Faded Hope [Shadowclan Finale]

Rookfire had been patiently waiting for a chance to strike back at the Dark Forest, like a snake in the bushes. He didn't like their rule, even though he had for the most part gotten used to it. Once StarClan was called, Rookfire smiled at the stars. "I knew they wouldn't be gone forever," he said, turning back to the Dark Forest cats surrounding them. Okay, there's one right next to me. If I charge at him, I might knock him off guard before he can attack someone else. Then, I can kill that piece of fox-dung and move on to the next cat.

When Frostgaze told ShadowClan to resist, Rookfire set his plan into motion. Charging at the nearest Dark Forest cat, the black tuxedo knocked him off his feet, causing the scarred tom to stagger back. The black tuxedo then slashed at the tom again, making sure to not lose any ground. The more he kept his opponent off-balance, the better it was for him - and ShadowClan, too. The Dark Forest cat wouldn't exactly go down without a fight, though, as he began raking the black tuxedo's belly. Wincing at the pain, the ShadowClan tom launched at the Dark Forest cat. How similar the two of them were fighting passed through his mind quickly. To be fair, he was fighting with Asylum's tactics in this fight, and both the Dark Forest and Asylum fought outside the warrior code. 

Eventually, the black tuxedo ripped the life out of the Dark Forest tom, causing him to disintegrate into dust. Breathing a sigh of relief, the tom looked around at the others to see if he could help somewhere. It seemed like ShadowClan as a whole had driven the Dark Forest away, with the Dark Forest cats disappearing into dust.

Rookfire sighed, dragging himself towards the medicine den. Stars, I'm exhausted. Got out alive, though, and ShadowClan won against the Forest. Hearing Murkystar's voice in the distance, Rookfire smiled at his leader. She fought with them too? He didn't know that cats in StarClan could come back to life. Why don't they do that more o-

The smile on his face turned into shock once Murkystar spoke. It can't be, right? A final goodbye? Rookfire stood there, paralyzed in shock. "Don't tell me that-" He knew the ShadowClan leader for moons, and he expected her to come back after dying, or at worst spend the rest of eternity in the stars. But this? Stars, it hurt more than the wounds that he got from fighting the Dark Forest. The pain was almost like Iniko's death, all those moons ago.

Iniko's death.

If he didn't have much time left with Murkystar, he needed to make every heartbeat count.

"Hey, Murky?" Rookfire said, a soft smile crossing his face. "Thank you, for everything you have done for ShadowClan. You were a great leader, mother, and warrior in life, and showed immense bravery in death to help us despite sacrificing your eternal rest in the stars. ShadowClan will never forget you and what you've done for us." At least he could thank her before she disappeared. It was a chance he never was able to get with Iniko.

The black tuxedo closed his eyes, a tear streaming down his left cheek.

"You can't just leave, you just came back!" Harepaw's mew was plaintive. Never had she considered that her mother wouldn't come back to life, never had she considered that all would be right once she had. She was here now... And she was leaving, just like that? And yet, at the same time, she hadn't known Murkystar at all and felt little connection to her beyond that she was the great leader she'd heard stories about. She could tell that her siblings and fathers were upset, and so was the rest of the clan, but Harepaw couldn't seem to work up the same level of upset and grief that her clanmates did. At the same time, it felt like she'd been lied to, in a way, the entire clan had been lied to. Had any of them ever thought that this would be the outcome? Leaders were supposed to come back after death, not... Not forsake all their lives! Harepaw took a step back from Murkystar, confusion and anger burning in her gaze. Her gaze shifted to the other starry cats that had come forward, the grief etched on their features. All she could feel was a sudden flash of anger toward them. They had, apparently, known Murkystar. They could grieve her all they wanted, but they could've sacrificed their own places among the stars. Murkystar had a life to live, a clan to lead! It was unfair!

---

"Loudnose...? Condorpaw!" Their starry forms were unmistakable, though Mistyfalcon half thought he'd been imagining them at first. He was glad they were among the stars at last, Loudnose's death during the gathering where the dark forest had taken over had been a looming shadow that he hadn't wanted to think about.

"You'll be a terrible influence on him, you mean?" He asked, lips quirking into a small smile. Trust Rosethorn to come up with another nickname for them. He'd missed the little troublemaker, despite his grumblings. "I suppose so, Rosethorn." The friendly banter and humor didn't last however, despite Rosethorn's effort and his own desire to cling to that sense of normalcy. Murkystar's words had dumped ice water over him and then settled around him, tightening his throat in a vice grip that made speech impossible. Batglow had made his way over, as weak as Mistyfalcon had ever seen him, and silently he pressed his shoulder to the other tom's in support. He liked the sound of that coughing fit as much as he liked Murkystar's words, which was to say not at all. His tattered ears flattened in dismay, dark eyes glancing from Batglow to the starry figures of his family. Suddenly he just felt tired. Tired and old.

Snakedung. "Starclan could have had any other sacrifice. And they chose you." He hissed lowly, thoughts turning bitter. The starclanners had all confirmed there was nothing to be done, even as Basilbloom and Nightstalker pleaded and Swiftheart wept. Was their family just destined to lose cat after cat?

"I love you, Murkystar." He managed to rasp finally, turning away.

Tears fell into the fur at her cheeks, Murkystar looking between her family and clan mates as they all seemed to speak over each other. Some begged her to stay, and how she longed to reassure them that she would, that it was all a terrible joke, and that tonight they would sleep together under the stars before waking up and starting anew, but it wasn't. Others were angry, dismay and rage coloring their mews before grief took over and they shattered, others were accepting and grateful... Batglow emerged and her heart twisted, not having the words to say to reassure him. She wasn't sure of what came next, if anything did at all. Would her spirit be lost forever, like so many who got stuck in the marsh? Or would it silently linger? She didn't know, and she was terrified to find out, to have to do it alone when she had always had her clan to fall back on, but no longer would she have that luxury. The hardest blow came from Mistyfalcon, her visage wavering as he turned away. As she gazed at his back she longed to take it all back, to beg and plead with the stars to let her return, to promise anything if only they would accept her, but it was too late. Already the edges of her form were disappearing, swept away by the gentle breeze that had once ruffled her long fur. She took a tentative step after her mate before stumbling to the ground, her head dropping as her shoulders shook. "I love you too." She mewed softly, knowing that everyone would know that it was directed to all of them. As she lay helplessly in the center of camp, she slowly dissipated under the stars that she had longed to join with her loved ones but never would... And then she was gone.

It felt like Basilbloom was awake in a horrible, terrible nightmare, and no matter how much she could pinch herself she would never wake up.  Her family said their goodbyes, tears dripped down into the soil, and stardust began to rise from Murkystar's form.  No, it isn't fair...  Her father's words rang in her ears; "Starclan could have had any other sacrifice. And they chose you."  Why did they have to pick her mother, of all cats?!  There were thousands of stars in the sky, countless other lives to give besides one that hadn't yet lived theirs through.  It wasn't fair, and it never would be, but Basilbloom knew that there was nothing she could do.  It was the will of the stars, and as a medicine cat, it was her job to listen and learn.  This would be the hardest lesson of all.  Sniffing hard and wiping away her tears with a forepaw, the tortoiseshell she-cat reached up to touch noses with Murkystar one last time, forcing a smile onto her face.  "You were the best mother, leader, and friend I could've asked for.  Thank you."  Simple words, but the truth.  As her mother's form slowly faded away, Basilbloom felt her paws shake.  She wanted to lay down, her heart was screaming for her to, but there was too much to be done.  Amber eyes blazing with a mix of sadness and anger, she flicked her tail and called out.  "Fuzzypaw, let's get to work."