Sorry they're taking forever to come out. I'm updating when I can, but real life is getting in the way. Regardless, I hope you all enjoy.

~Blaze

Chapter 2

The clamor in the clearing was loud and stunning. Frostfire, sitting in the center of the group, was resisting the urge to yowl at the other cats. This disorganization was getting them nowhere.

Gesturing to the other leaders, she gravitated to a large stump located directly in the center of the grassy clearing.

"Cats of the Clans! Please settle down!" Frostfire waited for the cats to quiet down. "Thank you. By now I am sure that you are aware of what transpired this afternoon. I want you all to know that the Rebels of ThornClan do not condone this behavior."

One particularly forward cat in the crowd stood. "I heard it was you and Talonheart who actually did the stealing! How can you claim to disagree with their morals when you performed the act yourself?" A chorus of yeah's and murmurs filled the clearing. Frostfire lifted her tail to regain silence.

"Yes, Talonheart and I were assigned to that particular task. It was not a pleasant one, nor did we want to do it. Yet we had to, first to keep our cover within the Clan, and second to ensure the safety of the kits. StarClan forbid a fighter had taken them, who knows what he would have done!

"As it was, we led a primarily rebel patrol, took the kits safely and unscathed to the camp where they are now simply being guarded by ThornClan Rebel cats. We are sorry that we had to do it, but the alternatives could have been much worse." The noise in the clearing grew once more as cats continued to gossip about what they were learning.

"Previously these meetings have been used to exchange information, to teach the younger Rebels how a Clan should run. Because of today's events, we have collectively decided that this is the last straw. The Clans cannot continue this way, otherwise we will all die." Frostfire paused for the cheering to die down. A cat nudged her shoulder. Frostfire turned to see her fellow leader and friend, Lightwatcher of SwiftClan. The light gray she-cat pushed her way to the front of the stump.

"We all know what will happen tomorrow. ThornClan crossed the line when they crossed the boundaries and into the heart of LakeClan's camp. They took the fight to the next level by choosing to steal the kits of an enemy Clan. Now, there will be war. And not what we've been doing recently, these little skirmishes and petty thefts of prey. We think there is going to be a huge battle between the Clans, and whichever sides come out on top will be the winners."

Rippletail, the little ginger tom leader from LakeClan, stood forward then. "Before we left, my leader held a war council. He told me that this fight, so long in coming, was to be held primarily between RockClan and ThornClan. LakeClan was initially going to try to stay out of it. After ThornClan stole those kits, however, there was a shift." The murmurs of the crowd began anew, louder than before.

"I have been told that there will be a two-way split. LakeClan has agreed to a treaty with RockClan, and will battle with them in two days time. They plan on a massive ambush on ThornClan and SwiftClan, who they have deemed to be the other side no matter if SwiftClan is involved in the fight or not." Every SwiftClan and ThornClan cat in the clearing began yowling in annoyance. Frostfire could see tensions between the cats rising.

"We should take advantage of this battle! We need to fight and get rid of the Fighter leaders once and for all!" One cat yowled loudly. Her neighbor, a cat of a different Clan, voiced other ideas.

"We should wait until they destroy each other, then attack whoever is left and take over the Clan leadership for ourselves. Patience is our greatest asset."

"Attack now while we still have surprise on our side!"

"Fight alongside them and remove threats strategically!"

The cries were becoming louder and incoherent with each cat that added their opinion to the discussion. Frostfire stared down at the cats, conflicted. She wasn't sure which path was better herself, but it was something they needed to decide now, before any other cat got hurt. Frostfire desperately closed her eyes and sent up a prayer.

StarClan, please send me guidance in these hard times, so that I may make the decision that is best for all four Clans to survive and prosper.

Frostfire opened her eyes in confusion when the noise in the clearing suddenly vanished. She lifted her head from where it was slightly bowed and stared around. She wasn't in their gathering anymore. Instead, she was standing on a rock surrounded by miles and miles of water. The shining dark-blue expanse seemed endless, with no land in sight beyond her tiny little rock island.

From behind her, she heard loud screams and yowls, the sounds of cats fighting and dying. She turned, and suddenly found herself facing what looked like her worst nightmare. Dead bodies were strewn all over a large expanse of grassland, blood staining the plants and corpses piled on top of each other in a horrifying arrangement of needless death.

The remaining few cats were fighting mercilessly, claws biting cruelly into each other's pelts and teeth flashing. No cat was backing down or running away, and she watched in horror as one pair continued to scramble at each other's faces even as they fell to the ground, slowly bleeding out. Frostfire could see the look in their eyes, a crazed desperation and a hopelessness that caused them to fight endlessly, their only goal death.

The white she-cat gasped and gagged as the smell invaded her nose. She flinched backwards, away from a group of wildly flailing ThornClan cats, only to jump and close her eyes in attempt to flee from a familiar brown paw flying down onto her head.

When she felt no impact, Frostfire blinked, opening her eyes to a beautiful forest illuminated by the soft evening light of the sun. This area was filled with the calming sounds of the forest, with birds chirping, the wind gently blowing leaves, and chittering of little forest animals peacefully living through another day.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." The voice from behind her startled her into whirling around and dropping into a defensive stance. The brown cat behind her stood calmly, waiting for her to relax her stance.

"Who are you? What was that?" She asked. Frostfire was not ready to trust any random cats from her dreams. They could be Dark Forest cats for all she knew!

That is, until she noticed the odd shimmering of his body and the way that though he stood still, his body seemed to be gently fading in and out, covered in an ethereal glow.

"Those were visions of what will happen if you stay here." Frostfire's mind flashbacked to moments ago, when a zombie-like Talonheart had been lunging for the kill. "I came here at the behest of StarClan to tell you what the Rebel cats must do." Frostfire's mind cleared for a brief moment, and hope filled her soul. Her prayers had been heard!

"We need you to do something for us. All of you. Even the kits." Frostfire opened her mouth to voice her sudden confusion, but the StarClan cat plowed on. "There is an area nearby, about two day's journey from here that we need you to go to tonight. Right after the meeting."

"Why do the kits need to come?" Frostfire questioned. The brown tom scoffed.

"Would you rather that the Rebel kits be left alone in the camp with no one but Fighters to guard or kill them? You've seen what a desperate Fighter is capable of. You know just as well as I do that those kits and the apprentices can't be left alone. The Warriors would be able to hold their own in a fight, but we can't spare any to stay. All of you must go."

Frostfire did not understand. "Why are we going to this area?" She mewed. She didn't like the sound of a useless journey. It felt like StarClan was purposefully trying to just get rid of them.

"We think there are cats there attempting to form a group to go against these Clans. They are untrained, inexperienced, and know nothing beside the hatred of the Clans for killing their families. We want you to go to them and attempt to recruit them to your side. Then, you will have enough cats to make a formidable force against the remains of the Clans here." Frostfire considered this. It would make a big difference if they had more cats, but if those cats couldn't fight, what good were they?

"How would we find this area? Where is it?" Frostfire mewed. The tom seemed happy that she was considering his proposal. She had never been trusted with important information such as this before, and it was an alarmingly new experience.

Neither cat moved closer to another, which made Frostfire grateful. She was wary of him, and what his presence could mean. Usually StarClan led her in much more subtle ways, leaving signs within nature to guide her on the right path. This was new, and she was not comfortable with it yet.

"It's located beyond the forests of ThornClan. If you travel for a few days, you will run into the group. They're very... obnoxious." Frostfire sighed, weighing her options. There weren't very many, especially since StarClan had given the order.

"Alright. We'll go." She decided. She got a nod from the tom.. A moment later she curled into herself, clutched her head between her paws with a gasp. Her body dropped like a stone and she rolled into a ball from the immense pain filling her mind.

"Frostfire! Frostfire wake up!" The white she-cat groaned, rising to her paws curiously. She was back at the gathering, where she could hear the panicked yowls of cats.

"What happened?" Frostfire struggled to remain standing, her weak limbs refusing to work.

"We were speaking to the warriors when you suddenly collapsed and fell to the floor. I thought you were dying! You were going through mini seizures, and towards the end, you even began screaming. Are you alright?" Frostfire nodded her head.

"I'm fine, yeah. I... I just had a vision. A StarClan cat came to speak with me. We have a LOT to do." Frostfire mewed grimly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Is that everyone?" Lightwatcher asked Frostfire.  The white she-cat nodded.

"Thats all of us. No more than twenty five out of all the Clan cats combined. This journey is a good idea after all.  We'd never be able to hold separate territories with this few cats." Frostfire mused.

The two she-cats observed the train of cats sneaking through the brambles of ThornClan territory. Frostfire couldn't help but feel like this was fleeing. She did not want to run like this, especially not on the eve of the greatest battle in their history. She figured once again that if StarClan told them to, then they probably should listen to their advice and get these mysterious cats.

"Are we ready? The younger cats all had travelling herbs, right?" Confirmations rang around their group, and Frostfire nodded and grinned. "Then let's move! The faster we go, the faster we get back to defeat the Fighters once and for all."

As Frostfire watched the other cats walk away, she turned for one last moment, trying to remember if they had forgotten something important. She shrugged and turned to go but did a double-take, checking behind her one more time. She could have sworn that she saw the same brown tom from earlier, staring at her intensely. Weird.

Two foxlengths away from her, the brown tom stood and quietly observed.

"I think she saw me. Interesting." The she-cat next to him, Spottedstar, shrugged her shoulders.

"She has always been very intuitive. That is why we told her and not another cat."

"Are you sure they'll be far enough from the blast?" Spottedstar glared good naturedly at him.

"Who's the rock expert here? I know they'll be safe. I'd have sent them further otherwise. Really, this is all perfect. All the cats will be in one area fighting. Only kits and queens might escape." She brushed momentarily against the brown tom's side.

"Thank you for seeing the truth. I hated fighting with you, Falconstar." The brown tom nuzzled her with a soft smile.

"Well you were right. It's for the best, isn't it?"