Chapter 8, insanity
Demonshadow crawled out of the den and into the sunlight. Cats were sitting around, it very cold becauseit was leaf-bare, and there was snow on the ground.
Marshlake, a small tabby she-cat, was standing up, looking around at the Clan in a strange way; she seemed to be swaying on her paws.
Suddenly she gave a screech and leapt on Cederheart, her mate, she clawed at him, yowling and screeching.
Nightfoot, the medicine cat, raced out and grabbed hold of the tabby. He dragged her over to the den and carried her inside. The screams and shrieks stopped.
Russetstar sprinted out of her den. She looked around, and Tawnypelt went and told her what had happened.
A feeling of ambition raged through Demonshadow, and she sunk her long claws into the earth. She wanted to be deputy really badly. She clenched her muscles, and shut her eyes, as a wave of hunger swept over her.
Tawnypelt walked over to her. "You can take a patrol with Sunwhisker, Cederheart, and Ravenshadow," she meowed.
Demonshadow walked over to the cats. Sunwhisker looked into her eyes and glared, before sliding into the patrol.
Demonshadow led then near the ShadowClan border. She looked over the edge. All was clear.
Sunwhisker and Cederheart went off to hunt, and Demonshadow strolled closer.
Suddenly there was a flash of pale ginger fur. Without thinking, Demonshadow took a leap, a huge leap, and landed on top of a small ThunderClan apprentice, who had a squirrel struggling between his paws.
Another cat raced over to the border, keeping low.
Demonshadow raised her head and hissed. The cat looked up, and Demonshadow knew who it was instantly.
"Moonhowl!" she snapped, "get out of our territory, and take your apprentice with you."
Moonhowl fixed her with a hostile glare.
"Thanks, but one, I am not in your territory, and two, Windpaw is not my apprentice. Come on Windpaw! Let's get out of here."
Demonshadow unsheathed her claws by Windpaw's throat. He squeaked in terror when he saw the deadly black claws.
"Let me kill this invader first," she hissed.
"No!" Moonhowl gave her a scolding look. "You Tigerstar hearted fox! He's just a mere apprentice!"
Demonshadow's eyes flared with anger, and she fixed her green and amber eyes on Moonhowl's. "Not just a mere apprentice," she snarled, "This intruder just took a ShadowClan squirrel."
"He is just young!" Moonhowl meowed desperately, growing frantic.
"And an intruder," Demonshadow hissed, she looked into Windpaw's pale blue eyes, almost grey, and slowly started sinking her claws into his throat. His eyes grew wide, and he whimpered.
"No!" Moonhowl launched herself across the border, as Windpaw went limp beneath Demonshadow's grasp.
"Attack her," Demonshadow commanded Ravenshadow.
The tom looked at Demonshadow, then back at Moonhowl. "I can't," he whispered.
"Why not?" Demonshadow snarled.
His eyes were full of uncertainty and shock. "Who…died and made you deputy?"
Demonshadow gave an angry yowl, and jumped on the skinny black warrior. Her claws scorched his flanks, and he battered her underbelly with his hind paws.
There was a screech, and suddenly a bright orange tabby leapt on Demonshadow and pulled her off.
Sunwhisker.
Demonshadow screeched, as Cederheart leaped to Sunwhisker's side to help.
But before Cederheart landed Ravenshadow jumped at him and bowled him to the ground. Demonshadow kicked off Sunwhisker and raced over to Ravenshadow. He had Cederheart pinned down. "Why did you do that?" Demonshadow asked him.
Ravenshadow looked at her in a strange way. "Insanity," he meowed.
This is the way Ravenshadow sees things…
Why was Demonshadow spinning like that? What was wrong with her?
"Whaaaaaaadooooyooooouumeeeeeannnn?" She asked.
Ravenshadow watched Demonshadow slide in and out of focus…
Back to Demonshadow's POV…
Ravenshadow suddenly gave a screech of shock and passed out.
Demonshadow sniffed at him. He was still alive, but unconscious.
Sunwhisker walked over and picked up Ravenshadow. The patrol headed back to camp.
Tawnypelt dashed over and looked at the cats.
Demonshadow walked over to the fresh kill pile and chose a mouse. She watched Cederheart and Talonscreech chuckling over a joke.
Suddenly Talonscreech began to giggle. Cederheart nudged him to quiet down, but Talonscreech didn't stop. He giggled on and on, until all the cats near him got up and walked away.
Rowanclaw stood up and walked over to him.
"Shut up, Talonscreech, just tell us the joke."
Talonscreech squinted up at her, still giggling. He began to laugh harder, until he started choking.
Suddenly he toppled off his paws and collapsed onto the ground, unconscious, but still breathing.
Several cats looked up at Demonshadow.
"Insanity," she meowed gravely, "Has begun."
OoOoO
Moonhowl grasped Windpaw's body firmly in her jaws.
She was worried about Ravenshadow. Was he alright? She was also worried about Demonshadow. She had Tigerstar's heart. Who would she kill next?
Moonhowl carried Windpaw into the camp, and suddenly Cloudtail dashed up.
"Brackenfur woke up," he said, "And attacked his guards, Squirrelflight and Hazelleg. They started acting weird, and Spiderleg attacked Sorrelstar, and she started acting weird, so we put them all out and lugged them into your den."
"Where is Brackenfur?" Moonhowl asked.
Cloudtail looked uneasy. "He escaped. We tried to follow him, but lost his trail. He could be anywhere."
Moonhowl froze. "Great StarClan, Cloudtail! He is insane! You can't just let him go. Whatever he touches will get infected. Prey, other cats, trees, if we touch it, we get it too."
Cloudtail's eyes where full of anxiety. "I'm sorry, Moonhowl. We couldn't catch him. He attacked Daisy, and hurt Squirrelflight."
Daisy hobbled out of the nursery. She looked around.
"Give me that stick," Moonhowl commanded Cloudtail. When Daisy leapt at Thornclaw, Moonhowl stabbed it into her mother's side before she could land. Daisy coughed and lay still. (AN: of course I killed off Daisy, she is so horrible!)
Moonhowl grasped a rock in her mouth and found Squirrelflight. She threw the rock at her and she fell down, unconscious.
Suddenly Moonhowl whipped around when there was a terrified screech.
Brackenfur had jumped down onto Grassfoot's head.
OoOoO
Demonshadow whipped around as suddenly a cat-two cats- streaked out of the den. Ravenshadow and Marshlake. They leapt on the Clan cats.
So did Talonscreech and Cederheart.
Demonshadow dashed away from the commotion. She saw Tortioseshelltail speaking to Ravenshadow.
"Do you love me?" she asked.
"No," he answered.
"But I will have your kits!" she cried.
"Then strike me," Ravenshadow said, closing his eyes.
Tortoiseshelltail tapped him on the side of his face with her paw.
"Harder!" Ravenshadow commanded.
She smacked him against the face, and he yowled, "Harder!"
She hit him hard, with her claws out, and he yowled, still with his eyes closed, "I do not love you! Harder!"
He was definitely insane, Demonshadow decided. She looked at the battling cats but did not join the fight. She did not want to go insane.
More cats were getting crazier by the second. Russetstar dashed past, she did not look like she had joined the fight.
Just then Tawnypelt looked over at Demonshadow. I know what you want, her eyes seemed to say. I know what you're waiting for, and you're not going to get it.
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