The Darkest Battle

Snow danced down from the dark and dreary sky in a mystical ballet. Being carried along by the frigid, seemingly never-ending winds which billowed along the blank forest and clean moorland. The four forest clans stood in a deadly silence. Not a single creature dared to make the vicious first strike in fear of being the first to be driven off. It seemed as if no force or side would move a muscle and take the risk.

The silence continued. No sound was heard. Until one black pitch she-cat stepped forward. The she-cat's dark green eyes gleamed with unsatisfied ambition.

"Attack!" One mere single worded command had so much of a drastic effect. A barraging wave of uncountable cats charged out from the secure cover of the tall trees and across the once-silent clearing. A mashed mix of colors, brown, tan, white, black, orange, golden and even red of the cats' pelts seemed to swirl together. Another fighting force cannoned out from the opposite side of the once-silent clearing to meet their blood-thirsty enemies in mid-charge.

The two great forces clashed in the raging current of battle. Crimson blood splashed to the ground. Staining the brown-green grass of Leafbare to crimson red. Wind carrying snow roared around the fighting cats. Dancing around them in an almost mystical pattern. Cats soon became befuddled in the blizzard and lashed out; some hitting those of their own side.

In the center of the battle five cats fought. It seemed like they were dancing the swift tango of battle. Swiftly moving and edging around. Gracefully throwing out stinging blows to each other. Like the eye of a storm. A particularly large tom with a pelt the color of bright autumn leaves was most noticeable due to his stunningly vivid pelt.

He ceased fighting for a single moment and faced to confront a slender she-cat, who had a shimmering pelt as black as the darkest night. Her eyes matched her pelt, dark and shining. The dark blue color was deep; gleaming with coldness and a thirst for absolute power.

"Shadow!" He addressed the almost sinister she-cat. "Stop this! We can't destroy each other!"

Shadow curled her lip in a snarl of hate. Blood-stained teeth shown out in a menacing growl. "It's you who shall be destroyed tonight Thunder!"

Another cat stepped the large tom's side. Her sleek and thin build looked perfect for running at high speeds. Her pale green eyes held a debating mixture of agreement and hate. Her brown pelt was the color of tree trunks, but it looked torn and ragged in some spots.

"Thunder is right! We'll all die if we continue to fight!" Wind insisted, agreeing with the other leader's words.

The sounds of battle screamed from around them. An array of battle cries, wail, yowls growls of hate and fury, of shrieks of horrible pain all echoed around the clearing. The snowstorm blew through, carrying the noises with them.

A silver tom slinked in beside Shadow. His blue eyes were the color of a flowing river. His silver pelt was sleek, well equipped for slipping through raging waters. He glared and bristled at the two other cats.

"Don't let them fool you Shadow!" He growled angrily. Wind's heather-blue eyes widened as River accused them of foul-play and trickery. Thunder merely narrowed his green eyes at the two of them. "They'll ambush us and destroy us!"

A white tom with grey swirls in his pelt burst out of the snow and took a blocking position between the four quarreling leaders. His pelt was the color of the whitest snow with winds tossing it through the frosty air. The tom's wary eyes were sky blue. He had a sturdy build for leaping high into the air and into the highest of tree branches; his back legs thick with muscle.

"Stop this!" He bellowed. His strong and fierce voice making an echo around the blood splattered battle field. He seemed to be the one aware that many would die on this turf if the deadly encounter continued. "We shall get nowhere by fighting! Call the battle off!"

"Never Sky!" Shadow then leapt over Sky in a quick show of grace and skill. She landed on Thunde's muscular back and clawed through his fur with her thorn-sharp claws.

A few fox-lengths away other cats were fighting. One fell to the ground; completely motionless in the deep, cold snow.

"DIE!" A stone-colored tom yowled; wanting all to hear. He threw out a hefty paw and hit a black tom with a yellow tail in the face.

The black tom amazingly caught his footing and rammed into the assaulting cat. Nimbly tossing him to the already snow-covered ground. The gray tom leapt high and skillfully evaded another attempt at a hit to the head. The black tom hissed in cold frustration and ducked under a strike.

The black tom whipped out a paw and hit his enemy's throat. A gash was strung across the stone-colored tom's neck. The gray tom staggered as if he was blind and gasped like fish out of water. Horrible wheezing and coughing noises said that the tom was dying a slow painful death. The dying cat fell onto the snow in a bloody heap of gray fur. Gasping rapidly with his flank rising and falling quickly. Breaths growing fainter until he stopped moving and his eyes closed.

The black tom; Lightningtail, looked down at his mortal enemy who was lying at his paws. Lightningtail fought for breath; panting he could see his own breath in the chilly air. Blood seeped onto his black paws. The blood of his enemy's. The stench of the sticky liquid over-whelmed him and made him want to run from it.

Back over to the five fighting leaders Shadow had an iron grip on Thunder. Wind heaved herself at the Shadowclan leader and threw the black she-cat off of Thunder. Shadow scrambled up and fought for a grip on the deep snow. A harrowing screech caught her attention and she spotted Sky fighting River not far off.

The two leaders seemed to be evenly matched in speed, strength and cleverness. Shadowstar was caught unaware and was hurled to the ground once again by Wind. Shadow threw the smaller she-cat off and away from her. Shadow stood up and lunged at Thunder.

He hit her in the face and she evened it out by shredding his right ear. The two fought for a while. Shadowstar matched her cleverness with his strength and found out that they were evenly matched. An idea struck her boldly. She hit his muzzle with a stinging blow and proceeded to flee.

She weaved around fighting cats and out of the clearing altogether. She heard thumping paw steps behind her as the noises of the battle slowly faded away. The stinging of the wounds she had obtained faded away. The black narrow strip that she had been looking for came up quickly from the horizon. The thunderpath.

She turned around and looked over her shoulder only to spot Thunder not far behind her. His eyes burning with rage. She her another sound she hoped would coming. A monster was coming up. She could already see the flashing light and its colorful pelt coming up. She ran across the thunderpath. Not minding the foul smell. She whipped around to see Thunder wasn't following.

He looked at her with distaste, unaware of the approaching monster. "I never thought the brave and cunning Shadow would turn tail and run. I can help you Shadow. We can be allies and this won't ever have to happen again."

"No! You can't help me! No one can!"

Shadow raced at the Thunderclan leader, eyes ablaze. Then she froze in the middle of the thunderpath. There was flash of light and a sickening crunch noise. Shadow was thrown brutally onto a side of territory. She couldn't tell which one it was. Frozen cold pain erupted all over her body.

She tried to move; but the pain in tensed. The Shadowclan leader let out a shriek of absolute pain. She opened her eyes wide and looked up to see the cat she loathed, Thunderstar. His eyes were wide with shock. Shadow fought for her life; not to close her eyes and give in. It was all slipping away from her as fast as river water flowed.

She closed her eyes.

"I can help you Shadow…."

Shadow's eyes opened once more. She struggled to stare up at Thunder. She opened her mouth to speak. Then it all went black. As she swirled into the bleak darkness the words that she had wanted to say echoed over and over again.

"Help me Thunder."