<> JointClan, BloodClan & Branch Pack <> Part 4 <> We Gotta Stick Together <> ((PLEASE CLOSE FOR PART 5))

Amberheart growled. "Stripepaw, get out. Scarstar has Cloudpaw captive, and if you take one more step, you will too. Cloudpaw is not himself. He'll kill you!"

"I don't care. I'll fight to protect my Clan and everyone in it!" Stripepaw retorted, and stepped out the border, he was getting his brother back.

Amberheart shook her head. She took him by the scruff and placed him out of the border. "You don't get it. Scarstar has him under controll. He could kill you in a swipe of a paw. We can't help him. Only StarClan can, and they come out when they want too."

Stripepaw batted at Amberheart. "Let me go. NOW." He commanded. "You wouldn't care, you left me, you left us." Stripepaw accused, and tried to wriggle free. Stormwind looked at Stripepaw. "Look, its really true." Stripepaw rounded on him. "And you! You don't care either, you took her away from us.. You.." Stripepaw was panting from his long ranting.

Amberheart sighed and held firm.

Stripepaw looked at her, his face sad. "Why'd you leave? Why? And why wouldn't you answer when I tried reaching you, and why wouldn't Branchstar?" He asked suddenly, and then looked toward the border. Something was lurking in the shadows. Suddenly, a small white head poked itself out of the bushes. Cloudpaw.

"Oh no, come back, Stripepaw!" Rainpaw called, shaking her head. There was something wrong.

She flew into her leader's den and cried, "Do you know where Stripepaw went?"

Wolfstar woke with a start. "No.. Stripepaw is gone?" He asked. Hazelpaw heard noises, and bolted up. "Stripepaw is missing..? So is Cloudpaw!" Hazelpaw said.
~~~
Stripepaw looked at his brother. "Cloudpaw!" He cried in delight, but Cloudpaw wasn't himself.. At all.

Nightmask looked up. Rainpaw seemed to be in a hurry... what was she up to? He patiently waited for her to exit the den.

Amberheart growled as Scarstar walked up behind Cloudpaw.


~~~

Scarstar smiled. "Seems you brought me another apprentice to play with!" He smirked.

((I thought Scarstar was dead....?))

Cloudpaw smirked at them, his eyes dull and not his own. Stripepaw wriggled free of Amberheart and cried out. "Cloudpaw!" He stepped over the border. Big mistkae.

Scartsra grabbed Stripepaw and bit his sholder, like he did to Cloudpaw. Stripepaw changed like Cloudpaw.

Stripepaw jerked forward, and then turned and stood by his brother, Cloudpaw. He stared straight ahead, at Amberheart and Stormwind. He seemed to be twitching, like he still was partly was STripepaw, and was trying to fight it but couldn't.

Amberheart felt a sudden surge. Her powers were coming back. and for some reason a starry figure was appering in front of her...it looked like Lionstar!


~~~

Lionstar growled and turned his gaze to Stripepaw and Cloudpaw. He put up his paw and made them float up. He placed them over the border and set them down, SCarstars power on them was leaving.

Stripepaw landed softly on the other side, and shook his head, and then looked at Amberheart and everyone. "What.. happened..?" Stripepaw muttered, looking around. Cloudpaw jerked forward, and looked around. "I was in like a dark place, and.. And.." Cloudpaw shuddered.

Amberheart nodded and hissed. She stepped over the border andd smiled.

~~~

Scarstar jerked toward like he was being tossed around. Amberheart was telling him. "Over the border.." from her mind, like Mellowheart. He backed toward the old JointClan border.

(( BRB gotta empty the dishwasher.))

Cloudpaw grinned at Scarstar, and Stripepaw helped. "Over the border. Over the border.' He thought/

Scarstar growled and tumbled over. He tried putting a paw over, no use.

(( BACK! ))

Stripepaw grinned. "Bye bye Scarstar!" He growled. Cloudpaw grinned as well, and looked at his brother and mother. "Can you come back now?" Stripepaw asked in a small voice to his mom.

Amberheart sighed and shook her head. "No, Stripepaw, But you two can come."

Cloudpaw jumped up. "We can! Cool!" Cloudpaw said excitedly. Stripepaw looked at his mom, nodding his head slowly. "Why can't you come back, and don't just blow off my question." Stripepaw said, his eyes fixed on Amberheart.

Amberheart sighed. "The clan knows who my father is..and, they aren't letting me back in."

Stripepaw's eyes widened, and he looked at Cloudpaw. "Why won't they let you back in? Stormwind's not going to be bad anymore!" Stripepaw said, his voice high.

Amberheart looked ta her feet. "I'll tell you later. THere's something else, it's not Stormwind."