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Frozenfire was so confused. The Beachclan leader clearly meant that Waffle and Racer were evil cats, but from what Waffle had told her, that was not true. The gray tabby had been born as a kittypet, and Racer had not been part of a large group of cats since he was a kitten. He was against them, so why would they help them in a fight? Surely they wouldn't...
"We will fight for these two cats," meowed Dreamstar, his voice calm. Frozenfire sighed in relief. He wouldn't let the innocent tom and queen be killed for no reason.
Dovestar looked at them, pain in her blue eyes, but she nodded. "We do not want to fight you, Dreamstar, but we must guard the clans from these murderers, whatever it takes. Attack!"
Frozenfire and Dreamstar stood alone. Most other Rainclan cats were in their dens. Why wouldn't they be? It was the middle of the night! Frozenfire dug her claws into the ground as the wall of Beachclan cats rushed in on them. She felt claws scratch her flank and teeth connect in her tail.
Her nerves searing from the pain, Frozenfire regained awareness over what she should do. She let out a mighty yowl, and to her relief, her clan heard it. Cats streamed out of dens, tired, but angry. She whirled on the cat that had bitten her tail, raking her claws against its cheek. The cat looked up at her, fear in her eyes, but kept fighting. Flurrypaw! Frozenfire remembered this young cat in a rush. She'd rescued her from some Darkclan and Forestclan warriors once, and had seen her at a recent gathering.
Flurrypaw recognized her, too. She fled away, jumping on Ravenpaw, some easier prey. to Frozenfire's relief, Ravenpaw seemed to be fighting just fine. Berryfur's a good mentor.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Fogstorm wrestling with Liquidgaze. Her heart all but stopped as she sprang onto the cats, biting Fogstorm's shoulder hard. The gray cat looked surprised, but he didn't seem to recognize her through the blood that was dripping into his good eye. She let him go, and he ran. Did I just do that? She felt so guilty! I'm a monster!
Even Snakesteps and Waffle were fighting well. Frozenfire saw a young warrior fly at them, then turn tail as Snakesteps leapt out, raking her claws over his muzzle. Waffle hissed bravely into a young apprentice's face. The younger cat hissed back, and Waffle knocked it off its paws.
"Frozenfire! Look out!"
Frozenfire turned just in time to see Mousefang, Dovestar's huge deputy, coming toward her. He leapt on her, crushing the breath right out of her. Her mind went blank. No.... this is the end....
Suddenly the weight was lifted off of her. She gasped in a deep breath of sweet air, then her eyes focused on Mousefang, being pulled away from her by Dreamstar and Creamtail. They pinned him down for a few seconds, then the massive gray and white deputy surged upward. She heard Dreamstar's voice, heroic yet quiet, as though from far away, cry out.
"Creamtail! Run!" Panicked, the young cream-colored warrior turned around and ran until she met a Beachclan apprentice. Dreamstar stayed put, a huge gash in his neck from Mousefang. He pinned the deputy down once more, but fell. Mousefang ran, screeching, out of camp.
Frozenfire rushed to her leader's side, heart racing. His blue eyes stared at nothing. He was dead. Frozenfire had never felt such grief. This cat had taught her everything she knew, had soothed her when she had gotten a thorn in her paw, had laughed with her when she'd caught a leaf instead of the mouse she had been hoping for. He'd made her what she was, and she'd loved him the way she loved Stormchaser, her own father.
"Dreamstar!" She wailed. "No!" She shook him, waiting for him to wake again with a new, fresh life, but he never did. Great Starclan, what have you done?
Cats were staring at her in horror now. Beachclan looked anguished. Rainclan looked lost. Dovestar's eyes were panicked, and she yowled her grief to the sky. Beachclan vanished. Rainclan had won, but not in the way that they had ever hoped to.
"What now?" asked a voice, and Frozenfire saw Whitedream, her white fur soiled with blood and dirt. "We should have a vigil for him, don't you think?" When Frozenfire didn't reply, Whitedream looked panicked. "You are our leader now- lead us! Heartsong! Come quick! Something's wrong with Frozenfire!"
Frozenfire didn't realize that Heartsong was running toward her until she heard the gray and cream cat's voice. "She's just shocked," she soothed Whitedream. "We all are. No one expected Dreamstar to leave us just yet. He was very young."
"Yes," mewed Frozenfire, finding her voice at last. "I'm okay. Were there any other... casualties?"
"No," meowed Heartsong, "But Ravenpaw looks bad. It's his first fight, and I've got to take care of him. Icedrop's already grieving, and if her son dies..."
-
Frozenfire was woken by Heartsong's voice. "I'm afraid we won't be able to travel to the Moonfalls quite yet," she meowed, reminding Frozenfire of her new, frightening responsibilities. She was still sitting vigil by her former mentor's side. How could she possibly think about leading the clan at a time like this?
"Good. I don't want to go."
"No, you have to understand..." Heartsong let out a sigh. "The whole clan will miss Dreamstar, but you must be strong for them. A clan's only as brave as their leader is, and how can you hope to fill Dreamstar's pawprints if you're just grieving? I understand what you are feeling. Dreamstar was my father, but we've both got a clan to take care of, as leader and medicine cat, so we must save out anguish for another day."
Frozenfire nodded. Heartsong was on her side, and this made sense.
"Besides," continued Heartsong, purring now. "Your night was easy compared to some others, and it wasn't a total disaster. We lost our former leader, but we gained four beautiful kits that want to meet you."

Description
Frozenfire was so confused. The Beachclan leader clearly meant that Waffle and Racer were evil cats, but from what Waffle had told her, that was not true. The gray tabby had been born as a kittypet, and Racer had not been part of a large group of cats since he was a kitten. He was against them, so why would they help them in a fight? Surely they wouldn't...
"We will fight for these two cats," meowed Dreamstar, his voice calm. Frozenfire sighed in relief. He wouldn't let the innocent tom and queen be killed for no reason.
Dovestar looked at them, pain in her blue eyes, but she nodded. "We do not want to fight you, Dreamstar, but we must guard the clans from these murderers, whatever it takes. Attack!"
Frozenfire and Dreamstar stood alone. Most other Rainclan cats were in their dens. Why wouldn't they be? It was the middle of the night! Frozenfire dug her claws into the ground as the wall of Beachclan cats rushed in on them. She felt claws scratch her flank and teeth connect in her tail.
Her nerves searing from the pain, Frozenfire regained awareness over what she should do. She let out a mighty yowl, and to her relief, her clan heard it. Cats streamed out of dens, tired, but angry. She whirled on the cat that had bitten her tail, raking her claws against its cheek. The cat looked up at her, fear in her eyes, but kept fighting. Flurrypaw! Frozenfire remembered this young cat in a rush. She'd rescued her from some Darkclan and Forestclan warriors once, and had seen her at a recent gathering.
Flurrypaw recognized her, too. She fled away, jumping on Ravenpaw, some easier prey. to Frozenfire's relief, Ravenpaw seemed to be fighting just fine. Berryfur's a good mentor.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Fogstorm wrestling with Liquidgaze. Her heart all but stopped as she sprang onto the cats, biting Fogstorm's shoulder hard. The gray cat looked surprised, but he didn't seem to recognize her through the blood that was dripping into his good eye. She let him go, and he ran. Did I just do that? She felt so guilty! I'm a monster!
Even Snakesteps and Waffle were fighting well. Frozenfire saw a young warrior fly at them, then turn tail as Snakesteps leapt out, raking her claws over his muzzle. Waffle hissed bravely into a young apprentice's face. The younger cat hissed back, and Waffle knocked it off its paws.
"Frozenfire! Look out!"
Frozenfire turned just in time to see Mousefang, Dovestar's huge deputy, coming toward her. He leapt on her, crushing the breath right out of her. Her mind went blank. No.... this is the end....
Suddenly the weight was lifted off of her. She gasped in a deep breath of sweet air, then her eyes focused on Mousefang, being pulled away from her by Dreamstar and Creamtail. They pinned him down for a few seconds, then the massive gray and white deputy surged upward. She heard Dreamstar's voice, heroic yet quiet, as though from far away, cry out.
"Creamtail! Run!" Panicked, the young cream-colored warrior turned around and ran until she met a Beachclan apprentice. Dreamstar stayed put, a huge gash in his neck from Mousefang. He pinned the deputy down once more, but fell. Mousefang ran, screeching, out of camp.
Frozenfire rushed to her leader's side, heart racing. His blue eyes stared at nothing. He was dead. Frozenfire had never felt such grief. This cat had taught her everything she knew, had soothed her when she had gotten a thorn in her paw, had laughed with her when she'd caught a leaf instead of the mouse she had been hoping for. He'd made her what she was, and she'd loved him the way she loved Stormchaser, her own father.
"Dreamstar!" She wailed. "No!" She shook him, waiting for him to wake again with a new, fresh life, but he never did. Great Starclan, what have you done?
Cats were staring at her in horror now. Beachclan looked anguished. Rainclan looked lost. Dovestar's eyes were panicked, and she yowled her grief to the sky. Beachclan vanished. Rainclan had won, but not in the way that they had ever hoped to.
"What now?" asked a voice, and Frozenfire saw Whitedream, her white fur soiled with blood and dirt. "We should have a vigil for him, don't you think?" When Frozenfire didn't reply, Whitedream looked panicked. "You are our leader now- lead us! Heartsong! Come quick! Something's wrong with Frozenfire!"
Frozenfire didn't realize that Heartsong was running toward her until she heard the gray and cream cat's voice. "She's just shocked," she soothed Whitedream. "We all are. No one expected Dreamstar to leave us just yet. He was very young."
"Yes," mewed Frozenfire, finding her voice at last. "I'm okay. Were there any other... casualties?"
"No," meowed Heartsong, "But Ravenpaw looks bad. It's his first fight, and I've got to take care of him. Icedrop's already grieving, and if her son dies..."
-
Frozenfire was woken by Heartsong's voice. "I'm afraid we won't be able to travel to the Moonfalls quite yet," she meowed, reminding Frozenfire of her new, frightening responsibilities. She was still sitting vigil by her former mentor's side. How could she possibly think about leading the clan at a time like this?
"Good. I don't want to go."
"No, you have to understand..." Heartsong let out a sigh. "The whole clan will miss Dreamstar, but you must be strong for them. A clan's only as brave as their leader is, and how can you hope to fill Dreamstar's pawprints if you're just grieving? I understand what you are feeling. Dreamstar was my father, but we've both got a clan to take care of, as leader and medicine cat, so we must save out anguish for another day."
Frozenfire nodded. Heartsong was on her side, and this made sense.
"Besides," continued Heartsong, purring now. "Your night was easy compared to some others, and it wasn't a total disaster. We lost our former leader, but we gained four beautiful kits that want to meet you."