He Who Laughs Last__x

[Battlecry]

The deep gold and red tom, marred from so many battles, and a lack of his left ear to prove it, turned his fiery gaze to the camp, where his daughter.. She was being held captive against her will, Goldenblaze knew it. However, as a deep hiss from his daughter turned his attention to the frontline before them, Risingclan, he almost choked on his own tongue. There she was, standing beside the leader.. As if she were a Risingclan cat! TRAITOR! He barked, sudden anger at his once-daughter rushed to his head. She was no daughter of his... You are no sister of mine! Hissed the very daughter he so claimed as his own, and his other two kits as they stood here on the true clan's ground, amongst the very army Bane himself had put together...

Though the original plan had been blown from reach, there was still hope they would get her back. He personally would beat such nonsense from her head if she ever wished to be a part of this family of assasins and cannibals. For now, she had no family to call her own. Hrm, Risingclan dared to call her their own, but, he gave a satisfied smile. He doubted they truly accepted her with blood like hers that ran through her veins.

No...

They never would. Kestrel may be foolish to call her a Risingclan cat, the conceited bit**, but it was not so true when her true bloodlines rested with the best Clan on this land, the one that didn't need to rely on a bunch of STARS to finish this war once and for all!

't seems yer daughtrrr has tak'n yer v'ry past, dear'st Goldenblase.. She 's a trait'r just as much as you! Hissed the deputy musingly. Enough! The both of you must get over your differences if we plan to follow through with this war.. We won't if we have unbroken members in our ranks! Hissed Whitedevil from Goldenblaze's side, shooting the both of them cold looks. It appears they want us to move the first pawn. purred the red-eyed Misery, Heartless's surviving son. He sneered. Nor is she any daughter of mine! Spat the elite-warrior.

The deputy looked up. Her past 's filled with Risingclan sh**, but I take it, Bane, thet we remain on this warpath for her? Hissed Sharpfang delightedly to the dark leader. Perhaps we can beat such nonsense from her mind! Spat Barbwire from Sharpfang's other side. She had grown rather close to her mentor after a couple moons of training, just as Bane had planned, though Barbwire dared not admit it. She turned to look at Panic with a smirk. We'll beat it all from their minds that they can take on Boneclan!

[Onyxdart]

Deepcreek listened to Crisp freak out, that being the only thing she could do until he calmed down.

"Were I a pregnant she-cat, I would ask no such thing of my mate. Bluerage does an admirable job taking care of herself, and it isn't as if she's alone there," she said to the slightly younger tom. Yes, he /had/ flirted with everyone, hadn't he? He'd settled down a little.

"We need you here, so that we all have a home to go back to. Better to meet them on this field and keep them from the camp than to desert back to camp and be followed, or defeated here for lack of fighters," she muttered, trying to calm him down. If he went back, there was every possibility a Boneclanner would follow unnoticed. Deepcreek tilted her head to the side and looked over at Pestilence, glad the old she-cat had decided to join them.

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[Battlecry]

Featuring
Amberstar
Colt .45

Thump.. Thump..

Pawsteps.

A sillhouette rushes like water by. In the pink sky, Amberstar's coat looked almost like burning auburn. A flash of her gold eyes, a swing of her proud head, and another side to this field is coverered. If any thought her to be pretty, she was downright magnificent in this light, without trees to cover her coat color with smouldered shady colors. Always had she been a proud beast, and this stance gave her the epitamy of pride. And with cats standing, facing Boneclan just at her back, well, then you had something beautifully dangerous.

Just moments before, she spotted the gathering in the distance, the birds collecting in the sky. And she knew.. Oh, Amberstar knew alright.. All's she had to do was assemble her clan as they had discussed, so practiced and easy it was, and she fled into the twilight with her faithful clan at her side, and her ever watchful deputy.

You DARE defy Treeclan, Bane? You pay with lives for your foolishness! She howled at the sky, eyes flashing like sparks on flint. Her eyes sought out all the characters, and one stood out to her, a single tom that turned his head to stare murderously at her. Goldenblaze.

You too, tom.. She muttered under her breath, eyes practically searing into the gold-red tom's, but he did not flinch. She had to admit nonetheless, he certainly had style, and he had been taught well.

... But not well enough.

As her tail flicked before her little speech to Boneclan, a tom rushed to the battle line. He cared not for the leader, or this clan, but for his own Leader Greed and what would come of this land when they won. And the battle wouldn't at all be tedious, of course, this kind of stuff always kept young Colt on his toes. Where he didn't have grace or skills, he had speed, much like the bullet of his namesake. Plus, his claws, extended, were a formidable weapon. A good combination, it looked good on Colt .45.

[Bristle + War]

Magnum - #CC6699
Mooncloud - 'silver'

---

Just beside Colt .45 was a beautiful Himalayan she-cat. Her paws touched the ground lightly as she stood close to the tom who had protected her all her life; their fur not only touched, but it was almost like she was trying to push her skin against his. She kept glancing up at him, her mismatched eyes wide; one was copper, one was blue. Magnum gave a low hiss; Amberstar's speech was inspiring her...to kill as many BoneClan cats as she could. She glanced around for Greed and Duo; she wanted all her toms to be with her. She wanted to keep and eye on them all, make sure they were all okay when the battle was done. Her gaze flicked back up to Colt.

"Colt..."

Magnum suddenly leaped in front of him and stood facing the tom. Her eyes were still wide, and each brimmed with admiration. She couldn't know if she was in love with Greed or Colt, or both, or neither. But she knew that if she didn't love them, they were like brothers to her. This could be your last chance to tell them, she told herself. Make sure you don't screw up the whole conversation by saying something stupid, like you usually do. In her head, she gave a hiss of defiance. Obviously her mind hadn't been there any time when she had spoken to her boyfriends. Tell him!

"I just want you to know that I do care for you, and if anything happens to you in this war, I won't ever be able to live with myself."

Magnum bowed her head and trotted back to where she had stood before, at his side with her body pressed against his. Good job, she thought. You didn't make yourself sound like a complete idiot.

---

Mooncloud, along with a few apprentices, carried packages of herbs in her mouth. She was confident she could heal all the TreeClan cats who got injured, at least so that they wouldn't be in so much pain. The TreeClan medicine cat's eyes were narrowed; she was looking at all the other Clans who had arrived: BoneClan, of course; RisingClan, and MistClan. Now it was just StoneClan and StealthClan to needed to show up. She glanced around for her brother: Sunsky. At her place beside Amberstar, Mooncloud could see much of the battlefield.

"Amberstar, how many cats in MistClan have come?"

She wanted to know of Sunsky's achievements or anything of the sort; Sunsky didn't often achieve more than being a pain in the butt. Mooncloud reared onto her hind legs and turned, so that she could see Lillystar and her warriors. No Sunsky, she remarked, falling back onto all fours. He must've been left behind to guard the camp.

[Bane]

His clan stood around him - and he was proud of them. Foolish comments by ignorant cats washed straight over the cruel king's head. He did not bother to notice the existence of such fools - his clan would sort them out so that he wouldn't have to. He had his mind set on other things. Other, more important things.

Eyes searched the horizon with hunger, searching for the appearance of pretty little Kestrel.

And there she was. So calm. She thought she could get the better of BoneClan - that they would strike first because of their fury? No. BoneClan stroke first, because as the saying goes - "he who strikes first, strikes last".

Ho yeah. Eat that.

His daughter. Of course, to him she was no longer his daughter - of course, she was, but to him she was so much more. She was what BoneClan needed to cling onto, should Bane meet his demise on this beautiful day.

He would avoid it at all costs, but he was not so cocky as to think he was invincible.

He gave a small purr of satisfaction as Darkangel mentioned her sister - the traitor of the family, dear Fallingsky. Bane had never acknowledged his other two kit's existence. To him, Darkangel was all that mattered. He had done what he had done, in order to get himself a heir. And here she was - Fallingsky and Sunsetfire were nothing to him. Yet he could understand their importance to Darkangel - why she wanted them gone so fiercely.

Sharpfang. Bane's one and only trusted advisor - he had been around since the beginning of BoneClan's existence, and since had stayed by Bane's side. The two rarely talked in social aspects - heck, Bane rarely talked unless necessary - but the mutual respect was there.

"Her past 's filled with Risingclan sh**, but I take it, Bane, thet we remain on this warpath for her?

"No, not just for her. We remain to prove we will not just be walked over so easily. We seem to have been given such a bad press lately - and for what reasons I do not know. Most of the clans, we have never laid our paws on. RisingClan had our respect, we had not touched them, until they stole one of our kits. We merely exist. That seems to be enough of a reason to hate us."

He said this as if he was a perfectly nice cat, yet a cruel smirk was upon his face as he spoke. The tom flicked his tail, sleekly and smoothly leaping back onto his high rock - there he say once again, his tail neatly tucked, eyes staring forward with keen concentration.

"I would have let things lie as they are now, had Kestrel not interfered with my clan. I feel it is only fair that we interfere back. I feel now is the time to assume that our clan has grown too large - we need more territory, and what better place to take it from than RisingClan? I would kindly discuss it - only it seems Kestrel is not the kind of leader to compromise so easily. But it is only fair, is it not? And so we take further action - RisingClan has bitten off more than they can chew. And hell, we're gonna give them such a stomach ache because of it."

He spoke loud now, so all his clan could hear. Then he went silent. Not another word uttered from his mouth for a full 10 minutes - he just calmly watched. He noticed how nobody yet advanced - they were obviously waiting for Bane. How excellent - he felt like the mayor of some town. Like some formal party was being held - and that all went silent as the town waited for the wonderful mayor to make his speech.

What a speech he would make.

But not just yet.

"Night. Go get our DuskClan friends. And be quick about it."

He spoke almost as a whisper. He didn't know who was best to send - he needed all of them essentially. Yet someone had to go - it was just unlucky that Night had come to his mind first. She would be quick, he had no doubt - and she would come with Bloodstar and co.

All was good.

After the order was issued, he stepped back off the rock again - and he slowly, neatly made his way forward. His tail was raised eye and head held low. He trusted that nobody would attack him - only idiots would think of attacking when the signal from Kestrel had not yet been issued. He went calmly, not even a flicker in his breathing.

Then he sat. He sat merely 10 yards away from the enemy. As calm as the sea on a beautifully sunny morning.

Who would have thought.

He waited for Kestrel. He thought it only fair that he should have a nice little discussion with the reason for all this trouble. Bane only hoped she would have the decency to step forward also.

Boom.

I love fireworks.

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[Duskwingflight]

Squirrelpaw was tense. He was late for his first battle! He raced up the hill finally to see his clan. He also saw all the other clans. His fur started to bristle like crazy. He awaited Lillystar's command. He was so afraid. Never before did he see so many cats with such hate in there eyes. But he would do anything for his new clan. But why was I chosen to fight?

[Heartless]

Heartless snarled when she saw her stolen daughter, standing beside the Risingclan bitch. How dare she… The cannibal seethed even more, hissing loudly as her brown-tipped tail lashed from side to side. Her blue eyes, echoing so tauntingly on the face of the traitor, turned to fall on her mate and loyal daughter. Pride burned then, within the cannibal, for the two. And love.

Pripyat’s joining by her side did little to startle the executioner. Spiderlily gave an amused chuckle, claws unsheathing to knead the ground beneath her.

“Fairing well, ready for blood. Better late then never, eh?”

There was no other cat, not even her apprentice, who’s skills she had honed so well, that she would want fighting by her side then Pripyat. For you see, not only the black tom half fallen into love with the other.

Nearby, Darkazure settled. And waited. There was one cat in particular, whose appearance he was watching to appear.

Razerblade organized his herbs, dark eyes cutting glances at the cats around him. He was ready, ready fro everything.

[.::Umberwings]

Umberwings had no fear, not of Starclan. Faithfully, the small medicine cat smiled at her love as he padded to join her, a note burning within her eyes that was for him and only for him.

But it was gone, in a flash, as she lifted her head, looking across what was soon to be a battlefield. Heartless was glaring at another, a Risingclanner, and, from the scent that Umberwings could pick out, this Risingclanner was also her half-sister.

Oh.

This would not be their end.

“Give us strength, Starclan. Give us courage. Give us justice.”

Battledream shifted her massive weight, ready to simply wade into a throng of enemy cats and tear them apart. Dodgepaw looked a little nervous, but he smiled a little when Bristleclaw joined them, scooting a little closer to the large warrior.

“W-we're gonna win this!”

D’aww, wasn’t he just all heart?

[Soulless]

Soulless smiled, for the first time since the day Hannibal had stolen her away. There was difference now, then from then, and the time in between that could be seen in the apprentice.

She practically shone.

“I’ve always looked at you as more then a role model, Kestrel, but also as my mother. I always will, for no other has done me so much good. I’m proud to fight by your side.”

The gray and white she-cat looked happy, even when lives hung in the balance here, in this place. Even hers.

Undead trotted to the back a little bit, making sure that the herbs her and Deadnight had brought with them would be enough. The young cat hoped so, without Juniper she would be on her own here.

Deadnight just danced around all excited and silly, stupid insane tom.

Pestilence half listened to the two beside her, her own poisoned gaze keeping track on the cats across of them. Things were going to start soon. Worn, dulled claws dug into the earth.

Pestilence had come to die, to die for those she had lived for, fought for. It would be the last good thing she had done in her life, after doing such terrible ones.

[Blackheart]

Close behind, burning a trail of darkness; came Amberstar’s ever loyal deputy. Blackheart was ready for this, had been for quite a while now. He was sorry that Mapleheart had vanished, all those moons ago, for he dearly did miss his first apprentice of Treeclan. First and only, for he had not received on sense. Maybe after the war was through, the clans could return to their normal lives.

They all deserved it.

“We fight.”

He growled, looking truly imposing, as he raked his eyes across their opponents. Then, he saw him, one cat.

Oh. Darkazure…

So it came to this, old friends pitted against one another.

Finally.

Took long enough.

Greed snickered at the timid Shinzui, who crept along behind the rest of the Treeclan cats. She was scared, yes, but she was ready to fight. Who knew what would happen if the darkness of Boneclan took over all the clans?

She fought for Amberstar, for Treeclan, and for her son.

Greed had his own plans, as he stood alongside his loyal friend, and minion, Colt .45.

[Kest]

approx. position of all clans: [map]
Kestrel's proposed battle plan: [map]

Kestrel touched her tail briefly to Soulless' shoulder and gave her a warm look, the only sign of affection she could afford.
Time was pressed and short now. Kestrel muttered an order to Brightgate.
She turned and gave Chasm a warning look, and then she stepped away from her line.

In several paces her long legs carried her to Bane. She sat just outside of striking range, curling her tail around her paws.
Her face was cool and composed. There was no fear in her, only refinement and confidence and a touch of righteous anger, tightly controlled.
Bane underestimated Kestrel. She was as fierce and implacable as the weather, and as dangerous an opponent in battle as the BoneClan leader would ever face.

She was wary but not jumpy, and sure of herself in part because of the strong Clan at her back and in part because she knew her skills, and they reached far.

"Good evening, Bane," she said mildly, as if this were a dinner party with someone she did not like but was determined to be polite to anyway. Her eyes, narrow and sharp as a hawk's, did not waver from Bane's dark face.



Pripyat laughed softly. "Of course," he purred, staring at the RisingClan and TreeClan and MistClan cats like a buffee he couldn't wait to dig into.
His eyes fell by chance on a MistClanClan apprentice who looked rather nervous. His name was Doublepaw, as it happened, but Pripyat didn't much care.
He decided to make this apprentice his first victim, if he could.
Young meat was the sweetest, after all.

But Pripyat had another goal, a bigger one. He would break through RisingClan's defenses, yes, he would find their camp.
Then, cats would die.
Pripyat grinned at the apprentice, hoping he would see.

It's killing time.


Brightgate flew fast.
He dropped down before Amberstar and wasted no time delivering his whispered message: "Kestrel welcomes you to the battleground, leader of TreeClan," he said briskly. "She says, "Ask Amberstar if she would kindly shift her Clan so it stands directly diagonal to the MistClanners. When the time comes, we can crush BoneClan between us." What say you?"

[/color]

[xXGothicTearsXx(FrostKit)]

NightMare watched the tom and she-cat approach each other,this was not her fight..she did have some loyalty to the MistClan,no matter what,as her ancestors,all the way back as far as she could remember,all were from MistClan.She approached the MistClan ranks,sidling past cats,and taking her place at the back,near the lower-ranked cats.She was going to fight..not only for her land...but the land of her ancestors.

She uttered something she'd never said before.
"Protect me,StarClan,and guide my paws in this fight."Her wisper was so quiet,it was almost unauidable.

She looked at the BoneClan,their ferocity only shading their true blackened hearts.

She watched,waiting for her son to join her ranks.

Darkness watched the MistClan cats...and then looked at RisingClan,would they need extra help?He had no clue,but he'd help as much as possible.He nodded to his mother,his eyes cutting to the RisingClan.He looked at the cats of RisingClan,bold and brave.He slipped into the back of their ranks.After all,this was only for the war.

He watched the cats around him,his breathing usettled.His claws unsheathed and cut into the ground beneath his paws.His eyes narrowed,he was ready to fight.

[Sandow]

lets pretend Sandow was accepted

Sandow calmly walked into the battle grounds,"Looks like home,sweet,home."She walked over to were Pripyat,and Zune were sitting,"Well,my allies,if we die,we die laughing,all the way to hell."She said just barely loud enough so that all of boneclan could hear.

[Onyxdart]

[Fix your spaces, please, Sun, or no one is going to take the time to read your posts, because it hurts brains to separate it all out.]

[Bristle + War]

[other cats are sitting by Prip and Zune, just so you know ^^ post coming.]

[Sandow]

[ok,I'll remember^^]

[Battlecry]

Featuring
Snowstar

Where Amberstar and her clan came here with dignity and style, with a determined gait, Snowstar and her clan ran here. It was no trouble, really, Stoneclan cats had power and agility to scale the mountains faster than any clan on these lands. Therefore, the strength to arrive at the battle on flat earth or relatively small hills, was a breeze to any cat truly trained by Stoneclan's standards.

They arrived just as Treeclan was shifting over, the pink in the sky a deadly and ominous color, with Boneclan almost surrounded. She did not see Duskclan or Stealthclan. She took the most obvious spot available to park her clan, her loving mate and her faithful deputy on either sides of her. She was small compared to a lot of the other leaders, almost considered tiny, but her heart and spirit was to match any more intimidating leaders, like Lillystar or Amberstar or Bloodstar. The blaze just short of her chin shown like starlight against her obsidian coat, and her sage eyes had an intelligent sheen to it. She slowed her clan to a halt, eyes burning into the conversation Kestrel, her ally, and Bane, their enemy, were having. Snowstar swore it might have been a pleasant conversation, since she was right beside Risingclan. But Snowstar knew better... As cordial as their words were, the air was taught and almost suffocated her. But she held her cool as she gazed over the battlefield, saying nothing, plotting every move and tactic and advantage she and her clan had to make it out of this battle safely.

[Onyxdart]

The big orange cat sat by his leader, her smaller size making him look even bigger than he already was. His eyes sought Mistclan's lines for the one other cat he knew outside of his own clan- his old leader, the one he thought he'd lost in the last war he'd fought. He found her, and stared at her, hoping she'd look back. Peripherally, he kept his awareness somewhat focused on Snowstar, should she need to get his attention for anything, also vaguely noticing Bane and Kestrel having their little chat.

And where was Duskclan? This was going to be an epic war. If he lost again what he'd lost once... but he refused to. If he had to die trying, he would not lose what he'd regained.

[/center]

Spellbound tagged along behind his leader, the deputy, and Dragonpelt, mignling amongst the other cats. He was here one second, gone the next, and then in a new place. His eyes watched everything with a sort of canny innocence. They swept the sky for the Risingclan leader's bird ally, and flicked back down to the two cats conversing at the center of this little universe. He watched Snowstar for a moment, and then the other clans each for several minutes, his mind busily storing information for later use- how the land lay, which way the wind blew, who belonged where, hopefully, so he'd have something other than just smell to go on.

[/center]

[Ripplemist]

OoC: ...oh lawd, the war's started already?

Padding to a stop alongside her best kithood friends, a low hiss rose in her throat as Ripplemist sighted that black scarred cat, the leader of BoneClan, who had caused Honeymist's death so long ago. She could still remember the day when the kidnapping happened, but now was not the time for recollections.

It was time for war.

Many cats would be lost, and who was to say that she wouldn't be one of them? Or one her dear clanmates and friends? Her eyes flicked to each of them, her friends; Bristleclaw, Rustshade, Umberwings...

Would they make it through the battle? Her ears flattened at the prospect of death, but now was not the time for fear, either. She narrowed her eyes as she watched BoneClan, watching their every motion.

Who would make the first move?

[Sandow]

Sandow's stone gray pelt was turning into a red shade, as the sky slowly turned to crimson.Her eyes resting on all the leaders one by one,she was going to take them out,but more or less leave Kestral to Bane's disposal.She licked her jaws already tasting the salty-sweetness of leader blood.<poor Kestral won't be around much longer after the battle starts,bane will surley break her down in no time>She thaught.

A crooked smirk darkened her face as she looked at all the petty leaders and their pathetic Starcrud believing followers. She was already mapping out her plan.

[The <> marks her thinking^^,and the rope around her neck,you can't choke her because it's to tight,it's so tight that if she tries to rub it off it'll choke her]