This chapter is even shorter than the Chapter 10 and... IT IS THE LAST ONE! Thank you so much to all my loyal reviewers. I can't believe I am actually finishing a fanfiction story. This is amazing and it's all due to you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Just a little side note: I will be starting another story. I'm not sure what it's going to be about (I'm thinking a character named Sanddune and the destruction of a Clan muhaha), but I'm sure it'll be just as overly dramatic and suspenseful as this one :) So, if you liked this one, I'll probably be posting the next story not this weekend but the next, so after July 4th! I'd really appreciate if you stuck with me!

And with that, please enjoy the last chapter of Redemption!

Chapter 11

Blackhorizon was face to face with the cat he never wanted to see again, the cat he once loved, the cat he had killed…

"M-Meadowlark?" Blackhorizon spluttered, "What on earth-?"

"Surprised to see me again?" Meadowlark inquired coolly. It was driving Blackhorizon crazy that her hazel eyes were completely emotionless.

"Y- Are you… Are you StarClan?"

"I'm in between," she replied, "Not quite accepted into StarClan… but not rogue either."

There was a moment of silence as Meadowlark waited for Blackhorizon to say something and vice versa.

"So I see you were accepted back into DuskClan," Meadowlark meowed and again, to Blackhorizon's frustration, her eyes were emotionless.

"Yes…" Blackhorizon responded awkwardly, waiting for a flash of emotion in Meadowlark but none came.

There was another moment of silence that left Blackhorizon wondering why Meadowlark had even thought of visiting his dream. Finally, she spoke.

"Does Moss know what you did?"

"How do you-?"

"Answer the question, Blackhorizon."

Blackhorizon was surprised by her tone but a little less on edge that at least he knew where her heart lay. "No… he doesn't."

"I guess neither of you know each other."

Blackhorizon was caught off guard. "What do you mean?"

Meadowlark gave him a knowing look, her eyes hard. "Blackhorizon, I've reflected a lot on everything that happened and I'm sure you have too. I haven't come here to talk about that. I came here to warn you."

"Warn me?" Blackhorizon was relieved on one note, but worry creased his brow on her other point.

"Moss isn't ready for Clan life."

Blackhorizon found this incredibly unfair. "Not every rogue has a dirty little secret, Meadowlark!"

Meadowlark's hazel eyes blazed. "This isn't about me, Blackhorizon. Don't you dare-"

"You've done enough for me and my family already. I don't need this!"

Meadowlark slipped into hurt silence. Her voice was quieter when she spoke, "I'm trying to help you. I don't want you to go through any more grief."

"What are you trying to say? That Moss is evil?" Blackhorizon's tone was disbelieving and insulting.

"Moss won't take any more bullying, Blackhorizon. You know that. He is incredibly skilled but, like you," she couldn't help but adding, "he doesn't know how to control his emotions. But he's a rogue… and so is his mate. One cat insults him or, even worse, his mate… Blackhorizon, he's too unstable to go through that. Something bad is going to happen."

Blackhorizon felt his heart drop as the truth settled in. How could he not have realized it before?

"He's on his way as we speak. When you wake up, go to the border and wait for him and when he gets there, just say that you told the Clan about him and they aren't going to accept a rogue."

Blackhorizon felt like he'd had the air knocked out of him. He knew that everything Meadowlark was saying made sense, but he still was going to miss his friend. Moss had helped him heal. Blackhorizon hoped the small black tom wouldn't be too devastated when they had to part ways. At least they both had a home to go back to.

Blackhorizon finally regained his breath and his thoughts. He could still hardly believe that he was here… in front of his old mate. She was still so beautiful… even more so with the sun lighting her ginger fur on fire and glinting in her hazel eyes. "Thank you," he tried to say, but it came out as a pathetic whisper.

To his surprise, her eyes grew damp. "Blackhorizon, I know… I know that… Blackhorizon…" She swallowed. "I've missed you."

Blackhorizon felt something stir in his heart that he hadn't felt in a long time. He had missed her too. He felt like both of them had made terrible mistakes with good reasons. She had killed his mother in revenge of her father. He had killed her in revenge of his mother. Obviously, she was ready to forgive him. Was he ready to forgive her?

Yes, his heart said. Yes.

And just like that, he was free. He was free from grudges, free from heartbreak, free from hate. He felt as light as a cloud. He felt his world become full of possibilities, rather than more disappointment. In life, he had a loving father and amazing friends. In death, he had his mate waiting for him.

"I've missed you too."

.

One day can change a life forever.

It can smack you in the face and dare you to attack it back.

It can make you think that nothing could ever make you happy again.

It can give you some terrible choices.

Or it can make your heart swell.

It can make you feel that all your troubles are few and far between.

It can offer you freedom.

It can offer you forgiveness.

And finally… it can offer you redemption.