Chapter 25

A gentle wind brushed through the clearing, Fallingpaw letting out a sigh of relief and relaxing at Darkfire's words. The large tom didn't look up as he spoke, watching his daughter quietly, who remained asleep against him and looking more tired than anything else. She certainly got her size from her father, she was a much larger cat than Fallingpaw could ever hope to be. Being a small cat wasn't all bad, however, as Fallingpaw had learned earlier.

Small cats are underestimated, Fallingpaw thought to herself as she watched Fireclaw, whose body now looked small against Darkfire. We look young, far too young to be fighting or hunting. Cats will take advantage of ones like me, ones who look too small to fend for themselves. I'm a target and I always will be. I'll prove the clans wrong, and I will not be underestimated. I will get fair treatment, and I will become leader. Fallingpaw looked behind her as the bushes rustled, three cats appearing from them.

Her patrol had finally arrived, Fallingpaw purring softly and had never been more happy to see them. That was, until Firestorm and Dovewing gasped, taking rather quick note of Fallingpaw's wounds. "Fallingpaw!" Dovewing bolted over and Fallingpaw felt herself suppressing a quick laugh. "We have to get these wounds treated!"

"Darkfire treated them for me," Fallingpaw explained, raising her tail over her lips. "Now quiet, Fireclaw is resting for the moment. Darkfire will come with us, back to the clans." Fallingpaw watched from the corner of her eye as the black cat slowly nodded.

"What about Fireclaw?" Dovewing asked quietly as Frostpaw and Firestorm padded over slowly.

Fallingpaw shrugged slowly, not knowing. "I have no clue," she responded quietly. "Fireclaw can come with us if she wishes, but she will probably return home to her clanmates with her mission being a failure. We shall see-"

"No…" Fireclaw whispered, shaking her head away from Darkfire and trembling. "I can't go back, Rowanstar will execute me for not killing him…" Her eyes were open and fear lined the shades of amber amongst them, almost crystals in the sunlight. "H-He's been making killers out of the apprentices… Even me… I…" She looked almost embarrassed to admit what she said next as she licked her chest and her whiskers twitched. "I don't even know how to hunt…"

Dovewing's eyes widened, as did her father's and Fallingpaw's. "You don't know how to hunt?" Fallingpaw whispered, her ears flicking several times out of irritation and surprise. "We… We need to stop this war before Rowanstar really destroys what is left of Shadowclan."

No wonder Fireclaw specializes in fighting and fights so well! Fallingpaw thought as she watched the young she-cat tremble beneath her father, her gaze away from the others and sticking close to him. She never took any time to learn to hunt, her time is spent learning to fight! Then another thought appeared in her mind and she tilted her head. "Would you help Thunderclan put an end to Rowanstar's reign over Shadowclan?" Fallingpaw asked, stepping towards the she-cat, who only cowered further into Darkfire's fur. I've never seen any apprentice or warrior like this before… She's really afraid of Rowanstar! Fallingpaw could almost feel the fear roll of the she-cat in waves. "Fireclaw, Thunderclan and Riverclan will need all the warriors they can get to stop Rowanstar, and you know Shadowclan better than anyone else here."

Silence came from the she-cat now, her eyes watching Fallingpaw before slowly nodding. "Well… I… I can… I just don't want to hurt my own clanmates, they have enough problems as it is…" Fireclaw shivered.

"What can you tell us about Shadowclan's forces?" Fallingpaw meowed, coaxing Fireclaw to stick away from Darkfire's fur and look at Fallingpaw now. It took several heartbeats before the she-cat finally sniffled and sat up a bit more.

Fireclaw seemed deep in thought now, before shivering as she closed her eyes. "Shadowclan has tripled the fighting force it has in the last two moons… Rowanstar plans to use the rogues as crow-food to weaken the clans and take control of them himself. He wants to personally kill each and every leader in the clans, along with their deputies and elder warriors, leaving them with no fighting chance." Fireclaw's eyes opened, the pupils sharpening instantly. "There are so many, and they were promised they would have pieces of the land. The plan is going to last several moons, but… but…"

"What is it?" Fallingpaw whispered, leaning closer as each cat listened to Fireclaw's words intently.

Another pause, hesitation. "The biggest part is happening right now, in the dead of leaf-bare…" Fireclaw whispered. "I was in the battle with Riverclan, and right after the Thunderclan battle, I chased after Darkfire… Riverclan was decimated, they won't recover without the help of Windclan. Even then, all three clans against Shadowclan is a losing war at best… There were so many… so many cats, it was ten against one, I remember forcing Riverclan to the edges of their camp…" Fireclaw pressed back into Darkfire, as if he was comforting at the touch. "We were close to executing several of them, strikes to the throat and letting them bleed out on the ground when Mistystar told us where we would need to go. Rowanstar promised he would return for the rest of them… I don't know when, but he plans on either destroying them or incorporating them into his service…"

The she-cat continued to shiver and Fallingpaw nodded slowly, looking up at Dovewing. "This is bad. I don't know whether to believe her or not, but if this is true, we don't have time to sit around here and waste." Fallingpaw sighed, her eyes on her paws now as her eye remained closed from having blood poured down her face from the large scratch earlier. "We really don't have time."

"What about my clanmates…? They'll be killed…" Fireclaw whispered, trembling further into Darkfire again.

Fallingpaw growled quietly to herself and turned around. "Will they be willing to come at all?" Fallingpaw asked. "I know one of your clanmates has a snapped leg." She cringed as she remembered the sound, which remained as an echo in her ear fur. Nothing would compare to that sound and the screaming the followed, all of it was painful for even her ears alone. Fallingpaw could hear it snap just as easily as a dried twig in the heart of green-leaf. "We still don't have time, and I gave them a good warning, I'm sure. If they value their lives any, they will join the rest of the clans in this battle against Rowanstar."

"This is going to be rather dangerous," Dovewing meowed, tilting her head to the sky. "I have a feeling this is going to be just as - if not - more dangerous than the Great Battle between Starclan and The Dark Forest." The she-cat seemed to ponder the thought and shivered. "That battle was so terrible and we lost so many. We needed every cat at the front lines and so many betrayed their clans for personal revenge. The Dark Forest knows no bounds, those cats will do anything to win and turning our own clanmates against us may have been smart… but it is such a terrible thing to do…"

Her whiskers twitched and Fallingpaw could watch the fear in her mentor's eyes, something she had never seen before. Dovewing usually kept calm and was well-mannered, and seeing this fear clutched at Fallingpaw's heart like nettle.

"I'm sorry," Fallingpaw meowed slowly towards Fireclaw, turning her gaze back to the she-cat. "Your clanmates must make their own decision, this isn't about you anymore. This is about a war that could kill more than just them." She's right, Fallingpaw thought to herself with a quiet sigh. I don't want to leave them behind, they will probably die at Rowanstar's claws, but what else can I do? We need to get moving to help in the war against Shadowclan, and we have an apprentice in this group who is shaking in her pelt now. I think she knows more than she's telling, but she is too scared to tell.

Another sigh.

The others watched her and Fallingpaw nodded. "This is the plan. We have no time to thank Raven for his hospitality, and I doubt this is the last time we will see them. After all, Darkfire will probably want to see this place again in the future." Fallingpaw glanced to the sky now, Dovewing having looked down. "The time has come for the battle to truly start. This war is against an evil that has remained within the clans since the dawn and I will not pause here. I will see this through to the end." Fallingpaw looked towards Darkfire. "Can you lead the way out of here?"

"You really do sound like my brother…" Darkfire mumbled to himself, nodding and standing as Fireclaw stuck close to him. "Let's get out of this forest then, I will come back and talk to Raven when I am ready, but not until then."

What choice is he going to make me choose? Will it be saving or killing somebody? Fallingpaw thought as she stretched slowly and padded behind the large tom, to his right since Fireclaw was to the black tom's left. This choice… how can it affect the clans so much? A visit from ancient cats that say they only interfere once - and only once? This is huge, yet this decision feels… anti-climatic. This build-up feels long and dragged out, and I feel as if this isn't going to end the way I want it to. Is this really the end?

Fallingpaw let out a long breath as her thoughts continued to drag on…

Linebreak

Relax… Just relax and fight until there is no one left to fight, Ivypool continued to repeat to herself as her fur fluffed up and she defended against the onslaught that The Dark Forest continued to ensue upon the clans. Screeches could barely be heard over shouting and the hatred that seeped into the earth, Ivypool feeling her bones become wrought with fatigue. We can't last much longer, how does this happen? Ivypool questioned as she turned to face a black-pelted she-cat with bright yellow eyes. Her body flew at Ivypool and she rolled, her teeth sinking into the she-cat's neck.

There was a gasp and then silence as blood leaked out the mouth of a long-dead cat who should have remained in the world of the Dark Forest. Peace did not last long since Ivypool stopped going to the Place of No Stars, and the clans were now in for the fight of their lives. The body slipped off of Ivypool and hit the ground with a gentle thump, barely heard by Ivypool herself.

The smell of blood was strong in the Thunderclan camp and soon, the sound of screeching and claws tearing into pelts stopped, Ivypool gasping for a breath of air as warriors began to leave the camp, but none were from the allied forces of the clans. It was all Dark Forest cats that were retreating.

"They are going to regroup!" Ivypool called out to the allies, who stood back as Jayfeather appeared from his den with a slight hiss of irritation. Same, Jayfeather… I know how you feel, we have had no rest for days and on this lack of rest, we have stacked the biggest battle of our lives and we are painstakingly low on food and herbs. Ivypool glanced around to each of her clanmates, taking in their scars and features. They were defending themselves rather well, no one had been killed yet - as far as Ivypool could see.

"I want a line for Jayfeather, now!" Brambleclaw growled, moving through the warriors. "The most injured need to get in front of Jayfeather and get treated for their wounds. The rest of us, prepare traps and rebuild barriers around the nursery, the medicine den, and the elders den. We don't have time before they regroup and launch another attack!"

Ivypool glanced around, noticing that Firestar was with several of the older warriors by the nursery. The leader looked tired, blood dripping from his pelt in various places, anywhere from a torn ear to the bent and broken tip of his tail.

I remember that Jayfeather once told me that Firestar was on the last of his lives, Ivypool thought to herself as she glanced around again. Looking at her own pelt, she was glad to see only a few light scratches, and she slowly moved towards the front entrance. "What kind of traps should we put?" she asked the dark tabby warrior, who stood less than a fox-length away.

The deputy gave it some long thought before nodding a bit. "I want thorns on the ground at the entrance, and brambles up above the hollow. I saw several Dark Forest cats climb down the secret escape, if we can trap that area, we should be able to hold them off right at the entrance."

Tactical and smart… That cat is going to make a great leader, Ivypool sighed and nodded, getting a deep breath. "Got it." Her eyes diverted towards the ledges above the clearing and began to climb up them, her claws digging into several spots so she could continue climbing. The adrenaline rush was soon wearing off, Ivypool reaching the top and breathing hard and heavy. Her limbs hurt, her eyes watching tiredly at the clan below her. Dovewing had followed her and when she reached the top, Ivypool spoke quietly. "Where are they?"

Dovewing paused, her ears perking up and angling themselves towards the lake. "They are using the lake as a base of operations, I think. I can see several warriors appearing out of thin air, forming. The Dark Forest is gathering strength, Ivypool. We can't survive the onslaught."

"What happened to the sister who didn't give up?" Ivypool growled softly, nudging Dovewing. "We don't have time to think now, it is to act and to act with ease. This is war, and sad to say but we are as much a part of this as any other tom, she-cat and apprentice." A pause to breathe as Ivypool began to gather up thorns and moved it forward. If I make this secret entrance longer, the cats will assume they will appear at the top and instead will fall over the edge… Hopefully if they die, it is instant… Ivypool cringed at the thought of hearing a moan of pain from any cat who fell over, except Hawkfrost would be a wonderful fantasy to see. After all, Ivypool was the one who told them about the entrance, Hawkfrost specifically.

Her sister's ears pricked and she called out from the top of the hollow. "Prepare yourselves now!" Every cat in the clearing looked up at her. "They are coming, we don't have long before they reach the camp!"

Ivypool's ear flicked and she swallowed slightly, quickly moving thorns and burying them in dirt and dust. "That should keep any intruder from staying in the fight for long, let's get out of her and down to the hollow." Dovewing nodded and both sisters climbed down until they could jump to the bottom. Their bodies landed without a sound and Ivypool's ears perked as the clan cats got into position.

So close, I can smell their scents… It is dark, evil, and they're feeding off the fear the clans have for them… They shouldn't exist… Her eyes caught Cloudtail. He must be terrified to realize that this threat isn't imaginary, but it is - in fact - the biggest threat he may ever face… Poor tom. The white fur was fluffed and his eyes were filled with something like terror. Similar, yet courage was there too. He was willing to face a threat he didn't believe existed until moments before. Life must be strange for him now, everything he believed is crumbling around him and yet, here and now, Cloudtail must stand and see the truth. It's so hard to tell what he is currently thinking…

Ivypool wondered if the white ball of fluff was only looking after his clanmates now, and would later get over this idea that dead cats have come back to haunt the living. Every part of Ivypool's pelt, her fur, her eyes and her tail, stood and stretched, listening for the march. There is was, just in the distance and no longer far away. They were close and she was right, several were heading to the top of the ledge.

The battle began again, a battle cry unleashed from the forest as several enemies appeared from the front entrance. At that moment, toms and she-cats came rushing from the secret entrance, only to cry out in pain. The sound of loud cracking and breaking bones tore into Ivypool's sense of hearing, the sound making her cringe as cries were cut short. Two of the cats who fell over the ledge disappeared, the others had been actual warriors of the living world, brought to an immediate end before their first battle. They would never know the taste of blood, Ivypool glad they wouldn't. Only Tigerstar could teach them how to get back to the real world, but he was probably in these ranks somewhere, ready to seek his vengeance on Firestar.

Ivypool knew the dark tabby would never resist the chance to kill Firestar himself, and Ivypool believed the stories of her clan more than those of the evil tom.

Her eyes caught sight of something near the top of the hollow, movement, another dark tabby. The ice-blue eyes reached Ivypool's own, and she looked up towards him. Tigerstar's son would be here, of course he would. Hawkfrost stood above the clan, his eyes locking onto Ivypool and the bloodlust had become almost manifested within the dust that was being kicked up. Ivypool could see it now, and she knew that unless she fought back, Hawkfrost would be the one to kill her.

He is bigger, faster and stronger, Ivypool thought, taking a deep breath and moving towards a defensive stance. No other Dark Forest cat was after her (and from Ivypool's guess, they had clear orders not to do so) and Hawkfrost jumped down from the top on light paws.

"There is no point in the clans surviving," Hawkfrost growled lightly, padding closer to Ivypool. "They are threatened by something in the future, and when you watch it happen… you'll look back, you'll remember what I said. But this is only if the clans survive this battle." The tom chuckled softly, it was dark and fierce and Ivypool could smell the blood already on his paws, that of Windclan and Riverclan. "If they don't die here, they will die another day. I'm certain you're going to see that day, traitor."

Ivypool narrowed her eyes. "I'm no traitor, Hawkfrost," she hissed quietly. "I've always been on the side of the clans, and if you think I would betray them now, you're wrong."

The tom chuckled again, his claws unsheathing and glinted red against the brown stone. "Let us fight then, if you are so eager to meet with destiny, apprentice."

"I am not your apprentice," Ivypool growled and launched the first attack before Hawkfrost could react, her claws searing down his side as the tom stood still for a moment. There was a dead silence and Ivypool moved back to her defensive stance.

Laughter erupted from Hawkfrost as his cold and dead blue eyes turned back to her. "You can't kill me, there is one trick the Dark Forest learned that few know." What had become of Hawkfrost's fresh scratches was already beginning to visibly heal, the tom turning towards her. "My favorite protege gone rogue, let us see who has the guts to continue this fight." Hawkfrost lowered his head and grinned, his teeth white. "I bet you got plenty of guts to spill."

His claws lashed out and Ivypool whirled backwards, twisting away from a flurry of blows aimed at her lower sides and chest. One came down towards her face and she rolled away from it, breathing hard and fast already. Ivypool didn't have much initial time to relax and rest, and knowing she was already weaker since the training session didn't give her high hopes to destroy the tom once and for all.

I have to deal more damage than he can heal, which may be impossible, Ivypool thought to herself as she took a deep breath and ducked under another attack. We can't do this! Ivypool growled and launched herself into Hawkfrost, anger sparking quickly, feeling the hatred of the tom seep beneath her fur and drowning her.

Behind her, the battle continued to rip apart the clan, warriors slowly pulling back until there was barely any place to move around. The medicine den was being ripped apart, few warriors over there and Jayfeather unable to defend himself properly. A voice travelled through the air, almost like claws.

"Firestar!"

Tigerstar.

The voice was far too familiar to not recognize, and Ivypool and Hawkfrost turned their heads as clouds rolled over the sky. Starclan… protect us, Ivypool thought, shivering slightly as the wind brushed through her fur.

All the fighting stopped, as if the voice commanded them to. A tom with a dark tabby pelt padded out of the group of cats, his eyes a blazing magma red, burning with the idea of vengeance. It was so close at hand, and Ivypool could watch the bloodlust in his eyes, piercing through cat after cat after cat and landing on the fire-colored tom. They were just as locked as Ivypool and Hawkfrost had been, watching each other. No one fought between them, everyone splitting apart to let them come closer together.

Everyone knows… This isn't their battle, it is Firestar's and Tigerstar's. Their battle must be finished, Ivypool thought as her gaze moved back to Hawkfrost for only a moment, seeing the grin that had spread across his face. This is really it. The most dangerous battle of the clans is close to its end, and…

"I see I have come on time," Tigerstar meowed calmly, standing a fox-length away from Firestar, who breathed heavily and stepped forward. Half a fox-length away, Ivypool understood why they weren't fighting yet. Tigerstar wanted to savor this moment and Firestar was sizing Tigerstar up now. "Firestar is weak and the clan is on the brink of total destruction." The tom lowered his head to Firestar, purring with darkness leaving his lips. "This would never have happened had you let me become the leader that Thunderclan deserved. The leader that Thunderclan needed when the times were getting rough and my plan was set to carry out. Then you came along…" Tigerstar growled slowly, laughing quietly beneath his breath. "Scourge's little clan was supposed to be destroyed by me, as I led the four clans together under a new name. Tigerclan. They would have been together at last, ruled by one so that we could hunt and care for each other all at once."

"That was never the real truth, Tigerstar," Firestar spoke calmly, his voice not having a single hint of a growl in it. "You wanted power, you killed to get there and as close as you had been, I do have one thing to say… It was a miracle that Scourge killed you the way he did, deprived me of having to do it myself." The leader sighed and and stood tall, his gaze sharpening like claws against Tigerstar. "I was glad I wasn't the one who had to kill you, but I see that fate has once more brought us back together for a finale. Neither of us will make it out of here, Tigerstar, I know you have seen it."

The dark tabby lowered his head defensively, something Ivypool had never seen in him before. "Any last words, Firestar?"

"Only four. Show me no mercy," Firestar meowed as he bolted forward, rushing the large tom. Their battle lasted less than a heartbeat, it wasn't even a battle.

Claws flashed, glinting against the sun, Firestar knocked to the ground as claws ripped his throat and the blood poured out. There were several gasps as Firestar looked up at him, blood trickling out his lips and he seemed to chuckle.

"You're finished."

The words were simple, and Ivypool finally saw it. Brambleclaw ran up behind Tigerstar, Hawkfrost growling and going after the tom. In a split-heartbeat decision, Ivypool twisted and gripped Hawkfrost's tail in her teeth. "No you don't!" she hissed and pulled, throwing the tom into the crowd of Dark Forest warriors.

A scuffling sound came from behind her and she looked to see that Brambleclaw had thrown Tigerstar into the ground, the large tom trying to pull away from his son. Brambleclaw didn't let him speak, no more words were going to be said as he lurched down and bit hard into Tigerstar's throat, gripping hard with one paw placed against Tigerstar's jaw. His head was pinned and Brambleclaw began to pull with his teeth, indescribable amounts of the evil cat's blood being torn out of him and splattering against the ground.

He's… struggling… Ivypool swallowed a bit, her eyes watching the two barely moving between the both of them.

Then there was no movement, except for Brambleclaw's breathing as Tigerstar stopped moving entirely. The son pulled away from his father, trembling and watching as the body began to fade out of existence. A smile spread across Brambleclaw's face, not of evil but of happiness. Then a gasp interrupted the moment as Firestar went still and the Dark Forest cats were just standing, stunned, at the spectacle that had taken place before them.

They are realizing their leader isn't invincible, and Hawkfrost is the last one left, Ivypool thought as she turned her eyes to his ice blue. Hawkfrost was breathing heavily and he growled towards her. "You're so crow-food," he growled.

"Throwing insults? You're a tom of action, not of words," Ivypool purred slowly, taunting him. It wasn't a smart move and Hawkfrost ran towards her, his anger making his movements long and uncontrolled. Deal more damage than he can heal, Ivypool thought as she ducked under the first swipe and reached up with her claws, tearing down his face and beginning an offensive. The clan began to join in, moving forward as the Dark Forest cats now began to move defensively. They were still fighting and there was still more than enough to wipe out the clans.

The tabby hissed, his eyes fierce with pure rage as he began to press the attack. Ivypool dodged the attacks as if they had been nothing more than a slow crawl to the finish, and she was able to counter every move. Pawsteps came up and ripped Hawkfrost away, his face already healed but unable to save him from the devastation of Brambleclaw's newest attack.

"I'm not done," Brambleclaw growled and tossed Hawkfrost into the rocky wall, the impact probably splintering several bones. "I will not be done until my family's legacy is destroyed forever," Brambleclaw continued and grabbed Hawkfrost with claws as long as Tigerstar's, tearing into flesh.

I wonder why he healed so effectively… Ivypool thought, then remembered that Hawkfrost had to have been attacking the other clans. Maybe killing is a source of power, except the soul would definitely need to be absorbed by his body, one he doesn't have. A soul that just re-heals any wound that does damage to it. Effective, if not crude. The thought of Hawkfrost having killed wasn't a new one, but it was definitely terrifying. The other clans are probably affected much worse than Thunderclan, and we have to save them.

By the time she realized she had gone daydreaming, Hawkfrost's body had disappeared beneath Brambleclaw's claws, Brambleclaw sitting there before looking at Ivypool. "Let's get back to Firestar, the rest of the clan can fend off the Dark Forest warriors and send them running. Besides, you look tired and you're covered in scratches…" The deputy limped away, his tail swaying as his whiskers and ears twitched.

Ivypool's ear flicked as well and she stared at the puddle of blood left behind by Hawkfrost.

This won't be the last we see of the Dark Forest… They will always come back, far more powerful and far more destructive.

Turning away, she felt the presence of eyes resting upon her, but they weren't evil and they weren't an allies own. She looked up and saw a pair of green eyes in one of the thorn bushes above the clan, a gust of wind flowing through and shifting the leaves. The green eyes disappeared, and Ivypool blinked slightly.

Must've been my imagination… She thought to herself as she noticed the warriors throwing the Dark Forest out. Probably a straggler who knew they were in for more than they could chew, wanted to be left alive rather than dead.

Padding away, she felt herself slowly begin to collapse, Ivypool's eyes closing as the fatigue and adrenaline finally reached their limits and the fatigue slowly turned her towards the darkness of sleep…

-AN-

The new longest chapter to date. This is what I've been working on for a whole freaking week! No, not really. I usually write while in my Yearbook class (I'm the copy editor, I find mistakes and correct them within the grammar portion. I literally have no other job, so until last week, I haven't had to do jack shiz in the class and this is why I can write and release chapters so often) and I finally got the stack of papers I had to "grade" done on Wednesday. So on Thursday and today, I spent the time writing out this chapter. You all probably forgot that I had a scene earlier showing Ivypool's perspective in the Final Battle, right? I didn't forget, and soon, everything shall tie together. So I wrote a total of 4,700-something words in about 80 minutes, and edited out parts I didn't enjoy and added little details here and there in twenty minutes. 100 minutes on one chapter. I hope all of you enjoy this! (Especially the only one reviewing, I'm trying hard with this dangit!)