Warriors: The Return Of The Greatest Heroes

21. Believe

Jayfeather followed his father's advice; he still was grumpy about the WHOLE thing. Sure, it's the second time he's been lied to about his father, but seriously! He got his grumpiness from Leafpool, who got it from Cinderpelt, who got it from Yellowfang! The leader of the grumpy cats, and she was in ThunderClan! Mind blower.

In his dreams, he recognized a forest. The Dark Forest, but why would he be here?

"Marshpaw! Come on!" came a tom's voice.

"I'm a warrior!" another tom yelled.

"Not here, you're my apprentice here," a voice then recognized as Snowtuft, an evil white Dark Forest warrior, but why wasn't he reborn with some of the others?

"Okay," the voice squeaked.

Marshfoot! Jayfeather realized with a jolt.

The gray warrior crept through the slimed rocks and trees. Sure enough, Marshfoot was there training with Snowtuft; he quickly thought of a solution. If he just barged in, Snowtuft might kill him, but that was the only thing he could think of...

"Jayfeather!" a voice hissed.

The gray warrior spun around to find himself facing Firepaw. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" the flame colored camp countered.

"Dreaming,"

"Dreaming," Firepaw repeated.

"Yes,"

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY" the apprentice nodded.

"What do you suggest we do?" Jayfeather asked.

"To do what?" Firepaw asked.

"Marshfoot's training with Snowtuft!" the gray warrior hissed.

"Great, just what we need," the flame colored apprentice groaned.

"Shh!" Jayfeather covered the other's mouth with his tail. "Don't alert them to out presence!"

"I'm not mouse-brained!" Firepaw defended.

Jayfeather stared at him, "Marshfoot's right there being taught Dark Forest moves while we're fighting like kits."

"What do you suggest we do about it?"

"You just repeated what I said!" the warrior growled.

"So?"

"We have to stop Snowtuft!"

"Alright, we must observe for a while. From there, we make our decision," Firepaw instructed.

"I feel weird taking orders from an apprentice," Jayfeather stifled a purr.

"Okay,"

"Okay, what?" the gray tom asked.

"Snowtuft just told Marshfoot to redo the Killing Bite. You go around from behind Snowtuft, and I'll take him on from the front." Firepaw ordered. "Go!"

Jayfeather left, circling around the white tom until he'd completed a 180. It took about the same amount of time as getting into a battle crouch before he heard Firepaw's familiar battle cry.

Wait a second, Marshfoot will see! What if he thinks something's wrong? Jayfeather had a moment of doubts.

Marshfoot was extremely startled to see Firepaw lash out at a 'StarClan' cat. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to destroy his soul!" Firepaw growled.

"Why? He's from StarClan!"

Jayfeather rolled his eyes and joined the fight.

"You too, Jayfeather? What, does ThunderClan not like StarClan?" the black and brown tom asked.

"Does this look like StarClan to you?" the gray warrior asked.

"If this isn't StarClan, then I've never been to StarClan! I don't know what it looks like!" Marshfoot shouted.

Jayfeather, you're a genius! Firepaw thought.

The gray warrior in question turned to Firepaw and grinned. "Thanks!"

In return, the apprentice rolled his eyes.

"Does this look like what you'd think StarClan would look like?" Jayfeather asked. "All this slime, dead trees, no prey?"

"N-No," Marshfoot replied shakily.

"Then, it's not StarClan! Believe it's not! If you believe, you may just return back to ThunderClan! This place is called the Dark Forest. You've heard about it in kit-tales? Good, now believe!" Jayfeather joined Firepaw in the fight.

The gray warrior felt something sharp rake his pelt, he turned to see that Snowtuft had abandoned Firepaw in a bloody mess. Oh, StarClan, size actually does matter in a fight! Normally, FireSTAR would've taken him down!

Jayfeather's pelt was now bleeding profusely, blood gushing onto the ground...Black spots dancing in his vision.

"I thought you were StarClan," Marshfoot said, looking at his paws. "I trusted you! I believed you! Now, what are you doing! Huh? What's your answer? You're attacking my Clanmates!" the black and brown tom hurled himself into battle.

Staring in awe, Jayfeather forgot all about Snowtuft until he felt the white warrior's claws bare down on his back. All he remembered were black spots, screaming, falling, and Marshfoot yelling in rage and fury. Then, it all went black.

Marshfoot stared at the two bloodied heaps that belonged to his Clanmates, fury rising. He through himself at the white tom, claws extended, teeth bared.

"You really think you can beat me?" Snowtuft laughed cruelly.

"Lesson 1. Never hurt a ThunderClan cat's Clanmate. One will come after you." Marshfoot growled.

"Oh, but I thought ThunderClan was all about justice and bravery!" the white undead warrior snarled.

"This is justice." were Marshfoot's final words before he launched himself onto Snowtuft's back.

Yowling in rage, Snowtuft tried to shake him off. No success. Arching his neck, the Dark Forest cat tried to bite at Marshfoot. Anywhere. The white tom found his paw.

Marshfoot yelled in pain, and he was shaken off by the one and only Snowtuft.

Snowtuft approached the black and brown warrior, eyes glittering, teeth glinting, claws unsheathed. That was when it happened. Marshfoot stood up, growled, and flung himself on Snowtuft, again.

"I bit your paw! You shouldn't be able to do that!" Snowtuft was shocked.

"Lesson 2. Never underestimate a ThunderClan cat," Marshfoot bent down, teeth shining.

Snowtuft tried with all his strength to shake the cat off, but it was to no avail. Alive cats weigh more than dead ones any day.

Marshfoot leaned down and bit the back of Snowtuft's neck. Yowling in rage, he shook and shook and shook him until the white warrior collapsed, twitched a little, then stilled. Never to move again.

The black and brown warrior stood up and took two steps in the direction of Firepaw and Jayfeather. Turning back, he watched Snowtuft's body fade to nothing, as if he was never there. Then, he looked at his two Clanmates, wondering how to get them back to ThunderClan.

Then, he remembered what Jayfeather had said: Then, it's not StarClan! Believe it's not! If you believe, you may just return back to ThunderClan! This place is called the Dark Forest. You've heard about it in kit-tales? Good, now believe!

Marshfoot leant down to Firepaw, whispering in the younger cat's ear, "Believe,"

Leaning down on Jayfeather he hissed, "Believe, and follow your own advice."

Then, Marshfoot backed away from the two, wondering if they would disappear any moment. Who are they, anyway? Firepaw could fight better than most WARRIORS I've seen. Jayfeather wasn't as good as him, but he still was phenomenal. They definitely weakened Snowtuft so I could kill him...