A/N: College is hard. Also, we are nearing the part of my outline where I don't have anything written- just title names and very loose notes- SO turns out I have to go on hiatus in the near future. I'll give y'all a warning before that happens, but we should have a couple more chapters before then. Anywho, previous chapter, huh? Let's see how it all plays out.
Thanks to Willowface, LqmpShqde, and flowerflame for following and adding this story as a favorite!
Reviews
Hissing Mist- Hoorah, I have done it! I had a lot of fun with the last chapter, just this arc in general. Always a fun time having cherished characters try to kill each other :). Fingers crossed everybody. Ooh, I really like that color combo. Last quiz killed me (39/50) but luckily, my final is lined up for next week and not this week, so I'm all good. I'll have to go on hiatus soon regardless, but thankfully not sooner than I have wanted.
Guest- Ah yes, the screams of my readers. Fills me with energy XD.
Songmistle (Guest)- Hope you have a good time in Spain! Flarekitty and raindrop aren't having a good time right now XD, fingers crossed. Ooh, that is such a pretty aesthetic. Damn. Why didn't I think of that?
WhiteWinter1- Yeah. Raindrop's perspective was a tough one to do, but I greatly enjoyed it. All those conflicted feelings. I've grown so attached to these characters and their mannerisms, I've forgotten how I made them. Huh, I've never heard of that aesthetic before. It's nice!
reading at 3am is normal- I think this is the first time I've shown an "official" fight between Stormclan and Blazeclan (I don't count the sparring match between Flare and Blue or the time Windy catnapped Sage and Soot). I've always said they had a tense rivalry and it was about time I show it. Chaos, hooray! Flarepaw really just wanted Ravenflight to go back to safety and didn't know how else to do it. (Hey, maybe after this, she'll learn not to take everything on by herself… If, you know, she's okay.) Oh yeah, no- Ravenflight is the kinda fighter that keeps going until she can't get up anymore. One of the biggest things I want to show is that choices are made and consequences happen. Whether or not those consequences lead to a character's death, it really is up to the circumstances of the situation. All of the characters are players in this game and they each have their own choices to make. Wildfire is in no way invincible- I've shown him beaten plenty of times before, but he portrays himself as such and that's what makes the others hesitate. (And, you know, he's got followers at his beck and call.) I planned that cliffhanger the first time I wrote tick tock in the chapter. Sometimes you just need that suspense. That's a pretty color combo.
Rainbow Badge (Guest)- Now that I think about it, most of- if not all of- the new apprentices (like Drippingpaw and Applepaw) were fan-submitted characters. Fun fact I guess lol. Apple bobbing- you think you're so clever huh XD. I love it. Instant best friends. Now I have to make it happen. Honestly, every time I upload, I always eagerly await what you come up with for the chapters. You never disappoint lol. You should gather everything you come up with and put them into a collage or something haha. I mean, they do have a bit of an intense rivalry (now, at least; Flarekitty kinda hated her before, but now they've gotten closer). I pity the apprentice that gets flung at Wildfire lol… or maybe it'll be fun, who knows. (Gingerpaw has the tired trademark down pat.) Yeah, it was either minnow or guppy and I thought both were adorable, but I picked minnow. Lol. There are sad and intense things going on, but screw that and focus on the cute parts. Honestly, same. Well… now I can't get surfer dude Rainpaw out of my head, thanks for that XD. Emberpaw is a loose cannon that must be contained for Gingerpaw's sanity more than anything. I like how Forestclan is just the place to go whenever you want something crazy haha. That's a showdown of the century right there. I've honestly never watched Phineas and Ferb (I don't really watch tv all too much, ah well). Damn, calling out Cherrypaw like that lol. Someone take the megaphone away from Berrypaw. Cottagecore is pretty. Always wanted to just live somewhere in the woods with a wife or something and minding my own business, free to do whatever I want. Blue and green are nice, I've never seen yellow and pink but those are really pretty too. (I think my favorite combinations are purple/gold and red/white.) A very bumpy ride, hold on tight. Just block out the pain with memes, it always seems to work XD.
Thanks to everybody who reviewed, followed, and/or added this story as a favorite!
Let's get started!
…
Blazeclan
…
Blood. That was all he could taste in his mouth and he hated it.
He couldn't quite tell if it was his own- either coughed up from within his chest or from having bitten his own tongue- or if it was from the enemy. Sootblaze had certainly latched his fangs into whoever he was able to. Regardless, all of it tasted the same; rusted metal of someone's life slipping from them.
It made him think about his last official fight; the rogue he had killed who he didn't even get the name of. It sent a chill down his spine and it almost made him want to turn tail and run the other direction because he did not want to accidentally kill someone else again.
But this was different. He knew it.
Back then, he had been fueled by the fury of being stopped time and time again, of not being able to find anyone to come and help Thornblaze and Mousepaw. It was that rogue who got in his way, so in his anger, Sootblaze had attacked relentlessly. Blind to what he was doing, deaf to the eventual pleas of the unnamed tom- but certainly not mute, for he had been screaming the whole time too.
Now, though… Now, he tried so desperately to keep his head above water. Both literally and figuratively. His pelt was wet with both water and blood, but with the appearance (and leadership) of Whiteshadow, the tides were turning in Blazeclan's favor. Stormclan warriors were forced to retreat, some carrying unconscious friends and family and fellow clanmates who had refused to leave while awake. The lingering forces were required to stand on dry land instead of in the water, tipping the scales.
Yet still, they fought- and Sootblaze, and most everybody else as well, was now growing more and more sympathetic. Whiteshadow had talked someone down while dodging their strikes, sending them away. Even Emberpaw, who had been quite chaotic herself throughout it all, stopped playing with them. Stopped her meaningless torture, stopped trying to prolong someone's pain. Instead, she was striking where it hurt, either completely knocking someone out with a precise strike or crippling them in some way, shape, or form. (She didn't seem to be having fun anymore.)
His wounds throbbed with each beat of his heart, pounding in his ears like the overlaying sound of war drums. A few of his fellow clanmates had been forced to retreat- the High Ranks ordered to by Whiteshadow, minimizing the risk of needing to use what little herbs they had left, and the Low Ranks picking up on the cues and choosing to back down- so the numbers were a lot less than what it started out as. Sootblaze was tired, incredibly so, and every time he was knocked off of his feet or pinned down, he just wanted to stay there on the ground.
But the others needed him. So, to his feet, he always went.
Whiteshadow was consistently telling him to go, leave. Back to camp, to safety. According to the lead Royal, he had 'done enough' and the longer he stayed here, the more he risked the chance of critical damage. Sootblaze knew that, he understood it all, heard him loud and clear, and almost wanted to listen.
But he ran away last time. Yes, Thornblaze ordered him to, but that decision led to his mentor's death and Sootblaze was not about to leave until all of his friends did first. Owlpelt and Brightstreak had left after the former took a harsh hit to the head and needed to be escorted out. Ravenflight had appeared, instantly finding Swiftleaf's side amidst the chaos (as though instinctively knowing where to find her) and there was a brief moment of time where she had looked back in the direction she came from with a deep frown before being forced to focus on the battle.
Sootblaze was beginning to run on fumes, but he had to keep going.
Time was lost to him and he was sure it was lost to others as well. It felt as though they had been here all day already. That the sun had fallen and night had passed and now it was the next day without any of them realizing it, too lost in the chaos and the repetitive movements of staying alive. It was beginning to wind down, yes, but the fact that it was still going made it that much longer. Cats refused to back down no matter how serious their injuries were, no matter how much they bled, no matter how many tears they shed.
Everything was just prolonging all of this and he really felt sorry for Stormclan. Everyone he looked at had the face of rage on them, sure, but the longer he stood there, the longer he went toe-to-toe with them all… the more he could see through the guise and see the grief. Shades of sorrow bleeding through the colors of anger like the blood that spilled and arced and splashed against the ground and the river. Were they trying to bleed out their sorrow? Is that why they continued to fight?
Sootblaze didn't know and they were long beyond the point of talking.
So, fighting was his only option.
And he fought. His paws ached with having to carry his own weight and he was pretty sure he had stepped on a stray thorn at one point or maybe a claw had pierced his paw pad without him realizing it, but he couldn't take the time to check it. That was the poignant thing. He could feel all of these wounds littering his body, could feel pain scattered across him entirely, but he couldn't actually see any of the damage. (It must have looked bad if Whiteshadow was continuously telling him to leave before he fell unconscious.)
His most recent opponent writhed beneath his bloody paws and Sootblaze, despite the regretful twisting of his stomach, held on. Dug his claws deeper, tightened the force of his bite against their shoulder, and hung on when they tried to throw him off. Please, he wanted to beg, encouraging them with the pain he inflicted, please leave already. Leave before the option is taken from you completely.
Blazeclan's strongest method of fighting was their unbreakable grapples, and though Sootblaze had been steadily training with Flarepaw's unique style, that's not to say he didn't know the traditional one. He was decent at it, all things considered, and it was evident in the way the Stormclan warrior- for all of their slickness and ability to slip from someone's hold like rivers through the earth- couldn't escape from him here.
But Sootblaze always disliked this method of fighting.
It was so slow. It relied more on strength than anything else and he had always been faster than he was strong, but aside from that, everything else about it was slow as well. Once you had someone in your grip, all you needed to do was hang on. And dig claws in deeper, fangs in harsher, draw more and more blood. He could feel every one of his opponent's breaths through the press of their bodies, their life slowly but surely draining from them the longer they couldn't escape, the more their struggles weakened and weakened and weakened.
He didn't like being able to feel someone slowly slip into death in his grasp. (Perhaps that was one of the reasons why he was so eager to learn something different. A fighting style that involved so much less contact and favored speed and agility instead of raw strength and brutality.)
The cat beneath him stopped struggling, but they were still alive. Just panting heavily, whimpering, accepting defeat. It left something sick and slimy running down his spine and he trembled along with them.
Sootblaze let go, tore his claws free from their body and backed away, and held his breath. One, two, three- please don't turn around and keep fighting, please accept the mercy- four, five, six. At seven, the Stormclan cat pushed themselves on shaky legs, stumbling and swaying and just about falling over again. At ten, they turned yellow eyes in his direction, face filled with complete agony.
At twelve, they ran… splashing into the water and retreating. He sighed in relief, spitting out the blood from his mouth and so desperately wishing for a chance to wash his tongue clean. How long would it take before the metallic tang was gone? (Probably the rest of eternity at this rate.)
A second of silence, of peace, the significantly less chaos allowing him a chance to breathe and look around.
The familiar High Ranks were still around, as strong as ever. Tigergaze sported more cuts than he did anything else, ginger pelt stained red, but he seemed as energetic as usual. (Slightly unnerving, but Sootblaze was just glad he was on his side instead of the enemy's.) Emberpaw, no longer having fun with this, had the fiercest look that made even him nervous. Her pelt was no better than Tigergaze's, but at least hers was already red so the blood was lost on her. Shadepaw did his best to keep up with her and miserably failed, but at least he was still holding his own quite well.
Ravenflight and Swiftleaf were working together, as usual. They worked as a team, a pairing that knew each other so well. They moved as one; when Ravenflight ebbed away, Swiftleaf darted forward. When Swiftleaf ducked, Ravenflight leaped; claws and teeth and ferocity unmatched. It was quite admirable. A partnership where they just knew each other.
Admirable, but it also meant they were still here, which meant Sootblaze had to keep fighting too.
Flarepaw had yet to make another appearance. He couldn't tell how long it had been since Ravenflight appeared- Swiftleaf had told him the Grand Royal apprentice had gone off to help the black-furred she-cat- and even then, Flarepaw herself didn't return. Time was skewed here and he was certain another moon had passed and here they were, still fighting. He was growing antsy though, the longer he went without seeing her.
Sagepaw was missing too. And above all else, so was Wildfire and that made him scared. (It wasn't hard to guess where they were.)
He had a choice to make... but he would have to make it later because the battle wasn't over and sunset eyes turned to the side and-
Oh no, not you.
His Commoner friends from Stormclan. They were here too. Bubblepaw and Pricklepaw worked with the same partnership that Swiftleaf and Ravenflight did, but they had grown tired. He came face-to-face with her and she smiled at him. Small, pained, pleading.
She charged, but her claws, though flying in his direction, purposefully missed. He made a show of dodging, holding back his retaliation and blinking at her, keeping the other in the corner of his eye.
His friend made a quick look around before stepping closer, whispering beneath her breath, "I hope you're a good actor, Sootpaw."
Her smile turned hopeful now and he understood then. Bubblepaw didn't want to fight, assumedly neither did Pricklepaw, but her clan would not allow them to leave. Not yet.
"Sootblaze now," he grinned at her, winking. "Don't you know? I'm one of the best, Bubblepaw."
Relief glimmered in light blue and she seemed to hold back a giggle, "Bubblecloud." She jerked her head to her companion, who feigned a strike in his direction that he easily blocked. "Pricklefang."
Looks like all of us are growing up, huh?
(For whatever reason, that made him sad.)
Regardless, they didn't want a fight, and right now, he could really do without causing someone else to bleed. It was a welcome reprieve from it all, something he so desperately needed right about now. Bubblecloud and Pricklefang worked as one and he managed to hold his own against them as well, growling and hissing as much as the others despite how much he wanted to laugh. Their claws never tore through his skin, his fangs never made contact with their bodies.
These were Stormclan warriors, yes, but they were also his friends.
He didn't want to hurt any of his friends, no matter what clan they came from.
Sootblaze didn't know what kind of punishment they'd face if they were to retreat without at least attempting a fight. It made him frown, seeing a couple of wounds on their body. Pricklefang had a permanent grimace to his face, a cut along his brow forcing him to blink repeatedly; Bubblecloud couldn't put weight on one of her hind legs without flinching. Her pelt was colored with crimson and arced with mud, such a stark contrast to the white there, and his dark brown pelt was even darker with scarlet.
If it was a show they needed him to partake in, then that's what he would do.
Anything for his friends.
With them, he could almost forget about all the bad things going on around him. A spark of light in this abyss, a splash of color in a dark world. He couldn't smile like he wanted to, that would just give it all away, but he felt it in his soul and he wondered if they could sense it. Though there was blood almost everywhere, on his pelt and theirs and on the ground and staining the river, he tried not to let it ruin the moment of peace.
A moment that would have to come to an end. He knew that, they knew that. It would be… insulting, in a way. For them to make light of Stormclan's grief- he wanted to ask why they didn't seemingly mourn the same way everyone else was, if they had been close or simply didn't care about the one who was allegedly killed by Blazeclan- and have a bit of fun, even. For him, to not defend his clan like he's supposed to.
But was it so much to ask for just a bit of peace?
Probably. They were probably asking for an entirely new universe at this rate, and that was simply impossible.
This world of theirs was not made for peace to last.
And so, after Sootblaze was convinced they did enough to at least convince an outsider, he gave each of them a nod before pretending to slash his claws across them. For their part, they were actually quite good actors. Remarkable even. (Scarily so, now that he thought about it.)
Bubblecloud timed it perfectly, crying out when his claws seemingly hit her and he nearly feared that he actually did harm her. She stumbled back, Pricklefang hopping to her side without any prompting, instinctive, and with a faux glare from the tom, (which was sort of ruined by the hint of a smile to his lips), he began leading them away and toward the river.
Sootblaze could breathe again without them here. But while they were able to leave, he wasn't-
Oh, wait. He hadn't noticed Swiftleaf and Ravenflight disappearing at one point or another during his 'fight' with his Stormclan friends. Good. His family had retreated and they were out of harm's way now and…
And Flarepaw hadn't returned. And Sagepaw didn't make an appearance either.
Sootblaze found his way back to Whiteshadow's side, the white-furred tom taking a moment to catch his breath, facing off against two Stormclan cats on his own. (The lead Royal was trembling and Sootblaze didn't know how to make of that. There was… a level of exhaustion to Whiteshadow that probably had little to do with the actual battle and it made him frown with concern.)
(How much rest will he need before he's no longer tired?)
(Eternity after eternity after eternity.)
"You," light blue eyes darted to him for half a second, just long enough to register who it was, and it almost seemed like Whiteshadow wanted to roll his eyes. "I thought I told you ten times now to retreat before you hurt yourself some more."
"Only five times," Sootblaze grumbled, swallowing down his nerves at who exactly Whiteshadow was facing. The lead Royal of Stormclan, Streamrunner- hey look at that, he remembered some names and faces from the Gathering after all- and a stoic, dark grey tom with a look that sent a chill down his spine. As though he was already being judged and tossed aside as unimportant. Useless, those eyes seem to say as they briefly passed over him and back to Whiteshadow, not worth my time. It made Sootblaze scowl. "Flarepaw and Sagepaw aren't here."
Whiteshadow did turn his head in his direction this time, and it was all the distraction the Stormclan warriors needed to charge. Streamrunner, though donning quite the wicked slash across his chest, sprinted forward with a yowl. And it was nothing on sheer instinct that Sootblaze ran to meet him, quickly deciding that maybe that wasn't his smartest decision. Lead Royal, lead Royal, lead Royal. They were said to be the strongest of the Royals, just below the Grand Royal- and here was Sootblaze, running right for one.
Well, he had a tendency to face extremely tough opponents, what was one more?
Streamrunner seemed rather surprised at his approach, brow raising before his smirk turned cruel and he increased his speed. No backing down. The stoic one had gone to meet Whiteshadow head-on, splitting the two apart. No help either.
Okay, focus.
He could worry about Flarepaw and Sagepaw after this… If he got out of this.
Just breathe. (He pretended Flarepaw was right by his side, guiding him through this.) Just keep moving.
Streamrunner was surprisingly fast, faster than anticipated. Hooked claws dug into his shoulder, dragging him forth, attempting to toss him in the direction of the river. Sootblaze planted his paws, tearing out of it, swiping his own claws up, and trying not to be discouraged when he missed. The lead Royal feinted a strike to the head and Sootblaze fell for it before he could stop himself from instinctively ducking, his muzzle being pushed into the mud beneath and he growled.
Come on now.
He pushed Streamrunner off of his head- how rude- and lunged forward, toppling the two over. The other tom was slightly bigger, longer, and there was a brief moment where Sootblaze was the one on his back before he managed to flip them. Mud coated his body and he was pretty sure that wasn't good for his open wounds, but he would have to worry about that later. Now, he just had to do what he did earlier, keeping Streamrunner beneath his claws, digging them in, and making sure not to let go because-
Sootblaze didn't let go… but he was kicked off, so his grip strength didn't matter then. He tried to turn mid-air to at least try to land on his paws, miscalculating it and landing in an awkward angle instead that made his shoulder scream with pain. He winced, pushing himself up and going to take a step, but his body didn't quite like that. He nearly buckled over, managing to catch himself before he could fall, and hissing through his teeth.
Streamrunner had turned his attention away, apparently wanting to fight someone better than him, going off toward Whiteshadow again… before being summarily tackled aside by a rampaging Emberpaw. There, Sootblaze wanted to laugh, you wanted someone stronger, there you go.
He wanted to be indignant, to take back his match and try again, but he knew not to get ahead of himself.
There were more important things than his pride… like the fact that Flarepaw and Sagepaw weren't accounted for.
Sunset eyes turned toward the side, where the left border would be, where Ravenflight had come from, and where, assumedly, Flarepaw still was. Why wasn't she back yet? Did she run into trouble?
He then looked toward the right. Sagepaw hadn't shown up at all throughout the fight- and neither had Wildfire. If those two really were over there, at the right border, then his Noble friend was in trouble. (Only now did Sootblaze realize Flarepaw chose to save Ravenflight first and it made his chest warm, tighten.)
Who should he go after first?
More importantly, should he even go at all? Sagepaw was a decent battler and if Gingerpaw was there as well, then he wasn't completely unprotected. But Wildfire was there too… And Flarepaw…
Well, Flarepaw was Flarepaw.
She could hold her own against anyone. (Right?)
He gritted his teeth, conflicted.
His heart ached, yearned, tugging him toward the left where Flarepaw would be. He was worried about her, he always was. That was never going to change. Especially in a battle where the enemies would turn to her, all for the glory of beating a Grand Royal apprentice (that they had no hope of beating anyway), and certainly not if he didn't even know who was over there. Sootblaze didn't get a chance to speak with Ravenflight. (And if even she seemed concerned for Flarepaw, shouldn't he be as well?)
But his mind, logic, told him to go to Sagepaw first. Flarepaw had a higher chance of beating her own opponents than the Noble did- and if Wildfire really was over there as well, then that was a call of alarm. This whole thing started because Wildfire wanted to get Sagepaw alone, to hurt him and make it seem like it was Stormclan's fault instead to make himself innocent on all matters. The longer this went on, the more the chances of Sagepaw being hurt increased as well.
His body was weak, struggling. Telling him to go and sleep off the pain now. Return to camp like Whiteshadow had told him five times already, get rid of the risk of him getting seriously injured. Blazeclan could not afford another mortal wound, the other Commoners didn't deserve to lose another one of their own so soon. (Lilykit and Thistlekit already lost their father, they shouldn't have to lose their brother too.)
Damn it, damn it, damn it.
Body, heart, mind. You have to choose one.
They knew this was coming. They knew tragedy was just right around the corner again, ready to jump on them as they walked by, and they all but sprinted straight for it. He wanted someone to take the reins and make the choice for him because all the decisions he's made always feel like the wrong ones.
Flarepaw can hold her own. But what if she's alone? What if she ran into trouble? (Like he could even do anything to help regardless- no. No, we're a team. Yes, it's been a while since we've worked together, but we're a team.)
Sagepaw is strong, but what if Wildfire got him alone? What if that perfect opportunity already passed and he's… Sootblaze couldn't even finish the thought. Of Sagepaw being killed without them knowing. (He didn't get to say goodbye to Thornblaze and Mousepaw, he would want to be there for the next one. Stars forbid there be a next one.)
Sleep, his body begged him, Let's go to sleep. Let someone else deal with the problem.
You've done enough.
Sootblaze narrowed his eyes.
No. He hasn't. He hasn't done enough. Yes, he completed his mission of keeping the other Commoners safe, but now he had to keep everyone else safe. Sagepaw, his friend; Flarepaw, his mate.
(When will it be enough? The abyss asked him.
Never, he responded.
How much are you willing to sacrifice?
Everything.)
Left or right, those were his two options. Left, to Flarepaw. Right, to Sagepaw. Heart and mind. Emotions over logic.
He's followed his heart before and it ruined him.
He's followed his mind before and it threw him into the abyss.
Both have hurt him before, and here he is, lining up for more pain. Willingly, too. He didn't have to choose… but not choosing was also choosing. (It'll just be choosing himself over them- and Sootblaze has never been the selfish type. Maybe that's why he's always getting hurt.)
Whiteshadow was caught up with the two Stormclan cats, and it was with a shock realizing the lead Royal was struggling against him. His exhaustion was finally catching up to him in the worst possible time. Granted, he seemed to still be winning, but he looked about a second from passing out on the ground. Emberpaw was helping him as best as she could, Shadepaw on his other side.
His head spun and he growled to himself, trembling. Which way, which way, which way? Left or right, left or right? Or forward? Whiteshadow seemed like he could use some help… or maybe back to camp, Sootblaze's shoulder throbbed and there was a searing kind of pain there as soon as he took another step in a vague direction.
Blood, blood, blood. It was everywhere and it was still prominent in his mouth. (He was starting to grow used to it and he hated that he was.)
Pain and pain and pain and-
Hope…
Another figure ran into the midst, leaping into the space between Whiteshadow, Emberpaw, Shadepaw, and the Stormclan cats. It made all of them recoil at once, grimacing, on-edge. And it took Sootblaze so very long for his gaze to focus on who it was.
Oh.
Now he knew why nobody made any sudden moves.
"I think that's quite enough," the voice rang out, demanding attention, and instantaneously, the continuous growls and hisses and snarls all around were silenced. Disappointment dripped from the tone, between each letter. Eyes of light green passed over everyone with no obvious favoritism. "You've all had your fun, haven't you?"
Nobody made a move… because Grand Royal Leafstar was standing in the middle of the battlefield. Nonchalant, holding herself with an air that made her seem impossible to touch. Her eyes roved over all, stopping on each individual face long enough for her expression to read: I know how to defeat you in at least five different ways.
Sootblaze had heard stories of the tactician of Forestclan. Both from the Grand Royal herself and Whiteshadow and various others. He had never seen her in action before- but he didn't doubt that her reputation was not all talk.
It was evident in the way even the fury-filled Stormclan cats didn't dare to move a single muscle, as if afraid of setting her off in that instant. Even those from his clan remained cautious, holding still. Yes, she was an ally, but she was neutral. She had to be to keep the peace. If Blazeclan continued the battle, she would have no qualms with fighting them as well.
Everyone was fair game for her and the rest of Forestclan. He could see it now and he didn't know how he didn't notice it sooner- eyes in the trees. Watching over everything. Only a few, so he imagined the rest had gone off elsewhere, or maybe Leafstar only needed these simple few.
"Let us not shed any more blood," Leafstar continued, taking a step forward, adjusting. She paused for a second, staring down at her paws, glancing up toward the river and down again before casually taking another step. Positioning herself. It almost felt like a warning. She wasn't in the perfect place yet, but oh, soon enough, she will be. If they pushed her, she would get there faster. "Stormclan, your ire is understandable. Blazeclan, your defensiveness is as well. But why must we sully the dead with more death?"
"Grand Royal Leafstar," the stoic one breathed out, unmoving still. Sootblaze couldn't see his eyes from his position, but he could already imagine the tension. "Forestclan should not interfere with the likes of others."
"As a matter of fact, Sagesplash, Forestclan is the only one allowed to interfere," another step, another warning. It made everyone tense up even more. "I was designed to keep the peace and keep it I shall. But oh, do try and disrupt it while I'm here… Even I like to have some fun."
Another step, and at last, she stopped moving. Leafstar was in position and everyone knew it.
"But for those who would like to leave, feel free," her eyes passed over him then, a pointed expression. She smiled at him before looking away. "I won't stop you from that."
He wanted to laugh. She had made careful plans to beat everybody here, and now here she was, giving herself a handicap by providing the opportunity for them to disrupt it by leaving. Or maybe, she already predicted who was going to leave? He didn't know how her mind worked, but she seemed to be saying without saying: I'll give you a chance to put up a challenge.
Regardless, Sootblaze was now given the perfect opportunity to go. He didn't need to worry about Whiteshadow any longer…
So now, came the choice. He was running out of time. (Immediately, the more frightened ones bolted- either into the forest and back to camp for Blazeclan, or sprinting into the river for the Stormclan cats.) Soon enough, whatever she planned to do to those that remained here would begin. Curiosity almost made him want to stay, but emotions and logic were stronger than it.
Left or right?
Heart or mind?
Flarepaw or Sagepaw?
Another long look to the left, then the right. His heart hurt him once and his mind did as well, so there was no guarantee that either choice wouldn't hurt him again.
Flarepaw…
Flarepaw would want me to choose her brother. If Sootblaze chose her and something happened to Sagepaw, would she blame him? (But what if he chose Sagepaw and something happened to Flarepaw? He would blame himself.)
Choosing one felt like damning the other to die… and the one who had a higher chance to fight off death would be Flarepaw. Right? She was strong, she was stronger- he knew that. He admired that about her. She fought a fox by herself, she fought rogues off, she captured one, she beat Wildfire in combat training multiple times. This was just like another fox.
Stormclan was just another fox. Flarepaw knew how to fight those.
(Sootblaze always listened to his heart… but just this once, he would let his mind win.)
He turned to the right, bolting as fast as he could along the riverside, the trees flying past him as he did. He was slower than usual, he could feel it. His shoulder was killing him and he was starting to grow a tad lightheaded from the blood loss, but he kept going. He had to.
Faster, faster. Sootblaze couldn't go faster, but the repetition made it feel like he was. He could not physically push his body to give more, so he would have to settle for what it was able to, at least.
Time started creeping back onto him. Seconds returned, ticking by faster than he could run, taunting him. Faster, Sootblaze, or else he'll die. You'll be too slow again, don't you remember- you're always too slow!
Not this time.
He made it to the right border… and the only thing that told him it was actually where the fighting took place was because of the blood littering the area. The actual fighting had stopped and he had a brief second to question if Leafstar had come here first to break it up before heading off to the main border.
Only one cat was here. Rowanpaw, seemingly standing sentry and staring across the river blankly. The sight of him made Sootblaze hesitate, every one of his instincts telling him to run in the other direction. What if Rowanpaw was working with Wildfire? What if this was his plan all along, to get Sootblaze alone and-
"I tried to stop it."
His ears flattened, chest heaving for breath, and Sootblaze didn't make any move in his direction.
"Stop what?" Sootblaze asked cautiously, turning his eyes toward the forest and trying to make out any shape. Trying to see if Wildfire was hidden in the bushes, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. His throat tightened with fear and he forced himself to take another step forward. Bad idea, bad idea, bad idea. "Rowanpaw… Where is Sagepaw?"
The Royal apprentice looked toward him then, amber eyes despondent, the slash scars across his face bleeding a little. Someone must have tried to reopen them completely, failing. Sootblaze didn't know if he would have wanted them to succeed or not.
Another step, another hesitance, another paranoid look toward the forest.
Rowanpaw swallowed, his ears flat as well, and he repeated, "I tried to stop it."
"Where," Sootblaze got out through gritted teeth, "is Sagepaw?"
Rowanpaw took in a shuddering breath, exhaling just as raggedly before he lowered his gaze to the ground and took a step aside. And another, and it's only then did Sootblaze realize there was something on the ground behind the Royal. A body.
Blood. So much blood.
It was very difficult to see distinctive grey fur through all of that scarlet and Sootblaze felt like his heart exploded at that. Sagepaw.
"No…" he whispered, jaw clenching, before running forward through all the pain in his body. That was what Sootblaze had learned to do best, grit his teeth through the pain and keep moving forward. "No, no, no!"
Rowanpaw made no move to stop or attack him, merely taking another step out of his way as Sootblaze charged forward, all but throwing himself at the body's side. He almost didn't want to reach out and touch it because then that would make this real and-
Movement. Slight movement at the flank. A breath.
"He's still alive," Rowanpaw mumbled, so hard to hear over the sound of his panting and the river beside them. "I don't know if he can survive it, but he's alive-"
"Then why haven't you taken him back to camp?!" Sootblaze shouted, shooting the harshest glare he could muster. (Rowanpaw flinched.) "You've just been watching him bleed out this whole time?!"
"I couldn't be the one to take him back," Rowanpaw grimaced, chin tucking into his chest. He was wounded too, but his emotional pain seemed to be worse than anything Stormclan had done. "If Wildfire saw me bring Sagepaw in, then…"
He'd hurt me next.
"I-I got him out of the water," the Royal said, turning his eyes to Sagepaw. "He was going to be swept downstream, but I managed to get him out."
Silver lining? No. Sootblaze wanted to leap and tear his claws into him, but he shook it off and turned to the matter at hand. Sagepaw needed help and he needed help now. And if Rowanpaw wasn't going to do it, then it was up to him.
So, with his body wailing in agony, Sootblaze carefully picked up Sagepaw's deadweight, stumbling and almost falling over, but by sheer spite and will alone, he kept his balance. Rowanpaw seemed to just about take a step to help before deciding against it.
"I'm… I'm sorry."
"You know what, Rowanpaw?" Sootblaze gnashed his teeth together, snarling, "Choose a side and stick to it. You want to help us? Then commit to it! You want to be a puppet to him forever?" He scoffed, "Then have fun being a puppet."
Rowanpaw stared at him, mute. Sootblaze scowled before turning into the forest, ignoring the Royal apprentice's amber eyes on him. Half of him was frightened that Wildfire was still in there, waiting, watching. But nothing jumped out at him right away, nor for however long he walked.
He wanted more than anything to run, but his body would not allow it. On top of the literal weight on his body, his shoulder had gone numb and there were times he almost tripped as he lost sensation in his leg, and the wounds stung worse than anything.
But none of that mattered. Only Sagepaw right now.
What would have happened if Sootblaze had gone after Flarepaw instead?
Did him saving Sagepaw's life mean Flarepaw was in trouble?
What if I lose them both? Sagepaw was not in the clear whatsoever. It would take a miracle to keep him alive, and the last time they hoped for a miracle, death came and took Thornblaze and Mousepaw away from him.
Blood dripped down his body that was not his own and he swallowed down his fears and pain and anger.
Later, he could be scared and in pain and angry.
Right now, he had to get Sagepaw back to camp.
"I'm sorry, Sagepaw," he murmured. "I'm sorry we weren't there."
I'm so sorry.
…
Stormclan
…
It was like watching a natural disaster unfolding.
The breaking of tectonic plates could not compare to the tremors that ran through Windpaw as she stood there beside Bluepaw, watching it all. Sharp-wind hurricanes rend her to pieces and she held her breath to keep herself alive, admittedly forgetting how to inhale and exhale. If she looked off to the side, would there be a tidal wave ready to sweep them away?
She stared. And Bluepaw stared.
And they stared… and stared… and stared.
Neither of them were coming up. Rainpaw had tackled Flarepaw into the deep part of the river and neither of them were coming up. But there was red. Deep crimson that didn't settle long before the currents dragged them away, but Windpaw intimately knew what blood on a water's surface looked like.
The world could not wash away this massacre.
She didn't know why they weren't moving. That blood could very well be Rainpaw's (she knew it wasn't, but she tried telling herself to look at it that way to get herself to move) and her love could be struggling. Well, that much was true, at least.
Rainpaw was struggling. Not just against Flarepaw, but against herself. Against all the chains that she had on her, either put there willingly or forced there from Cloudstar. Her love was fighting for freedom just as much as she was fighting to kill and she was desperate.
And here Windpaw was.
Watching it all.
Help her, her entire being screamed, Help her! She needs help!
Beneath the water, the advantage was clear. In this battle, Rainpaw didn't actually need their help. Not in their world, not in the terrain that made Flarepaw slower, weaker. It was clear who the victor was going to be here.
Bluepaw met her gaze, just as conflicted as her. This could be it. Their mission could be over and they just needed to go back home, back to camp. Back to Cloudstar… Windpaw felt her frown deepen.
Will it truly end after this?
What if it doesn't?
What if he holds this over all of us now?
Rainpaw was fighting so hard because she thought this would be the last one, but… but there was no actual guarantee that it would. All they had was Cloudstar's word, and the word of someone as twisted in vengeance as that tom wasn't valuable or certain. There would always be more bloodshed, more pain, more names for her love to remember.
They couldn't let her do this. But what else could they do?
Her body moved on its own accord, taking one, two steps in the direction she last saw Rainpaw and Flarepaw before summarily coming to a frigid stop. There was a brief flicker of movement, the sign of someone coming up to the surface, and the seconds until they arrived felt like centuries. But at last, they breached the water.
It was Flarepaw.
She came up with a desperate gasp of air, coughing, clearly disorientated. She swam just enough to keep her head above the water, fighting against the current threatening to take her back down, and she took in lungful after lungful of sweet sweet sweet oxygen. Windpaw felt dread stab at her heart, sharper than any claw imaginable, and she was about to drop everything and dive beneath the waters to find Rainpaw…
But… it was unnecessary.
Because Rainpaw wasn't dead.
No, she was very much alive- and still fighting. A second splash, a little farther from Flarepaw, and her love was fury and desperation bound together to create a body. There was blood, on both of them, open wounds from whatever struggle they had below. A snarl rippled through the air, harsher than the sound of the river all around, and she shot straight for Flarepaw again.
The Blazeclan she-cat tried to swim back toward shore, back to land where she could stand some semblance of a chance… but this was not her world. Rainpaw reached her first, latching on with claws and teeth, and dragged her beneath the water again. (For her part, Flarepaw didn't waste whatever air she had managed to gather with a call of fear, so she was smarter than that at least.)
Windpaw's lungs began to burn as well and that's when she realized she was still holding her breath, drawing a deep inhale, and turning to look at Bluepaw again. He seemed horrified at what was happening.
Rainpaw wasn't doing this quickly.
She was intending to drag out Flarepaw's death and drown her.
Like a good Stormclan warrior should. The words were poison in her mind and she shivered against it, her stomach clenching as though to heave up the toxins and free her from this.
Rainpaw was trying to drown her- and she was having fun with it.
Because Flarepaw came up again, sluggish and astray, and the amount of time she had to take in air again was significantly less than the last one before Rainpaw emerged. When it came to holding their breath, Stormclan had the higher lung capacity, and it was certainly showing here.
Down they went. Seconds passed that felt like lifetimes. Flarepaw came up again.
Back down. Seconds. Up.
Down. Second. Up.
Down, down, down.
It was torture just to watch. And it was a miracle it hadn't happened already. Perhaps not that much time had passed, perhaps only a handful of minutes, but time was nonexistent here and forever stretched on. It was… quite sad, in all honesty.
Windpaw didn't like Flarepaw. Not for what she had done to Rainpaw, and even before all of that, she had never been particularly close with the Blazeclan she-cat. Flamepaw had always been so pretentious, holier than thou, and Flarepaw had been his shadow. (Honestly, she only started tolerating the other she-cat after Flamepaw was gone and she no longer had to play the role of shadow.)
She didn't like her, but this… Flarepaw didn't deserve this.
Rainpaw didn't deserve this either. She had no idea what was going on in her love's head, but her soul wailed for her anyway. She had fought and fought and fought everyone- including herself, especially herself- and here she was, continuing to fight with the empty promise that she could rest afterward.
But it would never be over.
It would never end, not if they continuously followed Cloudstar's orders.
There needed to be a break in the cycle.
(Bluepaw's gaze hardened, as did the rest of his features, and a burning determination filled in them. He seemed to come to the same conclusion as she did.)
And no one else could break it but them.
So, let's shatter it.
Starting with this…
They could deal with the aftermath later.
There were no words shared between the two bystanders. There didn't need to be. For once in their lives, they moved as one united force. Darting forward, the transition from land to sheer water made no difference to them. The sign of someone coming up to the surface appeared again and Windpaw only gave a glance out of the corner of her eye to Bluepaw before she took in a breath and dove beneath the water.
Under the river, it felt as though nothing could harm them here. This was their world, their home, their sanctuary.
Windpaw would not allow it to be tainted with death.
Above, Bluepaw had reached Flarepaw, gripping her by the scruff and beginning to tug her to safety. And Rainpaw, perhaps not noticing their actions, made chase beneath the waters-
So, Windpaw did the one thing she thought she would never have to do and fight Rainpaw.
Well, "fight." It wasn't much of a struggle, she caught her love by surprise, the two making it to land rather quickly, all things considered. Rainpaw lashed out, instinctive, reactive, and Windpaw bit back a yowl as claws raked across her cheek before she could block or dodge it. Still, she held on, hauling her aside to drier land so she wouldn't have to pin her in the river.
And even then, Rainpaw struggled against her. Her gaze remained on Flarepaw, who was being supported by Bluepaw, and she was trying to reach her. Her mission wasn't done and she had to-
"Stop," Windpaw held her, pinning her in an embrace, ignoring whatever little cuts Rainpaw made along the way. In as calm a voice as she can muster at the moment, she spoke, words trembling, "You can stop, Rainpaw. You can stop. Stop fighting, it's over. It's over."
To her surprise, Rainpaw actually listened, freezing in her grasp and letting out a harsh gasp, panting. Windpaw could feel her trembling beneath her; she couldn't quite tell if it was from the cold of being soaked to the bone, the adrenaline of the fight, or the fear of it all catching up to her.
"It's over," she whispered soothingly, brushing her muzzle against the side of her head. "It's over, it's okay. It's okay, I promise. You don't have to fight anymore."
"Wind...paw…" Rainpaw breathed out, quiet, afraid. She stiffened, shaking her head slightly, "It's not. It's not, I need to-"
"No," Windpaw responded sternly, softly. "You don't. It's over now."
She pulled back, keeping her grip secure so Rainpaw wouldn't slip away from her, only enough for their eyes to meet. Gentle copper and frightened light blue. There was pain in both of their eyes; some of it unique, most of it shared between the two. They just wanted this to be over. In a way that wouldn't increase that pain for them.
This probably wasn't the way to do it, but Windpaw made the selfish choice for once in her life.
It would most definitely come back to bite her, punish her, kill her, but for now, some things were more important.
"It's…" Rainpaw furrowed her brow, confused. Hopeful. "It's over?"
"It's over," Windpaw murmured and didn't realize she was crying until then. The fresh cut on her cheek stung with the tears but she ignored it. "It's over. You can stop."
"You-" the blue-furred she-cat began before cutting herself off, her vision focusing on the gash at her cheek and nothing but the utmost of horror began to seep into light blue. She only stared for a few seconds before muttering in a small voice, "No, I… Please… Please tell me that wasn't me."
She remained quiet; torn between not wanting to lie and not wanting to admit the truth. Her silence was answer enough, it seemed, and tears welled up in Rainpaw's eyes, her body going limp beneath her.
"I…" Rainpaw croaked, voice raspy and tight with her held-in sobs. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I-"
Windpaw shook her head, stepping aside to allow her to sit up now, gently urging her with a brush of their muzzles and then tugging her in for a tight hug after it. Rainpaw fell into her easily, not resisting but not pulling away either. She buried her face against her shoulder and Windpaw hummed soothingly as her love began to sob her apologies. To her, to Flarepaw nearby, to the world itself.
Bluepaw, remaining by Flarepaw's side but hovering a certain space to allow the Blazeclan she-cat to relax, was muttering to her in a quiet voice. Perhaps explaining it all to her while Flarepaw caught her breath, head tilted back toward the sky with overwhelming relief in her posture. It only looked like she was half-listening, so focused on relishing the fact that she could take in air. That she wasn't dying.
Windpaw frowned in her direction. There were many wounds, wounds that they had caused. Wounds that would have led to her demise had they not changed their minds.
We could have killed her…
They should have killed her, but…
Well, Windpaw was always a bit of a coward.
"I would say… no hard feelings," Flarepaw's voice was also raspy from her coughs, tired and winded in equal regards. Silver eyes turned to each of them, lingering on Rainpaw with a frown. "But I'd be lying."
"That's fair," Bluepaw murmured, awkwardly clearing his throat and backing up even more, looking over his shoulder to his sister. Something like heartbreak gleamed in his eyes and he seemed about a second away from running up to hold her as well. "We really are sorry though."
"Well, thank you… for not killing me," Flarepaw swallowed thickly before pushing herself to her paws, hissing through her teeth at the pull and pinch of each of her wounds. Exhaustion was heavy in her body, pelt waterlogged, but she still had the strength to send them a stern look. "Just don't do it again. And… be careful."
Cloudstar.
Right.
What were they going to do about that?
"Get off my border before someone else finds you," was the last thing Flarepaw said before she began making her way into the forest, stumbling and swaying and looking about a second from dropping altogether. It almost made Windpaw want to offer to help her walk, but holding Rainpaw was more important. Flarepaw could take care of herself.
And besides, she was giving them this chance and not kicking them out immediately (not that she'd be able to).
With the Blazeclan apprentice gone, with their target leaving, with their mission failed, they huddled together. The two of them held onto Rainpaw as her love broke down, muttering apology after apology after apology. She lost track as to who she was saying it to. (Perhaps to her and every single name she's memorized.)
Bluepaw did his best to lick the water off of his sister's pelt, ignoring his own state of dryness- or lack thereof- and holding her close. Windpaw leaned into him as well, letting out a heavy sigh and turning her head to briefly brush her muzzle against his shoulder, a small gesture. Gratitude. I got you.
Bluepaw hummed, quiet, returning the simple gesture. I got you.
Together, they did the same with Rainpaw, holding her tighter as they did.
We got you. We won't let anything hurt you anymore.
Not Cloudstar, not the rogues, not herself. They'll find a way to make this better, to make it all better.
Windpaw didn't know what they were going to do, but at least for now…
They could hold onto each other.
…
A/N: Ah. That was nice. It hurt, but it was nice. Well, Sagepaw being hurt, not so nice, but… you know what I mean. Seems like our Stormclan trio's gotta figure out something real quick cause Cloudstar ain't gonna be happy about that. Anywho, I hope you enjoyed it!
…
Question of the Day
(Question submitted by The Unnamed Guest. Thanks for the help!)
What is your favorite clan and why? (Whether from the main series or this story.)
…
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Thank you and peace out!
~Wolfcreations21