The Great Battle (TLH)

The Battle Against the Dark Forest, or the Great Battle, took place in The Last Hope, when the four Clans, StarClan, and the Tribe of Endless Hunting fought against the Dark Forest.

Premise
After spending many moons training Clan cats to prepare for the big battle to come, the Dark Forest has finally risen to the challenge. The time has come for the battle to begin, and for the Dark Forest to take revenge on the Clans.

Overview
The battle begins when Firestar signals with his tail for his patrol to fight back. Cloudtail fights against Darkstripe after telling him that he believes in evil. Dovewing joins in and she and Darkstripe tumble down a slope, after which Sparrowfeather attacks Cloudtail. After a short fight, a Dark Forest warrior calls Sparrowfeather and Darkstripe away. After the two return to camp and continue fighting, RiverClan and WindClan soon arrive to help ThunderClan. The first patrol of Dark Forest cats is driven away, and a ThunderClan patrol is sent to ShadowClan. Blackstar loses a life while Dark Forest cats taunt the camp, and more come. The Ancients and Midnight arrive to help. Blackstar kills Redwillow, and Lionblaze murders Shredtail after. After convincing Mousewhisker, Birchfall and Blossomfall to fight for the Clans, Ivypool attacks the Dark Forest patrol in WindClan. She fights against Snowtuft and Thistleclaw, and after Hawkfrost joins them, Hollyleaf helps Ivypool. Hollyleaf is killed and taken to ThunderClan by Ivypool and Tigerheart. More Dark Forest cats arrive, and they struggle to guard the nursery before Lionblaze and Graystripe return with the Ancients and Midnight. Breezepelt is chased off by Crowfeather, and StarClan arrives to aide them. Mousefur is killed. Mapleshade tries to murder Sandstorm, but Spottedleaf protects her and is killed while Sandstorm chases Mapleshade away. Brokenstar kills Ferncloud, who is protecting the nursery, and Yellowfang kills him in turn. After Thistleclaw's patrol leaves, Brambleclaw murders his half-brother, Hawkfrost. Finally, Tigerstar and Firestar go into battle, arguing the entire time. Firestar kills Tigerstar before dying from his own wounds, and the battle is over.

Before the Battle

 * For many moons, the Clans never knew where the evil cats of the Clans went, but they soon were shown. The Dark Forest trained Clan cats to fight against their own Clanmates, and with an army of vicious killing warriors, the Dark Forest finally brings all they have down onto the Clans.


 * The Three; Dovewing, with powerful senses, Lionblaze, with amazing fighting skills, and Jayfeather, able to read minds and walk freely in dreams. Even they are not enough, as The Tribe of Endless Hunting tells them to find the fourth cat. Feeling like they failed, they searched and tried, ideas were shattered as the fourth cat was the cat with destiny laid at his paws all his life, Firestar. Along with the help of Ivypool, who spied on the Dark Forest until the time was right, they prepared all the Clans, planning a strategy of defending all camps by sending cats from each Clan to all camps, and two cats from each Clan to act as messengers. They also train for the battle ahead. The Dark Forest strikes, and the battle begins.

The Battle Begins

 * Firestar lashes his tail, the signal to begin fighting back. Dovewing hopes that the power of the stars is truly in their paws. Dovewing catches her paw in a bramble and as Cloudtail helps her, she notices him shivering, and remembers he doesn’t believe in StarClan, so it must be particularly daunting for him to be facing cats of the past. Suddenly, Darkstripe, a loyal follower of Tigerstar ever since before Firestar was leader, attacks Cloudtail.


 * Cloudtail states he isn’t surprised he is a Dark Forest traitor. Darkstripe taunts he believes in StarClan now, and Cloudtail retorts he believes in evil. Darkstripe calls him a kittypet, slicing at his muzzle. Dovewing and Cloudtail fight back, rolling into brambles. Sparrowfeather, another Dark Forest cat, holds down Cloudtail while Darkstripe thinks he can kill Dovewing himself. Dovewing remembers what her sister, Ivypool told her, and bites down on Darkstripe foreleg to the bone.


 * She is attacked by Sparrowfeather though, and Dovewing isn’t able to struggle free. Another Dark Forest cat appears, and tells them to leave Cloudtail and Dovewing to bleed to death; they will attack the camp. Dovewing tells Cloudtail this, and they both immediately head to camp. They meet with their allies, and fight back against the Dark Forest. Some sneak past them into camp, and Firestar orders Cinderheart, Graystripe and Dustpelt to follow Lionblaze and defend from there.


 * Dovewing hears Ferncloud, a full-time queen of ThunderClan, shriek. She tries to help, but is hauled back. She notices that RiverClan and WindClan cats are arriving, and is relieved they are aiming for the Dark Forest cats. They head immediately into camp to help. Dovewing’s and Firestar’s patrol fights back, and the remaining Dark Forest cats look at their scattered allies before fleeing. Dovewing is relieved at first, but then realize there is more coming.

Helping ShadowClan

 * Stoatpaw asks for reinforcements, as ShadowClan camp is overrun and Blackstar, the ShadowClan leader has lost a life. Firestar sends Lionblaze and Graystripe to help. He also sends ShadowClan cats back to help. Graystripe stumbles on a bramble on the way, and Lionblaze realizes how old Graystripe is.


 * At the ShadowClan camp, Littlecloud hurries to treat the wounded while Lionblaze checks on Blackstar. Rowanclaw says he is still recovering, and tries to tell about the Dark Forest when they attack. Lionblaze takes charge and orders Ratscar to fight back and Littlecloud to bring the wounded to safety. The attack overwhelmed ShadowClan, and just as Lionblaze thinks more are coming, The Ancients appear with Midnight, a badger that walks with StarClan and The Tribe of Endless Hunting.


 * Ratscar calls for help, as Shredtail has him by the throat. Snowbird, Ratscar’s littermate, defends him. Shredtail tells her that Ratscar trained in the Dark Forest, and reveals Redwillow also trained there too. Redwillow reveals his own amibitions and willingness to destroy his own Clan. Blackstar then appears, and kills Redwillow himself. Blackstar threatens to kill Shredtail, but Lionblaze quickly steps in and taunts Shredtail to attack him, and Lionblaze eventually kills him. Blackstar states he is proud to fight with him, and Half Moon, an ancient Tribe of Endless Hunting member, tells them to return to ThunderClan.

From Darkness to Light Again

 * Ivypool, desperate to find her Clanmates that have trained in the Dark Forest beside her, heads away from ThunderClan camp with permission from Brambleclaw, and bumps into Tigerheart, another Dark Forest Trainee. Hawkfrost, Ivypool’s Dark Forest mentor and Brambleclaw’s half-brother, appears and orders her to find Blossomfall and Birchfall. She found them hiding with Mousewhisker, all Dark Forest trainees.


 * Ivypool tells her she has spied on the Dark Forest, and tells them they will join the battle, but fight against the Dark Forest cats at the last moment. Thistleclaw, the former mentor of Tigerstar, orders them to come with their patrol. Ivypool convinces Applefur, another Dark Forest trainee, to fight for the Clans. Thistleclaw, Hawkfrost and Snowtuft find out the plans because Ivypool tried to convince Breezepelt to fight for the Clans, but fails.


 * Tigerheart, comes to help Ivypool, and the Dark Forest trainees fight the Dark Forest cats. Hawkfrost attacks Ivypool, trying to kill her. Ivypool fights back well, but is soon overcome. Hollyleaf, a warrior with a deeply troubled past, attacks Hawkfrost, and both cats fight against Thistleclaw and Snowtuft. They drive them away, but suddenly, Hawkfrost strikes and Hollyleaf takes the blow, striking back with a blow that sends him flying. Hollyleaf collapses with blood pouring from her throat and Ivypool and Tigerheart work together to drag her home.

Attack on ThunderClan

 * Back at ThunderClan, Ivypool and Tigerheart bring Hollyleaf to camp, and Hollyleaf states she is relieved to be back in ThunderClan, she can’t die without getting to know her mother. She however, dies from blood loss, surrounded by her family. Dovewing hears more Dark Forest cats coming, and Firestar orders his Clan to prepare.


 * Suddenly, Birchfall appears, and Firestar accuses him of disloyalty. Birchfall stands up to his leader, and says that he is loyal to ThunderClan. He, Blossomfall, and Mousewhisker soon discover the approach of another Dark Forest patrol. Ferncloud fights a Dark Forest cat away and shoves Brightheart, a nursing queen into the den with all the kits. Brightheart instead fights beside her, defending the kits. Mousefur an elder of ThunderClan, recognizes Darkstripe and lashes out, but the tom hit back, sending Mousefur skidding across the clearing.


 * Dovewing swipes at Darkstripe while Cinderheart hooks his paws from underneath him. More Dark Forest streak to them, and Mousefur and Purdy, an elder, fights them. Cherrypaw, one of the messengers, appears at the top of the hollow and Firestar signals for her to get help. Dovewing is attacked by a tortoiseshell, and soon she and Ivypool work together and drive her off. They are outnumbered, and Cinderheart tells them to hold their ground, stay close and fight.


 * Crowfeather, a WindClan warrior, and Breezepelt appears and rushes into the battle. Soon, Lionblaze and Graystripe appear too, with the Ancients and Midnight. Jayfeather, the third cat of the prophecy, called for Half Moon, the cat he loves. They greet each other before focusing on the battle again. Dovewing follows the Ancients and sees even Midnight falling against the might of the Dark Forest.


 * Breezepelt suddenly attacks Lionblaze, revealing his hatred towards Lionblaze, stating they should have never been born. Crowfeather, both Lionblaze’s and Breezepelt’s father, hauls Breezepelt away from Lionblaze, stating he will not watch him harm a whisker on Lionblaze. He states that he never hated Breezepelt, that’s what Breezepelt was determined to believe, and Nightcloud, Breezepelt’s mother, encouraged. Crowfeather admits he should have done something before, but it’s too late. He flings Breezepelt away and Breezepelt races from the camp.


 * Leafpool, the mother of Lionblaze and former-medicine cat, tells Crowfeather she is sorry. Crowfeather admits them being together was never mean’t to be, but he doesn’t regret a thing, the closest to admitting Lionblaze as his own. He goes to Hollyleaf, Lionblaze’s sister and touches his muzzle to the lifeless pelt. Dovewing is suddenly jostled, thinking it’s more Dark Forest cats but it turns out to be Whitestorm, a senior warrior when Firestar was an apprentice.

StarClan to the Rescue

 * Graystripe greets him but Whitestorm tells him this is a battle, not a reunion. Longtail, a deceased elder that’s close to Mousefur, asks for her. He fights at Mousefur’s side, talking of old times. The time was short-lived as a Dark Forest warrior kills Mousefur in front of her friend. Purdy appears and tells Dovewing to go and fight. Dovewing stumbles into Bumblestripe, her future mate and together, they fight off the Dark Forest cats. The messengers, Cherrypaw and Molepaw arrive and Dovewing sees their mother, Poppyfrost with her long lost sister, Honeyfern.


 * Firestar recognizes Runningwind, and asks if he is still fast on his paws. Runningwind tells him of course, and Firestar tells him to take Dustpelt and make sure the fleeing Dark Forest cats flee forever, and Lionheart, another old senior warrior, offers to go too. Dovewing and Bumblestripe run after them with Sandstorm. They find themselves face to face with Mapleshade, a cat who risked everything for love and lost, She attacks Sandstorm, because she had everything that Mapleshade ever wanted and desired.


 * Spottedleaf, a cat that earlier on loved Firestar, but died before they could express themselves to each other, rips Mapleshade away from Sandstorm. Mapleshade asks why she stopped her because Sandstorm stole Firestar’s love from her. Spottedleaf snarls that there was nothing to steal; she made Firestar happy. Enraged, Mapleshade lunges at Spottedleaf and slices her throat open, the killing blow.


 * With a screech, Firestar grabs Mapleshade and flings her away. Sandstorm then attacks Mapleshade, causing her to flee and Sandstorm pursues. Yellowfang, a former ThunderClan medicine cat that broke the code by having kits, tells Firestar to let her go as it was her destiny. Spottedleaf finally dies, her spirit fading to nothing. Sandstorm reappears and crouches beside her mate, nodding to Dovewing to go back to camp.


 * Ferncloud is guarding the kits, slashing at Brokenstar, Yellowfang’s evil son. She darts in for his throat, but the warrior dodges it, and bites deep in her neck, killing the queen. Firestar recognizes Brokenstar, and Brokenstar threatens to destroy Firestar, but Yellowfang dives at her son, grasping his throat and killing him for the second time. Realizing Brokenstar’s dead, Thistleclaw and Darkstripe’s patrol flees the battle.


 * Hawkfrost appears and in anger over Hollyleaf’s death, Ivypool attacks him. About to kill Ivypool, Brambleclaw springs into action, killing his brother again a second time. Finally, Tigerstar steps into the moonlight, revealing himself to the Clans.

Firestar and Tigerstar

 * Firestar tells Tigerstar he is no leader, because he forces the cats who follow him to fight his battles, not their own battles. Tigerstar coldly states real warriors love battles and that he just gives them a chance to die for a cause. Firestar asks what the cause of so many lives is, and Tigerstar replies him defeating him, of course. Firestar says he won’t let Tigerstar harm a single pelt on any of Clans. Tigerstar states it is worth every moment of every drop of bloodshed for this moment.


 * Tigerstar attacks, stating that ever since Bluestar laid eyes on Firestar, he became nothing. He has waited so long for revenge. He also states when Firestar’s dead, he can rule the Clans, or kill them. Graystripe tries to help Firestar, but Whitestorm stops him, stating this is Firestar’s battle. Sandstorm tries also, but is still kept back. Firestar states that since Tigerstar lived like a rogue, he will die like one. He sinks his teeth deep into Tigerstar’s neck, and only when Tigerstar stops twitching does Firestar let go.

After the Battle

 * Lightning suddenly strikes a beech tree beside Firestar, marking the moment Firestar dies from the wounds Tigerstar inflicted on him. The warriors of StarClan, the ones who gave Firestar his nine lives gather around him, and Jayfeather lists the lives they gave. Graystripe greets Silverstream, his former mate. After Jayfeather finishes, Bluestar tells Brambleclaw that if he has half the courage and loyalty of Firestar, he will be a great leader.


 * The spirits move closer to Firestar as his spirit leaves his body. Firestar says goodbye to his mate, and the spirits of Hollyleaf and Ferncloud also rise and join StarClan. Sandstorm starts chanting Bramblestar, and Dovewing sees a new star in the sky. Bramblestar promises to honor his ancestors in StarClan, and selects Squirrelflight as his deputy. The three gather together, and Midnight and Rock stand and watch the Clans. They nod to Dovewing, and a silent thank you is passed.


 * Rock and Midnight quickly leave afterwards, and the Clan gathers their deceased and wounded. The former Dark Forest trainees are disrespected at first, but the Clan leaders gather together and make them swear a new oath, proving their loyalty once again. Each Clan makes their own tribute to their own deceased, and moons later, a new rule is added to the Warrior code: ‘’Each Clan has the right to be proud and independent, but in times of trouble they must forget their boundaries and fight side by side to protect the four. Each Clan must help the others so that no Clan will fall.’’

Deaths as a Result of the Battle

 * ThunderClan
 * Ferncloud
 * Foxleap
 * Firestar
 * Hollyleaf
 * Mousefur
 * Sorreltail


 * RiverClan
 * Dapplenose
 * Hollowflight
 * Robinwing
 * Troutstream
 * WindClan
 * Ashfoot
 * Owlwhisker
 * Swallowtail
 * Thistleheart
 * Tornear
 * Webfoot
 * Sunstrike
 * Boulderfur


 * ShadowClan
 * Applefur
 * Cedarheart
 * Olivenose
 * Redwillow
 * Shredtail
 * Shrewfoot
 * Starlingwing
 * Tallpoppy
 * Toadfoot
 * Weaselkit


 * Place of No Stars
 * Brokenstar
 * Hawkfrost
 * Shredtail
 * Tigerstar


 * StarClan
 * Spottedleaf

Firestar
”The end of the stars draws near. Three must become four to battle the darkness that lasts forever.” The ThunderClan leader with only one life left, Firestar helped to bring the Clans together and devise a strategy plan for when the Dark Forest attack. He commanded his Clan, protecting the nursery above all else. He fought Tigerstar when he finally appeared, and defeated his old foe once and for all. He died of the wounds Tigerstar inflicted on him, lightning striking a tree the moment he gave his life for the Clans the final time.

Lionblaze
”There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the stars in their paws.” This was given to Firestar long before the birth of Lionblaze, and as the grandson of Firestar, Lionblaze had the ability to not be able to be defeated in battle. He fought hard against the savage Dark Forest warriors, saving ShadowClan with his leadership skills when the camp was overrun. Lionblaze was lost without his powers after the battle but by then, he had grown fond of Cinderheart, and they became mates.

Jayfeather
”There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the stars in their paws.” Jayfeather could walk through memories and dreams, and he was the first of the three to know of this prophecy. Not fighting in the battle himself, Jayfeather used his abilities to form the Tribe, and gain allies there in The Ancients who joined the battle. Jayfeather also united StarClan when it was broken, and ultimately, united the Clans, Tribe of Endless Hunting and Ancients to fight against the Dark Forest.

Dovewing
”There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the stars in their paws.” They all thought it the third cat was Hollyleaf, Lionblaze’s and Jayfeather’s sister, but when she was presumed dead, both brothers knew that one of Whitewing’s would be the next cat. Dovewing had the ability to hear places and cats that aren’t around her, and she used that to gather information from the Dark Forest, and detect when enemy patrols are coming. Dovewing felt lost without her powers after the battle, and probably will never fully recover from losing her powers.

Ivypool
As an apprentice, Ivypaw was jealous of the attention Dovepaw recieved, but she didn't know that Dovepaw had special powers. Hawkfrost sought out Ivypaw in her dreams and trained her to fight, and Ivypaw thrived. But she soon learned of Tigerstar's true ambitions, and Ivypaw tried to turn away, but Jayfeather and Lionblaze recruited her as a spy instead. With the battle coming near, Ivypool shared Battle tactics and tips with the Clans. As the battle went on, Ivypool convinced Dark Forest trainees that they can fight for the Clans, probably saving the Clans from certain doom. After the battle, she sided with the former Dark Forest trainees against the insults, and even though her loyalty was proven many times, she swore a new oath that proved her loyalty once again.

Tigerstar
Tigerstar, the archenemy of the Clans ever since he murdered ThunderClan’s deputy, walked in the Dark Forest, a place for evil cats that do not belong in StarClan. He tried many times to manipulate and use other cats for his own ambitions. Finally, with an army of deadly warriors, he strikes, waiting until the last moment to finally face his real enemy: Firestar. He finally has his revenge, but not before he is killed himself, gone from the Clans forever.

Thistleclaw
Thistleclaw was only a few moons younger than Bluestar, and had an ambition to become deputy of ThunderClan, but Bluestar thwarted it and she became deputy instead. Thistleclaw was Tigerstar’s mentor, and taught him battle is everything, nurturing his ambitions. Thistleclaw died fighting an entire RiverClan patrol. He worked with his former apprentice, and trained cats deadly fighting techniques. He kept up the fearsome image and scared cats into fighting. He didn’t die a second time though, fleeing when Brokenstar was killed and defeated.

Brokenstar
Brokenstar was the forbidden kit of Yellowfang, a ShadowClan medicine cat. He was pressured as a kit for not having a mother, and his father only nurtured his ambitions and made him deputy of ShadowClan. When he finally was on to his son, Brokenstar killed Raggedstar to become leader. He then forced kits to fight as young as three moons, many dying at their first battle. Yellowfang eventually fed him deathberries, killing him. Brokenstar trained cats in the Dark Forest though, and led an attack against ThunderClan camp. For the second time his mother killed him, removing him from hurting the Clans ever again.

Mapleshade
Mapleshade was a ThunderClan she-cat who fell in love with a RiverClan cat and had his kits. When ThunderClan discovered this, Mapleshade was banished and her kits drowned when she tried to take them across the river to RiverClan. Mapleshade’s mate blamed her, and she found herself unwelcome in RiverClan too. Mapleshade swore revenge. While she walked in the Dark Forest, she haunted and ruined Crookedstar's life, but was still not satisfied. She worked with Tigerstar to create an army of killer warriors, and attacked Sandstorm, who had everything Mapleshade ever wanted. Spottedleaf defended her, and Mapleshade killed her. For that, Sandstorm chased Mapleshade back into the Dark Forest for good.

Interesting facts

 * Vicky revealed in the Confidential Notes at the end of The Last Hope that Ferncloud died in the battle due to demand from fans.
 * Both Foxleap and Sorreltail died of their wounds after the battle.
 * Kate stated that Firestar was not killed by the burning tree, but instead died of his wounds from the battle. Dovewing only imagined she saw him get up and walk away, and the lightning striking the tree snapped her back into reality.
 * Vicky revealed in Erin Hunter's Confidential Notes that Hollyleaf died in the battle to allow her to make the ultimate sacrifice in saving a Clanmate to show that she was still loyal to her Clan.
 * Both Brokenstar and Hawkfrost are killed during the battle  by the same cats that killed them the first time.
 * Spottedleaf is killed the same way as she was killed the first time, just by a different cat.

Mistakes

 * Cedarheart is shown in StarClan in The Last Hope, but later on is shown helping Littlecloud in the final battle, before the StarClan cats show up.
 * The Place of No Stars was mistakenly called DarkClan in The Last Hope during the battle.
 * Vicky has stated that Ashfoot died from greencough. However Bramblestar's Storm twice states that she died in the battle against the Dark Forest.

References and citations
Великая битваKampf gegen den Wald der FinsternisSuuri taisteluWielka Bitwa