Another forum challenge for "A Perfect Circle," please enjoy!
A battered black and white tom lay on the ground as a vicious battle waged around him. His breaths were shallow and rapid as several deep wounds littered his once sleek pelt. Thick red blood stained his white fur red and black dots swam around his vision as he began fading from the world. Everything was blurry. He could only make out the writhing forms of fighting cats but he could perfectly hear the sounds of screeches and grief-stricken wails resounding throughout the blood-covered clearing.
His clanmates were suffering and there was nothing he could do about it. Bitter resentment threatened to choke the already dying tom and he felt hatred towards himself for letting this happen. He allowed a muffled gasp of grief escape his parched mouth and he squeezed his eyes shut, begging StarClan to end it already. I couldn't save them all. The thought stung him hard. He realized he would no longer laugh and joke with his clanmates as he used too. He would miss every single one of them. Their happy faces flashed in his mind as warm memories resurfaced. He smiled softly to himself as he rembered his kit's apprentice ceremonies. Oh how proud he was on that day. But darker thoughts lingered at the edge of his consciousness. They were gone now, dead. Leaving him with only wisps of memory to cling too.
By now his rapid breathing had slowed as his life continued to seep away. The once mighty tom could feel his heartbeat growing slower and slower. Despair and loneliness pierced his struggling heart with hot thorn-sharp claws. He would never see his mate again. His beautiful mate and the mother of his kits. Flashes of lazy green-leaf afternoons spent lounging and fishing by the river with her surfaced in his mind. He desperately longed for the soft embrace of her fur and her sweet scent. But her existence had faded away. She had left him alone in this world to follow the souls of her precious children.
The tom's thoughts were cut off arubtly as his body heaved from a coughing fit that left blood trickling down his mouth. He felt strangely peaceful. The sounds of his clan's suffering were now but a dull hum in his skull as his vision continued to grow ever darker and dimmer. He felt calm spread through his body as death overtook him. He smiled on last time as darkness completely enveloped his vision and one final breath escaped his worn body. Hopefully, his family would be waiting for him.
Bright sunlight shone against his eyelids. His body no longer hurt and his spirit finally felt free from all the struggles and torments of life. A soft breeze pleasantly caressed his fur as the leaves rustled over his head. The tom slowly blinked open his eyes. Gigantic trees towered over head as gentle yet soft sunlight filtered through the vibrant green leaves. The roots of the trees were thick and gnarled into the ground, but they added an ancient feel to the pleasant and warm atmosphere. He slowly looked around blissfully; He was completely alone. Nothing but himself and the soft whispering of the breeze in his ears.
He froze, as an achingly familiar sweet scent washed over him. "Spiderstar!" A voice cried. He turned with happiness in his eyes as three figures stood before him. One a beautiful silver tabby she-cat stepped forward, "Berryleaf!" He cried and raced to touch noses with her. For a moment they stood there like that; settled in each other's embrace. Worry suddenly grabbed at Spiderstar's heart as his eyes clouded, "What about RiverClan?" Berryleaf purred, "they'll be fine, especially with Rowanheart in your place." Pride smiled upon his face as he rembered his faithful deputy and his worries immediately vanished at the thought. Berryleaf pressed closer to him and her breath stirred his ear fur, "welcome to StarClan, my love."