everything that has a start has a finish line,
do you ever sit and marvel at the stars in the sky?
— wake me up; the red jumpsuit apparatus

"Isn't it beautiful, Darkstripe?"

The ThunderClan clearing, once alive and bustling, the mews of excited kits ringing off the stone walls, was eerily silent. It seems even the birds had fled the sudden explosion of noise, and all that could be heard was the barest whisper of the wind against fur. Bodies lay strewn across the once peaceful hollow, Brambleclaw's dark brown tabby fur in clumps across the warriors den, amber eyes staring sightlessly across the sky. Cloudtail's body lay not far away, his once white fur dyed an astonishing scarlet, bright in the darkness. And what had to be the most haunting; Lilykit and Seedkit lay in a crumpled heap just outside the nursery, fur so ragged and bloody it was hard to distinguish one from the other.

"Y-Yes, Tigerstar. Victory is always beautiful," Darkstripe mewed shakily, eyes wide with horror as he saw what damage the Place of No Stars had wrought on his Clanmates. He was a mere shadow next to the formidable leader at his side.

"They're not your Clanmates anymore, Darkstripe. Stop snivelling like a coward. We need to ensure that the other three Clans have been destroyed as well," Tigerstar's voice was harsh, unforgiving. Without warning he leapt down from his perch next to Firestar's den, or at least what was left of it. Tigerstar had thrown Firestar's body off the rocks himself and now he lay in a twisted, mangled mess on the ground below, neck twisted at what looked like an unbearable angle. He probably hadn't even had time to feel himself die before he was in StarClan for the last time.

A sudden screech ran out from the forest and a broad-shouldered form struggled through the entrance to the camp, thorns catching at his dark pelt. In his jaws, yet still alive with fight, a lean silver-furred shape struggled, shrieking defiance. Behind the tom other warriors streamed into camp, Mapleshade's ragged tortoiseshell form at their head.

"The Clans are dead, Tigerstar. The Dark Forest has won."

Triumphant caterwauls rang out across the clearing, the cries of the Dark Forest cats the only sound to be heard for a few brief moments.

"Hawkfrost and myself smashed RiverClan to pieces. He took all of Mistystar's lives himself. Brokenstar led Silverhawk and Clawface into the heart of ShadowClan's camp. With Breezepelt's help, Thistleclaw and Antpelt were able to successfully destroy WindClan. And it seems you did quite the number here, Tigerstar," Mapleshade continued, the smirk on her face growing wider as her eyes landed on Firestar's broken body, Sandstorm and Graystripe lying mangled on each of his sides. This time it was her leading the triumphant call. Tigerstar remained silent, watching the now un-moving form still held in Hawkfrost's jaws.

"It seems that my son has brought us one last gift."

Every eye turned to Hawkfrost, to the wide-eyed cat in his jaws, her blue eyes staring with horror around the camp. Hawkfrost opened his jaws, allowing the cat to fall to the ground. She made no move to escape.

"How does it feel, Ivypool? You betrayed us, and your Clan died for it," Hawkfrost snarled, fangs bared as he advanced toward her. He halted, glancing up as Tigerstar flicked his tail, ordering him to stop.

"Darkstripe, kill her."

Darkstripe's yellow eyes widened, his limbs beginning to shake. Tigerstar and the others had murdered everyone in this camp, not him. He had cowered behind the fighting; he couldn't kill his Clanmates, couldn't kill those who had once been fighting by his side.

They're not your Clanmates anymore, Darkstripe.

With Tigerstar's words ringing in his ears, he stepped forward, coming closer to where Ivypool lay hunched over on the ground. Her blue eyes, so dark with the moon hidden - StarClan was already dying, it seemed - followed him as he approached. With no warning but a blood-curdling howl she launched herself at him, crashing into his lean form at the shoulders. He stumbled backwards, ending up on his back with her claws stabbing at him from above.

She was injured, and already weakening, it wasn't hard to see. But that light in her eyes, even in the darkness of the night, shone brightly with all of the fury of StarClan; with all of the dying stars in the sky.

With his back legs he pushed straight into her underbelly, sending her flying across the clearing. When she finally got her paws back under her she was bleeding badly, leaning heavily on her right side and not making a move towards him. This time it was him who made the first move, sending them both into the remnants of what had to be the elders den. She wasn't fighting anymore it seemed, but simply staring back at him, watching and waiting for her own death.

He lifted his head, glancing up at Tigerstar, who had resumed his position on the Highledge. Like Ivypool, he was staring, his amber eyes seeming to burn a hole straight through his pelt. Everyone was looking at him, waiting for him to finish it.

Looking back down at Ivypool, he couldn't help but meet her eyes.

"I was going to say that that you should at least look me in the eye if you were going to kill me, so that you can remember it for every day that you live out from here. But you're already dead, aren't you?"

He didn't hesitate when she said it, he dove down, wrapping his jaws around her throat. He didn't let go and felt the warm gush of her blood flow into his mouth, his muzzle stained crimson. She gave one last sickening gurgle and went limp beneath him, her head slumping to one side, blood pooling beneath the remnants of her neck. Slowly, he released her, taking a few shaky steps back from her body.

The camp was silent with this death, no one daring to make a move or cheer once again at their victory. Tigerstar simply stood, glancing around the clearing.

"Tonight, we defeated the Clans. Tomorrow, StarClan will fall to us."

Everyone stared up at him, and Darkstripe looked to the sky. The clouds were continuing to wisp their away across the darkness, blotting out the light of the moon and making it almost impossible to see the stars. There was one, brighter than the others that caught his attention. He watched as yet another cloud claimed it, swallowing it, never to be seen again.

The stars will bleed tonight and I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry.

Written as an alternate ending to The Last Hope, because it disappointed me and I'm a horrible person.

Reviews are love.

- Rowan