In the next two chapters it'll be about what's happening, in the clans,after the Moon-Sun Clash. Things are looking grim.

Chapter 7

ThunderClan camp

Goldenheart and Tumblefoot entered camp. Brightflower was sitting with her three kits staring up at that sky worriedly. Cinderstar was sitting right next to her, his tail curled around the tortoiseshell's small body.

Tumblefoot saw Dewpelt sending the apprentices to their den. Heavyclaw was guiding the elders under a bush, he could hear them ranting on about the end of the world. That gave Tumblefoot a cold, dark feeling. Whitewhisker was busy organizing hunting patrols but most of the warriors were too scared to go off on patrol.

"What if something bad happens? The moon clashing with the sun is not a good omen!" one warrior yelled.

"We don't know that, Smokefur." Whitewhisker mewed. "It could be a good omen." She meowed out confidently. Yet Smokefur still seemed to have her doubts.

Goldenheart gazed up at the sky, everything seemed normal now. What were the missing stars they'd have to seek? Suddenly she could hear Cinderstar approaching her and her brother. The two young warriors turned their heads to face their father.

"When are you two going to leave to find the missing stars?" he asked. Tumblefoot and Goldenheart glanced at each other.

"We don't know what to look for…" Goldenheart began.

"…Or where to go." Tumblefoot finished. "Has StarClan given you or Bluefeather a sign yet?"

Cinderstar shook his head. "Not me. Why don't you check with Bluefeather, she might know more than me."

The two warriors dashed over towards the medicine cat's den. There they day Bluefeather sitting out in front of her den looking up towards the sky.

"Bluefeather?" Goldenheart called out. "Have you received a sign from StarClan?"

The medicine cat shook her head. "Nothing."

Tumblefoot heard a rustle in the bushes nearby. He sniffed the air. Suddenly his eyes widened and his tail began to twitch with anticipation.

"Rogues…" he mumbled. Goldenheart glanced over at him.

"What?" she asked with disbelief. Suddenly three rogues jumped out of the bushes and charged straight towards the three cats. Two rogues ganged up on Tumblefoot and the other attacked Goldenheart. Bluefeather grabbed the rogue on Goldenheart and pulled it off.

"Get out of here you rogues!" Tumblefoot hissed as he used his large body to throw the two rogues off his back. "What's happening?" he meowed. His sister seemed to be as confused as he was.

"Guard the nursery!" wailed a Brightflower.

Tumblefoot heard more rogues attacking. Goldenheart sprinted forward, Tumblefoot glanced worriedly at Bluefeather.

"Quickly, the clan needs you. I can take care of myself." Bluefeather urged. She glanced at the three rogues who were getting up off the ground. "Go! Don't worry I'll keep these three away from the nursery."

Tumblefoot gave a brief nod and dashed forward. As he got to the clearing he saw many rogues attacking his clan. There were so many it was hard to keep count. One clan cat was fighting two or three rogues. Have the rogues formed their own clan? Tumblefoot wondered.

The young tom caught a glimpse of his father. He was being attack by two large rogues. Tumblefoot lunged at one of them dragging the large tom off. Then he turned and bowelled into the other one. The two large toms hissed and staggered into a large heap of fighting cats.

"Father! Are you alright?" Tumblefoot asked worriedly. He noticed that his father was bleeding heavily.

"I'm fine." The old tom mewed. Blood trickled out of his mouth as he spoke. Tumblefoot helped his father up.

"Go to Bluefeather. There are rogues there too, I'll send a few apprentices to help fight them off." The young tabby tom mewed. His father nodded weakly and limped over to the medicine cat's den. Tumblefoot spotted two scared apprentices who were slashing their claws aimlessly trying to hurt a rogue.

The rogue ignored them and went to attack another clan cat. Tumblefoot ran over to them and nudged them towards the medicine cat's den. "Be brave, help Bluefeather fight off the rogues attacking her so she could help the injured." The two apprentices nodded and gulped as they made their way to the den.

"Halt!" a loud, scratchy yowl sounded from the top of High Rock. Tumblefoot looked up. He saw a tom with long brown hair and many battle scars on him. He was blind in one eye and his ears were chewed up. One fang from the bottom stuck out every time he closed his mouth.

All the cats stopped fighting. The rogues had most of the clan cats surrounded and pinned to the ground. Tumblefoot noticed a large tom dragged his father by the scruff over to High Rock. Bluefeather was pinned down by another rogue, one apprentice was being held by the scruff by a rogue and the other was lying there motionless.

"Father…" Goldenheart wailed. Tumblefoot saw her golden chest being pressed down by a large claw. Tumblefoot wanted to attack but he didn't want to cause much more trouble.

"Hello clan cats!" the brown tom yowled. "I am Mudsling. I am leader of the rogue gang and we plan to take over this land!" he meowed. All the rogue cats yowled in agreement, they cheered for their leader. "You cats will not off his orders anymore!" he mewed directing his words to Cinderstar.

Cinderstar looked up and growled. "My loyal cats will never follow your orders!" he rasped.

Mudsling glared at Cinderstar for a moment, Goldenheart and Tumblefoot were worried that the rogue might do something to their father, but fortunately he didn't.

"I'll just have to force them to. Fellow rogues, send this pitiful cat away from my sight. Send him far and give him a few scars so he can remember his downfall." The rogue leader ordered. Tumblefoot was ready to lunge at Mudsling, but he didn't.

Two large toms shoved Cinderstar forward. The weak tom just did as directed. His head was drooped down low and his eyes were weak and tired. All the rogue cats were cheering and spitting at Cinderstar as he was being escorted out. All the clan cats remained silent in shock. Brightflower struggled to reach her mate, but a rogue threatened to kill one of her kits if she made a step forward.

"Now with him gone, you all shall follow my orders! You may not trust me now, but I assure you, I am going to bring this clan to its best seasons!" Mudsling yowled. The rogue cats cheered happily.

"No!" A deep voice yowled. All the cats gasped. Who was brave enough to stand up to Mudsling and his numerous rogue followers? It was Heavyclaw, a large tom, formely known as Goldenheart's mentor. "I shall not allow it. I take orders from Cinderstar!"

"Well he's gone now!" a rogue meowed victoriously.

"Quiet, Razor!" Mudsling snapped. "Well clan cat, we can't have anyone who might cause trouble in the future."

Heavyclaw's fur rose. "I'm going o find my leader and join him. I shall not listen to you."

"Fine. Kill him." Mudsling ordered. Razor and another tom lunged at Heavyclaw. All the clan cats watched in horror as they ripped him apart. Tumblefoot realized that they were serious. Heavyclaw went limp. His motionless body laid there on the ground with a puddle of blood under surrounding him.

"Too bad, he would've made a good fighter." Mudsling sighed. "Well, would anyone else like to object?" the clan cats shook their heads. "Don't be afraid clan cats. Didn't you see the moon hit the sun? It's a sign! I knew it was time for us rogues to rule the forest. It was a sign!" he mewed enthusiastically as he looked up into the sky.

Tumblefoot glanced worriedly at his sister. Was the missing star they'd have to find their father?

WindClan

Talonclaw's steps were light and swift, as if he were in a hurry. He rushed towards the leader's den. He found the light brown she-cat moping in a corner of her den. The golden-brown tom slowed down his paced and slowly crawled into the den.

"Willowstar?" he called out. The she-cat didn't even look at him.

"The prophecy came true. You have to go." She finally mewed.

Talonclaw sat down. The young, skinny tom stretched his long limbs and licked his chest for a moment before responding. "I know I have to go. But I shall wait a few days before I go. It'll give me time to say my good-byes to my friends."

Willowstar sighed and closed her eyes. "Are we in danger?" she muttered.

Talonclaw's tail began to twitch with uncertainty. "I don't think so."

"What if you're in danger?" The she-cat glanced at Talonclaw for a moment. "Nevermind…the clan is still nervous about the moon-sun clash. Could you go calm them?"

"How am I supposed to do that? Where's Crookedfang, can't he do it?" Talonclaw asked. Crookedfang was the clan deputy, not very nice but loyal to his clan.

"He's with his mate. He and all the other clan cats think that the moon-sun clash is a bad omen." Willowstar meowed.

Talonclaw twitched his tail and glanced out the leader's den for moment. He could see his scared clan mates glancing up at the sky in fear with every step they took. Suddenly he saw a pretty, young, ginger she-cat with dark ginger stripes.

"Hey there Talonclaw." The ginger tabby mewed. Then she turned her head to Willowstar. "The patrol just got back, no sign of danger anywhere."

Willowstar sat up and nodded. "That's a good sign, thank you Flamewhisker."

The young she-cat nodded. "Want to hunt with me, Talonclaw?"

"I-er…I…" he stuttered.

"Actually, I'd like to speak with my son alone, for a little while." A she-cat mewed at the entrance of Willowstar's den.

"Come in, Nightfrost." Willowstar mewed. A black she-cat trotted in with her tail down low and a look of disappointment filled her eyes.

"Please, Flamewhisker, could you excuse us for a moment?" Nightfrost asked. The young ginger tabby nodded and padded out the den and made her way towards the fresh-kill pile. "Willowstar told me about the prophecy…and I want you to know the truth before you leave on your journey." The she-cat mumbled.

Talonclaw glanced at Willowstar. His leader stared down at her paws in silent. Something was wrong? What was Nightfrost going to say? A cold chill ran down his spine.

"I'm not your mother." Nightfrost finally said after a long silence. Talonclaw gasped. He took a few steps back from Nightfrost and flattened his ears.

"This is all a joke, right?" he meowed. Could this be true? Nightfrost was not his mother?

"It's no joke." Willowstar spoke out. Her voice seemed frail and saddened. "I saw you, sitting there helplessly. No one was guarding you, I snatched you away from your mother when she was fighting off a tom."

"You're a liar! I belong in WindClan! Stop talking! Stop!" Talonclaw yowled. All the warriors gathered around the leader's den, the elders slowly trotted over, the apprentice squeezed themselves to the front of the crowd to get a better look and the queens sat in front of the nursery glancing towards the den.

"What's going on?" One of the elders rasped.

"Talonclaw isn't a part of our clan?" an apprentice asked.

Crookedfang came trotting over from the nursery. "Hey! Come on everyone, we have work to do. Get a move on!" he ordered with his loud, deep voice. All the cats returned to what they were doing. Crookedfang crawled into the leader's den.

Talonclaw glared at the deputy as he entered. "Did you know about this too? Did you know I was born in a different clan?" he hissed.

Crookedfang glanced at Willowstar for a moment then back at Talonclaw. "Yes. I was the one you took you. I gave you to Willowstar and we ran back to WindClan. At the time we were short on kits, we needed more warriors to survive. I was ordered to steal kits but I only managed to get one."

"All this time everyone has been lying to me?" the young golden-brown tom asked. "Everyone has betrayed me! I trust no one in WindClan." He meowed.

"Please, forgive us young one." Willowstar begged. "We were desperate at the time, we had to steal a kit."

"It's against the warrior code to steal a kit!" the young tom snapped. He turned his head towards Nightfrost. "You were the one whom I trusted the most. I loved you so much I would've died for you. I thought you were my mother, I loved you so much!" Talonclaw cried. "But you're just like her!" he hissed referring to Willowstar. "you're all traitors, all you care about is yourself."

"Please, son I-" Nightfrost began.

"How dare you call me son!" Talonclaw's eyes burned with fury.

Nightfrost backed away in shame. "I'm sorry…" she turned her head and padded outside.

Crookedfang glanced outside then turned his head towards the young tom. "I'm sorry as well."

Talonclaw glared at Crookedfang. "Sorry doesn't work. For my whole life I've been lied to."

"Now you know the truth." Willowstar mewed. "I understand that you're upset. I've felt guilty for a very long time…I promised myself that one day I'd tell you the truth. Now I have and…" Willowstar began to choke up. "I'm sorry. You grew up to be such a good warrior, we need you here in WindClan. Please, when you return from our journey, please come back to us."

The young tom glared at his leader. "I belong to my birth clan. This is not my clan anymore." He muttered. "Tell me, Willowstar, where is my birth clan?"

Willowstar looked up and sighed. "It's…ThunderClan."

Talonclaw's eyes widened. "ThunderClan…that's where I belong." He mewed. "I don't belong here anymore." And with that he turned away and walked out of the den.

"Don't leave, Talonclaw!" Willowstar begged. "We need you here!"

Talonclaw ignored her. He just kept on going. Warriors, elders, queens and apprentices stared at Talonclaw as he walked out of the clan camp. His heart began to ache, he was leaving the Clan he grew up in. But he was betrayed and he couldn't trust anyone in that clan.

"Wait!" a young voice came from behind him. A young ginger she-cat ran up from behind him. "Where are you going?" She pleaded.

"To my birth clan." Talonclaw responded.

"Birth clan? Quit being silly and tell me where you're really going." She mewed. That's right, she wouldn't know. She was just as young as Talonclaw, only the older warriors knew about the stolen kit.

"I'm not a WindClan cat, Flamewhisker. I was born in ThunderClan." The young tom explained.

Flamewhisker gasped. "Really?"

Talonclaw nodded. "I have to go."

"But you can't! If ThunderClan really wanted you back, they would've stolen you back. It seems to me like they let you go. If your parents really cared about you they would've came searching for you, fighting for you even if they died." Flamewhisker meowed. "Maybe they thought WindClan was a better clan for you."

"I'm sure they had their reasons. I'm sorry, Flamewhisker. We'll always be friends, but this is not my clan. I must go." And with those words he turned away from the clan he once loved and dashed off towards ThunderClan.

"You were more than a friend to me…" Flamewhisker whispered sadly. She watched as Talonclaw dashed off.

"ThunderClan, here I come. Here I come…"

Stay tuned for the next chapter! Next Chapter: What's going on in RiverClan and ShadowClan.