On the way to the ShadowClan camp they see some cats fighting. The ShadowClan patrol joins them while Lionblaze and Graystripe push on to the camp and Blackstar. At first the ShadowClan warriors are hostile but Lionblaze and Graystripe quickly take charge and start giving everyone tasks. There are still some Dark Forest warriors in the camp so Lionblaze has Ratscar and some cats deal with them while he checks on Blackstar. Rowanclaw is protecting Blackstar when Lionblaze arrives. The sound of battle draws all three of them from Blackstar's den. More Dark Forest warriors have entered the camp and renewed the attack. Lionblaze hears more cats racing into the camp and fears it is more Dark Forest warriors. But he looks over and sees the ancient cats and Midnight have joined the fight. Shredtail, a Dark Forest warrior, pins down Ratscar, saying he will kill him for betraying his clan. Ratscar admits to training in the Dark Forest, but only to be a better warrior for his own clan. His sister, Snowbird, races to Ratscar's defense. Shredtail calls out to Redwillow. Redwillow stops attacking Dawnpelt and answers the summons. He openly admits to being a Dark Forest warrior and rejects ShadowClan. Snowbird goes to attack the traitor, but Blackstar stops her and kills Redwillow himself. Shredtail goes to attack Blackstar but Lionblaze insists they fight instead, and he kills Shredtail. Blackstar tells Lionblaze he is honored to fight beside him. This battle won, Lionblaze and Graystripe go home to help their own clan.
Ivypool tries to sneak out of the camp but Brambleclaw catches her. She tells him she has to find Birchfall, Blossomfall, and Mousewhisker. She insists that they are loyal but Brokenstar has threatened to kill them. Brambleclaw lets her go. As she races through the trees Tigerheart finds her. She is unsure whose side he is on. He tells her that they are supposed to wait for Hawkfrost and his orders. Ivypool responds that she doesn't need orders - she intends to fight any Dark Forest cat and their allies. Tigerheart says she is just like her sister, choosing her clan first. Confused, Ivypool asks isn't that what they are supposed to do. Hawkfrost arrives and she leaves to find her clanmates. As she goes she sees Tigerheart whispering to Hawkfrost but she doesn't know if he is betraying her or not. She finds her clanmates scared and unsure what to do. She tells them that when they attack WindClan they will break ranks and attack the Dark Forest instead. Applefur, Breezepelt, and Thistleclaw join them. As they race to attack WindClan, Ivypool asks Applefur whose side she is on. Applefur tells Ivypool that she must attack WindClan and Ivypool asks her if she is still a warrior or not. Applefur realizes Ivypool is correct and joins in the attack against the Dark Forest. Ivypool chases after Breezepelt and stops him from attacking a WindClan cat. She tells him he doesn't have to betray his clan. Breezepelt is in disbelief, since he believes in the Dark Forest. Thistleclaw attacks Ivypool - and Hawkfrost and Snowtuft join him. But Birchfall and Tigerheart come to her aide, Tigerheart admitting that Tigerstar almost destroyed ShadowClan once and he was determined to spy on Tigerstar and stop him from doing it a second time. The cats get separated and Ivypool is stuck fighting Thistleclaw, Snowtuft, and Hawkfrost alone. Just when she thinks she is going to lose Hollyleaf comes to her rescue. The Dark Forest cats run away but Hollyleaf is badly wounded. Ivypool tries to drag her home. Seeing her, Tigerheart comes over to help.
Dovewing is surveying the camp after the attack. Leafpool is shaken that the Dark Forest warriors went straight for the kits. Dovewing smells blood and calls out that someone is injured. Firestar helps Tigerheart bring Hollyleaf into camp. Jayfeather and Leafpool try to save her but she has lost too much blood. Before she dies, Hollyleaf makes peace with Leafpool. Birchfall, Blossomfall, and Mousewhisker burst into the camp. Firestar thinks they have betrayed him, but Ivypool speaks up for them and Birchfall warns Firestar that the Dark Forest cats are on their way. Thistleclaw arrives at the camp first and attacks Birchfall, calling him a traitor. Darkstripe attacks Mousefur but Dovewing and Cinderheart stop him. The fight rages on. Dovewing sees Crowfeather and Breezepelt race into the camp. Lionblaze and Graystripe come next, followed by the ancient cats. Fallen Leaves stops by Hollyleaf to mourn his lost friend. Half Moon and Jayfeather find each other briefly before she goes back into battle. Dovewing watches in shock as Breezepelt attacks Lionblaze. Ivypool calls out to him not to chose the Dark Forest and Lionblaze asks him not to attack him as they are kin, but Breezepelt is uninterested in any of this and is determined to kill his father's other children. Crowfeather attacks Breezepelt and tells him that he has to stop hating everyone. Breezepelt sees this as proof that his father doesn't care for him. Crowfeather tells him that is not true, but since he has made his choice he should leave. Leafpool approaches Crowfeather, telling him she never wished for this. Crowfeather tells her that Breezepelt is old enough to make his own choices. Looking at Lionblaze, Crowfeather tells Leafpool he does not regret what they did. He then goes over to Hollyleaf's body to mourn her. Longtail arrives with the rest of StarClan and fights beside Mousefur - and is with her when she dies. Bumblestripe seeks out Dovewing and the two fight together. Cherrypaw and Molepaw arrive with the news that the clans are winning and RiverClan is currently chasing the Dark Forest warriors to the border. Dovewing sees Poppyfrost and Honeyfern fighting side by side again. ThunderClan drives the enemy cats out but Mapleshade arrives and attacks Sandstorm. She hates her for having everything she was denied - a mate and kits who love her as well as the respect of her clan. Spottedleaf arrives and saves Sandstorm. Mapleshade asks Spottedleaf to join her, since Sandstorm stole Firestar from Spottedleaf. Spottedleaf responds there was nothing to steal and Sandstorm made Firestar happy. They fight and Mapleshade kills the medicine cat. Sandstorm and Firestar attack Mapleshade. Sandstorm chases her off while Firestar stays with a dying Spottedleaf, knowing that she will no longer be in StarClan waiting for him. Dovewing looks to the nursery and realizes Ferncloud is guarding it alone. She sees Brokenstar kill Ferncloud. Firestar races to her side but it is too late. He goes to attack Brokenstar but Yellowfang gets there first and kills her son. Realizing Brokenstar is dead, Thistleclaw panics and calls a retreat. Brambleclaw brings Hawkfrost, as a prisoner, to the camp. Ivypool attacks Hawkfrost for killing Hollyleaf but when Ivypool is about to die Brambleclaw joins the fight, killing his brother. Tigerstar arrives, congratulating Brambleclaw on his kill and announcing that with Brokenstar and Hawkfrost dead he now leads the Dark Forest cats.
Firestar tells Tigerstar that he is no leader, he only cares about himself. Tigerstar counters that he gives cats something to fight - and die - for, so he is. Listening to him, Dovewing wonders if Tigerstar is mad. Firestar asks what Tigerstar has to offer and Tigerstar responds beating Firestar. Firestar insists the Dark Forest cats will not follow him, but Tigerstar feels if he can beat Firestar then all he has to do is pick off the ThunderClan cats one by one. As they fight Tigerstar admits that after Bluestar found Firestar he became nothing. He went from the greatest warrior to second best to a kittypet. Firestar defeats Tigerstar, but lightning strikes and when the smoke clears Firestar too is dead. Dovewing and her clan mourn him, and the ShadowClan cats go home. Dovewing tells Tigerheart goodbye and settles in beside Bumblestripe. He presses against her and she leans her head on his shoulder. She doesn't look back as she hears Tigerheart walk away. Bluestar and the rest of the cats who gave Firestar his nine lives - except for Spottedleaf - step forward. The clan watches in shock as Firestar's spirit leaves his body - and so too do Mousefur's, Hollyleaf's, and Ferncloud's. Sandstorm takes up the call for Bramblestar, who vows to honor their StarClan ancestors. Jayfeather tells him it is time to pick a deputy and Dovewing suspects he will pick Lionblaze, but Brambleclaw asks Squirrelflight, finally healing the rift between them. Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Dovewing stand together knowing that it is finally over.
I can't believe Redwillow betrayed his clan in the end. Breezepelt I believe, but I was hoping Redwillow would come to his senses. At least Ivypool was able to save some of the warriors. And, I am glad to see that some, like Ratscar, made the correct choice on their own. I do wonder about Tigerheart. I do not think he was disloyal to his clan, but I wonder if it really was curiosity about Tigerstar's actions that led him to the Dark Forest. I believe Tigerstar sought him out because they were kin, but I wonder if Tigerheart was duped like Brambleclaw and Lionblaze or if he really did believe from day one that Tigerstar was evil.
And Firestar's family has healed. Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight are back together. Hollyleaf forgave Leafpool - so did Jayfeather. And Lionblaze has been slowly working on forgiving his mothers for a while now. And it looks like Dovewing and Bumblestripe might be back together.
I am glad that the Tigerstar/Firestar storyline is totally over now, but Breezepelt and Sol are still at large. I am surprised Sol wasn't there for the final battle, even if he is no warrior. But I thought he would want to be there for the destruction of the clans. But maybe he has no affiliation with the Dark Forest? Maybe they were just using him? I wonder if we will hear from him again. But Breezepelt... Crowfeather chose his half clan children over him. He left alive and bitter. I am willing to bet he we will hear from again...
With Brokenstar, Hawkfrost, and Tigerstar dead hopefully this is the last we hear of the Dark Forest. How amusing is it that Hawkfrost outranked Tigerstar? But, Firestar is right - Tigerstar is no leader. I just wish we saw an end to Darkstripe as well. Preferably at the hands of Longtail and Dustpelt, his former friends.
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