Jaystar's Dream/Chapter 7

When Jaywing rose from his nest, he heard Darkstar's voice outside.

"Let all cats gather!"

Wondering what could be happening, he padded into the NightClan meeting circle.

"I was very sick, as you all know, but now, thank StarClan, I am better. When I was sick I lost six lives-"

Several gasps could be heard. ''Six lives? He's only got two left!''

"And just so you know, I am bound to lose the other two soon, no leader lives forever," Darkstar meowed.

And then I may have to take his place, Jaywing thought.

"And today I also make three new warriors, who have been dedicated to their Clan throughout their apprenticeship.

"I, Darkstar, leader of NightClan call upon my warrior ancestors to look upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to learn your noble code, and in their turn I commend them to you as warriors. Amberpaw, Stormpaw, and Cinderpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code even at the cost of your life?" Darkstar yowled.

"I do." Amberpaw was about to burst.

"I do," said Stormpaw and Cinderpaw together.

"Then I give you your warrior names: Stormfoot, Ambereyes, and Cinderfire. StarClan honours your loyalty," Darkstar finished.

The Clan cheered the names of the new warriors. "Stormfoot! Ambereyes! Cinderfire!"

The next day, Jaywing led a hunting patrol, and they returned with a lot of prey. The new warriors were resting after their vigil.

"Jaywing!" Darkstar beckoned him with his tail. "I need to talk to you."

He followed his leader to his den, and Darkstar sat down. "We need to figure out how to defeat Flamestar. Last night a NightClan warrior from long ago, named Viperclaw came to me in a dream and said that Flamestar can be defeated, but the thing is, he referred to him as Flamefang, not Flamestar."

"Was that his warrior name?" Jaywing asked.

"Yes, I think. I remember, at a Gathering, when I was an apprentice, I heard someone saying Flamepaw had become Flamefang," Darkstar replied.

"So did Viperclaw tell you how to defeat him?" Jaywing questioned.

"No, but he said  'what comes after the day will defeat who spills the most blood'," Darkstar told him.

"Did you ask Mousepelt and Starleaf?" Jaywing looked towards the medicine den.

His leader nodded. "They told me to wait and see if I get another prophecy."

"Could  'what comes after the day' be NightClan? I mean, night comes after day," Jaywing suggested. "Maybe NightClan will defeat Flamestar."

"You could be right. But on second thought, I don't know if Flamestar is who spills the most blood," Darkstar meowed.

"Then who is?"

"I don't know, I just think Viperclaw may have not being referring to Flamestar. After all, why would a StarClan cat give us a prophecy when we could easily just attack Flamestar? Live cats aren't that brainless. Viperclaw could have been referring to an unknown threat," Darkstar meowed.

''Skyheart told me that we would be facing a threat. ''"But we still have to stop Flamestar from destroying the Clans regardless," Jaywing said.

"You're right. Let's think of a plan," Darkstar meowed.

"I have an idea!" Jaywing mewed.

"What?" Darkstar looked hopeful.

"We'll ask SquirrelClan for help!" Jaywing meowed. ''Stormstar was like Rowanstar's younger brother. Of course he'd help us.''

"We could... But how can you guarantee Stormstar will help us?" Darkstar asked.

"Stormstar and Rowanstar were great friends!" Jaywing meowed.

"I suppose we could ask him," Darkstar meowed doubtfully. "Take a patrol consisting of whoever you like."

Jaywing nodded to Darkstar, and padded away. Cinderfire was washing her paws near the warriors' den. "Cinderfire," he mewed.

Cinderfire looked up. "Yes, Jaywing?"

Jaywing told her about the patrol.

"I'll come," Cinderfire meowed.

Jaywing set out with Snakestrike, Ambereyes, Stormfoot, and Cinderfire, and they made their way towards BlazeClan territory.

"We'll have to wait for a patrol to ask them if we can pass through their territory," Jaywing meowed.

"Or we could go through Twolegplace," Cinderfire added.

Jaywing shot her a look. "No."

"Whatever." Cinderfire shrugged and stared towards BlazeClan's territory.

Soon a patrol came into sight, and Jaywing was happy to see his friend Thornfoot at the front.

"Greetings, Thornfoot," he called out.

Thornfoot turned his head to look at him. "Greetings! Do you need anything?"

Jaywing explained why he was there.

"Okay," Thornfoot meowed. "We'll let you come through. But if Chasestar finds out we'll be in big trouble. She wants BlazeClan to be cut of completely from the other Clans."

"That's why she wasn't at the Gathering," Whitepelt told Jaywing.

The BlazeClan patrol accompanied them to the SquirrelClan border.

"I think you should come back through the Twolegplace, to avoid trouble with Chasestar," Whitepelt mewed.

Jaywing nodded. "Thank you for letting us come through your territory."

"You're welcome, just don't thank Chasestar anytime soon," Thornfoot joked.

"We won't," Jaywing replied.

"As if we would," Cinderfire snorted.

The NightClan cats waited for a SquirrelClan patrol, and finally one came by. Jaywing told them he had to speak with Stormstar. The patrol leader, Saffronclaw, let them come in to their territory.

Saffronclaw's patrol accompanied the NightClan cats all the way to camp. Galeflight padded off to find Stormstar.

Jaywing waited for the grey leader. "How long does it take?" he whispered in Cinderfire's ear.

The tabby shrugged. "He must be busy."

Stormstar finally arrived, and let his gaze travel over the patrol.

"Something wrong, Jaywing?" he asked.

Jaywing explained everything. After he had finished Stormstar closed his eyes.

"You must understand that even with on your side, Flamestar will beat us," the old cat meowed.

"How so? We'd be two Clans, while he'd be one," Jaywing meowed.

Stormstar lifted his head. "You don't understand."

"Understand what, exactly?" Frustration bubbled up inside Jaywing.

"Flamestar isn't just fighting us with his Clan," Stormstar meowed.

"Is Chasestar fighting with him?"

"No."

"So who is?"

"Flamestar has gathered a group of loners and rogues to fight with him," Stormstar meowed. "But, I will fight with you."

"Thank you!" Jaywing meowed. "How many rogues and loners are with him?"

"Many, Flamestar gathered enough to make his Clan as powerful as three Clans," Stormstar meowed.

"And he's still looking for more," Thunder, the SquirrelClan deputy, meowed. He had greeted Cinderfire before upon hearing she was his sister.

Jaywing closed his eyes. "Do you think Chasestar would fight with us?"

"No, she's already agreed to help Flamestar if he needs help," Stormstar told him.

''What are we going to do? Please, StarClan, help us. ''

"But I have good news," Stormstar meowed.

Jaywing widened his eyes. "You do?"

"I do," the grey tom confirmed. "I spoke to Greyhound, BlazeClan's deputy, not long ago. He said he and most of his Clanmates are looking for a chance to overthrow Chasestar. He says Chasestar's gone crazy."

"So he'd be on our side if he became leader?"

Stormstar nodded. "Yes, thank StarClan."

"Then we'd better start looking for an opportunity to overthrow Chasestar," Jaywing meowed.

They called off the meeting, and Stormstar had promised to meet with Darkstar in three sunrises.

The cats padded home through Twolegplace, and Cinderfire suddenly stopped suddenly.

"Something wrong?" Jaywing asked.

"I can smell my brothers and sister!" The tabby sniffed the air. "Sky! Flash! Queen!"

Four cats suddenly stepped out from behind a silver thing on the side of a Twoleg den. "Cinderella?" the she-cat meowed.

"She's Cinderpaw now," the grey tom, who Jaywing recognized as Sky, meowed.

"I'm Cinderfire now. Wait," Cinderfire meowed. She sniffed the white tom who stood beside the she-cat. "Who are you?"

"I'm White, Flash's friend," the tom replied, nodding to the grey tom, who Jaywing guessed was Cinderfire's brother Flash. "I'm pretty interested in your Clan, can I join?"

Jaywing was suddenly aware that Darkstar might be annoyed if he kept bringing cats into the Clan. "Well..." he mewed doubtfully. "I suppose I can take you to our leader Darkstar."

"Thank you," White meowed.

"Can we come too? We want to join," Sky meowed. Oh, StarClan.

"Come on," he sighed. "Let's take you to Darkstar."

"Whitepaw, you will be Snakestrike's apprentice. Skypaw, you will be Ambereyes's, Flashpaw, you will be Ashclaw's, and Maplepaw, you will be Stormfoot's," Darkstar finished.

Jaywing had brought the kittypets to the Clan, and after much thought, Darkstar had allowed them to join.

"Jaywing." Jaywing turned to see Cinderfire.

"Yes?"

"Can I talk to you?"

"Of course."

The two cats padded out of the camp, and after they reached the place where Jaywing had confessed to Cinderfire, they sat down.

"What do you need?" Jaywing asked.

"I have decided that I want to be your mate," Cinderfire mewed.

"Thank you," Jaywing whispered. He leaned forward and rubbed his neck against hers.

"Let's get back to camp," Cinderfire mewed.

That night, Jaywing couldn't sleep. He had the urge to kill Chasestar.

Just let Greyhound kill her, he thought. No, this is for me to do.

He quietly got up and exited the warriors' den, careful not to wake Cinderfire, who was sleeping near him.

He made his way over to the BlazeClan border. Looking left and right he entered BlazeClan territory.

In the distance he could see the camp. You're close to your assassination, Chasestar.

The entrance wasn't guarded, so Jaywing could slip through without being spotted. Not very smart.

The BlazeRock rose over the dens just like the Tallrock did in NightClan camp. There was a den near it. Jaywing guessed it was Chasestar's. Soon it will be Greystar's.

He made his way over to the den, and he saw Chasestar sleeping inside. Extending his claws, he quietly entered the den. He lifted his paw, and just as he was about to strike, Chasestar opened her eyes and hissed. Jaywing quickly struck, and Chasestar screamed in fury and pain.

Jaywing could here warriors stirring inside their dens, and Greyhound sat up. Jaywing quickly scrambled away from the den before any cat could see him. He watched from behind a stone.

Greyhound scrambled up to Chasestar's den, and from Jaywing's hiding spot he could see the blood drenching Chasestar's fur.

"Chasestar is dead!" Greyhound announced.

Cheers came from Thornfoot, Whitepelt, and some others. Jaywing could tell they were happy. Chasestar was a bloodthirsty leader, and after her rise she made her Clan a Clan known for their blood-lust. Greyhound would restore his Clan, to the great, beautiful, powerful BlazeClan. But Greystar's BlazeClan wouldn't get their power from killing, but from loyalty to the warrior code.

Jaywing turned and headed back to NightClan territory.