Chapter 63: A Unified Front
As much as it pained Darkstripe to leave every cat he loved behind, he thought this was necessary for the preservation of the clans. There was no chance that Tigerstar would just leave the rest of the clans be. Darkstripe knew him too well, those private thoughts the tom pressed upon him. They spelled of a doom bringer. In his past, Darkstripe was both too cowardly and foolish to see Tigerstar's dark machinations. Now that he'd had time to grow without Tigerstar's watchful eyes, he could see how he'd been twisted under the tom's tutelage. Now he wouldn't be manipulated again. Instead, his plan was to do the manipulating.
Firestar made his appearance at dawn, so time was ticking for Darkstripe to start his grand plan. Darkstripe would need to leave the clan before the next gathering to keep his cover story that he left as soon as Fireheart became Firestar. There was still time left. Three sunrises remained before the next full moon. There were a few tasks to finish up, but the thing Darkstripe wanted to do most before he departed was spend some time with his mates. It would be his last chance for many moons to come. Until Tigerstar's fall, Darkstripe would have to pretend to be a spineless suck up, a role he was far too familiar with.
The first thing to wrap up before he could take time to enjoy his mates was Tiny. He wouldn't be able to keep Tiny accurately updated under Tigerstar's gaze, but this could also be a boon to Tiny. If Darkstripe/Thunder was lucky, Tiny would overlook the breech of procedure. This trip to the Bloodclan dealer felt especially tense. It seemed that he was being watched more than usual. Bloodclan's numbers seemed to have flooded. No alley was empty. On top of that, they seemed to be gearing up for something.
When Thunder entered the Bloodclan camp, he saw Tiny and Big among the rest of the cats for once. This was an ominous sign. Tiny never was in the presence of standard Bloodclan cats unless something big was happening. Thunder gestured to make his presence known, but he did not speak. The one thing that could instantly make an enemy of Tiny was interrupting him. A couple dealers bore marks of their mistakes. Thunder repressed a shudder at the thought.
Tiny noticed him and made his approach. He ideally wouldn't see Thunder on such an important day, but Thunder was almost always a welcome guest. His offerings would give them a boost for the fight to come. Soon only one faction would remain in the Twoleg Place. With the Twoleg Place unified, even if Tigerstar unified all the clans, Bloodclan would stand a good chance of success if they had an all-out attack. Things were falling into place. His grand deal was in motion.
"Thunder. You caught me at a bad time. Changes are coming to the Twoleg Place. I hope what you've come for is worth my time."
Darkstripe shifted uncomfortably because either Tiny would be elated or infuriated by what he was about to say.
"I'm not going to be able to visit as often to possibly at all. Lightning will try to keep you updated, but they're young, so please forgive their possible lack of decorum. I'll be gone to spy on Tigerstar. You may even see me by his side, but I am not truly under his allegiance."
Darkstripe quietly waited for the lashing he knew dealers who offended Tiny would receive, but instead Tiny looked happy. This was perfect. An insider was always a boon in a battle. He was possibly even proud of Thunder. He'd been a witness of the change from unwitting pawn of his enemy to another ally who wanted to send that cat to rot. If he were a Bloodclan member, Tiny would have appointed him as council for the future of his clan.
"I'll forgive your future transgressions and the transgressions of your second, but I expect you to somehow keep me updated. I want you to keep that foul cat alive until I can rip it away. I don't care if he becomes a blind unmoving cripple. I want to be the one to finish him."
Thunder could only nod. He was getting off lightly. When Tiny gave an order, it wasn't a suggestion. It also aligned with Darkstripe's own goals. Tigerstar couldn't just be killed. By now he was a representation of all that was rotten in the clans. Xenophobia, isolationism, reckless ambition, and over aggression. Killing him quietly would just create another. He needed to die publicly by a hero or greater evil.
Darkstripe returned to camp to find Firestar and Sandstorm waiting. He brushed up against them affectionately. There was little time remaining, and he planned to make the most of the rest of it. Firestar left Whitestorm in charge while the trio left camp. They planned to be gone the entire day. Darkstripe led the two to the flower field he showed Cinderpelt previously. The quiet calm of the stream saturated the area. The field, while directly useless, was still beautiful. The flowers were also food for the nearby wildlife. The surrounding area was prey rich. It was a perfect place to get away.
Like a kit, Darkstripe bounded through the flowers as his mates followed in a similar kittish joy. Again, like kits, the three began to play, bowling each other over and chasing each other. When they were finally worn out, they fell in a cuddly heap.
"You know, this place has always been special to me. I've always felt this place was close to Starclan. In my favorite dreams, I'm here. This is the place I get to see my twinsoul. We get to play here. It's the only place that I've always felt safe in. It's the place where I'm always in good company."
Both Sandstorm and Firestar found it odd to hear Darkstripe tell them about a fond memory. The cat seemed to have always been the victim of tragedy but hearing that even he had his bright moments felt symbolic. Firestar knew that things would get better. Once
Tigerstar was gone, Firestar planned to make returning to this field a regular occurrence. It had already become a beloved memory. The three embraced each other's company into the night. It was the first and for a long time the only night they'd get to prove their status as mates. Their scents muddled into one scent. It was their scent, one that was proof of their unity. It was a moment the three immortalized in their memories.