canon divergent so that spottedleaf survived the dark forest battle.
warnings: acknowledgement of spottedleaf's heart canon.
tags: warriors
Spottedleaf looked over the sunny field, squinting against the bright light of StarClan. She made her way down a hill and into the forest. A rustle in the brambles nearby made her jump, but she relaxed as the faint outline of Blackstar padded by, unaware of her. He was more opaque now, after the Great Battle with the Dark Forest. Spottedleaf continued through the forest until it became colder suddenly. Almost there, she thought resolutely.
The border with the Dark Forest was stark and unwelcoming; gloomy and dull against StarClan’s lush and warm territory. Spottedleaf crossed the border cautiously, mouth open for scents. Almost instantly, she felt damp and cold, as if she had sat in the rain all night. She shivered and pushed forward. The twisted trees all looked the same here, making her disoriented and nervous. Focus. She had a mission to carry out. Craning her neck to see as much as possible, Spottedleaf stalked through the woods. Finally, she reached a sandy clearing with a large boulder. This must have been where they trained. She walked into the open, cringing at the strong scent of blood. She suddenly picked up another scent. It made her fur ripple with fear. There he is. Spottedleaf forced down a growl and dived back into the brush, watching the clearing.
A large tom walked up the the boulder and sat at it’s base, beginning to wash his wide gray-and-white paws. He twisted around and rasped his tongue over the thick fur on his back. Spottedleaf shot out from under the blackened bush she had hidden in and barreled into the tom. He screeched in surprise as Spottedleaf collided with him, eyes widening as he recognized her.
“Spottedleaf!?”
“Thistleclaw.” Spottedleaf spat his name out of her mouth like mouse bile and clouted his ears.
“What- what are you doing here?” Thistleclaw gasped, scrambling away from Spottedleaf. “How are you here?”
“StarClan cats can cross your border,” Spottedleaf replied, lunging again and sinking her teeth into Thistleclaw’s shoulder. The tom growled and clawed at her chest, pushing her back. But Spottedleaf was relentless, leaping over him and landing on his back. She hooked her claws into his skin and bit the back of his neck with all her strength. Thistleclaw yowled in pain and reared, but Spottedleaf hung on and paddled him with her hind paws, sending tufts of his fur flying. “You’re not getting away!” She hissed into his ear.
Thistleclaw dropped to the ground and rolled, forcing Spottedleaf to jump off of him. She whipped around before he could get up again and pinned him on his back before biting down on his throat and tearing it out. The gray tom’s screech died in his throat, turning to a gurgle as he coughed up blood. Finally, his eyes dulled and he slumped into a massive lump of fur in the dirt.
Spottedleaf watched as he faded away, leaving only a new bloodstain on the ground to be remembered by.