Prepare yourself for a long (AND IMPORTANT) author's note.
First, I mentioned this a few chapters ago, but I need to say this again because it centers around this chapter. In the prologue it is mentioned that Hailblaze is old, but since in the first chapter he is young, and it's only been two years. :P forgive me for that.
Along the same lines, no one recognizes Ice as Frozenleaf. This is because she was insignificant in their eyes, grew a little, and takes on a much more ruthless appearance, just to let you know.
I wrote the song that is written in this chapter.
And, I'm so so worried about this. Some of my readers have stopped reading and given me mean reviewing just after Lionfire was killed. This is a sad ending. Really disappointing. I BEG OF YOU NOT TO HATE ME, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT THE END OF FROZENLEAF'S STORY. THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL!
Nightstorm: Born of True Destiny does not own Warriors. Only this idea that will make you hate her.
Me: Not cool. I'm already totally scared.
Nightstorm: Eh. Whatever. Onto the final chapter!
Chapter Forty-Nine
Trees spotted the moor and turned it to forest as late afternoon glared through the bare branches. Nettlepaw walked slowly behind Ice. He had been silent ever since they left those rogues. Ice wished she knew what he was thinking. What could his thoughts hold? What did the fight with those three cats put into his mind?
They padded on until the sun was gone and the air was crisp. Ice noticed Nettlepaw had stopped suddenly behind her. She turned to look at him. He was staring intently at something past her. She followed his gaze to a fallen tree.
"What?" she asked. "We have to keep moving. We're almost there, right?"
"We are here," Nettlepaw whispered back. "That's the log."
Ice didn't understand at first until it hit her. Past that fallen tree, just several fox-lengths away was Clan territory. She sucked in her breath. This was it. Stepping over that log would decide everything that would happen that night. She'd have to know, right then and there what she would do, who she would kill, what words she would say. That log was her future, and Ice couldn't have been more excited.
"Come on," she said, swiftly padding towards it. Ice stopped as she stood before the log, heart beating straight out of her chest.
"Just go," Nettlepaw snarled irritably. But it was more than annoyance that resided in his voice. It was something that Ice couldn't name. It was something that she had not heard before.
Ice sprang over the log, and when she landed on the cold ground, her heart stopped all together. There she was, once again in Clan territory, a place she didn't think she'd ever be again.
Nettlepaw was beside her. He looked at everything that surrounded them. Every tree, every blade of grass, every brown, crumpled leaf that trotted along the ground as breezes past, and every star. Here, each star was StarClan, and even though they weren't watching them, Ice felt a little different existing beneath them.
The moon hung in the air, a thin mist of clouds floating its way past. It was huge, silver, and full. And if they were to make it to the Gathering on time, they would have to move fast.
"Quickly, Nettlepaw, let's move."
She nudged him ahead of her and together they cautiously made their way through the trees. But the forest wasn't thick enough to conceal the sight of WindClan's moor to one side, and the roar of the gorge to the other side on RiverClan's territory. Being back there reminded her of her escape with Nettlepaw all those moons ago, and there they were now coming back the way they came to make the Clans pay their debt for all the pain they caused them. The taunting, the teasing and disbelief in them. The neglect and hurtful words and actions towards them. The very thoughts, not even the memories, brought seething wrath to Ice's veins.
Yes, use that anger. Let them all pay for the pain they have caused you, the voice whispered inside her mind. Ice felt around for any more hatred and fury locked up inside, and brought it to the outside. Her claws unsheathed and her eyes went to slits. Her lip curled to reveal her teeth, oh so sharp and dangerous. They would see the cat they ignored, and the monster they created.
A mixed scent of many cats found its way into Ice's nostrils. She breathed in the smell of the warriors that would soon be her victims. Her paws itched with each paw step she took closer to the Gathering place, until finally, she saw it.
As excited as she was, Ice stopped walking and gazed at it, mesmerized at the four great oaks that swayed in the wind, as if to greet her.
"It's...right...there," she said, breath escaping from her lungs. She turned to look at Nettlepaw, who stared at it along side her. That same look he had in his eyes earlier was still there, blazing like fury.
But that's when she realized it was fury.
"Um...you ready?" she asked. "The sooner we do this, the better."
He said nothing.
"Come on. Don't you want to show your siblings a piece of your mind?"
He was still silent.
"Well, I've never been more ready for anything in my whole life. It's time to-"
"No."
Ice flinched. The anger in his eyes had found its way to his voice. Nettlepaw's gaze flicked to her own, fire waved its amber bands of light in his eyes as he stared at her.
"No!" he repeated, louder. "How could you, Ice? How could you be doing this to your kin?"
She was still dumbfounded by the intensity of his glare that she couldn't find words to speak with.
"I know they didn't treat you well, I know you never liked them, but is destroying everything they've known, their lifestyle, code of honor, beliefs really fair? Most of these cats didn't even know they were hurting you!"
Ice found her voice when he mentioned that. "I don't think you understand how much they did! They never treated any other cat like they treated me! Just because I was smaller, just because I was born to the wrong family, they felt the need to rub it in my face. Is that an answer? Good. Now let's go!"
Nettlepaw's teeth clamped down over her tail as she tried to head for Fourtrees. She gasped and turned back to him. "You fox-hearted...come on! They hurt you too, you must understand!"
"The thing is, Ice, I don't. They did something wrong, yes, but this is not how we should handle it!"
"So it's forgive an forget, isn't it, you just let them get away with their agonizing actions, that made us want to leave in the first place? Think, Nettlepaw! You ran away from your life because of them!"
"You're wrong," he growled. "I left because Clanlife wasn't what I was uncomfortable with. I saw a better way to live out there and went ahead and took it. You're dragging me back to where I started out, the very same place I wanted to get away from, but you're turning it into something much worse!"
Ice snapped the air in front of his nose, causing him to flinch back. "You know, I'm not the only one who made a promise, you know. You said you'd follow me on this! It was to make me happy! And your backing out now?"
Nettlepaw gasped at her words, and then yowled, "Why do you think I said I'd do this? Who was it for?"
She hesitated for a moment, pondering what he was really asking. "Why, you did it for me? Because you never stopped loving me."
"That's wrong," Nettlepaw growled, but now a slight hint of agony had slipped its way into his voice. "It's all wrong. I fell in love with Frozenpaw, the cat that understood me and helped me look for a place to belong." Ice saw A tear slip from his eye. "And when I found you again, I swore nothing would ever have to change, because things were finally perfect, but I hadn't caught up with reality yet. You already had changed, but I never noticed because I was caught up in the memory of the cat I once did love."
Ice swallowed. "You are in love with me. I'm still the same cat."
"No," Nettlepaw snarled. "I fell in love with Frozenpaw. You are Ice. The murderer who coldly kills for the joy of it, and drags me into destroying a large group of cats that I once called my family. Maybe I would have gone through with it if I never realized that Frozenpaw is long gone, but funny how it all looks different when you're different."
Ice glowered up at him, as he did the same down to her. How dare he use those words that once meant so much to her?
But the next moment, she realized that it meant nothing now.
Frozenpaw was in love with Nettlepaw, just as he was in love with Frozenpaw. But Ice was never in that image. Things changed, so she could be happy, but Nettlepaw was never meant to be there.
"So you're not coming?" she asked.
"What do you think? Be lucky I don't-" he cut himself off with a shaky breath and closed his eyes. "Just go."
Ice stared at him for many heart beats as he stood there, trembling, but she finally turned away, and padded for Fourtrees. He was a strong cat, useful, and losing him to his weak instincts was a loss, but it didn't play with her emotions. She felt nothing but disappointment in him.
The oak tree directly ahead just kept growing taller as she advanced. A voice, muffled by the distance and the murmurs of others, soon faded into audibility. Ice froze at it. If she was correct, the voice belonged to Flickerstar.
She couldn't believe it. She was here, at her home place, where she would finally deliver the revenge they all deserved. Maybe it would go by quickly. Maybe it would take a very long time, but she had to begin now, or she'd lose her chance.
Ice was scared, but the excitement dominated it all.
She peered into the clearing. The backs of the four leaders faced her. The two closest cats were a black tom and a golden she-cat, whom Ice couldn't remember the names of. The farthest was a gray tabby, whose tail-tip bounced against the rock. A rush of anger swept through Ice as she remembered him as Breezestar, the ShadowClan leader that led an attack on ThunderClan and left Lionfire with his earned warrior name, she flicked her gaze to the final cat, the ginger tabby. Flickerstar.
Ice made sure she remembered the plan. She would attack him first, force the other leaders off the rock, and then kill ThunderClan's deputy, her father Oakshade. Once she had played it through her mind several times, she took a deep breath.
"Four nights ago, Pinekit was birthed to Sweetbriar, and we have three new warriors, Fuzzheart, Gorsefeather and Larksong."
"Fuzzheart! Gorsefeather! Larksong!" The Clans sang.
Ice was at the base of the Great Rock, prepared to spring.
"So yes, ThunderClan is doing spectacular, and are ready for the upcoming season of leaf-"
Ice's yowl cut him off as she leaped straight at him. Her claws hooked into his shoulders as her teeth tore into his throat. A rush of adrenaline kicked in as she realized she was doing it. She was going through with the plan, and it was happening.
Terrified gasps spread through the clearing like a wildfire as Flickerstar slid off of the Great Rock, blood pouring from the wounds Ice created. The golden she-cat and Breezestar had jumped away out of surprise, but the black tom faced her with anger plastered onto his expression. Quick as an adder, she dove at him, and with a swift swipe of the claws, he was staggering back off the Great Rock.
Ice laughed maliciously, silencing the Gathering. "You fools! What a perfect time to catch you all! Now your wonderful ancestors can watch you die right under them! The horror! The horror!" She laughed again.
"Who are you?" a cat demanded. "We'll kill you for taking one of our Leander's final life and insulting the name of our ancestors!"
Ice followed the sound of the voice until her gaze rested on the one called Fuzzheart. She crouched and was ready for an attack. Ice chortled at such a sight. "You think you can defeat me? Come up here, and be my guest."
Fuzzheart made a slight move but a Clanmate stood in front of her and shook her head. "We'll face her together."
"Ha! Like one can defeat four whole cats!"
Ice turned her head to one side and gaped when she saw that she was staring into the face of her mother. Snowshine. The white she-cat had her teeth bared, and Ice wondered if she remembered her.
"You think you can stand a chance?" Ice asked. "Let me explain then. I'm up here and the rest of you are down there. You can't exactly get up here to face me in a heart beat so that gives me plenty of time to make me move on each and every one of you, but I'll be sure to kill your leaders and deputies first."
Breezestar stiffened.
"And let's not forget that warrior code of yours, that restricts from basically everything."
Every cat seemed surprised at her knowledge of the code.
"There's nothing against killing a cat when we're threatened," a tabby said.
"Oh?" Ice said, grinning, "So you actually consider me, a single cat, a threat against all of you fierce warriors? Well, isn't that pathetic." No cat said a word, though a few snarled and hissed at her. Several ran ahead to the Great Rock but they didn't get there in time before Ice started speaking again. "Where is Oakshade?" she hissed. "He shall be my next victim."
Snowshine replied. "He...was killed in by...a battle patrol two moons ago," she whispered. "But...how do you know about him? How do you know about any of this?"
She started out simple, she started out plain
Her only goal in life just to change the game
"You don't recognize me?" asked Ice, feigning offense. "Well, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. After all, you all treated me either like I never existed, or like I was worthless, but I guess that you have the right to know. Here's a hint." She paused, smiling devilishly. "Hello...mother."
Snowshine's eyes stretched wide with horror and shock.
She saw the glory in her dreams
Didn't take long to realize it's out of reach
Ice screeched, throwing herself off the Great Rock and barreling into her mother. Both she-cats screeched and yowled until a piercing shriek rang out and pinned all ears to heads. Ice pulled her claws out of Snowshine's neck, flicking a few drops of blood on the frosty grass.
The cold crept in over her slow
She had to choose the path she didn't know
The time would come she would just break
Before she was in pieces, she had to escape
Before anyone could react, ice knew she had to leap into action before anyone could attack her back. Her eyes swept across the clearing of warriors until finally the landed on a pale gray she-cat, staring at her with terror dancing like flames in her eyes.
Darkness in her eyes leaves a staless sky
The cold and freezing ice leaves her trapped inside
"Squirrelfur!" Ice hissed, bounding towards the pale gray she-cat. Before the medicine cat could even scream, she was pinned. Ice shifted her weigth from one side to another as she swatted other cats away from her. Quickly, she glared down at the trembling victim. "This is for doubting me even when I had nothing left to fall back on!" She reached down and snapped Squirrelfur's neck, splitting the air with a crisp crack of bone.
Ice took a blow from a dark tabby warrior before jumping away, out of reach of the other warriors.
'Cause she thought she could run away
From all the pain of yesterday
The cold wind froze her deep inside
And now she's left trapped in ice
They'll fall back eventually, if I don't first, Ice thought as a strike shoved her from behind. A gray leg pinned her to the grass.
"Stand back! I'll handle her!" the deep voice growled, one that Ice felt that she remembered.
Now she is her own worst fear
With chilling screams no one can hear
She had a brand new look on life
And now she's left trapped in ice
Ice rolled over to look her attacker in the face. She gasped, thinking that she had found her next victim. Stoneclaw's words were taken in seriously because a cirlce of cats surrounded them, with no one in their space. It was the perfect chance.
"Stoneclaw," she greeted sweetly, catching his attention. "I have a secret for you." She lowered her voice. "Your brother isn't dead."
The gray tom looked surprised as she spoke, but it soon turned to fear as she sprang up and twisted, getting in reach of his shoulders. she took ahold of them and pinned them to the grass. Out of the corner of her eye, warriors lunged for her, so she drew her claws over his neck swiftly and evaded their teeth, diving for the Great Rock.
The battlefield's empty, when you're alone
Even in this war with yourself, you can't contol
She's pushing through the snow, with all she has left
And leaving behind all she had known best
Her claws gripped a groove in the rock as a paw narrowly missed her scruff. Ice mentally thanked the adreniline she recieved before lifting herself up.
A paw caught on her shoulder.
Her dreams were broken by the cold hear truth, there
And now with a heart of stone come closer, only if you dare
Someone yanked her down to the grass and Ice slammed against the ground, with a chilling agony that spread along her spine. With a grunt, she tried to get up but the paw held her down firmly, so firmly that it hurt.
'Cause she thought she could run away
From all that pain of yesterday
Ice turned her head as much as she could to see who it was, if it was any cat that has hurt her in the past, a leader or a deputy, but what she saw, trapped the air in her throat.
Hailblaze.
The cold wind frose her deep inside,
And now she's left trapped in ice
He gazed at her, blankly staring. His paw slowly went up from her shoulder to her neck. Ice widened her eyes in anger and astonishment as she saw what he was beginning to do.
"Get off me you mangy elder!" she growled, "Or would you like to end up as shreds under my claws!"
His voice slipped from his lips ruggedly. It was deep and soft, but with a certain bitterness that pointed hate at his own actions. He breathed ever so quietly, "You don't get it do you?"
Now she was her own worst fear
With chilling screams no one can hear
"What?" she demanded, shwoing him her teeth.
He leaned into her, holding his muzzle directly next to her ear. Pain wrapped his voice as it was delivered from his mouth to her ear. "You don't get it do you?" he whsipered, capturing her attention, like she was frozen and her mind could only focus on his words.
She blinked.
"I'm the only one."
She had an brand new look on life
As his words found her ear, reality found her soul. Everything she's ever been through, the pain, happiness, excitement, jealously, guilt, anger, evil boomed in front of her eyes, as his gaze shone through it, staring into her mind, and her fear.
The fear of herself.
And now she's left...
How could she? How could I?
She looked into the depths of his green eyes that stared into hers.
Hailblaze...
...trapped in ice
I'm so sorry.
His claws sank into her throat. She didn't thrash or tremble, but she screamed, screamed at what she became and who she left behind. As the world blackened around her, Hailblaze stepped back, holding the blood with her blood smeared all over it. She felt her life spill from her body, as she screeched and yowled.
But before she slipped off into absolute emptiness, she cherished the last heart beat she had alive.
She...was...freed...
You hate me, I know you do, I can promise me that each and very one of you reading have some sort of hate guided directly at me for what I've done. When I first started the story, I never thought that it would become so popular, but it has, and so many of you love Frozenleaf and her story. I'm sorry. A million times over I'm sorry.
But guess what? Her story isn't over. You'll see her again in the sequel, and I might as well tell you what it's about. If you don't want to know, click away now, but if you do, read on.
She and Lionfire are reborn, to make things right again.
And I promise, that will have a happy ending.
Thank you my lovelies, for everything. Know that I love you and all of your support you've given me, stay tuned for the epilogue and the squel, soming soon.
~Destiny (and Nightstorm)
