The Three Version 1

Chapter one

"ShadowClan, ShadowClan! They're att-" Squirrelflight's yowl was cut off by Crowfrost as he knocked her over, he had clawed her while he had tackled her. She screeched in pain and shock as Crowfrost leaned in for the killing bite.

She saw the tabby pelt of Brambleclaw as he launched himself through the air. Suddenly, the weight on Squirrelflight's chest disappeared.

She gasped as Brambleclaw's fur was torn, falling to the ground like dried leaves. Brambleclaw fought fiercely, and he swooped in on Crowfrost, killing him in a swift bite to the neck.

Squirrelflight lay there, panting, as soon as the fight ended, she sprang up and cats surged forward, ThunderClan cats. Squirrelflight dragged the almost dead Brambleclaw to Jayfeather.

"Jayfeather! Brambleclaw...help him!" Squirrelflight fell helplessly to the floor as Jayfeather emerged from the den.

"Squirrelflight...Brambleclaw?" he swallowed. Leafpool burst out of the fighting.

"I need a LOT of cobwebs, and quick!" she snarled at him. Soon Jayfeather had come back, covered with cobwebs. Leafpool came and took off some cobwebs off of Jayfeather and placed them on Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw.

"Well?" Jayfeather asked.

"They'll be terribly sore, but fine..." Leafpool replied.

Thank StarClan, Jayfeather thought.



Cinderheart ran through the battle. She saw Lionblaze and Ratscar fighting, and it seemed Ratscar had a better chance. Even though he can't be harmed, I can't take a chance, she thought. She was about to lunge when she felt claws rip through her back fur, into her flesh.

She had been surprised, there for she couldn't attack Ratscar.

She screeched as Lionblaze sent Ratscar running, and his eyes filled with pure hatred for the ShadowClan warrior that had attacked Cinderheart. Lionblaze took a mighty leap through the air.

Lionblaze landed on his back with a snarl, throwing him of Cinderheart's back.

Scorchfur! Scorchfur had attacked her! What a mouse-brain!

Lionblaze panted. "Are you alright?" he asked. Cinderheart nodded. If only... She thought. But no, he's a cat with a great destiny, I am not... She finished the thought as she heard a screech through the air.

"Yes! Firestar is DEAD! I killed-" Blackstar's cry of glory was cut short as Cloudtail and Sandstorm attacked him from both sides, killing him.

Squirrelflight had rejoined the battle, and she fell to the ground by her dead father.

"Firestar..." Her voice cracked. Firestar was gone.





Chapter Two

Squirrelflight, are you alright?" asked Sandstorm. Squirrelflight's voice was still creaky, but she didn't care.

"Of course not, but I have to be." she replied. Brambleclaw limped over to where Blackstar's dead body and his deputy stood.

"Take your dead and leave!" he snarled emphatically. Rowanclaw nodded, retrieving his warriors, calling for retreat.

Brambleclaw looked at Firestar's dead body.

"Squirrelflight...I-I'm sorry...I've been treating you horribly, you didn't need this, too." Brambleclaw interjected. She gave a slight smile.

"It's alright...I deserved it."



Dovewing slid to a halt as she saw the ShadowClan warriors retreat. She saw Lionblaze, Cinderheart, Ivypool, Sandstorm, Cloudtail, Jayfeather, Squirrelflight, Bumblestripe, and Brambleclaw huddled in a circle.

But where is Firestar? She thought.

She bounded up to them. She hesitated, and then spoke.

"Uh, hey...what's going-" Her mew was cut short due to her gasp of horror.

"Firestar...is dead?" she asked. Bumblestripe got up and walked over to her, and touched his muzzle to her's.

"Yes, Dovewing..." he said. She frowned.

"But...he's the leader...doesn't he have more lives?" she asked.

"Dovewing, that was his last one. Come on...we should tell Leafpool." Bumblestripe explained.

She barely nodded as she turned towards camp. She blinked, she didn't want Firestar to be dead, nobody did. Dovewing was wondering if Brambleclaw was fit to go to the Moonpool.

She looked at Bumblestripe.

"Thank you. You've no idea what you've done for me." She looked at her paws, and they were silent until they reached camp.



"Leafpool, Leafpool? Where are you?" Dovewing called. Leafpool came out of the medicine cat's den.

"Yes?"

"It's Firestar, he's, erm, dead." Dovewing told her.

"No, it's not true! It cannot be!" she screeched. Jayfeather padded out, and she knew he could feel grief radiating off Leafpool like fire spreading in the forest.

Leafpool raced off. Dovewing sat curling her tail with Bumblestripe's.

"Does she have it worse?" She asked.





Chapter Three

12moons later



Bumblestripe and Dovewing padded over to Jayfeather.

"Jayfeather, tell her she has to go to the nursery right now! She's having my kits, and I don't want harm to come to her or them." He explained.

Jayfeather sighed as Dovewing replied,

"Bumblestripe, I'll be fine! I can do my warrior duties until Jayfeather says otherwise!" Even though her words were strict, she giggled at herself.

"Actually, Dovewing, you've been expecting for quite a while now, only a couple moons away from delivering! You should be moved to the nursery now." Jayfeather replied.

"See, Dovewing? I told you so!" He laughed, turning to take her to the nursery. Jayfeather shook his head as Lionblaze walked up to Jayfeather.

"Cinderheart is due any day now, right?" He asked. Jayfeather nodded, looking at his herbs he was sorting.

Just then, Bumblestripe raced back.

"Lionblaze, Jayfeather, I think Cinderheart's about to have her kits!" He yowled.

Lionblaze immediatly race to his mate's side, and licked her fur down, because it had been bristling.

"Lionblaze, you came! I thought you would wimp out!" She laughed. His eyes were full of love for her and he shook his head.

"Never." Just then, Jayfeather ran in with a thick stick and some borage. Lionblaze stood watching as she convulsed, and the first kit came. He licked it and put it by Cinderheart's belly.

"A tom." Lionblaze said, as another kit arrived.

"One more, Cinderheart." Jayfeather said as Lionblaze licked the second. He put that one by it's mother's belly as well.

"A little she-kit." He smiled.

"Almost..." Cinderheart smiled as the last kit came. Jayfeather licked this one.

"A she-kit!" He replied. Cinderheart panted and ate the borage she was given. Lionblaze smiled. Cinderheart said,

"Can we name them now?"

"Of course, whatever you want!" Lionblaze insisted. She looked at one of the she-kits.

"She looks like you..." Her eyes softened. "Let's name her... Flowerkit." She finished. Lionblaze nodded. He looked at the tiny tom-kit.

"Let's name him Firekit, after Firestar." Lionblaze said. Cinderheart nodded, signaling her approval. They looked at the final she-kit, and they looked at her brother and sister.

"How about Goldenkit?" Lionblaze suggested. Cinderheart's eyes gleamed.

"I love that name." Lionblaze laid next to Cinderheart and his new kits.

"Rest. I'll watch over you guys." With that, she closed her eyes, and soon, her rythimic breathing told Lionblaze she was asleep.



"Daddy! Daddy, look! I can beat Flowerkit!" Goldenkit lunged at her sister playfully as Cinderheart and Lionblaze watched them. Spiderleg walked up to them.

"Can we seperate you guys for a border patrol?" He asked.

"Yeah," Lionblaze said, then turned to Cinderheart, "I'll be back soon!" He gave each of his kits a lick and walked over to the border patrol that was waiting. Bramblestar, Squirrelflight, Spiderleg and Lionblaze left.



Dovewing sighed, looking at Cinderheart's kits.

"Cinderheart, you have beautiful kits." She said.

Cinderheart laughed softly.

"You're kits will be the same." She told Dovewing.

"Bumblestripe and Jayfeather made me come into the nursery. I'm two moons from kitting, and they act like it's only two seconds!" She sighed. Cinderheart smiled.

"You should've seen Lionblaze. He made me come in here 4 moons before kitting, but I like it here." She replied. Goldenkit yawned as they squeezed back into the nursery. Cinderheart curled up in her nest with her kits, and closed her eyes, awaiting Lionblaze's return.



Ivypool awoke, yet only moonlight poured into the den. Only then did she feel the prodding paw on her side.

"Huh?" She looked up to find herself staring into Toadstep's eyes.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, I was just wondering if you were awake..." He glanced at her. She shook her head.

"It's okay. Do you want to go for a walk or something?" She asked.

"Sure." Ivypool stood, only to puff her fur for warmth. Toadstep took a step closer to her so that he used his pelt to warm her. She almost stepped closer, and she wasn't cold.

"Come on. Do you want to go out by the lake or in the forest?" He asked her.

"Let's go by the lake." She told him. He nodded, a gleam in his eye as they walked out of camp.

"Does the lake ever make you want to know how to swim?" He asked. She purred in amusement.

"What are you, RiverClan?" She teased.

"Ivypool? What are you doing? Oh, hi Toadstep!" It was Cinderheart, Lionblaze, and their kits.

"Hello, Cinderheart, Lionblaze! How're your kits?" Ivypool's eyes gleamed.

"Great. They couldn't sleep, and Lionblaze insists on sleeping in the nursery." Cinderheart teased Lionblaze. He gave a small laugh and licked her ear.

A moment too late, she remembered Toadstep was here, and she was brushing her pelt with his.

"Oh! Uh..." She stepped away. Cinderheart chuckled, then to her kits, "Come on, little ones, time to go back to the nursery." The kits groaned, but followed their mother and father.

Toadstep was still looking at Ivypool as she moved away.

"Erm, sorry..." She replied, but he just laughed.

"It's okay." With that, he leaned closer to her and twined his tail with her's. She blinked.

"Uh, maybe we should go back to camp." She said. She didn't know what to do. Could she actually be in love with Toadstep?



Chapter Four



Ivypool looked around the clearing. She couldn't find Toadstep and sighed. She squeezed through the thorn barrier, walking towards the lake. She saw the dawn patrol, hoping Toadstep was in it. He was and he veered away from it.

"Toadstep! Uh, hi!" She said, embarrassment picking at her fur.

"Hi, Ivypool! Wanna go for a walk?" He asked. She nodded, and they started walking. He came closer to her affectionatly, and twined their tails. This time she didn't do anything.

She walked closer, almost to where they would trip over each other's paws.

"Toadstep, bet you can't win a race to the lake!" As soon as Ivypool said that, she bolted off in the direction of the lake.

"Haha!" Toadstep was right behind her as they reached a hill, and they tripped over each other and rolled down the hill.

"OOF!" Ivypool laughed, and said,

"I won!" They both laughed.

"Ivypool? Toadstep? I didn't know you guys were that close!" It was Rosepetal who had said that.

Ivypool quickly jumped to her paws. Toadstep did the same.

"Uh, yeah...well, Rosepetal...we might be close but...we're still like...friends?" Toadstep said. Rosepetal chuckled.

"Toadstep," she laughed, "I don't care if you guys are close. You guys are perfect for each other." Both of them bristled in embarrassment. Toadstep took a pawstep forward.

"Uh, yeah Rose-petal," he whispered the next words to his sister quietly, "I do like her...but I dont know if she likes me..."

Rose-petal took a step towards Ivy-pool.

"Can we talk?" She asked. Ivypool nodded and they walked off into the other direction.

As soon as they were far enough from Toadstep, Rose-petal started talking.

"You know that you've captured my brother's heart, right?" She asked. Ivypool gasped, confused.

"I-I-" Ivypool didn't finish that. Rose-petal intervened.

"And he's taken yours." She finished. Ivypool knew it was the truth, and she looked at her paws.

"Of course he has...I just...don't know..." Ivypool admitted.

"He likes you, too. You guys are great for each other...now go on." She nudged her back to where Toadstep stood waiting.

She smiled and walked forward. She raced toward Toadstep and knocked him over, causing them to roll in to the lake.

"Cold!" She tried to bristle her fur, but it was stuck to her sides. She was able to stand and get to shore. Toadstep laughed.

"Changed my mind on swimming!" His eyes gleamed. She grinned. Her fur had started to dry and they sat close to each other. She laid her head on his shoulder.

"We should get back to camp. They're probably looking for us...and if they ask, we were swimming-well, I was!" Toadstep laughed.

"Yeah, but first, I need to talk with you..." He replied, strangely.

"Yes?" She asked.

"I-I like you. I mean I really do...and I want you to be more than my friend." He said. She blinked.

"I thought we were already more than friends." She stated. He looked surprised.

"Oh, so, yes then?" He asked. She nodded, brushing against him. Don't worry, of course we are, she thought.



Dovewing sat patiently in the clearing. Bumblestripe and his patrol should've been here sooner. She sighed. Please let them be okay, she thought. She remembered the gatherings when they would race back to camp, laughing, ahead of their clanmates.

She waited, and the patrol came and he joined her.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm just fine." She smiled and nuzzled him. "Don't worry about me." he laughed and shook his head.

"How could I not worry about you?"

"Oh come on, you were thinking of the clan on your patrol!" She exclaimed as Toadstep and Ivypool walked by.

"What's going on?" Ivypool asked. Dovewing smiled and to her sister she said,

"He says he worries for me whenever I'm not with him." She gave Bumblestripe's ear a lick.

"I bet he does!" Ivypool glanced at her sister's mate. "You guys are inseperable!" Dovewing padded into the nursery, Bumblestripe on her tail.

Bumblestripe looked at her. "I'm sorry, it's just that I don't want to lose you...or our kits." He replied.

She nuzzled him and said,

"Don't worry. You won't lose me."





Chapter Five

A couple moons later



"Dovewing! Dovewing is having her kits!" Cinderheart said, taking her kits out of the nursery.

"WHAT?!" Bumblestripe raced into the nursery and sat next to Dovewing.

"Oof!" She exclaimed as she convulsed. Bumblestripe licked her ear. Jayfeather gave her a large stick and she picked it up in her jaws. Dovewing could tell that Bumblestripe's paws were itching to run. She gasped in pain as she finally convulsed. Jayfeather heard the crack of the stick as she yowled through the thick wood.

Bumblestripe laid down next to Dovewing, his fur next to hers soothing her. She gasped in pain as the first kit came.

"Uh..." Bumblestripe said. Dovewing didn't convulse anymore.

"Isn't there anymore kits?" Flowerkit asked, walking into the nursery with her littermates.

"Nope. This kit is the only one!" Jayfeather told the young she-cat, who was 4 moons away from becoming an apprentice.

"But one kit isn't as fun as three!" Flowerkit pouted.

Cinderheart cuffed her kit's ear lightly.

"Flowerkit," she whispered. "that wasn't very nice. Apologize to Dovewing."

"Okay mommy!" Said Flowerkit, bounding up to Dovewing.

"I'm sorry I was so impolite!" Dovewing just nodded, curled with Bumblestripe and their little tom-kit.

"Dovewing, do you want to name him?" Bumblestripe asked. Dovewing nodded, and looked at the black tom kit.

"Let's name him Duskkit." She said. He nodded and they curled

together and fell asleep.



Ivypool and Toadstep were curled together in the warrior's den when Bumblestripe finally padded in. Ivypool knew Toadstep was deep in slumber, so she did not wake him.

"Hi, Bumblestripe. How'd the kitting go?"

"Awesome. A little tom-kit name Duskkit." He replied. She smiled and curled beside Toadstep again.



The next morning, Ivypool felt sick. Toadstep noticed, and his eyes were sympathetic as he said,

"Are you sick? Maybe you should just rest and go see Jayfeather."

"Thanks, I'll go see Jayfeather." She got up and, belly sore and hurting, padded to Jayfeather.

"Jayfeather, I feel sick. What should I do?" She asked patiently. She smiled at Briarlight. "Hi!" Briarlight was asleep, and she hadn't noticed. Oops, she thought.

"Uh, One sec." A moment later, Jayfeather walked out with some juniper berries coated with honey.

"Here, eat these. Come back in a bit and tell me if they worked or not."Jayfeather said. Ivypool nodded, heading towards the nursery to visit her sister and Cinderheart.

"Are you okay?" Ivypool asked them. Her sister nodded.

"Cinder-heart is too." she said. She blinked. Flowerkit was playing with Goldenkit.

"Lion-blaze? Oh, you're not Lion-blaze."

  "Yeah, I just came to see my sister." Ivypool said. Cinderheart chuckled. Dovewing licked Duskkit's ear, and Ivypool thought she was ignoring them.

    "Hey, Dovewing, wanna go for a walk?" Asked Ivypool. Dovewing nodded as Bumblestripe walked in.

    "Dovewing, go ahead, I'll watch DuskkIt." With that, Dovewing and Ivypool squeezed through the thorn barrier. Dovewin sifhed, unsure of what to do.

    "Sorry we haven't been talking, Ivypool..." Dovewing replied. Ivypool smiled and nuzzled her sister. Don't worry, we will always be with each other, thought Dovewing

    "It's okay."