Part 6

Bramblestar's world went numb. It had to be a bad dream, it just had to be! Leafpool couldn't die! He shut his eyes and tried desperately to wake but when he opened his eyes, Leafpool's unmoving body and her two horrified kits were still before him.

"No!" he yowled. It wasn't a dream. It has all been horrifyingly real. Leafpool was dead, and he's betrayed her. He wanted to scream, but no words came out. He could only throw his head back and let out all his grief, all his sorrow and all his anger with himself in one loud howl of misery. Neither of the apprentices moved to comfort him. Sparrowpaw just trembled with horror, his eyes streaming with tears by his mothers paws, and Bramblepaw just sat shaking his head in horror, as though to deny it had happened, and he was crying too. He got to his paws and started nudging his mate desperately.

"Leafpool!" he cried, "Leafpool please! Please stop this! Get up! Get up please! I love you! I love you please come back to me!" But Leafpool didn't move. Bramblestar felt bile rise in his throat. I took to long to figure it out, he thought realisation hitting him, if I'd have been a loyal cat I would have figured this out moons ago, maybe then you wouldn't be dead Leafpool. Maybe then your kits wouldn't hate me. Maybe then I wouldn't feel as alone as I do now.

"You can still save her," a voice whispered in his ear and when he turned to see who was there he saw no one.

"Who's there?" he asked getting to his paws, the brothers looking at him confused, "Who said that?"

"It is I," the voice came again, "Waterphoenix."

"Where are you?" he asked looking around the clearing, not seeing this cat anywhere.

"I cannot be seen when I do not wish to be," the voice came, "Now listen closely. If you want to save Leafpool then you must give up one of your nine lives, and I can give her a second chance to live." His eyes widened. Give up one of his nine lives? How?

"I will take it from you," the voice said answering his thoughts, "If you agree."

"Of course I agree!" he mewed aloud.

"Good," the voice purred, "Be prepared, this may hurt a little." He prepared himself quickly, but the agony he felt as the life was token from him was nothing compared to the agony in his heart that he'd felt when Leafpool died. He was left panting after the life was taken, exhausted, like he's fought the hardest battle of his life.

"Well done Bramblestar," the voice told him, "You've done well. And this is where I leave you. Good luck, and may you and Leafpool live happy lives with your kits." Bramblestar felt confused. Sparrowpaw and Bramblepaw weren't his kits, though Leafpool pretend they were. He shrugged it off, she must not know that. He watched Leafpool intently, she should wake soon. But she showed no signs of life. Time flew passed and Bramblestar began to wonder if he'd been cheated out of a life. Nothing was happening. He'd failed her. It had all been a waste. Then, just as he was about to give up, Leafpool's tail twitched and the light returned to her eyes.

"Mother?" Sparrowpaw mewed, hopefully pricking his ears, "Leafpool?" Her eyes flicked down to her kits and she smiled, purring.

"I'm here," she mewed, her strength restored, "I'm here my kits."

"Leafpool!" Sparrowpaw mewed joyfully nuzzling her, "Your alive! I was so scared, I thought I'd lost you forever!" She quickly got to her paws.

"I would never leave either of you," she mewed, nuzzling them both softly, "I promised you that and I would never break a promise." They both purred and nuzzled her back and he realised just how strong of a bond Leafpool and her kits had, it was much stronger than most bonds a mother had with her kits. After a few moments Leafpool looked up from her kits and turned her beautiful amber gaze on him.

"Did you mean what you said?" she asked, "Do you really love me?"

"Yes," he mewed touching noses with her, "Leafpool, you are my life now. You mean the world to me. And I promise, I will never be so stupid again." She started to purr but it caught in her throat.

"What about Birchwing?" she asked, her voice becoming slightly tense.

"I've made my choice," he mewed simply, "You are the one I love, now she and I both know that." Leafpool nodded, satisfied. She touched noses with his cheek and licked it gently, sending shivers down his spine. She purred, this time it vibrated through her whole chest.

"I love you to Bramblestar," she mewed softly in his ear and she twined tails with him, "Lets go home." Bramblestar nodded and they padded side by side, Bramblepaw and Sparrowpaw leading the way back to camp.