CHAPTER 51-Last Chance to Repent

Numerous red eyes peered out from the shadows as the sun began to set in the distance, filling the dusky sky with blood-red streaks. A faint band of pink sunlight still remained in the horizon, but other than that, the sky was darkening into a shade of rich violet.

There were no stars tonight. The sky was a swirling sea of blacks and purples with only the faint memory of stars, only the hollowed out traces of empty eyes that kept the moon company.

A fox stepped out of the darkness, his eyes glinting with excitement. A full moon floated out of the clouds.

"It's almost time," he growled, swinging his head back. "Is everyone ready?"

Scarlet padded out of the shadows, her eyes glittering. "Yes, Fang."

"Good. After tonight, the Lake will be ours."

"But Fang," Scarlet protested. "What about Ember? If she suddenly appears back in the tunnels, should we drive her away?"

"No. If she comes back, we will welcome her with open arms. She is one of the best fighters we have, and we can't afford to lose her."

Scarlet narrowed her eyes. "But Fang," she insisted. "What if she is in alliance with the cats?" Fang chuckled, a cold sound. "You know very well what would happen. Now stop asking so many questions. The end is near."

He stepped away and vanished into the undergrowth. The vixen followed. As they walked, swift movements in the shadows seemed to follow their every step. If they listened hard enough, they could hear the soft clatter of twisted claws on stone. "Why are you so wary of your own sister, Scarlet?" he asked.

Scarlet glanced back. "She's just different from the rest of us."

"Oh, you shouldn't be afraid of her. She—"

The vixen flew in front of him, blocking his path. She snarled, "Afraid? Of an insignificant little pup? I'm not afraid!"

Fang's eyes flashed coldly. "Don't worry about her. We've trained her in our ways and she is as loyal to the pack as she was to her mother. She wouldn't dare go against the pack."

The moon drifted above them, as smooth and round as a pale yellow marble. The forest shivered in anticipation.

Fang stood tall and rigid in the moonlight, his silhouette long and gangly.

"Prepare yourself, Scarlet," he growled softly. "This battle will pave the way for a new dawn, a new era where every fox will be able to live in harmony next to the land that is rightfully ours. I can feel it in my bones. I can almost taste it in the air. The old land is beckoning to us, and I can't wait to get it back. Those cats will pay dearly."

Hundreds of whispers echoed in the cold night air. Hundreds of claws rasped against the ground. The quick, hurried movements of small shapes glided through the bushes like bats, their red eyes opening and closing as they stared up at the light of the moon.

OoOOooOoOOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooOOoOoOoOOoO

Shadefrost's POV

The full moon was cradled in the sky by a blanket of black clouds. Normally, I would have appreciated its company, but now it seemed to be scowling at me, taunting me at what was about to happen. But I wasn't afraid. ThunderClan wasn't going to lose that easily. I was certain of that.

The heavy scent of rain idled in the air as more clouds appeared, blotting out the heavens. I was standing on top of a high ridge above the camp with half of the warriors with me. The other half was hidden beyond the other cliffs nearer to the camp. The cats were murmuring quietly to each other, their voices as soft as the breath of the wind. I could sense the determination and courage rippling under their fur. I flexed my claws in and out, my back rigid, my eyes glued to the sky. I wasn't afraid. I only felt the strong pulse of fortitude rushing through my veins. I had a whole Clan on my side. The Darklings had nothing.

When the Wolf Moon howls three times in a row, the first wave will begin.

You shine brighter than any sun.

You are the prophecy's chosen cat.

Their echoes sang softly in my mind. I was a warrior of ThunderClan, the center of a prophecy. I knew things no other cat did. I had survived the Boneyard, the trip to the mountains, the disease that nearly wiped out half of WindClan. If I had survived that, then I would survive this.

I flexed my legs and stood up taller, shivering in anticipation. And now, tonight was when I would save the Clans.

"You ready?" Dewstep asked. I grinned.

But there was still something I hadn't figured out yet. The Wolf Moon that howls three times in a row? What did that mean?

All of a sudden, out of the vast ocean of the sky, a tiny pinprick of light appeared. A single, solitary star. It streaked across the heavens like a swift arrow and left a blazing trail of stardust in its wake, flying right past the moon and disappearing in the distance with its last, dying flicker.

Two more trailed after it, soaring across the sky until they vanished like echoes.

"The battle starts now," I whispered, crouching down until my stomach brushed the dirt underneath me. The others had their ears pricked forward, their eyes stern, muscles taut as they prepared to leap down. I expected a hoard of Darklings to charge into the camp, but to my surprise, I didn't see any. I didn't see even one.

A rat scurried into view, its whiskers twitching. It paused in front of the thorn barrier and sniffed the air. Its red eyes reflected the moonlight as it began to groom itself. Another one appeared and scurried next to it. And then another, and then another...

My eyes widened and my breath caught in my throat as more and more rats appeared until there was a small, writhing sea of black rodents twitching and squeaking every few seconds. The warriors tensed and glanced at me with confused looks. Where were the Darklings?

The stream of rats didn't stop flowing. More appeared until they were as numerous as the lights in a starry sky. They couldn't be a good sign. I couldn't let them get anywhere near the camp.

"Attack!" I yowled. The warriors immediately dropped from their perches and leaped down from the cliffs, spiraling onto the rats below. I jumped down after them, the wind whistling in my whiskers and murmuring through my fur. The cold breeze sent a wave of exhilaration racing through my veins. I landed neatly onto the ground, unsheathed my claws, and whirled around to face my opponents. The forest exploded into a frenzy of action and furious mews and squeaks. Up close, the rats were bigger than I expected, about the size of a six moon old apprentice. One of them latched its teeth onto my leg and sent blood spurting everywhere. I snarled and hurled it away with as much force as I could muster. It landed on its paws and hissed, but before it could bite me again, Whitewing had sunken her teeth into its neck.

I clawed my way through the black ocean, the taste of salty blood fresh in my mouth. I grinned as the rats fell before my claws like dominoes. This was easy!

A particularly large one launched itself at me and dug its claws into my back. I clenched my teeth at the heat of the pain and swiped at it, trying to pry it off. The rat dodged just out of my reach and sank its teeth deeper into my skin. I hissed and rolled over onto my back, hearing the satisfying crunch of its bones. It squeaked weakly and finally became limp.

Although some of the rats were resilient and kept on fighting, the majority of them lay dead or dying on the blood-soaked ground. Snowstorm was panting a few yards away, smiling when I caught his eye. I grinned back.

But this battle was far from over. An eerie howl sounded from nearby, followed by the answering calls of a flurry of barking. My hackles began to rise.

Dogs.

They charged downhill like a herd of mad bulls, their tongues swinging out of their mouths and their eyes intent on murder. First the rats, and now dogs?!

They attacked the cats with so much force and brutality that it sent my mind reeling. They snapped at the necks of the warriors and shook them around like rag dolls. I thought I heard the snapping of bones as one by one, the cats began to fall.

One of them had pinned Leafpool down. The she-cat was snarling and clawing at its legs, but the dog simply ignored her and opened its jaws to deliver the final bite.

"No!" I screamed, and watched in horror as the blood showered down like rain. I yowled angrily, "How dare you!" and before I knew what I was doing, I had sunken my teeth into the dog's throat. It yelped and scrambled backward, trying to shake me off. A primal instinct had taken hold of my mind, pumping adrenaline into my blood and sharpening my senses. The dog didn't stand a chance as I attacked it, blow after blow, its screams falling on deaf ears.

With one final, gurgling whimper, it collapsed and I watched in satisfaction as the blood drained out from it like a river. There was a weak gasp behind me. I whirled around and watched in horror as the life in Leafpool's eyes slowly faded away.

I scrambled toward her, my ears flat against my head. "Leafpool!" I whispered urgently. "H-hang on! You'll be fine!" The she-cat's gaze faltered as she lay there, her sides gently heaving up and down. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out except for a small trickle of scarlet. I buried my face in her fur. "Leafpool," I whimpered. The look on her face was peaceful and soft, but full of pain. She weakly lifted up a paw toward me and mouthed the words I'm sorry.

"No," I whispered, my eyes wide and unbelieving. I heard the frenzy of barking and snarling coming from behind me, and I whirled around, my eyes wild and my lips drawn back to a menacing snarl. Two dogs charged toward me, a German Shepherd and a medium-sized mongrel. I dodged them and leaped onto the mutt's back, twisted my head around and clamped my jaws in its throat, feeling my teeth sink deep into the muscle. It let out a thin yelp, felt its voice box vibrate underneath my hold, and then it gurgled and collapsed.

Before I could gloat in my faint victory, I felt a sharp, electric jolt of pain as the German Shepherd snapped its teeth into my back. I felt a whoosh of air and the world began to spin around and around in a blur as it shook me back and forth. My bones jarred together and my mind bounced inside my skull.

The worst of all was the fear I felt. It trickled, raw and dark, inside the crevices of my heart and filled it to the brim.

But I couldn't give up. I had to keep fighting for everyone's sake. I recoiled at the stench of the dog's breath and reached up to slash its nose. It yapped sharply and its jaws loosened slightly. I felt my blood pool out onto the ground.

I sunk my claws deeper into its muzzle, leaving little dots of red like a snake's fangs would. The dog growled low in its throat and dropped me, but before I could do anything, it had clamped its teeth onto my hind leg with an iron grip. I yowled out in pain.

A blur of grey fur, and all of a sudden, Dewstep was there. He hissed and scratched its eyes, making it yelp and whimper. He struck again and again like a serpent, until the dog finally ran off with its tail between its legs, the blood trickling out of its eyes like tears.

He helped me up and said urgently, "The dogs are breaking through the thorn barrier. We can't hold them back any longer."

I nodded. I tipped my head back and yelled as loud as I could, "Group two, get ready! The dogs are coming your way! Attack at will!"

I swung around to look at Dewstep. His ears were torn and bloody and countless wounds were etched across his skin. He looked tired.

I surveyed our surroundings, my heart quickly dropping. A few dead dogs lay strewn around, but most of them were still alive. The bodies of my Clanmates were scattered everywhere, collapsed in pools of their own blood while the life slowly trickled out of their grasp. It was like something out of a nightmare, to see your comrades dying right in front of you.

Foxleap galloped toward us, his eyes wide with fear. "We c-can't do this, Shadefrost. The dogs are too strong."

Dewstep bristled. "What do you expect us to do then, just give up?"

Foxleap panted, his ears folded back. He whispered something, and I strained to listen. "B-Birchfall and Spiderleg," he gasped, squeezing his eyes shut. "The dogs are killing us as easily as if we were mice."

I gently wound my tail around his shoulder. "I'm so sorry," I whispered.

Suddenly, he looked up and snarled, the rage evident on his face. "This is your fault!" he spat.

Dewstep stepped between us, his fur bristling. "Stop it!" he growled. "We can't attack our own Clanmates at a time like this. Go find a place to hide, if you really can't fight anymore."

Foxleap hung his head, the energy drained from him, and slowly trudged away. A dog suddenly hurled itself toward him.

"No!" I screeched, galloping toward them. I can't let any more cats die! I struck my paw across the canine's face seconds before it reached Foxleap, causing it to reel backward.

I turned toward the reddish brown tom. "Run!" I screamed. He turned toward me, his eyes wide in shock, and sprinted away with stiff, limping movements.

Dewstep bounded toward me, and together, we drove it back. I narrowed my eyes. No, I couldn't let it live. Not after what it had done to my Clan. Without hesitating, I reached up and snapped my teeth around its neck, feeling it crunch in my jaws. The dog whined and tried desperately to escape, but Dewstep had pinned it down. After a while, it fell like a stone, limp and unmoving.

I braced myself, waiting for the next wave of mutts to attack us. The trees stood still.

"The forest is silent now," Dewstep said, the relief evident in his voice.

"What? But the battle can't be over yet!"

The remaining warriors noticed the change. The forest was as still and silent as if it was suspended in space. Not even a cold wind blew across the clearing.

I began to tremble.

It was as if the forest was holding its breath.

"Dewstep," I whispered desperately. He nodded but didn't say anything, and I could feel his pelt shaking beside me.

Brackenfur narrowed his eyes. "What's happening?" he demanded.

The other warriors strained to listen, their ears swiveling around their head.

This wasn't supposed to happen. This battle was supposed to be easy. We were supposed to win.

As the first of the Darklings sprinted toward the camp, I whirled around and shouted, "Run!"

Without hesitating, the cats retreated and swarmed off in all directions, some in the direction of the camp and others to the forest to hide.

Poppyfrost was curled around the still form of Berrynose, the expression on her face filled with pain. "I'm not leaving without him!" she wailed.

I tried to urge her onto her paws. "If you stay here, you'll die too!"

"I won't leave him!" she yowled stubbornly, standing defensively over the tom's body, his fur matted with red stains.

"Then carry him and go!" I grabbed the scruff of his neck and heaved him up onto Poppyfrost's back. He was as cold and silent like a stone. I tried not to dwell on the thought. The she-cat blinked sadly at me and sprinted away.

Snowstorm was running toward me, the Darklings right on his heels. He, Dewstep, and I charged through the thorn barrier, or what was left of it, and headed toward the camp.

The rest of the cats were huddled around the fire, the orange glow softening the harsh scratches on their pelts. Most of them were crouched over the bodies of their fallen comrades.

As expected, the Darklings drew back when they saw the flickering flame, their mouths wide open and screaming. A few got too close to the light, and I watched in grave gratification as they shriveled and burned into nothing but smoke. The others scrambled off and disappeared back into the forest.

The last of the dogs and rats were crouching outside by the entrance, growling quietly. Weren't they going to attack us?

I spun around as the cold, menacing sound of a cruel chuckle drifted toward me from the shadows. The cats stirred and glared at the intruder.

A pack of foxes padded into view. The leader, a large, battle-scarred male, smiled cruelly at the small group of foxes huddled next to the fire.

Fang, I thought, narrowing my eyes. A group of badgers ambled down from the cliffs to stand beside him.

Rats, then dogs, then foxes and badgers? The prophecy never included anything about them!

Fang began to speak, the glint of dark laughter still lingering in his voice. "Well, this was easier than I expected," he said, his tongue showing no trace of clumsiness as he spoke the cat language. "You see these?" He swept his brush of a tail over the rats, dogs, and badgers. "These are my allies. After a long, long, period of time, I managed to find their leaders and was able to convince them to aid me."

Bramblestar snapped, "What do you want?"

Fang looked ominous as the fire flared around him, casting shadows over his features. "I want my old land back. A long time ago, the foxes lived here. This was their rightful territory. And then, all of a sudden, a hoard of cats had to come by and steal it away from us."

The warriors snarled and spat, "This is our home! You'll never get it!"

Fang narrowed his eyes and surveyed the clearing, his jaws parted. The other foxes cast hungry looks at the cats. The badgers sniffed the air with their black noses, their paws scraping the earth impatiently. I could sense the Darklings somewhere among the forest, watching quietly with their sightless eyes.

His gaze darkened. "Give me back the land or I will kill every last one of you."

I stiffened, uncertain. I quickly glanced around the camp. The thorn barrier was torn and had large, jagged holes as if a tornado had hit it, and the second entrance next to the dirt tunnel was unguarded.

I nudged Snowstorm and Dewstep and tried to tell them with my eyes. They nodded understandingly.

I stood up on shaking legs and meowed, "A-and what makes you think we can't fight back?"

His ears perked up and the foxes stirred when they saw me. To my surprise, he laughed. "Oh, I know you. You're that black cat that the Darklings have warned me about."

He slowly padded toward me until there was only a yard between us. I inched away anxiously.

He muttered, "The Darklings said that you are dangerous. I didn't believe them, at first. But now, I know better."

He was now only a few feet in front of me, but I wasn't listening to anything he said. He was responsible for all of this, for the deaths of my Clanmates, for the destruction of my camp. A little bit of my fear broke off and turned into hate.

I unsheathed my claws and fastened myself to his back, hanging on for dear life.

"Snowstorm, Dewstep!" I yowled. "Get the cats out of here!"

The camp turned into chaos as the cats tried to scramble to safety. A few of them had reached the Highrock and were now following the escape plan, but the rest had panicked and were running toward the forest. The foxes roared and lunged. The badgers, dogs, and rats followed, and I hoped with all my heart that the Darklings would be too slow to catch the escaped warriors.

I was jolted out of my thoughts when Fang slammed me onto the ground, hard enough to jar my vision. "You little maggot!" he snarled, his jowls dripping with venom. His gaze darkened. "I'll have fun keeping you as my prisoner."

He looked up and barked something in the fox language, and two of his minions scurried forward and pinned me down so I couldn't get away. I was too tired to fight, so I let myself go limp. At least I tried to save them. At least they had escaped.

My wounds ached so badly that I just wanted to curl up and let the ground swallow me. I heard my heart beat slower and slower, the sound droning on and on and on.

The last thing I saw before I closed my eyes was Fang glaring triumphantly down at me, the flames from the fire flickering behind him so that he looked like a demon from hell.

The ugly truth slammed into me harder than the dogs or the foxes. It hurt more than all of my wounds combined. I had failed. I didn't save anyone.

I'm so sorry...

I was too tired to feel afraid anymore. I let myself fall into a spiraling pit of darkness, and then I knew nothing more.