Well, this is it guys, the final chapter before the epilogue. I am not even going to ask for reviews. I will beg for them. I know that sounds wrong, but I got to know what you think of the end of this trilogy that has taken me nearly a year to complete.

Nightstorm: We hope you enjoy. Destiny does not own Warriors

Blackstorm laughed as Sunmask flinched back fearfully. She raised her paw to take a step away from the dark tom, but found herself frozen, forced to gaze into his cruel yellow eyes.

No, she thought. Not again!

"Relax," Blackstorm growled, the dark aura that was his body waving like a flame. Sunmask winced when she realized he had read her thoughts. "This will be the final time I snake my way into your mind. Now that you have a little guardian to protect, I guess it's time I fight with my claws." He blinked, releasing her.

Suddenly, a white paw descended over his head, but instead of striking him, it just went right through his body. Blackstorm evaporated into the air and reappeared a few fox lengths off. His glare fixated of the cat who had attempted to wound him. "Ah-ah-ah," he taunted. "Have patience, my sister. It isn't quite a fair fight until I solidify myself."

Radiantmask bristled, flexing her claws. "When do you ever fight fair? I trust not a word that emits from your mouth!"

He laughed again. "You shouldn't trust me, you're right, but how else can I strike if I'm not a physical form? You're just as smart as you are weak."

This seemed to infuriate Radiantmask. "I've already defeated you!"

"By shoving me off a tree," he said nonchalantly. "Tell my Radiantmask, how can anyone possibly see that as a glorious victory?" His eyes flicked over to the other black tom in the clearing, whose eyes burned holes into the ground. "Midnight, you take care of Pouncefoot and Shadeglare. We wouldn't them finding reinforcements for a fight that isn't theirs, would we?"

Midnight nodded at his leader and turned his head to Sunmask's father and brother, who both stood shocked at the other end of the clearing.

"Sunmask...stay focused," Radiantmask's voice echoed in her mind.

She blinked and watched as a dark smoke enveloped Blackstorm in an opaque fog. It looked as if he was feeding on the shadows that ruled the territory. Sunmask felt an enticing pull as the darkness swirled among her, but Radiantmask's tail folded over her shoulders, keeping her from walking towards him.

All at once, as if a live organism, the smoke flowed into nonexistence, and standing there, was Blackstorm, looking as real and animate as the rest of them.

Radiantmask flattened her ears and widened her eyes, a spark of disbelief igniting in her green gaze. Sunmask understood. This was the way he looked back when he was spreading terror through ShadowClan. This was the way he looked when she killed him.

In fact that seemed more accurate. Scars decorated his bodies, but they seemed so fresh, that it seemed like he had just received them moments earlier. Blood caked his black fur, and his yellow eyes held a dead look in them. It was almost more horrifying that the usual appearance of cruelty. But the thing that had to be the most frightening out off out of everything she saw when she looked at him, had to be his neck. It was bent at an awkward angle, his head almost resting limp on his shoulder. It appeared as though bone was pressing against the inside of his flesh, forming a bump at the side of his throat. Sunmask closed he eyes, refusing to look at the horrid sight.

He noticed her disgust and smiled eerily. "This is what I would look like if I were still alive," he snarled, voice sounding strained. In a flash, his claws were out. "And even though my neck is snapped, I can still fight just the way I used to."

With unreal speed, he collided with Sunmask, causing her to shriek in horror. His massive paws pinned her to the ground, and his jaw slowly unhinged to get a good bite at her.

Radiantmask struck with hesitation, the force of her blow pushing the black tom only slightly off balance. Sunmask struggled to get up, for he still had one of his forepaws tightly holding her shoulder down to the ground, but he had released her other side, and in an act of desperation, she clawed him frantically over the muzzle.

She wriggled free once Blackstorm had backed off of her, and spun around to face him, breathing hard. It was a tough struggle just to get him off of her. How much of her already low energy would it take to actually defeat him?

Radiantmask darted forward, and lashed out on Blackstorm's exposed back. He hissed as the blood began to seep through his fur and cuffed her only slightly over the ears as she tried to slip out of reach.

Sunmask had realized too late that it was her chance to attack. Before she could get a grip on his shoulder, he had already turned and swatted her away. She stumbled at the power in his paw, trying not to fall over.

He grinned at her. "This isn't going to be easy for you, is it? How are you ever going to fulfill your prophecy, dear Sunmask, if you can't even focus?"

It was you who messed my mind up! She bit back the words. He was right, she needed to focus on the battle.

Radiantmask barreled into him from behind, pinning her brother on his belly, where his paws could not reach him. "Speak for yourself," she snarled, holding a paw firmly over his mangled neck. Blackstorm only laughed and shrugged her off with ease. At first it struck Sunmask as odd that Radiantmask seemed to be having trouble keeping her balance, but then she remembered. The darkness had not been defeated yet, StarClan was still gravely weakened. She had to get out there and help her mother.

She ran at Blackstorm, claws unsheathing. He had seen her coming and he made a sharp move that made her miss him, but she felt her flank sting, for he had placed a wound there. She ignored the blood that trickled out from her scratch and faced him again.

Wait for him to come for you, then rear up on your hind paws and try pushing him into the ground, Radiantmask whispered in her mind.

Sunmask tried to make it seem as though she had not heard a thing. She lashed her tail, and tried to make herself seem in more pain than she was. She needed Blackstorm to run at her.

"That's pathetic, dear Sunmask," he growled. "Too much in pain for another try?"

She kept screaming in her mind for him to make a move, but he merely stood there, taunting her.

"What are you waiting for, try me again," Blackstorm hissed, showing his teeth.

Radiantmask recovered from being knocked way and gazed at Blackstorm in frustration for a few heart beats, and then began to stalk up to him, keeping her paw steps light on the ground.

Even so, Blackstorm seemed to notice and he turned around to deliver a strong blow to Radiantmask's face.

Now! she commanded.

Sunmask didn't know what to do, but she snaked forward anyway as Blackstorm tried to whack the black and white StarClan warrior away. She used both of her forepaws and sank her claws into the side of his head, which was facing up towards her. He let out a pained cry and stopped his attempt to hurt his sister. He slowly was shoved to the ground, more with the force of agony, than with the strength of her own claws. He thrashed for a moment on the ground, and Sunmask pulled her claws from his head. He gazed up at her with a horrid look of malice.

"That's enough," Blackstorm snarled, voice low and shaking. I've had enough of this playing around. I believe it's about time I start taking this seriously.

Sunmask suddenly felt something grip her mercilessly the inside of her head. Her back leg twitched and her eyes shut so tight that it hurt. A high-pitched ringing in her ear chirped into being, making her head pound with anguish. The edges of her vision began to grow blurry, the images of the blood-stained clearing spinning inconsistently. She should had known Blackstorm would play some of his tricks on her.

He stood up slowly, and behind him, Sunmask could see that her mother was going through the same thing, for she began to back away, pawing at her head. With a simple flick of his tail, she felt a great force ambush her, like a branch, snapped off it's limb by a storm wind had pounded against her. She flew back several fox-lengths, snake-lengths until she finally hit the ground with a deep thud.

For a moment, even the ringing in her head stopped, and all she heard were pounding sounds, like paws on the ground that he ear was pressed up against. She slowly opened her eyes, seeing the ground tilt around her. Nausea churned in her belly and her head beat against the inside her skull, but eventually her vision came into focus, and she saw that she was watching Midnight's fight with Pouncefoot and Shadeglare.

Both toms were leaping at the black tom from both sides, but Midnight was quick. He turned towards Shadeglare and collided with him, making Pouncefoot fall short of his target. Midnight didn't let the connection gaze him, and he fell willingly to the ground with Shadeglare, and the two toms rolled back and forth, clawing and trying to get a grip on the other's shoulders. Pouncefoot ran for them, and tried to pull Midnight away from his son, but with a swift and clean swipe, the dar tom sent the deputy backing away, a long cut down his chest.

Watching her kin fight desperately against the vigorously trained Black Horror leader, Sunmask felt a slight shock of lightning course through her veins. What did she really think she fighting? Her worst fear, or an enemy trying to destroy everything she loved? What was she fighting for? For it all to be over, or for all the Clans have ever known? She realized with a prick of pain that she had been battling Blackstorm selfishly. Even the bodies she had seen the illusions weren't enough to make her realize that, but now she did, and it was time to get serious.

Another wave of agony swept over Sunmask, and it felt as if her bones were being crushed under the round black paws of a monster, and along with the pain, came more ringing. The sound was icily high, deafening her with each heart beat that passed. She dug her claws into the ground, ripping at the soaked grass and getting the mud caked over her body. She tried unbelievably hard to keep an image of her Clan within her mind, reminding her that she had to stand up and fight.

Sunmask closed her eyes and concentrated on her strength; everything that she did to lead her up to that moment. All the things she did right. She thought of the judgement she faced when she first arrived. She thought of the warriors she fought in battle, ignoring when they called her a kittypet and fighting them like a true warrior. She recalled not on the lies she told or the cats she hurt. She thought not of the nights she left her kits to talk with Volefur or Shadeglare. She kept in mind the decision she made to stay in the Clan, to fight for Radiantmask, Tigersprit, and for all of StarClan. The time has come for that moment, for all that she had gone through to become worth it.

As soon as Blackstorm attacked her with another streak of mental agony, she channeled those strengths and good things about herself, and fought back the bitterness he threw at her. She could sense the forces among her repel off of her own waves of attack, and launched it all back at Blackstorm.

He yowled, staggering back a couple tail lengths, but he kept himself upright. He opened his eyes to reveal pools of fury, his pupils only shards of blackness compared to the rest of his gaze.

Blackstorm faced her and jerked his head forward. Sunmask could sense the mental anguish heading for her, but after gathering up more of her power and thrust it back. Before her, a large thunder cracked as the two forces crashed against each other. She stood up, her head still aching slightly, but she was no longer in enough pain to let it stop her from trying to fight him again.

She darted forward, bowling him over before he had the chance to attack her again. Shoving her paws into his belly, she listened to him yowl in shock and terror. He jerked his own shoulder strenuously into the ground. The other side of his shifted up, knocking her unexpectedly off balance. Swift as and adder he lunged and sank his teeth deep into her scruff. Before she could collaspe into the mud, he yanked her from her footing, and shook her violently. Her head began to hurt again, and even as her paws flailed all over the place, she could not manage to strike him.

Suddenly, she was dropped and she tried to extend her paws out to break her fall, but she was not fast enough. Sunmask landed, she she felt something crack slightly. She prayed it was only a joint.

Radiantmask held Blackstorm down, her jaws enclosed around his foreleg, and her hind paws pressed into his flank, making it difficult for him to move. A mad look shone in her eyes as she spoke to him.

"Yield!" she commanded. "Maybe it takes a lot to kill you, Blackstorm, but together we are stronger than you. It does matter how long this battle lasts, in the end, you will fail!"

To the StarClan warrior's surprise, he smiled. "Please, the only way you're ever going to hurt me is if you lure me up another tree, and I'm no idiot, dear sister."

"You dare call me that?" she shrieked, "After all you've done to me! I think not! Surrender now!"

Before she could grab is shoulder again, he pushed himself up, throwing he off of his back. Ignoring the blood that pulsed from his wounds, he spun towards her and leaped, grasping her throat in his crooked teeth. Sunmask gasped and began to stand, but was stopped when his voice clawed its way inside her mind.

"I don't think so, dear Sunmask." He held her paralyzed once more with his gaze and continued to speak. "One move, and I kill her."

It didn't matter, she couldn't move anyway.

"I'm going to give you a chance to give up," he growled.

"And why would I ever do that?" she thought back. She would have been gnashing her teeth if she could.

"I'll tell you why. Sit back, and enjoy."

Suddenly, the clearing began to shift, and to her horror, Sunmask realized that she was being drawn into the illusions once more. She tried to fight back and free herself from his control, but the fear that ate away at her mind, drained any type of strength she had left.

The first thing she saw was herself, unscathed, as if she had never been touched by battle.

"You are the one destined to stop us, but the only reason you ever agreed to Clanlife was so you could save your precious mother." After a heartbeat, the back round surrounding the image of herself began to darken, and she saw a tear slip from her eye. "But once StarClan is defeated, you will have no hope and nothing to fight for. If you surrender, StarClan will be powerless, but I allow them to carry on unharmed. If you continue to fight me, not only will the Black Horror rule the forest, but your mother, your friends, your Clanmates, they will all be gone."

"That doesn't change anything," she snarled. "If I surrender, evil will reign, but if I carry on battling you, there is a chance you will be defeated."

"What I notice, dear Sunmask," he said, as the image began to change. The picture of herself faded to blackness, and taking its place was the forest with flashes of colored fur flying by. She soon realized they were cats, coming from two different directions. They clashed with each, beginning a battle. Within moments, blood was spilled across the ground, "Is that you said we were evil. Who ever decided that?"

"Well...StarClan, I suppose."

"Really? But aren't all cats supposed to be equal? And even if StarClan made those choices, do they really have the right to? They've served their time, haven't they?"

"Well-"

"Watch them," he growled, the illusions before her, brightening. Sunmask obeyed, paying attention to how each warrior battled with each other, clawing flanks and biting into shoulders. "Watch how they fight. How do you know that in the end things will be a nightmare for every cat?"

"Because real warriors don't kill for power," she hissed.

"How much damage have we really done, compared to the moons of war and of rivalry the Clans have endured? Perhaps what is happening now is hypocritical to what I am about to say, but take my words into deep consideration."

The image shifted again, each aspect of battle slowly disappearing from Sunmask's view. Every stain of blood on the ground, every wound. All claws sheathed and every scowl turned to a smile. Within moments, the battlefield looked life a friendly, warm camp with many cats appearing happy and excited.

"Every cat will be treated as equals, even rogues, loners and kittypets. It wouldn't matter where we came from, just where we'll be then. Everyone will be united, and once Midnight has it set up completely, there will be peace for moons."

Sunmask couldn't reply. She was dumbfounded at how a horrible, violent battle scene had so simply turned into a large group of peaceful cats.

"Midnight was not lying when he said, that he looks to future, and, dear Sunmask, look at what the future can be."

"But," she began, finding words, "They are all evil. As we speak, they are trying to kill us."

"How do you know you are not evil through our eyes?" he asked.

She heard herself gasp after he spoke. How could anyone even assume that? These cats he had gathered into his little Black Horror, would kill to get what they want.

Apparently, Blackstorm had been listening in on thoughts she did not even speak to him. He chuckled softly. "Think, dear Sunmask, of what it must be like to them to be given the life they have now, and suddenly have it torn away from them because a couple of Clans cats wanted to save their dead ancestors."

"It's not our fault," she spat. "They are the ones who chose the wrong path. They have no code, no honor."

Suddenly, she felt something clutch her throat slightly, a threat that she would be harmed. "Think about it dear Sunmask, about everything that I have said, and a what cost you are willing to fight."

She felt something slip away from her, and she thought it must have been Blackstorm's consciences allowing her to think it over in peace, and when he left, she felt a sudden light-headedness, but she shook it away.

Everything he had said, shocked her. All of his ideas, all of his plans, all of his reasons sounded so right when he spoke. How could she even know that that was what he was planning the whole time? What if the murder and betrayal was only the beginning? What if after all of it was over, they would all look to the light?

"Sunmask," came the voice, weak but familiar. She sucked in her breath upon hearing her name said with the voice, she was sure she'd never hear again. "Blazing Sun, I will tell you only one thing, and the rest is up for you to decide the fate of the Clans. Your decision now rests in the darkness in the corner of your mind, and I hope that the light that shines within you is enough to bring it out." Tigerspirit's voice faded away for a moment, but then ever so softly, Sunmask heard it in the back of her head. "My faith has allowed my to live on among the stars again, so I must ask you, what does your faith in StarClan mean to you?"

Suddenly, she was assaulted by a force so powerful that she almost gave in to the pain. Memories began to flow through her mind at rapid speeds, each one so vivid, she thought she was reliving them. Despite their swift appearances, Sunmask was able to see each and every one of them clearly.

She saw herself, running through the territories of WindClan and ThunderClan, chased by the warriors who thought she saw an intruder. Her heart twisted as she saw the way Pouncefoot looked at her when she first stumbled in at his paws. If she had seen that look, perhaps everything would have been different. The fatherly love betrayed in his eyes was as clear as day.

More memories swept past. Sunmask noticed the image of her seeing her mother for the first time. She almost felt ashamed at how hostile she was being to the cat that gave her life. Tigerspirit stood by, fur and amber eyes radiant as she gazed upon the blazing sun that was meant to shine through the darkness.

Sunmask watched as she was named a warrior, standing beside Mouseflight and Tigerpelt as the Clan shouted their names with happiness. She smiled at the note of recognition that was in her eyes when she realized her name was so similar to her mother's.

In a gray tabby flash, Volepaw knocked his own Clanmate away from Sunmask in order to save her life, and the memories that flew by after that told her exactly why he did.

But she even saw the bad memories. Furledwhisker fighting her during her final assessment, the Clans attacking time after time...Soottail walking away from her after she had broken his heart.

And then, for a moment, it stopped, and Sunmask thought it was over, but then, at a normal pace, she watched in sorrow and despair as she saw the gray Black Horror cat being killed by Midnight. She gaped in shock as she relived learning of Fawn's death. Dread washed over her when she saw how Clancats were being slaughtered by the enemy that fought them that night. Ivystar's body frightened her several times more than it did seeing it the first time. A tear slipped from her face as Midnight ripped Tigerspirit's throat open.

And then - the one thing she had never seen before - the one thing she never wanted to -

The black and white she-cat plummeted down in slow motion. Sunmask counted the tear drops that fell from her face as the she-cat held up her paw towards the sky, and the moment before she hit the ground...

"No!"

The memories flickered away, and Sunmask found herself glaring at Blackstorm intensely. The weakening body of Radiantmask - the cat she had just seen in her heartbeats directly before death - hung in his jaws. Before he could make a move, she leaped at him, breaking free of his paralyzing hold.

She would not allow herself to see her mother die twice.

Her claws slashed across Blackstorm's throat and blood began to pour from his wound. He dropped Radiantmask, stunned and let out a ear-splitting screech, that tore the sky open. Clouds were flung out of view harshly, rain stopping it's fall in patches, as the darkness of the night began to fade away, revealing the stars and the full moon, silver and bright.

Sunmask dropped to the ground, pain exploding across her entire body, the very weight of the action she had just committed. Her legs could no longer hold her up; she collapsed into Blackstorm's blood, the final thing she saw being the way is dark spirit was carried off into nothingness.

And that, was the scariest thing she had ever seen.

"Awaken."

Sunmask's eyes flickered open at the sound of her voice. Radiantmask stood over her, green eyes sparkling with triumph.

"Sunmask...you have done it."

She looked up at the broad, cloudless sky of stars that now shone above them. Sunmask murmured her wonder at the silver sight.

"Follow."

To her surprise, her body no longer hurt, in fact, she had never felt so lively in all of her life. She stood up and padded after her mother as the StarClan warrior led her across the clearing. Shadeglare and Pouncefoot glared at Midnight as he spat at them.

"You...you can't just kill a spirit and expect everything to be fine! He'll be back! I know he will!"

"You're wrong," Pouncefoot growled, "He's never returning, and there is no hope for him anyway. The sky is a sign that victory belongs to the Clans."

Midnight scoffed. "Please, I can always rebuild my group. Every time we return we only grow stronger. I promise that the Clans will not triumph against us one day. You cannot just destroy darkness. It always returns."

"Perhaps," Shadeglare snarled, "But not the Black Horror, the time is up, they've had their chances."

For the first time, Midnight looked intimidated. He didn't have anything he could say, and he didn't have anything to rely on. The cat he worshipped had just been defeated once and for all, Sunmask realized. "What are you going to do with me now?" he asked, fear rippling across his words.

"I'm going to make sure that you can't try anything against the Clans," Pouncefoot growled. He unsheathed his claws and within a heartbeat, he raked them over Midnight's eyes. The black tom snarled on pain, collapsing onto the ground.

"Eventually, you'll use your sight permanently," Pouncefoot said. "Now go. I don't want to ever find you in my territory again." When Midnight didn't budge, he snarled, "Run."

Midnight swallowed, touched an eye with his paw and sped off, leaving the four cats behind in the clearing.

Sunmask watched him go, and even after he was gone, she gazed at his path. Pure shock gripped her all around, she wasn't even able to feel happiness. The shock had numbed her emotions, and then she had to wonder if there was anything left.

Radiantmask cleared her throat, and Pouncefoot turned towards her slowly. It appeared as if he was feeling the same thing Sunmask was when he looked Radiantmask over. She didn't think that he would ever speak, but eventually, he did.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

Radiantmask walked up to him and touched noses. Pouncefoot flinched, feeling the unreal sensation that was seeing his mate again after so long. "Well, here I am."

A look crossed over his face. It was a look that Sunmask had never seen on her father's face before. The aloof stare he always wore had vanished like it never existed, and was replaced with a gaze of incredibly strong love.

He twined tails with her smiling gently. Radiantmask looked at him affectionately and gave him a quick lick on the ear, then, to Pouncefoot's confusion, she stepped away.

"Wait, where are you going?" he asked her.

"StarClan calls," she said. The words sent a chill down Sunmask's spine.

"But-" he said, taking a step towards her. "But I just got to see you now."

"I know," she said, voice cracking. "But we'll meet again soon. Very soon. All of you." She began to fade, and she looked over all of the cats that stood before her. "I promise."

And in a heartbeat, she was gone.

Sunmask suddenly felt deflated. There she was, in her territory, she had just seen her mother for the first time since a long time ago, and the battle was over. She suddenly felt a certain emptiness looming within her, like she no longer had a purpose anymore. After all, she had just saved the Clans, now what did she stand for?

"I never even got to speak to her," breathed Shadeglare.

"What now?" Sunmask asked, looking up at her father.

He was silent for many moments, and at first, she didn't think he had heard her, but he soon spoke, quietly, words sounding meaningless. "I suppose we gather the dead bodies, thank the other Clans for their help, and rejoice the fact that we've won."

He sighed and started to pad off in the direction of the camp. Sunmask could only imagine what he would see beyond the clearing.

"I should probably be off," Shadeglare said, starting to turn away from her.

"Wait," she stopped him. "Hold on a moment."

He looked at her curiously.

"Don't you want to stay here a while?" she asked. "See your birth Clan?..Join your birth Clan?"

"What?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied. "I realized through this experience that there are things that I should know about you and about my own Clan that I don't because I was too occupied with this whole thing to really think about it all. What do you say, do you want to join me?"

"Sunmask," he sighed, turning away from her again. "I can't. Ivystar is dead. I am the leader of my Clan now. The need me to be there for them. That's something I haven't really been doing lately, so it's time I start."

She looked at him, unable to speak. It was all too much to take in at once. She knew that what he was saying was true, but it still hurt to know that she might meet her brother on the battlefield. It's happened before, but this time it would be different, after everything they've been through.

"Goodbye, sister," he said, and slipped through the trees, probably the last time she would ever refer to her as family.

Sunmask sat down. It was eerily quiet. The wind had calmed and the cries of battle have died down. She had felt alone before, but this felt... different.

They had won, but at what cost?

I wrote this in a frickin day. I better get some reviews.

Nightstorm: ;)

~Destiny (and Nightstorm)