dragonheart, still unable to believe that she was dead. I had known her for so long, a few moons after I had come to the Clan as what they believed to be a loner when I was really a Twoleg. Flamestorm was there too, I thought.

Flamestorm! A jolt went through me. She was causing mayhem in my Clan. I had to get back. Then again, I thought, the descendants will take care of it. I knew they would.

It is time.

Dragonheart's voice. I looked at her, knowing what she meant. It was time to go. I grabbed her around the scruff and dragged her toward the entrance to the camp. "Going to bury her," I told the curious Reefpool and Diamondheart. I would miss them.

I dragged her outside the camp, into the forest. Just to make sure I was far enough away, I kept going until I was out of sight from cats looking out of the entrance. Slowly, I stopped moving Dragonheart, and stared up at StarClan.

I'm ready, I told them. Time to go home.

Wow, that was kind of long. But a really good chapter. (sniffle) Dragonheart! (cries) Oh yeah, I think I will be writing a story about the rest of Reefpool's life. I don't know when I'll post it, but it might not be for a while.

Anyway, while all of this is going on, Ebonyclaw and the others are taking care of ThunderClan. I'll tell you how in the next chapter…dun dun dun!

Please review!