Horror beyond horror. 

The leader of Mistyclan was dead. 

With a cry of grief I rushed forward, but Frog got there first, standing in my way and stopping me from helping Mistystar as she jerked once, twice, and lay still. 

The cats exploded, letting out shrieks of bloodthirsty approval as they cheered for the new heir. Frozen, I couldn't believe how quick that had been. 

My leader hadn't had the strength or skill to beat a rogue, or even match her strokes with some of her own. 

But the Mistystar I knew was so strong, the best fighter of all of us. If she couldn't have defeated Spy, what cat could? At that moment, familiar scents wafted through the air right before cats of Mistyclan ran into the alleyway, teeth bared in obvious threat. 

Fallenleaf was at the lead, screeching, "Mistyclan! Attack!!"

Lilypad followed close behind, crashing into Frog with Morningflower at her tail. 

I wailed, "No! Stop! We can't fight now!"

No cat listened. 

How could I make them understand?

I staggered over to Mistystar's body, shielding it from the fighting cats, "Cloudypaw! Help!"

My sister shoved aside a tom only to freeze at the sight of Mistystar's corpse, "What - what happened?"

Tropicpalm arrived at her side, her eyes hard with anger.

Her voice, usually so gentle, was suddenly commanding, "Help me."

With a grunt, she hauled Mistystar onto me and Cloudypaw, "She'll be coming back soon for her next life. We have to get back to a safe place."

I nodded, eager to help. 

Lilypad was suddenly there, batting away any cat who got too close with her powerful claws. Morningflower darted in and out in front of us as we made our way through a thick point of the battle, clearing us a path. 

Finally, we turned out of the alleyway, where Tropicpalm had several batches of herbs waiting. She laid Mistystar out and immediately started applying pre-prepared poultice to the wounds.

Cloudypaw gaped, awestruck, "What does that do?"

Tropicpalm's words were patient but rushed, "It's marigold. Good for stopping infection. You apply it to the wound and then bind it down with cobweb or whatever is the best bandage that you can find."

I couldn't help being dismissive, "Who cares, we don't need to know. Just bring her back to life!"

To my surprise, the medicine cat wasn't offended, "Of course, you warrior apprentices won't understand. I'm trying my best to assist her."

Cloudypaw sniffed, indignant on her behalf, "I understand, Tropicpalm. It's all very interesting."

Tropicpalm sat back on her haunches, satisfied, "That's all I can do now. We just have to wait."

She glanced at my sister, "Perhaps you ought to become my apprentice. I've been thinking about taking on another one."

I blurted, "But you can't!"

At the offended look on both their faces, I insisted, "You're already Lilypad's apprentice! Cloudypaw, you said you would always be there for me! We're going to become mighty warriors together, remember?"

Cloudypaw promised, "We will! Don't worry. I'll always be there for you, like I said."

Tropicpalm snapped, "There are more important things at the moment. I can feel Mistystar breathing."

Jumping to attention, I stared at the corpse as her chest started to rise and fall again. 

Cloudypaw exclaimed, "What are we going to do? Is Mistystar going to fight?"

Tropicpalm shook her head, "She can't, she shouldn't."

"I'll tell you exactly what I am going to do."

I gasped; the corpse had stood up, opened its mouth and spoken. 

Except it wasn't a corpse anymore, for her pelt was shining with health and confidence.

Mistystar's eyes were hard with determination, "I'll talk to them, convince them. Somehow we must be able to make them take on a leader other than me. Otherwise, they may seek out our clan in the future for the same purposes."

I gaped, "How do you propose we do that?"

***

The adrenaline rushed through my fur, causing my heart to beat faster than a legendary Leopard Warrior running after her prey. Back in the battle, I used what Morningflower had taught me, catching myself so that my fur stayed flat even though my first instinct was the bush out. 

Then, a dark shape leaped on top of a scrap-tin and yowled, "I, Moon Kit, known as Mistystar, am alive! I possess several more lives therefore there is no way any cat can defeat me! Find a different leader, or heir."

Silence crept over the battling cats and Spy strode out, a single scratch on her cheek, "By the Spirits, I didn't plan for this! But, really, there is only one way now."

She turned, very suddenly, to a cat in the crowd. 

Moon shrunk against the ground, frozen. Her eyes were wild and her fur was torn, sticking out in all the wrong places. 

Even so, her voice held, "What do you mean, daughter? Do you forget who raised you?"

Spy unsheathed her claws, turning completely to her mother, "IT WASN'T YOU!"

With a pitiless caterwaul, she shot at Moon, barrelling into her with flying claws. Mother and daughter both fought fearlessly, but it was obvious who was winning, the way Spy was tearing her opponent apart. 

All the cats had stopped to watch, the match that would decide their fate. Finally, and far too quickly, Spy pinned Moon down and, with one casual swipe, tore out her mother's throat. There was silence, as the last light in Moon's eyes dimmed and cats of the alleyway looked as one to their new leader.

"Spy?"

"Spy.""

"SPY!"

Slowly, the rogues started chanting for their leader, voices raised in a wonderfully united song of certainty in the future. Mistystar stepped down from the scrap-tin and approached Spy, "Sister, I hope you will lead these cats well."

Her kin wasn't as kind, snapping, "Scout, escort these miserably uncoordinated 'clan cats' out."

She turned to her own cats with a calm superiority. As we were lead out, Spy suddenly called, "And, remember this, sister, when you are on your last life... I'm coming for you next."

Mistystar either didn't hear or pretended not to, herding us forward. 

Fallenleaf paused, rising onto his hind legs to address the whole clan, "Stop!" to Mistystar, he added, "Where are we going now?"

She simply responded, "Anywhere that'll let us rest, my paws feel like they've been cut off."