A/N: Whoowee, finally finished that. Sorry for this being late, but finals were kicking my butt. Two essays in one day are not fun. And now comes my Summer class… What fun. I don't even get a week to myself. Someone help T-T. Anywho, who's ready for some pain? I'm not. This is gonna be great. Aren't you excited?
Reviews
Hissing Mist- That… Aggressive. I like it lol. I write these before writing out the whole chapter, so I am unaware as to how long it'll actually be, but hopefully, it makes up for being late. Right? Right? Maybe. We'll see XD. I just like messing with y'all. Hmm, these are rather big changes. But looking back at it, if Windy were to tell raindrop all about their past together, I would say it would have made things significantly easier for her to open up. Some things probably would have gotten worse, and there might be that pressure to be exactly the same, but with help, they would have grown to something better. Both as individuals and together. Leafstar's a beast, but is Flarekitty ready to try and best her? Probably not, but she's getting there at a rapid pace.
Songmistle (Guest)- Everything does happen for a reason. That's my motto in life. Man, you can swim? I can't. Therefore, tsunamis are my biggest fear because like, earthquakes I can handle. But throw a buttload of water at me and I'm gone. Amazing AU. Ten out of ten. Write it out XD. Ooh, that's an interesting change. If Berry wasn't Cripple, then that would definitely have thrown a wrench in Cherry's plans- and honestly, it would have come down to Berry and Cherry at the end. Bramblepaw would have lost in that previous trial. The thing about these arcs is that, since we are steadily approaching the final arc overall, there are some things I might have to cut out or shorten just so we're not all over the place (sadly). Never fear, there will be a resolution to that, but the Forestclan arc probably won't be for a bit. We still gotta get over this mess here. For my typical length of chapters, I'd say it was shorter, yes XD. I'm way too critical of myself. Everyone just wants them to run away lol. 26 chapters a year. Interesting haha. Nope, just had to devote my time to Finals, unfortunately, but we should get back in gear now :). Sorry for the wait.
Guest- Thanks, glad you liked it! That would have been a good place to end it, but I wanted that little promise interaction between Flare and White (because it is a callback) so yeah. It does have a nice punch to it though.
FrostedShadowx- Yeah, there needed to be a bit of build-up for it, but it is here now. At last. I don't understand why you want him to die so much lol. I can't make any promises (for whether he'll live or die). We might not have seen the last of Adderfang, do with that information what you will haha. It wasn't entirely my intention to not have Stormclan's cast looked at more closely. I feel like I've shown a lot from both of the others, but not so much Stormclan. Or maybe that's just me. A Cloudstar backstory would be interesting though. Second Review: I will say that there's no supernatural aspect to this world or things where they can "see" the future. Can they make predictions (and foreshadowing)? Yep. Nihil was… an eclectic boy. As was Inanis (he liked to call her "my sweet augur" since she seemed to be really good at predicting things before they happened). All predictions are nice, but one that I can say is for sure is that he predicted Whiteshadow would be the one to leave and to survive leaving, and thus, get a "living" name. (All of Zero's "children" are something that is dead: spirit, ghost, phantom, wraith, etc). Third review: Ooh, a Zero backstory? I never even thought about that. That could be fun. Fourth review: Yep, that's one of the reasons. But who knows, it could be all the reasons you listed.
reading at 3am is normal- Welp, you got plenty of time this time around lol. Finals are a mess. It was nice seeing them, but considering I haven't been out in over a year, I need a mental recharge from that now lol. Happy pride! Huh, I've never heard of it, but that does sound pretty terrifying. Fingers crossed everybody. Make their own clan, huh? That would be fun (and chaotic). Imagine the three of them trying to lead a group. As for Wildfire: he's definitely a sadist that craves control and will stop at nothing to get it. Even against his own daughter. That would be scary, but very much something he could do. Classist. That's probably the better one haha. It would nuke a lot of the pain, but there's always a way to bring a different kind of pain if they had lived the avalanche. Nothing can stop my desire for angst, not even me XD.
KyubiMaster9- Oh heck no. Screw Sagesplash. We only love one Sage in this house and it's Sagepaw. Nah, your memory isn't trash. That's definitely the case here. The irony of it was intended and that just goes to show they truly don't care for her, just "Grand Royal Flarepaw." If that makes sense. It seems like running away is the one thing everyone wants them to do XD. I've made you all paranoid, it's great. Cloudstar is a sketchy character, so we'll see what happens. Interesting question: I will say that once, they did. Especially near the beginning, the first two generations. It was originally only supposed to be two clans, but because there was so much fighting, Forestclan was made to keep everything in check… Didn't really work, but hey, at least they try XD. They have been in war once though, long long ago. Wildfire definitely wouldn't have been able to pull off so much nonsense with her there, but hey, he's a sneaky cat. He could have done other things instead- but it would have been so great to write out Willowflame beating the hell out of him for everything he's done to their daughter. Snowstrike would have been in raindrop's corner for sure, and that family would have stayed with her. The only reason Streamrunner is a trash dad to her is because he blames her for his mate's death- but if that had been avoided, then he would have been defending her as fiercely as Bluepaw does. Sad how things ended up because of my decisions XD.
Rainbow Badge (Guest)- Angst is one of the only things I know how to write, apparently XD. Our expectations were low and somehow, he didn't meet them lol. Oh, Cloudstar. You're a messed-up boi. That's kinda the vibe I was going for. This whole arc is just an "oh no" kinda vibe. She drank all the water indeed haha. I definitely do feel bad for making her lose her friend, but ah well. Come on Roseberry. God. We need your help here. Hey, you wanted a rematch, accept the rematch XD. Not the way you wanted, but still. Valid. Oh dear, Willowflame would be such a chaotic game show host. I'd definitely watch it. Rainpaw and Windpaw are just my favorite to write, so painful but so beautiful. Parkour XD Oh Jesus, I can't breathe when I read your reviews. They never fail to make me laugh. Bless you. Leafstar is immortal and Roseberry is God. They've just been living here forever and watching everything fall apart again. That is a hilarious reason for Willowflame to do it and that's totally something she'd do. (And also cause she likes challenging tough opponents and, to date, nobody but Leafstar has been able to consistently beat her so she wanted to keep trying.) Best of frenemies. Whiteshadow as a villain but also a dad is a great image haha. If only I had made that happen. (Whiteshadow would definitely be the kinda person to wear black nail polish… and then pink just cause Leafstar asked him to.) I don't know where you got the image that Nightstone is a gremlin but it's hilarious. Don't stop XD. I'm not really the best at coming up with jokes, I don't think I'm that funny. Hmm, that's an interesting trio. Do it, make the AU. I'll endorse it lol. Really? Emberpaw and Flarepaw… Huh. I never thought of that. Man, now it feels like a missed opportunity. (I guess if you want something to help your headcanon, I will say that Emberpaw did have a crush on Flarepaw when they were younger… might even still be lingering, but who's to say?) Berrypaw is just your average cat lol. But I can get behind her being round. Umbrellas and hard hats everyone, there's rain and hail here. Let's go!
Thanks to everybody who reviewed! Without further ado…
Let's get started!
…
Blazeclan
…
There's something so calming about watching the steady rise and fall of the kits' flanks as they slept.
Sootblaze rested on his side, in his usual spot by the nest, eye-level to Thistlekit and Lilykit. They had been squirming for a while and he had spent a great deal of time playing with them by using his tail like a lure, the soft smile on his face never leaving, but now they were blissfully in the world of dreams and cuddled close together. As sisters should be. Thistlekit was growing to be slightly bigger than her sister already and he longed for the day they received their permanent eye color.
Being here with the kits, in the warmth of the Nursery, he could forget about the impending battle looming over everybody's head. The stress and the anxiety left his nerves frazzled and visiting Feathersong and the kits was like a mental reboot he so desperately needed. He wasn't the only one either.
Nearly all the Commoners, when they weren't assigned to watch over the main border or switching shifts, could be seen here at least once or twice. Even Whiteshadow and Sagepaw and Flarepaw. Most surprising of all, a few more familiar faces came by once or twice.
Gingerpaw looked rather awkward, most likely dragged into there by his sister, and though Emberpaw made Sootblaze nervous- unpredictable that she-cat was- she was surprisingly gentle. Even Rowanpaw, with his scarred face and nervous expression, came by to at least take a long look at the two.
Newborn kits just seemed to have some sort of calming effect in general, everyone always leaving more relaxed. Sootblaze almost felt sorry for the High Ranks whose pride would never let them be caught dead anywhere near the Commoner's Nursery.
They were really missing out.
It was almost his time to relieve Owlpelt from his time as sentry at the border.
...But could anyone blame him for not wanting to go?
"Sootblaze," Feathersong murmured, ever aware of their limited time just as well as him, and he blew out a heavy sigh as he- with all the reluctance in the world- pushed himself to his paws. He could hardly look her in the eye, for whatever reason. Each time he left, he tried to go as quickly as possible.
It felt like if he looked at her, it would be a final goodbye, and he couldn't put her through that.
He also couldn't not give her a goodbye. (She didn't get to say goodbye to Thornblaze.)
Golden-yellow lifted to meet dark blue and she seemed just as anxious as everybody else. She tried her best to keep everything together, to keep the relaxed atmosphere up and ease everybody's nerves, but it quickly became apparent that she also needed someone to do that for her too. He felt a warmth in his chest knowing she only ever showed her worries to him. (Probably to Ravenflight too. That she-cat seemed to always get to the core of everyone's problems. Bully them into it, if anything.)
"Duty calls," he gave the best smile he could muster and knew it fell horribly flat. He didn't know why today, this time, in particular, felt like finality. Like he was going to walk out of this den and never return.
Perhaps his paranoia had reached an all-time high by now. Five days was a long time for it to build up.
His eyes drifted back down to the kits (one last time- he shook his head). What did they dream about? He hoped it was nothing but happiness and peace.
(He loathed the day they became acquainted with this horrible world.)
Sootblaze carefully stepped closer so he could brush his muzzle to the top of Feathersong's head, letting her press into him for a second longer than necessary in a vague embrace, before he stepped away. He wanted to do the same with the kits before deciding not to disturb their slumber. Let them sleep, anything to escape from the real world.
"Sootblaze," Feathersong called to him as he reached the entrance of the den. Despite himself, he paused, the fur along his shoulders bristling with anxiety that only increased as he turned to look at her. There was a pained expression on her face, scared. She must have felt powerless, having to be here with her kits instead of going to the front lines with the others. Only forced to watch everyone she cared about charge into battle while she stayed behind. "Please, be careful."
"If we're lucky," he gave another grin that fell flat, "maybe we can scrape by another day without anything happening."
Their luck had already reached its limits. The days had shortened to hours, to minutes, and now, any second it was going to start. He could feel it. Everyone could feel it.
He didn't know if he wanted to be there right as the battle started or to arrive later.
Probably the former. Because at least that way, he won't be too slow to defend someone else and watch them die. It'll only be him in the line of danger.
He preferred it.
"They already lost their father," he flinched at her words, no matter how soft her voice was. She glanced down at her daughters and back to him, giving an equally strained smile, "They can't lose their brother either."
"They won't," Sootblaze vowed, both to her and to himself. He would not be as reckless as before. It wasn't about protecting others, it was about protecting himself too. "I promise. I'll be careful."
That seemed to be enough for the Queen. Feathersong nodded, ushering him on, and Sootblaze bowed his head before slipping outside of the den and into the air that was thick with tension. High Ranks were huddled together, discussing plans, and he wanted to roll his eyes at their insistence to do it alone without the opinion of anyone else. Like the Commoners, who were actually the ones most often at the border, seeing it first hand.
He was convinced none of the Royals had even passed by there.
A terrible feeling was stirring in the pit of his stomach, alongside the frost of fear and the unpleasantness of anxiety.
The state of their divided forces was probably going to make the difference between who lived and who died. It was insane that even now, even now, they could not let their pride go and include the Low Ranks. When things were this bad and there was so much risk, when they definitely did not have enough herbs left for healing, when Stormclan was dead set on attacking them for a meaningless death.
Well, meaningless for Blazeclan, at least.
Being divided like this…
How could they possibly hope to survive?
…
Every step toward the Stormclan border felt like his last and he hated it.
He was already saying his goodbyes to everyone in his head. (Already wondering if Thornblaze and his friends were waiting for the others to join them. Would they be watching the battle from their place in the sky? Would they wander the battlefield and escort the dying to the stars?)
(He wouldn't be so scared of death if the first thing he saw was his friends.)
It seemed to take longer and shorter to get there, but at last, the sound of the river entered his ears and he could see Owlpelt at the edge of the rushing water. Rushing water that was significantly calmer than five days ago, and the nervousness in his throat only tightened at the sight of it. Sootblaze took in as calming of a breath as he could before moving forward.
"Owlpelt," he called quietly, saddling up beside the tom who had his eyes closed. Surprisingly, a gentle smile was on his lips. Sootblaze furrowed his brow in confusion. "What're you doing?"
"Listening to the river," the older warrior murmured, his ears twitching this way and that every now and then, movements ever so slightly. "It's quite calming."
"I wouldn't call it calming," he huffed to himself, instinctively glancing across the river. There didn't seem to be any Stormclan cat there at the moment, perhaps it was too early, or perhaps the one that was usually there had gone to sleep. "It's the song we'll be fighting to."
"Who's to say it can't be both?" Owlpelt peeked open an eye to him, shrugging, "Peace and war are two sides of a river, aren't they?"
"We're crossing into war," Sootblaze shrugged.
"Perhaps," the dark brown-furred tom mumbled and let out a quiet breath of a sigh, "but even so, we should come to appreciate the peace it can provide. If you forget about it, then you'll only have war."
He wanted to point out how it was a little difficult to be thinking about peace when there was a battle about to start any second, but just for his sake, Sootblaze kept his tongue in check and his thoughts to himself. If Owlpelt wanted to ignore the looming threat, then what right did he have to stop him?
Appreciate the little things.
Perhaps this was Owlpelt's way of doing just that.
"Owlpelt," he murmured just loud enough to be heard over the river, shuffling the weight on his paws. "I'm sorry."
"Whatever for?"
"...For letting him-"
"Ah. That," amber eyes blinked open and he turned to face him, a twitch of a smile to his lips before Owlpelt shook his head, "There's no need to apologize for that."
"He was your friend," Sootblaze did his best to keep his ears from falling flat, not entirely knowing if he succeeded. "And I couldn't…"
I couldn't save him.
I couldn't stop him from sacrificing himself.
"Neither could I," Owlpelt said so easily Sootblaze felt like a fool for not realizing it sooner. He took in a small breath and shook his head, a sense of bitter acceptance to his stature now, "I don't think anyone could have talked him out of what he did, or told you to do. He was very self-sacrificing like that, and it finally reached a point of no return. I don't blame anyone, and if I should, it's certainly not you, Sootblaze."
"I felt like everybody's let me off so easy," he chuckled to himself, humorless and resigned, "Forgiven me for something I could never."
"Whether or not others forgive you, I'm afraid," Owlpelt smiled, standing up now and bumping their shoulders together, "is not up for you to decide."
If it was, Sootblaze would have never been forgiven. For anything he's done.
Perhaps it wasn't them that were too easy on him…
...Maybe it was just a matter of him being too hard on himself.
Sootblaze didn't know how far he'd have to go before he could forgive himself. But perhaps, for now, he could live with knowing that others did what he could never. He hoped he could reach a point where he, too, could do the same.
(...but then again…
...Maybe he wouldn't get the chance...)
It's as Owlpelt went to swap places with Sootblaze that things went wrong.
There was a single shout that came from across the river, both of their eyes turning. The she-cat that was always there was back, moving forward with heavy, quivering steps toward the edge of the river. Her burning glare remained on the two of them- Blazeclan scum- before briefly dropping down to the river. Calculating and critical, Sootblaze felt his heartbeat beginning to slow, time doing the same.
The spark that appeared in her eyes was a slow thing, burning brighter and brighter, hotter and hotter. All with possibility, temptation, fury. She lifted her gaze back to them, fangs barring in what could either be a snarl or a cruel smirk…
And then she was backing up. One step, two steps, three- until she was about ten steps back from the river's edge.
No.
Wait, wait- no!
The river, she deemed, was calm enough.
Calm enough for the chaos to start.
It was with the sound of his chest cracking that she began running, and at his peripherals, Sootblaze could see a few more numbers hiding within the bushes, waiting to see if the first one could make it through without being swept beneath the abyssal waves.
"Owlpelt," he breathed out as the she-cat approached more and more. One step, two, three, four, five, six- Ten steps was not nearly enough. "Go… Go!"
As conflicted as the older tom seemed to be, he nodded, turning and gathering the air in his lungs to yowl a warning once he was in the treeline. A sound that would hopefully be carried across the forest and to all the others.
A warning that was necessary as the determined Stormclan she-cat leaped a rather daunting distance, and Sootblaze held his breath as she met the water, sinking below. He never before wished for anybody to drown, but at this moment, he did not want her to get back up.
Seconds tick by, slower than his frantically beating heart…
But alas, their luck had run out today.
Her head broke the surface with a noise that was a cross between a gasp and snarl, a furious yell, and though the current tried to carry her off, it was not strong enough against her ferocity. She was swimming, steadily making her way across, and behind her, the Stormclan warriors began creating their own signal, streaming out of the willow forest and toward the riverbank, leaping in as well.
...And Sootblaze was alone.
An army was approaching and he was alone.
Not for long, hopefully, as he could hear his own clan's signals echoing behind him, but for right now and however long it took for them to get here, he was alone.
(He hated being alone.)
For a brief second, he closed his eyes and envisioned the souls of those he lost there with him, standing at his back, bolstering his strength. Thornblaze would be right by over his shoulder, strong and towering. Bluepaw and Shrewpaw would be off to one side, nervous but determined and ready to defend him, and at his other, Mousepaw and Adderfang would be in their usual stances to start.
Warmth ignited through his system and he opened his eyes with a startled gasp, unsheathing his claws and taking a few steps forward, right at the edge of the riverbank, his fur bristling at watching them all approach.
Rule number one when fighting against Stormclan, Whiteshadow had told him on his way back from their trip to Forestclan, a serious expression on his face as he gave Sootblaze tips, never let them get you in the water. Let them come to our land, it's fine- do not, under any circumstance, meet them in the river.
Sootblaze's penchant was running headfirst to cut off the enemy.
"I'm tired of running headfirst into battle," he had told Nightstone once.
He took in a deep breath, hearing the trickling of the river, a calm contrast to the chaotic splashing and snarling of the approaching Stormclan cats, and prepared himself, his eyes moving to the first she-cat.
"So now, I'm going to defend."
With his life, if he had to.
"Oh, I've waited so long for this," the she-cat spoke in a rough voice, pelt dripping with water as she made it to a part where she could stand, remaining in the water. There was cruelty in her tone, thick anticipation, intense hurt. "Why don't you come closer, dear?"
"Why don't you?" He did his best to keep his voice even and didn't entirely know how successful he was, glancing briefly to those behind her, before meeting her eyes again. "Look, I'm sorry for what my clan has done."
"I don't want apologies," As he predicted, it only made the scowl on her face deepen, and he was momentarily distracted by the sharpness of her fangs. How much was it going to hurt him? He didn't want to find out. "I want you all to suffer!"
Her impatience was perhaps stronger than her sense of reason, Stormclan's usual penchant for waiting for the enemy to foolishly meet them in their favored terrain. Instead of trying to taunt Sootblaze toward her, she sprinted forward, bursting from the water and directly to him.
Draw them onto dry land.
It is the only way you can win.
Despite how cowardly it made him feel, Sootblaze backpedaled away from her, closer toward the tree line.
Or… at least, that's what he wanted to do.
He completely underestimated what wrath can do for someone. He was fast, yes, but he was distracted on trying to move her along to somewhere he had a better chance. She only had one purpose in mind- it did not matter where she was, but she was going to hurt him.
The first slash of claws against his chest made him grimace, just barely succeeding in breaking away from the hooked quality of her claws as she tried to drag him back. Back, back toward the river.
Oh.
So, that's how this is going to go.
All he had to do was stay out of her grip. Simple enough. He hoped.
She was raw fury and anguish as she swung at him with reckless abandon, and he thanked every single one of his ancestors for Flarepaw's training, making him dodge most of the hits and make the ones that did land glance off of him instead of dig into him. Keep moving, keep breathing- That's her number one rule.
He tried to retaliate, finding an opening rather quickly on someone who didn't seem to care about getting hit in return, only focused on attack, attack, attack.
Sootblaze was quick to get an idea as to what rank this specific individual was. Because even through her rage and grueling offense, she moved with the fluidity of a skilled fighter, one trained rigorously for grand endeavors.
One trained like a High Rank.
Oh, joy.
I'm probably fighting a Royal.
What fun.
He tried not to let it discourage him. He's had enough experience going toe-to-toe with Royals before, most specifically someone like Rowanpaw, so he wasn't out of his element. Except, he sort of was in a way- because he was used to Blazeclan Royals.
Their method of fighting was not the same.
The sleekness of her pelt made it difficult to actually hit a part of her body instead of card through her fur. Made it difficult to get a grapple on her in return and pin her down. There were times where she simply shoved him back a step, feinting a strike only to go to a different target with startling accuracy and speed. (He wondered if having to hunt fish made it so you had to have deadly accuracy.)
On top of it all...
She wasn't alone.
And he was.
A second set of claws ripped down his side, curved claws hooking themselves into his pelt, and the wind was knocked out of him as he was tossed aside. Back, back, back. The world spun and he got to his paws as quickly as he could, getting a glance of his surroundings long enough to just see nothing but a variety of pelt colors. He didn't know which way was his home and which way was the river and everything was too loud for him to try and listen for the water.
His eyes met a pair of devastating dark blue, another she-cat with dark grey fur and white spiral stripes along her side, and he had just enough time to block her incoming hit and duck out of the way-
Only to run into a blue-grey furred tom with light green eyes that glittered with malice. Instead of smacking him aside, the Stormclan tom clutched onto Sootblaze's shoulders, shoving him back. (Back, back, back.)
He stumbled in his place, catching his breath, ducking another set of claws, ripping his own through someone's flank. Someone bit his tail and he retaliated by whirling toward them, latching his tear on their ear and immediately making them let go.
Stumbling aside, he tried to gauge the arena around him, feeling the slickness of the mud beneath his paws. They had loosely surrounded him, pacing and hissing, perhaps content with targeting him and waiting for more to come closer to the river. In their frenzy, they at least knew who would have the advantage in the forest.
He knew it wouldn't be much longer before someone arrived. The shouts were getting louder, and a few of the Stormclan cats turned away from him and charged at whoever came out of the forest. He just had to hold on.
Hold on, hold on, hold-
Another shove- back, back, back- and it was a shock to his system, feeling one of his back paws step into the shallow end of the river, his throat tightening and his eyes widening. Uh oh. The mass of Stormclan cats parted like the river, and the one who started it all came charging up to him, a deadly gleam to her eyes.
I'm sorry, he felt like saying again for whatever reason.
Even as she barreled straight into him, and though he tried to hold his ground, the mud was too slippery beneath his paws. Sootblaze felt himself falling, the she-cat over him, and he had just enough time to draw in a hasty breath before his head was pushed beneath the surface of the water.
It wasn't too deep, and that was the worst part. It was just deep enough for him to know the surface was right there, just a small push away for him to breach it, but the she-cat had a vendetta against him and his clan and she held him hostage beneath the surface.
If you do happen to get pinned in the river, Whiteshadow gave a smile that was all fangs, you better be damn good at holding your breath.
Even as they tear into you.
Sootblaze could feel it now, the she-cat's black claws ripping into his unprotected underbelly. It… felt familiar. His mind brought him to Wildfire, the one time he had received a glimpse of what Flarepaw's punishments were like. But this was wholly different.
Wildfire was so clean with his cuts, so precise.
This was just an absolute tearing, reaching any surface she can. Trying to spill his guts into the river slowly staining red with his blood.
He now had a taste of what fighting Stormclan was like.
...He found it foul on his tongue.
Sootblaze struggled, trying to remain calm, just like Whiteshadow told him. The moment he started to panic, the moment he would lose his air. He could not spare a single breath to cry out in pain, but stars was his soul crying. He dug his claws into her front legs that were keeping his head securely beneath the surface, one paw against his chest and the other right at his cheek, shoving him down. Claws dug into there as well, ripping at his muzzle, but he kept his air.
Hold your breath, hold your breath.
By some force of will, or maybe he was strong enough, he managed to lift the paw pressing his face down just enough for him to latch onto her paw pads with his fangs, the taste of blood blossoming in his mouth and making him grimace. He shook his head as best as he could, not entirely knowing what he was trying to do. Probably just render her front paw useless.
Apparently, the risk was too much for her. Stormclan cats needed all of their paws in working order. Her grip loosened to pry her paw free and it was just enough for him to push her off-balance. It was barely anything and she was still over him, but it was just enough for him to slip free from his place directly beneath her and push himself aside, the current helping him escape from her grasp.
His stomach clenched with pain but he could hardly feel his blood escaping him, considering he was in the river where everything was flowing all around him anyway. Sootblaze lurched aside, scrambling away, and his first taste of air was the most blessed thing he's ever had the fortune to have.
The she-cat wasn't done with him, turning to face his direction, but just as he was about to get to his paws and continue the fight, to get away from the river, Tigergaze was there in all of his bloodthirsty glory. Just wanting to fight whoever was the strongest, giving them the advantage in the river as well. (He probably didn't even notice she had been distracted with a Commoner. Otherwise, Sootblaze doubted he would have come to his aid.)
Regardless, his foe was stolen from him and he was not mad about it, turning aside to run back to dry land-
And coming to an immediate stop at the scene around him.
Now, Sootblaze had never been part of a true battle before. Not against another clan, at least. Especially Stormclan.
The level of chaos was overwhelming.
Everywhere he looked, he could see his clanmates and the enemy meeting each other head-on, with no trace of hesitation on either part. Stormclan was dead set on vengeance and Blazeclan was focused on survival and Sootblaze didn't quite know which desire was stronger. Both were quite powerful motivators.
It wasn't everybody, he could tell that much. A few familiar faces were missing on his quick look around and they must have been on the other borders, the thinner rivers. Wildfire wasn't here, nor was Gingerpaw or Rowanpaw or Sagepaw. Emberpaw was, alongside Shadepaw and Amberpaw, and just the presence of a previous Grand Royal apprentice seemed to strengthen everyone's resolve.
His eyes darted around, looking for his family. Most of the Commoners were here, save for Ravenflight. (And Feathersong, of course. He hoped someone told her that the fight began. Or would it be better if she didn't know at all? Ignorance was bliss, after all, and he wanted her to be happy.)
He thought he caught sight of Whiteshadow and Flarepaw, if the surge of determination on Blazeclan's part was any indicator, but as soon as he looked back over in their direction, he couldn't see her and it was only the lead Royal in the midst. Perhaps he had been imagining things.
Regardless, the battle was here...
He turned, running to where a Stormclan cat was trying to drag Swiftleaf toward the river, intercepting them and helping her out.
...And Sootblaze was going to do his best to defend.
I won't lose anyone else again.
…
Stormclan
…
"If it truly comes down to it, then I'll be the one to do it. You don't have to."
When they got the signal that it had begun, Windpaw felt as though they were all walking to their doom.
It was a strange approach. The rest of the clan, though not entirely knowing exactly what they were going to do, had been told not to expect them in the main front. Morale had tempered from it, everyone always wanting to fight alongside the Grand Royal apprentices, but everyone was too distracted by their thirst for vengeance to suffer too much from their absence.
So, instead of charging headlong toward the writhing mass across the river, Windpaw, Bluepaw, and Rainpaw remained on their side of the waters, loosely hidden within their forest, eyes roving over the battlefield. It was too early to tell who had the advantage or not. Half of the fights were in the river and the other half were on land, so neither clan was winning or losing per se. It was just… chaos.
Every cat for themself.
It was, admittedly, quite sad. She had never been a spectator in a battle before, never just sitting back to witness it because she was always in the thick of the fray, but now that she had the opportunity to just watch… She didn't like it.
Her eyes frequently drifted to her beloved beside her, worried if just the sight of battle made her twitchy. Rainpaw was staring with a blank expression and it seemed like she had to remind herself to draw in a breath, going long bouts without doing so. Windpaw pressed closer instinctively and her love did not react to it, entranced by the fight.
She gritted her teeth and turned her gaze back to the matter at hand.
The seconds ticked by, and the longer time went without that familiar amber pelt, the more Windpaw hoped she wouldn't show at all.
She didn't know why she suddenly cared for Flarepaw.
Or perhaps, it wasn't the Blazeclan she-cat she cared about. It was just the task at hand and what it entailed for the one beside her.
Even though she didn't particularly like Flarepaw…
She didn't deserve this.
Enough. Windpaw sighed to herself, closing her eyes. So many conflicting emotions will make you hesitate.
You cannot hesitate when the fight begins.
(She hated how that voice in her head sounded like Sagesplash. Always a bother, he was.)
Rainpaw shuffled her paws, growing antsy, and her next breath shuddered upon release as she seemed to curl into herself, giving a sharp shake of her head. Windpaw glanced over her to Bluepaw, who was regarding his sister with the same worried expression as her.
There was nothing but pain and heartbreak shared between copper and dark green. Even with wanting to protect Rainpaw, to prevent her from having to be the one to do it… Neither of them was quite willing or ready to kill someone either.
If it comes down to it, she looked back toward the battle, I will.
Anything for Rainpaw.
What would happen then? If she killed someone for Rainpaw, what would change between them? Would it be better or worse?
She didn't know, and she wasn't quite so excited to find out.
"...There…"
Bluepaw's voice was quiet, not wanting to breathe existence into their mission, and Windpaw glanced at his pained expression before following his gaze off to the side. Indeed. Flarepaw was there, popping up with lead Royal Whiteshadow and sharing a glance with him before the two went off in their separate ways.
Flarepaw paused to speak with someone, a light grey she-cat with darker patches on her back from where Windpaw could see, and she seemed to stare off in a different direction before nodding.
Windpaw cursed every single one of her ancestors as Flarepaw gave them the perfect chance… and isolated herself.
For whatever reason, instead of staying with the main force and making their mission that much harder, she began running along the side of the river, perhaps toward one of the thinner borders down the way. Stormclan warriors tried to intercept her, to claw her and claim their prize of being the one to take down a Grand Royal apprentice, but Flarepaw was agile and, even from a distance, her evasion was quite impressive.
She dodged every single one of their strikes and still kept going. Soon enough, she would be gone from view.
And the three of them had to make chase.
"Damn it," Bluepaw mumbled, perhaps sharing her thoughts, and turned to look between the two. Rainpaw wasn't even staring off to where Flarepaw ran off too. No, she was still looking at the battle. (If Windpaw followed her gaze, she would find her staring at Whiteshadow with a blank expression.) The tom was the first to stand up, shaking himself out and blowing out a heavy sigh before turning to the two, "I guess… We follow?"
Do we really have to? She didn't bother asking her question aloud. The answer was a firm, undeniable yes.
Cloudstar would not allow them to return to camp with no sign of battle and no body.
Funnily enough, worryingly enough, it was Rainpaw who began walking first. The two jumped as she suddenly turned and began trotting in the direction of the other border, a single lash to her tail that was either an indicator for them to follow or something to shake off some of her nerves. If any.
She wanted to ask if Rainpaw was nervous before deciding that probably wasn't a good idea.
With a final shared look between Windpaw and Bluepaw…
They ran.
Every step felt like the greatest failure, an impending demise, a step in the wrong direction. Regression. She made sure to keep up with Rainpaw, putting herself between the river and her love, their pelts brushing and only once able to twine their tails together. Her face was still void of emotion and it was beginning to worry Windpaw.
They go at a pace just faster than a walk, none of them wanting this to happen.
But they had no choice.
"I don't- I don't want to be a monster."
"I don't want to kill her, I don't want to kill anyone."
She took in a breath (it felt a lot like taking in smoke and she wondered if this was their lives, their futures, going up in flames).
"If it truly comes down to it, then I'll be the one to do it."
But can Windpaw even bring herself to do such a thing? She wanted to believe so. The cruel one she had made herself out to be would have no problem with it.
But that's just the thing. It was all an act.
Windpaw didn't think she had what it took to kill someone. Grand Royal Windpaw could do it, but just Windpaw?
Well…
I suppose we're about to find out.
They arrived at one of the thinner borders, and immediately, Windpaw was convinced that Flarepaw truly had no sense of self-preservation. Or perhaps she was simply that confident in her own skill.
Regardless, she was in the river, fending off against-
Oh for stars sake…
Of course, it would be Drippingpaw here. Creekpaw was there as well, and the two had apparently been trying to come in from a different angle to Blazeclan territory. This border was alarmingly empty, unguarded- save for a single Blazeclan warrior. A black-furred she-cat that Flarepaw made a point of saving from the clutches of the enemy, urging her back toward the main area and brushing off her concerns.
With the greatest reluctance, the other she-cat- the other witness- began leaving. Only Flarepaw remained, easily fending off the two Stormclan cats, and Windpaw grimaced to herself as quick claws ripped into her sister's shoulder.
Well, little sister. Now you know what it's like to play with the big girls.
She felt an unfamiliar sensation well up within her. Protectiveness itself wasn't anything new, but who it was for? Now, that was new to her.
She had only ever wanted to protect Rainpaw. Maybe Bluepaw, to an extent.
And now, her protective instincts ignited in her chest, burning her, and she let out a harsh huff of air. How annoying. Despite her best efforts, Drippingpaw was indeed finding a way to crawl into her heart and she hated it.
Caring for another cat was quite inconvenient.
The three came to a stop, hidden away as usual, simply watching it all. She wondered if they were unanimously just trying to waste their time so Flarepaw could run back to the main group instead.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Rainpaw growing antsier. Even more than before. Perhaps the sight of a smaller battle gave her a better opportunity to fight, to single out her opponent.
Windpaw tried very hard not to outwardly flinch when she heard Drippingpaw let out a call of pain. It was a foolish wish for her sister and Noble Creekpaw to be able to fend off against a Grand Royal apprentice, but was it so much to ask for them to be able to chase her off?
Apparently.
Her eyes met Bluepaw's again, trying to meet Rainpaw's and failing because her love wasn't looking at anyone else but Flarepaw. Emotion began filtering into her gaze, and Windpaw wanted to sigh in relief and whimper for her when she saw nothing but anguish in light blue.
Not bloodthirst, not anger, not anything else but reluctance.
In a last-ditch effort to do something, perhaps to keep the more empathetic side of Rainpaw present, Windpaw stepped closer to her and brushed her muzzle along the side of her face, delicately touching her scars. It startled her love, gaze snapping to her, and it almost looked like she wanted to cry.
"Remember what I said," she said in a promise, giving a tight smile, "I love you."
(She hated how final it sounded.)
(The end is near.)
Rainpaw didn't say it back.
Their eyes turned back to the front and there was no use wasting any more time. They had their mission, they had their target, and they had the perfect opportunity to execute it.
It's time.
The fire of Blazeclan, burning ever so bright…
...is about to go out.
And they were going to be the ones to extinguish it.
…
A/N: Whoowee. I… am nervous. And excited. Round of applause for a boi for not dying right away, everybody. Looks like his training seemed to pay off, enough for him to survive against Cloverpaw and her mindless rage. Get your helmets on everybody, it's gonna get dangerous now.
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Question of the Day
(Question submitted by The Unnamed Guest. Thanks for the help!)
Since the story has progressed, so much has happened, and new characters and stuff have been introduced since the last time I asked this;
Who are your favorite and least favorite characters?
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Thank you and peace out!
~Wolfcreations21