Cloud's Luck, Final[C]

This was it. For the past few days, Copperlark had been badgering Echosong about different herbs and remedies for all sorts of ailments and wounds, especially kitting and nursing kits. Perhaps the medicine cat just thought that she was worried about her own kits. Whatever the case, the tortoiseshell had all the information she needed. Her paws felt cold and heavy as she left the final package of borage under the bramble thicket, just a few tail-lengths from the Thunderclan border. Beside the borage was scraps of Burnet, Chervil, Raspberry leave, Horsetail, Marigold, Cobwebs and Ragweed. All the herbs she would need to prepare for her kitting once she was out of Thunderclan. And a herb or two in case the fight was harder than she expected.

Swallowing whatever nervouseness she had, Copperlark padded back to camp. Her gaze found the white coat she was looking for almost instantly. "Cloudychase. Will you go on a border patrol with me?" She asked. She was concious of her clanmates' gazes on her. Her sour relationship with her brother was something that the rest of the Clan was aware of. Hopefully, they would only think of this as a way she would make up to the tom. After all, they would not find either of their bodies. The pale tortoiseshell kept her gaze level, and her voice even. There was no use cracking now.

For just a heartbeat, she considered throwing the plan away. She didn't have to leave this place, where she grew up. But... Copperlark looked around her. All her friends were dead. Her dearest sister was dead. Even her mentor, Curlyfluff, was no where to be found. Bitterness flooded her mouth. All she had left in this place was her parents and this fox-heart she called a brother. This was no home for her kits. Determination hardened like a rock in her belly, and without waiting for Cloudychase's answer she turned and led the way out of camp.

Copperlark resisted the urge to hiss when she was shoved aside for the tom to proudly strut ahead of her, his puffy tail waving mockingly in her face. Oh, how glad she was that this would be his last day. Her claws itched to sink into his other eye, to tear it out with as much force as possible. She wanted him to beg for the mercy he never gave her. A growl rumbled in her chest. Soon...

As they drew near the border, Copperlark stopped. She took a deep breath, ignoring Cloudychase's annoyed look as he turned around to face her. Suddenly, she lunged forward, crashing into the tom's side and tearing at his face. She ignored the tom's cries of shock and pain, focused solely on digging her claws into his flesh.

Copperlark used Jumping Strike, dealing 8(+3)dmg and -7SP

Copperlark
50/50 HP
73/80 SP(-7)

Cloudychase
29/40 HP(-11)
100/100 SP

Copperlark gasped in pain as she was thrown off. Before she could even register what had happened, Cloudychase was on top of her, and there was a burning pain in her belly. Her kits! Her brother's eyes were filled with nothing but malice. He's going to kill me and my kits... Copperlark could hardly breathe. She scrambled to her paws, hissing with rage and pain. How could he- how could anyone hurt a queen's kits? Cloudychase deserved to die the most painful of deaths. With a growl, she lunged forward. Her claws sank into the warrior's remaining eye, lashing out time and time again to tear out whatever remained of the tom's vision.

"What am I doing? I'm doing Thunderclan a favor. I'm ridding the forest of your cruel heart, you fox-heart," Copperlark snarled the tom crumbled under her blows.

Copperlark used Front Paw Strike and Desperate Blows, dealing 8(+5)dmg and -7(-7)SP

Copperlark
35/50 HP
59/80 SP(-14)

Cloudychase
11/35 HP(-13)
45/70 SP

OOC: Trigger warning for gore(?)

Copperlark winced as some of her brother's claws made contact with her flesh, tearing out whatever bit of fur or flesh they came in contact with. She had to end this fight, now. With a final heave forward, the pale warrior sank her teeth into the tom's throat. Cloudychase thrashed in her grip, but eventually his movements slowed down until he was still in her jaws. She let go, letting the tom fall to the ground with a thump. She had done it.

Copperlark used Final Action: Killing Strike, dealing 11dmg and -10SP

Copperlark
22/50 HP
49/80 SP(-10)

Cloudychase
0/35 HP(-11)
31/70 SP

Her heart hammered in her chest. Right, next step of the plan. Copperlark bent down and sank her teeth into the bloody warrior's scruff, then began dragging his body towards the border. Now that she thought about it, it was probably better to have killed him somewhere else, otherwise their clanmates would be able to track them. Whatever. What's done has been done.

They arrived at the location, past the border. Copperlark dropped Cloudychase's body, and she quickly ripped open the tom's belly. Blood spill out onto the smooth rocks. Trying not to gag, Copperlark quickly shoved as many pebbles and rocks as she could into the tom's open belly. Once the tom had been stuffed, she nudged the body into the river. Her brother's white coat slipped under the surface instantly. Blood rushed down the stream, towards Thunderclan territory further down. But the white tom never resurfaced.

Satisfied, Copperlark stepped into the river. She washed her wounds clean, ignoring the stinging pain in her belly. She needed to get the wound treated as soon as possible. Thank the Stars that she had already prepared herbs for this. The tortoiseshell quickly dug up her hoard of herbs, and moved away to a more secluded spot further away from Thunderclan territory.

At last, she was just a few fox-lengths away from the Twolegplace. She was much closer to Skyclan territory here than Thunderclan territory. She settled herself at the base of a birch tree, sinking into the soft grass. She unwrapped her bundles of herbs with shaky paws, and gently she pressed a wad of cobwebs against her belly. Please, don't let the wound affect her kits. When she had stopped most of the bleeding, she pawed out a few scraps of Marigold and Horsetail. She chewed the leaves into a chunky slop, and shakily smeared it across the wound. Once she had covered the wound, she used the last of the cobweb to secure it into place.

She was so tired. Bundling the rest of the herbs closer to herself, the she-cat promised herself that she would get some sleep and catch something to eat first thing after she woke up. Just a little sleep...

Copperlark awoke to a lush field of stars. The soft scent of heather tickled her nose, and a light breeze ran through her fur. This place was familiar, too familiar. "Am I dead?" She whispered aloud. "No, not at all," He responded. The ginger tabby was curled around the smaller she-cat, his fur coated with a thousand stars. Her older brother truned to face Copperlark. A sad, fond look filled his eyes, as if he was griefing for the she-cat.

At last, the tom spoke. "Oh, Copperlark, when I told you to follow your heart, I never meant... this," Sunfire mewed. Copperlark felt her heart sink. "What do you mean? Surely, Cloudychase deserved to-" She began, but Sunfire cut her off. "No one, not even Cloudychase, deserves to die such a brutal death," The tom sighed, "But what's done is done. Please, take care of yourself and your kits." Copperlark listened in silence. What she had done was finally sinking in. She left Thunderclan. She left her home. She was all alone now, and she couldn't even go back. Fear wighed in her like the rocks in Cloudychase's body.

"Does this mean that this will be the last time I see you?" She whispered. What if she didn't make it to Starclan? Would she never be able to see Shrewpaw, Cedarstalk, Amberblaze, any of them? Sunfire shook his head. "I will always be watching over you. When your time comes, Starclan will be here for you," He answered. Copperlark felt her heart sing with relief. Sunfire rested his tail over her head. "Time to sleep, Copperlark," He murmured. As the she-cat left the starry field, Sunfire sighed. What must love be such a complicated thing?