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.