A/N: Sorry for the wait. I decided for a change of pace and style with this chapter, and wanted it to be just right. Anyway, feedback is appreciated, and enjoy!
Chapter 5: Flight of the Buzzard
The end has begun.
I have to hurry.
The wind was bitter cold. Whipping violently across the clearing with a ferocious howl that sang vehemently for the taste of it's victims despair. The crunch of soft snow underpaw came with every step the she-cat took, seeming to become louder and louder by the overwhelming sense of urgency and fear that racked her mind. She pressed on further, lowering her head to the wind, avoiding the stabbing pain of cold air that stung, whipping her in the face.
I have to hurry, she thought desperately, trudging on further battling the vicious winds. I have to warn them.
The she-cat's thoughts were overshadowed by a swirling whirlwind of emotions with fear being the most dominant. Fear. It clawed at her heart, and sunk deeply into her brain making her second guess herself, making her question the consequences of her actions. She was scared, there was no denying that. Scared witless by the horrifying truth she'd discovered.
How could you have ever trusted them? Her mind seemed to scream out at her. How could you have ever let yourself be drawn into their scheme? How could you have ever let him twist your heart?
Her stomach suddenly tingled at the thought of him. Him. Oh, how could she forget about him. He'd be coming for her by now, there was no question about it. They'd had already sent him on the trail to hunt her down by now, and he'd do it so ruthlessly and uncaring without batting an eye. She hated herself for ever letting him talk her into joining such a terrible cause, but more importantly she hated him for the way he'd unexpectedly snuck into her heart.
It wasn't something she was proud of. One of the main reasons she'd only ever joined his cause was because of the way how he talked and made her feel so special and wanted. She hadn't felt like that in a very long time, not since her kits had been taken unfairly away from her. He found his way into her broken heart with soothing promises, and then when he had it gripped tightly between his claws he exploited it for his gain. And the sad truth about it all was she had let him.
A sharp blast of wind whipped painfully across her face, snatching her away from her thoughts. She cursed herself for having been sidetracked. This was no time for daydreaming, she had to warn them. They needed to know what the Dark Forest had planned not just for them, but the entire forest itself. There was no time to waste at all. Countless lives were at stake here.
The she-cat glanced back behind her to her cream colored companion who struggled to keep up with her pace. The she-cat was sorry for having dragged her all the way out here without a more proper explanation, but she was the only person who could get across the message StarClan so desperately needed to hear.
"We have to hurry, Berrypaw," she called out to the smaller she-cat. "Please, we don't have time to waste."
"But why?" Berrypaw cried out over the wail of the wind. "I don't understand Buzzardflight, why do you need to get to the moonpool so badly? Why me instead of Juniperleaf? What's going on?"
Buzzardflight chose to ignore the apprentice questions. She couldn't tell her now. No, not here anyway. She tried to look ahead, but the snow whipped in the wind so fast, it was blinding. It was impossible to see! Buzzardflight's heart filled with dread. With the wind raging so wildly out of control like this she and Berrypaw would never be able to find their way to the Moonpool in time.
You have to keep faith! her mind berated her angrily. StarClan will show you the way Buzzardflight, just have faith. Shakily continuing her trudge on through the whirling wind Buzzardflight held on to those words. She hoped they were right. For StarClan and the entire forest sake she truly hoped they were indeed.
(Cloudstorm's POV)
My paws beat soundlessly across the frozen ground, as I accelerated faster through the forest. Snowflakes fell innocently from the sky, gracing the treetops in a glittering display of serene beauty while above head the sky was swarmed in a haze of clouds that seemed to glow, as a cluster of sparkling stars could be made out peeking through their cover. A silent snarl reverberated in my throat, as I watched the stars gloatingly radiate brightfully across the sky.
How they mocked me.
I stretched my legs out farther attempting to gain more coverage across the ground with my paws trailing silently on the forest floor. My breath came out in short ragged grunts, and I cursed inwardly at the predicament I'd suddenly found myself wrapped up in.
How careless was Icefrost to think something like this wouldn't happen? How oblivious was I to think something like this couldn't happen? Argh! Its simply infuriating. Were we really that arrogant in our ability to dupe StarClan that we'd ignored the fact that this was a possibility? How could I have been so mousebrained? I'd let my success with one upping StarClan on two different occasions lure me into a false sense of security that there was nothing in the way of stopping my conquest.
"You need to run faster, Cloudstorm!" Icefrost's ominous voice suddenly snarled in my ear. "We have no other options, do you understand me? If you don't make it in time everything we've worked for will be for naught!"
Did he think I wasn't aware of that? I held my tongue deciding not to lash back with a snarky reply. I didn't have the luxury or time to argue with Icefrost. Besides he was right anyway. The future of our plan depended on what happened next in the following sequence of events. And if I wasn't up to the challenge all our plans would go up in smoke.
That wretched she-cat! How dare Buzzardflight betray us? Did she not know what the consequences of her betrayal entailed for her? There was no chance of her redeeming herself after this atrocity. The fool! How dare she side with them? The very moment she fled WindClan territory for the Moonpool her fate was sealed. There would be no mercy.
I wouldn't have believed it was true if I hadn't heard it directly from Icefrost's mouth. He'd been in a wrathful mood when I found myself waking unexpectedly in the Dark Forest.
***
"We have a problem." he snarled, upon me opening my eyes to find him towering over me.
"Serious enough to drag me here in the middle of the night?" I asked, climbing to my paws.
"Very." he growled, whipping around and stalking the clearing in a murderous mood.
I watched his progress mildly amused to see his usually stoic demeanor absent. Icefrost wasn't one who usually displayed his emotions out in the open. For him to be now looking like he would slaughter the first living thing within his sight range meant something was up. How serious it was though, I could have never even guessed.
Icefrost stalked around dragging his claws, leaving deep and jagged scars in the ground while all the while muttering darkly to himself. He turned towards me, his lip curled in an angry snarl with white fangs glittering in the dark.
"We've been betrayed."
I blinked. "What do you mean?"
"This means we're in danger!" Icefrost snapped. "As we speak the WindClan warrior Buzzardflight is currently heading to the Moonpool with the WindClan medicine cat apprentice to warn StarClan of our plans."
I felt a small explosion go off in the back of my head. "What, how? Buzzardflight knowns nothing about the plan."
"That may have been true up until a few moments ago," Icefrost replied. "Buzzardflight was caught eavesdropping on a private war council meeting between the cats of the Dark Forest. However, she was able to flee back into the waking world before we could apprehend her."
I silently absorbed all the information Icefrost was telling me until something caught my attention.
"War council?" I said, narrowing my eyes to slits. "Why wasn't I aware of this?"
"It wasn't anything worth mentioning that you needed to be here for." Icefrost replied smoothly, the lie rolling off of his tongue like water.
I snorted in disbelief, but otherwise didn't respond. How big of a mousebrain did he take me to be? That gap of distrust I held in my heart for him only seemed to be widening more and more, as the days flew by. The dark tom held far too many secrets for my liking, and sooner or later I saw a clash of heads between the two of us because of it.
"What do you want me to do about it?" I asked grudgingly.
Icefrost's cool blue eyes seemed to burn a hole right through my body before answering. "Kill them, kill them both, and I'll handle the issue of where their spirits go. Even the apprentice, Cloudstorm," he reiterated firmly, noticing the displeased look of disgust on my face. "Correct this folly before everything we've striven for goes to waste."
"Consider them dead," I replied turning away from Icefrost, as the scenery around me began to fade into darkness. "Just know this," I called over my shoulder. "Something like this happens again, and next time you'll be paying the price for your negligence."
I turned back to face him, glaring and completely serious. This wasn't some idle threat I threw around loosely. He may be the current leader of the Dark Forest, but he wasn't irreplaceable. Just ask the horde of Dark Forest warriors who were currently slinking around in the shadows watching us. They may all be on the same side, but they hadn't gotten their places here in the Place of No Stars for being obeying and loyal warriors. If Icefrost handle his position, I'd see to it that he wasn't around much longer to make any more mistakes.
Icefrost stared back at me matching my gaze, unblinking and still. His cold blue eyes met my burning amber ones, and with the faintest of twitches he smiled. Cold and completely barren of emotion. It unnerved me that with just that one faint smile I was able to catch a glimpse of the true face of the cat who'd nearly succeeded in taking control of the clans hundreds of moons ago.
"Of course, Cloudstorm," he replied smiling. "Whatever you say."
I opened my mouth to speak when suddenly Icefrost's image shifted before my eyes, clouding over with darkness. Next thing I knew I was groggily waking up in the enclosed sanctuary of the hollow log I'd taken resident up in feeling clogged and confused. I shook my head forcing myself to focus. I rose shaking the lingering vapors of sleep from my mind, and then set off, a urgent sense of purpose hanging over me.
I had a buzzard to hunt down.
(Buzzardflight's POV)
The wind battered relentlessly against Buzzardflight and Berrypaw's defenseless forms. They'd traveled a great distance through the raging snowstorm without much complication, but a foreboding sense of danger still lingered in the back of Buzzardflight's mind.
The paranoia of knowing somewhere out there, Cloudstorm was hunting them made it increasingly difficult to relax. It was also becoming increasingly more strenuous to under sell the great seriousness of the situation with Berrypaw tagging closely behind. The medicine cat apprentice was probably more sound of mind than most warriors in the Clan, but she was still only an apprentice after all.
If it had been up to her, Buzzardflight wouldn't have insisted on dragging the young cat away from the Clan. Her mentor, Juniperleaf was better suited to handle this type of situation, but the elderly medicine cat wouldn't have been able to make the tiring journey from camp to the Moonpool in this type of weather. Pressed with little other choice she went for the next best thing, and convinced Berrypaw to come with her. However, now as they both battled frigid blasts of howling wind and snow she was starting to question if she had instead in fact sealed the young cat's doom.
A violent burst of wind suddenly tore across the two of them sending up a avalanche like cloud of snow that immediately came crashing down, engulfing them both. The snow buried the two hapless she-cats in pile of frozen white powder, crushing them under a suffocating embrace of frigid cold.
Buzzardflight's heart was beating off the charts, as she struggled to fight her way out of the snowy tomb. Besides her she could feel the flailing limbs of Berrypaw who appeared to be panicking under the immense pressure of the snow. Guiding herself by instinct, Buzzardflight managed to claw at a small opening in the snow, widening it until a breath of fresh air came rushing in. Taking a greatly appreciated gulp of air Buzzardflight went on to continue widening the hole slowly digging the two of them out.
Several lengths of time dragged on before Buzzardflight was finally able to drag the two of them out of the snow. Berrypaw opened her jaw wide to engulf a large breath of air, shaking pitifully like a leaf caught in a snowstorm.
"I don't know if I can do this, Buzzardflight," Berrypaw murmured shakily. "All this trouble to get to the Moonpool, and you still haven't told me why? I don't know, this is too much to handle."
"Don't give up on me now," Buzzardflight pleaded. "I swear to you Berrypaw, I wouldn't have dragged you out here in the middle of this storm if it wasn't of the utmost importance. This is a matter of life and death."
Berrypaw looked up at her in surprise. "Life and death," she whispered, eyes wide. "Buzzardflight, what have you found out?"
"It's too much to explain right now," Buzzardflight told her, avoiding her gaze. "All you need to know is that something really bad is going on that threatens the safety of not only StarClan, but the entire forest."
A terrified squeak emitted from Berrypaw. "Oh StarClan why me, Buzzardflight?" she cried. "Why not go to Ravenstar with this information?"
Buzzardflight turned away unable to face Berrypaw's mortified expression. Why hadn't she gone to Ravenstar for help? Was it because she feared the repercussions of her leader wrath for the part she'd played in the murder of that medicine cat? It was possible. If Buzzardflight had gone to Ravenstar with this information she'd have wanted to know the entire story from start to finish. That meant revealing the small time she'd betrayed her Clan by joining the Dark Forest, as revenge against StarClan. It would have greatly tarnished her reputation among her clanmates; however, maybe that should have been her original choice.
"It's too late to try making a run back to the Clan now," Buzzardflight told her. "We've traveled this far already Berrypaw, so will you come with me?"
The cream colored she-cat looked indecisive. Buzzardflight tried not to get her hopes up too high, but if Berrypaw didn't agree to come she'd be lost. She had the slightest idea of how the Moonpool worked, and if what she heard was true it could only be accessed by a Clan leader or medicine cat.
"I-yes, I'll come," Berrypaw finally relented after some time. "If the Clans are really at risk I'll do what I can to help."
Buzzardflight's heart surged with joy, and she cast Berrypaw a thankful glance. They continued on their way braving the harsh sting of the wind, a strong sense of resolution between the two of them. They traveled on farther in silence for several more fox-lengths before Berrypaw suddenly yelp out in surprise.
Buzzardflight instinctfully unsheathed her claws, and turned her attention, heart pounding to the source of Berrypaw's cry.
"Look, Buzzardflight!" Berrypaw cried out again, pointing into the distance with her tail. "There, right there! Do you see it, its the Moonpool!"
Buzzardflight followed Berrypaw's tail, and was immediately caught up in the young cat's joy. No more than possibly a hundred fox-lengths away was the stone hollow that held within it the Moonpool. Buzzardflight was almost at a lost of words to express how relieved she felt at having finally made it.
Motioning for Berrypaw to follow they both streaked through the snow headed straight for the hollow. Feelings of triumph roared proudly throughout Buzzardflight's body. She'd done it, she'd actually made it to the Moonpool. It was almost too much to ask for after all the trouble she'd gone through to make it here, but it finally seemed worth it.
"I think that's quite far enough you two."
Buzzardflight stopped dead in her tracks. No, it couldn't be. Her heart seemed to stop still, as the sinking feeling of despair began to bubble up in the pit of her stomach at the sight of the tom blocking their path. How had he managed to beat them here?
"Your flight ends here, Buzzardflight." Cloudstorm growled, in a low menacing voice.
Buzzardflight closed her eyes, clenching her jaws tightly together, the pressure starting to make her teeth crack. It was all she could do not to scream out loud.
"Buzzardflight, who is that?" Berrypaw whispered, inching closer to her side.
Buzzardflight's mind was a total disarray of thoughts and fleeting emotions. So close! They'd been so close to their goal. Cloudstorm would kill them without hesitation. She could tell from the cold look of indifference in his eyes. She knew this. Deep down despite whatever feelings she may have had for him, she knew that they were in a no win situation. And that's what drove her to this decision.
"Berrypaw," she whispered softly. "When I give the word I want you to make a run for the Moonpool."
"What?" she asked, looking to Buzzardflight in disbelief.
"Don't argue with me, just do it!" Buzzardflight growled. "That tom blocking the path means to kill us. He doesn't care that you're an apprentice or even an medicine cat. He'll kill us both without a seconds hesitation. I'll do everything I can to fend him off while you go to the Moonpool, and give StarClan this message. By the dawn of the next full moon the darkness will rise and attempt to poison the heart of the stars. Tell them that for me Berrypaw, please! They must protect the heart or new order will reign as they fade into oblivion."
"The heart of the stars? Buzzardflight, I have no idea what you're talking about." Berrypaw cried out in exasperation.
"I know you don't," Buzzardflight replied in a soothing tone. "Don't worry StarClan will understand."
Buzzardflight wished there was something more assuring she could say to Berrypaw, but it wasn't possible. They had a coldblooded murderer blocking their way. Taking a deep breath Buzzardflight turned her attention to the main source of her agitation, taking a step forward and unsheathing her claws in the process.
"You know, you really disappointed me, Buzzardflight," Cloudstorm said, unsheathing his own claws. "I thought you understood, I really did. Having your kits stripped unfairly away made you wise to the terror that was StarClan, and the perfect candidate for the Dark Forest's vision of the future. Sadly, it seems you'll betray anyone if things get too hectic for you."
What could she say to that? She was a traitor, a traitor to everyone. She was guilty of the very crime he accused her of. She had betrayed both StarClan and the Dark Forest, including the cat she had been slowly falling in love with. He was right to look at her with such loathing and spite, but tonight she was going to set everything right. The Dark Forest could not be allowed to destroy her home.
"Would you do any different to save the thing you loved?" she asked softly. "I admit I was star struck by your tales and visions of the future, Cloudstorm. I won't lie, you made overthrowing StarClan seem and sound so right."
"And what changed your mind?" Cloudstorm asked, his amber eyes burrowing deep into her soul. "What made you think the Dark Forest's vision for the future was worse than what we already have now?"
Buzzardflight sighed deeply, closing her eyes for a moment to recollect her thoughts. "It's because I found out the truth. Icefrost has not been honest with you, Cloudstorm. The Dark Forest has a bigger plan that far exceeds toppling StarClan from power. One so horrible that I can't allow you to stop me. And if it means having to kill you, then so be it."
"Really?" Cloudstorm sneered. "You seriously think you can stop me?"
His tone held a mocking air of superiority. Arrogant little brat. Buzzardflight was about to take that over confidence and use it to her advantage.
"I don't think Cloudstorm, I am!" she roared launching herself at the unsuspecting tom.
Buzzardflight's attack took Cloudstorm completely by surprise. Her lithe, but firm body carried by the force of her momentum slammed into his chest knocking the wide eyed tom off balance.
"Go now, run!" she roared to Berrypaw.
Berrypaw threw a terrified glance at Buzzardflight before turning and streaking for the stone hollow. The WindClan warrior followed the apprentice progress which proved to be a fatal mistake. Buzzardflight noticed only too late a streak of silver heading her way, as a paw slammed into her shoulder, slicing through the skin with ease and splattering the snow red with drops of her blood.
A cry of anguish escaped her mouth, as the sting of fresh air hit her wound sending flares of searing pain throughout her body. For a moment Buzzardflight's body seemed to shut down. She look up helplessly into the blazing amber eyes of Cloudstorm, which seemed to scream in rage for her blood, as he reared up for another strike. With instinct as her only guide, Buzzardflight managed to sidestepped the deathly blow, and lashed out to grab the flailing foreleg between her teeth.
Wasting no time she bit down on it with all the force of her muscles, and inwardly winced as she heard the loud crunch of teeth meeting with bone. Cloudstorm yelped in surprise, allowing Buzzardflight to take the initiative and score repeatedly on his chest with a furry of blows. Cloudstorm staggered back from the onslaught trying to put some distance between him and her, but Buzzardflight wasn't letting up.
The two traded blows in a tangle of claws and fangs. Buzzardflight seemed to be getting the upperhand in the exchanges, as she raked her claws angrily down the side of his flank, followed up by two swipes to the ear which she just barely nicked each time. The dark gray tom attempted to backpedale away from Buzzardflight's wild frenzy, and she followed him, eyes afire with burning determination to win.
This battle wasn't just about the survival of her own life. This battle was for the survival of StarClan. This battle was for the survival of preserving the warrior code. This battle was for preserving the memory of Leafbreeze, the cat she and countless others had sat back and watched Cloudstorm kill. But most importantly this battle was for the survival of every living cat who called the forest and lake their home. She'd made a terrible mistake in the past of getting caught up in the Dark Forest's scheme for power, but now she was going to do everything within her power to correct that mistake.
Unfortunately, that was all before Cloudstorm remembered what he too was fighting for.
In that small pocket sized inch of time, as Buzzardflight moved forward, he struck back hard. She never saw it coming. Cloudstorm's eyes seemed to slip out of focus for just one second, but when they regained focus he sent a vicious hook towards Buzzardflight's face that struck her under the chin. The strike left her senseless, snapping her head back with a whirling lurch; the force from the blow traveling all the way down her spine to the tip of her tail. Her body seemed to discombobulate on itself, sending her crumbling to the ground.
Buzzardflight felt removed from the world around her. A deafening ring was going off in her ears, and her mind seemed to be nothing more than an jumbled up buzz of bees. Somewhere in the deep bowels of her mind she felt relieved at the sudden removal from the feelings of pain. It failed to last longer than a minute when a forepaw fell down upon her back like a falling oak sending the air rushing clear out of her lungs. No mercy was spared upon the downed she-cat, as a heavy blow to the back of the head sent her face first into the snow.
She lay there simply trying to fight off the creeping darkness of unconscious, but it appeared Cloudstorm had other things in mind. Grabbing her roughly by the scruff of the neck, Cloudstorm hauled Buzzardflight into the air like a newborn kit, and then tossed her hurtling through the air to land back down onto the ground with a sickening thud.
A ragged cough racked her body making her spit up blood and saliva, as the stars above glittered in the sky.
She couldn't feel a thing, her entire body had gone numb. Another fit of coughing struck her body, sending up more globs of blood. She'd failed. The thought was more depressing than she thought it would be. She'd managed to come so far only to be stopped here and killed under the starry sky of the night, as her warrior ancestors watched helplessly from up above.
A dark shadow suddenly clouded her vision. Buzzardflight felt a paw press down heavily on her throat making her gag. A tremor of fear shivered across her body, as Cloudstorm's jeering face appeared.
"You lose." he snarled triumphantly, victory dancing in his amber eyes.
"No." Buzzardflight coughed out. "No, Cloudstorm I win. As we speak Berrypaw is currently making her way down the stone hollow to the Moonpool to tell StarClan the Dark Forest's plan."
"Hmm, well I suppose I'd better hurry then," he snarled, pressing down harder on her neck. "I would oh so enjoy torturing you a little while longer Buzzardflight, but as you said I have to stop your little friend. I suppose I'll just have to settle for killing you here, and letting the Dark Forest claim you all over again."
"What?" Buzzardflight choked out, fear rising in her chest.
"Oh, you didn't think that just because you changed your allegiance back to StarClan before I killed you means your going there?" Cloudstorm laughed cruelly. "No, Buzzardflight, once a member of the Dark Forest, ALWAYS a member of the Dark Forest. The very second you joined you were branded as property of The Place of No Stars. The mark is permanent, and when you took that oath of allegiance you pledged your soul to that place forever."
Cloudstorm let out a crazed laugh, and stared into her eyes, his own wide and sparkling madly, appearing to have the sense of something else, something more sinister pulling the strings from the shadows.
"Take care to avoid all those new clanmates you just tried to betray," he said. "Because they're not going to be pleased to see you."
Cloudstorm lunged forward and sunk his fangs deep into her neck. Buzzardflight tried weakly to dislodge the larger cat, but could do nothing more than give a final silent wail of pain, as blood pooled down her neck soaking her fur, and staining the snow red. Her head flopped back against the snow, eyes dim of life or color, with her face trapped in a dying image of complete horror. Cloudstorm released her neck, and stood over her, a sadistic grin displayed on his face.
(Cloudstorm's POV)
I looked down upon Buzzardflight's crumbled form. Broken, useless, and of no further need, but food for the crows. She lived her life as a coward attempting to flee away from the Dark Forest, and paid dearly for her mistake. I took one final look upon the deceased she-cat's body, and turned away. Pathetic, simply pathetic.
I hurried for the stone hollow in a romp. I had one final loose end to tie up, and planned to get it over with as soon as possible. I found no pleasure in having to kill the apprentice so I'd try to make her death as swift and quick as possible.
My stomach gave a sudden lurch, as I entered the hollow, walking down a narrow path. A jolt of static coursed through my body, and I immediately halted my progress. I felt something. The farther down I traveled the more frequent the jolts coursed through me. I scowled shaking off the effects, and pushed onward. There were ancient forces at work here trying to keep me at bay, but I wasn't too be denied. As I walked down the path I felt my paws fall into dimples in the ground made forming the shapes of paws. Obviously the past marks of cats who'd made this same trek.
I continued onward before a sound made my ears perk up. I focused on the noise, and realized it was the sound of running water. Of course, I'd heard stories that the Moonpool was fed water from a cleft in the wall. I was getting close.
I increased my speed, flying down the path before it suddenly opened up in front of me, and I found myself in a large cavern. I looked up at the many grooves and cliffs formed at the top before my eyes fell down to a small pool in the center of it all. Standing right in front of it with her back turned to me was the cream colored apprentice.
I saw her bending her face down to make contact with the pool waters, and that's when I struck. Catching her completely by surprise, I knocked the apprentice off her feet, and pinned her down before she could even utter a squeak.
I stared down into her panic stricken eyes, an overbearing wave of fear scent wafting off of her. She knew I meant to kill her. The dried blood of Buzzardflight on my fur proved it no matter how much I may have detested killing what I saw to be a kit. Despite myself however, I could feel a small grin tugging at the corner of my mouth. Killing Buzzardflight had sent a huge surge of joy and excitement rushing through my body that I hadn't felt in so long. If I was too kill this apprentice in an even more gruesome fashion maybe I'd get an even bigger rush. My mind imagined the scene as I slashed the apprentice's throat, and watch as she struggled to gasp for air, and the life slowly ebb away from her eyes. Yes. Yes, I would love to see that. I craved it! I-
Wait! What was I talking about? I shook my head confused. Those weren't my thought. Why would I find joy in killing an apprentice?
"Don't fight it, Beloved," the slow sultry purr of the Voice echoed in my mind. "Give into your natural urges. Slaughter her! Allow yourself to feel alive, and spill her blood into the Moonpool. It will corrupt it forever, tainting the waters power and severing it's link with StarClan's."
I tried to block out the Voice's words, snarling loudly and resisting it's influence. I wouldn't listen. I wouldn't! I'd fallen prey to the Voice's influence once already, and I wouldn't let it over power me again. I was the ruler of my own fate. I made the decision of what I would do, not the Voice!
"Why fight it, Beloved?" the Voice asked softly. "We both know you're going to do it anyway."
"No!" I angrily snarled out loud, causing a terrified whimper from the apprentice under my paw. "No, I refuse to let you take over. This is my body, and only I can make the decision of what to do with it."
"Think of what killing this apprentice means," the Voice said. "You get rid of the only other living cat who can threaten your victory, and what's more you get to add the ultimate insult of it all to StarClan by destroying their precious little Moonpool."
I tried to ignore the Voice's words, but my resolve was slipping fast. With a gasp of horror I felt the Voice's presence seep into my fur, entering my muscles, and sending a rush of power coursing through my veins. It was taking over my body, and I couldn't do a thing to stop it. I felt unstoppable, an insane force of raw power and rage pulsing through me. I turned down to the apprentice, grinning maniacally.
"Time to die little one."
The apprentice opened her mouth to scream out in terror, but it was already too late as I came striking down halting her voice into silence forever. Blood poured from the gapping hole in her neck, staining my paws red, as the rest of it trailed off into the Moonpool. When the blood made contact with the water an echo of a whisper seemed to scream out. The water suddenly blackened, and the once luxurious shine and purity quality that the water had once was gone.
A low rumble of sound slowly began to echo throughout the cavern. It started out as a chuckle, followed by a cackle before transforming into full blown out manic laughter. At first I mistook the laughter for belonging to the voice before I realized that it was actually coming from me.
I was laughing. Whether from insanity, triumph or both I didn't know. I laughed until my sides ached in pain. I laughed until I could no longer breathe. I laughed until I finally managed to drag myself out of the Moonpool. I laughed the entire time I traveled. And even after all that I was still laughing when Goldenshine found me a raving mad mess collapsed in a flower bed of herbs on the outskirts of ShadowClan territory.
The Voice had won.
