Sunrise

Part 3 continuation- Chapter 4

Night was falling over the sky as Stormwhisker lay limply in the lake. It was swollen to the brim, and the sound of crashing waves roared in his ears. He only dimly recognised that the rain had stopped as his brother clawed at his pelt, meeting no resistance. Stormwhisker had given up. Starclan had been so cruel, building up this one moment, they were so sure he'd be the one to stop his brother. All the omens, the signs... But now I see. Nobody can stop Sunshatter. He'll rule the forest forever...  He thought glumly, his eyes half open. Through the murky red water, he could see movement. Starclan? Are you here to take me at last? He wondered hallucinogenically.

The shape seemed to get clearer as time went on, and he could make out a brown pelt among the various shades of mahogany clouding the water. Oh starclan, it's mudpaw. He gaped, dread sinking into him. No, this can't be- Has he come to help his mentor? Stormwhisker's blood ran cold. Or will Sunshatter kill him too? Mudpaw pressed his paw against Stormwhisker's neck, and Stormwhisker looked into the apprentice's eyes. He only nodded, and so Stormwhisker relaxed as Mudpaw emerged, knowing that the apprentice would be fine. The young brown tom stepped out of the water, and Stormwhisker felt his brother's grip relax, and the grey medicine cat knew this was his chance. But his limbs would not work, and he could only lift his head out of the water, ignoring the excruciating pain radiating through his every muscle, and watch. Sunshatter was frowning at Mudpaw. "Have you come to betray me too? My own apprentice?" He asked flatly. Mudpaw look pained as he responded. "No, Sunshatter. But you must see that this is wrong- he's your brother, for starclan's sake!" Mudpaw exclaimed, his legs shaking. "You must know I have to do this." And without looking at his former idol, tears streaming down his dusky brown cheeks, and shoved Sunshatter into the water. 

Stormwhisker didn't waste a moment. Swirls of cerulean water bubbled around Sunshatter as the calico tom thrashed around. He lunged forward, snagging his claws on his brother's silky pelt and holding him down, unbearably agonized to watch the brother- who had once saved his life- Struggle beneath his claws. Sunshatter's wild eyes locked with his, hurt and betrayal huddling in his scarlet gaze, before he shut them again and sank his claws into the grey tabby medicine cat's wrists. Stormwhisker yowled, but kept his grip strong, and sunshatter reared up, grasped Stormwhisker's neck in his jaws, and yanked his brother down with him. Sunshatter's snarl was full of rage and loathing of his brother as both toms battled underwater, each counting the second's before the other would give up on the spindling strings of life they were desperately clinging to and drown. Stormwhisker's lungs pounded and he longed to strive for the surface again, where cocern icy blue eyes stared at him in horror, unable to assist. The crippled tom thrust his broken leg into sunshatter's jaw, and the tom's eyes rounded in shock, but soon narrowed again as he gripped his brother's foreleg and tumbled down further into the lake. Stormwhisker knew both he and his brother were reminded of that fateful day where both of them had seen this scenario- and almost died because of it. The faint glow of moonlight above him seemed lifetimes away, and he knew at this point, even if he tried to go back, neither of them would make it. So I have to keep going. The forest will never be free until this monster is safe and rotting in the dark forest! He snarled and sank his jaws one last time into his brother's throat, as the hourglass finally ran out. His breath seemed to rush back into him for a moment, and for a single heartbeat, he rejoiced as his lungs stopped aching, and his limbs felt wild and carefree. But then the pressure came, and he screamed into the void as the light finally faded from both brothers' eyes, and the riverclan was rid of their maniacal dictator at last.