The sequel to The Outsider. By:Tiger
Prologue[]
The ShadowClan camp was loud with noise and fear. "Thistlestar!" one of the cats called! "Yes, i'm here, Runningbreeze" the voice replied. "Where's Applestem?" Runningbreeze asked Thistlestar. "I don't know where anyone is" Thistlestar replied. "Thistlestar, me, Shinelight, Willowfur, and Bluebird have the kits." another voice called. "All right Orcasplash, get out of camp". Thistlestar replied, trying to sound as strong as possible. "What about you?" Orcasplash asked. "I'll be fine, trust me" Thistlestar replied. Orcasplash dashed out of camp. The heat of the blazing fire in the camp burned Thistlestar's pelt. "Help!" Ravenkit was trapped in the nursery. "I thought all the kits were safe" Thistlestar meowed as he grabbed Ravenkit. "Thistlestar! There you are!" Moonfern exclaimed. "Thistlestar! Moonfern! Ravenkit!" Orcasplash stood near the camp entrance.
"Come on!" Orcasplash called. Suddenly, a flaming tree branch started to fall. Thistlestar threw Ravenkit at Orcasplash. "Good-bye my love" he whispered as the branch fell on him and everything went black. Thistlestar awoke in the Fourtrees clearing. "We are sorry Thistlestar, you have lost your last life" Lizardclaw, Dapplestar, and Stormcloud meowed all at once. "I will miss my clan" Thistlestar mewoed sadly. "We all know how you feel right now" Stormcloud comforted her mate. "Is the rest of the clan safe?" Thistlestar asked. "Not everyone" the voice came from a different cat. "Moonfern!" Thistlestar gasped. "Did you get crushed by the branch too?" Thistlestar asked. "No, the exit got blocked, I tried climbing out of camp from the side, but the flames burned, the smoke stung my lungs like fury. I was almost out of camp, but it was too much, I collapsed in pain, waiting for death to come, and it did" Moonfern explained with great grief.
"Look" Lizardclaw gestured to a pool. Rain started to fall from the sky, extinguishing the fire. "ShadowClan will be fine" Thistlestar whispered. "Runningbreeze will lead the clan well" Dapplestar assured the black tom. "Yes, he will be a good leader" Thistlestar replied. "Come on to the great forest of StarClan" Stormcloud meowed. Thistlestar nodded and he and Moonfern followed Stormcloud into StarClan
Chapter 1:After The Fire[]
~Goldkit's POV~
Goldkit stared at the destroyed ShadowClan camp. "It's all burnt" she meowed. Goldkit's brother, Duskkit, was next to her. "Where's father?" he asked. "I don't know" Goldkit replied. Goldkit's other brother, Ashkit, and his friend, Blazingkit, walked over to them. "It looks like most of the clan is okay" Ashkit meowed. Goldkit's sister, Stormkit, walked over as well. "The queens want to see us" she meowed. The kits padded up to Orcasplash, Willowfur, and Shinelight. "Are all you kits safe?" Orcasplash asked. "We're fine" Goldkit squeaked. Minnowkit and Honeykit popped out from behind Willowfur "Can we play with the older kits?" they asked. "You could get hurt" Willowfur wrapped her tail around them. "No, we're three moons old!" Minnowkit protested. "And Goldkit, Duskkit, Ashkit, and Stormkit are 5 moons old! Blazingkit, Ravenkit, and Foxkit are 4 moons old!" Willowfur replied. "Come on now, Willowfur" Eagleflight, Willowfur's mate, meowed. Their other kit, Nightkit, was next to him. "Fine, but you older kits be careful" Willowfur meowed at Goldkit, Duskkit, Ashkit, Stormkit, Blazingkit, Ravenkit, and Foxkit.
"We will be" the kits responded. "I don't want to play, look at the camp" Ravenkit meowed. "Ravenkit is right, how can we even think of playing?" Duskkit murmured. "We should try to help rebuild camp" Ashkit agreed. Goldkit nodded I feel so selfish for wanting to play she thought. Cinderpaw and Flarepaw walked past them, carrying wet moss. "Can we help you guys?" Goldkit asked. "What do you think Flarepaw?" Cinderpaw looked at the smoky gray tom. "Sure" Flarepaw meowed. "Duskkit, Ashkit, Blazingkit, Ravenkit, Foxkit and Nightkit, come with me" Flarepaw flicked his tail. Goldkit, Stormkit, Honeykit, Minnowkit followed Cinderpaw. Cinderpaw continued to stare at Flarepaw as he exited camp. She so loves him Goldkit thought. Cinderpaw lead the kits out of camp to a small area protected by a bunch of small plants. Moss covered the floor. "Now, grab some with your paw and use your chin to tuck it against your chest" Cinderpaw instructed. "Why can't you just carry it in your mouth?" Minnowkit asked. "You will, carry some in your mouth and some against your chest, we get more moss that way" Cinderpaw replied. "That's smart" Goldkit murmured. Goldkit scooped some up and tucked it to her chest. It felt cold. She leaned down and grabbed some in her mouth. After all of them had gotten some moss, they returned to camp.
"Darn it!" They looked around to see Honeykit, who had dropped the moss in her mouth. "That's okay, we have enough" Cinderpaw meowed. As they returned to camp, everyone looked distraught. Orcasplash looked destroyed. The white and black she-cat looked at Goldkit, and Stormkit. "Thistlestar is dead!"
Chapter 2:Dealing With Death[]
~Duskkit's POV~
Duskkit padded back to camp with the moss, the others trailed behind him. Flarepaw caught up to him and gave him a look that Duskkit thought meant 'be careful'. 'I will' Duskkit silently replied. When they padded back to camp, all the cats were silent and looked full of grief. "What's going on?" Flarepaw asked, putting down his moss. "Thistlestar is dead!" Orcasplash wailed. Duskkit's blood froze No! Thistlestar isn't dead! My father can't be dead!. "Moonfern is dead as well!" Rosefeather appeared from the camp exit with her mother's body. "Two deaths" Flarepaw murmured sadly. "Stoneheart and I must travel to the Moonstone so I can get my nine lives" Runningbreeze announced. "We will watch over the clan" Dragonfire and Falconflight meowed. The two, along with Driftcloud, were Runningbreeze's greatest friends. Runningbreeze nodded and headed off with Stoneheart.
Duskkit and Ashkit walked over to Goldkit and Stormkit. The four then padded up to Orcasplash and collapsed at her feet and cried. Duskkit looked up and noticed that Orcasplash's face was full of grief, she was not weeping. "You don't have to act strong for us" Duskkit meowed. Orcasplash nodded and lay down by her kits. "Two deaths" Duskkit whispered. "You don't have to act like a warrior, you can be a kit, you know" Orcasplash whispered back. "I'm sorry" Duskkit meowed. "How could father die?" Duskkit heard Ashkit say. "I don't know. I just don't know" Orcasplash sobbed. Duskkit could see Rosefeather sobbing over Moonfern's body. "Come with us" Duskkit meowed. Rosefeather nodded and laid down by Orcasplash.
It just didn't seem real. Their father was dead. Duskkit had hoped Thistlestar would watch them grow up into fine warriors. Now Duskkit knew he had to protect his siblings and mother. To do that, he would become the greatest warrior ever.
Chapter 3:The New Leader[]
~Ashkit's POV~
Ashkit sleepily opened his eyes, and guilt instantly stung him. He had fallen asleep while sitting vigil for Thistlestar. Also with him was Orcasplash, Goldkit, Duskkit, Stormkit, Dragonfire, Falconflight, Driftcloud, and Rosefeather. He was relieved to see that Stormkit had fallen asleep too. Dawn had just settled on the camp when Ashkit heard paw steps as Runningbreeze and Stoneheart walked into camp and Runningbreeze leaped on High-Log. "Cats of ShadowClan gather!" Runningbreeze yowled. When everyone had gathered, Runningbreeze spoke again "While we all grieve for Thistlestar, I have gained my nine lives and am ready to lead ShadowClan". ShadowClan began to cheer "Runningstar! Runningstar! Runningstar!" Ashkit was angry, how could they cheer when Thistlestar was dead?
"As the new leader, it is time I pick a deputy" Runningstar paused, then spoke again "The new deputy will be...Toadleap!" The ginger and black tom padded up to Runningstar "I am proud to accept the position." Ashkit scoffed "A rogue for deputy". "You stop that" Orcasplash scolded. "Your father was a rogue once" she continued. "Sorry" Ashkit mumbled. Driftcloud padded up to Thistlestar and began to take him out of camp for burial.
"Let me help you" Orcasplash said to her. Dragonfire and Falconflight helped as well as they took Thistlestar's dead body out of camp. "Goodbye father" Goldkit whispered. Blazingkit, Ravenkit, and Foxkit ran toward their father, Toadleap. "Our dad is deputy!" They squeaked. They climbed on Toadleap's back and he playfully tied to shake them off. Ashkit was sad that he could never play with his father like that ever again.
Chapter 4:Apprentices[]
~Stormkit's POV~
"I'm just so proud of all of you" Orcasplash meowed with pride in her eyes. It was finally time for Goldkit, Duskkit, Ashkit and Stormkit to become apprentices. Stormkit was hoping Thistlestar would be the one to give them their apprentice names but she was happy either way. "Cats of ShadowClan gather" Runningstar yowled from High-log. "We have four kits who are ready to become apprentices. Goldkit, Duskkit', Ashkit, and Stormkit come forward."