(That's alright, Shadow. Just letting you know. And both of your cats are accepted. Skysong will be a warrior for now, but I'll ask my sister if she can be deputy. She's just not home right now. Oh, and Willow? Would you mind horribly if I wrote for Emberclaw a little bit in the epic Hopeflight post? It's just that I don't want to have to stop in the middle of it to get Emberclaw's point of view. If you don't want me to, that's totally fine. He is your cat. Or, or... I shall PM you. ^^)
Battle
Nightfall's paw fell to the side, missing the DarkClan she-cat completely. He was just about to try again when a RockClan she-cat bounded up behind them. The DarkClan cat turned around to face her new opponent, leaving her exposed to Nightfall's attack. The night-black tom steadied himself, taking all the time he needed while his enemy was busy. He reared up on his hind legs and, with one powerful swipe, raked his claws down the DarkClan she-cat's back.
Earthpaw assessed the situation and quickly discovered a solution. "Get up on my back," he meowed, standing next to the stump. "You should be able to jump from there." Brightpaw looked at him skeptically, but tensed her hind muscles anyway. She sprang up onto his back, front paws scrabbling for a grip on the smooth wood. When she steadied herself, Earthpaw spoke again, straining from her weight on his back. "Now back up as far as you can go and jump. It's not that far." The pale-furred apprentice did as she was told, taking a step back and crouching. She leaped upwards and made a perfect landing on top of the stump. Pleased with herself, she purred loudly before looking over the edge for her companion. "Are you coming up?" she called. In answer, Earthpaw's paws appeared next to her, trying to pull the rest of him up. She put her paws over his and pulled, trying not to scratch him with her claws by mistake.
Earthpaw felt a shiver of electricity go through him as Brightpaw laid her paw over his. What was that? The shock almost sent him tumbling back to the ground, but he managed to hold on for dear life, pushing himself upward while she pulled. Finally his hind paws found solidity on the top of the stump. The apprentices sat down, breathing heavily from strain and exhilaration. "Alright," Brightpaw finally said. "I think I know what to do now." She stood, turned her face towards the moon, and began.
Sunstar rose, seemingly floating in this space between the earth and the heavens. "What?" he meowed, as nine cats circled him. He was dead. Again. How many lives did that leave him with? He had lost track moons ago, not having lost a life in so long.Marshpelt dashed to the leader's side, looking for a sign of life. There was none. Hopefully he was only losing a life, not quite dying. Either way, the situation didn't look good. The RockClan tom's eyes glowed, and he carried the poor leader on his back as if he weighed nothing. He stopped outside the leader's den, surprised to find an EarthClan cat in Islandsong's place. Perhaps something had happened to her? Marshpelt panicked and, setting Sunstar inside gently, took off in pursuit of her scent.
Flowerface looked up from her reverie to see the lifeless body of her mate and leader being set down beside her. Her eyed widened and threatened to spill tears. "How?" she murmured. Sunstar had been the victim of a DarkClan cat. He still had lives left, she tried to remind herself. He had at least four left. That would be plenty to last him for a very long time.