StarClan isn't real..

Chapter 27

Yellowpaw tore at a Dark Forest's cat pelt, sending fur and blood spraying onto the moor. She yowled and flung herself at the enemy, landing easily on it's back. She gritted her teeth and sank her claws and teeth into the Dark Forest warrior's neck. She broke off as the warrior hurried away, yowling and bleeding.

A black silhouette hurried towards her, claws gleaming in the moonlight. With a hiss, Yellowpaw reared up on her hind paws to match the enemy, but the Dark Forest cat was much smaller than she expected, and easily crashed into Yellowpaw's belly.

Yellowpaw tumbled down the moor, feeling grass and nettle tear at her pelt. Claws gripped her shoulders, and she felt the wet feeling of blood as it dripped down her fur. Gritting her teeth against the pain, Yellowpaw raked her hind paws down the enemy's fur and kicked her over her own head, sending the opponent flying away.

The cat landed with a thud. Yellowpaw leapt to her feet, ready to defend herself.

Her enemy rose to her paws, coughing from the impact of Yellowpaw's strike. Shock pulsed through Yellowpaw as she saw the cat's gray fur. It was Finchpaw!

"What do you want?" She snapped.

Finchpaw's tail flicked. "I'm not switching sides, if that's what your asking," She growled. "I thought you were someone else. But I can't not fight you," She added, her fur bristling. "So I suppose we should get on with this."

Yellowpaw lifted her chin. "Fine."

With a yowl, both cats lunged at each other. They met in midair, and both fell back onto their hind paws. Yellowpaw pressed her forepaws against Finchpaw's, and began to push her backward while still balancing on her hind paws. Finchpaw did the same, her claws unsheathed and amber eyes gleaming in the moonlight. Rain had also begun to patter down, wettening Yellowpaw's fur and making her exposed flesh cold. 

"Traitor!" Yellowpaw hissed. "Why won't you listen to Logpaw? If the Dark Forest loses, what are you going to do?"

For a moment, Finchpaw's eyes flashed with guilt and pressure. Then she shook her head, as if shaking away thoughts. Taking this chance, Yellowpaw heaved foreward, unbalancing Finchpaw and sending her crashing to the ground.

"Mousebrain!" Finchpaw snapped. "The Dark Forest is too powerful. They've built up an army over the moons, Yellow-"

She suddenly stopped, her eyes wide with horror as she stared up at the sky. Figuring that Finchpaw was trying to trick her, Yellowpaw didn't follow her gaze. Then she saw the red reflected in Finchpaw's eyes, and slowly turned her head to look at the horrors that Finchpaw was seeing.

The sky was blood red. The moon glowed with crimson, and the stars were deep red like the spill of blood on fur. The sky had an eerie crimson glow, as if blood had washed over the entire sky. The storm clouds were still dark gray, and luckily the raindrops were still silver.

"What is going on?" Yellowpaw spat, jumping off of Finchpaw.

Finchpaw scrambled to her paws and shook raindrops from her fur. "I don't know," She hissed. "Wait... no. I do."

"What's going on?" Yellowpaw repeated.

Finchpaw's tail was bushed up and bristling. "The Dark Forest cats have invaded StarClan's hunting grounds! It was a vision? Or an omen? One of the StarClan cats was sent sending a prophecy to Stormcloud, I think. Something with 'blood floods the sky'. I think this means that Dark Forest will destroy StarClan, maybe?"

"So you'll join are side now?" Yellowpaw mewed hopefully.

Finchpaw glanced at her. "I can't," She snapped. Her eyes locked on Yellowpaw's throat. "I'm sorry, Yellowpaw."

With a yowl, Finchpaw lunged. Yellowpaw was taken by surprise, and couldn't move as Finchpaw bowled her over, sinking her claws into Yellowpaw's shoulders. With a grunt, Yellowpaw hit the ground, feeling water and rain soak into her ginger fur. Finchpaw pinned her down, with claws still digging into Yellowpaw's fur. "I'm sorry," Finchpaw repeated, then lifted a paw and prepared to slash down at Yellowpaw's throat.

As Yellowpaw braced herself for the end to come, there was a flash of brown fur, and a long-haired brown tabby tom tackled Finchpaw. With a hiss, Finchpaw scurried away, scrabbling up the slippery moorland.

The tom turned his head. "Are you okay?"

Yellowpaw took a step back. This was a loner- a barncat, from the well-fed look of him- but his scent seemed almost familiar. "Who are you?"

"Er. This might be random," The tom mewed, "But I think I'm your father."

***

Larkpaw slashed at a Dark Forest warrior, her claws sinking deep into now bloody flesh. She tore at the fur, sending the warrior racing away, yowling painfully.

With a hiss, Larkpaw looked up. She gasped with horror as she saw the sky- blood red, with moons and stars like exposed flesh. What's going on? She assumed it was some kind of omen- but great StarClan, it looked awful!

Backing away, Larkpaw bumped into a cat behind her, and bristled. Leaping around, she noticed it was Oatflower, her mother.

"Are you okay?" Oatflower whispered, bending down to give Larkpaw a lick between the ears. Her mother used to be a medicine cat, but had loved Specklebird too much to keep the position, and had become a warrior. Her twisted front paw had made it difficult, and Larkpaw doubted she was doing well in the battle. Glancing at the scratches and bloody gashes on her mother's pelt, Larkpaw winced. "I'll be fine," Oatflower mewed.

As the mother and daughter looked at each other, Applestar's yowl caught both of their attention. "Larkpaw! Oatflower!"

Glancing over her shoulder, Larkpaw saw Applestar staggering towards them. His white fur was muddy and plastered with blood, and Larkpaw could scent Specklebird, even through the rain. "Is my father..." She mewed, but trailed off. Specklebird was a traitor; she couldn't believe he had lied to him all this time.

"He's dead," Applestar mewed dryly. "I'm sorry."

Oatflower sighed. "He was never good to be," She whispered. "I can't believe I gave up Weedtooth and Stormcloud for him." She swept her tail around Larkpaw. "But one part of it was worth it."

"How did he die? Did he say anything about me?" Larkpaw rasped, her voice cracking. Was he proud of me?

Applestar's paws shuffled. "He did, sort of. But it may not be the news you want to hear." At Larkpaw's intent nod, the leader went on. "I thought he had been acting suspicious about Larchpaw, so I asked him about it. In short, he confessed... uh..." Applestar's hesitation made Larkpaw nervous. "He fed her to wolves."

"What?!" Larkpaw and Oatflower screeched at the same time.

Applestar's tail flicked. "I know it sounds... odd," He mewed. "And I'm sorry that you had to hear this. But know that Larchpaw died as the cat she always was; kind enough to let her father slit open her own back."

Larkpaw was too shooken to ask for context, but glanced up at the sound of pawsteps. She tensed, ready for an attack. More opponents?

But to her relief, it was two battle patrols of ShadowClan and ThunderClan warriors. Behind them was Featherskip, a RiverClan warrior, who had been sent to get more warriors. in ShadowClan, there was the deputy, Flintwhisker and Smokestar herself, as well as Sunnyfang, Brokenspot, Aspendapple, and an apprentice named Emberpaw. In ThunderClan, there was, Shelldapple, Songsky, Rainpuddle, and Lionflower with her apprentice, Willowpaw. Both patrols launched themselves into the battle as if they were fighting for their own Clan, and not WindClan.

The battle hasn't been won, though, even with Specklebird dead. Larkpaw thought. I need to avenge my sister.

She turned to Applestar and nodded at him, then looked to Oatflower. "Be safe. Avenge Larchpaw for me," Her mother murmered, giving Larkpaw a comforting nuzzle. "I'm proud of you, even if your father wasn't." Her eyes were filled with pain, both physical and emotional, and she sank to her paws with a grunt of pain.

Wincing, Larkpaw turned towards the battle. With a yowl, she flung herself into the fray, shouting with grief and determinition, "For Larchpaw!"