Faded Hope [Windclan Finale]

“For your information, I’m almost a warrior,” Blazepaw growled. “And a warrior does not stand idly by while their clanmates are murdered!” With that, she drove her fangs hard into the Dark Forest cat’s shoulder.

Blazepaw used Snap, dealing 6 damage and costing 7 stamina.

Lionfur:
69/100 HP
161/180 SP

Blazepaw:
8/20 HP
48/60 SP

The apprentice's fangs were like a mosquito bite-- irritating in the moment, a tiny amount of pain, but nothing more. Lionfur knocked his attacker to the side once more, for good this time. "WindClan is doomed if all you fool-hardy apprentices become warriors before learning how to think," he sighed, shaking his fur out from the small blows he had taken. "Now lie down for a moment. I will finish you off later. I can see that my Clan will need some... severe overhauls if we are to survive. But first things first." Turning away from the other apprentice once more, he moved to Whisperpaw again, intending to finish the troublesome cat off once and for all.

Lionfur used Front Paw Blow, dealing 9 (7+2) damage and costing 5 stamina. Blazepaw is knocked out.

Lionfur:
69/100 HP
161/180 SP

Blazepaw:
-1/20 HP
48/60SP

Once more, Lionfur was interrupted... but at least it was by a real opponent, this time. A small grin began to grow on his face as he took the blow, using the momentum to swing around and get a good look at his attacker. One of those starry-pelted fools. Perfect! Once he ran them all back to the darkness, with their little tails between their legs, then he could truly begin to fix WindClan. "Your Clan?" he scoffed, dropping into a battle stance. "This Clan has never been yours. Not since you abandoned us ages ago. Every so often you try to slip back in and stake your claim, but WindClan has always been better off without you. Just look! We have already managed to keep the forest from starving. Where were you when the seasons took away your precious Goldenstar?" Feinting to the side while she was distracted, the shadowy tom hurled himself into his opponent from the side. She was thrown off-balance... now he could truly get to work. As he fought, the thin pinpricks on his throat began to bleed once more.

Lionfur used Dishonorable Charge, dealing 12 damage and costing 20 stamina. Mistysky is stunned for 2 turns.

Lionfur:
54/100 HP
141/180 SP

Mistysky:
68/80 HP
163/170 HP

--

Graybriar fell to the ground at the blow. The wind was knocked out of her lungs. Pain took her off-balance-- it had been a while since she was corporeal. Come on, get up! I didn't sacrifice my happiness with Barleytuft to get beaten up by a self-righteous shade. I came to avenge him, and to protect my Clan.Trying to regain her bearings, she shook her head at the taunting voice. "It astonishes me, how cats who ruin their own lives love to blame us for their own problems," she retaliated, memories of Raisha's many murders and manipulations flashing through her mind. "We are not all-powerful, that much is true. But we at least have enough power to fight back against those who would harm the Clans for their own benefit." Sky-blue eyes flashed up at the ghost looming above her. "I know why you want to make everyone else as unhappy as you, of course. Misery loves company."

Graybriar is stunned for 1 more turn.

The thought of socializing was almost appealing but not enough to draw Lavenderdrop from his nest. He'd picked the deepest part of the scoop in the earth. Normally, starlight would have speckled the pelts of the cats who slept underneath Silverpelt's glow. He had never known such a thing in his lifetime and had grown used to the darkness. Just outside of his line of sight, clanmates milled about, chattering and going about their business. Dark Forest cats lurked among them, beasts he had never grown accustomed to. Their sight was unsettling despite having seen them for most of his life.

He had opted to seek out sleep but it did not come. Voices rose outside and he pressed his soft underbelly closer to the nest. Lavenderdrop's eyes squeeze shut, willing to shut out the sound, and picturing the endless comfort of the tunnels. The warrior wanted to be there now. Roots overhead, dirt underneath his paws, and an embrace of darkness. Then, there was light. Baffled, the pale-pelted tom's eyes snapped open. Above, the blanket of navy sky was now speckled with shimmering stars. His maw felt slightly agape as he drank in the sight. As he stared, the sounds of fighting broke out.

Lavenderdrop slowly blinked, swallowing. He had no desire to fight - whatever these circumstances were. He was a warrior without any substantial bravery. But there were cats he cared for out there and he owed to them to at least look. It took some time to rise onto his paws and pad towards the edge of the den. The many things that he saw caused his eyes to grow even wider. Similar to the sky, a couple cats walked the earth with dazzling coats. Bodies littered the clearing, still. It was something that he could not have conjured up in a nightmare.

In a futile effort to shut out the sounds, his ears flattened. Eyes settled on the unmoving frame of an apprentice. Whisperpaw. He was frozen and yet felt compelled to move, not to fight, but to do anything to protect his young friend. I must be insane. His teeth clenched and he darted forward. The entire distance, the warrior's eyes fixated on Whisperpaw's pelt. He nearly tripped over them when skidding to a stop. Without thinking, he found their scruff and snagged it between his teeth. The medicine cat den wasn't too far away - a shelter. Straining, he pulled the apprentice's heavy form to safety.

How could such a slender cat be so heavy? He thought, panting and straining the final steps. Lavenderdrop went further than needed in an effort to make sure they were tucked away and out of view. For a brief moment, he turned back to peer back onto the battlefield but he couldn't stomach it for more than a second. Focusing on Whisperpaw, he silently willed the power of these foreign ancestors to heal them, "Come on, Whisperpaw, you'll be alright. You have to be alright. We still have so much to see down in the tunnels..."

Around him the camp was alive with screeching cats and the scent of blood. Fallowpaw’s heart beat loud and fast in his ears as he scanned the battle. In a mix of stars and shadow, his gaze finally settled on Raisha-- she was busy attacking a prone StarClan warrior after once again delivering her sob story of a past. His lip curled into a sneer and his claws sunk into the earth beneath his paws. Poor little Raisha never had a mother? Is that why she thought she had the right to take mothers from their kits with her own claws, in front of all their clanmates? Monsters raising monsters… “You hypocrite,” he hissed, bunching his muscles as he dashed towards her, his ears flat to his head and eyes narrowed in rage.

Fallowpaw used Jumping Strike on Raisha for -7 SP, dealing 6 damage

Fallowpaw
23/23 HP (+3 Defending Buff)
53/60 SP (-7)

Raisha
72/100 HP (-6)
153/180 SP
---
Frostthroat’s eyes narrowed as the hapless warrior tried to force out the barest hint of a threat. Then, in a flash of fur, she threw herself at him, only to get caught floundering around on his sturdier paws. He glared down at her with her own blood dripping from his barred fangs. Pathetic. He’d spent all his life trying to make his clan-- this clan-- stronger and yet they had all betrayed him and left him for dead on the moors. Now in death, in this moment, he realized the truth: that all the Clans had always been this pathetic. With claws unsheathed, he struck the prone warrior.

Frostthroat used Front Paw Strike for -7 SP, dealing 11 damage (10+2 DF Buff, -1 of Batsong’s Moor Runner Ability)

Frostthroat
89/100 HP
166/180 SP (-7)

Batsong
31/53 HP (-11)
88/120 SP

Lionfur shook his head at the she-cat's response. Were all StarClan cats this idiotic? How had he ever been fooled into believing them? The forest would be so much better with the Dark Forest in charge... scratch that, with him in charge. At least he never betrayed anyone. "I didn't mean you personally, you hare-brain. I meant StarClan. But I guess if you're too busy being dead to understand, I'll just have to put you back in the grave where you belong." The shadowy tom bared his fangs. "We only protect those who accept us... which is far better than StarClan, who never protect anyone. So why start now?" Leaning in, he bit down hard on his opponent's scruff, taking advantage of her stunned position.

Lionfur used Snap, dealing 12 (10+2) damage and costing 7 stamina. Mistysky is stunned for 1 more turn.

Lionfur:
54/100 HP
134/180 SP

Mistysky:
56/80 HP
163/170 HP

--

Apparently, she'd hit a nerve. Graybriar remained calm despite the other she-cat yowling about how hard her life had been, her upbringing, et cetera. She almost had sympathy for a moment... before remembering that this rogue had murdered many cats, including the other StarClan cat who had returned with her. Any burgeoning sympathy vanished into thin air. "I told you, we are not all-powerful," she said, wincing from the sharp fangs sinking into her fur. "But if you recall, the Clans did eventually fight off the Asylum, with what help that we could provide." Feeling the dizziness begin to wear off, the silver tabby wrested herself from Raisha's grip and got back on her feet. She gave a nod to the young apprentice who had joined in the fight, and then turned her attention back to her opponent. "Sure, you had a somewhat difficult upbringing. But you, like every other cat in this forest, had the chance to make whatever you wanted of your life. Strong cats fight back against the hardships in their lives... weak cats give in and use it as an excuse. A strong cat would find a place to live their life and make their own way in the world, while a weak one would murder indiscriminately while hiding behind their past. Raisha, you are one of the weakest cats I have ever had the misfortune of meeting." Graybriar glared at her, the condemnation of StarClan behind her sky-blue eyes. "Stop lying to yourself and face it. You already had your chance to be a good cat, and you failed."

Graybriar is no longer stunned.

Batsong panted as she saw stars forming in her vision... and not the good kind of starclan stars. She fealt so weak against her opponent and she knew she wouldnt last much longer at this rate.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw what at first she thought was a ghost. Blinking a couple of times she stared unbeliving... It was mistysky her mother was back??!


"MOM!!" she said in a shaky voice. Her spirits were lifted to a new high and she was encouraged to try and not give up ... not yet not while there was still hope.

Just then though Lionfur snapped at her mother and she felt a terrible feeling ... they were practically in the same spot where Mistysky had died the first time and seeing her mom get attacked so viciously by lionfur brought back alot of painful memories of feeling so helpless when mistysky died the first time.

She yelped as Frostthroat quickly brought her attention back to her own problems yet again... He hit her hard with a front paw strike and she felt her wounds bleeding heavily... her body felt sore all over and she wanted nothing more than to be able to help her mother with lionfur ... but it looked like she couldnt even handle her own problems yet alone help her mom..

she cursed at herself typical batsong! always in over your head and not able to save those you love! she said to herself somberly.

Glaring at her opponent she struck out with anger.

Batsong used desperate blows Batsong used Snap

she struck at frostthroat as hard as she could then bit into his shoulder for payback.

Frostthroat
76/100 HP (-13)
166/180 SP

Batsong
31/53 HP
74/120 SP (-14)

Batsong’s movements got more and more desperate and Frostthroat hissed at each blow she landed on him, narrowing his eyes and flattening his ears to his head. Before he had time to retaliate, her fangs found his shoulder and he let out a furious screech. Seeing red, the tom struck back ferociously with his claws.

Frostthroat used Front Paw Strike for -7 SP, dealing 11 damage (10+2 DF Buff, -1 of Batsong’s Moor Runner Ability)

[b]Frostthroat
76/100 HP
159/180 SP (-7)

Batsong
20/53 HP (-11)
74/120 SP

Ryepaw rushed over to where Blazepaw was stunned on the ground. "Blazepaw!" he cried and then looked at Lionfur. "How could you traitor?" he snarled. The dark forest warrior was fighting Mistysky, one of the newest additions to the ranks of Starclan. "Lionfur, you said that you would protect us as a dark forest cat and make sure that we are cared for as living cats...and this," he waved his tail at the unconsious Blazepaw, "This is what you call careing?" The silver tom's voice rose into a yowl as he grew angry and attacked the Dark Forest cat, snapping his jaws at Lionfur.

Ryepaw used Snap on Lionfur
Ryepaw
20/20HP
53/60SP (-7)

Lionfur
49/100 HP (-7)
134/180 SP

Lionfur rolled his eyes at the self-righteous StarClan she-cat's hysterical laughter. "Once again, you miss the point," he scoffed. "I don't deign to participate in your ill-fitted attempts at insults. A newborn kit would be funnier than you." The attack of Ryepaw took him off guard, and he fought off another wave of irritation. What was wrong with the apprentices in this Clan? Were their eyes functioning properly? Their ears? Would they seriously believe what any cat told them? Some serious education needed to be done once he was finished with this battle. "I only attack those who have attacked me first, Ryepaw," he explained, narrowing his eyes. "Unfortunately, that list now includes you. However, if you wish to be on the winning side, I will allow you one choice to stop attacking me. I will even spare Blazepaw, for your sake, even though she did attack me unprovoked. You and this overgrown starry kit can't win; comparing our levels of strength, it's purely logic." He leaned in slightly closer, and whispered: "Between you and me, I don't like Raisha either. After she is weakened, we can get rid of her, and then there will only be intelligent cats in charge of this Clan. Cats who do not murder for no reason. But this will be difficult if you continue to attack me."

Returning his attention to the matter at paw, Lionfur held still for a moment, appearing to be exhausted by the fight... but then lashed out with unparalleled strength, leaping up and shredding through his opponent's fur with no resistance to his claws. Bloody wounds opened wherever he struck. "You StarClan cats never change, huh?" he snarled. "Always lying and scheming to suit your interests, always pretending that you are the only benevolent, merciful solution to those who would rise up and claim justice and freedom. This Clan was prospering under my rule, and once you are out of the way, it will return to the glory it deserves. WindClan was always being held back by you liars. Now, we are free! And we will not return to the darkness of your rule! I will die before I let you destroy my Clan again!"

Lionfur used Play Dead on Mistysky, dealing 14 (12+2) damage and costing 5 stamina.

Lionfur:
49/100 HP
129/180 SP

Mistysky:
42/80 HP
163/170 HP

Ryepaw:
20/20 HP
53/60 SP