This chapter ended up being 3,003 words long! :D A really long chapter to make up for last chapter's insufficient 1,300-ish words! I'm also really excited because this chapter is out JUST ONE DAY after the last one! *does a happydance* Plus the weather's really nice. I don't know why but the weather always affects my mood.

Leopardstar2002: Yeah, I get the kind of not wanting to. XD I never liked practicing instruments.

ShadowHawk540: My brother plays the French Horn and my friend plays both guitar and piano. O.o But yeah, I also play a little piano, but I'm not good at it. YAY SUMMER! :D

walkswithwheels: Music definitely has been a huge part of your life so far! But yeah, that second series famine wasn't so much too many cats, but rather Twolegs scaring away prey. And I guess leader deaths are so uncommon that a double ceremony would probably be pretty rare. That would be cool to do, though! ^^ And Cinderstrike hasn't yet gotten back, but she will this chapter. I said in the last Cinderstrike chapter that she was about a day away, I think. Singing kind of sounds fun, but I've always had bad stage fright so I'd never join my school's choir. Handbells does sound fun, though! I heard a handbell group perform Carol of the Bells and it was really cool. Oh, and I took German for three years so I know what a Glockenspiel is. :) Very German instrument. And the competitiveness of colleges is probably why I won't continue swimming in college. I've heard it takes over your entire life, and though I enjoy swimming, I probably wouldn't be that dedicated.

QLKwriter: I've read a bunch of Fanfictions where the chapters are like 3,000 words long on average. I felt rather inadequate when I looked at my own chapters, but it's tough for me to sit down with the intent of writing a 2,000 word chapter. 1,600 words is good enough to convince me to write and if the chapter needs to be longer, then I keep writing! :) I find that tactic works well with getting out chapters. And I'm sorry, this chapter has a lot of Cinder x Fox in it. :( It's just at the end, though, and there's a bunch of other things that happen, so I'm sure you'll like it anyway!

Willowdream of ForestClan: Here she is! ;) The band sounds like fun! My youth group has a band thing but I'm not part of it. They play really good music, though! ^^

Cinderstrike's POV

I set a hard pace the next day, eager to be back at the lake with Sootpaw and Rainpaw, if he had returned. I wondered how LeopardClan was coping. Had NightClan attacked again or had they held off? Please hold off for just one more day, I thought desperately. Sure, the RiverClan cats were lean and weak from the recent epidemic, but they could help fight at least.

We managed to reach the lake around Sunhigh, though many cats were utterly exhausted by that point and demanded a rest. I caved under the pressure and, after watching the cats settle down for a short break, paced down to the lake.

I couldn't keep still. Back and forth I padded, tail swishing in the breeze blowing from off the lake, gazing across at the trees I knew to be LeopardClan's territory. To think that I was so close, but still so far away.

Sootpaw? I called, trying to stretch my mind across the water to mind-speak with my brother. Sootpaw, are you there? Can you hear me?

I didn't hear a response. Sighing, I sat by the edge of the water, gazing into the stony gray lake, reflecting the clouds above. I spotted movement out of the corner of my eye. Foxtooth had come to stare at the lake with me.

"Are you worried about your brothers?" he asked.

I nodded. "You?"

"Yeah."

I grimaced. "This stupid quest has torn us apart. I can't believe I've gone a whole half moon without seeing Sootpaw or Rainpaw."

"Yeah," Foxtooth meowed again.

I glanced sideways at him. He was staring longingly across the lake to LeopardClan territory. "You didn't have to come with me to begin with," I murmured quietly. "You could have stayed with Rustpelt."

Foxtooth shrugged. "Yeah. But some things are more important than family."

I looked quickly away. Earlier in the quest, I would have been disgusted with his feeble attempts to flirt with me. But now that he'd matured a little, I wasn't sure what to do. And that statement hadn't seemed like flirting. It was much too emotionless and quiet.

A semi-awkward silence fell. I shifted my paws and continued staring into the water. Then, after several long heartbeats, I heard something in my mind.

Cinderpaw?

It was quiet, almost not there, but I still heard it. Joy suddenly filled my heart and I sprang to my paws, almost leaping into the water if it could bring me closer to my brother. I could hear him!

Sootpaw! I grinned widely, though I was barely conscious of it. I'm not Cinderpaw anymore. Guess what my warrior name is? I didn't wait for him to respond. It's Cinderbloodscarfighterstar.

I waited for his reply, sure that he must be rolling over laughing back at the camp. But then his voice echoed in my mind and the grin dropped from my face as quickly as a flicker of lightning.

NightClan attacked. We're losing the fight. Rainsky and I took one of Nightstar's lives but I don't know how many he has left. Help us, Cinder… Cinderblood.

"Foxtooth!" I gasped. "They're under attack!"

Foxtooth leaped to his paws, staring at me in horror. For a moment, real fear flashed in his eyes. I knew it must be reflected in my own.

"We have to help!" he cried, bounding immediately around the side of the lake.

I dashed to where Rushstar lay beside her three kits. "LeopardClan is under attack," I explained in a rush, speaking as quickly as I could while still being understood. "Foxtooth and I are going to run ahead to help. Get RiverClan together as fast as you can and follow us. They're in ThunderClan's old camp." Then, without waiting for her nod of assent, I dashed after Foxtooth.

Together we sprinted around the lake, past high, grassy hills, our eyes fixed on the faraway trees. Eight paws pounded in a steady rhythm. Thump-thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump-thump. Thump-thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump-thump. My breaths were ragged in my ears, and I could hear Foxtooth panting beside me. Neither of us were used to running this much.

"Foxtooth," I gasped finally when we'd crossed about half of WindClan's territory. "We have to stop running."

Foxtooth skidded to a stop, turning incredulous eyes on me. "But don't you want to get back as quickly as we can? We have to help out our brothers!"

"What use will we be to them if we turn up completely out of breath, coughing up blood? We won't be able to fight to defend them! They'll just have to fight twice as hard to keep us safe. We'd have to hide in the nursery!"

Foxtooth grunted, but apparently he saw the truth in my words because he slowed to a steady walk with me, our breaths still panting and ragged, but at least they were slowly growing back to normal. I hung my head between my shoulders, gasping for breath. Nope, there was definitely no WindClan blood in me.

Our progress had become excruciatingly slow, but I managed to continue at our walking pace by reminding myself every three steps that if I arrived out of breath, I'd be a burden to Sootpaw and Rainsky. Suddenly I realized I didn't know Sootpaw's warrior name. He must be a warrior, right?

Sootpaw, what's your warrior name?

His voice was clearer, but still not as strong as if we were standing right next to each other. That's not that important, don't you think? I'm in the middle of a battle here! Then: Ow!

Are you okay? I asked worriedly.

Yeah. I just tried clawing Nightstar with my bruised forepaw.

Nightstar?! I sped up, speed walking around the lake. Foxtooth matched my pace exactly. But anyway, what's your warrior name?

I had to wait a moment before I got a reply. It's not important. I'm fighting a leader with at most eight lives.

Sootpaw! Come on!

Fine. I waited, expectantly staring ahead as if Sootpaw would shout his name from within the forest and I would hear it. We were nearly at the edge of the trees. It's Sootthorn.

Like Ashthorn? I asked.

No.

What? But then—

Not anymore.

Why—?

He thinks I'm too much like him. Even Sootthorn's thoughts sounded bitter. It doesn't matter. I'm in the middle of a war.

Right. I'm coming.

Is RiverClan with you? Now he sounded hopeful. I made a mental note to ask Sootthorn later how to infuse thoughts with emotions.

No, but they're coming. They wanted a rest and now Rushstar's getting them together. Foxtooth and I ran on ahead.

Oh, okay.

Sootthorn went quiet. Suddenly terrified, I burst into an all-out sprint again.

"Cinderstrike?" Foxtooth caught up with me as we leaped across the stream that marked the old ThunderClan-WindClan border.

"We can make it to the camp now," I said briefly. Foxtooth didn't ask any more questions, but remained by my side as I crashed through foliage and nearly ran into fallen logs, heading along what might or might not have been a path. It was heading toward the camp, anyway, and that was really all that mattered.

I burst out from a bush and saw a cliff right in front of me. Skidding to a stop, I peered over the edge and saw that it was the shorter side of the camp. There were pawholds and everything on the way down, and even if I fell there were bushes at the bottom. We could get down this way.

"Follow me," I ordered and backed over the edge.

Rainsky's voice suddenly entered my mind. What are you doing?! Just use the entrance!

This way's quicker.

I looked over my shoulder and saw Rainsky heave an exaggerated sigh before attacking Nightstar's tail again. I grinned.

You always knew how to make an entrance.

I always knew how to make an entrance indeed.

One of my paws slipped and I fell, landing safely on the mass of bushes that might or might not have been a den. Someone could always rebuild it.

Disentangling myself from the clinging branches, I rolled onto my paws and stared around. Almost immediately I spotted Sootthorn's broad shoulders and dark fur wriggle under Nightstar's belly. At the same time, I saw Rainsky's lighter fur with the kit-fluff he never really lost leap onto Nightstar's back and begin tearing into his fur.

I dashed over just as Nightstar crumpled, blood pooling from a long gash in his belly made by Sootthorn. Both of my brothers jumped clear of the black-furred body, staring at it warily.

"Two lives down," Sootthorn muttered. He looked terrible—not only did his foreleg have a nasty purplish color under the fur, he also had several long, possibly deep gashes along his flanks. Rainsky was no better—he had teeth marks in his paw and his ear was ripped, sending blood dripping into his eye. He also had long claw marks on his tail, as though Nightstar had grabbed him and Rainsky had had to drag his tail lengthwise out of his grasp to get away.

"Are you two okay?" I asked, quickly regaining my breath from the second run through the forest. I pressed my nose against Rainsky's forehead—I was still taller than him—and rubbed my cheek against Sootthorn's—he'd finally grown bigger than me. Both purred at the sight of me and returned the affectionate gestures, though Rainsky had to settle for touching noses.

"We're alive," Sootthorn grimaced. "Nightstar's getting harder and harder to beat. You turned up just in time—he would have certainly finished us when he regained consciousness."

"Yeah, well, no one touches my younger brothers without my consent," I growled, turning to the slowly stirring Nightstar.

I leaped forward, claws extended, eager for the blood of the cat who had almost killed Sootthorn and Rainsky. My blood froze to think what would have happened if I'd been only a few moments later in coming. I might have returned to two gray-furred bodies instead of two beaten-up but alive brothers.

I slammed into Nightstar, knocking his head against the rocky ground. He groaned and I leaned down for the killing bite, thinking that this might not be as hard as I'd thought. Then I found myself flying through the air.

I slammed into the ground. Groaning, I tried to get up, but I felt strangely dizzy. What had happened?

Cinderpaw! Rainsky cried into my mind. Are you okay?

Uh… I think so. I tried to get up but staggered sideways. I shook my head to clear it.

We need to be careful of his hind legs. He seems fond of throwing cats across the camp.

I snorted. What, did he throw you, too, Sootthorn?

Right in one.

Sootthorn lunged at Nightstar as he rolled onto his paws again, digging in his claws. Rainsky quickly followed suit, rolling under Nightstar's belly and kicking out at him. But Nightstar merely shook off Sootthorn and Rainsky just wasn't strong enough to make much of a difference by kicking Nightstar. Nightstar gave Rainsky a claw to the chest as he padded toward me.

"Cinderpaw, how touching, you came to save your brothers," he purred. "If I'd realized you were gone I would've attacked much earlier. How much more touching would it be if you showed your emotions in coming home to two dead brothers? Pity you seem to not be able to take care of them right now."

I growled at him, but inwardly I knew the three of us couldn't take Nightstar. He could still have seven lives left. Two lives had nearly killed my brothers. And look at what not even one life had already done to me!

I knew there could be only one answer. Sootthorn, we need to ask Ashthorn for help. We need StarClan to help us win this battle.

His response was immediate. No. Never.

Sootthorn, we have to! We can't win.

No.

Please!

No.

I groaned, partially from pain and partially from exasperation. At least they can tell us how many lives he has left.

No.

I'm asking Ashthorn.

No! Cinderblood, you can't!

It's Cinderbloodscarfighterstar, and I am. I turned my eyes skyward. Ashthorn, can you hear me? Sootthorn needs your help. We all need your help.

No response.

Please! You're our father! You can't just leave us here on our own!

No response.

You said you'd changed. You said you accepted us as your kits. What father wouldn't help their own kits? You said you wanted us to finish the fight you started. We can't without you. Help us, please.

Then, finally, I heard his voice. Two more lives.

My heart raced. Nightstar had two lives remaining. That was much better than seven. I wondered briefly how he'd lost the other five.

He has two lives left.

There was no response from Sootthorn. I could tell he felt betrayed by me, but I couldn't figure out why. Sootthorn was never one to hold grudges before. He was never one to childishly keep hate wrapped around his heart. He was always the most mature of us all. Well, that is, except for me. I was always the maturest of us all, obviously.

Nightstar leaped at me. I dodged, turning to slice my claws past his flank. I managed to open two shallow cuts before he turned and lashed out, sinking his own claws into my hindquarters. I yowled in pain and tried to kick him off. My hind paws connected with his chest and he began coughing, completely winded.

Now was my chance. I spun around and lunged for his throat. This time, I managed to sink in my teeth directly beneath his chin. Though he clawed my pelt savagely as a bear, I hung on until his clawing turned into feeble batting and he collapsed back onto the ground.

I backed away, panting, and checked myself over for injuries. Nightstar had given me several deep gashes on my shoulders and around my neck, but nothing life-threatening. Good. The only problem was that I wasn't sure I could take his last life with my shoulders so beat up.

Nightstar began stirring. I glanced over my shoulder at Sootthorn and Rainsky. Injured as they were, they had teamed up with Dawnpaw and were taking on a NightClan warrior. It was down to me to finish him.

Well, that shouldn't be a problem. Right? There was a reason "fighter" was part of my warrior name! Well, no, but there was a reason "strike" was part of my warrior name. I'd strike Nightstar down for sure.

The black leader stood up, shaking his head viciously. "You can't beat me, Cinderpaw," he growled, his yellow eyes flashing murderously. "I'm a leader. I have six lives left and you only have one. How could you possibly hope to defeat me?"

I smirked. "Because you only have one life left."

Shock registered in his eyes. It was gone in a heartbeat, but I was sure I hadn't imagined it. Ashthorn had been right.

"You're fooling yourself," Nightstar laughed. "You must know I have many, many more lives than just one." He began to circle me. I held my chin high and turned with him, never presenting him with my flank as a target. I knew he would leap the moment I showed even a flicker of weakness.

"I see your brothers are losing their fight," he smirked. I glared at him, never once turning away. I knew he must be feinting, trying to get me to turn my back. An apprentice mistake.

"And how about that charming tom, Foxtooth? I believe I see his body lying over there. One of my warriors must have finished him off."

Butterflies seemed to swarm in my stomach like they'd done back on the journey here. Involuntarily, I whirled around. But as my eyes searched the clearing for a nonexistent Foxtooth, I felt Nightstar's claws sink into my hindquarters again. The wounds he'd inflicted earlier deepened and I yowled in pain.

Then, the weight lifted from my spine. I twisted around and spotted the orange tabby tom I'd so anxiously searched for a moment ago pinning down Nightstar. The NightClan leader spat at Foxtooth, but couldn't move from his pinned position. Foxtooth ducked his head and, exactly like a viper, sank his teeth into Nightstar's throat. And though Nightstar thrashed exactly as he'd done with me, he couldn't quite manage to push Foxtooth off.

His claws retracted, his eyes slowly shutting.

He went limp.

Nightstar was dead.

Foxtooth looked up at me. His orange fur was stained bright red around the muzzle and paws, but his hazel eyes glittered with concern. "Are you okay?" He asked.

I nodded, turning to see what had become of Sootthorn and Rainsky. With an immense surge of relief, I spotted them standing beneath the Highledge, both panting and bloodied but still, mercifully, alive. Sootthorn was nuzzling Dawnpaw. Was there something going on between them? "We're all okay," I murmured.

Then I realized that that statement couldn't be farther from the truth. Nightstar was dead but NightClan was far from finished. And we were losing the fight.

Suddenly, a battle cry sounded from the entrance. I turned to see RiverClan pouring through the thorn barrier. As scraggly-furred and skinny as they were, they still presented a formidable force. I grinned as I saw Rushstar take on the muscular NightClan deputy, pushing him off of Mistheart, who lay on the ground panting, her flank covered in bright red blood.

I grinned, turning to Foxtooth. "RiverClan has come!" I cried jubilantly. "We have to win this battle now!"

Sure enough, the NightClan warriors were beginning to fall back. Though they had been winning before, the surprise of sudden reinforcements seemed to be stunning them into submission. I saw a few cats even break away from the fighting and dash for the entrance. I figured that, without Nightstar, they wouldn't try to bother us again.

We were winning.

It was going to be okay.

Nightstar's death has finally come. Did you enjoy the chapter? :)

AOTD: I used to play clarinet in middle school and I took piano lessons in elementary school. My elementary school also had a recorder program so I played the recorder. That's all, though. No instruments I currently play. I just can't force myself to practice as much as it takes to really get better at an instrument.

QOTD: What is your favorite breakfast?