Not many chapters left to go guys! Holy heck I'm giddy and nervous at the same time to see what y'all think of the conclusion!

Chapter 32

The clearing was in chaos.

Tinystar had never seen a battle like this, with so many cats flinging themselves into the fray. Thickets of fighting cropped up instantly where BloodClan cats tried to gang up on the forest cats, and Tinystar lost sight of nearly everyone important to him in an instant.

He did not have the luxury of trying to find any of them, either – when Tinystar tried to leap at Scorch, hoping to end the fighting as quickly as possible, a BloodClan she-cat intercepted him, throwing him off course and onto his side.

Tinystar sucked in a quick breath, kicking out with his hind paws before the she-cat could collapse on top of him. His claws caught on her cheek, forcing her to step back. Tinystar got to his paws in a flash and lashed out again with one forepaw, catching his claws in her thick neck fur.

The she-cat lashed back, her claws grazing Tinystar's forehead. He sent a silent thanks to StarClan that not every BloodClan cat had those wicked dogs-teeth claws. He ducked under another blow and lunged, digging his teeth into one of his opponent's forelegs until she cried out and Tinystar tasted blood – he let her go limping away, her tail tucked between her legs.

Tinystar had no time to savor that victory, though – another cat careened into him from behind, their claws digging into his shoulders. They rolled together in the dying grass, tearing at one another with their claws and nearly getting trampled by other warriors who were in the way.

Sinking his claws in deep only made Tinystar's foe do the same. This one was relentless, their eyes crazed with bloodlust and a manic sort of joy at the battle. It took Tinystar ramming his skull against their chin to get them to release their hold. Tinystar got to his paws, his head ringing. He expected the other cat to flee – but they shook their head and lunged again, jaws open to catch Tinystar in the throat.

Tinystar's small size saved him – he ducked and twisted beneath his foe, thrusting his claws into their belly fur. He felt skin give way beneath him, and hot blood splattered on his pelt. The BloodClan cat fumbled on their paws, staggering until they flopped onto their side and breathed their last.

Swallowing, Tinystar got to his paws. He padded over to the dead cat and saw that the fight had not died in their eyes – they were still full of hatred, and their muzzle was curled to reveal their bloodstained teeth.

Sorrow and a sick feeling filled him. That move was one Bluestar had taught him long ago – meant to use his size to deliver surprising and devastating blows. Was she proud, wherever she was, at the irony? He'd hated learning these techniques as an apprentice because they flew in the face of everything a Clan cat stood for – but now he needed them to defend himself.

A screech cut off his thoughts. Across the clearing, Tinystar spotted Willowpelt struggling with a large-bodied ginger she-cat whose pelt was littered with scars. He rushed to support her, dodging and weaving around other pockets of fighting before leaping onto the ginger she-cat's back and clamping his jaws down on the back of her neck.

She bucked beneath him, and Tinystar had to fight to keep from snapping her spine. Willowpelt reared up on her hind legs and swatted the big she-cat with her claws, drawing blood on the ginger cat's muzzle. Tinystar released her and the dark ginger cat fled, hissing and spitting.

"Where's Frostfur?" Tinystar gasped at Willowpelt. She had been with the other forest queens when the battle had erupted. "Morningflower?"

Willowpelt's pale blue eyes were hopeless. "I don't know," she said breathlessly. "As soon as the fighting started we got separated!"

"Stay with me," Tinystar told her, "and be careful -"

From out of nowhere a dark shape slammed headfirst into Willowpelt, carrying the pale she-cat off her paws with a wail. Before Tinystar could react, Darkstripe had his mother pinned onto her back and began lashing his claws along her belly.

"You ruined my life!" he snarled with each strike. "You ruined everything!"

Willowpelt cried out helplessly, her eyes still filled with love for her son. Tinystar bunched his haunches and launched himself at Darkstripe, pushing the dark-pelted tabby off of his mother.

"You fox-heart!" he spat, digging his claws into the swirling tabby fur, "You were always destined to be a lowlife!"

"Kittypet filth!" Darkstripe screamed hoarsely, turning his single-minded rage onto Tinystar. "Why did Bluestar think the world of you? Why didn't she love me?!"

Free of her attacker, Willowpelt got to her paws and bolted. Tinystar raked his claws along Darkstripe's muzzle when he tried to wiggle free to chase her down. Darkstripe thrashed and slashed, violent and crazed, his muzzle frothing with blood and spit.

"How does it feel," Tinystar panted, "knowing that you've always been a failure?"

Darkstripe screeched, "This time I won't fail to kill you!"

"Now that would be a change!" Tinystar spat back, thrusting his paws into Darkstripe's eye. "But I've got nine lives on you!"

Darkstripe staggered, then lunged unexpectedly. He tackled Tinystar into the dirt and fixed his jaws around Tinystar's throat. "I'll kill you nine times then!" he snarled around Tinystar's fur and skin. He tightened his grip and Tinystar began to see stars. "So you can feel the pain I felt watching Bluestar die!"

"Get off of him!"

Darkstripe's weight lifted and Tinystar scrambled to his paws, coughing. Awareness crept back quickly, and through the spots dappling his vision Tinystar saw Graystripe and Darkstripe tussling in the grass. Willowpelt, exhausted, sagged onto her haunches, bleeding from her belly.

"Traitors!" Darkstripe wailed, raining blows down on Graystripe. "You both broke the warrior code! You both deserve to die!"

"We've all broken the code!" Graystripe snarled back. "But you're the one that could never let any of it go!"

"Faithless!" Darkstripe screeched, charging at Graystripe. "Disloyal!"

Graystripe slashed his claws through Darkstripe's throat. Blood sprayed across the clearing and Willowpelt choked on a sob as Darkstripe slumped to the earth.

"Taint…ed…" Darkstripe wheezed out his final word, his final breath. The light faded from his eyes and he was still.

Willowpelt's legs shook. "Oh my son," she whispered, "oh, my first-born kit…"

"It's not your fault he turned out this way," Graystripe rasped, his eyes full of sympathy when he looked at his mother. "He could never let anything go."

Tinystar was dimly aware of the battle raging around them. "Thank you, Graystripe."

Graystripe's amber eyes shone bleakly. "Any time, Tinystar," he meowed back. "I would never let anyone kill my best friend."

The gray warrior nudged his mother. "Come," he mewed, "let's get you to Brackenfur, before you bleed out."

Willowpelt agreed numbly, leaning against Graystripe as they padded into the outskirts. Tinystar covered them, knowing that two wounded cats limping away from the battle might be a tempting target for BloodClan.

When they had disappeared safely into the undergrowth, Tinystar plunged back into the fighting, ignoring his screaming muscles and the stinging of new wounds. He ignored Darkstripe's body – but he couldn't help but wonder if this was how the dark warrior had thought his life would end: alone, and for a cause that ultimately failed.

He reached Tawnypelt and Morningflower through the crowd – the two tortoiseshells were fighting with all their strength against three BloodClan toms twice their size. Tinystar helped them even the odds, pushing back their opponents until they fled, screeching, into the undergrowth.

Morningflower lunged to give chase, but Tawnypelt stopped her. "It won't bring Gorsepaw back if you die," the RiverClan queen murmured. "Let them go."

The WindClan she-cat shuddered. "I know," she responded.

Tinystar touched his nose to her ear and wished the queens luck before he moved on through the battle. So long as they stuck together, Tawnypelt and Morningflower would be all right.

Near them Silverstream was battling Jaggedtooth, one of Bluestar's followers that had fled to join BloodClan after her death. Tinystar bunched his muscles to help, and he felt Tawnypelt move to join him, but Jaggedtooth was pulled away by Russetfur and Blackfoot.

"Traitor!" Jaggedtooth spat at them.

"Traitor yourself," growled Blackfoot, slamming his big black paws into Jaggedtooth's skull. "Flee or die!"

Jaggedtooth chose to flee, his tail tucked between his legs. Shakily Silverstream thanked Blackfoot and Russetfur – but Tawnypelt, stiff, curled her lip. Tinystar knew the battle required his attention but he knew he would have to spring in to stop some cat before they attacked one another here – after all, Blackfoot had murdered Brambleclaw, Tawnypelt's brother, not long ago.

"There's no time for this," Russetfur hissed, stepping in front of Blackfoot. "BloodClan must be driven out before we can think about settling grievances."

"She's right," Tinystar murmured to Tawnypelt.

"I don't trust him," hissed the tortoiseshell queen, still glaring at Blackfoot. It seemed like Tawnypelt's glare was enough to unsettle Blackfoot.

Morningflower touched Tawnypelt's shoulder with her tail. "Killing him won't bring back Brambleclaw," she pointed out gently.

Tawnypelt twitched her whiskers. "I know," she decided, finally.

Tinystar was about to thank Tawnypelt for holding her claws back when a shriek from across the clearing caught his attention. He told the group to take care before putting his paws to earth and streaking across the clearing. Another shriek pierced the sound of battle.

That sounds like –

A pale gray tabby WindClan she-cat was struggling near the outskirts of the clearing, right where the medicine cats were hiding. A massive, hulking black-and-white BloodClan tom, his collar studded with dog's claws and talons and splintered bones, slammed his paws down onto her spine.

Tinystar heard a snap as the pale she-cat crumpled beneath her foe.

"Runningbrook, no!" screeched Barkface. The medicine cat lunged, and it took Runningnose and Brackenfur to hold him back.

The BloodClan tom swung his head towards the medicine cats huddled in the bushes. Tinystar's heart pounded in his ears. Mudfur unsheathed his claws, arcing his spine and hissing as the BloodClan beast strode closer. Beside him Littlecloud spat at the big villain.

"Get away!" snarled Mudfur. "I haven't used my claws for seasons, but I'll die before I let you hurt anyone else!"

"Then die," snarled the BloodClan tom, "and know that Bone is the one who killed you!"

Bone lashed out and Mudfur stumbled back, eyes wide as a gray-and-white streak shot out from between his legs. Mosspaw hurtled herself into Bone's chest, digging her claws into him.

"Mosspaw!" screamed Brackenfur. "What are you doing?!"

"Get back into the bushes!" Mosspaw screeched back, clawing at Bone's shoulder. "Hurry!"

Bone was taken aback by the smaller cat's actions but for a moment – he shook her off easily, then lunged. "Kits like you should know their place!" he roared. "You want to fight with the big cats? Then we'll fight!"

Tinystar forced his paws to move but he was too late – Mosspaw had no training, and Bone was twice her size. They danced for but a moment before Bone caught her between his paws and sank his jaws into her throat.

Brackenfur screeched from the bushes – but another sound overtook it. Tinystar halted on his paws as the ground thundered beneath them. Suddenly, forcing their way through the crowd of fighting, screaming cats was every apprentice of the four forest Clans, led by Mistypaw and Stonepaw.

At the sight of their sister's body they let out a soundless screech of agony and, like a wave, they cascaded down upon Bone.

Whatever sound Bone made as he drowned in the pile of apprentices was muffled by their fur and their own cries of justice for Mosspaw. Tinystar thought he heard Bone scream – but it was cut off sharply and suddenly as both Stonepaw and Mistypaw plunged their claws into his throat.

The apprentices melted off of Bone, letting him stagger away before falling onto his side. Blood pooled beneath him, and he moved no more. His eyes, as the light in them died, were filled with shock and surprise.

Tinystar swallowed. He grasped Mosspaw's scruff in his jaws and dragged her into the bushes, while Barkface and Littlecloud took Runningbrook.

"Is she really dead?" breathed Mistypaw as she pushed through the bushes. Stonepaw followed her, his ice-blue eyes wavering. "She can't be dead, can she?"

Tinystar gently set Mosspaw down before Brackenfur. For a few tense moments, the golden-brown tom sniffed her and prodded her with his paws, his whiskers trembling. But Mosspaw did not stir, and Tinystar knew what the limp weight of death felt like in his jaws.

"She's gone," Brackenfur whispered. "She's…"

Mudfur touched his nose to Brackenfur's shoulder. "She did it to save us," he said. "StarClan welcomes her."

"This can't have been her destiny," Brackenfur meowed, his voice rising and trembling. "It… it… it's not fair!" Weakly, he whispered, "It should have been me."

"There's nothing we can do now," Runningnose meowed. "We can mourn her later, Brackenfur – we have to retreat further in before-"

"We'll defend you," Mistypaw declared, her eyes hard as stone. "No BloodClan cat will get near you."

Stonepaw dug his claws into the earth. "They'll die before they do."

"Thank you, little ones," Mudfur meowed.

Tinystar touched his nose to Mosspaw's forehead. ThunderClan will feel your loss, Mosspaw, he thought, his heart aching. I failed to save you.

He swallowed and pushed his way through the undergrowth and out into the battle once again. His body screamed for him to stop, but he flung himself into the nearest battle, digging his claws so fiercely into his opponent that they begged to be let go.

So much death already, he thought, releasing the BloodClan cat before his temper had him finishing them off. He gazed around the clearing and spotted more than one body lying uselessly on the ground. Were they all dead? Were they all from the forest, or from BloodClan? Tinystar had no idea.

So many gone, and the battle is only beginning.

The Clans had to win, before there were no cats left to fight.