Faded Hope [Riverclan Finale]

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There will be a little bit of time for the clans to interact one last time with those chosen to be sacrifices before the fighting begins.  

StarClan is not here yet, nor are the stars back yet. Additionally, unless your cat was told, they do not yet know about the sacrifices.

Once the fighting begins Medicine Cats with the appropriate rank will give their allies a Defending Buff. Please keep that in mind once the fighting starts!

The night was cold. Not as cold as it had been two moons ago, but cold enough that Perchfall shivered slightly where she sat outside the warriors' den. There was more light in camp than there had been for most nights, due to the full moon that was beginning to rise above the distant tree-line, but the murky shadows that lay over everything seemed even more depressing somehow. Two moons ago, all the Clans had been gathered together in Fourtrees. She had followed Jaystar, sat in the deputy position, and expected the night to go at least semi-smoothly. That night, the stars had disappeared. The shades of dead cats had reappeared, blocked off the clearing, and murdered innocent cats indiscriminately. So much had happened over those two moons... and yet, since that moment, nothing had really changed. There had been nothing but darkness and despair, pockmarked with the occasional moment of hope that was almost immediately drowned in the depths.

Well, one thing had changed since, then, at least. Perchfall wasn't deputy anymore. She was no longer even in a position to pretend that she could help. So why bother? As her Clanmates began to spill into the clearing, talking with each other for some semblance of normalcy, the thin gray and white she-cat sat by the reedy walls of the warriors' den, not bothering to approach nor interact. Honestly, she should try to get some sleep. But there was no chance of that happening, so at least she could watch from afar if anything bad happened. Maybe, if she stayed far enough away, her Clanmates could forget how much of a failure she was. What a worthless excuse for a cat.

Flurrypaw watched the sky, imagining as she often did what the stars would look like when they came back. They had to, right? Wasn't that what this was for? For the moment it was empty, full moon light washing over the camp, and she was a little further away from most of her Clanmates. It wasn't that she didn't want to be close, and she wasn't hiding or anything - it was just the best place to watch, and listen to her clanmates amidst the whispers of a prophecy.

Soon, the light would return. When there had been whispers of needing a martyr, she had been swift to volunteer herself- the world was beautiful, even in the absence of their ancestors' guidance, and if she could give her life so that more cats would be able to see it she would be happy to do so. If they could have peace and live happily, that was all she had ever wanted; and she hoped it was what they would want for themselves. She just hoped that she would get to see the stars once they returned, if only for a moment.

Under her paws was a glittering rock, a prized possession she'd had for since early in her apprenticeship, and the only time she took her eyes off the sky was to see it sparkle in the moonlight - maybe that was what the stars looked like. An endless amount of small, sparkly rocks. Wouldn't that be something to see?

Her gaze lowered, paws anxiously leading her out of the warriors' den. Her stomach churned with anxiety ever since the last events — and though she glanced at Perchfall, a sense of guilt prevented her from directly approaching. It was dreading, said simply. Dark Forest cats loomed them still, with no way known to end this, she remained silent, eyes now staring at her paws. What was she supposed to do?

The long furred green eyes silver tabby was standing in the clearing eyes wide open and tail dropped to the ground as he looked at the night sky, competely black without the moon. As a young kit he had been told that he had been named after the moon, something that was constant and lovely and would always watch over them. The apprentice stood there, shook as the moon was now gone. Well, since the moon was gone, there was no other time to be reckless....and no other time that to see whether the dark forest cats truly had control over them. "I challenge Vixenstar for my warrior name to be bestowed upon me." he announced.

Whitesnake stretched out lazily beneath the willow branch, amber eyes half-lidded as he watched cats mingle about Riverclan's camp. There was a full moon tonight, but no trip to fourtrees would be taking place. It was for the best, he knew, though part of him was beginning to grow bored of staying on Riverclan territory.

Spotting the poor Riverclan deputy... What had been her name, Perchfall? Whitesnake slowly got to his paws, padding over. "Perchfall," he dipped his head to her and the warrior who had chosen to sit beside her, the faintest hint of a mocking tone in his greeting, "Enjoying yourselves?"

Cloverheart's head just barely poked out of her den, pale gaze darting this way and that across camp. Since Mallowmist's reappearance, she'd been more on edge than usual. "Cats are going to die tonight, aren't they?" She muttered to no one but herself, paws anxiously working the ground. "Stars, I'm not meant for this... curses." She spat once, then flattened herself to the ground to resist the temptation to retreat back into her den. Whatever grisly thing was bound to happen, she would watch.

Otterdance’s handsome gaze had remained on the ground for most of the night thus far, ears swiveling to listen to the various whispers and rumors about the starlight returning tonight. For all the harm he’d done for the Clan, he felt he could at least take on this burden and save them from the torment they’d been stuck in for moons upon moons. He eventually caught a comment from Cloverheart just across from where he stood, head poking out from her den. Without much forethought, he forced himself to his paws and approached her, standing just outside the den. In a tone just loud enough for her to hear, ”I’m sorry, Cloverheart, for any grief I caused you. I was a stupid apprentice, with no good head on my shoulders. And an even stupider warrior. I’m sorry it took me until now to apologize.” Shuffling in the sand underpaw, he sighed deeply and lifted his gaze to her. ”I have a favor to ask you. If… If you don’t mind.” Looking up toward the apprentice den, Otterdance sighed once more. ”Look after my kits, please? Or make sure somebody does. They have nobody but themselves, and that’s my fault, but… I won’t be here to fix it. So please, just make sure they have somebody in their corner. I don’t want them to be like me.”

Pineheart shook his fur and attended the gathering, just finishing up a look at the moon, It had felt like forever since the stars left, having been replaced by the Dark forest, he was a young cat when the stars were around, he thought an thought, he wondered if they'd ever come back, he wondered if he'd be an old elder telling the young wide-eyed kits about the time where the stars were there, a time when the suffix 'Star' for a leader was because when he was a little boy, there was a clan worshipped by most, a clan with the name of Starclan. He quickly snapped out of his thoughts, they had to come back! He walked to view the other cats, staring at the moon for the most part, he got himself in a comfortable position and relaxed, he looked around camp quietly, preparing his mind to be the jolly cat he normally is.

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The stars have appeared in the sky! StarClan is coming down to the forest to assist. All sacrifices have been notified, and are given one post for their transformation into ghosts. When the sacrifices have turned into ghosts, StarClan cats are allowed to post and lead the charge against the Dark Forest.

As a reminder, Dark Forest stats can be found here and the StarClan stats can be found here. Medicine Cats with the appropriate rank will give their allies a Defending Buff. Please keep all battle rules in mind during the fight.

Additionally, given that May 8 is Mother’s Day, we are granting a special continuance for posts around that time. Any posts made from 9PM EST Saturday (May 7) to 9PM EST Sunday (May 8) will have a 48-hour continuance for responses rather than the typical 24-hour rule. Any posts made before or after the allotted time will still have the 24-hour response rule in place.

For as long as she could remember, Flurrypaw had always wanted to be a part of something. She would be, she had known - she would be a RiverClan warrior, someday, to serve and honor her Clan. Under the light of the full moon, she knew that day would never come, a different purpose now calling her name. It was the same honor, in a sense. She was fulfilling the vow a warrior made, though she was only an apprentice and she supposed she would remain so now. She would serve and defend her Clan, at the cost of her life. It was something to take pride and joy in, wasn't it? A purpose to serve, a duty to fulfil. A destiny that was hers.

She looked to Shellpuddle with a soft expression and a purr in her throat. "I'm sorry," she said, though she didn't sound all that apologetic. "After tonight, I hope everyone gets to live happily..." Her mother would know just what she was sorry for before too long, and she couldn't just say nothing- that was her only regret, she supposed. That the rest of the Clan would be left to grieve. But they would live, and they would be free, and the stars would shine in the night sky, and she would be content in that knowledge.

One by one, stars blinked into existence, more beautiful and magnificent than she could ever have wished to see. Her wildest dreams could never have done them justice, their beauty beyond compare. Stars fell to the earth one by one, streaks of light across the sky. They would be saved.

Even as she felt something shift in a way she couldn't quite explain, her soul no longer tethered to her physical form, Flurrypaw couldn't tear her eyes away from the sky.

Owlshriek felt something different in the air.

The entire forest was holding its breath, and the warrior was not sure what to make of it.

With ginger steps, Owlshriek followed behind Whitesnake, eyeing the tom as he approached their deputy and Poppyshine. Unconsciously, the tom settled partially in front of Poppyshine, blocking the shadowy cat's view of his close friend. It was as his dark tail wrapped around his paws, that the sky exploded in a brilliant light, starry cats descending, and cats from their own clan ascending. Owlshriek's eyes went wide. "Stars...!" He breathed, yellow eyes taking in the brilliant dots that adorned the sky.

Whitesnake had remarked they were cold and distant. But they were close and getting closer. A warm breeze swept through the forest, and it breathed. Maw agape, he glanced from their deputy to Whitesnake, to Poppyshine.

Rushtalon could feel it. The tense shift in the air, crackling drastically like limbs under tremendous pressure. But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It meant change, for better or for worse. Already something immeasurable weighed on his heart. Green eyes cast a brief glance over the clearing, quickly finding the pelt of the she-cat. His chest fluttered wildly and he swallowed back the choking sensation in his throat that came with it. Forcing the sensation away, he drew closer to Poppyshine, but a respectable distance... just close enough in case she needed him. But, of course, Owlshriek was there.

The russet warrior's claws dug into the earth as he glared at the Dark Forest cat. Hopefully, whatever this was, meant something drastic. Hopefully, this life he'd known would become more akin to the freedoms the clan had known before his birth. Rushtalon sought out his kin. Eventually, his eyes landed on Flurrypaw. He noticed her before he noticed the stars. Eyes grew wide in an instant and he found himself meowing aloud, "Flurrypaw!" Her pelt seemed to reflect a certain light, silverpelt above... more glorious than he'd seen it since kithood.

This mounting tension, moons in the making, was overwhelming. He needed to protect his clan, his kin. Poppyheart. His head snapped to fixate once again on the nearest Dark Forest cat, committed to the most foolish act of his life. When he spoke, his voice was low and meant just for one cat's ears, even if he did not meet her gaze, "Promise me that you will take care of yourself." Something was happening and he wouldn't miss his chance to help protect them - to protect her. She'd be okay, happy with Owlshriek, not in need of his foolish desires.

With that, he charged at Whitesnake.

ooc;; rush is not a sacrifice and isnt dying just going severely messed up!
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As the final breath slipped from Flurrypaw's body, an ethereal shimmering began next to her still frame. It was distorted at first and almost seemed to be a trick of the eye. But, slowly, it became the shape of a cat. The warrior wore a lop-sided grin. His features were quirky but determined. For a moment, he seemed shocked by his own appearance, dull green eyes glancing back over his dilute calico frame. It was happening alright - the grin grew wider, "Alright! I'm back. So which one of you ugly foxes wants to face a real live Starclan cat? I'll even go easy on you. But I certainly won't let Flurrypaw's sacrifice be in vain." Sparkfrost's shimmering paws planted into the ground, daring foes to come forward. This was perhaps the most focused he had ever been, there was no choice otherwise.