Chapter 22
Nothing much changed in the moon since receiving her first apprentice. In fact, the only thing was that Pinefoot had moved to the nursery expecting Goldentooth’s kits.
But everything changed quite abruptly when Splashheart dashed into camp, panting heavily. “Cloudstar, it’s WindClan!”
Crazyflame was just returning from leading a tunnel-training session with Morningblaze, Shrewfur, Applestorm, Brightpaw, Blossompaw, and Graypaw. As soon as she heard the news, she snarled with disgust. “Smokewhisker again?” she asked.
Splashheart shook his head. “I don’t know,” he replied. “It doesn’t make sense though because Smokewhisker is no longer deputy. Perhaps it has really been Rabbitstar the whole time.”
Cloudstar rapidly exited his den and leapt down from the Highledge. “Where?” the ThunderClan leader demanded.
“In the training hollow!” Splashheart answered. “The scent is fresh!”
“Take me there,” Cloudstar ordered.
“Yes, of course I will,” the ThunderClan deputy responded instantly.
The white-furred tom followed his deputy out of camp. What if it’s a trap, like last time? The two of them can’t fight half of WindClan alone!
Crazyflame made her decision. “I’ll be back soon,” she told Brightpaw. “You and your sister can choose something from the fresh-kill pile and eat until I return.”
She dashed out of camp, carefully following their scent trails. They were moving quickly, and would reach it soon. She had to hurry, but also not get caught.
She silently stopped at the training hollow just in time to hear Splashheart’s voice hiss, “Good-bye and good riddance, Cloudstar!”
“What in StarClan’s name is that supposed to mean?” Cloudstar demanded.
Crazyflame quickly climbed a tree to get a better view. Splashheart was standing next to Cloudstar right beneath the tree she was watching from. “This,” he responded, slicing his claws across Cloudstar’s throat in an instant.
Cloudstar fell to the ground. “Oh, you won’t die yet,” Splashheart informed him. “It’s bad enough that your pathetic medicine cat won’t be able to stop it, she’ll only be able to slow the bleeding. You’ll die just after sunhigh approximately.”
Crazyflame was shocked, but the prophecy now made sense. “The dark SPLASH” was Splashheart.
She leapt from the tree and landed on Splashheart’s back. He tumbled onto the ground with a startled yowl. She raked her claws repeatedly down his stomach and he yowled in fury and pain. Blood was quickly oozing from the wound, leaving the grass stained scarlet. Crazyflame could tell he was growing weaker. With his last effort, he managed to heave himself upward. She lost her grip and was flung to the other side of the clearing.
She rose to her feet in time to see Splashheart fleeing the training hollow.
She rushed over to her dying leader and examined the wound on his throat. “Cloudstar…” she whispered.
“Crazyflame, what did you do?” a shocked voice exclaimed.
She looked up to see Liontail entering the training hollow, leading a patrol of angry warriors.
Cloudstar weakly lifted his head. “It wasn’t Crazyflame,” he managed to speak. “It was Splashheart.”
Liontail looked around desperately. “We need to carry him back to camp so Honeywhisker can treat him,” he told the patrol.
Liontail, Goldentooth, and Oakstream all helped to lift Cloudstar’s body. They rushed him back toward camp as quickly as possible. “You’ll be fine,” Crazyflame meowed, not sure whether she believed it or not.
“No,” Cloudstar responded feebly. “Crazyflame, this is my last life.”
***
Crazyflame joined the crowd of solemn warriors in Honeywhisker’s den as the medicine cat placed a wad of cobwebs over the wound on his throat. “Won’t work…” the ThunderClan leader choked out. “Only delay what is inevitable. Carry me to the base of the Highledge and summon the Clan, please.”
The gray-furred she-cat followed them as they moved their leader, setting him down on the grass beneath the Highledge, just as he’d instructed. “Let all cats gather by the Highledge for a Clan meeting!” Crazyflame called, but her voice shook.
All cats strained to hear the ThunderClan leader’s almost inaudible words. “I say these words…before StarClan that they m-may hear and approve of my choice,” he coughed out. “The new deputy and leader of ThunderClan will be…”
Crazyflame was pretty sure of who Cloudstar would choose. Liontail will be our next leader…
“Crazyflame,” Cloudstar finished.
She was shocked, honored, and horrified at the same time. “Cloudstar, no!” she exclaimed. “I’m not ready to be leader!”
The white-furred tom just smiled faintly and closed his eyes for the final time.
A/N: The prophecy is fulfilled...or MAYBE NOT. But Cloudstar is dead and Crazyflame is about to become Crazystar. What do you all think? I absolutely have to know what you think about this chapter!
Oh, and congrats to JustJupiter on correctly guessing Splashheart was the one talking to Smokewhisker and was the cat of the prophecy!
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Warriors: Crazystar's Battle
Fanfiction~The flame of mischief will rise to attempt to defeat the dark splash of murder and betrayal~ Crazykit is the daughter of Swiftstorm and Flamefoot, and as a kit, often finds herself doing things she shouldn't be, such as knocking over the fresh...
