Chapter 36: IT'S SO COOL!

"Why hello, old friend!" Pinefrost froze, as well as Redflame. The other cats' eyes widened and they ran up a tree. Ugh, apprentices. Unfortunately for them, the only tree closest to them was the tree I was in. Oh were they in for a scare.

"C-come out, demon!" Redflame growled. Oh, oh my...the whole vicinity was now fear. There was no prey. There were no predators. Imagine all this fear being caused by one cat. Impossible, it seems, but not for me. How I love all this fear.

I approached one of the apprentices. She was light brown, with white paws and bright green eyes. Hmm...she also looked like she ate a bit too much. That or she didn't do anything. I tapped her shoulder. She instantly froze.

"Hey." I whispered, "Can you go down there and tell Pinefrost that they're simply hearing things?" No reaction, "I mean, if you really want to prove to them that you're not scared to death and do things instead of eat all the time...I suggest that you do something." She held back a screech. Oh she was trying so hard wasn't she. But I just wanted to see how far her fear to go. It was already overwhelming everything else in a three tail-length radius. So I whispered into her ear, "Don't move." And now she wasn't even breathing. She wasn't holding anything in. She was frozen scared, "I hear that I'm famous for attacking everything that moves."

"AHHHHH!" And then she shrieks and falls off the tree. I wasn't surprised. She had barely any coordination at all. Though, she was falling to her doom. Most likely going to break all of her legs and her spine. And her face. And her neck. Probably her tail too, although she was falling headfirst. Yeah, that's how tall this tree was. Why doesn't she get over the shock of me simply whispering into her ear and use her instincts? Maybe she doesn't have any. That would explain why she's so fat. But I'm not just going to let an innocent go just like that. It's not her fault I'm so 'intimidating'.

So I jump off the tree, land before she breaks everything, and let my body break her fall. My fur is actually quite soft despite me being a fabled demon. Now, she was still screaming and flailing. She was also pretty heavy. Now I'm positive she eats to much. No cat would be able to flail like that if they did absolutely nothing.

"Brownpaw!" Now the second apprentice comes down. He's small and white with green eyes. He has a reason to be scared. Someone so tiny would be crushed by my paws. Plus, I hate the color white. Black is so much more preferable. And blue. I love blue.

"Whitepaw!" She yowled as though she was still falling, "Please help me!" Whitepaw didn't move. He saw me, paled, and backed away. Brownpaw, now realizing that she wasn't falling, opened her eyes, "Whitepaw? What's wrong?"

I growled, "You are very lucky I was here." Then it was her turn to pale, "If I wasn't here, the warriors would have just let you die." I glared at them. Pinefrost just glared back, but Redflame walked away, "Don't walk away from me you mouse-brain!"

Pinefrost grinned, "I see you still haven't lost your humor."

I smirked, "Well, you know, if it weren't for my humor everyone would be dead." Then I sighed, looking at the she-cat on my back, "You are very heavy." We exchanged a staring contest for a moment. Then she and Whitepaw both fainted. I looked back at Pinefrost, "I don't think she'll be walking home. Why don't you pick up Tiny over there and we'll have a chat, yeah?"

Pinefrost laughed, and grabbed Whitepaw's scuff. He then flung the apprentice onto his back, so talking would be easier, "So, what have you been up to these moons?"

I looked ahead, and started walking, "Well, Pinefrost, that would be quite the story wouldn't it? Three moons is a lot of time for me to be up to things." I felt Brownpaw shiver. Probably nightmares about me violently killing her, "But there hasn't been much." I admitted, "Mostly just watching and making sure that nothing went seriously wrong in my Clan. I chased off most of your troubles on the borders, making sure that no one would mention a black cat with strange eyes."

"So you were the reason everyone stayed away from us at gatherings!"

I nodded, "Yeah, I also watched Badgerpaw, and made sure he didn't get it much trouble. I hear he had his warrior ceremony?"

"Yeah. Nettlepaw as well. Now they're Badgerclaw and Nettlewing." Pinefrost sighed, "I swear they get into the most trouble at camp. They argue like elders. Hollystar had to personally make sure they didn't speak to each other for a moon to see if that helped." He paused, "It didn't." I laughed, "I think that they secretly meet at night just to argue more."

"And all this time I thought Nettlepaw was the happiest she-cat in the world!" I purred. I did that more these days. Purr. Doesn't seem fitting for a demon, but I wasn't a demon anymore. I was...normal...almost. I still liked all the blood and stuff, but it wasn't as bad.

Pinefrost frowned, "The only cat I would be worried about is Stormkit."

"Why?" I tensed. We were approaching the camp.

"He...he didn't take your absence well. I've tried to make up for it, but it seems he'll only talk to Nettlewing. Despite her annoying tactics, she knows how to cheer him up. Although, unless she's there, he's the crankiest cat I've ever seen. He's rude, hates company, and growls at everything. I tried telling him that you would be back, but all he did was scratch me."

I looked at the ground, "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have left him." I sighed, "I just didn't want him to be worried over. I knew if I took him with me everyone would think he was dead. There would be no end to the guilt I would feel then."

Pinefrost stopped, and placed a paw on my shoulder. We were at the camp, "Don't worry, Darkpaw. He'll either be super happy that you came back, or never talk to you again."

I laughed nervously, "That doesn't make me feel any better, Pinefrost."

He ignored me and walked through the brambles, signaling me to follow. I gulped and walked forward, making sure Brownpaw didn't get scratched. As the clearing became visible, I wanted to run, just drop the ridiculously heavy she-cat and run back to the lake. But Stormkit would be waiting for me. Pinefrost would no doubt tell him...or Nettlewing would. I couldn't back down now.

So I walked into the camp...and was instantly tackled to the ground. Surprise, surprise, it was Nettlep-Nettlewing.

"OMIGOSH DARKPAW IS BACK!" She yowled. That definitely got everyone's attention, "DARKPAW IS BACK AND HE'S NOT DEAD LIKE YOU ALL THOUGHT! TAKE THAT HOLLYSTAR!"

I groaned, realizing that Brownpaw had still been on my back. Currently, she was being crushed by both me and Nettlewing, "Do you still not realize that there's a nearly broken apprentice that's being crushed?" Nettlewing got off, just long enough for me to give Brownpaw to a safer less likely to be attacked protector. Then she jumped on me again.

"OMIGOSH WHERE DID YOU GO YOU HAD ME AND...some other cats...SO WORRIED!" She gasped and leaned forward, "Were you catnapped?"

I shook my head, "Now would you please get off me? I'm sure there are a lot of cats who are eager to see me again." Nettlewing grinned and licked my nose. She got up, I got up, she licked my nose again, and I stuck my face in the dirt, "WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME?" Only, it sounded like 'MMM MMM MMM MMM MMM?'

And then I got tackled again by a different weirdly obnoxious mouse-brain, "DARKPAW!"

"Oh, joy, Badgerpaw. How are you, will you please get off of me? I lugged a gigantic apprentice across the territory and I'm feeling a bit sore after being attacked by Ms. Touchy-Feely over there."

"It's Badgerclaw now Darkpaw." He got off and grinned, "And Nettlewing. We got our warrior names a moon after you left."

"EVERYONE LOOK HE'S BACK HE'S BACK AND HE'S AS COOL AS EVER!"

I glared at Nettlewing. Why did she have to be so loud? Suddenly, I felt the stares of everyone. The cats of ShadowClan. There was the fear and surprise of my return. There was some excitement too. I saw Hollystar's amber gaze look down on me from the hazel branches. She was frowning. I think she actually expected me to be gone forever.

"Darkpaw?"

And then everyone was silent. I think that maybe Stormkit had made a big impact on the cats here. That or his reaction when I didn't come back was really bad.

"Why are you here? Nettlewing, why is he here?"

I didn't turn to look at him. Nettlewing instantly went from super happy to super serious. I guess Stormkit took a lot of patience to deal with.

I scented Lilypool behind him, "I'm sorry." She cried, "I'm sorry, I tried to keep him in the nursery but he wouldn't stay. I couldn't do anything."

"Shush, Lilypool." I turned. Stomkit's eyes burned holes in my skull. I couldn't tell if he was surprised or angry or scared. Everyone had awkwardly went back to whatever they were doing before, besides Nettlewing and Badgerclaw. They had stayed. Moral support, I'm guessing, "Hi."

"Hi."

The reunion of two friends! So...I just have to ask. What should Stormkit do? The result probably won't change either way, but I want to know what you think should happen

-Moon