The prophecy at the beginning of this chapter doesn't fit quite right. Really it fits the first part of the second scene best. Oh, well. I hope everyone enjoys it!

Chapter 29

Doveheart

Darkness, air, water, and sky will come together and shake the forest to its roots. Nothing will be as it is now, or ever was before. ~Midnight

Earlier that morning…

Doveheart came to a stop just inside the trees, her flanks heaving with effort.

"Doveheart!" At once, Sedgewhisker trotted over to her, helping Doveheart when she staggered. "What's wrong?"

"I must speak to Onestar," said Doveheart. Sedgewhisker relayed the message to one of her Clan-mates. "We have no time to lose."

"Why?" said Sedgewhisker. "What's going on?"

"Doveheart." Doveheart looked up at Onestar as he trotted across the clearing to meet her. "How did you find us?"

"Don't worry about that," said Doveheart hastily. "I carry a message from Firestar and Jayfeather."

"Go on, then," said Onestar. "Is this about us sending our cats over to Jayfeather for aid? You must have heard by now that Kestrelflight is being held hostage."

"It's not about that," said Doveheart. She took a deep breath. "Our spy, the one that was in your old camp, came to us with reports of the motions of the Place of No Stars."

She had half expected her words to faze them, but there was no reaction from Onestar and the rest of his loyal WindClan warriors. Steadied by their faith and readiness to hear her out, Doveheart continued.

"Rosepetal reports that their plans are to attack the Clans. They will send a party to ThunderClan and another to RiverClan, and once they have finished there, they will go to ShadowClan. I would expect that they would come here as soon as they were finished."

"I hardly think a group of fox-hearts can take down three warrior Clans," said Leaftail harshly. A few other WindClan cats mumbled their agreement.

"They've figured out a way to ally with the shadow cats," said Doveheart. "And Tigerstar himself plans to attend this battle."

"Tigerstar doesn't care about us," said Nightcloud. "Why should we do anything?"

"That's not right," said Doveheart. "Tigerstar cares about control. He'll come after you, and if you don't agree to his new…order or whatever he wants, he'll kill you all. Kits and queens and elders as well as warriors."

"What does Firestar plan to do with this information?" said Ashfoot. "I suppose that's why you've been sent here. To get us to fight."

"Yes," said Doveheart. "We need your help if we are going to take them down before they ruin the Clans."

"The Clans are already ruined," muttered Emberfoot. He received a few dark glances. "I mean with our arrangements! Our own medicine cat is being held hostage by our warriors!"

"We can't fight," said Heathertail. "What about the cats who are still recovering? What about our future? We've been driven out, so why can't we just flee?"

"Not fight!" said Swallowtail, her ears flattening. "What kind of cowards would that make us? Our friends are in there."

"Traitors are in there," said Weaselfur. "I don't see why they are our problem."

"And Sunstrike and Petalflight and Kestrelflight!" said Swallowtail.

"Onestar?" said Ashfoot, waving her tail to stop the dispute among her Clan-mates. "What are you thinking?"

Onestar was staring at the sky just above Doveheart's head, his eyes slightly glossy and focused on the distance, not what was right in front of him. Doveheart didn't know if he was looking for a sign from StarClan or interested in a bird that had passed in front of a tree. She hopped from paw to paw, knowing that across the lake, Icecloud and Brackenfur were begging for assistance from RiverClan, and that Lionblaze and Dustpelt were begging for help from ShadowClan. Mistystar would agree – of that they were sure. Blackstar would fight, too, because he wouldn't back down from the challenge, which is how Dustpelt intended to phrase it. But Onestar? Firestar seemed unsure about his old friend. The WindClan leader had already had his Clan fall apart once. Perhaps he would be more willing to run.

"Please," said Doveheart. She didn't know how to reason with the WindClan leader. At last, Onestar looked down and met her eyes. His amber gaze had hardened, instantly turning him from a tired leader to a ready warrior.

"I will fight with you," he said. Onestar looked around his Clan. "WindClan, we have been given an important job to do."

"We're fighting?" said a shivering apprentice. "We're fighting against the shadow cats?"

"We have to," said Onestar. "Many of you remember the war with BloodClan, when WindClan joined ThunderClan to fight off those that threatened our security as Clans. This is just like that time. The warrior code, StarClan – all of it has been threatened. We must do our part in restoring our Clan to its full strength. If some of you would like to stay behind and protect the queens and elders, I will respect that decision. I will not think any less of you if you want to protect your existing Clan-mates rather than fight for the glory of what we have been forced out of." He turned back to Doveheart. "WindClan will fight, Doveheart. You can tell Firestar that."

"We move out at sun-high," said Doveheart. "If you would meet us at the border between your territory and ThunderClan's, we would appreciate it." She bowed her head. "Thank you, Onestar."

"Then we will see you at sun-high," said Onestar. "You have done well coming here to warn us of this, Doveheart. Though if I may ask again – how did you find this camp? Is our location known?"

"No," said Doveheart, shaking her head. "Firestar told me a general location, and I figured it out on my own."

"You have good instinct, and great courage," said Onestar. He dipped his head once more. Seeing the dismissal, Doveheart turned around and marched out of camp, bidding goodbye to Sedgewhisker as she did. Across the lake, RiverClan was cheering, and ShadowClan was assigning guards. She grinned so wide her cheeks hurt. This was happening. They were together.

XXXX

Present

Doveheart stood on the hill at sunhigh, her paws tingling with a foreign buzz. Ivypool was sleeping, although Hazeltail and Squirrelflight were beginning to worry, as she'd been sleeping for a while. Still, Doveheart was glad that Ivypool was asleep. Maybe it meant that she'd be okay in this battle. Ivypool – the fourth cat? How could that be? She still struggled to wrap her head around it all, but it did make sense.

There was movement in the woods, and out stepped Blackstar, leading behind him a party of ShadowClan warriors. Onestar and his loyal WindClan warriors had joined them just moments before.

"Are you ready?" said Lionblaze, his voice thin with tension.

"I'm ready," said Doveheart, although she didn't know if that was exactly true. They didn't know what they would be facing or how long it would take for them to react, but this was the last day of this war. She could taste its finality in the air. "You?"

"I'll never be ready," said Lionblaze. He unsheathed and sheathed his claws a few times. "Still, if StarClan wants me to protect my Clan today, then today it will be."

"We only have today," said Firestar, turning around to face them all. "Do you all understand?"

There was a solemn collective nod from ThunderClan. She thought that she even saw some of the ShadowClan and WindClan cats nodding.

"You can never back down, no matter what happens," said Firestar. "We will stand beside each other as Clan cats. You are standing here, ready to put your life on the line, because you are true warriors. Every single one of you – from senior warrior to apprentice." Doveheart glanced at Mousepaw, Cherrypaw, and Molepaw. Bouncepaw had been left behind with the new apprentices, but these three stood here, shivering, but still standing. "I am proud to call you my Clan-mates."

"Are we ready?" said Blackstar. "Aren't we waiting on Mistystar?"

"Mistystar is waiting by the lake. When she sees us, she will pull in her forces. I have some of my warriors with them." He glanced at Doveheart. "Are they on their way?"

She nodded, able to hear the scuffling of nervous RiverClan apprentices in the heather bushes. Icecloud and Brackenfur were still with them.

"Then we're ready," said Firestar. The two leaders looked at Onestar, who nodded stoically.

"We'll fight for peace," said Onestar.

"We'll fight for each other," said Blackstar. "Today – only today, Firestar, don't get any ideas – we are all one Clan."

"It's like we're LionClan again," said Onestar. Doveheart looked up at Lionblaze and managed a smile.

"Fitting," she said. Lionblaze laughed a little nervously.

"So we are," said Firestar. "Onestar? Do you want to give the order?"

"Attacking my own camp?" said Onestar. "This was your mission, Firestar. Finish it."

This is our mission, thought Doveheart. We have to finish it today, or we've failed.

Firestar looked out among the mingling WindClan and ShadowClan and ThunderClan warriors. They all fixed their gazes on WindClan's camp. After a silent moment as crisp as a leaf-fall morning, Firestar tipped his head back.

"LIONCLAN, ATTACK!"

His last call hung in the air, the very image of everything Firestar was, and then they were moving forward, paws pounding on the ground as they all rocketed forward to meet the fate that awaited them.

Lionblaze and Doveheart found themselves towards the back of the party – all the best, for when the group of the fastest runners hit the camp walls, a sudden tide of black rose into the sky.

"Oh, no," said Doveheart, stopping in her tracks as the shadows filed out of WindClan's camp like a storm cloud rolling over the lake and dying everything in a dusky shadow.

"It's like when the sun went out," said Lionblaze, horrified.

"Who is to say we weren't behind that, too?"

Doveheart spun around, and there, standing between two shadows, was Redwillow.

"I've been told to kill the two of you," said Redwillow.

"Doveheart, don't take your eyes off of him," said Lionblaze. He was standing facing the other direction. "They're centering around us."

"What are?" said Doveheart, but she could see the circle of shadow warriors that was forming out of the corner of her eye. She growled at Redwillow. "You won't get away."

"No?" said Redwillow with a soft laugh. "Who are you to stop me? A couple of pests, that's what I say."

"You've chosen the wrong side, Redwillow," said Lionblaze. "Give it up."

"I think you've got it wrong," said Redwillow in a feral voice. The fur on the back of his neck was standing up. "I was chosen to be ShadowClan's general, and that's what I am. It's you who've chosen the wrong side. And oh, how you'll pay for it."

"We have something in common, then," said Doveheart. Redwillow growled from the back of his throat, and their claws slid out in unison. She took a step towards him. "You see, Redwillow, we were chosen, too."

"To die, perhaps," said Redwillow.

"No," said Doveheart. "To stop you. Now, Lionblaze!"

They leaped forward in unison, and in swept the shadows like a swarm of bees. Doveheart reached for Redwillow, but he slipped away, and she met the claws of a shadow cat instead.

"Doveheart, watch out!" said Lionblaze, and she ducked as his paw came around, swiping away a shadow cat from above her head. "Remember? You have to go for the belly."

"Right!" That's exactly what she did then, slipping to the ground for a moment just long enough to reach up and slice a shadow cat into shadow dust. She laughed for a moment as she caught sight of Redwillow's red-marked pelt, and she slid after him, tackling him to the ground.

"You can't beat me," said Redwillow, flipping her in a moment. Doveheart squeaked, and he leaned back. Doveheart screamed as a shadowy paw rocketed down her side, and she made it to her feet simply with a kick. Her random flailing made contact, and a shadowy screech was her reward. Redwillow stared at her, furious.

"You can't beat the shadows," said Redwillow in a horrible voice. "They'll tear you apart."

The smell of shadow was too great, but Doveheart lashed out anyways, connecting with the chest of another shadow cat. Something slashed at her leg, tossing her to the side, and she slipped away with a squeak to just barely avoid the jaws that had come snapping down just over her head.

"Lionblaze!" said Doveheart. Redwillow had vanished again, but she caught a glimpse of Lionblaze's golden pelt, and she slipped through the shadows again to find him.

"There are way too many of them!" cried Doveheart, reaching up on her forelegs to knock a shadow cat to the ground. Lionblaze didn't stay still for long; he had turned into a whirling blur of gold at this point.

"They just keep coming!" said Lionblaze in frustrating, slicing through two shadow warriors with one pawstroke. "Can you figure out where they're coming from?"

"Where they're coming from?" hissed Doveheart. Lionblaze stood still for a moment, kicking a shadow cat out of the way.

"Close your eyes," he said. "You'll be able to sense more that way."

"You're crazy!" said Doveheart with a squeak as she dove out of the way of another shadowy swipe. "Do you see our situation?"

"I'll guard you," said Lionblaze. "Just do it! Trust me!"

Doveheart did trust him, so, backing up so she could feel his flank against hers, she closed her eyes and stretched.

There was shadow everywhere, so much that it nearly swallowed her whole and drowned out her senses, but Doveheart concentrated so hard, zooming around the battlefield. Icecloud and Rosepetal were fighting together close to WindClan's camp. Firestar and Sandstorm were fighting off shadows near the lake. Jayfeather and the other medicine cats had occupied a portion of WindClan's camp and were being guarded by warriors, including the three ThunderClan apprentices, who were also taking turns getting water-logged moss from the lake. Focus, focus! She heard Lionblaze's savage growls from all around her, felt him shifting positions as he fought off the shadow warriors. Then she caught a smell that was so wrong and foreign it choked her, and Doveheart broke off coughing as she realized where and what the smell was.

"What did you find?" said Lionblaze as he kicked away another warrior.

"Tigerstar," said Doveheart. "This way!" She ducked under the paws of a shadow cat and ran for it, slicing up with feral claws almost in sync with Lionblaze. She could follow Tigerstar's scent more easily now that she had gotten a whiff of it, and then they burst out into the eye of the storm.

Shadow cats lined the small space, the small clearing that Doveheart and Lionblaze had just burst into. In the center was Tigerstar, standing there kind of translucent like a StarClan cat, but where stars should have been, there were lines of inky darkness.

"Oh, look, the little heroes," said Tigerstar. "I applaud you for being able to have the first attack."

"Call off the shadows, Tigerstar," said Lionblaze in a threatening voice. "Leave this foolish dream behind."

"Are you going to make me, little warrior?" sneered Tigerstar. He stood to his full height, and Doveheart shivered at the way he stared at her, as if his amber eyes were enemy claws digging into her throat. He smelled like Dark Forest, but also like death, and it hurt Doveheart's tongue. Lionblaze growled.

"You've picked the wrong cats to target," said Lionblaze. "We will stop you."

"How do you plan to do that?" said Tigerstar. He flicked his paw, and three shadow warriors rushed towards them, hissing and spitting. Doveheart launched to meet it, slicing her claws down its side and landing squarely. She spun around to knock another one out of the air, where it met Lionblaze's waiting paws and dissipated into dust. He had already done away with one, so she went after the other, slicing its underbelly neatly and vanishing it. "You're too occupied with my soldiers." Another flick, another three warriors.

"He can do this forever," said Doveheart to Lionblaze. "We need to figure out a way to stop him."

"Right," said Lionblaze, knocking away the last one. He launched toward Tigerstar, but another shadow warrior hissed from the sidelines and knocked him out of breath. It vanished in a moment; all the while Doveheart was reaching for Tigerstar with her claws. His eyes met hers for a moment, and then she was cast away by shadowy claws in her chest.

"Doveheart!" cried Lionblaze as she screamed. There was a snapping of jaws, and Lionblaze cast the shadow warrior away, helping her up.

"Together," he said. "We've got to do this together."

"I'll take whatever shadows come at us," said Doveheart, nodding. "You hit."

With an important nod, Lionblaze started into a charge. Doveheart followed on his heels. Tigerstar raised his tail, and four shadows peeled away from the corners to grab her by the pelt. Hissing and spitting, Doveheart spun in a circle, ignoring the pain as her own claws raked up and down. She heard Lionblaze cry out, and when she had at last vanished the last shadow, she saw what was actually happening.

Lionblaze got to his paws, but Doveheart realized that he had been taken out by a rush of six shadows at once.

"Give up, little warriors of light," said Tigerstar with a laugh. "You'll never win."

Doveheart moved to help Lionblaze steady himself, and the golden tom shook his head.

"There's got to be a way," he said. Doveheart cast her powers out like a net, sensing Lionblaze and the shadowy wall. It was thick, constantly revitalizing. Around Tigerstar seemed to be the only place they were materializing. Tigerstar was rooted in some power that she couldn't identify. Beyond this wall of shadow, the battle raged on as Clan cat and spiritual shadow cat met. Jayfeather's little sanctuary was being constantly invaded by cats screeching and writhing from shadow balls in their paws and chests and sides. It was gruesome. It was slaughter.

She sensed Lionblaze's powers as she reeled her power back in, all glowing and pulsing, ready to act at the slightest movement. Lionblaze's powers could not be controlled as they could – it was a part of him that operated in sync with him. Hers was like a net she could cast out over any range, while his was a bullet. Hers had range, his had power.

"Lionblaze, I have an idea," said Doveheart. Lionblaze looked at her, and Doveheart realized that while she had been searching with her power for a solution, he had been fighting off more shadow warriors. She didn't even remember closing her eyes.

"I'm all ears," he called back.

"I want you to focus your power towards me," said Doveheart.

"What?" said Lionblaze.

"Focus it," said Doveheart. "Concentrate as if you need it to fight off an enemy. Do it! I'll hold off these warriors."

Lionblaze stopped still, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. Tigerstar gave a little laugh, and eight warriors rushed towards Doveheart. She cast her power out once more, sensing the build up in Lionblaze's aura as she did so. As the shadow warriors hurried in upon them, she realized that she was visualizing it wrong. It wasn't a net, but a sonic crash that carried power with it. Focusing on that, she cast it out again. The shadow warriors screamed away from it as Lionblaze's power got swept along with Doveheart's, crashing into them at full force.

Lionblaze's eyes opened in shock, and Doveheart grinned.

"Did you just take my power?" he asked.

"I merged it with mine," said Doveheart. "Quickly! Go!"

Grinning, Lionblaze ground his claws into the ground for a moment before taking a deep breath and charging once again. Doveheart followed him in step, casting out her magic in its explosive form and carrying his power with him. Shadow warrior after shadow warrior descended upon them, but Doveheart grinned and fought them off with the shield that was only visible in her imagination. Lionblaze roared as he pounced on Tigerstar, sinking his claws into the great fallen leader's chest.

"You insolent kit!" Doveheart gasped out as the spell was broken, and Lionblaze went sliding along with a slash of Tigerstar's massive paw. She looked over to her friend to see that Lionblaze was bleeding from a gash in his chest.

"Lionblaze!" cried Doveheart. Lionblaze was staring at the blood on his paws as if he had never seen it or smelt it before. He gasped as the pain set in, and Doveheart rushed to him to stop him from collapsing.

"Even if you could reach me," said Tigerstar with a sneer. "Would you really be able to defeat me?"

"Lionblaze, hey," said Doveheart. She took a good look and gasped. That gash ran deep. Lionblaze's weight was almost pulling her down. "Lionblaze, it'll be okay."

"Die, Lionblaze," said Tigerstar, spitting shadow dust. "Die, and lose, and watch from your perfect little paradise as I rip both realms apart."

"Lionblaze…" said Doveheart, licking her best friend's ear. "Come on, Lionblaze."

"I won't…" said Lionblaze. Tigerstar chuckled again. "I won't…lose." He stood tall on his paws, and Doveheart stepped back. "You may have your legions of shadow cats, but I…" He shook himself, and to Doveheart's amazement, he seemed to gain strength. "I have things to fight for, too. I have Doveheart and Jayfeather. I have Icecloud! I won't abandon them!"

"What…?" said Tigerstar as, to their amazement, the wound on Lionblaze's chest closed. The golden warrior was practically radiating power now.

"I won't give up," said Lionblaze. "I hold the power of the stars in my paws, and I will defeat you."

Purely by coincidence, that was the moment that the shadowy wall surrounding Tigerstar thinned, and Doveheart realized that there weren't new shadow warriors coming into existence. She laughed a little bit, making the Dark Forest leader glare over at her.

"I don't think you counted on that," she said. Tigerstar looked up, and she saw a flicker of an emotion – fear? – cross over his features.

"What?" he spat. "Mapleshade promised that the gate would stay open!"

"Don't you get it?" said Doveheart. "No matter what you do, you will never win. Something will always stop you." She exchanged a glance with Lionblaze, who grinned as they shared a common thought: we will always stop you.

Then Redwillow crashed into her side, and Doveheart yelped in surprise as she realized that the ShadowClan general had found them again.

"Don't you ever give up?" he spat, slashing a cut in her chest. Doveheart pushed him back, getting back to her paws. She looked over to see that Tigerstar and a curtain of shadow warriors had vanished from sight.

"I'll handle him," said Doveheart to Lionblaze. "Go!"

Lionblaze nodded once and took off after Tigerstar. Doveheart faced Redwillow again, although her legs were shaking by now. It was hard, all of it. Her injuries were many, and though none of them were deep, she didn't have Lionblaze's powers to heal herself and protect her from dying in this battle. The ShadowClan general, on the other hand, was entirely ready to battle.

"Why did you do this, Redwillow?" said Doveheart. "Why would you destroy the Clans?"

"The Clans are despicable," spat Redwillow. "I can't believe you don't see it! Your Clan is full of abominations. I would be willing to call you one of them." He hissed and lunged for her, and Doveheart side-stepped a little too slow. She was pulled down by a paw, and she sprung back, refusing to get in. Yes, her injuries hurt. Yes, her legs felt tired. Yes, her senses were blurring together thanks to using up so much power at once, but that didn't matter! She couldn't let Redwillow win.

Redwillow growled savagely, and Doveheart didn't quite see his kick coming. She yelled in pain as she was sent flying, and she landed on her ankle. Gasping with the sudden pain, Doveheart looked up with blurry vision to see Redwillow stalking closer. She couldn't…she couldn't lose, not to someone like him. But she had destroyed at least thirty shadow warriors by now, and it was taking its toll on her.

"Die, Doveheart."

As he raised his claws, there was a sudden cry of pain, and a streak of a familiar scent danced in front of Doveheart's nose. She opened her eyes suddenly to see the dark tabby tom take Redwillow down. Three strikes – one to Redwillow's head, another to Redwillow's stomach, and the third to Redwillow's throat. Vomit rose in Doveheart's throat at the sight. There was blood everywhere.

Then it was done.

"What in StarClan's name have you done?" spat Doveheart. Covered in blood, her savior and Redwillow's murderer turned back to her. His amber eyes so cold. His claws still unsheathed. Blood dripping from his jaws and his chest fur and his paws and…everywhere.

"I'm Tigerstar's apprentice," said Tigerheart as he took a few steps closer to her. "There's no one better at killing than me."

Freaking Tigerheart why. I mean DUN DUN DUN. Is Tigerheart a good guy? Or not? Isn't that the question of the year?

Review, please! And THANK YOU for sticking with this crazy story this far! Just a few more chapters to go...

~Elsi