Lilypetal's POV

Without hesitation, I jumped forward to take a swipe at Ashfur. To my dismay, the gray-speckled warrior easily dodged my claws, gripping the branch tightly as he ducked down.

I was then completely taken by surprise when Ashfur actually leaped straight at me, managing to pin me down right up against the tree. I struggled under his grip, and winced in pain from my previous battle wounds that were already beginning to open back up. Along with that, Ashfur's large claws were sinking deep into my shoulders.

I could barely stand the pain, and needed to act fast. I was able to use my hind paws to knock the Dark Forest warrior back, actually thrusting him behind me, resulting in him landing just at the edge of the log.

I forced myself to scramble back up as quickly as I could, and I turned around to see that Ashfur was now on stable, solid earth at the edge of the stream, also getting back up to his paws.

For a moment, as I watched him attempt to stand up and catch his breath, I found that I didn't feel a single bit of pain from any of my wounds, the determination and bravery rushing through my blood instead. Keep in mind who you're doing all of this for, Lilypetal.

I was able to run all the way up the log, leaping straight at Ashfur and bowling him over. As soon as I had him pressed into the ground, and my claws were fastened into his shoulders, I swiped him across the face, then proceeding to rake my claws across his flank.

And even though it was my mortal enemy that was beneath my grip, I still felt a twinge of guilt and regret as I lifted a paw to swipe a blow at his neck. I don't care who it is... having to kill any cat doesn't feel good at all.

And unfortunately, my guilt had seemed to hold me back.

I managed to give the Dark Forest warrior a small gash that drew blood, but it hadn't been nearly as deep as it should be. Ashfur still had the strength and ability to slash one of his paws across one of my old flank wounds, causing me to wince and let out a hiss of pain.

With that, he was able to completely push me over to the side, and off of him. I fell onto my side, the pressure of the landing sending another unbearable bout of pain through my body. It's too unbearable for me to even try and make a joke!

As I struggled to get back up, I suddenly felt sharp teeth meet my scruff, and I no longer touched the ground anymore as I felt myself being tossed to the side.

And just within heartbeats, as I slid across the earth, I realized that my back legs weren't touching any sort of ground anymore.

I recognized with complete horror that Ashfur had attempted to toss me over the edge of the cliff, to plummet down into the water and sharp rocks just as I had hoped to do to him.

With a terrified screech, just barely managing to grab onto the ledge with my front paws. My claws were already sliding backwards, and all of my wounds were slowing causing any strength I had to ebb away.

But I still clung to the edge for dear life as I watched Ashfur slowly walk up to the cliff and look down at me with his sickeningly joyed blue eyes. "You've put up quite a fight," he observed.

I managed to reach one of my paws a little further forward, strengthening my grip in the ground in front of me just a bit. "What else am I supposed to do?" I growled up at him.

The gray-speckled tom simply shrugged as he began to pace back and forth above me. "It's quite admirable, actually. You are definitely a cat to be admired, Lilypetal," he meowed. "I have to admit that I even admired you when you first came to the Clans. You've always had so much spirit, so much determination."

He then paused in front of me once again, and I let out another pained cry as jumped forward to sink his front claws into my paws that clung to the earth. "Too much for your own good, I'd say," he then whispered, his eyes narrowing as he stared down at me. "Considering you think that you even have a chance of winning against me."

As unnerving and demeaning as Ashfur's words probably should have been to me, they actually gave me all of the power and strength I needed all over again, and they actually brought me to look back on Firestar's words once again. You've always had a certain gleam of determination in your eyes, from the day that you first arrived in ThunderClan. Since then, it's seemed to grow stronger, darker and deeper with every moon. And you've grown along with it. It's always taken you forward, as determination should.

I looked back up at Ashfur, returning his narrowed gaze. "Oh, yeah?" I yowled out, then using the spirit's grip to hoist myself up.

I then managed to give him another swipe across the face, causing him to recoil backwards. "A cat has a chance at anything as long as they have determination." It's the reason that I found my true home, after so many cats had made fun of me for even giving another life a single thought. And it's the reason why I'm right here fighting you.

Then, just as I was about to leap at Ashfur again, I was thrown off as he actually swerved past me, running behind me. And the next thing I knew, I found that the Dark Forest spirit had managed to leap onto my back. I felt an immense amount of pain as he raked his claws down my back.

And at first, I had absolutely no idea what to do, and I was sure that there was no hope for me at all. I can't reach him with any of my claws! I realized helplessly. He has complete control right now!

But it only took a moment for me to snap, and I realized exactly what I needed to do.

I could hardly believe it, but the frail, timid kittypet that I had once been, with the complete inability to fight was going to help me right now.

I remembered that first day that I had wandered into the ThunderClan forest, and having to defend myself from a wild cat that I had no idea how to defend myself from. Squirrelflight had landed on my back just as Ashfur was doing right now. And I flung that she-cat off of me as quickly as the strongest cat could!

Just as I had in my first real fight ever, I bunched up my muscles and began to whirl myself around, and Ashfur's grip was practically torn away from my pelt within heartbeats.

To my dismay, he didn't fall to the ground, and simply landed a bit awkwardly.

And also to my dismay, it didn't weaken him, it only brought him to complete outrage. He leaped at me again, and my attempts at dodging only brought me to sink lower to the ground - one of my legs giving out on me. No, no, no!

Ashfur was easily able to pin me down again. He banged my head against the ground, causing my vision to become spotty. He then jumped off of me, grabbed me by the scruff again, and thrusted me against the nearest tree.

And as I sank to the ground against the trunk, I felt my heart begin to sink as well, as I already knew that I was too weak to even try to get up this time.

Ashfur was going to be able to do whatever he wanted to me, and I was more than sure that there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Even my burning determination wasn't going to be enough to save me this time.

I was beginning to picture my journey to StarClan for the second time that night, and the third time in my entire life, as I watched Ashfur creep up to me, his eyes blazing with his own sick kind of determination.

"You know, Lilypetal? I still very vividly remember the day that I stood at the border of the Dark Forest, staring back at you from where you stood in StarClan," the Dark Forest spirit began. "You were now convinced that you had died, and had come to StarClan for good. I remember seeing that immense pain in your eyes as you thought about all that you had left behind - your mate, your kits, your Clanmates... I was watching you truly suffer right there in front of me."

He then let out somewhat weak, menacing purr of amusement. "And I've wanted to bring you suffering so long, which is the funny thing," he went on, shaking his head slowly. "Originally, I thought that taking away everything that you cared about would be the obvious way to do it..."

He then loomed over me, and I could clearly see the horrible, horrible certainty in his eyes. "But this is much, much better," he purred. "Taking you away from everything that you care about? That easily brings an amount of suffering that not many cats can bear."

I then winced feebly, bracing myself as Ashfur lifted an unsheathed paw. Goodbye, Thornclaw, Goldenshine, Oreo, Emberpaw, Wrenpaw, and Lightningpaw... I thought, feeling my eyes begin to well up with overwhelming emotion. Goodbye, Firestar, Squirrelflight, Brambleclaw, Whitewing, all of my friends...

I then cringed back even more as Ashfur took a step closer to me, surely about to perform the killing blow that countless cats had in the past at any moment. Goodbye, ThunderClan...

I then heard Ashfur's unnerving chuckle. "Who knew that it'd be as easy as this?"

"Not that easy. Not on my watch."

With the new voice that echoed through the forest, time seemed to stop. Above me, Ashfur completely froze, his eyes widening with the pawsteps that rustled the grass just behind him.

I just barely managed to peer past the gray-speckled tom to see another figure emerging from the distance. And despite this cat's small, lean and delicate shape, Ashfur's fur bristled with as much intimidation as it would with the largest, strongest warrior in the forest.

My curiosity at who this cat could possibly be only lasted a moment, and was quickly replaced with shock as I soon recognized the white pelt and blue eyes of Snowstorm emerging from the darkness. She didn't look afraid at all, and stared back at Ashfur with dark, narrowed eyes.

I looked back at the younger she-cat in awe as I quickly realized that Snowstorm most definitely wasn't here by accident.

I could practically sense Ashfur's disbelief and astonishment from where I lied behind him. "You!" he roared at Snowstorm before lashing his tail back towards me. "Get out of here, before you end up next to her."

Snowstorm simply shook her head. "I'm afraid that I can't, Ashfur," she meowed, her blue eyes glowing with certainty. "I hate to break this to you once again, but I'm sort of meant to be here."

The white she-cat then let her claws slide out of their sheathes, and she began to slowly pad closer to Ashfur. "But this time, I know why," she went on. "Lilypetal has done her part, but now it's my turn to deal with you. Getting Swiftflight away from all of your antics was only a part of doing that."

Although Ashfur was trying to appear brave and unaffected by Snowstorm's presence, his voice told another story. "And I am the one that is meant to call this complete foxdung!" he barked back at her, his voice cracking slightly. A weak chill then ran down my spine as he murmured, "I shred you to bits once, so who's to say that I can't easily do it again?"

Unlike Ashfur, Snowstorm actually did seem unaffected by her opponent's challenge. I then let out a hoarse gasp as the she-cat's eyes seemed to flicker like a firefly. And once the light was gone, it had seemed that her deep water-blue eyes had frozen over like ice. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. I'm not going to be the one lying on the ground in the pouring rain this time."

I was now weak with emotion, not pain at all as Snowstorm seemed to be speaking of another cat that I knew very well, but was saying it as if she were referring to herself. Oh my goodness...

She then crouched down, as if she were bracing to pounce. "Snowflight's death was the beginning of all of your treachery, and she's going to be the one to put it to its end."

She then leaped at Ashfur, having no problem being able to bowl him over and pin him to the ground. I then watched in complete horror as the two cats quickly fell into a violent, blood-filled fight.

Although Snowstorm was a very strong fighter, and had been trained extra hard for this battle with Goldenshine's help, but superior fighter among the two was unfortunately still clear. I tried with all of my might to stand up again, wanting to assist the younger she-cat as soon as I could.

I had very shakily gotten back up onto my paws as Snowstorm was attempting to pin Ashfur down once again. She was staring down at him, her ice-blue eyes burning with indignation and tenacity. "You blindsided me back in the forest all of those moons ago," he muttered. "I didn't even get a chance to flee. I barely had a chance to fight, for StarClan's sake!"

She then began to shake her head slowly. "And once I was on the ground, severely wounded, realizing that you weren't going to give me any mercy, I felt so hopeless, so awful knowing that I was leaving the rest of my family to have to deal with you."

I then flinched as Snowstorm then gave Ashfur a light swipe across the neck, right where I had hit him earlier. "But no more!"

The blow at the neck had only seemed to affect Ashfur for the briefest moment. "In the words of the dainty little medicine cat - not on my watch."

Ashfur kicked Snowstorm back with his hind paws, causing the white she-cat to land flat on her back, knocking the breath out of her. And as the younger warrior lied there, wheezing and searching for breath, I was horrified to see all of the wounds she already had, among all of the ones she'd brought here from the Dark Forest battle.

I then felt my stomach drop as I noticed that Ashfur was beginning to approach the she-cat once again. My panic drove me to stand up a bit more, to where I might be able to step forward.

But not in time. All I could do was watch, not being able to do a thing as Ashfur made another deep cut across Snowstorm's flank, then proceeding to hold her down with an unsheathed claw and bend his head down to bite into her neck.

That gave me all of the energy I needed to finally stand up. "No!" I cried out.

I weakly pelted ahead, and used all of the strength I had left in order to push Ashfur away from Snowstorm.

I then landed to the ground with a thump, and it suddenly felt as if every single bit of strength I'd ever possessed had suddenly been drained from my body. That's it. That's all I can do, I thought. If Ashfur tries to do anything else to me... I'm...

I then screwed my eyes shut for a moment, not being able to bear the thought. I'm...

Unfortunately, it looked as if Snowstorm was in a similar position. The white she-cat was panting, wincing with pain with each weak move that she made. Is... is it really over for the both of us? Just like that?

I then feebly shifted my head to see Ashfur's large, muscular silhouette advancing on us just a tail-length away. He was covered in blood, and I wasn't sure if it was mine and Snowstorm's, or his own. And as he got closer and closer to us, I realized that he was now heavily limping.

And just as he was about to loom over our two bodies, likely about to have some fun deciding who he wanted to finish off first, I had never been so astonished in my entire life when Snowstorm seemed to force herself up with a paw, using the other one to take another blow at Ashfur's neck.

And she didn't miss.

I let out an almost inaudible gasp as Ashfur completely froze in place - but not by choice this time. As blood began to pour from his neck, he then let out a cry as sickening as any look I'd ever seen in his eyes, before collapsing onto the ground, appearing to have gone completely limp.

Ashfur was dead.

I was no medicine cat, but I was sure of it. Ashfur... is dead.

I could've stared in amazement at the gray-speckled tom's still body, trying to process the fact that it was still at all for an endless amount of time, but I forced myself to look back at Snowstorm who had fallen back to the ground as soon as she'd made the killing blow.

I was overwhelmed with relief to see that she was still alive, but her breaths were quick and shallow, and it seemed difficult for her to move with the pain of her wounds. She... she saved my life.

As I myself tried to cope with my current condition, I then looked out towards the forest and deeper down the stream as I heard three different sets of pawsteps becoming louder and faster as they got closer.

And soon enough, I saw three clear figures emerging from ThunderClan's side of the stream. I couldn't see their faces yet, but I felt my heart warm as I easily could recognize the figures of Thornclaw, Goldenshine, and Swiftflight heading our way. I should have known that no matter how much I tried to convince them to stay out of it, they'd still try and come to my rescue...

But despite the warmth in my heart that was able to rush through my body, I was still incredibly weak from what I had just endured.

I let my head fall to the ground as I continued to stare at Ashfur's limp body.

I managed to let out a relieved sigh full of ease as my family's pawsteps became even louder, their frantic meows now audible to me. His limp body that now represents a new beginning, I thought. Not just for me, but for every single cat that I care about.