Warriors: The Darkest Light (COMPLETED)

Chapter 25

"Is Falconwing here?" Dawnheart yowled as she raced into the Mistclan camp with Sunstreak at her side. All the cat's attentions turned towards her as Leafblossum was the one to respond "He went on a patrol with Treebranch and Hiddenflame."

Dawnheart's heart seemed to stop as Sunstreak meowed quickly "We need to stop that patrol."

Dawnheart looked at him and nodded worried as Shadestar was the one to come into view "Who is this cat and why do you need Falconwing?"

Dawnheart asked without answering the question "Is Duskbreeze here?"

Shadestar nodded slowly but unsure as he padded towards the warrior den and poked his head in and saw that no one was in there. "No...what are you playing at? How did you know she wasn't here?"

Dawnheart sighed worried as she spun around and raced off into the forest. Sunstreak looked back at the confused cats as he meowed quickly "We will explain later." As he spun around and followed after Dawnheart.

They finally got the scent of the patrol but what they found at the end of the trail was a horrific sight. They paused in front of three limp and bloody bodies on the ground as blood swirled through her nose. Dawnheart recognise it was the bodies of, Falconwing, Treebranch, and Hiddenflame.

Sunstreak gasped softly at the sight "Great Starclan..."

Dawnheart cried "No!" As she raced up to Falconwing first and tried anxiously waking him up, but he did not move. Sunstreak came up to her side and meowed softly "He's in Starclan now..."

Dawnheart began sobbing at her father's death until she heard a large gasp from behind her. She turned around and saw a brown tom gasping for air as blood came out of his throat.

Dawnheart gasped "Treebranch!" She raced up to his side as she sat by him with Sunstreak by her side. Dawnheart couldn't control the tears coming from her eyes as she meowed "I'm so sorry I didn't get here in time..."

Treebranch let out a choking noise that sounded like a laugh "This wasn't your fault at all...."

Dawnheart protested sadly "Yes it is...if only I knew about Duskbreeze sooner...I could've...I would've..."

Treebranch laughed a little as he meowed weakly "You came here now...which means your not too late...you can stop the rogues...

Dawnheart panicked a little "Save your strength...we're going to get you back to camp and-"

Treebranch tried heaving himself to his paws as more blood came out from all his wounds. Sunstreak widened his eyes as Dawnheart cried "Stop! You're making it worse!"

He continued standing up as he meowed desperate "Promise you will leave me here and go back to warn the clan..."

Dawnheart hesitated for a moment as she shook her head "We will take you back now!"

Treebranch coughed as blood began coming out of his throat once more "I love you Dawnheart..."

She laid down by his side as she cried softly knowing there was no time to save him "I love you too...Treebranch."

He smiled a little before choking once more and the light began fading out of his eyes and he collapsed to the ground Dawnheart cried "Treebranch? Treebranch!"

Sunstreak sighed "He's gone..."

Dawnheart cried onto his shoulder "No! He didn't deserve to die! Not like this!"

Sunstreak replied sombrely "Sometimes...their destinies will end in their fate..."

Dawnheart slowly began to stop crying as she looked towards her father's limp body once more, and then towards Hiddenflame's. 

Sunstreak stood to his paws as he meowed "We need to get these bodies back to camp."

Dawnheart nodded as she stood to her paws as well and looked at all the bodies surrounding her. If only I knew about Duskbreeze sooner...

Sunstreak crouched over and lifted up Falconwing's body onto his own back. Dawnheart shakily lifted up her brother's body onto her own back. Dawnheart asked "What about Hiddenflame?"

Sunstreak meowed softly "We can lift him up...together."

Dawnheart nodded as they pushed his body onto both of their backs as they both slowly made their way back to Mistclan.

~*~
"Great Starclan!"

"Hiddenflame?! Treebranch!? Falconwing?!"

"No! This can't be happening!"

Sunstreak and Dawnheart laid their bodies down in the middle of the camp while all the cats began surrounding them shocked. Shadestar came out of the den and sat by all their bodies and murmured "Who did this..."

Dawnheart and Sunstreak looked at each other worried but he simply nodded to her. Dawnheart sighed "Duskbreeze and the rogues..."

All the cats suddenly gasped with horror when they heard Duskbreeze's and the rogues. Dreamcloud slowly came crawling out of the nursery as she saw the bodies of her father, brother, and Hiddenflame. "No!"

Dawnheart sadly looked towards Dreamcloud as she meowed sadly "Duskbreeze killed Falconwing...and the rogues killed Treebranch and Hiddenflame."

Dreamcloud began crying as she joined all the cats in mourning for their lost clanmates.

Dawnheart rested her head on Sunstreak sadly as he rested his tail on her. Echoshade looked towards them and sneered "We lost our clan mates, and now Dawnheart has been breaking the warrior code with this....this Brightclan cat? I would never do that."

Sunstreak narrowed his eyes at Echoshade and snapped "Three of your clan mates are dead, and all you care about right is your dumb pride?"

Echoshade opened her mouth to object but Shadestar interrupted "That's enough, Echoshade." He paused and looked towards Sunstreak and Dawnheart "But she's right you two...I never want to see a Brightclan cat in my territory with you again Dawnheart."

Dawnheart nodded slowly as Sunstreak and her matched gazes and rubbed their heads together. Dawnheart meowed towards Sunstreak "I'm sorry but you heard Shadestar...we can't keep seeing each other anymore."

Sunstreak sighed sadly as he nodded and stood to his paws "Goodbye Dawnheart."

He spun around and walked away as he left the camp and went out of sight. Dawnheart lowered her ears "Goodbye...Sunstreak."

Shadestar snorted angry once he saw Sunstreak leave as he looked at Dawnheart "I understand you have lost a lot...but you need to tell me what's going on."

Dawnheart sighed and nodded as she slowly explained "Duskbreeze has been working with the rogues since she was an apprentice...and she was the one who arranged Dawnbreeze's death..."

Shadestar just meowed simply "I see...she killed Gingersplash as well right?"

Dawnheart asked surprised as she hoped for him to mention the prophecy "How did you know?"

Shadestar hesitated as he twitched his ear "That doesn't matter right now...all that matters is that our clan is in danger because of Duskbreeze..and I need to put an end to it."

Dawnheart widened her eyes as she lifted one paw up "What do you mean?"

Shadestar sighed sadly and murmured "Duskbreeze will be banished from Mistclan..."