"You what?"

"I love him, Toadfoot," Applefur whispered. "I love him more than anything."

Whitenose and Spiderleg exchanged glances filled with joy, hope, and fear.

Fear?

"How could you?" he hissed. "You're being disloyal to ShadowClan! You're breaking the warrior code!" He bared his teeth, his hackles raised, his tail whipped the air furiously and his eyes glittered with rage.

"First off, I haven't done anything wrong yet. Second, can't you just be happy for me, Toadfoot? You're my brother. You know there's no one for me in ShadowClan. But…I love Birchheart, even if he is from ThunderClan. I love him like you love Sunstripe." Her eyes pleaded with him to understand.

"But that's different!" he spat back. "I love Sunstripe because she's in ShadowClan. Not ThunderClan. She's had my kits, for StarClan's sake!"

"And who's to say I won't have Birchheart's in the future?" she spat back. "Other cats've done it and managed to stay alive. Bluestar did it. Tigerstar did it, if you want to get technical."

"But you'll die, Applefur!" he protested. "What about that RiverClan she-cat Graystripe had kits with? She died. Why can't you stay within your own Clan? Robinwing has—"

"Don't even speak to me about him," she hissed angrily. "He's complete foxdung." She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Fine, then," Toadfoot snarled. "If you won't stay within ShadowClan, you shouldn't be here at all!" He launched himself at her. Caterwauling in anger, he tore his claws down Applefur's face before she even had time to react.

She was caught up. She knew she had to fight back, but against her own brother…? No. That was just wrong. Keeping her claws sheathed and ignoring the blood dripping into her eyes, she forcefully threw her paw into her brother's side, sending him flying away.

"I'm not going to fight you, Toadfoot," she whispered. "You're my brother."

"I'm not related to a traitor like you!" he spat, charging at her again.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Whitenose and Spiderleg preparing to fight. "No!" she yowled, dodging Toadfoot's bite. "This isn't your fight and I don't want any more blood on my paws!" She threw herself to the left, Toadfoot's claws narrowly missing her ear.

"But Applefur!" Whitenose protested.

"No! If you want to help, one of you find Marshtail and Littlecloud and the other help Birchheart!"

Nodding quickly, Whitenose sped off in the direction Marshtail had left from and Spiderleg hobbled to his brother's side, refusing to look at the other two.

"Toadfoot, you don't want to do this!" Applefur reasoned with him as she dodged another blow.

"Yes, I do! You and Marshtail are no siblings of mine!" His claws connected with her flank. "Helping and loving cats from other Clans! And not any Clan, ThunderClan!"

Wincing, Aplefur pushed through her pain and swatted at him again. "I can't help the way I feel!" she shot back. "You should be supportive! You're my brother!"

"No, I'm not!"

Sniffing the air, Applefur forced herself to not relax as she caught the scent of Whitenose, Marshtail and Littlecloud in the air.

"Whitenose told me what happened. Toadfoot, what are you doing? Stop!" cried a voice Applefur recognized as Marshtail's.

"Neither of you deserve to be alive! You're disloyal to ShadowClan!"

Littlefoot, being the cat he was, didn't miss a beat in attending to Birchheart as he said, "Toadfoot, you must stop now. If it was not for ThunderClan, I wouldn't be alive right now. I'm not all for the idea of Applefur and Birchheart being in love…" he became distant, "But I once loved the medicine cat of ThunderClan. She saved my life."

"Then you're a traitor as well!" Toadfoot hissed furiously. "My Clan is filled with traitors!"

Applefur gasped as she saw Marshtail leap to pin Toadfoot down. Placing a paw on the back of his neck, Marshtail meowed calmly. "If I'm not your brother, as Whitenose says she heard you claim, then I should have no qualms in killing you." He sighed. "I don't want to, Toadfoot." He nodded to Littlecloud, who stopped caring for Birchheart for a moment and forced sleeping herbs down Toadfoot's throat. "And I won't. Because no matter what you say, you're still my brother."