-angels singing-

Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!

The last chapter!

-tries not to cry-

-cries anyway-


Chapter 50- The End of the Beginning

Buckstar opened his eyes. He was back at the DarkDen. The scent of blood hit his nose and a wave of nausea rolled over him. He got up shakily, resisting the urge to retch. He looked around. He spotted a group of wolves near the corner of the room and he flexed his claws, ready to fight if he had to.

One of the wolves turned its head towards him. It was Hawk. He narrowed his eyes and turned his back towards him, his body shaking. He had lost his characteristic feather during the fight.

Buckstar blinked and turned his green gaze towards the stone platform. River's lifeless body lay on the hard rock, her blood staining its gray surface. Leaf was next to her, her blow fur bloody and ruffled with grief. Her green eyes blazed with tears as she spotted him staring at her.

He then turned his head and finally retched on the already disgusting floor. He knew he killed River while in his maddened state. It's all my fault, he thought in despair. I killed her.

Another wolf took notice of him and called out to him.

"Buckstar."

It was Stormpaw. The smaller wolf limped to his bigger brother and buried his head in his chest fur. "I thought you died," he sniffed.

Buckstar licked his brother's bloody coat. He did not say anything.

"We won, Buckstar," the apprentice growled. "We drove them out."

Buckstar closed his eyes with his relief. He knew this was not over, though. He may have beaten the Darkness, but he knew it was not gone forever.

"What happened to Shade?" he asked, his voice coming out raspy. It felt like he had not used it in ages.

"He ran away, that coward," Stormpaw snarled.

Buckstar shook his head. "This battle wasn't really won," he said bitterly. "We have to finish this sooner or later."

Stormpaw's amber eyes flashed but Buckstar put his snout on the apprentice's forehead in comfort.

"But not now," the Alpha growled. "We have lost so much blood today. We cannot fight again."

"Come," Stormpaw whispered.

"What is it?"

"It's Larksong." Stormpaw closed his eyes and Buckstar feared the worst. He followed the apprentice to the small group of wolves, his tail dragging on the ground.

Twilightpaw was hovering over the Beta, her light brown coat bloody. She looked up at Buckstar, her blue eyes glistening with tears.

"I tried, Buckstar, but-"

Buckstar buried his muzzle into the black-and-white he-wolf's fur. It felt stone cold under his touch. He closed his eyes, a growl rumbling in his throat. His claws also killed the Beta. He remembered the Darkness's cruel swipe to Larksong's head, fatally cracking his spine.

Grief overwhelmed him like a surging river and he let out a low howl. Stormpaw mimicked his action beside him. As Buckstar lowered his head again, he caught Hawk's amber eyes. The wolf was still glaring at him and the Alpha shuddered uncomfortably.

Buckstar pried his eyes away from Hawk and he asked Twilightpaw, "How's Hollypaw?"

The Healer apprentice closed her eyes. "She is in the other side of the room. She's taking it badly. Redpaw and Jay are with her."

Buckstar looked back and surely enough, three shapes huddled close together in the corner, their backs to him.

"I should go see her," Buckstar growled. He started to get up but Twilightpaw put a paw on his uninjured shoulder. The other one ached with an even bigger wound than before.

"No," she told him gently. "Let her be. Larksong was very dear to her. Look, here comes Redpaw and Jay now."

The two wolves padded up to Buckstar, their heads low.

"She's not doing any better," Jay grumbled. "The poppy seed isn't working."

"Grief takes time, not medicine to heal," Twilightpaw muttered. "She'll come to soon enough."

Redpaw let out a sigh and sat down on the ground, his russet-red coat now redder with blood. The end of his right ear was nicked off and a small trickle of blood oozed from it. Stormpaw seated himself next to the apprentice and lowered his head in grief.

Buckstar shook his head. This should not have happened, he thought angrily. Larksong didn't have to die. Why did I get them into this mess? It's all my fault!

He started to tear at the ground under him, his grief starting to overwhelm him. He then felt Jay's comforting touch on his back and the she-wolf brushed his uninjured shoulder with her muzzle.

"It's all right, Buckstar," she said soothingly.

"No it's not!" he snarled. "Look at what I have done!"

Jay's blue eyes hardened as she turned around to face him. "This is not your fault," she growled, the kindness in her voice vanishing. "Don't you dare think it's your fault. These wolves had to be driven out, for everyone's sake-"

"But look at what happened!" Buckstar growled at her. "Larksong and River are dead because of me!" He shot a look at Hollypaw in the far corner. Her back was still to him and she was shaking with her sobs, then at Leaf, who had her muzzle buried in her sister's fur.

Jay's eyes closed solemnly. "This is not your fault," she repeated.

Buckstar sighed. "What do you suppose I do now? My Beta is dead."

"Choose a new one," Jay murmured.

Suddenly, Stormpaw's head shot up, his amber eyes blazing with anger. "How can you be so heartless?" he growled. "You didn't even know Larksong!"

Jay's eyes opened in a flash. She turned her head to the apprentice, her lips curled back in a snarl. "They have plenty of time to grieve! It's important now that You choose a new Beta before moonhigh-"

Stormpaw cringed at the sharpness in her voice. He opened his mouth to reply.

"They?" Buckstar asked shakily before Stormpaw could say anything in retaliation. "What do you mean by 'they'?"

The gray she-wolf let out a small sigh. "The other wolves have no home now. Canyon and I talked while you were…out. They want to join your pack."

Buckstar blinked in surprise. He was not expecting this to happen. What he expected was that the Unworthy Wolves would go off and start a pack of their own after this was over.

"I know it's a large favor to ask of you as an Alpha," Jay said, "but they have been part of a pack before. We already know what to expect."

"Where's Canyon?" the Alpha asked, his grief-stricken voice still shaking.

"Outside with some others. They're guarding the entrance just in case Shade decides to come back to finish this off."

Buckstar nodded and got up stiffly from Larksong's cold side. "You're right, Jay,"

"What do you mean?" Stormpaw asked, his small voice suddenly defiant. "She doesn't know-"

"Quiet, Stormpaw!" Buckstar growled at his adoptive brother. "Why don't you go back to Hollypaw? She looks horrible."

Stormpaw's amber eyes blazed for a moment. "Yes, Buckstar," he said dully and padded off to the huddled black shape of Hollypaw.

Buckstar turned back to Jay, his hunter green eyes apologetic. "I'm sorry, Jay. He's like that sometimes-"

Jay smiled. "Don't worry. He reminds me of someone very dear to my heart. He's just like her in every way."

The Alpha gave her a small smile despite the rock he felt in his heart. "Like I was saying before, you are right in saying that a new Beta needs to be appointed before moonhigh. That is the Wolf Code."

Jay bowed her head just a fraction. "Of course."

Buckstar then swept his gaze across Larksong's body. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. He needed more wolves in the pack. He then noticed Jay's use of the word 'they' in her previous statements. She won't stay in RainPack with the others?

"You can join the pack if you want to, Jay. I will understand if you feel otherwise." His voice sounded defeated.

Jay blinked. She clearly was not expecting this question directly aimed at her. She then closed her eyes, as if in deep thought. "I will think about your offer, Buckstar. The others, I can assure you, are staying with RainPack."

The Alpha's ears flicked forward and nodded.

"Meanwhile, I will accept your hospitality and in turn I will offer any help I can give you."

"You are already more help than you know," Buckstar said to her, nuzzling her shoulder affectionately. "No matter what happens, you will always be welcome in RainPack."

Jay smiled, a little embarrassed. She then looked at Larksong's cold body, frowning again. "Are you going to bury him?"

Buckstar had a cold shiver in his heart when he remembered the time Larksong was about to bury him because all of the wolves thought the Alpha was dead. Sadly, now it's the other way around…and this time there's no way Larksong can come back.

Buckstar looked up at the moonlight shining down from the hole in the roof, his hunter green eyes full of sorrow. He thought he saw a flash of eyes look down on him, but when he blinked, they were gone.

Travel safely to the stars, Larksong, he thought. The then looked at the rock where Leaf sat still with her sister, her nose pushed up against the cold fur.

Closing his eyes in grief, he continued his prayer: Take River with you. She might have not known what it was like to live a pack life, but she was a true wolf at heart.

Buckstar then looked at the bodies of dead BloodPack wolves around him and then caught a glance of Blackfrost's mangled body dragged off in a corner. He tried not to growl at the sight.

-and lead these misguided souls to the light. They had never gotten a chance to see it when they were alive.

Run where others will greet you all with open paws that have lived the legacy before you.

Run free, my friends.

Run free.

THE END.


-keeps crying-

That's the end of -sniffle- the first book!

Epilogue is going to come up soon!

Once I write it...:P

Thanks, guys, for sticking with me for so long. Hopefully, I will start the second book, Living the Legacy soon, but I'm starting to concentrate more on Wicked now than anything else. Keep your fingers crossed!

Until next time!

-Essence (now known as WickedEssence)