In the following week, Amberpaw and Dustpaw had been deemed Amberclaw and Dustcloud by Mistystar and Fallenleaf. Mistyclan seemed to unite as one to congratulate the two new warriors, which I thought was probably part of Mistystar's plan for peace within the clan.

However, this ceremony didn't at all put a stop to my training.

As our mentors backed away, I slicked down my fur and lunged for Cloudypaw. In retaliation, she jumped away and her paws shot out to claw my ears off. Before she could, I ducked under and scratched her hind legs, letting her collapse. 

Then, before she could recover, I put a paw to Cloudypaw's throat and another to her head, "Do you surrender?"

She hissed, "Never!"

With a playful yowl, my sister wriggled away and loped back towards me, her eyes shining with apparent excitement. I flattened my ears, letting out a snarl as I slapped her across the face twice at the same time as dodging her own move. Forcing her backwards, I once again held her against the floor. 

Triumph surged through me and I glanced to Morningflower for approval, but, just then, a much larger, fluffier cat barrelled into me. I landed on my side, all the breath knocked out of me as I looked up at my brother. Stonepaw leaned over and held my scruff in his jaws, lifting me up and shaking my whole body. Pain shot through my neck and I kicked out blindly with my legs, catching his jaw and forcing him to let go. 

Recovering, I shot at my brother, using his surprise to land a few blows on his ears. Before I could shove him backwards and win the fight, with a surge of strength, Stonepaw barrelled into my stomach and I fell over onto my back. 

Panting, I struggled up as Morningflower pushed herself between us, "Stonepaw! Where is your mentor? Cream didn't tell me you were going to be training with us."

Her voice remained neutral and her expression only mildly surprised but she still gave off a protective feeling. Warmth filled my heart to think it might be for me.

Lilypad came to stand beside us, faintly annoyed, "Even if you are training with us, Stonepaw, you shouldn't have just burst in like that. It was a fight between Honeypaw and Cloudypaw, there was no suggestion of you being invited into it as well."

Stonepaw shrugged, "Cream said I should go find the other apprentices while she patrolled with Mistystar, learning something from different mentors or something. Either way, I can see I'll learn nothing here. You're better off learning something from me."

I ducked my head, feeling the last jibe. From the bristling form of our mentors and my sister, I could tell they felt it as well. It felt like a long time before any cat spoke again. Lilypad seemed too shocked to say anything, and Cloudypaw seemed on the verge of throwing herself at him.

Morningflower only replied coldly, "Pray tell, Stonepaw, what is it that we could learn from you?"

I sensed that Cream would be getting told off about her apprentice soon but Stonepaw didn't seem to mind, "Well, I -"

He broke off and pricked his ears as distant yowling broke out at camp. Without a word, we all broke into a run, darting back to Mistyclan as fast as our legs would take us. The scene before us when we arrived was a mess of confusion. 

Unfamiliar cat scents swathed the scents of our clan mates.

However, the rogues seemed to be holding back, baring their teeth and simply holding their line, making no move to attack. There were five or six strange cats in total, tossing their heads proudly and letting out hisses of warning whenever a clan cat got close to their formation. Mistystar was pacing back and forth in front of her warriors in an attempt to seize control over the situation, to no success.

She stopped to meow calmly at the pure white she-cat who seemed to be the leader, "We are Mistyclan, I am Mistystar, and I am sorry we had to meet this way."

The she-cat flicked her tail dismissively, "I know, I know! I'm Spy, and these are my cats."

As I wondered her name, I noticed that this wasn't very well received to the rest of her cohort. 

A tabby stepped up, her eyes flashing dangerously, "Your cats? I didn't realise we agreed that we were your cats!"

Spy barely glanced at her, "Shut up, Scout. I mean," She gave the tabby a better look, "You're worthless apart from your speed. If we fight, stay back and take on the smaller ones."

I bristled as she nodded in my direction. How could they discuss battle plans so openly like that? Now all the apprentices would be on guard for the cat called Scout.

Mistystar cut into their argument, "Hang on, we don't have to fight. If we accidentally intruded on your territory, we can leave if you like."

Spy thrust herself forward so that the two leaders were nose to nose, "You've become soft, Moon Kit! Or perhaps its because I never really knew you!"

Fallenleaf barged in between the two she-cats, his eyes blazing, "You've got the wrong cat! Mistystar's not soft! And she's no Moon Kit!"

Lilypad piped up, "Yeah! You're gonna regret taking on us!"

Mistystar harried her warriors back and turned back to Spy with a hint of exasperation in her tone, "There's no point in fighting. Especially for you. My warriors far outnumber your rogues."

The white she-cat simply blinked, "But, just perhaps, my cats far exceed your 'warriors' in strength and skill." 

With a low hiss, she unsheathed her claws, "It will be even, with your number and our skill."

Mistyclan's leader was wary. Even so, she unsheathed her claws, "It shall be a bloodbath."

Spy simply cackled, lunging forward, "And a bloodbath, it shall be."

At once, the two sides collided, dissolving into a yowling mess of claws. I felt the hair along my spine rise as I searched for a way I could contribute to the battle. To most cats' surprise, the rogues were holding their own very easily, even though they were outnumbered three to one. I saw Cloudypaw and Stonepaw turn together to help Lilypad fight a large tom. 

I gathered my muscles as I saw Scout looking around for an opponent, colliding with her, side on. We tussled violently, both failing to gain an advantage until Scout gave a powerful shove, sending me flying into the bushes and tumbling down a bump in the land. Bouncing back up, I winced at the scratches she had given me, then limped determinedly back towards the fight.

Before I could dive back in, I heard a panicked yowl from further ahead in the bushes. The dirt had been dug out from under a bush and it looked as if some cat had climbed under it. A scrap of white fur had been caught on the bushes, reeking of Spy. I tensed, squeezing under the bush as well. 

What was the cat up to? 

Emerging on the other side, there was a small clearing that ended when it reached a smelly Thunderpath. Ahead of me, not yet to the Thunderpath, Spy, Scout and a tom were herding along a she-cat that was limping badly, her fur torn out in many places.

I couldn't hold back my gasp, "Mistystar!"

Immediately, the cats looked back, pelts bristling when they saw me. Turning, I tried to scramble back the way I'd come before. The bushes were too high to jump over, reaching into the trees, and there were thorns that would pierce my flesh if I climbed. Pushing hard at the ground with my hind legs, I had only just started to make my way under when I felt teeth sink into my tail and claws pierce my skin. 

Panic flared inside of me and a second later, I'd been dragged back out by the amber tom, "Got her. The little kit thought she'd get away! But no cat gets away from Branch!"

With a lazy jolt, the tom pushed me forward and next to Mistystar, wedged in between two she-cats.

Scout snarled, "Stop it with the play-acting, Branch! Or you'll be the one who acts like a kit."

Mistystar seemed tired, but her eyes still shone with dignified anger, "I don't understand why you won't just kill me. What's the point of taking me hostage?"

Spy shrugged, "We wouldn't know, because we aren't." She grinned, "We're taking you forever."

I blurted, "You can't do that! She's the leader of Mistyclan!"

Scout burst out laughing, "Oh, kit! But we are!"

Branch joined in, the two of them nearly doubling over with hysterics.

I held my head high despite it all, "You'll never be able to keep us forever!"

Mistystar rested her tail on my spine soothingly, "Don't worry, Honeypaw, we'll be okay."

Highly doubting that, I let her lean against me for support as we ambled slowly across the Thunderpath. 

I fretted, "Won't there be any monsters?"

Spy glanced back at me, "Cars? No, they only come late in the afternoon. We barely see any around here these days."

She added, noticing her captive's sullen expression, "Stop acting so down. It'll all be fine, you'll see. When we get there, you'll never want to leave. Because, Moon Kit, you belong with us."

Mistystar lashed her tail with feeling, "For the last time! I don't know who that is, but I am not Moon Kit!"

Spy narrowed her eyes, "You really have forgotten, then. You really think your name is Mistystar!"

I put in helpfully, "Because it is!"

The three rogues lapsed into silence, looking to each other dubiously before starting to walk more briskly onwards. Finally, I started to realise where we were heading to. We were nearing the mountains with every paw step and my heart sped up at the thought of possibly reaching the Tribe before our clan did. But then Scout nudged us to turn down into a dark alleyway where several cats lounged around a few scraptins. 

I felt the fur on the back of my neck rise at the casually nonchalant way most cats completely disregarded us. A serenely beautiful silver tabby approached us with a small but muscular tom at her tail. 

The she-cat flicked her tail dismissively at Spy, "Well done, dear. Mission success."

I shuddered at the hungry glint in Spy's eye as she agreed, "Of course, Mother." Her eyes widened for a second, "I mean, Moon."

I thought I saw Mistystar stiffen but maybe it was the dim lighting, because she was sufficiently confident a moment later, "Why have we been brought in here?"

The tom guided Spy to a pile of bones to which she fell upon, using her tongue to tear off the small strips of flesh that were left. 

Moon purred, moving closer to us, "Moon Kit, it warms my heart to have you back with us!" 

Her eyes seemed to darken menacingly, "For you are my dear daughter, and therefore heir to our family legacy."

The tom was back, his eyes just as dark, "You were chosen upon birth, Moon Kit. Unlike Spy, you were expected to survive by yourself in the wilderness. However, we thought you lost when you joined those haughty clan cats."

Mistystar gaped, "You mean, to say..."

Spy looked up from her bones, "You're my sister, Moon Kit! You aren't supposed to be. In fact, I was supposed to die, dispose of the one who was not the heir." 

There was a touch of twisted pride in her voice, "Look who actually survived!"

I snapped back, "Mistystar survived! She has nine lives now! She survived with the clans, not you. Besides," I felt my fur burn indignantly, "Who leaves their own kit to fend for themselves?"

Moon drawled, her voice thoughtful, "Well, there is a way for there to be a different heir." Her eyes gleamed, "Spy will tell you."

Her daughter suddenly seamed uneasy, her tail twitching a little fearfully, but when she faced Mistystar, her stance was determined, "Moon Kit. I, Spy, extra kit of Moon, and your sister, challenge you to a fight for heir. Frog may explain the rules."

The tom gathered the other cats off the alleyway with a whisk of his tail, "Spy and Moon Kit will fight to the death. Winner, and sole survivor, will take all. So this is the decider of all your fates! Who will you support? And how will it affect you?"

With a howl, a tabby leaped on top of a pile of scraps, "FIGHT!"

Immediately, her friends took up the chant, spreading it to the crowd as it gathered around. I fought to keep my position at the front as the cats formed a ring around the two sisters. It was impossible how fast things were, I could barely keep up with what was happening. 

Moon demanded, "Start!"

Spy darted forward, her teeth flashing as she drew blood from her sister's ear. Then, with a ferocious snarl, she dove and took the fur off Mistyclan's leader's front legs. Mistystar seemed to be still recovering from shock, because, as she staggered forward, her blows didn't land and she didn't seem to be able to dodge properly. 

Then, seeming to realise her life was on the line, she suddenly shot up and bowled her opponent over, pinning her down and delivering several vicious claws to the face. Spy kicked her off, scrambled up and, with one might paw, slapped her down. I had to gasp at the skill and strength behind the specially designed moves that she used to keep Mistystar down while also clawing her face off. 

Then, without hesitation, she bent down and sunk her teeth into the leader of Mistyclan's neck.

A/N

SHOUTOUT TO Smartycoins

idk if you're still reading with us, but thanks for the comments you've made in the past!

- quill