A/N: So sorry guys for the long wait! I've been busy and I regret not posting this up sooner! Especially because of the cliff hanger from the previous chapter! I know you guys will really enjoy this chapter.
TheOtakuWeirdo: don't worry! You will find out Bluekit's fate in this chapter!
Stream that Flows around Rock: The Barenaked Ladies are cool! Yes, you are right about the prophecy part, but I never make prophecies so obvious. There is another meaning…
Guestpersonanonymous: well, your question will be answered in this chapter!
Foreststar of Windclan: I might save Bluekit, depends. Any who, Foxscar won't be exiled, and Stormclaw was the other cat mentioned.
Lilacfrost of Techno Tribe: no problem! Your story is amazing so far!
HalloweenSpell: thanks! I wanted to put the best cliff hanger I could and what better way than Bluekit's life at stake?
Amberstorm223: interesting guesses. I should've made the killer a cat nobody would expect like Applefrost.
Scarletpool: thanks! Also about your guesses, most of them will be answered in this chapter or later on in the story! I'm not accepting OC's right now, but thank you for the names! I might use them in the third book. Also, about another contest, I might do one at the end of the book.
The Spirit that Comes at Night: true, but doesn't every author love writing cliff hangers and hate reading them? I just couldn't help but finish the previous chapter without suspense!
ForeverMe19: I might let Bluekit live, I don't know if I should.
Brightcloud0915: true. Don't worry; you will really enjoy this chapter, especially the part with Foxscar and the battle!
BraveWolfScourge: I actually made sure it tied into the dream perfectly.
Random Rainbows (guest): you are correct!
Icefur (guest): no, Barkfang and Tigerstrike are friends with Grasswing while Stormclaw and Foxscar hate her.
Fav Fanfic (guest): sorry about the cliffy but I just couldn't leave the chapter dull at the end!
Willowtuft: thanks. Everyone is on the edge of their seats, waiting to see if I kill Bluekit (or let her live).
Andrea (guest): I wonder if Bluekit will survive…
Bob jones (guest): yep.
Ember wing (guest): sure! You can do that!
Enjoy this long waited chapter because I know the suspense was killing all of you!
Chapter 35
Grasswing strained her ears, running through the forest, nimbly dodging trees, and bushes. Bluekit's desperate wails got louder and Grasswing could hear the blood rushing to her ears. I can't let them get her! I have to change the nightmare's ending! "Grasswing! Wait up!" Applefrost called, far behind. "Go get help Applefrost!" She called over her shoulder.
"MOMMA! HELP!"
Claws scored down over Bluekit's throat, causing the kit to stumble backwards. Blood pooled around her as she collapsed to the ground. Coughing feebly, Bluekit gave one last breath before laying still. Foxscar smiled, pleased that the kit was dead. Now Grasswing will pay, he promised, slipping away into the under growth.
Grasswing shook her head. No, Bluekit was still alive and she was going to save her kit! Foxscar wouldn't kill the innocent kit! Would he?
Grasswing leapt over some bushes, the cries louder. She broke through some thick under growth to come to a clearing, well hidden near the edge of the territory. She barely had a few heartbeats to process the scene before her. Stormclaw had Bluekit pinned, Foxscar smiling wickedly not too far away.
"Momma!" Bluekit wailed weakly, struggling to escape.
"Bluekit!" Grasswing wailed, making Foxscar look over at her.
"Why sister, what are you doing here?" he asked coolly, acting as if nothing was wrong.
"Foxscar! What are you doing? Let go of Bluekit! You can't hurt her!" She wailed, begging her brother to listen. Foxscar chuckled, striding towards his sister.
"Let her go?" he echoed. "I don't think so. You see, I was meant to be in the shadows, living forever with a dark-filled heart. I should have been deputy!" he growled, his voice rising. "I was the normal one, father saw me as the perfect leader while, you, the FREAK, got everything I wanted!"
Grasswing stepped back, scared. "Foxscar, listen. Please understand that-"
"No! You will pay! I will kill each of your kits slowly and painfully, and then kill your mate. You will get to watch them as they die," Foxscar growled and Grasswing narrowed her eyes.
"Momma!"
"Quiet!" Stormclaw hissed, scratched Bluekit on the shoulder. The blue-grey kit let out a whimper, stopping her wailing.
Grasswing unsheathed her claws, narrowing her eyes at Stormclaw. She couldn't let Foxscar kill her kits. That was the dream! Foxscar would kill her while Grasswing would watch it happen. "No! I won't let you hurt my family!" she hissed, leaping at Foxscar.
The ginger tom snickered, side stepping. He scored his claws down Grasswing's side, making blood ooze from the wound. "Stormclaw, get her."
Grasswing, still stunned from her brother's attack, turned to face Stormclaw, only to feel pain flare through her face. Stormclaw towered over her, grinning as he pinned her down. She gritted her teeth as his sharp claws dug into her back. "Let me go!"
Foxscar slinked over to Bluekit, claws gleaming. The blue-grey kit had her ears flattened on her skull, shaking from fear. Grasswing wasn't going to let her brothers win. She twisted, trying to break free from Stormclaw's grasp. Knowing that Foxscar was going to succeed in killing her daughter, Grasswing slipped out of Stormclaw's grasp and turned to fight him.
His blood-thirsty eyes gleamed and Grasswing knew her brother was beyond saving. She attacked him, the blood trickling into her eyes from the scratch on her face, blinding her slightly. She shook her head, blood flying everywhere and attacked her sandy-grey brother. In a flurry of teeth and claws, Foxscar watched amused with little Bluekit wailing for her mother. Narrowing his eyes, he gave the kit an icy glare, making her stop the wails.
Scratches on her body began to weaken her and Grasswing knew that she might not be able to beat her brother. With one last piece of effort, she lashed her paw out, claws slicing through skin. She watched as Stormclaw dropped to the ground, blood pouring from his deep neck wound.
"S-Stormclaw?" she cried, shocked. The wounded tom let out a wail, blood pooling around his body before giving one last breath. Then his body lay still, making Grasswing gasp. She had killed her own brother! Her own brother!
Foxscar looked unamused. "We was weak anyways, even a kit could beat him. He was pathetic, just like you!" he growled and turned to face her once again. Grasswing could hear the pounding of pawsteps, knowing Applefrost was bringing help. "Your precious mate won't be able to save you," he snarled, stalking towards her. He kicked Stormclaw's body out of the way. Grasswing backed away, only to be barreled over by Foxscar.
Claws dug deep into her shoulder and Grasswing slashed at his face, only for him to dodge her blows. At last, her claws met his ear and sliced the left one pretty badly. Foxscar, unaffected by the injury, sliced her cheek. Grasswing tried to attack him but Foxscar took flight, just high enough so she couldn't reach him.
"Coward!" she spat and he swooped down, claws nicking her ear. Then he hovered once again, forcing Grasswing to figure out a new way to get him. The wings! When Foxscar swooped down, Grasswing was ready. She jumped up, claws snagging his wings. Yanking as hard as she could, she ripped out bloody feathers, causing him to screech in pain.
He charged, knocking her over and pinning her down. "Enough of this! I can't let a FREAK beat me!" he snarled, claws gleaming. Grasswing's green eyes widened, fearful about what would happen next.
"F-Foxscar, please! You don't have to kill me! I can step down and you can become deputy!" she begged and he shook his head, a wild and hungry look in his gaze. "You won't kill cats, I know!"
"You fool! Who do you think was responsible for all those deaths?"
"You killed those cats?"
"Finally you figure out. Mintnose, my first victim, why, he was too weak, always wanting to do hunting rather than fighting and thought he was the boss of me!" he growled, claws digging deep into his sister's shoulders. "Then there was that rogue, an ignorant tom who thought he was better than everyone else. I killed father because he was too blind! He told me love makes you weak and yet every night he longed for Pebblefall! The look in his eyes was priceless! Surprised to be killed by his own son, twice!" Grasswing couldn't believe her brother. He was talking as if he killed them for the better, like they deserved it!
"Lilypond needed to die or I would have to wait until that soft cat became leader to get chosen! Frostfoot, well I never planned on killing him. He found out the truth and I had to kill that mangy elder before everyone knew!" Foxscar grinned, looking down at his sister. "Now, I can get rid of you and become deputy! Stormclaw was just my helper. I didn't need him."
Grasswing knew he was going to kill her by slicing her throat. Seeing this was her last chance to survive, she dug her claws into his soft belly fur. Claws sliced through skin and blood poured out of the neck wound. Foxscar let out a ragged cough, blood oozing from his deep wound on his throat. While he was distracted, Grasswing slipped out from underneath him. She watched her brother's body drop to the ground with a thump, struggling to breath. "I…I will…g…get…you…Grasswing. Mark…my…words…" he coughed out, eyes shutting and his chest giving on final heave.
Grasswing could barely tear her gaze away from her brother's limp body, ginger fur scarlet from blood. "Momma!" Bluekit cried, rushing over to her mother. Grasswing began to lick her on the head, over-joyed that her kit was okay. Usually, Bluekit could complain about licks but she was so terrified, that she buried her facing into her mother's chest fur.
Applefrost broke through the bushes with Quailsong, Sapleaf, Rushpaw, and Wavemist. "Grasswing! Bluekit!" he yowled, running over to his family. Bluekit was shaking badly and Grasswing held her kit close. Quailsong, not too far away, looked at Foxscar's mangled body.
"F-Foxscar?" she choked out, tears threatening to spill. She rushed over to his side, sobbing into his fur. "No, Foxscar! Why did you have to be so bloodthirsty?" she wailed and Grasswing walked towards her, leaving Bluekit with Applefrost.
"Quailsong, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to kill him but-"
The weeping she-cat looked up at Grasswing. "It's okay. He would have killed you if you didn't kill him. It's just, I loved him," she murmured. Grasswing put her tail on her shoulders. "Do you think they'll be okay?" Quailsong asked.
"They?" Grasswing echoed, confused.
"My kits. I-I was going t-t-to tell him today b-but now, I-I-I-I can't," Quailsong choked out and Grasswing sighed, looking down at the bloody mess that was Foxscar. Quailsong had buried her face into his fur once more and the brown tabby could feel tears coming to her eyes.
He just wanted to change his destiny, but father turned him to be like this, a monster. If only, all those moons ago, he, and my brothers hadn't gone on that tour of the camp with him. Then things would be different. Foxscar and Stormclaw would still be alive. Now, she could never earn her brothers' love and they would forever rot in the Darkforest with Flightstar, their father.
She felt Applefrost's pelt brush up against hers and Bluekit curling up near her mother's belly, still shaking. "Grasswing, don't cry. It wasn't your fault," Applefrost murmured to his mate and Grasswing didn't even notice tears flowing down her face.
"Rushpaw, you, Applefrost, and Wavemist can help carry Stormclaw's body back to camp. Birdstar will like to know this," she said and the three cats dipped their heads, walking over to the sandy-grey tom. "Quailsong, I will help you carry Foxscar's body back," she murmured, her voice soft. "Grasswing, take Bluekit to the medicine cat den with you and get your wounds checked out. I don't want you to bleed out," Sapleaf meowed and Grasswing nodded, grasping Bluekit's scruff.
They began to pad back to camp, blood trailing not too far behind from both Grasswing's and Foxscar's injuries. "Momma! You found Bluekit!" The moment she entered camp, her five remaining kits rushed over to her, happy she was back.
"What happened?" Dovekit asked, worry in her gaze.
"Did you fight off a fox?"
"Maybe a loner stole her and momma had to fight the loner!"
"Or a badger attacked them!"
Grasswing purred, placing Bluekit down. "Don't worry, I might tell you later. First I'm going to the medicine cat den, okay?" she replied and the kits nodded. As Applefrost entered camp with Stormclaw's body, the kits eyes widened. "Kits, go to the nursery now. Your father will come in a bit to check if you are there, got it?" she said sternly.
Grumbling, the five kits trudged to the nursery, peeking over at the limp bodies of Stormclaw and Foxscar. Grasswing picked up her daughter and padded into the medicine cat den, pain flaring through her body. Butterflyheart, who had been sorting herbs, looked up. "Grasswing how-" her meow was cut off by a gasp. "What happened to you?" she rushed over to her, cobwebs in her mouth.
Gently, she began to put marigold poultice on the wounds, then stretching cobwebs over top. Grasswing -placing Bluekit down beside her- winced, clenching her teeth in pain. Butterflyheart worked quickly, making sure that Grasswing would be fine. When she had got to the shoulder wound, she was shocked. "Who did this to you?" she asked and the brown tabby queen sighed.
"They are outside in camp," was all she said. Butterflyheart nodded.
"You're done. Now Bluekit," she purred. She cleaned Bluekit's scratches and pushed some herbs towards Grasswing. "This is thyme for the shock and poppy seeds to help her sleep. Make sure she eats it all, okay?" After the kit had eaten everything, Grasswing murmured a goodbye, carrying a drowsy Bluekit to the nursery.
It was dark, the sun nearly gone from the sky. Grasswing's six kits were fast asleep, even Bluekit, many from the poppy seeds. Birdstar had been so mad when she had heard that two of her loyal cats were killers, mainly Foxscar. Usually, a vigil was held but no cats sat vigil for her brothers, except Quailsong.
Getting to her paws, Grasswing walked over to their limp bodies, wounds cleaned and covered. It was her fault that they were dead. Well, her and Flightstar's fault. I'm sorry that you became this way, she thought, the moonlight reflecting the scars on her left by Foxscar. Dipping her head, she took her place beside Quailsong.
A/N: Wow, long chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it! Bluekit survived but traumatized, Grasswing lived, and Foxscar was killed. So again for the long wait, but I know this chapter will make it up! Can you believe Quailsong is expecting Foxscar's kits? Will they be good or follow in their father's and grandfather's pawsteps? Even after everything, Grasswing still felt guilty.
Song(s) I listened to while writing this chapter: Marianas Trench, Masterpiece Theater (full album). My favourites are Sing Sing, Masterpiece Theatre 2 and 3, Celebrity Status, Acadia, and Beside You.
I hope you liked it and hopefully, the next update won't take a long time!
-Grasswing.