SaigaTiger- Thank you for reading!
Thunder watched the attack party leave. He wasn't sure why it happened, but all of a sudden, Nightstar comes to them with a proposal about teaching WindClan a lesson. Now three Clans were going to fight against one.
Now how is this fair? He thought mutinously. At least he wouldn't be a part of it. He didn't like the idea of hurting the Clan that his uncle and friends had worked so hard to find.
He decided to check up on the kits in the nursery. He had been completely bamboozled when Thistlestar actually let them be nursed.
Brindleface was curled around her two kits, Ashkit and Fernkit while the rogue kits feeded next to them. Brindleface looked content as she watched them. She had recently lost two of her kits and he had noticed Spottedleaf looking hollow-eyed for some reason as if she'd seen a ghost. Mistlekit, too, had died.
Speckletail was curled protectively around Snowkit nowadays, similar to Mistyfoot in the corner, clutching Cricketkit close to her even if the kit was almost about to be apprenticed.
"How are they?" He asked.
"They're doing fine," she murmured, giving them each a lick. "They'll grow up strong and healthy for sure."
"The she-cat looks like her mother," Thunder blurted, feeling a fresh wave of misery. Brindleface nodded, sad too.
"Well, they'll be okay. I'll make sure of it."
Fire Heart woke up early in the morning. He heard rustling from the entrance to the den and rolled over to see Quick Water pushing out. He stood up and followed.
"It finally stopped snowing for once," Quick Water said, looking up at the sky. The clearing was still covered in frozen snow, however.
Gray Wing and Fircone soon joined them. The mottled red warrior yawned. "Dawn patrols are my least favorite."
Gray Wing smiled and opened his mouth to respond, then froze. His head snapped toward the camp entrance. Fire Heart tensed. He could hear pawsteps crunching through the snow, moving fast.
Onewhisker burst into the camp.
The WindClan warrior skidded to a halt in front of them, eyes wide with dread.
"The other three Clans are attacking our camp!" he gasped. "Tallstar refuses to be defeated this time. You must help, or we will all be killed!"
Skystar had just woken up, emerging from his den. "Let everyone old enough to hunt gather for a Clan meeting!" he shouted.
As soon as the Clan had gathered, Skystar began.
"There's no time to waste. All the other Clans have allied together to attack WindClan. We must help them." He paused and looked around as everyone stared at him in dismay.
Fire Heart was appalled. How could they do this? And how was it fair?
"What? We can't battle them!" Frost protested. "We've already taken risks for WindClan once. They'll get wiped out and then they'll get rid of us!" The others murmured in agreement.
"Then I guess we brought them back for nothing," Jagged Peak sighed.
"He's right," Skystar meowed. "We brought WindClan back because we know what it's like to be outcasted, picked on. So helping WindClan…it's like being the good guys."
"What a speech," Jackdaw's Cry sniffed like he was crying.
Skystar rolled his eyes. "Alright, Gray Wing, Fire Heart, Jackdaw's Cry, Hawk Swoop, Shattered Ice, Tall Shadow, Air Leap, Jagged Peak, Nettle, Frost and Yellowfang, let's go."
"We'll help." Wind Runner was pushing her way into the camp with Gorse Fur right behind her.
Skystar smiled gratefully and dipped his head. "Thank you. SkyClan out!"
Graystripe crouched beside Dustpelt as they watched ShadowClan fight WindClan. The RiverClan warriors had just joined the fight and soon Thistlestar would give the signal for his warriors to join too.
He looked around. Literally every warrior was here along with the apprentices Swiftpaw crouched beside Brackenpaw, Brightpaw and Thornpaw, looking slightly nervous, but excited at the same time.
They didn't realize how wrong this was. But he guessed they did need the extra territory to hunt.
But it's still wrong…
Thunder was the only cat back at camp, guarding the queens, elders and kits. Thistlestar had said it would be his final test to see if he was a truly loyal ThunderClan warrior.
Just then, Thistlestar flicked his tail and they raced to the hollow and joined the fray.
Graystripe immediately grasped the nearest WindClan cat, Stagleap and started rolling around with him.
"Foxhearts, why won't you leave us alone?" The brown tom hissed, clawing at the big gray cat's flanks.
Graystripe didn't answer, instead opting to fling the wiry cat away where he slammed into Scorchwind, who turned on him and immediately started pummeling him. Wrenflight raced to her mate's aid, but Blackclaw jumped in her way and took her on.
Graystripe looked around for someone else to fight and spotted Tornear fighting Deerfoot with Thrushwing by his side, the tortoiseshell looking horrified.
Pushing away the guilt, because he couldn't afford to seem disloyal to his Clanmates, Graystripe raced over and tackled her to the ground. Tornear turned on him, which gave Deerfoot the opportunity and the ShadowClan tom slashed out at Tornear's throat.
The gray tabby gurgled as he staggered back. Thrushwing screamed.
Just then, Onewhisker burst into the camp followed by Skystar and the two moor rogues that always hung around them. Yellowfang, Nettle, Frost, Tall Shadow and many more followed.
They were evened enough now since WindClan had many cats.
Fire Heart raced in behind Tall Shadow with Jackdaw's Cry and Jagged Peak at his sides. Gray Wing followed with Air Leap, although Fire Heart noted his former mentor was wheezing a bit from the run to the moor.
Yellowfang suddenly staggered in front of them and he skidded to a halt worried as the gray she-cat looked around wildly. She suddenly took off to some cats in the middle and he followed.
Graystripe was holding down a tortoiseshell, he knew as Thrushwing, while Deerfoot stood over Tornear, who had blood pouring down his neck. Fire Heart gasped as Yellowfang quickly raced away again before returning with cobwebs.
Deerfoot turned away and rejoined the riot.
Fire Heart turned on Graystripe and kicked him away as Yellowfang worked. Thrushwing got up and hovered over Yellowfang and Tornear nervously.
Finally, the former medicine cat managed to stop the bleeding and ordered Fire Heart and Thrushwing to carefully pick him up.
Together the group made their slow way to the edge of the clearing, with Yellowfang slashing out at any warrior who came near.
Fire Heart noticed her eyes were glazed with pain even if she hadn't any wounds yet. They got Tornear to Barkface and together they turned back to the battle.
Fire Heart stuck out his tail to trip Voleclaw, who had started to run past, and Yellowfang jumped on him, clawing at him until the RiverClan warrior screeched and fled.
Yellowfang winced yet again and muttered, "maybe I shouldn't have hurt him too much." Fire Heart wanted to ask what she meant, they were the enemy and they deserved everything they got, but was interrupted.
Tigerclaw had snuck up behind the two of them with Darkstripe and tackled the pair. Yellowfang, of course, easily beat Darkstripe down, but Fire Heart was struggling with Tigerclaw as the deputy slashed at his belly, causing the ginger tom to scream in agony.
The weight was suddenly lifted off him as Yellowfang grabbed him and tossed him off with ease.
Leopardfur came out of nowhere and jumped on Yellowfang's back, clinging on when Frost suddenly appeared and ripped the spotted she-cat off, tearing at her pelt.
Leopardfur struggled and yowled. Two of her Clanmates, Rippleclaw and Softwing, came to her aid, when Fire Heart turned on them.
"Why are you doing this?" He spat and the two RiverClan warriors halted, blinking, confused. "Some warriors you are, always picking on one Clan or the other, choosing the winning side."
Rippleclaw snarled, but Softwing actually backed up, ears flat, looking guilty. Yellowfang gave Fire Heart a surprised look, but he ignored her.
Suddenly, Rippleclaw was slammed into by Leopardfur as Frost flung her away. Shattered Ice nearby laughed until he was attacked by Beetlenose.
Meanwhile, Softwing took one look at the three SkyClan cats before she whipped around and raced away into the mass going on in the middle.
Fire Heart spotted Hawk Swoop among them being piled on by Ashheart, Finchflight and Nutwhisker.
Jackdaw's Cry was trying to ward off Dustpelt, Whitestorm and Mousefur, too occupied to notice his mate being overwhelmed.
Fire Heart surged forward with Yellowfang and Frost and they tackled the ShadowClan warriors, ripping them off of the orange tabby.
"Whoo, thanks!" Hawk Swoop puffed, staggering to her paws and shaking her bloody pelt out.
"You've all got the right idea," Gray Wing's voice sounded behind them and they turned to see the deputy with blood trickling down his forehead. "Okay, we're obviously still losing, so here's what we gotta do."
He exclaimed how they should all fight the same cat until they got too overwhelmed to fight anymore. "That way, we can go around and take them out easier. We'll work in groups of three, alright."
"Got it."
"Good idea!"
"Good, Yellowfang, Fire Heart and Frost stay together. Hawk Swoop you help Jackdaw's Cry and then you two join with Wind Runner." He flicked his tail at the wiry brown she-cat, warding off Reedtail and Whitethroat alone. "I'll find Skystar and tell him about the plan."
"C'mon!" Frost said enthusiastically and raced away to tackle Bluefur.
Yellowfang and Fire Heart joined and piled on the she-cat when suddenly two cats, Stonefur and Mossflower, raced up to help her.
Yellowfang suddenly fell back, groaning in pain before she lay still for a moment. Fire Heart thought she was dead until she jumped back to her paws with a determined look on her face. He would ask her what the hell was going on with her later, but focused on the now.
Frost warded off the other two ThunderClan cats while Yellowfang and Fire Heart bit and scratched at Bluefur until she scrambled away. She sent them one look of despair before she dashed away, her two Clanmates following.
"What…?" Fire Heart asked and by the looks on Frost and Yellowfang's faces he could tell they had seen the look too.
Fire Heart looked around. Wind Runner and his friends were chasing Longtail away, who wailed like a kit. What a loser, he thought.
Nettle, Shattered Ice and Tall Shadow were fighting Nightstar himself, who looked confused as to why he was being ganged up on.
Gorse Fur was with Air Leap and Jagged Peak battling Frogleap until Vixenleap and Silverstream came to his aid.
Fire Heart nodded at his companions and together they raced forward to help their Clanmates drive them out. Frost and Yellowfang faced up the other warriors side-by-side with Gorse Fur and the apprentices while Fire Heart took Silverstream on alone.
She had blood dripping into her eyes and looked like she could barely see. Fire Heart managed to pin her and hissed in her ear, "what honorable warrior attacks one Clan with two others to back them up?"
Silverstream stiffened and shook the blood from her face to get a better view of her opponent. "What…? What're–"
Suddenly, there was a wail and Fire Heart looked up to see Gray Wing standing over Skystar's limp body. He turned on a smirking Thistlestar with rage in his golden eyes. "How dare you!" He snarled.
Crookedstar stood nearby them, looking uneasy.
While Skystar recovered from losing a life, Gray Wing stood in front of his brother's body protectively, fighting against Thistlestar. The gray-and-white cat was bigger and easily had Gray Wing pinned.
Fire Heart let Silverstream go and raced to the deputy's aid. He wouldn't let any of his Clanmates die today!
He jumped on Thistlestar's back and held on as Thistlestar swung around, trying to throw the ginger tom off.
"Go Fire Heart!" Jackdaw's Cry cheered. Nightstar raced past calling for his Clan and ShadowClan raced out of the camp.
One down, two more to go! Fire Heart thought exhilarated. To his surprise, some of the RiverClan warriors were backing away uncertainly, until Crookedstar also called for them to retreat.
Four RiverClan warriors were dead. It took a while for them to get them out of the battlefield.
Frost and Yellowfang, free of the RiverClan cats, jumped to help Fire Heart and together, the SkyClan cats advanced on Thistlestar as Fire Heart jumped off his back.
The ThunderClan cats also looked uncertain as Thistlestar growled at SkyClan before he turned, too, calling a retreat.
Jagged Peak collapsed, wide-eyed. "We-we did it! We fought three Clans!"
"We're awesome!" Jackdaw's Cry agreed.
Skystar staggered to his paws, smiling proudly at his Clanmates. "You all did well. I'm proud."
"And WindClan thanks you for risking your lives for us." Tallstar had limped up.
"Again," Jackdaw's Cry added under his breath. Fire Heart shot him a look and he shut up.
Looking around, he noticed with dismay, three dead WindClan cats. Aspenfall, Meadowslip and the elder, Crowfur.
Deadfoot, Pigeonflight and Sorrelshine crowded around their mother while Plumclaw and Runningpaw crouched by Aspenfall's side. More cats came to join them.
"I'll help Barkface with the wounded," Yellowfang rasped and limped away to the short-tailed brown tom, who was fixing up Mudclaw.
The SkyClan cats and Wind Runner and Gorse Fur all bunched into a group at the edge of the snowbound camp and looked around.
Soon Yellowfang and Barkface approached them and went around, helping the most injured.
"You fought well, Fire Heart," Skystar meowed and nodded at Yellowfang and Frost. "So did you two."
"All of you did," Gray Wing added, looking proudly at Jagged Peak and Air Leap. Fire Heart felt a spark of excitement.
I think it's time they became warriors.
As he sat, talking softly with his friends and grooming them, he couldn't help but remember the way the ThunderClan cats reacted.
Like they didn't have a choice to fight.
Is ThunderClan okay? And what about Thunder…what has happened to him?
He looked out into the distance. So much had happened since he joined.
"Thanks for helping us," Fire Heart heard Barkface meow to Yellowfang.
The she-cat looked up and simply replied, "It's what friends are for."
Yes, Yellowfang was experiencing others' pains. I haven't forgotten her power.
The attacking three on one was a reference to Skystar's idea back in DOTC Canon when the foxes attacked them in the hollow when they first arrived.
Meanwhile, Fire Heart's new weapon: Guilt Talk.
I hope you enjoyed the Chap!