WARRIORS: Skyspirit's Decision (OLD)

Chapter Twenty-six

*Oh yeah it's action time, let's go!* --Vanessa

Skystar froze as she witnessed enemy warriors spilling into the camp. Her body went on auto-pilot as she slashed, bit, clawed, and kicked at the enemies, but more kept coming! She was aware of the apprentices, fighting back-to-back in a small group, and Duskfall and Lionstrike, using classical StormClan moves and maneuvered through the crowd of enemies quickly. She glanced through the crowd towards the back and glimpsed a broad-shouldered black tom, with a smaller brown tabby tom. She cursed under her breath. She started to move towards them, but a gray tabby tom with battle-scars moved in front of her. He leaped on her, and Skystar did her classical move of going limp, then used the leap-and-hold to get him under her control. She used her back claws to rake the cat's belly, and blood pooled under him. 

Suddenly, Nightstar appeared right in front of her, with Brookstar at his side. Skystar leaped onto his back, and held his head with her fore-paws, and used her hind-paws to knock Nightstar's hind legs out from under him, thus making him collapse to the ground. She then grabbed Nightstar's scruff in her teeth and began to shake him violently, clawing at him at the same time, but then Brookstar sliced at Skystar's fore-paws. Skystar back-flipped away, releasing Nightstar at the same time. She realized that Nightstar's blood had covered his fur, and he was losing a life! 

However, Skystar had no time to think about that, for Brookstar had started his advance. He crept towards her and swiped out a paw. Skystar ducked and head-butted Brookstar in the chest, bowling him over. Brookstar was faster than Nightstar, however, and jumped up, rearing, and grabbed Skystar's shoulders, pinning her to the ground. Nightstar had recovered and was looking dazed. Skystar heard, that he had two lives left, but now, he just had one. Brookstar still had four.  

"We'll have mercy and kill you, er, nine times, quickly." declared Nightstar, groggily. 

Brookstar was about to say something too, but he suddenly collapsed. The familiar face of Leafshadow loomed overhead, Brookstar's blood staining her teeth. Skystar wriggled free, and flicked her hind legs into the air while spinning around on her forepaws, then reared up, raking at Nightstar with her claws before tucking her head down and performing a forward roll. Nightstar stumbled, and Leafshadow darted under his belly, slashing at the back of his forepaws. When Nightstar twisted, expecting her to emerge on the other side, Leafshadow backed quickly out of the way she came. She hooked her claws into his fur and dragged him to the ground. Skystar quickly judged Nightstar's distance from her carefully, then lashed out with her back legs, taking all weight on her front paws. Nightstar flew into a tree and didn't get up.

"Great StarClan!" gasped Leafshadow, "You've broken his neck!"

Skystar had no time to explain since Brookstar had gotten up and backed her into one of the cliff walls. He advanced slowly. Suddenly, Skystar leaped backward and bounced off the wall. With precise accuracy, she landed on Brookstar. He struggled but his shoulders were pinned into the ground by Skystar's claws. With one great yank, Brookstar sent Skystar flying into the wall. Suddenly, everything went black. 

"Hello Skystar," came a voice.

"This is what it's like to lose your first life," said another.

Skystar opened her eyes and saw all the cats who had given her nine lives: Stormstar the 1st, Amberclaw, Cloudstar, and many more. 

"I have to go back!" she exclaimed

"If that is what you wish."

Skystar opened her eyes and saw a terrible scene: Leafshadow was pinned on the ground, screeching in agony, as Brookstar tore the flesh of her tail right down to the muscle. (Sorry, that was gross.) With a yowl, Skystar grabbed Brookstar's shoulders and then locked them against the ground. She churned her hind paws against his spine. Brookstar dropped to the ground, twisting to face her. Skystar reared up on her back legs and brought her weight down him. Brookstar did the same, and Skystar wrestled him under her. She sank her claws into his chest and slashed a wound all the way to Brookstar's tail. The wound seemed to be so severe, even StarClan couldn't fix it the first three times. Finally, it closed up. Brookstar was still a bit dazed, so when he pounced at Skystar, he wasn't accurate and missed her by a fox-length(1 m). She brought her paw down hard on his head. 

There was a faint, "I surrender." and she let him go. Skystar picked up Leafshadow and brought her to the medicine cat's den. To her horror, Tansyflower was dueling with a red she-cat. Skystar rushed forward, but it was too late. Tansyflower was dead. Skystar shoved Leafshadow's body at Cloudwhisker and leaped over the she-cat, turned on her back legs, and, while turning, raked her claws on her opponent's back. Then she sunk her teeth into her opponent's leg. The she-cat screeched and ran away. Skystar chased her into the clearing. 

On her way there, she saw a long-lost friend, "Stonefang?!? What are you doing here?! We thought you were captured by Blood-"

Stonefang said, "No time for explanations. Where is Tansyflower?" 

*P.S. Stonefang was SkyClan's old deputy before Skystar. Tansyflower was his only daughter. His mate died too so he is really protective of her.*--Vanessa 

Skystar gulped, "She, uh, passed away into StarClan."

Stonefang yowled, "NO!! I'LL KILL THEM!! I'LL KILL THEM ALL!!"

Stonefang ran off, clawing at everything in sight. She then saw that all the BloodClan cats had fled, and the RiverClan cats were all battered and bruised. Brookstar limped toward the exit, cast a fearful look towards Skystar, and called, "R-RiverClan cats, r-retreat!" The battle instantly stopped, and Skystar climbed up to the Sky-cliff.

"Let all cats gather beneath the Sky-cliff for a clan meeting," she wearily said. As the cats limped over, she continued, "Every cat, check yourselves for injuries. If there are cats who don't have very severe wounds, go out, and help search for moss, cobwebs, and herbs. Cloudwhisker will give you instructions on that matter. Otherwise, please go at once to Cloudwhisker. We shall sit vigil for Tansyflower tonight. Also, our former deputy, Stonefang, has shown up again."

"Stonefang?"

"He's back!!"

"BloodClan, take that!"

"Sadly, our old deputy Leafshadow's tail has been mangled, so she requested a new name." Skystar cleared her throat and said, "Spirits of StarClan, you know every cat by name. I ask you now to take away the name from the cat you see before you, for it no longer stands for what she is. By my authority as Clan leader, and with the approval of our warrior ancestors, I give this cat a new name. From this moment on she will be known as Tailshadow, for her tail is mangled beyond saving. "

The newly named Tailshadow limped out of the medicine cat's den, and spoke into Skystar's ear. Skystar widened her eyes. 

"Tailshadow has made a request. Tailshadow, is it your wish to give up the name of a warrior and join the elders?"

Tailshadow's stump of tail quivered as she said, "It is, I can no longer climb trees or balance without my tail."

"Your Clan honors you and all the service you have given to us. I call upon StarClan to give you many moons of rest."

"Tailshadow! Tailshadow!"

"I shall appoint a new deputy by high-moon. That is all."

Skystar walked off the Sky-cliff, StarClan, how could you do this?