A/N: So here we are at last...the final battle. Only the epilogue left. And the sequel, of course. And thanks for reviews, as always.
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Sunfire felt like a lifetime had passed before the Clans and the Tribe stopped about ten fox-lengths away from each other. She had felt nothing as Lightningstar led the Clans towards the Tribe–even though Hickorystar and Reedstar were also there, Lightningstar had walked ahead of them, becoming the sole leader of the mass of Clan cats, which seemed right, somehow. Now that she was facing the whole Tribe up close, though, she felt everything tenfold: Icestorm's and Raintail's pelts brushing hers, the ice collected between her toes, the frozen clumps of snow clinging to her belly and legs, the pitiful warmth given off by the sun. Nero and Shadowfur stepped forward, twin pools of darkness against the glacial snow.
Lightningstar padded forward to greet them, and Reedstar and Hickorystar moved to either side of him. The sudden wave of bravery Sunfire had felt upon waking strengthened: despite the age-old instinct to back away from so many enemies facing her at once, she wordlessly left Icestorm, Raintail, and Pinefur and silently wove through the other cats until she stood beside Mudspeckle, directly behind Lightningstar. This is where I belong, behind my leader.
"I hoped it wouldn't come to this, Lightningstar," called Nero, her voice raspy and shrill, painful to the ear.
"Don't talk rot," snarled Hickorystar before Lightningstar could respond. "You've always wanted a full-scale battle." Sunfire, her gaze drifting over the Tribe in an attempt to guess how many were arrayed, felt the smallest glimmer of happiness as she saw her father. They locked eyes; Alexander tilted his head sideways, indicating a sleek black she-cat Sunfire recognized as Ravenwing, the former RiverClan deputy. What's he trying to say?
Shadowfur said nothing, merely stared coldly at Lightningstar. Beside him, Nero slid her eyes over the line of leaders until she saw Sunfire. As she met the fox's eyes, hatred burst up inside Sunfire like cold flame. Unconsciously, she unsheathed her claws and remembered the promise she'd made to herself: she would be the one to strike the fox down.
"Let's not delay any longer," said Shadowfur, his voice icy. He flicked his raised tail. On that silent signal, the Tribe began to move forward, running for the Clans. Nero moved the quickest, bounding forward in long, fluid leaps. Lightningstar reacted a heartbeat later; waving his tail, he leaped forward to meet the Tribe. Sunfire, along with every other Clan cat, surged to greet the flood of mountain cats rushing towards them.
Sunfire bunched her muscles and pushed off the ground in a huge leap just as Nero did; a sun-colored streak and a flying shadow crashed together in mid-air, then fell to the ground. Their momentum sent them tumbling, pushing aside other pairs of warring cats. Sunfire, disoriented due to the force with which she had hit Nero and dizzied further by their roll, struggled to get on top of the fox when they stopped rolling. Nero, with her greater mass and weight, pinned Sunfire down.
Panic surged through Sunfire. She was pinioned on her back, her belly exposed, the still-growing kits in danger. Lightningstar's teachings overrode her fear, though, and she forced herself to remain still, staying in the surrendering position.
The trick worked. Nero let loose one of her laugh-barks and, keeping Sunfire restrained, howled scornfully, "You're already giving up! A pity," she added, her eyes smoldering as she stared at Sunfire. "I imagine you'd have wanted you last fight to be a struggle, one in which you nearly succeeded before you died."
As she spat out the last word, Nero reared up, releasing Sunfire, preparing to crash down on the warrior's neck. Sunfire forced herself to keep still until the last possible second. When Nero's belly was a whisker-length above her, Sunfire drew her hind legs up to her chest and kicked with every ounce of strength she could muster.
Nero flew away from her, her jaws agape in a silent howl of shock, as she fell back down to earth. Sunfire jumped to her feet, adrenalin coursing through her, ready for the fox to turn and run back at her, only...
...only Nero didn't get to her feet after hitting the ground. When her midnight-colored body hit the ground, a sickening snap reached Sunfire's ears above the deafening noise of the battle. Nero lay still, her jaws still gaping, her eyes dead, all the fury and hatred gone.
Curiosity driving her, Sunfire dodged a WindClan tom locked in a fight with a Tribe cat and bounded over to Nero's body. Moving cautiously despite that she knew the fox was dead, Sunfire peered at Nero's neck. It was bent at a grotesque angle, bloodied bone jutting up through the dense black fur. Nero's neck had struck a jagged rock, concealed beneath the layer of snow.
Nero, the living shadow, the fox Sunfire had expected to fight until the stars plummeted from the sky, was dead–and Sunfire had only kicked her. Feeling a grim satisfaction, Sunfire was given a fresh wave of strength and courage, and with a snarl, leapt into the heart of the fray.
Softpaw fought with Dewpaw and Fogpaw, three apprentices combining their strength to beat back a massive bracken-pelted she-cat. Knowing they needed no help, Sunfire looked left and saw Pinefur struggling to fight two Tribe cats at once. Sunfire moved to help her friend, pushing one of the cats aside to fight herself. It was a calico she-cat. Using a trick Icestorm had taught her, Sunfire began striking the cat repeatedly over the head, making it dizzy and confused until it tried to run and tripped over her own paws. Foxtooth, the ShadowClan deputy, took over then.
Sunfire took a moment to scan the clearing and felt a wave of dismay. The Tribe, with their much greater numbers, were already winning. StarClan, this can't be your will...
She payed for letting her attention lapse. She screamed with pain as needle-sharp claws raked down her neck and shoulder, drawing a stream of blood. Turning, she saw a Tribe she-cat crouching before her, her forepaws stained with Sunfire's blood. Growling low, Sunfire mirrored the crouch, and swiped at the she-cat's face. Spitting, the she-cat threw herself at Sunfire and landed on her back. Trying to ignore the many pinpoints of hot pain as the cat dug all her claws into her spine, Sunfire dropped to the ground like a deadweight, and rolled onto her back, flattening the Tribe cat. The Tribe cat, however, was obviously powerful for her small size, and pushed Sunfire off her with a kick. Sunfire regained her feet quickly, seeing her own blood dotting the snow at her feet. As the she-cat rushed her, preparing to jump again, a gray-tailed white cat knocked her over. Raintail sank her teeth into the Tribe cat's throat. Satisfied that Raintail was in control, Sunfire turned to see if any cats needed help.
What she saw froze her like the ice and snow never could.
Lightningstar fought a huge, muscular Tribe tom. Sunfire guessed that the Tribe cat thought that Lightningstar–and old, thin cat–would be easy to kill. Sunfire's beloved leader was proving him wrong; despite his age and recent illness, Lightningstar matched the strength of the Tribe tom.
But that was not what frightened her.
Hawkclaw hid in the shadow cast by a nearby rock, his eyes glinting. As Sunfire watched, unable to move, Hawkclaw leapt out from behind the rock and bowled the Tribe cat away. Lightningstar turned to face his warrior, apparently meaning to thank him. Lifting one lip in a sneer, Hawkclaw raised a forepaw, all his claws fully extended. In a lightning-quick flash, he brought his paw down on Lightningstar's skull.
Sunfire became oblivious: she did not feel the pain of her wounds, the ice collected between her toes, her own blood running down her flanks; did not hear the yowls of pain and fury of the Clans and Tribe; and saw nothing but Lightningstar's black-and-white body crumple to the snow. Hawkclaw looked at his work, then turned and fled.
Sunfire tore after him, trying to find him and meaning to kill him, but he disappeared into the mass of fighting cats. Standing still, breathless, dripping blood, and hurting, Sunfire stared around helplessly, her mind numb. Dimly, she saw Alexander jump onto a boulder that towered high above the battle. Taking a great breath, he bellowed out one word that turned the tide of the battle: "NOW!"
Ravenwing heard his signal and repeated it, screaming it with all her might. Other RiverClan cats took up the cry, repeating it until every former RiverClan cat heard it. Sunfire watched, amazed, as the cats who once made up RiverClan ceased fighting against the Clans and began fighting alongside them, beating back the Tribe. Shaking herself hard, blocking Lightningstar out of her mind, Sunfire watched the Tribe cats tear themselves away from the Clans, fleeing back up the mountains. Sunfire saw Shadowfur among them, his tail fluffed out like a raccoon's.
The battle ended so suddenly every cat seemed confused. Then one cat started to yowl in triumph, and the cry was taken up by all the others, save for a few too breathless to cheer. Sunfire saw Softpaw standing beside Fogpaw, her head raised, her throat pulsing as she picked up the cry.
Sunfire would have joined them, her Clanmates and other Clan cats, but one thing had happened that prevented her from being able to share their joy at winning. She glanced up in time to see the last few Tribe cats disappear over a ridge in the mountains. As they did, the Clans' cry of victory faded slowly. Medicine cats began racing among the crowd, herding the seriously wounded off to the side for treatment.
Sunfire turned away and stepped over to Lightningstar's body. A small flame of hope was kindled inside her as she saw his bloodstained flanks still moved faintly.
"Lightningstar?" she croaked, her voice harsh and dry. He flicked an ear but did not move. "Lightningstar!" she nudged his cheek. Slowly, he cracked open a brilliant yellow eye.
"Sunfire," he whispered. He tried to raise his head. "I'm glad it's you who found me."
She wanted to weep. Her legs were weak, watery, and she trembled in an effort to stay standing. "You'll live," she whispered. "I'll go get–,"
"Get nobody." Despite his condition, noble authority was still strong in his voice. "It's too late," Lightningstar continued. "I have fought my last battle. Now I go to rest with StarClan."
Sunfire's vision swam. She teetered for a moment, then collapsed onto the snow beside him. She buried her face in his cheek. "No," she whimpered into his fur. She found the strength to raise her head. "Lightningstar, no, you're our leader..."
"Mudspeckle must lead ThunderClan now." His voice grew quieter until Sunfire could hardly hear it. She heard pawsteps and knew somebody had seen her and was coming over. "Let me go, Sunfire," he whispered. "We will meet again. I am proud to have been your mentor." He sighed his last breath and murmured, "Farewell."
Sunfire shook violently. The pain of Lightningstar's death surged through her. It subsided, only to be replaced by cold fury. Hawkclaw had done this! She raised a forepaw, extended her claws, and slashed the snow, imagining it was Hawkclaw's pelt.
A comforting scent washed over her. Icestorm stood beside her. He nudged her to her feet. Sunfire looked at him, and saw her own face, contorted with pain, reflected in his eyes. "He's dead," she said, surprised at how strong her voice was. She looked at Lightningstar. "Hawkclaw killed him."
She expected her mate to deny such a thing could have happened, but he said softly, "I know. I saw it happen. I tried to catch Hawkclaw, but he got away too fast." He sighed heavily. "He's gone. I think he fled with the Tribe. He knows he was seen." He began washing the blood off her fur in long, slow strokes of his tongue. "Come on," he said. "You need to get cleaned up."
"But Lightningstar..."
"We'll hold vigil for him."
The image of her dead leader stayed in Sunfire's mind as Icestorm guided her over to Treeshadow and Rootpaw.
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"We gather here this sundown to mourn the loss of two great cats: Lightningstar and Waterdrip." Treeshadow's voice rang through the ThunderClan camp, thick with grief. "Lightningstar was a great leader for many seasons. He was devoted to his Clan, and never stopped fighting to keep it alive, even in the darkest of times." He paused, then continued. "Waterdrip was a beloved she-cat, mother of three kits, mate to Jaywing. Her duties for ThunderClan will not be soon forgotten." He took a deep breath. "StarClan receive their spirits with honor."
Icestorm pressed against Sunfire, and on her other side Raintail was trembling, but Sunfire sat still. It caused her unimaginable pain to know that Lightningstar would never again call from the Hightree or slip out of his den in the morning, to know that he was dead and no longer leader. Yet she was comforted by the knowledge that his spirit now rested with StarClan, his body no longer in pain as he watched over the Clan he had died for.
As ThunderClan moved to share tongues with Lightningstar and Waterdrip for the final time, Sunfire looked at the darkening sky and saw the first star appear. Sighing shakily, she walked to stand over Lightningstar's body, washed clean of blood. She pushed her muzzle into his cold fur and promised softly, "I will avenge your death."
The single star twinkled in the velvet-blue sky.
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Even though it was not full moon, the Clans arranged a Gathering two nights later. Mudspeckle, who had not yet received his name and nine lives, stood on the great tree with Reedstar, Hickorystar, and Ravenwing.
"I was deputy when Waterstar joined with the Tribe," Ravenwing was saying. "Now that she is dead, I am leader of RiverClan by StarClan's law. We will need time to get our strength back, but do not think we are weak. We will still defend our territory like we never left it." The Gathering island looked strangely full now that RiverClan was present once more.
Mudspeckle stepped forward. "Lightningstar was lost to ThunderClan," he announced. Raw pain stabbed at Sunfire's heart at his words. "I am now leader, but have not yet received my nine lives or name. I will have both by tomorrow night." He paused. "We give our everlasting thanks to Pinefur and Alexander. Without them, many things would be different in the forest right now. We might not even be standing here." Pinefur and Alexander stood beneath the great tree. Sunfire, feeling a rush of warmth, yowled in appreciation. One by one, all the Clans added their voices.
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The night Mudspeckle went to become ThunderClan's official leader, Sunfire dreamed.
She sat by the lake, but the forest was in full greenleaf, not leaf-bare. The stars reflected in the crisp, smooth surface of the lake. Suddenly a cat appeared in the middle of the lake. Slowly, he walked across the water and joined Sunfire at the shore.
Lightningstar sat beside her. His pelt was thick, unmarred by blood or scars, and his eyes bright and joyful. Sunfire smiled as she saw her leader returned to his youth, yet when he spoke, in was in his same wise old voice.
"I am glad to see you are not wallowing in grief," he said softly. "You realize that I am well and happy. That is good." He paused. "I must be quick. Mudspeckle is fast approaching, and I must receive him when he joins us." He licked a forepaw, then said, "I have looked into the future and I have seen your kits." Sunfire's heart leapt. Her flanks were already rounding out slightly.
"What of my kits?" she demanded excitedly.
"They will be powerful warriors. They will bring honor to their Clan." With that, he bowed his head to her, like a leader acknowledging a leader, and vanished.
Sunfire woke and saw it was almost moonhigh. The stars glinted brightly, points of crystal in an onyx sky. She sighed softly and burrowed closer to Icestorm and Raintail. She would be ready to face the morning when it came.
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Every summer sun
Ever winter evening
Every spring to come
Every autumn leaving
You don't need a reason
Let it all go on and on. –Enya, Wild Child
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A/N: Epilogue will be up very shortly. Reviews are much loved, as always.