Aa. : " Third Chapter up! I think I'm doing pretty good considering how much I've had to do recently... :)"
Firestar: " This is SO repititve...you always say the same thing: Please read and review...blah blah blah."
Aa. " Firestar you're starting up some memory loss there..."
Firestar: " Nuh uh!" * snaps his fingers in a diva way *
Aa.: " You forgot to say that I don't own Warriors."
Flamepaw+ Moonpaw+ Fallenpaw+ Poolaw: " You own us!"
Aa.: "Wait- Firestar- how'd you spap- you don't have fingers."
Firestar: " Secret..."
Aa.: "Ooookay...so let's go ahead with the chap-"
Lionblaze: " Aa.- I don't like Heathertail anymore!"
Heathertail: " Well I don't like you either!"
Aa.: "Guys- you don't actually have to- pretend remember?"
Lionblaze: * death stares at Heathertail* : " I can pretend." * walks away*
Firestar: " Wait up! Wasn't this the chapter in which I was supposed to pretend to di-"
Aa.: * throws Firestar into the lake* " Shut it !"
CHAPTER!
Moonpaw kept close to his mentor as he pricked his ears to catch every advice Doveflight was trying to give him.
" ShadowClan warriors will always go for the obvious strike, they think as bluntly as their paw strikes hit you. It should be easy to dodge blows, as you have shown yourself to be a very stealthy cat.
And look over your back and help your clanmates if they need it." Doveflight nodded at him, her eyes softening with encouragement before leaping away to talk to Lionblaze.
For a flitting moment, Moonpaw felt like he himself could stand on Highrock. He truly had become a true clan cat- his belly fat all gone, replaced by a slim form that, as Doveflight had said, the clan knew
him for. The stench of ShadowClan cats reached them before the forms were actually visible. Moonpaw looked up at the sky and refrained from yowling yet again. The sun was setting and soon, too
soon, the night sky would engulf them in blindness. His tail lashing from side to side, Moonpaw bumped right into Graystripe's rump. The senior warrior shot a glance back at him, but remained quiet as
further up, Brambleclaw had stopped running and now had his back turned to the spitting cats, addressing his clanmates.
" ThunderClan will not let other cats give themselves the right to invade our land. It is our territory and I expect everyone of you to fight for it with tooth and claw," he glanced up and his ears flicked
before he set his amber eyes back on the attentive cats,
" yes, it seems that we will be fighting in the dark-"
" But how?" Moonpaw blurted and felt himself flood with relief when Brambleclaw did not snap at him. Instead, the deputy pointed at the sky with his tail as he mewed,
" Look at the stars Moonpaw, they are shining bright and so the moon will be with us."
" I don't see it." Moonpaw was still unsure. Just as he spoke, the ThunderClan cats were suddenly basking in full, brilliant moonlight. All of the cats instinctively looked up and gasped.
" There is no moon."
" Moonpaw, the moon will always be with you." Brambleclaw mewed, his eyes intense on his silver pelt.
Before Moonpaw could ask about Brambleclaw's strange wording, he signalled and the cats sprung into battle like shooting stars across Silverpelt. Moonpaw shook his head as though to clear it; surely
Brambleclaw had meant: Moonpaw, the moon will always be with us…? But something about the way Brambleclaw had said it made it sound like so much more. His paws padded and brought his body
along, but Moonpaw felt detached, like he were seeing through some other cat's eyes.
" Mreeeooooowww!" the breath was knocked out of him as something huge hit his side and sharp claws started pinning him to the ground.
" If this is what ThunderClan brings to battles, they must be weaker than we think!" the cat pinning Moonpaw down sneered and he recognized Tawnypelt from Gatherings and wondered how the
she-cat could feel so cold toward her kin's clan. He wondered how hard it would be to fight against her own kin, and Moonpaw guessed that was why Brambleclaw had chosen to fight at the other end
of the clearing.
Moonpaw's attention was snapped back to the present as Tawnypelt struck her claws across his muzzle. Blood started to trickle down into his mouth and he spat out the thick liquid. With strange
ferocity, all of Doveflight's moves sprung back into his mind. Moonpaw tensed all of his leg muscles and pushed up with such strength that Tawnypelt went staggering some fox-lengths away. Quickly,
Moonpaw stood and unsheathed his claws as he snarled.
" I'm almost a warrior, and one of the best fighters in my clan; so yes you can be afraid." Wow, that sounded so much less lame in my head, Moonpaw thought as a light pelt flashed by him,
" This is no time for boasting, c'mon!" Brackenfur mewed and before he could strike, Tawnypelt was on her hind legs, throwing blows at him.
Brackenfur matched them blow for blow and Moonpaw ran away to see if he could help someone else. Flamepaw's ginger ear tips struck out as Moonpaw located him, fighting a huge ShadowClan cat.
Throwing up dirt as he ran, Moonpaw placed himself right behind the distracted tom, and jumped onto his back, making him sway as Flamepaw ran his claws across the tom's muzzle, once, twice,
thrice. As the cat started to rebut, Moonpaw raked his own claws down the ShadowClan cat's flanks and only let him go when he begged Flamepaw and him to. They watched him scurry away, their chests heaving.
" Nice job!" Flamepaw flicked his tail before he bounded away, leaving Moonpaw all alone in the mists of fighting cats.
Moonpaw found Tigerheart sneaking up behind Bumblestripe, but before he could help his clanmate, a sharp nip came on his tail and Moonpaw whipped around growling but stopped just short of
landing a blow on Doveflight.
" Try using your nose to locate your clanmates." Doveflight snapped and then laid her tail on Moonpaw's shoulders, " come with me, quick. Make sure no cat sees us." Doveflight whispered and trotted
away, Moonpaw hot on her paws.
Once they were in the safety of the looming trees, far enough from the battle so that no cat would see them, Doveflight sat down, her fur on end.
" Why are you bringing me here, we should be helping them!" Moonpaw's ears flatted on his head.
" We are you mouse-brain! You don't even know what I was going to say!"
" Well say it quick then!" Moonpaw's heart was racing.
" Riverclan is coming."
" What?" Moonpaw was almost sure Doveflight had not said what he thought he had heard.
" You heard me! ShadowClan has somehow convinced RiverClan to come help them!"
" There aren't enough of us in ThunderClan alone to fight two clans!"
Doveflight sighed, obviously exasperated with her apprentice.
" I know Moonpaw! Squirrelflight ran to tell Firestar and he says that he will be coming with another battle patrol. But that's still not enough."
Then Moonpaw understood and he wanted to claw Doveflight's ears off for not just coming to the point sooner.
"We have to get Windclan!" he started to run in the direction of the WindClan border but Doveflight made him stop.
" Behave, please…the clan depends on it- make sure your wording is right. You have to make Onestar believe that he has to fight with us!" her last words drifted to him as he ran.
The wind flattened his pelt as he pushed his legs to bring him faster and faster. All of the clans would be fighting each other if Onestar accepted to help. Had that even ever happened before?
Before he knew it, Moonpaw was at the WindClan border and he almost jumped in over joy as he spotted a border patrol padding away.
" Wait! Wait!" Moonpaw yelled and was glad to see heads turn back.
He stopped running at the border, wanting to stay on friendly connections so far.
" Hey, isn't that the newest kittypet in ThunderClan's kittypet collection?" one of the cats, Breezepelt, sneered.
Moonpaw forced his fur to lie flat but he couldn't help the quievering of his whiskers. If only I was fighting him. Moonpaw pushed the thought away as a heather coloured cat with beautiful blue eyes
padded towards him. Heathertail.
" Hush Breezepelt."
But the pushy tom completely ignored her as he turned his head and yowled to the rest of his patrol.
" ThunderClan invasion!"
Heathertail hissed and whipped around, her blue eyes fire, but Moonpaw spoke before she could,
" If you consider a lone cat and invasion, then you set your standards pretty high." Moonpaw commented, his mew flowing thick with sarcasm.
Heathertail spat something at Breezepelt before turning back to Moonpaw
" I need to speak with Onestar." Moonpaw metered urgently, his ears straining to hear what was going on at the ShadowClan border.
Heathertail looked at him for some more time and then signalled for him to come into WindClan territory.
" Why should WindClan lives be risked for ThunderClan cats?" Onestar had his head cocked to one side, not completely hostile toward the ThunderClan apprentice.
Moonpaw let his tail whip through the air silently and forced his mew to stay polite.
" Because RiverClan have joined against us!" Moonpaw mewed for the tenth time.
" Why did ThunderClan send a mere apprentice into enemy camp for such an important mission?"
This time Moonpaw couldn't help his mew from becoming a hiss.
" Because all the other warriors are too busy trying to stay alive, can't you see that?"
Onestar gazed at him with wide eyes, surprised.
Moonpaw flicked his ears and turned around, about to pad away, already imagining his clan's disappointed faces as they would see that he had brought no help.
" Wait! WindClan will come to fight."Onestar trotted past Moonpaw, out of his den, and faced the expectant faces of his clan.
" ThunderClan are in trouble as the two other clans have joined forces against them, why is not important, but they have come to us for help, and so we will."
" Why should we? They never did anything for us!"
Onestar lifted his lip at Breezepelt.
" Are WindClan cowards, to say no to a battle?"
Silence crept over the clan as determination set into the cats' eyes.
" Ashfoot will lead Tornear, Owlwhisker, Crowfeather, Kestrelflight, Nightcloud, Weaselful, Heathertail and Breezepelt," then Onestar turned around to say something to Moonpaw but Crowfeather
interrupted him.
" Kestrelflight is a medicine cat apprentice!"
The cat in person stepped out from the crowd,
" Yes, but that is not what I always have been. I used to train to be a warrior and Barkface has not let this knowledge be replaced by herb names."
Oncestar nodded.
" He will serve our clan well-"
" Onestar?" Moonpaw broke in, his brain making him imagine pain yelps coming from his clan.
They needed to get there fast- this clan business could wait until later- the battle couldn't.
" Right, let's go."
Onestar took the lead, Moonpaw was pushed around and ended up mingled in the WindClan cats.
" I will do everything I can to help ThunderClan." Heathertail's voice was soft in his ears and Moonpaw did not bother to wonder why there was so much determination mixed with other feelings in her
voice.
She was help, and help was what they needed. No questions asked.
Oakfur, Snowbird, Smokefoot and Rowanclaw. All were running away, tails between their legs. They had been the last four cats left fighting out of both clans, and Moonpaw had taken them on by
himself, the power flowing through him mysteriously.
Of course, Lionblaze had been the one to beat the most cats, but for some reason, no cat had felt the need to come and help Moonpaw. All had stared in awe as the four enemy cats had lurked around
him like sharks.
Especially Firestar.
Moonpaw sat in the middle of the clearing that just heartbeats ago had been a battle scene, and felt his belly lurch at the smell of blood coming from his pelt. Nearly all of it coming from other cats.
Digusted, he started grooming his pelt, his head bent low over his muscled belly. Suddenly, a nigh on perfect circle formed around him, causing him to swim in moonlight.
Above, up in the sky, shun a full moon. All the cats gasped ( WindClan had gone home ) and Firestar did a double take.
" StarClan approves…" a whisper escaped him and Moonpaw cocked his head to the side, and wondered if he had imagined the words.
The flame coloured leader stepped toward him and flicked his ear with his tail.
" You fought well today Moonpaw, in more ways then one."
Moonpaw looked up into Firestar's proud eyes and purred in contentment.
" Let's go home!" Firestar mewed and the cats started to stream back into the deeper parts of the forest.
" Um, Firestar, can I stay out a little bit…I need to be alone for a while."
Firestar looked at him careful and nodded before padding away to join his clan.
Moonpaw stared at his paws as they took him nowhere in particular. He felt so much energy in them, he thought it would be impossible to sleep for moons yet.
Out of nowhere, he heard tiny paws scurry across the forest floor.
" Mouse!" he whispered and he dropped into a hunting crouch.
Stealthy as ever, Moonpaw crept toward the mouse and was about to leap when he stepped on a dry twig and it broke in half with a loud snap. The mouse, now alerted, scurried across the forest
floor and Moonpaw dashed after it. Before he could stop himself, he crashed into a bush as he tried to follow the mouse.
" Oh this is just great." he mumbled as he untangled himself from the bush branches. He placed one paw out of the bush when he heard a quiet hiss.
" Lionblaze!"
Moonpaw threw himself back into the bush, smelling WindClan cat. The scent was too familiar- Heahtertail. What was she doing trying to speak with Lionblaze in private? Moonpaw perked his ears
and made himself as small as possible as Lionblaze came into view. Grateful, Moonpaw noticed that the wind was blowing their scent towards him and not vice versa. Mouse forgotten, he listened.
" I'm glad you came." Heathertail mewed as it wasn't the first time she said the words.
Lionblaze hesitated, as if on guard and then looked up into Heathertail's blue eyes.
" I want to tell you something." as she spoke, Moonpaw noticed that she twined her tail to Lionblaze's, and the latter did not flinch away, but Heathertail did not speak.
" Heathertail, speak if you have to. I wouldn't even be here if-"
" I want to join ThunderClan." she blurted, her eyes full of emotion, " if you want me….to." she added the last word as if in precaution.
" What?" Lionblaze's eyes were wide as the moon.
What? Moonpaw silently echoed him and leaned in to listen better.
Heathertail cocked her head to the side, now hopeful.
A purr sounded from Lionblaze and his eyes melted with love. For a moment, he wrapped his tail around Heathertail but then he stepped back.
" Cinderheart…" he murmured so low Moonpaw thought it had simply been the breeze whistling in his ears.
But Heathertail had heard it, although Lionblaze did not leave her the chance to speak.
" No Heathertail. You belong in WindClan, and I belong with Cinderheart." this time the name was too clear to be ignored.
Heathertail's ears flattened to her head and she unsheathed her claws.
" Do not ever speak to me again Lionblaze. And although I have told you this before, I truly mean it this time." she growled and whipped away, never looking back.
Lionblaze looked like he was about to go after her but he stayed put and with sorrow in his eyes he padded back to camp.
Moonpaw followed, always staying downwind, and he stayed hidden behind a tree as Lionblaze paused at the camp entrance.
He looked back vaguely where he and Heathertail had met, and Moonpaw could see love in his eyes that quickly turned to determination.
" Cinderheart." he mewed firmly, his mew full of love for his mate.
Moonpaw purred despite himself as the moon started to shine on the spot Lionblaze had just vacated as he stepped into the camp.
" StarClan approves." Moonpaw mewed, the words not truly coming from him as Spottedleaf's scent wafted through the air.