Well guys, this is the last chapter of Divided Loyalties. I hope you had fun reading because I know I certainly had fun writing it. Please, please read and review!
ThunderClan walked to the Gathering, eager and ready to learn the other clan's news.
"Maybe Applefur will be there," Raincloud teased, as she walked alongside Birchheart.
He slapped his sheathed paws on her head, "Shut, up, you nosy brat." Birchheart smiled though.
"Do you remember my first gathering?" Raincloud asked the tom.
"Yeah, of course I do. I was there also," Birchheart replied, a little bewildered.
"Do you remember that RiverClan tom, Sunpaw or something?" Raincloud pressed her companion for more details.
"Yeah, why is he so important?" Birchheart didn't see where this conversation was going.
"I was just wondering about him, he seemed so familiar," Raincloud was lost in her own thoughts. Birchheart just shrugged and ran off to the island.
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Stormfur, and his son where headed to the Gathering. He was apprehensive about what Hawkstar was going to say about his mate and child. On the other hand, Sunspot was excited about going to his first gathering as a warrior. Finally, RiverClan was at the island. Hawkstar leapt up to join the other leaders on the newly established Great Rock.
"Hawkfrost, please get down and let Leopardstar join us leaders," Firestar said sternly.
"I cannot do that, for I am leader," Hawkstar's piercing blue eyes scanned the crowd, and fell on Squirrelflight and Raincloud.
"But, what has happened to Mistyfoot and Leopardstar?" Onestar glanced fearfully at the massive tabby.
"So, you would all like to know," Hawkfrost spoke menacingly as the crowd nodded. "Then I shall tell you."
"Those cats have murdered our beloved warrior and leader!" Hawkfrost whipped his tail down at Squirrelflight and Raincloud. At once, every cat turned to look at the pair.
"We did not, you liar!" Raincloud hissed at the RiverClan leader.
"My warriors have not killed any RiverClan cats!" Firestar snarled at Hawkstar.
"How can you know that, I smelled their scent on the cat's pelts," Hawkstar calmly spoke to the furious ThunderClan leader.
"Hawkstar, this is a serious accusation you're putting on these two cats, how do you know it was them?" Onestar asked.
"I think I know when my leader and deputy was killed!" Hawkfrost hissed. Onestar narrowed his eyes at the younger cat.
"Well, Blackstar. What do you think?" Hawkstar asked the ShadowClan leader who calmly was watching the argument.
"I believe the ThunderClan cats are guilty," he yawned.
This was too much for Raincloud. She leapt onto the Great Rock, and jumped on Hawkfrost.
"Raincloud! No, don't do that!" Squirrelflight's voice rang out from the crowd of scared cats. She ran up there to get her daughter off of the leader.
"See Firestar, you're granddaughter almost tried to kill me," Hawkstar stood panting on the Great Rock.
"That's because you're making false accusations against her!" Firestar hissed.
"You're a mouse brain Firestar, we all know that you teach ThunderClan to be murderers," Heavystep called out. This time, Brambleclaw could take no more. He jumped on the RiverClan warrior and started to slash his stomach.
"See Firestar," Hawkstar repeated. "Another one of your warriors is attacking RiverClan. So, if it's war you want, then war you shall get." Then, Hawkstar jumped into the crowd and started attacking Squirrelflight.
"Please help us, Blackstar. You know who to trust," Hawkfrost cried as he pinned down the orange cat. Blackstar nodded and jumped into the thick of battle.
Firestar, and Onestar watched in horror.
"Don't worry, WindClan will help you," Onestar said, and jumped down, Firestar following. Together they started battling the RiverClan and ShadowClan warriors.
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"What do you have against me?" Squirrelflight choked under the hold of Hawkstar.
"Everything," he snarled and got ready to slash her throat. As his claw started to come down, a gray figure bowled him over. Crowfeather pinned him down, ready to kill him.
"Crowfeather! Thank god for you," Squirrelflight gasped as she stood up. Crowfeather nodded, and got ready to kill the RiverClan leader, but was too light, and got thrown against the wall of the Great Rock.
"Crowfeather!" Squirrelflight shrieked. She tried to help him, but got in a battle with a ShadowClan cat. Squirrelflight clawed the cat's face, but realized it was Tawnypelt. She lowered her paw at once.
"Do you believe me?" Squirrelflight asked, a look of sadness in her eyes.
"Of course I do, you would never kill a cat in cold blood," Tawnypelt licked her friend, and disapeared in the swarm of cats, each hoping to tear the other to pieces. Squirrelflight felt renowned hope and started battling more fiercely then ever.
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Leafpool looked at the tons of bleeding cats lying on the floor. She didn't want to be a part of this battle. She didn't want to kill cats that she knew and respected. But, she had to, for her sister and niece. She jumped onto a heavy ShadowClan tom, and fought until all her energy was wasted. The medicine cat collapsed onto the floor, seeing the fighting cats kill each other. Then, she blacked out.
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Crowfeather saw a pretty she-cat on the floor, and realized instantly who it was.
"Leafpool!" he cried and ran over to her. He scooped her up and sat her over near a tree.
"Leafpool, are you alright?" Crowfeather sobbed into her pelt, realizing that this might be the last time he saw his mate.
"Crowfeather?" she said groggily, blinking her eyes rapidly.
"Yes, it's me," he said, crying in relief, shoulder's sagging from exhaustion..
"I love you," Leafpool said, and fell back against him. But little did she know that a cat was behind another tree, listening to every word they said. And, he was going to use that against the couple.
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Raincloud was ready to fight, all her anger at Hawkstar was built up inside, ready to explode. She saw a RiverClan cat and pounced. He swatted her of easily. She turned to face him and saw it was Sunpaw. All her friendship with him from before was gone, only hatred was felt toward him.
She turned and faced him, ready to pounce. Both in the same position. Squirrelflight and Stormfur saw their two kits ready to tear each other into shreds. At once they cried, "NO!" and ran in between them, as they jumped at one another. The four cats were locked together.
"Mom! Why did you stop me from tearing his throat out?" Raincloud yowled at her mother. Squirrelflight just stared at her son, crying.
"Dad! I could've beaten this sissy to shreds!" Sunspot hissed at his father. Stormfur just looked at his daughter, weeping.
"I couldn't let you kill your own brother," Squirrelflight told Raincloud. Every cat's head turned to them as soon as the words left Squirrelflight's mouth.
"What are you talking about?" Sandstorm asked. "Sunkit died."
"No he didn't," Squirrelflight faced her own mother. "He is the cat that you see before you now."
"What... How... What are you talking about?" Sandstorm stuttered.
"Let me tell everyone something right now. When we were going on the Sundrown journey, me and Stormfur fell in love. We made secret visits even when we reached our new home. Finally, we found out that I was pregnant. We were so happy. But, I decided to give one of the kits to Stormfur to raise. I never told Raincloud who her real father was, I wanted her to be a normal cat. But, I never expected this to happen, and I couldn't let my kits kill each other," Squirrelflight finished her speech with her head bowed in shame. There wasn't a word spoken on the island for a few minutes.
"How could you do this to me?" Raincloud stared at her mother with contempt.
"Raincloud, I'm sorry. I wanted you to be accepted in ThunderClan," Squirrelflight cried.
"I guess you forget to tell me about my sister," Sunspot turned to his father.
"I'm sorry, I thought it would be better that way," Stormfur pleaded for his son for forgiveness, but Sunspot just turned away.
"Stormfur and Sunspot are forever banished from RiverClan!" Hawkstar yowled at the cats, after the chatting died down. "They were nothing to the clan anyway! Well, Firestar what about those traitors from your clan, or because they are your kin, does it mean that they didn't do anything wrong?"
"No, Hawkstar. You are right, I won't banish them, but they did something horribly wrong. But, you can't blame those cats for falling in love, they spent a few moons together, sleeping and hunting together. Many cats I have known have had forbidden love before, yes it didn't turn out so good, but maybe this love was meant to be," Firestar spoke. "Stormfur and Sunspot are welcome to join ThunderClan."
Stormfur bowed his head, "Thank you Firestar, but we cannot join a clan after this. I wish to create a clan for loners and cats who also has the same dilemma had Squirrelflight and myself. If anyone wishes to join me, please come now."
Birchheart nodded to Applefur, and they went over to stand beside Stormfur and Sunspot.
"Birchheart, why have you left ThunderClan, I thought we treated you well?" Firestar looked bewildered.
"No, it's not that, my days with ThunderClan have been the best of my life, but I'm in love with Applefur and I don't want to be disloyal to my birth clan," Birchheart bowed his head.
Raincloud walked up to him. "Goodbye, you were the best friend I ever had." Then, Swallowtail and Tornear stood up and joined the small group. They didn't provide any explanation except for Swallowtail saying she was expecting kits that were Tornear's.
Stormfur turned to his true love, "Please, come join us."
"As much as I want to, our home is in ThunderClan, but I will love you forever. Good-bye Stormfur," Squirrelflight sobbed into her mate's chest.
"Good-bye Squirrelflight, I will always miss you," Stormfur said. And, he walked away, with the other members of StormClan following him, while his mate and daughter looked on, hoping that one day, they could join him.
Well, I hope you enjoyed the last chapter of Divided Loyalties. I had so much fun writing this, and thanks to all of my loyal reviewers. Just so you know, there will be a sequel so look for that. Please read and review!