Chapter 25
Thunder clapped loudly overhead. A storm was brewing in the black night sky, so loud it nearly drowned out the sound of screaming cats. Flashes of lightning burned in the sky ominously.
Rainsong stared in horror as she looked up at her friend, who was digging sharp claws in Rainsong's forearms. "Brindleflower! What are you doing?"
Brindleflower climbed off of Rainsong, allowing the she-cat to scramble to her feet. The fluffy gray warrior's green eyes were dark. "You don't get it, do you? You thought we were friends all this time!"
"But we were!" Rainsong protested.
Brindleflower's eyes flashed. "No! We were never friends. I could never be friends with you."
Rainsong was completely bewildered. "Why?"
"You don't see the way cats treat you compared to the apprentices that were born here. After you came here, everything was ruined for me! Bramblestar paid more attention to your training than he did mine, the senior warriors wanted to watch you learn our ways, even my mentor paid more attention to you than me!" Brindleflower spat.
"That's why you're doing this? For attention?" Rainsong gasped. "You sided with my brother just so you could bring attention to yourself?"
Brindleflower nodded. "After you joined ThunderClan, it was as if I never existed. Even Swiftbreeze likes you more than me, and I'm his sister! I joined Stoneclaw in planning this battle so ThunderClan would recognize my abilities! So they would see me for once!"
Rainsong couldn't believe her ears. Of all the cats in ThunderClan, Brindleflower was the only one who she really had trusted. Rainsong had never considered her best friend would be a traitor, not even for a heartbeat.
Feeling anger fill inside her, Rainsong's eyes narrowed. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to fight alongside Stoneclaw, killing every cat who ever wronged me. There will be no cat left alive in ThunderClan when I'm done here! And Rainsong…you'll be the last to die!" Brindleflower meowed, turning away from Rainsong and hurling herself into the thick of the battle.
Rainsong charged after Brindleflower, tripping over a gray body as she ran. Wolftail lie still on the ground, having died of his wounds. Rainsong stared at the tom, sadness filling her mind. He had been Brindleflower's brother. Would she really wish to see her own family die? Rainsong thought.
"Rainsong!" A ferocious yowl cut into Rainsong's thoughts. Stoneclaw was staring at her with cold blue eyes. "I promised I'd come here. I brought these cats here to fight for you. After tonight, ThunderClan will be gone and you'll be back in RiverClan where you belong."
"No!" Rainsong spat. "You won't win this battle, Stoneclaw! Not if I have to fight you myself!"
Stoneclaw gave her a hurt look. "You'd fight your own brother? Your littermate?"
Rainsong glared at him with icy blue eyes. "You already killed our sister. What makes you think I can't kill you?"
"You won't," Stoneclaw meowed. "You're too weak. Look around you. All your friends are dying because you left RiverClan. Look at the bodies that are already gone. You can stop the dying. I'll end the battle right now if you only say you'll come back home with me."
"This is my home," Rainsong snarled.
"Fine. Then it is on your shoulders if every last ThunderClan cat dies!" Stoneclaw growled. "I won't kill you, though. I want to watch you rot with guilt from not being able to save your precious Clanmates."
"You monster!" Rainsong hurled herself at Stoneclaw, slashing at him with outstretched claws. He cried out in surprise, not having expected Rainsong to attack him. Stoneclaw quickly regained his composure, and nipped at his sister's tail. Rainsong twisted around, clawing Stoneclaw's side.
The two were locked head to head in battle, the sounds of the other fighting cats and rolling thunder had disappeared. Rainsong threw herself under Stoneclaw's middle, causing him to fall over. Standing over her brother, Rainsong glared into his cold blue eyes, ready to kill him if he struggled.
"Rainsong, you wouldn't kill your own brother, would you?" Stoneclaw mewed slyly, tipping his head innocently.
"That depends, will you and your supporters leave if I let you go?" Rainsong asked, suspicious of her brother's intentions.
The anger in Stoneclaw's eyes subsided. "Of course, Rainsong. I'll take them and go. You have my word."
Rainsong eased up on her brother, slowing moving to the side. In an instant, Stoneclaw was on his feet, preparing for another attack. Rainsong was ready for it, though. She lunged at his throat, mercilessly ripping his flesh with her claws. Stoneclaw yowled in pain and collapsed on the ground. He stared up at Rainsong, gasping for words that he could not speak. She glared at him coldly as the light in his eyes faded away.
Cedarpaw was first to notice his leader dead. "Stoneclaw! No!" He turned to Rainsong. "You killed him!" Cedarpaw rushed to Stoneclaw's side, the tabby tom's eyes wide with horror.
Bramblestar, who had just returned from the Gathering, saw Cedarpaw's reaction. "Cedarpaw! Why are you angry with Rainsong? Stoneclaw was our enemy!"
Cedarpaw glared at Bramblestar. "Anyone who sides with Rainsong is my enemy!" The apprentice did not wait for Bramblestar's response before returning to the fight.
Bramblestar stared at Rainsong, horror flooding into his amber eyes. "You were right. Cedarpaw is a traitor. I wish I had believed you before."
"It's alright," Rainsong meowed, turning back to the battle.
By now, nearly every cat saw that Stoneclaw had died. Many of the invaders had already left, knowing they had been defeated. Only few cats were still fighting, Cedarpaw and Brindleflower included. Jayfeather and Seedberry had begun starting to attend the injuries.
Rainsong looked around the camp, noticing Wolftail was not the only ThunderClan casualty. Brackenfur and Leafpool, who had only just gotten back from the Gathering, Mousewhisker, and Dewdrop lay dead. Brindleflower was still standing over Dewdrop, blood dripping off her fluffy gray pelt. Seeing that Rainsong was still alive, Brindleflower stalked over to her.
"You killed Stoneclaw!" Brindleflower hissed, fury flashing in her formerly gentle green eyes.
"I had no choice!" Rainsong spat. "I couldn't let him destroy my Clan!"
Brindleflower shook her head. "Stoneclaw and I have nearly succeeded. Four warriors are already dead, and now you will join them! ThunderClan is being destroyed."
The gray she-cat launched herself at Rainsong, pummeling her side. Rainsong fell to the ground, and Brindleflower loomed over her, ready to make the killing blow. The dark gray warrior could not save herself from her best friend.
So this is the end! I failed StarClan. I never saved ThunderClan from the storm…. Rainsong thought, knowing she could not fight Brindleflower. She closed her eyes, ready to meet her ancestors in StarClan.
Suddenly, a yowl rang loudly through the camp. Rainsong opened her eyes to see a black and white blur ram into Brindleflower. Swiftbreeze had thrown himself into his sister, knocking her off of Rainsong. With a sickening thud, Brindleflower's head crashed into a nearby rock. The warrior fell to the ground, already dead.
(Revision date- March 17, 2014)