"Skycloud!" Gasped Runningshadow. "Don't attack!"

Skycloud cocked his head to a side. "Why not? I'm not dumb, ThunderClan scum!" He hissed.

"Did you get brainwashed or something?" Asked Runningshadow, disgusted. "You used to be ThunderClan scum!"

"I have always lived in…" Then realization struck Skycloud. "Runningpaw…"

"It's Runningshadow now," Runningshadow growled, getting up from where Skycloud had pushed him to the ground. "I was made a warrior for rescuing those kits."

Skycloud's eyes widened. "Shadow? So you're a warrior now…" He mewed, looking down at the ground. "What's it like?"

"Well, I just got back from my warrior vigil a bit ago,"

Runningshadow mewed numbly. This was such an awkward moment…talking to your friend who was now in ShadowClan.

Skycloud nodded. "Yeah, that's cool, isn't- Runningshadow look out!" He cried.

Runningshadow looked quickly around to see a huge black tom running for him. He jumped, dodging the bulky tom, but was then toppled into by him.

Runningshadow looked up at the tom and instantly recognized him. That rancid breath, those huge claws, the gleaming yellow eyes…

Hurricanesong.

"Hurricanesong!" Runningshadow hissed.

"Yeah, it's me. And I'm guessing that you're that whiny apprentice?" He asked threateningly.

Runningshadow nodded. "Yeah. I'm a warrior now," He reminded him.

Hurricanesong's eyes widened. "Oh yeah? Wow, you are a warrior now…you still look a little shrimpy for a warrior, though."

"Gerroff!" Hissed Runningshadow. He kicked Hurricanesong off with all the strength in his body. The deputy growled and skidded across the ground, getting to his feet instantly.

Runningshadow slipped behind Hurricanesong while he was still dazed. Slowly, quietly, he sneaked behind the deputy and kicked him, sending him flying into a tree stump.

The remaining apprentices hurried over to their den and started to randomly claw at the warrior that had threatened their own den. They fought well for apprentices.

Skycloud walked up to Runningshadow. "Truce?" He asked. "You won't attack me?"

"As long as you don't attack me," Runningshadow mewed steadily, "Truce."

Skycloud smiled and licked his friend on the ear. "I'll have to get out of here, attacking my own Clanmates seems a bit too…strange for me. It feels like I'm still in ThunderClan when I'm here…"

Runningshadow nodded. "Have a good time in ShadowClan," He called to his fleeing friend.

"That's likely!" Skycloud called back.

Runningshadow purred. He really missed Skycloud's smart aleck remarks and constant jokes. It was so great to have him around…and now he didn't have him anymore.

Runningshadow hurried across the clearing, seeing that one of the queens, Peachrain, needed help with an enemy warrior. The light brown tom launched himself onto the ShadowClan cat and scratched at his face.

The warrior shrieked, but didn't get off. Runningshadow bit down on the back of the warrior's neck and held his grasp. Finally, the tom got off of the beautiful queen, but was still trying to fight Runningshadow, writhing in his grasp.

Getting the tom off of him, Runningshadow shook the tom hard like a mother would her kit when it was in trouble. Blood came spraying and oozing down both cats' pelts.

Apparently the ShadowClan cat couldn't take the look of blood and scurried off, howling at the top of his lungs.

Runningshadow felt a pain in his leg. How many warriors were there in ShadowClan? They just kept coming! He looked down to see a ragged tortoiseshell she-cat who looked nearly crazed that was biting down onto his back leg.

Desperately shaking her off, Runningshadow kicked at the she-cat and tried to fling her off of his leg. He reached over and bit the base of her tail hard. Runningshadow tasted salty blood.

The she-cat went limp and unconscious in Runningshadow's grasp and let him fling her into the Highrock. Blood got splattered against the rock, leaving many stripes and spots of red on the great rock that the leader called countless meetings on.

Suddenly, a loud wail came from the end of the clearing. Runningshadow rushed to the nursery where he had heard it and was disgusted at what he saw.

There were many ShadowClan cats that were trying to grasp the dashing kits by their scruffs. The other few cats were holding the screaming queens, keeping them from attacking any of the cats getting the kits.

The young warrior hurried across the camp. He needed another cat's help if he were to fight these cats. But who would want to volunteer?

His eyes rested on Molly and Brian, who were partner fighting by a skinny tom. He hurried over, unsheathing his claws, and came in from behind on the tom, lashing out with his paws and slicing open the tom's muzzle. There was so much blood that it looked like the tom was crying tears of blood.

Molly quickly thanked Runningshadow as the tom fled out of the clearing and through the broken gorse tunnel.

"Molly, Brian, I need your help!" Gasped Runningshadow. "Come with me!"

The two young cats nodded and followed Runningshadow to the door of the nursery. They looked at each other uneasily as Runningshadow tried to get himself through the entrance. "Are you following me or what?" Asked Runningshadow.

He dashed into the den, ignoring the poking branches that tugged at his fur, and was a flurry of claws and teeth. He bit down on one cat's tail, making it whip around and drop the kit.

Runningshadow whipped his tail, signaling Molly to hurry through the den. The pale tabby picked up the kit and squeezed back out, setting it down in a secluded corner.

Runningshadow tripped the last few warriors, while Molly came in and took the kits out. Brian teamed up with Runningshadow and fought with the warriors holding the queens.

Brian wasn't very good, but his skills were pretty okay for a cat that had never fought before. All he really was was a flurry of claws and clumps of fur.

The queens sighed with relief when they got free, rubbing their scruff from where they had gotten held. "I haven't gotten held there since I was a kit!" Autumnpelt, the oldest nursery queen grumbled. "Thank you so much you two. And…who is this?" She asked.

Runningshadow squirmed uncomfortably. "Well…his name is Brian. He is…"

Stripewhisker frowned. "He's a kittypet?" She growled unbelievably. But her frown turned slowly into a smile. "Wow, you were pretty good for a kittypet," She purred. "Nice job." Stripewhisker, on the other paw, was the youngest nursery queen.

All of the queens congratulated the three and went back out into camp to fight. Runningshadow took the praise with pleasure but knew that he had to get out and fight, so he politely but quickly went back into the clearing, searching around for any cat that was in trouble or dared attack him.

Suddenly, a huge brown tabby kicked at Runningshadow's legs, making him trip. Runningshadow got up to his paws numbly. He felt as if he had just woken up…this cat was a good fighter.

The tabby smirked and jabbed Runningshadow repeatedly with his paws, claws unsheathed.

Runningshadow wailed out in pain. What was wrong with him? He could get out of this mess! He tensed his muscles, ready to shoot his head up to bite at the cat's neck, when a loud yowl filled the clearing, resonating through the camp.

Straining his head to see who it was, Runningshadow hoped that it wasn't Ashstar or any other warrior that had died.

But it wasn't death- it was a retreat yowl. And it was Solarstar, the ShadowClan leader.

"ShadowClan, retreat!" He yowled.

Runningshadow craned his neck and saw, to his surprise, that almost all of the apprentices had Solarstar pinned down by the throat: Brindlepaw, Bloodpaw and Chasepaw.

The ShadowClan cats flew out of the clearing as if on winged paws.

Ashstar lifted her head and let out a victory yowl. The rest of the Clan responded the same, echoing their leader's yowl. They had defeated ShadowClan!

Runningshadow congratulated all of the apprentices on a job well done and then headed back to his den with the rest of the warriors to rest for a bit. Tom, fights tired you out easily.

He dropped onto the mossy floor of the den and passed out, sleeping heavily.