This is the sequel to Dying Fire: Flickering Hope!!! Everyone has been waiting so here it is!

Chapter 1

Trouble again

Graystar growled as Blackstar rose to his paws, his hair rose to ends. "Are you saying I didn't know how to lead my Clan?" Blackstar spit angrily his tail lashing like an anger adder.

Graystar stood tall as he yowled, "Didn't say that! Just keep your cold-hearted warriors out of ThunderClan territory!" Sorrelpaw screeched out a yowl along with her brother Rainpaw, the new medicine cat apprentice, Cinderpelt had suggested that he should be medicine cat like herself when she was wounded far from repair. Rainpaw agreed happily.

Brackenfur, the truly made deputy, half expected Blackstar to leap at Graystar, but no leader or warrior dared to break the truce under the full moon. It had been four moons since Graystar and Blackstar received their nine lives and ShadowClan was already causing problems at the Gathering.

Ravenpaw, who has been receiving apprentice training from Longtail, yowled encouraging along his Clanmates. "Remember, we will have extra portals out now, if we see a hair of ShadowClan on our territory expect the worst from ThunderClan." Graystar hissed.

Blackstar snarled but it turned to a sneer, "The worst we gotten from you is the pathetic prey that rest on our fresh-kill pile!"

ShadowClan let out a ripple out yowls of agreement. Brackenfur was shocked that the ShadowClan leader admitted his Clan has hunted on their territory. "Yet, you still need to hunt in our territory for that little prey? It seems ShadowClan is having problems." Graystar hissed. Blackstar, taken back by surprise, quickly crouched down to leap but Oakfur beat him to it and knocked Graystar down. Graystar kicked out with his hind legs that sent Oakfur straight into Longtail. Longtail, hasn't been acting right lately, missing pray but a fox-length and sniffing the air to find someone who was right in front of him. However, he fought like TigerClan, yowling he raked his claws down Oakfur's spine.

Blackstar dashed forward to Graystar and leaped onto his back, making him fall over. "Stop," Tallstar yowled as a huge group of clouds cracked with lighting as it covered the moon. At the thunderous rumble the ShadowClan and ThunderClan leaders separated. Every cat watched the cloud cover the moon and let darkness fall onto the forest.

"Great," Leopardstar scoffed. "The Gathering is over!" Leopardstar walked away from Tallstar as she led away from the Horseplace, the rest of RiverClan following at her paws. Graystar was already leading ThunderClan back to the camp; he didn't want to run into Tallstar. He had enough trouble already, ShadowClan had to be stopped. Prey has been quickly disappearing and that Gathering proved it was ShadowClan. The only way to end this is a battle if they kept hunting in ThunderClan territory.

Longtail, hissed crossly, "Blackstar helped Tigerstar! Why did he get to be leader?" Graystar remembered how Blackstar has killed Bluestar's kin, Stonefur, in cold blood and twitched his ears in agreement. Longtail didn't seem to notice as he added, "Do you agree?"

Graystar turned to face him, "Longtail, are you okay?"

Longtail stopped, Graystar motioned with his tail for Brackenfur to lead. "No," Longtail admitted. "My eyesight is getting worse and worse."

"Can you still see?" Graystar asked with a hint of shock in his mew.

Longtail shock his head and meowed sadly, "There is no use hiding it any more, I can barely follow my Clan home. I guess I will be forced into retirement. It will be lonely in the elders den with no one there."

Graystar felt strong pity his Longtail, "I will have to move you into the elders den." Graystar paused for it didn't fell right sending a warrior so young to the elders' den. "I'm glad you told me, Longtail. However, I won't make you an elder right away. You shall have two more days as a warrior."

Longtail flicked his tail in excitement, "Thank you, Graystar. Firestar has chosen a great leader." There was no sarcasm in his voice or hatred, just respected. Graystar couldn't help but let out a purr of gratitude as he led Longtail back to camp.

zZzZz

Graystar, Brackenfur, Dustpelt, Ravenpaw, and Sorrelpaw waited patiently for night patrol. They were going over to ShadowClan border to see if they had crossed the border again for dawn patrol.

The sun hasn't even rose yet when night portal came with Longtail at the lead. "I could smell ShadowClan as soon as we stepped out of camp!" He spat. "They might be trying to lead us out to them!"

"I'll be keeping watch," Thornclaw reminded the warrior. "I'll yowl if I see a pelt of ShadowClan!" Longtail swished his tail at the thought of ShadowClan barging in.

"Keep guard, Thornclaw," Graystar meowed. "We'll be back soon."

With a flick of his tail Graystar led the group of cats toward ShadowClan. "Longtail was right!" Ravenpaw hissed as the camp became out of sight. "The scent of ShadowClan is strong they must have been here last night."

Graystar nodded, "but we need really proof they have been her-"

"Here's your proof!" Dustpelt hissed. "There is fur caught on the thorns, it reeks in ShadowClan."

Graystar growled, "We attack the next patrol!"

A loud yowl rose from Thornclaw, "ShadowClan, ShadowClan is attacking!"

"Hurry," Graystar yowled. "We have to hel-"

A mocking purr came from a black tom as he came forward interrupting Graystar, "You help?"

Ravenpaw yowled loudly as half of ShadowClan circled them. "What are you doing on ThunderClan territory, and what are you doing attacking our camp?"

"Weren't you going to apologize for the Gathering? A nice piece of land would be nice!" Blackstar sneered. "You're in no position to fight!"

"Try me," Graystar challenged as he unlashed a caterwaul and leaped at Blackstar, catching him off guard. Graystar swiped his paw from under the tom and grabbed his scruff but two warriors dragged him off their leader. Blackstar bit Graystar's tail as hard as he could. Graystar bit back a yowl as he kicked the leader off and twisted away from the two warriors. The small patrol was hopelessly out numbered!

The three cats circled around Graystar as Blackstar snarled, "One life won't do too much damage." As he said that the two cats ran at Graystar, he had no choice but to run and get help. Turning around, he ran toward camp, sending a silent pray to StarClan that the others could hold off. Paws thundered behind Graystar as the camp came into sight. Claws seared down his hind leg as the bigger tom hooked his claws into his back making it impossible to run without the claws digging deeper. He was trapped! The other warrior aimed toward his neck, Graystar shut his eyes close and waited for StarClan to greet him.

The blow never came.

Weight lifted off of Graystar as Thornclaw and Bramblepaw attacked the warriors. Bramblepaw's tail was ripped as Thornclaw's muzzle was scarlet with blood. However, that didn't hold the two toms back as the attacked the warriors with fire burning in their eyes.

Bramblepaw and Thornclaw both chased away the warriors as Graystar went back to camp. All ThunderClan verves half of ShadowClan? Was Blackstar thinking that hedgehogs could fly? (I love that saying) It was just as Graystar figured, ThunderClan had chased out all of the cats. Graystar stopped at the entrance of camp. "Any cat that could fight, come with me now!"

Before he could see which cats came he dashed back toward the ThunderClan patrol. Everything was devastated. Blood soaked the leaves as only three cats stood standing; Sorrelpaw was down on the floor only the faint rise of her flank showed she was breathing. "Get out!" Brackenfur hissed. Three warriors leaped onto Brackenfur and pinned him down.

"Attack," Graystar heard the familiar voice of Barely and Cloudtail as they launched down at Blackstar and as the warriors, Thornclaw, Frostfur, Ashpaw, and Fernpaw followed behind. Now ShadowClan was out numbered! Blackstar hissed as Cloudtail and Graystar cornered him.

"ThunderClan," he hissed. "And the traitor's kin!" Cloudtail yowled crossly as he was about to tear his claws down Blackstar's pelt but Graystar stopped him.

"There is fear in his voice," Graystar hissed. "We won't sink to ShadowClan's standards"

Blackstar narrowed his eyes and yowled a retreat. As the ShadowClan warriors ran the remaining ThunderClan cats yowled and followed them off of ThunderClan territory. Sorrelpaw lifted her head, dazed, "What happened?"

ShadowClan just retreated, "Are you okay?"

She nodded as she got to her paws wobbly, "Just dizzy…"

"That was still very well for your first battle! Let's get back to camp," Graystar mewed.

zZzZz

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath Highledge," Graystar yowled. However, every cat was out of their dens and settling themselves down. "We had apprentices fight like warriors today, they traveled along with us across the mountains on the Great Journey." Ashpaw stood tall hoping that he would be made a warrior as Dustpelt padded toward Highledge. "Ravenpaw," Graystar yowled. "Come up here!"

Crestfallen, Ashpaw shrunk back down. "Bramblepaw, Fernpaw, and Ashpaw, you too!"

Ashpaw leaped forward with Fernpaw and Ravenpaw as Bramblepaw followed more slowly. "I, Graystar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these four apprentices. They had trained hard to understand and obey the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Bramblepaw, Ravenpaw, Fernpaw, and Ashpaw do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Ashpaw almost yowled.

"I do," Fernpaw meowed with a hint of amusement of Ashpaw's out burst.

"I do," Ravenpaw mewed, the excitement show in his eyes as he was finally getting his warrior name.

"I do too," Bramblepaw meowed, pride shown in his eyes.

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I will give you your warrior names. Bramblepaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Brambleclaw. Fernpaw, you will be known as Ferncloud. Ravenpaw, you will be known as Ravenwing. And Ashpaw, you will be known as Ashfur. StarClan has honored you, and we welcome you as full warriors of ThunderClan."