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twilights-800-cats · 5 years

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Chapter 31

The stars were winking out of the sky as Tinystar and his battle party made it to the edge of the hollow that dipped down into Fourtrees. The entire forest was quiet, holding its breath for the coming of the dawn and the battle to decide which Clan came out as victor.

He looked down at the clearing. Cats were moving down below, but from the scent Tinystar knew it was WindClan, not BloodClan. The moorland cats must have set out long before moonset to make it here before ThunderClan. No sign yet of LionClan, though, Tinystar thought grimly. That didn’t mean they weren’t coming – there was still time, and Leopardstar was a proud cat. Her word was her bond.

Tinystar hesitated, knowing that plunging down into the hollow would seal ThunderClan’s fate. Never did he think as a tiny kittypet that he would be leading this many cats into battle, possibly to their deaths. Never did he think, curled up in his Twoleg nest, that he would be fighting his half-brother for control of the world beyond his backyard.

His whiskers twitched in the chilly air. Funny, he decided, how his journey into the woods had started at Rusty’s encouragement – and now time had changed them both so much that the stars had arranged them for battle.

I will do what I must, Tinystar thought, resolved, to save the Clans.

Beside him his Clanmates stirred. Dustpelt was kneading his paws impatiently. Cloudtail’s tail was twitching. Swiftfoot looked like he was wired to spring on the first thing to make a move. Willowpelt and Frostfur stood together, their eyes flashing determinedly. Every cat of ThunderClan was ready to fight, ready to die, for the place where they had been born and raised… and every cat of ThunderClan was looking to him to lead them.

Tinystar blinked, feeling pride swell in his chest at the thought. Not every cat would return from this fight, but they would spend their last breaths fighting for their home, in the name of StarClan and ThunderClan.

Wordlessly, Tinystar raised his tail. He led the way down the slope and into the hollow clearing, his Clanmates’ pawsteps a gentle rumbling in the quiet predawn forest.

Just like their previous meeting, ThunderClan and WindClan melded effortlessly. Willowpelt and Frostfur met with Morningflower, and all three queens immediately began discussing defensive strategies. Dustpelt, Mousefur, Longtail, and Cinderpelt met with Mudclaw, Webfoot, and Tornear, greeting one another like old friends. The apprentices clustered together, their eyes full of seriousness. Sandstorm and Graystripe met Onewhisker, greeting one another in low voices.

Tinystar touched noses with Tallstar. “Finally,” rasped the old black-and-white tom. “I knew you were no coward, Tinystar, but my old heart still feared…”

“It’s fine, Tallstar,” Tinystar meowed back. “I would fear the same.”

Together they sat, looking out at their mingling Clans. Tinystar spotted Ravenpaw and Barley amidst the crowd and raised his tail in greeting before the two loners met up with Sandstorm, Graystripe, and Onewhisker.

“I had wondered to them if they might like to join the Clan, after the battle,” Tallstar admitted, watching the barn cats. “But they refused.”

“They’re loners, through and through,” Tinystar agreed. “Even Ravenpaw.”

Tallstar nodded his head in quiet agreement.

The sky was pink when Leopardstar and Russetfur arrived. The two she-cats pushed through the undergrowth on the RiverClan side of the clearing, their heads and tails held high. Their warriors streamed around them, melding into the ThunderClan and WindClan group without complaint. Claws looked sharp and eyes shone with determination – not a single trace of fear-scent among them all. Like Tinystar and Tallstar, every member of LionClan that could lift their claws was here, and the clearing was packed.

Leopardstar and Russetfur met Tinystar and Tallstar in the middle of the clearing. Their warriors surrounded them, talking quietly among one another. A few broke off into sparring groups to practice their moves – Tinystar spotted Swiftfoot showing a move to Blackfoot and Leafwhisker of RiverClan – another cat, Robinwing of WindClan, shook her head and stepped in to correct something. There was a hardness in their eyes that Tinystar had never seen before.

The other leaders were oblivious. Tinystar shook it off – every cat was hardening themselves for battle.

“They’ll be here any moment,” Leopardstar meowed. Tinystar wondered if she slept at all the night before – her eyes looked sunken and tired. She’s had to deal with so much, Tinystar reasoned. She will need time to recover when this is all over. “We must come up with some sort of plan.”

Tinystar nodded in agreement, only to blink in shock when he realized that the other two leaders – and Russetfur – were looking at him, as if he had the answer they were seeking. Tinystar swallowed, taken aback.

“We, ah, should get the medicine cats somewhere safe,” Tinystar offered. He flicked his tail at Brackenfur and the other medicine cats. When they approached, Tinystar ordered, “Hide yourselves in the outskirts, away from the fighting. Warriors will do their best to bring themselves to you if they get too hurt to fight.”

Brackenfur nodded in agreement. Barkface commented, “We’ll have to do some quick triage. Come on – there’s a spot near WindClan’s side that has a good supply of cobwebs that might last us through it.”

The other medicine cats seemed in agreement, and Barkface led the way through the crowd. Mosspaw had just gotten to her paws before she was stopped by Mistypaw and Stonepaw – the siblings rubbed their muzzles together.

“Be careful,” Stonepaw told his sister.

Mistypaw licked Mosspaw’s muzzle. “You’re a medicine cat – leave the fighting to us.”

Mosspaw shook them off, her eyes soft with love. “I have claws, you know! I’ll use them if I have to – and be careful yourselves! Come to us if you get hurt, don’t put it off!”

Tinystar watched the patched she-cat push through the crowd and rejoin the other medicine cats. He swallowed, knowing that similar conversations between friends and families were happening right now. He tried not to see the worry in Stonepaw and Mistypaw’s eyes. He had to focus.

“The battle is going to be chaos,” Tinystar went on to the other leaders. He realized, awkwardly, that Leopardstar and Russetfur had been waiting impatiently for him to continue. Tallstar, on the other hand, was as calm as he could be, given the circumstances.

Tinystar’s whiskers twitched. “I’m really not sure what we can do in terms of strategy,” he admitted. “BloodClan obviously doesn’t fight like proper Clan cats – it might be best if our cats fight in groups if they can. Getting overwhelmed might spell the end, especially if they’re up against a cat with those dog-teeth-claws.”

“StarClan is watching us,” Tallstar breathed. “They’ll see us through.”

Leopardstar lashed her tail. “True, but their claws and teeth won’t do anything to settle this matter,” she grunted. “We’re the ones fighting today.”

“The forest is ours,” Russetfur growled. “It always has been, and always should be. We’re going to kick these fox-hearts out of our territory and put everything back to normal.”

Tinystar blinked at the three Clan leaders, the best of their respective Clans: Tallstar, who was WindClan’s heart and soul; Leopardstar, who was RiverClan’s pride and endurance; and Russetfur, who was ShadowClan’s wit and wile. Tinystar didn’t know if he was the strength and righteousness of ThunderClan, but he would do his best to uphold the ideal today.

“Dawn is here!” called a cat from the crowd.

Tinystar looked up at the sky and, surely enough, the sky was light and pale. The sun was just touching the treetops.

Onewhisker bristled. “Where are they?” he demanded.

Leafwhisker wondered, “Perhaps they chose not to come?”

Tinystar swallowed, training his eye on ShadowClan’s side of the clearing. The RiverClan warrior was optimistic, but foolishly so, for the wind changed and brought with it BloodClan’s terrible Twolegplace scent. Moments later the ferns crackled and parted, and Scorch led his rogue Clan into the clearing.

With a movement of his tail, Tinystar directed the forest Clans to one side as BloodClan flooded into the other half of the clearing. Tinystar had felt crowded with all four Clans clustered under Fourtrees, but this amount of cats was close to making him gag from his claustrophobia.

Scorch stepped forward, meeting the eyes of the leaders. His green eyes took in the fighting force of the Clans and he shook his head, sighing.

“So you really intend to fight?” he meowed. “Fools.”

“We have no choice,” Tinystar declared. He squared his shoulders, unsheathing his claws. Behind him the Clan cats shifted, growls and hisses rising from the crowd. “This forest is our home, and we will not leave it.”

Scorch blinked. “So be it, Tinystar,” he meowed quietly. “If you will not leave willingly, then we have no choice.” The ginger tom raised his tail and screeched: “Die!”

The sun rose like fire over Fourtrees as BloodClan surged around Scorch – Tinystar’s battle cry filled the clearing and all four Clans rose like a wave to meet them. When they clashed it was like thunder and lighting in the sky.

Blood and fur flew, and the cacophony of screeches and yowls were just the beginning.

#tb au #tb the darkest hour

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