Blood flew everywhere. Even his vision was full of blood. Red was all he could see as he tore into cat after cat. It was the bloodiest battle he had ever known. Blood stained his white coat, and his blue eyes were bloodshot. Blood dripped from his jaw and his claws, signs that he had killed and would continue to kill.
Maelstrom tore into the flesh of the cat in front of him. It was a weak cat, unworthy of living. He wasn't even sure which cat this was. During his time spent with the Clan, he had not bothered to learn the name of each and every cat. Only a few names drifted through his mind, and this cat's was not one of them.
He threw the now deceased cat down without a second thought. It was easy for him. This was written in his blood. He found his next victim easily, and he began to tear into the cat. He could easily recognize the cat, but the name slipped his mind as easily as his claws slit the tom's throat.
Around him, he could see his companion's easily being able to defeat the Clanner cats. Mackerel was holding up with Twister by her side. Jenner, Jaci, and Jessie battled together, a trio that could not be stopped. Shackle battled alone, his strength able to defeat every enemy. With these cats by his side, his family, Maelstrom knew they would win.
Maelstrom's thoughts suddenly snapped away as he was tackled to the ground by a silver she-cat. He snarled, and the fighting began again. The tear of flesh and the spill of blood came again and again, the she-cat relentless. Finally, Maelstrom hooked his claws into her throat, and the pale tom tore open the silver cat's throat. As he whipped his paw away, blood flew off his white paw and spattered his face.
His blue eyes caught sight of the moon. He had just noticed that it was full, and the light illuminated the battle. It was a long battle, and still going. The Clanners fought hard, but they fought harder. Maelstrom was confident, and he how this would all end and he just hoped he was making the right choice.
Throughout the battle, his eyes had searched for a black pelt. Of course, he knew he would never find the cat. Why would she be out here in the danger? She would be tucked away, safe and unharmed. She wouldn't have to see him kill, again and again. She wouldn't have to watch as her friends and family all fell around her.
Once again, he was abruptly thrown out of his thoughts by an attacker. With all of his strength, Maelstrom threw the attacker away, and growled at the cat as he lashed out with his claws. He stared straight into the eyes of his attacker, and froze mid swipe. The green eyes of the cat looked familiar, and he was thrown to the ground. A black she-cat stood above him, and he was barely able to choke out her name. "Shadypaw?"
The she-cat growled, but said nothing. The anger in her eyes made Maelstrom flinch, and he backed away from her angry glare.
"Shadypaw, I'm sorry, but you need to go right now. You can't be out here. It's not safe. You'll get hurt." He could see blood was dripping from the black she-cat's ear, from where he had lashed out at her.
She hissed, and suddenly she wasn't Shadypaw anymore. The black she-cat was replaced by a cat of a different color, and the rogue's strength came back to him as he flung himself at the cat. This time, it was hard to kill the cat. She kept flickering back and forth from herself to Shadypaw, and Maelstrom kept hesitating in his attacks. Eventually, however, he managed to send the cat to StarClan, never to return.
He turned to find his next target, his next victim. His eyes caught sight of a nearby cat, and just as he was about to charge, his ears were pierced with a terrified scream. He looked around, eyes wide, expecting to see Mackerel or Jaci on the ground, but he was not prepared for what he saw.
A black lump of fur was splattered with blood, barely standing. A hulking shape of grey was looming over the black cat. Shackle was prepared to take the final blow, and Shadypaw looked ready to fall over dead.
The medicine cat caught his eyes, and they were pleading. She mouthed something to him, and he immediately understood. "Help me, Sleetpaw."
The pale tom rushed forward just as Shackle lifted a large grey paw. He slammed into the grey tom's side as hard as he could manage, and the larger tom stumbled for a moment. He looked down at Maelstrom, and for a moment, the pale tom thought he looked confused.
"Sir?" the grey tom finally mustered. "Sir? Sir, I apologize, but this needs to be done. This she-cat ruined your life, sir. She no longer belongs here."
"No, Shackle. She belongs here. She deserves to be here more than you and I. Hurt her, and you hurt me." Maelstrom narrowed his eyes. Shackle would never hurt his master, right?
"Very well, sir." However, Shackle still moved past Maelstrom, and headed straight for Shadypaw, who was still frozen, unable to move.
"Shackle, stop!" Maelstrom threw himself at the large tom, latching himself to Shackle's back. "Stop!"
Shackle continued forward, as if he did not even notice Maelstrom's claws digging into his back, or the pleading in the voice of the pale tom. He continued forward, even when Maelstrom began to tear away flesh and blood from his back as his claws ripped and ripped, again and again.
Maelstrom was eventually thrown from Shackle's back as the grey tom grabbed Shadypaw in his jaws. He flung her away, and Maelstrom watched in horror as the black she-cat hit the ground with a sickening thud.
"No. No, no, no, no." Maelstrom leaped to his paws and charged forward. He pushed Shackle away with a strength he did not know he had, and crouched next to Shadypaw. "Shadypaw, are you- are you-?"
One green eye blinked open, then another. They were wild with fear, but they were still open, and relief washed over the pale tom. "Shadypaw, I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen, I swear."
"I-I believe you, Sleetpaw. I believe you, b-because I believe that the cat I fell in love with is still there somewhere. I believe you, because somewhere in my heart, I never stopped loving you, no matter what I had said," the she-cat rasped.
"Hush, Shadypaw. Don't speak. I-I'll have us retreat, and you will be healed, and everything will be alright. Do you hear me? Everything will be alright," he choked. Maelstrom buried his face into the she-cat's bloody fur. "I'm sorry."
Shadypaw smiled. "I know. I'm sorry Sleetpaw. W-will you tell me one last story?"
The tom looked at her confused, and then it clicked. She was a medicine cat, and she knew she was going to die. This was her last request, and he would give it to her. He nodded slowly.
"There were once two cats. One was a Clanner, and one was a rogue. The rogue joined the Clan under a false name, and lied to everyone. He met a she-cat in the Clan, one who was friendlier than the rest of them. She was smart, beautiful, and kind.
"Every day, the two cats spent their time together. The rogue would tell the Clanner stories, and the Clanner would delight the rogue with her presence. They were best friends, and they were happy as long as they were together."
Maelstrom looked deeply into Shadypaw's eyes, which were beginning to close. "Soon, the rogue found himself falling in love. He did not want to admit it, for he had planned terrible things. He and his rogue friends planned to destroy the Clan, but many thoughts made him not want to. However, he could not back down, so one day, he left."
His voice began to choke as he told the story. "He told the Clanner that he loved her, and she loved him back. It wasn't until the rogue revealed his true intent that the Clanner broke his heart. He was a shattered tom, and still he loved her with all his heart.
"Then came the battle, when all the rogue could think about was the Clanner's safety. No one else mattered to him, not even himself. When the she-cat was on the verge of death, he told her their story. The last story he ever told her was them, and when she closed her eyes for the last time, she was at peace."
Shadypaw's eyes were closed, but her breathing was still there, very faint. "Sleetpaw, thank you. That was exactly what I wanted. I-I love you, Sleetpaw."
Maelstrom swallowed a lump in his throat. "I love you, too, Shadypaw. Sleep well, and I will see you in StarClan." He gave her a nuzzle as the black she-cat's breathing stopped, and he turned to Shackle. "We're leaving, now."
With one last yowl, Maelstrom left the Clan camp, and never looked back.
AN- 1549 words.
Ah man. D': That was depressing.
I think I butchered Maelstrom a LOT, but I just couldn't help myself. This had to be done. AUs are my favorite.
Instead of losing his eyes, he lost the other half of his heart. Ah man. ;-;
This is for you, Shim. I hope you're happy.