Fireblooded

Fi re bl oo de d

a poem for this contest

You want to hear the story of the fight between LionClan and BloodClan? You're quite brave to ask about it, young one. It's a violent story, one you couldn't handle. I mean, you're just a kitten, yes? You could never handle something like this. Ever. Not in a million seasons.

...Alright, alright! But don't tell Silverstream I told you about it.

_______

There he was, the fire-pelted one,

his claws unsheathed and a glint of determination in his eyes.

He was the one to save the Clans.

He is the Fire.

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">There was one, though, the one with fur like the night and claws like thorns.

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">He was pinning a white-furred cat to the ground, slashing his claws into its flanks.

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">The fire-pelted one yowled, "Face me, and we'll settle this!"

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">The one he challenged turns and narrowed his eyes.

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">He is the Blood.

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">"You're the leader of this ramshackle lot?" he mewed icily.

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">Then he leapt, claws slashing at the fire-pelted leader.

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">The flame-colored tom leapt to the side, barely dodging the scratch that killed the mighty Tiger.

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">But he couldn't dodge a blow to the side of his head.

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">He staggered, and he could barely hear shouts of his name as he faded into black.

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">He woke up here, in the starry place under my paws.

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">He gasped, "No! I can't be dead...!"

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">I had been sitting and staring at him. "You aren't." I said.

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">I had flicked my tail toward his very pale copy. "This is your first life."

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">He had shaken his head in frustration. "No! Just let me go back to fight!"

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">I had meowed, "You must rest or you will not fight."

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">His gaze, instead of resting on me, swept over the other cats that gave him his lives.

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">Then he slowly nodded. "All right." After a moment's hesitation, he had asked, "May I go back now?"

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">I had nodded and watched as he closed his eyes and faded into nothing.

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">A voice behind me asked, "Can he really do this?"

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">I had turned and narrowed my eyes at the tortoiseshell. I understood her worry, but I only replied,

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">"Of course. He is the Fire."

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">_______

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">...I see you shivering in your pelt, young one. Now you want to know how the battle ended? Such a curious kit.

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">...And you're sure this time? Okay. The Fire forced the Blood to run, and the Blood's spirit drifted to somewhere unknown. LionClan won the battle, at the cost of a few lives.

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">Try figuring all of this out on your own.

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Copperplate Gothic Light;color:black;text-shadow: 1px 2px 7px white">As for me? I was in the battle, fighting alongside the Fire the whole way.