Chapter 5:
Love Does Conquer All
Angelwing had followed Goldenpelt's scent far out of Clan territory. It scared her a little, but the thought of Goldenpelt kept her going. Soon, she came to a place where Goldenpelt's scent was very strong.
"Goldenpelt? Goldenpelt…" She called softly.
"Angelwing?" a familiar voice said with shock clearly embedded in it. Goldenpelt came out of a nearby shadow.
Angelwing merely dashed to him and twined her tail with his.
"I've missed you so. I love you." She purred.
Goldenpelt gave her a lick. "I love you too." As they stood there, enjoying being together again, it began to rain.
"Let's get outta here." Goldenpelt urged. It was silent for a while as Angelwing thought.
"Goldenpelt…We have to go back." Angelwing said after the silence.
"You're kidding? But we're finally together." Goldenpelt said in shock.
"Our place is with our Clans. If we run away, they'll be divided forever."
Meanwhile, Northwind was pacing in his family's den, anxious about Angelwing. He had a close bond to her and if anything happened to her, he'd never forgive himself.
"Bearstar!" A yowl interrupted his guilt trip.
"Angelheart, what is it?" Bearstar asked sharply.
"WaterClan is on the attack, heading this way! It's war!" She said.
"Petalflight, Fanshine, get the queens, kits, and elders to safety. I'll assemble the warriors. Move! Now!"
Sometime later, WaterClan and MoonClan were facing each other on a broad meadow near the border.
"It's over, Bearstar! I have dreamed of nothing else for moons!" Riverstar yowled.
"Boy, does he need a hobby!" Northwind muttered under his breath. Bearstar huffed. I couldn't agree more…
"Last chance Riverstar. Go home." Bearstar hissed.
"ATTACK!" was his only answer. His warriors let out hisses and growls as they walked to attack the MoonClan warriors.
Bearstar yowled and his own warriors began to walk. Soon it became a full run as MoonClan and WaterClan clashed.
Some distance away, Angelwing and Goldenpelt were charging full speed ahead towards the battlefield. They stopped when they saw the dust rising and exchanged a concerned look.
"Please let us be in time!" Angelwing breathed as she and Goldenpelt continued their race against time.
Bearstar let out a yowl as Riverstar struck him in the shoulder. All the battling cats stopped, knowing that this was the climax of the battle.
However, just as they were about to land the first blows, Angelwing and Goldenpelt jumped into the scene and stood between the two enemies.
"Angelwing?" Bearstar said in disbelief. Angelwing shot him a glare.
"Goldenpelt…Move." Riverstar said hatefully. Goldenpelt narrowed his eyes and snarled.
"Stand aside." Bearstar said.
"This has got to stop!" Angelwing snapped.
Riverstar spat, "Get out of the way!" as Bearstar hissed, "Stay out of this!"
"You'll never hurt Angelwing...or Bearstar. Not while I'm here." Goldenpelt growled menacingly.
Riverstar spat as Angelwing said softly, "Mother once told me, "We are one." I didn't understand what she meant... now I do." And she truly did know what her mother had meant all those moons ago.
Bearstar's eyes changed from hard into soft as realization dawned on him. The rain stopped and father and daughter nuzzled, happy their arguments were now over.
"Sunmark... now!" Riverstar ordered.
Sunmark didn't want to. She'd had enough. "No, Father! Angelwing's right." She walked over to Goldenpelt's side, turning around to face him. "Enough."
WaterClan exchanged looks. They were right. Enough…
"If you will not fight, then you will die as well." Riverstar spat.
Mistsong had had it. "WaterClan! We're leaving!" She yowled. She led her Clan back home. Sunmark followed them.
"Wha-what? Get back here!" Riverstar yowled.
"Let it go, Riverstar. It's time to put the past behind us." Bearstar said calmly.
"I'll never let it go!" He spat, lunging for Bearstar. Angelwing, swift as a snake, threw herself in his way.
"Angelwing!" Both her father and Goldenpelt shouted at the same time. Angelwing gasped as Riverstar pinned her and slashed her stomach, not deeply enough to kill, but enough that it hurt.
Goldenpelt, enraged now, leaped onto his father's back, knocking him off Angelwing, and with a single, deadly move that Riverstar himself had taught him, killed him.
Angelwing, who had been lying where his father had pinned her, got up. With wobbly steps, she came over to Goldenpelt, leaned into his soft fur, and sighed, "Goldenpelt..."
"Oh, Angelwing." Goldenpelt said, curling his tail around her.
They looked up as Angelwing's father came to them. Goldenpelt was shaking inside, but forced himself to meet her father's gaze squarely.
"Goldenpelt... I was wrong. You belong here." Bearstar said with a smile. He turned to his daughter.
"I think this belongs to you." He said, tucking her flower back behind her ear. She smiled at him. "Let's go home." He said to his warriors. With Goldenpelt supporting Angelwing, they made their way home.
A year later, Snowpelt helped Angelwing deliver her kits, a black tom with ripples of silver named Ripplekit and a golden she-cat named Starkit.
Northwind, now Northstar, knew now that those two kits, Ripplekit and Starkit, had been exactly what StarClan had had in mind when he had been sent that dream moons ago. He looked proudly at his niece and nephew. His gaze transferred to his own kit, a white tom with gray paws named Splashkit, and mate, Icegaze.
A veil of sadness came over him. If only their parents could have lived to see this. But greencough had taken both of them that terrible leafbare. Petalflight's mate and a few others had also died. But he thought, MoonClan will live on, through these tiny kits, we will survive…
One thing was certain. With both the blood of Riverstar and Bearstar in them, Starkit and Ripplekit's destiny would far greater than any of the Clans—even StarClan—could ever see…