Last Battle

Dazed and confused, Bigpaw shook his head. With every breath a soft haze drifted in front of his eyes and within seconds it disappeared. Bigpaw shook again, he was freezing. It felt like it was the middle of Leaf-bare but the trees around him were full of leaves. A blue bird called in a branch right above Bigpaw, it chirped again.

Bigpaw crouched low but as soon as he moved the bird flew off. Weird. Then he heard it, a very faint click of claws on the sandstone ground. He looked forward and saw Winterpool padding toward him. Memories flooded back, Foxpaw leading him to the island, the fight with Stonestar, a flash of claws and never-ending coldness.

"I'm dead, am I?" Bigpaw asked in the faintest whisper. Looking to his paws, Winterpool didn't respond. When he looked back up she was gone. "Winterpool?"

Instead, a tall and lean warrior padded forward, it wasn't Winterpool he saw; it was a different warrior. Golden fur with warm blue eyes, he looked as strong as a lion. Lion… "Are you Lionstar?"

The golden warrior sat down and nodded. "Yes Bigpaw," his voice was warm and soft as if he were talking to a newborn kit. He looked up at the sky, Bigpaw looked too. "The stars are still scarlet," he murmured. "The prophecy still hasn't been fulfilled." Bigpaw's pelt crawled with grief, it was his fault.

"I'm sorr-" Bigpaw started but Lionstar shook his head.

"Don't be, when you were born Thunderstar, Windstar, Riverstar, and Shadowstar came together, they had a choice, to give Riverstone this responsibility, you, or Petalflower. They choose you."

Instead of being excited or happy he was furious, "Why me? Because, I'm small and can be thrown away and nobody would care? What would have happened if I didn't have this responsibility?"

"You would have been killed," Lionstar replied, his soft voice seemed to become hard.

"Like there would be much of a difference," Bigpaw scoffed.

Lionstar stood to his paws, "Bigpaw, it makes all the difference!"

As if his words were a signal another cat came forward, a ginger tom with amber eyes. "Greetings Bigpaw," the tom purred. "I'm Thunderstar." Bigpaw studied the tom in front of him; he didn't seem like a founder of ThunderClan. Thunderstar suddenly touched noses with Bigpaw.

"I give you this life, to bring the warrior code back, the Clans back, and bring peace back to the forest once again," he meowed without removing his nose. Pain struck through Bigpaw's small body, he opened his mouth in a silent wail. Grinding his teeth it felt like his pelt was on fire. It was over as quick as it came. Suddenly, Bigpaw felt like he was falling and won't land. He closed his eyes tightly and as soon as he did an earsplitting caterwaul rang in his ears.

He shot his eyes back open, forgetting all about Thunderstar and Lionstar, and saw Petalflower standing on her hind paws swiping wildly at a coal-black tom. The tom was on his back paws too and scored his claws across her face.

Suddenly, Bigpaw felt teeth dig into his scruff, softly. He let out a yowl of shock and twisted around. "StarClan!" a dark voice spat and quickly turned into a whisper. "You're alive?" Bigpaw paid no attention to Darkclaw, right now Petalflower was pinned. With all his strength Bigpaw hauled himself at Stonestar.

Stonestar fell over from the impact and was quickly pinned. He stared at Bigpaw like he did when they first meet. Eyes wide and confused even his face was twisted in the same shocked expression. "You're alive?"

Bigpaw didn't answer just snarled as he cut Stonestar's throat. Blood splattered on his pelt and ground as Stonestar gasped for breath. Within seconds Stonestar lost another life. Darkclaw padded over to Bigpaw, "How did you? Forget it; he still has one life left."

They sat there for a moment; Bigpaw wondered what he should do. Kill the last of Stonestar's life right now were there would be no fight. No, he decided. I want a fair fight, that way he can watch me kill him as a warrior.

Stonestar began to stir again; he struggled to his paws and snarled angrily. "I don't believe it!" he spat. "You swiped two of my lives?"

"Proud of me now?" Bigpaw spat back with venom. Stonestar didn't give a battle cry as he jumped at Bigpaw. He jumped backwards so Stonestar would land right in front of him but as soon as his paws touched ground Stonestar swiped at Bigpaw, his claws hit his forehead. Blood drifted down and in to Bigpaw's eyes. With a yowl of pain Bigpaw tried to shake it away.

Peeling open his burning eyes he could barely see Stonestar right in front of him. The black blur leaped. Bigpaw thought of only one thing. Standing on his hind paws Bigpaw pushed his paws on Stonestar's chest and he felt him twist. Stonestar crashed to the ground. "That's Glacier's favorite move," he spat.

His vision began to come back and Bigpaw saw Stonestar on his side. He was struggling to his paws; his pelt was smeared in blood. His previous wounds were slowing him down. Stonestar's eyes, for the first time in Bigpaw's life, were full of fear. Bigpaw flinched as Stonestar backed away.

A second later he was running toward the tree that crossed the island, however Bigpaw didn't follow. He was heading toward the mountains. If he survived he would run into BloodClan and Blueclaw would be there. But, being beaten and driven out by your own son you hated was probably more painful then dying.

Bigpaw turned his back on the fleeing Stonestar and padded over to the Great Oak tree. He saw claws scrapped across the trunk and the bark stained with blood. "This is where he killed Goldenstar," Darkclaw meowed. "Thank you Bigpaw, what should we do now?"

A soft mew came from Petalflower as she stood to her paws. "I know what to do," Bigpaw purred as he watched the injured Petalflower limp forward. "Then I'll leave ThunderClan in your paws." Petalflower looked up startled. "Right Petalflower?"

Speechless, Petalflower only nodded, "I'll head to Moonstone when the Clan is back together."

"Well," Darkclaw mewed, "What should we do first?"

"Find cats that are willing to be Clans again," Bigpaw veered.

"Yea! I know tons." Petalflower dashed off and Bigpaw followed right behind.

There are only two or three chapters left! The next chapters your cats will be in! R&R!