A Battle for Destiny

Blurb
The thrilling finale to the epic 5 book ark!

After a raid of the FlowerClan camp, Flamestar has given the Colony a warning. If they don't leave within the night of the full moon, she'll send her clan to kill them all. Who will win in this battle of strength? Will the Colony survive, or will FlowerClan reduce them to ashes - proving to each cat in the Colony and in her clan once and for all that Flamestar is the most powerful cat alive?

Chapter 1 - Tinyfang
Tinyfang prepared for battle. She had been instructed to take out all the apprentices, and train them until they had bleeding pads. Tinyfang didnt want to fight this battle, but Flamestar would kill her if she refused or ran off.

But Tinyfang knew one thing; FlowerClan's loyalty wasn't the kind anyone would expect.

They followed Flamestar out of fear, if they thought for just a moment that Flamestar could (and would) lose, they would turn on her in an instant. And if she was defeated? She would be killed by her own clanmates.

Tinyfang just had to pray to StarClan her former apprentice had built his so-called Colony strong enough to scare her clanmates.

"Tinyfang! How's the training?" It was Sharpfang, Flamestar's lackey. He wasn't really loyal, though, just power-hungry. Constantly trying to remove her and replace her as deputy, Tinyfang considered him one of the biggest burrs in her pelt.

"It's going fine," She growled. "Faster, Snappaw!" She snarled at the calico apprentice. She scrambled to her paws in fear, pelting back into the fray of fighting apprentices.

"I can see you've got it all under control." Sharpfang meowed coldly. "Well, Flamestar wanted me to let you know that you're going to lead the patrol to the caves. With me and her, of course," He added smugly.

Tinyfang turned indifferently. "Of course. Nightpaw, harder! Fight harder! You too, Sparkpaw!" She screeched, jumping into the fight herself. Sharpfang watched her; Tinyfang made sure to cuff each of the apprentices' over the ears softly when he had left.

"Good job." She meowed. "Go hunt and bring back three peices of prey. Each." Nightpaw opened her mouth to protest and then closed it. Tinyfang nodded at her daughters and the other apprentices before turning and padding back in the direction of camp.

"Rainpaw, I swear to all the stars in the sky, if you can't get rid of Flamestar, I'll kill you myself." She muttered as she brushed through the forest. "You'd better be training your cats too right now."

Chapter 2 - Embergaze
The pretty tortoiseshell she-cat squeezed through the bramble-gate in front of the camp, wincing as a thorn caught in her fur. She'd have Flowerspetal pluck it out later.

"Embergaze!" It was Strikeshade. Embergaze's spirits soared as the dark gray tabby padded closer. "Hi!" She purred, nuzzling him. "What's up?" She meowed, leaning back on her haunches.

"Nothing much. Rainstorm and Darkcloud are drilling the other apprentices, they gave me a break. Where've you been?" "Uh, hunting." Embergaze lied. She liked Strikeshade - a lot, but that wasn't important - but she wasn't ready to tell him her secrets. Or, at least, her biggest secret.

"Oh." Strikeshade meowed, blinking. "Didn't find anything, then?" Embergaze shook her head, feeling uncomfortable. "No, I saw a few FlowerClan warriors near the body and decided to come back."

"Wow! Was it scary? Did they fight you?" Strikeshade asked with wide eyes. Embergaze batted at his muzzle playfully. "No, silly, they didn't fight me. I don't think they saw me, actually."

"Oh, okay." Strikeshade meowed, licking her cheek in a friendly way. Embergaze smiled shyly at him, only to be interrupted by Dew. "Hi, Embergaze!" He purred, nuzzling her. His fur was matted, and he seemed to be limping.

"I'm fine. Are you okay? Your fur's a mess!" Embergaze laughed. Dew chuckled, and even Strikeshade joined in. "I know," He lamented. "Darkcloud's been training me so hard!"

Embergaze nodded sympathetically, then squinted at his left paw. "Is that a cut? It is! Dew, you're bleeding. Strikeshade, do you mind taking him to the infirmary with me?"

"Not at all." Strikeshade laughed as Dew huffed, "I'm fine! There's no need-" "Stop talking," Embergaze shot him a sharp, yet playful, look, and he closed his mouth.

"Fine." Dew muttered, dropping his gaze. Embergaze felt slightly awkward around the two toms. She knew how they felt about her, but they didn't know how she felt about them, and now she was forcing them together.

Still, as the two Colony young supported the third between them, and as she watched them banter playfully, Embergaze couldn't help but think that maybe they didn't need to be forced together to get along.

Chapter 3 - Tinyfang
Tinyfang walked next to Flamestar and Sharpfang on the way to the colony. The attacking patrol trailed behind them.

Flamestar seemed quite sure that the colony would flee, just as the founders did so many moons ago, but Tinyfang wasn't so sure. If there was something she knew about her former apprentice, it was that he didn't give up easily.

After what felt like a moon of walking, Tinyfang saw it. The Colony's camp.Sshe could see about five cats outside the cave entrance but could smell many more - so many it seemed as big as FlowerClan.

Shadowpaw spoke first. "It smells like hundreds of cats."

"Impossible, there's no way they could have more then ten." Flamestar replied, scoffing, and Sharpfang nodded. Rage seethed in Tinyfang's belly. Sharpfang was cruel and vicious, but he was also a suck-up.

"Come on, they haven't evacuated so now we attack. Leave your scent on everything and kill any cat in the colony you can." Flamestar ordered, raising her chin in a display of leadership.

"But the warrior code-" Silentrain began. "Have I ever lead this clan by the warrior code? Are you truly that mist-hearted?" Flamestar cut off Silentrain with a vicious snarl.

"Okay, Flamestar, I'm sorry." Silentrain replied, dropping his head miserably. His tail dragged on the ground.Tinyfang felt a stab of pity, keeping her fierce gaze as she remembered that Silentrain was Rainpaw's and Darkpaw's dad. that must be tough, She thought.

"Now!" Flamestar suddenly yowled once everyone had taken their offensive positions, and the entirety of FlowerClan rushed in to raid the colony, yowling and screeching.

Tinyfang was surprised to see the Colony immediately; she had expected for it to take a few moments for the colony to realize they were under attack - but no, this was immediate. The Colony was prepared far beyond what FlowerClan had expected.

The two sides were evenly matched.

Chapter 4 - Embergaze
Embergaze threw herself at the FlowerClan warriors; she went for the smallest one, he would be easier than the others.

In a way, this apprentice - Shadowpaw, if she remembered correctly - looked a lot like Smokefur, but darker-furred and with deep blue eyes.

Embergaze yowled loudly and batted at his head. The tom stumbled backwards, not making any attempt to defend herself.

The head is an important spot, Rainstorm had taught her, If you hit hard enough it can stun your opponent; a critical hit.

Embergaze dodged an attempted blow to her leg by another warrior. She had trained for this, but training was much easier than actually participating in a battle. "For the Colony!" She screeched, leaping towards the attacker.

Protect the legs, if your opponent hits it then you will get knocked off balance. Darkcloud's instructions rang in her ears.

She then felt a weight on her back - Tinyfang, her mother.

She felt Smokefur rake her mother's ears, Tinyfang flipped embergaze onto her back, pinning her down.

"Run! Run, now!" Tinyfang hissed. She wasn't about to attack her own kit, no matter what clan she belogned to. Flamestar wasn't her leader any more, just a leader - a tyrant.

Embergaze shook her head. "I can't leave my Colony!"

But suddenly the weight fell off, she looked up in confusion to see Rainstorm. "Embergaze, get to the cave! Protect it with your life!" Rainstorm yowled. "I'll deal with her"

Embergaze nodded. She needed to protect the seniors and Flowerspetal.

"Rockfall!" Embergaze yowled blindly. She didn't know where he was, but he was the strongest in the clan. "Help me protect the cave!" She saw as Rockfall appeared in the moonlight, covered in blood.

"Okay!" He said breathlessly. Embergaze opened her mouth to ask who all the blood belonged to, but didn't. They both ran over to to the cave and stood at the entrance; the FlowerClan warriors hadn't gotten there yet but would soon.

Through every moment after, all Embergaze could think was: This is the end of everything I've ever known.

Chapter 5 - Tinyfang
Tinyfang felt as Rainpaw thrust himself into Tinyfang's side. "Embergaze! Go protect the cave!" He had shouted soon after.

Tinyfang could tell her former apprentice had grown both physically and mentally. Something had changed in him, something that she couldn't name but that she recognized.

She could see the determination he was once lacking, there was no more hesitance in his step, everything he did now was with meaning.

''He finally feels like he has something good to protect. He didn't have that back when he was my apprentice; that's what he needed.''

Did I ever have that?

"So it's Rainstorm now?" Tinyfang asked as her claws swung into Rainstorm's side, she could feel her own hesitation as she struck him.

"Yeah. I'm not a kit anymore." Rainstorm replied, jumping on top of Tinyfang. She didn't stop him from digging his claws into her spine. "I have something worth protecting, not a bloodthirsty clan like yours."

Tinyfang couldn't help but feel that Rainstorm, despite everything she'd done to him, wouldn't hurt her, not a lot, at least - and Tinyfang wouldn't hurt him a lot either.

"Yeah, I know. I couldn't be more proud if you were my own kit." Tinyfang replied. "Face it Rainstorm. were not going to hurt each other-" Tinyfang stopped.

A sudden change occurred in Rainstorm's expression. His eyes because paler, ghostly even. If she squinted she could have sworn she saw stars in his fur.

"Tinyfang, FlowerClan is losing, but not by a lot." Rainstorm sounded different. His voice had an echo, this wasn't him speaking.

It was something she couldn't describe, as hard as she tried.

"Go, take down Flamestar." Tinyfang watched as Rainstorm, or whoever he was, stepped off her.

"StarClan, and the colony of the skies, demand it."

She hesitated, but not-Rainstorm spoke again. "Take your place as the rightful leader," He whispered, and the cloudiness faded from his eyes. Before Rainstorm could regain his wits, Tinyfang turned and pelted through the fray.

I'm coming for you, Flamestar.

Chapter 6 - Ice
Ice's eyes widened at the fray around her. She had never been in a battle before.

The full force of the situation hit her with a sharp blow- no, that was a cat. She hissed furiously, writhing, trying to get the cat off her spine. They flipped off, glaring at her.

Ice froze. Could it be...?

Clearly, it wasn't him. This cat charged at her, unsheathing his claws. She dove under him, scraping her claws down the tom's stomach. He looked so much like Stormy...

But it wasn't him, she reminded herself fiercely. This was an enemy who'd sooner gut her as look at her.

The tom jumped into the air, spitting with fury. Ice tensed to meet him; as he fell back down she jumped, slamming her face into his chest. He skidded backwards, going limp.

Ice hesitated, but claws raked down her shoulder and she forgot about the faux-Stormy, turning to face this newest assailant. "Stop!" She meowed in alarm as a familiar black tom whirled towards her. Darkcloud froze.

"Oh, sorry!" He said, already turning away from her. "I didn't recognize you with your pelt stained with blood."

Ice frowned. Stained with blood? She wasn't that wounded, was she? She ignored these forebodings, plunging back into the whirl of battle.

"Ice! Over here," She heard. She turned to see Spareheart trapped under three FlowerClan warriors.

"Hey!" She spat, throwing herself at the largest one. His eyes widened, but he didn't have any time to get out of the way.

She bowled into him, clawing as much exposed fur as she could see. She bit his tail, raked her claws down his eyes, pummeled his stomach. Finally, she clawed his neck. When she turned back, Spareheart and the two remaining warriors were gone.

She couldn't worry about her now; Spareheart was a very skilled fighter, she'd be fine.

I only hope that I'll be fine, too.

Chapter 7 - Embergaze
Embergaze stood with Rockfall in front of the cave entrance. FlowerClan cats were starting to swarm it, and they were just barely holding them off. They wouldn't last for long like this.

Embergaze heard a loud yowl. "For FlowerClan's justice!" That voice- it was Tinyfang's. Embergaze braced for a harder fight but instead the cats around her turned and ran off, they hurtled towards a large ginger she-cat. Flamestar.

"What?" She yowled, thrashing as her warriors surged towards her. "Get off me! Every cat go back and fight-" Flamestar was cut off when Tinyfang jumped on her back.

Tinyfang dragged her down and started clawing at her throat. Embergaze was surprised even more when she saw the rest of FlowerClan attack Flamestar as well.

They're killing there own leader. Embergaze thought, her eyes widening in horror and shock as the scene unfolding in front of hr bergan to register. The colony doesn't even have to try.

Embergaze sighed with relief. FlowerClan would get a new and better leader.

My mother will be the new leader.

She glanced to the edge of the circle. "Traitors!" he heard two cats yowl, Darkflash and Sharpfang. "All of you! How dare you! Stop, you treasonous, mist-hearted fakes!"

Sharpfang had always been a suck up to flamestar, he mainly wanted power, so it was surprising to see how loyal he could be to such a terrible leader. He either expected Flamestar to make it out alive, and for him to become deputy - or for once he wasn't thinking of power.

It was probably the first one.

Darkflash was also quite surprising as he was Tinyfang's mate and had been since forever if she had heard correctly

"Dad, what are you doing?" Embergaze muttered under her breath.

She sat down, FlowerClan would be fine, but- what about those two?