Onestar's Confession/Chapter 32

"Is this how my life was always meant to end? Were my mistakes always meant to catch up with me? [...] Would things have been different if I'd admitted my mistake as soon as Darktail appeared?"

— Onestar's thoughts as he fights Darktail in Onestar's Confession, pages 424-425

Onestar's Confession
Chapter number:	32 (of 33)
Page numbers:	422-437
Point of View:	Onestar
Chronology

Below contains in-depth information for chapter thirty-two of Onestar's Confession. If you are looking for a shorter summary of the entire book, please check the main article.

Chapter Number: 32 (of 33)

Page Numbers: 422-437

Chapter description

Onestar wakes early in the morning and discovers Darktail and his rogues standing at the edge of the hollow. Realizing that this is not a dream, Onestar prepares to warn his Clanmates when Darktail yowls for his rogues to attack. Darktail pins Onestar down, and the rogue leader refuses to be beaten despite Onestar's ferocious attacks. The WindClan leader wonders if his mistakes were always meant to catch up with him when reinforcements from the other Clans arrive to help. Darktail yowls for the battle to stop, and he and Onestar face off. Darktail taunts his father for what all the pain he caused and flaunts the Clans' perception of their honorable leader. With Onestar's secret now exposed, Darktail and the Kin leave, though not without swearing vengeance on Onestar. Onestar attempts to refute Darktail's claims though quickly realizes that it is time to put an end to the secrecy. The Clan deputies leave to fetch their leaders so they can hear Onestar's explanation. Squirrelflight introduces the SkyClan deputy Hawkwing to Onestar, and Onestar recalls how Alderheart told him that Darktail brought havoc to SkyClan as well.

When the other Clan leaders arrive, Onestar nervously begins his tale: as a young warrior, he frequently spent time in the nearby Twolegplace with the local kittypets and fell in love with Smoke. Shame washes over him as he recounts becoming mates with Smoke, who later gave birth to their kits and only one survived—Darktail. Smoke wanted their son to join WindClan, but Onewhisker rejected them, and Smoke raised their son to hate the Clans. Onestar surmises that Darktail must have found the Clans from Alderheart's quest to SkyClan, which led them to the lake. Darktail began taunting Onestar, and during the recent battle, Darktail taunted Onestar that he would end up in the Dark Forest for killing his own son. Onestar explains that is why he ordered his warriors to retreat, causing the Clans to lose that battle. Kestrelflight and Rowanstar argue that Onestar does not belong in the Dark Forest, and Onestar admits that his recent decisions were made out of selfish fear. Now realizing that he must put a stop to Darktail once and for all, Onestar announces that WindClan will join the other Clans to defeat Darktail and his rogues.

Characters

Major

• Onestar

Minor

• Whitetail
• Darktail
• Hawkwing
• Harespring
• Nettle (Unnamed)
• Twigpaw
• Raven (Unnamed)
• Violetpaw
• Roach (Unnamed)
• Squirrelflight
• Tigerheart
• Bramblestar
• Rowanstar
• Leafstar
• Mistystar
• Crowfeather
• Kestrelflight

Mentioned

• Smoke
• Heathertail
• Firestar
• Tallstar
• Alderheart
• Ravenpaw
• Barley
• Smoke's kits
• Smokekit
• Fernpaw

Important events

• Onestar reveals his secret about Smoke and Darktail.

Trivia

• This chapter aligns with chapter nineteen of Shattered Sky.