Thundering Darkness

Epilogue

Epilogue

The warm breeze ruffled the tufts of fur along Pebblespash's spine as she, Thornriver, and Darkstorm made their way up the moorland slope. Her gaze was steadily fixed forward at their destination a few rolling slopes off in the distance.

"Breezestar was certainly eager to spend time with us," Thornriver remarked as the three cats made their way down the slope. "She was practically willing to escort the three of us all the way to the moonpool and back."

Darkstorm rolled her eyes. "You've certainly made an impression on plenty of cats," she grunted to Pebblesplash. "I mean at the last gathering she was practically blowing up at Eaglestar, Troutstar and Woodstar, but just now she was like a kit tripping over her tail."

Pebblesplash sighed. She knew her two closest clanmates were trying to distract her from the task at hand, and she appreciated it. They both knew she had been sitting beside Troutstar as his body was battling with infection from a fox battle they had had earlier, silently panicking.

"You'll do great," Troutstar had said, eyes bright with fever. "This Pebblesplash is a true leader, unlike how you were as a kit, trained by me, and unlike me either."

Pebblesplash sighed, but Darkstorm turned to her, voice bracing. "You're just going to StarClan to see some old friends," she reminded Pebblesplash. "Sure, you'll have a new name, and the title of leader afterwards, but StarClan knows these past moons as deputy you've been practically leading the clan."

Pebblesplash gave her clanmate a gentle shove. "And you know that I wouldn't have managed without you always checking over my big decisions, Darkstorm."

Darkstorm rolled her eyes, and continued limping up the slope. Thornriver followed in suit, and the two she-cats began to have a conversation, but Pebblesplash helped back. She wanted to be alone with the memories of the past for just a little while longer, before she pursued her new role. She began as far back as she could remember.

The days as a little kit, sneaking off alone, and trying to act as the leader of the group. Getting special training from Troutstar, and distancing herself from Spikewillow. The first attack she could remember by ThunderClan, ending up with her father dead.

Her eagerness to become an apprentice, and the first territory tour in which she had met ThunderClan. Training for battle, hunting and patrolling. The feeling of being alone, distancing herself from her denmates pettily.

Then there was Nightpaw's death. All these moons later, Pebblesplash would always live with guilt, even though he was happy with his two other littermates. Then, the escalations with Darkstorm, which led to the two falling into ThunderClan's grim grip. Darkstorm always lived with the guilt of what had happened there too, Pebblesplash understood.

The days as a hostage. Watching kits being attacked mercilessly finally provoking action. Creating the Paws United, and the tedious days that ensued as she searched for followers.

Pebblesplash forced her paws forward, towards Darkstorm and Thornriver. She would fall behind and lose sight of them if she stopped for too long.

Then the battle. Pebbleslpash's mind immediately cringed as she remembered the broken bodies, and her following Darkstorm into StarClan to pull her newfound friend back. That was the first time they realised how connected they had become over their shared trauma.

After that, the trial apprenticeship. Things had slowed down for a while, as Pebblesplash found her groove in RiverClan; a few skirmishes, nothing major. Min and the rest of the Paws United came every six seasons for a quarter moon, and Pebblesplash got to talk with her close friends.