Hey guys! I promised I'd be back! So this was split into two chapters since it was twenty one pages, so now you only have to read twelve! You'll get the rest tomorrow;)
w0ifpup: I'm glad you love it so much;) Yeah…. that was a mistake but I fixed it, thanks for letting me know!=) I won't be writing another warriors fanfiction, but I might do a few Harry Potter pieces. I hope you enjoy!
Chapter Thirty Five
*Silverwind*
The craze of battle is suffocating and I force myself not to think of what is happening, to react and act without thought. It makes it easier as my claws and fur become caked with blood, my own and the Dark Forest cats'. After the initial charge, I quickly lost sight of my siblings. My heart shattered when I realized it, I'd wanted to stay close to them, but regret does me little good now.
My silver shield is in full force, and sometimes it sparks out, knocking Dark Forest cats back right before they are about to kill friends of mine, Clanmates, or younger cats. A wolf fights near me, and I can see her eyes sparkling in interest as she observes my shield. I wish she'd pay attention to her fights, although her brute strength means that harm is unlikely to come to her. I recognize her as Allai, the wolf Frozenfang spoke so highly of.
Unfortunately, this is no time to chat.
A large dark gray she-cat appears in front of me, with cold dark eyes. I frown at her, hissing and spitting, trying to look ferocious. She laughs at me, and slashes, but my shield halts her paws. Blinking in shock she snarls angrily, and I leap over her, slashing at her back and slipping down.
She whirls around, hacking at me, but the shield flicks out and hits her, causing her to stagger, "Brat!" she snarls and I smile grimly.
"You attacked me." I mew coolly, and she growls in response.
She jumps at me, and is thrown back by the shield. A large black cat runs to her, golden eyes glittering in concern, "Wolfstream!"
"I'm fine Shadowheart." She spits as she rises, glaring at me.
They move in together and I fight both of them, the strain on my shield meaning they can land their blows on me. I move quickly, a whirlwind, dancing through their claws, wishing I had Frozenfang or Fallensnow with me. I'm dodging low under a vicious swipe when I see a familiar brown pelt.
"Silverwind!"
Wolfstream turns to Eaglesky, her expression amused. I can read her intent by her face and I growl a low, "No!"
She jumps at him, but my shield pins both her and Shadowheart to the ground, holding them there even as they struggle.
"Eaglesky what are you doing?" I hiss and he grins sheepishly at me.
"I came to find you." He admits softly.
I roll my eyes at him and mew, "Really? We're in the middle of a war here."
Eaglesky laughs loudly and replies cockily, "Well it's now or never right?"
I cannot help the laugh that sounds from my lips amidst the screams and shrieks. But I can feel the Dark Forest cats struggling under my shield and the strain is wearing on me, so I talk fast, "Have you seen anyone?" I demand and he nods quickly.
"My siblings, my mother, I think I saw your sister on the lake shore, Aunt Midnight's been around –"
"My brothers? Mother?" I ask, my voice cracking.
"I haven't seen them." Eaglesky admits and I feel my face fall, "But there's a lot going on I probably just missed them."
"Yeah…" I mew heavily, "Now stay here." I mutter, "I'm going to have to let them up, so be prepared."
As I let go of the shield, a third Dark Forest warrior attacks me, causing me to pull it right back up. I see Eaglesky fighting behind me, but I have to focus on the three uglies in front of me.
Somehow as I fight, I take in the state of the territory. Everything is covered in blood, and the ground is torn, fur and feathers littering it. The carnage of the war is everywhere and it makes my skin crawl.
But I keep fighting, forcing them back, and finally when I hear a high scream of pain, a righteous anger fills me and my shell sparks, trapping the three cats and causing them to wail. The run from me as soon as the shield lets them go and Eaglesky joins me, having disposed of his opponents.
"Other me is fighting hard too." He pants, referring to his power of splitting himself in two, "And it isn't going well there either."
"I actually think we're doing okay," I mew heavily, trying to get my breath back, "I mean we didn't expect this to be easy, did we? But we're holding our own."
"Yeah I guess." Eaglesky replies, "Hey did I tell you? Emberdawn got her fire power figured out. It's pretty awesome."
"So we have fire and storms going on in the forest? Fantastic." I mew dryly.
"Big picture here Silverwind." He replies with an eye roll and the half smile I've come to love.
"Ah yes, that is important." A voice drawls from behind us, and we whip around in time to see a cat flying toward us.
A scarred dark brown tabby lands lightly in front of us and stalks forward, cruel eyes sparking in delight. "How I shall please Lord Tigerstar with your deaths." He drawls coolly, making shivers of fear spread over my body.
Although I am afraid, my rebellious side sparks and I snarl, "And how we shall disappoint him because I don't see that happening."
"But I do think we'll please the Clans when we dispose of you." Eaglesky growls and we jump into battle smirking.
*Tinysun*
Yowls and shrieks fill the air as bodies fly. I've had one goal through this whole thing, and that's stay close to Owlswoop. So far, I've done well.
We're fighting near each other, her against an unnamed dark red cat, and me against a smoky blue one. I dodge and spin and spit, thankful for all those hours in the training hollow, practicing move until they became second nature. A few of them have saved my life several times in this last battle.
I don't know how long it's lasted, hours it must be, because dusk is upon us. As the light started to fail, StarClan made themselves visible, their glowing bodies acting as our light sources as well the fire and lighting that still fills the air.
I see Lightingstorm through the trees, my friend who is so aptly named, as a storm rages above him, and lighting fells our enemies at his command. Leaving a good slash on my opponent, I roll away as it shrieks and watch as it fades, leaving to wreak havoc on some other part of the territory. No longer are the territories divided in my mind, but instead they are one homeland that we must protect, and I have defended the moor just as fiercely as my forest home.
Remembering how Midnightstar always preached unity, I know I am there.
Owlswoop joins me, and nudges me beneath a tree for a moment to catch our breaths.
"I still can't believe it." I mew between pants.
"Believe what?" Owlswoop asks, continuing to look around for danger.
"About Lightingstorm and Emberdawn." Their names all I need to say to make my point clear.
Owlswoop shrugs unconcernedly, "It was obvious in retrospect. Besides you don't really think it's just them, do you?"
"No. There's some silver light thing for Silverwind and Frozenfang can –"
"Freeze stuff yeah. I actually found that one out by accident a while back but I always thought I'd imagined it."
"Understandable." I mutter, breathing normally for the first time in ages.
"Should we try and find Snakesayer?" Owlswoop asks, "Some of those cuts look nasty."
"No." I mutter nodding toward an ambush, "We need to help."
No more words are said as we run into the battle, joining a few wolves that were walking by. Jumping into the fray I grab a random Dark Forest warrior by the scruff and pull him away, slashing and battering his sides. We grapple, but he is clumsy thanks to the wounds he received from me, so I pin him quickly. He manages to throw me off, but a wolf lands on him and he crumples under the weight. I grin as it disappears and turn back to the battle.
Soon the cats scatter, and Owlswoop and I run after them, but I don't know if we are pursuing them to continue fighting or chasing them off. I catch a glimpse of my brother at Cloudcatcher's side, the two friends that are never far apart, and I call to Owlswoop before I peel away from the group.
I jump and flatten a cat that was sneaking up behind Cloudylight, battering it with furious blows. It lashes out at me, catching my shoulder and I roll off, hissing pain. Owlswoop jumps over me shrieking her rage, and a few owls swirl down from above at her cries, coming to her aid. Beneath their combined blows the cat disappears.
Struggling up, I find Cloudylight still fighting, back to back with Cloudcatcher. Cloudcatcher's ears are shredded, but blood covers half of my brothers gray pelt. Fear rises in my and I attack the Dark Forest cat from behind, Cloudylight laughs when he recognizes me, and under our paws the cat flees.
"What happened?!" I snarl, hating that he looks even worse up close.
"The war." Cloudylight replies in a duh tone, "And you don't look too fantastic yourself."
"We need to get you to Snakesayer!" I say, shaking my head.
"I won't leave Cloudcatcher." Cloudylight replies.
"We should bring him anyway." I mew, remembering the cat's wounds. We turn to see the white warrior standing over the fading body of his opponent.
"What next?" Cloudcatcher asks us with his classic sarcastic gleam present in his eyes.
"Snakesayer." I reply, "You guys look like shredded meat."
"Have you taken a nice long look at yourself?" Cloudcatcher jokes as Owlswoop appears at my side.
"Been a bit busy." I reply as the two sibling look hard at one another.
"Have you seen Flamewish?" Cloudcatcher asks, the teasing light gone from his eyes.
"Not since we charged." Owlswoop replies, suddenly shaking. Cloudcatcher looks away and I can see his body tremble.
"We'll look for her after Snakesayer." I mew gently and the two siblings nod slowly.
Moving quickly, we fight our way to the lake shore. We're trapped in a few more spats before we can make it there, but luckily none of the Dark warriors are very well trained. We stagger toward the small spit of land across from the half bridge where the medicine cats have set up camp.
"StarClan!" Snakesayer hisses when he sees Cloudylight, surging forward and sniffing the wound, frowning at my brother.
"Why didn't you come here as soon as this happened?" Snakesayer demands.
"Uh war." Cloudylight replies and Snakesayer's eyes narrow.
"You're lucky." He mutters, "I expect the adrenaline has dulled the pain but you're going to be in lots of it when this is over.
"If it's ever over." Cloudcatcher mutters. Snakesayer ignores him, instructing us to lick off the blood from my brother's pelt while he makes a poultice. Once that's done, he applies it and some catchweed to keep the poultice from rubbing off. The he tends to our wounds, bandaging up Cloudcatcher's ears, Owlswoop's cuts and my shoulder. Then he pushes herbs at us, saying that they are for renewed strength. We eat them quickly under his stern gaze to avoid his suddenly Jayfeather-like wrath.
Flashes of light catch our attention and cause us to look to where Lightingstorm's emerged from the forest. He's battling hard against a matted tortishell while Moon Beam hangs at his side, trying to help the fight. A cream cat is sneaking up behind him and Snakesayer tenses as soon as he sees her.
"NO!" he snarls, even as she springs, going straight for Lightingstorm's back. I'm certain my friend is going to fall and I watch frozen in horror. Suddenly the earth shakes, convulsing, and a hill springs from the ground the middle of the cream cat's path, she slams into it, crumpling against it and rolling down to the ground.
Lightingstorm looks around, as his opponent has stumbled, and comprehension dawns on his face when he sees the cat. He finds Snakesayer's eyes and mouths thank you.
Snakesayer nods grimly, still visibly shaken, but we have no time for soothing words, because more Dark Forest Warriors appear and we have to run out into the fray to prevent them from attacking the injured. As I fight hard beside Owlswoop, I pray that Flamewish is okay. We won't be able to look for her after all, and I know Owlswoop is afraid that her sister will revert back into her old skittish fear. I pray that my friend will remain strong as I dodge blow after blow, landing as many as I can.
*Hailstreak*
"Where is he, where is he?" Moonrise shrieks as I roll out of the way of an attack. The warrior crumples from an unseen force and I know Moonrise has got him.
"Who?" I ask, as there are currently many "he's" in the vicinity.
"My idiot brother!" She snarls.
"He's fighting that matted tortishell." I reply, as I leap on another warrior that is shredding a small she-cat.
"It was Mapleshade!" Feathershine cries from behind me and Moonrise curses. "He was protecting Moon Beam."
"Of course he was!" Moonrise snarls, sounding uncharacteristically bitter.
"I don't understand." I mew as I watch my opponent run after the nasty bite I gave her. "I would have done the same for you."
"We swore we'd stay together!" Moonrise wails angrily and I sigh.
"You can't control a battle."
"He promised! How are we going to protect him now?"
"Go find him then!" I reply, turning to face the sound of her voice. She becomes visible in the opposite direction I'm looking and I growl in annoyance as Feathershine sighs.
"But I…."
"I understand Moonrise." I mew gently and she nods hesitantly. "Go," I continue, "Please."
Tears glittering in her blue eyes as she nods and whispers, "I'll find you. I promise." Moonrise turns and Feathershine smiles weakly at me before the sisters run, tracking their brother's path.
I whip around, not wanting to be caught unawares and start prowling through the trees, looking for someone to help. In the shadows of a large tree I see the newest apprentices huddled together, three Dark Forest warriors bearing down on them. Frowning in confusion and anger I take off running. A few owls join me, flying over my head and screeching their angry calls. A wolf is drawn by the sound and covers the distance easily, snapping through one of the Dark warriors as if it didn't exist. I leap on another, leaving the third to be bombarded by the talons of the owls.
My fury and need to protect the apprentices drives me and I funnel my anger into my fighting, barely even shocked when the cat disappears under me. Still though, guilt finds me as I remember what Brackenfur told us before the battle.
"Kill them if you get the opportunity, because they will kill you or anyone else. But you should know that when you do, you erase their memory from existence. They are simply gone."
I turn abruptly to the apprentices in an attempt to squander my guilt. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be on the island!"
"We know!" Twilightpaw snaps and I frown angrily at him.
Swanpaw is crying heavily and Swiftpaw mews, "The Dark Forest attacked and the mentors told us to get off. We did what they said."
Fear and disgust wells inside of me as I mutter, "The elders… the kits… and queens…"
"We think they're okay." Swanpaw mews, her voice choked with her tears.
"They have to be okay." Twilightpaw snarls.
"We have to get you somewhere safe…" I mew while Swanpaw starts to wail again.
"Dawnpaw!" Twilightpaw snarls, "We lost her in the confusion!"
"We have to find her!" Swiftpaw demands.
"No." I mew firmly, "You'll die, and I'm not exaggerating." I look up at the trees as an owl chirrups. "You'll have to climb up. It's the only place safe."
Twilightpaw opens his mouth to argue and I snarl, fluffing my fur out, "Get up the tree! Now!" They make no more protests and I wait, watching them until I'm satisfied.
"Can you stay here?" I ask the wolf who has watched the exchange with a frown.
"These enemies of yours," he barks in his burly voice, "are truly evil. In the wolf wars – when we have them – we never touch the innocent or elderly. It is against the codes, against nature and honor."
"They have no honor." I mew before I run through the trees.
Night has truly fallen now, and the storm above has grown, so that the heat lighting provides some light, as well as the fighting StarClan warriors. It is in this feeble half-light that I see Flamewish stumble. My heart flies into my throat in fear for my friend as I watch a spiky-furred mottled gray cat bearing down on her. I remember our first battle moons ago as I race to her side, knocking the cat out of the way. He snarls furiously, going for my throat, but Flamewish leaps up, and we fight together.
The cat's moves are almost erratic, but all of them are deadly. I get cut by him more than I have been all battle, and Flamewish wrenches her shoulder after falling from a hard hit. I pull him away from her by the scruff and start to shred the cat. He throws me off and I land hard, but suddenly I'm being helped up by Bluemorning. Snowflower stands protectively in front of her daughter as Flamewish struggles to her paws, wincing at the pain in her shoulder. The cat is about to attack, when he staggers, staring at Snowflower in shock.
"Snowfur?" his voice is full of disbelief, and the white warrior blinks slowly.
"I – no – I …." she's stammering, confusion brimming in her eyes as the cats stares at her, and Bluemorning's face seems to hold confusion as well.
"Snowflower!" I snarl and she snaps back to life.
"Who are you?" Snowflower demands and the cat bristles.
"Thistleclaw! Curse StarClan!" He mutters spitting out a curse, "It isn't enough that they killed you, they had to reincarnate you too! And you don't even remember me!" He spits at the ground as we stare at him, our mouths hanging open.
Then from the mass of chaos, a cat appears – a large dark tabby with wickedly long and sharp claws. I know the description only too well: Tigerstar.
"Well old mentor," he mews cruelly, "You've found her at last. Was it the reunion you were expecting?"
This cat – Thistleclaw – glares openly at Tigerstar. "Don't you have a leader to be killing?" He spits and Tigerstar nods causally.
"I do, I do. And I think you have someone to be killing as well."
We all tense as Thistleclaw balks, "What?"
"Loyalty to The Place of No Stars must be everything. Nothing else can be higher, can stand in the way. Prove your loyalty to me. Kill your mate, as you said, she doesn't even remember you."
My fur crawls in confusion as Bluemorning pales and Flamewish snarls. Thistleclaw stares at Tigerstar, not uncomprehendingly, but with deep hate.
"I gave you everything." Thistleclaw mews in a low voice, "And this is how you repay me?"
"Do it!" Tigerstar snarls as Snowflower gasps.
"Thistleclaw!" She staggers, shaking her head as Bluemorning runs forward to catch her. "Wh-what?" her eyes are clouded and I move forward, shielding her in her weakest state.
Thistleclaw walks toward me, and I tense, he leaps at me and I slash out, but he bites hard into my shoulder and throws me away. Flamewish runs to my side but I shake my head, "Help them." I gasp and she runs back to her mother and aunt.
Thistleclaw has stopped in front of Snowflower. "Join me and we shall resurrect our love."
Snowflower recoils from him and she growls, "Never! As both Snowfur and Snowflower. No, because I have a mate and kits that I love very much. No, because you are evil, twisted, and brutal, and never the cat I thought I loved. I should have listed to Bluefur."
Pain flashes across Thistleclaw's face as he growls, "Fine!"
He lunges forward, going for Snowflower's throat, but Flamewish barrels into him, knocking him sideways. Bluemorning leaps on him as well, and the two shred him while I stagger closer to Snowflower.
"Snowflower are you all right?" I ask, trying to catch her eyes through the screaming.
"Yes… I…" she looks at me, her eyes still confused and for a moment it is as though someone else is looking out from her blue eyes. She staggers, and I catch her, groaning as her weight falls against my injured shoulder.
Abruptly she straightens and stands, "I'm fine." She mews steadily before she stalks to where her sister and daughter are fighting Thistleclaw.
"Thistleclaw!" Her voice is sharp and brisk and halts the fight. "Leave."
The cat looks at her for a moment, and then he fades away. I gape in shock, but turn to Flamewish.
"What just happened?" My friend asks while I shake my head.
"Not important. I've heard that Snakesayer is out here…"
"We should find him then." Flamewish mews as she winces, glancing around to see her mother and Bluemorning talking in hushed rapid voices. She catches her mother's eye and turns back to me, nodding as if to say I'm ready.
We stagger through the battlefields, hugging trees and avoiding skirmishing pairs, fighting when we must. I'm dodging a younger looking warrior when Flamewish tenses, and snarls in fear. Glancing to her, I see her running at a fighting pair, a huge tabby that resembles Tigerstar and…. Squirrelflight.
Knowing my friend's intent I act quickly slashing hard across my opponent's chest and causing them to stagger away. I run toward Flamewish, watching the fight fearfully.
Squirrelflight screams, "This is for Brambleclaw!" and dodges down, slashing and ripping at the tabby cat's stomach, he screams in pain, leaping back and then hits Squirrelflight hard with one of his huge paws.
"Foolish girl!" He roars, and lunges down.
"Flamewish no!" I scream, tackling my friend at the last second, pinning her as she tries to struggle, even though it is too late.
The ground surrounding Squirrelflight is stained in blood, the circle growing ever larger. She is gasping heavily for air, although the wound to her throat makes her struggles fruitless. Flamewish is wailing, cursing me, but I ignore her as the cat turns to us, the cat I must assume is Hawkfrost.
Growling low in his throat he makes his way toward us, and I spring off of Flamewish, slashing my claws down his face, leaving him to shriek with rage and pain as I move away from Flamewish.
"MOTHER!"
Suddenly Lionblaze is next to me, and the senior warrior fights hard and brutally. I attempt to help but he nudges me out of the fight and I limp back to Flamewish.
Squirrelflight's breathing has stilled, but her image stands above her ruined body, next to a large tabby, much like the one I had attempted to fight, except his golden amber eyes are warm.
"I must assist Lionblaze." He mews gently, leaving our small group.
Flamewish is sobbing incoherently as Squirrelflight's ghost speaks gently to her.
"I'm sorry." I mew, my voice tight, when Flamewish falls to the ground, her slight body racks with sobs.
"Why?" Squirrelflight asks softly. She looks down at her old apprentice and mews, "I would die a thousand times over to keep her and this Clan safe. And Hailstreak, I have been so tired now, for so long… Besides," she smirks slightly, "Hawkfrost has not gotten rid of me. I can and will still fight."
I nod in confusion, my head still spinning from talking to a dead cat, and pull Flamewish up. As I try to balance her, Frozenfang appears in front of me.
"What happened to you?" He demands, his eyes wide with alarm.
"Too much to explain now," I mutter, "I have to get her to Snakesayer."
"I think he's down by the lake… what… oh…" his eyes fall on Squirrelflight's body and sorrow paints his face. "Maybe we could take her to him…?"
"I think it's too late." I whisper, hoping Flamewish can't hear us over her tears, "Besides… it's almost like she was… relieved at being dead…"
"I've heard that she went into a depression after Brambleclaw was killed and never really recovered. I suppose… at least they're together now." Frozenfang mews sorrowfully.
"Yeah…" I mutter, wondering how I'd feel if Moonrise died, and immediately understand what Squirrelflight meant when she said she had been so tired.
Frozenfang accompanies us to the shore, and whenever a Dark Forest warrior even comes close, they freeze at once. Once we're with Snakesayer, Flamewish is passed over to Littlecloud and Snakesayer looks at my shoulder and deeper cuts. He fusses over his brother next, muttering under his breath, but I notice that he is shaking and his nerves seem shot.
"Hey you use thyme to calm cats right?" I ask and Snakesayer glances at me impatiently.
"Yeah, why? Do you need some?"
"No," I reply, "But I think you do."
Snakesayer scoffs and Frozenfang starts arguing gently with him, trying to get his brother to take some herbs. Looking out over the battling cats I see Moonrise, for some reason not invisible, fighting with her siblings. Then I see the cat sneaking up on her, sneaking up to kill and the air vanishes from my lungs.
Adrenaline fills me as I move without thinking, running, moving to save her because I can't live without her…. And without a second though, I throw myself back into battle.
So what did you think? I hope they didn't sound the same and the fighting wasn't repetitive, it's hard to keep making up scenario's.
Also I loooove writing fight scenes with powers, that's going to come up soon, hopefully you guys like it!=)
-Quote: "And though you will not wait for me, I will wait for you." ~Passenger, Patient Love.
Review please!
~Midnight