Moonpaw sneered as she watched the two lovebirds from a distance. If Echopaw and Breezepaw actually fall in love, maybe the trap would be easier...
But she could tell that Echopaw was beginning to realize a portion of Operation Break, and she had to regain their trust fast. At least Bracken trusted her. The silver tom was highly loyal; maybe worthy enough to join the Black Sun. She could even admit she had a small liking to Echo's scrappy brother, since his qualities were admirable.
She and Bracken stopped nearby a tree to wait for Echopaw and Breezepaw. After a brief period of silence and an awkward shuffle of her paws, she spoke. "How do you feel about Echopaw and Breezepaw? You know, like, a thing?"
"Oh, I..." Bracken twitched his tail uncomfortably at the subject. "Moonpaw, I don't think that the two of them are a thing, because Echo told me this a few days ago. She likes Breezepaw, but she told me that she's not ready for a serious relationship just yet. I'm just going to support her for who she is."
Moonpaw groaned inwardly. Bracken must know! He's Echopaw's brother! But before she could interrogate the silver tom anymore, Echopaw and Breezepaw finally caught up. "Let's go," Echo meowed. "Evil never sleeps, and neither should we."
She gritted her teeth in annoyance. Echopaw's smart...maybe too smart. Looking up she saw one of her master's spies hiding in the bushes, waiting for a signal from her. With a few lashes of her tail she told the spy, Echo's onto me. Trap us and begin Operation MX.
The spy then gave a signal that meant he acknowledged her orders and would round up their forces. Moonpaw smiled inwardly. It feels good to be bad, she thought.
Now to do her part.
Echopaw and Breezepaw were in the lead, casually chatting, but she needed to talk to Echo. She came up to her pseudo ally. "Hey Echopaw, can we have a talk?" she asked.
Echopaw looked surprised and the two of them cast suspicious glances at her, but the midnight-black she-cat whispered something to Breezepaw and the brown tabby tom walked away.
"Well?" Echopaw asked crisply, obviously tense. "What do you need to talk about?"
Moonpaw sighed. "Look, Echopaw...I just wanted to apologize." The she-cat looked confused. "I know I have been acting a little...different lately, but it's just because of something that happened. Old wounds, that is. And what we're up against."
Echopaw tilted her head to the side quizzically. "Wait, what happened?"
She slowed her pace and sighed. Recalling the memories from the kit's past, she continued. "I'm concerned for Breezepaw. And something else."
"You see, something happened to Breezepaw's parents. He never speaks of it, because it's a story we don't really focus on. But it happened a couple moons before you came into the IceClan camp. And there's something you don't know. His father was a rogue. Breezepaw's mother was my mother's sister. That's how we're cousins."
"But what makes the story so tragic?" Echopaw inquired.
Moonpaw felt a small wave of frustration but put it down. Act like the real Moonpaw, mousebrain. "We knew about Darkness and his followers before you arrived. At that time there were only stories about what they called the Black Sun-that was the group that the evil spirit commanded-and ultimately led to the death of Breezepaw's parents. My cousin's scarred for life. Both mentally and physically. He was just a little over a moon old and scented his parents. Breezepaw fell right into this trap the Black Sun made, and left him for dead. We found him, but he received a scar from it. It's really bad," she confessed.
Echopaw was solemnly silent for a few minutes, but then continued. "So what's the 'something else?'"
"I miss home. I miss being me," Moonpaw explained sadly (though she secretly was indifferent about the conflict). "My mother is back home in IceClan and wonders where I am. And I never got to say goodbye, just in case..."
"No, Moonpaw, please don't say that," Echopaw begged. "We are going to get through this together." She paused. "And if you need to tell me anything, I'll always be there. We'll always be friends."
Moonpaw fake sniffled in order to keep up the act. "Th-thank you, Echopaw-"
A battle yowl came from ahead. In its lead was the spy Moonpaw saw earlier. She smiled with glee. The Black Sun came.
"Ram'or!" The leader cried and rushed into battle, with his comrades close behind him. Moonpaw instantly "attacked" the leader, but fought with her claws sheathed. He swiftly pinned her down and scratched her mercilessly. "Vi Kelir urcir laam," he growled. Moonpaw nodded curtly. He knocked her out with a hit to the head.
"Moonpaw!" Echopaw heard Breezepaw cry. She grimly continued to fight her opponent, but he began pulling back with the others. "Tok'kad!" the chief ordered, and the enemies were out of sight in a flash.
Where's Moonpaw? What happened to her? Echopaw thought urgently. Though there may be something wrong with her, she was still one of her closest friends.
"Over here!" Bracken yowled urgently. Echopaw rushed to his side. Moonpaw lay unconscious, with blood oozing from the scratches the chief gave her. Breezepaw immediately began licking the silver she-cat's wounds as quickly as he could. A rush of worry went through her. Moonpaw doesn't look too good. Were the enemies that attacked us the Black Sun?
"We need to get help, and fast," Echopaw meowed quickly, and Breezepaw and Bracken nodded in unison. "I saw another Twolegplace nearby. Maybe there's a fellow kittypet that can help us. I'll check it out."
After touching noses goodbye to her brother and Breezepaw, she set out. A small chill rushed through her spine after a breeze blew by. Looking back at the sun she realized that the sun was setting. We need to find help, and fast.
Looking ahead in the distance there was a group of Twoleg houses. But by judging the distance from where she was and her destination, she knew that by the time she reached Twolegplace it would be nightfall. Echopaw groaned wearily. She continued to walk miserably to the urban place. Personally she didn't think that Twolegplace was bad, but remembering one of her previous adventures in the city made her reluctant to return. She smiled as she remembered the memory:
Echo was tired, hungry, and completely miserable. The last complete meal she ever had was a big collection of scraps from the garbage can. But remembering her mother's comforting voice encouraged her to keep on going. To bring hope to others.
"Hey!" A voice called from above. "Who are you?"
As Echo looked up a plump tabby kittypet stared at her curiously with with eyes.
"Most importantly, who are you?" Echo asked wearily, jumping up onto the kittypet's fence.
The kittypet licked a paw casually. "I'm Rose," she mewed. Inspecting Echo's thin frame, she sniffed with concern. "You look half-starved! Would you like to have some food?"
Echo nodded, too tired and hungry to say no. Jumping off the fence into the Twoleg den she began to realize it might be a mistake. No, she thought. Rose is a really nice cat, and you need the food.
She pushed away her thoughts and eagerly followed Rose through the "doggie door" she went through.
A few high-pitched barks came from a fluffy white dog. Echo flinched, but realized that the strange animal was trapped in a cage. Twolegs are dumber than I thought, she thought with a small smile.
"Hey, wild cat!" Rose meowed. "The food's over here." She gestured to two small bowls filled with milk and a pink substance. Echo sniffed the pink stuff thoughtfully. Was it...fish?
"Come on, eat it! It won't hurt you," Rose teased gently.
Echo gave a playful roll of her eyes and began to eat the gooey pink stuff. It was surprisingly good despite its looks and she enjoyed the warm, delicious milk that came with it. "Thanks," she managed after she finished the meal.
"Anytime." Rose smiled kindly. "You can sleep here too, if you like."
At first Echo hesitated, but she was so sleepy she agreed. As she got comfortable in the fluffy bed, Rose spoke up again. "Hey, can you tell me your name?"
"My name's Echo," Echo murmured as she felt the drowsiness sink in and fell asleep.
A jolt woke her up from the peaceful moments of sleep. Echo yowled in terror as she realized she was behind bars. She tried biting the wire, but it was no use.
"Don't struggle," Rose mumbled miserably. "We're going to the vet."
"The what now?" Echo was so confused and afraid.
"We're going to a vet, a pet doctor. And both of us have to get fixed."
"Fixed? What does that mean?" Echo began to panic.
"I don't exactly know what it means, but I heard stories about it. There was this cat named Henry, and he went to the vet to get fixed. He came back fat and lazy, and never was the same again."
"Please, Rose!" Echo begged. "I think you know how to get out."
Rose sighed. "Yes, I do, but I'm never going to leave my Twolegs. But I can get you out."
"But what about you? The vet will-" Echo began.
"Echo, please trust me. I knew that you wouldn't stay as a kittypet, but I'm going to."
The strange box that they were in came to an abrupt stop.
"We're here," Rose breathed.
Behind Echo heard a click and light began flooding in. A male Twoleg stared at them with blank, expressionless eyes. He grabbed the handles that were above the cages and brought them to a strange house. The Twoleg then opened the door to reveal sqawking birds, barking dogs, cats, and small mice-sized animals that Echo heard Rose call "hamsters."
After that Echo heard several voices of Twolegs lead them into a room. It was mostly white with some papers glued to the wall. Geez, Twolegs don't make any logical sense whatsoever, Echo thought. The Twoleg she thought was the vet unlocked the cage and carried Rose onto a sheet of paper. Then Rose's owner and the Twoleg vet left to talk privately leaving the door partly open.
Rose quickly ran to Echo's cage and unlocked it after a few tries. "Now go!" She hissed urgently.
Echo began to run, but before she ran out the door she turned to the ginger kittypet. "Hey Rose?"
Rose looked at her with wide eyes. "May StarClan be with you," Echo meowed.
Looking at how far Twolegplace now Echopaw saw a nest that looked strangely familiar. The sunset was almost finished and remembering Moonpaw she ran quickly to the strange house.
"Hello?" Echopaw meowed cautiously. "Is anyone here?"
"Who's there?" Another voice called in the semi-darkness.
"Um, one of my friends are injured and we were wondering if we could stay here for a few days?" Echopaw asked nervously.
"Come closer," the voice ordered, and Echopaw abided. Looking up she saw a face she hadn't seen in a long time. In the light the voice turned out to be a cat with a white paw and a dappled ginger pelt.
Both cats gasped. "Rose?" Echopaw asked hesitantly.
"Where is the spy I sent out earlier?" Darkness demanded to Chieftain. "And have you found where Fulcrum's wherabouts are?" The spirit paced in its cell with agitation.
"My lord, in an earlier transmission the spy told me he knocked Fulcrum out because she asked for Operation MX-" Chieftain began.
"No, no, no!" The evil lord snarled. "Why would my apprentice do that?"
"Well, the spy also told me that Echo was onto her..."
Darkness growled with annoyance. We were so close to capturing Echo and her lousy friends, and then my apprentice orders for Operation MX? Even if Echo was onto her, we didn't need another setback! I was a few days close to my revenge, and now I have to wait a few weeks!
"Go now, Cheiftain," he snapped. "And never question my orders again, or else you WILL pay."
Darkness could sense Chieftain's fear as he replied, "Yes, my lord," and left in a hurry. After the useless cat left he banged against the walls in rage. The sinister presence remembered from a previous report that the trio received their gifts from Snowstar. That gutless excuse of a warrior is actually becoming a threat, it thought. Looking at the small cage that he trapped that fellow Peacemaker, the one he had possessed for thousands upon thousands of years-until she had scarcely a life force to begin with. The dark she-cat inside the cage groaned and raised her head to look at the spirit. "Wh-who are you?" Her voice was cracked with dust and age. Her vision is still foggy.
"Why, don't you remember me, Peacemaker?" Darkness gloated. He practically spat the word Peacemaker. "After all of these years...
"Echo?"
The Peacemaker's eyes rounded in surprise and fear. "No...no, the Dark Echo," she mewed, fear making her voice high-pitched. "You were dead-you are weak!"
"I think you got that wrong, Echo," he snarked. "You are the one that is weak. I absorbed almost all of your life energy-must have been those nine lives. Don't worry, I saved you half of one. And I'm making sure that you are part of my amazing plan. You see these four young kits right here?" He asked, showing Echo a picture of the questing cats inside the cauldron. "You see...you are the bait, and you are the center of the plan! Echo, I'm making sure you're the special snowflake. After all, Flame was the one who got all of the attention after you and I were exiled."
"You talk too much!" Echo growled angrily, swiping her claws at the spirit.
"Again...wrong!" He laughed. "It seems like you need to be taught a thing or two. Spirits like me are almost invincible. Anyway-"
Echo glared at Darkness. "Mouse-brain! Those young cats, along with Snowstar-"
"Snowstar?" Darkness chortled. "Just because Snowstar is my all-powerful equivalent doesn't mean that she is going to help! That weak cat put her trust and her power into four young kits to save the world! Now," the spirit snapped. "be gone."
A purple haze crept around the Peacemaker. "Yes, my lord," Echo replied in a monotone voice. The dark she-cat's eyes grew heavy and she went into a soft doze. The dark spirit smirked.
Oh, Snowstar can't reach me here! After all of this is over, she is going back to StarClan where she belongs, Darkness thought.
"We shall meet again, Snowstar," the spirit cackled. "We shall meet again."