Hey guys. I know I'm updating early, but I've had nothing to do all day. We found my cat dead on the road this morning, and that's ruined my day beyond your imagination. If you've lost someone you love, you understand. But if you haven't, you have now idea. I knew I couldn't cry the day away, and writing helps me. So here I am, the result of a day of writing. I know it sounds pathetic, but I really hope you like it. And by the way, before I posted this I accidentally posted a chapter for another story of mine. LOL! I'm really sorry for confusing anybody! This is the right chapter. Thanks for your patience!


Chapter Fifteen: Keep Fighting

Brightpaw let out a snarl as he whipped around. Lionpaw chased after him, heart pounding, eyes wide, the blood roaring in his ears. The whole forest was no longer silent as angry roars followed them, with terrified screams echoing around them. Birds cawing, beasts bellowing. The jungle was suddenly dark and terrifying as they wound their way through the tangles and mess of thorns and leaves and branches. Sky mashed with earth as Lionpaw heard many thundering paws behind them, rushing through the jungle towards them.

Lionpaw let a snarl rip his throat as finally the bracken wall of LightningClan camp was in front of his face, and he smashed through, body quivering with fear and adrenaline making his blood flame.

Lions paused to look over at the sudden disruption as Lionpaw and Brightpaw shakily got up, sides heaving, eyes wild. They sensed the fright in the air and all trained their eyes on Lionpaw as he staggered across the clearing, baring his teeth.

"WaterClan is attacking!" he cried.

Instant hisses and roars flamed from his words, but a single, thunderous roar drowned them all out and Snowstar leaped onto the High Rock, massive form shivering with strength as he split his face in an angry cry.
"WaterClan!"

"How do you know?" Bluefur called out from the many gathered warriors, her anxious eyes gazing at her son.

"We smelled them!" Brightpaw gasped.

"And heard them as well. They'll be here any minute! Snowstar, we must ready for a battle!" Lionpaw pleaded with him, silently willing his leader to believe him.

"But they acted fine last night at the Gathering!" Shiverpelt protested, waving her tail.

"They must have acted like that to fool us!" Emberfoot spat, shouldering his way to the front.

"We must protect the cubs!" came a cry from Icetail.

Lionpaw gazed around at LightningClan in dismay. Time was running out! WaterClan would be upon them in seconds, and they were just standing about, as vulnerable as a blind zebra!

"How can we trust them?" Longfang spoke up, voice rumbling as he raced towards Lionpaw, mane twisting in the wind, eyes bright. "You're just two apprentices; no one believes an apprentice." As his eyes glittered, Lionpaw felt fear chill his heart as he wondered if the deputy was talking about more than just the ambush.

"I believe them," came a low snarl, and all the lions turned to see Curlclaw stepping from the crowd, tail thrashing. "Lionpaw is Snowstar's son, and one of the best apprentices we have. I trust both of their words," he added, eyes burning as he gazed at Brightpaw.

The wind suddenly howled as the wind clawed at the lion's pelts. Frostpaw and Rowanpaw darted through the group, staring at Lionpaw. Lionpaw glanced at Frostpaw, and his eyes locked with hers for a brief moment. She was worried, but there was strength in her eyes. Feeling gold power ruffle through him, Lionpaw suddenly stood taller, feeling her strength, and his eyes flashed at Longfang. The deputy drew back his lips in a snarl as Snowstar roared.

"Lions of LightningClan! I trust these apprentices; WaterClan has promised a battle for moons now, and our luck has run out. Warriors, prepare for a fight!"

Excited, nervous roars erupted from the Clan. Lionpaw's heart soared, yet it was darkened by terror: warriors were going to get hurt. He looked up suddenly for Amberpaw or Pebbleheart, wondering where-

There suddenly came a painful smash on the back of his head. Lionpaw snarled and whirled around, then his jaw dropped.

Smashing through the wall of bracken were striped pelts of flame: tigers, roaring and snarling, leapt through, caterwauling, screaming. He had been right- WaterClan was attacking!

"Attack, LightningClan!" Snowstar bellowed, rallying his warriors, though the call was hardly needed; the sudden shock of WaterClan's attack died off quickly as LightningClan's fury lent them power as lion and tiger clashed.

Lionpaw turned quickly, suddenly seeing the tiger who had attacked him. As the clearing twisted with the cries and sounds of battle, with blood and fur already being thrown, the small tiger bared his teeth and jumped at Lionpaw.

Lionpaw tensed, eyes widening. It was a WaterClan apprentice, and he felt excitement wash over him. This was what he had been trained for! He was truly a warrior of LightningClan! Snarling, he jumped at the same time, and they collided, a blur of claws and fur as they rolled furiously, screeching.

"How dare you house a cross-Clan cub!" the apprentice spat.

Lionpaw's eyes widened- it was a tigress! He snarled and twisted, raking his claws across her face. "We're true warriors, ones who never let an apprentice get hurt- unlike some Clans!"

The apprentice's eyes slitted in anger as she swiped at him, crying out and nipping his face. The blood roaring in his ears, Lionpaw felt his chest soar with sudden strength seeping from within as he launched up and bowled her over, tossing the apprentice aside and violently clawing her face. "Get out of here!" he spat.

She hissed in defiance but turned tail, fleeing to find another warrior to fight. Lionpaw spun around, shaking a few droplets of scarlet blood from his muzzle, as his eyes took in the battle. He could see all of his Clanmates struggling furiously; his eyes stretched wide. It was his first battle, and seeing his amiable Clanmates suddenly turned furious, wild fighters was haunting.

Where was Brightpaw?

Feeling suddenly queasy, Lionpaw knew the attack was about Brightpaw and maybe Blackscar, and they had certainly come to hurt them, if not others. He could see the striped apprentice nowhere; fear gripped his chest.
What if his friend had been hurt? He couldn't imagine a life without the cross-Clan apprentice. But no- there was a flash of brownish gold fur, and Lionpaw realized it was Brightpaw.

Feeling relief wash over him, his ears pricked as he realized Pebbleheart was nudging him towards the medicine-lion den. Why? Understanding suddenly hit him: she wanted to get him into shelter so that no WaterClan warrior could hurt him.

Lionpaw's legs suddenly buckled as he turned away from them and felt a huge paw rake at his back. He snarled and fell back, lashing his tail, to see a WaterClan tiger growling furiously at him. Lionpaw swallowed hard, knowing this was not his battle, but jumped at the tiger despite his slightly smaller size. The tiger snapped his jaws and shoved Lionpaw away just as Foxsong, Frostpaw's and Rowanpaw's mother, leapt from the battle and skillfully jumped in between them, knocking the tiger away and protecting Lionpaw.

"How dare you try to strike an apprentice!" she snarled.

"Like LightningClan has any room to talk," the tiger sneered.

Foxsong let out a furious hiss and the lioness clawed at him. Knowing she would be fine, Lionpaw raced away into the crowd, stomach churning, heart racing. Everywhere he looked there were fighting, struggling warriors and spilled blood and ripped fur. The battle had only lasted a few minutes so far, but it was as violent a a war lasting days as far as he was concerned.

His eyes caught Sunpelt, Grasstail, and Rainheart all battling two huge tigers, and not far off Dustmane and Leafstorm were struggling with a powerful-looking tigress with burning amber eyes. Lionpaw watched in dismay as Ivytooth fell below the angry paws of another WaterClan tiger, and Cricketpaw, Rowanpaw, and Frostpaw all appeared to be taking on a single tigress. Shock hit Lionpaw as he realized the tigress was no other than Featherfoot!

He took a step towards them, but was startled as Longfang suddenly rolled in front of him, knocked over by the enemy. He fell with a smash, but the lion snarled and leapt up, tail thrashing, shaking his great mane, as a muscled tiger pounced at him, his teeth glittering.

Lionpaw gasped and fell back. The close-call left him breathless, and it was also hard to see so many tigers at once. He'd never been to a Gathering, and his only run-in with WaterClan had been a couple days ago when he,
Brightpaw, and Frostpaw had crossed into their territory. They were bigger than he'd imagined, and fierce like in the stories elders told.

Shaking himself, Lionpaw dodged around the fighting warriors just as Longfang powerfully bowled the tiger off of him. Suddenly realizing the tiger had a strange rip in his tail, Lionpaw thought it must be Torntail, deputy of WaterClan and father to the dead Littlecloud.

That makes him Brightpaw's kin.

Shivering, Lionpaw slipped his way through the fighting Clans until he was near the other apprentices and Featherfoot. "Hey!" he spat as she clawed at Frostpaw. "Get your paws off her!"

Rowanpaw snarled in defiance at Lionpaw. "We can fight our own battles without your precious help!"

Lionpaw's spine stiffened. Just last night, the prickly apprentice had saved him from an attack by that DarkClan panther. Apparently he still felt nothing towards Lionpaw. "Oh really?" Lionpaw growled as he jumped at Featherfoot.

"You!" Featherfoot hissed, recognizing him as one of the apprentices who had stumbled into her territory just days ago.

"Lionpaw!" Cricketpaw cried out excitedly.

Lionpaw leapt at the tigress's face and unsheathed his claws, ripping at her eyes, just as Snowstar had taught him. They were the weak spot to attack first.

"Get off of me, runt!" Featherfoot snarled, clawing at her face to knock him down.

"Attack!" Frostpaw cried. She, Cricketpaw, and Rowanpaw dived at Featherfoot, overwhelming her. She finally knocked Lionpaw off and fell back, tail lashing. She might have been a full-grown warrior, but four apprentices equaled at least two full-grown warriors, and the tigress knew she was outmatched.

"Where is your beloved cross-Clan cub?" she hissed. "He's the reason we're here. You give him to us, we'll leave."

"I for one don't trust you!" Rowanpaw snarled, swiping at her.

Featherfoot's eyes darkened. "Very well," the tigress growled, and in one swift movement, leapt over all their heads and pounded into the fight, eager to find Brightpaw and hurt him.

"Come on! We're not done yet!" Lionpaw called to his friends, and with the sweep of his tail led the apprentices back towards the fight. His mind calculating the tigers around him, Lionpaw knew he had to find the tiger who'd led the ambush. If they got rid of the lead tiger, the others would scatter.

"Find the one who led them!" he bellowed over the roar of the fighting Clans.

"There!" Cricketpaw shouted, eyes burning.

Lionpaw followed her gaze and could barely make out through the fighting a huge, pale-white lion smudged with blood and dirt, fighting a huge tiger with a ripped tail. "Snowstar and Torntail!" Lionpaw gasped.

There suddenly came a piercing wail. The fighting did not stop, but Lionpaw jumped back, as they all looked anxiously for who had cried out in agony. Eyes wide, he saw a scraggly, skinny lion under the weight of
Featherfoot, whose jowls were tug deep in his throat. His body was covered in blood and dirt, and he was barely recognizable...

"Blackscar!" Frostpaw breathed.

"She's killing him!" Rowanpaw bellowed.

Heart thudding, Lionpaw felt the world spin. Of course- she'd go after the lion she felt was responsible for the death of her sister, Littlecloud. And she was a powerful fighter, ten times stronger than Blackscar. Frozen, Lionpaw stared in horror. He couldn't let a Clanmate die, but the scene unfolding before him was too much-

"NO!" came a scream.

Brightpaw streaked from the medicine-lion den, Amberpaw chasing after him. He flew at Featherfoot, body tense with rage, as he latched on to her leg and bit hard. Featherfoot released her death-grip on Brightpaw's father and threw her head back in pain, tail lashing.

"Go!" Cricketpaw snarled, and Lionpaw shook himself, suddenly awake, as the four apprentices dove across the bloodied clearing and once again found themselves up against Featherfoot.

"You're the reason my sister's dead!" Featherfoot wailed, face broken in grief and confused anger. "I'm going to kill you!"

"No! Brightpaw!" Lionpaw cried, leaping towards the tigress. Featherfoot's face twisted in disgust as she violently shook Brightpaw away, knocking him against a slate of rock. There was an ugly smashing noise of Brightpaw's skull hitting into the rock, and his body slumped into the grass, motionless.

Amberpaw, who'd chased after the escaped apprentice, stared at his body in shock. Lionpaw felt Featherfoot throw him off just as Cricketpaw and Rowanpaw leapt at her, driving her away from Blackscar's motionless, bloody body. Frostpaw let out a terrified wail and ran to Lionpaw.

"Lionpaw! Lionpaw, get up-"

Lionpaw couldn't feel anything. Her voice suddenly faded, and the battle grew so loud it suddenly destroyed his ears. Everything was painfully silent and confusing. Slowly, Lionpaw felt himself stood up. Feeling like he was watching himself from another lion's eyes, he limped over to the rock, staring blankly at Brightpaw, unable to accept the truth.

A final roar suddenly smashed his ears. Lionpaw swayed and fell back as he looked up. Snowstar, covered in blood and dark mud, was atop the High Rock, roaring in victory. He had defeated Torntail; the WaterClan deputy, now looking exhausted, angry, and covered in wounds, slipped away, letting out a furious roar as he went. It was the cry of defeat.

Quickly now, the battle thinned, as lions chased the defeated WaterClan warriors from the camp. Featherfoot shot Lionpaw a loathing look before disappearing with her Clan, until the clearing was finally empty of any WaterClan warrior.

Snowstar watched WaterClan run, his victory cry dying in his throat as his shoulders sagged, revealing how exhausted he was. Shaking himself, Snowstar leapt down from the High Rock to meet his Clan.

It was quiet. Low murmurs and a few scattered cries of victory blossomed in the air, but everyone was tired and hurt. Amberpaw shot Lionpaw a strained look before disappearing into the medicine-lion den and coming back out, leading Pebbleheart, with herbs stuffed in their mouths, ready to treat the wounded.

Lionpaw let his head fall between his paws. They had won the battle; WaterClan was driven out. But had the price been too high?

Last chapter, something was weird with the format, and I have no idea what went wrong. If it happens again, I'm sorry.