Her Last Moment

By Splashcloud for Leopardclaw's contest.

Chapter One
War. That was all Nightkit knew. Every since her clan, DarkClan, began a war with LightClan, blood was shed everyday. Everyday she watched as her friends and family were ripped to shreds. All Nightkit could do was stay out of the way of the fighting, and avoid her leader, Leopardstar during the battles. For if he knew she was avoiding battles to save her life, she would be killed in a heartbeat. He didn't care about the fact she was only three moons old, the only thing he cared about was winning, and if that meant sacrificing the kits in his clan, he would do it. Hopefully, when the Christmas Star came out in a few days, the clans would calm down, and at least enjoy one day of peace. Every four seasons, the Christmas Star would come out, and it was a day of peace the moment the star was spotted. Battles, even border skirmishes were forbidden. Nightkit had one wish, to live long enough to see the Christmas Star, and have that one day of peace. Peace, Nightkit's memory didn't go back that far. To her, peace was something that had happen a long time ago. Watching her clanmates get rip apart from the shelter of a rose bush, she wondered if peace was every going to be possible.

Chapter Two
Nightkit stuck her head out of the nursery, the sun hasn't risen yet, but Leopatdstar was calling the clan for a meeting. Probably to announce another surprise attack that would fail, or to kill a cat he thought wasn't trying their best. Sighing, Nightkit scrambled out of the den, with leaves rustling above in the trees. Her battle scared mother, Midnightsong, limped behind, her back foot had been broken for days, but Leopardstar still made her fight.

Nightkit's only surviving sibling, Hawkkit, walked out behind her. His dark brown tail was short, half of it had been cut off in a battle. One eye was missing, and scares covered his. Unlike Nightkit, he had originally wanted to fight, but soon learned how horrible it was.

Nightkit's father, Mallowstrike, had died in the second battle, the battle before Leopardstar announced everyone had to fight. The elders had soon been killed off, too old to defend themselves. Nightkit, and Hawkkit were the only kits still alive.

Nightkit still vividly remembering watching her two friends, Goldenrodkit, and Hillkit have their throats cut, as she tried to get them away from the fight. Her brother's friend, Stonekit, had been killed by Leopardstar after trying to run away from the fight.

Nightkit turned to her leader, trying desperately to listen, but bloody memories of cats dying was the only thing she could thing about.

"Hawkkit, Midnightsong, Owl-eyes, Roseheart, and Nettlepaw will join the surprise attack against LightClan,"

Nightkit looked up worriedly as her mother and brother joined the patrol. She watched as Roseheart, the old medicine cat, walk to the patrol. Leopardstar had stated after one battle, that a medicine cat would no longer be needed, and that Roseheart would join the fighting or die. He destroyed her supplies proclaiming that any cat weak enough to get severely injured, wasn't worth saving.

Nightkit watched as the patrol left, praying to StarClan that they would be saved.

Chapter Three
Wails of grief was all Nightkit heard. Staring at the two bodies lying in the clearing, she wondered how any cat could take this.

Hawkkit, her only sibling she had had left, would never be with her again. She would never play with him again, never challenge him to sneak out of camp, or to surprise their mother. His dark brown fur was covered in blood, and a large wound in his belly showed how his was killed. Next to him lay Owl-eyes, Midnightsong's brother. How could her mother take all this pain?

How can I even stand all this pain?

Chapter Four
''Just one more sunrise. Then this will all be over with'' Nightkit vowed to herself.

"Mother, what does the Christmas Star look like?"

"Well, it's very bright, it will be one of the brightest things in the sky," responded Midnightsong.

Both of them sat in the nursery glad not to be included in this fight. And as the other cats came back from the battle, another cat, Roseheart, was added to the number of cats who had died.

Chapter Five
Nightkit looked towards the sky, it was almost the next day, and she was waiting for that star. Clouds covered the sky, and not even the moon could be seen.

"It's time for another battle," called Leopardstar, "We will hit LightClan before tomorrow starts,"

Nightkit looked from the entrance of the nursery to Leopardstar, hoping this battle would be the last.

"Nightkit, Midnightsong, Boulderleap, Falconfur, and I'll will be part of this patrol,"

Nightkit heart sank as she heard her name call.

This is the last time, she reassured herself, ''Last time before peace,"

Running after her mother, she raced into the woods after the patrol. She struggled in the low light not to trip, and she leaped over logs and branches. Growls up ahead signaled that LightClan had been waiting for them, and were ready to fight. Hissing in the bushes, Nightkit made sure to run across the clearing every once in a while, so Leopardstar wouldn't think she wasn't there.

After a while of fighting, Nightkit looked up at the cloudy night sky.

Come on, clear up, she silently pleaded. It wouldn't be long before the star would come out.

"Well, it looks like a DarkClan kit is being a coward,"

Nightkit turned around to see a huge brown tabby tom behind her. She quickly backed up, not caring that there were cats fighting behind her.

"Think you can walk away kit? I think not," he snarled.

The LightClan tom took one small jump, and slashed his claws along Nightkit throat, and left her to bleed there on the ground. The black she-cat turned her head to the sky, desperate for the clouds to clear up.

Come on!

Energy began to drain out of her. She could barely keep her eyes open, but her persistence kept her looking up. Blood began to pool around her, and she knew she couldn't last much longer. The clouds still stayed in the sky, and in her last moment, she was unable to fill her one last wish to see the Christmas Star.

Epilogue
Midnightsong blinked the blood out of her green eyes, as she looked at her daughter. The fighting raged around her, and she knew her daughter was trying desperately to keep her eyes open. Watching her daughter close her sky blue eyes, she knew she hadn't achieved her last wish. Looking towards the sky, she watched as the clouds parted moments after her daughter's death, to reveal the Christmas Star.

All the pain and anger inside Midnightsong began too much for her, and she knew there was only one things she could.

Noticing a gray tom with white spots fighting against two other cats. She walked over to him determination in her eyes.

Leopardstar, noticing a clanmate coming over, paid no attention to her, until he felt a splitting pain in his throat. He felt to his side, and watched as the blood surrounded him.

Midnightsong turned as she watched her leader bleed out. Making sure he wouldn't have any lives left, she raked her claws her claws deep in his throat, before waking over to her daughter to morn.