Chapter 19

Mistcloud's POV

I watched Scourge with horror as I listened to what he said.

So..Darkstripe is SCOURGE?How is that possible?

I quickly twisted around and sprinted away,leaving behind Scourge and Bone,who both had a look of surprise on their faces. Tears flowed out of my eyes as I realized I would have to fight Scourge. I would NEVER survive that!True,I would have Jayfeather,Hollyleaf,Lionblaze,Ivypaw,Dovepaw,and the kits to help me.

The kits!

Suddenly,an image of Scourge,with his teeth-studded collar,flashed into my mind. My stupid mind imagined him tearing all of them apart,one by one. I shook my head to clear it of the image,then suddenly,I crashed into something.

"Stupid furball,watch where you're...Mistcloud?"

I quickly got up and watched the cat sit up. I had crashed into Jayfeather. He licked down his ruffled fur and studied my throat when he was done.

"I guess in your dreams,you don't have any wounds."he mewed.

I lifted my paw onto the front of my throat,then set it back down when I didn't feel any ripped fur. I looked at his flanks and noticed the fur was ripped off in patches. I purred sympathetically and licked his ear.

"What happened?"I asked.

"Huh?"

Jayfeather turned his head and looked at his side.(A/N:Remember?He can see in his dreams.)

"It's nothing."he meowed quickly.

"Jay,your fur is ripped off. That's not nothing."I retorted,putting a paw on his wounds.

He flinched and gritted his teeth in pain.

"Oh! I'm sorry!"I said,taking my paw away."So tell me the truth. What happened?"

His eyes flashed for a brief moment,full of so many emotions,I couldn't tell what he was feeling.

"I...I followed Ivypaw in her dreams."

"You went into the Dark Forest?"

"Yes.I got found out,and the cats attacked me...What happened to you?"he asked,indicating the scratches on my pelt from Bone dragging me.

"Oh! That's right! Jayfeather,you know that cat that attacked you,Darkstripe?"

He nodded.

"Well,I just found out that Darkstripe is really Scourge! He's been riencarnated into different cats ever since he died."

Jayfeather's eyes widened.

"Scourge? But,he's the most dangerous cat that ever set paw in the forest!"

"And,before Bone found me,I heard Scourge ask him if the cats were ready."

"That's what Yellowfang meant when she said we had to claim the lives of the dark spirits...Scourge is probably leading BloodClan again!"

" But,our kits have to fight!"I wailed.

"Mistcloud,they might wait until they're apprentices,or warriors."Jayfeather murmured,putting his paw on my shoulder.

Tears flowed my eyes,but I didn't cry. Then,I heard the kits crying out.

"Jayfeather,we gotta wake up!"I said,straightening up.

He nodded and I closed my eyes,concentrating.

"Mistcloud...Mistcloud...Mistcloud!"I felt ten paws shaking me awake.

I opened my eyes to see the five kits,their eyes wide with terror. Some of their fur was burnt,and the scent of smoke hung in the air. I quickly got up and shook Jayfeather awake,ignoring the intense pain from my throat,then grabbed three of the kits while Jayfeather took the other two. The other cats were running out of the camp,shreiking. The camp was burning violently. The kits were crying. I couldn't take it. Once we were safely out of the camp with our Clanmates,I dropped the kits and collapsed on the ground,panting heavily. My vision started swirling,but I blinked to make it go away. Jayfeather came up to me and set Wolfkit and Tailkit by the others.

"How does this happen?"I wailed."First the invasion,now this!"

"I don't StarClan does."he said."Now,roll on to your back."

I rolled over,and he put his paw on the wound. He pulled his paw away,after a few seconds.

"You're not bleeding."he said,looking at it.

I rolled onto my side,my chest heaving with every breath. Brambleclaw came up to me.

"Are you okay?"he mewed.

"Y-yes."I gasped.

He put his bent tail on my shoulder and padded away.

Firestar's POV

Brambleclaw walked up to me,a softness in his eyes.

"I want to step down as deputy."he said quietly."And I want Mistcloud to take my place."

"Why?"I asked.

"She risked her life and almost died saving my tail in the invasion. And just now,she saved three kits,one of them not even her own."

I watched him for few heart-beats and sighed.

"You're going to have to stay as deputy until her kits are apprentices,though."

He nodded and walked back to Mistcloud.