Chapter 9, people! Yay, I got 7 reviews since I last updated! I am starting to get a following! :) Here are my replies to your reviews.

Laughing Rain: Sorry, Firestar, I'm gonna have to borrow your cats for a few books….sorry…yes; Mousefur is a very good character. It is a shame she doesn't get much of a look-in any more in the real stories…

TheFictionGeeksOfDoom/Cinderfoot: I rectified my clapping mistake…:)…Ashfur was talking about….well…you'll see what happens. As for Cinderpelt, she has to come because I have some very interesting plans for her and Sorreltail's kits…and you can never have too many medicine cats (as long as Brightheart and Leafpool are not in a 20 mile radius of each other! :P)

Starryskywishes235 – Thank you, I am updating. RIGHT NOW!!! :D

Nianque: Thanks for reviewing again, I hope you like this chapter.

Avatar: Oooh, I have my plans for our rebellious RiverClan kitty…

Jill: *falls unconscious at the amount of praise his story has gotten for Jill, puts up a little sign, saying "Thank you, ~Jill~!"*

QWERTY – nice name, and I ain't giving up this story any time soon!

Point of View…………..Crowstar….then………..FIRESTAR!! Yay!

Happy Reading, From Leopardstorm!

Chapter 9 – Five Turn To Three

We were finally home. I was anxious to get home after the previous evening's events. Today is going to completely change the shape of the Clans…I hoped that this wasn't a bad thing. How could it be? More cats for our Clan! I looked up. The green-leaf sun was already up. We had little time to prepare ourselves until we went back again.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the GorgeRock for a Clan meeting," I yowled the familiar call as I jumped up onto the GorgeRock. "I'm pretty sure most of you know about the events of last night," the Clan nodded.

"I will take a small patrol to the Gathering Island, and we will see how it goes. The Clan may look very different when we get back, to what it is now," I shouted confidently, while making sure my own doubts weren't showing through my voice.

"I will take Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight, Nightpaw, Leafpool, Stonepaw, Stormfur, Ravenclaw, Moorpelt, Blackpaw and Sunpaw. We can't take too many cats, or there will be no room on the island. I would like to talk to Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight and Leafpool privately now," I nodded to the three cats to meet me in the den.

The moss, I had noticed, had been changed, and there was a rabbit waiting for me and Leafpool. I, however, was really not hungry. I just wanted to get this morning's encounter over and done with.

I decided to get straight to the point, "what do we do?" I asked worriedly.

"It's the other cats' decision if they decide to leave," Squirrelflight said. "I just want to know how the other Clans will take it, especially if Ashfur is planning to start is own Clan like he threatened to do at the Gathering. If cats also go to him, the Clans around the lake may not have enough cats to make one Clan, let alone four!"

"We just have to remain cool, and not lose our composure. If this goes wrong, it could spell disaster for all cats around the lake, and beyond." Brambleclaw shuddered gravely as Squirrelflight nosed the rabbit.

"Are you gonna eat this?" Squirrelflight asked bluntly. Brambleclaw kicked her sharply in the side.

"No," I conceded as Squirrelflight tucked in with Brambleclaw shaking his head at his mate's bluntness.

"You are going to need to eat, Crowstar," Leafpool padded out of the leader's den for a few moments, and then returned with a juicy water-vole. "Here, eat!" Leafpool looked as though if she was going to rip my fur off if I didn't. I ate in a few ravenous gulps, each being painful to swallow due to my lack of appetite.

What was I going to do?

-x-

Ever since I got back from the shocking Gathering, cats were already bidding farewell to each other, and visiting the places that they had lived in for so long. It was painful seeing so many talented cats slipping through ThunderClan's fingers. I didn't know what cats were going to do, or rather, where they were going to go, but, even if we didn't lose too many cats, I feared that we wouldn't have enough cats to still be a Clan.

"Eat, Firestar," Cinderpelt was limping into my den. "You will need your strength for today."

Cinderpelt said that she was going to leave to be with Leafpool and her apprentice, Nightpaw. A Clan could never have too many medicine cats, she added just as I was about to interrupt her.

"Do you have to go?" I asked the grey-furred she-cat. "Leafpool says she has an apprentice, they won't need another one…." I really didn't want her to leave. She was my closet friend, along with Sandstorm and Greystripe.

"Then come with me!" Cinderpelt mewed quietly. "You, Sandstorm, Greystripe and Millie come with me. I'm sure EarthClan would accept you. And you will be in the same Clan as your daughters."

"But what about ThunderClan, I can't leave them now. And I'm sure Greystripe and Sandstorm wouldn't want to go." It pained me to see her face cover with sadness, but my duty was to be leader of ThunderClan.

"If you're sure," Cinderpelt looked very hurt. "I guess this is goodbye…" she stared down at the paws in what looked to be embarrassment. What did she have to be embarrassed about?

"I'll still see you at Gatherings…" I mewed in defence, really trying to see something good coming out of this.

"No you won't," she glared at me with deep sadness in her eyes. "You'll just forget me, and carry on with life, while the crippled medicine-cat sits in the corner alone. I thought you were more loyal than that, Firestar."

"Cinderpelt, wait I didn't mean-"but she had already gone. I really would miss her. I don't think she knew how much I would.

"Someone's upset Cinderpelt," Sandstorm had walked in carrying a mouse in her jaws. I looked at the ground sheepishly. "Oh, what have you done now, Firestar?"

"She asked me to come with her to EarthClan," I repeated slowly. "Well, she said she'd like all of us to come."

"And you said that…" Sandstorm rolled her eyes.

"…my duty was being ThunderClan's leader. What was I supposed to do?" I asked roughly.

"Firestar, you really are as dim-witted as the rest of the toms. And you have no way with words when it comes to she-cats…"he rolled her eyes again as I started spluttering in defence of myself.

"I-I-I-I-now hold on a second-"I was cut off by Sandstorm's 'tuts'.

"It is so obvious that Cinderpelt likes you!" Sandstorm looked so annoyed that she had to 'spell it out' for me.

"Of course she does, she's my friend!" I mewed.

Now Sandstorm looked frustrated, "no! As in, she fancies you!"

What? No, she can't do, she's a medicine cat…But then my mind flashes back to the past…

FLASHBACK!!

"Every cat in the Clan can see that Sandstorm likes you…" Cinderpaw said, slightly wistfully.

"You're going to have kits!" Cinderpelt exclaimed, while still looking at her paws.


"Please come with me, Firestar…" her voice was whirling round in my head, echoing my name over and over again…until blackness came over me, my eyes rolling around in my head…"

"Firestar, wake up…" a voice sounded somewhere behind me. Next thing I knew…WHAM! Ice cold water was thrown at my face on a wet piece of moss. I was still in my den, with Sandstorm trying to get me to speak. I must have fainted…my mind registered the thought weakly…

"Oh…what happened…?" I asked weakly.

"You came over all stiff, then your eyes came into the back of your head and you passed out." Sandstorm said matter-of-factly. "Now will you see that you are breaking apart such a long friendship?" she pressed the fact that I would be losing Cinderpelt.

"I know…but I must be loyal to my Clan," I said miserably. "Come on, we have to leave for the Switch-Over Gathering…"

I lapped up some water, and got ready to say my speech to the Clan. I used the old call and waited for the cats to gather round the Highledge.

"Today, we will lose some cats. I know that is what you wish to do, and I can not stop you. I just want to say there was never a Clan as warm-hearted, as courageous, as brave, as-"

"Can we just go, already?" Mousefur yowled from the back. I nodded sadly as I led the band of cats through the forest to the island. No one really talked on the way there, just little things like, "Excuse me…" or "Sorry…" if they tripped someone up. Even the kits were quiet…

We finally got to the island, noticing that EarthClan, RiverClan and WindClan were already there. Warriors carried kits over the tree-bridge as we sat down in the ThunderClan corner. Once we had settled down, the ShadowClan cats came without a sound and settled in the opposite corner to us.

Crowstar went to stand in the middle of the island.

"Shall we get this over with?" he said exasperatedly. The other leaders, including me, nodded.

The new EarthClan leader took a deep breath, "would all cats that are from ThunderClan, pleas-"he was cut off by the yowl of a familiar grey warrior.

"So," he said, contempt dripping from his voice like falling rain off a branch. "You low-lives have decided to engage in this act of treason?"

"Yes, Ashfur, and what does it have to do with you?" Crowstar looked at him like Ashfur had just mated with a cloud.

"Oh, everything…" he flicked his tail. Out of the covert of the trees and bushes came out Hawkfrost and another cat, with long brown-tortoiseshell fur and amber eyes stepped forward. What in the name of StarClan was happening?

"This," Ashfur pointed to the newcomer, "is Sol. He is a loner who knows about herbs and StarClan and is willing to become a medicine cat for DarkClan."

"DarkClan?" everybody said in unison.

"Yes, DarkClan!" Ashfur raised his head pompously as the other cats just looked on. "Hawkfrost has agreed to be my deputy as we will make the forest great again!"

We didn't know what to say after that introduction. Crowstar cleared his throat roughly as he stood in the middle again.

"Right, anyway, cats who wish to join EarthClan from ThunderClan, please step forward," he motioned for the cats who wanted to join him to stand before him and his Clan.

I noticed that Cinderpelt had stood forward straight away; giving me one, last look of sadness and betrayal before looking at Leafpool, who was smiling slightly. Then I looked closer at my cats; many of them had stood forward. How will we survive with pitiful numbers such as this?!

"Cats that wish to join DarkClan from ThunderClan, step forward," Ashfur's hard mew was ringing in the air. I looked down at the warriors; none of them had moved.

"Just as I thought…" I heard Ashfur mutter under his breath.

"Cats from RiverClan that wish to join EarthClan, please step forward," Crowstar turned to look at the RiverClan cats. Quite a number had stood forward in their ranks; Leopardstar was looking on in regret.

"And for joining DarkClan?" Ashfur looked at the cats that were left. This time a few cats did join Ashfur, Hawkfrost and Sol in the centre. I recognised Blackclaw as one of them. He was a formidable fighter who would die for his leader. Not somebody I would like on the opposing team…

Crowstar and Ashfur did the same for ShadowClan. Surprisingly, a few cats came to Crowstar, while many went off to Ashfur, including Rowanclaw (Tawnypelt bristled with anger and betrayal) and even Blackstar. Hawkfrost was looking at him with a smug look on his face. This could cause trouble…

Finally, they turned to WindClan. Many of the WindClan warriors returned to the same Clan as their old warrior; however some cats went off to DarkClan, noticeably the cats that had supported Mudclaw and Hawkfrost.

"Now that that is over, we shall leave," Ashfur nodded to the remaining cats and calmly walked out of the clearing with his warriors behind him.

Crowstar also nodded awkwardly and gestured for his warriors to follow him. They also left the clearing in silence. Eventually, we were the only cats left. We huddled together to talk.

"What do we do now?" Leopardstar fretted. "We don't have enough cats for one Clan, let alone four!"

"I think we should merge to become one Clan," I suggested. "We'd be much safer together than trying to brave it alone."

The other leaders flicked their ears in agreement. "You will be leader of course, Firestar," Onestar said, not in hostility, but conceding.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"I am getting too old to lead a Clan," Leopardstar dipped her head.

"I am too inexperienced to do this; you are the best cat for the job," Onestar added.

I nodded and gestured for my Clan to follow. I couldn't predict the future, but something told me that after this calm, a huge storm was going to blow over…

So that is Chapter 9! I am going to upload the allegiances tonight as well. It will be quite confusing without it, so I'll give you what it says on my crib sheet that I made with all the info on it.

Please review, and continue to tell me who you think the unexpected enemy will be!

Don't forget to read Nuclear War – Warriors!!

Peace out, people and have a super evening from the UK!

From Leopardstorm!!

(This is the longest story so far!!)