Faded Hope [Windclan Finale]

Blazepaw came to with her head buzzing. “Ow… did we win?” she muttered, barely coherent.

Having been locked in combat with her dark forest opponent, the shock of the cat disappearing made Brackenwing stumble. Unsteadily she sat, breathing hard. Her wounds stung as she glanced around Windclan's camp with wide eyes, seeing injured clanmates everywhere as the battle drew to a close. The night sky overhead was brighter than she had ever known it to be, and Brackenwing stared for a moment, transfixed by the pinpricks of bright, dazzling light from above. Stars... She realized. The dark forest cats were fading away, even Raisha's hated pelt. Was this Starclan's true power? Was this what Sagepaw and Specklepaw had sacrificed themselves to bring back? Her eyes found their bodies once more, tears stinging at the realization. They'd died to save Windclan. Mom would be proud of you, Sagepaw... I'll never forget your sacrifice.

"They're gone... Is everyone alright?" She asked, gaze moving from the newly deceased to her living, injured clanmates. She was no medicine cat, but she wanted them all to be okay regardless.

Lavenderdrop drew closer to the frame of Whisperpaw. He'd curled his body around them, resting his head gingerly on their side, while flickering his eyes towards the entrance in brief moments of bravery. Eventually, the sound began to die out and the silvered light seemed to shine more brightly. A chilling sense of peace seemed to sweep through his pale coat. Somehow, he knew they were safe. Maplespring was safe. His kin was safe. Letting out a low breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding in, constricting his chest and causing his heart to thud harder, the apprentice's fur was stirred.

He buried his nose into the fur of his companion with relief, "It's over, Whisperpaw. It's over. We're free." It felt so surreal. The Dark Forest had ruled his entire life - a heavy shadow hanging over his head. As a result, the relief that came was almost uncomfortable and caused the tom to shift slightly. But he couldn't dwell on this for too long. Whisperpaw had been knocked out, they needed assistance and now that there weren't swelling yowls rising up from every corner of the camp, it would be easier to find the medicine cat. As he rose to his pads, the warrior's limbs trembled ever so slightly and he poked his maw out of the den, "Burningleaf? Whisperpaw needs help."

Ashfall didn't fight. Her clan was weak; the Dark Forest were fools, but were right about one thing. Starclan was weak. The only satisfaction Ashfall would've ever gotten from her life was the death of her father by her claws, and she couldn't even do that. Her kits, she loved them, but she couldn't stay. They were trained by a weak clan, and would live a weak life. She was okay with that, though. She could never bring a claw against her clan, she, herself, weak to the last. Perhaps soon she'd join the Dark Forest though, be able to live her afterlife hunting him for what he had done. Yes. That would do. She'd go live out her life somewhere else, try to forget all that had happened to her. Her kits... would be better off without her. She wasn't the cat she once was, too maddened by the loss of so many of her loved ones to truly love again. Instead of hurting them directly... perhaps she was better off leaving them as adults, with the memories that they had of her. She didn't know what she'd do if she had to lose them as well. So, in the chaos, Ashfall limped out of her home, leaving the clan to celebrate the defeat of the Dark Forest. She would fight in her own way, in her own battles. She could not do so in her home anymore.

OOC: ashfall has left to find her own path, and will be RPed no longer :'(, you are free for cats to notice her disappearance and even attempt to track her, but she will not be found

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Coyotegrin quickly found the large tom, and he smiled at her. "You know it." He set off on the warpath, doing what he could to assist in the combat efforts, but he was unable to do much. He was knocked out of combat quickly, bleeding from various wounds, some from shielding Coyotegrin's smaller body, and was forced to sit on the sidelines. He was angry that he was unable to fight anymore, but it was clear his ancestors were winning, and dying wouldn't help Coyotegrin. When they were gone, and Hawkheart could stand once more, the tom looked to Coyotegrin. "Are you alright?"