The Dark Forest Battle

''So this is technically my revised version of the Dark Forest battle. Swag.''

The Dark Forest Battle

 * In the midst of the battle, a dark brown tabby cat with broad, wide shoulders and ripped, ragged fur burst from the nursery, his teeth sinking into a gray flecked queen’s throat. His dark amber eyes glittered with satisfaction as he looked around. Dovewing paused from where she wrestled with a tortoiseshell she-cat, flinging her head around to stare at the tabby. He met with her gaze, and grinned, showing blood stained teeth. The tortoiseshell she-cat took Dovewing’s brief moment of distraction and sunk her teeth into her throat. But her grip was weak.


 * Dovewing’s legs churned the tortoiseshell’s belly, and she screamed with pain, gazing at Dovewing with fear before leaping off her and running away. Suddenly, a flame colored shape appeared in front of Dovewing, snarling with fury. His emerald eyes burnt as he stared at the dark tom holding the queen’s dead body. Ferncloud.


 * “Brokenstar!” he spat.


 * “Firestar.” Brokenstar’s voice oozed with menace.


 * Firestar looked around at the bodies of cats that littered the forest floor, and for a moment Dovewing could feel his own grief, twisting in her chest as she gulped, trying to swallow it away. Firestar threw his head back to stare at Brokenstar. “I’ll never let you hurt one of my cats again, not ever,” snarled the ThunderClan leader.


 * “Too late, kittypet,” sneered Brokenstar. “Your Clanmates are weak. This isn’t a true Clan anymore – it’s full with cats who break the warrior code, and traitors, and kittypets, and rogues and loners.”


 * “Like you followed the code!” Firestar snarled, unsheathing his thorn sharp claws.


 * A dark gray blur, followed alongside a brown and white tabby cat leaped from the edge of the clearing, spinning around and landing on all fours to stare at Brokenstar. “You are wrong,” spoke the old gray cat, who bristled her ragged fur. She bared her teeth, her yellow cracked teeth showing. She pushed her flat, battle scarred muzzle further. “This is a Clan full of honor. Something you never knew.”


 * Firestar’s jaw fell open.


 * “My mother!” Brokenstar hissed. “How wonderful it is to see you again. And Beetlewhisker,” he greeted the younger cat with a dangerous flick of his bent tail. “Are you here to die again? Wasn't dying once enough?”


 * “No, but you are,” responded Beetlewhisker, dropping into an attack crouch. Brokenstar raised his head, staring at the two cats. His pupils darted away from the gray cat and Beetlewhisker to the elders’ den, and a dark brown tabby shape lunged from besides it, leaping to land besides Beetlewhisker. Dovewing gasped. It looked like a reincarnation of Brokenstar. StarClan, he can’t fight with him!


 * “Raggedstar!” exclaimed the gray cat. Raggedstar turned his powerful head around to gaze at the old gray cat.


 * “Yellowfang,” he whispered. Yellowfang’s amber eyes glittered, and Raggedstar turned to face Brokenstar.


 * Brokenstar snarled. “What do you want, old cat?”


 * The former ShadowClan leader narrowed his eyes, and turned back to look at Yellowfang. “Yellowfang, I’m sorry.” His voice cracked with grief. “I’m sorry for not believing you when Brokentail caught the rabbit and tried to frame WindClan, and then killed Cloudpelt in the battle against them. I’m sorry for calling you nothing more than a medicine cat. I’m so sorry to being blind to Brokentail’s faults. I don’t know why I made him deputy. I suppose it was because he was my only son… but then, that is not a reason, and nor should it ever be. That day when he cornered me in the battle against WindClan, I knew I was about to regret everything. He said, “You’re a weak and puny leader, Raggedstar. Why did I ever call you my father? You – you’re a disgrace to the name of ShadowClan! If I rule this Clan, I will make it the most feared Clan ever.” I’m sorry. I should’ve known.” Raggedstar’s voice trailed off, and his eyes glistened as he looked at Brokenstar. But Brokenstar betrayed no emotion.


 * He curled his lip. “You deserve it, weakling,” he snarled.


 * Raggedstar shook his head. “When I met Molepelt in StarClan, I knew that it could’ve been in my power to stop the turning tide of blood and power. But I didn’t. I was too blind. I’m sorry, Yellowfang. I really am.”


 * Yellowfang was silent for a moment, lost in thought. Then she raised her broad head and looked at Raggedstar in the eye. “How could you have known?” she rasped. “It wasn’t your fault. I…I blamed Cedarstar for it…”


 * “But it wasn’t his fault, either,” whispered Raggedstar.


 * Beetlewhisker nodded. “I…I can’t believe I was so stupid to fall for them training me in the Dark Forest. I should have known. I shouldn’t have said that I was going to leave them. I could’ve helped the Clans, but instead I did something so stupid.”


 * Brokenstar hissed. “You’re all weak. You get moved down by a few words.”


 * Raggedstar turned around. “No, but it is time to stop the turn of blood in the forest. With your spirit gone, the Clans will be safe.” The powerful dark tabby crouched down, raising his hackles, and lunged for his son. But Brokenstar was ready. He dodged quickly out of the way, and Raggedstar turned on his side, sliding under Brokenstar’s belly and slicing it with his claws.


 * Brokenstar snarled, and crushed down on Raggedstar. But Raggedstar was too fast. He had already leaped out of grip and now Brokenstar was thrashing wildly on the floor, blood staining the stone hollow floor around him. “Give up yet?” taunted the large warrior.


 * “Never!” Brokenstar roared, lunging for Raggedstar. Yellowfang leaped in front of Raggedstar, baring her teeth and bringing her front paws down on Brokenstar’s skull. Beetlewhisker leaped behind Brokenstar and delivered a few swift blows to the joint that stuck out of his hind legs, and Brokenstar flung around to face Beetlewhisker. Raggedstar’s paw flew and thumped Brokenstar in the cheek, blood pouring out of the wound like a waterfall.


 * Firestar was about to lunge forward to help, but Graystripe, who stood besides the ginger cat, pawed him back. “Don’t,” warned the large dark gray cat softly. “This is their battle,” he hissed.


 * Firestar fixed Graystripe with a look full of pain. “I know,” he rasped. “But…I can’t help it.”


 * “I’m sorry,” replied Graystripe heart-wrenchingly. Firestar stared at his old friend, his claws slipping back into their sheathes. Dovewing turned back from the old friends to the battling family. Brokenstar flicked his hind legs in the air, spinning around on his forepaws. He reared up and raked Raggedstar’s face with his claws. Raggedstar snarled, shaking his head as scarlet red blood trickled from the scratches Brokenstar had given him. Brokenstar tucked his head down, and performed a forward roll.


 * Yellowfang snarled and crushed down on Brokenstar. Beetlewhisker slipped underneath Brokenstar’s throat. The dark tabby warrior tucked his throat under, but Beetlewhisker’s thorn sharp claws sliced at Brokenstar’s face. Brokenstar snarled, and closed his eyes.


 * Raggedstar lunged forward and grasped his son’s throat in his jaws, sinking his teeth into his skin. Brokenstar writhed in his father’s grip. “It’s…it’s all dark…” rasped the once powerful dark warrior. He looked up and stared at Raggedstar, his amber eyes glazing over.


 * “No cat will ever get hurt again because of you,” Raggedstar snarled, releasing his grip on Brokenstar’s throat and roughly throwing the Dark Forest warrior away. Beetlewhisker snarled and sliced Brokenstar’s throat, flesh ripping as he raked the tom’s skin. Brokenstar collapsed, and his body withered. His fur seemed to fade, and it rippled as if the tom was under water. Yellowfang, Beetlewhisker, and Raggedstar crowded over him, panting. But none of the cats betrayed any pride about the fact that they had just killed one of the Dark Forest cats’ leaders. Instead…they looked…sad?

Firestar bounded up from where he had watched the fight next to Graystripe, and stared at Yellowfang and Raggedstar, his eyes wide. Raggedstar dipped his head, and pricked his ears as yowls sounded from the distance. “I better go help ShadowClan,” he murmured.


 * Beetlewhisker nodded. “I’m going to go to RiverClan.”


 * “Yellowfang?” rasped Firestar.


 * “Here,” Yellowfang responded firmly. “This is my Clan, and I’ll fight for them.” She exchanged a loving glance with Raggedstar, but Dovewing could see regret glimmering in the depths of her brilliant yellow eyes.


 * Raggedstar blinked. “I guess this is goodbye.”


 * “So it is,” Yellowfang sighed, brushing muzzles with her mate. Raggedstar licked her cheek before bounding away with Beetlewhisker. Yellowfang turned to look at Firestar, but Foxleap bounded forward and nudged the two cats with his russet colored muzzle.


 * “This is a battle, not a reunion!” Foxleap called.


 * Yellowfang glared at the young warrior and a rumble of amusement came from her throat before she leaped into the throng of battle. Dovewing numbly padded away from Firestar, Graystripe, and Foxleap. An alarming smell wreathed into the air, and Dovewing pricked her ears, nostrils flaring. Tigerheart. Ivypool. And…blood. Oh, no!


 * Dovewing leaped forward, her eyes wide. Tigerheart and Ivypool gently broke through the thorn barrier, holding a bundle of black fur and sharing the weight in their jaws. The gray she-cat snarled as she leaped up to meet Tigerheart. “What did you do?” she demanded, her fur trembling.


 * Tigerheart flicked his tail crossly; unable to reply because of how he was holding Hollyleaf. Dovewing’s gaze raked down to the limp black she-cat, her heart twisting in her throat. “Hollyleaf saved my life,” Ivypool told Dovewing numbly. You almost died? “Tigerheart helped me carry her. Hawkfrost hurt her really badly.” The gray and white she-cat passed past through the fighting and snarling throng of cats to the medicine den, as if she didn’t know – or care what happened around her. Jayfeather bounded out of the medicine den, his sightless blue eyes wide. Even though he was blind, that didn’t rob his eyes of showing any emotion.


 * Leafpool followed Jayfeather out. Her amber eyes stretched wide as she set them on Hollyleaf. “Oh no,” she rasped. “My precious daughter!” She bounded over to Hollyleaf and crouched besides her, swiftly lapping at her bleeding wounds. She turned abruptly to Jayfeather. “Cobwebs, marigold, horsetail,” she ordered.


 * Instead of obeying his mother, Jayfeather crouched down besides his sister, pressing his fur against hers. He looked at Leafpool helplessly, and Dovewing could not suppress a shiver at how he looked straight at Leafpool as if he could see her, but Dovewing knew he couldn’t. Jayfeather looked at Leafpool as Hollyleaf roused. The gray tabby tom leaped into the medicine den, and was only swallowed by the shadows for a few minutes before appearing with a bundle of herbs clenched in his jaws. Together, he and Leafpool worked together to apply the poultices to her wounds. She’s going to live!


 * A rumble came from the thorn barrier, and Dovewing turned around as a dark gray tabby tom with spiky fur burst into the ThunderClan camp, apparently in pursuit of another cat. “Traitor!” snarled the cat, his fur dark with blood. “I’ll flay you! We lost the WindClan camp because of you flea-ridden traitors!” Dark Forest cat.

“We’re the traitors?” snarled a light brown tabby tom. Birchfall. He turned around and faced the dark gray tom, his hackles high. “Thistleclaw, you betrayed your Clan from the moment you decided you wanted to kill Sunstar!”


 * A blue gray she-cat turned around from where she held down a smoke tortoiseshell tom, and released her grip on the tom, and stalked forward next to Birchfall. She raised her light gray neck and her brilliant ice blue gaze bore into Thistleclaw’s fur.


 * “Bluestar,” hissed Thistleclaw.


 * Still, Bluestar didn’t make a sound.


 * Birchfall swung around and stared at Bluestar, as if he couldn’t believe he was standing side by side with a legend. Bluestar’s voice rumbled. “Are you proud, Thistleclaw?”


 * “Proud?” echoed Thistleclaw. “I’ve been waiting seasons for this, Bluestar. Years. And now…I finally have my chance. And I’m not going to let some flea-ridden, puny, weak leader steal my chance.” He curled his lip. “All I need to do is destroy you.”


 * “No!” shrieked a voice from behind Dovewing. Two white cats, tall, thick-furred, leaped in front of her. The only difference between them was one was a she-cat, and the other was a tom.


 * “Whitestorm!” called a golden tabby tom as he lunged forward and pawed Whitestorm. “Snowfur, Whitestorm, this isn’t your battle. It’s Bluestar’s.”


 * Snowfur ducked her head. “How can I stand beside, Sunstar?”


 * “By having faith that your sister will win,” rumbled Sunstar.


 * “But she won’t,” Thistleclaw snarled. “She’s weak. I should have been Thistlestar, and you should have stayed Bluefur! You don’t deserve to become leader. I do. You’re weak. You ruined my son. Whitestorm would have been strong if it weren’t for you.”


 * Bluestar flinched.


 * Thistleclaw continued on, fury pulsing from him. “You don’t even know how to defend your borders. I saw you with Oakheart. You liked him. You think I didn’t know the truth about Mistystar, Stonefur, and Mosskit? Wrong. I’m not mouse-brained, but you are. But I didn’t care. It caused you pain, so why not? But now here I am to claim all of that back.” He crouched down and lashed his tail.


 * Bluestar growled. “You are wrong, Thistleclaw. I am not weak. I care about my Clan because I did the hardest thing of my life just for them. To save them from you.” ‘


 * “And you lied to me!” spat Birchfall. “I will never forgive you! It is time for revenge! I know revenge isn’t always the answer, but in the final battle…grievances must be settled.”


 * Thistleclaw leaped into the air and twisted, landing hard on Birchfall. Birchfall rose to his hind legs and snarled, sinking his claws into Thistleclaw’s belly. He bounded neatly out of the way and Bluestar grabbed Thistleclaw’s wide, toned shoulders, pushing them together. Thistleclaw screeched in agony. Satisfaction glimmered in Bluestar’s eyes as she sunk her claws deep into Thistleclaw’s skin.


 * Thistleclaw leaped on his front paws and gave a powerful kick with his hind legs, throwing Bluestar off him and having her thump to the ground. Birchfall growled and tucked in his tail. Thistleclaw’s eyes darken. “You think I don’t know that move, mouse-brain?” he snapped, and Birchfall lashed his tail. Thistleclaw leaped and bit Birchfall’s tail and the young cat screeched and yanked it out of the way, smacking Thistleclaw in the face with it.


 * He reared up and sliced at Thistleclaw’s eyes with his claws. Blood poured from the scratches Birchfall had given him. Thistleclaw wobbled on his hind legs, and Birchfall grinned as he realized he had weakened him. Bluestar had regained her balance and leaped on Thistleclaw, sinking her teeth into his throat. “You can never hurt anyone again!” she snarled.


 * Thistleclaw writhed and Bluestar loosened her grip. “Oh?” challenged Thistleclaw. “I'll get my revenge, mouse-fodder! Others will do it for me!”


 * “Yes,” Bluestar snarled as she slashed the back of Thistleclaw’s neck. Thistleclaw gasped, and blood gurgled at his throat as he feebly tried to claw at Bluestar, but he was getting weaker with each swipe. Thistleclaw’s eyes rolled over as a river of blood poured from his wound and he collapsed on the floor, twitching as his figure flickered and grew more transparent on the ground. Now his figure faded until there was nothing but a pool of blood where he had used to be.


 * Dovewing gasped. “Thistleclaw is dead!” Bluestar looked at the ground numbly, and Birchfall nudged the tall gray she-cat. Firestar narrowed his eyes as he bounded over to Bluestar. He glanced around to see a dark brown tabby figure emerging from the stone tunnel.


 * “Brambleclaw?” Firestar asked. In Brambleclaw’s powerful jaws was a struggling dark brown tabby who looked exactly like the ThunderClan deputy, except for a white underbelly and glimmering ice blue eyes. “I found him escaping to his Clanmates,” growled Brambleclaw.


 * “The battle is over,” Firestar declared.


 * “Not for Hawkfrost,” Brambleclaw’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Hawkfrost.


 * Hawkfrost glared up at Brambleclaw. “Let me go to my Clanmates,” he hissed.


 * “No.” Brambleclaw’s voice was firm. “I need to make sure you won’t hurt any of my Clanmates ever again.”


 * Ivypool leaped from the medicine den to face Hawkfrost, her white fur stained with blood. “Traitor!” she howled. “Killer!”


 * Hawkfrost’s gaze darkened and he let out a rumble of laughter. “Me? Traitor? Oh, no, no. Ivypool, I think it’s you who’s the traitor. You lost us the WindClan camp, after all.”


 * Ivypool curled her lip. “I’m not the traitor! I’ve been loyal to ThunderClan all along.”


 * Dovewing was ready to leap forward, but Blossomfall pushed her back. “This is Ivypool’s battle,” warned the petal patterned tortoiseshell warrior. “Let her solve this.”


 * But Dovewing’s sister wasn’t done. “You…you flattered me. You made me feel like I was wanted when you were using me to fulfill your own blood thirsty, power hungry ambitions!” She bared her teeth. “And I’m here to take that back. I’m sorry I was so stupid.”


 * Hawkfrost snarled, and leaped on Ivypool. Ivypool turned around and Hawkfrost narrowly missed. Ivypool turned on her front paws and kicked out powerfully with her hind legs. Thump. Ivypool’s hind claws had raked Hawkfrost in the face, and the powerful warrior snarled as he grabbed Ivypool’s legs and yanked her forward. Ivypool howled and writhed in Hawkfrost’s grip, but Hawkfrost didn’t let go.


 * She went limp.


 * Dovewing swallowed.


 * Hawkfrost’s grip loosened, and Ivypool collapsed to the ground.


 * No. Please. Please no. Suddenly Ivypool exploded to life. She turned on her belly and raked Hawkfrost’s flank. The dark warrior screeched with surprise as Ivypool violently slashed his stomach and pinned him down. But she had made the deadly mistake of letting one of Hawkfrost’s paws free.


 * Hawkfrost’s paw rose up and slashed Ivypool’s throat, and the white and silver she-cat collapsed. Brambleclaw lunged forward at Hawkfrost, teeth bared. The strong dark tabby leaped on Hawkfrost, and the former RiverClan warrior kicked him off. Grunting, Brambleclaw landed on the floor, but rose up to his hind legs and flexed his forepaw.


 * Fear flickered in Hawkfrost’s eyes and he leaped to his paws. Brambleclaw pushed him down again. “I’m sorry it had to come to this,” he growled.


 * He sunk his claws into Hawkfrost’s throat, and blood gurgled at the wound. Hawkfrost shook fiercely. “No!” Brambleclaw’s claws ripped from Hawkfrost’s throat to his stomach. Ivypool leaped forward, recovered from her shock, and grabbed Hawkfrost’s leg in her jaws and shook.


 * An earsplitting crack ripped the earth. Hawkfrost’s leg was now lifeless, but the life of the dark tabby cat was now pouring away with his blood. Brambleclaw’s half brother raised his ripped, ragged throat. “No…oh…no…” He gurgled, and his head fell backwards as the tom’s blue eyes glazed over. His body started to flicker transparently, and the tabby tom started to fade from sight, though his blood was as vibrant as ever. And then he was completely gone. Both Ivypool and Brambleclaw stared at where Hawkfrost had been numbly. A voice rumbled from behind the two cats.


 * “Good job, Brambleclaw.” Brambleclaw flung his head around, his amber eyes wide with horror as a much larger cat stepped forward. He was bigger than Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost combined, but he was the same exact copy of the two. Dovewing swallowed. Tigerstar. When Willowbreeze had asked her to reach into the Dark Forest, she had spotted the massive dark tabby talking to a few other cats.


 * Firestar growled as he stared at Tigerstar, stepping forward to face his old enemy. Green eyes and amber eyes met, both flaring, both reliving memories. Their fur bristled and a chilly silence held the air as Firestar broke it. “Are you proud?” he spat.


 * “Very,” purred Tigerstar. The massive dark brown tabby tom raised his battle scarred chin and let his glowing amber eyes bore into Firestar’s ragged, flame colored fur. “Is this how you lead your Clan?” he queried, ripping his gaze from Firestar to the ruined ThunderClan. “Kittypets, rogues, loners, crippled cats, blind cats, half of them dead. If you hadn’t wrecked my plans, I would have made ThunderClan great.”


 * “How many cats would have died for it?” rumbled Firestar.


 * “Enough,” replied Tigerstar menacingly. “Remember when Hollyleaf went away to RiverClan? Sending fruitless search parties to the border and pack, pffft! And…and letting those traitors Stormfur and Brook back, and welcoming in that stupid, useless kittypet Daisy…sending in so many cats to help the Tribe and trying to change who they are.” He bared his teeth.


 * Firestar growled. “You would have never been a good leader.”


 * “Better than you!” Tigerstar retorted.


 * Now, Firestar was trembling with rage. “You killed Redtail!” he roared. “You scared Ravenpaw, you set a trap for Bluestar but Cinderpelt got caught in it anyways, you brought the rogues into camp and tried to kill Bluestar, you killed Runningwind, you,you brought the dogs to ThunderClan and it was your fault that Brightheart was crippled and that Swiftpaw died! You killed Brindleface, you ruined ShadowClan and RiverClan, you killed Gorsepaw, you killed Stonefur, you killed Deadfoot, Runningbrook, Whitestorm, and every cat who died in the BloodClan battle! How is that any sign of a good leader?”


 * Tigerstar blinked slowly, giving a few thoughtful licks to his pale chest fur. “Because it shows I would work hard to accomplish what I wanted.”


 * “Traitor.” Firestar’s voice was barely audible.


 * The former ThunderClan deputy and ShadowClan leader flung his dark head towards Firestar. “I have been waiting for this for so long,” he sneered. “I knew when Scourge killed me, that I wasn’t gone forever. Because there are still old grievances to be settled, and I had not solved what I needed to solve with you, kittypet.”


 * “But only one is going to win this time,” snarled Firestar. “Only one of us.”


 * “Oh, who am I to imagine?” chuckled Tigerstar. “I’ll shred you, kittypet, until there’s nothing left to join StarClan.” He eyed Firestar gleefully.


 * “You could have been a great warrior.” Firestar’s voice was thick with grief and sorrow. “If you had not misused your gift.”


 * Now Tigerstar’ s eyes glistened, but Dovewing could not tell with what. Was it grief? Understanding? Regret? But the determined brightness came back so quickly that Dovewing was not quite sure if she had imagined it. “Everything I did was right,” Tigerstar responded firmly, his claws unsheathed. “What’s your problem, kittypet? Are you thinking talking is going to end this? You’re probably so used to that that you forgot what other options there were.”


 * Firestar shook his head. “No, Tigerstar. I know that fighting can solve this battle.” Tigerstar growled, and leaped into the air, landing on Firestar’s wide, toned shoulders. Tigerstar spun around quickly, and grabbed his shoulders, pinning him down. He kicked his hind legs and knocked Firestar’s legs from underneath him. Firestar twisted in the air, his claws raking Tigerstar’s flank.


 * Tigerstar turned around and sank his teeth in Firestar’s throat. Firestar groaned and pushed the powerful tabby off. Tigerstar snarled and raised his paw. Fear flashed in Firestar’s eyes as he leaped over Tigerstar, grabbing his shoulders and pushing them together. The former ShadowClan leader narrowed his eyes, darted under Firestar’s underbelly, and slashed at the back of his forepaws. Firestar howled. He twisted, but Tigerstar was on his other side.


 * Satisfaction glowed in Tigerstar’s eyes. He hooked his claws in Firestar’s flame colored fur, and dragged him to the ground. Firestar slashed Tigerstar’s chest and pushed on all fours, flicking out his fluffy tail. Tigerstar’s jaws snapped in thin air as he tried to bite Firestar’s tail, but he had already tucked it under him and thumped Tigerstar violently underneath his chin. Tigerstar yowled, and he raised his paw, ready to slit Firestar’s belly open as he exposed it to the dark sky.


 * But Firestar was too quick. He flipped on his side and kicked his hind legs out in the air, hitting Tigerstar in the face. Firestar’s old enemy grunted as he collapsed on the ground. Eyes blazing, Firestar lunged forward and grasped Tigerstar’s throat in his jaws. Tigerstar’s eyes flared with fear as Firestar lifted his enemy in the air. “The Clans will be safe,” growled Firestar as he snapped hard down on Tigerstar’s throat. An ear-wrenching crack split the air.


 * Firestar released his grip on Tigerstar, letting the former fearless warrior collapse on the ground, lying ominously still as his shape began to become transparent against the light brown ground. Firestar watched, not moving a muscle.


 * Dovewing gasped, turning to Ivypool besides her. “Tigerstar is gone!” She trembled. The cat who had been so intent on hunting for revenge, the one who had caused all these deaths in this battle and before, the cat who had been so power hungry and blood thirsty…was gone. And it was because of Firestar. Firestar tumbled down. Dovewing turned around, gaping as the old leader landed on the floor, writhing with pain. Life throbbed underneath the scarlet red blood that seeped out of his terrible wounds. Brambleclaw bounded over to Firestar, eyes bright with worry as Squirrelflight and Leafpool followed him.


 * “ThunderClan…” rasped Firestar. “I am so happy I had a chance to be invited to live here, and to experience the life of a warrior. I am so glad to have served as your leader.”


 * “Fire will save the Clan,” whispered Leafpool.


 * “And it did,” murmured Squirrelflight. “Fire saved the Clan.”


 * Brambleclaw’s eyes closed and he raised his muzzle to the sky. “The battle is over!” he howled. “And our victory is thanks to Firestar!”


 * Rain started to thunder down into the stone hollow as Brambleclaw leaned over his leader. Firestar’s eyes had glazed over and he laid still. Jayfeather padded over, touching his tail tip to Brambleclaw’s broad shoulders. As the cats looked down and mourned over Firestar, nine spirits of cats began to gradually emerge, padding over to Firestar’s body.


 * Jayfeather lifted his head. “These are the cats who gave Firestar his nine lives,” introduced the gray tabby medicine cat. “Lionheart gave Firestar a life for courage.” He nodded to a massive, broad shouldered golden tabby tom with thick fur around his neck like a lion’s mane.


 * Jayfeather dipped his head to a tortoiseshell tom with a fluffy red tail. “Redtail gave Firestar a life for justice.”


 * “He was born with the most justice I’ve ever seen,” Redtail murmured.


 * “Silverstream gave Firestar a life for loyalty.” A silver tabby she-cat with a narrow face stepped forward with a narrow face and a sleek tail. Her blue eyes darted over to Graystripe’s limp body, and grief twisted in her eyes before she stepped away. “


 * “Brindleface gave Firestar a life for protection.” Jayfeather flicked his ears at a mottled gray tabby, who looked at Ferncloud’s body, letting out an inward shudder.


 * “Swiftpaw gave Firestar a life for mentoring.” A small black and white tom stepped forward, his amber eyes glowing.


 * Brambleclaw nodded. “Firestar was the best mentor I’ve ever had,” he meowed.


 * “Yellowfang gave Firestar a life for compassion.” Yellowfang stepped forward, her starry fur ragged and coated with blood but her yellow eyes glowed as she acknowledged Jayfeather with a small dip of her head. Bluestar padded forward.


 * “Spottedleaf gave Firestar a life for love. And he used it well. I gave Firestar a life for nobility, and he was born with the most of it.” She nodded to Brambleclaw. “If you have half the courage and loyalty as Firestar had, you will make a fine leader for ThunderClan.” As she spoke, the spirits from the dead bodies that slumped to the ground began to rise. Mousefur, who lost her ripped fur but now, looked young and strong bounded forward, next to Ferncloud and Brightheart.


 * Cloudtail stiffened as he saw Brightheart. Millie and Graystripe rose, brushing flanks as they were followed by Briarlight, whose legs now worked like the strongest warrior. Thornclaw, Brackenfur, Purdy, Daisy, and Sorreltail followed. Spiderleg, Sandstorm, and Firestar limped after. Bumblestripe pressed against Dovewing. Bluestar narrowed her eyes as Dovewing, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather stepped together.


 * “You know your powers will disappear now, don’t you?” she questioned.


 * Jayfeather blinked. He growled. “So I’ll be blind for the rest of my life?”


 * “No, you will most likely be granted eyesight,” Bluestar told him.


 * “When will they disappear?” asked Lionblaze.


 * “Most likely when you sleep,” Bluestar replied.


 * Hazeltail narrowed her eyes. “Powers?”


 * Bluestar fixed Hazeltail with a glare. “Nothing that matters anymore, as they’re being revoked,” she told the gray and white warrior.


 * Hazeltail flicked her fluffy tail, and the StarClan cats started to fade. Cloudtail gazed helplessly after Brightheart, and Dustpelt’s eyes glazed with pain as he watched Ferncloud pad away. Foxleap raised his voice. “Bramblestar! Bramblestar!” he called.


 * Berrynose, Icecloud, Ivypool, and Hollyleaf joined in. “Bramblestar! Bramblestar!” The voices of the elderly warriors Dustpelt and Cloudtail broke in. “Bramblestar! Bramblestar!”


 * Jayfeather, Poppyfrost, Lionblaze, Berrynose, Mousewhisker, Cinderheart, Dovewing, Toadstep, Rosepetal, Blossomfall, Bumblestripe, Molepaw, Cherrypaw, Squirrelflight, and Leafpool joined in. “Bramblestar! Bramblestar!” they all howled. Jayfeather touched Bramblestar’s shoulder with his tail. “It’s time to choose a deputy,” he murmured.


 * Bramblestar shook his head. “First, I want to appoint two new apprentices.” He nodded at Lilykit and Seedkit. The two exchanged mystified glances and bounded over to Bramblestar. “Lilykit, from this moment on you will be known as Lilypaw. Hollyleaf, you will be Lilypaw’s mentor.” The black she-cat stepped forward and touched noses with Lilypaw.


 * Seedkit looked around at the camp. “Seedkit, from this moment on you will be known as Seedpaw. Foxleap will be your mentor.” The russet tabby puffed out his chest, and padded over to Seedpaw, touching noses with his new apprentice’s nose.


 * Dustpelt and Cloudtail stepped forward. “Bramblestar? Both of us have been discussing this since the battle – and, we’d like to retire.” Muffled gasps came from the cats, and Cloudtail waved his tail with sadness in his eyes.


 * Bramblestar blinked, and nodded. “Cloudtail, Dustpelt, is it your wish to give up the name of a warrior and join the elders?”


 * Both Dustpelt and Cloudtail stiffened as they nodded. “It is.”


 * “Your Clan honors you and all the service you have given us. I call upon StarClan to give you many moons of rest.”


 * “Dustpelt! Cloudtail!”


 * Bramblestar’s powerful shoulders heaved as he nodded to his Clan. “Now I will choose the new deputy. Hollyleaf, will you do the honor of being my deputy?”


 * Hollyleaf’s eyes stretched wide with shock as she padded towards Bramblestar. “I…I never excepted this,” croaked Hollyleaf. “But I will. I promise I’ll make ThunderClan as strong as I can. Thank you.” Bramblestar nodded, waving his tail.


 * “Now, let’s reinforce the camp. Jayfeather, treat the wounded. Foxleap and Icecloud, look for supplies that can be used to reinforce the dens. Ivypool, you’re in charge of organizing parties to fix the dens.” As the cats broke away into groups, Dovewing was dimly aware of two shapes at the edge of the clearing.


 * One was a hefty badger; the other was a furless, skinny, wrinkled old tom with blind, bulging eyes, and she was aware of the voice that came from both of them at the same time and pricked her ears as it filtered through them.


 * There will be three cats, kin of your kin, with the power of stars in their paws. They will find a fourth, and the battle between light and dark will be won. A new leader will rise from the shadows of his death, and the Clans will survive beyond memories of his memories. This is how it has always been, and how it will always be.