Sorry for the long wait.
/as usual/
-Essence
Chapter 49- The Battle of Minds
Lilyfrost woke up with a start. She was still in Fernleaf's den. The Healer herself was at the far back of the den, sleeping heavily. Around her were piles of strange and unfamiliar herbs. Fernleaf probably prepared herself for the onslaught of wounded wolves later tonight.
The silver she-wolf looked back at her hindquarters, grimacing at her bandaged leg. I'm no use now, she thought grimly. Until I'm better, I'm going to be stuck here like a prisoner.
She shuffled around the mossy lining of her nest. Fernleaf had put softer material around her while she was sleeping, like bird feathers and more layers of moss. She flicked her ears and looked out of entrance. She could see the full moon through the raging waterfall outside.
Suddenly, a shape padded into her view. Sparrowfeather was outside the den, her gray ears pricked forward in concern. "Lilyfrost?" she asked.
"Yes?" the she-wolf answered with a sigh.
"Good, you're awake," the pup-bringer breathed. "Fernleaf wanted me to check on you while she slept, just to make sure you were all right."
"I'm fine," grumbled Lilyfrost.
Sparrowfeather noticed the edge to her voice and said softly, "Is something bothering you?"
"Besides my leg, you mean?" Lilyfrost growled darkly.
"And anything that goes with it." Sparrowfeather clearly was hinting at something else.
Lilyfrost looked past Sparrowfeather's black paws to the Nursery, where she knew Dawntail was kept prisoner by the pup-bringers. "I'm angry," she growled.
Sparrowfeather blinked her yellow eyes. "That's understandable-"
"No, you don't understand," Lilyfrost cut her off sharply. "I'm angry with myself. I can't bring myself to tell him that I love him more than life itself."
Sparrowfeather closed her eyes, clearly in thought. "Lilyfrost, don't."
The she-wolf's lilac-colored eyes blazed. "What?"
"Buckstar is still sore on Dawntail's betrayal. Give him time before-"
"But you still don't understand," Lilyfrost snarled. "It's clear he loves me too. I don't know why hasn't come up to me yet and said it to me."
"Do you think he would say anything to you while he has Dawntail breathing down his neck?" Sparrowfeather shook her head. "Lilyfrost, don't stress yourself with this. You are already fragile as it is-"
"Sagetail has done more to me than you know," Lilyfrost growled. "I allowed myself to trust him, and I ended up even more hurt than before. Thank StarPack Buckstar was there to-"
"Does Buckstar always have to take care of things for you?" Sparrowfeather asked her challengingly. "When is it time to take care of yourself?"
Lilyfrost stared hard at the older she-wolf, but she could not budge those penetrating yellow eyes. She turned away, defeated. "I would be dead if it weren't for him," she murmured.
"I know," Sparrowfeather said, lashing her tail. "Lilyfrost, this isn't any of my business. I should be getting back to my pups now-"
"No!" Lilyfrost cried. "Stay with me."
Sparrowfeather shook her head. "I have to leave you to sort through this alone. It is for the best." Without another word, she left her alone, the constant crashing of the waterfall the only sound in her ears.
Lilyfrost bowed her head onto her paws in a sphinx-like position. Why is it so hard? she thought angrily. He's my friend and I've known him for nearly all my life. Why can't I just walk up to him and tell him that I love him?
She then lifted her head again with a sudden thought. "I know why," she said aloud. Shifting closer to the entrance using her good legs, she peered at Nursery, where Dawntail's head was poking out. The she-wolf was padding out of the den, closely followed by Sparrowfeather. They were heading towards the fresh-kill pile.
Lilyfrost hurriedly withdrew her head back into the den, her heart thudding in her chest. I'm scared, she thought. I can't tell him because I'm scared of Dawntail and what she'll do to me when she finds out.
She looked at her bandaged leg again. How much worse can I get? She thought bitterly. She already tried to kill me once. She let out a gulp. She can do it again.
The she-wolf started to groom her chest fur in her anxiety. Buckstar will never let that happen, she thought with a flicker of hope.
She then frowned, stopping her licking. "There I go," she grumbled aloud. "I'm relying on Buckstar for my safety again. I'm not going to let that witch try to kill me."
As if to prove her words to herself, she dug her claws into the soft moss. I shouldn't have let Sagetail take advantage of me the way he did, she thought. I have never felt any kind of affection for him.
Suddenly, she let out a chuckle at her own dark humor. He looked so much like Buckstar, I must have confused the two of them.
"Dawntail will never make it out alive when I get stronger," Lilyfrost growled to herself after a few seconds. "If Buckstar doesn't kill her, I will."
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Buckstar froze for a second, not sure about what he was about to do. He thirsted for blood and as he stared at River with his jaws open, he let his rational side try to overpower the Darkness. I need blood… he heard the Darkness in his mind.
His efforts were of no use. With an impulse of power, he lunged for River's throat. He could feel her fur brush the roof of his mouth before he felt a weight crash into his side, making him thrash his head. He unintentionally sliced River's throat open with one of his razor-sharp incisors and he could hear her gurgle with pain as he crashed onto the floor.
"No!" he heard a voice cry above him. Using his unnatural strength, Buckstar pushed away the wolf off him. In his heightened state of mind, all he saw was red. River's blood pooled at his side and he raised a claw to slash at the wolf that attacked him. He heard a small whine from the he-wolf and Buckstar spotted dark ginger fur between his claws.
It was Hawk's fur. The he-wolf had thrown himself on River. The she-wolf was gasping, her breaths echoing in Buckstar's hypersensitive ears. With a bellow of fury, he looked around, the battle around him deafening his sense of hearing.
Shade had thrown himself in the battle, the silver-furred wolf weaving in and out of the slashing claws and biting jaws.
More blood…the Darkness hissed. I need power…
Buckstar thrashed his head, trying to shade the entity away. It was impossible. He felt his legs go numb as the Darkness entered his body like never before. It was if he was shedding his skin and putting on a newer, more powerful body.
Buckstar was barely Buckstar as he threw himself into the battle. Claws tore at his pelt as he lunged himself into the battle, his energy fueled by all the blood in the air. His will left him rapidly as the Darkness barreled into the nearest wolf he saw. It was the RainPack Beta, Larksong.
The he-wolf's usually black-and-white face was red with blood and his blue eyes blazed with the light of battle.
"Buckstar?" he started but his head snapped back as Buckstar gave him a claw swipe to his muzzle. He heard bones break as Larksong fell, blood welling up around him.
Buckstar's red eyes burned wildly with fire as he opened his jaws to finish Larksong's life there and then, but another wolf barreled into him, causing him to stagger back into the mass of fighting wolves.
"What are you doing?" screamed the wolf who had tackled him. She was silenced too, her brown pelt quickly soaking with blood as she lay next to Larksong. She did not move.
Buckstar's chest was beginning to heave as the scent of blood filled his nostrils. Yes, the Darkness growled, almost purring. This is what I need…
Suddenly, he felt teeth close around his wounded shoulder and he felt the tug at his shoulder as he was being pulled down to the floor, a heavy weight pinning him down.
"Kill him now!" he heard a voice wail from behind him. "He's uncontrollable!"
Buckstar struggled under the large wolf. A few more seconds would have allowed him to push away the wolf with effortless ease, but then he felt something smash into his mouth.
"Make him swallow! Ugh-"
The female voice ended as a screech as Buckstar allowed his last ounce of will to swallow whatever it was. It tasted foul immediately and he started to thrash around, his already crazed mind whirling with confusion. He felt his limbs go limp and he closed his eyes, his world suddenly going black.
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Buckstar suddenly woke up, his hunter green eyes returning to normal. He shakily stood up and looked around. He was not at the DarkDen anymore and his fur started to bristle. What's happening? he thought, looking around the clearing. Forest surrounded him from either side and he started to back away, flattening his ears against his head.
Suddenly, a whirl of darkness appeared in front of him. Eyes appeared in the chaotic mass, red and cold.
Buckstar dug his claws into the earth, knowing what he was seeing. It was the Darkness. He remembered the nightmare he had as clearly as day. However, what was Darkness doing in here?
He then felt a pelt brush his side and Rainstripe appeared next to him, her blue eyes blazing with determination. Shadowstar, his black pelt bristling, appeared at his other side, his mouth formed to a snarl.
Griffinstar was the last to appear, his hunter green eyes narrowed and his black brown pelt glossy and unruffled, as if he groomed himself for this.
"This will end here, Darkness," Shadowstar growled.
The whirling mass of darkness quickly formed into the Darkness's horrific form. With its human-like appendages, it seemed as if the wolf-like entity was truly combined with a human.
"Buckstar, you have lost a life," Rainstripe started to explain. "The Darkness has gained control of your body. Killing you would have been the only option."
The Alpha was numb with disbelief.
"We have come to help you in this battle, but in the end, it will have to be up to you," growled Rainstripe, lashing her gray tail.
The Darkness reared up on its two unnatural limbs. Its gaping hole for a mouth made sucking sounds and Buckstar cringed with nausea at the sight.
As if with an unseen signal, the StarPack wolves around him started to charge forward. Buckstar followed them, lightly brushing the pelt of his dead father.
"Good luck, son," he growled before throwing himself into the mass of darkness. Rainstripe followed him, disappearing into the Darkness's torso. Shadowstar was last, his black pelt melting perfectly with the darkness.
The Darkness let out a ground-shaking roar, making Buckstar's pelt stand on end.
Where did they go? he thought frantically. The StarPack wolves did not come out of the chaos that was the Darkness.
"This is how it ends, huh?" the Darkness hissed, his tail lashing. He gulped the air around him. Buckstar felt the pull of the Darkness's vacuum-like mouth and he started to claw at the ground in order to keep himself from flying towards the Darkness.
"Those pitiful StarPack wolves don't know what they're talking about. They may have weakened me, but nothing can stop me from killing you!"
Buckstar jumped when the Darkness addressed him with its hoarse, high-pitched voice.
"Never," the Alpha snarled.
"You truly are the last Alpha, aren't you?" the Darkness wheezed, stepping closer to the wolf. Suddenly, he clutched his chest with a clawed hand, hissing in annoyance. "They…they are making me weaker…this can't be…"
Buckstar lunged at his opponent, but he was surprised when he passed harmlessly through the whirling black mass. He landed on the ground with a thud, his momentum causing him to stumble awkwardly.
"You can't touch me," hissed the Darkness. "This is not a battle with tooth and claw, wolf. This is a battle of minds."
Suddenly, Buckstar felt something rake through his brain, crying out in pain.
"Ah, look at all those happy memories to destroy," the Darkness growled thoughtfully, using his purring voice again. He suddenly stopped and withdrew with a hiss. "And so many dreadful ones to leave untouched."
"S-stop," Buckstar coughed, white spots beginning to appear in his vision. "D-don't m-make me forget-"
The Darkness lunged at him again, his claws outstretched, but another spasm wracked through his body, thanks to the StarPack wolves.
Buckstar closed his eyes, clearing his mind. He could feel the Darkness's grip getting weaker and his will beginning to return.
"Your love abandoned you," the Darkness suddenly hissed, using his claws and awkward hind paws to crawl towards the Alpha. "She betrayed you, used you for your body. Your brother and clanmate also betrayed you-"
Buckstar tried to get away from the Darkness, but it felt as if his paws were glued to the ground. His body shuddered when it mentioned the wolves he absolutely hated.
"I hate them," Buckstar snarled. "I hate them."
"Good," the Darkness sneered. "More hate-"
"I love my pups!" The Alpha suddenly realized his mistake and retaliated quickly. "I love them! I love life, I love Hollypaw, Sparrowfeather, Larksong-"
He could hear the Darkness's hisses in the background as he mentioned his pack member's names.
"-Stormpaw, Redpaw, Silentheart, Twilightpaw-"
"No…" the Darkness snarled, his body and voice beginning to fade away. "This is not possible-"
"-Fernleaf, and…"
The Darkness let out an earsplitting screech that made Buckstar cringe and flatten his ears. The ground began to shake and it split open in two.
Terrified, Buckstar scrabbled backwards, his eyes wide with horror. The Darkness's fading body floated into the gaping hole, his piercing screams echoing in Buckstar's ears. As soon as it appeared, the hole closed itself, taking the Darkness with it.
"…and Lilyfrost," breathed Buckstar as the earth's rumbling started to cease. "I love Lilyfrost."
Well done, a voice crept into his mind. It was Rainstripe. You did it. The Darkness isn't gone yet, but you have put him to rest with your love for others. Your time here is done. Goodbye, Buckstar.
Suddenly, though he should be used to it already, his world went black.
