Warriors: Empire's End ~Book 5 Series 3~

Chapter 27

Shadeheart's POV:

"I don't plan on dying today." Skystar growled softly.

"So you'll run away to StarClan..." Dime murmured. "And leave poor Shadeheart to the mercy of us?" He stared at Skystar, his green eyes unreadable. There seemed to he a lot of tension in the air between Dime and the StarClan warrior. What kind of history did they have? How did they know each other?

Is Dime actually insinuating that he is going to hurt me if Skystar leaves? Shadeheart felt a pang of hurt in his chest, and the wounds from NoName, that lay bleeding on his face, stung harder. What's wrong with them? What did I do to make my parents hate me?

"I'll take him with me." The white and green she cat stated firmly, resting a forepaw over Shadeheart's paw. "And then we'll free the Clans from your clutches."

Shadeheart moved his paw away from the strange she cat, glaring up at her nervously. He didn't want to go anywhere with her until everything was cleared up. However, from the look of things, it seemed like a fight was going to break out before the poblem was resolved.

NoName laughed hysterically at Skystar. "You've had the power to take me down since the beginning, yet you sat back and let the Clans suffer! You let me raise Shadeheart as my own son. Why now do you think you can save them? The Dark Forest is stronger than it has ever been. We have more allies than you. Soon we will be able to completely consume you StarClan scum, and blot out the light forever!"

It was starting to fit together in Shadeheart's head; even NoName wasn't denying it now. Was he truly Skystar's son? Was he really the son of a former Clan leader? But why had she abandoned him then? Did he have any siblings?

"I won't let you take over my home." Skystar hissed, bracing herself in an attack stance. "I trusted Dime to care for our son, but he barely even bothered to be a part of Shadeheart's life. But what would you expect from a filthy rogue like him?"

Dime snorted. "Bold words coming from the she cat who loved me once."

"Love?" Skystar spat. "It was never love."

"Enough of this!" NoName snarled, glaring at Dime. "Kill her!"

His heart felt torn in all different directions. NoName- the evil tyrant who had raised him as her son- still held a strong part of his loyalty. He couldn't just abandon her! He had grown up with her, she was his mother. Perhaps not his true mother, but she had been there for him.

But had she really been? Flowerstream had been the one to look after him in the nursery. She had been the one he suckled from, not NoName. Flowerstream had been there to look after him throughout his whole life. She had been there when he and Blossomfur had had their kits.

However, as he watched Skystar launch herself into Dime's waiting claws, he wondered if he should give her a chance. If not for himself, but for the Clans. She would help them, right? She had StarClan's powers on her side.

Then why did she wait this long to step in? Shadeheart wondered. The damage has been done, the Clans lie on the brink of non-existence, and only now StarClan decides to do something.

White and green clashed with black and brown as Skystar and Dime wrestled to gain the upper-paw. Each feline had fierce intent in their eyes to harm their opponent. They had both been waiting for this fight.

NoName stood and watched carefully, her paw raised. Shadows swarmed around her, the dark mist shuddering with restrained power. Tyler and Strike waited stiffly behind NoName, watching silently as well. This was a lost fight on Skystar's side. The Dark Forest warriors were just waiting until Dime started losing, and then they would step in.