Chapter 20

Sparrowstar gasped as she found herself in StarClan. There stood Falconstar, his eyes evenly studying her. Sparrowstar struggled to her paws from where she lay. She limped up to the gray and white tom and stared at him. Tears flooded her eyes as she whispered, "Was that really Rowanpelt?"

Falconstar dipped his head, "Indeed, Sparrowstar. I'm afraid so."

Sparrowstar let out a yowl of agony and grief to the sky above. Falconstar smiled sadly, wincing slightly.

Sparrowstar lowered her head, her eyes shadowed. She whispered, "Am I to continue on with this life of mine? Or... will I remain here?"

Falconstar let out a sad little chuckle, "Oh, Sparrowstar. You saw yourself receive nine lives. You felt and heard of each and every one of them."

Sparrowstar looked up at him. "Falconstar, what am I to do? I can't kill my sister!"

"No. You can't," Falconstar replied. "It isn't your destiny."

Sparrowstar stifled a sigh of relief. She couldn't kill Splashstar... if she was put up to it, it would be... hopeless.

"Return now. Continue on your eighth life, Sparrowstar. Survive the rest of the day. Please, it is not near enough time for you to die," Falconstar murmured. He touched his muzzle to Sparrowstar's forehead.

Sparrowstar awoke and kept her eyes closed. She could feel Rowanpelt's paw on her side, and she could sense his triumph. But it would not last. Sparrowstar held back a smile and instead remained motionless. After a long while, when she knew that Rowanpelt would begin to suspect something, Sparrowstar jolted upward. She grabbed his scruff in her teeth and pinned him to the ground. She snarled viciously, "You overrated denier! Fox-dung! Mouse-brain! Mouse-dung! Twoleg scrap! Kittypet!"

Sparrowstar viciously tore at his fur, not caring what she hit. Her paws flared, and burst into an envelope of beautiful flame. Her pelt erupted into flames, and wings of fire burst out from her back and raised in the air. Blood poured from every part of Rowanpelt's body as he struggled against her. Rowanpelt yowled with terror, agony, and pain. Sparrowstar felt the life of her former love slip away from underneath her claws.

Sparrowstar turned away from the torn up cat behind her and looked at Splashstar. She yowled as she saw her sister slice Palebranch's neck open. As Splashstar darted toward her next victim, Sparrowstar raced over to her friend's side. "Palebranch!" she meowed, shocked by her friend's bleeding body.

Palebranch let out a rusty, friendly, purr of comfort, "It's alright, Sparrowstar. I deserved it."

"No! You didn't deserve it, Palebranch!" Sparrowstar panted, licking her friend's wounds vigorously.

Palebranch pushed her away with one quivering paw. "No, Sparrowstar. Leave me. I... I'm not worth it," Palebranch choked out. The pale tabby's gray eyes slowly glazed.

"No, Palebranch! You can't go! Not now!" Sparrowstar yowled in desperation. She had lost her former love, but she couldn't stand to lose her best friend as well! And soon enough, her sister...

"Mintsplash!" Sparrowstar yowled. Her mother had jumped between her and Splashstar, whom had been face-to-face with one another.

Mintsplash snarled, "Splashstar... you are my kit, and you always will be-"

"That's what you've always done, Mintsplash!" Splashstar snarled. "You always saw me as a dumb kit, never anything else!"

Mintsplash shook her head, "No, Splashstar..."

"You always looked up to that rat, Sparrowstar!" Splashstar hissed viciously. The brown she-cat narrowed her eyes, "You always were saying, 'Sparrowpaw is an awesome fighter' or 'Oh! Look how wonderful Sparrowfire is!' But not anymore! Sparrowstar isn't the amazing cat you think she is!" Splashstar jabbed her tail at Sparrowstar. "She's been training with Brackenstar and Waspstorm in the Dark Forest!"

"I know," Mintsplash whispered. Sparrowstar's ears pricked. Mintsplash... knew? She couldn't believe it. Her mother knew of the training she had had in the Dark Forest. How Sparrowstar had trained with Brackenstar, the cat who had betrayed her mother. Sparrowstar stared at the silver warrior with awe.

Mintsplash continued, "But Sparrowstar has made some mistakes, she is no longer a bad cat. I trust her to turn from the Dark Forest, and to understand that she can find strength amongst herself, not Waspstorm or Brackenstar." Mintsplash glanced at the MistClan leader. "And I hope you turn from your path right now Splashstar, because I'm giving you the choice."

Splashstar yowled, "You insolent fool!" The brown cat leaped at Mintsplash and the two warriors tumbled over and over. A flash of bright amber light flooded the area, making every cat look up.

Mintsplash stood over Splashstar, her blind left eye shining blinding light upon Splashstar and the clearing. The world seemed to shift under Sparrowstar's paws and her heart lurched as Mintsplash closed her eyes; stopping the light from seeping in. The silver warrior collapsed upon the ground, breathing rapidly.

Splashstar thrashed. Sparrowstar stared in horror at the spasms racking through her sister's body as she lay on the ground. Sparrowstar staggered over to her mother and sister. Splashstar let out a shriek before growing horribly still. Sparrowstar stared at her sister's limp body.

"The deputy Shifttail is dead as well!" a cat yowled from somewhere in the clearing.

Sparrowstar looked down at Mintsplash. The silver tabby was smiling up at her. "Mum," Sparrowstar whispered, her tail drooping.

Mintsplash chuckled, "I guess you and Foxcry really became the warrior and medicine cat I hoped you two would be."

Sparrowstar nodded, "Only with your wonderful mothering."

"I wish you could see Splash," Mintsplash coughed.

"Splash?" Sparrowstar cocked her head.

"Splash is a great friend of mine," Mintsplash mewed, glancing at Splashstar. "I named each of you after great cats I knew, you know."

Sparrowstar nodded, "Sparrowflight for me, Foxclaw for Foxcry, and Splash... for Splashstar..."

Mintsplash nodded. She coughed, "Two moons after you were born, I dreamed. Splash came to me. She told me that I had a special power, hidden in my blind eye. She said it would save my kits. She told me I would die when I used it. I knew she wanted me to use it now..."

Sparrowstar's ears flattened as her mother spoke. Tears streamed down Sparrowstar's face as she watched her slowly close her eyes and grow still. Sparrowstar closed her eyes tight. Not a single mew was muttered. No cat cheered. This moment was not a happy one. Just like that, Mintsplash and Splashstar were both dead. Sparrowstar stood, opening her eyes. She looked around at all of the cats; assessing who had died.

She made a list:

Lying still with a rip in his belly, Snaketail; Pouncetail's neck was sliced open; Hawkwhisper was torn apart; Wolfpelt's body was limp, next to the trunk of a tree.

Sparrowstar called to her Clan. A few apprentices and a queen and her kits appeared. Cinderrock lowered her head and nudged a bracken-colored kit with a white underbelly and a gray and white she-kit toward Sparrowstar. "Please, take them," the queen whispered.

Sparrowstar dipped her head and the apprentices stepped forward. "We will go with you too," a black apprentice whispered. Sparrowstar glanced over the apprentice's shoulder at a dark gray and black apprentice lying limp on the ground.

"Darkpaw?" she choked.

The black apprentice dipped his head. Sparrowstar watched the HeartClan cats slink away, promising never to join up again. Sparrowstar turned and raced back, her Clan and the newcomers following. The Clan arrived at the MistClan camp to see wounded warriors and shocked faces. She had been right; HeartClan had attacked the camp. Foxcry padded out with a golden and ginger she-kit and a brown tabby tom in her jaws. She set the kits down.

"Their names are Sunkit and Birchkit," Foxcry choked out. Sparrowstar smiled. The two cats knew what had happened. "Firecloud's alright, just tired." Foxcry turned and slunk into the nursery with Sunkit and Birchkit in their jaws. Sparrowstar turned and padded into her den.

Sparrowstar padded into her den and stared at her nest, reassured for a moment that everything was still there. Then, she turned and joined the dead warriors' vigils.

I do not own, or claim to own, Warriors, Erin Hunter does.

Me: :'( I'm depressed now. Review please, and if you wish Splashstar had turned good, put a 14 in your review. If you think Sunkit and Birchkit(Birchkit is one of the winning cats who has now been claimed to remain as one of the winners) are cute, put CUTENESS in your review.

Birchkit: I am the first of the winners.

Sunkit: We had a link, but it didn't work. It was set up for what Birchkit looks like.

Birchkit: I am called Leaftail in that set-up in Silverpelt! :D

Sunkit: Yup. You're a girl.

Birchkit: Hey!