So I apologize it took me so long to post this chapter, I've had a crazy couple of weeks!

Thanks as always to my reviewers, you guys are the reason I keep posting :)

This is the last chapter so hold on! Who's ready for this book to wrap up?

Chapter 21

Dawnspirit could only stare at Batwing, her mouth hanging open. So many emotions flickered through her mind, none that she could place, and she blinked slowly, wondering if it was a dream and would all wash away.

"What did you just say?" she said, her voice frozen.

Batwing sniffled, her eyes now watering. "Crookedstar is your father," she mewed, trembling. "Pebbletail didn't find you out in the forest, you were given to him to protect."

Dawnspirit stepped forward, her eyes large with disbelief. "Is this a joke? Because its not very funny at all."

"Your mother is Eaglewing, the Thunderclan deputy," Batwing said quietly, hating the look of horror and slight betrayal in Dawnspirit's eyes.

Dawnspirit once more simply stared, the story becoming stranger as she heard more. "Explain," she said calmly, her voice cold and fearful.

"Crookedstar wanted a cat in Thunderclan that would be linked to him by blood," Batwing began shakily. "He thought that if the cat knew he was its father, then there would be an instant bond and undeniable loyalty. He forced Eaglewing, he r-raped her." Batwing's voice trembled as she remembered her dream, remembered the helpless she-cats panic, her fear. "But Eaglewing had the kit early, and only made it to the Shadowclan camp. She knew the kit could have no place with her, and so she left it with Pebbletail, who helped her with the kitting. She made Pebbletail swear to protect her kit, train her as medicine cat, and hide her identity from Crookedstar." Batwing looked up at Dawnspirit, whose face from stunned. "That kit was you."

The medicine stared at Batwing, unable to understand what she was hearing. "Crookedstar is my father," she whispered, tears trickling down her fur. She began to shake, both of out sadness and anger. "How long have you known?"

"Four moons," Batwing said, guilt flaring up in her eyes.

"Four moons?" Dawnspirit gasped. "Why didn't you tell me?" Suddenly she thought back to her dream with Nina, the memory now making perfect sense. "For my kits sake, if he knows who she is, she will never be safe," she whispered, realizing now that it all had just been clues to help her understand her past. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was afraid what you'd say," Batwing murmured, ducking her head.

"I have to go," Dawnspirit hissed, turning sharply and running back through the trees towards the Shadowclan camp.

Eaglewing watched Dawnspirit rush out of the clearing, her head in a turmoil. She had followed Batwing to the clearing in Shadowclan, wondering why her former apprentice was leaving the camp in such a hurry. Now she knew.

Batwing must have been meeting Dawnspirit here, although why, she did not know. However that was not what bothered her. How had Batwing known about everything? How could she, no one had known what had happened to her kit. She shivered with fear, wondering if perhaps Starclan had told the young she-cat, to tell Dawnspirit when the time was right.

She looked up in surprise as Batwing let out a squeal of shock. The black she-cat was staring at her, having spotted her, slowly backing away.

"Batwing, wait!" Eaglewing cried. She rushed over, her eyes sad. "Please, how did you know all of that?"

"What are you doing here," Batwing whispered, shaking. "Did you follow me?"

"Please," Eaglewing begged, ignoring her question. "Just tell me how you knew. Pebbletail was the only cat I ever told."

Batwing looked unsure of whether to reply. "Nightclaw gave me memories," she said softly, avoiding the deputy's eyes. "He showed me everything."

"Nightclaw? He's been visiting you in your dreams?" Eaglewing hissed. "Why?"

"It doesn't matter," mewed Batwing quickly. "He was just trying to show me how dangerous Crookedstar was, and he succeeded."

Eaglewing closed her eyes, breathing deeply. "And now Dawnspirit is going to try to stop him. I fear that he'll kill her."

Dawnspirit slunk through the camp, keeping in the shadows. She padded into the medicine cat den quickly before any cat noticed her, and watched from the darkness.

"Cats of Shadowclan." Crookedstar stood before the clan, a huge crowd gathered below him. He stood tall, an air of authority wrapped around him. "You know that I simply want the best for all of you, yet I cannot stand to be betrayed." He voice was cold as he spoke and he jumped down from the highrock, the clan clearing a space for him. "This is what happens to those who disobey me."

Scratchfur padded through the cats, pushing something in front of him, stopping in front of the leader. As he turned, Dawnspirit saw in horror that it was Blueflower. Her friend lay on the ground, her eyes wide and terrified. Bruises and small cuts covered her body and it was clear she had been in a fight already, now exhausted from it.

"This she-cat defied me, and refused to go into battle today to defend our clan. Remember her, for she is an example of what happens to those who betray me." With a snarl, Crookedstar leapt forward and slashed open Blueflower's throat with one clean cut, splattering blood across her body and onto the dirt.

"No!" Dawnspirit roared with horror, lunging out from the shadows. She charged through the Shadowclan cats and pushed Crookedstar off of Blueflower, her movements quick and desperate. "What have you done?" she screamed, as her friend's chest stopped rising, her eyes slowly closing. She turned back to Crookedstar her face livid. "How dare you attack and kill another warrior of Shadowclan! Do you have no compassion, no honor? She was simply standing up for what is right, this is beyond treachery."

Crookedstar growled at her, but she ignored him, turning back to the clan. "Do you not find it odd that our brave leader has never gone into battle with us? Should he not be proud to defend Shadowclan at our side?"

Crookedstar glared at her and snorted. "Foolish she-cat, I do that because I am not needed in battle."

"Really?" mewed Dawnspirit scornfully. "Because Twigtail is now lying in the medicine cat den dying, so I could care to disagree."

Crookedstar faltered at her words, his eyes widening as confused murmurs spread across the clan.

"I shall tell you why our leader has not gone to fight at our side," Dawnspirit called out, her confidence growing. "He has lied to us, for when he went to the moonpool, Starclan rejected him. They knew his treachery and evil and refused to recognize him as the leader of Shadowclan. He was never given nine lives."

The camp went silent. Every single eye was now on Dawnspirit, wide and unblinking with shock and horror.

"That is not true!" snarled Crookedstar, his face livid. "I have nine lives! I have not lost a single one!"

"Stop with the lies!" Dawnspirit cried. "A medicine cat always knows how many lives a leader has left, I noticed it the moment you came back from the moonpool, however I thought I must have been imagining things. That is why you attacked me that night, when you returned from the moonpool. You attacked me out of rage, you needed something to get out all of your anger. Starclan knows that you do not deserve to be leader, that is why they did not grant you nine lives."

Crookedstar's lips drew back in fury, and he began to tremble. With a cry of rage, he lunged at Dawnspirit, claws outstretched. The tom expected the medicine cat to freeze in terror, but she simply moved nimbly out of the way, her steps experienced.

With a snarl, Dawnspirit sunk her teeth into her scruff as he flew past her, slumping onto the ground with a scream. She stepped back, her teeth dripping with blood. "You tried to stop me from learning how to fight," she mewed, taunting him. "Because you knew that I was the only who would know your weakness. But I learned to fight anyway, I didn't pay your rules any heed."

Crookedstar roared with anger and ran his claws down her side with a triumphant look. Dawnspirit yelped in pain, but flashed paw out and under him, sweeping him off his paws. The leader landed with a thump on the ground, and Dawnspirit once more bit his neck with all her might. He threw her off, and she landed a few mousetails away from the edge of the crowd, all the cats stepping in alarm, not quite sure what to do.

"You killed Pebbletail because you were afraid he'd defy you," Dawnspirit hissed, beginning to circle Crookedstar. "You knew that he didn't trust you, and were afraid he would bring you down as a leader." She looked at his wounds, bleeding heavily, nearly fatal, in satisfaction. "And now I shall prove to the whole clan, and show them the fraud that you are." With a flying leap,sShe jumped onto him, her claws slicing all the way down his neck, ripping it open.

Crookedstar screamed with pain, a tortured, high pitched scream which rose up into the air. He collapsed onto to the ground, his breaths quick and frantic, struggling to suck in oxygen. Dawnspirit leaned over to see him beginning to sink into unconsciousness, getting closer to him. "Where are you nine lives now?" she whispered into his ear. "Goodbye, father."

Crookedstar's eyes widened at her words, understanding filling his horrified amber eyes. And then they closed, his head slumped back, and his chest stopped moving. Dawnspirit raised her eyes to meet the clan.

"Do you not see?" she called out, her voice sad. "He is dead. Don't you understand? You have been blinded by the hate for others so much that you have forgotten the ways of the clans and have strayed away from Starclan."

Understanding flared up in each of the Shadowclan cat's eyes. It was as if they were seeing the camp for the first time, seeing their actions with a new light. A soft groan echoed out through the silent camp, and Dawnspirit looked over in shock to see that Blueflower was still alive. She rushed over, tears filling her eyes.

"You did," Blueflower croaked softly. "I heard it at all, I knew you could save us."

Dawnspirit trembled, salty tears splashing down her face. "You can't die," she whispered. "Not yet, Shadowclan is free now."

"I'll go to Starclan at peace knowing that my clan is safe," Blueflower murmured, her eyes fluttering. "That is the greatest gift I can get. Thank you." She slowly took one last wavering breath before closing her eyes forever.

Dawnspirit stepped, back more tears streaking down her grey fur. "We shall sit vigil for Blueflower tonight," she called out, her voice commanding as she took charge of the stunned and unsure clan. "I shall choose a new leader and deputy by moonhigh."

The crowd dispersed at her words, all simply too shocked to say anything. Dawnspirit watched the Shadowclan cats go, nodding her head happily.

"Things are going to get better," she mewed hopefully, gazing up off into the distance.

"I know that today has been hard on all of you." Dawnspirit's voice was blunt. She gazed out across the clan, looking into each of their eyes, seeing the fear and the confusion, nearly blocked by the fierce denial. "However now is the time to show the forest our strength, prove to them that we have moved passed our mistakes. Crookedstar invaded our clan like a virus, he caught us off guard in our time of need and took advantage of us. Now we have proven to ourselves and to the three other clans that we have the power to drive out the evil among us."

As she finished speaking, Dawnspirit could see cats nodding. She could see the spark of understand which gleamed in their eyes. She had drawn away the clouds which had flickered before them for so long, hiding their judgement. Once the murmuring had stopped, she continued, her mind reeling as she unveiled the decision which had been pummeling through her mind.

"I know you all have been waiting for my next words, and so I'll be quick. Yet I want to stress that I have chosen exactly who is prepared and perfect to lead Shadowclan in this time of need, who will not take advantage of us just as Crookedstar did."

Silence bubbled through the camp, every cat hanging off her words. The emptiness buzzed with tension, as if one loud cry could have snapped it like a twig.

"I say these words before Starclan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice." Dawnspirit's words echoed out across the cats, flowing from her mouth with ease. It seemed as if she had been born for this responsibility, picking Shadowclan up after they had fallen. Your new leader is Sableleaf," Dawnspirit mewed, smiling as she spoke the toms name. "The new deputy is Hawkstorm."

Cheers exploded out among the cats as she finished, as clearly accepting her choice. Sabeleaf's eyes were wide with shock, yet he was grinning with a sunny happiness. Shadowclan cats all rushed over to congratulate the new leader and deputy, and Dawnspirit watched from afar.

A sad smile floated on her face as her eyes drifted lazily up to the ebony sky, now twinkling with stars. It seemed as if they were warmer tonight, kind and inviting. "Starclan is watching over us again," she whispered softly, a warm feeling bubbling up through her. "Things are going to get better." And for the first time in many moons, she truly meant it.

THE END.

Did anyone like it? I'm going to be really busy with school starting up, so it'll be at least one week, maybe more, before I have the beginning of the fourth book posted. But I promise its going to be one of my best yet, its a completely different from anything I've ever done so I'm very excited.

We get three new main characters, new love interests, and lots of new kits!