A.N: Bare with me, These characters don't belong to me, neither does the plot, rated T for character death, blood and general warrior-ness.

"It's time," Firestar meowed. "I trust you to do whatever you must to save our Clan." His gaze flicked to Smokefoot. "To save all the Clans."

Brambleclaw stepped forward. "Berrynose, Thornclaw, and Spiderleg, go as fast as you can to ShadowClan." He ordered, amber eyes gleaming with worry. "You have to fight with them; each Clan must hold their own camp. Whitewing, Hazeltail and Mousewhisker, you must help WindClan." Each of the named cats looked up to their deputy, eyes shining with faith. Without hesitation, they breezed away into the darkness, their pelts already prickling with fear.

Next, the brown tomcat turned his attention to one russet tomcat in particular. "Foxleap! Where are you going?" The youngster skidded to a halt, dust sprouting from his paws as he turned to Brambleclaw. "We'll get to RiverClan before the Dark Forest warriors," he mewed, hesitantly as he looked up. Brambleclaw nodded quickly, and the warrior sped out of camp, accompanied by Rosepetal and Toadstep.

There was a surge in the crowd, and two small shapes pushed their way to the center of the clearing, to stand before the aging ginger tom that was their leader. One was a small she-cat, and the other, a lanky tom, and before the Clan could react they said, "Where should we go first?"

The blatant ambition, but also knowledge that the Clan was in need of their skills made Brambleclaw smile, and he watched one twitch on Firestar's muzzle as well as he nodded. "Molepaw, head for WindClan, then RiverClan. Cherrypaw, go to ShadowClan. Bring back any news you can. We need to know where the Dark Forest strikes first." His voice was quiet, and he looked at the two apprentices with a type of grimness. They were so young, and if the Clans couldn't win, their lives would be short and incomplete.

Poppyfrost let out a small whimper at the back of the crowd of warriors, and pushed forward to meet her kits before they could race off. From where Brambleclaw stood, he could see the moisture in her eyes as she spoke to them. "I know you'll be brave," she lifted her chin a bit, as if she could impose the idea of bravery on the two cats that used to be snuggled up to her side in the nursery. They hadn't come so far from that stage in their life, but this battle was making them grow too fast. "I'm very proud of you, remember that."

Brambleclaw's throat closed slightly. This might be the last time the she-cat would see her kits, but Cherrypaw and Molepaw didn't seem to notice. They touched muzzles with their mother hurriedly, and rushed out, while Poppyfrost took a half step away from where the pair had vanished, a quiet sob escaping her. Sorreltail came up beside her fellow queen and wrapped her tail around Poppyfrost, as if she was just another kit that needed her attention. "They're warriors today. And they will come home as proud as heroes."

Brambleclaw looked away from the intense moment as the two she-cats consoled each other, their mates out in the battle, and Poppyfrost's kits' as well. The patrols had left, but there were still a fair number of cats in the clearing; not as many as the Clan normally stood, but enough to be a formidable force under his gaze. His heart swelled as his clanmates readied for battle, clogging the entrance of the camp with tangles of brambles and readying medicine for the injured. Even Briarlight was doing her part to support the Clan, and the dark tabby could almost burst with pride. ThunderClan would never be destroyed, as long as any of these cats still lived. ThunderClan was the soul and pride of the Clan, not anyone cat, and as long as each one believed that they were a part, the Clan would live on for seasons.

"Graystripe!" He called, jumping down from the rock he had used to gaze out over the cats. The gray warrior was stepping around his clanmates as they hurried about. The poor tom was as old as Firestar, and without the revitalizing energy that StarClan had gifted the leader with, his fur was silver around his muzzle and growing ragged. The old warrior hadn't given up just yet, but Brambleclaw had a feeling that this would be his last battle, one way or another. "Check to make sure that Mousefur and Purdy will be safe." He prompted.

Graystripe nodded, his amber eyes slightly cloudy as he headed over to the elders' den. Firestar shot him an approving glance as he watched the Clan as well. They didn't need guidance from their leaders; each cat knew what to do, and how they could help the Clan. Brambleclaw padded over to Firestar, who had turned from his mentor to his friend in the long seasons they shared together.

"The Dark Forest cats have the upper hand right now," the deputy said as he settled in the dust beside the bright fur of the older tom. Brambleclaw would never admit it, not even to himself, but Firestar seemed stooped with age, his fur thinner and whiskers trembling just a bit. But he nodded just the same. "We must meet the enemy outside of the hollow, you stay in the camp. Choose your patrol." Brambleclaw nodded solemnly, then turned to the Clan, who had fallen to silence at Firestar's words. He really only wanted one cat, one who would be the fire in his heart, that he felt so bad for abandoning and persecuting. The ginger fur and green eyes were as bright as they were when she had been an apprentice, and Squirrelflight met his eyes quickly. Leaping down to the same level, he approached her quietly, with hesitance.

"Will you fight beside me?" He asked quietly, knowing that the sentence meant so much more, asking if she would forgive him for being such a mousebrain since the season he found out that Jayfeather, Lionblaze and Hollyleaf weren't his children. He could see it in her eyes, and they shared a moment when time seemed to slow, and the tom could see exactly what he had done to her. The constant hurt and emptiness that he had felt away from her and her questioning whether he even loved her in the first place…

"Always," she mewed, and stepped forward to touch noses with him. Some cat cheered from the warriors assembled, and some of the younger warriors took it up. For just a moment, there was no battle, no enemies. Just Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight, together again.

"Good," he breathed in her scent and brushed her flank with his tail, just for a second before nodding and leaping back up onto the lower rocks to look out over ThunderClan. Each of the cats were special in their own ways, in order to protect the Clan… "Dustpelt, Bumblestripe, Cinderheart, Cloudtail, Leafpool, Millie and Graystripe, you'll help defend the hollow."

"Graystripe comes with me," Firestar added, switching his gaze from the younger deputy to his old tom.

"Of course." Brambleclaw could understand his leader's need to watch over his childhood friend. He himself glanced around for Thornclaw, before he realized that the golden brown cat was on his way to ShadowClan. With a pang he realized that his sister was in danger, and he had to hold himself still to make sure he wouldn't dash off to the elusive Clan's territory to protect her. His black striped tail stirred the layer of dust along the rocks as Brambleclaw shifted in impatience, his claws scraping down the rock.

"Where do I fight?" A voice called, and the deputy started, looking down to see Lionblaze, whose eyes reflected the power and agitation he felt. Brambleclaw sighed inwardly, seeing how the kits of Leafpool could have been mistaken for his own with their stubbornness and will; happy that he could act as their father for the few seasons that they needed one.

"With me," The ginger tom stood, and the deputy could see how he conducted the Clan, and how everyone could respect the leader, even in his advanced age. "Fight like rogues if you have to, we're fighting for everything that matters. Whatever happens, no cat will forget that the Clans fought first with their hearts and then with their claws." His green eyes burned, and Sandstorm, Cloudtail and Brightheart started the cheer this time. Each of these cats had seen the near-destruction of their home so many times, and had worked through it together. They wouldn't see it fall now, even as the first forest was gone and they had to move. Their time was coming to an end and they would secure the forest for the generations to come as well.

"What about the WindClan and RiverClan patrols?" Smokefoot asked, ears twitching as he glanced into the darkness through the thorn barrier. An eerie battle cry of screeching and caterwauls was rising through the shadows, and Firestar's attention shifted out to the forest. "We don't have time to wait for them."

"Firestar," his mate whispered quietly, stalking up to the leader until she had her muzzle practically in his ear. "This is your last life; you can't risk losing it now. Your Clan needs you." Brambleclaw averted his gaze and pretended he hadn't heard the worried murmuring of the couple. If anything, that would only make him fight harder to keep Firestar's legacy.

"…with Brambleclaw and guard the camp." The brown tabby turned back to his leader as his name was mentioned. Sandstorm's whiskers twitched in amusement, as her mate still attempted to protect her, in the face of imminent danger.

Firestar leapt off the rock, an orange blur as he leapt over the brambles at the entrance with a silent tail signal to the rest of the patrol. Roughly half of the Clan followed him, leaving Brambleclaw with Sandstorm, Hazeltail, Bumblestripe, and a few other warriors.

"Okay, reinforce the nursery and the medicine cat den, that'll be where the most cats will be going during the battle." Brambleclaw started issuing orders efficiently as soon as the leader had disappeared into the shadows. Jayfeather nodded at the command, and murmured to Briarlight before wrestling more brambles off the walls of the hollow.

"Sorreltail," He started again, turning to the tortoiseshell with a frown, "You won't be able to stay with your kits. I'm sorry. But you and Ferncloud will be guarding the nursery."

"I will protect my kits with my life," Sorreltail vowed, ripping at the ground with her claws. Ferncloud laid her tail on her friend's back. "No cat will touch them."

Brambleclaw nodded quickly, and then turned to the warriors in the hollow as rustles and murmurs started in the forest. Leafpool, Squirrelflight, Millie, Brackenfur, and Dustpelt had formed a line in front of the barrier, bristling and muscles locked. He leapt down to join them, just as the first wails were piercing the air, and shadows writhed on the other side of the blocked barrier.

A.N: Okay! You've suffered through the first chapter, this is where it gets much better than the canon. My brother and I are already writing the list of people dying... and it's long ;D