Lightpaw had been training for over half of her life for this very moment. She had trained with DarkClan's best and the rebels' best, fighting formidable fighters on both sides. Even that had not prepared her for what she encountered now.

    The two forces clashed, fighting breaking out faster than lightning travelled across the sky. Lightpaw kept running, unsure where to make her first move. In training, she knew who she was fighting – here, it could be anyone.

    She stopped short when she saw Finch struggling under Newtfang's weight. The ginger DarkClan tom had the trainee pinned by the shoulders, jaws moving ever closer to his throat. Finch managed to swipe at Newtfang's face, but his attack did little to free him. For a moment, their pelts turned to black, and Lightpaw remembered seeing Beetlepaw pinned beneath Jet.

    Then, she realized that Newtfang meant to kill Finch.

    She spurred herself forward, willing her paws to move faster. She had vowed to fight for the rebels, to turn her back on DarkClan; if she revealed herself as a traitor by saving the life of an alley cat then both sides would know where she stood.

    Her paws connected with Newtfang's side forcefully, throwing him off of Finch. The ginger tom rolled, surprise showing on his bloodied face. A scrap of brown fur hung from the side of his jaws.

    Lightpaw turned to see the blank, staring eyes of the cat she'd meant to save.

    "Lightpaw," Newtfang said, eyes narrowed. "How nice to have you back. I've been keeping watch."

    The she-cat stared at him, suddenly remembering the times she had entered Dawnstar's den to see him and Shadowpelt speaking with her. Had they been following the rebels' movements all along?

    "Seems you turned on us some while ago," he continued. "You weren't the only spies in that camp, you know."

    Killian. Newtfang and Shadowpelt had been reporting Killian's observations to Dawnstar.

    Lightpaw rolled out of the way just as Newtfang sprang. Her claws were unsheathed and she was prepared to fight – but who? Whose side was she really on? She didn't want to kill anyone, not if she could help it.

    "Kill them all!" The voice echoed around the High Stones, as cold and poisonous as ever. Looking up, Lightpaw saw Dawnstar standing atop the Speaking Rock. Hatred filled her belly at the sight of the DarkClan leader and red tinged her vision.

    If there was one cat she would kill, it was Dawnstar.

    She dodged Newtfang's next attack with ease before bringing her own paws down his right side. He yowled in pain, rounding on her. His next blow connected with her shoulder, then the side of her face. Slightly dazed, Lightpaw moved back, trying to reestablish her control.

    He leapt over her but she whipped around too quickly, blocking his next swipe. Before she could hit him again, a black blur threw her to the side, pinning her to the ground.

    "What are you doing?!" Shademask yelled at her. "He's on our side!"

    The worried look in his eyes eased some of Lightpaw's shock. Shademask, however, didn't know the truth.

    She steeled herself, narrowing her eyes. "But I'm not."

    The surprise registered on his face and she threw him off of her, reversing their positions. Now, she had him pinned down and at her mercy.

    "You can't win!" Shademask said. "All of the rebels will die."

    "DarkClan is outnumbered," Lightpaw replied. "It can't continue to exist. You yourself said this is all about Dawnstar getting her claws on Nightchaser, that no one else matters. You don't matter to her, to DarkClan."

    Shademask conviction wavered. "I – I don't know – "

    "Fight for us, help us be the reason why DarkClan doesn't win this time," Lightpaw continued, her pleading tone evident even to her. "You matter to the rebels, to me."

    He considered her words for a moment, warring with himself. The light in his eyes shifted back and forth, first dark then light.

    "Seek the light," she said, remembering the dream in which Reedpaw came to her. "Follow the light."

    Shademask looked her straight in the eyes, green orbs suddenly clear. "I'd follow you anywhere."

    Lightpaw felt her pelt grow warm and her heart flutter, but now was not the time for that. She touched her nose to Shademask's, hoping both of them would make it out of this battle alive.

    But another thought filled her at his words: seek the light, she thought, and the darkest of nights. If Nightchaser was the night, was it possible she was the light that would bring the end of DarkClan?

    Dawnstar still stood on the Speaking Rock, surveying the fighting all around her. Lightpaw grit her fangs, eyes narrowed. DarkClan's leader needed to be brought down, no matter the cost.

    The sound of battle and feeling of jostling bodies around her faded away as she moved, eyes set on only one target. Her breathing was steady, her pawsteps purposeful, and her goal clearly in mind.

    You will terrorize us no longer, Lightpaw thought.

    All thoughts flew from her as she noticed Nightchaser before her, pinned beneath Flamestrike – his littermate. She moved quickly – she had already seen one cat die today on her watch – and bowled Flamestrike over just as his fangs moved to kill.

    "Lightpaw!" Flamestrike screeched. His eyes flicked once between her and Nightchaser and understanding filled him.

    "Why are you helping him?" the DarkClan tom said through clenched fangs.

    "Because I believe him," Lightpaw replied. "I believe that we can live in a world where there is no senseless killing, where the Clan takes care of each other, where we don't have to life in fear."

    Flamestrike's eyes shifted to Dawnstar for a moment. When he was again focussed on Lightpaw, he fell into a defensive stance.

    "You don't know what you're talking about," Flamestrike growled. "You've been brainwashed into thinking the rebels are right."

    Lightpaw mirrored him. "No, Flamestrike, you've been raised to believe that DarkClan is the only way of life there is. Let me show you a different one."

    She stared at him, imploring him to believe her. She knew that if Flamestrike decided to attack her, she had a slim chance of survival. He was too strong for her, and too experienced.

    Follow the light, follow the light, she chanted in her head, reaching out with the thoughts as if to touch those around her.

    Then, over Flamestrike's shoulder, she saw Nightchaser locked in battle with Dawnstar. His shoulder was bleeding heavily, and there was a large gash in his stomach. He appeared to be losing a lot of blood and each of his swipes grew weaker as she watched. She hated him for what he had done to Reedpaw; but she hated Dawnstar more.

    "We need to help him," Lightpaw breathed, already moving to help.

    Flamestrike blocked her path, fangs dangerously close to her throat. The pale tortoiseshell froze, unsure what he meant to do.

    "You win this time," he whispered in her ear, a hint of amusement to his voice. For a moment, Lightpaw was taken back to their training sessions, when she finally managed to pin him down and win their mock fight.

    "Thank you," she breathed. They were off in a heartbeat, aiming for the rock upon which Dawnstar and Nightchaser fought. They leapt together, claws extended and fangs flashing.

    Lightpaw landed pawsteps away from the DarkClan leader, but when she looked to her side Flamestrike was nowhere to be found. A terrible shriek sounded and, down below, Flamestrike's body hit the ground with a sickening crack. Smoketalon's hazel eyes met hers, glinting savagely.

    In the same moment, Dawnstar and Nightchaser rolled off of the stone, a blur of light and dark. They burst apart as they hit the ground, Smoketalon rushing to Dawnstar's side.

    Lightpaw watched in horror as they stalked towards Nightchaser, Flamestrike's unconscious body between them.

    "Not the darkest night, is it?" Dawnstar hissed, voice betraying her delight. All around, DarkClan cats continued to fight.

    "But it is," Nightchaser said calmly, flicking a tail to the sky.

    As the DarkClan cats looked upwards, Dawnstar locked eyes with Lightpaw. A cruel grin spread across her face.

    Before Lightpaw could move, Dawnstar had her throat seized in her jaws.

    "You make one move and she dies," Dawnstar hissed at Nightchaser. The black tom, who Lightpaw had never seen show emotion other than insanity, suddenly looked afraid.

    "Take me instead," Nightchaser said.

    Dawnstar shook her head and Lightpaw groaned as the movement tore her skin. Her breathing was rapidly becoming shallow and she felt light-headed. It hit her that Dawnstar – her own mother – meant to kill her.

    "I think Lightpaw will do nicely." She sneered, fangs tightening around Lightpaw's neck.

    "Over my dead body."

    Through the haze settling over her eyes, Lightpaw saw two cats arrive, both black. One took on Smoketalon with ease; the other hit Dawnstar straight on. She felt herself lifted up, and then she was falling down and down.

    Nightchaser broke her fall. Not far off, Sprucetail exchanged blows with Smoketalon. On their other side, Lightpaw saw her rescuer, Spiderthorn, lock his jaws around Dawnstar's throat. Her heart jumped into her mouth as Dawnstar twisted, her fangs hitting Spiderthorn's neck.

    "Father, no!" she screamed, Nightchaser's voice joining her own.

    It happened so quickly she was not sure it happened at all. One moment, two cats stood locked in a death match. Then, there were two bodies on the ground, pelts splattered with each other's blood.

    Lightpaw's surroundings seemed to slow. The frenzy of before melted away and she felt herself moving forward, paws numb. Around her, the sound of claws tearing through fur was nothing more than a bird's wings cutting through air. The screeches and yowls stopped short as everyone became aware of what had happened.

    "Dawnstar is dead," Sprucetail said quietly, as if not believing the truth of it. Nightchaser, who had padded over to the DarkClan leader's limp body, nodded his confirmation.

    "Dawnstar is dead!" Sprucetail said more loudly. The words travelled through the gathered cats, growing louder and louder until the entire rebel force was chanting them.

    Lightpaw did not move, shock keeping her grounded. A gentle tail rested on her shoulders and she looked over to see Shademask, his green eyes clouded with grief. She let herself slump against him as the grief took over and her took her weight without question.

    Slowly, everyone was gathering around the bodies of Spiderthorn and Dawnstar. Whispers travelled through the crowd, forming a single question: which side had Spiderthorn been on?

    Lightpaw herself did not know, not truly. She could only assume that he had been on the side that protected his family at all costs. Her eyes travelled up to meet Beetlepaw's and saw her sorrow mirrored there. To think that only a couple of moons ago the two of them had hardly been able to agree on anything. With some sadness, she remembered Spiderthorn's advice to her all those moons ago: I can't fight your battle with her for you but I can give you every bit of wisdom I have.

    But, in the end, it had been a battle he'd fought for her, and one he'd died for.

    The bodies of the others who had died in the battle were moved to rest next to Dawnstar and Spiderthorn, eight total. Mira's white fur was splattered in red, Indigo's strange blue eyes bright even in death. Finch and Soren rested together, their littermates mourning next to them. DarkClan had also lost Duskwhisker and Newtfang.

    "DarkClan has finally fallen," Sprucetail said, still sounding as if she didn't believe the words coming from her mouth.

    "Spiderthorn was always a great warrior," Nightchaser said. "Whatever his motives, he saved us from Dawnstar and the plague that was DarkClan."

    "He will have a place in StarClan," Mothpelt said quietly, stepping forward. With a soft paw, she closed the eyes of the fallen.

    Lightpaw glanced up, but there were no stars visible. An inky blackness stretched out all around them. The darkest of nights.

    "We must take care of our wounded," Bronco said. "But tomorrow..."

    The gathered cats looked at each other. For a moment, no one was sure what tomorrow would bring.

    "Tomorrow we build a new life," Shademask said, voice carrying over the crowd.

    And Lightpaw knew they would. Together.