Chapter 26 of Sunsetsplash's Destiny! Part two!
5
By 👾👾👾1532
Sunsetsplash fought a fierce battle against Deadeye, clawing and slashing, until she heard the three leaders yowl, " Enough!" at the top of their lungs.
With deadly glares, the she-cats dropped to the ground. Sunsetsplash's right ear was torn and bleeding, and scarlet dripped onto the hard ground as she shook her head.
" Cats of all clans," Sharpstar's words rang through the clearing. " This battle should never have happened!" The black tom turned to Ravenstar. " I hear it was your idea, to launch this attack, Ravenstar. For StarClan's sake, why? You brought this battle into our camp, putting our elders, queens, and kits in danger being killed!"
" That's the life of a warrior, Sharpstar, or have you forgotten?" Ravenstar growled. His eyes narrowed to angry slits. " If you don't want to fight, to lose your life in a battle, maybe you should become a kittypet!"
" That's not what Sharpstar said, Ravenstar, and you know it." Harestar rasped. The old tabby looked unsteady on his paws; he had already turned down Fernsight, who had come running over after the battle to tend to his wounds. " This wasn't an honourable battle, and I'm glad there was no victory."
" Traitor!" Ravenstar spat furiously, stepping forward with claws sheathed towards the WindClan leader. " You said you'd stand by me, as an ally to my clan!"
" I did say that, Ravenstar, but I feel you have flaunted my loyalty. You didn't say that you would take the battle right into ThunderClan's camp, did you? If you had, there would be no confusion over who I support, for I would never have allied my clan with yours if I had known!"
" You mange-pelt! You're just a coward!"
" Coward or not, I have honour, and respect of my fellow clans."
Ravenstar bared his teeth and hissed, and it was Brackenheart, not Sharpstar, who spoke next. " Flintfur, how could you have launched this attack? You don't seem happy at the battle nor the outcome."
The ShadowClan deputy hesitated, his silver and grey fur prickling. " I followed my leader, Brackenheart. I am loyal to him, above anything."
" Even your clan, Flintfur?" Brackenheart meowed. " Loyalty is one thing, blindly following a cat who could destroy your clan is another! Surely as deputy you couldn't persuaded Ravenstar to stop the battle?"
Flintfur's blue eyes flashed with jealousy and anger. " I tried! He didn't want to listen to me!" WindClan's deputy, Cranepelt, a white and dark grey she-cat, lashed her tail. " Not listen to the deputy!" She mewed in disbelief. Flintfur lowered his head, half in shame and half out of anger of being criticised.
" The only cat Ravenstar listened to was him," he flicked his tail into the crowd. Sunsetsplash followed his gesture towards a cat standing in the throng, chin held high and his fur flat and unruffled. Sunsetsplash gasped. It was Dark Shadow!
Dark Shadow padded forward confidently. " So what if it was me? These mouse-eaters don't deserve the privilege of the forest!" He lashed his tail and hissed at Sharpstar, who looked at the tom with curious eyes. The other leaders looked equally shocked as their clan cats; Harestar looked fearful, gazing at Dark Shadow with a terrified expression, while Ravenstar just stared blankly at the tom.
" I convinced Ravenstar to lead the attack on ThunderClan. And I'm sorry with how it turned out! Yes, I'm sorry," He added, at the betrayed and angered look of the ShadowClan leader, who had regained composure. " I'm sorry that more cats didn't die today. That's what I was hoping for: what other reason for attacking their camp?" He laughed, cruel and cold. " Oh well, maybe another day. Ravenstar, shouldn't we go home, now? Why waste our time with these mangy cats?"
Ravenstar let out a furious yowl and leaped onto Dark Shadow, pinning him to the floor. The tortoiseshell tom writhed under his weight, spitting and yowling.
" Why waste my time with you?" He spat, unsheathing his claws and sinking them into Dark Shadow's shoulders. " I trusted you, and this is how you repay me? I gave you food, I accepted you into my clan, and you betray me!" Ravenstar scored Dark Shadow's face with a smooth swipe of his paw. The tom flinched from the pain, but didn't say anything, his eyes feverish. " I could've taken care of myself, Ravenstar!" He hissed. " I didn't need you to play hero . . . But it did work out nicely in the end!"
Ravenstar looked scared for a moment, then he narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth. " You are no ShadowClan cat of mine. You are banished from the clan, and don't let me catch you in my territory again!"
He let Dark Shadow stand up. The tortoiseshell shook out his pelt casually, his gaze scanning the other two leaders. " Don't even think about it. You are banished from all four clans." Ravenstar growled.
Dark Shadow turned and glared at him. " Who says? They didn't agree,"
" I don't want an untrustworthy cat like you in ThunderClan, Dark Shadow," Sharpstar hissed, fluffing up his fur. Harestar nodded. " Nor in WindClan!"
Dark Shadow sniffed. " Very well. As for you," he turned to a she-cat in the crowd.
Sunsetsplash flinched as his gaze, thorn-sharp, raked her pelt. " You aren't safe. I will kill you in the end, you meddling she-cat! Mark my words!"
And Dark Shadow fled into the forest, leaving Sunsetsplash ruffled and terrified.
- Sunsetsplash