Circle of Life: Book 3: The Last Battle
A/N: It's here! The final book in the Circle of Life Trilogy! Finally, I might mention! I'm really excited to be posting this, since it's the last book and there are a ton of twists in this one that you probably weren't expecting. I can't wait to see how you guys react! I actually hadn't planned on posting this until I had it all written, but I'm over halfway done, so I don't think we'll have a problem. I'll be posting every Friday until the story's complete. Here's the allegiances and prologue. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Warriors and all related themes and characters belong to Erin Hunter. No copyright infringement was intended in the production of this story.
Summary: It's been moons since Tanglepath left his Clan for AmberClan, where he knew that he and his mate would be accepted and Silvertail found out she was pregnant. Now, the siblings are both faced with hardships as they find themselves without each other to lean on. Tanglepath must unravel the mysteries surrounding AmberClan's leader, Smallstar, and Silvertail must watch as her Clan falls apart because of LightningClan, while she is unable to help. With Clan boundaries in their way, will Tanglepath and Silvertail ever be able to help each other through these hard times? Or will tragedy push them apart for good?
Allegiances
NorthClan
Leader: Stormstar – Very dark black tom with dark blue eyes that are almost black
Deputy: Stripefur – Gray tom with darker gray stripes
Medicine Cat: Lillypelt – Brown she-cat with light green eyes
Apprentice, Featherstorm
Warriors: Sunstripe – Yellowish tom with black stripes and amber eyes
Apprentices, Ravenpaw and Graypaw
Duskflame – Dark brown tabby she-cat with light green eyes
Emberheart – Yellowish she-cat with black stripes and green eyes
Moonshadow – Light gray tabby tom with light blue eyes
Shadowleaf – Smoky gray tom with a silvery sheen and topaz eyes
Apprentice, Poolpaw
Topazfur – Topaz gold tom with topaz eyes
Apprentice, Blackpaw
Twilightsky – Black tom with yellow eyes
Smokefoot – Dark gray tom with bright green eyes
Apprentice, Nightpaw
Mistypool – Light gray she-cat with blue eyes
Jewelfoot – Siamese she-cat with blue eyes
Apprentices: Featherstorm – All white she-cat with soft blue eyes
Ravenpaw – Black tom with amber eyes
Poolpaw – Blue-gray she-cat with silvery eyes
Nightpaw – Gray she-cat with black paws
Blackpaw – Black tom with yellow eyes
Graypaw – Small gray she-cat
Queens: Rosetail – Light brown tabby she-cat, mother of Topazfur's kits: Acornkit (Brown tabby tom), Mintkit (Light brown she-cat), and Pinekit (Brown tom with golden eyes)
Silvertail – Silver she-cat with bright green eyes, mother of Shadowleaf's kits: Rainkit (Dark gray tabby tom with blue eyes), Cloudkit (White she-cat with topaz eyes), and Breezekit (Black tom with white paws and tail tip), Leafkit (Brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes)
Elders: Lightstripe – Black and white striped tom
Littlefeather – Soft white she-cat with happy blue eyes
Rainshadow – Former deputy, black tom with bluish gray paws, tail, and face
AmberClan
Leader: Smallstar – Black and white tom with blue eyes and small paws
Deputy: Hawkwing – Jet-black she-cat with sliver stripes and a white muzzle, ice blue eyes
Medicine Cat: Eaglefur – Dark brown tom with white paws
Apprentice, Speckledfur
Warriors: Bluerain – Bluish gray tom with gold eyes
Hawkpool – Light blue gray tom with ice blue eyes
Jaywind – Black tom with grayish eyes
Apprentice, Sweetpaw
Cougarfur – Brown tom with light blue eyes
Leafmoon – Brown she-cat with blue eyes
Shadefoot – Gray tom with a white chest, amber eyes, and one black foot
Apprentice, Fishpaw
Leafpelt – Brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes
Lightjay – Black tom with green eyes
Mossfur – Brown tabby she-cat with a white muzzle
Tanglepath – Scarred, dark brown tabby tom with green eyes, formerly of NorthClan
Apprentice, Brownpaw
Wishsong – White and orange she-cat with green eyes, formerly of LightningClan
Apprentices: Speckledfur – Gray she-cat with black specks and amber eyes
Sweetpaw – Pure white she-cat with orange splotches
Fishpaw – Blue-gray tom
Brownpaw – Light brown tabby tom
Queens: Silverdusk – Silver she-cat with white spots and lavender eyes, expecting Shadefoot's kits
Elders: Frozenfoot – Dark gray tom with light gray paws
Lostfoot – Elderly brown tabby tom, missing one paw
LightningClan
Leader: Foxstar – Gray she-cat with blue eyes
Deputy: Darkfur – Dark black tom with hazel eyes and a scar on his side
Medicine Cat: Swanfeather – Light cream colored she-cat with green eyes
Warriors: Heatherfur – Brown she-cat with hazel eyes, black paws, and only one ear
Mistheart – Black she-cat with white paws, blue eyes, missing half of her tail
Blackpelt – Black tom with green eyes and scarred legs
Shorttail – Brown short tailed tom with a scarred face
Volefang – Vicious battle scarred gray and black tom with gray eyes
Apprentice, Pantherpaw
Songfire – Golden and white she-cat with amber eyes
Sunstep – Golden tom with black paws
Coalfur – Black and gray tom with amber eyes
Apprentice, Spiderpaw
Hazelflower – Light brown she-cat with blue eyes and a white tail
Apprentices: Spiderpaw – Tall black tom with white paws and bright green eyes
Pantherpaw – Black tom with green eyes
Queens: (None)
Elders: Crystalpool – White she-cat with green eyes and one torn ear
TreeClan
Leader: Pebblestar – Beautiful silver tabby she-cat with green eyes
Deputy: Turtlefur – Tortoiseshell tom with amber eyes
Medicine Cat: Dreadmist – Gray tom with blue eyes
Warriors: Eveningsong – Black she-cat with white paws and chest
Sootpool – Dark gray tabby tom with blue eyes
Apprentice, Lambpaw
Wingflight – All white she-cat with amber eyes
Moonleaf – Black and white she-cat with green eyes
Apprentice, Owlpaw
Sunflash – Golden tom with black paws and tail tip
Leopardclaw – Brownish-gold tabby she-cat with amber eyes
Silverheart – Silver tabby she-cat with green eyes
Barkfoot – Brown tom with gray paws
Feralclaw – Black she-cat with green eyes
Bluesky – Blue-gray she-cat with gray eyes
Apprentices: Owlpaw – Brown tabby tom
Lambpaw – Very pale gray she-cat with blue eyes
Queens: Icetalon – White she-cat with green eyes, expecting Sootpool's kits
Elders: Saltface – Gray she-cat with a white face
Cats Outside of Clans
Leaf – Tanglepath's mother, dead. Brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes
Sky – Tanglepath's father, dead. Gray and white tom with sky blue eyes
Splotch – Fat white tom with black patches, knew Leaf and Sky; kittypet
Prologue: Born Anew
Pained yowls filled the camp. The warriors, apprentices, and even medicine cats winced as they passed or entered the nursery. A pure white she-cat with soft blue eyes made her way quickly across the camp, flicking her tail in greeting to a dark gray tom who called, "Hey, Featherstorm!" as she passed.
She slipped into the nursery, moving to stand by a brown she-cat who crouched next to a silver tabby. The tabby was panting hard, letting out the pained yowls that could be heard throughout the camp.
"Just relax, Silvertail," the brown she-cat murmured, thanking Featherstorm quietly as she took the cobwebs. "I need you to push. It'll be over soon."
"Not soon enough," Silvertail grunted.
"Shadowleaf's still out there, Lillypelt," Featherstorm informed the brown she-cat. "Should I tell him to leave?"
Lillypelt sighed. "No, don't bother. He'll be able to come in soon enough."
On the other side of the nursery, three kits peered over their mother's back. "Can we see, Mother?" begged a small brown she-cat.
"No, stay down, Mintkit," their mother sighed, lifting her and setting her down. She turned to a small tom kit, a brown tabby, and set him down next to Mintkit. "You too, Acornkit." She shot a glare at the last one, a brown tabby with golden eyes, who was just about to scramble over her. "Pinekit, don't you dare."
Pinekit slid back down next to his brother and sister, blushing. "Sorry, Rosetail."
Rosetail sighed, gently licking each of her kits.
A yowl exploded out of Silvertail nearer to the entrance. "Oh, SkyClan!"
"Just relax," Featherstorm soothed her. "You'll be alright, Silvertail. Push! There, good job, I can see the kit."
Silvertail screamed in pain, and a small kit slipped out. Featherstorm quickly snatched the kit up and licked it until the sac around it broke and the kit could take its first breath of air. As she was licking the kit to warm it, Lillypelt moved to take her place.
A moment later, a second kit slipped out. Having already set the first kit by Silvertail's stomach to suckle, Featherstorm replaced Lillypelt, saying, "Just one more."
Finally, the third kit joined its siblings at their mother's belly, but Silvertail's yowls didn't stop. Featherstorm and Lillypelt exchanged a worried glance.
"I thought you said there were only three!" Silvertail shouted, her body convulsing in another contraction.
"I'm never wrong," Lillypelt said firmly. She sniffed at Silvertail, then turned to Featherstorm. "Go fetch more cobwebs."
Unbeknownst to any of the nursery's occupants, there was another cat there, sitting with a frown on her brown tabby face. Her green eyes narrowed. SkyClan had foretold only three kits, so why was Silvertail still in the midst of labor?
Dawnfire, the former deputy of the very Clan she stood among just now, stood and circled Silvertail, Lillypelt, and the three kits, confused. It was SkyClan tradition for a former warrior of a particular Clan to be present when a queen of that Clan was giving birth. The SkyClan warrior would then give the kits the blessing of SkyClan, and a gift that would help them through life. As Dawnfire had known Silvertail, as well as going through the pain of labor once herself, she had been selected to be present then.
But this was not something that her ancestors had prepared her for. The SkyClan warriors had foretold three kits to be born of Silvertail and Shadowleaf, yet here she was, waiting for a fourth.
She hovered close to Silvertail, eyes narrowing as the fourth kit slid out into the mossy bedding. Lillypelt pulled it close to her, licking through the membrane encasing the little kit so that it could take its first breath of air.
Dawnfire's eyes widened suddenly when she took in the kit's appearance. She had seen one kit who had looked exactly like this little one. It was a generic brown tabby, very similar to another warrior she knew, and one dead loner.
"She-kit," Lillypelt murmured as Silvertail's contractions finally subsided. She set the little kit down next to her mother.
Silvertail raised her head to look down on her kits wearily, just as a long-haired black warrior hurried inside. His eyes grew soft when he saw Silvertail, and he hurried over.
"Shadowleaf," she greeted him with relief. "What do you think of the kits?"
"They're beautiful," he breathed, staring down at the little kits.
"What will you name them?" asked Featherstorm as she slipped back inside the nursery.
Silvertail's eyes traveled over the four kits, her body stiffening when she saw the little tabby. She looked nothing like her father or mother. She quickly looked away, at the largest kit, the first one born. He was a dark gray tom, and he kneaded his mother's belly as he suckled.
"How about Rainkit?" she suggested for the tom.
"That's a wonderful name," Shadowleaf agreed. "And for this one, the little white she-cat, how about Cloudkit?"
"I like that," Silvertail murmured.
"If I could make a suggestion," Featherstorm interjected, "I like Breezekit for the other tom, the black one."
Silvertail nodded, and then slowly looked back at the tabby. "How about Leafkit?" she murmured quietly.
"That's perfect." Shadowleaf nuzzled his mate. "And so are the kits."
Dawnfire listened quietly through the naming of the kits, and then finally sighed and closed her eyes, calling up the words that the other SkyClan warriors had imparted upon her.
"I, Dawnfire of SkyClan," she began, "hereby bless these four kits, the sons and daughters of Silvertail and Shadowleaf of NorthClan. For Rainkit, may he always have strength and power. For Cloudkit, may she always have cunning and intelligence. For Breezekit, may he always have speed and agility. And for Leafkit…" Here she faltered, as she hadn't had any time to come up with a blessing for Leafkit. Finally, it came to her, and she spoke again. "And for Leafkit, may she always have calm and peace. The blessing of SkyClan goes with them forever."
She started to turn away, to return to SkyClan's hunting grounds, but paused and looked back. I hope you have a better life this time, she thought silently, watching Leafkit nestle against Silvertail's belly. And that you one day meet your son.
And with that, she turned away and left.
A/N: That's it for this update. Let me know what you think in a review! I'm anticipating your responses! Hope you liked it, and see you next Friday!
Off to take over the world,
Crazy Girl