Cloudtail's Belief

     Cloudtail looked up at the sky as he exited the warriors den, stretching in the progress, and blinked the sleep from his eyes. He glanced around camp, seeing his Clan, Thunderclan, buzzing with life. Lionblaze sharing a vole with his mate, Cinderheart, Squirrelflight organizing patrols by the fresh-kill pile, Jayfeather and Alderpaw coming into camp, carrying bundles of herbs, and Bramblestar gazing down at his Can from High Ledge.

     Cloudtail made his way out of camp to hunt on his own, tasting the air for prey. The scents of the forest swamped his tongue, but the tang of something else was in the air... Shadowclan! He narrowed his icy blue eyes, dropping to a crouch and stalking towards the direction of where the scent was coming from. From the bushes, he could make out a brown tabby pelt, Sparrowtail, stalking a squirrel. Cloudtail bunched up his muscles, flexing his claws as he prepared to spring at the intruder, before leaping at his target.

     Sparrowtail yowled with surprise as Cloudtail's claws grasped his hind legs, pulling the large tom to the ground. Cloudtail began to claw at Sparrowtail as he pinned him down, until the weight of another cat crashed into him. As he rolled, Cloudtail spotted the yellow tabby fur of Wasptail, claws pricking his fur when the she-cat fell on top of him with a furious hiss, causing his nerves to spike up. Cloudtail snarled with anger and fought back, knocking Wasptail away with a kick and swiping at Sparrowtail. Two against one, of course, Cloudtail thought, But I can beat both of them, and send them back running to their scrawny no-good Clan.

     Blood streaked Cloudtail's snow white pelt, but Sparrowtail's and Wasptail's wounds were welling up with it as well, though they weren't done. Sparrowtail knocked him to the ground while Wasptail held his hind legs. Cloudtail snarled with fury, trashing around, as Sparrowtail lifted a paw. Agonizing pain gripped his body like claws as the Shadowclan tom struck down on Cloudtail's throat, satisfaction glittering in his eyes as blood soaked through the white fur, beginning to pool around Cloudtail's neck. "Let's go" Sparrowtail meowed "Leave this mousebrain to die, one less pesky Thunderclan cat to deal with anyway."

     As both cats retreated, Cloudtail laid there, gasping for breath as the crimson blood oozed at a fast rate from his torn throat. He closed his eyes and pictured Brindleface, the queen who had cared for him seasons ago when he first was brought to the Clan, her sparkling green eyes and soft fur, looking down at him with a soft and warm purr. Next thing he knew, he was hearing voices "Cloudtail, Cloudtail wake up!" A cry rang out. His eyes opened to see Brightheart crouched over him, tears flooding from her eye "Cloudtail please don't leave me! Not now!" She wailed, but... she wasn't the only one with him. Cloudtail's eyes landed on a second cat, stars glittering at her paws and an emerald green gaze looking back at him, it seemed familiar. "Brindleface...?" Cloudtail rasped. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, Brindleface was standing right next to Brightheart!

     Brindleface smiled warmly "Hello Cloudtail" She murmured "It has bee a while since we saw each other face to face, come with me." She started to climb up towards the sky, stopping to wait for her foster kit. Cloudtail felt his flanks shudder with one last breath, and released with a sigh. He felt himself rise from his body, the signs of his deadly wound no longer there. He heard Brightheart's wails become louder as she noticed her mate's flanks had stilled, throwing her head back to yowl her agony. Cloudtail knew it was his time as he followed after his foster mother, his neck healed and his white pelt shimmering with stars, as they made their way upwards to Starclan's hunting grounds. Firestar was waiting for them, his green eyes filled with warmth as he greeted his nephew with purrs and love.

     Cloudtail looked back down at his mate in Thunderclan's forest, brief sadness in his gaze. "Do not grieve for long, my love..." He murmured "You will see me again soon when it is your turn to leave the Clans and come to reunite with the members of Starclan. You will see me again as well, for I believed at last.