SEVENTY FIVE

The lake territories had become a hostile place for the cats of SkyClan, ThunderClan and the remaining fraction of RiverClan. Those who refused to join Mintwhisker had fled the Clan and joined the ones who were hiding from RiverClan. They formed a new coalition under the guise of disrupting Mintwhisker's power. It didn't help that Mintwhisker had planned a visit to the Moonpool and received his nine lives. He was now known as Mintstar to those who had been around long enough. The worst part of though was the fact that three Clans had combined into one. Russetstar as usual was at the helm of all three Clans, with Icestar and Mintstar trailing after him. Russetstar had gained the support of what was left of RiverClan and those that left ThunderClan. As the three Clans band together and formed one larger Clan, it became apparent that Russetstar's power was absolute. ThunderClan had been driven out of their stone hollow when Oakfire managed to gain enough support. Petalstar, in all her prowess, had lost her final life in the process.

Everyone was appalled over Petalstar's loss. It shook the Clan to the core, and it had taken time for everyone to grieve over her loss. Oakfire, in the madness of it all, claimed that he was now the rightful leader of what was left of ThunderClan. He and a few others had the audacity to lay claim to the stone hollow. Hawktalon had taken over as Petalstar's successor, though not without backlash from those who fled with him. There were those who believed the lake was cursed now because of the Great Five. Those who believed said curse were beckoned with the idea of joining the large Clan that spanned across the lake. Russetstar had named the large Clan TigerClan, much like Tigerstar had back in the day.

As the Clan grappled with loss, retribution and more, Flamestrike was left wondering what in StarClan led to this mess. No one ever expected Russetstar to gain the power he had in all three Clans. His influence ran deeper than Flamestrike wanted to admit. Russetstar managed to convince everyone that the Great Five would bring chaos and ruin to the Clans. And Flamestrike was beginning to wonder if he was right.

ThunderClan had been forced out of their home. RiverClan's remaining survivors were forced to flee as well. SkyClan lived on the fringe of the lake territories because the others refused to accept their presence. Emberstar still forced his way to Gatherings when they were held, but no cat allowed entry beyond the tree-bridge. Everyone had been furious when Emberstar reluctantly explained that the other Clans were willing to follow through with Russetstar's orders. To make matters worse, it seemed as if Gatherings were also a thing of the past. Russetstar had changed the way Clans lived around the lake, and Flamestrike suspected that was just the beginning.

He let out a heavy sigh as he headed back to where ThunderClan had been staying ever since they were forced out of the stone hollow.

Hawkstar managed to find a temporary holding position a day's walk away from the lake territory. Their camp was smaller than he would've liked, but it was surrounded by trees and a protective thorn barrier that few enemies could get through. The Clan worked hard to make it feel like home. In spite of everyone's misgivings on how the situation should be handled, Hawkstar did a good job of lifting their spirits. It helped knowing that both Hazelwind and Lilypool moved to the new nursery shortly after the Clan was settled.

Hazelwind's pregnancy had been unexpected. Admittedly, he had been spending more time with her since the Clan was pushed out of the stone hollow. Their nightly endeavors had become one of his favorite moments. He knew he wouldn't want things any different, especially when he was introduced to his kits for the first time. Ashkit, Berrykit and Fennelkit were born almost a moon ago.

The moment Flamestrike learned of their arrival was when he practically melted with joy and relief. He couldn't be happier knowing that he was a father. Roseclaw was practically glowing with pride when she learned that she had grandkits from both her son and daughter. Lilypool's pregnancy had also been an unexpected surprise. Of course, Flamestrike hadn't realized that she was spending time with a SkyClan cat either. The father had been a mystery until Lightningstrike reluctantly admitted the truth. Roseclaw, while furious that he had chosen her daughter of all cats as his mate, eventually came to terms with the fact that life was different now.

The warrior code needed to be changed to work in this world. RiverClan's faction that split up from the main group had become allies with the remaining ThunderClan cats, along with SkyClan. Flamestrike realized that there was wisdom in remaining allies with these cats. He had become good friends with Birdflight and Spruceleaf. Reedriver was still as aloof as ever, but he had his reasons. Smokefrost… Flamestrike wasn't sure what had happened to Smokefrost. She disappeared shortly after ThunderClan was pushed out of their territory. He knew things hadn't been good, so he supposed maybe she went back to ShadowClan.

"I trust the borders are quiet?" Robinwing asked when he returned.

Roseclaw made sure that guards were posted at the thorn-tunnel entrance at all times. As a safety measure, the guards had to ask where the patrols had been and what they had seen. Flamestrike understood where his mother was coming from. The ambush had been completely unexpected and happened at the worst time. The Clan was never prepared for said attack, and Russetstar overwhelmed them with sheer number. Now, the Clan wasn't going to take any chances.

"It was quiet, surprisingly," he meowed warily. He glanced over at the nursery where his kits were tussling over a ball of moss. His heart tugged a little at the sight. They were already so much bigger than he expected, and he knew they wouldn't stop growing until they were his age. The thought of seeing them go through what he experienced left his mind numb with guilt and sorrow. "I suspect Russetstar is planning to send out another search party. There's been a lot of activity near the ShadowClan border."

Robinwing's ears flicked from side to side at the mention of ShadowClan. Everyone was on edge at the mention of ShadowClan. They had been ever since the ambush. Russetstar's attack and takeover of the Clans had been a surprise and shock for everyone. No cat ever expected everyone to follow Russetstar so willingly.

"The less we hear of ShadowClan, or what's left of them, the better," the senior warrior hissed under his breath. "They have caused us nothing but grief."

I've caused the Clan nothing but grief, Flamestrike thought bitterly.

He tried pushing those thoughts aside as he headed for the nursery. Berrykit was almost always the first to greet him with a headbutt. Ashkit and Fennelkit were quieter than their outgoing sister, but he saw their personalities shine through as well. He was more than amused over the fact that little Berrykit didn't seem to care if anyone looked at her strangely. She simply did what she thought was the best course of action, and her sisters were close to follow.

"Daddy, did you bring us any fresh-kill?" Berrykit asked after tackling him with her usual greeting.

"You literally just ate a mouse not that long ago," Fennelkit rolled her eyes in exasperation as she reached them. "And Mamma doesn't want us overeating again."

"Well, if you're good then she might share the squirrel I found earlier this morning," he pointed out. He cuffed Berrykit playfully over the ears, knowing full-well the squirrel would never be shared with them. Hazelwind had begun feeding them fresh-kill not even a week ago. They were fully weaned now and they seemed to have an appetite worse than two queens combined. "Have you been good for her while I was gone?"

"Berrykit managed to stay out of trouble this time around," Hazelwind replied before they could. Berrykit ducked her head out of sheer embarrassment as her mother reached Flamestrike. The moment she did was when her muzzle brushed against his, sending a thrill of warmth through him. "I'll admit though, it's been getting crowded in the nursery since Lilypool's kits were born. All they want to do is play with them."

"Can you blame them? There aren't any other cats their age to play with," he admitted guiltily.

Hazelwind's face softened when she realized what he was implying.

Life had become difficult since they were forced out of the stone hollow. They were so used to ThunderClan's old territory that it was hard adjusting to a new land. It didn't help that SkyClan had moved to their own territory shortly after ThunderClan fled. Then to make matters worse, Hawkstar assigned Flamestrike as a mentor to Fallowpaw. Fallowpaw and Dapplepaw were born almost a year ago before ThunderClan was forced out of their old territory. Their mother, Timberleaf, hadn't known she was pregnant at the time until Dusknose made an announcement. When they finally became apprentices, Hawkstar assured Flamestrike that he would become a mentor. Dapplepaw had chosen to become Dusknose's apprentice, since he was in desperate need of one now that he was getting older.

Taking on an apprentice was a challenge in itself since Fallowpaw was the only apprentice aside from her sister. Flamestrike struggled to cope with these changes as he also learned how to be a father. It was far from easy, and he knew that it would only get worse. LeopardClan was their biggest threat so far. Luckily Fallowpaw was a quick study. She learned how to hunt fairly quickly and she was already gaining skills on patrolling and fighting. Flamestrike could easily see her becoming a gifted warrior once she had the chance to prove herself.

"I'm sorry," she let out a quiet sigh as the kits ran over to the elder's den. Heatherpelt and Feathermist had happily taken over the den when the others passed away. Flamestrike couldn't help but watch the scene in amusement as Feathermist launched into a story of how Firestar became leader of ThunderClan. "I just wish there was more we could do. The Clan is still grieving over Petalstar's death, and I think Hawkstar is as well."

Flamestrike held back a sigh of his own.

He knew Hazelwind was right. No cat recovered so quickly from so much loss. Petalstar had been such a brave and kind leader from the time he was an apprentice. She died defending the elders when Russetstar ordered to have them killed because he believed they were too weak. The horrors they faced and suffered from had left a trauma like no other.

"I wish there was more I could do," he muttered. "They expect me to be some cat that I'm not, and everyone keeps looking at me as if this was all my fault. I never asked for Russetstar or the others to turn on us."

Hazelwind brushed her muzzle against his when she picked up the stress he was feeling. A combination of emotions weighed heavily on his shoulders. He knew there was only so much one cat could take. The sad truth was, many cats blamed him for what had happened. Oakfire, Foxfur, Shademask and Shrewfang had left the Clan in an act of betrayal. They truly believed that he and the others that were reborn had brought this mess upon the Clans. And he was beginning to wonder if they were right.

It isn't as if I've done anything to contribute to the Clan, he reminded himself. Aside from starting my own family.

Admittedly, he never thought he would have the chance to start a family of his own. He could still remember the day Hazelwind told him she was pregnant. His mind had been reeling with chaotic emotions at the time. Mostly because they didn't have a proper nursery where the kits could be raised. Luckily, Hawkstar found a camp that suited the Clan well. The nursery had been built before any other den. Flamestrike made sure that it was suitable space for both Hazelwind and Lilypool. They learned shortly after Hazelwind became pregnant that his sister was also pregnant. Their pregnancies had spurred renewed hope for the Clan. Hope that life would move forward in spite of the chaos surrounding them. He had to hope that the future would be positive for his kits. They deserved that and so much more.

He was ready to say something else when he caught his mother approaching them.

Hawkstar had named Roseclaw as his deputy after she fiercely defended the Clan from Russetstar's warriors. Flamestrike did feel a small spark of jealousy when he realized what that implied. His mother had been more than capable of handling her role as deputy. But that left him wishing that he had the chance to prove himself as well. He was only just given an apprentice through Fallowpaw, and so that put him in the lead for deputy. Though the last thing he wanted was for anything to happen to his mother, especially since she defended him as well as the Clan.

"Flamestrike, Hawkstar wishes to see you in his den," his mother meowed while eyeing him and Hazelwind in amusement.

His jaw clenched as he guessed where this was headed. Fallowpaw's warrior assessment was fast approaching. In the past couple of moons, he had seen how much progress she made. She even fought in a few fake skirmishes over the last couple of weeks. Hawkstar and Emberstar had agreed to develop those skirmishes to keep their Clanmates' skills sharp. The fights were all in good nature and claws were sheathed most of the time, but a few fights got out of paw. Luckily Dusknose had a good store of herbs in supply. And with greenleaf in full swing, that made looking for herbs even easier.

He shared a final look with Hazelwind, knowing full-well they would see each other again after his meeting with Hawkstar.

Hawkstar's den had been placed strategically near the edge of camp. Hawkstar didn't want to stay separate from the Clan, so his den was placed by the warrior's den. He still slept separately from the Clan, but he was close enough that if an ambush did occur, he could easily spring into action. Flamestrike ducked his head to pass the curtain of lichen that covered the base of the boulders surrounding said den. Inside, there was a shallow dip that provided enough room for four cats. His nest was mostly lined with moss collected earlier that week.

Flamestrike's ears twitched when he noticed that Hawkstar wasn't alone.

Dusknose was with him as well. Roseclaw scooted past him so that she could sit on the other side of Hawkstar. Once she sat down, her tail wrapped gently around her paws. Dusknose's whiskers twitched every now and then as he caught the tension surrounding all four of them. The medicine cat had been working twice as hard since Petalstar died, and Dapplepaw was luckily a quick study. Fortunately this was a meeting she didn't have to be involved with.

"I believe now is the time to share what information we were given that fateful night we paid a visit to the Moonpool," Hawkstar began once everyone settled. "When we shared tongues with StarClan, I was not given access to nine lives." Flamestrike's eyes widened in disbelief. He never anticipated the fact that Hawkstar would make such an admission, especially to someone like him. "Dusknose was there as my witness to see why that was the case."

The medicine cat looked incredibly uncomfortable being placed on the spotlight. Dusknose had never been an outspoken cat in the first place. He usually kept to himself and preferred avoiding conflict. Flamestrike suspected that was the main reason he became a medicine cat. His quiet observation had always left him feeling uneasy.

"StarClan had chosen not to give Hawkstar nine lives because he was never meant to lead the Clan," Dusknose explained warily. Flamestrike hadn't missed the way Hawkstar shifted uneasily. He couldn't imagine what was running through the older cat's head. Hawkstar had taken on a responsibility that few cats would ever accept. "They spoke to me, warning me that a time of great darkness approached. Only the Great Five were capable of stopping that darkness through uniting the Clans. There was a seed of doubt in my mind, of course. But, Petalstar herself came to me in a vision. She told me that you were meant to lead the Clan, Flamestrike… or I should say, Thunder."

He didn't know how to respond to that. A shiver of unease swept through him when he felt all eyes bore through him. Though to his surprise, his mother looked incredibly proud. He nearly rolled his eyes at that. Of course she would be proud over the fact that he was Thunder. He still had a hard time grasping his paws around that concept. The truth was, he wanted to be himself. He wasn't some brave leader who fought to defend his Clan, or a cat spoken of through legends. He was still Flamestrike, the cat foolish enough to get involved with whatever drama occurred throughout the Clans.

"I'm not ready to lead this Clan," he murmured. "And you know what the others would say if you stepped down and let me take over."

There were still those who blamed him for the loss of precious territory. He couldn't blame them for feeling that way. Truthfully, he was beginning to wonder if he and the others were more of a curse than a blessing. All they seemed to bring was chaos and power to those who were greedy enough to claim it.

"The Clan will have to accept this decision regardless of how they feel," Hawkstar meowed. He didn't sound so confident himself, making Flamestrike feel even worse. "I know this is not an easy decision to make. The Clan needs a leader who can hold them together and maintain a strong relationship with SkyClan and what is left of RiverClan." Hawkstar paused to let that information sink in. Flamestrike looked down at his paws, suddenly wishing he was back in the nursery with his family. "You are already close friends with Birdflight and Spruceleaf. That friendship will serve you well."

But Reedriver absolutely hates me, he thought bitterly. And Smokefrost disappeared nearly three moons ago.

Smokefrost seemed to vanish without a trace when LeopardClan was formed. Flamestrike suspected she was keeping an eye on the Clans. At least, he hoped that was the case. He didn't want to believe that she was back to working for Russetstar. She managed to escape her leader's grip once. He couldn't shake off the feeling that if she went back to Russetstar, he would have her killed or worse.

"I'm not going to make this change right away," his leader went on after noticing how quiet he had been. "I understand that it will take time for the Clan to accept this change. But I trust they will accept this change regardless."

Flamestrike squeezed his eyes shut as he thought of every excuse under the sun not to take on this role. He was terrified. He was far from ready to lead the Clan, and he wasn't anywhere close to understanding his role as Thunder. The Clans had split apart thanks to his involvement with the prophecy. He knew they would continue blaming him for that mess regardless of what Hawkstar told them.

"Give him a chance to process this information," Dusknose warned Hawkstar. "I suspect this will be difficult for everyone to fully understand, and there may be retaliation from a few."

Some retaliation… he wanted to laugh at the irony.

It wasn't until feeling a tail on his shoulder that his eyes snapped open. Roseclaw shot Hawkstar a withering look as she reached his side. Her eyes were dark with sympathy when she noticed that her son was actually trembling. Carefully, Roseclaw led him outside the den until they were out of earshot. It was only then that Flamestrike finally deflated and buried his face into her shoulder.

"You have been through so much, my son," she let out a heavy sigh as he said nothing. Dozens of emotions weighed him down. He wasn't sure how much more he could take as he found himself wondering when enough was enough. "But we will get through this. I won't let you walk this path alone."

"How am I supposed to be Thunder if I can barely understand the prophecy itself?" he demanded.

He wanted to wail and act like a kit himself. If anything to show her just how frustrated he was. He wanted his life to be as normal as it could be. And in some ways, he understood how Reedriver felt. The RiverClan cat had been so determined to evade the prophecy that it tore his Clan apart. While that was the last thing he wanted, he also wanted what was best for his family.

"I think in this case, you will have to follow your heart and listen to the stars," his mother pointed out. Flamestrike couldn't help but look at her warily. Her eyes were dark with sympathy as she brushed her muzzle across his. "I know these are difficult times, but you are a strong cat. You have shown that time and time again."

Flamestrike let out a shuddering breath as they sat there for a few heartbeats.

He never realized until then how much he missed the days when he was a kit himself. It seemed like a lifetime ago when he was happily exploring camp and learning about life as a ThunderClan cat. So much had changed within the past few seasons, and things weren't going to get any better. The only thing he could do now was hope and pray that StarClan guided him and the others. Otherwise the darkness would easily overwhelm what was left of the Clans.