Chapter 21

Well, here's another chapter for your reading pleasure. x) I realize this update was kind of late as well, but once again, my life is so hectic right now that I can hardly keep up. So, if you'll forgive me for that, here are your replies for Chapter 20.

Lightkit - Breezepelt ran back to camp, fortunately. I think he would have been even more freaked out if he heard that particular conversation. xD He'd probably be even more sceptical than Firepaw!

WildCroconaw - Lol, yeah, I don't really like Honeyfern and Poppyfrost's names either. Especially Honeyfern. But at least they aren't as bad as some names in the series! -cough-Berrynose-cough-

biggest fanart - Thanks! Breezepelt knew where the three were hiding because the rebels told him where to go. As for Firepaw… well, he hid the same way Firestar hides. In other words, I have no idea. xD

Kinkajou Karata - That's a good idea. I'll take that into mind. (: As for, 'it's' and 'its', I've heard it both ways around. However, I was told to write 'it's' rather than 'its' first, so I think I'll stick with that one. It would be pretty much impossible for me to change my writing style anyways. x)

Marshpelt - xD Yes, Nightpaw is definitely awesome! Ahah

It had been another quarter moon since Nightpaw had returned to normal. The sun shone brightly in the brilliant blue sky, and a warm breeze ruffled Firepaw's ginger fur. He took a deep breath, allowing the fresh scent of the moors to overwhelm him for a moment while still searching for the mouth-watering perfume of nearby prey.

The flow of search parties since the last quarter moon had begun to lessen until there were none at all, and the three siblings were free to hunt whenever they wanted. It gave them a freedom they hadn't had since BrambleClan and HawkClan had merged over a moon ago.

A whiff of rabbit drifted in Firepaw's direction, snapping him out of his thoughts. He whipped around to face the source, and his eyes zeroed in on the little animal snuffling through the grass nearby. He dropped into a crouch and began to creep towards it, trying to be as silent as possible.

Unfortunately for Firepaw, he had never been trained to hunt on the moor - Hawkstar had taken that part of the territory on Firepaw's first day as an apprentice. The rabbit spotted him just as he came in pouncing distance and it raced away, it's little white tail bobbing behind. The ginger tom took off after it.

The wind whistled in Firepaw's ears as he charged across the springy grass, and he marvelled at how much easier it was to run here than in the forest. The young apprentice felt like he could race against anything in the world and win.

As he caught up to his quarry, he pounced, latching his claws into the rabbit's pelt. His prey shrieked in surprise, though the sound was quickly cut off as the tom sunk his teeth into the back of it's neck.

"Nice catch," called a voice. Firepaw turned to see Nightpaw watching him with a field mouse clamped firmly between her jaws. The ginger apprentice nodded stiffly in acknowledgement and quickly buried his catch so he could come back for it later.

When he and Nightpaw had returned from that fateful hunting trip a quarter moon ago, Blackpaw had instantly accepted the gray she-cat's story. Firepaw, on the other hand, was still suspicious of her, even after a full week. Her story went against everything that he had come to believe over the course of his life. As well as that, he didn't think she could suddenly change from bloodthirsty murderer to the sister he had always known just like that..

Firepaw sighed and turned, trying to find more prey. As he did so, he noticed the Twolegs' camp nearby. Their huge green pelts flapped in the wind, and as he watched, a Twoleg walked out of one, a shiny stick held in his hands. Firepaw shivered as he remembered the day, nearly two and a half moons ago, when the Twolegs had attacked BrambleClan camp.

The moment he could recall most clearly was not when they had walked into the camp, or when one had suddenly dropped Blackpaw, sending him to what everyone had thought was certain death. No, what Firepaw remembered most was the deafening bang that had suddenly come from of the Twoleg's silver sticks, and Nightcloud's instant death afterwards. He could hardly imagine the immense power that these strange sticks must hold.

Lost in his thoughts, Firepaw didn't realize that his littermates had come up behind him until Blackpaw spoke.

"Let's get closer," the young tom whispered. "I want to see what the Twolegs will do."

"What?" Nightpaw meowed. Both she and Firepaw stared at their brother in shock. "Don't even think about it! You'll get yourself killed!"

"No I won't," Blackpaw replied confidently, holding his head up high. "I'm much faster than those lumps. They'll never catch me!"

Before Firepaw or Nightpaw could do anything to stop him, the black-pelted apprentice began bounding towards the Twoleg camp, yowling loudly to get their attention. His pace was painfully slow - Blackpaw had always been a terrible runner.

"Blackpaw, no!" Firepaw and Nightpaw yowled in unison. The two of them took off after their brother, planning to drag him back to safety before he could do anything stupid. They had just reached the tom's side when suddenly, there was a great bang, and something crashed into the dirt just next to Firepaw's left forepaw. The orange tabby apprentice screeched in shock and took off in the other direction. He had to get out of here!

"Run!" Nightpaw screeched beside him, turning as well. "I saw an old fox den we can hide in by that rock!"

Firepaw looked up and quickly spotted the boulder his sister was talking about, growing closer and closer with every stride. Suddenly, he heard another bang, and this time the projectile collided with the ground on his right side. The apprentice sped up until he was running faster than he ever had before. He almost felt as if he could take off and soar into the sky. However, his fear for both himself and his littermates kept him on the ground.

In only a few heartbeats, the ginger tom reached the abandoned fox den, and he darted inside to wait for his siblings. Nightpaw followed, her sides heaving and her eyes wide.

"That was terrifying," she meowed. Firepaw nodded in agreement. He could still feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins, and it took all his willpower to keep himself from charging right back out onto the moor to find Blackpaw - and get away from his sister.

The two cats waited for a moment, and still Blackpaw didn't appear. The ginger tom's fur bristled worriedly. "We should go find him," he meowed finally. "What if he's hurt?"

Nightpaw agreed, and they were about to step out of the safety of the den when Blackpaw suddenly stumbled inside. His coat was darkened with sweat, and he was panting heavily.

"Are you okay?" Firepaw asked his brother quietly. Blackpaw nodded.

"I'm fine," he meowed. "I just got a little off track while I was running."

Firepaw smiled in relief and placed his tail on his brother's shoulder. "Thank StarClan you're alive," he meowed, wanting to comfort his petrified littermate. Nightpaw, of course, had other plans.

"Are you mouse-brained?" she growled, cuffing him over the ear. "Do you want to die? That was the stupidest, most idiotic thing you have ever done, Blackpaw - and you've done some pretty dumb things!"

Firepaw stuffed his tail in Nightpaw's mouth to silence her. "Stop," he meowed. "I think he gets it."

Blackpaw, who had been cowering away from his sister in terror, instantly straightened, trying to conceal his fright. He shot a grateful smile in Firepaw's direction, but his smile faded quickly as they heard a voice coming from the den entrance.

"Firepaw? Blackpaw? Nightpaw?" meowed the voice. "Are you in there?"

Nightpaw stiffened, and Firepaw quickly moved his tail away from his sister's mouth. The moment he did so, she exploded.

"Don't even think about coming down here!" she yowled. "We'll tear you into pieces!"

"Calm down, Nightpaw!" replied the voice, purring with amusement. "It's only Beechfur and Reedwhisker."

"Oh, thank StarClan!" Blackpaw meowed in relief, relaxing visibly. "Are the Twolegs still out there?"

"No, they went back to their camp," the voice replied, which Firepaw now recognized as Beechfur's. "You can come out now."

The three littermates padded cautiously out of the den, their eyes darting about nervously. Firepaw half expected the Twolegs to jump out of nowhere and hit him with their shiny sticks.

"Good morning," Beechfur meowed with a smile as the cats filed out of their hiding place. Firepaw couldn't help but melt with relief as he heard the tom's voice so close. The leader of the rebels just seemed to give off a feeling of safety and security. It felt as if, under his watch, nothing could go wrong.

"So, what are you doing here?" Nightpaw asked once the refugees had settled down and turned to face the warriors.

"We came to speak with all of you about something very important," Beechfur meowed. "But first, we need to talk to you, Nightpaw."

Nightpaw looked startled. "Me? What for?"

"Breezepelt told us about what you did to him last quarter moon," Reedwhisker meowed, raising an eyebrow at the she-cat, his tail twitching. "Trying to kill another cat is inexcusable, especially if it's done for the wrong reasons. We'd like to know why you did it."

"You aren't going to believe me," Nightpaw meowed, ducking her head. "It sounds ridiculous."

"Try me," Reedwhisker snorted. "I would believe anything nowadays."

"Well," Nightpaw meowed slowly, studying her paws as she spoke. "Tigerstar possessed me."

Instead of looking shocked or disbelieving, Beechfur's expression only betrayed mild curiosity. Reedwhisker, on the other hand, looked completely bewildered. Luckily for Nightpaw, he didn't say anything, but instead turned to Beechfur, obviously wondering what his leader would do next.

"I've never heard of that before," the rebel leader meowed, tilting his head slightly. "How did it happen?"

Nightpaw proceeded to tell the light brown tom everything that she had told Firepaw and Blackpaw the week before. She also revealed that Bramblestar had been possessed as well, something that made even Beechfur's eyes widen in amazement.

"Wow," Beechfur meowed once she had finished. He sat down, and Firepaw could tell his mind was spinning. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind for the future."

Nightpaw's eyes widened. "You mean you believe me?"

"Of course I believe you," he meowed. "That explains both Bramblestar's behaviour and yours."

Firepaw shifted uncomfortably, still refusing to believe his sister's story. Reedwhisker turned to Beechfur in amazement, and the doubt in his eyes was obvious. The only cat who seemed unaffected by the rebel leader's words was Blackpaw, who had believed Nightpaw from the start.

"So what did you really come to talk to us about?" the black apprentice asked, sitting down and curling his tail around his paws. Firepaw did the same and gazed at Beechfur curiously.

Reedwhisker had quickly regained his composure after his previous shock, and he answered for the other tom. "To be blunt," he meowed. "The final battle against Hawkstar will be taking place soon. Tomorrow, actually."

All three apprentices' eyes widened, and they stared at the warriors in astonishment. "Tomorrow?" Nightpaw asked. "Why weren't we warned about this earlier?"

"We couldn't," Beechfur answered regretfully. "Hawkstar wasn't allowing any of the rebels out of camp, unless they were accompanied by one of the elite warriors. I think he's beginning to figure out who supports him and who's against him. That's why we need to attack as soon as possible, before one of us ends up like Appletail."

Firepaw shivered with both fear and grief as he remembered the horrible prison den and the friendly she-cat he had found inside. I hope StarClan has accepted her as one of their own, he thought, glancing briefly up at the sky.

"This battle will likely be the final stand against our oppressors," Reedwhisker meowed. "If we don't kill Hawkstar tomorrow, we will never be released from his clutches. That's why we're asking you, as the prophesized cats, to kill him yourselves."

"That's a bit much to ask, don't you think?" Nightpaw growled, raising an eyebrow. Firepaw and Blackpaw both nodded in agreement.

"Look," Beechfur meowed. "We know this will be hard for you, especially since you'll have to come up with a plan by tomorrow, but I'm asking you to try for the good of the Clans. You were the cats chosen by StarClan to do this, and only you can end this reign of terror. Hawkstar has ruled over the Clans for far too long, and it's time you stepped up and did something about it. We, the rebels, refuse to let this go on for any longer. We are brave enough to fight this tyrant and his followers." He stared each of them in the eye. "But are you?"

Firepaw felt his heart stirring as Beechfur spoke, and he had to resist the urge to yowl in agreement with the tom's words. He could see why this young warrior had been chosen as the leader of the rebels. Nightpaw, on the other hand, growled loudly, and her fur began to rise.

"Of course we're brave enough!" she spat, glaring at the warrior. "What do you think we are - a bunch of pampered kittypets?"

"You might as well be, if you won't even try to fulfill your destiny," Beechfur meowed, staring down at her with raised eyebrows. It was obvious he was trying to rile her up so she would agree to fight. This cat is a genius, Firepaw thought in admiration.

"I never said I wouldn't try!" Nightpaw yowled. "I'll be there tomorrow to fight! And so will Firepaw and Blackpaw! Right?"

The brothers nodded their agreement.

"Good," Beechfur meowed, a smile spreading slowly across his face. "We'll see you three tomorrow at sunhigh. Try to keep yourselves alive until then."

With that said, the two warriors turned and began to lope towards TigerClan camp, their tails waving in the air. The littermates stared after them for a few moments before Blackpaw spoke.

"We should probably get back to camp, before any real patrols find us out here," he meowed, glancing around nervously. Firepaw nodded in agreement, and he ran off to dig up his rabbit before they headed back. The three cats regrouped by the old fox den, and they began to pad towards WindClan's abandoned camp, their thoughts focused on everything that had happened that day. It seemed like ages since Firepaw had caught the rabbit that was dangling from his mouth at that very moment.

"How are we supposed to come up with a plan to kill Hawkstar by tomorrow?" Blackpaw asked, glancing at his littermates. Firepaw shrugged absently, though his mind was whirling.

Unexpectedly, his thoughts went to the earlier events of the day, when he and his siblings had nearly been shot down by the Twolegs. Those shiny sticks had to hold power if they could make him and the others so afraid. Once again, he remembered when Nightcloud had been killed so easily, left with only a bleeding hole in her side. And then it hit him.

"Blackpaw, Nightpaw," he meowed, turning to them with wide, excited eyes. "I have an idea."

Mwahahaha! My first cliffie (sort of) since the hiatus! If you can guess what Firepaw's idea is, you get a virtual cookie. :) By the way, the entire time I was writing the second half of the chapter, an albino moth was sitting on the edge of the computer desk, and still is, for that matter. It's pretty gross. Just thought I'd mention that. x)