MagiStream

Dawnstar hissed at Goldenstar, then whipped her head around to look at her medicine cat. Oh, thank StarClan for Amberstone, she thought, blinking slightly. She hadn't wanted to fight the CloudClan leader, especially at a Gathering.

Amberstone glared around and raised her voice. "Bluemist is right. CloudClan and OwlClan will both go home, and remember StarClan's anger the next time any cat," she glanced at Goldenstar, "wants to start a fight at a Gathering."

Northwind hissed and flattened his ears, glaring at the CloudClan cat that had attacked Streamsong. "Are you okay?" he meowed, looking at the she-cat with a worried expression.

Riverstorm glanced up at the leaders and meowed softly, "Goldenstar, the medicine cat is right. We should go home. We can fight another day."

Maplekit bounded out of the tall grass and skidded to a halt by Wavekit. "Wavekit!" she mewed. "Oh, StarClan," she panted, flopping down next to her brother.
"Great, you made it, Maplekit!" Heatherkit meowed, padding towards her siblings. "Now what?" she asked, looking at Wavekit.

Goldenstar bristled for a moment longer, then twitched the tip of his tail and looked towards Dawnstar. "The Gathering is over," he meowed, leaping down from the rocks and padding towards CloudClan territory. His head was low and his tail was just above the ground, eyes narrowed threateningly as though he would attack any cat for a couple of mouse tails.

Bluemist watched Goldenstar leap down, then sighed. "Good bye Amberstone," she meowed, touching her friend lightly on the shoulder with her tail. "See you at the Moongrove." She turned and padded after her leader, nudging the Clanmate she'd tackled off of Streamsong to follow.

Streamsong glared after the CloudClan cat, then looked towards Northwind and nodded. "I'm fine, thanks. Stupid furball," she muttered, shaking her coat in an attempt to smooth the ruffled fur. "C'mon, let's go." She turned and stalked towards OwlClan territory, tail-tip twitching in annoyance.

Wavekit's tail shot up happily. "Let's go!" he squeaked, grinning. He turned and began trotting in the direction of OwlClan territory again, towards where he'd heard his father talk about the river once or twice. He'd described it as a massive current of water carving through the landscape, bubbling and blue and beautiful all at once. "Oh, this'll be so exciting!" he crowed, breaking into a run.

Pebblestrike watched Goldenstar walk away, then nodded solemnly to Riverstorm before leaping down. Inside, he was filled with relief. He hadn't wanted to fight his friend, despite their separate Clans.

Dawnstar looked at Goldenstar's retreating figure, then hissed in annoyance and yowled, "OwlClan, let's go!" She leapt down from the giant rock she had been perched on and padded in front of Streamsong and Northwind, where the leader should be.

Northwind flicked his ear slightly. "CloudClan cats are known for being stupid furballs," he commented. "Seems to run in their blood. Now, say, if OwlClan were known for being stupid furballs..." he laughed. "Well, then CloudClan would be even stupider!"

Amberstone smiled at her friend, then padded over to say goodbye to Foxpelt. She found him, just coming out from under his bush, his fur slightly ruffled. "I'm glad I got to see you," she said, smiling at him. "He smiled back. "How are you, Amberstone?"
"Fine." she purred. "And you?" He shrugged, then looked towards his retreating Clan. "I'm good too. It was nice to talk to you, Amberstone. But I think I have to go now." She nodded. "I'll see you at the next Gathering, Foxpelt." He smiled, meowing a quick good-bye before he left. The medicine cat followed after her leader, happy to have seen her brother before she left.

Riverstorm dipped his head back to Pebblestrike, then padded after Goldenstar, looking around for his kits. Suddenly, he sprinted towards his leader. "Goldenstar!" he panted once he caught up, eyes wide. "They're gone again!"

Heatherkit grinned. "I can't wait!" she meowed, jumping up and down. Maplekit padded after her siblings at a slower pace. "I don't want to get wet," she repeated. "At all. And dad'll kill us if we fall in."

Goldenstar turned, pelt bristling. "OwlClan thieves!" he spat. "CloudClan, spread out and advance. We're taking our kits back." Without waiting to see if his warriors were listening, he pelted across the clearing, ears pinned back, claws unsheathing.

Streamsong nudged Northwind's flank, trying not to laugh. "Stop it," she purred. "I'm supposed to be angry."

Bluemist, who had reached the top of the slope, turned around, eyes widening. "Wait!" she yowled. "We shouldn't fight!" She bounded after Goldenstar, but was in no shape to keep up with the angry leader. Medicine cats just weren't in as good shape as the rest of the Clan.

Pebblestrike padded beside Dawnstar, head bowed in thought. "CloudClan seemed angrier than usual tonight," he meowed. "They're not usually this crazy." He glanced to Dawnstar to see what she'd say.

Wavekit shrugged. "Whatever," he purred, reaching the bank. "Maplekit, c'mere!" he meowed, gesturing towards the water. When his sister had padded to his side, he leaned forward, as though to point at something with his nose. As soon as she leaned forward as well, he reared on his hind legs and pushed her rear forward, toppling her into the shallow water. "Yay!" he meowed, leaping into the water after her and splashing at Heatherkit.

Riverstorm felt the same anger at losing his kits again that Goldenstar did, but he wasn't sure he wanted to fight the Clan that had just returned his kits. Why would they return them, just to steal them again? he thought, sprinting towards Goldenstar.

Dawnstar nodded slowly. "You're right, Pebblestrike," she meowed finally. "I can only think that Goldenstar's himself has gone crazy." She looked at her deputy. "I only hope he hasn't gone so crazy that he'll think to attack OwlClan."

Northwind laughed. "Good." His tail touched her flank lightly and there was laughter in his eyes. "The less angry you are, the better a conversationalist you are," he meowed sagely.

Foxpelt turned and after a moment's hesitation, ran after his leader. He hoped no one would hurt his sister- but then again, most medicine cats were never killed in battle.

Maplekit squealed as she hit the water, standing up as quickly as she could. When her head broke the surface, she glared at Wavekit. "I told you not to push me in the water!" she meowed angrily. Heatherkit pranced around her sister in the water, splashing up water with her paws. "Lighten up a bit, Maplekit!" she meowed.

Pebblestrike began to purr in amusement at the idea. "That's stupid," he meowed. "Why would they have any reason to attack us? We retur-" His words were cut off by a shriek from the undergrowth, followed by Goldenstar erupting from the briars and landing on top of the OwlClan deputy.

"What was that?" Goldenstar hissed, claws pricking Pebblestrike. "We have every reason to attack! You stole our kits!" He dipped his head and bit down on Pebblestrike's shoulder, pulling him to his feet. "Fight, you coward! Fight!" His pelt bristled like a hedgehog, and spittle flew from his mouth.

Streamsong snorted. "That's good to know," she meowed playfully, her pelt barely brushing his. "When we get back to camp, d'you want t- WHAT IN STARCLAN!" Streamsong sprinted towards her brother, tackling Goldenstar and carrying him off his paws as more CloudClan cats poured from the undergrowth, leaping onto her Clanmates.

Wavekit grinned. "Yeah, this is an adventure, remember? Adventures are always fun." He ducked his head under the water, staring at the life along the bottom. "Whoa!" he gasped, then shoved off to the surface, gasping and spitting. "I saw a fish!" he exclaimed, grinning even wider. "It was silvery and big and wet and cool!"

Bluemist skidded to a stop. Her Clanmates vanished into the forest, but she didn't care. Dipping her head, she sniffed the ground hesitantly, then gasped. "The kits," she murmured. "I have to find them and stop the battle!" She turned and raced back towards the Gathering-place, hoping to find their trail despite the fresh scents of all of the other cats.

Maplekit huffed. "I don't think it's fun!" she mewed primly. She pulled herself out of the river, her fur dripping wet. Heatherkit laughed. "Do you want to try and catch a fish? I think we could try!"

Dawnstar hissed in shock as Goldenstar burst out of nowhere and attacked her deputy. "Streamsong, I'll take care of the crazy old furbag," she growled, eyes narrowed and glaring at Goldenstar. Her claws unsheathed and she let out a savage war yowl. The OwlClan cats who hadn't been in the middle of a fight yet quickly found one; fur went flying in every direction.

Amberstone gasped and padded up to a tree, hurriedly climbing it and curling up on a branch. She didn't want to be caught in the fight.

Foxpelt burst in with the rest of CloudClan, yowling. He jumped on top of Northwind, who hissed at him in surprise and tried to buck him off. "Don't steal our kits!" the orange tom hissed in Northwind's ear as the two fought.

Riverstorm stopped at the edge of the clearing, unsure of what to do. He thought for a moment, then hurriedly ran into the center of the battle. "Wavekit! Heatherkit! Maplekit! Where are you?" he meowed, looking under and around the writhing bodies.

Wavekit nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Since my name's Wavekit, I think I should try to catch it," he said. "Okay?" Without waiting for an answer, he leaped towards the center of the river, flailing his little gray paws in an attempt to swim. He swallowed a mouthful and choked, lifting himself to the surface, and took a deep gasp of air, then ducked back under. He was nowhere close to the middle of the river, and the bottom was a mouse-length below his paws, but he couldn't reach down and touch it, and that was deep enough for him.

Goldenstar laughed mockingly at Dawnstar. "'I'll take care of the crazy old furbag,' she says. I'm crazy? Who's the one that stole our kits?" He snarled and leaped at Dawnstar, not giving her a chance to reply, and they fell head over heels, his claws locked in her fur. They were rolling towards a tree stump. When he tried to leap away, he found that his paw was tangled in her thick silver fur, and he screeched as it was twisted, unable to free it.

Bluemist sprinted as fast as she could, already running about of breath. She struggled to regain it, nowhere near fit, gasping as she put her nose to the ground and sniffed in an attempt to pick up the kits' scent. "Where are you?" she hissed in frustration, then gasped as she caught the trail. She followed it for several pawsteps, then frowned. It was drowned out by a much stronger scent, which she soon found to be a clump of strong-smelling mushrooms.

Streamsong nodded to Dawnstar and darted away, seeing Northwind and Foxpelt. "Hey, fox-face!" she hissed. "Take your Clan of mouse-brains and get back to your own territory!" She leaped forward, darting past Foxpelt, and flashed a paw out, digging her claws into and dragging them along his flank. She stumbled over a stick, falling heavily onto her flank, and struggled to her paws, shaking orange fur from her claws.

Pebblestrike struggled away from Goldenstar, pelt bristling in shock. His gaze darted around, and he saw a cat who was not in combat at the moment. Taking the opportunity for himself, he crouched and leaped, recognizing Riverstorm as he crashed into him. "What do you think your Clan is doing!?" he hissed into the CloudClan deputy's face.

Dawnstar hissed and dove in for Goldenstar's throat, her teeth snapping at air once before she found it and attempted to bite down, hard. "OwlClan are not-kit stealers!" she growled as she tried to attack the leader. "Get your claws out of my fur!"

Heatherkit blinked and called out, "Wavekit, be careful! Dad'll have a fit if we lose you!" She waded over to where Maplekit sat, grooming her small fur with a tiny tongue. "C'mon, Maplekit! Get in the water! It's great!" she coaxed. Her sister glared at her and shook her head. "I don't want to get wet!"

Riverstorm looked at Pebblestrike's angry face and hoped that OwlClan really hadn't stolen the kits. "My kits are missing again," he meowed brokenly. "Goldenstar's convinced you stole them. I just want to find them!"

Foxpelt hissed and yowled as Streamsong scratched him, loosening his hold on Northwind enough for the silvery-white tom to get away from the orange one. "Fox-face? It's Foxpelt!" he growled, launching himself at the she-cat. His claws found their mark in her shoulder, ripping a clump of fur out. The scratch on his flank stung and he wanted to turn around and lick it, and then find Bluemist to find something for it, but he couldn't let the she-cat get away with clawing at him.

Goldenstar continued to try and jerk his paw out of Dawnstar's fur, but his shoves were getting weaker and weaker. He let out a gurgled gasp, pupils dilating to pinpricks, and suddenly, his whole body shuddered for a second before going limp. He slid to the ground, dragging at Dawnstar's jaws, not moving.

Wavekit appeared again, trying to shake water out of his ears. "The fishes are too fast!" he pouted, flopping down in the shallows to regain his breath. He felt like he'd been under the surface for forever. "Heatherkit, why don't you try catching a fish? I can stay here with Maplekit." He looked at Maplekit and smiled, then towards Heatherkit, gesturing towards where he'd just come up from.

Pebblestrike's eyes widened, but he didn't sheathe his claws. "We don't have your kits," he meowed, stepping back from Riverstorm to let him up. "We don't have them! They must have wandered off again!"

Streamsong yanked herself away from Foxpelt, wincing as she heard her fur rip. Her vision flashed white for a moment, pain searing through her body, and she felt blood begin to trickle down her leg, but she chose to ignore it, letting out a screech of fury and whipping out with her paw to catch him on the muzzle. "Fox-face!" she managed to gasp out tauntingly.

Bluemist bounded back and forth among the mushrooms. "Kits!" she called frantically. "Where are you!?" She felt her hopes slipping away, knowing that her Clanmates were fighting already, knowing that blood was being spilled for no reason. The thought made her fur prick up even more. "KITS!"