"Family must be willing to die for one another."

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The battle was over and the rebellion won.

The flanks of the victorious heaved with every breath, their flank expanding and sinking at a maximum. Their eyes were almost shut, exhaustion tugging at their eyelids. Their ears were pinned against the back of their heads and their fur was being pulled at by the strong force of the wind. For the first time in a long time, every single one of them had sheathed claws, a miracle that some thought they would never live to see.

At the head of the crowd was Dimstar, his russet pelt matted and painted with blood. His mouth was parted as he exhaled loudly to show a clear sign of his overwhelming exhaustion. The leader was battered, multiple open wounds lacerated through his skin and specked with dry blood. His tail was hung low to the ground behind him and his head was ducked to be leveled with his spine. But despite his clear signs of exhaustion and torn form, a smile was draped over Dimstar's visage.

Pride welled into a fiery source deep inside of the noble leader. His eyes were luminous with an overbearing sense of courage and gratification. Dimstar had just guided his Clanmates straight into a battle many of them questioned if they would ever win. For once he feel as if the vines wrapped tightly around his necks were loose and the thorns in his paws were no longer visible. The agonizing pressure of being controlled to where it felt as if boulders were placed down upon his spine was uplifted. They were all free, and could be known as EchoClan once again without wincing at the mention of the name.

Dimstar lifted his head upright as they stepped out of the territory that once used to be proclaimed as Archangel's and into the rebellion territory. He inhaled the scents of nature around him, the smile upon his face growing vivid and prodigious at the fiery sense of satisfaction and calamity within him. Dimstar turned to eye the cat who flanked him, his ears twitching and now pointing towards the sky.

Flamepetal was at his right side, her head ducked and her eyes narrowed. Despite the recent victory, Flamepetal seemed down and disappointed with the whole turnout of events. Was she enraged at the fact that she didn't ger the opportunity to murder Archangel as vengeance for the tyrant's surprising murder of Quailchaser? It was the only reason that made sense to Dimstar on why his daughter seemed so unsatisfactory with the victory and extremely distant.

On the other side of Dimstar was Slap, his head surprisingly lifted towards the sky and his eyes practically wide open. Slap pushed away the choice to stay with the deceased and the cat's staying to protect them until all the other's were brought back to camp and decided to come along with Dimstar. The scrawny medicine cat was standing tall, a rare sense of courage wavering within the tom. Who knew that so much agony and terror would not shatter the tom into pieces and leave him broken, but instead cause Slap to develop a new feeling of courage and stability.

Dimstar then cocked his head to glance ahead once more. His smile shifted into a light frown as they approached the rebel camp, but something didn't feel right to Dimstar. The voices within camp were loud, some audible enough to clearly hear every word. The commotion buzzed with a sense of panic and apprehension, an event that send a shiver running down Dimstar's spine.

Perhaps the war wasn't over yet after all.

Dimstar's pace hastened as they arrived at the entrance to camp. The crowd behind him leaped forward to run towards their clanmates, smiles upon their faces to show their utter satisfaction with their victory. The cat's within camp didn't seem satisfied at all, but instead they were terrified and stricken with sorrow. They were crowded around a weak form that struggled to lift itself from the earth.

Dimstar's eyes widened to the size of a full moon. Afraid and panicked, the leader rushed forward and weaved his way through the growing crowd. His paws froze to earth as if a blizzard had gnawed at his paws for several moons the moment he stepped into the center of the crowd. It felt as if his heart had stopped beating completely and the vine had slipped back tighter over his throat. It became hard for the russet tabby to breathe and hard for his mind to comprehend everything taking place around him.

There before him lay Cloverpool, her shoulders scarred and her pelt matted. Her belly and neck was unharmed fortunately, but her face and sides were severely scarred and gushing with blood. Dimstar's eyes grew wet as he stared into his mate's eyes, which were clouded with pain and grief. She was struggling stand, her form quaking weakly with every attempt.

Sparrowblaze stepped forward, her tail landing lightly on Dimstar's shoulder as Slap rushed forward to tend to Cloverpool. "Three Of Archangel's rebels attacked while you were heading this way. They managed to get away, for we chased them off, but they took Pinekit and severely injured Cloverpool," Sparrowblaze explained softly to the leader.

A spiral of anger began to grow vigorously inside of Dimstar. His eyes lit with flickering flames and his claws slipped loose from their sheaths yet again. His fur stood up along his spine and his tail lashed swiftly to and fro like a long blade of grass being twirled about by a strong wind. Dimstar shook his head angrily and whirled around, a growl rumbling in the pits of his throat. Every cat's gaze was plastered onto him as they watched their leader suffer from a moment of rage and melancholy mixed together in a recipe for disaster.

"This isn't over. We aren't giving up until we get Pinekit back," Dimstar mumbled. He then lifted his head and spoke loudly and clearly as he marched his way back towards the camp exit. "All of you stay here! I will be back with Pinekit and this will all be over."

Several cat's stepped forward towards their leader, their jaws parted to release words of protest against Dimstar. The russet tabby turned around instantly to face them the moment he stood at the exit to camp. A hiss erupted from the leader and his back arched, his Clanmates taking a step back.

"I told you to stay back! Leader's orders."

Every cat seemed to watch in horror as Dimstar turned back around and disappeared out of camp. His eyes were narrowed as his paws thundered against the earth, his pace quick and his breathing heavy. A sharp pain pierced through his sides and his wounds as he tore through the forest, his nose twitching to await the scent of a loyalist to meet his muzzle.

Dimstar's tail streamed behind him as he raced through rebel territory. His back felt as if rocks were piled onto it and he winced in absolute pain. He was pushing the limits of his weak form, still battered and torn from the battle with Archangel and his followers. It didn't matter at all to Dimstar though and he picked up his pace, a wild sense of determination welling profoundly inside of the leader. He wasn't going to let Archangel's followers take another one of his Clanmates away from him. He wasn't going to let them take another part of his family.

The leader's eyes widened when a familiar scent stung his muzzle. He skimmed his claws through the soft earth below to stop himself in his tracks, his flank heaving swiftly with every clamorous breath that escaped him. Dimstar lifted his head slowly, his eyes squeezing shut as his muzzle pointed to the sky. The leader became as still as the trees during the days of no breeze tearing through the forest. A soft sigh escaped his throat and his claws flexed impatiently below him as his muzzle began to breath in all the scents around him.

The area around the russet tabby became deathly silent as he inhaled the scents of nature around him. The faint scent of a squirrel in the distance. The scent of fresh herbs. Everything remained silent and Dimstar's form remained still until in one large inhale, he captured the toxicating scent of his enemies.

Dimstar's eyes snapped wide open against and his teeth clenched together tightly. A growl grew in the pits of his throat as he turned to his left, the direction of which he scented his enemies. They were close, and from Dimstar's observations they were now traveling at a rather slow late. His ears pinned back as he leaped forward, taking off in an instant dash towards Archangel's followers. He wasn't going to let those poisonous, wretched mousebrains escape his claws and take Pinekit away forever.

His paws smacked against the earth brutally as he bolted through the forest. The wind tore at his fur and dirt flew into his eyes, but Dimstar kept racing on no matter what. The pain in his side grew overwhelming, his teeth clenching tighter as he struggled to hold in the pain. His ears rose tall though when he heard soft voices ahead and the scent of the loyalists grew stronger.

They are not going to get away!

Suddenly releasing a massive, strained yowl, Dimstar pounced over the shrubbery before him and took on his enemies by surprise. He slammed into the closest cat to him, who he easily recognized as the malicious Fox. Fox yowled out in agony and shock as Dimstar's teeth sunk into his shoulder and the two rolled across the terrain, claws lacerating one another's skin and dirt flying up from beneath them.

The two other cats, Spark and Wolf, instantly whirled around with their eyes round. Dimstar managed to pin down Fox, his claws sinking deep into the struggling tom's skin and his gaze skimming over to Spark and Wolf. Hanging from Spark's mouth and thrashing wildly was Pinekit, wailing for help to arrive. Dimstar's eyes narrowed at the sight, his tail lashing angrily.

"Let go of Pinekit and you can go," Dimstar growled, his gaze specifically focused on Spark who held the terrified kit.

A mischievous, smug smirk slid onto Spark's visage and she signaled Wolf forward with a flick of her tail. The bulk tom immediatedly followed the she-cat's orders, his paws battering the end and leaving up small clouds of dust behind him as he rushed forward. Dimstar's jaws parted to a maximum to release a clamorous hiss as he turned to the side to defend himself from Wolf's attack.

When he was distracted though by Wolf approaching, Fox took the moment to free himself. Pain pierced through Dimstar's stomach as Fox's hind legs pummeled his belly. The leader was kicked off of Fox, his back skidding across the earth as he struggled to stand back on his paws. His sides were still stinging with an overbearing pain and his paws were sore, his left eye wincing as a sign of pure pain.

Dimstar snapped back to reality though when one of Wolf's unsheathes paws came flying down towards his face. The russet tabby rolled away to the side just in time, his head spiraling and his vision blurry as he did so. Without taking a moment to clear his vision though and process a pain, Dimstar leaped back up and slammed his back into Wolf's shoulder as he did so, his balance stabilized by his hind legs.

Pain then coursed through Dimstar's shoulder as the feeling of sharp claws tore through his skin. A growl of annoyance escaped his bowels as he turned around to eye Fox, the tom aiming another blow at Dimstar's face. Before Dimstar could strike back, another set of claws tore should his hindquarters as Wolf attacked the leader from the other side. Dimstar attempted to whirl around and rake his claws across Wolf's face, but then Fox took the moment to leap forward and cling onto Dimstar tightly.

A yowl of terror escaped Dimstar as the orange tom's fangs clamped around the russet tabbies throat. The stinging sensation pulsed through Dimstar to where his eyes grew cloudy with utter apprehension and agony. Blood welled up in the pits of his throat and roared in his ears as his body technically became paralyzed. The leader was growing weaker and weaker with every second, his legs trembling under Fox's weight and his jaws gaped with shock.

In the blink of an eye, the strong force was lifted off of Dimstar and he was able to inhale a sharp intake of breath. He crumbled to the earth, his heard drumming against his ribcage and pain soaring through his body. Dimstar then shakily rose back to his paws, adrenaline tearing through him as his gaze turned to eye whatever attacked Fox.

The familiar flame-colored pelt of Dimstar's own daughter hovered over Fox, her claws tearing through the soft skin of the tom's cheek. Fox yowled out and shook Flamepetal off of him, blood forming practically a waterfall of crimson liquid from the profound gash Flamepetal left in his cheek. The EchoClan warrior stepped away from Fox to stand at Dimstar's side, a sly smirk pressed onto her face.

"Dimstar," Flamepetal turned her head to eye her father, "You need to get back to camp. You aren't fit to-"

"No. I am going to get Pinekit," Dimstar snapped back at Flamepetal, wincing as he turned to face Spark.

Before Flamepetal could rush after her father, Wolf had leaped at the she-cat and they engaged in combat. Meanwhile, Dimstar raced towards Spark, who's eyes grew round in surprise the moment she spotted Dimstar rushing towards her. The she-cat spun around and bolted off towards the prodigious lake ahead of them that resembled the edge of the rebellion's territory.

Without even taking a moment to think, Spark dived straight into the river. The current was strong, making it hard for Spark's four paws to move her across the river. The she-cat struggled to fight against the current as it began to pull her away, her paws beginning to flail and splash about in the swarming river. Dimstar froze in his tracks at the bank of the river, his eyes locked on Spark who still held Pinekit in her jaws.

Dimstar's heart rate became swift and pounded against his chest. A nervous lump formed in his throat and pain still thrived through his body. The panicked yowls of Spark and the wails of Pinekit rang in his ears, his eyes wide as he struggled on what to do. His head began to ache as he struggled on contemplating on what to do in the current situation. Finally, he paused and sighed lightly as an idea came to mind.

It would risk Pinekit's life, but he had to at least try.

Dimstar breathed in a large gasp of breath as he buckled back his hind legs. Then with a clamorous battecry that echoed through the air, Dimstar pounced forward with his landing straight on top of Spark's form. Water rose into a large splash around him ad he sunk below the surface with Spark below him, the she-cat flailing around as she attempted to maneuver herself away from Dimstar and out of the water.

The tom's teeth tore through Spark's ear and he tugged with all his might, ignoring the fact that his lungs were filling with the cold liquid. The water had just recently dried from the ice because of leafbare's ending, but it still thrived with an extremely cold sensation that sent a shiver down Dimstar's spine. He held on tightly and yanked until Spark finally let go of Pinekit's now unmoving form.

Letting go of Spark's ear, Dimstar turned his head to grab hold of Pinekit's scruff and began to thrive back towards the surface. The moment his head submerged from the river, he coughed and breathed heavily as his paws kicked through the river to swim himself to the safety of the bank. Dimstar's front paws then submerged and his claws latched onto the earth of the bank, setting down Pinekit's small body on the sandy haven of safety.

To Dimstar's satisfaction, Pinekit's flank still expanded and sunk with every other breath. Dimstar exhaled out of relief and sunk his claws deeper into the earth to haul himself up onto the bank, ready to go and help Flamepetal and Pinekit back to camp.

"You are not going anywhere!"

The familiar voice of Spark spoke up behind him, raspy and broken. Before Dimstar could lift himself out of the water, Spark's teeth sunk into his hind leg and her claws held onto his hindquarters. Dimstar yowled out in absolute pain and terror, kicking his hind legs about wildly to try and free himself from Spark's strong grasp on him. But Spark wasn't using him at all to try and climb to the surface.

She was trying to take him back into the water.

Dimstar's gaze turned to eye Flamepetal, whi had successfully chased off Fox but had Wolf pinned beneath her. His jaws gaped and he winced as he attempted to release a plea for help to his daughter.

"Flamepe-"

The leader was broken off the moment he collapsed into the water and the liquid filled his mouth. Spark still had hold of Dimstar, her weight and his together causing them to sink faster towards the bottom of the river. His paws flailed and his eyes grew wide, his line of sight blurry and growing dark. The liquid around him became stained with the crimson liquid from his wounds as he sunk to the bottom. His eyelids were beginning to close together until Spark released him and began to swam her way towards the surface.

No! If I go down, you are coming with me!

Using the last of his strength, Dimstar pushed himself forward and hooked his claws into Spark's shoulder. He then swung his neck forward and clamped his jaws tightly around her neck, the she-cat swirming weakly in his grasp. The both of them sunk slowly towards the bottom of the river, the current pulling them further down the river at the same time.

Blood filled Dimstar's mouth and left behind a metallic, toxic taste. Both him and Spark's bodies went limp as if they were paralyzed, but Dimstar's eyes were still wide open and searched for the surface. He was too deep in the profound river though to see the sky he used to gaze upon alongside his family every other day and watch as the sun set. Everything was utterly silent and serene around the tom for the first time in a long time as he sank to the bottom.

Water began to fill his lungs and suffocate the tom as he fell through the water. He could feel a life slip away from him, but once it did he didn't feel alive again at all. The tom still felt weak and strangled, his lives still slipping slowly away from him. With every brief moment Dimstar spent underwater, awaiting his last and final life, moments of his life flashed before his eyes.

At first he saw all of EchoClan before Waspstar's reign ended and Archangel's began. Everything was completely peaceful as kits wandered the camp and cats shared tongues alongside one another. It all used to be such a calming place to call home until the day that Archangel and his followers arrived and destroyed every cat that stood in their path, including Waspstar and Galestorm.

Dimstar then saw his two kits, squirming as small kits again at Cloverpool's belly. They cried and wailed for attention, Cloverpool smiling lightly down upon the bundles of joy. Who knew that in a matter of time that didn't seem like moons but seconds, one of those kits would grow to be a strong and loyal warrior, and the other...would fade right before his eyes.

When the image of his loving, gentle mate arrived at his eyes, a smile spread across the dying leader's visage. She was beautiful and inspiring, her goal to protect her Clan always being accomplished no matter what. Cloverpool would thrust herself in front of any obstacle even if it meant risking herself for her Clan at any time of any day. She was a perfect Clanmate, mother, sister, and mate.

Cloverpool would make a perfect leader.

Dimstar felt the pain suddenly sink away from him the moment his eyes shut. His urge to breath froze and the cold sensation of the water no longer tugged at him forcefully. His last and final life slipped away from him, ceasing the pain that lingered within Dimstar. He felt free and relieve, despite the fact he had left his Clan behind. He did it all to save one kit, because every single piece of his family, no matter how small or large, mattered to him, and he wouldn't lose another.

When the leader's eyes fluttered open to the starry faces of family members lost during the time of water, a sorrowful smile spread across his visage. Dimstar felt just at home standing before them, their starry pelts beginning to brush against his. There was Chirpbark, Quailchaser, Mousepaw, Lilybark, Galestorm, Minktalon, Snakeleap, and many more welcoming him into the starry lands of SpiritClan. A purr rumbled in Dimstar's throat and a puddle of sorrow formed in his eyes when the cat's parted to reveal Waspstar's starry figure to Dimstar's eyes.

"Thank you Dimstar, for saving EchoClan. Thank you for guiding them all so boldly into a war many thought they would never departure from. You are a true leader," Waspstar spoke, dipping his head in appreciation.

Without a second to take in everything, Dimstar pressed forward and touched his muzzle to Waspstar's. All the other SpiritClan members gathered around, vivid smiles draped onto their faces. Dimstar's head nodded lightly as he stepped back from Waspstar.

"Anything for my family."

It didn't matter to Dimstar at all that he died.

For once, he was able to save a life. A Clan member. A family member. Even if it ended in the results of his departure from living with EchoClan..

They won. They were all victorious and free from Archangel's claws, and the echoes of their victory would run throughout history..

Forever.

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A/N: weeps from pure sadness while also staring at the 3750 word count.