The day of the battle had arrived. Lightclaw's heart pounded in his ears as IcyClan approached the Three Stones. Luckily, the kits were napping before they left, so Lightclaw didn't have to come up with answers to their questions. IcyClan would be the second to arrive, with ValleyClan already there, tense as ever. SwampClan soon approached, their scents mixing into the collage of tension in the air.
Morningstar stepped up on one of the Three Stones, howling for the clans to listen. "Cats of the clans! This might be the biggest battle you've ever fought, maybe even your last. But we shall succeed! We have StarClan on our side!" She howled. Willetstar and Duststar then stepped up too.
"That is true. We shall win! StarClan will be watching, helping us every step of the way!" Willetstar yowled.
"Before this battle begins, I would like to hold a ceremony," Morningstar started. "Sparrow, you have expressed your wish to join the clans. From this day forward, you shall be known as Sparrowstripe. StarClan honors everything you've done for the clans,"
"Sparrowstripe! Sparrowstripe!" The clans cheered. Though, anxiety still rubbed off in their mews.
"Now, lead the way, Sparrowstripe." Morningstar dipped her head. As the clans trotted toward the Clowder, Lightclaw found himself walking beside Pebbleheart.
"I'm surprised with how much confidence ValleyClan puts in a rogue, especially one that came from the Clowder." Lightclaw hissed to his uncle, his fur standing on edge.
"I'm not surprised. ValleyClan is filled with rogue-lovers. Half their clan is outsider blood!" Pebbleheart hissed, before another cat in front of them, a ValleyClan cat, turned around, squinting his eyes.
"Hey, you've taken in outsiders too. Icepelt was a kittypet, wasn't she?" The brown ValleyClan cat retorted with a flick of his tail. Before either cat could respond, he turned back around and trotted further up ahead. The rest of the walk was spent in silence, except for Lakebranch's nervous mutters to himself. ValleyClan eventually split to attack from the high grounds, while SwampClan and IcyClan circled around the large boulder that the Clowder resided in.
At Willetstar's signal, SwampClan darted inside. Shortly after, Duststar raised her tail. "IcyClan! Go!" At her command, IcyClan circled the outside of the den, leaping at any rogues. ValleyClan soon barreled through, launching in from above and catching many rogues off guard.
Lightclaw found him back-to-back with Pebbleheart, jabbing at any rogue who dared step within their range. Though soon enough, their form was broken by a pained yelp. The toms whipped their heads around to the source of it. Lakebranch's front leg was buckled and bleeding. The deputy kept his weight off of it, but clearly struggled to handle the rogue he was battling. In one swift motion, Pebbleheart dashed over and barreled into the rogue, headbutting them until they went unconscious.
"Here, I'll bring you to the medicine cats, my love." Pebbleheart helped Lakebranch onto his feet. Lightclaw scampered over before being tackled by a large brown rogue. The rogue slashed her claws across Lightclaw's ear, tearing it. The small tabby tom winced, bracing himself for another brutal blow. But that brutal blow never came. The brown rogue's strike was interrupted by Pebbleheart and Lakebranch clawing at her sides. The rogue pushed away Lightclaw and turned to Lakebranch. The rogue slashed at his other front leg, causing Lakebranch to wabble and fall, leaving his neck exposed. The rogue seized the opportunity and slashed at his throat, killing him almost instantly.
"Lakebranch!" Pebbleheart's gaze hardened when he turned back to the rogue. He didn't hesitate to release a fury of slashes toward the rogue. But the brown rogue retaliated, swinging her claws at him as well. In a panic, Lightclaw jumped toward the rogue and bit her throat, dragging her to the ground. Heavily wounded, the rogue turned to flee.
Lightclaw brought his gaze back to his uncle, who was fatally wounded. Lakebranch, on the other paw, was already a lifeless body. He nudged Pebbleheart, urging him to stand. "Come on, I'll bring you to the medicine den."
"Leave me..." Pebbleheart weakly mewed. "I want to die beside my mate. I'm not going to make it anyways, no reason to waste herbs on me. Go on without me." The tom's voice was barely more than a whisper, shaking more with each word.
"I'm not too injured, I'll be fine." Lightclaw replied, bringing his muzzle to Pebbleheart's fur. "I'll keep fighting for you, I promise," The white tabby tom clenched his jaw, blinking back tears.
"I'm so... proud of... you..." Pebbleheart's words were barely more than a wheeze. "StarClan is here for me..." He let out one final breath before his eyes became dull and lifeless. Lightclaw stood, giving a firm, tearful nod to his fallen uncle, before rejoining the battle.
Lightclaw found himself standing in front of another rogue, a gray spotted tom this time. Beside the rogue was Duststar's body, slowly recovering. She must've lost a life. He thought to himself, before flinging himself on the rogue. He held on to the rogue's neck, scratching his back claws along his spine. The gray tom rolled, crushing Lightclaw. The IcyClan warrior was paralyzed for a heartbeat before he kicked his legs out, whacking the rogue's jaw. With the rogue stunned, Lightclaw used the opportunity to rake the spotted tom's belly. The rogue leaped back with a hiss. Before Lightclaw could charge again, another body collided with the rogue. Duststar's wounds were fully healed now, her claws glistening for revenge. She sunk her teeth into the rogue's spine, ending his life.
"I saw you fighting, Lightclaw. I'm very impressed." She nodded before rejoining the battle. With a new itch in his claws, Lightclaw followed. Pelts became a blur as the battle raged on. The rogues' numbers began to dwindle, until there were no living rogues left. They were all either dead or disbanded by the time the sun was setting.
Willetstar, Duststar, and Yellowflame, ValleyClan's deputy, stood on the ledge to address the clans. "Cats of the clans!" Willetstar began. "The war has ended! Their leader is dead!" The clans cheered, though grief and sadness was mixed into the relieved cheers.
"If I may, I would like to take a moment to honor our fallen," Yellowflame mewed. "Morningstar gave her- er, last life, to defend her clan. She was like a mother to me, and I'll never forget all she's taught me. Her reign may have been short, but it was a damn good one," The deputy dipped her head in grief.
"I would also like to honor our dead as well." Duststar jumped in. "Lakebranch, our deputy, served his clan until the very end. Pebbleheart was a brave warrior, willing to defend his clan at all costs. And Squirreldust," Duststar paused for a moment, seemingly searching for words. "Squirreldust vowed to serve her clan and fight beside us. I'm proud to say she honored that vow."
Beside Lightclaw, Adderpelt's lip was quivering. "She saved me... even after everything I said to her," He choked back a sob.
"SwampClan will share, too." Willetstar continued. "Swallowspring was a kind soul, camp won't be the same without him. Logfall was determined to be the best warrior he could be, and he surely was."
The trudge back to IcyClan felt as if it took ages. Lightclaw was one of the cats who carried Pebbleheart's body back. Camp was somber that night, with nearly every cat sitting vigil, except for Shrewkit and Thistlekit, who were tucked away in the nursery. While the moon approached its highest peak, Duststar howled for the clan's attention. "With the loss of Lakebranch, IcyClan is in need of a new deputy," She hesitated for a moment, before her eyes locked with Lightclaw's. "Lightclaw, I saw the way you passionately fought for your clan. You may be young, but I think a young mind is what this clan needs. So I wish for you to take Lakebranch's place as deputy."
"Me?" His ears perked up, pure shock in his voice. "I..." He hesitated, gazing back down at Pebbleheart's body. "I'm proud of you," The gray tom's words echoed in his head. "I accept," The small tabby tom looked back up at Duststar.
"Lightclaw! Lightclaw!" The clan half-heartedly cheered before returning to the vigil.
"I'll make you even prouder, Pebbleheart. Just you wait," He mewed toward the stars.
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Super Edition - Lightstar's Wrath
FanfictionA fierce and powerful leader despite his smaller size, Lightstar wasn't always so rash. It's as if StarClan themselves are against him. Throughout his struggles, he becomes more impulsive and mean. What struggles could possibly cause this? How Ligh...
