0^0 Challenge completed.
This fic is dedicated to Umbreon at Dusk, my bestest buddy here on the FFN. ^.^ Happy birthday, Brother!
This is probably going to be the only Warriors fic I'll ever write, because I am dedicated to my Pokémans to the fullest extent. :3 But that shouldn't stop you from leaving reviews. I'm a massive attention whore, so if you don't I'll probably have to send the Asian Mafia after you.
(-_(-_(-_-)_-)_-)
X3 See what I mean? You've been warned.
Enjoy!
Dawn slowly crept over the green earth as the sun gradually climbed the horizon, bathing its cold leaf-bare light over the vast, wide moorland now known as rogue territory.
Cats lay sprawled just about all over, resting contentedly as they dreamed of the revolt, whiskers twitching with delight as they became engrossed in their wicked desires.
Among the massive throng of sleeping cats, the first to awake was a muscular, thick-furred gray tom with darker flecks on his pelt. He screwed his deep golden gaze up to the waxing daylight with a wince; he knew what would ensue today, and he wanted no part of it. Not anymore…
Disheartened, he clambered up to the top of the nearest hill, staring out into the forest that lay just a few tree-lengths away, his heart truly torn two ways. He could smell the border now; the Clan scent consisted of a few cats who had awoke just a few moments before, compiling their markings to form one massive wall of musk. Though, among the usual scents of the Clan that was once his home, there was one rank scent in particular that flooded into his nostrils, making his heart quicken in remembrance.
"Ravenpaw…" he murmured, ear twitching.
Just saying her name filled him with memories of his kit-hood, and all of the good times they'd used to have before he had to go.
"Whoa…!" the tiny black kit squeaked, staring in awe from the entrance of the nursery as the alpine snowflakes fell from the sky. It was almost like StarClan themselves were coming down from the heavens to greet her. "What is it?" she asked.
"I dunno," The small brown tabby kit shrugged. "Let's attack it!"
"Let's not," gray-flecked kit declared. He cautiously dipped his petite paw into the pool of white that lay just beyond the nursery. It felt cool under his paws at first, but in a few heartbeats the cool feeling became a stinging freeze, and he quickly held his paw to his chest. "It hurts when you touch it for too long…"
"Nonsense!" the tabby kit retorted. "It's soft, like a kittypet's pelt!"
He dipped his wide, dark paw into the snow, purring as the leaf-bare crystals turned to water underneath. "Maybe mother knows?"
He ran back into the nursery, and soon returned with a slender, pale brown she-cat whose whiskers twitched as she purred to the curious kits. "Mother, what is this?" the gray kit asked.
"Kits, this is what the Clans call snow," she explained. "It falls from the heavens every leaf-bare just for us." she glanced back down to the jet-black she- kit beside her, who stared at the falling snow in amazement. "Ravenkit, your mother was named after this snow," she meowed, and the kit's blue eyes glowed with wonder, murmuring her name, bright with a new understanding. "Snowfoot…"
The pale queen nodded. "Because of her white paws," she went on. "Just like yours."
The small she-kit's eyes glittered in wonder, and the tiny gray kit couldn't help but admire the way her sapphire eyes shone in the dappled leaf-bare sunlight.
"Woodtail, what are you doing?" A large silver tabby asked, stalking over to meet the group. "It's barely dawn; shouldn't you all be asleep?"
"Good morning, Sootface," she purred as her mate approached. "I was teaching our kits about the snow."
The broad-shouldered tom stifled a mrrow of laughter as he eyed the kits mischievously and asked, "Do you all really want to know what the snow is good for?" he asked, leaning in to the three kits.
"Yes!" the squeaked in chorus, each prickling with excitement. His amber eyes darted left to right, as if what he were saying was a secret. Then he yowled, "Gobbling up kits!"
The gray-flecked kit squealed his fright, backing from the snow with horrified eyes.
The brown tabby eyed the snow dubiously. "I don't think so," he ventured. "It probably couldn't even catch a mouse!"
Woodtail purred. "You don't need to be afraid, Duskkit." She shot a stern look to the gray tabby. "Your father may be deputy, but he's got all the maturity of an apprentice."
The large tom shrugged innocently. "Sparrowkit isn't afraid," he meowed, trying to justify his joke.
"Neither was Ravenkit, but that doesn't mean what you did was right," Woodtail replied, this time more sharply.
"Alright, Alright. I'm sorry, Duskkit." He touched his nose to the kit's head. "I didn't mean to frighten you."
The night-furred she-kit bounded over to Duskkit, prodding him with a dainty white paw. "Don't be scared," she mewed. "See? It doesn't even fight back!" she pounced into the snow, purring as she romped around to prove her point. "It's really fun. Try it!"
Sootface set his gaze back to Sparrowkit, who was jabbing at the snow curiously. "Go on, play in it – the snow will do you no harm. But if you start to feel too cold, you get Woodtail, okay?"
Sparrowkit nodded and Ravenkit pounced at him immediately, batting playfully with her sheathed claws. The two tumbled around in the snow happily, and Duskkit immediately felt a prickle of envy. Why did Sparrowkit get to have all the fun?
He glanced up to his mother who nodded in return. "Have fun," she meowed.
With that, Duskkit joined into the fray, nipping Sparrowkit's ear as Ravenkit leapt onto his tail.
The snow was cold under his paws as the three kits tumbled around, but after a few moments it became tolerable. In fact, he thought it was fun to romp around with his den mates. He decided then that he liked the snow, but glancing up to the black she-kit who had just pinned him, he decided that he liked Ravenkit even more.
He sighed nostalgically at the memory. That was the only time he could remember being that happy; that was just before a rival clan invaded their camp, his wall of comfort falling in around him until the day he was apprenticed—then exiled. That's when it all went downhill…
"Good morning, Dusk!" came a voice from the base of the steep hill. A larger dark brown tabby tom approached with amber eyes that reflected all the warmth of green-leaf within them. "I thought you'd be asleep by now."
"Good morning, Sparrow," the grey tom meowed back, his tail twitching. "You're awful cheerful this morning," he observed.
The tabby rogue sat beside his littermate, purring. "How could I not be? We're finally taking back what's rightfully ours from those mangy warrior cats!"
"You do know that just a few seasons ago, we used to be 'mangy warrior cats', right?" Dusk asked.
Sparrow's tail lashed. "We were different," he meowed. "They had no moral sense of justice. We were the ones righting their wrongs for them when we were apprentices until it became 'immoral'." He rumbled a low growl to himself. "If you ask me, they were the immoral ones. I mean, how is killing another cat against the warrior code when we were only killing the fox-heart who killed Woodtail?"
"I don't know…" he shrugged. "But I don't think it changes things." He then got to his paws to stretch his long limbs. "I'll see you later; I'm in the mood for a hunt."
"Okay," Sparrow mewed briskly. "But be careful out there—Huntress took a patrol to persuade the Clans to surrender their territory to her without a fight… They laughed in her face, but I'm pretty sure they're stepping up patrols just to be safe."
Dusk nodded. "I won't go far. I just need a little time to clear my head."
As the grey-flecked tom pelted down the hill and toward the swath of forest land just ahead, Sparrow called, "If you need me, I'll be over in Huntress' den. Err—to see if she needs help!"
Dusk shook his head, a fond purr rumbling in his throat. His littermate's affections toward the brash, golden-pelted rogue had been no secret. He had been padding after her since the day he'd brought her home to their old den. He could still remember the small, frightened she-cat who had come to them in search of fresh-kill and a warm place to shelter from the bitter cold of leaf-bare.
Letting her stay had been a wise choice for the two rogues. Huntress had grown into a strong, fearless, powerful she-cat in the many seasons, and no cat dared question her loyalty to the motley band of cats she'd recruited to help her overthrow the Clans. Any cat who was mouse-brained enough to do that would not have lived long enough to tell the tale.
An icy shiver ran down Dusk's spine as he thought of the first time he'd seen her kill another cat. It had been her father, a long-bodied smoky black tom named Crowflight. She claimed it had been revenge for leaving her mother to die at the hands of a badger, but a small part of Dusk had always told him that it was merely blood lust and her need for power, to be respected and feared by all cats, that urged her to end her father's life. Crowflight had disrespected her kin, and she had punished him severely for it, plain and simple.
At first it rattled the grey tom, for her to be so ready to take another life, but after a while Dusk could see that he had no reason to question her motives. She had obviously never forgotten their kindness toward her when she was alone and needed them most, and she had kept them by her side through everything she'd accomplished in that time.
It almost made Dusk glad she was the cruel, sadistic cat she was. His days of sleeping out in the open and hunting on foreign territories would soon be behind him. Soon, he told himself, those fox-hearted cats would have to beg him to let them stay in the forest.
Dusk glanced up, blinking confusedly as he noticed he was now under a canopy of thick trees, crouched under a bramble bush. Had he been that deep in thought that he didn't even realize how far into Clan territory he had wandered?
He crouched lower, pressing himself into the earth as the pungent odor of DawnClan lingered, bringing along with it four white paws, followed by several sets of smaller ones. He assumed they were apprentices being assessed by a warrior; but a stronger, more fragrant scent flooded his senses. The scent made his heart quicken, and instantly he knew who this cat was.
"Ravenpaw…?" he ventured. Even though he'd been outnumbered four-to-one, he knew if it were truly her, she wouldn't hurt him. He just knew it.
The sets of small paws quickly came unsheathed as they stopped, and Dusk waited tensely for a response that seemed to string out for moons. "…Duskpaw, could that really be you?"
Dusk squeezed out from under the bush, blinking with familiarity as he came face-to-face with the jet-back she-cat, her blue eyes glittering with an immense excitement that she tried visibly to hide. "Oh, Duskpaw, I thought I'd never see you again!" she reached up and nuzzled his cheek, purring loudly as he nuzzled back. "So much has happened since you left—"
"Who's that, mama?" a small ginger she-kit squeaked, scrabbling up to sniff the grey tom's full-sized paw. "…He kind of smells like us."
"I don't care who he is," another dark tortoiseshell she-kit growled from behind. "He's on DawnClan territory—now he has to be punished."
The third kit stood behind his mother, not saying a word as he stared past the lithe gray tom with distant eyes.
"sheath your claws, little ones," the dark-pelted she-cat chastened lightly. "Duskpaw is an old friend of mine. He's coming home to us." She turned to him, her eyes hopeful. "You are coming back with us, aren't you?"
Dusk shook his head. "My place is no longer with DawnClan," he said, ears flat with a tinge of regret." I'm sorry, Ravenpaw…"
"It's quite alright," she meowed, her tone slightly dispirited. "All cats must follow their own path in life. I understand that." She flicked her tail. "And my name is Ravenwing now."
"Right, you're a warrior," Dusk mewed, embarrassed. "And are these your kits?"
Dusk felt a pang of malice strike his heart at the thought, but tried to push it away. He had no right to be jealous of another tom for taking her as a mate when he knew he was a rouge now, and the two could never be together.
There was a beat of silence between the two of them for a heartbeat before she spoke. "Oh, yes!" she replied with gusto, though her eyes seemed distracted, fixated on something that Dusk was unaware of. "This is Specklekit," she mewed, pointing with her muzzle to the tortoiseshell she-kit who glared back with icy blue eyes like her mother's. She then touched the dark ginger kit on the head with her tail. "And this is Flamekit." The kit seemed more intrigued in Dusk than introducing herself, but flicked her tail in acknowledgement as her mother spoke her name. Finally, she wrapped her white-tipped tail around a taut, smoky-gray, almost black kit with vibrant yellow eyes that pierced Dusk with an air of disdain. "This is Crowkit. I named him after his father, C—"
"Crowflight," Dusk mewed, releasing a breath he hadn't known he was holding.
"Yes," Ravenwing meowed. "He died the night they were born, and I gave Crowkit that name in his memory." She tilted her head to one side, inquisitive. "How did you know?"
"I know his daughter," he lied coolly. "From a litter of his before yours."
Ravenwing's tail swayed. "I bet she was devastated when she found out that he died."
"She was," Dusk meowed, nodding. "Ever since then, she's never been the same."
The slender she-cat noticed the flash of distress in his eyes and asked, "Is she… your mate?"
He tried making sense of her expression as she spoke, but it was perfectly unreadable, her eyes guarded. "I have no mate," he replied. "But I wouldn't put it past Sparrow to settle down with her one of these days…"
Again she glowed. "How is Sparrowpaw? It's been so long since I've seen either of you, and you've grown so much! The three of us really should catch up sometime."
Dusk's ear twitched. Did she just suggest breaking the warrior code just to see him?
"Well, maybe not tonight," she went on, "Tonight's the gathering. I'd probably be—"
Dusk felt an icy shiver race up his spine. "Promise me you won't go tonight," he meowed urgently, cursing himself inwardly for letting his affections overtake him.
"What?" Ravenwing was taken aback. "Why? Is something the matter?"
Her kits stared wide-eyed at Dusk, and he made an effort to avoid their gazes. Had Sparrow or Huntress been there to witness that, he would have just lost his place by their sides.
"Nothing's the matter," he mewed. "Just… be out of the forest tonight at moonhigh. A-and bring your kits with you."
The slender black she-cat brought her tail over her kits and pulled them closer to her. "Have you heard an omen?" she asked. "Because if you're asking me to abandon my Clan when they would need me most, then I'm sorry, but I won't do it."
Dusk sighed. If only Crowflight showed this much loyalty to his kin… "There's no omen," he meowed, trying to think of a logical alternative. "It's just that… I wanted to see you again, and since I'm a rogue now and you're a warrior, I thought you'd turn your back on Sparrow and I."
Her ear twitched, dubious. "Why would I do that?"
"DawnClan hasn't been all too friendly with us after… what happened when we were apprentices," he replied hesitantly.
Ravenwing touched her nose to his shoulder, purring. "All you had to do was ask, you stupid furball."
"And if you had said no?" he prompted.
Ravenwing's purring became louder. "I wouldn't have."
She pulled away, glancing from her kits to Dusk and back. "It's time we left," she mewed, getting to her feet. "Goodbye for now, Duskpaw."
Dusk winced at the name. His name was no longer Duskpaw—it didn't fit him, seeing how he was no longer an apprentice of the Clans. But he didn't have the heart to correct her; the name made him feel like a kit again, filling him with warmth he'd forgotten in these last cold moons. He decided that as long as he was with Ravenwing, he didn't care what she called him. "Goodbye," he called to her as they left. "And don't forget, no cat can ever know of our meeting—it'd mean both our tails."
The slender she-cat twitched her tail in response, but gave no reply. Once Dusk was sure she was gone, he heaved a heavy sigh. He couldn't believe he had caved in so easily for a she-cat he hadn't seen seasons. He knew Huntress wouldn't be pleased with his decision. He decided he would keep it to himself.
Though, what rattled him so badly about their meeting were her kits; all three shared Huntress' feisty temper, and the tom-kit who had glared him down bore a great resemblance to the tom she'd murdered last leaf-bare.
He remembered all the times she'd described her heavy hatred for the tom; all the times she'd told him that Crowflight had ruined her life. She'd been scarred so badly that she still had nightmares about the day she was mauled by that badger, crying out for his help as he turned tail and fled. He didn't blame her for hating him. In fact, if he had known Crowflight at all, he would probably have hated him, too.
But Crowkit had nothing to do with that, and Dusk feared for the young kit's life. Huntress had vowed to expunge every last cat that was even remotely in league with the traitorous tom, and I'm sure being his son—who bore an uncanny resemblance—would be more than an excuse to take him down.
He glanced up to the sky, sending a silent plea on the wind. Please…! Don't let Huntress harm those kits!
"Gather, my fellow rogues!" The golden-pelted she-cat yowled, leaping onto a fallen tree's stump that lay in the stretch of land just before the forest territories. Her pale green eyes flickered over the mass of about thirty, maybe forty cats that stared up at her from below, hanging on her every word. "Before we begin, I have something to say."
Dusk and Sparrow sat on either side of the tree stump, proudly basking in their hierarchy. Their generous offer to take her in all those moons ago came a long way in terms of trustworthiness. She trusted them more than any other cat they knew with intensity that no other cat could even hope to surpass. They wouldn't do a thing to tarnish that kind of credibility with such a powerful cat.
Dusk felt a shudder ripple his pelt as he forced his bristling fur to lie flat in front of the other rogues. He'd done something to tarnish that credibility. All for a she-cat who had managed to tug at his heartstrings.
Though, a small part of Dusk didn't regret helping them. Not at all. He knew deep in his heart that what he had done was the right thing to do. Those kits shouldn't have to die because of their father's mistakes. And Ravenwing shouldn't have to suffer either for not knowing.
He could only imagine how Huntress would react if she'd found out that her father had taken another mate after her mother's death. He knew it wouldn't be pretty.
Her mother was a touchy subject for her, and neither of the three of them dared bring it up. Though, Dusk could sympathize how she felt. Her mother died saving her life, and soon after, the rest of her kin turned their backs on her to join the Clans. Something so cruel could turn any cat bitter, but the look in Huntress' eyes when she talks of her family seemed… creepy. Like an intense hatred that she made no effort to hide. Their deaths had not affected her in the way Dusk thought it would. Instead, it made her feel powerful, as if she knew then that her choice in life had not been the wrong one.
StarClan, she needed help…
"…And I will lead the rest of you into the camp on the eastern half of the forest." Huntress' meows had broken him from his stupor.
At first he felt a prickle of distress over having been lost in though and missing her speech, but then he'd remembered that Sparrow had taken the liberty of filling him in on her plans earlier after spending the entire morning in her den.
Dusk was glad that he didn't have to admit to Huntress that he hadn't been paying attention; every cat knew how hot-headed she was, and he doubted she'd take it so lightly on the night of the revolt.
He sent silent thanks to StarClan for letting him avoid such a predicament, but then remembered that StarClan probably didn't want his thanks to begin with…
"We are taking back the forest today," Huntress went on, "it has become apparent that those pesky Clan cats do not deserve it. But neither will you, if you flee." Her tail lashed. "As most of you know, if there is no loyalty, there is no trust. If there is no trust, well…" her unsheathed claws scraped against the stump to make her point. "My lieutenants know of this, and I trust them with every last hair on my pelt, as they trust me."
Dusk noticed that her lashing tail made contact with Sparrow's for the briefest moment, and both cats stiffened. That's bound not to end well, he mused.
Dusk stared out into the night sky, pretending not to notice as her head whipped around to meet his gaze. "What about the leaders?" he asked.
"We have over forty cats invading a forest with a population of less than twenty. What about the leaders?" she retorted. "If there are any real flaws in my plan, you can count on me to take them down."
Her eyes flashed with something unfamiliar to Dusk, but he guessed he could tell what it was: Blood lust.
A voice yowled from the rear of the massive throng of cats. "StarClan is on their side! How can we overpower a force like that?"
"StarClan are helpless against us," she replied confidently. "All they can do is warn their petty Clans that we are coming."
"And they can tell the Clans how to defeat you," came the rebuttal. "It's been done before!"
Huntress' eyes hardened, and she glared the tom down. "Are you suggesting that I might have weaknesses?" Her voice was dripping in venom.
Dusk craned his neck to see the tom who had been brave enough to challenge Huntress, but could see nothing. He had probably been crouched somewhere in the rear between two larger cats. Dusk wondered.
The rogues fell silent. Even the forest seemed to be holding its breath as she stared at the rogue tom with an intense malice that Dusk had only seen when…
Uh-oh.
Sparrow tried to stop her. "Huntress—"
Too late, her muscles bunched as she sprang into the cat, clearing the distance with a mighty leap. Cats below gaped in awe as she soared over their heads, and as the tom tried to scrabble away she landed square on his back, finishing him off with a bite to his neck as if she had just finished off her prey.
She raised her head, blood dripping from her muzzle as she meowed, "Let that be a lesson to the rest of you." Her eyes flicked coldly over every other cat in the small clearing. "Don't you dare question me, my capabilities or my loyalty! I'll shred you all to mouse-dust!"
Frightened mews rippled through the cats, and one she-cat whispered, her voice barely audible. "She just killed Coal…!"
There was only one reason a cat would be named 'Coal'. He must have had a dark pelt, just like Crowflight's. An icy chill seemed to float by as she marched wordlessly back to her stump, rogue cats parting to let her through with bowed heads.
"Let us depart," she ordered swiftly, and the cats divided themselves into the groups that Huntress had described.
They stalked through the woodland without a word, without a sound, and the tense atmosphere made Dusk feel anxious. He knew he'd fall into another reverie and fail to pay attention. He had to force himself to keep his mind blank, but the second he caught wind of the Clan scents, his mind dwelled on the beautiful black she-cat that he'd met in that very locale just this morning. It captivated him to the point where he hadn't noticed Huntress motion for the cats to stop and nearly bumped into her.
Annoyed, she flicked his ear with her tail, and pointed with her muzzle where she wanted him to wait. Luckily, it was right between her and Sparrow, and he crept forward to get a better look at the clearing ahead.
Two cats sat upon two opposite-facing branches of a mighty oak tree, its tallest limbs reaching almost as high as the stars. The other Clan cats sat below, watching as the two leaders spoke. Dusk had to strain his ears to hear what they were saying.
"…And MistClan has not scented it since then." A large, golden-brown tom with dark tabby marks spoke. His voice boomed regally, and Dusk was betting he had been named with some variation of 'Lion' as a prefix.
The Lion-like leader's expression turned grave as he spoke again. "I also bring bad news to this gathering; bad news for both the Clans…"
Sparrow tensed, and Huntress' claws came unsheathed. They knew we were coming, Dusk thought with a wince.
"…Past leaders of my clan have come to me in a dream," he began. "They said, 'Beware of the night. Sun and moon will collide and shroud the world in darkness…" His voice shook. "'Without our past, there is no future…'"
The clans below mewed anxious murmurs to one-another, and soon they were yowling and scrambling madly around the clearing. The leaders tried to calm their cats, but their fears had been too great. They milled around anxiously, and for a moment Dusk thought they looked like mice.
"Do we attack now?" Sparrow asked.
Huntress grunted. "Wait for the signal."
"Signal? From the Clans?" Dusk chimed. "How will we know what the signal is?"
The golden she-cat glanced up to the night sky that was barely visible beyond the trees. The moonlight was slowly waning, and no cat seemed to notice in their panic.
Wait…
Why was the moonlight waning? Surely there had to be an explanation to this madness? Dusk wondered. He studied the night's star-studded pelt, and instantly he knew what the signal was. "An eclipse!" he gasped.
Huntress nodded.
"Eclipse?" Sparrow echoed, confused. "Is he another rogue?"
"No, he's not a rogue," Dusk explained. He had heard of them from kittypets who were trying to explain the concept to their friends one night. "Apparently, it's when the sun and the moon align and—the omen!"
Again, Huntress nodded. "Clan cats are ignorant to the world around them, always worrying about their precious warrior code and being too busy obsessing over Clan loyalty." She snorted. "Too wrapped up in themselves to be able to see beyond their noses. As the world goes dark, we'll attack and have the advantage until their shock dies down a bit." Her paws kneaded the ground as she stared up into the sky yet again. "Not long now…"
As Dusk studied the mass of cats that'd burst into a full-on panic, he noticed the other Clan leader trying to calm his cats, keeping his temper composed as they blatantly ignored his calming words. His breath nearly caught in his throat as he whispered urgently to his littermate. "Sparrow—it's Sootface!'
The dark tabby gasped. "F-father?" he mewed.
Huntress gave no reply. It was obvious she didn't care much for bonds of kin, but the look in her eyes gave Dusk the feeling this night wasn't going to end well for either of them. She might have been envious because, unlike her and Crowflight, they were close to their father. She may have been paranoid and thought they might leave her to be with their father again. Dusk didn't know. But his heart twisted viciously as the moon disappeared and the land went dark, prompting Huntress to leap out at the horrified cats with a furious hiss.
The band of rogues followed suit, their eyes wild with the light of battle, and in a heartbeat the clearing was descended into chaos. He and Sparrow exchanged a look and instantly they knew what the other was thinking. They pelted out from their grassy cloaks and joined into the fray, fighting their way to the mighty oak. When they got to the base, they found that the tree was bare, but its bark was scarred with claw-marks just about all over. Dusk's blood ran cold.
He searched wildly for any sign of Huntress or their father, and noticed a trail of blood that lead just a ways away into an empty locale of the clearing, almost shrouded by a few mislaid trees that lay close to a denser part of the woodland. There, in the center of the scene, Huntress and the golden-brown leader fought.
They tussled on the ground violently as Dusk and Sparrow watched with horrified eyes; Huntress fought with all the strength of TigerClan, and it didn't seem like the older Clan cat was winning. She quickly pinned him into the ground with a painful thud, and reared her paw back to slash at his throat with her unsheathed claws. She didn't even wait for him to die. She turned and leapt at Dusk and Sparrow, flying over their heads as they flinched to land on another cat that was standing behind them.
The grey tabby screeched in response, shoving her away from him with his wide shoulders. She spat, leaping at him again and falling into a locked battle as they thrashed at each other on the ground. Neither cat could move a muscle, they were so horrified. Never had they thought they would ever betray their leader for any cat—not in nine lifetimes. But now all Dusk could thing about was grabbing her by the scruff and biting down until she no longer moved.
He knew it must have been hard for Sparrow in particular; he was practically in love with her. But he also loved his father immensely. How could he stop her?
He wanted to throw his head back and wail as Huntress reared up on her hind legs and tackled their father, parting her jaws to bite at his neck.
They were too late to act, and before Dusk knew it, he had stopped moving. Sootface was dead.
Dusk immediately ran over, not caring if Huntress approved or not, and pressed his nose against his father's unmoving flank. Sparrow watched on with misty eyes.
"You…You killed him…" Dusk mewed, his voice shaky.
The feral she-cat panted in response, a trickle of the grey tabby's blood still on her lips. "You had a choice to make: loyalty to your kin, or loyalty to me." Sparrow curled his lip in the makings of a snarl, but said nothing as she continued. "You both made the right choice."
Dusk didn't move; he didn't think his legs would move at all. Is this what he was getting into when he leagued with Huntress?
Had he known it would come to this, he would have left her out in the cold that leaf-bare.
Though, despite the whirring of his mind as he became dizzy with grief, he could have sworn that for just a heartbeat, his father's flanks had heaved, just slightly. Huntress had turned away apathetically. "When you're finished mewling like a kit, you can find me with the others…" And with that, she was gone.
"Duskpaw…Sparrowpaw… You've come back…!"
Dusk glanced down to the seemingly motionless body to see that the gray tabby was staring up at them with amber eyes filled with enough love to make up for all the moons they had been apart. Sparrow bounded over at that same instant, nuzzling his father's thick grey pelt. "We thought you were dead!" he yowled.
"I was," he meowed back, getting shakily to his paws. "Didn't you two learn anything as apprentices? Once a warrior becomes a leader, he takes on the name 'Star' and receives nine lives from StarClan. I just recently became a leader a moon ago."
"We were barely six moons old when we'd been exiled," Dusk mewed. "We didn't know much of anything as apprentices."
Sootstar gave no reply as he stared at his two kits, forcing his eyes to harden. "Why have you come back?"
Sparrow didn't respond right away and Dusk knew why almost immediately. Sootstar knew they were in league with Huntress.
"Err, we came back. To rejoin our clan," Dusk lied. "We heard that you were leader now, and wanted to apologize for doing what we did."
"We really thought what we were doing was right at the time," Sparrow chimed perfectly.
There was a moment where the thick grey warrior sat rigidly, motionless, but he quickly refuted. "If you're on our side, then perhaps you could earn a spot in your Clan again," he said. "Help us drive out these cats. Then we'll talk about rejoining the Clans."
"Where are you going?" Sparrow mewed nervously as his kin rose to his paws.
"Where do you think I'm going?" he snapped. "A loyal warrior fights for his Clan to the death; leaders are no exception…" he took off without another word, and Dusk couldn't help but admire his father's wise words. Sootstar had far more loyalty to his clan than anything else; an undying loyalty that far surpassed Crowflight's.
Then it became clear to Dusk why Huntress hated the Clans so much; she never had that sort of bond with her kin, where one would die for the other. The only cat who had proved her undying loyalty to her was Frost, her mother who was now didn't think the Clans weren't deserving of this forest; she could care less about the territories. What she really wanted was every clan-born cat dead.
An icy shiver ran down Dusk's spine as the thought crossed his mind; all this time, they'd been fighting for the wrong cause. Innocent lives were being taken for her own bitterness.
Then the thought of four innocent cats crouched somewhere in search of an old friend made his chest tighten and he took off in a panicked hurry, Sparrow chasing confusedly at his tail."Where are we going?!" he yowled as he struggled to keep up.
"The kits!" was all he managed to say before he picked up speed, his paws thundering into the earth as if he were a warrior of TigerClan themselves. His paws instinctively brought him to the eastern half of the forest, nearly face-pawing when he realized it was the DawnClan camp. The thought hadn't occurred to him until he realized that the Clan had gotten its name for the way the sun rose above their territory consistently. He parted his jaws to taste the air, hoping with all his heart that Ravenwing and her kits had left the camp just as he'd asked.
His heart wrenched again as he noticed a defiant young kit scrambling out of the nursery, his claws unsheathed as he ran up to the nearest rogue cat and challenged them.
That rogue had been Huntress…
She stared at the kit with wide eyes filled with horror, and he was guessing the flashbacks were coming again. He waited desperately for the night-pelted DawnClan queen to claim Crowkit and escape, but no cat came and Huntress' lip curled back into a snarl. She stood rigidly as she asked the kit a question, her words inaudible over the chaos that ensued simultaneously.
The smoky grey kit nodded, his eyes dark, and Huntress whispered something else that Dusk couldn't hear. The kit's eyes stretched with terror, and Huntress meowed something that he could hear more clearly. "And now… I'm going to have to kill you, too…"
Sparrow had finally caught up, gasping as he caught wind of what about to happen. Before he could say anything Dusk leaped onto her back, trying to get a firm grip as he set his teeth into her neck. She flew into a blind rage at the sudden betrayal, hissing and spitting at the tom as she tried to shake herself free.
Dusk scraped at her flanks with his hind claws and the kit managed to scrabble away just as he was sent flying into a nearby tree. His back collided with the bark painfully and he hit the cold earth, his body in shock from the force of the blow.
Huntress' green eyes seethed with malice and her voice was low, hostility hot on her breath. "Of all cats, I never thought you'd be the one to betray me…"
Dusk was too afraid to say anything. His littermate watched on helplessly, and Dusk willed him not to intervene. If the Clans were going to lose the battle, he'd rather his brother not suffer a pointless death.
"Now you're going to die, just like Crowflight."
"Duskpaw…" came a feminine voice from further beyond.
Ravenwing was staring misty-eyed, as Huntress loomed over him. "No…" she mewed.
Huntress took no note of the she-cat as she reared her paw up to slash at his neck, just as she'd done to the Lion-cat.
But before her claws could make contact with Dusk's throat, Sparrow rammed into her side, bowling her over with all the ferocity of TigerClan. Huntress nearly gaped as the tabby pounced at her, but gave no delay as she retaliated with outstretched claws, catching him mid-leap and sending the two rolling around in the earth.
Dusk got to his paws as well, mustering the strength and the courage to fight alongside his brother. Together, they were an even match against Huntress, but she fought dirty. Every chance she got, she kicked dirt into their eyes, or lashed out at their throats as they neared. It seemed like they'd be fighting forever until a certain slender black she-cat attacked her from behind, grabbing Huntress' scruff and yanking her away from her old friends.
The golden she-cat stared at the two with a newfound hatred in her eyes, and both Dusk and Sparrow met her gaze defiantly.
"I thought you two were my friends," she snarled. "I thought I could trust you with my life!"
"Seriously? You tried to kill our father—how could be loyal to cruelty like that?" Dusk retorted.
"You didn't seem to care before you knew he was your father," she snorted back.
"That's because it was before we knew why we were killing these cats!" Dusk replied. "You only want their blood because your blood abandoned you—you only hate the Clans because they all have what you didn't: loyalty to their kin."
"Why do they get to be happy when I'm so miserable?!" she snapped over the hissing of battle. "Every dawn I wake to find that they're all gone—that she's gone. Why do they get to live their lives happily, when every day I wake up and wish the badger would come back for me?"
Dusk felt a tinge of sympathy for the ruthless she-cat, but he forced the words to come out of his mouth. "Killing them won't bring back your mother, Huntress." He growled. "And you're sick to think otherwise…"
"Say what you want," she hissed. "But believe me, I'll be back. And when I do, you'd better watch yourself." Her unsheathed claws dug into the cool earth. "If you don't, you just might find me at your throat."
The golden-pelted she-cat hurried into the forest growth, yowling for her rouge cats to follow suit. Reluctantly they all obeyed, snarling and spitting insults as they pelted away into the brush and out of the forest.
Dusk felt a shiver race up his spine as her tail disappeared into the darkness, but said nothing. He took note of his brother's distress and pressed closer to his flank for comfort. Sparrow was hurting, he knew, and he could only imagine the pain he was feeling after having to fight the cat that he'd looked up to and respected for so many moons.
He felt Ravenwing's pelt press against his opposite side and was immediately comforted, but he knew his brother wouldn't mend so easily. A broken heart never does.
"You did it…!" She said, her voice lowered to a whisper. "You saved the forest!"
The various cats of DawnClan began emerging from their hiding places. "Duskpaw…? Sparrowpaw?"
"They're back!"
"Duskpaw and Sparrowpaw have saved us all!"
Then it became clear to Dusk what the omen meant by 'without the past, there will be no future…' He and Sparrow were the past, come to save the future of the clans!
Just then, his father came bounding in from the woodland beyond, his eyes wide and panicked. When the silver tabby realized that the clearing had been emptied of all rouge cats, his head inclined at an angle. Though, he didn't need to ask what had happened in his absence; the whole clan's jubilant cheering had made it clear.
He marched up to the two rogues and touched his nose to each of theirs. "I'm glad you're back," he mewed, then raised his voice to the other cats. "I don't think these cats need to prove themselves to the clan any more than they have already, and I'm sure you all feel the same way." Yowls of assent followed their leader's words, and he turned back to the two toms. "You've both waited long enough—it's time I made you warriors of the Clan."
Dusk quivered with excitement from ear to tail-tip, and Sparrow stared proudly at his father. "We're ready."
Sootstar raised his muzzle to the sky, his voice raised to a thundering boom. "I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices before me. They have trained hard to learn the ways of our noble code, and despite their misguided path, I commend them as a warrior in their turn."
Dusk noticed what seemed like a flash of admiration in their father's eyes, but said nothing. Now wasn't the time to interrupt. "Duskpaw, Sparrowpaw, do you two promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"
"I do," Dusk mewed, forcing his voice to be steady.
"I do," Sparrow meowed back, puffing his chest with a burst of pride.
He touched his nose to Sparrow's head first. "Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Sparrowpaw, from this point on you will be known as Sparrowclaw. StarClan honors your strength and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of DawnClan."—he then touched his nose to Dusk's. "From this moment, you will be known as Dusktail—StarClan honors your courage and wisdom, and we welcome you as a full warrior of DawnClan as well."
The cats of DawnClan began to yowl their new names into the night sky. "Sparrowclaw! Dusktail! Sparrowclaw! Dusktail!"
Dusktail felt Ravenwing's warm breath against his ear. "Welcome back," she meowed.
He purred as she nuzzled his neck, and Sootstar's whiskers twitched. "As new warriors, you two must sit silent vigil to protect your Clan until dawn."
Both cats dipped their head, and as the others gradually departed to rest. After a few moments of silene, Dusktail noticed he had still been purring. He wanted to turn to Sparrowclaw and express to his brother how exited he was, but looking into his wide amber eyes, he could tell his brother knew exactly how he felt.
Dusktail stared out into the darkened forest, glad he wouldn't be asleep until dawn; he didn't think he'd be able to now. He glanced over his shoulder to see Ravenwing rounding up her kits for the night. One in particular, the smoky-grey tom who shot him a look he hadn't been expecting. The kit's vibrant yellow eyes shined with enough respect for an elder of StarClan as he traipsed by with a single nod of thanks, and instantly Duskatil was proud of himself.
There was a single, fleeting moment where the gray-flecked tom believed it was Crowflight who'd expressed his forgiveness, but that was crazy. It was clearly his son, Crowkit. And besides, Crowflight had been dead for seasons. He was probably up in StarClan, sharing tongues with the other great warriors. Either way, Dusktail was proud of himself; he'd redeemed his past and traded it in for a bright new future.
Maybe he wasn't proud of the things he'd done in the past, but looking around, he could tell that every one of these cats regarded him as family. This is where he was born. Where he was raised. He couldn't ask for a better 'd just wished Huntress could have found love like that with other cats.
But she did… she had found it in them.
He felt a tinge of regret for leaving things the way they had, but he no longer felt sorry for her. The cruel, sadistic she-cat that he had once looked up to now wanted his blood. But Dusktail wasn't afraid; not knew he had his entire clan standing behind them, and he believed with all his heart that regardless of whatever she would decide to do, he would be ready. They'd all be ready.
Together.
Again, Dusk, I hope you have an epicly badarse belated birthday. *Hands Dusktail plushie* ^.^
Also: Credit toSilverCascade14 for letting me use Huntress. :'3 I couldn't have asked for a better sociopath.
*Claps* Now that that's all out of the way o3o review?