Thanks for the reviews, guys!(:
Flight of the Snowy Owl: Sorry that you got confused! D: No, Fallenpaw was the one who was supposed to go to SkyClan, but he's sort of being... occupied right now. x) Also, thanks!^
WarriorCatLover: Hehe, thanks ^_=' Also, sorry. :P
Orangeflight of ShadowClan: I really liked the chapter before it :P Mostly because it had Demonstar's perspective at one point. But still, I think Rook is a really cool character and it... yeah, it flows. xD Also, thanks. :3
Lionblazelover332: Haha, okay. (: I know the struggles of being lazy. Also, thanksss~
Mirage1234: Welp Rook's going to get important later... In the second book. x3 Yeah I tried to make it seem so. Demonstar actually really loves him, but she has to pull away, just like Bluestar did, only this time it's for evil not good. Thanks~
The Blue Winged Angel: Pepsi and Milkshake... Hm, their names never cease to amuse me. It was always really dark, but I more slightly meant that everyone was a murderer in their own way, ex. Squirrelflight in a way murdered Ashfur's sanity, or so and so murdered their friendship..
Author's Note:
As I am going on Summer Vacation soon, and I've finished with this fanfiction, I'm going to be starting the one after it. It'll be called: Bloodlust. I'm going to be writing it after I'm back from summer, and soon I'll post a few quick paragraphs of it to give you a taste of what it will be like. I'd appreciate it if you followed that one too, and reviewed and gave me advice on that one too if you've got the time. ^_= It'll be the sequel, and it wont have a big time jump with this one, but different things will happen, and so on, as I want this to be a trilogy series called Malevolent Shadows. (Maybe i should put that in the title...)
Anyways, this is the last chapter. It's a bit short but slightly like 'oh damn, destinies, must fulfill.' but meh, I think it gets the message across. Also, I couldn't even think of how to end this, so yeah, sorry for the slow update. :|
"It's no good, Bluestar."
A dark brown tabby tom shook his head in horror and disgust as he looked at a pool. From a distance, it looked like a plain pool, with simple water and gentle, lapping waves. However, if you can look clearly, you can see that an image will shimmer inside of the pool. A fire-pelted tom sat beside the two cats, his green eyes wide with distress. More cats crowded around, so desperate to see the images as if their life hung between the balance.
They shuffled tighter together, trying to brave the harsh winds that were buffeting heavily against their pelts. Dismay and horror crackled through the air, a strong omen that there was no hope left. The cats were breathing heavily and sighing, their eyes half-lidded and tails swishing. The yellow-brown grass crackled beneath their paws as they leaned over, peering into the pool.
"Why?"
"No…"
"Hopeless."
"I never thought I'd live to see the end of the clans." The blue furred she-cat meowed, almost mournfully. Next to her was a white furred she-cat, her sister. The white cat's eyes were still dark with grief, seeing that two of her sister's kits had already faded away; Stonefur and Mosskit.
At her words, a shiver went through the crowd. Nobody even argued against her words. Anger didn't flash from any pelts, nor did hope. It was just the dullness of nothing. Some cats already sighed, acceptance of their annihilation weighing their pelts, others lay there, horror making them seemingly paralyzed. Then there were the other cats, who didn't even bother to peer into the pool. That strayed away from the others. Anger flashed from their pelts, and determination sparked in their eyes. Hopeless determination.
"Firestar, are the clans really going to end?" The dark brown tabby asked despondently.
"I don't know." Firestar responded honestly. "I don't know, Bramblestar."
"Look into the pool." The blue she-cat urged them.
The fire pelted tom stiffened at her words, but reluctantly leaned forward and gazed in. The dark brown tabby did the same, his pelt pricking with unease.
A silver and black tabby tom with broad shoulders and blazing amber eyes tussled in the ground with a shaggy black tom. They fought viciously, their eyes gleaming with rage. After the battle, the younger, silver and black tabby tom pulled away coldly, gazing at the black she-cat with the leadership authority.
"Demonstar." Dovewing breathed.
"Fallenpaw has his mother's fighting skill." Lionstar muttered.
"He doesn't even think of himself as that anymore." Bramblestar snapped, almost angrily. He raked his claws across the ground. "He doesn't think of us either."
"Only Emberstrike. She's his only tie to the clans." Firestar meowed, sounding almost feeble.
The dark brown tabby stared, almost dully into the pool. He swept his blank gaze across the clearing. He could taste the metallic tinge of snow in his mouth, and he realized that it would be snowing soon. A few moons ago, that would've been a joke. Snow? In the land of the stars? Now it was serious. The cold slid through their pelts, shaking and freezing their very bones. The prey was so little, many cats would go without a meal. For once, the well-fed and well-groomed cats of StarClan were no more than simple skeletons. Their bones jutted out unhealthily, eyes sunk in their skulls, their fur ragged and uncleaned.
"She's drifting from his consciousness." Bramblestar growled, his amber eyes piercing as he glared into the pool. "He pushes her away so much. He's so focused on fighting. Every day he stays there, every day, his demon side gets stronger and stronger."
"We can't do anything." Bluestar slumped to the ground.
A pale gray tabby tom slipped through the crowd, shouldering his way past many cats. Their forms were thin and transparent, looking faded. However, this tom was fully solid, as he was a well-known and well-respected tom. Behind him, a scraggly gray she-cat stared, her eyes narrowed in disgust and fury. Her flat face tilted to the side as she watched, almost in anger as she watched to see what the tom would do or say. They were the two. The only two. The only two that still held fury in their hearts. Fury against the enemy. The rest had just given up, already numb.
"We can send Emberstrike to fetch him." The pale gray tabby tom meowed, his jay-blue eyes narrowed.
"What if she dies? Have you thought about that, Jayfeather?" Dovewing countered.
"What does it matter?" Jayfeather snarled, his fur fluffing up. "If she dies, we are lost to the darkness. If she doesn't go, we are yet still lost. However, if she makes it…"
No hope blossomed in their chests.
The chance for survival in BloodClan was almost nothing.
"Jayfeather…" Dovewing meowed gently, her voice soft as a feather.
"No!" He snapped at her, his eyes blazing. "We can't just give up like this." His voice cracked slightly. "Not after everything the clans had gone through. Everything we had gone through."
"Fallenpaw can't help it. It was a bad move, telling him about the memories. Instead of going to BloodClan to find their plan, he went to find out about himself. His demon side pulses with dark power each and every time he gets angry." Lionstar growled. "His nature drives him to kill."
"He can change." Jayfeather pressed, his ears flattened against his head.
"This aggression was placed in him. Literally. He can't remove the demon." Lionstar responded, laying his tail gently on his brother's shoulder.
"No!" Jayfeather snapped, raising an unsheathed paw and slapping his brother's tail off his shoulder. "We must send Emberstrike to get him. She will talk some sense into him."
"But what about her kits? What about her?" Dovewing asked, her green eyes round. "What will happen to her soul once she steps in there? What will be left of her?"
"What does it matter?" Jayfeather roared, his patience clearly snapping. "What does it matter if there is nothing left? Anywhere?" His eyes blazed. "Sacrifices are necessary for the sake of the clans. Shattering one soul to save hundreds."
"How are you sure she will be able to convince him?" Firestar rumbled, his ears flicking upwards.
"Because love is the greatest weapon there is." Jayfeather meowed, his gaze piercing as he swept it around the cats. "Especially true love."
"It is a weakness." Firestar admitted, his green eyes wide. "It drives you to do crazy things. Insane, and dangerous things. Yet however, it also drives you to do good."
"If she fails…" Bramblestar meowed cautiously.
"She won't." Jayfeather growled firmly. "We will guide her."
For half a heartbeat, the harsh wind stopped blowing. It turned warm again, and the cats gazed in awe and surprise at the warm breeze wreathing around their fur. Then it returned cold again.
"It's an omen!" Dovewing meowed, her eyes round.
"Emberstrike will be the savior of the clans. Not Fallenpaw." Jayfeather meowed.
"She's fit for the job."
A new tom slipped through the shadows, his amber eyes round.
"Owlsoul." Lionstar nodded in greeting.
"My sister will succeed." The brown tabby growled fiercely.
"Are you sure?" Dovewing meowed.
"Yes. I see it now." Jayfeather responded. "Why you died so early. Why she fell in love with Fallenpaw."
"Opposites attract." Lionstar meowed softly.
"Dark and light." Bluestar agreed.
"It was Emberstrike's destiny all along." Firestar murmured.
Owlsoul nodded solemnly.
"And now it is time for her to fulfill it."
WELL. Last chapter is done! I hope it wasn't too like... 'prophecy, power, destiny'-ish because I did not intend for that, and this whole fanfiction I've been trying to avoid it from being one of those super pro prophecy types of stories. I'm going to be starting the next book/fanfic when I get back from my vacation~, which will be around the start of July.
I really want to thank all of my reviewers, favorite-ers, followers, and all of the readers that had opened my story and read it. You guys are really incredible, and when I started this I never imagined I would even hit fifty reviews, and now I'm here and almost at 150! I joined this site because I wanted to improve my writing, and as I look back to my first few chapters I realized my description has improved. Your constructive criticism helped me improve, and this story as well. Without you guys I probably would have abandoned this already and lost my inspiration, as I have tried writing before but I usually got writer's block, or fell lazy an just stopped.
A special thanks goes out to~ Flight of the Snowy Owl. You've been my first reviewer, and you've been constantly supporting me ever since then. Thanks sososo much.
Another special thanks goes to~ Lionblazelover332. I think you've reviewed for almost every chapter, and you're optimism is very... happy. xD
The last special thanks goes to~ Mirage1234. You're reviews are probably the most long and detailed reviews I had ever seen and they offer great constructive criticism and praise. Thank you SO much. Also, thanks for Rook. Didn't even realize he would be one of my favorite characters.
I am SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO grateful to you all! Thank you SO SO SO SO SO SO much! 3
Also, keep an eye out for my new fanfiction~ It'll be the exact sequel to this one.
It'll either be called: Malevolent Shadows: Bloodlust, or Bloodlust. It'll be following the same story line and plot, and it's the exact sequel. I'll be posting like a 'sneak peak' of it in a few days, before I head off to vacation.
Me and my friend are going to visit our other friend :O Actually my first time flying with a transfer without parental supervision... x_x I hope I don't die.
Anyways, as I say every single time... Read & Review! Constructive criticism and flames are accepted~
Also, one last time. Thanks so much for reading this story~ and I hope you'll keep an eye out and continue on reading to my next fanfic! Which will be posted around the start of July. ^