Thanks for the reviews! I bet a lot of you are going to love me after this. And just by this author's note you already know what's going to happen. Possibly. I hope. Alright, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.

Chapter Thirty-Six

"Bolt, you're in charge until I get back," Ice told the ginger and black alley cat. She said in a much lower voice. "And if you think this is your chance to come up with a battle plan or something like that, I really will kill you."

He nodded and sighed, "I know, Commander Ice."

"You'll be the first."

"I know."

Ice dipped her head at him and waved her tail at the alleyway. She turned and padded off, leaving them behind.

When they heard that Ice had killed Drake, a lot of them had nearly no emotion at all. This has become such a normal thing, that their brothers and sisters could be killed,,and the worst they'll feel is a slight pinch of grief, and then it's gone. Bolt had stood there, with his head low, and Ice had ordered him to tell the Alley Cats what he was doing. Ice had ended his statement with a threat, which of course, all of them took seriously.

Bolt and Drake were half right. She would kill everyone in time, but that would only be because they were all too weak to be upon this world then. She was cruel, and she knew it, but this was how the universe welcomed her. She would hold it forever.

Drake had not been wrong. The tree was certainly far off. She had left at sunhigh, and by the time she saw the enormous oak through the rising fog, the Twolegplace was dark under the clouds. It had to be late afternoon.

The tree had a trunk so wide that stretching herself in front of it wouldn't equal it's length, and it was so tall she imagined it stopping in the clouds. The lowest branch had to be quite a hassle to reach, and she saw that it did not reach out horizontally, not only that but the bark was old and rotting from the rain. Any grip that Ice could get on it was ruined as the wood chipped away at her claws.

Why would Spike come here? Ice thought, and then her mind flickered with realization. That bastard! He must've been lying to they could stay behind and plan a rebellion!

She was nearly going to turn away to storm her way back to the alley but something caught her nose. A scent of a Twolegplace cat. It wasn't a kittypet scent, nor was it smothered with the odor of an Alley Cat.

Ice turned back to the tree. So Drake was telling the truth.

She still felt no regret for killing him.

She rounded the tree, where the rain had not hit the trunk as strongly. Here, she was able to get a better grip on the bark and claw her away up. Her muscles were screaming for a rest by the time she reached the branch, sprouting upward and squeezing her against the tree, but once she got her break, she did not mind.

Now all she had to do was wait.

Maybe it would only be for moments, and maybe it would be for days, but if this Spike was the only cat that could possibly stop her, she would do anything. Nothing would stop her reign on the Twolegplace, and when the time came, it would spread to the outside land, where cats burlier and braver would dare challenge her very presence, and wish they would not.

The dark gray sky of late afternoon clouds soon faded to blackness. Wind that soon ruffled the land pushed the fog and mist from the sky, revealing a blanket spotted with silver stars, but she would not behold the beauty of the night. Her eyes were fixed upon the ground, for any movement through the darkness would be her purpose of this quest.

The darkness around her soon grasped her in a sense of calmness; she began to fall asleep. Ice raised a paw to hit herself in the face and just for a split second, her eyes opened.

And in that split second, she saw a cat.

Alertness shot through Ice at the presence of this cat, dark gray. He walked at an angle towards the tree, his face and eyes shaded by both the shadows of the night and his long fur that grew over his gaze. His limbs were only lightly muscled and he walked wit a limp. Ice prepared herself for a fight. If this was the only cat that could stop her, he could be much stronger than he looked.

Spike reached the tree and looked up, revealing amber eyes, round like full moons. He didn't seem to see Ice, for he simply looked away and yawned.

She spoke. "Hello there, Spike."

The dark gray tom blinked. Ice was surprised at the blankness of his expression. He was not angered to find this strange cat in his tree, nor was he confused by it.

She made her way down as quickly as she could and sat before, claws unsheathed and smile bitter. "I've been waiting for you."

He blinked again.

He either doesn't really talk to anyone, Ice thought, remembering Bolt's words, Or he's an mouse-brained idiot who forgot how to speak! "This can take a while or just a few moments, Spike."

For the first time, the dark gray cat spoke, "I'm sorry, I just have absolutely no time for deranged she-cats I don't know."

Ice was taken aback at his words. Despite his frail appearance, his voice was deep. Very deep, but once she had processed what she had said, her surprise molded into ire. "Watch yourself. Unless you'd like to feel my claws on your throat."

Spike sat, tail curling over his forepaws. "So, you're evil. What screwed you up?" He asked nonchalantly.

Ice jumped. "You mouse-brained son of a badger! Do you even know who I am? Or will I have to rip your heart out of your very chest for you to take a hint?"

Spike seemed very amused at her fury which only put her on edge even more. "Oh, I've heard of you, Great Commander of the Alley Cats, but I've taught myself not to fear fables like yours."

"Fables?!"

"Now I've asked you a question: what screwed you up?"

Ice bristled and ripped the grass beneath her to shreds. She crouched, about to leap at this overly-confident tomcat, but something stopped her. It was like an invisible barrier, strong enough to hold back her power of anger and instinct of killing. She didn't know what could have been robust enough to cage her will to fight him. It could have been a voice inside her head telling her to have a little fun before proving to this Spike what she could do, or it could have been much more.

But she would have fun.

Ice sat again before taking a deep breath and glancing at Spike sweetly. "Oh, tom. Maybe I am not what you would expect out of a cruel, heartless cat. Do you think that there is a deeper meaning behind it all?" She tilted her head. "Perhaps some ambition of far off dream that I was willing to go to the extremes for to accomplish? Well, tom, there isn't. I am doing this simply because I enjoy being evil, and while many would never admit their deeds as deathly and destructive, I do, and I take pride in such a thing."

"Interesting," Spike hummed, sounding bored. "Thanks for sharing, she-cat, now I have some dreams to have and a morning to look forward to so go and scamper off to bother some other cat."

He began to walk at her but Ice blocked his path.

"We aren't done," Ice said. "You asked me a question, now I get to ask you one."

Spike stared at her. "Whatever. I'm fair." Sitting, he angled his ears at her.

"Why do you talk to no one?" Ice asked.

The dark gray tom before her narrowed his eyes at the question. "Well, no one has approached me. Not since the day I arrived here. I am too much of a mystery, and others are scared to solve it. They fear I have too dark of a past to be as isolated from the neighborhood as I am."

"Well, is your past dark?" asked Ice. What are you doing? You're here to frighten or kill him! Not have a conversation like two friends catching up!

"I don't think so," snarled Spike. "I just answered. It's my move now."

"You think this is a game?" Ice demanded.

"A truth for a truth."

"How about a truth or I'll kill you?"

Spike let out a deep mrrow of laughter. "You wouldn't dare, White," he chuckled.

Ice scowled at the nickname, and hissed back. "Is that a challenge? You think you can stop me? Well that's what everyone else seems to think."

"Really? Why would they mention that?" Spike asked, though he answered the question himself when he saw the look Ice have him. "Because you're evil. Well tell me White, for this is my turn, why do you want to cause pain within and without others?"

"Because it is delightful," she answered simply. "And if you don't like that, than you can just fight me."

"That's why you're here," Spike realized. "Sorry for being so slow at that. I assumed you were hit in the head on the way up the tree."

Ice hissed.

"But I won't fight you," Spike added. "I walk alone in this Twolegplace. I couldn't care less if you kill every cat here."

"Including yourself?" inquired Ice.

"That's hard to say," replied Spike, looking off. "Of course, I don't know my purpose world. Long ago someone told me I would find it, but not yet. Why did I trust those words? Was I just trying to make the best of the time?"

Ice watched him as he thought. She knew right then and there, no matter how much he angered her, he would never get her to attack him, and it would drive her crazy wondering why. But he couldn't answer, he couldn't know, not anymore than she did if anything.

And he was the first to use her own arguments against her. She saw in her mind, images of cats on the ground, scarred and bleeding, begging her to spare them, and half the time, she'd refuse. So why was it Spike, who didn't beg her that she just couldn't killed for the life of her?

She found her paws leading her away into the darkness of night, leaving behind Spike and that large oak tree.

"Where're you going, White?" she heard him call.

Ice didn't answer. She broke into a run.

DUN DUN DUN. I bet most of you can guess who Spike is by now. He plays a big role in the third part of this story. I hope you all enjoyed! Please review!

~Destiny