Spark { Warrior Cats Fanfiction ; Complete }

{thirty}

      Sparkfur was at the front of the patrol; she knew Waspclaw had asked her to take the lead so that he could watch Spruceclaw's every move from the rear of the patrol. He had said it was so that she could help guide them back to the battle sight, but a newborn kit could figure out where the fight was just by listening and following Kole's blood trail.

       I'm sure Berryfoot was able to fight Kole off-- I did injure him pretty badly to begin with. But you never really know with rogues.... She quickened her pace, taking bigger steps. She'd need to get back, see what had happened. If Berryfoot was okay, if Frostheart was okay. StarClan, if Lambflower was okay.

      "You know, Sparkfur, I only wanted to restart DrizzleClan. An honorable version though. One where medicine cats don't murder cats--"

      "Asterfoot didn't murder Cherryflower." Sparkfur murmured, a hint of annoyance touching her voice. Spruceclaw raised a brow before quickening his pace so he was shoulder-to-shoulder with her.

      "Ah. Of course, you were raised to think that. You don't know every bit of the story. Asterfoot refused to give her catmint, even though her sickness could be treated with catmint. Amberpaw had told me catmint treats greencough-- speaking of which, how's Amberpaw?"

      "None of your business!" Sparkfur growled, taking long, limping strides.

       "Ah, come on! At least tell me more about Berryfoot. Does he have a mate? Any little Spruceclaw and Berryfoots running around?" Sparkfur glanced over at him, her eyes burning into his pelt with as much hate as she could.

      "You are not my father, nor Berryfoot's. Go back to your fake mate." she growled, turning her head to look at the snow covered field ahead. She could see Thrushcall's body just up ahead at the bottom of the hill, cats were still fighting at the top.

      Spruceclaw looked down in interest at the cold, stiff body of the cream tabby warrior. Sparkfur kept moving.

       "So exciting....!" Spruceclaw murmured, eyes bright.

      "Go eat crow-food." Sparkfur growled. She bounded up the slope, ready to stop the fighting. "Come on, hurry!" she called. Spruceclaw took his time up the hill, the Lady joining Sparkfur quickly. The rogue leader looked up thoughtfully, the sun outlining Sparkfur's thin frame. Waspclaw nudged Spruceclaw roughly, and the dark tom hissed something about personal space.

      "Back when you were an apprentice, you respected me a lot more...," Spruceclaw growled as he reached the top. Waspclaw curled his lip, but flicked his tail.

      "He's not worth it," he growled lowly to Sparkfur. Sparkfur was barely listening, she was too busy looking for the bright flash of Berryfoot's pelt. She held her breath, unable to see him in the fray.

      "My rebels!" Spruceclaw's voice called out, full and charming. He had climbed a top a snow-dusted rock. "Stop!" It took a moment for the cats to stop clawing each other. Sparkfur desperately scanned the bloodied masses. "You have all fought so bravely for your future. To rid the prey-rich forests of the evil that occupies it. However, this evil is unwilling to leave, no matter how many we kill."

      "Then we need to kill them all!" A rebel called out. A few other rebels purred their agreement.

      "We don't have time, and I don't want to sacrifice any more of our hard-working cats," more rebels agreed with this statement. "Therefore, we need to claim other territory as our own. While you were all so bravely fighting I found some land that will feed us as well as leaf-bare will allow."

      "How do we even know that you are our real leader? We never met the Leader!" A cat called out. Sparkfur swiveled her ears, not as interested in rogue talk. Cecil, the cat in charge of trainees, spoke, confirming that Spruceclaw was the leader. Where is Berryfoot? I can't find him anywhere! Spruceclaw stood, waving his tail.

      "We need to move now if we want to set territory markers by moonrise." Spruceclaw announced. A caterwaul of prideful cried sounded from the rogues, but Sparkfur couldn't decide why. If any cat won, it was the Clans, not the rogues. Just like that, they fled. All of them. They flooded past Sparkfur. One nearly knocked her over, but Waspclaw pulled her close to him with a large paw. 

     "Where's Berryfoot?!" Sparkfur murmured, shutting her eyes tightly, snow crystals being kicked up in her eyes as bloodied cats raced past her. Finally, Waspclaw stepped away from her, and she opened her eyes to feel the rumbling in the cold earth had faded, and the only cat left was Spruceclaw on top of his rock, watching over. A few more rogues were still limping past, others just taking their time, and a few trying to drag bodies of friends. The warriors had all turned to their fallen clanmates, gently nursing their wounds until some cat had grabbed the medicine cats. Sparkfur spotted Kole slowly limping away in the distance, too far for her to claw his pelt off though. Spruceclaw's eyes met hers. 

      "You really do remind me of your mother," Spruceclaw murmured. Waspclaw had his head tipped up suspiciously, but Sparkfur held the dark tabby with an icy stair. He flicked his silver-haired tail, standing and turning. He looked over a broad shoulder. "But also a little of myself." 

      He bounded down from the rock, trotting to catch up with his rogues. Sparkfur didn't stay to watch, as she tore away to look at the dead. She watched Waspclaw from the corner of her eye' he was also checking to see if any cats were alive. She spotted the bright white fluffy form of Frostheart, and she dashed over, heart racing. Her delicate ears were bloody, the unhearing left one had a large nick in it, the right one had a few smaller splits. She let out a small, breathy laugh as she saw the rise and fall of the young white cat's chest. She's alive. But I don't believe for a second Berryfoot would ever leave her in battle. Sparkfur looked down at Frostheart. She didn't want to leave the small cat,but she had to. She had to find Berryfoot. 

      She padded across the snowy field, the scent of the DrizzleClan border hitting her hard on the nose. The grass was taller there, although flattened and torn up where cats had fought. There were thick trees here and there, the forest line still a tree-length or two away. She stepped around a fallen rogue, trying not to look too hard, knowing there was a chance she would recognize them. She heard a soft cough and quickened her pace, her eyes falling on a cat as red as a fox, tabby stripes woven over their thick, broad pelt. Berryfoot. She gently padded over, sitting down. He had his shoulder pressed against a dusky tree to hold himself up, his head low. The top of his right ear was completely shredded, blood soaking the side of his face. She gave him a soft, playful prod to the shoulder. He winced, but still gave her a weak smile. 

      "You sicked a one-eyed cat on me?" He joked. She gave her tail a flick. 

      "He had it in his head that we were basically from the Dark Forest." 

      "Dark Forest? Isn't that a kit story?" He gave her a challenging look, and she gave one right back. 

      "Lucky he didn't shred you completely," she changed the subject slightly. He tried to get up, huffing as his shoulder wasn't able to completely take his weight. She stood up, taking her place at his side, where he leaned against her. 

      "Holy falcons, you weigh more than a badger..!" she grunted, her hind paw breaking the surface of the frozen-over snow as she tried to plant her paws.

       Together, they worked their way back to where Frostheart and Waspclaw were, Berryfoot breaking away the last few strides to rush over to Frostheart. Waspclaw flicked his tail. 

      "You ready?" He murmured, copper eyes focused ahead to the tree line. She gazed around at the DrizzleClan cats around her, all covered in blood. She blinked, their eyes locking. 

      "Yeah."

AN

      It's late. But I have NO idea when the best time is to post stuff so that most of my readers are online so I hope you checked your newsfeed. THIS IS NOT THE END. REPEAT. THIS. IS. NOT. THE. END. There will be another chapter and an Epilogue. 

       Also sorry if there aren't any indents, I'm doing this chapter from my computer rather than my phone (yes, I did type this entire story on mobile. Rip me.)