Disclaimer:
I only own the plot and the characters, Warriors isn't mine...
Because, of all my baddies, I love Nightrage the most :3
His past is certainly the most interesting, so I decided to at least write a quick oneshot about him. (There's probably nothing quick about this, but it'll only be one upload. X3)
Okay so this is...really dark. X3 Like, I KNEW it would be dark, it's about a serial killer cat of COURSE it's going to be dark, but somehow it came out way darker than I even expected. Which was super dark...
So this is like...obsolete darkness or something. X3
SO!
WARNING: The following my be disturbing to readers under the age of seventeen years of age. I don't know if it would freak you out, so don't be offended if you don't think it's creepy at all, I'm just covering my bases.
Somehow this got turned into a rated M fic O.o
The Creation of Evil
In the dark forest it was not uncommon to hear anguish. It was not uncommon to taste the scent of terror on the tasteless wind, or to feel the prickle of paranoid gazes on your pelt. Nightrage had been calling this terrible place his home for moons. No, not home, this was not home. But hell. Hell in the most obvious of ways.
Yes, a hell, and he was condemned to this place for reasons. Blood had been spilled by his claws, mercilessly torn away. Some to fuel the revenge that burned in his heart, some to quench the thirst for power, and some…some to run away from the terror of commitment.
Yet when that particular panicked keening tore through the endless shadows the warrior had become used to stalking he lifted his midnight colored head. His eyes, the color of yellow fire, narrowed and something lit them up briefly.
This was different, there was something in that yowl of emotional agony that let the tomcat know that it did not come from a cat condemned to this place. It did not come from a cat who had life torn from them, usually viciously. This was a cry of confusion, the cry of a soul who had somehow wandered into this world through their dreams.
Nightmares now. He thought, a twisted smile curving the corners of his maw. His dark paws turned from their regular wandering path, and he found himself padding through the inky forest. Following those anguished yowls as though they were a beacon to him in the darkness.
A hunger stirred at his belly, familiar from the days he had spent running through a green forest. The days he had spent chasing that special prey that made him long for the tear of claws into flesh the way no mouse ever could. The hunt for a cat.
He'd never been one for taking on warriors, perhaps because they could fight back and cause him injury. Or perhaps because the kits were so much easier to fool, easier to guide into the dark forest with promises of grand adventures.
The crier was a full-grown cat, but the tom continued on with his tail going straight in excitement. The dark trees opened up, revealing shadowy moorland that stretched out endlessly before him. He gave no pause as he ran silently to the sobbing cat, even though his death had come on moorlands so very similar to these.
"My, my, my…" He purred, the rumble lingering in his throat in a way that did not seem friendly at all. A mocking purr, as was the gleam in his yellow-gold eyes. "It appears as though a life-walker has gotten himself rather lost in this place…"
The crying cat was mostly black in color, much like the tom himself, except his muzzle was a dazzling shade of white. Those dark ears flicked up, and a panicked look entered that cat's eyes. He whirled, fur fluffing out, and took a rather awkward fighting stance. "Wh-who?"
"Me." He replied with a wicked grin. As he did this he opened his maw, let the tom's terrified scents wash over him. He breathed deeply, ink colored chest expanding with the breath, and opened his gleaming eyes. "Ah, and a WindClanner…a medicine cat to boot."
"My name is Whiteface…" The cat said with a pathetic whimper. The tom blinked at him as he continued, shuffling his paws on the gray grass nervously, "Where is this place, who are you?"
He blinked at him, choosing to answer neither question. Instead he padded forward, and felt the fur on the back of his neck rise. He loved the way he could spark anger from something so simple, so small, when he really wouldn't have been mad. He could do that, make himself angry when he knew he didn't need to be. Whiteface staggered back, but he was too fast. His nose was only a whiskers length away as he purred, "You think you can ask questions to me? I am of the damned, this is my place."
A cold wind spurted forth, and he grinned in satisfaction at it's timing. Terror flamed in the eyes of Whiteface, the tom looked about, confusion in his eyes. After a moment, the tom suspected that Whiteface just did not know how to take a hint, the medicine cat meowed, "Why…am I here?"
"Couldn't tell you." He replied, catching the healer off guard since he probably hadn't expected any sort of answer. "Kill any cats recently? Or perhaps your dreams lead you here because they sense a darkness in your heart…do you have darkness in your heart, Whiteface?"
A myriad of emotion flickered on the features of that white-muzzled tomcat, and the tom found himself smirking at them. Surprise, denial, fear, and finally a burning look of jealous rage that made him think that whoever wronged this cat was hated indeed. "Blackblizzard…" The hiss was spit forth with such venom that the tom found a prickle of curiosity thrill through him. Whiteface snarled, "So he's possibly damned me to a hell as well, so potent is my hatred for him."
"Blackblizzard…" He spoke the name slowly, trying to remember why it should have been important to him. Whiteface spat, fury flickering in his eyes.
"The bastard son of the now dead warrior, the great Nativebrush." Whiteface snarled out the words, but the tom lingered on that last spoken name. He felt true rage burn though him, "And as soon as that cat passed on to StarClan Blackblizzard made Hollyreign…"
Whiteface choked off, and the tom found himself glancing at him. Finally after a long moment he meowed, "You are in love with the noble warrior's mate, Hollyreign." He grinned at the look of guilt in those eyes, at that pathetic pain, "As such you hate her son, for he symbolizes the bond she held with that cat and not you."
Whiteface hissed and the black tom turned his face to the sky. Black, so black that he would surely be invisible were he to pad into it. He wondered if he could, but instead he meowed in an icily calm voice, "I am called Nightrage, it was by the claws of Nativebrush that my life was ended. That Blackblizzard! I remember it now, he was the kit, the only kit, that I ever failed to kill…"
Hunger flooded through him. That tom had escaped his claws, it was unfair. Whiteface was backing away, horror washing through his features like a wave. Nightrage watched it with some amusement as the medicine cat almost ate it backing away.
"You're the black-hearted warrior!" Whiteface meowed, awe and fear in his tone. "The murderer who lead small kits into the forest with kind words, the cat who was born evil. They say you're black, through and through."
Nightrage felt his grin falter, felt his claws slide from their sheaths. Whiteface's mouth snapped shut, real terror flaring in those eyes as the medicine cat realized he had managed to strike a nerve with a dangerous murderer. Nightrage hissed, and turned his burning gaze on that healing tomcat.
"Let's get this one thing straight, Whiteface." Nightrage meowed, stalking forward. Intent burned through him, and was surely seen by the tomcat who was turning to flee. Without knowing how, Nightrage was blocking the cat's path though he had been behind him a moment before. Nightrage pinned the tom down, and Whiteface writhed.
"No!" Whiteface shrieked, fear flaming through his eyes. It fed that hunger in Nightrage's belly, made the black tom want to yowl with excitement. Claws snagged into fur, and Whiteface twisted in desperation. He could not break from Nightrage's grasp.
"Evil is not born." Nightrage spat the words out, "Anger, hatred, evil. It's all created. Just as a cat can grow to be noble and kind because of the way he is treated at a young age, one can grow to be cruel and cold-blooded."
"B…but…" Whiteface screamed in agony as Nightrage's nose found the center of the tom's forehead. A shriek built in the black warrior's throat, and he found himself screaming.
"It is not always the fault of the culprit alone! They are molded and shaped by the actions of those before them, and that is how true evil is made. Through beatings, through put-downs, through agony, through heartbreak…" Nightrage laughed, a high strangled sound that rent the air with eeriness. "But how can I ever explain? I'll merely have to show you!"
The agony for Whiteface, Nightrage was sure, became so great that he couldn't even scream then. Both cats were flung into the deep void of Nightrage's memories, and the only thing that could be heard on the dark moorland was the whimperings of the two tomcats that were twitching as though caught in the same dream.
Nightpaw's breath burned at his lungs as he ran through the forest. Fear coiled like a snake around his stomach, and his paws stumbled in their haste. He picked himself up with a squeak, and hurtled through the forest. He cared little for the noise he was making, all that mattered now was speed.
A shadow to his left, Nightpaw's ocher eyes stretched wide as he realized there would be no hope of dodging the inevitable. Massive jaws snapped at his tail, and the apprentice howled with agony as two paws slammed into the side of his head. His paw twisted beneath him, and he was thrown mercilessly to the forest floor.
"Mouse-brain!" The furious snarl came from the black cat that had pounced on him. A massive tom that out-towered the pathetically small apprentice. Nightpaw scrambled to his feet, wincing as he put weight onto his paw, "You'll be torn to shreds in a real battle."
"Sorry Darkwhisker." Nightpaw meowed, staring down at his small black paws with resentment burning a hole in the walls of his stomach. Darkwhisker was his father, and mentor. While the dark pelted warrior was really fantastic at everything a warrior could possibly do…
Nightpaw was about as useful as a beetle. The apprentice ducked his head, hoping that his father would forgive him for his blunder and not bring his wrath upon him.
It was not meant to be. Those massive paws slammed into him, and all Nightpaw could do was crouch trembling against the forest floor. He shut his eyes, and listened to the hammering of his heart. He tried not to feel the pain that came with the blows, tried not to focus on the fact that he was becoming dizzy because of how many times his father's paws slammed into his head.
"Why are you so useless!" Darkwhisker howled, and Nightpaw whimpered as the tom reared up on his hindpaws and slammed himself forward. The apprentice was crushed beneath the warrior's forepaws, and the breath was driven from his small black body. "Pathetic, small, WEAK. Why didn't you die at birth you filthy piece of fox-dung?"
"I'm sorry…I'm sorry." Nightpaw spoke the words almost as if they were a chant. Guilt spread within him. He was such a burden to his father, who was such a fantastic warrior. He should have died at birth, and if he could have changed things he would have made sure he had.
"Fox-dung!" Darkwhisker spat in Nightpaw's face, and the apprentice trembled with relief as the massive cat stalked into the undergrowth. He remained where he was for a few moments, breathless from the beating.
Weak, I'm weak…Nightpaw thought, the apprentice curled himself into a small ball. Tears flooded down from his yellow eyes, and the small tomcat cried himself bitterly to sleep.
That small apprentice had grown some, becoming broad shouldered and able-bodied as he aged. He was nearly as tall as his father, and easily taller than the she-cat he called his best friend. The tom was easily passed warrior age by three moons by now…but he was not worthy of a name quite yet.
Just one more moon. The tom thought, tail tip twitching as he cleared moss from the elder's den. His best friend padded over to him, her green eyes glowing and brown tabby tail curling in the air behind her. "Junipersong, how are you?"
"I'd be better." The she-cat purred, sitting next to him, "If I didn't have to get all depressed watching you do these duties again. What happened this time?"
"I spoke when I shouldn't have." Nightpaw said calmly, claws hooking a small ball of moss and tossing it into the air. Anger flared in her pretty green eyes, and Nightpaw put on a reassuring smile. "It's alright, I deserved it."
"You NEVER deserve it Nightpaw." The she-cat replied with a look of fury on her features, "I ought to talk to that mouse-brain…I may be a medicine cat but I could knock him down a few branches if you'd like…"
Silence spread between them, Junipersong added softly, "The way he treats you Nightpaw…it's cruel. It's not normal. You're terrified to leave the camp, and I don't know how many times I've caught you sneaking yarrow down your throat so you'd have an excuse to hide out in the medicine cat den…"
"All mentors and fathers are like that." Nightpaw meowed, feeling his ears burn. He knew that wasn't true, that if his father knew he had told Junipersong of the way he was endlessly beaten day after day he would be nearly killed for it.
"All fathers are like what?" The cold voice made Junipersong jump, and Nightpaw felt his stomach shrink into itself. His eyes flicked up to the face of his father, the warrior was standing stiffly, head tipped to one side. "Like what?"
"Like…such a great…warrior that is!" Junipersong said with a high-pitched laugh. "You know Nightpaw, humble as ever!"
"It's impossible to be humble when you have nothing to brag about because of uselessness." Foxpaw, another apprentice, sneered at Nightpaw from the shadows of the elder's den. The young black tomcat blinked, having not even realized that the ginger was even there. "Darkwhisker should just disown you already."
"Good advice." Darkwhisker smirked, tail twitching. Nightpaw saw that tail and nearly bolted for the apprentice's den then and there. That twitching…it meant that Darkwhisker was angry. Junipersong had failed to convince him. "Nightpaw we need to hunt for the Clan, come with me."
No! Nightpaw thought, but he only felt his ears flatten slightly uncomfortably, "Yes…"
"Actually I need him…" Junipersong trailed off as Darkwhisker only stared at her blankly. The small she-cat shuffled her paws about, perhaps scrambling for some sort of reason that could keep Nightpaw behind. "For…"
"Come Nightpaw…" Darkwhisker said, as Junipersong seemed unable to come up with a reason. Nightpaw padded nervously into the forest with his father.
The tension in the air was so thick that Nightpaw imagined he could see sparks of electricity bouncing off the tips of his father's whiskers. His heart hammered in his chest, misery pounded with it. A mantra had started in his head.
Not normal, not normal, not normal. Nightpaw heard the words as much as he thought them. They were in his head, as well as in the rustling of the leaves, on the wind that snaked through the forest. Useless, not normal, useless…
"She knows." Darkwhisker meowed, and Nightpaw stopped his paws, stopped his mantra, and to him it seemed as though even his own heart had ceased beating. The whole forest seemed to be silenced by the powerful rage Darkwhisker was emanating.
"Yes." Nightpaw murmured. A paw slammed into his head. So swiftly that Nightpaw was thrown into the tree nearby. His ears rang, pain pulsed through him. The mantra started again, Not normal, not normal, cruel…
"Mouse-brain, useless pile of badger-dung." Darkwhisker's claws flicked from their sheaths, slashed a path through the air. Nightpaw tried to move, but they slammed into the side of his head. Pain seared through him, blood arced through the air and caught the filtered sunlight in their crimson drops before splattering to the ground.
Tired of this…Nightpaw thought, trembling as Darkwhisker's paws slammed into his back. He felt as though his spine would break from the onslaught, or at the very least his lungs would be crushed into useless pulp. It's not normal…it's wrong.
So many moons, he'd been tormented. As a kit, he'd been pushed around. As an apprentice he'd been beaten, to the point where leaving camp left him trembling in terror. Sometimes the pain from the hitting, the pounding, sometimes it kept him awake.
Hate you…Nightpaw thought, teeth baring in a wordless snarl. Rage, potent, thick, hot, it flooded through him. Filled him completely, and for the first time in his life the tomcat opened his maw. A scream split the air, hoarse with all the agony he'd ever endured from the cat that towered above him. Strangled with the rage at the injustice of Darkwhisker's actions. "STOP!"
Silence surrounded them, Darkwhisker had been stunned into not moving, surprised by the defiance that suddenly filled Nightpaw's eyes. Nightpaw took advantage of this, shoved himself away from his father so that he was standing. So great was his rage that his paws shook with it, and he hissed in fury.
"Enough of it. Enough of all of it." Nightpaw snarled, a thirst like none other he'd ever felt before surged through him. Darkwhisker deserved agony for every moment of pain and hurt he'd caused Nightpaw. The apprentice, no, the warrior who had been refused his name by an idiot like Darkwhisker, pulled his lips back. His fangs glistened, bright white in contrast with his dark pelt, "I'm through with it."
"You dare-" Darkwhisker began, but Nightpaw was moving. Dagger like claws slashed the air, blood followed it. Darkwhisker backed away, his ear now torn and bloody as his son glared at him. Nightpaw's tail lashed at the air and he snarled.
"I dare! I dare!" The tomcat howled in rage, and hurled himself at Darkwhisker. Darkwhisker was a fantastic warrior, strong and very capable…however Nightpaw had a potent rage fueling him. A burning need for revenge that would not back down even from the most vicious of blows. Father and son rolled in a knot of screeching fur, claws tore out fur, fangs dug into flesh, blood sprayed through the air.
Pay! Pay! Pay! The chant hummed through Nightpaw's mind. His eyes glazed over with the need for Darkwhisker to feel every bit of hurt he ever had. Somehow, through a miracle perhaps, the massive warrior's paw caught in a root. The cat fell back, claws digging at empty air in an attempt to catch himself, before slamming into a thorn bush.
"Fox-dung!" Darkwhisker spat, writhing, trying to escape. Nightpaw watched his father, cold dislike in his eyes. It was strangely unsatisfying, seeing his father caught in the forest's own version of a trap. So odd, that he wasn't elated to see the cat that constantly tormented him humiliated. "Don't just stand their you idiotic furball! Get me out!"
"And NOT leave you to starve?" Nightpaw meowed, that same thirst for revenge so clear in his tone. That was more than mischievousness, it was intent. Murderous intent. Darkwhisker's eyes stretched wide, and Nightpaw saw something there he thought he'd never see.
Fear. Terror. Realization. Nightpaw had been pushed too far, too many times. It was going to end, and it was going to end by that apprentice's claws. Nightpaw felt a thrill go through him at that fear. Darkwhisker was afraid of HIM. The roles had been switched, and it was the massive warrior quaking in fear of his 'useless' son.
"Nightpaw, calm down." Darkwhisker meowed, speaking in the calm rationale voice he used back at camp surrounded by other warriors. Nightpaw felt a smile twitch at his muzzle, and it broadened as the warrior added sharply, "Stop that this instant!"
"Darkwhisker of ThunderClan…" Nightpaw mused, "Noble warrior, good warrior…some say he's the best…"
Darkwhisker swallowed, perhaps noticing that Nightpaw was so close to a brink. A brink that would mean his death. The apprentice was staring at his claws, staring at the deadly weapons he'd had since birth. Those claws twitched as he looked up, golden eyes filled with intense loathing.
"He's the worst. The worst father, the worst mentor." Nightpaw spat, "And today, he's going to die."
"Nightpaw, listen to me!" Darkwhisker yowled, desperation leaking into his tone. He couldn't move, he was trapped within those thorns, tangled up helplessly. Nightpaw's claws flicked out once more, he sped forward, and tore into that ebony colored throat.
Crimson rained down, and the apprentice tossed his head back and laughed.
"From this moment on you shall be known as Nightrage, for displaying your righteous fury toward the rogues that mercilessly killed your father and mentor Darkwhisker and letting it go." Owlstar spoke with solemn pride in his voice, and as Nightrage licked the leader's shoulder the speckled tomcat added, "Your father would have been very proud of the control you showed."
It had been mere coincidence, that a rogue had wandered into ThunderClan territory the day that Nightrage murdered his father, and the skinny cat had become his scapegoat. Nightrage had attacked the tom, and easily covered up the story of Darkwhisker's death by saying the rogue had attacked his father and him on hunting training. Nightrage had opted to let the cat go free, saying that a warrior never killed in cold blood.
Didn't that mean that he was bad though? But no…killing Darkwhisker had not been a matter of cold blood. There was too much fire burning in that rage, too much warmth in the hunger for revenge. And that power…that power he'd felt knowing HE was the one inspiring fear for once…
"You're smiling." Junipersong meowed, making Nightrage blink and look over at the pretty medicine cat. She sat down, staring at her petite paws, "I know he was awful to you Nightrage…and I'm sorry that…what I mean is…"
Junipersong broke off, but then let out a nervous laugh. She nodded to him, before padding back into her den with a troubled look on her face. Nightrage only smiled, and stared up at the moon. His vigil…he'd earned his warrior name. Ridding the world of that awful cat.
There's no guilt. He thought, twisting his mouth into a smile, Only satisfaction.
It was several moons later, when Nightrage found himself lost in the forest he called home. The sleet was so thick that he could not see. Nightrage ducked his head, trying to move against the howling wind. Suddenly the ground underpaw vanished, and he was rolling down the steep bank next to the river.
Cold water closed over his head, and Nightrage almost yowled aloud because of the PAIN it inspired. The tomcat writhed, splashed, tried to get his paws to work, but the cold was paralyzing. He was slammed against the bottom of the bank, and the warrior shut his eyes.
Surely his death would be met here? At this place? How cold, how cruel.
Then he was washed against shoreline, and somehow his numb paws managed to take their hold. He hauled himself out, caring not about which side of the border he was on. He trembled with cold, and his teeth clicked together.
Slowly…ever so slowly, he found himself falling asleep. Suddenly a sharp paw prodded into his side. Nightrage's eyes flashed open, and he found himself staring into the navy colored gaze of a small apprentice. The she-cat squeaked in surprise, "Not dead!"
"Of course not." Nightrage snapped, and felt a strange thrill go through him at the fear in her eyes. He was a warrior, and she merely an apprentice. The tom got to his paws, still trembling with cold but feeling more alive as he watched that look in those navy eyes. "I'm perfectly fine."
"Then what are you doing on RiverClan territory?" She snarked back, her tail lashing the air. Nightrage looked behind her, around her, the sleet was beginning to let up it's relentless attack on the earth below, and he could clearly see that she was alone.
"No mentor, why is it you're out alone, little apprentice?" Nightrage felt himself losing control of himself. Longing filled him, I want it. I need it. To see the fear in her eyes. To feel that power again, just one more time. Just once more.
"I…they're here." She said, fear sparking her gaze. Darting through her scent. It was tantalizing, it made him smile. His fangs sparkled and the she-cat backed away, "H-hiding in the bushes. If you try anything they'll come out and…and…"
"No cat is hiding in the bushes." Nightrage spoke almost dazedly, padding unsteadily forward with heavily lidded eyes. Despite being cold the tom found himself feeling oddly warm all over. She turned to run, but Nightrage's claws hooked her fur. "Shhh, no doing that alright…it's no fun that way."
"Let me go!" She shrieked, "HELP!"
"You snuck out of camp didn't you?" Nightrage purred. The apprentice's eyes stretched wide as the tom laughed. Part of him knew he should stop, another part, a stronger part, told him that he had to continue. To bring forth that ultimate fear. "What a naughty little she-kit you are."
"Apprentice…" The she-cat said, "I know you're from ThunderClan, I'm going to tell on you!"
Nightrage frowned. She was trying to turn things about…and he couldn't have that. He would never be the weaker link. Never again. The warrior's claws dug deeper than fur, and the apprentice yowled in pain. "What's you're name?"
"Wh…what?" She stammered out.
"Tell me your name!" Nightrage yowled, the she-cat recoiled into the pebbly ground underneath her. Nightrage could feel her heart hammering through his paws, he smiled his wicked smile. The smile that was becoming a habit.
"D-Duskpaw…" The apprentice choked.
"Duskpaw of RiverClan." Nightrage meowed, his voice sounding eerily playful. "Today is the day you're going to die my dear. You won't be telling any cat that you met me here, because you're end…is about to come…by these dark claws."
His eyes flashed, she shrieked in terror. That scream…it choked, became garbled as the she-cat drowned in her own lifeforce. Nightrage sat on his haunches at the river-side, watched the small apprentice die with gleaming eyes as he slowly and painstakingly licked the blood from his paws…
The full moon had changed his fur to silver. Nightrage was fascinated with that, everytime he came. Today was a special gathering though, he was never more excited for it. He should have been feeling guilt, he knew somewhere.
No, he should NOT feel guilty. Not if that made him so happy, and that apprentice had done a bad thing anyway. It would teach those young cats to stop sneaking out of camp, especially with a bad storm on the horizon. As the RiverClan leader stepped forward Nightrage pricked his ears.
"It is…with a troubling heart, that I must inform all of the Clans that our apprentice Duskpaw was murdered." The leader spoke with sadness, and though Junipersong gasped in horror Nightrage was fighting to keep the grin from his face. That was his handy-work. "It seems that she was attacked while hunting away from camp, we found her body near the twoleg bridge…weighed down with stones to keep it in place."
Horror spread through the camp, and Nightrage had to duck his head to hide his smirk. That had been clever, had it not? It seemed like a message that way, and Nightrage…he was in control of this gathering. HE alone had inspired that fear that now had every cat trembling.
What power…
He needed more.
Nightrage padded through the moorland, his paws thrumming with his thrill. A small kit followed after him, his tabby paws stumbling to keep up. So laughably easy, to convince a small kit to leave the camp. They didn't know the scents of the other Clans yet, and all Nightrage had to do was come up with something outrageous.
"StarClan-cat sir…" The tom said quietly, he was oddly polite for such a young kit. Nothing like his squealing brothers and sisters that Nightrage had been observing for the better part of a moon. But this kit was naughty, he sometimes pushed the other kits around and made them feel stupid because he was rather smart for his age. "What prophecy do I have to fulfill?"
That had been the lie Nightrage had told his soon to be third victim. A twisted smile, a snickering laugh. This had been so easy, so very easy. Really, queens should have been paying closer attention. Their kits wander to the dark shadowy parts of the camp, and no cat seems to notice that the kit is talking to the shadows.
It helped, covering his scent of course. It was a bit like hunting, choosing this victim, and Nightrage enjoyed it in a way he had NEVER enjoyed hunting before. There was a new thrill, the thrill of getting caught by other cats.
"An important one indeed." Nightrage meowed, he stopped abruptly, "You have to go to StarClan yourself and get the instructions there."
"REALLY!" Excitement, twinkling eyes met Nightrage's.
"Well…you would be going for a prophecy…if I hadn't lied to you." Nightrage looked into those eyes, watched as confusion, disappointment, and realization warred in those amber eyes. The kit's name was Goldkit, and righteously so for his golden pelt.
"Goldkit, what's going on?" The meow caught Nightrage momentarily off guard. He hadn't been aware of a follower, and found himself staring into the scared eyes of a scared looking she-kit. Goldkit's sister, a rather slow she-cat called Daisykit.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Nightrage meowed, easily pushing the white and golden speckled she-cat forward with his paw so that she was next to her brother. "Now what am I going to do? I have TWO naughty kittens, and usually one is good fun…"
"Fun…" Daisykit meowed, latching to the word and missing the cold tone in Nightrage's voice. Goldkit was looking terrified, but the splotchy she-cat was beaming naively at him. "What kind of fun?"
"The kind that let's me lick up some sweet kit blood…" Nightrage purred. Daisykit's features went quickly from jubilation to horror. She opened her mouth, and shut it again. Her orange eyes stretched wide, and she remained frozen. "Two kits for me to play with, this shall be fantastic."
He was drunkenly speaking now, intoxicated by the scent of their fear. Would their brother, Brightkit, show up as well? The orange splotched tomcat would have made this all the more fun. Suddenly Goldkit bolted, shrieking at Daisykit, "Run! Run in opposite directions!"
Nightrage cackled, joy spreading through him as he quickly followed after the she-kit. Goldkit yowled insults at Nightrage's back, but the black warrior was not listening. His paws hammered at the earth, and he soon towered over Daisykit.
"NO!" Goldkit yowled, hurling his tiny body at Nightrage's paws. Nightrage caught the kit mid-air with his claws, and the small tom wheezed as he was pressed into the earth. Daisykit whimpered, too afraid to move now, as she cowered into the ground. "R…run Daisykit…"
"Bu…but…" Daisykit squeaked as Nightrage scooped her up. He laughed cruelly as the two kits squirmed underpaw. So helpless, so utterly helpless. He had the power to subdue them. They had no chance, not against him.
"Goldkit of WindClan, Daisykit of WindClan…" Nightrage purred his cold purr. The kits screamed, writhed against him. Pleaded with him. They wanted to go home. They wouldn't tell anybody, or do anything bad ever again if he would just let them go home. Nightrage ignored them and said with laughter ringing through his tone, "Your lives end today at these paws."
All he had to do was dig his claws deep into those tiny bodies, to pierce the fragile organs that were beneath the skin and bone, and to laugh as the life slowly drained from their terrified gazes. Nightrage laughed, and laughed, elated beyond belief.
This time, as he padded towards ShadowClan for his next victim, Nightrage found himself deep in thought. Lately his mind had been preoccupied with either thoughts of sating his now constant hunger for blood…and Junipersong.
She was the only cat he did not want to see trembling in fear. She was the only cat he imagined not killing, not tearing his claws into. She was the only cat…the only cat that made him feel like he wasn't going to lose control.
I HAVE control. He thought, remembering the horror he often inspired. Three more cats had been added to his list. Icekit of RiverClan, Wrenkit of RiverClan, and Rabbitkit of WindClan. It was then that the warrior had realized he hadn't bothered to go after any ShadowClan kits. He'd be damned if that wretched Clan got any of the glory for his good deeds.
Yet Junipersong, with her always perceptive green eyes, made him feel as if maybe, just maybe, there was something wrong with what he was doing. The elation he felt…but…but could something that felt so good…how could it be bad?
He was in love with the medicine cat of his Clan, hopelessly so, and he had no idea what to do about it. Killing…it would clear his head, sharpen his mind. He would find a way for him and Junipersong to be happy together. He had to.
A kit named Mistkit had been sneaking away from ShadowClan camp for some time. Nightrage had been watching this take place for the better part of a moon, and the warrior was disgusted with the fact that the Clans were not learning their lessons.
They should be disciplining those kits more.
"Snuck out again." Nightrage meowed, causing the silver she-cat to jump. She looked at him, her eyes stretching wide with fear as she registered the fact that he was not a member of her Clan. Nightrage glared down at her coldly, already on edge because of his thoughts about Junipersong.
"Oh…I…was just playing with the moonlight." The she-cat squeaked, "I…can go home now…"
"No." Nightrage purred, "No you won't be going home."
Why wasn't the fear satisfying him? Nightrage felt puzzlement go through him. In his confusion he darted forward, paws scooping the kit up into his jaws. His teeth snapped, and she had no time to register pain before her neck was broken. Nightrage froze, confused.
"NO! NO! NO!" The warrior howled, hurling the small body away furiously. "That's not what was supposed to happen! Fox-dung! You were supposed to be afraid of me. THERE. HAS. TO. BE. A. METHOD!"
His claws ravaged the tiny body of the she-kit, until she was unrecognizable. Nightrage panted, fury spreading through him. He screamed, but could no longer take it out on the ruined corpse of the tiny kit. There was nothing more to destroy there.
"YOU SCREWED IT UP!" Nightrage howled, his voice echoing through the quiet territory. He wasn't far from the camp, and if they found ThunderClan scent…Nightrage forced himself to calm down. Trembling he walked away only after finding fox-dung and spreading it around the corpse like some sort of gruesome scent marking.
The warrior hissed, and stormed off. He was not satisfied. He saw hardly any fear, and he didn't get to say his line…
Nightrage was exhausted the next day, having spent most of the night in a fit of fury. The warrior opened his eyes the next day, and found himself blinking at the fuzzy tiredness in his head. He could hear Junipersong, scoldingly speaking to some cat.
Nightrage padded over, and saw that she was towering over the ginger kit of the apprentice that had sided with his father so long ago. The tom was a warrior now, of course, but the kit certainly resembled the warrior.
"What's up?" Nightrage meowed with a yawn. Junipersong jumped in surprise before scowling at him almost irritably. Nightrage twitched his whiskers in amusement as the little brown tabby swatted at him with her snowy paws.
"Don't scare me like that…oh fox-dung you've gone and scared Sunkit away." Junipersong scowled as the kit had made a quick getaway using Nightrage's interruption for cover. "His father isn't going to do a thing too, I just know it."
"Something happened?" Nightrage meowed wryly.
"That little brat went in and trampled all over most of my herbs. Now I'll have to spend days collecting them all again…he's just lucky it's Greenleaf and there are plenty about at the moment." Junipersong sighed. Nightrage hardly noticed, his ocher gaze was focused on the ginger pelt of the little kit.
"Naughty little tomkit…" Nightrage said in his cold purr. Junipersong was staring at him oddly, and the black warrior jolted himself from his thoughts. His ears twitched nervously as he quickly meowed, "Why not have Amberpaw do it? That's what apprentices are for right?"
"He's tired after making me some salves the other day." Junipersong purred in regards to her apprentice. Nightrage twitched his tail, uncomfortable suddenly as he stared at the pretty she-cat. "What's up? Something on your mind? Besides that creepy little outburst you did earlier…"
"Hey, I'm not creepy." Nightrage meowed with a wicked grin, "I'm witty and charming."
"Yes, and so is an adder." Junipersong said dryly, "Now about whatever is bothering you…don't look at me like that Nightrage, I KNOW you better than any cat in this Clan. I can tell when you've got something on your mind."
"I was just wondering…if you were to…you know, just give the job of being a medicine cat to Amberpaw when he's ready…would you be able to become a regular warrior…with kits and everything?" Nightrage found himself locked in her green gaze. She blinked twice.
"I don't know, it's possible. Though there would probably be a lot of gossip about it." Junipersong meowed slowly, carefully, as if she were daintly stepping through water and not wanting to disrupt it's serene surface. "Well…I got to go get those herbs. I'll probably sleep like a rock tonight…I'll be wiped out."
"Which means the whole camp will suffer since you snore. Awww…" Nightrage purred as she shot him a playful glare before heading out of camp. Left alone for the moment, the warrior turned his focus back to Sunkit.
"Now…what to do with the naughty little tom?" Nightrage meowed aloud, cold enjoyment prickling in his gaze. He would not let the same thing that happened to Mistkit happen to this one. This would be done SPECIALLY right, since Sunkit had wronged his precious Junipersong.
Sunkit had actually been reluctant when Nightrage had gone to him. The warrior finally persuaded that the cat killing kits wouldn't be able to fight Nightrage. Which was true, since Nightrage was the murderer. The tomcat snickered at his clever play on words.
"Secret traaaining!" The kit sang, small paws scattering leaves. "Secret training!"
"If you keep yowling like that it WON'T be a secret." Nightrage meowed, feeling a strange thrill of amusement dash through him. Nightrage easily shoved it aside, remembering just how exhausted Junipersong had looked padding into camp that night.
"Sorry Nightrage." The kitten meowed, and the warrior twitched. He'd never had a victim, beside his father, that knew him by name. The warrior didn't know how to react to this…it was strangely elating while conflicting at the same time.
He trusts me completely…Nightrage thought with a cold smile. Mouse-brain, you should always be watching your back. Even your family can be cruel, a clan-mate can easily be an enemy. You will learn this the hardest way possible, I assume.
"Where is this?" Sunkit asked, his russet colored paws churning up the soft sand of the training hollow. Nightrage sat with his tail curled about his paws, his ocher eyes half closed as he watched the kit experimentally dig at it.
"The training hollow. This is where we train apprentices." Nightrage meowed, his voice so deadly quiet that Sunkit stopped what he was doing. The kitten's fur fluffed up at his neck, and he turned his head so that he could look at the warrior with one bright green eye. "Apprentices, not naughty kits."
"You told me to come out. I was only listening to you!" Sunkit protested, turning to face him, "Are you going to get me into trouble?"
Nightrage's smile made the kit's eyes stretch wide. Sunkit stepped back once, twice, three times. The tom was looking nervous as Nightrage said, coldly, "You would probably prefer it if I were going to tell on you. Your father and mother don't do a thing to discipline you though, tsk, tsk, what a shame."
"I…I want to go back home Nightrage." Sunkit meowed, "Take me back to camp. Please."
"Do you even realize what you did wrong?" Nightrage meowed, stalking closer to the kit. The tom tried to step back, but Nightrage easily over took him. The black tom smiled down at him, his tail sliced at the air as his eyes narrowed coldly, "You caused Junipersong so much trouble…"
"I was only…p-playing…" Sunkit sputtered out, panic flaring in his eyes. Did he see the fury Nightrage felt? This little welp had caused his love so much trouble…he'd tear this kit to shreds and make sure he felt every bit of agony too. "Pl-please…"
"Do you want to know a secrreeet?" Nightrage purred, "I'm the one…who has been ridding this forest of the naughty little kits just like you."
"Nightrage?" Junipersong's meow made Nightrage stiffen. Sunkit let out a cry of pure relief, and the dark warrior turned his head to look at the small medicine cat. She appeared to be half asleep, and more than a little startled, "Wh…what did you just say?"
"What are you doing out so late?" Nightrage asked, ignoring her question and tipping his head to one side. Junipersong looked confused for a moment as Nightrage continued, "You were so tired earlier, I thought you were going to sleep like a rock."
"I…noticed you leaving camp." Junipersong meowed slowly, "What…Nightrage, what was it that you said just now to Sunkit?"
"He was getting a scolding, weren't you Sunkit?" Nightrage meowed, looking back at the kit with a smile. The tom was staring up at the black warrior with eyes the size of the full moon. Nightrage twitched his tail and shot a grin her way, "I was just making sure he understood that it was bad to go rooting through your stores."
"That…isn't your job Nightrage." Junipersong meowed, "You can't do that, Sunkit's not your kit."
"But he'll grow up to be a warrior one of these days, and we can't have naughty warriors. I never did a bad thing in my kithood, or apprenticeship. I was a good cat, and I got beat up every day." Nightrage's voice came out harder than he intended, he brightened, "That's why I've been solving the problem here."
"Nightrage…what exactly was it that you said when I first came here? The…the secret you told Sunkit?" Junipersong meowed, and a familiar look of fear lit up her green gaze. Confusion flooded Nightrage, the tom stopped and tipped his head to one side.
"You have no need to fear me Junipersong." Nightrage purred, amused. She stared at him, "You see…I love you."
"That's not the…WHAT!" Junipersong blanched, surprise slamming the fear out of her gaze so effectively that she looked a little bit like a gaping fish. The she-cat stared at him, shock on her features, "Nightrage…I…"
"He's the killer Junipersong!" Sunkit yowled, making Nightrage frown and glare at the little kit. How dare he interrupt this intimate moment? With something so trivial as that no less! The warrior spat, anger flaring in his eyes. "Junipersong!"
"It's terribly rude to interrupt." Nightrage meowed, taking one claw and tearing it into the kit. Sunkit wailed, and Nightrage felt a flicker of irritation. Those eyes were locked desperately on Junipersong, "Pay attention to me Sunkit, not her! I'm the one with your life in my paws!"
"Nightrage! What are you doing!" Junipersong yowled, stunned into a frozen state. Nightrage only gave her a quick smile, meant to reassure her.
"Hold on, I'm almost done." Nightrage meowed, he glared down at Sunkit, having effectively captured the tom's attention. "Sunkit of ThunderClan, your life ends today at these paws…"
The words were not effective, as Junipersong crashed into him. Nightrage yelped, somehow managing to keep his claws hooked into Sunkit's flesh as the three cats went rolling through the sand. Nightrage jerked himself up, and hurled Junipersong away. He barely caught Sunkit as the tom made a terrified dash to get away.
"Junipersong this is NOT the time to do this." Nightrage huffed, "I'm busy at the moment, and you almost ruined everything. Now, Sunkit of ThunderClan, your life ends today at these paws."
"Wait, Nightrage!" Junipersong yowled, but Nightrage's claws had already torn the whole in the small tom's throat. Sunkit gagged, pitching forward. Junipersong yowled, and dove for the kit. The small tom was dead by the time she reached him.
"I would have rather planned you coming along." Nightrage meowed, tail tip twitching as he scoldingly looked at her. "Really Junipersong, that was so much trouble, and you almost made it more hectic than perfect. Fox-dung, I didn't get a good view of that fear…"
"Nightrage what have you done?" Junipersong meowed. Nightrage stopped, tail twitching as he looked at the she-cat who was trembling with the kit between her paws. Her eyes met his, and he flinched at the fury in them, "You idiot, what have you DONE!"
"Nothing…everything…" Nightrage backed up, feeling the sting of betrayal flood through him. "Junipersong…he made you have to do so much work…"
"You KILLED him Nightrage!" Junipersong yowled, "You killed him! You're done with this, you're done. We're taking you back to ThunderClan camp, and we're going to let Owlstar deal with you properly. You…Nightrage…you deserve to be exiled for this."
"But…I love you." Nightrage meowed, bewildered.
She was supposed to understand. She was supposed to know his logic on this, not think he was awful…not think he should be banished. Junipersong's eyes flashed with anger, "Nightrage this is WRONG. You're WRONG."
Wrong, not normal, useless…It had been her words that had started that mantra, so long ago. Nightrage stared at his paws, felt something tingle within them. How dare she? How dare she think that she had any control over him? How dare she think that she could escape his wrath?
"Oh StarClan I'm sick…" The she-cat muttered, grief in her eyes. "I'm sorry Sunkit, I'm so sorry…"
"You hate me." Nightrage meowed, his voice so cold that it felt as if the air was dropping a few degrees around them. Junipersong stiffened, her eyes darted to him and she stared. Fear, it was in her eyes but it made him sick. "You hate me."
"Calm down Nightrage…" Junipersong meowed.
"That's what my father asked of me…" Nightrage spat, claws lashing out. Junipersong darted away, but Nightrage slammed his other paw against the side of her head. The petite she-cat stumbled, stunned, and Nightrage's other paw racked claws across her face.
"Your father…" Junipersong meowed. An agonized yowl tore through her throat as Nightrage slammed her against the sandy ground. He tore his claws through her pelt, so furious that he couldn't see. Couldn't see the fear, couldn't see the agony.
"You." Nightrage snarled, "All for you. You told me it was wrong. You. I did it because YOU let me know!"
"My fault…" Junipersong gagged. Nightrage released the she-cat and she limped away. Blood spattered onto the sandy ground, the she-cat had one eye closed and was breathing heavily. She was trembling, and staring at him. "I…did this to you. Oh Nightrage…"
"You did NOTHING." Nightrage yowled, "I was born this way! Useless, wrong! Useless! Wrong! Useless! Wrong!"
"No…you were…shaped…" Junipersong's eyes filled with tears, "And it was all my fault…all Darkwhisker's fault. Nightrage I KNOW you're still you. Some part of you, in there…is my friend…is the cat…the cat that loves me."
"Broken, you broke him." Nightrage meowed, he felt like two different people. One longed to stop, to give Junipersong her life back and let her free. He loved her, he couldn't hurt her. But the other part loved the blood…so loved the blood.
"I'm sorry…" Junipersong meowed. Was she sincere? Or just trying to negotiate with him? The world was spinning around and around. It was so confusing. So very confusing. "I did…I…I love you Nightrage…I really di…do."
"Love me?" Nightrage shut his eyes. He had to think. Had to think for just one moment. His shoulders relaxed, he felt as if the forest had fallen silent. Junipersong breathed a sigh of relief behind him, and Nightrage's ears twitched at the sound.
Did, Did, Did love you. Which means she doesn't, doesn't, doesn't anymore. Not anymore Nightrage. Nope, did is the past. The past is gone. The past is gone. Nightrage swayed on his paws, dizzy. Just words, words to make you not enjoy the blood. Words to make you stop…
I WANT to stop…Nightrage thought, Not Junipersong. I can still have the power if I give her life back to her. I love her. What more of a gift could I give her, except StarClan itself?
His eyes opened, glittered in the dark light. Junipersong limped closer to him, tentatively looked him in the eye, "Let's…go home Nightrage. We'll get this all figured out, alright?"
So soothing…
StarClan itself…
So beautiful…
StarClan itself…
So calm…
StarClan itself…
"Junipersong of ThunderClan." Nightrage meowed, the she-cat stiffened, and he turned dead eyes on her. A smile twisted his mouth, his fangs glinted in the half light. Claws snicked from their sheaths, "Junipersong, of Nightrage's heart. Today your life ends. By these paws I give you StarClan itself."
Blood spilled through the air. Part of Nightrage laughed, and another part wept.
Moons had passed since Junipersong. Moons and moons and moons. Nightrage needed the blood, now more than ever. Yet every time he tried he saw her green eyes, the fear in them, the pain. The pain…but he'd given her StarClan.
Her fault anyways. The tom thought, ears twitching. The moorland, this was the perfect place. He'd seen a naughty she-kit lately. A very naughty she-kit. She was always alone, and through her talking he'd figured out her name.
Kindredkit.
As he padded close to where the tortoiseshell she-kit had frequented he blinked in surprise. Kindredkit was not alone this time, there was a black and white tomkit with her. He looked about boldly, his tail held high over his head.
"I don't see any moving shadows." The tom scoffed after a moment, "Now let's get back to camp, LITTLE sister, before Mom and Dad tear our fur out."
"I was born FIRST Black-kit!" She shrieked, her tortoiseshell pelt bristling out indignantly. "And I so HAVE seen it! It must be the monster gobbling all the kits up! I bet if we're brave enough we can stop it, and then the bad monster will go away!"
"You're an idiot." Black-kit meowed flatly, "Let's get back to camp."
"Leaving so soon?" Kindredkit hissed, and puffed out. Her eyes stretched wide, but Black-kit merely looked at Nightrage in a manner that suggested he was mildly irritated or something. Nightrage faltered, but continued, "Naughty kits should be in their nests."
"I know that." Black-kit meowed as though Nightrage was an idiot. "That's why I came to fetch my sister before she does something stupid, like talk to a rogue. Which is what I'm doing at the moment, and since I don't feel like an idiot I'm going to pretend I never met you and wander on back home."
Pride flared up in those golden-orange eyes. Nightrage felt a flash of anger. That little brat…he blinked, realizing belatedly that beneath that pride there was something else. Fear, though it had been hidden. Nightrage grinned, and stalked closer to the tom.
"And if I don't let you and your sister go?" Nightrage meowed. The kit glared up at him, eyes flickering with that fear. Yes, it was there, and it was getting harder for the black and white tom to hide it too. Still, after a moment of staring into those golden orange eyes TRIUMPH flashed through them. Nightrage blinked in confusion.
"Well I don't know about me, but you were already stupid enough to let my sister slip away." Black-kit smirked as Nightrage looked around for the tortoiseshell she-kit. The gangly kitten bravely puffed out his chest, "We fooled you. She's probably almost to camp by now, and not even a big warrior like you can catch her."
"You…" Nightrage meowed, glaring at the tom. Black-kit snickered at him, but then yowled in surprise when Nightrage's claws dug into his pelt. The kitten was flung through the air, and landed on his back a few tail-lengths away. "PIECE OF FOX-DUNG!"
"You're STUPID!" Black-kit screeched in reply, gasping as he lurched to his paws. The kit darted into the heather so swiftly that Nightrage blinked. He roared, and hurled himself after the piebald kitten. Black-kit ran, but even with his gangly legs he was still just a kit.
Nightrage slammed his paws onto the kit from behind. Black-kit yowled in agony, twitching as Nightrage's claws dug into his sides. The black cat hauled the speckled tom so that he was sitting on his haunches with the tomkit dangling between his forepaws.
"I will NOT be bested!" Nightrage snarled. Elation flared through him. He wanted this smug little cat's blood to spill over this moorland, and he was going to torture the life from him. Black-kit's eyes flared up with terror as Nightrage dug his claws deeper.
"Nn…" The stubborn kit snapped his maw shut, eyes flickering with pain. Nightrage felt dissatisfaction, as he buried his claws into that kit's flesh. Deep enough to cause great pain. Black-kit bit back the scream, leaving Nightrage without the sound to go with that fear in those golden-orange eyes.
"SCREAM!" Nightrage shrieked into the kit's face. Black-kit only kept his maw tightly clenched shut. "SCREAM YOU FILTHY PIECE OF HEAPING BADGER-DUNG!"
"N…no…" Black-kit croaked out. His eyes burned defiantly, this kit…he was not one that backed down from challenges. Stubborn, so stubborn. "Not for you. Never for you."
"Black-kit of WindClan…" Nightrage snarled, "Your life ends today at these paws!"
"Not if I can help it!" The yowl was only a heartbeat before those paws slammed into Nightrage. The black warrior slammed into the ground, and Black-kit was torn from his grasp. The tomkit scrambled to his paws, but fell over with a yelp. "Black-kit!"
"D-Dad!" Black-kit meowed. Nightrage glared, taking in the gray brown tabby tom that was standing protectively near the kit. The cat's eyes were a soft shade of concerned blue as he nosed at the black and white tom.
"You're pretty hurt, but you'll live." The tom meowed confidently, "Lucky thing too…"
"You…" Nightrage hissed, "That brat has a mouth on him. He needs to be punished."
"Oh, yes, Black-kit has been known to say whatever pops right into his head. He has no filter you see, a bit of a problem socially but he seems to be getting on rather well with little Shadedkit. They're good friends, those two." The tom meowed, catching Nightrage off guard at his slightly warm tone. The warrior tilted his head, "I'm Nativebrush…and you're Nightrage. I've seen you at gatherings."
Had it not been for the look of cold fury in those ice colored eyes, Nightrage would have thought the tom to be quite mad. No, he wasn't insane. Furious though, he could see that rage flaring in the eyes of that tom. Those blue eyes, which had seemed as warm as the water of a hotspring before became as cold as the sky in leafbare.
"Yes, that is my name." Nightrage meowed, "Your son needs to be punished."
I need it, I need it. To see the life fade from those golden-orange eyes. I hate those eyes, those stubborn eyes, those mocking eyes. I'll tear them from that little head, and make him eat them himself. Yes, yes, eat up, little Black-kit! You won't see for the rest of your pathetically short life! Nightrage cackled at the words in his head.
"Listen, I'm not a cat that normally condones to violence." Nativebrush meowed, "As a warrior I'm rather passive. I'd rather talk things out, but you're a problem Nightrage. You've murdered several cats, and the way I see it you'll murder more if you leave here today…but I can't fight you to kill you."
"And I care little for your life." Nightrage sneered in reply. Nativebrush's eyes flashed briefly, but Nightrage couldn't tell what emotion had lit them up.
"You can turn back." Nativebrush meowed, "There is always a chance to wash your sins clean, if only you have faith in StarClan. Every cat deserves a second chance…stop your murderous ways and you can be a good warrior for your Clan. One that ThunderClan can be proud of."
"You'd let him go!" Black-kit squeaked. Nativebrush only turned a smile to the small tom.
"If you want to be pure, with all of your heart, then you deserve to have the chance to become pure." Nativebrush meowed, "Every cat makes mistakes, every cat takes a wrong turn. Never forget that Black-kit, no matter what awful things you may do if you forgive yourself, and let yourself be forgiven, then you will be good."
"I wipe the bad from this world!" Nightrage howled.
"No you don't." Nativebrush replied, calm eyes met Nightrage's, "You like the fear, you like the blood. That has tainted you, but you don't have to be tainted Nightrage. You still have a chance to atone for the wrongs you have done."
"I'll do so only in hell!" Nightrage launched himself at Nativebrush. The WindClan warrior did not make any move to dodge. Instead he ducked down, and darted underneath Nightrage's outstretched paws. Before the black warrior could react Nativebrush had slammed his hindlegs into Nightrage's stomach, and the black tom was sent sprawling.
Nativebrush was next to him before Nightrage could recover. Claws slashed viciously down his side, and Nightrage yowled in agony. He twisted away, and snapped at the WindClan warrior's paws. The cat somehow moved too quickly for him, and all Nightrage could do was click his teeth on open air.
The gray-brown tabby's paw slammed into his lower jaw. Nightrage yowled in pain as a snapping noise tore through the air. His jaw flared with agony, he was certain that the infernal WindClanner had broken it. Nightrage spat, and winced.
"Ooo, that's gotta hurt!" Black-kit yowled. Nativebrush glanced back at the piebald kitten and Nightrage slashed his claws down the warrior's side. "Dad!"
Nativebrush recovered easily, rolling away and popping up behind Nightrage. The black cat tried to whirl around, but Nativebrush had pinned the cat beneath his paws. Nightrage hissed, and went limp before hurling the tomcat off of him in a burst of energy.
"Are you okay?" Black-kit yowled. Nightrage darted at the kit, who yowled in surprise. Nativebrush halted in his attack just as Nightrage's claws met that tiny body. Black-kit struggled to get free, but Nightrage had his gaze fixed on Nativebrush instead of Black-kit.
That fear that burned in those ice colored eyes was potent. A different fear altogether than the fear one had for themselves. Nativebrush had halted, eyes frozen with that terror and pleading as Nightrage's claws hooked around that tiny throat. Black-kit made a choking noise, stopping when he became aware that moving his throat caused Nightrage's claws to prick the skin.
"So easy, to crush his little windpipe. Merely a twitch of my claws." Nightrage purred, "And then his life will be severed. The fear I see in your eyes…you know that tackling me will only cause his death. You know that standing there will only cause his death. You can do nothing, nothing but stand their helplessly and watch."
He rolled his shoulders, ready to tighten those deadly claws. Nativebrush hissed then, in a potently deadly voice, "Release my son this instant, or you will find your death Nightrage."
"Warriors do not kill in cold-blood." Nightrage taunted. "You care about your code."
"You are a coward." Nativebrush meowed, icy calm lacing his tone. Nightrage twitched his ears, and felt a flash of fury. Did this cat not realize how easily he could kill this little cat now? Nightrage frowned, glaring at the golden-orange eyes of that tiny tomcat.
Those eyes…right, he was supposed to tear them out. Nightrage flicked up his paws, pinned that small kit down with one, and slashed at those eyes with the other.
Before his claws met that small face they dug into the shoulder of Nativebrush. The tomcat had pushed himself between Black-kit and Nightrage in the instant he released the small tom. Nativebrush's eyes flashed coldly, and then his fangs clamped on Nightrage's throat.
Nightrage yowled, but the sound couldn't escape his closed throat. Nativebrush's fangs clicked together, and Nightrage could hear it, the sound of his windpipe as it was crushed. Slightly ironic, considering his hold on the tiny tomcat earlier.
There were no stars to greet him in death, only cold and bitter darkness…
Nightrage was shaking from the left over energy as he woke from his memories. The black tom twitched as he rolled over, and let the cold calm wash through him. His time in this dark place, he'd only hardened himself. No longer was he the insatiable monster that he had been in the forest…he could control his hunger. Make it come and go as he pleased. Oh he still wanted blood, but he had enough time to think things through now.
You were much more deadly, he had learned, if you plotted and planned ahead. Whiteface was a sobbing mess on the floor, having felt every emotion of Nightrage's as he had in those moments. The dark warrior sneered at the hopeless tom.
"You want revenge on the noble warrior?" Nightrage meowed, picturing Nativebrush's calm eyes, "But his death came…and by a cruel twist of fate."
"It did…" Whiteface hissed…
"You know…making evil is only a matter of manipulating current events. Lightning conjured from the sky, for instance, is not so hard a thing for a warrior of the dark forest. Nor is leading someone down a road of agony…" Nightrage whispered into Whiteface's ear. "If you will help me, I can make Nativebrush pay for taking your love from you…"
"How…how…" Whiteface whimpered. Nightrage grinned.
"Speak to Hollyreign, tell her that the whelp she has called Doomkit is cursed. Feed her paranoia, her broken heart, and then in the hour of her brokenness you can create her anew. She'll be yours again, Whiteface…all you have to do is convince her that the kit is a demon and the rest will unravel itself before our very eyes…" Nightrage grinned. His fangs glinted in the darkness, in his world. For he was evil, evil to the core now. No love for Junipersong, however twisted, remained here. Only the thirst for blood, and the need to bring those golden-orange eyes to him…the need to watch the light of hope vanish completely from their depths.
GAH! Literally spent like four hours on this! :3
I love baby Blackeh, he's so arrogant X3 He's my favorite, that little muffin...
I actually rather like how this came out. Nativebrush was TOUGH to do. I didn't want to make it look like he didn't care that Nightrage had killed before, but he's a firm believer in being...how do I put this...he thinks people deserve second chances but it's more than that...he believes that everybody is good, deep down.