WattyWarriors Fan Magazine 2.0

Contest Entree: Firestar4Ever

Theme: Write an alternative ending to “The Last Hope”.

    Firestar lashed his tail. "The battle's over!" "The Dark Forest is endless," Tigerstar hissed. "It has more warriors than you could ever imagine. The battle is just beginning." Dovewing narrowed her eyes. "But so many of your cats are gone! How do you know that the ones that remain will follow you?" Tigerstar sneered. "I took them in when I arrived in the Dark Forest. I trained them, convinced them that the clans had done them wrong. They follow me because I have a plan, one that will destroy the clans that hurt them!"
  "You're no leader Tigerstar," Firestar padded towards the large brown tom. "You never were."
Tigerstar flexed his claws and glared at Firestar. "A leader puts his clan first." Firestar lashed his tail. "Instead, your cats are made to fight your battles. You mess with their minds and convince them that we, as clans, hurt them. You are a twisted cat, Tigerstar, who needs to know when he is defeated." "Real warriors love battle," Tigerstar said. "I give mine a chance to die for a cause!" Dovewing peered at the tom.  Was he mad? Did he realize how many cats he had lost?
Firestar's pelt rippled. "What are your battles for? What are these cats even dying for?" Tigerstar's eyes burned like fire. "Because I was waiting to get to you, to defeat you one last time! After Bluestar found you, so long ago, I became nothing!" Tigerstar growled, then lunged at Firestar. "Stop!" Yowled a familiar voice. "When I found Rusty sitting outside of his twoleg nest, I knew he would be the answer. Fire will save our clan!" Bluestar, draped in starlight, pushed past Firestar and looked Tigerstar in the eyes. Two cats followed her, Cinderpelt and Graypool. "You hurt all of us. You run and run, trying to get away from what you have done. Look at us! We are what you have been running from." Runningwind, Oakheart, Redtail, Brindleface, Whitestorm, and Swiftpaw appeared behind them, with Stonefur close to follow. "
These are the cats who you have killed," Bluestar snarled. "And we would like to return the favor!" The cats leaped towards Tigerstar, tearing at his tabby fur. Blood appeared to be flowing from the scene. All was quiet for a moment, then the StarClan cats stepped back. Tigerstar was gone.
  In the days following, the cats rejoiced over their victory. The Dark Forest left the clans and returned to their dark home.
   Sadly, because it is reality, Firestar died a moon later of old age.
   "A new leader shall rise from the shadow of another...This is how it always had been, and forever shall be..."