Second to last chapter! How do you all feel about that? After this we'll be moving onto 'Firestar's quest' and also 'Daughter of Fire and Tiger' (i'll be switching back and forth, depending on my mood! XD) So I hope you enjoy! Also did you know about 'Tigerheart's Shadow?' it's the next super edition, comes out in september! If not, well, now you know! XD
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Firestar opened her eyes. She was lying on the grass of Fourtrees with moonlight washing around her and the rustle of leaves above her head. For a few heartbeats she relaxed, reveling in the warm air of greenleaf.
Then she remembered Fourtrees as she had last seen it, the branches black and stark in the depths of leaf-bare and the clearing thronged with screeching, warring cats.
Abruptly she sat up. She was not alone. The warriors of StarClan lined the clearing, illuminating it with the shimmer of their pelts and the gleam in their eyes. In the front rank Firestar could see the cats who had given her, her nine lives: Bluestar, Yellowfang, Willowpelt, Lionheart...and two newcomers, Whitestorm, restored to his youthful strength and Swifttail, looking strong and prideful as he lived, starlight glimmering in their fur.
Firestar scrambled to her paws. "Why...why have you brought me here?" she demanded. "I should be back there, fighting to save my Clan."
It was Bluestar who replied. "Look, Firestar."
Firestar saw there was a space beside her. At first she thought it was empty, but suddenly she realized that it was filled by the faintest outline of a sleek flamed-colored cat. Her jade green eyes flowed so pale they barley reflected the starlight that filled the hollow, but Firestar recognized her at once.
"You have lost your first life," Bluestar meowed gently.
A shiver ran through Firestar. It sent chills throughout her, would this be the exact same thing she would have to go through eight more times before joining StarClan? She stared at the pale copy of herself in the middle of the clearing, and as her gaze locked with the ghost cat's she suddenly saw herself, hunched and bleeding, her fur ragged and the light of desperation burning in her eyes.
Firestar wrenched her head aside to break the contact. There was no time for this. Surely the whole point of having nine lives was so that she could keep going?
"Send me back," she begged. "I need to be there for my Clanmates, they need me!"
Bluestar stepped forward. "Patience, Firestar. Your body needs a moment to recover. You will go back soon enough."
"But I might not be in time! Something could happen to them while I'm here!" Firestar said in defiance. They needed her, what if Scourge chases her Clanmates off before she could take him down?
"And you'll be of no help if your still half-dead." Swifttail retorted, his pale amber eyes flashing as he stepped up beside Bluestar. "You're leader of ThunderClan, you shouldn't make hasty demands that could cause yourself harm. It will only hinder your Clanmates. So be patient. Because there are things that not even StarClan has control of…" Swifttail's voice dropped, but his head was still held high.
Firestar's paws worked the grass, her ears twitching with both anxiety and annoyance at Swifttail's rebuke. He's in StarClan now? And he suddenly thinks he is so wise. But Firestar also saw his logic in this situation, she needed to heal before she could take down Scourge, if not she would simply end up losing another life. "But I need to be out there, If I don't take Scourge down now more of my Clanmates will die," Firestar turned to face a solemn faced Whitestorm, then back to both Swifttail and Bluestar. "We're going to lose the battle. Bluestar, this can't be the will of StarClan! We've always believed our warrior ancestors wanted there to be four Clans in the forest...so please let me go and save them!"
There was a ripple of movement from the front rank of the starry warriors. Bluestar rose to her paws as she was joined by Swifttail and the other eight cats who had given Firestar a life at the ceremony beside the Moonstone. All ten of them encircled the young cat who stood defiantly in the center of the clearing.
A voice spoke-not Bluestar nor Swifttail this time, but an echo vibrating inside Firestar's head as if all ten cats were speaking to her at once. "Firestar, you are wrong. There were never four Clans in the forest."
As Firestar stared, rigid with shock, the voice went on: "There were always five."
Firestar felt ten pairs of eyes, alight with wisdom, rest on her. "Fight bravely, Firestar. You may return to the battle now, and the spirits of StarClan will go with you."
The shapes of the StarClan warriors seemed to dissolve into light. Firestar felt their strength flooding through her as water soaked into the thirsty ground, and she knew the courage that came with faith restored.
She opened her eyes. The sounds of battle rushed into her ears, her jade green eyes clearing to stare straight in front of her. And what she saw in front of her was Tigerstar adn Scourge, circling one another. Eyes narrowed in anger and hate, fangs barred with intimidating growls, tails lashing.
"This time I'll make sure your dead." she heard Scourge yowl from where she was staggering to her paws.
"Not this time," Tigerstar hissed through clenched teeth, but Firestar how he was staggering on his own paws. A slight limp in his back leg and he was covered from end to end in scratches and bite marks that were oozing blood, he looked as if he was concentrating on standing rather than fighting. Tigerstar wouldn't be able to fight Scourge, not without the risk of losing yet another life against the tyrant.
"Scourge!" Firestar yowled. "Turn and face me!"
The small black cat whipped around, ignoring Tigerstar in his shock of seeing Firestar. "How...I killed you."
"You did," Firestar spat back at him, her strength returning to her as she straightened, ready to attack. "But I am a leader with nine lives who fights alongside StarClan. Can you say as much?"
For the first time she thought she saw a flicker of uncertainty in Scourge's cold eyes, and at last Firestar understood what Barely had told her. Scourge's lack of belief in StarClan was his greatest weakness. Without belief, without the laws and customs of the forest Clans, Scourge did not have the nine lives of a true leader. When he died, he would be dead forever.
The BloodClan leader's uncertainty lasted no more than a heartbeat. His eyes narrowed in cold ice, daring, taunting Firestar into action.
Firestar launched herself at her enemy. And with every stride, she was aware of the StarClan warriors racing alongside her, matching her pace: Lionheart's golden strength; the lithe, muscular body of Runningwind; Redtail's dark fur, his bushy red tail streaming out behind him; Yellowfang with her claws outstretched; Willowpelt with wild instinct and defense in each bound; Bluestar with all her strength and skill in battle restored.
Firestar seemed to cover the ground on winged paws. Her claws raked along Scourge's side and she dodged a blow to the head like the one that had claimed her first life.
But Scourge was fast. He flung himself between Firestar's outstretched paws and aimed for her belly, trying to rip her open like a piece of fresh-kill. Firestar barley drew back in time. NOw she was on the defensive, trying to avoid the gashing claws and still get close enough to Scourge to land a blow of her own.
Then Scourge let out a cut off screech, and was jerked forcefully backwards. Tigerstar had bit into Scourge's tail, yanking him backwards with his massive strength.
Then Firestar saw her chase as Scourge turned and raised a claw to drive Tigerstar off. His back was turned to her, and Firestar took the distraction to pounce on top of the savage leader. Who bathed in the blood of others, who took pleasure in harming others. She dug her claws into his shoulders, and bit precisely into the back of his neck.
He crumpled beneath her as the warm taste of blood flooded her mouth. Firestar harshly weight him down as she tore away at his throat with her teeth. He convulsed under her, his legs jerking and out of the corner of his beady cold blooded eyes, he gave her a look of pure hatred and contempt, he tried to snarl defiance, but the only sound was blood bubbling in his torn throat. His twitching limbs grew stiff and his eyes were fixed on an unforeseen point.
Yet still Firestar didn't let up, not until she felt the prob of Tigerstar's massive paws. "You can let go now, he's dead."
Firestar tore herself from Scourge, flanks heaving. Her breath coming in agonizing gasps, Firestar gazed down at her dead enemy. Who knew where this cat's spirit was heading? Not the ranks of StarClan, that was for sure.
A skinny black-and-white BloodClan cat was battling with Tallstar a couple of tail-lengths away. When he caught sight of Scourge lifeless body, the BloodClan warrior froze, staring, and scarcely seemed to notice when Tallstar raked his claws down the side of his head. "Scourge!" he gasped. "No-no!"
He backed away, then turned and fled, blundering into another BloodClan warrior as he made for the bushes. The second warrior spat furiously and launched himself at Firestar, but before he could attack he too saw the body of his dead leader.
A terrible wailing broke from him. "Scourge! Scourge is dead!"
As the cry rose above the screeching of battling cats, Firestar saw the warriors of BloodClan falter and stop fighting As they realized that they had lost their leader, they turned and fled. To Firestar's dazed eyes , the Twolegplace cats seemed to have shrunk. They were no longer fearsome warriors, but ordinary cats who had no place in the forest: slower than WindClan, duller than RiverClan, scrawnier than ShadowClan. All their menace was gone, and with a cry of triumph the forest cats surged after them and chased them out of the hollow.
Numb with exhaustion, Firestar hardly had the strength to understand that her cats-FireClan-had won. The forest belonged to StarClan once again.
The clearing fell silent. Blood glistened on the grass as cold sunlight sliced through the trees. Firestar turned slightly as Tigerstar sank heavily on his hunches, and padded quickly to his side. "Are you alright?" Firestar asked, her jade eyes running over him, he was hurt very badly, but nothing life threatening unless they get infected.
"Just tired," Tigerstar replied letting out a sigh. "You did well with fighting Scourge, and saved the forest." Tigerstar meowed, his eyes narrowing in praise.
"You helped as well," Firestar meowed back, her voice full of victory. "If you hadn't distracted Scourge, I wouldn't have ended it."
"You didn't need me, not really." Tigerstar meowed back, shrugging slightly.
"You should go find Runningnose, or Littlecloud, and get yourself something for those wounds." Firestar suggested.
"ShadowClan is no longer under your orders, Firestar." Tigerstar retorted, but his tail flickered over her nose playfully. And the giant tabby hauled himself to his paws and staggered off in search of his medicine cats.
Looking around, Firestar saw that warriors from each of the four Clans were gathering around their medicine cats at the edge of the clearing. One had become four again; FireClan was no more.
Firestar looked around for her Clanmates, and more importantly, her kits. For a moment, she didn't see any of them, a moment of dread made her stomach clench in fear. Only to loosen slightly as she saw Sandstorm stumbling wearily across the clearing. The fur along one flank was stiff with drying blood, but Firestar could see that her injuries were not serious. Brackenfur was with her, helping Squirrelpaw along, her daughter was limping but her eyes were bright with victory.
"Thank StarClan you're all alright!" Firestar meowed as she crossed the clearing in two bounds, and Sandstorm turned her head to look at her leader, her green gaze filled with relief. "We did it," she murmured. "We drove out BloodClan." she sounded drained but joyful all the same.
"We sure showed them!" Brackenfur wheezed out, his fur was torn off his shoulders and sides and still bleeding, but it didn't look serious.
"Hawkpaw and Leafpaw helped me fight most of them, but I certainly held my own!" Squirrelpaw declared, her green eyes flashing.
"I know you did." Firestar purred to her daughter. Then Firestar suddenly felt light-headed, as if the whole of Fourtrees were spinning around her.
"Mother!" Squirrelpaw gasped as Sandstorm pressed against her leader in order to support her with an offered shoulder.
"Steady," urged Sandstorm. "You've lost a lot of blood. Come and see Spottedleaf."
"Good Idea," Firestar meowed weakly, and together Firestar managed to stagger the rest of the way, her eyes traveling along the ranks of her cats. She could make out Thornclaw's golden-brown pelt, where he was pressed against Leafpaw. Bramblepaw sat in between his mentor and Cloudtail, waiting for treatment as Mothpaw scurried around her Clanmates with cobwebs in her jaws. And for a moment, Firestar couldn't make out Spottedpaw, remembering the last time she saw her dark ginger daughter she was wailing over Swifttail's dead body with Mothpaw trying to get her to move.
A heartbeat later, when Dustpelt shifted, Spottedpaw was seen sitting next to Goldenflower, looking depressed and ashamed. When they reached Spottedleaf Firestar collapsed on the ground, wondering if she were about to lose another life. Then she realized she could still hear the sounds all around her in the clearing, and the pain of her scratches throbbed instead of fading as Mothpaw hurried over to start pressing cobwebs to the worst of her wounds.
"Is she okay?" that was Graystripe's voice. "Hey, come on, Firestar-you can't give up now!"
"She'll be fine!" Mothpaw snapped, but her voice slightly wavered as she pressed harder.
"I will be. I'm just tired, that's all." Firestar blinked up at the gray warrior. "Don't worry; you won't have to be leader for a while yet."
"Good, cause you'll have to live long after I get my warrior name...even long after Spottedpaw has kits, and then great grandkits!" Mothpaw said firmly.
"I'll do my best." Firestar meowed, humoring her daughter.
"Firestar." Sandstorm gently prodded her shoulder. "There are more cats coming."
Firestar sat up to see a group of RiverClan cats padding toward her, headed by Leopardstar. The RiverClan leader dipped her head toward Firestar. Claw marks covered her pelt, but her eyes were clear and she carried her tail high.
"Well done, Firestar," she meowed. "They tell me you killed Scourge."
"Every cat fought well," Firestar replied. "We wouldn't have won unless all the Clans joined together."
"True enough,"" Leopardstar conceded. "But now we must separate again. I am going to take my Clan home. We must care for our wounded and grieve for our dead."
"ThunderClan will do the same," Firestar agreed, her eyes turning to see Mistyfoot trott up to her leader.
"Mudclaw has seen to the warriors, most are wounded, but we have enough to get the dead and the severely wounded back to camp." Mistyfoot meowed as Leopardstar dipped her head.
"Mistyfoot is our new deputy," Leopardstar meowed, taking in Firestar curious look. "Stonefur is dead."
"I'm sorry for your loss, Stonefur was always a great warrior and admired by many." Firestar said sincerely. "And I know that his sister will be just as great as deputy." Firestar meowed, dipping her head to Mistyfoot, who looked thankful for Firestar's acceptance. Firestar was certain that Mistyfoot would be a great deputy, the blueish-gray warrior had been a close companion towards Firestar even if she was from another Clan.
Firestar then watched as Featherpaw and Stormpaw padded up, standing alongside the new deputy. Firestar looked from one to the other, Featherpaw has grown beautiful just like her mother, Silverstream, the RiverClan queen who died birthing her and her brother, and Stormpaw was growing into a sturdy warrior.
Freatherpaw padded up to Graystripe and touched noses with him, possibly for the last time save for Gatherings. "I'm glad to see that you are okay. You'll come and visit us, won't you?"
"Try to stop me." Graystripe's voice muffled and his eyes were filled with pain of his kits divided heritage. "Be the best warrior's you can, and make me proud of you." Featherpaw's eyes also looked mist over in sadness. And Firestar could not stand to see her former adoptive daughter in such pain, so she decided to lighten her burdens.
"You've got something to live up to," Firestar meowed, gaining the two young apprentices attention. "Your father is ThunderClan deputy now."
The two apprentices pressed close to their father and twined their tails with his. Leopardstar gave them a moment to be together before signaling to them, Stormpaw instantly fell in behind her. But Featherpaw paused for a moment, before coming to touch noses with Firestar. "You'll always have a place in my heart." Featherpaw meowed, before joining her brother. The RiverClan cats vanished into the bushes and up the slope toward their own territory.
"And you'll always have a place in mine." Firestar whispered after the silver tabby and her brother.
Firestar's gaze fell on the group of ShadowClan cats not far away, and she noticed Squirrelpaw had joined her father, her eyes shining up at him. What they were talking about, she wasn't sure. Firestar rose to her paws and limped slowly toward them; Tigerstar's eyes glided over towards her and got up to meet her as she approached.
"Seems the battle is over," Firestar meowed. "You'll be taking ShadowClan back home."
Tigerstar dipped his head, and as he spoke his eyes had a sad look to them. But a spark of determination was also there. "I plan to send Blackfoot and a few warriors to scott ahead, to see if any BloodClan cats are lingering about. Then I plan to retrieve the rest of my cats from your camp and take them home. We have much to do to recover, but life in the forest will go on as usual."
"Then I'll see you at the next Gathering." Firestar replied, her eyes searching into Tigerstar's. Their time together seemed too short, yet Firestar knew for moons to come that they would always be in each others thoughts and hearts. Yes, Firestar was going to miss having Tigerstar around, but it was for the best, for ShadowClan to recover they needed a strong leader and Tigerstar could never go back to being Tigerclaw. All they could do was care for each other through StarClan, and their kits and possibly someday…
"Firestar," murmured Ravenpaw, as him and Barley padded towards her. Tigerstar briefly dipped his head, before heading back towards his own Clan, being greeted by their other two kits, Hawkpaw and Tawnypaw, Squirrelpaw had returned to ThunderClan and was sitting beside her sister, Leafpaw. "Barley and I are going back home now."
"I wish you would stay," Firestar meowed, coming to touch noses with Ravenpaw. "You fought bravely, like a true warrior."
"I liked fighting beside my birth clan, especially against BloodClan, but I have a lot to learn about myself first." Ravenpaw said, letting her down easy.
"I understand," Firestar nodded. "You as well, Barley."
"At least with Scourge dead, the cats from Twolegplace will have the chance to live in peace," Barely remarked with feeling. "They might have a better life now."
"You wouldn't go back to Twoleplace yourself?" Firestar inquired.
"Not on your life!" Barley's tail shot straight up. "We're heading straight home."
"ThunderClan will always be grateful for standing beside it, in its time of need," Firestar told them warmly. "You're free to come into our territory anytime."
"And you must visit us at the farm whenever you make the journey to Highstones," Barley mewed as they turned away. "I expect we'll be able to spare a mouse or two."
With RiverClan and ShadowClan accounted for, Firestar wanted to check in with WindClan before she gathered her own cats and head back to camp. There was a small group of WindClan warriors clustered around Barkface, their medicine cat, but nowhere near as many as there should have been. Tallstar himself was missing. A prickle of fear ran through Firestar's sleek flame-colored pelt.
Then she saw the WindClan leader emerging from the bushes on the far side of the clearing. Mudclaw and Morningflower and a couple of apprentices, one of which was Gorsepaw, were with him. All five cats were panting hard, as if they had been running. Firestar bounded toward them, expecting to see enemy cats burst into the clearing in pursuit.
"What's going on?" she demanded. "Are BloodClan chasing you?"
Tallstar let out a satisfied purr. "No, Firestar. We chased them. We followed them as far as the Thunderpath. They won't be back here in a hurry."
"I think not," Firestar meowed in deep appreciation.
"It was amazing!" Gorsepaw breathed, his fur fluffed up with triumph. "You should have seen them run!" Morningflower gave a hearty purr and gave her son a lick between the ears, her eyes glowing with love towards the young WindClan apprentice.
Taking a deep breath, Firestar dipped her head toward Tallstar and meowed, "We have no further need for FireClan. There are four Clans in the forest again."
She could see that the older leader understood what she was saying. They were no longer allies, but rivals, who could meet in friendship only at Gatherings.
"We owe you our freedom," meowed the WindClan leader. He dipped his head and headed toward the rest of his warriors at the far side of the clearing. Firestar could just make out the two WindClan apprentices exclaim to one another, "FireClan! Where did that come from?"
One apprentice meowed to the other. "Better than TallClan." Gorsepaw meowed back, before disappearing out of voice rang.
Alone for the first time, Firestar scrambled up to the top of the Great Rock. The sickening stench of blood rose around her, but up there she could look out over the forest and dare to believe that soon the battle would be no more than a distant memory.
She imagined the spirits of StarClan all around her, sharing the leadership of her Clan. They would be beside her every pawstep until she gave up her last life and went to join them.
"Thank you, StarClan," she murmured. "Thank you for staying with us, fifth Clan of the forest. How could I ever have thought that I faced this battle alone?"
Suddenly she felt a warmth from both sides, her eyes closing for a moment to catch two different scents that long since left the living. "We're always walking beside you, Firestar. Your Clan will live on, and so shall your legacy."
"Oh, Yellowfang," Firestar meowed quietly, listening to the rasping voice. Yellowfang was an extended mother, and Firestar always felt like a kit in her presence.
"We'll always help and guide you as much as possible," Silverstream's gentle prob could be felt against her other side.
"I know," Firestar continued to whispered. Then her ears pricked at the sound of claws on rock, and as both Silverstream and Yellowfang's scent faded, Firestar opened her eyes to see Cinderpelt and Sandstorm climbing toward her, with Bramblepaw scrambling up behind.
Sandstorm pressed her flank to Firestar's "Bluestar was right. Fire did save the Clan."
"And now there are four Clans again," Cinderpelt added, her former apprentices stormy gray fur, although missing patches of fur and covered in cobwebs, still had it in her to show excitement and joy in the wake of battle. "Just as there should be."
No, there are five, Firestar thought. She looked down over the clearing and the trees that stretched as far as she could see, and her senses filled with the sounds and scents of her forest home. A thousand secret whispers told her that new-leaf was stirring in the cold earth, shooting up new green fronds and rousing the prey from its long leaf-bare sleep.
The rising sun broke over the trees and flooded the clearing with light and warmth, and it seemed to Firestar that no dawn had ever been brighter.
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One last chapter, then it's onto a mix of both Firestar's quest, and Daughter of Fire and Tiger...I feel a little bit sad now...but I hope you enjoy the next series just as much as you liked this one! Also note that Daughter of Fire and Tiger are already out so check that out! XD until next series! You're truly!
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DAUGHTER OF FIRE AND TIGER IS OUT!