Hello everyone!

This is the final chapter of Starlight! Thank you all for coming with me on this journey, I can't believe I'm four of six books into my second arc of this series! As you come to the end of this story, however, I hope you can see why Starlight is a very pivotal story in the AU. I had my struggles with this one, same as I do every story, as I wanted this one to hit hard and hit well.

Twilight is next! I have no estimate on when it will be done, but as always p/a/t/r/e/o/n is the best place to receive news and updates regarding not just this story, but any of my art and writing projects. Twilight is, so far, proving to be difficult to wrestle with (I've already redone it outline twice!) so while I hope to have it done this year, it might take a while until I'm satisfied with it for a public release. Hopefully Sunset won't be so frustrating!

On a different note, there is something I feel the need to address: I state it at the beginning of every story, but I do not tolerate harassment, whether it's over something large or something small. If I can block you, I will block you. If I have to delete every comment, I will delete every comment. There is absolutely no excuse to use this space to spread the kind of speech that can be intensely triggering to not just my readers (in a demographic that is very young), but to me as well. Behavior like that is extremely discouraging to see.

At one point, it was very easy for me to answer every single question that readers might have. Nowadays, though, it just isn't. I'm older, I have more responsibilities, and I'm trying to keep things on my stories as clean and easy to read as possible. A lot of questions are ones I can't answer, anyway, or I risk spoiling the story! If there's something pressing, there are many avenues to contact me where's it's much simpler for me to respond.

Once again, thank you all for reading! Enjoy this, the end of Starlight!

-Twilight

Chapter 31

"Shadepool, hurry up! We don't have all night to wait!"

"S-Sorry!"

Shadepool worked her way across the old cedar, moving as quickly as she dared. Though most of ThunderClan – and RiverClan and ShadowClan, by the smells of things – had already made their way across, proving that the new bridge was safe, Shadepool couldn't help but want to linger, even if it meant upsetting those waiting behind her.

Ashfoot died beneath this tree, she thought dismally, picking her way through the old, brittle branches. Once, they had held tight to cones and needles; but now, severed from the earth and battered by three whole blizzards since it's falling, the old gray branches were barren. Now, beneath all that, hidden beneath a layer of snow, was the smallest tuft of gray fur...

Shadepool reached the end, finally, and leaped down. Brightheart landed just behind her, sighing, muttering about young cats these days as she trotted off, nose to the ground.

Not wanting to be in any cat's way, Shadepool edged away from the end of the old cedar. She took in the island as best as she could – it was a small, forested piece of land cut off from the rest of the lake territories by a narrow channel of water, too deep to simply wade but shallow enough to swim across, if one was RiverClan and it weren't leafbare.

Once it was thought unusable; now, the four Clans had agreed that it would be the new site of their Gatherings, after the old cedar fell and made a bridge across. Every cat decided that it was the will of StarClan, that they wanted the Clans to go back to normal after the unrest in WindClan.

If that was the case, StarClan chose well, Shadepool thought soberly. She had seen Fourtrees a few times in the old forest, but the island felt private, safe, and, most importantly, neutral – something the Clans desperately needed.

She pushed through a ring of dead ferns and into a large, shallow clearing free of trees or bushes, as if StarClan themselves had cleared them a suitable place to Gather. Everything on the island seemed to lead to this spot, and a great old oak tree stood tall and proud in the very center, its roots thick and stable and its big, low branches leafless. The clearing was full of snow, though the cats were very quickly stamping it down as they padded to and fro and explored.

Already, it seemed like the deputies Tawnypelt and Blackfoot had decided the roots of the oak to be a suitable spot for them to sit. Shadepool spotted Mothwing and Littlecloud clearing a space for the medicine cats a few paces away, near an old stone caught up by the oak's roots. Brackenfur limped over to join them.

Shadepool knew she was expected to do the same, but she just couldn't, not yet. Without WindClan here, the Gathering couldn't start anyway, and the island was so new, so full of wonder...

She could feel her brother exploring it, Mistyfoot by his side. Through him, Shadepool felt as if she could see every inch of the island, even if she stood alone and unmoving at its center. She felt Nightfrost's surprise as he found out how cold the lakewater was, Shadepool's nose chilling over in response.

Using a paw, she rubbed warmth back into her muzzle. Mouse-brain! she thought stubbornly. Always sticking his nose where it doesn't belong, even in the dead of leafbare! If he caught a chill, she would have words with him!

She thought about joining her littermate as he walked around the lake, but the presence of Mistyfoot made it difficult for Shadepool to justify. The last thing she wanted to do was intrude, especially where she felt unwelcomed.

"No WindClan?" asked Sootfur as he sat down beside Sorreltail, his sister, and the Tribe she-cat-turned-ThunderClan-warrior, Sun.

"Not a scent of them," Sorreltail answered. She flicked some snow off her shoulder. "Even on the way here! It's like they haven't bothered to walk around their own territory for a quarter moon."

Sun was nodding along. "I worry about them," she mewed. She looked unbothered by the cold, but her expression was concerned. "I hope everything is all right..."

Shadepool flicked an ear, glancing at the old cedar for any signs of new movement. She, too, hoped that WindClan was alright, though for more than just the obvious reasons. With each blink, she hoped to see one specific body crossing the old cedar, though she wondered if he could even stomach it, after what he had seen it do.

Crowflight...

Her heart ached, and then whirled with a freezing storm of excitement and worry. The knowledge that he loved her as much as she loved him... it was almost enough to sweep away the creeping fears about breaking not just one code, but two – not only were cross-Clan relationships frowned upon, but medicine cats were absolutely forbidden to have mates.

She glanced over at Brackenfur, who was chatting with Littlecloud. So far, it seemed her mentor hadn't picked up on Shadepool's feelings for the WindClan tom, or knew that he reciprocated. Shadepool's heart thudded in her chest at the thought of Brackenfur finding out.

What would he do?

The full moon arced high in the night sky, and finally it seemed as if the other Clans were unwilling to wait for WindClan. Tinystar, Russetstar, and Leopardstar clambered up the old oak, each finding one of the low-hanging branches to sit upon. From so high up, their eyes looked like pairs of stars caught in the tree's spindly fingers.

"Cats of all Clans, gather close!" yowled Leopardstar. As the eldest leader, she had the right to speak before the others: "The first Gathering upon the island will commence!"

"What about WindClan?" asked Falcontail. He was sitting with his Clanmates on the other side of the clearing. "They've not yet arrived!"

Shadepool felt a flash of fury that Falcontail, of all cats, was concerned. You were leading the rebels from the other Clans that tried to tear WindClan apart – what do you care for their well-being?

She guessed that the only reason he was allowed at this Gathering at all was because he was Leopardstar's son, a fact that seemed to justify a lot of his aggressive behavior. Mothwing, at least, seemed to think so.

"He's right," meowed Stoneheart. He sat beside his mate, Rowanclaw, and his friend, Pinewhisker, among the rest of ShadowClan. "We shouldn't start without them. Especially not the first Gathering!"

Shadepool knew that Rowanclaw hadn't participated in the battle, but she couldn't recall whether she'd seen Pinewhisker among the ShadowClan cats Falcontail had convinced to join him. Stoneheart had had little issue teaching his own Clanmates a lesson, but Shadepool trusted he wouldn't associate with Pinewhisker if he had been on the wrong side.

"I agreed," Tinystar meowed regretfully, staring down at the Clans below with his ice-blue eyes. His dark body made him seem like a shadow clinging to the oak branch. "But we're running out of moonlight, and it's the dead of leafbare..."

Shadepool imagined her father had made a passionate argument to the others – Onewhisker, the cat to be WindClan's new leader, was his dear friend. He no doubt wanted to be the first to hail him properly at not just his first Gathering, but the four Clan's first Gathering on the island.

"If WindClan desires to make us wait out in the cold," Russetstar meowed severely, "they'll have to pay us in sheep's wool. It isn't worth catching greencough for any Clan!"

Leopardstar nodded in agreement. "They're free to arrive at any time," she mused. Twisting her tail to gather everyone close, she meowed, "In the meantime – we thank StarClan, and Ashfoot, for this island, and the path we've been given. May we Gather here in peace for seasons to come, guarded by her spirit."

Every cat in the clearing went silent, each one dipping their heads in honor of Ashfoot. Shadepool sighed, her heart aching. Ashfoot was the former deputy of WindClan, and Crowflight's mother – she had died saving both Onewhisker and Mudclaw from the falling cedar, and her body still lay buried beneath it: a grim and permanent reminder of the four Clan's first major battle beside the lake.

As heads popped back up, Shadepool used the opportunity to scurry over to the other medicine cats. She slotted in beside Mothwing, ignoring the disappointed look for her lateness from Brackenfur.

Shadepool smoothed her pelt and asked Mothwing, voice low, "What'd I miss?"

"Not much," Mothwing whispered back. "Just a bunch of herb talk..."

"RiverClan has very little news to share," Leopardstar meowed. Her voice carried well from the old oak tree. "Our Clan is recovering well from the battle, though Blackclaw still suffers from a persistent cough."

"He nearly died," Mothwing gasped, sounding sorrowful. She touched her nose to Shadepool's ear. "Thanks so much for the spare tansy. It really did help."

"It's no problem," Shadepool purred. "That's what medicine cats do!" Though she hadn't wanted to help Blackclaw of all cats – he had helped Falcontail arrange the rebellion with Mudclaw - ThunderClan territory was the only one that hadn't lost all its herbs to the first blizzards. Regardless of how much Blackclaw had tried to help make WindClan suffer, Shadepool knew she could not be responsible for a cat's death if it were preventable.

Tinystar had taken up the mantle to speak, now. "Our warriors are also recovering well from the battle – not only that, but Sun has earned her full status as a warrior of ThunderClan!"

"Sun! Sun!" though cats raised their voices in congratulations, more than a few looked baffled that Sun had not chosen a warrior's name, mostly from the other Clans. Some even dared to look angry.

Tinystar was anticipating it: "Sun abstained from taking a warrior name in order to preserve her heritage as a Tribe cat. I saw no issue with this, and StarClan did not strike her down during her vigil, as it was one of the few nights free of snow. I took that as sign enough that Sun was in the right. Her name remains, until such a time as she asks for it to change."

That seemed to settle the Clans, but she spotted Cedarheart of ShadowClan grumble something into his mate, Finchsong's ear. Finchsong rolled her eyes and continued chatting in pawspeak with Snowstep. Shadepool couldn't quite make out what they were talking about, but she guessed it had to do with their kits, who had become friends on the Great Journey. Larchkit, at least, was always asking about visiting ShadowClan.

Russetstar was beginning her announcements, but Shadepool glanced at the old cedar. Were WindClan really not going to be here in time? Her heart filled with dread. What could that mean?

Before she could speculate further, she saw a shape flickering at the end of the cedar – a cat so white they seemed to glow. Shadepool, excited, moved to nudge Mothwing – but when she blinked, the white cat was gone, instead replaced with the wiry, moonlit shapes of WindClan.

Russetstar cut off her announcement. "Finally!" she meowed. "WindClan has arrived!"

"Took you long enough," Leopardstar drawled. She curled her lip. "Did you think we'd wait all night... Hm?"

The dappled leader's ears pricked, her expression changing. Slowly, as the WindClan cats moved through the crowd, Shadepool became aware that every cat around her seemed on some level shocked and stunned. She felt surprise coming off of Nightfrost in waves that tickled her pelt, and Shadepool craned her neck to try and see what the fuss was about – from this spot, she couldn't see deep into the crowd where the WindClan cats were walking.

Is Crowflight here? Did he come? Her heart thudded in her ears. She thought she saw the curve of his ears...

A dark shape leaped up the old oak and crossed onto one of the branches. From his place, Tinystar lifted his spine and hissed, "What is the meaning of this?!"

"I am taking my place," Mudclaw responded, his voice a low growl. "What does it look like, Tinystar?" He was struggling to settle properly on the branch he'd chosen, wrestling with a leg that was clearly still injured from the cedar's fall.

"Where is Onewhisker?" demanded Tinystar.

Shadepool saw her father's claws slide out. Murmurs of worry clouded the air, and Shadepool felt Nightfrost's heartbeat accelerate her own. If Mudclaw was standing up with the other leaders, then that meant...

"I am WindClan's leader," Mudclaw drawled on. "I am Mudstar, by the virtue of StarClan."

The clearing erupted into chaos.

"How can this be?" Leopardstar demanded, her eyes flying wide. The fur along her spine lifted. "After all you've done, surely StarClan would have denied you!"

"They did not," rattled Ryewhisper. The skinny medicine cat had finally made his way over to Shadepool and the others, and he settled a tail-length away, as if trying to avoid any questioning. His face was lit by the moon as he looked up at Leopardstar. "I sat at his ceremony. Mudstar is leader of WindClan."

What?! Shadepool searched the crowd for Barkface, for another confirmation of this absurdity, but realized that the old brown tom was nowhere to be found.

Mudstar nodded, thanking Ryewhisper for his support. "And Crowflight is my deputy," he announced.

WHAT?!

This sent the Clans into even more of an uproar.

"He's had no apprentice!" snarled Cedarheart.

Dustpelt agreed, howling, "You've slaughtered the warrior code!"

"He's a kit!" screeched Brackenflight of RiverClan. Shadepool spotted the gleam of claws. "How dare you insult us all like this!?"

Shadepool looked away and saw him then, the lean, gray-black shape of the cat she loved, crouched down next to Tawnypelt and Blackfoot, both of whom looked just as shocked as everyone else to see him there. His dark blue gaze was fixed on the crowd - he didn't dare look Shadepool's way with all these eyes on him now, all these criticisms being thrown - but she saw his ear flick in her direction and knew that he felt her gaze.

"Do you see StarClan objecting?" Mudstar demanded, raising his voice to a yowl and glaring down at his detractors. His teeth gleamed in the dark. His entire body was bristling. "Do you?!"

Stubbornly, the sky remained clear. The full moon shone down on the clearing, cold and pale and silent. Mudstar's words seemed to quiet the entire group, though not a single cat looked as if they were about to sleep well tonight once they returned home. More than one older warrior glared at Crowflight and Mudstar, now, and Shadepool saw claws gleaming in the slush.

Shadepool shivered and remembered her dream of the moorland splitting in two – she thought they had averted that disaster when they'd won the battle and Mudstar had given up; had they only paved the way for it to become reality?

"You still haven't answered me," hissed Tinystar. He drew forward on his branch, his claws flashing in the moonlight as he glared icicles at Mudstar. Teeth bared, he demanded, "What happened to Onewhisker?!"

Mudstar glowered at Tinystar. The entire clearing held its breath, waiting for him to speak.

"Onewhisker is dead."